Let’s talk about character flaws. They’re often treated as a box to tick: give your protagonist a weakness and they’ll feel more human. Isn’t that how it works? Well, not quite. A flaw works best when it’s woven into the story, shaping what a character does and how they behave, complicating what they want and affecting the people around them.
What is a character flaw?
A character flaw is a quality or pattern of behaviour that causes problems for your character. It might be a belief, a fear, a habit, a defence mechanism or a way of responding under pressure.
A character flaw is different from a gap in someone’s skills. Being bad at sword fighting, for example, might matter to the story, but it isn’t a flaw on its own. The flaw might be that your character refuses to practise because they can’t stand being a beginner, or because they’re convinced they don’t need to learn, which then, of course, leads to bigger problems for them later on down the road.
A character flaw definitely isn’t the same as a disability. Disability is not something a character must overcome to be worthy or complete. Disabled characters can have flaws, of course, but those flaws should come from their personalities and choices, as they would for any character, not from treating disability as a defect.
Why do flaws matter?
A character who always makes the right call, wins everyone over with ease and can do everything may seem impressive. But if nothing challenges them? Boring!
Writers sometimes use the term “Mary Sue” for this sort of character who seems impossibly capable, good and well-liked. Be careful with the term: it’s often applied to female characters, which can be gendered and sexist. I recently learnt the term “wish-fulfilment character” from the wonderful Andy Hodges, and I find it a more useful way to discuss this kind of character. Mythcreants has written about this in more depth.
A problem with wish-fulfilment characters is that story tension tends to disappear when they’re protected from struggle or can solve every problem very easily. This also naturally leaves them with very little room to change and grow.
Another problem with a character who has no flaws is that they don’t feel real. We humans are complex and contradictory. We’re also all flawed in some way or another, so it makes sense that characters in stories are too. A well-crafted flaw can make a character feel more lifelike, shape the plot, put pressure on relationships and create chances for them to grow or make things worse.
A character who struggles with a weakness and tries to do better can be much more engaging than someone who always gets things right. Their efforts, even when they don’t succeed, can give readers something to recognise and really root for.
Connect the flaw to the character’s goals
Remember how I talked at the beginning about weaving your character’s flaw into the narrative? Well, a flaw becomes part of the story when it gets in the way of something your character wants. It needs to influence their choices and create conflict between where they are and where they want to be. This gives the flaw a meaningful role in the story, rather than leaving it as a detail that’s mentioned but doesn’t have any effect on what happens.
So, for example, if your character wants to lead (goal) but can’t trust anyone else to do a job properly (flaw), they might take on too much and push their team away. If they want to feel loved (goal) but expect people to leave (belief/flaw), they might keep others at a distance. The goal gives the flaw a chance to affect the character’s choices and make their path harder. It also gives the reader a reason to care about whether they change.
Flaws come in different shapes and sizes
Some character flaws have a relatively small effect on the narrative. For example, a character might be awkward in social situations, messy, forgetful or prone to talking over people. These details can add texture, give other characters something to respond to and bring humour or tenderness to a scene.
A minor flaw doesn’t have to become the focus of the character’s arc.
Major flaws have a stronger effect on decisions and relationships. For example, insecurity might make someone turn down an opportunity because they are worried about failing. Jealousy might lead your character to undermine a friend.
A fatal flaw is a belief your character holds about themselves or the world. Lisa Cron calls this kind of belief a misbelief in her book Story Genius: How to Use Brain Science to Go Beyond Outlining and Write a Riveting Novel. For example, a character might believe that asking for help makes them weak. This misbelief or fatal flaw might have developed as a way for them to cope. Their story might involve recognising where this belief came from and questioning whether it is still helping them.
Let strengths and flaws grow from the same place
It can help to let a character’s strength and flaw grow from the same place. This can make them feel even more believable and coherent. For example, a character who had to care for their younger siblings might grow up to be reliable and protective, but struggle to let other people help or take charge.
Backstory can help readers understand where a character’s behaviour comes from. It connects their past experiences to the beliefs, fears and habits they carry into the present, so their choices feel related to their past rather than added randomly to create conflict. You don’t need to explain all of this at once. You can let it emerge through the character’s reactions, decisions and the way they think about what has happened to them.
Show the flaw through behaviour
To show readers where your character’s flaw comes from, show it through their behaviour. Don’t expect readers to believe your character is jealous, reckless or controlling just because you tell them so. A controlling character might insist on making decisions for their partner, even after their partner has said what they want. Someone impulsive might act before they know the whole plan, leaving others to deal with the fallout.
Also pay attention to how other characters respond to your protagonist and their flaw. Using their reactions to show the effect of a flaw is a good way to avoid having a paragraph to explain it.
Do characters have to overcome their flaws?
No. A character arc might involve recognising a flaw and changing their behaviour, but that’s one possible outcome. A character might make gradual progress and still slip into old habits. In a negative character arc, they might fail to change or decide that they don’t want to.
Below you’ll find a non-exhaustive list of character flaws to give you some ideas. Remember, though, not to just pick one at random. Think about where it comes from as you develop your character.
If you’re working on a story and aren’t sure whether your character’s flaw is shaping their choices and arc, developmental editing can help you explore what’s working and where there’s room to go deeper. Find out more about working with me here.
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