Background first (I'll be as quick as I can) then a nice simple question. Main protagonist in a supernatural horror novel. Psychologist, mid-thirties. Single father of an adopted girl (who doesn't know she's adopted but will find out about halfway through). Extreme problems with controlling his anger. Drinks, but not alcoholic. Transferred to teaching criminology at university level after he got caught up in some sort of violent act (the idea so far is that he travelled to the house of one of his clients and beat him up in some kind of drunk/mad/justified? rage). Relationship with daughter. He has a tendency to snap between moods, can yell, get very angry with her. She seems to understand he has some kind of problem but while she still loves him she can get very scared. He never hits her or is tempted to hit her, but sometimes has to remove himself and take out his anger physically on something else (punchbag/wall). I'm worried he's not going to be at all likeable. He ends up making some huge sacrifices and aside from when he's angry, he can be a great guy. Likeable, I guess? And someone his students as well as his daughter COULD look up to. Do you think this sounds plausible, or would you plain hate this character? Thanks for all your help, Piper
Here's the possible problem I see. You said he: This is good, and so far people can see how he's struggled over his arc but you need something near the beginning of the book to make people wait that long for the transformation. If you have him been an arse at the beginning and don't equally highlight his good qualities it may put some readers off. I would suggest (if you're old enough) to read the novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. If he can compel as many people to read this book about a pedophile (enough people were interested in it to make a movie which is available on youtube) I think you can do it about an alcoholic. It just depends on how you do it.
To be honest, I'd probably be distracted as to why someone with anger issues and substance abuse problems was allowed to adopt a child. I'd also be curious as to what makes him eligible to teach criminology, being trained as a psychologist. But overall, yes, I could still find the guy likable as long as he's willing to understand he has problems and is actively working on addressing them.
He may have adopted the child long before he had these problems, but the main reason I came back is if his actions are known to employers I'm not sure if he'd be allowed to work in the field of Psychology and teaching - they can be quite responsible positions as your working with vulnerable people and youngsters. But I'm no expert so maybe check those out.
I think he sounds more likeable than Dexter Morgan, Patrick Bateman, Humbert Humbert, or Frederick Clegg
All good points, thank you. Interesting idea about Lolita etc and of course definitely worth doing my best to make him at least likeable to start with. In terms of teaching criminology/psychology that was something I was going to have to research (that is, can you do either jobs with the same/similar qualifications? I assumed it would be a master's or something for both but I'll look into it). The daughter was more sort of left on his doorstep (not literally but I think that's the easiest way of explaining it), again something I'd have to research and find out how plausible it is he'd get away without anybody knowing she's not his. Or something. What I hadn't considered was being allowed to teach after being suspended for violence, that's definitely something I'll need to rethink. Perhaps nobody officially transferred him, maybe it could turn out nobody ever found out it was him that beat the guy up, and he transferred himself thinking he would be safer in that kind of environment?
@Simpson17866 I have to say I've never heard of Humbert Humbert, but with a name like that it's worth a Google! Thank you
There’s likable and likable. I would be firmly of the opinion that he’s an abusive parent, that his daughter should be removed from his care, and that he should be jailed for the assault. But it’s possible for a reader to empathize with well-written bad people. I’m not sure, BTW, why you say he’s not an alcoholic. If he commits criminal acts while under the influence of alcohol, he certainly has a serious drinking problem. And does he punch the walls in his daughter’s presence?
Another good point, my choices in that regard I think would either be to tone down the anger to a point where it's more acceptable(?) OR to, as you say, write him well. The intention certainly isn't to make him a good guy, but I'd love to be able to write someone that readers want to hate or scream "put him away" but can't help but defend him, and I don't know if that's possible. I don't particularly want to label him as an alcoholic, because I too often fall into the trap of giving my characters very deliberate flaws to make them more human and I feel excessive drinking is fairly easy for me to write and could seem to readers like it's only a part of his character just to be a part of his character. So I'm trying not to tie the anger to the drinking too much, but I'll have to see what works. And no, I always imagined that he would hold back the violent side and bottle it up until he was alone and possibly had been for a while, when it would all come out at once. Either that or physically leaving and going for a long walk or something whenever he needs to let it out away from her. So she wouldn't see the violent side necessarily unless he didn't know she was there.
Nothing I can say to that except fair enough! I hope you don't mind me asking whether you think having him be alcoholic would be a step too far or worth considering? Thanks for your help so far (and everyone else).
I don’t think it’s a step too far. I think it’s more complicated. I think I need to know more about the assault. That sounds pretty hard to forgive.
I think alcohol is literary shorthand for "bad parent" that's in grave danger of becoming cliche if it hasn't already.
Thank you both for opinions on the alcohol thing. The idea was that he was dealing with a client who was basically just a really terrible person. I've got it two ways in my head: either a) my MC knows that his client is going to hurt someone (or worse) and is too blinded by some sort of vigilante ideal to report the client or follow official procedure, or b) the client is just a really really REALLY terrible person - paedophile, rapist, maybe with some personal connection to the psychologist although that seems unlikely (maybe even a Nazi, I'd considered that but I'm thinking it's definitely a step too far) - and the MC just gets so angry and worked up about knowing this client and feeling helpless knowing he can't do anything about it with the confines of his job. Either way, he would find the client's address, go to his house, maybe catch him in some horrible act and either interrupt it or be too late, but end up beating the guy up. Here I've got another choice to make: does the MC stop himself from going too far and hope that the client never talks about it, or does he end up killing the guy? But those are the details I have worked out so far. Nothing solid.
I'd say it's pretty much at cliche status already. Drug use too, though I haven't seen it used quite as often.
Sounds like a complicated main character. I dont see that they have to be rewritten to lose their vices and failings. I expect you have set out to write someone with these attributes. It would be surprising if it was by accident. If this is set in the modern era, there would be issues around people keeping children left on their doorstep. I mean social services would want a word. Could the confrontation be non violent, so that the MC employment would survive. Could the confrontation be linked to the daughter? You could use it to maintain her affection for him. If his anger is misdirected and toxic, it could be repurposed in a misguided way for the love of his daughter.
Here in the UK, you can do combined criminology / psychology undergraduate degrees at some universities, but to get to the level of a practising psychologist or lecturing criminologist you would have to have further, more specialised qualifications. Criminal psychology is a thing, so maybe if your character has specialised in this at PhD level (not sure what the US equivalent is, to be fully qualified you need a masters and then a PhD on top of that) that could be the area of expertise he is lecturing in and it could be that as a psychologist he was working specifically with convicted felons? Maybe he ends up going to the guy's house instead of reporting him because he thinks the justice system has failed and doesn't believe reporting him would help? For example if the guy he beats up had court-ordered therapy with him and your MC was angry that the guy hadn't been sent to jail based on what he told him? I do agree though, if the university knew he had to stop being a psychologist because of violence towards a patient I highly doubt he would be allowed to teach students so you'll have to find a way around that. In terms of whether he can be likeable, I personally agree with @ChickenFreak in that for me the lines he does or doesn't cross with his daughter would be the deal breaker. He can have flaws and doesn't have to be the perfect parent, but we need to see how hard he works to protect her from the anger and violence, as well as needing be somewhat successful at this because even if he's sorry for it, if he's violent in front of her etc. I'm not on his side.
Firstly apologies to anyone who I failed to acknowledge in your help here, all comments have been really useful and well appreciated so thank you all. I've posted this character's first scene into the workshop, I won't ask anyone to read it but just to let you know in case you'd find this introduction from the actual story helpful at all in figuring out your own personal opinions on the character, so if anyone wants to have a look do feel free and let me know what you think! Thanks again, Piper
Kind of reminds me of the Wolverine. I like the idea that he removed himself to go teach, he doesn't have to explain the move he can just "grumpily" do it. Instead of "left on the doorstep" it could be a series of events that lead the girl to be adopted by him and(probably a wife that is not in the picture). Could also be he was designated the guardian of the child, he did not know about it or be asked about it but now he feels obligated/protective?
Likeable doesn't matter as much as him being interesting does. The narrator in Lolita is a pedophile, right? The MC in Perfume is a murderer. Then there's Psychopath too. Likeable doesn't have to come into it. You may want the reader to sympathise, perhaps pity him, but "liking" him doesn't have to be important. I think what would be key here is seeing his motivation. If we can understand where he's coming from, he becomes human, and then we can forgive a lot. Is he sorry for his temper? Does he seek to change? Because if the answers are "yes" then I don't see a problem there with his likeability really. We all have failings, we all try and fail and try and fail. This can easily resonate with a lot of readers. Alternatively, you could have readers hate him and become fascinated with how he's gonna get his downfall.
I can't tell from an outline. Likeability comes from how the reader gets to interact with the character. He could do truly horrible things, but if the reader understands why he chose to do them, or was forced to do them, he could still be likeable. Another character might be the nicest person around, never upsetting anyone, yet be completely loathsome because he never takes a stand, never takes a risk, never makes a difference despite many opportunities. Maybe your character has good reason to be short tempered. Maybe he's surrounded by utterly selfish dolts. Maybe he drinks and does drugs so as not to rip these people's heads off and play cranial football with them. As with any character, it's how you write him, how well you allow the reader to identify with him, even agree with him at times.
First of all, I'd get your story situations sorted out ...decide if the alcoholism is necessary, and if it is, then what other problems might it cause? Also sort out the job situation ...would he be allowed to teach with an assault on his record? And make the adoption sound plausible ...just turning up on the doorstep sounds kind of ...old fashioned? And figure out exactly who he assaulted and why. Get those dangling story issues sorted in your head. Do research if need be. THEN, once you've got all that in place, think about your character. What do YOU like about him? And why? Then make sure those reasons are obvious enough for the reader to share as well. If you don't like him yourself, then you will struggle to get your readers to like him.
Do you think protagonist should be likeable? If you do, then... Why do you think that way? (And I underline that I'm not asking should he be or not, but do you think and if, then why?)
It's not really about being likeable, it's about being relatable. Can readers relate to the character, can they understand where he's coming from and why he does what he does? That's what really matters.
