Thread: Romance Literature: Having Difficulty with My Protagonist

Thanks for the advice people, appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Chirios

This could be alright, but I'm worried that The Reader might end up throwing the book away because he/she finds it disgusting and morally repulsive.

Don't worry about the reader. Just write the story the way you feel it should be told.

From what you've described here, it sounds like you have two very broken people. That is wonderful material to begin creating something with. Maybe they're both using each other -- the protagonist just in a different way. Maybe she spends the entire relationship finding justifications for things. There are a lot of issues here to play around with.

Don't shortchange your story or your reader by being worried what they think.

If your female character has very low self-esteem, she might feel that she deserves the abuse John is dishing out. John could also be a classic bad boy that many women find attractive in a "but I can change him" sort of way. C.M.

First, why would John keep her around, why not just knock her off and be done with it. Perhaps he sees her as different from all the silly, simpering fools (as he sees them) he's had before and is intrigued by her. He keeps her around just to try and prove she is the same, red ant, black ant person as all the rest. As he gets to know her, he grows to like her and his attitude softens toward her, etc.
The girl is strong, doesn't take sh*t from anyone type (she's different from normal teenager girls) She finds the changing into an animal thing kind of scary, but interesting too, but definitely won't show him fear. Then as he softens toward her, she sees his better side, always providing he has one. The plot and other things thicken.
Or think Stockholm Syndrom. Then you have to explain why he keeps her around.

He keeps her around because she puts up with him. Most women won't take that kind of abuse. She's a useful repository for all of his negative energy. She makes him feel good about himself because she is even worse off than he is, emotionally. The easiest way, not the necessarily the healthiest way, to feel better about yourself is to look down on someone else. C.M.

Lol, even Dr.Manhattan can learn things. And he did towards the end of Watchmen. Maybe try having your protagonist change John's mind? Maybe she sees a glimmer of hope in him? And nurtures that hidden spark. On the way of doing so, she uncovers more and more about him that she would wish to side with. Their relationship strengthens, both ways. You don't necessarily have to drive a plot with love. The 'love' can be built upon over time and maybe at the end of the saga she falls in love with him? And he falls in love with her?
When I say you don't have to drive the plot with love, I don't mean you totally refrain from mentioning it throughout the story. You can hint at it, you can provide a sense of direction to where their relationship might lead. But most importantly, if you want to take this approach, the relationship needs to be developed- whether it ends at love/friendship/enmity. And the path taken to that end point, is equally as important.