# A guy told me the secret to making a likable arrogant character...



## ViKtoricus (Feb 24, 2014)

He or she is in this forum. I forgot his or her username, but whoever he or she may be, thank you to him/her.

What was said was that even arrogant characters can be likeable if they were *3 Dimensional*. Meaning, there has to be something more about him than arrogance.

So I thought, I'm making my character, which is essentially me who was put on this magical world of Ogres, 3 dimensional.

Here are his three traits:

1. Sleazy = He has a weakness for sex, and sexy women.

2. Brash = Completely, 100% reckless, as long as he knows there is a reward to a success.

3. And finally, Ego the size of the Universe = It is the glue that binds arrogant traits.



Will this be enough to make a likeable character?


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## T.S.Bowman (Feb 24, 2014)

It's really hard to tell. It totally depends on how you write him.

As for myself, I'm not sure I could really relate to a character, especially a protagonist, like that because I am none of those things. 

I imagine you could give him those traits and manage to make him likeable. It won't be easy, though.


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## ViKtoricus (Feb 24, 2014)

T.S.Bowman said:


> It's really hard to tell. It totally depends on how you write him.
> 
> As for myself, I'm not sure I could really relate to a character, especially a protagonist, like that because I am none of those things.
> 
> I imagine you could give him those traits and manage to make him likeable. It won't be easy, though.



It would be symbolic. If I could pull it off, I would feel as if people finally accepted me for who I am, because I am all of the above. The character is essentially me, and I'm opening myself to judgement, which I fear... kinda.


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## Bishop (Feb 24, 2014)

I don't think three traits are enough to make a three dimensional character. People--real people--have multitudes of traits, and the problem with writing characters that are 3D so to speak, is to give them multitudes of traits. Most people have both good and bad traits, and many of them. The love-to-hate protagonist might have those three traits you mentioned, but with nothing else there to redeem him, he's still rather unlovable.

A good example is the modern takes on Sherlock Holmes. He's a rampant genius, a massive egotist, often enough a user of some sorts, and completely unaware of others' feelings. But we're endeared to him by quirks, funny things he does, and his constant need for John Watson. When he makes John so mad that John finally decides he's going to end the partnership forever, Holmes all but begs him not to. His indefinable need forgives his other negative traits by reminding us that the character--like us as readers--is human. Suddenly, we're back on his side again.

Bishop


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## ViKtoricus (Feb 24, 2014)

Bishop, you almost made me spill out a spoiler in my Lord of the Ogres story.


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## Bishop (Feb 24, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> Bishop, you almost made me spill out a spoiler in my Lord of the Ogres story.



I'm hoping I was helpful, still!

Bishop


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## Outiboros (Feb 24, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> He or she is in this forum. I forgot his or her username, but whoever he or she may be, thank you to him/her.
> 
> What was said was that even arrogant characters can be likeable if they were *3 Dimensional*. Meaning, there has to be something more about him than arrogance.
> 
> ...


In writing, being flat on three sides doesn't make you three-dimensional. The three things you listed are basically all originating from number 3. And, honestly, each only makes him seem less likeable to me.

Don't worry about making him three-dimensional. Worry about making him _human_. Give him a soft side, an endearing side, or at the very least a relatable side if you want to make him likeable.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Feb 24, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> Here are his three traits:
> 
> 1. Sleazy = He has a weakness for sex, and sexy women.
> 
> ...



No.

The third dimension isn't yet another quality; it's DEPTH.  These are all just surface attributes, and you can have any number of those without any depth at all.  Depth answers the question, "Why?"  Depth explains the reasons the character is sleazy, brash, and egotistical.  For example, suppose your character is egotistical because he's led a sheltered life and has never been challenged.  This is where the depth comes from, because it offers a past and suggests a future.  Now you have an idea of how the character will react to situations (beyond continuing to be egotistical).

Some people think they can give a Mary-Sue depth by balancing positive traits with negative ones; you haven't even gotten that far.  You seem to think the presence of any traits at all gives depth, and you couldn't be more wrong.


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## Tettsuo (Feb 24, 2014)

ViKtoricus said:


> He or she is in this forum. I forgot his or her username, but whoever he or she may be, thank you to him/her.
> 
> What was said was that even arrogant characters can be likeable if they were *3 Dimensional*. Meaning, there has to be something more about him than arrogance.
> 
> ...



The key is knowing what created those attributes in the first place.

BTW, excessive arrogance is a sign of great insecurity.  *Basically, everything you've noted above describes a character with serious emotional issues.*


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## popsprocket (Feb 24, 2014)

I wasn't necessarily talking about making him three dimensional when I gave that advice, I really was just making a suggestion that would help to make a likable character. As mentioned above, three dimensional is not the same as making a character human. If you want to prove a character is human, then you have to get the reader to turn  enough pages, and you can only do with if they like what they are reading.

And even then my suggestion to add a layer of amusement to his internal  monologue only means that the character would appeal better to me. Plenty of people would still be unimpressed.


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## TheYellowMustang (Feb 24, 2014)

The narrator in my WIP is horribly arrogant, so I've thought a lot about this myself. 

His younger sister is very different from him. She's not insecure, but extremely introverted, preferring to be left alone in her private woe. She's the heart of my narrator. He doesn't explicitly tell the reader he loves her, but when people hurt her he lashes out without a second thought. He sees her moping over their parents' divorce - he downs a bottle of gin. A kid in her class teases her - the drives his fist into his face.

Sulking and beating people up aren't exactly heroic acts, but he _cares. _Also, a little bit of humor and self-insight helps. I've read books with psychopathic narrators and I've still been able to relate to them. John Cleaver in "I Am Not A Serial Killer," for example. He's a sociopath, but he's also funny, pessimistic, honest, insecure etc. I'm also a big fan of stories where you're rooting for a character to redeem himself, and you keep thinking he will - only to have the rug pulled out from under you. Pulling off that kind of build-up/let-down and repeating it over and over will leave your readers heartbroken and frustrated (a good thing, if you ask me - it means they care). Spike from Buffy is another good example of a villain-type character who the audience developed a love-hate relationship with.


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## Bishop (Feb 24, 2014)

One of my favorite examples, that YellowMustang made me think of? Q.

Don't know if there are any other Star Trek fans out there, but Q is the quintessential arrogant, yet beloved character. What endears us is his wit and power, but he's essentially no more than a pain for everyone on the Enterprise-D. But, we see, little by little, that on some level he has a heart--maybe developed in his dealings with humanity. 

Which brings up development. What we love most is when there's a change in the character within a story. Development is what can sometimes make or break all the hate or love we have for a character, and as the character changes, our emotions about him change as well.

Bishop


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## Tiamat (Feb 25, 2014)

> Will this be enough to make a likeable character?


Nope.  

You just described three completely negative traits.  Sleazy, brash, pretentious people are neither liked nor respected for any of those things.  They can be entertaining, yeah.  I might even go so far as to say that they can be interesting on some level.  But likeable?  Sorry, no.  If you want to write a likeable character, you need to give your reader something to like.  Seems pretty obvious, really.  

Also, for the record, while I've met many sleazy, brash, pretentious people, they all had more characteristics than just those three things.  For example, an acquaintance of mine is a used car salesman (which says a lot right there about the kind of man he is).  He's a total womanizer (once snuck up behind me and licked my neck); he's obnoxious (won't let you get a word in edgewise, will talk over you without a second thought, and has to be the center of attention at all times); and he's completely arrogant and egotistical (dude licked MY neck, but upon confrontation, he didn't do anything wrong and it was somehow my fault for enticing him).  Sounds like a totally unlikeable prick, right?  Yeah, but here's the catch:  He is ridiculously funny that I can't help but laugh in spite of myself.  He also has a five year old daughter that he spoils mercilessly, and if I needed a favor, he would help me out if he could.  (Of course, then I'd owe him, and I think I'd rather take a bullet.  Used car salesman, remember?)  He's still not likeable, but I don't hate him.  And I'm certainly entertained by him.

The point is, your character sounds rather two dimensional.  He needs more than just three traits to be an enjoyable character.


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## Justin Rocket (Feb 25, 2014)

Why is your character sleazy, brash, and arrogant?  What happened to him, specifically, which caused him to grow up this way?


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## Lewdog (Feb 25, 2014)

I pretty much agree with everyone above, that he doesn't yet seem human.  Why does he have these insecure traits?  What is he emotional about?  What pushes his buttons?  Does he do anything for a cause?  Other than women, what is his weakness?  He might be a womanizer, but does he respect them?  Where does he draw the line?  Would he not kill a baby ogre?  Does he have empathy?

Basically I think everyone is making the point that you should draw a more detailed character sheet.  Sometimes people get drawn to follow a character for the smallest reasons that you might not even think are important.  Maybe the character has OCD like that show "Monk."  

I probably just complicated things more than I helped...but I hope not.


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## TheYellowMustang (Feb 25, 2014)

Tiamat said:


> Nope.
> 
> You just described three completely negative traits.  Sleazy, brash, pretentious people are neither liked nor respected for any of those things.  They can be entertaining, yeah.  I might even go so far as to say that they can be interesting on some level.  But likeable?  Sorry, no.  If you want to write a likeable character, you need to give your reader something to like.  Seems pretty obvious, really.
> 
> ...



Sounds a lot like one of my favorite people from my hometown. He has to be at the center of attention at all times, he has little respect for the girls he flirts with and he can be downright rude. Most of my girlfriends strongly dislike him. What am I saying, they all do. But he's also funny, has a boyish charm and he's fiercely loyal. He's always been there for me when I needed him.

Lol at the neck-licking btw.


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## Robdemanc (Feb 25, 2014)

It should be no secret that arrogance is used by people to cover up insecurities. Make your character have a weakness about something only he knows. Perhaps he is secretly of the opinion that no woman would ever fancy him.


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## Skodt (Feb 25, 2014)

Everyone else in here gave you advice. I give you a path to follow. Read some arrogant characters and then see how they were developed. Some of my favorites include...

The Gentlemen Bastard series
Game of thrones ( Read tyrion and Jamie's chapters)


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## Lewdog (Feb 25, 2014)

Skodt said:


> Everyone else in here gave you advice. I give you a path to follow. Read some arrogant characters and then see how they were developed. Some of my favorites include...
> 
> The Gentlemen Bastard series
> Game of thrones ( Read tyrion and Jamie's chapters)



I would add "The Catcher in the Rye" with Holden Caulfield.  People just love that character, but he was an arrogant dude.


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## Bishop (Feb 25, 2014)

Lewdog said:


> I would add "The Catcher in the Rye" with Holden Caulfield.  People just love that character, but he was arrogant dude.



I completely agree with what you said, and I know that most everyone has some heart for Holden, but I have to say I hated him, and wanted to punch him every few pages. I'm clearly not a big fan of "Catcher." 

Or for that matter, "The Scarlet Letter." My god, I hate Hawthorne. I think he's the reason I specialized in British Lit rather than American Lit in college, and I still hate him to this day.

Bishop

PS, sorry to get off topic.


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## Jeko (Feb 25, 2014)

> Will this be enough to make a likeable character?



This isn't what you should be asking yourself. View your characters as people you're gradually getting to know. As long as you view them as people, you'll find something in them which you think a reader can relate to. That or you've picked the wrong character to be the protagonist.


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## Kepharel (Feb 25, 2014)

Maybe as long as the character has at least one redeeming feature e.g. loves is gran, saves a girl from unwanted attention, gives a handout to a down and out...nobody's all bad


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## thepancreas11 (Feb 25, 2014)

TheYellowMustang nailed it earlier: likable arrogant characters are arrogant because there's something underneath, something that endears them to us, often a weakness or a soft spot that we can either relate to or sympathize with.

Holden Caufield: dude is lost. He's got no idea what he wants to do with his life or what's happening to him or where to go next. We've all been in that position.

Tyrion Lannister: undervalued. Arrogant out of self-defense because he's a "half-man". Who can't appreciate being judged based on appearance?

Jamie Lannister: simple. Jaime's a fighting machine, used for the most part by the people around him, a dog in their service. He's also fiercely loyal, which is endearing.

Han Solo: he cares. He doesn't want to show it, buuuuuuuuut down deep, he actually likes these people. He's got a heart. You know from the moment you meet Chewie, really.


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## Riptide (Feb 27, 2014)

If you said he was like you then just write everything he does like you would do. You're definitely human, I would assume, and if you threw yourself into the pages, your MC would also become that 3D person you're hoping for


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