Flawed Characters
My favorite movie character is Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. Yet as I ponder this larger-than-life individual, it occurs to me that he is an arrogant teenager. A close second is Andy Dufresne from Shawshank Redemption, but he is stuck-up, distant, and a know-it-all. Michael Westen from the TV show Burn Notice is a close third, but he suffers the same flaws as Andy Dufresne.
How about female leads? Joan Wilder from Romancing the Stone tops my list. I classify her as intelligent and strong, but a tad gullible. Second is Lucy from the movie of the same name, who has the same flaws. Princess Leia from Star Wars? Same problem.
For novels, I enjoy John Wells and Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy, but they have the same flaws as Andy Dufresne.
From a writing perspective, it is clear that I have a low opinion of my favorite characters, yet I enjoy watching or reading about them. Where is the disconnect? In real life, people are deemed good by their positive qualities, but fictional characters have different standards. A good example is my father. He has always been a smart, honorable, and charismatic individual. Because of his endless patience, I have become a man with positive qualities. (Of course, my mother and sister are equally responsible, but we are discussing characters.)
While my father and I had our differences, I would only describe him positively. What if he were in a movie or a book? He would be an awful character because he would be a good guy who only does good. There is no imagination, drama, or intrigue.
What about the less-than-perfect people in my life? Let’s examine a former boss, Jeff. He was a bright individual, but quite arrogant, and I left the company because of this flaw. (Side note. Within two years, three coworkers did the same. It is amazing the damage that one bad coworker can do.)
Still, I learned from Jeff and use this knowledge often. I suppose I would not classify him as a bad person, but in a story, he would be the villain.
In creating this article, I tried to imagine Jeff as a character. There is a fine line between doing good for the sake of good and simply being a jerk. With a lot of thought, Jeff was not a jerk, and I think he could be a decent character with some tweaks.
The art of creating an excellent character is spinning the negatives into positives, which was clear with another boss, Steve. He was arrogant, overbearing, intolerant, and a perfectionist. Yet, I would move mountains for that man. Why? He inspired me, believed in me, and listened. He indeed was “The Luke Skywalker of Engineering.” The difference between my bosses was how they applied their negative traits.
So, how does an author create a well-remembered character? First, we have to set up boundaries. For example, the movie Star Wars. The two dominant factions were the Empire and the Rebels. Naturally, the audience enjoyed seeing the rebel forces win. (Keep in mind that many Empire soldiers needed to die for a rebel victory. Thus, the rebels were not necessarily honorable.) However, in a typical company, the workers do not battle good and evil with lightsabers. Instead, they have conflicts during meetings and in emails.
Am I suggesting that directors cannot set a movie in an office? No, but there is a staggering difference between a character and a real person. Characters are larger than life, and so are their flaws. They need to shine when they succeed and tug at our hearts when they fail. The difference is the connection, which allows us to overlook the flaws that would otherwise have led to arrogant behavior in a character like Luke Skywalker.
With this in mind, let’s create a character. I first look at the main plot from a high-level perspective. A leads to B leads to… When I have the basic outline, I mentally throw the characters in. The key is to think about how they will fail.
Now, let’s create an obstacle. I find the best types are those made by the character. A poorly thought-out decision is a perfect example. As the plot progresses, readers see the thought process behind the bad decision, the execution, and the failure. Then the fallout, drama, and effort to correct. Perhaps their arrogance silenced a friend’s good idea? Nice.
As I fully develop the outline, the characters fall into place, and their flaws build the drama. Then their positive traits carry them into the next scene. For the villains, it is the opposite. Their undesirable traits solve the problems, and their good qualities make the lead characters look bad.
In summary, positive characters need the perfect amount of space to let their flaws shine. As they overcome or recover from failures, their efforts elevate them above their peers. A touch of arrogance goes a long way, but it can be a horrible character flaw if misapplied. I also prefer intelligence as a good quality over luck and strength.
It is fun to create characters, and the best part is watching my mental creations shine as they get out of the bad situations I invent.
You’re the best -Bill
December 15, 2021 Updated May 03, 2026
How about female leads? Joan Wilder from Romancing the Stone tops my list. I classify her as intelligent and strong, but a tad gullible. Second is Lucy from the movie of the same name, who has the same flaws. Princess Leia from Star Wars? Same problem.
For novels, I enjoy John Wells and Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy, but they have the same flaws as Andy Dufresne.
From a writing perspective, it is clear that I have a low opinion of my favorite characters, yet I enjoy watching or reading about them. Where is the disconnect? In real life, people are deemed good by their positive qualities, but fictional characters have different standards. A good example is my father. He has always been a smart, honorable, and charismatic individual. Because of his endless patience, I have become a man with positive qualities. (Of course, my mother and sister are equally responsible, but we are discussing characters.)
While my father and I had our differences, I would only describe him positively. What if he were in a movie or a book? He would be an awful character because he would be a good guy who only does good. There is no imagination, drama, or intrigue.
What about the less-than-perfect people in my life? Let’s examine a former boss, Jeff. He was a bright individual, but quite arrogant, and I left the company because of this flaw. (Side note. Within two years, three coworkers did the same. It is amazing the damage that one bad coworker can do.)
Still, I learned from Jeff and use this knowledge often. I suppose I would not classify him as a bad person, but in a story, he would be the villain.
In creating this article, I tried to imagine Jeff as a character. There is a fine line between doing good for the sake of good and simply being a jerk. With a lot of thought, Jeff was not a jerk, and I think he could be a decent character with some tweaks.
The art of creating an excellent character is spinning the negatives into positives, which was clear with another boss, Steve. He was arrogant, overbearing, intolerant, and a perfectionist. Yet, I would move mountains for that man. Why? He inspired me, believed in me, and listened. He indeed was “The Luke Skywalker of Engineering.” The difference between my bosses was how they applied their negative traits.
So, how does an author create a well-remembered character? First, we have to set up boundaries. For example, the movie Star Wars. The two dominant factions were the Empire and the Rebels. Naturally, the audience enjoyed seeing the rebel forces win. (Keep in mind that many Empire soldiers needed to die for a rebel victory. Thus, the rebels were not necessarily honorable.) However, in a typical company, the workers do not battle good and evil with lightsabers. Instead, they have conflicts during meetings and in emails.
Am I suggesting that directors cannot set a movie in an office? No, but there is a staggering difference between a character and a real person. Characters are larger than life, and so are their flaws. They need to shine when they succeed and tug at our hearts when they fail. The difference is the connection, which allows us to overlook the flaws that would otherwise have led to arrogant behavior in a character like Luke Skywalker.
With this in mind, let’s create a character. I first look at the main plot from a high-level perspective. A leads to B leads to… When I have the basic outline, I mentally throw the characters in. The key is to think about how they will fail.
Now, let’s create an obstacle. I find the best types are those made by the character. A poorly thought-out decision is a perfect example. As the plot progresses, readers see the thought process behind the bad decision, the execution, and the failure. Then the fallout, drama, and effort to correct. Perhaps their arrogance silenced a friend’s good idea? Nice.
As I fully develop the outline, the characters fall into place, and their flaws build the drama. Then their positive traits carry them into the next scene. For the villains, it is the opposite. Their undesirable traits solve the problems, and their good qualities make the lead characters look bad.
In summary, positive characters need the perfect amount of space to let their flaws shine. As they overcome or recover from failures, their efforts elevate them above their peers. A touch of arrogance goes a long way, but it can be a horrible character flaw if misapplied. I also prefer intelligence as a good quality over luck and strength.
It is fun to create characters, and the best part is watching my mental creations shine as they get out of the bad situations I invent.
You’re the best -Bill
December 15, 2021 Updated May 03, 2026
