Character Flaws

Happy Hump Day, good people of the blogosphere! After today, just two more days until the weekend. I heard that cheer! I'd like to talk about flaws today and why your characters need them. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Your character can't be perfect. Perfect people are boring and no one wants to read about them. Strife, problems, personality flaws, disfigurement, etc... are necessary to make your characters memorable. But more than being memorable, they need to be identifiable. People need to be able to pick up your book and understand the struggle your character is going through; maybe even see a little of themselves.

Every character is on a journey. Whether it's a journey to learn something, do something, or change something, they all must have a direction to travel in. If you've made them flawless, what can they learn? If they're doing something, why? What about their personality flaws makes them want to do it? If they want to change something, what is it? How can you give your character the two-punch they need?

Some flaws I love:

• Headstrong - These characters believe they're never wrong.
• Conceit - They love themselves so much, they feel they're perfect when they aren't.
• Mistakes of the Past - Oh man, these characters get themselves in so much trouble become they often become:
• Chronic Liars - Folks who lie to cover up a past they deem shameful.
• Revenge Seekers - Those people who can never ever just let it go.
• Addicts - The list of things people can be addicted to is long. Sometimes they know it, sometimes they don't.

There's so many to list I can't think of them all! Use your imagination; that's why you're a writer.

Just remember, when you're writing that character bio, be sure you go into flaws. If you don't use a character bio, I beg you to start. Aren't familiar with character bios? Come back tomorrow and I'll give you a list of things you need to include.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo