Nobody’s Everybody’s Cup of Tea: Writing Characters People Love—and Hate

 Title: Nobody’s Everybody’s Cup of Tea: Writing Characters People Love—and Hate

By Literary Lens

Have you ever written a character and found readers divided? Some adore them, some despise them, others can’t decide—and you’re stuck wondering if you’ve messed up.

Here’s the truth: you haven’t. In fact, that might mean you’re doing something very right.

Real Characters Are Like Real People

Let’s face it—nobody in real life is universally liked. Even the kindest, smartest, most well-meaning people have critics. Personality clashes, past baggage, different values… it’s all part of being human.

So why do we expect fictional characters to be universally loved?

If your character feels real—flawed, messy, maybe even a little frustrating—they’re going to trigger real reactions. Some readers will see themselves in your character’s struggle and root for them. Others might be reminded of people they’ve clashed with and turn away. And that’s okay. That’s great, actually.

Flaws Are Not Bugs—They’re Features

Characters need flaws. Bad habits, emotional blind spots, contradictions. Whether it’s Odysseus spinning lies like silk or Elizabeth Bennet jumping to conclusions, these flaws give your characters life.

Flaws also create space for growth. And that growth? That’s character development. But here's the twist: development doesn’t mean perfection.

A character might learn to be braver, more honest, more open—but they’ll still slip up. They’ll still have rough edges. They’re not computers to be debugged. They’re people to be understood.

The Goal Isn’t Approval—It’s Truth

When readers love or hate your characters with passion, it means you’ve struck a nerve. You've made someone care. That’s powerful. A flat character everyone shrugs at? That’s forgettable. But a character who draws fire and firelight? That’s memorable.

So if you’ve got a protagonist who some people call a “brat,” a “jerk,” or a “queen,” lean into it. Let them be real. Let them make mistakes. Let them learn, but not become saints.

Odysseus wasn’t perfect, and yet people are still writing about him thousands of years later. Why? Because he was clever, reckless, charming, and sometimes deeply frustrating. In short: he was human.

Final Thought: Embrace the Divided Opinions

If half your readers want to adopt your character and the other half want to throw them into a volcano, you’ve created something real.

Characters aren’t meant to be universally palatable. They’re meant to breathe, break, heal, and change. They’re meant to mirror us.

Because nobody’s everybody’s cup of tea—except maybe Odysseus. And even he got tied to a mast.

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