2) Poke Your Character’s Wounds

2) Poke Your Character’s Wounds

Past hurts leave a mark. Characters who have experienced emotional pain are not eager to do so again, and as a result, flaws often form to “protect” from future hurt. A man who loses his wife to an unfortunate infection picked up during a hospital stay is likely have biases toward the medical system. He may grow stubborn and mistrustful, refusing to see a doctor when he grows sick, or seek medical treatment when he knows something is deeply wrong. This wounding event (his wife’s death) changed who he was, affected his judgment and now makes him risk his own health. Had his wife survived, these changes would not have taken place. Knowing your character’s wounds help you understand how flaws form in the hopes that the character can protect himself from being hurt again.