Writing How do I write an apathetic main character?

[D4isuke]

I'm curious how do I write about him.

I'm planning to write a new story. My first fiction talks about Lust, and my new story talks about Sloth, but two of them will not share the universe, in other words, they're canonically different and separated.

Theme about story and character:
> Sloth
> Psychological
> Discrimination
> Loveless
> Desire to change his normal life

That's pretty much it. I just need tips how to write about him.

 

[BenJepheneT]

he don't care bro. try to make your story as emotionally investing as possible, to truly show the parallel of the main character's absurd levels of no shit given. don't make some "oh no the orphanage is burning but i can't give a shit" type of thing. make ties and relationships the readers would be engaged in only for the main character to reveal that the fuck was never given at all.

 

[D4isuke]

he don't care bro. try to make your story as emotionally investing as possible, to truly show the parallel of the main character's absurd levels of no shit given. don't make some "oh no the orphanage is burning but i can't give a shit" type of thing. make ties and relationships the readers would be engaged in only for the main character to reveal that the fuck was never given at all.

I appreciate that orphanage reference, but giving no shit isn't my option for him. He's more like, avoiding shit. Think about it, let's say that he is accused of Dark Lord trying to destroy the world, but he prefers to live a normal life, but the authority never stops demanding him to be executed in the name of blind justice. So yeah... that's how it works

 

[BenJepheneT]

I appreciate that orphanage reference, but giving no shit isn't my option for him. He's more like, avoiding shit. Think about it, let's say that he is accused of Dark Lord trying to destroy the world, but he prefers to live a normal life, but the authority never stops demanding him to be executed in the name of blind justice. So yeah... that's how it works

then that isn't apathetic. that's just a tired man. just write him begrudgingly convincing himself days will get better once he finished this bullshit task.

 

[ZynGrand]

"Hero please save the orphanage, hospital, and world!"
But alas the hero was somewhere eating a swirl.
Sat atop a bench holding their treat,
They could care less if everything went yeet.

"We'll give you gold, jewels, and gals!"
But alas the hero had no need for pals.
Underneath the covers of their bed,
They'd sleep while the king loses his head.

"Join me, and I shall give you half of everything!"
But alas the hero had no need for power.
Sat atop the devil's corpse turned to his throne,
He had no need for something worth less than a bone.

"I am God, your creator and maker!"
But alas the hero did not care.
Clenching god's skull until it splatters,
why should he care when nothing matters?​

 

[D4isuke]

then that isn't apathetic. that's just a tired man. just write him begrudgingly convincing himself days will get better once he finished this bullshit task.

No... not that, he was framed by the authorities, Being Dark Lord for him is not his real job nor intentions. He is just a normal human being with dark ability shit that he was given mysteriously... so yeah, his bullshit task or goal is to extract his dark ability something

 

[BenJepheneT]

No... not that, he was framed by the authorities, Being Dark Lord for him is not his real job nor intentions. He is just a normal human being with dark ability shit that he was given mysteriously... so yeah, his bullshit task or goal is to extract his dark ability something

well, if he's truly apathetic then he'd probably procrastinate or do the task reluctantly with the least possible effort. shortcuts or stuff like that. maybe he'd even surrender himself to the authorities just to cut to the chase.

 

[Friend]

The orphanage is burning? on fire? People are screaming for help, save the children?

A caring protagonist might be on the street, to see the fire himself. He'd be part of the 'bucket brigade' drawing water to the place, or have the mage skills to cast water upon the fire, or be pleading with the goddess to give him the strength to rescue those poor orphans still inside.

An apathetic protagonist would still be in bed at midmorning when clearly the rest of the city is in an uproar from all the noise; he's smelling something burning, the smoke wafts in from an open window, and he lays there pondering on whether he should get up to shut said window and go back to sleep. Plus since it will dim the noise outside, he does it and lays down again. Oh and maybe later he'll see if he can go buy a slave; he's so tired of reheating his own meals cause he oversleeps. But a slave means, need money. Damn. Have ta go into Danger Dungeon once more. Maybe sneak around and assassinate those gobs when their backs are turned. Pa, I need another couple gold coin; just because. But Pa you not only have Ma but you have a slave too, I want one. No Ma don't pull off those covers and those drapes! I don't wanna get up! Aaaahh fine then. Lesseeeee maybe if I check at the guild-

 

[ThrillingHuman]

I'm curious how do I write about him.

I'm planning to write a new story. My first fiction talks about Lust, and my new story talks about Sloth, but two of them will not share the universe, in other words, they're canonically different and separated.

Theme about story and character:
> Sloth
> Psychological
> Discrimination
> Loveless
> Desire to change his normal life

That's pretty much it. I just need tips how to write about him.

Make everybody around him more emotional to show the contrast. Just do it wisely

 

[Kldran]

I feel a need to point to: The Lazy King
Of note: The majority of the story is actually about the people around the main character, because an incarnation of Sloth just doesn't do much. The story tells the reader about the main character, through stories about the people who's lives have been changed by him.

 

[--MON--]

just remember this two.

emotionless and expressionless are different.

emotionless - is where one doesn't or can't feel emotions.

expressionless - is where one can't show facial expressions due to a condition and can still feel emotions.

i have observed this by reading many stories containing vaillans or antihero mc where the author describes the character as emotionless and does not show any expression because of it.
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have you tried reading the novel the lazy king on NU? it is a great depiction of sloth.

as for the others, you can make it by solidifying the mc's personality and making something huge happen that will change the mc making the mc have the desire to change and sjnce the mc is a sloth the mc should be lazy enough to do literally anything.

for psychological and descrimination you can read a few books on psychology to know what kind of psychological problems the mc have and also the type of discrimination you want them to have.

loveless you can just make the mc emotionless but this will remove the possibility of the mc to have a desire since desiring something is an emotion. so just make it so that the mc is to lazy to love or to focused on a goal to love someone because love can be a distraction and a weakness that can be used against the mc.

 

[D4isuke]

just remember this two.

emotionless and expressionless are different.

emotionless - is where one doesn't or can't feel emotions.

expressionless - is where one can't show facial expressions due to a condition and can still feel emotions.

i have observed this by reading many stories containing vaillans or antihero mc where the author describes the character as emotionless and does not show any expression because of it.
-------------

have you tried reading the novel the lazy king on NU? it is a great depiction of sloth.

as for the others, you can make it by solidifying the mc's personality and making something huge happen that will change the mc making the mc have the desire to change and sjnce the mc is a sloth the mc should be lazy enough to do literally anything.

for psychological and descrimination you can read a few books on psychology to know what kind of psychological problems the mc have and also the type of discrimination you want them to have.

loveless you can just make the mc emotionless but this will remove the possibility of the mc to have a desire since desiring something is an emotion. so just make it so that the mc is to lazy to love or to focused on a goal to love someone because love can be a distraction and a weakness that can be used against the mc.

Can expressionless hide his internal expression? Like he didn't want to show his expression just not to show how he truly feels outside. Also... he has the goal of becoming manga artist which is his only way to live his life away from his own apathetic personality... more like, trying to show his urge to escape from reality.

Can a suicidal person also presented themselves as sloth?

 

[--MON--]

Can expressionless hide his internal expression? Like he didn't want to show his expression just not to show how he truly feels outside. Also... he has the goal of becoming manga artist which is his only way to live his life away from his own apathetic personality... more like, trying to show his urge to escape from reality.

Can a suicidal person also presented themselves as sloth?

so he is expressionless but have emotions (his face is always like a poker face) but can feel things like happiness and such. but from your description he should be hiding his true feelings and keeping it to himself never to show to others (keeping his hardships and sufferings bottled up) so he found the profession of manga artist as a way to earn a living and a way to vent the things that he kept bottled up.

but if he is a sloth or lazy as a toned down version since he still does work then he is always submitting his works by the deadline (last minute work).

i don't know how a suicidal person thinks but, you can look up some books on psychology about that and decide whether a suicidal person can have a lazy personality.

also apathetic is different from emotionless. apathetic means he does have emotions but it rarely shows (ex. when someone dies they don't feel sad) they just feel nothing most of the time.

Void of feeling; not susceptible of deep emotion
Synonyms: passionless, indifferent <- this is the definition of apathetic and passionless is like lazy and don't have the energy or interest to do things.

 

[Kldran]

It's pretty easy/simple for a suicidal person to be lazy, and is actually a combination that fits well, as a well motivated suicidal person won't live long. Put simply: A lazy and suicidal person won't spend effort to save themselves, but if living is easier than dying, they'll probably just keep living, especially if dying would require doing something they'd prefer not to (such as abandoning someone they wish to help).