I am working on a character who has taken on the role of a leader, and I am struggling with her tragic flaw. I have a few good qualities that I am brainstorming for her, such as kind, calculated, careful, and loyal. I am trying to make her flaw make sense. I am considering difficulty to regulate her emotions, but for the most part I am struggling. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
If you want the most bang for your buck, you could make her flaw something that will prevent her from performing the main action of the book, and allow her to overcome it as she wins the external cause. Like, if you MC beats the rival gang in combat by inspiring others with acts of valor, you could make her too cowardly or aloof or disinterested in the rival gang to get involved.
Definitely agree with the above. The flaw needs to matter to the journey your character is going on. Rewarding stories often have a character who hides their flaw with a mask (how they behave) until they are forced to confront it in the final act.
Why don't you start with the story and the choose the tragic flaw accordingly? The story you can tell will depend highly on the flaw - so what's the story that you wanna tell?
I agree with Mckk. The character you describe before the story begins is never the complete character, no matter how hard you try to make it be so; as you get to know them by writing them, new qualities will arise and old -- often quite important -- traits will fade away to insignificance. Creating their bio is one thing, but living in their head for 80,000 words is quite another. By the end of the second draft, the main character may be a whole different person than you thought they were in the planning stage!
I don't think you need to have a singular tragic flaw, unless you're writing greek tragedy. Characters definitely need to have flaws though, if they're going to feel human. When does your character make mistakes? What are they bad at doing?
Can you clarify why she needs a tragic flaw at all? I don't mean she should be flawless, but there's a difference between, "Well, she's not perfect" and a tragic flaw. A tragic flaw usually has a very strong impact on the plot, and it also assumes that you're writing a tragedy--that she will fail in the end. All of that means, to me, that the flaw and the plot need to develop together.
because it says in xyz book based on the rules of greek tragedy that the hero has to have a fatal flaw which drives the tragic ending would be my guess... this is the problem with how to write a book formula books
Good eye. I overlooked the word “tragic” which depending on what the OP means, makes the question interesting. In a tragedy, the flaw is what you are writing about, isn’t it? The wrath of Achilles and all that.
You know to my mind, 'flaws' and 'strengths' are two sides to the same coin. Every personality trait has its strengths and weaknesses. @Carriage Return had a good thought for you there. If she's careful that can be a good or bad thing. Sometimes the situation will favor the one who took their time to feel out the variables and see what was the best choice. Sometimes there's more a time limit so the situation would favor those that just get things done. So instead of trying to think of a flaw, think about the negatives to the personality traits you do have. This is assuming you're not going the 'Greek Tragedy' way that others brought up though, don't have much to say on that.
You know what I do? I just figure three things and that's it. A goal, a motive, and a conflict. That's it. I don't sit there scratching my head over flaws and such. Because if a character is written with these things in mind, those things take care of themselves.
Tips: 1. Your plot rises from what outer obstacles your hero must fight. Your theme rises from what inner obstacles your hero must fight. Your story is the dance that plot and theme are dancing. Tell your story in one sentence. That sentence is your premise. https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/fiction/how-to-structure-a-premise-for-stronger-stories/ Your premise should have your theme included. Seek it there. 2. Take the biggest and most difficult flaw you have and make yourself confront it and everything it includes. 3. Take a flaw that ruins the social position that your hero has or a position that will come with successful fighting against outer obstacles. 4. Think about some human relationship that is difficult to you. Seek for two laws: your own and the one that this other person has. Take both. Give on to your hero and one to antagonist. Because a story needs a theme to be interesting.
By tragic Flaw I'm assuming you mean Fatal Flaw (that's what I've heard it called) Off the top of my head...well I think it's a good idea to try and make that flaw also cause internal struggle. So what personality types are needed to make a leader and what traits are not ideal? Uncertainty or insecurity Inability to act decisively Inability to handle stressful moments/situations I watched a movie lately in which the character was a leader and she was very good at it accept she had a fatal flaw which was her her uncertainty about herself that we see when no one is watching her. She's never 100% certain about herself, her thoughts, her decisions ect. She's not as confident as she let people think but is pressured to maintain herself and act quickly when a plan backfires. Whatever you make it be, make sure this flaw causes big mistakes as well as the characters defeat. Show that flaw as early on as possible.
