There’s something about characters who are unhealthily used to pain that just does it for me.
Maybe it’s the way they silently grimace at the agony instead of crying out as it’s nothing they should bother the people around them with.
Maybe it’s them forcing themselves to stand or walk or speak regularly while their ribs ache or their throat burns or a stab of pain courses through their legs every time they take a step.
Maybe it’s the perfectionism they live by, knowing everything has to be just so and they must be flawless with no room for mistakes. Pain and suffering are not allowed to inconvenience them. Grin and bear it.
Maybe it’s the surrounding characters who are all worried and concerned as they are assured that it’s nothing bad and the character’s had much worse, but they know they should have had neither.
Maybe it’s the horror in their friends’ faces when they see them the next day after forcing them down the night before, watching in fear as they observe them carrying on normally with their hard tasks knowing full well they are not healed, are opening up many wounds, and they wonder,
How the hell are they doing that?
And why the hell are they so good at it?
The thought makes them sick.
Maybe it’s them thinking they don’t deserve breaks or weariness or rest and berate themselves at any small sign of weakness, even when the sign is so minuscule that no one aside from themselves recognized it.
Maybe it’s the distrust and skepticism their allies have from then on, constantly doting and attempting to protect, never wanting to allow them to do anythingand worrying profusely when they get the nudge that they might be unwell.
Or perhaps it’s the sheer fury and disgust in themselves when they’re forced to accept help. They’re acting weak and useless, or maybe that’s just what they are after even a single screw up.
If they aren’t dead, they have no reason to act like it.
That mindset is so fascinating to me.(also very toxic lol)
I’m a big fan of characters, obviously. (That’s not even all of my characters. I have two BINDERS worth of character sheets.) But why? Surely other elements of story are just as important, like the plot, setting, tone, etc. And they are! But I think characters are the most important aspect of the story, for a few reasons:
They are the lens through which we view everything else. Characters color the world we create. Sure, you might write a world guide, but largely, we see the world through the eyes of the characters, so they have to be good eyes to see through. (Even if they’re blind.)
They can save a bad story. Not to say any of you havebad stories, but they can add something to a lackluster story that wouldn’t be there otherwise. Think about Bioshock Infinite. It’s one of my favorite games, even though the gameplay is okay and the story is convoluted at best. I praise it almost entirely for the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth. They makethat game, and if the characters (especially Elizabeth) weren’t as memorable as they are, I doubt anyone would really care much about Bioshock’s failed prequel.
The more complicated and intricate a character, the more you can do with your plot. If you have a flat character, you can’t make them act. They can’t do much except reactto the plot happening aroundthem. But a complex character with a good backstory and interesting motivation will interact with the world and change things in it, which is the basis of plot.
HOW I MAKE MY CHARACTERS
I’m going to walk you through my process, and hopefully do my best to make it easy for you to understand.
I never really considered character’s roles/archetypes so this post was really helpful!!
This is a really interesting read for character roles. It really brings home the idea that side characters have a life outside the main character’s problems. I’ll definitely have to incorporate this into my own writing.
I’ve decided to make some profile pictures! Up first is the main trio of Queen Mary’s Script; Mary, Claus and Edmund! I will be posting profiles for all characters as well as making character introduction videos a little closer to the release date.
Also, in October, I hope to take part in Nagoya Comitia to promote QMSR and will be making that anthology I talked about years ago. (If I can make it through registration;;) Inside will be profiles like this along with more character art. Books will most likely be left over so I plan to sell them online. Please look forward to it!
“Character flaws” are regarded as important in fiction writing– after all, flaws are vital to creating rounded, interesting characters. Here are some of the things I’ve learned about character flaws:
1. Flaws come from positive traits
One common issue I see is writers tacking flaws onto characters as an afterthought. This makes the character feel artificial instead of well-rounded. A great example of this happens in YA novels especially: a sweet, kind girl who always does the right thing only has one flaw: she’s clumsy. (This is a whole other issue. The gist is that the only “forgiveable” flaw you can give a girl character is clumsiness, because other flaws will make her “unlikable.” Not my point, but ugh.) Instead of being a part of the character, the flaw is only there to remind the reader that “See! This isn’t a Mary Sue! She has flaws!”
Instead, what I like to do is make a list of character traits, and see how I can twist those into negatives. Is a character loyal? You could make them loyal to a fault, trusting way too easily and following orders blindly. Is a character brave? You could make them reckless, diving headfirst into dangerous situations. Which leads me into my second point…
2. Flaws are all about perception
Depending on the perspective on the story, a character trait could be viewed as a positive or negative aspect of the character’s personality. A girl could be described as quiet and thoughtful, or she could be described as too frightened and pathetic to speak. In the first version, the girl’s quiet nature is a positive. In the latter, it is viewed very negatively.
If this girl is described as quiet and thoughtful, then her character arc shouldn’t focus on making her speak in public. If it’s not seen as a bad thing, then you shouldn’t have to “fix” it.
3. The flaw isn’t really in the characters– it’s in the story (the fatal flaw)
What even is a flaw? In real life, it’s really just a characteristic viewed in a negative light. And as per the last tip, not everyone will view it that way! What makes one person terrible in your eyes could be what makes them great in the eyes of another.
So what really makes a flaw a flaw?
Well, as you know, the thing that separates heroes from villains is that your hero changes throughout the story and develops as a person. The villain, stuck in their evil ways, is defeated (usually). Your hero’s main flaw should be the thing that they fix throughout the story. Maybe that frightened girl has a big public speech at the end, or your reckless character learns to think through their actions.
So, really, the flaw isn’t in the characters, it’s how the story treats them. The flaws to highlight are the ones that are addressed throughout the story.
thinking about how veth says caleb like “cayleb.. . oh cayleb” and how jester says “bowuh !” instead of beau .. and says “cadewwsis” every time. thinking about beau calling jester “jes” and cad calling jester “miss jester” and yasha “miss yasha” and caleb “mr caleb”. thinking about fjord calling caduceus “ducey” and beau calling him “cad” and everyone calling him all kinds of silly nicknames even though his plan was to be known just as Clay, to keep himself distant. thinking about how mollymauk is molly and caleb is lebby and caduceus is caddy and jester is jessie and i miss tmn so much
