Rooting For The Misanthrope

Is your main character likable? It doesn’t matter. The question you should be asking is are they compelling? Curb Your Enthusiasm is a huge hit and Larry David is the antithesis of likeable. He’s a selfish misanthrope but we root for him or who knows, maybe against him. Either way we want to watch him. But why? Why do we watch this miserable person? Because he has a skill and a goal/purpose. 

When someone is really good at something we want to watch that skill on display. The obvious examples are sports. We like to watch elite athletes compete against each other or themselves. But it applies to mundane things as well. 

I once watched a seventeen and a half minute YouTube video of a guy restoring a rusted out old vise. No talking, no music, just meticulous scraping, cleaning, sanding, painting, and repairing until a junk vise was restored to its original pristine condition. To my point, 30 million other people have watched this video. Watching someone who is good at something is captivating. 

The goal is the purpose, the why, the destination, the end game. Without a goal, there is no story. The character is wandering along aimless in their normal day to day world. No one is going to watch Luke Skywalker and his life on the moisture farm. That’s not his goal, he’s not invested in that life and if he’s not, then neither is the audience. Now, helping a space wizard save a princess from the evil empire? That’s a purpose and a clearly defined goal. Sign me up, I want to see if he’s going to be able to do that. 

What is Larry David’s skill? It’s arguing his point of view. What is his goal? Usually to not get involved or rally against perceived injustices. Will he succeed? It doesn’t matter, but we sure are going to watch to see him try.

The character may not even succeed in attaining the goal, maybe it’s a tragedy. Or maybe the goal changes. Through the pursuit of the goal, they gained a higher understanding that there was something else that mattered more. The pursuit of the goal is what matters. The character wants something and is going to go through hell to get it. 

Would I want to be friends with a serial bank robber? Probably not, but watch a movie about one, sign me up. If you have not seen Out of Sight with Geoge Clooney, put it on your watch list. It’s fantastic. The movie starts with one of the most low-key bank robberies you’ve likely ever seen. 

Is Clooney likeable? Yes, actually he is. But that is part of what he is skilled at. He’s charming and kind to the teller during the hold up. He’s also skilled at robbing banks. So much so, he doesn’t even need to show a weapon. He keeps the teller calm and her attention on him while he very specifically walks her through what he wants her to do. He’s really good at this and it’s fascinating to watch.

The goal is clear, Clooney wants to rob the bank. He has the skills. Will he get away with it, will he achieve his goal? I’m going to keep watching. That’s a compelling character. 

Want another bank robber who’s not charming or likeable but just as compelling? Check out the Parker novels by Richard Stark. Parker is not a nice guy but he sure is riveting. There are also  some excellent comic book adaptations by Darwyn Cooke and a number of films. The best of them is Payback starring turd-monster Mel Gibson. Read/watch those and ask yourself, why do I root for this guy? (Parker not Gibson.) 

Show your character’s skill and clearly define their goal. The goal is often more obvious. Do you know what your character is good at? How is that revealed to the audience?

-Write on.

In some Josh related news, there is some real interest in Woodland Hills. We’re in the back and forth stage at the moment. I’ll keep you posted as things unfold. 

Other Stuff: 

Fascinating look behind the scenes of e-books and libraries. I really didn’t know much of how this worked. Some of it’s good but definitely has aspects that are not. 

The Surprisingly Big Business of Library E-books

Links to some stuff mentioned: 

Parker

Out of Sight Bank Scene:
Out of Sight (1998) – First Time Being Robbed? Scene (1/10) | Movieclips

Old Vise Restoration:
Rusty Deadlocked Vise – Perfect Restoration

Do you have some thoughts on what makes a compelling character? Hit me up.