CHARACTER ALCHEMY:
TURNING STICK FIGURES INTO DIAMONDS

Keep in mind that heroes and heroines in popular fiction are expected to be heroic, so give them reasonably admirable traits. But not perfection. A perfect character is boring, and sometimes even a turn-off, which is one of the reasons a character must have a flaw. Furthermore, the flaw gives the means for growth brought about by the events of the story and so becomes essential to the plot.

Characters can be developed by giving them four prominent traits: The spine, a supporting trait, a fatal flaw, and a shadow trait. The shadow is not the character's evil side, but is a characteristic that has been suppressed because it doesn't easily blend with the other three traits. Examples will be given, using characters from the movie Pretty Woman.

SPINE. Give your character a strong central trait that is somewhat stereotypical. Pick something that can be defined in two to four words. For protagonists, this spine will lean toward the admirable. Villains get a spine that leans toward the despicable.

Edward is a uncompromising corporate raider. Vivian is an honest and upbeat hooker. While these traits create strong conflict between them, they don't give the characters much depth, nor do they provide any basis for their attraction or growth. The lawyer villain (sorry, I can't remember his screen name–he'll always be George to me) is a ruthless lawyer.

Notice that although Edward and the lawyer are much alike at the beginning of the movie, I've labeled him as "uncompromising," while I've called the lawyer "ruthless." Although this is partly to comply with the rule that the hero's traits lean toward the admirable, this subtle difference is also proven out by the events in the story.

SUPPORTING TRAIT. Next, add a supporting trait that's consistent with the spine. This can be a value, a preference, or a method of expressing oneself. Devoted to family, loves the outdoors, bouncy and outgoing are examples of what can be used.

Edward's supporting trait is his love of "the best," which is shown by his renting the penthouse even though he's afraid of heights. Vivian's is her basic sense of responsibility. She pays her rent on time, flosses her teeth and uses condoms. The lawyer's supporting trait is his need to show off his success, demonstrated by the elaborate party he put on, something we feel Edward would never do..

FATAL FLAW. Give your central characters a fatal flaw. While greed, envy, vanity and the rest of the seven deadly sins are perfect flaws for villains, virtues carried to extreme usually works best for protagonists. For instance, a nurturing nature can become controlling or smothering. A lighthearted attitude can become irresponsibility. If a more deadly flaw is chosen, it must be well motivated.

In the villain, this flaw is a vice carried to extremes. In both cases, the fatal flaw is the trait that has the potential to bring about the character's downfall. The 80's movie Scarface had a focal character who was also the villain, and it was his addiction to cocaine that brought about his demise. More recently, Pulp Fiction featured a scheming and ruthless boxer played by Bruce Willis, and while he was never brought down, his fatal flaw of over-confidence combined with his shadow and put him very close.

Fatal flaws are always consistent with the spine and supporting trait. If not, you've got yourself a neurotic or even psychotic character. Although this might be appropriate in some cases, it isn't something you want to introduce accidentally. Thus an ambitious entrepreneur might have a supporting trait of being organized and a fatal flaw of being hot-tempered., but not a supporting trait of hanging out with the guys or a fatal flaw of timidness.

Edward's fatal flaw is his need for revenge against a wealthy father who deserted his mother and him and failed to support them. It's important to notice that Edward's anger is as much in his mother's behalf as his own, which gives a more sympathetic tone to his goal. As the movie opens, Edward has carried his need for revenge so far that every successful businessman now represents his father, and this fatal flaw is already bringing him down. He no longer enjoys what he does and is unable to maintain a relationship. He doesn't even savor the fruits of his success; he simply sees them as evidence that he succeeded in besting his father.

Vivian's fatal flaw may seem to be her attraction to "bums," but it's actually her tendency to take the path of least resistance. The lawyer's fatal flaw is the love of power, and when he demonstrates this with Vivian it becomes the means for his destruction.

SHADOW. Last, give the character a shadow (suppressed) trait that is kept under tight wraps because it contradicts the major personality traits. The shadow makes room for character growth. As it surfaces, it aids the hero in overcoming the fatal flaw or turning it to his advantage. Furthermore, it rounds out his personality by correcting the imbalance that has stopped him from achieving his goal. Essentially, the shadow is the means for the character's redemption.

For example, the ambitious entrepreneur might have a shadow trait of championing the underdog. At the story onset, he doesn't indulge in this urge, but it shows up when he always roots for the losing team at sports competitions. Later, when his temper has cost him everything, and he's living in a rat trap, this trait grows stronger. Eventually he battles the rat trap's owner for better conditions for everyone, and this growth turns his fortunes around.

Since character growth isn't vital to writing a strong villain, the shadow can be omitted, but this trait can give depth to a villain's character and foreshadow his downfall. You could, for instance, give a contract killer a hobby of keeping birds. This nurturing side of his nature is not demonstrated in the other areas of his life, but ends up combining with the fatal flaw to provide the means of defeating him. In Pulp Fiction, the Bruce Willis character is almost brought down by his devotion to those he loves. When his ditzy girlfriend, whom he adores, forgets to pack his late father's watch, he forgives her. But he goes back for the watch, which put him in grave danger. Even in danger, he doesn't desert his girlfriend, giving his pursuers one last chance to destroy him.

Edward's shadow is his desire to build something. Since he's made a life of tearing down businesses, it's not a desire he even contemplates until he meets Vivian. Her shadow is hope–her fear of feeling it. Having taken the path of least resistance for so long, she's unable to envision anything better until she meets Edward. In either case, their involvement has stirred the shadow. Even if the movie had ended on a bittersweet note, both characters would have been enriched by their encounter.

These four traits form a diamond, with the spine on the top, the supporting trait and fatal flaw on either side and the shadow on the bottom. As the shadow emerges, it defeats the fatal flaw in protagonists and increases it in villains, eventually bringing about the end of the story. While it's not easy to build a diamond, it pays off in big dividends. The diamond creates believable characters, strong plots and lots of reader tension. It's also the means of creating dynamic romantic conflict in the romance novel. If you draw out diamonds for Edward and Vivian, you'll see that their spines and fatal flaws create conflict, while their supporting traits create the initial attraction. It's the shadow, however, that allows love to grow, when each unwittingly encourages its emergence in the other.

Obviously this isn't all there is to characterization. No matter how finely drawn your people are, that isn't enough to keep readers interested if no conflict is present. Conflict is best created by putting the character in a situation that knocks them off balance, which I'll cover in detail in a future article, Part II: Character Magic: Making Readers Care.