Nobody likes to be an idiot

And that includes your characters. Over at SFNovelists.com, James Gardner (Hugo and Nebula award finalist) gives a list of reasons why he might stop reading a book. His top reason is coming across the Idiot Move, where an otherwise smart and capable character does something inane or outright dumb, just because the author wanted to introduce some sort of crisis or disaster to move the plot along. It’s like having some top-notch scientist mistake a nuclear launch board for a fancy microwave and accidentally push the big red button. It just doesn’t happen, and the reader is going to catch it and hate you for thinking they’re dense enough that they wouldn’t notice.

Have you done this before? I’m trying to think of any instances in my own writing. I think the key is that if you have your characters do something that hurts or weakens them, it better be for a logical, darn-good reason.

Admittedly, strong emotions and impulses do exist, and are probably the biggest reason for people being idiots in our day and age. Those reasons can apply to characters. Someone might go to an extreme to prove their undying love for another, or can be pressured into a stupid dare to prove they aren’t afraid and win the respect of their peers. People end up doing stupid things…but if you’re trying to craft a solid story, they better have some obvious motivation for them to stick on that dunce cap and go sit in the corner.

Can you spot any instance of this in your own writing? Have you ever stopped reading a book or series because you came across an idiot move and it turned you off to the author?

I see that smile.