Aren’t you a character?

Creating Character

 

 

Somewhere in time, last month, I read a book by Angela Hunt about writing.  Angela Hunt is an author I truly enjoy reading. When she wrote some short booklets on how to write, I definitely wanted to read them.  Her book on characterization suggested many things, but on of them was putting your main characters through a personality test. This surprised me.

Being a product of corporate America, I have been subjected to more personality tests than I care to admit.  I will tell you most of them don’t truly define who I am.  The test she recommended came closer than any other.  I checked it out. I took a version of the test online while pretending to be my character.  I was impressed at how well the personality traits described matched the character I had created. 

One of her points in recommending this was to create characters that rang true.  To be a believable character, there has to be strengths and weaknesses, loveable traits and flaws.

Flaws

Sometimes when writing, I don’t like a character, so they get dropped on the rewrite. Many times, a character evolves and changes as the story changes. Ultimately, I’m a writer and I can make my characters say and do whatever I want them to, but I have to remember, a character can’t be perfect.  They have to be flawed. 

God is not like me.  He created us, but he didn’t want puppets, he wanted people. 

Psalm 139:13-14 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”

We are not copies, we are originals, yet each one us is flawed. 

Does God just throw up His hands and say, wow, I never saw that coming. I need to give up on that character and start over.  No.  He lovingly says to us that He can use our flaws to make us stronger.  He can use our flaws to help us see our need for him.  

Flaws are a sign of being human.  Overcoming our flaws is a sign of God’s grace.

 

Tenth Avenue North - The Struggle (with lyrics) from tenth-avenue-north on GodTube.