Characters · Tip 19 of 82 · 4 min read
Perfect Characters Are Boring: Give Them Flaws
Grumpy, bossy or forgetful? A good flaw makes a character feel real and causes great trouble.
Meet Perfect Penny. She's brave, kind, clever, tidy and never late. She is also... a bit boring. Why? Because nothing can go wrong for her!
What is a flaw?
A flaw is something your character isn't good at, or a habit that gets them into trouble. Everybody has flaws, so a flawed character feels like a real person.
- Too proud to ask for help
- Bossy with friends
- Can't keep a secret
- Gives up quickly
- Very forgetful
- Jumps in without thinking
Let the flaw cause trouble
A flaw is most useful when it makes the story's problem worse. If your hero can't keep a secret, give them the biggest secret in the world.
Zac promised the twins he wouldn't tell anyone about the treehouse. He meant it. He really did. But at lunch, someone said treehouses were for babies, and the words tumbled out before he could stop them: "Ours has a rope bridge AND a trapdoor!"
Keep them likeable
Give your flawed character something good as well. Zac is a blabbermouth, but he's also loyal and funny. Readers forgive a lot if they can see a kind heart underneath.
Okay 😐
Mia was nice to everyone and always did the right thing.
Wow! 🤩
Mia was nice to everyone, as long as they did things her way. She once reorganised a whole group project at midnight because the colours on the poster "didn't match".