How to Torture Your Characters With Their Own Traits // Another Really Old Post I'm Finally Publishing

 Another random list of character things! This draft has been sitting around for ages. Maybe it was once going to be a blog series? But right now I'm just cleaning out my drafts and decided to post this one. Its more of a how to write about the character you've created than it is to create the character. 

(Lies. Its mostly about how to cause the more pain to your reader. The title should be How To Torture Your Character With Their Own Traits...Wait. That's not half bad.)

So you have a character who is really good at noticing things. They remember when people's birthdays are, their tests, favorite colors, the name of their first dog, etc. What happens when they STOP noticing? Or if they go bad, they go really bad because they know just how to hurt people. They know what buttons to push in a fight, etc.

You have a person who is always happy. It makes it all the more painful, the more powerful, when they're sad. Not sad as in a little upset. Depressed. Not speaking to anyone, not eating.

If they're in a group and they're the one who's always making sure everyone is positive, what happens when they stop? Does someone else in the group step up and momentarily take that place?

If you have someone who's a good leader or always knows what to do, what happens when they don't know anymore? What happens when they make a huge mistake?

What happens when someone who is strong is hurt? How do other people react? Or, more importantly, how does the injured person react? Are they shocked? Angry? Refuse care?

What happens when someone who is cold and calculated lets their emotions get the better of them? Is it in some horrific way that destroys everything and everyone knows or is it something the rest of the group didn't see the character has to suffer alone, tormented by their thoughts?

What happens when the person who never takes charge (because they never have to perhaps because there is always someone else doing it) has to? (Like if something happens to the people who normally take charge) Do they falter? Do they fail? Do they push on?

Sometimes, some of the most painful things are when something happens and it bothers the character. But nobody else sees it. They either dont know it happened or dont think its a big deal. But it tears the character apart. We have the ability to be in the character's head. We might as well use it.