Need a hand with a character?

[Buzzy]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a rather special character: a borderline lawyer who plays on the razor's edge. She's super competent but not at all blameless. Like, she might falsify a document or manipulate a witness if it saves her client. On the other hand, I'm having a bit of trouble giving her depth without falling into the “evil lawyer without a soul” cliché.

Do you have any ideas on how to make her more believable, or references to similar characters that might help me?

[BlackAkuma]

Do you have any ideas on how to make her more believable, or references to similar characters that might help me?

Better Call Saul.

[Underdoggo]

Is she a wrestler or a supporting side character?

[Monsy]

I'd also recommend Better Call Saul or just the character Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman.

His character is one that explores being a con-man lawyer / using the law to win even when it means hurting people over and over, but had a soft spot and need for validation from his older, more successful brother. (Being purposefully vague to avoid spoilers)

But to help on the theory side... just pick a freaking - MOTIVATION - and go in blind.

Jk.

It's a matter of asking yourself questions and being open to every answer your brain manifests. It's good to make-up your own, but if I were to take a crack then I'd probably be asking these questions constantly when they're making a colourful decision. "Why are they doing this?" "Why do they want this?" "What is it that they're really after deep down?" There is several spins on a crooked lawyer. And it's helpful to think that even the most soulless lawyer wants something. And the answers to any question u come up with can be dark, positive or somewhere in-between.

Each question answered can help make new ideas for the character as you get to know them, thus being able to get into their heads. One thought can feed into another. It would be a good place to consider their morals, habits and values. "What can be an exception in their behaviors?" "How can they contradict their own beliefs?" "What is an action on a case that will make them pause and why?" Secondarily, another tool is to get some specifics. Do they support all clients like such, or is it more when she has emotional investment? (Either for the client, towards the opposition or internally). What kind of law do they practice and why are they interested in that to begin with? What made them want to be a lawyer anyway? Stuff like that can start to make details that give them a personhood.

You can also take this more broadly into sketching out a concept for a corrupt lawyer that has depth: Is their personality abrasive, practice cutthroat, but helps the right people? Is she a sweetheart that plays nasty? Is she callous towards her opposition or does she only want to win? Could she be underperforming traditionally due to anxiety, a prior event she's grappling with, consciously or subconsciously. Of course there's also laziness and the beauty of doing things the easy way that she's super great at. Once you have a general idea, then you can start doing deeper.

Another aspect is giving them smaller details about their personality, routine, habits(again) and hobbies(even saying none says something about them). You don't need to go deep into why or write them on a profile, but when a character has a certain taste like a favourite brand of rum or only wearing certain shoes, it starts to make them feel real and you can, again, think for them easier to push more content. When it comes to being believable, this is a great tool to help. People are diverse, so your concept already feels believable to me. And TV / Movies / Books / Media is where we augment things for fun, so don't be afraid of swinging the character into big aesthetics, preferences or choices.

Finally. It's good to consider arcs. You may start with a soulless evil lawyer, but you can always change that block by block by introducing change, made easier if you know them well or just have a story you'd like to run that nails what you want. This works vice versa, but you can also take the flat arc route ( meaning they're not meant to change much. this doesn't mean they're not morally, physically or intellectually stunted, it just means they're meant to hold onto their truth despite the obstacles, for better or worse. )

How you find your way though to the final product doesn't matter much. Some have music and other inspirations. Others try to simulate conversation with their proposed character by "talking" to them. Some do jot note lists. Some find a voice claim or look that speaks to them. And others barf out a scribble with who they are in private docs, then add onto it, refine or delete parts before posting. Characters can always be changed or retconned as you get a feel for them more. Sometimes we make a version that doesn't seem right after coming to know your character, and that's ok. You hold the pen. Hope this helps