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Post by stormiel on Dec 30, 2012 8:16:20 GMT -5
I'm trying to determine realistic character flaws for one of my stories. Right now at 5:36am it's rather frustrating. I found a good article on this though: www.rachellegardner.com/2012/02/why-your-novel-characters-need-real-flaws/ The writer, Rosslyn Elliot, talks about cosmetic flaws and their counterparts. She describes cosmetic flaws as "victimless" flaws. These are flaws that only hurt the character who has them. She then goes on to talk about the counterparts. Here are two of her examples: "Cosmetic character flaw: Insecurity. Its real counterpart: envy and sabotage Cosmetic character flaw: Fearfulness. Its real counterpart: disloyalty under pressure" I was trying to think along these lines to create some character flaws for my own characters, but I haven't come up with much so far, just what I have below. Does anyone else have any ideas for character flaws they would be interested in sharing? Flaw:Timidness. Counterpart:Laziness, or lack of conviction or no backbone I'm not really coming up with anything else right now. I think I want to go to bed soon lol. I'll post again if I come up with anything good.
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Post by Resha Caner on Dec 30, 2012 11:27:05 GMT -5
I guess everybody does it differently. I'm not that deliberate with designing my characters. It's a process of discovery. Other people have talked about how stories sometimes seem to write themselves, and it is often that way for me. If I get too deliberate, it really sticks out. I once gave one of my characters an allergy, and got a "Where did that come from?" reaction. It just didn't fit with the story.
Another aspect of character development for me is people watching. I do a lot of people watching. I often incorporate what I see in the behavior of others into my stories.
With that said, I always like to find ways to articulate the different aspects of story development. It's not helpful to get vague comments like, "That's nice," or "That needs to be fixed." So, I like some of the definition of character flaws that you've mentioned.
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Post by metalikhan on Dec 30, 2012 13:30:22 GMT -5
When I'm creating my characters, their flaws have to be/do two things. First, the flaw has to be an organic outgrowth of some part of his/her personal history. Even my minor characters get a paragraph or two of bio as I'm designing them regardless of whether it shows up in the story. Major characters get more detailed personal histories of their lives up to the point of the story. Second, it has to put him/her in conflict with what s/he wants to achieve in the story. It adds a layer of conflict (man vs. self) and provides an additional arc of character development for the story. For example, one character comes from homeworld invaded and subjugated by another species. After his people were scattered, he found security in a place and job he enjoys. But when one of his people is found in stasis, he has to decide whether to give up the security he values so much, overcome his deep-seated fear of a disorderly, uncertain future for the sake of the other person. Another example is a hard-core, hot-tempered tough guy who locates what he's been seeking for nearly a decade. Unfortunately, the "treasure" is in a place enough like a cave that he has to overcome his claustrophobia stemming from an unjust imprisonment when he was younger. Although this isn't the central conflict (or even flaw) for him, it also adds depth to his character and an additional layer for him to face in the course of the story. By developing characters in this way, I don't just stick a arbitrary or random flaw on a character to see if it fits. They become more rounded, more "real" -- or as real as I can make them.
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Post by Kessie on Dec 30, 2012 14:23:10 GMT -5
I love character flaws! Sometimes I start with a bundle of flaws and build a whole character around them. Once I started with a character who had a quick temper, waffled a lot, jumped to negative conclusions about everything, and just generally had a chip on her shoulder. Eventually she showed some positive traits, too--fierce loyalty to her friends and family, a kind side--especially once I figured out WHY she had such a chip on her shoulder.
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Post by Resha Caner on Dec 31, 2012 18:00:28 GMT -5
I love character flaws! Sometimes I start with a bundle of flaws and build a whole character around them. Once I started with a character who had a quick temper, waffled a lot, jumped to negative conclusions about everything, and just generally had a chip on her shoulder. Eventually she showed some positive traits, too--fierce loyalty to her friends and family, a kind side--especially once I figured out WHY she had such a chip on her shoulder. So, do you think figuring that out might relate to things going on in your real life? Don't worry. I'm not asking you to air your dirty laundry. I just wonder how much people struggle with making characters that are not just mirrors of themselves. I always thought Dickens did an excellent job of creating intriguing flaws that made all his characters unique - and yet very human.
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Post by Kessie on Dec 31, 2012 22:04:44 GMT -5
That particular character was what I called my negative-self insert. She was all of my flaws. Yes, I'm aware of this.
Another character I'm writing right now is a people-pleaser. Everything in his life has been about pleasing his parents, who divorced anyway and use him to spar with each other from a distance. So he tried to be the best in school and get a good magic-related career--which all fell to pieces when he became a werewolf. So now he's trying to pick up the pieces of his life and please everyone without stepping on too many toes (or ripping out throats). His flaws are interwoven with his strengths.
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Post by Resha Caner on Jan 1, 2013 14:44:19 GMT -5
A werewolf? Bummer.
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