Introduction: Why Most Characters Fall Flat

You've gathered your story ingredients. You have a rough idea of your plot. You're excited to write.

But there's a problem.

Your characters feel flat.

They have names. They have jobs. They have physical descriptions. Maybe you've even given them hobbies, favorite foods, and personality traits.

But when you try to write them, they just sit there on the page. They don't feel alive. They don't feel real.

Here's why:

You're focused on the surface of your character—what they look like, what they do—when what actually makes characters feel real happens beneath the surface.

Readers don't care about your protagonist's favorite color or their job or even their tragic backstory (not at first, anyway).

Readers care about one thing: Internal conflict.

And internal conflict comes from three essential elements:

1. Fatal Flaws (misbeliefs that keep them from happiness)
2. Internal Conflict (desire clashing with fear)
3. Clear Goals (what they're actively pursuing)

Master these three things, and your characters will leap off the page.

Let's break them down.

Why Internal Conflict Is Universal

Before we dive into the three elements, you need to understand why they matter.

Think about your own life for a moment.

What do you want? (Maybe it's success, love, recognition, freedom, peace, adventure—something.)

What are you afraid of? (Maybe it's failure, rejection, loss, vulnerability, being trapped, being bored—something.)

And here's the kicker: Your fear is probably stopping you from getting what you want.

You want to start a business, but you're afraid of failure.

You want a relationship, but you're afraid of vulnerability.

You want to change careers, but you're afraid of instability.

That's internal conflict. Desire clashing with fear.

And every single person experiences it.

That's why internal conflict is the most relatable thing you can give your character.

Nobody relates to:

1. Your character's favorite weather (unless they share it)
2. Your character's job (unless they have the same one)
3. Your character's hobbies (unless they're the same)

But everybody relates to:

1. Wanting something but being too afraid to pursue it
2. Believing lies about themselves that keep them stuck
3. Having goals that are driven by fear rather than truth

If you want anyone to pick up your book and relate to your protagonist immediately, give them internal conflict.

Element #1: Fatal Flaws (The Misbelief)

What Is a Fatal Flaw?

A fatal flaw is a misbelief your character has about the world or about themselves that keeps them from finding true happiness.

That's it. Don't overcomplicate it.

It's a lie they believe that's holding them back.

Examples of Fatal Flaws

1. "I'm not lovable" (rooted in abandonment or neglect)
2. "I'm not strong enough to handle the real world" (rooted in overprotection)
3. "Success is the only thing that matters" (rooted in never feeling good enough)
4. "I can't trust anyone" (rooted in betrayal)
5. "I'm not smart/talented/worthy" (rooted in criticism or comparison)
6. "Love always ends in pain" (rooted in loss or rejection)
7. "I have to do everything myself" (rooted in being let down by others)

Your character believes this lie so deeply that it shapes everything they do.

Why Fatal Flaws Matter

The fatal flaw is the core problem your character must overcome in order to be truly happy.

Everything else in your story—the external conflict, the obstacles, the plot twists—is really just forcing your character to confront their fatal flaw.

The external journey is a vehicle for the internal journey.

And the internal journey is all about recognizing and overcoming the fatal flaw.

Example: Orca from The Otherworld

Fatal Flaw/Misbelief:

"I'm not strong enough to handle the harsh realities of the outside world."

Where it came from:

All her life, her father has kept her safe from harm and told her how delicate and precious she is, how she's safer on the island and doesn't belong in the other world.

How it holds her back:

Even though she desperately wants to see the mainland and experience life, she's afraid her father might be right—that she's too weak, too fragile, too innocent to survive out there.

See how this creates depth?

Orca's conflict isn't just "my dad won't let me leave the island" (external).

It's "I'm afraid my dad is right and I'm not strong enough" (internal).

That's so much more interesting and relatable.

Element #2: Internal Conflict (Desire vs. Fear)

What Is Internal Conflict?

Your character wants something, but they're also afraid of something.

And these two things are constantly clashing, creating tension and indecision.

That's internal conflict.

It's not just external obstacles preventing them from getting what they want. It's their own fear stopping them.

The Formula

Internal Conflict = Desire + Fear

1. Desire: What they want (love, freedom, success, belonging, etc.)
2. Fear: What holds them back (rejection, failure, loss, vulnerability, etc.)

The desire pulls them forward. The fear pulls them back. They're stuck in the middle, paralyzed by this conflict.

Why This Creates Momentum

Internal conflict is the engine of your story.

Without it, your character is just a punching bag for the plot. Things happen TO them, and they react.

But with internal conflict?

They become an active participant. They're making choices, taking risks, wrestling with their fears, pursuing their desires.

That creates momentum.

Example: Orca from The Otherworld

What Orca wants:

To experience the outside world, to connect with other people, to live a full life

What Orca is afraid of:

1. That she's not strong enough to handle it
2. That her father is right and she'll fail
3. That leaving will hurt her father, who's all she has

The internal conflict:

She's desperate to leave but terrified to actually do it. She wants freedom but doesn't want to hurt her father. She craves connection but doubts she's capable of surviving in the real world.

This conflict drives every decision she makes in the story.

Element #3: Clear Goals (What They're Actively Pursuing)

Why Goals Matter

Here's the thing about desire and fear: They're abstract.

"I want freedom" is a feeling, not an action.

"I'm afraid of failure" is an emotion, not a plot.

You need to translate internal conflict into external action.

That's where goals come in.

A goal is the concrete thing your character is actively pursuing because of their internal conflict.

Goals Must Be:

1. Specific: "I want to be happy" is too vague. "I want to go to the mainland" is specific.
2. Active: Your character must be taking steps to achieve it, not just wishing for it.
3. Rooted in internal conflict: The goal should stem from their desire and/or fear.

The Progression: Internal → External

Fatal Flaw + Internal Conflict → Clear Goal

Let me show you how this works:

Step 1: Character has a misbelief (fatal flaw)

→ "I'm not strong enough for the real world"

Step 2: This creates internal conflict (desire vs. fear)

→ "I want to experience life, but I'm afraid I'll fail"

Step 3: Internal conflict generates an external goal

→ "I will prove I'm strong enough by rescuing this stranger"

See how the goal is born from the internal conflict?

That's what makes it feel authentic rather than arbitrary.

How These Three Elements Work Together

Let's put it all together with the Orca example:

Fatal Flaw:

"I'm not strong enough to handle the harsh realities of the other world"

Internal Conflict:

1. Desire: Experience the mainland, connect with others, prove her strength
2. Fear: She'll fail, she's too weak, she'll hurt her father by leaving

Clear Goals:

1. Find and rescue Adam (proves her strength)
2. Learn about the outside world through Jack (satisfies her desire safely)
3. Eventually leave the island (ultimate confrontation with her fear)

Every goal is driven by the internal conflict.

Every choice reveals the struggle between desire and fear.

And the entire story is really about whether she'll overcome her fatal flaw.

That's character-driven storytelling.

Why These Three Things Are Non-Negotiable

You might be thinking: "Can't I have a good character without all three of these?"

Technically, yes. You can write a character who's missing one or more of these elements.

But here's what happens:

Without a Fatal Flaw:

Your character has no arc. They don't change or grow. They're the same person at the end as at the beginning. Why did we need to go on this journey?

Without Internal Conflict:

Your character has no depth. They're one-dimensional. They want something, they pursue it, and... that's it. There's no struggle, no hesitation, no humanity.

Without Clear Goals:

Your character has no momentum. They might have interesting internal conflict, but they're not DOING anything about it. They're passive. They're a victim of the plot rather than an active participant.

You need all three.

Common Mistakes Writers Make

Mistake #1: Making Goals Plot-Driven Instead of Character-Driven

The problem:

The character's goal is "stop the villain" or "save the world" or "solve the mystery"—but it's not connected to any internal conflict. It's just what the plot needs them to do.

Why it's weak:

We don't care about the plot goal unless we understand why it matters to the CHARACTER on a personal level.

The fix:

Connect the plot goal to the character's internal conflict.

Example:

1. Weak: "She needs to solve the murder"
2. Strong: "She needs to solve the murder to prove she's not the incompetent detective everyone thinks she is" (connected to her fatal flaw of believing she's not good enough)

Mistake #2: Confusing Backstory with Fatal Flaw

The problem:

You give your character a tragic backstory, but you don't translate it into a present-day misbelief.

Example:

"She was abandoned by her parents as a child."

Okay, but what does she BELIEVE now because of that? That's the fatal flaw.

The fix:

Backstory → Misbelief

1. Abandoned by parents → "I'm not lovable"
2. Overprotective parent → "I'm not capable"
3. Betrayed by friend → "I can't trust anyone"

The backstory explains where the fatal flaw came from. But the fatal flaw is the active, present-day belief that's holding them back.

Mistake #3: Making the Fear Too Small

The problem:

The fear is surface-level: "She's afraid of spiders" or "He's afraid of heights."

Why it's weak:

Physical fears aren't relatable to everyone. And they don't create deep internal conflict.

The fix:

Make the fear emotional or existential:

1. Fear of rejection
2. Fear of failure
3. Fear of loss
4. Fear of vulnerability
5. Fear of being trapped
6. Fear of being unimportant

These are universal human fears everyone can relate to.

Mistake #4: Not Connecting the Dots

The problem:

You have a fatal flaw, internal conflict, and goals—but they're not connected to each other. They're three separate things.

The fix:

Make sure the fatal flaw causes the internal conflict, and the internal conflict drives the goals.

Test:

1. Can you trace your character's goal back to their internal conflict?
2. Can you trace their internal conflict back to their fatal flaw?
3. If you removed the fatal flaw, would the whole character collapse?

If not, you need to strengthen the connections.

Building These Elements for Your Character

Ready to develop your own character using these three essential elements? Here's how:

Step 1: Identify the Fatal Flaw

Ask yourself:

1. What lie does my character believe about themselves or the world?
2. What misbelief is keeping them from true happiness?
3. Where did this misbelief come from? (What backstory event planted it?)

Write it down in one sentence: "My character believes [misbelief] because [backstory reason]."

Example:

"Orca believes she's not strong enough to survive in the real world because her father has always told her she's too delicate and precious to leave the island."

Step 2: Define the Internal Conflict

Ask yourself:

1. What does my character desire more than anything?
2. What is my character most afraid of?
3. How does their fear prevent them from getting what they want?

Write it down:

1. Desire: [what they want]
2. Fear: [what holds them back]
3. Conflict: [how these two clash]

Example:

1. Desire: Experience life on the mainland, prove her strength
2. Fear: She's not strong enough; leaving will hurt her father
3. Conflict: She desperately wants freedom but is terrified she'll fail or hurt the person she loves most

Step 3: Create Clear Goals

Ask yourself:

1. How is my character dissatisfied with their current life? (because of the fatal flaw)
2. What does my character believe will bring them happiness? (their misguided solution)
3. What definitive action could they take to pursue this? (the goal)
4. How does their fear keep them from taking this action already? (the obstacle)

Write down 2-3 concrete goals your character will pursue:

Example:

1. Rescue Adam when he crashes (proves she's capable)
2. Connect with Jack through the phone (safe way to experience the outside world)
3. Eventually leave the island with Jack (ultimate confrontation with fear)

Step 4: Test the Connections

Make sure everything links:

Fatal Flaw → Creates Internal Conflict → Generates Goals

If you can remove one element and the others still make sense, you need to strengthen the connections.

The Three Questions You Must Answer

If you do nothing else from this post, answer these three questions about your protagonist:

Question 1:

What is my protagonist's fatal flaw or misbelief? How has it shaped them into the person they are today?

Question 2:

What does my character desire, and how is their fear constantly stopping them from achieving true happiness?

Question 3:

What active goal is my protagonist pursuing and why? How does this goal set them on the path of their transformative journey?

Answer these three questions, and you have a character with depth, conflict, and momentum.

Why This Creates Relatable Characters

Here's the beautiful thing about this approach:

Every reader has:

1. Misbeliefs about themselves
2. Desires they're afraid to pursue
3. Goals they're working toward despite their fears

When you give your character these same struggles, readers see themselves in your character.

They might not have lived in a lighthouse or crashed a plane or been in a love triangle with brothers.

But they've felt:

1. Not good enough
2. Trapped by circumstances
3. Desperate for something they're afraid to reach for
4. Torn between what they want and what's safe

That's what makes characters relatable—not surface details, but internal struggles.

The Power of the Three Elements

When you nail these three essential elements:

✅ Your character becomes active (goals)

✅ Your character becomes complex (internal conflict)

✅ Your character becomes transformative (fatal flaw to overcome)

And readers fall in love.

Not because your character is perfect or likeable or cool.

But because your character is human.

And humans are messy, conflicted, flawed, scared, and brave all at once.

That's the character we want to read about.

Coming up next: The Ultimate Character Profile: Going Beyond Surface Traits - where we'll take these three essential elements and expand them into a complete character profile that brings your protagonist to life in vivid, three-dimensional detail.