How to Write Offensive Characters

Conflicts are one of the central features of a writer. Unfortunately, or fortunately, conflicts run amok in the real world, and writers, as painters of the natural world, are left with a canvas that must be filled. But how? You write about all the complex characters that live in your literary world, even the ones that you most despise, but you do it if you are a fair writer, with fairness and respect.

What if a character has different opinions than you? Do you scurry and suppress him? Absolutely not. You let him live, breathe, and let people “see” him, and you have the courage to tell the truth. These may be divided times, but we are whole writers. We tell the truth. We take the challenge of meeting characters we normally would not associate with.

It is possible for your characters to disagree with your readers. Your characters can disagree with you. As writers, you’re making a point, and you can’t worry if some are too sensitive to get it. You must write what you see, even if in all its ugliness.

Characters and readers have an interesting relationship. In college classes I’ve taught, I’ve had educated young people look at the same character. Some love him and say, “He’s got it,” while the person on the other side of the room is so angry that such a character should be allowed to live on the page that he gets up and leaves the class (yes, this has happened).

So, how do you write characters you don’t share values with or find offensive yourself?

You do not choose not to write these characters simply because you find them offensive or you think they will offend someone else. If they come into your mind, they deserve recognition and consideration. The solution when you are writing is respectful disagreement. To write these characters, you must understand them. You may not agree with them, but you must know them honestly and sincerely as “real people” rather than caricatures. Remember, in your character’s world, their beliefs and actions are the right thing, no matter what you might think about them. You must be open-minded with your offensive characters and be willing to listen to portray them honestly. Don’t try to avoid conflict. The incorporation of conflict is one of the pillars of writing. Just have the conflict work for you and your story, and make your conflicts earnest and well-believed, foundational in your character's core values and essence.

There is probably a difference in how you see yourself and how you view your distasteful character. Socrates pointed out many years ago that the only way you were qualified to argue your point on anything was to know an argument so well that you could effectively argue the opposite of your point if put to the test. This is how you start to create your character. You must be open to your character’s point of view. Learn from your character’s thoughts and feelings. Try to understand them. And be curious. Non-appetizing characters offer quirks and idiosyncrasies that add significantly to your story. Respect your character even if your character does not respect or can respect your views or even those of your readers. Be brave. Even though your character may not recognize it, as the writer, you probably have more in common with this unlikeable character than you would like to admit. I won’t go into the psychology of it, but sometimes, when we firmly have an opinion on something, it is a defense against something hiding deeply within us. Use this opportunity with your character to also explore yourself and your motives.

Remember that your distasteful characters were a blank slate at one point, and then life began to imprint onto the characters' thoughts, feelings, and motivations. They were also born with distinct natures that may be completely different from yours. This nature/nurture quality is essential to remember when writing characters we view (at least on the surface) to be so different from us. Allow your distasteful character to have their past. Explore their past. Understand their past. Realize that all things are equal. If you had gone through what they went through, you might have come out the same way they did, except for the grace of God. This helps you write your character with greater empathy and compassion.

Avoid naive realism when dealing with your character. Naive realism is when you think you see the world clearly, and your character does not. You must respect your character. Their experiences, beliefs, socio-economic-educational-religious-racial-ideological background, home lives, negative and positive interactions with others, hopes and dreams, and fears shape their world. Fears are a big one. I’ve often found that characters act their most badly when they are afraid or fear threatened. Understand why they might feel this way. To remedy naive realism, always remember your character sees the world subjectively (even though they might like to think differently)…and so do you.

When you write these characters, write them honestly with the intent to learn. Dive deep into who they are and try to understand them. Doing so will create more intense, deeper, nuanced, and more complex characters and relationships.

Including these characters in your writing not only enhances your reader, but you’ll also find learning about these (fictional) individuals broadens your own life and literary worlds, as well.

Be brave and tell the truth.