how do you write a non-dense harem mc?

[Blackout]

i'm writing a sort-of isekai harem novel right now, and i can't really get it right. my mc isn't the badass type, just someone with a low confidence who was never in a relationship

 

[AliceShiki]

Just make them have sensible reactions to things? Like... I dunno, make them suspect that some of the harem members like him, or maybe make him fall in love with one of them and try awkwardly flirt with his love interest somehow.

Like, just make him aware of his surroundings I guess?

 

[reversedbackwards]

Perhaps have them be aware of the actions of the others, only to think that they have no chance. Their low self confidence could be the reason why they don't accept the feelings of others. It maintains the harem and makes it so they have no primary relationship.

The main character is what will affect the harem the most, so depending on how you alter them, you can employ different strategies.

 

[Moctemma]

If you can't get it right, why do it?

The answer is common sense. Think of what makes a character dense, and avoid it. I can provide the most dense character I have seen, Ichika Orimura from Infinite Stratos; see what he says, does, thinks, etc. And avoid it at all costs.

 

[Assurbanipal_II]

Harmes? Socially and historically speaking, harems are created by men with such gigantic and emotionally abusive egos that they are terrible human beings.

 

[K5Rakitan]

Lots of straightforward communication.

 

[gaylolis]

make it a hentai i guess.

 

[Obviouslyking]

Girl characters get out of the story when they're done or minimize interaction

 

[Nanakawaichan]

Make him cute or heroic type.

 

[Mejiro]

Have them actually proactively organise a series of open relationships? 'Hey, this is a bit awkward, but I'm kinda into you, you're kinda into me, but I'm also into that other girl, and she's also into me, and it looks like you're into each other, so let's get a shared google calendar going and make this thing work out.' Like, actually have a functional harem-thing going on, where everyone is explicitly aware they're in a poly thing and lean into that.

 

[AliceShiki]

Girl characters get out of the story when they're done or minimize interaction

That's the worst advice possible. Your characters should be meaningful to your story, if your characters will fade into the background later, then they shouldn't even exist.

 

[Shadowrider1032]

i'm writing a sort-of isekai harem novel right now, and i can't really get it right. my mc isn't the badass type, just someone with a low confidence who was never in a relationship

You could make it so that there's a reason he has to refuse e.g. family traditions hence makes the character more aversive to their feelings.

 

[Mejiro]

It's a fairly standard way for dealing with harem characters, tbf - they get their intro arc, you show their charm points, and then they basically show up occasionally in group scenes or to help with specific characters. It's not particularly the best writing, but if you need to continually introduce new waifus and not have them cluttering up the place the rest of the time due to that being how the genre works, then it's like all the random baddies-of-the-week/arc in a shonen fighter - unless it's a lethal fighting one, they're still around, but no-one really cares about them on an ongoing basis, they're just kinda there, floating about in the dramatic ether until needed again

 

[ForestDweller]

i'm writing a sort-of isekai harem novel right now, and i can't really get it right. my mc isn't the badass type, just someone with a low confidence who was never in a relationship

Well, that just sounds like my MC, and he certainly isn't dense.

 

[Moonpearl]

I've found that it works best when they come from a setting or society where polyamory is well-accepted or even the norm.

Also when they're upfront about being polyamorous and not available for monogamy.

 

[ChronicleCrawler]

i'm writing a sort-of isekai harem novel right now, and i can't really get it right. my mc isn't the badass type, just someone with a low confidence who was never in a relationship

Keep it realistic. I mean, make it believable please. Ask yourself or others what will they do if they are the character. Readers won't like stupidity especially if without reason. In the end, its a matter of how you will deliver the image in your mind in words. No matter how good the image in your mind is, if it's delivered poorly the scene or mc would be weak,

 

[XianPiete]

There are typically two kinds of men who would have a harem in these types of stories. One is the kind of man who sees women as personal possessions. You see this type of character in Chinese cultivation novels, the hero only really cares about his cultivation. He'll come across beautiful women on his cultivation journey and conquer them in much the same way you'd tame an animal. His love for these women is shallow and limited to protecting his collection from other men who also wish to collect them.

The other kind of man you see in harem novels is the guy who just won't commit. Usually portrayed as ultra passive. He performs random acts of kindness for beautiful women who decide that he will be the man they love. The women cling to him as he only shows embarrassment at their advances. On rare occasions that they manage to find some time to be alone with him, he'll show a minimal amount of affection for them, much like how you'd treat a family pet.

I think if you want to write about polyamory where people are open to sharing their love with other partners, you need to avoid the "normal" iseki novel approach and really think about how each person would feel in that kind of relationship.

 

[ForestDweller]

I think if you want to write about polyamory where people are open to sharing their love with other partners, you need to avoid the "normal" iseki novel approach and really think about how each person would feel in that kind of relationship.

Pretty sure quite a number of isekai outright have the MC be in a polygamy with the girls, with them having sex. In fact, I have a couple of them bookmarked right now.

 

[AliceShiki]

It's a fairly standard way for dealing with harem characters, tbf - they get their intro arc, you show their charm points, and then they basically show up occasionally in group scenes or to help with specific characters. It's not particularly the best writing, but if you need to continually introduce new waifus and not have them cluttering up the place the rest of the time due to that being how the genre works, then it's like all the random baddies-of-the-week/arc in a shonen fighter - unless it's a lethal fighting one, they're still around, but no-one really cares about them on an ongoing basis, they're just kinda there, floating about in the dramatic ether until needed again

That's garbage-tier writing and that's not how the genre works.

You can make a harem novel without an evergrowing number of love interests. And even if the number does grow, make sure that all the characters are properly developed and given their time in the spotlight.

Love interests are not side characters, they should be a main part of your story and have a significant participation in it. If a character has no meaning to the story, they shouldn't exist.

There are plenty of harem novels with great characters that are properly developed in them, it's not that hard to base yourself in those instead of in garbage with no relevant characters.

 

[ForestDweller]

That's garbage-tier writing and that's not how the genre works.

You can make a harem novel without an evergrowing number of love interests. And even if the number does grow, make sure that all the characters are properly developed and given their time in the spotlight.

Love interests are not side characters, they should be a main part of your story and have a significant participation in it. If a character has no meaning to the story, they shouldn't exist.

There are plenty of harem novels with great characters that are properly developed in them, it's not that hard to base yourself in those instead of in garbage with no relevant characters.

Yep! That's what I'm planning with my novel!

I just hope that it works like that in the end...