#and this is why i wrote two fics giving redeeming qualities to drew tanaka and octavian from heroes of olympus

[pandoratheprocrasticreator]

idk if this is A Take or anything but as much as i dislike characters who read as "creator's pets" - characters that the writer obviously wants you to think is a great person but maybe don't adequately SHOW instead of TELL - i find it more irritating when the writer seems to be trying to tell me HATE a character.

i know the "fun to hate" thing is a trope and obviously a lot of villains do need the audience to hate them somewhat. and the problem with both the characters that the writers want you to like and the ones they want you to hate that don't work well, is that they make the audience's opinion on the character hinges more on the "tell" part instead of the "show."

but idk it's one thing to really love your oc. but if you're purposely writing your character to be hated without giving them adequate characterization it just feels meaner? they're not a real person that could be harmed by being shit on but my feelings about them are real! like you're not even TRYING to make them an actual character this is just a punching bag! now im going to scan the character for any redeeming qualities bc clearly the author doesn't want to.

in conclusion:

creator: you should hate this character

me:

#i felt this in middle school and couldnt put it in words #and this is why i wrote two fics giving redeeming qualities to drew tanaka and octavian from heroes of olympus #this is why i keep rotating odalia blight in my head #this is why i hated the iron widow #60% of the characters are either literally plot devices you have to treat them like actual characters and like them bc the author said so #or theyre literally just plot devices but you have to treat them like actual characters and hate them bc the author said so #if you want me to hate a character make them do things in the story to actually earn it #and i dont mean hate like i dont want to see this character in the story ever again #if you write a character like that then why are you putting them in the story #if the character is to be hated they need to invoke the 'holy shit this guys so fucked up' button in me #i dont have to 'like' a character as a person but if theyre not meant to make the audience think about the story then #why do they exist #make an actual conflict not a strawman #shut up pandora