1. Flaws
There are a couple of different flaws that people have. One
is physical flaws and the second is personality flaws.
Physical flaws – No one has a perfect body. Not even
models. I have big feet and hands, plus a foot-long scar and a bad back. One of
your characters could have a crooked tooth, a bump on his/her nose, or a facial
mole she hates. We all have something we consider a flaw or (at least) don’t
like about ourselves.
Personality flaws – Now this one will require you to get
into your characters' heads and get to know them more. A personality flaw
could be stubbornness, impatience, narcissism, or quick-temperedness. Your
character can have any of these or any other personality flaw.
We all have a fear or two or ten. A fear can be of anything
such as a fear of spiders, heights, clowns, or fires. Then there are inner
fears and fears that relate to real life. Like the fear of losing a loved one,
dying because of cancer, unemployment or homelessness, or opening yourself up
to love.
A fear can literally be anything, so figure out your characters’ fears and exploit them. Also highlight a small fear. Ex: Have a spider crawl on
your MC. And use a bigger fear in the plot as something your MC has to
overcome.
3. Weaknesses
A weakness isn’t just chocolate. It can be a physical or
mental weakness. One of your character’s fears can be a weakness. I have a
physical weakness due to spine surgery. Your character can have a physical
weakness because of a health problem (diabetes, asthma, etc.). You character
can also have a mental weakness such as a psychological disorder. A weakness
can even be a person or a weapon if you’re writing a paranormal/sci-fi story.
TIP: Use your character’s weakness to create conflict and character depth.
QUESTION: What are your flaws, fears, and weaknesses?
I probably don't include enough physical flaws.
ReplyDeleteOne of my flaws is perfectionism and my greatest fear is losing my wife.
Aw. Losing your wife, I'm sure, is something every man fears, but I don't think you have to worry about that, Alex.
DeleteFlaws and weaknesses are the first things I figure out about a character. Good list.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! You know how to create characters. ;)
DeleteYou are not shying away from difficult questions today! I fear almost everything, which is a flaw, but I use it write, which is a strength. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes we have to ask the difficult questions. :)
DeleteThat spider is cute!
ReplyDeleteMy current WIP, I'm trying to make my one character be stubborn about expressing his emotions so in the scene where he does it's significant.
I know, right?
DeleteThat's good. It'll mean more to your readers. :)
Great points. Our characters need to be "human" which means not perfect. Your suggestions are super.
ReplyDeleteI like spiders, especially garden spiders. Not so crazy about black widows or others that are poisonous.
I hope you don't like the poisonous ones. Haha
DeleteThat spider is a cutie!! :)
ReplyDeleteI've got a character with an issue with her leg in one of my WIPs and it's interesting to write about someone with that flaw that interferes with so many parts of her life
I can relate to that. I'm planning on writing about a character like myself who has back issues that interferes with many areas of her life.
DeleteSince I'm a big chicken, the list of fears would be a very long one! Thankfully, my characters are usually braver than I am. :)
ReplyDeleteIsn't that fun? My characters are braver than me, too.
DeleteI think you may have met me and me not known.
ReplyDeleteWhat you have written is me to a "T", I also have a back scar and a bad back and because of events in my life have fears,Which if you spend much time alone you have time to think about them. Thanks for this wonderful post, it was great reading about me.
Yvonne.
We're two peas in a pod, Yvonne.
DeleteThe characters I love most are those with huge flaws--especially personality ones. I can relate to them so well. :-)
ReplyDeleteCan't we all? None of us are perfect. We all have flaws and that's why we relate to flawed characters. :)
DeleteMy answer to all three questions would be... fear of failure. Flaw because it creates a destructive perfectionistic streak in my art, weakness because it triggers my anxiety.
ReplyDeleteThat's good. You're right that the fear of failure counts as all three.
DeleteI love that tarantula!
ReplyDeleteIt's really fun to give characters flaws, either to be overcome or remaining a part of who they are. I seem to tend towards giving characters limps and otherwise gimpy legs (e.g., polio survivors), even before I had my own limp. it's kind of like I knew, even before I knew. Perfect characters are boring, and no one I want to read about.
That's very interesting. Maybe you were prophesying it. Perfect character are boring! Who wants to read about perfect characters? Blah.
DeleteMy current book I use flaws for the characters, one physical and the other is a douchebag haha
ReplyDeleteThe other is a douchebag. Hahaha. That's a BIG flaw.
DeleteI have many flaws and weaknesses and a few fears (mostly of being late). I do think that these three help make us relate better to one another.
ReplyDeleteI agree. We're all only human.
DeleteIf a character doesn't have flaws or fears, etc., they are unbelievable; you can't really relate to them. My physical fear is snakes and small rodents.
ReplyDeletebetty
I agree. Fear of snakes is very common.
DeleteI love this stuff. All of those are on my character sheets, along with strengths, goals, etc. They are what shapes a character.
ReplyDeleteStrengths and goals are also good to know. We need all of it to build a character and their story.
DeleteI have way to many fears and flaws but you're right that does make a character more interesting to readers. We all need to overcome something - so should our characters. Making them relatable (is that a word) is key!
ReplyDeleteFunny you ask. We know relatable as a word, but Word and Spell Check say it's wrong. I don't know. I'd have to look that up. :p
DeleteAh, good point. I think my MC's major weakness is her low self esteem, but I'm not using it well enough in the story. Deep sigh.
ReplyDeleteLow self-esteem is a tricky one to do throughout a story.
DeletePersonally, or in fiction? :)
ReplyDeleteI have several phobias. I can't go on a downwards escalator without suffering from intense fear. I can also be claustrophobic, and I have a fear of falling.
As for flaws...I can't write fantasy. Boo! I was hoping for horror or mystery. :P
Horror came in 3rd place and mystery 5th. Since fantasy won't be in the running next time, maybe one of them will win next year. :)
DeleteThis would be a great help to my brother who's serious with his fan fictions and novels.
ReplyDeleteGreat!
DeleteI hate spiders, but he is a cutie. :-)
ReplyDeletesherry @ fundinmental
Isn't he?
DeleteI always thought of it as baggage. It comes from personal history and what mark was left behind. I never linked it to flaws. I guess I don't see them as bad things, just something that makes each character unique. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Flaws can certainly be baggage. They can also be more than that. :)
DeleteSounds like a great genre!!!!
ReplyDeleteMy personality flaws is I care too much. Sometimes at my own expense, for others. May not seem like a flaw, but it's something that leads to allowing someone else to walk over you.
My biggest fear is abandonment. I have a fear and dread I'll likely die alone.
I can relate to that. I have the same flaw.
DeleteMany people share that fear as well.
You though that spider was cute?! Lmao well, spiders may be my biggest fear. Lol!
ReplyDeleteOh come on. You don't think that little guy is cute? :P
DeleteMy MC's main weakness is her inability to open up and face her fears. Great post Chrys.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great weakness for your MC to work through.
DeleteGosh! I love flaws!!!
ReplyDeleteI try to make my MC's and secondary characters have a combo of each. To me, it makes for interesting and compelling characters. Great post!!!
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S.K. Anthony: Barnes and Noble Changing the Self-Publishing Game
I love flaws, too. At least my characters' flaws. ;)
DeleteWow! I think you just shed much-needed light in the closet that one of my characters currently lives in. She needs to come out and get sprinkled with freckles she despises or something! Funny, none of my characters have ever been flawless before...Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMe? Oh, I am a perfect mess (and not in a good way). I avoid scorpions and glass elevators.
Sprinkled with freckles. I love it! There's not nearly enough freckled heroines/MCs in books.
DeleteI don't like heights, so I'd avoid glass elevators, too.
Flaw #1: Biting off more than I can chew. This week has become a marathon of email, planning posts, and dealing with kids who seem to need instructions for breathing. (So I won't be getting that guest post on Halloween vs. Day of the Dead to you quite yet, but October is two months away.)
ReplyDeleteOther flaws: bad temper that comes with a heavy dose of foul language.
Fears: telephone conversations, asking anyone for help for any reason, mastering new technology
Weaknesses: Migraines. There are so many triggers like candles, fires in fireplaces, movies in a dark theater, fireworks, stress, dehydration, and lack of food or sleep.
That's okay! You have plenty of time. :)
DeleteI can get a bad temper, too.
I hate talking on the phone, but it's not really a fear.
Migraines are not fun.
That spider is cute. I like spiders. I don't like bee's, wasps, hornets..ect. It's more of a phobia. lol
ReplyDeleteI also stay away from those.
Delete