In this series, we’re looking at personalities, how to develop them, and where to look for more information about personality types. As part of this, we’re looking at DISC, a tool used to help personnel in corporations work together better. [bctt tweet=”Are you an Influencer, like the “I” in DISC? #amwriting #characters” username=”@donnalhsmith @A3forme”] #amwriting #characters
Do you always tell the truth?
Do you use the same tone and vocabulary when speaking to your friends and your boss’s boss?
Do you behave consistently, even when you are stressed, tired, or suddenly facing a roomful of screaming toddlers?
Probably not.
So your fictional characters shouldn’t either.
A fully developed character will act and speak differently based on the situation, the other people in the scene, his mood, or even his changing goals. A writer must be careful, however, to establish a character’s primary voice and modes of behavior before attempting to vary them. Otherwise a reader will likely assume a character who behaves inconsistently is due to author error rather than author intent.
[bctt tweet=”Where and when might your characters act inconsistently? #amwriting #authenticity” username=””]
[bctt tweet=”How can you add depth to your characters through inconsistent behavior? #writing #writetip” username=””]
Dig deep and you’ll find attitude, and when you find attitude, you find voice. ~ James Scott Bell in Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing.
What kind of attitude does your main character display? Do her words drip with sarcasm? Is his inner monologue colored by his bleak outlook? If your character doesn’t ooze attitude, maybe you need to dig a little deeper.
These simple exercises will help you dig deep and explore your character’s attitude.
Make a list of ten or so words that your character would use to answer questions such as:
The more intrusive the questions, the better the results. You are trying to force your characters to reveal their deepest feelings, which will color their attitudes.
Choose a random word from one of the above lists. Free-write about that word from your character’s POV. After a few minutes, randomly choose another word and connect it to what you’ve been writing. Write for a few minutes and then select another word and connect that to what has come before. Keep going as long as you like. Did you discover any interesting connections that surprised you? Did the combination of words take you down a path you would never have thought of? Did you unearth any gems of attitude that make your character more complex or in-your-face?
Imagine your character in a typical setting. Now, imagine they do something destructive, like smash an expensive vase, kick the dog, or set a building on fire. Brainstorm what might motivate the character to do such a thing. Keep digging until you discover something that resonates. How can you tap into this deep well of passion in the pages of your novel?
Imagine your character as an older person, twenty, or perhaps fifty years in the future. Put them in a situation where they are compelled to relate their past to someone. When the character remembers the incidents in your novel, how would he talk about them? What would he mention, and what would he rather not think about? What attitudes and revelations would hindsight have given him? How can this exercise inform his character arc?
Choose a piece of music that has a distinct mood (romantic, suspenseful, victorious, jubilant). Instrumental music works best. I suggest pieces from sound tracks—especially from movies you haven’t seen recently. While listening to the music, free-write from the POV of your character. Try a journal entry, or plunk the character into a situation from the story and let them react however they like. The more they ramble about their feelings, the better. Now switch to a different piece of music and try again.
This exercise may be particularly useful if you are struggling to understand their reactions to a specific situation. Identify the emotion of the scene and listen to music that captures that mood. The emotions in the music might pull new emotion from the character.
In conclusion, the more attitude your characters exhibit, the more memorable they will be. A writer should not be a good parent, gently instructing our characters to be on their best behavior. Instead, we should prod our characters into letting their attitudes shine for all to see—rude comments and all.
[bctt tweet=”Does your character ooze attitude? #writer #attitude” username=””]
[bctt tweet=”Dig deep and you’ll find attitude, and when you find attitude, you find voice. James Scott Bell #quote” username=””]
[bctt tweet=”Five simple exercises to explore character attitude. #writetips #amwriting” username=””]
Characters with personality make your readers identify and care about them. There are several ways to determine what your character will be like. Are they introvert or extrovert? Dominant or stable? Sanguine or Phlegmatic? [bctt tweet=”Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Personality Plus are tools writers can use to create characters.” username=”@A3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #characters
In the beginning…in creating characters, we must begin at the beginning. We’ve talked about a three-word description, and basic information. How do we determine what the basic information will be? Who do you want it to be? [bctt tweet=”Determining the basic information about the character is paramount to creating one amazing character.” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #characters
I ran across this simple question in James Scott Bell’s excellent book Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. He suggests identifying a character’s dominant impression in two words—a noun that describes the character’s main vocation or purpose, and an adjective that sums up the character’s unique personality and/or attitude. I see the two words as sort of a thumbnail description of the character.
I decided the main character in my work-in-progress is an unconventional sleuth, while her sidekick is a sassy maid. Those descriptions are oversimplifications, but they point to something essential in the nature of the characters.
It wasn’t easy to boil each character down to two words, but I found the exercise worth it. Here’s why:
Are you ready to come up with two-word thumbnails for your characters? Are they straight-laced lawyers? Bitter sisters? Overconfident suitors?
Give it a try, and you’ll gain a few useful insights about them along the way.
[bctt tweet=”Author tools: Two-word thumbnails help a writer identify their character’s essence. #writetip ” username=””]
Why is it that some characters stick in our minds? What is it about them that causes us identify with them and admire them? I’ll be looking at these questions and others in this new series. [bctt tweet=”Some say it’s all about plot. Others say it’s about character. ” username=”@A3forme @donnalhsmith”]#amwriting #characters
This non-writing exercise can help you connect with your character in a tangible way, by interacting with real objects:
What kind of store does your character like to shop at? A home improvement store, hobby shop, department store, consignment shop? Go to one near you and walk the aisles, searching for at least five items your character would buy.
Now head to the grocery store and go through the aisles looking for foods your characters would normally eat. If your courage and budget allow, buy some food and create your character’s favorite dinner.
Write a few paragraphs describing your character’s bedroom, study, or some other special place. Include as much detail as possible, including small, ordinary things such as cracked plaster, the creak of the window being opened, and two-week-old crumpled socks. Now read back over the description and circle the details that best relay the character’s personality. Read through it again and refine several details, making them as specific and telling as possible.
Place your POV character in a setting that belongs to a character they are in conflict with, such as the office of a rival or the house of an estranged parent. Describe the setting through the POV character’s eyes. What details do they notice? What might they not notice, or not care about? What judgments (right or wrong) do they make from visiting the space?
Now bring a different character into the same space and repeat the exercise. Compare the descriptions. Could a reader easily tell which description came from which character?
If your character works in a professional setting, create a resume, complete with future career goals. If a job setting doesn’t apply, give the character a reason to describe themselves to a stranger and write a one-page bio monologue.
Now write an interior monologue describing what the character really thinks about themselves. How different is it from their public persona? Why?
All people, real or fictional, do something with their spare time. Real people may waste it binge-watching Netflix, but hopefully your character has a specific hobby or two that helps define their character. Get to know your character better by immersing yourself in one of those activities:
Spend an hour or two listening to their favorite music then do some reading about a few of the important musicians in that genre. Read a few of their favorite books. Find someone who knows about beekeeping or radio-controlled airplanes and spend an afternoon watching them.
For the truly devoted: Is your character into pottery, oil painting, or tai chi? Take a class in that subject. (And remember, the point is to experience it, so it doesn’t matter how embarrassing your skills might be. Pretend you are as good as the instructor and soak it in.)
[bctt tweet=”Five ways to know your characters better. #writetip ” username=””]
[bctt tweet=”Looking for a few simple characterization exercises? #amwriting” username=””]
The heroine of the mystery novel I am working on needs certain qualities to be a good sleuth. Things like nosiness, an outgoing personality, the ability to talk people into helping her, and the willingness to risk dangerous situations in order to get the information she needs.
In other words, her temperament needs to be very different than mine. I am a reserved, logical, non-assertive person who doesn’t like taking risks and stays out of other people’s business. (Most of the time, anyway.)
Therefore, I cannot rely solely on my own instincts to predict how my character will react. No writer can, because we all need a variety of characters who think and act in different ways. That’s where utilizing temperament classifications can be useful. (See below for information on three different temperament classification systems. You can also search for free assessment tools online.)
Understanding temperaments is especially important when writers are considering the deep inner issues that their characters must face, because one person’s worst fear is something another personality type might take in stride. For example, some people hate being in the spotlight while others thrive in it. Some people find their purpose upholding rules, while others consider rules stifling.
Identifying a character’s temperament type can guide us to the issues that would most challenge their personality. (And it might be something very different from what would most challenge you or me.) Alternately, if you know the kind of trauma and embarrassment you have planned for your hero, you might find that a particular temperament’s worst nightmare or most significant fear fits your concept. Voila, you have identified the perfect temperament.
Browsing through some of the other posts on best/worst ___ for each temperament type can give you additional useful insights. For example, I stumbled across the advice that a pet would be the worst kind of gift for my heroine, because her personality doesn’t do well at long-term relationship maintenance, so a pet would end up either being ignored or becoming a hindrance. (Hmm, strike the pet cat.)
If you are like me, all this temperament info is fascinating, but difficult to put into practice when writing. What are we poor writers who never took a Psych class to do?
You might try assigning a person you know as a temperament model for your character. This does not mean you are basing your whole character on this person, only that your model’s temperament fits nicely into one of the standard types, which helps you understand what that kind of personality would do in a given situation. A temperament model can help you avoid inadvertently overlaying your own personality on your character.
How else have you found temperament classifications to be helpful? I’d love to hear your advice.
[bctt tweet=”Do you use personality profiles as a writing tool? #writetips” username=””]
[bctt tweet=”Do you understand your character’s temperaments? #amwriting” username=””]
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator divides temperaments into sixteen types with four-letter designations like INFP or ESTJ.
The Kiersey Temperament Sorter, which basically uses the same sixteen types as the Myers- Briggs but approaches them in a different way that might make more sense to some writers.
The Enneagram System, which takes a different approach to understanding temperaments and divides people into nine personality types. If you feel like you never fit into any of the Myers-Briggs types, the Enneagram system might make more sense.
I hate making phone calls.
When it comes to picking up the phone, I always procrastinate as long as possible. It might take me a month to get around to calling for a haircut appointment or a wellness checkup. I cannot explain why I hate phone calls. It is simply part of who I am.
Unfortunately, no matter how much I wish I could avoid them, making phone calls is part of modern life. I will never enjoy it, but I do it when I have to.
Well-rounded characters need weaknesses as well as strengths. Giving them a specific task or two they detest will add depth, especially if that task is something they cannot avoid.
For example, what if a secretary hated making phone calls? Or filing papers? She couldn’t admit such a thing to her boss, could she? But her secret dislike has the potential to cause complications. She might procrastinate the filing until papers pile up and important documents get lost. She might put off phone calls until the last moment, adding stress to her life and creating emergencies that wouldn’t have occurred if she’d made the call when her boss first requested the information.
Can you see how a detested task will both ratchet up the tension and make your characters more interesting?
Make it authentic: The key is to find something in their temperament or background that gives a ring of authenticity to their particular dislikes. In my case, avoiding the telephone is a common attribute of introverts. Any character with an introverted temperament could believably suffer from the same “the-telephone-is-the-instrument-of-the-devil” mentality.
Make it plausible: Readers might wonder why the introverted character who hates phone calls is working as a secretary to begin with. So the character needs not only a chore to hate, but also a valid reason for not avoiding it. It may be the secretary is a whiz at administrative tasks, so phone calls are a necessary evil in a job she otherwise enjoys. Or maybe her dread of phone calls makes her hate her job, but expectations or necessity have forced her into a career as a secretary.
Same dislike, two very different stories.
What story are you trying to tell? How can an onerous task enhance both your plot and your character?
[bctt tweet=”Give your character something to hate. Your readers will love it. #writing ” username=””]
Fictional characters are like onions; they are made of many layers. A writer must peel back the layers to reveal the core of a character.
The outermost layers include demographics, career, and other information that paints a generic picture: A young, unmarried carpenter named Brandon who lives in suburb of Chicago.
Peel back a few layers and the information begins to get more specific: Brandon played football in high school, works out at the gym, specializes in furniture, and takes care of his younger brother and sister because their parents are dead. With this level of information Brandon is starting to become a unique person with a bit of backstory, but there are deeper truths that have yet to be revealed.
If a writer wants truly well-developed characters, she must drill through layer after layer until she arrives at the core. To get there a writer must keep asking why about the decisions she’s already made until she gets to the bottom of things. For example, why does Brandon go to the gym? Because he wants to stay in shape. Why? Because he wants to take care of himself, but also because he is responsible for his siblings. If we keep drilling along this line of logic we eventually discover that one of Brandon’s core values is the need to protect those he loves. He is willing to sacrifice his religious convictions, his career, or his own happiness in order to protect his loved ones.
That’s the kind of deep truth you can build a story around.
Understanding a character’s core values will inform how they behave in whatever situation you put them in. Or, as Kevin Daum writes at Inc.com:
…your personal core values are there to guide behavior and choice. Get them right and you’ll be swift and focused in your decision-making, with clear direction. Get them wrong or leave them ambiguous, and you’ll constantly wonder how you got into this mess.
That same truth applies to fictional characters. Understanding the core values of a character will make the writing process smoother.
[bctt tweet=”Do you know your character’s core values? #amwriting”]
Core values are a character’s non-negotiables, the beliefs, needs or truths that form the bedrock of who they are. Core values are things like integrity, the importance of money, and a need for acceptance. Ask what this character will give anything to have or achieve and you’ve identified which values lie at his core.
This post on How Morals and Basic Needs Influence a Character’s Strengths has a great description of how to unearth core values. For more help identifying specific character traits, check out The Positive Trait Thesaurus, and its companion The Negative Trait Thesaurus.
Peeling back the layers to discover your character’s core values is worth the time and effort. Maybe it’s time you tried it.
[bctt tweet=”Drilling to the core values leads to more believable characters and a better story. #writetip”]
As writers, we do many things to capture what drives our characters. We’ll complete questionnaires detailing their likes and dislikes, create a complete family tree, and of course, analyze their goals, motivations, and conflicts. These are useful tools. However, sometimes we just want to SEE our characters and inhabit their world. When a visual aid is needed, here are three ways for picturing your characters lives:
This old school method is still quite helpful. Hang a board filled with pictures of your characters and setting(s), and it is constantly before you as you write your piece.
Tips for your wall board:
If you’re on Pinterest, you have a ready-made electronic format for researching your characters. Create a board for each of your main characters and pin away with everything that makes them unique.
Tips for your Pinterest boards:
[bctt tweet=”Use Pinterest to research special topics for your story. #HowTo #WritersWrite”]
Bonus: Once your book is sold, you can share your Pinterest Board with the cover artist and marketing group. They’ll immediately have a feel for your characters and the world these people represent.
If you’re already using this writing software, Scrivener has a whole section devoted to character research. If you’re unfamiliar with Scrivener, you can see a demonstration video of this software here: www.LiteratureAndLatte.com.
Items of note within Scrivener:
Now that you can see your characters, I’m sure there is a lot for them to do. So, get back to writing. Their stories are waiting!
[bctt tweet=”Sometimes we want to SEE our characters and inhabit their world. #AuthorLife #Writing”]
All great writers understand the importance of creating well-developed characters, but how does a character go from predictable to unique? Here are five suggestions to deepen your characters, making them more interesting, realistic and memorable.
[bctt tweet=”Make your characters unique, but always remember: Story Rules! #amwriting #story”]
Good writers know that developing well-rounded characters is critical, and one technique for creating such interesting characters is to create in-depth bios using character questionnaires. The point of these tools is to stretch you to think about your character in ways that might not have occurred to you.
[bctt tweet=”How well do you know your character? #amwriting #characters”]
The internet offers sites with links to dozens of questionnaires, from basic to comprehensive. I even discovered a random question generator. (Is this akin to Paul’s discovery of an altar to an unknown god? And perhaps just as useful?)
Running through a few of these questionnaires can help you build a more rounded character, but they might also lead you down rabbit trails that will later complicate or sidetrack your writing.
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron warns that character questionnaires can be “so all-encompassing that, ironically, they obscure the very info you’re looking for. Here’s the secret: you are looking only for information that pertains to the story you’re telling.”
If the fact that your hero is afraid of snakes doesn’t pertain to the plot, then including it does not add depth so much as reader frustration. They will wonder when the hero will be forced to face a snake, and disappointed when it never happens.
[bctt tweet=”Use character questionnaires with caution. #writetip #writer”]
Perhaps a question will spark insights into your character that will make your story richer, but beware of clogging the story with details that lead nowhere.