My writing group said my fantasy hero was 'too nice' and it broke my brain for a week

They specifically pointed out a scene where he politely returned a stolen loaf of bread, saying it made him boring. Now I'm trying to give him a petty flaw, like he's weirdly obsessed with polishing one specific boot. Anyone have tips for writing small, annoying character quirks?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire641mo ago

Honestly, I think your writing group gave you bad advice. A hero who returns stolen bread shows a strong moral compass, which is the whole point. The world is full of gritty, rude protagonists. A genuinely kind person trying to do good in a messed up world is way more interesting to read about. Polishing a boot is just a superficial trick. That polite bread scene is your character's core strength, not a flaw you need to fix. You should lean into it instead.

reese861mo ago

You're right about the world being full of gritty, rude protagonists. My last attempt at writing one was so edgy I cut myself on the manuscript. The guy returned stolen bread and then apologized to the loaf. Maybe I should just let my characters be decent. Polishing a boot feels like putting a band-aid on a personality.

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xenarobinson1mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man I read this article last week about how we're all so tired of grimdark everything. It said nice characters in hard situations create way more tension because you're actually scared for them. That bread apology scene sounds amazing, like it shows his values without having to say it. Claire's totally right, that's not a band-aid that's the whole point of the character.