What's your main character's biggest flaw?

[theInmara]

Oh that's fair lol I just remember a quote from some screenplay writer that went you can't have a movie unless your characters are kind of stupid and I liked it

It seems to be really good advice.

Getting serious about it. We think a book has a lot fewer stakes than a movie, when it comes to production and engaging the audience. Especially if the author isn't worried about snagging a publisher. So a book can be full of intellectuals doing the best they can with a tough situation and can be competence porn. A book can go slow. But it is still harder to write that.

If the characters are a little stupid, it's faster and more fun to write it. With a movie, it's almost critical that they are, so that there's some fast plot development and action to grip the audience and so that the producers can feel like they're investing well.

But anyway, all we're saying is that, for books, we've done both. And our experience supports the premise!

 

[Jocelyn_Uasal]

and can be competence porn.

You're right on all accounts but also I think I might start calling myself a competence porn writer ?

 

[theInmara]

You're right on all accounts but also I think I might start calling myself a competence porn writer ?

Ooh! Maybe, someday, it can be a tag, even!

We got the term from listening to people talk about Wildbow (or Wildbow talk about his own writing). Particularly Twig, where the lead character's super power is anticipating other people's actions, manipulating them, and knowing how to do things.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

competence porn

I could never write competence porn. I love slapstick too much.

 

[Lysander_Works]

I have an alternating MC system so I'll just pick on Jane at random.
Jane's biggest flaw is excessive determination to become a Leray Master. It has pushed her very far into great strides, but she is so obsessed with this goal, that Jane will often get too carried away, throwing away or momentarily forgetting learned virtues if it bumps her forward even just a little towards her goal. Some things are not meant to be sacrificed. Impatience might be another way to look at this, but I'd say it's slightly more complex.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Skinwalkers has three main characters...

Fey constantly runs away from her responsibilities. Her arc in the first book is her realizing that just saying "I didn't ask for this!" doesn't make her problems (or the people who need her) disappear, and she has to play her part whether she likes it or not.

Zave has a crippling fear of the dark. Even in his own house, if the lights go off for more than a couple seconds, he flies into a blind panic. His need to constantly be in the light has given away their position to their enemies at least once.

Clueless is, as her name would imply, really dumb. It's not her fault though. She was just Zave's regular dog before Fey awoke her to become a skinwalker. She's still struggling to come to terms with this whole "sentience" thing, but she's doing her best! It's not all smooth sailing, like when she finds out what the word "clueless" means.

 

[Epithet]

For mine, it would be his honesty.

He wouldn't lie to anyone, not because of his morality, not because of his beliefs, but because he genuinely sees everyone he looks at to be beneath him in every functional way, regardless of status. He could look God in the eyes, as in an omnipotent entity, and say he is indeed superior to it in all facets, without lying.

He is incredibly honest because why lie to a hammer? It is just a tool after all.

 

[LoneQuack]

Hmm... Lyon has definitely many flaws.

An uncontrollable bloodthirsty dark side that is trying to turn him over is the first thing that comes to mind, but that's not really a flaw but more of an obstacle.

Before volume 1, I'd say rushing recklessly into action and thinking of what that entails later, but after it, its safe to say he learned his lesson in a very painful way. So, to finally answer the question, it'd be his newly mistrusting nature built into him upon a misunderstood well meant advice due to his extremists view over it and what happened around him.