McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Handicapping your characters.

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Snowleopard:
Since my characters mostly tend to be relatively normal - any handicapping is usually mental or emotional.
I have used class as a handicap on occasion which can also lead into mental and/or emotional.

hatshep2:
When in doubt, double the opposition. What is that saying, "a man is only as good as his enemies?" Your audience will respect your hero more for overcoming tough odds than for being awesome in and off himself. And a few humanizing character flaws that sometimes get in the way won't hurt either.  ;)

Snowleopard:

--- Quote from: hatshep2 on September 26, 2010, 04:17:00 AM ---When in doubt, double the opposition. What is that saying, "a man is only as good as his enemies?" Your audience will respect your hero more for overcoming tough odds than for being awesome in and off himself. And a few humanizing character flaws that sometimes get in the way won't hurt either.  ;)

--- End quote ---

I think there's another version of that that says - you can judge a man by his enemies!

prophet224:
Maybe part of the process should be not 'making them so freaking awesome' to begin with.

A character who can grow is pretty cool. One that can't - eh. Similarly, one of the key interesting things I've learned is: when you get to a point where the character has to make a decision or overcome a problem, think of all the things that come to mind. Write them down. Then throw them out and look for something different. If your readers just go "well of COURSE he's just going to whip out the gun (since he's faster than everyone else) he has secreted up his rear (since he's tougher - or maybe just more disturbed) shoot all five terrorists that are holding hostages in front of them, but shoot them in the head (since he's a better aim, and see: faster), and head home for the day" then they don't need to read the book. You know?

Character flaws are great, but don't make up for a character who is otherwise 'perfect' when it comes to getting the plot done.

Breandan:
My personal opinion on this sort of connundrum is this- the universe isn't fair. There will be someone who seems damn near perfect, and there are those who seem like their entire lives are one gigantic tragedy or sitcom moment after another. However, the reality is that the perfect people do have flaws, and the cursed do have their good moments. So, there's room to maneuver on this one. Many folks want to see the good guys kick butt without equal, especially those who want inspiration when the real world around them is sorely bereft of such heroes. Others want someone that can empathize with to rise up from mediocrity to become a hero, the Everyman Hero, so to speak. Both work well, in my opinion.

Another thing to bear in mind is that the flaws of superhuman or perfect characters need not be overt, but even when subtle it should be written in such a way that the reader can cognate it early on and not be put off. One of the main criticisms I have encountered from those who have read my works is that some of the races or characters seem superhuman. I have found that the critics missed the flaws they have because they were so subtle in the writing, and went back and fleshed them out a bit more. I agree that you want room for your character to grow, but it need not necessarily be in their niche of expertise. The male protagonist of the first three books in the series I am writing is an experienced and quite powerful warrior, and is of a race that excels at that art. However, he has never had much experience in serious relationships, and thus his growth over the book is emotional and social as he falls in love with the female protagonist. You can find a lot of examples of this in Jim's books, such as Butters. All in all, I think the approach you should take is entirely up to you, as every writer has different styles and every reader has different tastes.

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