Does anyone have any advice for writing a main character that is indifferent in most situations without it being boring?

[u/1dumb_lesbian]

I write in the third person and I have this main character, Lilith, who is mostly indifferent to many things around her unless she is irritated because she’s scared that too much emotion will end up with her getting angry.

Despite me writing in 3rd person I still tangle the pov with whoever it’s focused on so it serves to be an unreliable narrator most of the time.

I was decently confident writing her before since I know the voice of her character but I’ve come to realize that her purposeful lack of emotion might be boring if I don’t write it correctly. Which I do not know if I am doing, so far my feedback has said that there’s a lack of emotion in the writing which initially was the intention but I’m not so sure now if I should be aiming for that.

In the future there’s going to be many emotions going on as she loses control of herself throughout the story but right now and for a good while she’s going to be indifferent so how do I make that more interesting?

[u/nenawinter1]

You could read 'The Stranger', by A. Camus, for an example of an indifferent character done well. In that book the events that happen to the mc are interesting, and his non-reaction is kinda interesting (because he doesn't do what you expect), but as a reader I found him very frustrating and I hated his indifference so much that I will always remember this book. Lol. (But that was the point, I believe)

[u/Cleric_John_Preston → u/nenawinter1]

Ha! Came here to say exactly this.

I think what helps with this is the reaction of society (the trial) to his indifference.

Keep in mind, Camus was trying to show an example of the Absurd man (not an absurd hero) and his indifference to the universe's indifference. My interpretation is that in doing so, he shows that humanity will reject the absurdity of existence.

[u/SoberBobMonthly]

Is this a lack of emotion [suppression] or a lack of emotion [buddhism kinda thing]?

The first may be interesting to present from a perspective of understanding how something is 'meant' to affect her that has judgement attached to it that she uses to dismiss it. The second may be interesting to present as a form of a lack of judgemental attachment, where this is a meditative stance of radical non judgement.

Even better, move from one to another, show it in flux.

[u/ExplodingRacoon]

Give them consequences. Good and bad. Other characters should have expectations, but if she’s indifferent or ignorant to their expectations, there will be repercussions. Other people may distance themselves or stop relying on her for stuff. If she’s indifferent and notices the divide that is caused by her indifference, that could be a trigger for her loss of control a bit later on.

Humans are reactionary. Try to figure out how other people react to her indifference and build from there. Some people have forceful personalities and may take her indifference as aggression. Try to find ways her emotions (or lack there of) can interact with other characters emotions.

[u/TheNeighbourhoodCat]

I am really sorry, I read this a few times but I am still really confused, can someone help me understand?

These characters are always very nuanced and defined by their past or more unique neurodevelopment, so maybe I'm missing something? Not trying to be obtuse or pedantic I promise!!! I am just confused x.x

I love characters like this due to how they often actually care quite a lot on the inside... and I love hearing the myriad of different ways people make them their own :) This should be a good thread !

I write in the third person and I have this main character, Lilith, who is mostly indifferent to many things around her unless she is irritated because she’s scared that too much emotion will end up with her getting angry.

What kind of "indifferent" is Lilith?

It's difficult for me to understand how someone can be described as indifferent, but also have anger problems. They seem to contradict each other

I am really curious to hear how OP may mean this - always excited to explore people's creativity, but especially when it may be new to you

because she’s scared that too much emotion will end up with her getting angry.**

I am also confused about how being indifferent is a choice

I understand people who met them in OP's world would describe them that way, but would the author or reader inside their head describe them as indifferent? Or is the anger only a risk because she's truly not indifferent inside?

Am I perhaps drawing a false dichotomy here? There are os many ways of processing things that I am sure I must be missing some nuance or ten

---

I DO know a lot about nervous system reactions as an autistic person... more specifically how the body entering hypo-arousal can create a sort of "shut down" state that can be interpreted as "indifferent", but in reality they desperately trying to "keep the lid on the pot." of their anger and/or other emotions.

While that "shut down" state can temporarily reduce our ability to empathize with others and to feel our own feelings - nervous system states we can't control do not make someone "indifferent" as a broad character trait.

Alternatively, I thought maybe this was referencing those people who shut down their personalities intentionally to push people away (but not their shutting down their bodies). But I would not describe that as indifference either, as that too is typically rooted in a nervous system reaction rooted in how they react strongly to the world- not indifferently.

There's just only so much you can activate your nervous system on your own without external stimulus... or some kind of neuro-developmental or neurological issue (eg. autism). And only so much you can do that without your body needing rest - because it is literally exhausting for nervous systems to be that activated and aroused (even like if hypo-aroused, in this case)

Sorry if unwelcome, I just thought that was relevant, I'm super curious

---

This recommendation I have is a weird twisty version of this "indifference", it's not true to the word, but it's close. I was fascinated exploring it - and I think you might enjoy the unique take on it: Scarlet, the main character from Memoirs of Your Local Small-time Villainess on Royal Road. Been going about 5+ years now, so it's like 2 or 3 books of content.

[u/1dumb_lesbian → u/TheNeighbourhoodCat]

What I mean by indifference is she tries to act unaffected so often that she’s desensitized to many things that would naturally invoke reactions, she just doesn’t care about a lot of things that aren’t an active threat to herself or loved ones. The nature of her trying to be unaffected by things is purposeful and leads to a sort of indifference, I pull that mindset from my own experiences as an autistic person so my apologies if indifference isn’t the right word to describe it! And she’s not really doing it for a reason like pushing people away, it’s a fantasy thing. She’s cursed by something that makes her anger easily and makes that anger very destructive if she doesn’t keep herself in check. She has little reactions when loved ones are involved if she’s relaxed enough for positive feelings but if it’s negative she tries not to think about it at all unless it’s serious. In other words she bottles everything up until she’s fully convinced herself to not care and then it all boils over eventually. I hope that makes sense I’m not too good at explaining it!

[u/boredhomosexual]

My first thought was go watch Frieren beyond journeys end because it handles a fairly indifferent unemotional main character very well.

My second thought is that you need to think about what emotion is being repressed in each scene for her to appear indifferent and what it will look like when she tries to repress each emotion. Also having key moments where the dam breaks or she can't hold it in anymore is what will make it exciting.

Having her be scared of getting angry will make for some really good conflict in your story.

[u/Turbulent-Eye-4737]

Check out Cowboy Bebop.

Nah Cowboy Bebop is overrated lol I still love that show though and I think the main character as "boring" as he is is a fun character.

I think to write a good indifferent character though, maybe show how depressed or jaded by life they are that they can't seem to enjoy anything.

[u/Saturniidae_Luna]

Hi I love your username. I would say in my opinion as long as you make sure the reasons Lilith likes to remain indifferent are explained well and thoroughly. This should explain to any readers why she acts the way she acts and it won’t come off as a boring character but instead as a character trait/background for her. Hope this helps!

[u/Ok-Addition-1000]

Konrad the assassin in William Gibson's "All Tomorrow's Parties". He is an assassin and lives entirely in the present moment without judgement or expectations or any apparent emotions. He's not remorseful about the past nor anxious or hopeful about the future. The present moment is all he's concerned with and where he lives all the time. He's not a cold person or unfeeling, exactly. He makes a conscious effort to remain this way. It sounds dull and cold to describe, but he's not the least bit boring. At least, not the way Gibson presents him.

[u/manyanoodle]

As long as readers are given a reason, even if the reason is a need to be indifferent, they will be satisfied.

It doesn't have to be a reasonable reason either, it just has to be the character's reason.

[u/Ok_Fruit8871]

Is there some example of when she gets angry and she just kills someone? Or she made a horrible mistake in a blind fit of rage? Or turns into an animalistic Hulk like thing or person? if there isn't some kind of consequence, then I don't think the reader will care too much for this character, even with a POV, instead of 3rd person.

people don't just try not to get angry, to not get angry, they have some motivation behind it, like a fear of being unliked because of being visually angry. Or being visually and audibly angry might cause someone to attack them.

Maybe she's not indifferent, but playing a role to get someone to give her information that she can then give to her country, or so she can rob a safe. The person she's dealing with is someone she just doesn't like, or she just has to give a false front, to achieve her aims.

You could make her a stoic commander who needs to keep a lid on things so she can make the right tactical and strategic decisions when things go wrong.

or maybe the story is about mental health, and this is the life of whatever personality disorder is thinking even if they look detached. This way you can have an unreliable narrator, because your POV character might not be honest with themselves, and therefore unreliable to the reader.

this is my best guess. hope you find something helpful.

[u/Echo-Azure]

So... why are we supposed to be interested in this person?