I have a character (Will) who has a crush on my main character, who in turn falls in love with somebody else. How do I characterise Will so that the reader isn't rooting for his love to be requited? - I don't want to have to make him an asshole though, he's kind of likable.
Hmm, I suggest not making his love for the main character too noticeable. And don't have him fall completely head-over-heals for them because if someone sees just how much he likes them, they'll root for him!
Make him boring. Make his life so unremarkable (and therefore relatable because let’s face it: we’re boring) that the reader looks at him and thinks ‘blah.’ Readers want excitement and fun characters, not an average joe whose only conflict is whether or not he’ll make the soccer team.
Oh! Here's what I would do: make Will a great character whom the readers will like, but give him ZERO chemistry with your MC. Sure, he likes him/her, but they don't have a connection. Sure, he's a great character, but they don't have a connection. Sure, the readers love him, but… I think you see where I'm going with this. A crush is one thing, but a ship-worthy relationship demands chemistry!
I hope that this helps you!! :DDD
A good way to create a semi-likable person is to give him a good personality, but one thing that readers just can't stand.
He's a nice guy, but a little bit racist.
He's cute, but a wee bit sexist.
He has excellent style in clothing, but he likes Justin Bieber.
You get the gist.