3 Tips for Writing Irresistible Antiheroes

This article was originally published as a guest post on the Self-Published Fantasy Month blog.

Why are antiheroes so captivating? What makes the likes of Loki, Han Solo, Jack Sparrow, Scarlett O’Hara, and Lady Macbeth worth following as characters?

Here’s my theory: antiheroes refuse to be bound by expectations or social conventions in the pursuit of their goals. They feed fantasies of our darker natures that can resonate with our own desires more than that of their heroic counterparts. These characters invade our subconscious and invite us to consider taboo behaviors and worldviews.

Antiheroes can also be wholly unpredictable. While heroes put others first and villains go out of their way to hurt people, antiheroes are wild cards. At any given moment, they might throw someone overboard or invite them for a drink. They could stab a friend in the back or risk their own life to save them. Readers have no idea what the character will do next, which adds to their intrigue.

An antiheroine leads the story in Wish Hunter, an urban fantasy novel that I created alongside authors Jordan Riley Swan and Hero Bowen. Nadia is a manipulative marriage counselor who steals wishes from her clients — wishes that most don’t even know they possess. Her antiheroine nature is part of what makes her interesting and…