How to Make an [DETAILED] OC! + Roleplaying Tips and Advice

Writing Flaws

I know we already covered the personality chapter, but this is just some extra advice for you! Feel free to skip this chapter if you want.

Dear reader, I know it can be hard to come up with other traits that can leave a negative impact on a character. But let's start off with the basics again for writing such traits for characters. "Clumsiness" and being unaware of everything going on isn't going to cut it for flaws. Think about your character, what type of person are they? 

If you want, you can give them just the most basic and maybe even stereotypical flaws to fit their type, and build off from those in the future. Developing these really detailed and well-written characters takes time. Lots of it compared to just filling out a basic template. The goal here is to make a character with many layers to them.

But once you've got that figured out about what type of person they are and you've got some flaws down, let's think a bit more. Do these flaws make sense for the person? Are they just randomly slapped on? Can you imagine an actual person with these traits? What types of flaws are they, internal problems or flaws to them that can be seen by others much more easily?

We're writing characters that are complex and have more realism to them than usual fictional characters. While we may never reach the same levels as an actual human being, we can try to write something that gives readers/viewers the feeling similar to that.

However, don't let this discourage you from adding maybe one or two tiny little traits that are a bit more random, it's things like those that also can be seen in real people! But you should try to stick with the core ones and to be 1. Important to the character and story. 2. At least make some sense, and not just a lazily slapped on piece of clumsiness that gets in the way occasionally. 

If you want an example, here you go! 
Kumiko Hisakawa is known for her ability to lose patience quite easily. Why? She lives with a big family, which is constantly getting on her nerves on a daily basis. Having to deal with such, her patience has worn much thinner than others over the years. This flaw is seen often when I write for her, and has a reason for how it developed and makes sense.