by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer
Writing Difficult Characters
Just like with humans, sometimes our characters can be really difficult to deal with. They can be snide or mean or just plain ugly. Our audience may not like difficult characters. The writer may struggle to understand the characters who don't want to behave. And within the story itself, difficult characters can cause a whole lot of trouble. But why are they difficult? Why do we have to fight with them or chastise them back into shape?
The main reason difficult characters work in stories is that we need them for conflict. After all, if everyone gets along all the time, a story can be very bland. Not that bland stories are necessarily bad, but a little bit of spice never hurt anyone!
