Writing Tips and Reviews

How to Set Up Pity

If you remember how to make a sympathetic dark character, well, this will be like it. But this is for any character. 

THE BEGINNING:

First of all, what were they like in their childhood? Were they a bully? Or were they the one getting bullied? What happens here is important, the past can affect the present and the future, so be mindful about it.

NOW:

What type of person is the character now? This is important because it'll be a start to how people see this character. Most characters who get pity are either good friends with others or who are distant. Their interactions with others are the most important here.

REASON:

Without a proper reason as to why a character does something, it feels empty and stupid. Don't do something because "it's cool". Don't make a character an alcoholic, drug addict, and smoker, "because it's cool". That won't fly in court. The reader won't pity a character for having problems when those problems don't affect the character. That's a Mary Sue trait. 

Making a reason for why the character is that way, a reason that isn't lame, makes them well written. A character who lashes out because of their issues can have pity, IF those issues aren't used for an excuse to act that way and they aren't thrown in last minute. 

EXAMPLES:

Now this is important, would you pity someone like this?

"You are a pathetic wimp and I'm going to kill you." Ten minutes later, "I'm so sad! I have no friends and no one loves me! I'm going to get drunk because of how SAD I AM."

Of course not, I made an entire commentary on my DA about how not okay this is. Besides this being terrible writing, it's just really sad. For the character's sake, don't do this. You can make an asshole character and make this pity party work, but this ain't it honey. This is just "pity me after I attacked you" and giving a reason why people don't like them. If someone threatens others on a constant basis, then people aren't going to like them. 

A typical, well written character, would be an asshole because of their past. Sword Art Online Abridged, Kirito is an asshole, his fun in the game is making people feel less than him. But why does he do it? Because people did it to him in real life. Do you see how easy that is? People who threaten someone else then cry victim aren't going to be seen as victims, because they threatened someone. 

CONCLUSION:

Write the character like any other but with some extra parts. Things that are long term issues or short term should be taken into consideration. In the story, those issues should be present throughout a character's arc, not thrown in last minute for "pity me after I attacked you" purposes. Because that becomes entitlement, not actual pity.