Building Character Flaws
by mishafer
Making a character with realistic flaws is something just about every writer asks about. Especially for fanfic writers who use OC's ( Original Characters), we wonder how to avoid the dreaded Mary Sue label and make them seem like real people. It can certainly be a headscratcher, and not just for OCs, but also for accurately portraying canon characters because yes, even they can be written unrealistically with their flaws ignored. Most often, we're given the advice to "balance positive and negative traits" which is an excellent guideline, but has often left me wondering "How?"
I'm of the belief that the best characters are the ones who elicit a strong emotional reaction from us. Whether it be love, hatred, anger, sadness or pity, a character who makes us feel is doing their job. Some of my favorite characters have made me so mad you could see the steam coming from my ears. This is a reaction some writers try to avoid because they want their character to be likable and worry if a reader feels hostile toward them then their character has failed. Think about it though, think of the people you love most in the world; don't they have negative traits that drive you up the wall? Of course they do, because they're human.
Let's say you create a character who is confident, decisive, and a good long-range planner. How do you balance those traits? Pick some that clash? Yes, but if you pick "snappy" and "sassy" as their major fault, yet sit back with a smirk on your face because you love their wit, then I'd say that's not a true flaw.
A true imperfection is one that causes negative outcomes and even makes you the author clench your teeth in frustration. This happens to me constantly. I sigh and grumble because my characters are acting in ways I find objectionable. I dislike one's insensitivity, one's self-pity, one's treatment of strangers, one's selfishness, etc. It's an example of what you hear authors talking about when they say their characters have taken on a life of their own.
None of my characters are people I'd want to meet in a dark alley, that's for sure. And part of that is what I feel makes them real because they're more than fantasy best friends. Although, having a character whom you love and never does any wrong in your eyes is bad, but a cast of characters behaving in such a way becomes boring and predictable.
So how do you do what I'm talking about?
Examples from real life can help you. Take my mother for example (forgive me mom for doing this), I love her more than anything in the world. She's kind, helpful, and always puts my happiness first. However, she can also be spiteful and overreact which has caused me headaches over the years.
Also remember that though there's a reason for a character flaw, that doesn't make it entirely excusable. Letting your readers know why a character has trust issues is important, you want them to feel connected and empathize with their problems. Yet at the same time, if you treat this as a trait that other characters come to realize isn't their fault and this absolves them of any wrongdoing because of it, then it becomes a token imperfection.
To get a little personal, I've been emotionally closed-off from people. I've not said things to the people I love that I should have when they needed to hear it. I had my reasons, and while they were a result of some bad experiences I realize ..... shutting people out when they needed me wasn't the right thing to do.
Think about yourself when you create your characters. Adding pieces of your experiences can be a great way to create rich and fascinating characters. I can relate to a piece of every character I've written, even if they're still fundamentally very different from me.
Of course, then comes the "self-inserts are bad" warning. Your ideal self written into the page isn't the most realistic character, but digging deep and actualizing your own flaws and those of people around you will help you transfer it to the page. After all, we often feel like our favorite characters are our friends or family, or at least someone we feel something strong enough for that we have to continue their story on our own.
For canon characters, don't gloss over their negative traits just because you adore them so much. I've made this mistake, thankfully realized it, and then worked to rectify it. Explore their faults and weaknesses, challenge them, help them grown, or make their flaws become worse because hey, character development doesn't always have to be for the better and watching a good guy go dark can be a fantastic story to tell.
Don't be afraid to be uncomfortable with some of the things your characters do. Because when you allow yourself to feel for them the way you would a real person, you know you've truly created a character and story that will rivet your audience.
Which are the characters that you like the most for their flaws?