Writing characters you don't like

I've been working on a new novel lately that has two main characters. One of the characters, I absolutely love. She's spunky and friendly, and everyone loves her. (She's nothing like me, but very much what I wish I could have been growing up.) The other character is cold and manipulative and entitled. (Also nothing like me, thankfully.) The readers aren't necessarily supposed to root for her, just enjoy the counterbalance she offers to the other MC.

I just hit 34,000 words on the story, so I'm getting close to something of a complete draft. Most of the major scenes have been written. I have a few more outlined, then I just need to tie it all together. With how easily this book has flown out of me, it could theoretically be done rather soon. Some of the last scenes to write, however, are about the MC I don't like. I have to write from her point of view, and it's getting harder as the story goes on and she gets more and more frustrated with the situations I'm putting her through. I started writing a particular scene last night and had to stop because I realized I was getting mad at my MC for how she was behaving.

This character is my own invention and I'm getting mad at her. Sheesh.

But it's a common problem that writers face. How do you put yourself enough into the mind of someone you dislike in order to be able to write from their point of view? We experience this with antagonists a lot, but they usually aren't the MCs. We just write them tangentially. When the character you don't like is the one narrating the scene, how do you get around that dislike and find something to connect to? Their passion. Their distress. Their insecurities. You have to make yourself care about them in order to give them a voice.

Changing POVs

 

For the first time, I am working on a story with multiple main characters and switching between their points of view. It's easy enough when they are doing their own things, but they interact a lot throughout the story, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to lead those scenes when either of them could be the focus.

I'm writing the story in 3rd person, as I'm not fond of books that change perspectives but maintain the 1st person narrative. That seemed to be a popular thing with middle grade books when I was young, and I don't want to repeat their mistakes. But that doesn't really solve the conundrum of how to maintain a consistent perspective when both main characters are in the same scene.

I'm thinking it makes sense to introduce one character at the start of the scene and try to keep them the narrator of the scene that follows, even when the other character has a strong role in the action. It's a difficult balance, and I'm not even halfway through my first draft, so I've got time to work it out.