Writer's Workshop: Powers and Flaws · 1:39am Jun 13th, 2015
Hey, everyone! 'Sbeen a while, huh? Here's something to talk about. When you write a story, you pick a Main Character to be the emotional focus of the story. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. But here's something else to think about: what makes the Main Character important to the story is that they are the only one with the power to reach the Goal. Makes sense, right? Even if they're not the one actively reaching for the Goal, it's their presence that makes it work out in the end. Let's call this a Power. It's absolutely necessary that the Main Character's Power be the thing which shifts the story from failure to success. If it's some other thing, then... well, why are we following this character? The characters can't see it, but stories follow patterns. That pattern is what gets the Main Character mixed up in the story and what gives them their Power.
Here's kind of what I mean. In "Too Many Pinkie Pies," what makes Pinkie special? Out of all the Pinkies, out of all the ponies in Ponyville, what makes Pinkie capable of solving the problem of the story? Well, it's her abiding love for her friends, right? That's what makes her different from the clones. Her desire to have fun is tempered by that attitude of selflessness. She's willing to sit and watch paint dry if it means her friends are happy. As long as she can maintain that, she could solve everything.
Or how about another example? Think about something obvious, like a key episode, say. Applejack's Power in "Leap of Faith" draws from her belief in Honesty. No matter what Flim and Flam may say, she is confident that the tonic is fake, and she won't be persuaded otherwise.
...Except, of course, when she is. You see, if your Main Character were just powerful, they'd just stomp over the story, no problem. But every Main Character also comes with a terrible Flaw, a weakness that keeps them from their full potential. Overcoming that Flaw (or being overcome by their Flaw) is a major focus of the story. Applejack's, for example, comes down to what she's seen so far. If Granny isn't getting hurt... if it makes ponies happy... what's the harm? So long as she lets that overcome her confidence in Honesty, the Flim-Flam Brothers will keep swindling innocent ponies.
What about Pinkie? If Pinkie's love of her friends is what makes her Powerful enough to stop the Pinkie storm, why does it even happen in the first place? Really, it's all the times she jumps to rash conclusions. If I can just run fast enough, if I can just be in two (or three) places at once... and before she's really thought it through, she's wearing herself out or cloning herself. And each time, those foolish leaps in logic lead to more and more trouble. Even after the Pinkies are in full force, she makes a foolish decision: she must be a clone as well! So long as she stands by those stupid choices, her loving attitude won't shine through.
As you write your story, keep these two in mind. In particular, keep their Flaws in mind. Remember what I said before about characters being blind? Use their Flaw to blind them, have them make bad choices. Classic ones are pride, anger, fear, recklessness... you get the idea. But when all the chips fall together, let their Power shine through!
Ah, but let's look at that other important character, the Influence Character. The Influence Character's Power is what gives them the capacity to make the Main Character change. It doesn't really matter whether that change is good or bad; the Influence Character doesn't always know the difference. Rather, their Power simply makes their argument that, "No, you have to do things my way!" more compelling. For example, in "Bridle Gossip," the Mane 6 warp Twilight's opinion of Zecora by forcing her to think through the mindset of curses and unnatural-ness. Despite Twilight's insistence that they are completely in their power to just ask Zecora politely, she lets herself get tricked and ultimately believes her friends' wild-eyed theories. In "Fall Weather Friends," Rainbow Dash also throws Applejack for a loop with her cheating ways. Since Rainbow Dash cheats, she threatens to beat Applejack. Applejack knows she's better, but her insecurity gets the better of her, and she starts to cheat as well.
Luckily, the Influence Characters have Flaws as well. In this case, if their Flaws are too strong, their influence is ineffective, and the Main Character stays the same way they always have, for better or worse. It's great in stories like "Rainbow Falls," where the revelation of the Wonderbolts' skeevy tactics ultimately undermines their ability to trick Rainbow Dash into flying with them, but not so great in stories like "Lesson Zero," where the mane 5's surety that Twilight's fears are overblown ultimately keeps them from realizing the source of Twilight's angst and talking her down.
Thus, your story is balanced on two different rails. Your Main Character can wield their Power, or they can collapse upon their Flaw. The Influence Character can convince the Main Character to change, or they can fall to their own Flaw and leave the Main Character on their old path. As you write, you've got to make it work out exactly how you've planned. Will change lead to success, or should the Main Character hold steady? If you write it clearly, your readers will know what the correct answer is.
Another great blog. I particularly like the insightful examples of the Mane 6 given. Curious though, of the whole cast, who do you favor as a duo based on their 'Powers and Flaws'?