CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Strengths & Weaknesses

Part of character development involves creating a well-rounded, three-dimensional characters who is relatable, complex, and emotionally engaging. Not only do writers have to figure out the character’s story goal, they have to figure out why that goal matters to the character, and what “markers” in that character will support or hinder them as they pursue that goal.

Character markers can be divided into two main categories: Strengths and Weaknesses. All characters should be made up of a wide variety of markers from both categories in order for them to feel believable.

Not only do markers create compelling inner conflict, they can also cause your character to make choices that will add dramatic tension to every page.

In this article, I talk about how to develop your character with strengths and weaknesses so that they behave and act in believable and emotionally engaging ways.

Let’s hop to it!

What are Character Markers?

Character markers describe internal and external traits (such as high intelligence, impatience, self-righteous, raspy voiced, athletic, beautiful, bald, right-handed, kind to animals, serious, crooked teeth, etc.).

A writer will have to decide if the marker is a strength or a weakness (or if it matters at all) in relation to the character’s overall arc of growth. They’ll also have to decide if the marker has the potential to change. For example, will the character overcome their greed by the end of the story and learn how to be generous?

Some markers have nothing to do with the character’s arc (such as hair color or height). Having said that, such details do little to add value to the story. One or two meaningless markers aren’t going to hurt your story, but a whole slew of them will. Pay attention to the details you choose to put into your story. Make as many of them count as you can.

STRENGTHS

Any character marker that leads to a positive result is considered a strength. This strength is what helps readers relate to the character in a positive way. Your character doesn’t necessarily have to be likeable, but they should be relatable. Readers want to empathize with your characters, even when they’re making a mistake, and it’s these positive traits that foster that bond.

We won’t approve of our heroine stealing from the cash register at work, but we might be more likely to understand her theft when we know the money is to buy outrageously expensive medication for her sick father. Her strength: Her love for her father. Love so powerful, she’d do anything to save him is a theme most of us can relate to.

Examples of Strengths: confidence, trustworthy, honorable, loyalty, wise, protector, kind

Strengths and their Shadows

Strengths can be dangerous when used the wrong way. Sometimes, a character might misuse their strength in a way that brings them or others harm. For example, leadership skills escalating into tyrannical impulses. Or, confidence becoming arrogance.

This is a marvelous way to evolve a character who might have reached their pinnacle of growth. By tipping them into the shadow side, you now have a brand-new character arc to explore. Or, you could flip the tables on a character who is still growing and evolving. As our hero pursues their story goal, they’re tempted by an evil power. Promised victory will come sooner if they swear allegiance to the villain’s side. Will they overcome these darker impulses? Will our hero become a villain? Will this change in their behavior and attitude destroy all the progress they’ve made?

WEAKNESSES/FLAWS

From the beginning of your story, your character has one or more weaknesses preventing them from living the life of their dreams. Something is missing, something is not quite right, something is lacking.

Examples of Weaknesses: arrogance, selfishness, inexperience/naiveté, greed, low self-esteem, cruelty

In order for your character to fulfill her greatest desire, she will have to overcome whatever flaw is getting in her way.

For this to work effectively, the weakness should be a logical impediment to the desire. A character whose story goal is to work on Wall Street should have some kind of weakness that would logically make that goal difficult such as laziness or dyslexia.

When a Weakness isn’t a Weakness

While you construct your character, you want to also pay careful attention when describing certain traits as a “weakness.” There are some traits (such as dyslexia or age) that are out of the character’s control. Calling it a “weakness” could be found offensive.

When that happens, it’s primarily because a non-writer doesn’t understand that “weaknesses” is merely part of character development. A trait that holds the character back from accomplishing their story goal.

Regardless, all people (and therefore), all characters have a mix of strengths and weaknesses. This is what makes them unique individuals with unique journeys. When you pick traits that are out of the character’s control and categorize them as weaknesses, see if you can subvert expectations. How can dyslexia be a strength? How can age become a marker that ultimately helps your character toward reaching their story goal? How can your character’s ADHD be used to solve the crime?

When a Strength Becomes a Flaw

I always think about Eddard Stark from A Game of Thrones when this topic comes up. His sense of honor makes him a trustworthy character from the beginning. Readers quickly learn that he will always try to do what’s right by others, and we know what to expect from him all the way through the book. However, it is that very strength that gets him killed. He fails to learn from his mistakes because he is unwilling to relinquish his sense of honor.

PSYCHOLOGICAL & MORAL NEED

Your character shouldn’t be aware of her NEED until the end when she goes through her self-revelation, otherwise the story is over.

There are two types of NEED: Psychological and Moral. The former is a flaw that is hurting only that character. The latter is a flaw that is hurting that character AND at least one other person.

Again, keeping these flaws as interconnected as possible will create a plausible story. If your character’s psychological need is selfishness, then a logical moral need (where she uses her selfishness in such a way that someone else gets hurt) could be greed.

From there, you can create instances where the character’s greed actively hurts someone else. These instances can be turned into cause-and-effect events that form your plot. (This is part of how you can interweave plot and character.)

PERSONALITY MARKERS AND CHARACTER CHANGE

Your character must undergo some kind of transformation at the end of the story. (Exceptions to this rule are characters who are flat/neutral and serve to change the greater environment around them.)

The ultimate change can be for better or worse, but it will come as a result of your character understanding deeper truths about themselves. They will see how their particular markers (strengths and flaws) have created pain and struggle in their lives. By the time of your story’s climax, that character will have to make some tough choices about how they will change.

That means there is a whole process the character must go through from beginning to end. This process (journey) is where your character ACTS and REACTS to events. Characters should be proactive in their own journeys—this keeps them interesting and real—and their personality markers (primarily their flaws, but also their strengths when appropriate) that urge them to be proactive.

Whether or not a character changes for the better is up to you. She can learn from her mistakes and overcome her major flaw which will be what has to happen for her to achieve her DESIRE. Or, she can remain stuck in her ways, thereby missing out on what she seeks and settling into a life of dissatisfaction.

Either way you take it, you must look at the web of markers that led your character through their journey and be sure each one that was at play has been overcome (or embraced, depending on your outcome) appropriately.

Would love to hear from you! Have you established your characters’ strengths and weaknesses? What are you learning about your characters as a result?