im trying to flesh out a character but he seems too perfect; hes nice, studious etc.. i want to give him flaws, but no matter how hard i try i cant find anything that suits him
Flaw for a too perfect character
I know you’re trying to find something that fits, but sometimes finding a flaw that seems to fit ends up making the character predictable, and maybe even boring, despite them having a flaw. Instead of finding a character flaw that seems to fit with his personality, try the opposite. Try to think of the unpredictable traits and see how those work.
A predictable character flaw for someone studious might be impatience, constantly annoyed when someone attempts to interrupt him or ask him too many questions about what he’s working on. But what if he was studious because he himself struggles to understand things? What if he spends hours and hours with books and research because one hour just isn’t enough to grasp the concept? And his persistence to understand concepts could lead back to insecurities he’s had in the past - what makes him believe he has to understand something fully to be a better person? Why does he have to know it all?
Another technique you could try is coming up with a list of just basic character flaws, with no consideration in mind for your specific character. Give yourself a catalog of ideas to start with. Then start plugging in and seeing how it rounds him out.
Try one of these websites if you’re stuck with this.
Character Flaw Generator
Character Flaw Reference Sheet
Ultimately though, don’t be afraid of flaws that don’t seem to fit. Blending traits that don’t seem to go together is what makes your character unique! And the more unique they are, the more fun they are to write about and read about.
-Rebekah