I have a problem with character development at times. I think up a story, have this idea for my main protagonist and I run with it. In the first draft of my novels, these people are simply “perfect.” They are beautiful and kind. They don’t curse, drink or steal. They’re amazing athletes and intellectually brilliant. They can sing, dance and play musical instruments. And not just one of the abilities above, but ALL OF THEM. It’s as if I’m trying to make a superhero version of “me” that is just so perfect all I want to do is live in their amazing little world for the entirety of the story.
But, that’s not real life. Twenty-two year olds don’t say “gosh, darn and shucks.” People have problems and they’re vulnerable. There are things they can’t do. No one is as flawless as I make my characters in the first draft of any of my novels.
And that’s where my editor, Denise Vitola, came in again on my most recent work. My beautiful and faultless female protagonist is human and there’s no way in this first draft she coming off as believable. Denise said, “You know, she could have problems in her relationships with her friends and her brother, you know.” I was like, “Why? Why can’t they all just get along?” She said, “Because that’s not real life. You don’t have to make your characters so perfect.”
Her final thought on this conversation stuck with me greatly. “Lyse, we don’t have to like your main character, but we DO have to empathize with them.” I can’t stop thinking about that comment and it’s now shaping my perception of every character I’ve ever written.
The word, “empathize.” What a great word. I need to add empathy and depth to my characters. I need to give them real life problems. I have to make my readers care about them. My main protagonist now fights with her brother like cats and dogs, she is emotional, she misses her target when she shoots someone. She has piercings, wears too much make-up and is a bit of a tease. In the first draft she was so pristine she could have floated. She’s finally “real.”
So, beware of making your characters too perfect. If they’re human, and this isn’t a sci-fi book about aliens, we must remember to keep them humanly real so they are believable for our readers.
Time to go give my character a few tattoos. :)
For anyone interested, my editor Denise is doing a special until Labor Day. Normally she charges $4 a page, but she’s only charging $2 a page, double-spaced, for your manuscript. Here’s her website: http://www.thomas-talks-to-me.com/editing/index.html
Elyse Salpeter 
Great post, Lyse! I spend a lot of time trying to ‘imperfect’ my characters too.
Thank you so much, Frank!
Terrific post. I don’t have perfect characters in the first draft or any drafts that come after that. My characters are pretty much all flawed. They’ve made mistakes. They have a past. They are a real as I can make them.
Then you are way ahead of me! LOL! Thanks for reading, I appreciate it. 🙂
This is so true, coming from the viewpoint of a bookworm and reviewer. Sometimes, it really gets quite boring when the main character is a goody-two-shoes. A little tantrum every now and then wouldn’t hurt. And yes, a tattoo is very nice 😉
Awesome post and I so agree!
Something I have to watch for. Don’t want my own goody-two-shoesness contaminating my characters.
Well, I have one character who is obsessively-compulsively perfect and it is the bane of his life.
Yes, but THAT in itself could be the flaw!
Oh, it is!
My main protagonist isn’t perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, but I realized I made her girlfriend almost flawless. Perfectly adjusted, super accomplished, brilliant, beautiful, and confident, yet still pretty humble.
In the current WIP, I’m working hard to make her facade crack under pressure because there’s nowhere for her character to go. So, really, she has to go. I need to find a flawed character, as you’ve described. Nice post!
Introspection is great – I’ve been told when we can recognize we have to make these changes, we’ve come very far.
I’d agree with that. With each book, I get just a little bit better–thanks in no small part to the communities of writers!
Elyse––Great post. I have an MA in counseling. Your character reminds me of what it was like doing an internship in a counseling center. All the counselors would get together and be so EMPATHETIC, UNDERSTANDING, KIND, and LOVING that I yearned for someone to be crabby or swear. Someone real. Never happened, though.
Thanks so much for reading Sandy!
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