Antiheroes . . . those conflicted souls who pawned their moral compass to buy their next bottle of vodka. There’s nothing heroic about them and for the most part they only care about themselves.

So why do we love them so much?

Antiheroes are far from perfect, a trait which makes them very real and very human. We can all relate to antiheroes because our lives are also littered with uncertainty and imperfection.

As a writer, developing your antihero can be a complex process because the usual conventions no longer stick.  Antiheroes resemble very ordinary people whose thinking and values contradict the norm. They can be selfish and lack compassion, and they’re willing to take the law into their own hands.

Rousing emotion and compassion from your readers in spite of these flaws requires a deep understanding of what makes your antihero tick. You need to explore the darker elements of the human psyche and present them in a way that is appealing to readers.

Although I could easily write a whole book on the topic, here are four ways to get you started.

1. Give your antihero a reason to be bad

You need to make your antihero believable and to do this, you need to give him a realistic backstory. Why is your antihero so bad or angry? Was his sister raped and murdered in front of him? Did her mother torture her and use her as a drug mule? If you had to meet your antihero in the street, what would you consider a good enough reason to justify his behavior?

A good backstory is vital, as it explains how your antihero came to be. More importantly, it helps your readers sympathize with him. For example, a woman that tortures and kills rapists is a little hard to swallow. But a woman that does this because she was kidnapped and raped repeatedly by an organized ring of rapists is easier to sympathize with.

2. Your antihero doesn’t want to be good

Your antihero’s character should be gently balanced throughout your story. On the one hand, your antihero is a bad, selfish person who will do things your readers don’t like or agree with. On the other hand, your readers will come to sympathize with your antihero. Although they won’t like what he gets up to, they will understand his motives. Your responsibility is to maintain this delicate relationship by sustaining the believability of your character.

To do this, you need to remember your antihero does not want to save the day or be seen as the good Samaritan. When your antihero commits an act perceived to be right or just, make sure you explore why this has happened. If you don’t do this, it will seem as though your antihero is acting out of character or has suddenly become the good guy, which is completely unrealistic.

In The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson thoroughly explores Lisbeth Salander’s role as avenger and protector of those too weak and vulnerable to protect themselves. Although Lisbeth’s underlying cause is good, her violent and unpredictable approach to things is a reminder that she is not necessarily a good person.

3. Give us enough to sympathize with

Your antihero may be a serial killer who keeps a display cabinet of human eyes, but he does have a few likable qualities, right? By giving your antihero a few redeeming qualities, you are helping readers sympathize with his cause. Your readers need to connect with your character; they want to care about what happens to your antihero so give them a reason to do so.

A great example of how this is done is Jeff Lindsay’s portrayal of Dexter Morgan in Darkly Dreaming Dexter (the basis for the TV series Dexter). Dexter is a serial killer who dismembers his victims. Yet despite his need to slash his victims into equal portions, Dexter is also portrayed as a loving father and dedicated brother, which suddenly makes his serial-killing self a whole lot nicer.

4. Inner conflict goes a long way

Your antihero’s inner conflict and self-doubt makes your character much more realistic. Your antihero never set out to save the day, so it is almost expected that he is going to be unsure of how to handle things along the way. We can relate to characters dealing with inner conflict because we deal with inner conflict on a regular basis.

More importantly, inner conflict creates suspense because no one is really sure how your antihero is going to deal with a crisis or event. Will he make the right choice? For that matter, what is the right choice? These questions keep things interesting and exciting. Dexter Morgan is regularly faced with inner conflict because, on the one hand, he thrives on killing people, but on the other hand, he worries about the repercussions of being caught and the pain it would cause his family. Readers cozy up to Dexter as he works through his doubts and fears but we are still left wondering what he’ll do next.

Tell me your opinion: Who is your favorite antihero?