: Re: Building a character out of a political caricature? So, I wanted to spice up the MC in one of my stories by... making him into a stereotypical SJW. The catch is supposed to be why and when

@Connie138

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You can't do what you're asking.

There's not really a way to make a character like this without it coming across as intentionally provocative and incendiary. You seem to want two different things - a character with a strong controversial political ideology who is also not going to offend anybody or come off as abrasive to the reader. You can't have your cake there and eat it too.

I've had minor characters in my stories who are very politically abrasive, i.e. one of my protagonist's fathers was a very devout Christian and extremely homophobic. It's generally okay to have that in side characters as opposed to protagonists, because you're not being asked to identify with them, and usually they will serve as a foil to a protagonist with the opposite viewpoint.

But with a main character, you are explicitly asking the reader, who may have very strong oppositions to that character's views, to step into their shoes and see from their eyes. And that's going to be controversial for a lot of people no matter what you do. That's the nature of writing and points of view. There's just no getting around it.

It'd be like having a main character who is a member of the KKK as the first-person narrator, and then trying to backpedal by saying "I don't want this character to be incendiary to anybody." Yet you are showing us this person's extremely offensive and racist innermost thoughts, beliefs and feelings, which by their very nature are going to offend people.

If I have any suggestions for doing this, it's to tread very, very carefully, and be prepared for the strong reactions your story will almost certainly provoke from your readers. And take care that the views of your main protagonist cannot be interpreted in any way as reflecting your own views.

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