Melissa Harkin

Let’s be honest: perfect characters are boring. Think about the last time you fell hard for a fictional character. Did they glide through life like a flawless angel? Or did they screw up, get called out, fumble through feelings, and win your heart anyway?

Enter the Pratfall Effect.

Wait, what is the Pratfall Effect?

Psychologists coined the term to describe how people become more likable when they make a mistake—as long as they’re generally competent.

In other words: if your character is brilliant but spills coffee on their boss, fumbles through a confession, or loses a verbal sparring match, readers will probably love them even more.

It’s not weakness. It’s relatable vulnerability. And that’s the secret sauce of emotional connection.

How writers can use the Pratfall Effect

Let’s break it down in story terms.

• Your heroine is a badass attorney? Great. Let her walk into the wrong courtroom.
• Your hero is a charming chef? Love it. Let him totally bomb a first date dessert.
• Your sidekick is an expert hacker? Cool. Let them accidentally livestream from the wrong account.

We fall in love with characters not because they’re invincible, but because we see our messy selves in them. A mistake—especially when it throws them off balance—builds trust with your reader.

It’s the literary version of “Oh no, they’re human too? I’m in.”

Famous characters who nail it

• Elizabeth Bennet insults Darcy, misjudges Wickham, and still ends up iconic.
• Jess Mariano (from Gilmore Girls) is smart, brooding, and emotionally constipated—and still a fan favorite.
• Katniss Everdeen can shoot a squirrel from 200 yards but fumbles nearly every emotional decision in Catching Fire.

None of them would have the same staying power if they didn’t stumble. Literally or metaphorically.

Bonus: The Pratfall Effect in your author brand

You can use this in your marketing too.

Don’t be afraid to share the typos, the false starts, the time you queried “Dear [Insert Agent Name Here]” and hit send. Readers (and potential fans) love a little behind-the-scenes imperfection. It makes you human, not just a polished book machine.

TL;DR

• Let your characters mess up.
• Let them feel it.
• Let them grow from it.

That’s the magic of the Pratfall Effect—and it’s how you make readers fall head over heels for your perfectly imperfect protagonists.