Six Reasons to Write Flawed Characters
1. Credibility. No one is perfect. No one is good all of the time and no one is bad all of the time. It’s just not real. We all have multiple flaws, both internal and external.
2. Likeability. A likeable character is an interesting character and they are usually interesting because of their flaws.
3. Relatability. We can relate to characters with flaws. It’s easier to care for a character we can relate to. We may yell at them for making stupid mistakes*, but that’s part of the joy of reading about them. That relatability draws the readers into the story and keeps them there.
4. Conflict. Flaws get characters into trouble which can add tension to a scene and build much needed conflict in the plot.
5. Uniqueness. If we all wrote perfect characters, they would lack distinction. I think part of what makes us unique is our different combination of flaws.
6. Growth. Growth and development are essential to the main characters across the course of a story. Flaws give the writer this opportunity.
(Source: stirtheplot)
