My professor said to always start with a character flaw, not a backstory.

I ignored him for a year, filling pages with orphan origins and tragic pasts. My stories went nowhere until I tried his idea with a petty thief scared of open spaces. How do you all find that central flaw for a character?

2 comments

2 Comments

dianab6815d ago

My creative writing teacher in college, Dr. Ellis, gave me the exact same advice. I spent a whole semester writing about a guy whose entire personality was that his parents died in a boat. It was so boring. Then I tried a flaw first, a chef who was a compulsive liar about small things. The story just clicked into place because every scene had a built in conflict. That thief scared of open spaces is a perfect example, it gives you something to play with in every single situation.

theawest15d ago

My first novel draft had a main character whose only trait was being really good at chess. I got fifty pages in before realizing nothing was happening. The turning point was giving her a deep fear of public speaking, so even winning a tournament became a huge internal fight. Dr. Ellis was right, a good flaw is like a built in engine for your plot. It forces action and tough choices in a way a simple backstory just can't.