A thought about character interiority/moral complexity
Here's some unsolicited writing advice inspired by manuscripts I have to review/improve:
A character having doubts is not the same thing as a character having depth.
Sometimes it is depth. Other times, it looks like they're holding up a sign to the audience saying:
PLEASE UNDERSTAND I'M MORALLY COMPLICATED
PLEASE DO NOT THINK I'M BAD
PLEASE CLAP FOR MY CONSCIENCE
Not that self-pitying is a problem by itself. A character may be reactive on purpose. But I can tell when it's not intended, and so can readers.
I get it. Writers are afraid of their characters being misunderstood or... gasps... not likeable enough. And nowadays they may also feel pressure to signal their character's virtue, or signpost that something doesn't 100% represent their own beliefs.
But if the character keeps doubting, monologuing, asking whether they're doing the right thing, and then keeps doing the exact same thing anyway, they may read as more annoying than tragic.
Let characters make choices.
Let them believe in those choices.
Let the consequences come when due.
A character who is wrong, but committed, is usually more compelling than a character who spends every scene explaining that they know they could be wrong.
