How to Write Flawed Characters (writing exercise)
And how your protagonists' weaknesses impact the story
Who’s your favorite character?
Mine is Fleabag.
Fleabag started as a one-woman play before becoming an award-winning TV show. She isn’t the typical 20-something woman you see on TV. She’s a mess.
Her business (a guinea pig-themed cafe) is a failure. Even if she calls herself a feminist, she’d happily trade 5 years of her life for the “perfect body.” Her evenings are spent eating pizza on her couch or having sex with unattractive strangers. She’s grieving, and instead of dealing with her feelings like a normal healthy person, she sneaks into her dad’s house to steal from him and falls in love with a priest.
There’s a Fleabag in every woman. And like any good protagonist, Fleabag holds a mirror to our own flaws. Looking at her, we see parts of ourselves we’d rather keep in the dark.
Heroes are much less interesting and compelling than villains. No one cares about a “perfect” protagonist, but we root for one who’s trying—and failing miserably. Perhaps because we’re reminded of our own human experience.
“Bad guys” and “Good guys” don’t exist. Do you know what does?
Good people who sometimes do bad things
Bad people who sometimes do good things.
And they’re much, much more interesting than Mr. Good Guy and Mr. Bad Guy.
We root for flawed characters because we identify with them. We feel for them when they don’t get the girl, or mess up big time. We empathize. We process our own story through theirs—it can even become a cathartic experience. That’s the power of great storytelling.
Writing Character Flaws Into the Story
“Pete is mean. He’s just the mean guy of the group.”
This is a mistake I’ve seen with many screenwriters I’ve worked with: communicating character information through dialogue. First-time novelists also lean toward dialogue-based revelations. While I can’t say this can never be done, you certainly want to avoid it more times than not.
A better way to show a protagonist’s personality is simply… To let them act. “Actions speak louder than words” for a reason. What we do reveals our qualities and weaknesses in a way that words cannot. The same goes for our protagonists.
Circling back to Fleabag:
She hates her stepmother so she steals from her.
She’s desperate for love so she sleeps with “the wrong men.”
She’s lonely, so she cares for a guinea pig that reminds her of her deceased best friend.
Her personality influences her actions. We the audience understand who she is because of what she does. It’s often more about what she doesn’t say than what she actually says.
Writing Exercise
Look inward for a minute.
Make a list of 5 things you’ve done (or said) that you’re ashamed of.
Do the same with 5 things you’re proud of.
What does each of these things say about your personality?
Don’t sugarcoat it, even if it hurts.
Now, focus on your first list. What led you to do each of these things? Explain what drove you to take actions you’re now ashamed of.
If you’re already working on a story and have a main protagonist, proceed to the last question:
Can you see if there’s an overlap between your personality and your character’s?
Finding a common ground will help you understand their motives and fuel your story with authenticity. You’ll “get them” better and know how they’ll react to what you throw at them.
I’ll leave you with a video: