Clusterfuck Draft To Legible Story

Element 1: Character: Good vs Bad

Good vs Bad

Now that I mentioned good and bad, let's get to this cake now. Should your character be good or bad?

Now, this is a question with a simple and undeniable correct answer: NEITHER! You, as the author, do not have the right to choose if your character is good or bad and here is another simple answer why…

You may be the creator of this character, but you shouldn't be the one that forces opinions on your readers. Your readers should have the autonomy to choose whether they like this character. If you force an idea down their throat that the character is this perfect angel or the spawn of satan, chances are, your readers will not enjoy reading about your characters.

If you need even more of a reason, let's get back to the whole realistic argument. Is there a person on this planet that is perfectly good or absolutely evil? There is no such human being living now or in history. Even the sweetest child misbehaves every now and then. Even a murderer can care for his/her family. And if you want even a specific name, even Hitler liked dogs for example. Now I am not saying Hitler was anything but evil, but this is just to show you there is a soft side even in one of the worst people in history.

This is why I absolutely hate reading about protagonists that always make everything somehow okay. That is why I hate reading about antagonists being so bad, they may as well be the spawn of satan. Make sure your characters have both positive and negative traits!!

Again, ask yourself, is this character realistic? Would this character seem real to you? Could they exist and fit in with all of us humans on planet earth? If your answer is no, you have to go back to the drawing board.

To be continued in the next chapter.