Hey, everyone – this is Becca, with a new post we are doing here on Adventures in YA Publishing. It’s similar to the Question of the Week, but geared toward the bloggers of the book blogging world. What do they like? Don’t like? Consider this the reader's side of the publishing coin and the writer’s inside guide to what bloggers look for in the books they end up loving and shouting about into the interwebz. Twice a month, I’ll be sending out a question to bloggers, and I’ll be posting their answers right here! Stick around for the epic giveaway at the bottom too! Want to be a part of our book blogger panel? Leave your blog name and contact details in the comments below! We’d love to have you!
Question of the week: "Define what makes a character likable/unlikable. Do you have to 'like' the MC to continue a story? If not, what about the story would make you want to continue reading?"
- Candace, Candace's Book Blog, Twitter: @candacemom2two
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But what makes a book memorable and what makes you adore it at the end of the day is the characters. So personally I think if the book has no awesomecharacters, then it's not worth much.
What makes a character likable is having a personality. It's as simple as that. What makes a character unlikable is when they don't have a personality, but the book seems to pretend they do. Every little thing they do is put under a microscope, and because they don't have a personality to explain their actions, people assume they're a selfish and horrible people. Which I think is fair enough.
With YA books, people try to make the characters "normal teenagers". They think if the character is relatable then people will like them. Then why do a lot of people have villains that are some of their all-time favourite characters? I doubt they relate to them. I don't read a book seeing a teenage girl and think: she's a young adult and I'm a young adult! We relate so much to one another!
People love characters on a way more basic level. This character does something kind, I'm touched. This character does something cool, I'm in awe. This character says or does something funny, I laugh. At the end of the day, characters are supposed to be fun. You can do anything with them, so why do people go and make them normal? I'd rather go outside and see normal people in 3D than read a book if that were the case.
Why do people love Harry Potter? There's a lot of reasons, but I feel at the end it boils down too how many awesome characters you can name. Most of the characters are wizards. They're not normal or really relatable. Do you love Snape or even Dumbledore any less because you can't relate to them? Dumbledore is epic, that's why I love him, and I love his presence in the series. Everyone cheered in the fifth movie when he put Umbridge in her place. Snape is hilarious and you grow very fond of him as you keep watching or reading and know there's more to him than meets the eye.
You love characters because of how they make you react or feel, not because they remind you of yourself. Besides, I don't think there's a-size-that-fits-all relatable personality, and because there really isn't such a thing a lot of YA main characters come off as flat. All they have is the most general traits you can think of that can fit anyone really, like horoscopes, which does not make much of a consistent personality. Teenagers do not all have the same personality. That should be obvious.
One of my all time favourite characters is the main character from the manga series Skip Beat!, Kyoko. She's an aspiring actress and one of the most hilarious/scary/awesome characters I've ever seen. And like hell she's a "normal girl". With female characters in particular, I feel people try to make them exactly like normal girls. What does "normal girl" even mean? Whatever you're thinking is already probably a cliche. I think with female characters, unlike males, they forget they're making a character. She can be scary, she can be funny, she can be cool, she can be anything. She does not have to be a shy girl with brown hair and eyes that doesn't know she's beautiful and special until a super hot guy comes around and tells her so. You know, because he chose her over all the other girls, those mean girls. I think these are book cliches at this point, "nice girls" and "mean girls". Those are such broad terms and I have no idea why there are only two categories of girls.
So yeah, characters will always be the most important part in any story. I think most people can agree with that."
-Maria, Fantasy's Ink, Twitter: @Fantasysink
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I don't need that. What I do need is a character I can respect and understand. A character can lie, whine, steal, cheat, whatever, but as long as the decisions are internally consistent, I'm willing to hold on. I can't stand illogic. If I don't understand, I won't care, and if I don't care, I won't stick around. Also, the character needs to show some kind of growth by the end of the story. If they haven't changed at all, then I have nothing to respect, and I'll feel like I've wasted my time."
-Shae, Shae Has Left the Room, Twitter: @ShaelynCerie
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I have found that the only times I tend to "not like" the main character is when the main character is TOO emotional, whines a lot, or thinks only about themselves. I love to read a story where the main character is strong, powerful, intense, and knows when to express emotion.
The only reason I would continue to read a story that has a main character that I do not like would be when there is another storyline that is also in the book and is intense and keeping my attention. I have done that before. I will skip through the chapters with the boring main character and move to the chapters that are interesting to me!"
-Beth, Curling Up With A Good Book,Twitter: @CurlUpWGoodBook
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Sound off below! What do you think makes a character likeable/unlikeable? Do you have to 'like' the main character to continue the story? If not, what would compel you to finish it?
ENTER TO WIN:
A copy of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and a copy of Between the Spark and the Burn. Plus an "I have a compulsion for reading" tote!
For me, a likable character is someone who cares about someone else - whether it's a sister, plant, whatever, just cares about someone else selflessly. Even if it's just that one person they care for, that's enough for me.
ReplyDeleteIt's fine for them to make mistakes, be thieves, scammers, whatever - as long as they accept that about themselves, that they are doing whatever bad thing they're doing, that there is self-realization, even if they continue acting in a less than "ethical" way.
Awesome interviews!!
For me a character has to be someone I want to spend my time with, while reading the book. That means it could be someone "likable" in the conventional sense, or just compulsively interesting. I agree that nonstop selfishness is a big turn-off for me, unless it is accompanied by some sort of growing awareness and evolution.
ReplyDeleteI don't always have to like a character to continue onward. Especially if there are other likable things about the novel. However, there are times when one completely puts me off for one reason or another. It just depends on the book.
ReplyDeleteA likable character is one that I can relate and sympathize with. I don't like characters who are super dramatic/hurt others.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read these books!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read Between the Spark and the Burn! I read Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea awhile ago after borrowing it from a friend and now I need the sequel! :)
ReplyDeleteThere has been many a times wen imnot a compete fan of thMC but as long as they dont act with out thinking and sem auhentic im all in! Case in pont. I love Cassie from Compulsion shes awful but i still can undersand hr chrecters motives.
ReplyDeleteAwesome giveaway!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview questions! Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteFor me, a character has to be have some vulnerability, some flaws, something to overcome and be successful in some way doing so.
ReplyDeleteI would like to be part of your book blog panel. My blog is The Write Stuff and you can find it here: http://rosihollinbeckthewritestuff.blogspot.com/
You can reach me at rosihollinbeck (at) yahoo (dot) com. Thanks!
I like a character with authenticity, which includes flaws.
ReplyDeletethanks for the fun post and giveaway! I have to feel like I would want to meet/befriend the character in real life in order to "like" them. Or if I don't like the character, I keep reading just because I've become invested in their story due to a very well written story :)
ReplyDeleteLoved the first book and can't wait to read the second one!
ReplyDeleteFor me, a good character is one who has a head on his/her shoulders. She isn't infallible, and she does make mistakes (because good guys who are always GOOD guys aren't much fun to read about). But she's intelligent. She doesn't do stupid things over and over again (like fall in love with that guy who is obvious wrong, but he's so hot!) for the sake of the plot. She's strong, and can stand on her own two feet, but she also isn't too proud or afraid to accept help when she needs it. She's open-minded, and can changer her perspective of the world as her story's events unfold.
ReplyDeleteWould love to win this giveaway. I love reading and am excited about this.
ReplyDeleteI am so looking forward to reading this series! One of my friends is a hardcore advocate for it, and has been bugging me to read it already! I really cannot wait to finally accept her challenge. And it makes it even better knowing that we love the same books about 99% of the time! Thank you so much for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI stopped writing a novel because I did not like my main character, and I couldn't stand to be in her head anymore!
ReplyDeleteHi Becca! Ihe i'd love to be a part of the blogger panel. My blog name is Please Feed the Bookworm
ReplyDeletehttp://kalebsmome.blogspot.com
@kalebsmome
email brittersweet83@aol.com
Thanks Britt
I guess it depends on the genre, and the motives of the character. I do enjoy novels more when I relate to the character in some way.
ReplyDeletehow they're written; probably not continue reading
ReplyDeleteJust like others, a character who has flaws or who isn't the epitome of "everything" (that is, every single character trait out there is just likeable. Unlikable is just when they succeed in almost every aspect that they have surpassed the point of existence in their world. Do we have to like the main character? Nope. I'd just be compelled to finish a book with a character I didn't like only if the book was way more interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's really important for me to like a character. I couldn't get into Divergent because Tris just wasn't likeable. "Likeable" is a vague word, but to me they have to care about something deeply, just have a good moral compass.
ReplyDeleteI usually have to at least like the main character. For some reason, I my favorite characters in books/shows are usually secondary characters for some reason so if I love the other characters and I just am so/so about the main character I will usually continue reading.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard for me to really enjoy the book if I don't the main character. One factor that makes me determines how much I love a book is the connections to the characters. If they annoy me or I just don't connect to them then that definitely hinders my like for the book.
ReplyDelete