Thinking about nasty characters

I’ve been thinking about nasty characters this week, and that’s because I just watched the new Wuthering Heights movie. I love a good period drama, and adore both the actors (Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi) in this film. So even though I remember disliking the book intensely, I decided to give it a try. After all, I read the book over thirty years ago and my tastes have changed. And I honestly couldn’t remember the story or why I disliked it.

I have no idea if the movie is faithful to the book, but I now know why I didn’t like it thirty years ago, and still don’t. Both Cathy and Heathcliff are horrible people. They’re mean to each other. Cathy is spoiled and nasty to her lady’s companion. At one point she says something like “You’ve never loved anyone and no one has ever loved you.” I paraphrasing, but it was a real mean-girl moment. Heathcliff’s love for Cathy borders on obsession, and in a moment of frenzied passion, he offers to off Cathy’s husband, just to prove his love. Not a good look for a hero.

I found it hard to call up one shred of sympathy for this couple. And that’s a real problem for me when reading fiction. I need to care about the characters. I want to like them. I want to root for them. I want to want them to succeed. With Cathy and Healthcliff, I just didn’t.

I’m not talking about villains here. I’m all for a good villain, with our without a redemption arc (that’s another discussion entirely). But I’m talking about writers who choose to create unsympathetic heroes and trust that readers will become invested enough to follow the story to its conclusion. And kudos to them. It’s a hard road to take.

I realize there is definitely a market for such fiction. Shows like Schitt’s Creek come to mind. I couldn’t watch more than a few episodes. Horrible people. Now before you Schitt’s Creek fans come at me with your angry emails, I’ve been told the characters go through a sort of reformation during the six seasons, and many viewers found joy in watching that redemption. I didn’t get far enough to experience it. And that is the real risk with writing an unsympathetic hero. The reader/viewer might not stick around long enough to experience the good in the character.

Other fictional worlds like Westeros in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series are peopled with likable and unlikable heroes. I stuck with that series because the likable heroes (like Jon and Arya) far outweighed the unlikable ones (like Jamie and Cersei). But in general, I’m not one to put up with nasty heroes for too long.

I have a theory about why reader’s do though. It goes back to a quote I once read from RL Stine who writes the Goosebump books for kids. He said:

“I think [kids] like to be scared if they know they’re safe at the same time. I think they like to have these creepy adventures [where] they’re fighting ghosts and they’re invisible, but they know they’re safe in their room reading.”

In essence, he’s saying children need a safe place to experience fear. Same goes for rage and sadness. I believe this. And I believe adults do too. That’s why some people enjoy horror movies or tear-jerkers. It’s a safe place to act out emotions. Nasty heroes can also provide a safe space for readers to rage, hate or scorn. I get it.

The thing is, I carry around a tiny sad machine everywhere I go. It’s called an iPhone. It’s a little box full of news that makes me angry, of people that make me despair and stories that make me want to weep. I don’t need that in my fiction. I want joy. Not pure, unfiltered joy. Not joy that doesn’t come without struggle. But still, I want a hero worthy of my attention, someone who earns the hours I put into reading about them. I want to come out the other end of a book feeling, if not happy, then renewed.

Wuthering Heights left me feeling icky and angry. And maybe that’s what the author intended. After all, not all art is meant to bring joy. But then Emily Brontë didn’t carry around a little box of sadness in 1847.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know that heroes you can root for are a common theme in my stories. I couldn’t imagine investing my writing time (and your reading time) in anything less.

I, of course, acknowledge that everyone has their preferences and nasty heroes clearly have their fandom. That’s okay. Diversity is what makes this world beautiful.

So I ask you, how do you like your heroes? Nasty or sympathetic? Who’s your favorite unsympathetic hero? Who’s the one you enjoyed rooting for the most? You can reply right in the comments below.

And if you enjoy likable heroes who live in extraordinary times and face harsh realities without losing the core of empathy that fuels them, then I hope you’ll check out my books.
 

PUBLISHING NEWS

There’s a lot going on this month, with book sales, curated book fairs and subscription opportunities! 



2 DAYS ONLY! The Fantasy Edition Stuff Your E-Reader sale is now on. Two days only, so don’t park this one in your inbox. You need to act now. All books on the list are free or $0.99. A Knack for Metal and Bone and Dragon’s Don’t Eat Meat are included, both series starters, along with dozens of other great fantasy books.
SEE THE SALE



Who doesn’t love a sentient home, inn or library? My newest release, Hallow Crossing features and quirky inn and I’ve teamed up with five authors to bring you more. We've got six book recs including magical libraries, found family, magical tea shops, and small towns!

This Damsel is Not in Distress by @teeharlowe
Seven Hundred Beachfront by @ligiadewitauthor
The Tea Shop at th Edge of the Wood by @lizdeltonwrites
The Mystery in the Margins by @llgrayauthor
When the Innkeeper Met the Vampire by @authorlilaappleton
Hallow Crossing by @kimmcdougallbooks


 

SEE THE YEARN DEAL

BOOK FAIRS

Kobo Plus is a terrific alternative to Kindle Unlimited. For a monthly subscription fee you can read or listen to as many books as you want. And the Kobo Plus catalog is always growing, as can be seen on this month’s first promo. Check out all the reading/listening that could be yours!

And check out the deals for Fantasy Warrior Women and the enormous collection of freebies in the Free Fantasy and Sci-fi fair.

Click on any banner below to see the deals.







 

SPOTLIGHT BOOKS

Wyld Witch Weather

Wyld Lands Academy Book One

By Janna Ruth

Milena came to Wyld Lands Academy to control her air magic—but the wind follows her emotions, not rules.

Wyld Witch Weather is the first book in the Wyld Lands Academy trilogy—a YA urban fantasy packed with elemental magic, rebellious heroines, and heartbreak. If you enjoy magical boarding schools, fierce emotions, and girls who’d rather break the world than be broken by it, this one’s for you.

GET WYLD WITCH WEATHER FREE