: Re: What can I do to make character who hates their own ancestry relatable? Character who hates their ancestry In short a character who, in their universe hates the ethnic group in which they belong.

@Sue2132873

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We are not really supposed to tell people what to write - can’t since writing is so subjective. What I will say is, if I were to essay such a character, I would get in his head and heart and see what I found. I would not have to agree with it, characters can be completely wrong, but I would have to have some touch of understanding of it or have difficulty writing it.

That said, if I created an interesting character who either felt irrational guilt or self-loathing, I would make that part of the character, but certainly not the whole. I would find other traits to balance him or her out since no one is just one thing. Cardboard cutouts tend to be dull and do not withstand the storm, melting in the rain.

I would give said character a few virtues, make him generous, honest and compassionate yet blind to his own hatred of self or so inured to guilt that it is like breathing - a natural and essential part of his life.

I would see him as a human being with flaws, not vile, vicious, evil or weak - just flawed. I would have a few of his idioms, probably mostly internal, reflect his unthinking bias and have him not really notice the root of his actions. Perhaps a caring friend or relative helped to shape him, rendering the flaw not less, just less visible and therefore more insidious.

Regardless of whether I approve of my characters, I always like them and find them interesting, so I would create such a one with shades of grey and swirls of colour.

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