When you’re developing characters, it’s important to make them relatable and believable—which means they must have weaknesses. Even superman, with his larger-than-life superpowers and upstanding character, has weaknesses. If he didn’t, people would get bored with his story really fast. There are two main categories for character weaknesses: flaws and handicaps.
Character Flaws
Flaws are internal issues that hinder the character from achieving goals. Usually, a flaw is something the character needs to fix by the end of the story, and it plays a big role in your character arc. Examples of flaws are bad money management, temper, addiction, and being bad with relationships.
Character Handicaps
Handicaps are external things that inhibit your character, but they are out of your character’s control. These are things that your character will need to learn to live with and overcome but will be unable to fix. Examples of handicaps are being blind, a battle wound, depression, and loved ones that need protection.
How To Distinguish Between Flaws And Handicaps
There is one easy way to figure out if something is a character flaw or a handicap. Flaws are the character’s fault. Handicaps are not. Make a list of your character’s weaknesses and then ask if each one is the character’s fault or not. Is your character’s habit of rushing into things his fault? Yes. A flaw. Your character’s boyfriend is being held hostage to make her do things for the villain—is that her fault? No. A handicap.
Responding To A Weakness
Once you know what category the weaknesses go into, you can find a correct response to them. Someone with a mental health problem should not spend the whole book trying to be fixed. That isn’t the problem. The issue is learning how to overcome and live with it. A reader will be unsatisfied and potentially irritated if they get to the end of the book and the character finds a pill to make their mental health problem go away. It will be more fulfilling to watch the character accept and overcome it—because it’s not a character flaw.
Exploiting A Weakness
A villain can exploit both flaws and handicaps in a story. The difference is that a flaw can be fixed so a villain can no longer use it against the character. Flaws give the writer a chance to show character growth throughout the story. A handicap, on the other hand, is something the character will have to learn how to handle. It will be a constant source of conflict that can keep the tension high all the way through your book.
Final Thoughts
Character flaws and handicaps are necessary for all stories. If your characters don’t have problems, there is no conflict. If there’s no conflict, you have a boring story. Give all your characters something to struggle with, but make sure your protagonist isn’t only reacting to the problems. Readers want someone to cheer for and not just someone to sympathize with as issues arrive. Make the characters proactive in fixing or overcoming their problems, and you’ll have a good story.
Thanks for reading!
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