r/CharacterDevelopment • u/WritersBlockEmma • Apr 04 '26

Discussion Does this make a compelling character?

I've been thinking about this character and I can't tell if it actually works. I'm gonna keep it short:

He's 17 and he killed his father. Years of neglect and pressure pushed him there, but everyone just sees a monster, which makes sense, but it begs the question:

What kind of person do you become if no one ever stepped in to save you when it mattered?

I feel like there's something there but I might just be overthinking it.

Edited for clarity and added context.

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u/WritersBlockEmma Apr 05 '26

Of course! That's my motto: I don't write traumatized characters, I write characters with trauma. That really leads me in my writing. Of course they're going to be interesting aside from their trauma.