Photo by Riho Kitagawa on Unsplash
While driving home from an appointment with my mom, we talked about fictional characters and the frustration with characters in some novels being perfect. You know the ones I’m talking about—strong jaw, chiseled abs or perfect figure and luxurious blonde hair. Or they never do or say anything wrong.
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with having beautiful or well-behaved characters. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I may consider beautiful will be different than your definition. But let’s talk about the beauty of flawed characters.
When I write my novels, my characters are far from perfect. In fact, I give them flaws intentionally for three reasons:
- They’re realistic. None of us are perfect. Only God is the Perfect One. While we may know people who are beautiful and behave well, they still have flaws. They have wounds from their pasts that fester into worries, doubts, insecurities, and fears. Perhaps those lies they believe about themselves, their worldviews, or even how they view God…or His view of them may cause them to act a certain way—a way we could deem as near perfect. We need to write realistic characters to connect with the empathies of our readers.
- They’re relatable. Look around your different relationships and circles, and I guarantee each person (even if they refuse to admit it) will have some sort of baggage. Maybe walking past a mirror causes them to groan at their so-called imperfections. But maybe those imperfections help them to be more empathetic to others battling similar struggles. While fiction is also a means of escaping from our everyday lives, we want to be able to relate to characters in some way so we can root for them to achieve their goals.
- They’re redeemable. When your characters walk on the page, they do so from a place in their lives when they may be distant from God or perhaps distant from their greatest dream. As they journey through the story, they will do their very best to prevent their greatest fears from happening. However, an author’s job is to bring them to a point in the story when they are at their darkest time—their Black Moment—when their fears are true. And it’s through the overhaul or epiphany phase when they realize their lies are just that—lies. God speaks truth into their lives and heals them…or redeems them from past mistakes, past sins, past lies. When you write perfect characters, there’s no room for redemption.
So what’s the best way to write a flawed character?
Get to know them. One of my favorite writing tools is Susan May Warren’s
The Story Equation. By asking the initial question of “who are you?” We can learn about our characters from the inside out—those dark moment stories that feed their lies, their wounds, their greatest fears, and their flaws.A character’s flaw is the physical manifestation of what hurts them on the inside. For example, if your character is afraid of rejection, then maybe she is a people pleaser so others will love her. Those flaws will affect a character’s choices and actions throughout the story.
As a writer, your job is to show how that flaw humanizes her, makes her more realistic, relatable, and redeemable. When readers are drawn to flawed characters, they are more willing to root for them to achieve their goals. Yes, even those villains at times.
In order for your character to change and grow through the story, he or she needs to have flaws to make them more likeable. Without them, they can feel almost plastic, and it could have the opposite effect on your reader, who will have no problem putting the book down and walking away.
So take time to find the beauty in your flawed characters, and I wouldn’t be surprised if you receive emails from readers letting you know how much they appreciate or relate to your characters. And that’s the key to writing quality fiction—connecting with your readers.
The Father He Deserves
A determined dad. A wary mother.
Making amends is never easy…
Injured in a kayaking accident, champion Evan Holland returns home to train rescue dogs. But his unexpected partner is the woman he left behind, Natalie Bishop. And she has a secret: a son Evan never knew he had. Now Evan must prove he can be a real father. But earning Natalie’s trust back will take hope, forgiveness—and risking everything on forever…
Heart, home, and faith have always been important to Lisa Jordan, so writing stories with those elements come naturally. Represented by Cynthia Ruchti of Books & Such Literary Management, Lisa is an award-winning author for Love Inspired, writing contemporary Christian romances that promise hope and happily ever after. Her latest book, The Father He Deserves, releases in July 2021. She is the content manager for Novel Academy, powered by My Book Therapy. Happily married to her own real-life hero for over thirty years, Lisa and her husband have two grown sons. When she isn’t writing, Lisa enjoys quality family time and being creative with words, photos, fibers, and papers. Learn more about her at lisajordanbooks.com.