11/6/2023 0 Comments Negative trait thesaurusAlternatively, a mistrustful character could be secretive, overprotective, abrasive or unfriendly. When dealing with people, he might say whatever comes to mind without caring if it offends, offer hurtful honesty or deploy sarcasm. In the example of our mistrustful protagonist, a lesser flaw might be undiplomatic, meaning he says and does things that indicate his core belief that most people aren’t honest or deserving of respect or consideration. During stressful moments, these flaws might complicate situations or impair judgement (e.g.: a character’s short temper causing arguments in the workplace and damaging relationships with his coworkers). The character sees these negative qualities as just “part of who I am,” even though they cause inconvenience at times. Minor flaws have a lesser influence, and often stem from a major flaw. Major flaws are literally life-altering, and a character’s reactions and behavior in most situations stems from a biased (and incorrect) belief ( e.g.: all people are liars or takers, only out for themselves), which triggers a need to protect himself from being hurt. But after bitter experience, his viewpoint has changed, and now he questions the motives of others during interactions, looks for hidden meanings and agendas, and possibly even assumes others are always seeking to take advantage. Perhaps once he was open and friendly, gave people the benefit of the doubt and took them at their word. He will also be more emotionally sensitive in situations that are reminiscent of hurtful past events.įor example, a character who has been taken advantage of (either during a large, wounding event or repeatedly in smaller ways) will likely develop mistrust. His skewed vision will bleed into his dealings with others by coloring his judgement and driving his actions. These flaws develop as a result of painful experiences, reshaping the character’s view of his world and the people in it. There are several types of flaws that appear in fiction. In The Negative Trait Thesaurus, Becca and I define a flaw as: a self-focused trait that does not take into account the well-being of others, damages or minimizes relationships, and holds the character back in some way (denying self-growth). Talk about fueling great conflict and tension! Flaws are especially important as in the character’s weaker moments, they dictate their thoughts, actions and behaviors, leading to poor decisions and mistakes. As writers, we know our characters should have positive and negative attributes because in real life, each individual is a mix of both.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |