Flaws and all meaning
In this type of narrative, your seemingly well-meaning character becomes a victim of the flaws they’ve become blind to. We spoke earlier of the fatal flaw and this is a good example of a negative arc. They might affect how your character deals with or reacts to certain situations, but they aren’t there to be challenged by them. These are traits that are inherent to your character’s life, personality, experience, and their way of being. This might be something like a disability, a notable physical characteristic, or a trait like being an introvert in a world that expects extroversion. It could be a hero who doesn’t want to be a hero-who is a little self-absorbed, a little apathetic-who gets the call to greatness and rises to meet it.Ī flat arc is where your character isn’t trying to overcome anything other people might perceive as flaws-those so-called limitations are just a part of their everyday being. Perhaps it’s the seemingly unredeemable villain who sees the error of their ways and makes a turnaround, proving that anyone can be a hero if they set their mind to it. Positive ArcsĪ positive arc using character flaws is one where they defeat, battle, or face down whatever is standing in their way.
Flaws and all meaning pdf#
Download a PDF version here: Character Traits Checklist.Ĭharacter flaws can be used to build positive, negative, or flat arcs in your novel. Print these sheets off and hang them over your writing space to reference any time you need inspiration. Pull directly from these or use them to generate ideas for how your story is guided by your character’s flaws. We’ve compiled a whole bunch of them for you here in this handy checklist. There are obviously thousands of flaws or weaknesses you could build into your characters. In a fatal flaw, your character possesses some trait that brings an otherwise upstanding person to their downfall and eventual demise. It’s sometimes referred to as ‘hamartia’ and we often associate it with tragedies. Fatal: As the name implies, this is the kind of flaw that leads to a character’s death.As discussed above, these might not actually be negative traits, depending on your character, but they are something that affects the plot and development of your characters. Major: This a flaw that truly affects your character and is somehow standing in their way, whether it’s physical, emotional, or mental.They don’t affect the story so much as they might affect dialogue or reactions to events. Minor: This is something that simply distinguishes your character from the others, making them more memorable for your reader.We can divide flaws into three categories: minor, major, and fatal So is he really a bad guy? This writer doesn’t think so, but you’re your own judge. Yes, he’s a thief and operates strictly outside the law to get what he wants, but he’s one of the ‘good’ villains, carries a cool cane (his leg could be considered a physical flaw but he never sees it that way), and oozes charm the whole time. Listen, it takes all sorts to make the world go round.Ī morally gray character like Kaz Brekker from Shadow and Bone is a good example. For example, m ost people might consider a villain who kills people evil, but go beneath the surface and you’ll find someone who’s sympathetic to their reasons. Ultimately, many “flaws” are in the eye of the beholder and how they’re defined depends entirely on your character. And I emphasize the ‘may’ because they might not be interested in doing either of these things. These aren’t flaws, but they’re something your character may need to overcome or learn to navigate, depending on their goals.
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Instead, they’re limitations like a physical handicap or a mental illness.
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There are also things that I hesitate to even refer to as flaws, because they’re not.
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For example, if they’re extremely clumsy. Sometimes they’re things they have control over, like how lazy or apathetic they are, and sometimes they don’t have control over them. (Never in ourselves though, that’s why we call it fiction.)įlaws can be internal or external factors that affect your character and how they live their life. What is a character flaw? A character flaw is a fault, limitation, or weakness.