A beta reader told me my main character was too perfect to believe

They said, 'Give her a real flaw, like she's a brilliant detective but can't keep a houseplant alive.' I changed one scene where she buys a cactus and kills it in a week. What's a small, human flaw you've added to a character that made them feel real?

3 comments

3 Comments

iris_smith422mo ago

Nice! My hero always forgets people's names.

lee_butler1mo ago

Mine forgets her own phone password sometimes and I'm like, "that's literally you, you set that.

-1

carter.reese2mo ago

Remember @iris_smith42 mentioning the name thing. I gave a character a weird tic where he'd always tap his pocket twice after locking a door, even if he was just leaving his own apartment. It made him seem nervous in a way big flaws don't, just a small, dumb habit.