There was an interesting thread in the Reddit writing community about how to avoid making a character too perfect. (How can i avoid writing/creating Mary sues)
The comments and suggestions were great and well worth a read. The consensus was that the character must be given a flaw or a weakness. I agree and believe the flaw is most interesting when it interferes with the character’s goals. This is important for secondary characters as well.
I find male protagonists often painted as either totally flawed or too perfect and unattainable. Female characters who are imperfect are far more interesting, particularly if the writer allows the reader to discover why they have these imperfections.
The character I’m writing now is a bit of a Pollyanna, saved from being unbearable because, although she does good, she complains about it and wants to stop being forced to do good. Her escape route from this life makes her look like an opportunist. Not a good look, but somehow, you can’t hate her for it.
Rosie, in A Misalliance with Love, listens to other people’s conversations and is too rigid in her thinking, and Sinclair is trapped by his family’s past.
There are so many ways to take the shine off of a character to show they are not so perfect after all. It’s even more interesting if this is revealed slowly.
Image generated by Canva and digitally manipulated.
DEE HARPER LEWIS 