sweetie

u are ridiculous

i love it

Anonymous asked you:

This is a really dumb question, but how do you write a really dumb character without coming off as an incompetent writer? I know so many stupid people who seem to have toppled out of MTV, and I think writing a dense character would be fun and kind of refreshing, but I don't want to make it look like I'm just shit at character development. Are there any examples of intellectually lacking characters done right?

Firstly, there is no such thing as a really dumb question. Secondly, by saying that you know these types of people in real life, that writing one would be fun and refreshing, you've already proven that you've got what it takes to write one.

However, I have to stop you at your concern about character development. See, a character with very little going on upstairs doesn't have to have very little going on in the background. Intelligence and depth of character aren't the same thing. I would first encourage you to think of your character as a real person and write them a back story, or fill out a character questionnaire such as this one from yeahwriters.

Consider whether you want your character to be static or dynamic. That is, do they change throughout, or do they stay the same? If they stay the same, they can just be the bubble headed sidekick. If you want them to change, they may have to wise up along the way.

Here are some examples of fun flakes...

 Cher Horowitz, Clueless  (dynamic)

Buzz McNab, Psych (static)

Karen Smith, Mean Girls (static/dynamic depending on who you ask)

 Patrick, Spongebob (static)

 Jenna Maroney, 30 Rock (static)

 Dahlia Royce, Suburgatory (dynamic)

Spike, Notting Hill (static)

Of course, who could forget the not-so-fun flakes, the people like Daisy Buchanan, who are only pretending to be stupid to shirk responsibility for their actions? I would also like to issue a friendly reminder that the lovable dummy can also quickly turn into the dreaded Mary Sue/Gary Stu. Be careful to balance out likeability reward with consequences of actions/realistic behavior.

Like I said before, you seem to know these people and I’m confident you’ll know how to write a dynamic one when the time comes. Best of luck!