Character flaws build our stories

Engaging stories include flawed characters. All people—even imaginary ones—have flaws to overcome, but we all resist change and tolerate our faults until something forces us to change our ways. Through entertainment, people see others overcome their flaws, which gives them hope that perhaps they too can live a life so brave and honorable. Heroes thrill us.

We can write interesting character sketches or heart-racing scenes, but without the character flaw, do we have a story?

The foundation of our stories begins with our hero’s character flaw.

Character flaw relates to need, wound, theme

In every story, the first thing a writer should brainstorm when a seed of an idea starts percolating in the brain is the character’s flaw.  Why is the character flaw so important? Because the character flaw determines the character’s need. The internal need is what the story is really about and what the hero searches to resolve, even if she doesn’t recognize it. The need developed because of some wound. The hero likely doesn’t know that she is reacting to situations based on her wound, but the reader will see it if the writer demonstrates it clearly in the opening scene. By the final scene, the story concludes with the hero meeting this internal need and overcoming her flaw and finding healing from the wound. This causes enthusiasm in the reader who tells others about the satisfying conclusion of this amazing story. The novel touched the reader. Readers who relate to or recognize the character flaw desire to see how this problem gets resolved.

The internal need determines the theme which the author plants in a scene early in the novel and which the hero recognizes by act three of the story.

Flaw relates to goal, motivation

The character flaw also relates to the character’s goal and motivation. The hero plans a goal she wants to meet. The motivation internally seeks to meet the character’s need.  Externally, the goal may look like something else, but it really is about the need also which of course ties into the theme (the lesson the character will learn).

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it?

I struggled to figure out my hero’s flaw and goal.

If you know the goal, you may figure out the flaw when you list ways to complicate the hero’s life. A list of the character’s problems may help. Does your character cause her own problems, or are things happening to her? If the latter, remember that the hero must act to help herself. People don’t want to read about a hero who just reacts or reflects all the time; that gets boring. They want to see her decisions and watch her transformation unfold as she struggles and overcomes.

Examples of character flaws

A flaw is something the hero really needs to work on to change. Here are some examples: A character is lazy, controlling, makes bad decisions, harbors a secret, can’t keep a secret, is jealous or angry or violent, doesn’t follow rules, is obsessed with what others think of them, doesn’t accept reality, is judgmental, feels entitled, won’t let go of the past, won’t take risks. They can be fatal flaws like being abusive, revengeful, selfish, cowardly. They can be minor like being forgetful or gullible. They can be major like arrogant or anxious.

Let’s say your hero’s goal is to go to state in her sport and her flaw is people pleasing. Perhaps her need is to prove her worth. Her distant mother caused her wound. Praise from her peers motivates her to persevere against the challenges. The lesson or theme she learns is that imperfect people still have value. Do you see how they interweave?

The flaw matches the hero’s personality and backstory. While you brainstorm the wound, the backstory begins to get filled in and the character’s depth grows and becomes multi-dimensional.

Character development and plot all hinge on the flaw. So, as you brainstorm, figure out a good flaw that fits all the elements. Once you have that figured out for your hero, you get to do it all over again for your other main characters.

What flaws do your heroes have?