Exchange of Realities

A flawless character, most people will agree, is no fun at all. To really engage the audience, a character needs flaws, shortcomings—in short, weaknesses. For many creators, these tend to be pretty standard fare: cowardice, impulsiveness, stupidity, one or more of the Seven Deadly Sins, you get the idea.

But when you’re talking about flaws that drive the plot, sometimes it’s better to have something that isn’t always a flaw, that might even be admirable were it not for the exploitable lengths to which it is taken. Something active, even proactive, but still just as likely to trip the character up as her enemies are. One of my favorite sources for these sorts of flaws is need, or at least desire: creating a character both driven by and struggling with the need to have, be, or do something. How does the plot exploit it? Let me count the ways.

1. The need for acceptance or recognition. This one’s common almost to the point of cliché, but why wouldn’t it be? For most people, group-mentality is still a strong instinct, as is standing out from the group by doing what defines the group better than anyone else. Haven’t we all seen the lengths to which people will go to fit into a new group or to not stand out the wrong way in the one they’re in, or to get the attention of those they want to impress?
2. The need for basic necessities. It should go without saying. When there’s significant doubt that there will be enough to eat, space to live in, warmth or anything of the sort, things we take for granted can turn into powerful leverage.
3. The need for a purpose in life. Some people can let life happen, drifting through the day to day and watching time go by—but others aren’t suited to a life like that, and don’t count something as worth doing unless it has a purpose. For them, not knowing what they’re supposed to do with their lives, or lacking a goal on which to focus, is unsettling, even depressing. What happens when the first purpose that comes to hand is the wrong one?
4. The need to trust. This is partly an outgrowth of group mentality, but it’s also heavily rooted in the fact that having to keep alert towards everything and everyone is both overwhelming and exhausting. To someone accustomed to having people to fall back on or safe spaces in which to rest, discovering that the world isn’t safe like that can be a foundation-shaking experience; is it any wonder that they might be desperate to the point of denial to be able to trust someone? And while it’s not quite as common, it isn’t unheard of for someone who’d given up trust to be able to try it again and to decide that she wants more of it. Either one can leave a gaping hole in the character’s defenses.
5. The need to teach. Among the “that which is remembered is immortal” crowd, being able to pass down knowledge (particularly with one’s own name attached) can become even more important than avoiding death in the first place. For others, it might be for the sake of an apprentice’s admiration. And for the ones with rare, specialized knowledge passed only to the worthy, it’s a way to keep the knowledge from dying with the character. There are many ways this one can bring about failure, including desperation to find a student, difficulty with the teaching itself, and driving people away with the need to be seen as a teacher.

Need is a powerful thing. And when it’s based around something human, something admirable in its own way, or something to which most people can connect, it’s brilliant, poignant, spectacular.

More characterization tips are, as always, available.