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@chalice

Oooh ooh ooh I am so here for this!

(Okay so, I’m slightly biased because I love broken characters, and make them all messed-up and moody and I’m done for.)

My POV character in my WIP, Harley, isn’t exactly bitter—well, maybe—but he’s seething angry with the world. He hates himself, he hates his best friend, he hates his battle buddy, he hates his sergeant, he hates basically everyone who gets in his path.

But like Elisha said, no one’s born angry. If you get to the root of why she’s so angry and bitter, that’s your key to making your readers love her. In my case, Harley’s naturally rambunctious and goofy, but trusting and pretty tender underneath… til a certain tragic point in the story. You only get glimpses of the old Harley in flashback sequences, but it’s enough to show you he’s changed. That’s my way of getting in my readers’ hearts. Plus, my tragic halfway-point is (hopefully) heartbreaking enough that you sympathize with him, even if his behavior’s enough to get on somebody’s nerves.

Also, because this is your POV character, you get the chance to get in their head. From the outside looking in, that character isn’t very likable—I can’t imagine reading about Harley from third person, he’s so clammed up and snappy. But getting inside his head, you get to see the inner workings of his mind. Does your character realize this isn’t how she should/wants to be? Does she know why she’s like this? Does she wish it were another way? Does she have flashes of realization that it isn’t fair to hate all those things?

Yeah, along those lines, even if you keep them inside her head, those little flashes of realization may be exactly what you need—it was for me. For half a chapter Harley’s brooding and yelling at everyone. But then there’s just this little moment of, this isn’t how I want to be, this isn’t the real me, why am I like this. Even if he’s angry and worked up, that gives you a reason not to dislike him for it.

But yeah, mostly the backstory, which I’m trying not to spoil for my own story… 😆 If they have a reason to be like this, you’re gonna feel bad for them no matter how they snap and bite off people’s heads. 😇