Many MANY moons ago, when I was with my first agent who was pitching my first novel to publishers--back when "YA" was still a relatively new category--I received a rejection from an editor who passed because she found my main character too "unlikeable."
I cringed at the word then--but hey--this was an editor with a big house, and of course she knew what she was talking about. But now, almost fifteen years later, I find that I'm still not a fan of this word: unlikeable.
What is an "unlikeable character," really?
Because to me, "unlikeable" means complicated and conflicted. It means they're making mistakes all over the place. They're not perfect. They don't always say or do the right thing. . . .
But isn't that just being "human"?
No one is fully likeable 100% of the time. And, if they are, where is the conflict? How does a fully likeable character make for an interesting story?
The thing is, we can still, as readers, find unlikeable characters appealing. We can find their "unlikeability" compelling at various degrees, especially when we see ourselves in them. That's what makes them real and relatable.
So pass on, editors, but discerning readers know the best characters come with their own set of flaws, and, at the end of the day, "likeability" is a stale litmus where story is concerned.
Be Brilliant!
~Katie~
