What are the five flaws that are so prominent in your MC in your story?

The Chatters
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Give me a list of five flaws that are more noticeable in your main character than the other flaws? Also, explain more about those flaws, in regards to why they are viewed more and that means for your character as the story progresses.

My Turn:

I am going to do Aeris
  1. Aeris enjoys taking on a challenge with risks involved. She always has to be moving, never sitting down and taking it easy. Aeris prefers to stay busy even with down time.
  2. She never likes asking for help. Aeris wants to do everything on her own and rather handle hard tasks by herself. She hates burdening people with her issues, especially if she feels that she can handle it on her own.
  3. Aeris hardly likes to think things through. She is very much a go-getter in terms of just going for it and seeing what happens later.
  4. Never likes focusing on herself, even a little. Aeris does things for the sake of others, rather putting their needs first. Yet at the same time she has moments of being selfish because she would rather focus on getting results that satisfy her in the long run.
  5. She won’t talk about her problems. Aeris shuts people out in regards to her past and herself. After her father vanished from her life and being on the run from people who wanted to kill her, she preferred to avoid focusing on what she went through. Not doing things is going to leave her lost in her own thoughts, which she hates. She is still plagued by the memories of her father vanishing, and being a target who was wanted for dead.

All in all, besides that Aeris is actually a great person. She is easy to get along with and to talk to. Aeris has a sense of humor along with the fact she is caring and passionate. Though if there was a sixth one, it would be rather minor. Aeris is a Tirron, or rather a mixed one who won’t fully embrace that fact. She sometimes feels awkward consuming blood in front of others, she had that one time she had to drink blood from a person which embarrassed her and freaked others out. Though she can go days without blood, but only a few days. She can still eat other food in between.

So, what about you all? Tell me about your character’s five flaws.
Thoughts and feelings?

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@Akje
@alenatenjo
@Churro
@TheTigerWriter
@NatureLover40
@Xelyn_Craft
@JojoDahlia
@MatthewJH
@CoffeebyNight

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☜(ˆ▿ˆc)

• Treymor is spectacularly self-indulgent and hedonistic, caring only about drinking, gambling, visiting brothels, etc.

• he’s indifferent to how his self-indulgence hurts others; for instance, he gets a maid pregnant at an inn but continues on his trip without remorse since he can just walk away from the pregnancy.

• he’s rather cowardly; for instance, he joins the Hussars just to be near the prince and get a fancy uniform, but he does whatever he can to avoid having to actually fight, even begging his father to pay for a captaincy so he can get a promotion without earning it and just order his men into battle while he sits safely on the sidelines.

• he says what he thinks without considering how his words hurt others. The entire story is his confession to a friar before his execution in the morning detailing how he got here, and he frequently upsets the friar with his thoughtless comments about God and atheism and what he calls the evils of the church when he knows it upsets the friar to hear such sacrilegious things.

• he’s rather heartless; for instance, he knows his father is suffering from prolonged grief syndrome after losing Treymor’s mother in childbirth. His father turns to the bottle because of it, but Treymor has little sympathy for his old man and does nothing to try to help him.

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Okay… Domingo

  • Is very self absorbed. He cares too much about his own interests and it gets in his way at times. Even his loved ones notice that.
  • Can be very hotheaded and aggressive when he doesn’t get his own way.
  • Can be very deceitful when he wants something.
  • He can very impulsive at times even when he has a plan. He can want to rush into things.
  • He can be very greedy and arrogant at times, with knowledge and money thinking he knows best. When he doesn’t.
  • He is very self reliant much to the chagrin of his gang.
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Five flaws Alma has:

  1. He self internalizes. By this, I mean he takes criticism very hard and instead of dealing with those feelings in a healthy way, he stews on them and keeps them bottled up inside. In fact, he does this with all of his negative feelings, regardless of where they come from. Bad experiences and trauma of all kinds end up sticking with him because he doesn’t allow himself to find healthy coping mechanisms and outlets for his emotions.
  2. He holds grudges. Because he doesn’t have healthy ways to express and cope with negative feelings, he tends to have a hard time forgiving others if they don’t ask for forgiveness early on, because he lets that resentment fester until it turns into a grudge. The longer the grudge festers, the more likely he is to act vindictively and seek revenge.
  3. He’s over-protective. Since he’s had some really awful and traumatic experiences, he tends to be distrustful of others, so he is protective of both himself and loved ones, always expecting the worst from people he doesn’t know or trust. He will go to great lengths to shelter those he loves, sometimes to the point that it hinders them from living their lives and makes them feel like he is being possessive over them.
  4. He’s too curious for his own good. In his constant quest to find knowledge, he has been known to put himself in harm’s way just to find out more. Sometimes it’s better to let things go, but Alma always wants answers, no matter the cost, and it has proven to be dangerous on multiple occasions.
  5. He is very easily influenced. Because he’s still sort of learning himself and who he is, he’s very maliable and other people can have a strong impact on who he is. This makes him easy to manipulate and persuade, and also means that the people he surrounds himself with can determine how he behaves. It has led to quite a bit of internal conflict for him, because he has a wide range of types of people in his life and doesn’t know who to emulate.
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Going to do Kie, because I think her flaws also help make her the best person she can be, if that makes sense.

  1. Stubborn/Hard-headed - To the point of ridiculousness at times, but it enables her to stand her ground whether it be for someone or over a concept.

  2. Masochistic - While probably not normally seen as a positive, being able to suffer through pain for others’ benefits is a small price to pay. She’s also a werewolf, a species who are prone to fighting, so pain is a constant. The fact that she finds enjoyment in it is just an awkward yet worth it side effect in her eyes

  3. Temperamental - While Kie is usually laid back, she does have a bad temper that can fluctuate to various PMS levels. It also gives her a self perceived edge in her battles

  4. Spacey - Kie can get lost in her own head for periods of time and forget/not hear those around her. This’ll lead to awkward situations, especially for those who don’t know her, but just amusement for those who do

  5. Loner - Kie is labeled as an Alpha, yet she’s more a loner type that would rather stay in the background and do her own thing. She’s not very social at all and hates the spotlight

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@Churro @KitWulf @Akje @Xelyn_Craft @MatthewJH

We should at least chat in length about each other’s characters flaws. I do have more questions to ask down below.

  1. At what point of the story did your character flaws get them into serious trouble? I am talking about where the characters’ fatal flaws not only caused problems, but nearly “killed” them?

  2. Has anybody ever called your character out on their flaws when it got out of hand? Was that a wake up call for them to change their act?

  3. Does your character have a moment when they are slowly developing into a “better” person where they are conflicted because they are changing and don’t know how to handle it?

  4. Have you ever written such a complex character that was the greatest challenge for you, because you never wrote such a character in that aspect?

  5. How much has your grown by the course of the story? Is it their time to change yet?

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Ternblossom

  1. She’s kind of jumpy in certain situations. Which isn’t the best during battles.
  2. She’s also a bit gullible at times.
  3. She isn’t the best at time management, such as oversleeping when she’s supposed to be on a patrol, leading to one of her Clanmates who’s on the same patrol having to go get her.
  4. Similar to another person’s character with not taking criticism well.
  5. When she was a kit and apprentice (which was about a quarter of the story), she could be overexcitable during practice, or when coming across another Clan’s patrol.
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Nice to see you back after three years. LOL!

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☜(ˆ▿ˆc)

At what point of the story did your character flaws get them into serious trouble? I am talking about where the characters’ fatal flaws not only caused problems, but nearly “killed” them?

Ironically, the character only comes close to getting killed when he becomes a good, decent person. Because no good deed goes unpunished and all that. (♯^.^ღ)

Has anybody ever called your character out on their flaws when it got out of hand? Was that a wake up call for them to change their act?

Nope. Being selfish and thoughtless was pretty much the standard operating procedure of all men in that time period. And yanno, every other time period. (>‿◠):v:

Does your character have a moment when they are slowly developing into a “better” person where they are conflicted because they are changing and don’t know how to handle it?

Nope, he changes little by little all through the book as he realizes his values don’t really work and that he’s hurting the people he loves most

Have you ever written such a complex character that was the greatest challenge for you, because you never wrote such a character in that aspect?

Um…nope?

How much has your grown by the course of the story? Is it their time to change yet?

By the end of the book, Treymor will realize there are more important things than his own pleasure, and he’ll give his life to save someone he loves. (˘ᴗ˘ღ) :heart:

So how about your characters? ÂŻ\_(ď­˘)_/ÂŻ

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Give me some time, I am only on chapter 11.
LOL!

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One of my main characters…

Dov Shaul (first question set)

  1. Dov is defenceless against those who are kind to him, or who are otherwise no threat to him. When a close friend, especially a waif of a young woman / teenage girl (e.g. Krista or Freyja), asks Dov a question or a favour he obliges by instinct, regardless of the request’s embarrassing or personal / intimate nature…Dov’s pride (or inner legal counsel) and instinct are not on speaking terms…

  2. Dov tends to downplay or hide gifts that others would be envious of. For example, Dov considered himself an average AFL player (during senior high-school and Army service) who just happened to kick goals from the half-way line, or a little further back, and no coaches’ / commentators’ box was safe; Dov represented the Army in international boxing matches, winning most bouts with no lasting (visible) injuries, and Dov always claimed the other SF members were only playing with him; and back in tenth-grade Dov earned the nickname ‘Hereford’ (large cattle) after a blundered first attempt with sex.* Although the name stuck throughout Dov’s senior years, Dov’s twin sisters and their female friends never used that name due to the shame he associated with it.* When Dov enlisted in the Army Commandos he soon earned similar nicknames for similar reasons, but he was used to them by then. And the Army’s vocabulary was considerably more confronting anyway.

*

Dov’s partner (the best friend of his youngest sister) on that painful yet otherwise clumsy and comical night often apologized for his nickname. She did not choose the name, and the walking gossip box who broadcasted the night’s account was swiftly banished from their friends list. Dov responded he deserved far worse names for hurting her, even if by accident. Dov and the girl remained friends throughout high school, with a growing litany of intimate benefits and enjoyable encounters. Aided with experience and confidence, and occasionally shared with other curious girls wise enough to omit the disheartening nickname from all correspondence.

  1. Dov rarely talks about personal issues or problems, and he never asks for help. Dov always prioritizes the issues of others over his own, or he somehow deserved the problems as a form of punishment for past failures, and Dov believes only a few could help him anyway (if any were interested or knew how to help).

  2. Dov becomes shy and anxious in large gatherings, and he hates being the focus of attention. Dov preferred AFL over rugby due to the field’s large size and player dispersal; when Dov worked in the abattoir on his family’s farm he was allowed to work alone, and he was no less efficient while alone (an abundance of grip strength plenty of leverage); and during the farm and school parties Dov could be found with a small cluster of friends or by himself in a corner of the field, quietly watching and observing and blending into the scenery.

  3. Dov never considers his own safety when his friends or family are in danger, even if helping them will likely result in severe injury or death. Dov always stood between his young siblings and any wild or feral animals they encountered on the farm (even critters on the world’s Top Ten Nope list); school yard bullies discovered picking on Dov was risk-free, picking on those he cared about was an express ticket to the ICU; and, much to the frustrations of his Army commanders, Dov decided the best tactic for safely extracting his team from an ambush was to give the enemy something else to shoot at (or more often something else to worry about). One of Dov’s favourite distractions being an enraged 6’4" 255lb Aussie Commando charging at them firing his SR-25, and swapping the magazines, so fast you’d think it was a machine gun.

Random related quotes.

He never took for granted what lesser men demanded ~ a quote about one of the WW2 commanders of 617 (Dam Busters) Squadron, RAF.

Poor Horatio; always so willing to help others, always so reluctant to accept help from others ~ Hornblower, BBC series (paraphrased).

Our ideal soldier is the grey man. Someone who can pass through a crowd, or through the selection course, unnoticed. You don’t know they exist until it’s too late ~ Australian Navy Clearance Divers documentary (paraphrased).

I was always surprised by how the strongest and most intimidating member of our team would fall to pieces in the presence of a petite young woman ~ Warrior Brothers by Keith Fennell (paraphrased, again).

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Well, at some point in the second book, I plan on Alma getting too close to a dangerous unknown alien species because he wants to know more about it, and it attacks, so his curiosity almost kills him and endangers other people too.

His vindictiveness also ends up fanning the flames of a war and putting him at the head of it so… there’s that.

Not yet, but I plan on his love interest being a sort of moral compass for him, so eventually she’ll step in when it gets bad and put him back in his place.

Actually, the opposite. I plan on Alma having a corruption arc throughout his story, so his flaws actually get worse the further along the reader gets. He does have a redemption arc at the very end though, and there will definitely be a lot of internal conflict and changing that he doesn’t know how to handle. It just won’t all be linear towards improvement.

Complex characters never bothered me, I don’t find them challenging, I find them fun. I have had characters that were a challenge because I’d never written one’s like them before, but it wasn’t their complexity that made it challenging. It was just putting myself into different perspectives to get into their heads. Like one of my antagonists, for instance. They have such a disgusting and vile personality that I struggle to get into their headspace a lot and I give myself the heebeejeebees writing from their perspective. I had to switch to writing about them from other character’s points of view instead because I just hated writing his inner dialogue and thought process so much. I still have to get into it to write for him at all, but getting into it so much that I’m in his head is just too much for me.

Oh, over the course of the series Alma grows and changes a lot. Heck, he does just over the course of the first book. But it’s not all linear. Like I said, there will be a corruption arc before he swings back from the dark into the light again. There will be time though, he can potentially live forever because of what he is, and there will be at least three books, if not more, I plan to write.

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Another main character. Rough notes for now.

Krista Gallant (first question batch)

  1. Krista insists on being treated as or viewed as an adult, despite being fourteen, and she perceives any transgressions as a personal insult. To emphasise this desire, Krista prefers to speak, act, and dress as an adult. Depending on her company and location, dress as an adult who is a zealot follower / preacher of the Less is More theology.

  2. Krista often attempts to emulate her housemates’ (mercenaries’) bravery, resilience, mental and physical strength and fortitude, and will push herself far beyond her limitations to maintain this facade.

  3. Krista rarely asks for help, for either emotional or physical issues, and she insists on managing most problems by herself (even when she can’t) while not acknowledging their existence to others.

  4. Krista resents being alone, yet she is fearful of becoming close to others just to lose them (a common occurrence during her early childhood). So Krista exaggerates certain abrasive / confronting aspects of her outward nature (and Israeli culture) to ward others away. This was often successful, until Krista met Dov and Freyja.

  5. Krista is unable or unwilling to recover from the loss of her brother, Gur. Krista’s mind and life objectives are focused on seeking vengeance for Gur’s death (ideally by joining the Air Force as a Special Operations combat pilot), even at the expense of alternative far more for-filling goals and lives.

Somewhat related quotes.

I wanted you to become interested in something besides your own problems, and you did ~ Exodus (1960s film).

He is the man who gave me my life, or at least let me keep it. He’s the only one who truly sees me and doesn’t judge. He accepts me as I am ~ Billions tv series (paraphrased).

Israelis take a very macho attitude towards relationships and dating. A way of reassuring ourselves that everything is okay, even when it isn’t ~ The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal.

Bravery is being the only person who knows you’re afraid ~ unknown quote.

Stop taking on every challenge by yourself ~ Armitage III: Dual Matrix.

Those with a mind for revenge need little encouragement, they need guidance ~ Batman Forever.

Israelis are passionate about being passionate [and] rampant flirting is common place ~ The Israelis by Donna Rosenthal (paraphrased).

Every night, I dream you’re still here. A ghost by my side, so perfectly clear. When I wake, you’ll disappear. Back to the shadows with all I hold dear ~ Still here by Digital Daggers (song).

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Eliza:

  1. She has a crippling fear of doing things that might get her in trouble or cause change. Even if she knows doing the thing would make her happy or potentially go well. Even though the only reason she isn’t dead…well dead dead is because she’s so frustrated because of this. She still has a tendency of hesitating because she’s scared even after that.
  2. Eliza has trouble dealing with emotions and stress in a healthy way. She’ll bottle it up until she can’t handle it and it all just comes out in tears. Which is far more dangerous as a Moroi given it’s ability to manifest in a more violent nature. Or do something impulsive and dumb.
  3. She will stay in dangerous and upsetting situations because of fear and overwhelm.
  4. She can never keep a promise she makes to herself but will do anything for others.
  5. She has terrible self-esteem and believes she deserves all the bad things that happen to her.

Leander:

  1. Violence is almost always the answer, mercy is rarely an option to him.
  2. He will start crap even if it’s against his best interest. Just because he likes to watch the world burn.
  3. He is extremely possessive
  4. He gets easily fixated on things and often will not stop fixating
  5. He is not allowed to fail
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Oh man… xD

1. At what point of the story did your character flaws get them into serious trouble? I am talking about where the characters’ fatal flaws not only caused problems, but nearly “killed” them?

A: Multiple times. I forgot to mention that Kie is very…while I don’t want to say ‘obnoxious’ or ‘snarky’, she does have a very smart mouth. She trash talks the bad guys to their face, she digs for a fight once she starts ‘hunting’, and he doesn’t really pay attention to the amount of damage she takes.

2. Has anybody ever called your character out on their flaws when it got out of hand? Was that a wake up call for them to change their act?

A: Oh yeah. The guys with her, namely Asher, Xavier, and Shade, will call her out. She specifically tasked Shade with doing so because she’d seen in him that he doesn’t bend to her like some of the others do. This does lead to friction between them later on though that they have to sort out which gets her to straighten out some things

3. Does your character have a moment when they are slowly developing into a “better” person where they are conflicted because they are changing and don’t know how to handle it?

A: Hmm. I wouldn’t so much use the term ‘better’ as much as more ‘focused’. Instead of trying to handle or take on everything at once, with those around her, she learns to delegate better so she can focus on what really matters. Kie tries to do everything herself even though she’s surrounded by people who are more than willing to help shoulder her burden, but in order to protect them all, she takes it all on. After a time, she learns she can’t.

4. Have you ever written such a complex character that was the greatest challenge for you, because you never wrote such a character in that aspect?

A: The only other one would be Kierra’s sibling, Faline. As they’re written s the MC’s of the series an written in first person POV, each has their own dynamics, yet share links. I wrote them in a way so that even separated, their experiences were similar in some cases to show just how cruel the world can be

5. How much has your grown by the course of the story? Is it their time to change yet?

A: I think they’ve both grown quite a bit. I’m several books in and they aren’t short novels. I’ve been able to really put them through their paces, throwing each of them into different situations, scenarios, and making them choose just what kind of people they want to be even though they aren’t just cut and dried simple characters.

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Pinti:

  • Hero complex. Can’t blame her because it was told to her from a young age that she would be the leader of the clan, then later, it seems very obvious she’s some kind of chosen one.
  • Stubborn. If she thinks “this is the way” or “I’m doing this”, she will do it. Gets blinded by this and doesn’t see consequences. A bit reckless. This will come back to bite her.
  • Hissy, scratchy, snarly. Not high-strung, but she can quickly resort to anger as a defense. Instead of “oh no, sob sob, some terrible thing happened!” she would be more like “oh no, sob snarl, growl, who did this??? I will claw them!”
  • Loner. Related to hero complex, but Pinti is a loner. She would rather do things on her own. Comes from her want to prove herself worthy. She will get the help she needs and only that. She will shove those away that try to help her beyond what she thinks she needs and alienate herself.
  • Hard front. Always fighting. No time to cry. Pinti holds back all her sorrows and constantly keeps up a battling front. It’s her against the world. So, she looks like she’s uptight and hard to approach. Hard to make friends who don’t know her from childhood.
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Towards the end of book one, possibly.

Somewhere in book two, possibly, yes.

I’m saying possibly because I haven’t decided yet exactly when, but right now, that’s where it happens.

Pinti will come to her ultimate breaking point and then be called out for her “always fighting” stance. She and another will have a conversation about “letting go of the past but not forgetting the person” and “can you forgive someone even when the other has not apologized or given reason for their actions?” and all that good stuff.

It becomes a moment of change not just for Pinti but also for that other person.

Towards the end of book 2, I think. And at the very end of the series, it will be shown that Pinti is still conflicted and struggling to change. That sort of stuff doesn’t happen overnight, after all.

Pinti is pretty complex. She’s got a good heart in her core, but her upbringing, what she’s been told, how the clan treated her, her relationship with the Ilvagi called Thorn, and what happened to the clan due to her actions all changed her in subtle ways.

Took me quite a while to realize she’s an anti-hero, too.

She’s the first MC that gave me trouble to figure out.

Not even close XD I’m about halfway into book one. She’s weirdly trusting because “food and bed, who could be bad if they give food and bed?” and this is due to her race living a secluded life from the world.

Kattalunae had quite a black and white life. Family and friends, good. Clan, safe. Other clans, bad and unsafe. Ilvagis, evil. If someone is kind, they are good. If someone is mean, they are bad. Rarely was there an in between for them.

They don’t know how not black and white the world is. There are grey characters who might seem nice, give food and bed, even heal wounds, but then :grimacing:

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Amneris
  1. Doesn’t tend to think things through. Often this is because she wants to get them over with sooner rather than later, so can be very impatient and sometimes causes more trouble
  2. Likes looking after her people but also hates having to deal with their issues because it’s often over something “stupid” in her eyes
  3. Probably the biggest flaw: is TOO powerful and knows it.
  4. Can be selfish at times. Can have a very much “and this is my problem because . . .” to other people’s issues (situational dependent)
  5. Definitely got a few anger issues going on there
Xix
  1. Cares a LOT about what other people think and how they view her because of her family’s negative history
  2. Often fears using her powers because it’s the same one that those before her lost their minds to (understandable fear but does get in the way)
  3. Not very trusting of people and has a very “it’s only a matter of time until they turn on me” attitude with a lot of people. It’s very rare for her to meet a person or people she trusts due to past experiences
  4. Tends to blame herself for bad things happening to others even if she wasn’t even remotely involved
  5. Cares too much about other people and not enough about herself
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