this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2023
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Idiots are way too easy to write, but it takes a genius to write a genius. That’s why we have so many idiots in books and TV…
I mean, one can definitely write a character who is smarter than them, employing legit intelligence when the writer doesn't technically have or use it. And one can definitely write a character that's wiser than them. I have a few of those in my novel with a premise about a universe where people are encouraged to heal and become kinder, better people. I wish I was as wise as Lu or Tony or Senna.
There was a quote from Dan Brown (sorry, couldn't find it after a few minutes of googling) where he explains how to write characters smarter than yourself. Brown would spend days -- sometimes even weeks -- coming up with an explanation for how his characters would realize something in a matter of minutes.
Writing brilliant characters is hard. But that's part of what makes good writing so worth reading.