Characters With Interview Flaws

One thing which makes a reader's Mary Sue sense tingle is a character whose alleged flaws are not really flaws at all. These are the characters the reader is told that this character's flaws are that he or she is too kind or too heroic or too dedicated to their work. Usually, this is fairly barf-inducing.

Actually, I think that with a bit of skilled writing, these 'interview flaws' can develop into true detrimental character traits. Some double-edged quality, which can be a virtue, but turns to a liability based on degree or circumstance, can be a fresh and interesting way to cause problems for the characters. Furthermore, it adds a layer of emotional conflict for the reader-- we admire a character's good quality, and immediately empathise. This means it's all the more tragic when that positive trait lands the character in serious trouble.

The key to writing an 'interview flaw' is that the negative consequences are chased up in full. One way to do this is with trait exaggeration. Perhaps your hero who is 'too empathetic' gets into trouble constantly because they cannot resist helping someone in distress-- even if that person is clearly a self-destructive disaster who's going to drag the hero down with them. Perhaps your character who is 'too hardworking' ignores their physical and emotional health, and sacrifices all their personal relationships in favour of a little more overtime.  Another way is context. For example, a character who thinks the best of people and gives second chances easily may be an easy mark for more ruthless schemers, and could potentially lose their ability to accomplish any good deeds if they don't adapt. Or someone's generosity may be exploited by people who want their emotional or material resources.

With a bit of thought about consequences, these 'interview flaws' can become the source of major conflict for your characters, and create lots of ethical and emotional dilemmas.