Writing Prompt: Your Very Flawed Character

1/4 April Course: Story Core — We’re all broken greedy people.

This week, we’re focusing on the first element: the character that wants something.

If you’re not following, check out our April mini-course introduction.

To start, define your character

Who are they? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Avoid cliches and use archetypes only as a starting point for your character’s development.

Next, identify their flaw

What’s preventing them from succeeding? Your character’s flaw defines their arc and is the core of their story.

The plot is just them bumbling until they realize they must overcome this to win in the end. If they don’t, they’ll truly fail, and the story is a tragedy.

They can fail to get what they want (their external goal); the girl or boy, the treasure, or even die in the end. But if they overcome their flaw — they win.

Now, what does your character want?

Be specific. Is it a physical object, an emotion, or an experience? And, why do they want it? What drives them to get…