I was at the library and heard two people talking about a 'character flaw' as a plot engine

I was picking up a book on hold at the downtown branch yesterday and overheard a couple of students at a table. One said, 'My main character is too perfect, so nothing happens.' The other replied, 'Yeah, give them a real flaw, like they're a coward who has to act brave, or they're so loyal it gets them into trouble.' That simple idea stuck with me for the whole walk home. I always thought of flaws as just making a character likable, but I never saw them as the actual engine that drives the plot forward. Now I'm looking back at my own stalled story about a detective, and I think the reason it's stuck is because my detective is just smart and solves things. What if the flaw was that he never trusts his partner? That could create conflict at every turn. Has anyone else built a whole plot around fixing a single character flaw?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan26517d ago

Wait, @dylan976 is actually the one who said it, not me. I'm Dylan265. But yeah, that detective with a trust problem could totally work. Every case would fall apart because he can't rely on his partner.

stone.sarah3mo ago

Ever try making the flaw itself the mystery to solve?

dylan9763mo ago

Totally did that with a story about a stubborn mechanic. His whole arc was learning to ask for help. @stone.sarah has a cool point too, making the flaw the puzzle itself. That detective idea sounds solid, the mistrust would mess up every case.