Activity

“Don’t trust a perfect person and don’t trust a song that’s flawless.”

One thing that turns me off to certain books, movies, and other forms of stories is the lack of relatability. Flaws and quirks are the very definition of humanity. Characters that lack both personal flaws and quirks lack an essential element of humanity as well as relatability.
As a very famous Christain author, Gilbert Morris once stated, if you are able to bring to life a very likable as well as relatable character; hypothetically, the plot holds little relevance (I’m not saying the plot doesn’t matter, only that your character, not the plot, is what keeps your audience interested.)

Character quirks are just as important since they not only heighten the relatability but also adds humor as well as more likable qualities to the character. It can even be used to explain characters and their actions. For example, a character of mine, Jayce Riker, is a kleptomaniac. He also suffers from OCD, meaning he struggles with compulsive desires to touch items with certain textures (shiny, soft, fuzzy, sharp, etc.). These impulses are part of the reason he steals certain items (you know, besides the whole addicted to the adrenaline rush thing). This is just one example of many concerning quirks and how they can work together with flaws to make your character every bit of the person they are.

This is a thread to discuss character flaws and how or why they were developed. You can also discuss the different kinds of quirks and how they add to your characters. If you have questions I will do my best to answer them. Enjoy!