I’m currently reading a book about a less-than-likable protagonist. If I were reading it for pleasure, I would have stopped by now, but I had agreed to review the book. I will plow ahead, hoping the protagonist eventually sees the error of her ways and miraculously develops some much-needed empathy. However, since I’m three-quarters of the way through, it’s not looking good.
The last few years have seen a surge in novels featuring unlikable female protagonists, also known as antiheroes. I think it possibly began with Gone Girl. When the publishing industry sees a book take off, they tend to glut the market with similar plots and/or characters.
I’m not saying that every character in a book should be likeable. But for those of us who read to escape, we do tend to want to like the protagonists of the books we read. If the protagonist starts off with irritating flaws, that’s okay, as long as she experiences character growth throughout the book and ends up overcoming at least most of her shortcomings. As a reader, I crave happy endings, especially these days, with what’s going on in the world.
Unlikeable characters often push readers’ buttons. They cause conflict in our protagonists’ lives. However, they’re a necessary part of most stories, especially in mysteries where the antagonists are rarely, if ever, likeable. How often have you read a mystery that ended with a likeable character unmasked as the murderer?
However, books are more than just the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. They’re populated with many secondary characters, some likeable and some far from likeable. This adds layering to stories. Mystery should be about more than the sleuth discovering whodunit. Otherwise, the story will read like a police report.
A sleuth shouldn’t live in a vacuum. She needs to interact with family and friends. Rarely are all the people in our own lives likeable. So why should that be any different for the protagonist? Characters need goals, motivations, and conflicts. Conflicts between coworkers, neighbors, and relatives not only add dimension to mysteries, but they often provide red herrings.
In my humorous Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, I have several unlikable characters who push both my protagonist’s and my readers’ buttons. Some readers would like nothing better than to have me kill off these characters, but for the most part, they’re the characters my readers love to hate. This is because along with pushing readers’ buttons, they provide comic relief.
This is especially true of both my sleuth’s mother and mother-in-law. Anastasia’s mother-in-law is a diehard communist and leader of the octogenarian Daughters of the October Revolution. Her mother claims descent from Russian nobility and is social secretary of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Sparks fly in the Pollack household whenever those two are under the same roof—which, unfortunately, is far more often than Anastasia would prefer.
I’ve always been drawn to quirky characters, and I often base my characters on people I’ve known. Usually, I take traits from various people, exaggerating them, and blending them together to create the unique characters that fill the pages of my books. Most people aren’t as quirky in real life as they are on the printed page.
The exception is Anastasia’s mother-in-law. With a few minor differences, Lucille Pollack’s personality (along with her communist leanings) mirror that of my deceased mother-in-law. Love her or hate her, Lucille pushes readers’ buttons, and that’s a good thing. As an author, I always want the characters in my books to stir emotions in my readers.
Sorry, Knot Sorry is the thirteenth and latest book in my series, and ofcourse, you’ll find some quirky characters. Will any of them push your buttons? I’d love to hear from you after you’ve read the book.
Meanwhile, post a comment telling me some of the things that push your buttons in either fiction or real life, and you’ll have a chance to win a promo code for a free download of any one of the first ten audiobooks in the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries.
Sorry, Knot Sorry
An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 13
Magazine crafts editor Anastasia Pollack may finally be able to pay off the remaining debt she found herself saddled with when her duplicitous first husband dropped dead in a Las Vegas casino. But as Anastasia has discovered, nothing in her life is ever straightforward. Strings are always attached. Thanks to the success of an unauthorized true crime podcast, a television production company wants to option her life—warts and all—as a reluctant amateur sleuth.
Is such exposure worth a clean financial slate? Anastasia isn’t sure, but at the same time, rumors are flying about layoffs at the office. Whether she wants national exposure or not, Anastasia may be forced to sign on the dotted line to keep from standing in the unemployment line. But the dead bodies keep coming, and they’re not in the script.
Craft tips included.
Find Buy Links at https://www.loiswinston.com/sorry-knot-sorry.
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.
I am not fond of a character who is too convenient or too helpful.
Debra,
Thanks for stopping by. I understand your point and think it helps illustrate what Lois is saying. Debra
Debra, neither am I. Conflicts are what drives a novel. If all the characters are convenient or too helpful, it makes for a boring story no one want to read. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Lois,
Thank you for being on a guest on It’s Not Always a Mystery today. Appreciate your insight and generous giveaway. Debra G.
Thanks for inviting me, Debra!
Enjoyed your post, Lois. Anti-heroes are OK in other mystery subgenres, but IMO a cozy mystery sleuth must be likeable. However, I do like seeing the pushback and sparks flying when she/he encounters less than stellar secondary characters.
Thanks, Diane. IMO, Noir is the mystery genre that’s best suited for anti-heroes.
Yes, but there still can be a flaw. And I do think secondary characters can have some less stellar characteristics.
I’m turned off by totally helpless, clueless protagonists, unless there is a twist somewhere that redeems them in an interesting way. Nice post, ladies!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Gay. Those TSTL protagonists can really be annoying. Rarely, have a seen an instance where there’s a believable enough twist that redeems them. Usually, it’s just blind luck or author manipulation, both of which are also annoying.
But, it has to be a good twist. I think a lot of books fall down on that.
Lois,
I’m also drawn to quirky characters. Love to read about them and write about them.
Nice post.
Quirky characters make for fun and help set up the conflict and interest in a book.
Quirky characters are always so much fun, Kathleen. Thanks for stopping by.
Fun topic, Lois and Debra. Goody-two-shoes characters annoy me almost as much as unlikeable ones. Your point about character growth may be the reason. Goody-two-shoe characters tend not to have character arcs… unless they learn to be a bit naughty sometimes, which could be fun ( ;
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Pam. I think any main character who doesn’t experience some sort of grow or change in some way throughout a story or series is static, and static characters are rarely interesting characters. They bore readers.
Sorry, Knot Sorry sounds like a fun read! As for quirky characters, I’m all in. I also think characters should be not all good and not all bad. Otherwise, they aren’t relatable.
Thanks, Saralyn! I hope you enjoy it. I love writing about quirky characters. They make me laugh, and I hope they make my readers laugh. As for characters not being all good or all bad, I’m with you on that. Characters need layers and nuances. The best villains are the ones that have at least a glimmer of some redeeming characteristic, and the best heroes are those who question their own heroics at times.
As for characters who push my buttons–those who think they know it all.
LOL, Saralyn. I’ll bet that’s true in real life, too. I know it is for me!