A Character Conundrum

The Good Typist · Sep 13, 2014

I have a slightly philosophical question regarding a minor but important character in my book. My MC has an older sister who is annoyingly perfect, smart, wealthy, and together. She's very critical of the MC, but she also does a lot to help her--lends her money, connects her to important contacts, and helps her with business planning. Towards the end of the book, it's revealed that the sister's seemingly perfect life has some major cracks, and that she is not as strong and together as she seems. This "reveal" happened unconsciously during the writing process, and now I feel a little bit ambivalent about it. A part of me wants the sister to be exactly who she appears to be, because in being who she is, she helps the MC realize her goals. I want the sister be enough just as she is in her charmed and sheltered life.

But another part of me really wants her to have these major cracks in her life, partly to show the self-centeredness of the MC in never digging more deeply to understand her sister, and partly because it feels cathartic to have an eye-rollingly perfect character fall to pieces. I'm just not sure at this point which choice is more honest. Have you run into a similar situation in your work? How did you address it?

alleycat · Sep 13, 2014

Just throwing out an idea . . .

It seems a little odd to have a big reveal about another character at the end of the book. What if . . . some of the sister's flaws could be moved to the middle of the story and used in some way to help the MC.

You might be able to have it both ways, so to speak. At the end the sister is back to being perfect, and now that is just fine with the MC.

Again, just a thought.

ishtar'sgate · Sep 13, 2014

The Good Typist said:
I have a slightly philosophical question regarding a minor but important character in my book. My MC has an older sister who is annoyingly perfect, smart, wealthy, and together. She's very critical of the MC, but she also does a lot to help her--lends her money, connects her to important contacts, and helps her with business planning. Towards the end of the book, it's revealed that the sister's seemingly perfect life has some major cracks, and that she is not as strong and together as she seems. This "reveal" happened unconsciously during the writing process, and now I feel a little bit ambivalent about it. A part of me wants the sister to be exactly who she appears to be, because in being who she is, she helps the MC realize her goals. I want the sister be enough just as she is in her charmed and sheltered life.

But another part of me really wants her to have these major cracks in her life, partly to show the self-centeredness of the MC in never digging more deeply to understand her sister, and partly because it feels cathartic to have an eye-rollingly perfect character fall to pieces. I'm just not sure at this point which choice is more honest. Have you run into a similar situation in your work? How did you address it?

Personally, I'd go with your creative instinct on this. Both characters sound much more interesting with the flaws exposed. It gives both characters more depth. I generally follow my instincts as I write, as characters grow and flesh out into realistic people when I do. As far as the timing of when to do this? Only you can know when releasing the information would best serve your story.

The Good Typist · Sep 13, 2014

I like that idea, Alleycat. I'm not sure that it works to have a major dramatic reveal so close to the end of the book without enough space to follow up on it. But maybe peppering some throughout would make it work better.

The Good Typist · Sep 13, 2014

Thanks for the encouragement, Ishtar! I usually do go with my creative instincts; but I think I need to tweak the execution on this one a bit.

Reziac · Sep 13, 2014

I like the idea, tho I think I might let it grow rather than "reveal" it. But it depends on the rest of the story, too.

Roxxsmom · Sep 13, 2014

I like the ideas of the the older sister having issues too. I wonder if it might make sense to have at least a few hints provided about her true issues earlier, however, especially if you want the reader to see that the main (and presumably the pov) character was a bit blinded by her own issues, even self absorbed. The kinds of hints the pov doesn't acknowledge or notice at the time, but the reader can look back on later and think, oh yeah, why didn't she see that?

ssbittner · Sep 13, 2014

I also like the idea of having the perfect sister break down, but it would probably work best if you foreshadowed it throughout the book.

thepicpic · Sep 13, 2014

Sadly true of the real world. Most of the people I once looked up to turned out to be just that: people.

But, err, yeah. I'd say trust your instinct on this one.

BethS · Sep 14, 2014

The Good Typist said:
A part of me wants the sister to be exactly who she appears to be, because in being who she is, she helps the MC realize her goals. I want the sister be enough just as she is in her charmed and sheltered life.

But another part of me really wants her to have these major cracks in her life, partly to show the self-centeredness of the MC in never digging more deeply to understand her sister, and partly because it feels cathartic to have an eye-rollingly perfect character fall to pieces.

My instinctive reaction is that the cracks are a very good thing, and they need to be revealed in exactly the right place to cause the most trouble (or perhaps the most good) for your MC.

Wilde_at_heart · Sep 14, 2014

It depends on how you've presented the sister. Often, people with those traits - being successful in everything and helping the sister the way she is - tend to be fairly controlling.

And often people are controlling because they don't want to face inner demons. On the other hand, she could just be a narcissist with an attitude that since everything's worked out for her, why shouldn't it for everyone?

job · Sep 14, 2014

Which way is harder to write?
Which one makes you feel uncomfortable?
Which one tears your guts a little when you're writing it?

Do that one.

Jenkki · Sep 14, 2014

BethS said:
My instinctive reaction is that the cracks are a very good thing, and they need to be revealed in exactly the right place to cause the most trouble (or perhaps the most good) for your MC.

This is the right advice. "Perfect" lives rarely are.

Romangoblets · Sep 14, 2014

Always go with the flaws. It's the flaws that make people interesting. Perfection seldom does.

The Good Typist · Sep 14, 2014

Such great advice and insight! Thank you, everyone. I've decided to go with my instincts and have the sister's facade break in a rather spectacular way. In the editing process, I'll make sure that there are some hairline cracks showing a sooner than the final chapters of the book.

ishtar'sgate · Sep 14, 2014

The Good Typist said:
Such great advice and insight! Thank you, everyone. I've decided to go with my instincts and have the sister's facade break in a rather spectacular way. In the editing process, I'll make sure that there are some hairline cracks showing a sooner than the final chapters of the book.

There you go. Sometimes just a little brainstorming helps clarify things.

TheWordsmith · Sep 15, 2014

The truth is, nobody is as they seem. In fact, for the most part, we all tend to have a different persona with different people.
You are certainly not the same person with your parents as you are with your friends. And that is not the same person you are with your siblings. Nor are you any of those same people as the one your spouse or significant other knows. Your boss has a totally different facet of you at work. And, truth be told, most of your friends have a different perception of you than other friends. And, of course, online 'friends' know a different person as well.
And, you are actually right on target with these siblings. Unless they were extremely close growing up, each of them has personal insecurities that the other plays on. So it would not be unusual for the MC to simply accept her sister at face value throughout most of the book. And it is our own degree of experience that helps us to grow past the sibling status and lets us see that sibling as a person separate and apart from the sibling we grew up with. The more we learn about ourselves, the more we see of others.

Debbie V · Sep 15, 2014

I just want to point out that we all have cracks. That doesn't mean we fall apart in the face of them. Maybe there is a middle ground. Expose the cracks, but show the sister's strength about them as she copes in a normal way.

A Character Conundrum

The Good Typist

alleycat

Still around

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

The Good Typist

The Good Typist

Reziac

Resident Alien

Roxxsmom

Beastly Fido

ssbittner

scientist, artist, writer

thepicpic

May or may not be a potato.

BethS

Wilde_at_heart

υπείκωphobe

job

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

Jenkki

Romangoblets

The Good Typist

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

TheWordsmith

practical experience, FTW

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

A Character Conundrum

Still around

living in the past

Resident Alien

Beastly Fido

scientist, artist, writer

May or may not be a potato.

&#965;&#960;&#949;&#943;&#954;&#969;phobe

In the end, it's just you and the manuscript

living in the past

practical experience, FTW

Mentoring Myself and Others

υπείκωphobe