Character Clinic: Flaws

How many of you know a perfect person? I'd say that the percentage is very low. And for those of you that do - does that perfect person make you want to grit your teeth? Or maybe they just put you to sleep?

Perfect people are boring. It's our flaws that make us interesting. So give your characters flaws, make them real.

Examples

•  A small flaw, a tiny thing that rounds out your character and makes them real.

A heroine who is trying to lose weight but who has a secret stash of chocolate that she raids at night.

•  A big flaw, one that deeply affects how you see that character.

A hero who can't see past his own preconceptions about the heroine because of something that happened in his past.

Those are just a couple of examples of the top of my head. There are thousands more out there so use the ones that work for your character.

Character Clinic: Villains & Good Points

If you want to add a contextual layer to your story, give your villain a bit of niceness.

An interesting villain is as fun as a good hero or heroine. And if they have something that doesn't fit, then it takes them beyond one dimension. Maybe they give religiously to charity or help old ladies cross the road? A small quirk can make a big impact.

Of course, sometimes you just want your villain to be deliciously bad, someone we love to hate. In that case, forget about the good points!