Creating Character Personalities: A Guide to Traits, Flaws, and Motivations.

Welcome back my fellow strugglers! This week's post is all about characters and how to give them interesting personalities by exploring traits, flaws, and motivations. I sorely need to workshop my protagonists and breathe some life into them so they're not 2D puppets, so why don't we do it together? By the end of this guide, we'll have a solid approach to creating multidimensional characters that are interesting and actually fun to write.
Let's hop in! 🐸

Table of Contents:

1. Understanding Character Traits
2. Why Do We Need Character Flaws
3. Diving into Character Motivations
4. Putting it All Together
5. Personality Tests
6. Conclusion

Understanding Character Traits

Character traits are the deep-rooted qualities that shape our characters personalities. They define what our characters think and feel, influencing their actions and decisions.

Character Traits

Importance of Traits in Our Stories

Well-planned traits make characters relatable and memorable. They drive the characters actions and reactions, propelling the plot forward. For instance, a courageous character might race into danger head-on, while a skeptical character might hesitate and question the situation.

Why Do We Need Character Flaws?

Character flaws ensure your protagonists aren't perfect. If our characters are good at everything they do and don't struggle with anything, that story would be boring! These flaws help to create imperfections that make characters human. They make our characters vulnerable and create the perfect opportunities for character growth.

Character Flaws

Flaws Function in Narratives

Flaws are catalysts for conflict and character development. A prideful character might refuse help when they need it, leading to failure. An insecure individual could sabotage their relationships out of fear.

Choosing balanced character traits and flaws ensures relatability. To find the perfect flaw for your character, have a look at the traits you have chosen and try to stretch them to the extreme.

🪶 Example: A confident character, when pushed to the extreme, can become arrogant. He believes in himself but dismisses others input.

🪶Example: A charismatic character, when pushed to the extreme, can become manipulative. They can attract and influence others but may exploit this for selfish purposes.

Diving into Character Motivations

Character motivations are the motivators behind our characters actions and decisions. Understanding them makes sure our characters act consistently and believably.

Motivations

Align the motivations of the characters with their backstory and traits. A character who experienced childhood abandonment might seek belonging, impacting the choices they make throughout your novel.

Putting it All Together

The unique combination of traits, flaws, and motivations we choose for our characters shapes their journey through the novel.

Building a Cohesive Character Profile

1. Define Core Traits: Establish their foundation qualities.
2. Identify Flaws: Introduce imperfections that challenge or complement traits.
3. Determine Motivations: Link desires to traits and flaws.

Creating well-rounded characters involves blending their traits, flaws, and motivations to add depth and realism.

🪶 Example: A brave (trait) but reckless (flaw) adventurer seeks glory (motivation), leading them into perilous situations.

🪶Example: A charismatic (trait) but manipulative (flaw) politician desires power (motivation), charming voters but deceiving them to gain authority.

🪶Example: An optimistic (trait) but naive (flaw) dreamer with hope (motivation) for a better future invests in dubious schemes, believing success is guaranteed.

Personality Tests

A Cheat Code for Character Building

If you’re still not sure what makes your character tick, personality tests can help!

One of my favorite tools for character creation is the Enneagram Test. This system sorts personalities into nine core types, each with distinct fears, desires, and behaviors. It’s a fantastic way to uncover your character’s internal struggles, decision-making process, and even how they’d interact with others.

I had no idea what I wanted my main character Jun to be, and so I answered the test as him. None of the questions they ask will pertain to your story, but they help you think about your core character feelings and fundamentals. It also gives a great insight into their core fears and motivations (because let’s be real, every good protagonist is emotionally damaged in some way).

If you're stuck, give the Enneagram a try—you might just discover a whole new side to your character you hadn’t considered!

Try the test here.

Conclusion

Creating compelling characters that are relatable and dynamic requires a delicate balance of traits, flaws, and motivations. These ensure our characters are reacting to situations, making them feel more alive and helping to drive the plot. If the reader can predict how your character would react, that's a sign of good character building and consistency.

Using the information above, I feel I have a solid grasp of what Jun's personality is now. If you don't know who Jun is, I recommend reading this post where I talk a little about my debut adult fantasy WIP.

Jun is fiercely protective and loyal.
He is determined and confident, however, this makes him reckless. If someone he cares about is in danger, he moves first, consequences be damned.
Jun is honest, sometimes brutally so, and can be seen as rude and oftentimes intimidating as he doesn’t always realize how sharp his words can be.
Jun is resilient and independent, however, this has meant that trust doesn’t come easy, causing him to be quite guarded.
Jun is insecure about the control he has over the demon inside, which causes hesitation and fear when it comes to fighting and protecting those he cares about. He stands on the edge of control and chaos, a warrior who looks unshakable but struggles with a battle within that no one else can see.

I already knew his motivation is vengeance, but I won't say much more here, or I'll give too much away!

Now... to start working on Shou's personality 🥲

There you have it! I hope this helped you create some dynamic protagonists of your own! Tell me a little about your character in the comments down below! ✒️

Or, if you would like to test your mettle with a writing exercise, choose three traits, one flaw, and one motivation from the lists above, create a quick character profile, and post it down below! ✒️

If you want to know more about creating characters, check out this post about four different methods to create a character.

✍️ Hop to it and keep writing! 🐸 - Krystal