Though I provided this information in March 2011, it's worth reviewing again, because it provides a major way to create dynamic, three-dimensionsal characters for your fiction. When you locate the various personality types in your story, you can build quality conflicts that catpures readers and hangs on. Though I'd studied the core personalities in my psychology classes in college, A couple years ago, Author Mark Mynheir presented a workshop on characterization and suggested the use of the Myers Briggs personality test to help create dynamic characters by using the basic core personalities and then wrapping a backstory history around him. Instead of using the eight personalitiy types in the Myers Briggs, focus on the four
core personalities: : feeler, driver, analyzer, and elitist.
Feeler:
The feller is a person who reacts and interacts through emotion and comes across as warm and friend. He avoids confrontation and always tries to put the most positive twist on every situation. He prefers intimate groups rather than a crowd and rarely initiates conversation, especially with strangers. When in a larger group, he becomes more reticent and only expresses opinions that are non-aggressive. His emotions are often on his sleeve. His body language can be emotive. Think Oprah.
Driver:
The driver tends to be a Type A personality who is perceptive and therefore likes to control the situation. He is curious and enthusiastic while tending to pick up on the mood and style of the group he is in. He is verbal and quick-minded. His body action is animated. Some people might considered him overly-friendly, but he is naturally gregarious. He would be considered a nonconformist, willing to take changes if he sees the possibility of positive results. Think Bill O’Reilly
Analyzer:
The analyzer is organized, logical, and stoic. He is careful in what he says, controlling himself mentally, physically and verbally. Though he is pleasant, he keeps his distance and appears to need no one besides himself. Emotions are not for the analyzer, but intellect is. He is very self-confident and is not at ease in lighthearted or frivolous situations. Think Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart.
Elitist:
The elitist is aloof and feels superior. Although he appears friendly, he has a strong sense of his own importance. He observes his surroundings yet is detached from the situation. He can be charismatic and easily stands out in a crowd by his bearing and manner. Think Simon Cowell and Hannibal Lector.
Identify your main characters into one of the four categories, then build your backstory around these kinds of personality traits. Once you have this established, look at your major plot points and begin to build the conflicts that can result from these particular personality combinations. You will come up with quality conflicts if you do your homework.
Showing posts with label core personalities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label core personalities. Show all posts
Friday, July 13, 2012
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Building a 3-Dimensional Hero Using Core Personalities - Part II
After digesting the personalities of the four core types from Terrance Real’s book How Can I Get Through To You, you can see the opportunities to build some interesting characters and create dynamic conflicts. Consider plotting a thriller where two elitists are on opposing forces or plotting a romance with the one character being a feeler and the other an analyzer. Put two drivers together in a story built around a family dynasty. Conflict is brewing in any of those scenarios.
To add to the total character, you will take the basic core personality and add a past that will help the reader understand why one person is driven, why another lives with self-importance, and another can only find a positive in the most negative situation. You are a mix of genetics and experience, and to help readers believe in your characters and find them compelling, you must develop them just as you have become who you are. Again remember that your past (backstory) is made up of a multitude of elements: upbringing, family discipline, education, religious attitudes, health issues, birth order, family dysfunctions, successes and failures, location (south/west/north/east or rural/urban) and income.
As you build these core personalities, begin thinking how these characters will dress, their language and diction, their manner of responding and reacting to situations. You can see that each will be different.
The feeler will speak in a more flowing language using animation. The language could be more poetic, using alliteration and similes. He will emphases the good and avoid talking about the bad. A woman might dress more colorfully, more gussy jewelry, more ruffles. A man might take more chances in trying something new, fads or something outside the box.
The driver will speak in shorter, emphatic sentences. He doesn’t waste time. He wants to get to the nitty gritty of the topic. No flowery language for him. He is organized in both his speaking and in his apparel. He dresses for the situation, but clothes aren’t his concern. Getting things done and accomplishing his goal is.
The analyzer will be thoughtful in his speech and will not waste words. He will ponder the words and won’t speak until he’s thought the situation through to come up with the best response. He will ask question, dig deeper, and not be afraid to pry. He expects answers. He will dress conservatively. He wears basic appropriate clothing for the occasion and doesn’t take chances in style. He prefers tradition.
The elitist will use a large vocabulary and good grammar. He’ll speak clearly and decisive as if what he says is truth whether it is or not. He will stand back and observe rather than jump into a mundane conversation. He could be a name dropper both in style of clothing but also in who he knows. His apparel will be influenced by the situation. At a black tie dinner he will wear a designer tuxedo, but he’s not afraid to be his own person and make others think it is appropriate. They will sometimes follow his lead, thinking if he can do it maybe it’s the best way to dress. No matter what he wears, he will stand out in the crowd.
As you way these characters and their interaction, notice how conflicts can easily arise depending on their roles in your novel. Don’t always make the boss the elitist. An employee could outshine the owner and bully him, if he’s not confident in his role. You set the scenario. Although we often think of women as the feeler, try this attribute on a man. Don’t make him effeminate, but make him care and show he does. By working with core personalities, you can create some unexpected characters with compelling conflicts.
And finally remember that your characters will change from the beginning of the novel to the end. Even two elitists who battle face to face will cause one to change. Perhaps he realizes that his elitism is only a cover for what he thought he lacked in his past, and he walks away from the battle feeling he is a winner. The driver who falls in love with a feeler can learn that he’s destroying his changes for happiness by thinking success in his business is the most important thing in his life. He learns that loving and being loved is the ultimate happiness.
With these techniques, you will create dynamic believable characters.
To add to the total character, you will take the basic core personality and add a past that will help the reader understand why one person is driven, why another lives with self-importance, and another can only find a positive in the most negative situation. You are a mix of genetics and experience, and to help readers believe in your characters and find them compelling, you must develop them just as you have become who you are. Again remember that your past (backstory) is made up of a multitude of elements: upbringing, family discipline, education, religious attitudes, health issues, birth order, family dysfunctions, successes and failures, location (south/west/north/east or rural/urban) and income.
As you build these core personalities, begin thinking how these characters will dress, their language and diction, their manner of responding and reacting to situations. You can see that each will be different.
The feeler will speak in a more flowing language using animation. The language could be more poetic, using alliteration and similes. He will emphases the good and avoid talking about the bad. A woman might dress more colorfully, more gussy jewelry, more ruffles. A man might take more chances in trying something new, fads or something outside the box.
The driver will speak in shorter, emphatic sentences. He doesn’t waste time. He wants to get to the nitty gritty of the topic. No flowery language for him. He is organized in both his speaking and in his apparel. He dresses for the situation, but clothes aren’t his concern. Getting things done and accomplishing his goal is.
The analyzer will be thoughtful in his speech and will not waste words. He will ponder the words and won’t speak until he’s thought the situation through to come up with the best response. He will ask question, dig deeper, and not be afraid to pry. He expects answers. He will dress conservatively. He wears basic appropriate clothing for the occasion and doesn’t take chances in style. He prefers tradition.
The elitist will use a large vocabulary and good grammar. He’ll speak clearly and decisive as if what he says is truth whether it is or not. He will stand back and observe rather than jump into a mundane conversation. He could be a name dropper both in style of clothing but also in who he knows. His apparel will be influenced by the situation. At a black tie dinner he will wear a designer tuxedo, but he’s not afraid to be his own person and make others think it is appropriate. They will sometimes follow his lead, thinking if he can do it maybe it’s the best way to dress. No matter what he wears, he will stand out in the crowd.
As you way these characters and their interaction, notice how conflicts can easily arise depending on their roles in your novel. Don’t always make the boss the elitist. An employee could outshine the owner and bully him, if he’s not confident in his role. You set the scenario. Although we often think of women as the feeler, try this attribute on a man. Don’t make him effeminate, but make him care and show he does. By working with core personalities, you can create some unexpected characters with compelling conflicts.
And finally remember that your characters will change from the beginning of the novel to the end. Even two elitists who battle face to face will cause one to change. Perhaps he realizes that his elitism is only a cover for what he thought he lacked in his past, and he walks away from the battle feeling he is a winner. The driver who falls in love with a feeler can learn that he’s destroying his changes for happiness by thinking success in his business is the most important thing in his life. He learns that loving and being loved is the ultimate happiness.
With these techniques, you will create dynamic believable characters.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Part I - Building a 3-Dimensional Hero Using Core Personalities
Whether you write suspense, romance, or adventure, any genre needs 3-D characters. Author Mark Mynheir presented a workshop many months ago on characterization and suggested the use of the Myers Briggs personality test to help create dynamic characters by using the basic core personalities and then wrapping a backstory history around him. Here is a site where you can check out the basic eight personality types used in the Myers Briggs test. http://www.personalitypage.com/html/info.html
But let’s begin by looking a four core personalities from Terrance Real’s book How Can I Get Through To You. In his book, he suggests people have four personalities: feeler, driver, analyzer, and elitist. Now we can take the eight personalities of Myer Briggs and find these personalities there as well, but for writing, these four will provide a good basis.
Feeler:
The feller is a person who reacts and interacts through emotion and comes across as warm and friend. He avoids confrontation and always tries to put the most positive twist on every situation. He prefers intimate groups rather than a crowd and rarely initiates conversation, especially with strangers. When in a larger group, he becomes more reticent and only expresses opinions that are non-aggressive. His emotions are often on his sleeve. His body language can be emotive. Think Oprah.
Driver:
The driver tends to be a Type A personality who is perceptive and therefore likes to control the situation. He is curious and enthusiastic while tending to pick up on the mood and style of the group he is in. He is verbal and quick-minded. His body action is animated. Some people might considered him overly-friendly, but he is naturally gregarious. He would be considered a nonconformist, willing to take changes if he sees the possibility of positive results. Think Bill O’Reilly
Analyzer:
The analyzer is organized, logical, and stoic. He is careful in what he says, controlling himself mentally, physically and verbally. Though he is pleasant, he keeps his distance and appears to need no one besides himself. Emotions are not for the analyzer, but intellect is. He is very self-confident and is not at ease in lighthearted or frivolous situations. Think Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart.
Elitist:
The elitist is aloof and feels superior. Although he appears friendly, he has a strong sense of his own importance. He observes his surroundings yet is detached from the situation. He can be charismatic and easily stands out in a crowd by his bearing and manner. Think Simon Cowell and Hannibal Lector.
Digest these core personalities and think how they might be used in your novel. Part II will add some layers to the core and pose some thoughts on how to use the core personalities to create great conflict.
But let’s begin by looking a four core personalities from Terrance Real’s book How Can I Get Through To You. In his book, he suggests people have four personalities: feeler, driver, analyzer, and elitist. Now we can take the eight personalities of Myer Briggs and find these personalities there as well, but for writing, these four will provide a good basis.
Feeler:
The feller is a person who reacts and interacts through emotion and comes across as warm and friend. He avoids confrontation and always tries to put the most positive twist on every situation. He prefers intimate groups rather than a crowd and rarely initiates conversation, especially with strangers. When in a larger group, he becomes more reticent and only expresses opinions that are non-aggressive. His emotions are often on his sleeve. His body language can be emotive. Think Oprah.
Driver:
The driver tends to be a Type A personality who is perceptive and therefore likes to control the situation. He is curious and enthusiastic while tending to pick up on the mood and style of the group he is in. He is verbal and quick-minded. His body action is animated. Some people might considered him overly-friendly, but he is naturally gregarious. He would be considered a nonconformist, willing to take changes if he sees the possibility of positive results. Think Bill O’Reilly
Analyzer:
The analyzer is organized, logical, and stoic. He is careful in what he says, controlling himself mentally, physically and verbally. Though he is pleasant, he keeps his distance and appears to need no one besides himself. Emotions are not for the analyzer, but intellect is. He is very self-confident and is not at ease in lighthearted or frivolous situations. Think Barbara Walters and Martha Stewart.
Elitist:
The elitist is aloof and feels superior. Although he appears friendly, he has a strong sense of his own importance. He observes his surroundings yet is detached from the situation. He can be charismatic and easily stands out in a crowd by his bearing and manner. Think Simon Cowell and Hannibal Lector.
Digest these core personalities and think how they might be used in your novel. Part II will add some layers to the core and pose some thoughts on how to use the core personalities to create great conflict.
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