Post History

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34484
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/34484
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Your character is a warrior. That lends itself to many positive qualities you can show: loyalty, courage, professionalism, camaraderie. There's a reason we have so many stories about warriors: these qualities evoke respect. Show your MC as a complex character, with admirable qualities, and qualities we would frown upon, and already you have the reader's interest.

Then, why does your MC hate the enemy so much? What has the enemy done? Invaded his land? Killed his friend? Did he have real need to fear this enemy when he was a child, so that as an adult he'd feel duty-bound to protect others from this enemy? How much does he actually know about the enemy, except that "those are the guys trying to kill me"? Make his hatred understandable. In fact, if you can make the reader internalise this hatred, and then take him on the same journey the MC is taking - of learning whatever you want your MC to learn, that would be an awesome journey to take.

One more thing: as a reader, I wouldn't want to know right from the start that the character is going to become more likeable, I don't want to know how he's going to change. That's like a spoiler. I'd want to get invested in the character as he is, good and bad, and then go with him wherever he goes, and observe whatever is happening to him.

Original score: 9