lovely-blue-food

[lovely-blue-food]

Crafting Compelling Morally Gray Characters: A Guide for Fiction Writers

In literature, there is often a clear distinction between good and evil. Heroes are portrayed as virtuous and villains as wicked. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in the popularity of morally gray characters - those who do not fit neatly into the categories of good or evil. These characters are complex, flawed, and often make decisions that challenge the reader's moral compass. In this guide, I'll help you explore the art of crafting compelling morally gray characters and how to make them stand out in your fiction writing.

What Are Morally Gray Characters?

Morally gray characters, also known as morally ambiguous characters, are those who do not conform to traditional notions of good or evil. They may have both positive and negative traits, and their actions may be motivated by a mix of good and bad intentions. These characters often blur the lines between right and wrong, making them more relatable and intriguing to readers.

Examples of Morally Gray Characters

Some well-known examples of morally gray characters include:

Severus Snape from the Harry Potter series: Initially portrayed as a villain, Snape's true motivations and actions are revealed to be more complex and morally ambiguous.

Jaime Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series: Known for his arrogance and incestuous relationship with his sister, Jaime's character evolves throughout the series, showcasing his internal struggle between his duty and his personal desires.

Walter White from Breaking Bad: A high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine producer, Walter's character is constantly torn between his desire for power and his moral compass.

Why Are Morally Gray Characters Compelling?

Morally gray characters are compelling because they challenge the reader's perceptions of right and wrong. They are not easily categorized as heroes or villains, making them more relatable and human. These characters also add depth and complexity to a story, making it more interesting and thought-provoking.

The Power of Relatability

One of the main reasons morally gray characters are so compelling is because they are relatable. They are not perfect, and they make mistakes, just like real people. This makes them more human and allows readers to connect with them on a deeper level. When readers can see themselves in a character, it creates a stronger emotional connection to the story.

The Element of Surprise

Morally gray characters also add an element of surprise to a story. Their actions and decisions may not always align with what the reader expects, keeping them on the edge of their seat. This unpredictability makes the story more engaging and can lead to unexpected plot twists.

The Exploration of Morality

Morally gray characters also allow for a deeper exploration of morality in a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality. This can lead to thought-provoking discussions and a deeper understanding of complex moral issues.

How to Craft Morally Gray Characters

Crafting morally gray characters requires a delicate balance of positive and negative traits, as well as a deep understanding of their motivations and internal struggles. Here are some tips for creating compelling morally gray characters in your writing.

Give Them a Strong Motivation

Every character, regardless of their moral alignment, should have a strong motivation for their actions. For morally gray characters, this motivation should be complex and not easily defined as purely good or evil. It could be a desire for power, revenge, or even a sense of duty. This motivation will drive their decisions and actions throughout the story.

Show Their Flaws and Vulnerabilities

Morally gray characters are not perfect, and they should not be portrayed as such. They should have flaws and vulnerabilities that make them more relatable and human. These flaws could be physical, emotional, or moral, and they should play a role in the character's development and decisions.

Create Internal Conflict

One of the defining characteristics of morally gray characters is their internal conflict. They are torn between their good and bad tendencies, and this struggle should be evident in their thoughts and actions. This internal conflict adds depth to the character and makes them more relatable to readers.

Avoid Stereotypes

When crafting morally gray characters, it's important to avoid falling into stereotypes. These characters should not be one-dimensional or defined solely by their moral ambiguity. They should have unique personalities, backgrounds, and motivations that make them stand out as individuals.

Show Their Growth and Development

As with any well-written character, morally gray characters should experience growth and development throughout the story. They should learn from their mistakes and make decisions that challenge their moral compass. This growth and development will make them more dynamic and interesting to readers.

How to Make Morally Gray Characters Stand Out

With the rise in popularity of morally gray characters, it's important to make yours stand out in a sea of similar characters. Here are some tips for making your morally gray characters unique and memorable.

Give Them a Distinctive Voice

A character's voice is an essential part of their identity. It should be unique and reflective of their personality and motivations. For morally gray characters, their voice should reflect their internal conflict and the complexity of their moral alignment.

Create a Strong Backstory

A character's backstory can provide valuable insight into their motivations and actions. For morally gray characters, a strong backstory can help explain their moral ambiguity and add depth to their character. It can also create empathy and understanding for their decisions.

Use Foils to Highlight Their Morality

Foils are characters who contrast with the main character, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. For morally gray characters, foils can be used to showcase their moral ambiguity and challenge their beliefs. This can add depth to the character and create interesting dynamics between them and other characters.

Morally gray characters add depth, complexity, and relatability to a story. By challenging traditional notions of good and evil, these characters force readers to question their own moral compass and consider the gray areas of morality.

[lovely-blue-food]

[lovely-blue-food]

I can hear his voice, that's how you know that Heinz made an impact on my childhood.

@mangacupcake @marrondrawsalot @writing-heiress @the-weirdos-mind

Book club at the House of Mouse was a mistake

[lovely-blue-food]

I agree with that cause whoever wrote this incredible fic has done an amazing job on their story.

#heart wrenching #good reads #foreign fanfic writers

[lovely-blue-food]

Alya in that Perfection clip: Accept help from your friends and stop running away from them 😊😊😊

Me: Lol yeah remember that time she asked you to help her help Adrien and you and the rest of the class accused her of being a jealous creep who wants to steal Adrien and Lila's happiness so I wonder why she's so messed up seriously Marinette accept their help you can always count on them 😑😑😑

[lovely-blue-food]

What is your biggest issue with the show

The poor distribution of blame.

Lots of characters screw up, lots of characters do questionable things, lots of characters share negative traits. Jealousy, Lying, Selfishness, etc. But despite the fact that many characters have these traits, Marinette is (usually) the ONLY one to get any of the blame (Alya has shouldered some blame in Season 4 otherwise I'd firmly say ONLY Marinette gets blame).

Many characters that I have problems with - Chloe, Adrien, Alya (and many many others when they come up)- I'd give a way bigger pass if they were ever called out or made to feel guilty or apologize. But they never do. Worse yet, sometimes they'll repeat something that Marinette did wrong yet where Marinette was made to "learn a lesson" from it, the other character will get away with it scott-free.

Marinette lies to Chris in "Christmaster" to protect her privacy? How could she, she caused an akuma! Let's ignore that Alya lied to Manon all the way back in "Stormy Weather" though, that was to fuel the love square so it's fine!

Marinette uses her alias as Ladybug in a fit of jealousy to lash out at a civilian in "Volpina"? Welp, better saddle her with a life long nemesis despite her apologizing to Lila and admitting her wrong doing. What's that, Chat Noir did the same thing in "Copycat" yet not only used his time to cover up what he did but also deflect blame onto Ladybug? Well that's fine because Ladybug apologized to Theo so it's water under the bridge.

Marinette tries to play matchmaker for Marc and Nathaniel? Oh no, such misunderstanding! Guess you'll have to take the fire for this akuma too Marinette! You really should keep your nose out of things even if they did eventually decide to work together but ignore that. Hm, what, the Girl Squad has cooked up another Operation: Secret Garden plot? Well obviously that won't go well for Marinette, but don't worry ladies, YOU'LL get off with noooo problems!

Nevermind all the times Marinette apolgozies for things that aren't even her fault. Nevermind all the times she does the right thing but still has to "learn a lesson". Nevermind that Marinette herself is starting to blame herself for things she had no hand in (God a part of me died when she actually took blame for "causing Silencer", like, WHAT?!)

So yeah, redistribute the wealth blame and this show would be at least 25% better.

[lovely-blue-food]

I did some animation for the Harvest Goddess Mama au. Enjoy!!!!! 😊

#encanto #encanto au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #flood my inbox #my inbox is open #greek gods #mirabel is persephone #isabela is demeter #encanto isabela #animation #fan art #pregnancy #fan animation #greek goddess #greek mythology

[lovely-blue-food]

Grimm’s fighting for his life while getting cleaned and groomed.

How Yuu has to give Grim his bath- remember the line where Vil said Ace mentioned him and deuce help us hold grim down to cut his nails?

@adrianasunderworld @marrondrawsalot @writing-heiress @the-weirdos-mind @nproduction626 @rose-tea-and-strawberries @anxious-twisted-vampire @yukii0nna

[lovely-blue-food]

There are some myths depicting Persephone as Poseidons daughter from time to time and have Zeus as her father most of the time, so I thought why not both. Besides they’re gods you can have more then two deities/entities be a biological parent to demigods and/or new deity/entities.

#encanto #encanto au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #encanto isabela #encanto mirabel #isabela is demeter #Mirabel is Persephone #greek gods #goddess #send asks #send me asks #ask me anything #ask #anon ask #ask blog #asks open #flood my inbox #my inbox is open #hades #poseidon #zeus #hera #hestia #amphitrite #gods and goddesses #pregnancy #motherhood #fan art

[lovely-blue-food]

I just saw a post about how Hera, Demeter, and Hestia should be the Big 3 instead of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. And while I understand the sentiment (✨Feminism✨🖕🏻Fuck the Patriarchy 🖕🏻✌🏻Girl Power✌🏻 etc) I personally think Hera, Demeter, and Hestia are not only quite content with their positions, they very likely helped orchestrated it to be that way.

One of the biggest mistakes worshipers, witches, and mythology fans make is thinking the 3 sisters are not powerful enough to take the thrones if they wanted them.

Demeter alone forced 2 out of the 3 Kings (1 of them being THE King) to bend to her will. One of those thrones could have easily been hers if she wanted it.

Hestia paved the way for Athena and Artemis, by CHOOSING her own path. She didn’t ask Zeus, she told him by swearing an oath that she would remain a virgin. And of course, Hestia gets offerings first and last. Pretty sure the one thing all the Gods can agree on is that Hestia is the best and that by itself is power.

As for Hera, she knows her position is actually far better than Zeus’ bc she has more freedom. I always compare them to the King and Queen in chess. The King is important enough to be the entire purpose of the game however he’s extremely limited. The Queen, on the other hand, is limitless which makes her the most dangerous piece on the board. You can see this in action in the Iliad. Hera is able to release her anger and fury for not being chosen by Paris and aids in the destruction of an entire city. Zeus, with all his power as King, can’t even prevent his beloved son’s death because his position of King does not allow it. And it was Hera who reminded Zeus that as their leader, he couldn’t save his son. So she knows the limits that come with that role. Why would she choose a position that only lets her move one space at a time when she can move whenever and however she wants? And she still has a crown on her head.

I get because of how patriarchal Ancient Greece was it’s easy to look at the hierarchy of the Gods as a reflection of that. But personally, I think the structure actually makes sense when you take into account the personalities of the Gods and what each position requires.

And as I said before, if Hera, Demeter, and Hestia weren’t happy with the current structure, it wouldn’t be the current structure. 😂

Also, we haven’t even talked about the wildcard that is, Aphrodite! As if that hot sexy bitch couldn’t take the whole thing down with just one boob.

Like come on, I thought we all already knew that our Goddesses are the ones who truly run the entire show?

[lovely-blue-food]

Hi, I am Blue, I am 22 yrs old, and I created the Mirabel The Vampire Slayer au and Harvest Goddess Mama Isabela au.

Making the two AUs are fun and meme worthy so when I have enough time I will also make memes when I can. But anyways it’s okay to ask questions about either au to see what’s happening and at the moment I have writers block for the Vampire Slayer au no I didn’t abandon the story, my motivation is not there at the moment. I will answer to the best of my ability so ask away and I’ll be there as fast as I can.

No pro-shippers allowed here and I will delete there asks and comments.

#encanto #encanto au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #mirabel the vampire slayer au #buffy the vampire slayer #greek mythology #greek gods #encanto isabela #isabela is demeter #encanto mirabel #Mirabel is Persephone #ask me anything #send asks #asks open #send me asks #ask blog #my inbox is open #flood my inbox #send anons #anonymous #anon ask

[lovely-blue-food]

#encanto #encanto au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #greek gods #encanto isabela #encanto mirabel #demeter #persphone #Isabela is Demeter #Mirabel is Persephone #greek mythology #mama isa #ask me anything #send anons #my inbox is open #flood my inbox #artwork #original art #fan art #fanart #digital art #encanto fanart

[lovely-blue-food]

MOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

lore mode

[lovely-blue-food]

[lovely-blue-food]

Look I know I should focus on my BTVS au but hear me out.

Harvest Goddess Mama Isabela au with Isabela as Demeter and Mirabel as Persephone I’ll figure out the rest of the Madrigal family later.

(Since the Madrigal family are still going to be family NO INCEST so NO PROSHIPPERS are to interact/be involved)

#encanto #encanto au #isabela madrigal #mirabel madrigal #goddess #greek gods #demeter #persphone #Isabela as Demeter #Mirabel as Persphone

[lovely-blue-food]

Being in a multi fandom is fun, but most of the times I have no idea what I’m doing.

[lovely-blue-food]

Urban Legends are interesting

I still think that my favorite urban legend/folklore fact is that there are certain areas in New Orleans where you cannot get a taxi late at night not because it isn’t safe, but because taxi companies have had recurring problems of picking up ghosts in those areas who are not aware that they are dead and disappearing from the cab before reaching the destination and therefore stiffing the driver on the fare causing a loss for the company.