this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2023
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You dont need likeable characters. You need believable characters (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The reader doesnt need sympathy for the characters. just empathy. they don't need to like them, just believe in them as consistent entities.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It depends on who you're asking. Robert McKee talks about the center of good, a good trait within anyone. Only when a reader sees the center of good do they open up to identify with that character.

Animal torturers are believable in that they can indeed exist. It's hard for the vast majority of people to identify with them. However, if a writer shows us that an animal torturer is very kind to their daughters, we will still despise them, but we may also be able to identify more readily with them.