I'm workshopping two books in several writers' groups. I'm hearing, "Your main character's extremely unlikable."
"She's rude."
"She's crass."
"She's too outspoken," and a plethora of other things.
They're right. She is. She's been through hell and back!
After thinking about this feedback, I softened her up a little. I made her more relatable, not as outspoken, and almost friendly. She'll still tell you exactly where to go should you piss her off, but she'll be nice about it.
I'm glad I listened to the feedback because now I have a character everyone likes, even if they don't understand her.
But is she too nice?
Lucia Sugafield, writing relatable characters.