firewritten:
thejollywriter:
incandescent-creativity:
cog-writes:
nicholewrites:
firewritten:
...
Good morning writing friends!
I have a question for you. What is your opinion on character flaws?
It’s just that I’ve never really been able to get a handle on what people mean when they talk about how characters should be flawed. I’m not sure what counts as a flaw and what doesn’t and who it is that decides what’s a flaw and what’s not. Also it makes me a bit nervous because I’ve only had bad experiences with people who like to point out other people’s flaws and judge them and punish them harshly for small mistakes.
I guess I prefer to empathize with and try to understand characters and to see their point of view and why they do the things they do and to think of them as real people, not as lists of flaws for me to judge. And it’s possible that other people are doing that too but that the word “flaw” is the sticking point in not understanding each other, since I have such negative associations with it.
Thoughts?
Flaws to me are traits turned up very high or low.
Arrogance is too much pride. Shame is the absence of pride.
I also think that the defining trait of a flaw is that it has to be something that hinders a character in some way, but it’s something the character could choose to change. They don’t though, hence why it’s a flaw.
That’s why things like depression and adhd aren’t flaws. A character can’t change those.
That’s a really good way to put it! I was going to link you to this post because it has some good examples, and it’s too early for me to think like a human. It’s also really worth noting that a lot of times, characters don’t consider their flaws to be flaws–they might even think of their flaws as strengths (and the readers might too, until the big event happens and guess what is hindering our hero?).
While we’re talking about character flaws:
The flaws should affect the plot!!!
For example. If you’ve decided that your character is impulsive, make sure you have them taking the first course of action that pops into their head. Let this guide your story. If your character is an overthinker, let them stall and think about everything for so long that they miss An Opportunity.
You have to write situations where their flaw can shine, otherwise what’s the point of giving them flaws?
Also the flaws can be something your character has to overcome because it fucks them up totally early on in the story. Their pride can get in the way, their fear can stop them and cause someone they care about to get hurt, recklessness can be the same way. Flaws can lead to determining the kind of story you tell actually. It was Hamlet’s indecision that led to his destruction, making it a tragedy.
Flaws give a character depth and it can be rich material for plot.
Thanks everyone! This has revealed to me that yes, the sticking point in my not being able to understand is that I have a very different idea of what a flaw means and different feelings about discussing flaws as a result of my experiences.
I think that my hunch was right and what you guys are talking about is pretty much what I meant by empathizing with and trying to understand characters and why they do what they do. I just don’t like using the frame of flaws to talk about it because I’m really sensitive to judging others and finding them less than or not good enough and blaming and shaming them, and that’s the lens that my brain interprets the idea of flaws through.
Thank you for clearing up something that had been bothering me for a while, and now I understand things much better and I’ll be able to navigate my feelings around the concept of character flaws when it comes up in the future. Yay progress! :)
I agree with all of this! Great advice!
One thing to add though, while things like depression and adhd can’t be changed, they totally can be overcome! So using them as your characters ‘flaws’ is a doable thing, though I understand not wanting to haul off and call them ‘flaws’ because, like you said, the word is stigmatized. But imagine a character who is adhd and cannot for the life of her focus, but with hard work and help from her special ed teacher she’s able to get an A in math. Bam! Character development despite flaws.
Flaws are just a word we use often because it’s a common pitfall for new writers to make characters too perfect. It’s not that you need to ‘add’ flaws. Most traits can be both good and bad, depending on the situation you put them in.
Ex: Ben is very confident in his skills at basketball. As a result, he does really well, wins games, gets a scholarship. Also as a result, he tends to be a braggart in regards to the subject.
Labeling qualities as flaws or positive traits can be really limiting, thought admittedly some traits do tend to be more one than the other sometimes. But a trusting character can develop fast friendships but can also get taken advantage of. A guarded, aloof character can be lonely but also avoid heart break. The key is to make sure that the situations you put your character in don’t overly exaggerate just the good, or the bad for that matter, because that’s boring.
