Every protagonist has a number of challenges to overcome in a story. Each of the core challenges can be seen as a separate plot line and plotted out over the course of the story.
A major core plot line revolves around the protagonist’s inner story. To satisfy the inner plot line, the protagonist must undergo a deep and fulfilling transformation. Often this is accomplished by introducing the character at the Beginning of the story with a flaw that must be eventually overcome to achieve her ultimate story goal.
Following are a few examples of character flaws:
1. Always the victim and unable to take responsibility for actions
2. Control freak
3. Argumentative and short-tempered
4. Liar and a cheat
5. Stubborn
6. Always have to be right
7. Perfectionist and procrastinator
Character flaws in otherwise function individuals are often created in response to the character’s back story. The back story is the moment when the protagonist loses her innocence. Because of what happens to the character in the back story, she now (in the front story) holds beliefs or exhibits actions that reflect a deep psychological issue that sabotages her from achieving her overall story goal.
The character flaw is introduced in the Beginning (1/4) of the story, deepened in the Middle (1/2) as the stakes rise and her internal flaw trips her up more and more often until she can no longer deny her part in her failure, an awareness which triggers her ultimate transformation at the End (1/4) of the story.
Thank you for coming back to your blog. I've missed you! I hang on your words and apply them to my story to see if I'm on track. Your words provide the infrastructure for my work, and I put my characters through this grid to see if my storytelling is working true to the universal story. If not, I go back and rework it.
Your earlier note, Denise, brought a smile to my face. Thank you. I love your generous spirit and knowing you're out there… writing