Last Updated on January 15, 2023 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
If you’re looking for a way to spice up your writing, you might want to try writing arrogant characters. Arrogant characters are often interesting, fun, and dynamic. They offer a new perspective on the story and can add much flavor to your writing. This article will show you how to create arrogant characters in your fiction and non-fiction writing. Let’s get started!
What are the signs of an arrogant character?
The belief that you are better, wiser, or more significant than others is called arrogance. A few qualities that might define an arrogant person are superior, dominating, self-entitled, and presumptive.
People who are next-level conceited have a variety of qualities that you may anticipate.
1 – They are rude
One of the reasons why haughty individuals can be so abrasive in social situations is that arrogance often goes hand in hand with pushiness. They consider themselves to be better than others. They don’t think about others’ feelings or requirements before acting. They always put themselves first.
2 – They desire recognition
Several egotistical persons are concerned about what others think of them, even if they appear to have an inflated sense of their importance. Arrogant persons can become a party’s life and soul, even in rare cases, because of their need for attention.
3 – They lack self-awareness
To objectively examine or evaluate their characteristics, behaviors, and emotions, arrogant people lack the ability for self-awareness. Since they can’t honestly picture themselves changing unwholesome or harmful habits, they find it challenging.
4 – They are defensive
Being challenged or criticized is a lethal threat to an arrogant person’s ego. As a result, arrogant individuals will become increasingly defensive as soon as either happens. They are easily insecure, and they feel the need to defend themselves against any perceived danger.
5 – They brag excessively
One of the most apparent indicators of an arrogant person is excessive bragging. They need you to know how well they are regarding material riches, status, or specific accomplishments. The arrogant main character can be introduced in the first act, to “make up” for his/her previous arrogance.
Nine things to consider before writing arrogant characters
Multi-dimensional characters with personalities, backstories, aspirations, and flaws are developed through a process known as character development. A prominent character arc, in which the protagonist changes throughout the plot, is also usually present. Every character’s decision in any given scenario should be explained by good character development.
Given below are the top 9 factors to consider before writing about arrogant characters:
1 – Establish motivation and story goals
The narrative exists and is worth being told because of your character’s current objective. What your character desires from the story’s plot and what will drive their inner journey is what you want. The entire narrative arc would collapse if it wasn’t there. The ‘in order to” that gives your character’s goal meaning is followed by the reasons for your character’s goal. Both internal and external factors influence their cravings.
2 – Give them both internal as well as external conflict
Just placing a few roadblocks between them and their objective allows your character to become engaging. Frodo would not be a very intriguing character or a very memorable protagonist if he simply strolled up to Mount Doom and dropped the ring in the lava, and returned in time for a second breakfast. The obstacles in the story — Sauron’s army of orcs and the ring’s power over Frodo, for example — generate conflict and tension. The fact that it’s funny makes it worth reading.
3 – Based on the character’s traits and flaws, modify the tone of voice.
How much intrigue there is in your story will be determined by how your character responds to their external and internal conflicts. Your character will need qualities to call upon and flaws that may endanger them to overcome these difficulties. In everyday conversation, the tone is everything. Yet, while the volume of our voice, the intensity of our gaze, and our overall body language are all excellent ways to express tone in verbal communication, they aren’t as practical as written tone.
Even with a style guide, it’s difficult to ensure that your words express the correct tone. In such cases, there’s no harm but only benefit in taking the assistance of an AI writer! Jasper is an artificial intelligence writing assistant created by veteran copywriters and programmed to hold 10 percent of the web’s information. Let Jasper do the heavy lifting instead of passing your communication through numerous copywriters. Moreover, you will be gifted with 10,000 words to try Jasper for free, so hurry up!
4 – Choose whether your character is dynamic or static
Characters are said to have to evolve significantly throughout a tale or aren’t considered well-written. In reality, a long internal journey creates a slew of remarkable characters who change very little. These are static characters who belong in your character growth toolbox.
The struggles(s) that a dynamic figure faces change them. This might be a hidden development, such as Jack’s transformation into a wild, unrestrained, and “savage” creature on the island in Lord of the Flies. Authors frequently use static secondary characters to support a dynamic character’s growth. Consider Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird and how little he changes throughout the book.
5 – Consider the physical traits of your character
Yes, a character’s “heart” is inside his or her internal goals and motivations. However, that does not mean that their exterior features should be secondary. Your protagonist may not impact the plot and has blonde hair. However, it may influence how other people react to them. Therefore, having a precise picture of them in your imagination as you write your tale will only help you, the author. Take some time early to sketch your protagonist’s physical traits, including their voice and look.
6 – Write their distinctive mannerisms
Deciding on eye color and a voice type is just the beginning of determining your character’s external traits. You’ll want to round out your physical profile with some unique mannerisms to distinguish your brown-eyed alto from all the other brown-eyed altos in literature. Your character’s reactions to the environment around them, including their speaking style, walk, and tics, will be important to consider.
7 – Don’t compromise on proper research!
Empathy and imagination will get you a long way when it comes to character growth. In any case, if you can’t imagine yourself in your character’s thoughts, there’s no way your readers will do so. Character research comes into play when you’re writing about a part of your character that you don’t know much about. Say you’re working on a British character and have never been outside of Florida. When you’re writing his dialogue, you’ll want to do some research.
8 – Do not make this character mistake!
You may have been cleared. Yet, it’s important to make sure that your character’s positive and negative traits are properly balanced at this point. Every attractive feature should be balanced by an identical and opposite flaw. You should, however, make certain that your character possesses flaws as significant as their strengths.
9 – Give your character a backstory
Your fictitious characters all require a backstory, too. Explore your characters’ backgrounds and personalities. A character’s back story will assist you to understand what makes them tick and influence their choices in the narrative, even if most of it won’t make it onto the page.
Final Words
In case you are looking to add an arrogant personality to your story, keep reading. Here we have outlined important tips and things to consider while writing about arrogant characters
As you write, remember that arrogance is not a trait everyone possesses. It requires a certain type of confidence and self-assurance that makes it hard for people with negative traits like arrogance to change their ways. Thus, be sure to not make the character too arrogant or villainous as this can ruin the impact of the story. Instead, create sympathetic traits in such characters so they seem real and believable to readers.
FAQs
What does your character say about himself or herself that makes him or her seem arrogant?
A character that seems arrogant might speak in a high-pitched, nasal tone, or they may talk down to other characters. Additionally, they may think themselves superior to others and act accordingly. By analyzing your character’s dialogue and behavior, you can determine if arrogance is an issue in their personality.
Do you think it’s okay for your character to behave this way because he/she has been hurt in some way and wants revenge on someone who wronged them in some way? Explain why you think
Yes, it is okay for your character to behave this way because he/she has been hurt in some way and wants revenge on someone who wronged them in some way. This type of Vengeance Romance can be an effective plot device and can add suspense or excitement to the story. It can also humanize your characters and make them more relatable. In short, you should avoid writing stories with gratuitous violence or gore but focus on plots that are fraught with emotions such as hurt feelings and anger.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadpool
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/arrogant
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/arrogant
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