Quirkiness In Your Characters

I'm a good dog.  I only sit on Dad's chair when invited (or no one is home).  I know how to lay down, how to go to sleep, how to beg, how to roll over, how to get my belly rubbed, and how to sit on my pillow.  I even know what toy to get when Mom says, "Where's rope? or "Where's ball?"  I always bring the right toy...even if I have to look for it all over the house.  I don't go upstairs...EVER!  Ginger lives up there and she doesn't really like me.  Sometimes she will let me lick her if Mom's holding her in the family room, but she doesn't like it.

I have a confession...I have a problem and I don't know how to stop doing it.

You probably can't tell by looking at me that I even have this habit, but it drives everyone in my house crazy.  I don't think it's such a bad habit.  I've seen some of the things people do.  Throw litter on the ground, spit in public, not cover their mouth's when they cough and worse...much worse.  Mom's writing about a girl who cuts herself.  Why would anyone do that?

  I'll bet you can't even tell what my quirky habit is?

I don't really care if my right ear is shorter than my left ear...I'm not looking for a husband...

Your characters must have real flaws in them...They must have highs...They must have lows...or they're going to be boring..

I'd like to thank everyone for stopping in and reading my post about my new critique partner.  You put a smile on his face...If you haven't checked out Lenny's blog hop over and I'm sure you'll leave with a smile and a friend...

Likeable Characters

I'm doing revisions and I'm stuck...

I'm revising a beginning chapter book. The MC is eight. He wants to buy something that Mom considers to be senseless, so he has to earn the money himself. He has a plan, but day one of summer vacation rolls around and he starts borrowing money. He discovers layaway. He keeps borrowing money, realizes he's hurting the people around him and he's never going to have enough to buy what he covets. He makes changes in his lifestyle, pays everyone back and learns how to conserve and save. Eventually, he has enough money to get his prized item off layaway. He's a better person for the experience.

One of my critiquing buddies got about half way through my manuscript and said she didn't like my MC, he's selfish. I need to do something to make him more likeable. She did keep reading and critiquing. (Thank goodness.)

By the end of the story he's worked hard and learned a lesson about money and himself. He has grown. Does he need to be likeable from the beginning or can he be a self involved little boy who can only focus on his own wants?

ANY ADVICE???