Give your characters flaws

Making the Perfect Pie Crust -- Admitting Your Faults

Giving Your Characters Flaws

Whilst roaming about on Pinterest this morning, getting my morning creative juices flowing, I came across an interesting article regarding not making your characters too flawless.  The article referred to a different type of writing than I write, but the gist of the article rang true. If you can't relate to your main characters, if they seem too handsome, too perfect, can they really be relatable?

Once, about three hundred million years ago when I was an adjunct college professor, I lectured my students about the difference between Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey.  Martha, at the time -- during her pre-felon stage, presented herself as too good to be true.  She had the perfect recipe for chocolate tortes, she could whip up a Christmas wreath using nothing but the scraps from her cupboards, and she could set a table like no one's business.  But not once, in all the magazine articles I scanned, or online articles I reviewed, did I EVER hear Martha mention that she struggled with a certain arts/crafts activity.  From what I can remember, she never said that her recipe for pie crust sucked.  She never once admitted that she hated threading needles because her vision was crapping out on her.  She never admitted that someone else that she knew could do it better than she could.  She presented herself as flawless.  And instead of being inspired, I grew jealous (ugh!), and despised her.  And, I think, so did many other people.

Oprah, however, put it all out there.  She admitted that she had a weight problem.  She admitted to her abusive childhood and her baby she had at age 14.  She offered up example after example of her daily struggles.  She laughed (and cried) at herself and her struggles and her audience, well, they laughed (and cried) right along with her.  She made herself REAL.  She made herself relatable.  We loved her because we suffered right along with her.

So, when we're writing, what kind of characters do we want to have?  Characters that we can all relate to?  Or characters whom we all despise?  

I want everyone to fall in love with my main character.  I already have.  I know his inner struggles.  I ache for his horrific past.  I yearn for love to make its way to his heart.  I know about his soft spot for his grandmother. But maybe I haven't put enough into my manuscript to make those flaws visible to the reader.  Do they see his flaws?  Do they know what makes him human?

So when you're writing, think about your characters.  Do they have any flaws?  Are they coffee junkies?  Do they suffer from an aggressive streak?  Do they bite their fingernails or drive too fast?  What is it that they do that you can relate to?  Because if you can make your characters relatable and realistic, we will love them all the more for it.

Perhaps it's time to show them that you suck at making pie crusts, but your Auntie Kay?  She sure can whip up a crispy, flaky crust that will make your mouth salivate just looking at it.

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