Character Traits: Crafting Authentic and Memorable Characters

Character Traits: Crafting Authentic and Memorable Characters

By Olivia Salter

What Are Character Traits?

A character trait is a distinguishing quality or characteristic that defines a person. These traits shape how characters behave, interact, and evolve throughout a story. Whether they’re heroes, villains, or somewhere in between, understanding character traits is essential for creating vivid, relatable characters.

Positive and Negative Traits

Remember that no one is perfectly good or entirely evil. Every character—no matter their role—should exhibit a mix of positive and negative traits. Here are some examples:

Positive Traits:

1. Empathy: A character who understands others’ feelings.
2. Courage: The ability to face danger or adversity.
3. Loyalty: Staying committed to friends, family, or a cause.
4. Creativity: Thinking outside the box.
5. Optimism: Seeing the silver lining even in tough situations.

Negative Traits:

1. Deceit: Telling lies or manipulating others.
2. Jealousy: Coveting what others have.
3. Arrogance: An excessive sense of superiority.
4. Impulsiveness: Acting without thinking.
5. Cynicism: Distrust or skepticism.

Using Character Traits in Plotting

Once you’ve defined your characters’ traits, use them to enhance your plot:

• Unreliable Character: Their unreliability could lead to unexpected twists.
• Helpful or Scrupulous Character: Their actions might inadvertently reveal crucial information.
• Romantic Character: An affair could ignite conflict.
• Selfish Character: Their internal struggle could drive the story.

Remember, characters are like real people—complex, flawed, and multifaceted. So, go ahead and create characters that leap off the page!!!

Also see:

• 1200+ Character Traits: Ultimate List for Storytellers
• 350 Character Traits – A Fabulous Resource For Writers
• Character Traits List for Creative Writers (with Examples)
• 465 Character Traits List & Examples (Free Download)
• How to Create the Ultimate Character Profile [+ Template]

Harnessing the Power of The Enneagram in Fiction Writing

by Olivia Salter

In the world of fiction writing, creating multidimensional characters is paramount. The Enneagram, a powerful personality typing system, offers writers a rich framework to develop compelling and authentic characters. This ancient system categorizes personalities into nine types, each with distinct motivations, fears, desires, and behavioral patterns. By understanding and utilizing the Enneagram, writers can breathe life into their characters, ensuring they resonate deeply with readers.

Understanding The Enneagram

The Enneagram delineates nine core personality types, each representing a different worldview and way of processing emotions. These types are:

1. The Reformer (Type 1): Principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic.
2. The Helper (Type 2): Generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive.
3. The Achiever (Type 3): Adaptive, excelling, driven, and image-conscious.
4. The Individualist (Type 4): Expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental.
5. The Investigator (Type 5): Perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.
6. The Loyalist (Type 6): Engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.
7. The Enthusiast (Type 7): Spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered.
8. The Challenger (Type 8): Self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational.
9. The Peacemaker (Type 9): Receptive, reassuring, complacent, and resigned.

Crafting Characters with Depth

Using the Enneagram as a character development tool allows writers to delve into the psyche of their characters, understanding their inner workings and what drives them. Here's how to incorporate the Enneagram into fiction writing:

1. Defining Core Motivations and Fears: Each Enneagram type has a unique set of core motivations and fears. For example, a Type 1 character is driven by a need for integrity and the fear of being corrupt or evil. Understanding these elements helps in creating consistent and believable behaviors.
2. Building Relationships and Conflicts: Characters interact based on their personality types. A Type 2 (The Helper) might naturally clash with a Type 5 (The Investigator) due to their differing needs for emotional connection and personal space. These dynamics can fuel plot tension and character arcs.
3. Creating Character Arcs: The Enneagram provides a pathway for character growth. For instance, a Type 3 (The Achiever) might start the story driven by success and recognition but evolve towards valuing authenticity and genuine connections.

 

Adding Complexity and Flaws: Realistic characters are complex and flawed. The Enneagram highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of each type. A Type 8 (The Challenger) might be assertive and protective but also struggle with controlling tendencies and vulnerability.

 Types in Action

Let’s consider an example. Imagine a story featuring three main characters: a Type 1 (The Reformer), a Type 4 (The Individualist), and a Type 6 (The Loyalist).

• Type 1 (The Reformer): Jane is a principled lawyer fighting for justice. Her inner critic constantly drives her to perfection, causing friction in her personal life.
• Type 4 (The Individualist): Alex is a brooding artist, struggling with feelings of inadequacy and longing for a unique identity. His emotional intensity adds depth to his relationships.
• Type 6 (The Loyalist): Sam is a dedicated detective, often plagued by self-doubt and anxiety. His loyalty to his friends and duty drives his actions, but his suspicion can lead to conflicts.

Throughout the story, their interactions and growth reflect their Enneagram types, providing a rich tapestry of motivations and conflicts. Jane’s pursuit of justice, Alex’s quest for identity, and Sam’s struggle with trust and security weave together, creating a compelling narrative.

In conclusion, the Enneagram is more than just a personality typing system; it’s a valuable tool for fiction writers aiming to create authentic, multi-layered characters. By understanding and incorporating the Enneagram into character development, writers can craft stories that resonate deeply with readers, exploring the complexities of human behavior and relationships.

Also see:

• The Nine Enneagram Type Descriptions
• Enneagram Personality Test
• Books on the Enneagram at Amazon

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Captain Grose et al.

 

1811 DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE.

 

by

Francis Grose

 

A DICTIONARY OF BUCKISH SLANG, UNIVERSITY WIT, AND PICKPOCKET ELOQUENCE.
 

UNABRIDGED FROM THE ORIGINAL 1811 EDITION WITH A FOREWORD BY ROBERT CROMIE
 

COMPILED ORIGINALLY BY CAPTAIN GROSE.
AND NOW CONSIDERABLY ALTERED AND ENLARGED, WITH THE MODERN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS, BY A MEMBER OF THE WHIP CLUB.
 

ASSISTED BY HELL-FIRE DICK, AND JAMES GORDON, ESQRS. OF CAMBRIDGE; AND WILLIAM SOAMES, ESQ. OF THE HON. SOCIETY OF NEWMAN'S HOTEL.

 

The "1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue," was written by Francis Grose (a British soldier) just after the American Revolution. The word "vulgar" means slang, though some of them are vulgar. This book was banned in military camps at the time. This book is hysterical, both educational and entertaining. It shows how normal people spoke over 200 years ago, and provides endless possibilities for insulting friends. It is an old dictionary of words that will "pitch kettle" (confound) people if you actually use them, and others are still around, like "to catch a crab" (to fall backwards by missing one's stroke in rowing). If you are into quirky dictionaries like this, then you'll enjoy it.

Buy Francis Grose Books at Amazon

 

 

About the Author

Francis Grose (approximately 1731-1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He was born at his father's house in Broad Street, St-Peter-le-Poer, London, son of a Swiss immigrant and jeweler. Grose had early shown a keen interest in drawing, having attempted sketches of medieval buildings as far back as 1749, and having taken formal instruction at a drawing school in the mid-1750s. He was not a particularly gifted draughtsman but he mixed in the London artistic milieu and began to exhibit, first at the Society of Artists in 1767-8 and then at the Royal Academy. His interest was in the field of medieval remains, which were beginning to exercise an increasing grip on the public imagination. In 1772 he published the first part of The Antiquities of England and Wales, a work which he unashamedly aimed at the popular market. Essentially it targeted those who wanted to know about antiquities but had neither time nor means to visit them in person, and contained small panoramas of medieval ruins, together with an informative text on a separate page. Sometimes the text was taken from books already published, or from information supplied by other antiquaries (both acknowledged); sometimes Grose collated material himself from which he could work up an article. From 1772 onwards he also toured the country to visit and draw sites for inclusion in The Antiquities. The fourth and last volume came out in June 1776, and Grose almost immediately began work on a supplement. His publishing career was interrupted however when the Surrey militia was again called into service between 1778 and 1783. This was not a happy experience for him. Where previously Grose had been able to spend his summers visiting and sketching ancient sites he was now obliged to attend his regiment in various training camps. He did not get on well with his new commanding officer, and he handled regimental finances in a slipshod manner. The result was that he incurred debts towards fellow officers that would take years to straighten out. The financial pressure however forced him to increase both the rate and the range of his publications. The Supplement to The Antiquities was resumed in 1783, this time with a higher proportion of the illustrations being done by other artists. Drawing on his own fieldwork Grose also branched out into producing dictionaries, including the famous A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1785).

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