My main character is a pre-teen boy - I want him to be someone who is sensible, responsible and thinks carefully about the decisions he makes. But a perfect character is a boring character and he is sounding rather two dimensional at the moment! The most obvious emotional/mental character flaw (to me) for a pre-teen/teen is anger - but I don't want this boy to be quick to anger or angry most of the time. The one I would probably be most interested in is self-doubt. As I am new to this whole writing business I started to wonder whether he should have more than one character flaw, whether self-doubt was too general/clichéd an emotion for a pre-teen boy and all sorts of other things. (Rather ironic don't you think? )
I will still probably go with that one just to get me writing but it got me thinking - what are some strange, out of the ordinary character flaws you have used in your writing? Did they work well? Would they be harder to explain or get across to the reader? Or is it better to stick with more general ones?
Posted by Owasm (Member # 8501) on :
You can give him something to be angry about, like a sibling or school bully. He can show judgment that isn't quite right (like something outside of his experience) and in the process of being corrected by others, he can show some temperament.
Posted by Corky (Member # 2714) on :
A good source for positive and negative character traits that go together is an astrology book. Find the sign that sounds closest to your character (I'm thinking maybe Libra?) and see what negative traits go with that sign.
Astrology books about relationships (as in LOVE SIGNS by Linda Goodman) are also good for ideas on how characters might interact with each other negatively and positively.
Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
Flaws often stem from a formative event. So maybe you can think of something that happened to the character and impacted him in a certain way. Perhaps that will guide you in finding the right flaw for him.
Posted by TamesonYip (Member # 9072) on :
For me, generally I don't think of my characters in terms of flaws. If I list a flaw as say angry, I sometimes end up making too stereotyped- he is the angry character. Instead I like to ask questions like, what will make him angry? What makes him irrational? When is he a little crazy? Cause while a person may normally be cool and calm, we all have buttons. Likewise, when is a person kind, when cruel? In what areas is he cynical, in what is he still naive? Also, I like to ask why? My current MC for short story, I am not sure if he is going to come off as extremely arrogant or extremely low self confidence. In some things, he thinks he is a god, in others he is fully aware of his limitations.
Posted by johnbrown (Member # 1467) on :
quote:what are some strange, out of the ordinary character flaws you have used in your writing? Did they work well? Would they be harder to explain or get across to the reader? Or is it better to stick with more general ones?
Nose-picking and public fart ignition are sure crowd pleasers.
(grin)
Actually, the best flaws are the ones that interest you. End of story.
Forget the "he's too flat" or "perfect" or whatever. Focus on what's cool, what's interesting to YOU. If you're interested and care, if you're passionate, that's the best gauge of what's best for the story.
Posted by satate (Member # 8082) on :
I think you should get away from thinking of him as a pre-teen boy. Sure pre-teen have some similarities but they also already have a personality. I read an article the other day that said they found that at age six they can predict your personality type because it doesn't change.
A sensible, responsible, careful person probably isn't quick to anger (though it's possible). Every personality trait has it's opposite. A sensible person is often not as risky, less emotional, or distant, less likely to follow on a whim, or trust instincts. A responsible person may be too uptight, or a little controlling, maybe fault-finding. A careful person may be fearful, and easily stressed.
Think of the whole person. What does he worry about? What does he love? What scares him? What does he hate? How does he view his parents, friends, teachers, ect.
Posted by WouldBe (Member # 5682) on :
I don't think self-doubt is a serious character flaw, unless it is so irrational that it's debilitating. If it was, than nearly all writers would be flawed in that manner, and the rest by excess pride
I'm not Catholic, but here is a traditional Catholic list of cardinal sins, which can translate in many ways to flaws: pride (the root sin), anger, envy, greed, sloth, gluttony and lust.
Of course, you probably wouldn't give the character a flaw unless you make something of it in the plot. OTOH, some might just want to broaden their character to give him/her believability.
Posted by Teraen (Member # 8612) on :
Don't forget physical flaws. Most people have some aspect of their physical appearance that they don't like.
And remember that one of the defining characteristics of a character flaw is that the person is usually unaware of it, or they think it a virtue. For instance, one might be quick to anger, but they think they merely are helping others by being critical of what they see as flaws in the other. The best villains usually exhibit this...
Also, flaws can arise as part of the story. Lets say your hero gets beat up early on by henchmen of the bad guys. Now, you can start having him be scared of physical pain, to the point where he begins to make unwise decisions that bring further problems. This weakness was always present, but wasn't a flaw until circumstances brought it to the surface...
Posted by Meredith (Member # 8368) on :
quote: Also, flaws can arise as part of the story. Lets say your hero gets beat up early on by henchmen of the bad guys. Now, you can start having him be scared of physical pain, to the point where he begins to make unwise decisions that bring further problems. This weakness was always present, but wasn't a flaw until circumstances brought it to the surface...
I have one of those. My MC for THE SHAMAN'S CURSE and THE IGNORED PROPHECY (and the two that haven't been written yet) was caught in a flash flood in book one. Now he's terrified of large bodies of water with waves. Big, strapping guy and he goes to pudding if you put him in a boat (unless he's really, really angry).
[This message has been edited by Meredith (edited August 12, 2010).]
Posted by RoxanneCrouse (Member # 9172) on :
i have a pre teen boy and here are some of his traits. He is ADHD which makes him act empulsively and makes him very disorganized. Hes inbetween wanting to be treated like an adult and be treated like a kid. For example, at the mall my son wants to go on his own, but at home he wants me around and wants my attention still. He does not care about his appearance at all. He'll wear the same clothes two days in a row if I dont notice. He has to know that he has done whatever he's working on perfectly or he cant continue on anything else. Most of the time he is very sweet and kind and shy, but if he feels strongly he is right about something or has been treated unfairly, he can get down right mean and start yelling , hitting and throwing stuff. I hope this helps.
Posted by PB&Jenny (Member # 9200) on :
Well, Delli, I'm in the middle of figuring out if writing about an idea I have about a group of Fat guys in a 'perfect' world will be nothing but character flaws or if there will be redeeming elements about them. I'm kinda in your shoes deciding if that alone is character flaw enough or if I'm missing the whole point of having flaws. It's a big enough proverbial elephant to eat without trying to take into account every possible flaw a person might have. I think I'll just stick with three per person and emphasize one each. That's the plan, anyway.
I started to wonder whether he should have more than one character flaw, whether self-doubt was too general/clichéd an emotion for a pre-teen boy and all sorts of other things. (Rather ironic don't you think? 
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