tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post373143004382548049..comments2024-03-28T02:34:34.041-07:00Comments on Rachna's Scriptorium: The Lure of Imperfect CharactersRachna Chhabriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16900999965919504282noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-14568024178694545272011-10-31T21:42:43.570-07:002011-10-31T21:42:43.570-07:00Another excellent post, Rachna! I hear you on impe...Another excellent post, Rachna! I hear you on imperfect characters. They make for more believable and realistic multi-dimensional characters. ;)Precy Larkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16714824672731935371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-5782616390828047022011-10-31T20:27:12.954-07:002011-10-31T20:27:12.954-07:00Another great post, Rachna. Let's hear it for ...Another great post, Rachna. Let's hear it for flawed characters. I actually had an epiphany with my WIP recently when I realized I was writing from the point of view of the 'wrong' brother. Brother no. 1 was a bit too soft, positive and just all-around "nice." Brother 2 was the polar opposite, and when I started writing the scenes in HIS point of view, things really just FELT better and started to take off!Melissa Crytzer Fryhttp://melissacrytzerfry.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-24130475135434749892011-10-31T19:48:35.911-07:002011-10-31T19:48:35.911-07:00another good read Rachna. Hope you had a good Diwa...another good read Rachna. Hope you had a good Diwali:)Life Unordinaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14500378311526554168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-28507864979774507382011-10-31T14:55:08.310-07:002011-10-31T14:55:08.310-07:00My favorite characters are always the imperfect on...My favorite characters are always the imperfect ones. I love Tony Stark in Iron Man because of just that reason. Another favorite is Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot-- he's so brilliant, and so arrogant, but I LOVE him.Shalleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09907680428735740943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-61786288937448309422011-10-31T14:32:47.113-07:002011-10-31T14:32:47.113-07:00My main character in the new book I'll be star...My main character in the new book I'll be starting for NaNo will have some major flaws. The main one is that she has a hard time trusting people and when she does finally put her trust in someone it's the wrong person. (I'm so mean to my characters!).Lynda R Young as Elle Cardyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09975442291393246148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-57190903666085714662011-10-31T03:39:42.326-07:002011-10-31T03:39:42.326-07:00Great post, Rachna! Hey do drop by my blog – I’ve ...Great post, Rachna! Hey do drop by my blog – I’ve put my Ten Commandments for Writers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-48232093849447749252011-10-29T07:02:09.161-07:002011-10-29T07:02:09.161-07:00I realised in the killer characters blogfest that ...I realised in the killer characters blogfest that my fav characters are the imperfect ones that have some colour to them. My protagonist is quite self absorbed and yet she can also appear sympathetic I've been told. I have yet to write a truly colourful character though.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-12733167205211788762011-10-29T05:43:54.717-07:002011-10-29T05:43:54.717-07:00Interesting post.
Maybe that's why people fi...Interesting post. <br /><br />Maybe that's why people find beauty in imperfections. It gives them an opportunity to mould that imperfection.<br /><br />A point to ponder would be - would we allow our imperfections to be shaped and corrected by others?Vyankateshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04687142241635628089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-71885408243384028402011-10-28T20:23:41.275-07:002011-10-28T20:23:41.275-07:00well learning is becoming more interesting for me ...well learning is becoming more interesting for me now...and i am surly going to experiment with what u have beautifully said "Imperfection is the new perfection"...and Mam for bringing it out for us here...and i am happy that this will also help my friends to write more beautifully ...bunu tamanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03800439423923213811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-50010312944887547032011-10-28T19:50:36.401-07:002011-10-28T19:50:36.401-07:00I like that - "Imperfection is the new perfec...I like that - "Imperfection is the new perfection". That will definitely come in handy! :)Karen Langehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18177923284595298347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-80805671832336576302011-10-28T14:58:48.019-07:002011-10-28T14:58:48.019-07:00With many imperfections we 'real' people l...With many imperfections we 'real' people live our lives in this imperfect world. So too our characters should be. I start with incomplete, flawed characters and then they become really damaged. It's the only way to write. <br /><br />Hope you had a great time on your break.Robyn Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17356555082768185840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-48712441668523058062011-10-28T13:08:34.178-07:002011-10-28T13:08:34.178-07:00but your posts aren't an inch imperfect :)
We...but your posts aren't an inch imperfect :)<br /><br />Weakest LINKRachithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09671194017987611900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-18497098258090978232011-10-28T12:40:47.068-07:002011-10-28T12:40:47.068-07:00I struggle with finding the flaws in my characters...I struggle with finding the flaws in my characters--or deciding what is actually a flaw. Some things depend on the reader; for example (to use one of the major ones you listed in your post), there are those who would consider a strict lifestyle to be a good thing.<br /><br />And I also think it depends on how the other characters in the story perceive those flaws (or lack of them)--if they act like the character is perfect, blind to what s/he is actually doing when there are imperfections, is the character imperfect? Is the entire cast?Golden Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08721520451194318436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-63352533900377017292011-10-28T09:55:14.441-07:002011-10-28T09:55:14.441-07:00Perfect characters are good in small doses. Assas...Perfect characters are good in small doses. Assassins make good perfect characters. Someone so deadly, and perfect at their job that they scare everyone, even the reader.SBJoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10457239074744509487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-71151069567064984752011-10-28T09:06:28.877-07:002011-10-28T09:06:28.877-07:00You did an excellent job of explaining this! I now...You did an excellent job of explaining this! I now know my characters' major and minor flaws--I knew they weren't perfect but I couldn't have spelled them out to anyone.Terri Tiffanyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771622379178654235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-59221655803799882012011-10-28T08:56:55.233-07:002011-10-28T08:56:55.233-07:00Imperfect characters are more interesting to read...Imperfect characters are more interesting to read about! If the character is "too" good and life for them has no ripples to overcome then what holds the reader's attention? Great post, Rachna. Liked how you broke down the categories of minor, major and tragic flaws. And I'd never come across the word hamartia before. Love learning new things :-)Kenda Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972218446945404475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-84294086410809993702011-10-28T08:49:00.017-07:002011-10-28T08:49:00.017-07:00I love imperfections. Sometimes I've had probl...I love imperfections. Sometimes I've had problems with making characters so imperfect that readers might not be able to identify with them. It's a balance!Lydia Kanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00484415427764822386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-16133305370518490552011-10-28T08:26:48.122-07:002011-10-28T08:26:48.122-07:00I couldn't agree more! When crafting character...I couldn't agree more! When crafting characters I always ask myself, what's their primary flaw, and once I have that I understand that character:)Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01793077012143289985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-33690565763401660822011-10-28T07:56:37.564-07:002011-10-28T07:56:37.564-07:00Brilliant post, Rachna. Especially since I sometim...Brilliant post, Rachna. Especially since I sometimes have difficulty reading about MC's that are a little TOO flawed. They're so imperfect that I can't stand them for long. And if I can't stand them for long, I won't sit and read for them for more than a few minutes. I need to at least like the MC. Preferably love him and I've recently seen a spate of unloveables. Don't get me wrong, I love complicated characters. Snape is AWESOME, for instance. But he's not the MC. I need to at least start off liking the MC, though flaws can be obvious, but I guess I feel some writers can take this trend too far.Victoria Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08978050059674596756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-3089041572834038402011-10-28T06:30:31.479-07:002011-10-28T06:30:31.479-07:00I wouldn't know where to start writing a perfe...I wouldn't know where to start writing a perfect character. I start with the flaws and pad from there.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-33458293304642560632011-10-28T04:47:21.570-07:002011-10-28T04:47:21.570-07:00Rachna- Your each post is like delving into a trea...Rachna- Your each post is like delving into a treasure trove! Very well written. Happy Diwali!!Rahul Bhatiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09690287853990880735noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6083612851716281896.post-3781410055670558052011-10-28T02:36:20.555-07:002011-10-28T02:36:20.555-07:00Rachna, this is a brilliant post, with which I agr...Rachna, this is a brilliant post, with which I agree in entirety. We are all imperfect (even if we'd never admit it to ourselves). Therefore we naturally seek the imperfections in others- a form of validation, that the imperfection acts as a conduit, allowing us to open up and share.<br />I think readers especially love to see a character who is able to rise above his imperfections particularly because we ourselves yearn to rise above our own...<br />Something to think on... :)<br />xx TeeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com