#the ideal engaging asshole protagonist is a rebel without a good cause: maybe he has a sad backstory; maybe he's just a dick

[july-19th-club]

how to make a character who sucks so bad and nobody likes him but he is genuinely a good protagonist (good as in interesting, maybe on a rare day good as in decent but also, just like, an incredible jackass) . i need to make him worse i need to make him MEANER!

#i think the key to getting this kind of character right is that he can't try to be anybody's boss #that's not the fun and engaging kind of jackass that's just reminding the reader of all the bosses they've hated in their time #the engaging and likeable Guy Who Sucks So Bad is a loner who might CLAIM that he will take over the group or whatever and lead #but never actually has any intentions of doing so because part of the things he sucks re: is responsibility of any kind #he does however know that leaders dont like other people horning in on their territory so he will say things like #i'm gonna wreck your shit and then all your lackeys will follow ME! ouahahahahaha . despite having zero plans to follow up with that #the ideal engaging asshole protagonist is a rebel without a good cause: maybe he has a sad backstory; maybe he's just a dick #but if there's one thing about him you can count on it's that he is Opposed To Shit. doesnt matter what it is his primary entertainment #is picking a fight with it for no reason and then saying what the fuck ever i didn't care about it anyway (he didn't) #ideally this is all done in such a way that he is SEXY . but you'd never want to hang with him because he is deeply obnoxious #he is not bossy. he is not controlling. he is maybe even a bit of a wife guy except he hates everyone else and wants to make their day wors #because making someone else's day worse makes HIS day better . the ideal wife for him is the one from ordinary day with peanuts #by shirley jackson #and i have GOT to figure out a way to engineer this guy without copying examples of my favorite versions of him wholesale #i have the scaffolding. but because of my own confrontation-averse tendencies #im terribly concerned that i will never be able to actually make him the asshole he was born to be #q