Top 5 flaws of your own MC?

Ok well now that my MC is more developed...

DaVon

1. Squeamish
2. Allergic to his main food source
3. Eager to please
4. Because of his allergy, is considered an 'abomination'
5. Strange sexual appetite

I won't go into details but at least now I have those figured out

~Lynn

 

I'd be up for it.

 

Seconded

 

Hmm. Well, it looks as though this has become a thread more for listing character flaws than flaws in story pacing like the 1st and 5th ones the thread starter listed. *shrug*

So. Berendon's main problems, in no particular order:

1. He is dedicated to becoming "the greatest wizard who ever lived." Seriously. That doesn't leave much room for negotiation, and is the driving force behind the rest of his personality.

2. He is amazingly prideful - as he ages and wises up a bit, he really starts feeling how awesome he is. (He's good but not awesome.) The pride is both an annoyance to his companions and a flaw in other ways.

3. If something opposes him, it's bad. If something helps him, it's good. Basically, he has a very black-and-white worldview, with a small seldom-used gray area in the middle.

4. He has serious anger problems, although to be fair he gets a hell of a lot better as he gets past age 20, then worse as his pride increases, and by the end he's much much better at holding his temper.

5. He really, really doesn't like to just sit down and study from a book. I mean, he hates it. This can spill over to other things - he can sort of subtly, unconsciously avoid analyzing a problem if the answer is unpleasant, or refuse to pay attention to vital information because "there are more important things to do."

I like him. He's actually one of two main protagonists in one of my stories. He does have some good points, and good intentions, which lead him along the corresponding road. *grin*

 

When I plan out my character I always try and write out their faults in a character sheet.

1. totally anal about things
2. has a foul temper
3. a little too single minded in his goal

 

But how many people aren't, when you list only their flaws?

 

1. She is too apt to give in to duty instead of her own desires
2. She is naive, despite her deep wisdom.
3. Her confidence waivers according to the whims of others (though this changes later)
4. She does not fear what she should, and fears what she shouldn't at times.

Can't think of any more atm. She has many positive and negative attributes, but most of them have to do with her naivety, and I don't want to be repetitive.

 

My character is in very early stages of development - in fact I'm just brainstorming his personality on paper now. Here are some of his flaws:

1) He is a grown man, yet he is unable to care for himself
2) He has no empathy for others (originally)
3) He considers himself above doing things that could get him a meal or shelter if he thinks that they are 'lowly', resulting in him often going hungry and cold.
4) He looks down on people who are in the same situation as him and considers himself above them
5) He is on the uneducated side.

 

sounds like a person i know

 

Much like firequill, my main character is still in the very early developmental stages, so these character flaws wouldn't exactly be finalized. I also try to take on the mentality that a real person would be a bit too complex to summarize with "These are my strong aspects and these are my flaws"- something that could be considered a flaw in one scenario could easily be an advantage in another (for example, is he stubborn, or just determined?). But here goes nothing, I guess:

1. Unable to comprehend his own mortality- When my hero is placed in a fantastic position of great importance, he's subconsciously unable to view himself as anything other than "the invincible main character".
2. Insecurity- Underneath a confident, boisterous exterior, he's incredibly apprehensive when it comes to the possibility of rejection.
3. Overly trusting- Despite trying to be logical and calculating, he'll often just go with his gut when it comes time to make a decision (note: this will be portrayed as potentially positive and negative).
4. Conflicted over his own individual value- Thrust into a situation where he's constantly bombarded with cynical world views, the protagonist's insecurity is amplified when he begins to question his own value as an individual in this grand universe.
5. Underlying sense of hopelessness- Tying in with numbers 4 and 1, the main character struggles to hold on to the opinion that humanity is worth preserving and that it, too, still matters even when the big picture is viewed.

Most of them are internal and a bit similar, I suppose, but remember, he IS still in the planning stages...

 

1. She's very manipulative.
2. She thinks of herself as a symbol is pure enticement.
3. She loves power and constantly grasps for it.
4. She doesn't understand what real love is, but rather, she thinks of men as sexual objects for her own enjoyment.
5. While she makes an effort to outsmart him, she is deeply afraid of her father, and in her heart of hearts, she knows he controls her.

 

Interesting topic, good for ideas. The main character of the story I'm working on now is a teenage boy, and has some typical character flaws for such.

1 - He's a bit naive
2 - He's too trusting of authority figures
3 - Not enough self-confidence
4 - Hormonal dysfunction clouds his judgement
5 - Has never heard of Lo Pan. This is a trait I work in to every story, as Big Trouble in Little China is the greatest movie ever made and deserves recognition as such.

 

Oh my!

1. She has serious issues with men
2. She's on a ship full of them
3. She's a one time murderess
4. She tends to break hearts for no good reason
5. She does some trully evil things to somebody who loves her.

 

I'm going with Torquil Reid, from my current WIP.


1. He gives up too easily.
2. Lacks trust in his loved ones.
3. He's in denial about his problems with alcohol.
4. Impulsive, and his actions more often than not wreck relationships.
5. He's disloyal: lies and cheats without guilt until it affects someone outside of his little bubble.

 

Reading peoples' responses to this has been enlightening!
Here goes for one of my characters.

1. He's moody. Sometimes he's happy when he has plenty of reasons not to be, but the opposite is also true. Small or virtually nonexistent problems can cause him to break down or become angry.
2. He doesn't always consider the points of view of others. Assumes he understands the entirety of a situation even when he doesn't.
3. He can be impulsive. He doesn't always think about his actions and often ends up regretting them.
4. He's not confident. He doubts himself and worries about what others say behind his back. He is discouraged easily.
5. He has the tendency to think about his troubles so much that he makes them larger than they are.