Reluctant believers

[slrogers]

I'm reading Girl on a Wire, where the main character is very reluctant to believe in magic. In the book I wrote this aspect is fairly similar, but reading it in a different story I wonder.
While reading a book I'm able to suspend my belief, especially in magic, easily, and think that when the main character is too reluctant to believe in the magic that is clearly happening that it starts to take away from the story.
I'm hoping to get your views and perhaps examples of when it worked and when it was too much.

[King Shisa]

Not magical, but think of Scully from the X-Files. Her skepticism was a necessary part of the show.

[slrogers]

That is a good point. There is an important role for the skeptic to play in stories like these.

[Quantus]

Depends on where the skepticism comes from, and whether it's intended to be an actual conflict or is just obstinance.  Some characters are the needed element of skepticism, often to balance a Believer Character that would otherwise be far too gullible (Skully/Mulder). With those you just have to be careful that the Voice of Reason doesnt become unreasonably insistant on accepted reality over direct evidence.   Some have personal or internal reasons why it's harder for them to accept, and these are usually something they get past as part of the story.  Others dont want to accept the larger implications of a new definition of reality.  Thomas Covenant was a good example of that; he was a bitter character that did some morally terrible things in the beginning while convinced that it as all a dream and so didnt matter, thus to accept that it wasnt a dream would be to accept his crimes.   And some have simply been conned before and so simply doubt Personal Perception before Logic, which depending on how far you take it is basically an Evidence vs Belief argument of some form.

[meg_evonne]

Nicely said, Quantus. I concur.