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Topic : Re: If I remove the capacity for one of the primary flaws, is it inevitable I end up with a boring character? In this world, there are mortals (human beings) and divine beings (gods/goddess). The - selfpublishingguru.com

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Consider putting your character into situations where what makes the character interesting is not the character's courage.
Consider:
How would an irredeemably courageous hero handle the trolley problem?
A dastardly villain has trapped the hero on a runaway trolley. There is no way to derail or stop the trolley. If the trolley maintains its course it will run over and kill a victim. The hero can change the trolley's course, but then it will run over and kill 5 victims. No matter what choice the hero makes someone will die.
The hero being courageous will make a decision, and will feel confident in that decision. Maybe the hero leaves the trolley as is because sparing 5 lives at the cost of 1 life is somehow in line with his ethics. Maybe the hero diverts the trolley because the 1 life is his crush and he thinks that person will fall in love with him if saved.
Either way someone will die and the hero being a hero will be sad. The hero has to live with this sadness. The hero might have to meet the families of those who have died no matter how much he doesn't want to. The thought of not meeting with those families never occurs to him. He has to get up the next day and wear a brave face in public not because he wants to but because he doesn't know how not to.
Courage isn't a lack of fear. Nor is cowardice the presence of fear. Courage is going through the motions anyway despite being afraid because that's what needs to be done.
I can see this character running across hot coals to achieve his goal. Crying in pain. Cursing and complaining through it the whole time. Hating every second of the trial, but going through with it anyway because he feels it is what needs to be done. He isn't capable of letting fear or pain stop him from doing it. And this makes him interesting.
The character is allowed to experience fear, and to make decisions based on that fear, but cannot let his fear make the decisions for him.
"Why are you crying? I thought you were the god of courage?"
"I am the god of courage, sniffle but getting struck by lightning sucks."


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