drawn by: Nili DooL
A character who has a darker side also implies there's a lighter side they might present to others. Today's post is delving into the darker side of a character by using Dark Traid in combination with Light Traid. It was inspired by the test with the same name.
Additionally, as a writer it would be useful to look into Jung's Sadow if you're interested in finding out more about this topic and concept. It was definitely more than useful in my writing process. Keep in mind these topics should be approached with nuance, and if you're going to implement them into your story, please make sure to do appropriate research.
In Summary
Dark Triad consists of Narcissism, Machiavellianism and Psychopathy. What made me understand these better were these examples.
- Narcissism - "It's all about me."
- Machiavellianism - "I'll hurt you to succeed."
- Psychopathy - "I don't care if I hurt you."
Keep in mind, these are disgustingly oversimplified terms of these complex conditions that are still being studied and researched. It helps in approaching these terms with nuance while writing and figuring out where your character falls under.
Light Triad consists of Empathy, Altruism and Compassion. Again, it's useful to approach these terms with a deeper understanding by researching these terms and how people on the light traid interact with the world.
There's more to all six of these terms if you look more into them, but using these as foundations can be extremely helpful.
Darker Side
A darker side of your character could be messier, flawed and less pleasant for the reader, but also other characters present within your story. It could be something that would unsettle even those who are the closest to the said character. If you have more of them with the same or similar darker side, you can make them bond or understand each other on a level that even readers struggle to understand. This mainly depends on the kind of story and genre you're writing.
What is their darker side?
What does it consist of? Does it have layers?
Why do they have a darker side?
What's their end motivation? Do they even have any?
Such questions can help you form it and understand your characters. If you do understand your characters, then you would be able to make a reader also understand them. It's also fine to leave things unsaid or unexplained, depending on the kind of story you're writing.
Foreshadow their Other Side
Make sure to hint at them having something more to them, even from the first few lines or in the first few scenes. This is mainly to keep the reader intrigued. As if there's something more they're hiding, something they're not saying or simply not showing to others.
It could be a secret hobby or them planning to take down others for their own gain. It could be even them spreading rumors around to hurt a certain person that's in their way of success.
Building a foundation surely helps with building up to the reveal of their darker side. It could make the readers feel as if they're discovering something new. If you're able to bring them to a conclusion, that's even more powerful, as people naturally believe more and stick to conclusions they made themselves than being told what to think or feel. This is where "show, don't tell," also shines.
drawn by: Nili DooL
Show Their Darker Side
Even if it's a short paragraph, you should show off what your character is hiding, not telling, etc. This raises the tension in the reader and shows them there's more to the character than it first seems.
Now, whether or not you want to build tension, is up to you, or what type of story you're writing. Additionally, if the darker side is the main focus on the story, it's useful to show it very early on, without hinting too much about it. Showing it right away, in that case, helps extremely with leaving an impression on the reader.
Reasoning or Without Reasoning
Sometimes having a darker side is a part of the human nature. So, giving someone the reason behind why they are the way they are is reasonable. Even if your character isn't human, it could still work in many ways, mainly to make readers understand or even sympathise with your character nevertheless.
However, sometimes, not giving a motive or a reason simply because "They are the was they are," could be both terrifying and intriguing if described well. Also, with enough writing skill and a clear goal, you can make this type of vision shine even more.
Use of Dark and Light
Combining some of the Dark and Light Traids could help you create a unique character. The test linked at the beginning of the posts provides you with some of the additional literature you can look into if you're interested.
Outside of Traids, it can be a combination between two contradictory characteristics (it's something I sometimes like to write about or simply experiment with). For example, someone who is publicly against stealing, but earns their money through scams. Naturally, many readers would be questioning why there is such a contradiction within that one character, so exploring it, diving into it and making readers face their own contradictions in life is definitely one of the ways you can make an impression.
drawn by: Nili DooL
by: Nili
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