That Pesky Fatal Flaw

 

There are no hard core rules for fiction—they can all be broken if the writer does it intentionally to achieve a particular effect. But one of the stronger “suggestions” is that a protagonist should grow during a novel by starting with a fatal flaw that the protagonist overcomes by the end of the story. That’s not always the case, of course. James Bond has no fatal flaw and no growth, and I find him incredibly boring. Indiana Jones doesn’t grow through the course of the story, either, but he does start with a fatal flaw—his fear of snakes—that is still there at the end, and he has several other quirks that make him human and allow me to enjoy those movies. But unlike those characters, each of my protagonists needs to start with a fatal flaw and to overcome it by the end of the book.

So what’s the problem?

The first question is how to incorporate the fatal flaw into the first chapter without making the character so unlikeable that the reader gives up on the story too soon. I’ve read many an Amazon review where the reviewer put the book down after the first chapter because the protagonist was “too whiny” or “too selfish,” or something similar. If that characteristic is the fatal flaw, then the reader missed the point and the author allowed it. Sohow do I find the sweet spot that discloses the fatal flaw without making the character unlikeable? The only way I know is to write and revise and write and revise until my sixth sense—and my beta readers—says I have achieved it.

The second problem is finding the appropriate fatal flaw. When I started writing Lonely Rock, I was convinced that Jessie’s fatal flaw would be valuing her friends more than her family. But as I continue to write, that isn’t coming through. So now I’m wondering if I chose poorly. I’m not sure this is the right spot to experiment with a different fatal flaw, but I’ve made myself a note to work on it in the next draft and maybe change Jessie’s fatal flaw to self-doubt and/or fearfulness.

One thing is clear: Jessie needs a fatal flaw that creates empathy rather than disgust.

And I’m determined to get it right.