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Character Traits Entry: Dishonest

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Definition: untrustworthy; lacking honesty, untruthful

Characters in Literature: The Great Gatsby; Rita Skeeter (Harry Potter) Pinocchio, Pirate Characters (ie Jack Sparrow; Captain Hook)

Common Portrayals: Pirates, Gamblers, Swindlers, Politicians, ‘the bad kid’, the co-worker who lies and uses ill-gotten information on others to climb the corporate ladder, Bank Robbers, Pedophiles, Drug addicts, cheating spouses

Clichés to Avoid: con-artist twenty-somethings running a scam on elderly/grandparents for money; the cop on the take; ‘the sullen bad boy’ teen; dishonest big corporations; the rich cheating husband; a falling for a rogue and then being shocked at eventual dishonesty/betrayal, used car salesman

Twists on the Traditional Dishonest Character:

  • Why do dishonest sorts always need to be rich jerks, seedy street folk or people who are bad to the bone? Try a dishonest nun! Let’s see a funeral director lie to a grieving family. Better yet, how about a doll-haired, cookie-baking granny who can lie through her teeth!
  • I would love to see a genuine dishonest-to-honest transformation that came about because of an internal epiphany, not through the love/guidance of someone else. Show us people can change, but they don’t need other people to ‘show them how’.
  • Create a scenario where dishonesty is the best course and will cause the least amount of hurt to others, and the stubborn, dishonest character chooses to be honest in order to go against ‘what other people deem as right’.

GOOD NEWS!

This sample, along with the rest of the character trait entries, has been expanded into book form! Together, THE NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER FLAWS and THE POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHARACTER ATTRIBUTES contain over 200 traits for you to choose from when creating unique, memorable characters. Each entry contains possible causes for the trait, as well as positive and negative aspects, traits in supporting characters that may cause conflict, and associated behaviors, attitudes, thoughts, and emotions. For more information on this bestselling book and where it can be found, please visit our bookstore.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth says

    This feature is always terrific, but I especially like your suggested twists. Really thought-provoking.

  2. Sarah says

    This is so interesting–I love this post! I love how you identify potential causes of dishonesty. As with any character flaw, to keep a reader engaged, it helps to have a level of understanding as to why a character might have turned out a certain way.

  4. Laura Pauling says

    I love dishonesty – and I go to church! Secrets, lies, betrayals – love them all. And then you had to go and paste in my favorite guy of all times. Jack/Johnny!

  5. Juliana L. Brandt says

    I like this one! And isn’t it true, that dishonest people will change only when they’ve figured things out and not because someone has shown them the light? At leave I’ve found this to be true 🙂

    Great post.

  8. Becca Puglisi says

    A perfectionist liar. I’d love to see that!

    Ange, you picked this trait just so you could talk about pirates, didn’t you? I’ll be sure to leave all the zombie-related traits for you, too.

  12. Carrie Butler says

    “There is a certain reliability with someone who is dishonest in the sense that you can count on them to always act untrustworthy unless truth directly benefits them.” Absolutely! In fact, it perfectly describes one of the characters in my manuscript. The fun part is the challenge of making him a redeemable character. By the end of the book, I want people to hate the fact that they actually like him. 😉 Great post!

  14. Angela Ackerman says

    Ha, thanks guys! I agree, there is something incredibly appealing about a dishonest character–often their motivations are not simple, and being honest does not always mean ‘being a bad person’.

    I love pirates and especially Jack! How could I not post a pic of him here, lol?

  15. Heather says

    This one holds a special place in my heart because I’ve come to love the character of Jack Sparrow so much! He is the perfect example of how to take a clique and turn it completely around.

  19. SP Sipal says

    You forgot the “Captain” to Jack Sparrow. Of course, I had to read anything that started with his picture! 🙂

    Captain Jack is an interesting example because he is honest in his dishonesty. Remember — “Pirate!”

    Yes, I know this post is about more than Johhny Depp, but I can’t seem to talk about anything else. 🙂

    I love these character resources you post because I do struggle with character, and when I do, resources like yours, and envisioning a real person I know or an awesome character like Captain Jack, truly helps!

  21. tracikenworth says

    LOVE the picture you referenced for the character trait: so fitting. A dishonest character can adds such flaws and depth to our writing. Thanks bunches!!

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