Fatal flaws & great characters

How fatal flaws shape the characters we love, not just the villains we hate.

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I wanted to share some thoughts with you about character, particularly about the importance of building depth to them.

t’s tough to enjoy a book without well developed characters, because we can’t invest in the plot if I don’t care about the person or people the plot is happening to. That, of course, doesn’t mean that the character has to be an intrinsically good person.

Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee features one of the most objectionable main characters of any book I’ve ever read, and yet is one of the most compelling and incredible novels of the last 30 years. Characters don’t need to literally be good people, but they do need depth.

So that’s what I’m going to talk about today: adding depth to characters.

What makes a good character?

If only it was that simple. Because, of course, there’s a million different ways to write a character and a million different ways to make them interesting to a reader. My focus today is going to be to think about the fatal flaws of a character.

When I say flaws, I don’t mean ‘they pick their nose’ or ‘they have no sense of style’. I’m talking about flawed beliefs, their belief or understanding in the universe that is fundamentally flawed. This flawed belief, or fatal flaw as we’ll refer to it, is what drives the story.

I’ll give you some examples.

In Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister's belief in the supremacy of her family and her own intelligence blinds her to the growing threats of the world, leading to her downfall and the destruction of House Lannister.

In Harry Potter, Harry's belief that he must face Voldemort alone, without the help of his friends, comes from his sense of responsibility and guilt over those who have died because of him. Harry’s flawed belief often leads him into dangerous situations and creates tension with other characters, such as Ron and Hermione.

In The Remains of the Day, the butler, Stevens, is dedicated to his job and employer but his blind loyalty prevents him from forming meaningful connections and understanding his own emotions, which leads to a life of regrets and missed opportunities.

These are fatal flaws because their belief in the world around them is in some way flawed. David Lurie in Disgrace believes his position in society makes his actions untouchable. Tom Ripley’s fatal flaw in The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith is his belief that his lack of privilege and identity makes him unworthy of love and belonging.

These fatal flaws are what really drive the novels. Oftentimes they overcome these flaws at the end, or manage or reflect them in some way. Harry Potter realises he can’t do it alone, Stevens the butler acknowledges he has wasted his life, David Lurie comes to terms with the new world he lives in where his privilege means nothing.

When you start to think about them, it’s easy to see the fatal flaws of many popular characters. These flaws are so important to drive the story forward.

Are fatal flaws really necessary?

Think again about the Harry Potter example. Why are Harry and his two closest friends fighting the forces of evil by themselves? Couldn’t they get help? Do they have to do it alone? Of course, JK Rowling could have written stories where Harry waits for Dumbledore and various aurors to turn up and help him. But that wouldn’t be particularly interesting.

Without the trauma that causes his fatal flaw that he must always take matters into his own hands, there would be a lot of waiting around for someone older or more experienced to arrive. Harry feels he has to do things himself, and that drives the plot in the different novels.

Fatal flaws help to allow for character growth too, because they allow for an arc or change of some sort throughout the novel. The character might succumb to the flaw, acknowledge it or even overcome it. It might just be the thing that dooms them from the start - it depends on the story you are telling.

Characters with these flaws simply feel more human, too. They become more relatable. It is easier to connect with characters who are imperfect, even if they are one of the good guys, because they reflect the complexity of real life. When the characters feel real, we can invest far more in the events that unfold upon them.

What are your character’s fatal flaws?

It’s a really good exercise to think about what your own character’s flawed beliefs are. It’s helpful to do this from the start, but it’s also something you can build in as you write to help develop your character growth/arc.

In a novel I was writing recently, about a boy who can talk to ghosts, his flawed belief about the world is that he can use his words and language to get anything from anyone - be those true words or lies. The result of this is that rather than talking his way out of problems, he eventually causes the devastating and irreversible final scenes.

His flawed belief is what drives the story. It’s how I plan to make readers say, “Good God, PLEASE don’t do that!” as they read through. They won’t like what he does, but they’ll feel compelled to see what the outcome is.

So have a think, what is your character’s flawed belief about the world? And remember, it doesn’t just need to be your protagonist. Any significant character can have some kind of flawed belief - including an antagonist.

In The Hunger Games, President Snow’s belief that he can control the population with tyranny and fear is what leads to his downfall. To go back to Harry Potter, Voldemort’s fatal flaw is his belief in his own superiority and fear of death.

All good characters have a flawed belief and it is really interesting to think about. Think about your favourite book or your favourite film, what flawed beliefs do the characters have? Once you can work this out, it’s amazing how much of the plot of the story makes sense because of that flawed belief.

And when you think about your own characters and their flawed beliefs, it can help provide clarity about the plot, too. You’ll quickly work out the actions and decisions that feel authentic, because you know how this flaw will make them behave in any given situation.

So if you’re writing now, make sure you think about this important asset for a great character. It certainly makes it easier for a reader to invest in the story.

What is your character’s fatal flaw? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

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