Writing painful truths

We all have a friend, relative or co-worker whose life is an endless stream of misfortune and drama. Being there to unpack the mounting job losses, horrible ex-boyfriends or credit card debt is often an exercise in futility. This is because people who float down this metaphorical stream are often unwilling to look inwards and accept the painful truths that might change their course. This is not so for your protagonist.

If that person were your protagonist, he would eventually need to overcome the flaw causing his problems and change. Perhaps his insecurity leads to consistently poor decision-making. He racks up credit card debt to pay for the expensive trinkets and baubles that people in his circle expect. He dates unsuitable men suggested by his friends. Creating a consistent character voice requires a deep understanding of these flaws and the painful truth that would change him. This can be informed by his motivations.

Many painful truths

You may find the insecure behavior occurs because he cannot face the painful truth that he is a people pleaser. This unwillingness to face the truth is motivated by his fear of being disliked (thanks to his conservative upbringing). This leads him to make decisions based on what other people want, landing him in unpleasant and unexpected situations. To change, he would need to overcome this fear. You might put him in a Sophie’s Choice situation where he will be disliked no matter what he does. This either drives him insane (a fun twist!), or gives him the impetus to change.

Unraveling the complex behaviors of our peers can help us to create authentic characters. I am not suggesting that you use your Aunt Carol’s alcoholism as a verbatim model. Rather, studying the truths too painful to be spoken to Aunt Carol can become an exercise in tracing the journey someone might go through to change.