This a post that has been on my mind for some time. Though my recent posts have focused solely on the Save The Cat Beat Sheet formula for building a narrative, the most vital part of any writers narrative is character.
Let’s dive in!
The Why’s and Types
Why use archetypes? you might be wondering. Well, in writing, there are no hard-and-fast rules, but there are also rules. Stephen King has a couple of really great ones that are useful for all writers, from noobs to old-pros. But remember that, in writing, rules are also made to be broken. The benefit of using an archetype works the same way. Each archetype provides a template for a particular kind of character that the writer can manipulate and mold into someone who is interesting and atypical. Whose reason for responding the way they do surprises your audience.
In my opinion, the perfect type of character to slip into any plot is the exact wrong type of person for the journey. A pampered princess should walk through that desert. A heartless shrew needs to fall in love. A guy whose anti-war should be the one who is drafted. The movie JAWS is a great example of this. It takes place in and around the ocean. There’s a giant, man-eating shark killing unsuspecting swimmers and the Sheriff, charged with protecting the town can’t swim. He is afraid of the water. It is a brilliant choice that creates instant conflict throughout the film. He must face his fear to do his job–which is also the right thing.
Every plot and character needs conflict. So choose a main character with a history, attitude and attributes that meet that need.
Finally, below is a quick list of the typical character types taken from Writing 101 blog at Masterclass.com: These 12 archetypes, each with highly identifiable traits, populate our books, poetry, films, and theatrical productions.
- The Lover: The romantic lead who’s guided by the heart.
Strengths: humanity, passion, conviction
Weaknesses: naivete, irrationality
Lover Archetype Examples: Romeo and Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Noah Calhoun (The Notebook), Scarlett O’Hara (Gone With the Wind), Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
- The Hero: The protagonist who rises to meet a challenge and saves the day.
Strengths: courage, perseverance, honor
Weaknesses: overconfidence, hubris
Hero Archetype Examples: Achilles (The Iliad), Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), Wonder Woman (Wonder Woman), Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
- The Magician: a powerful figure who has harnessed the ways of the universe to achieve key goals.
Strengths: omniscience, omnipotence, discipline
Weaknesses: corruptibility, arrogance
Magician Archetype Examples: Prospero (The Tempest), Gandalf (The Lord of the Rings), Morpheus (The Matrix), Darth Vader (Star Wars)
- The Outlaw: The rebel who won’t abide by society’s demands.
Strengths: independent thinking, virtue, owes no favors
Weaknesses: self-involved, potentially criminal
Outlaw Archetype Examples: Han Solo (Star Wars), Dean Moriarty (On the Road), Humbert Humbert (Lolita), Batman (The Dark Knight)
- The Explorer: A character naturally driven to push the boundaries of the status quo and explore the unknown.
Strengths: curious, driven, motivated by self-improvement
Weaknesses: restless, unreliable, never satisfied
Explorer Archetype Examples: Odysseus (The Odyssey), Sal Paradise (On the Road), Huckleberry Finn (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes)
- The Sage: A wise figure with knowledge for those who inquire. The mother figure or mentor is often based on this archetype.
Strengths: wisdom, experience, insight
Weaknesses: cautious, hesitant to actually join the action
Famous sages: Athena (The Odyssey), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars), Hannibal Lecter (The Silence of the Lambs), The Oracle (The Matrix)
- The Innocent: A morally pure character, often a child, whose only intentions are good.
Strengths: morality, kindness, sincerity
Weaknesses: vulnerable, naive, rarely skilled
Innocent Archetype Examples: Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol), Lennie Small (Of Mice and Men), Cio-Cio-san (Madame Butterfly), Buddy the Elf (Elf)
- The Creator: A motivated visionary who creates art or structures during the narrative.
Strengths: creativity, willpower, conviction
Weaknesses: self-involvement, single-mindedness, lack of practical skills
Creator Archetype Examples: Zeus (The Iliad), Dr. Emmett Brown (Back to the Future), Dr. Moreau (The Island of Dr. Moreau), Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Frankenstein)
- The Ruler: A character with legal or emotional power over others.
Strengths: omnipotence, status, resources
Weaknesses: aloofness, disliked by others, out of touch
Ruler Archetype Examples: Creon (Oedipus Rex), King Lear (King Lear), Aunt Sally (The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), Tony Soprano (The Sopranos)
- The Caregiver: A character who continually supports others and makes sacrifices on their behalf.
Strengths: honorable, selfless, loyal
Weaknesses: lacking personal ambition or leadership
Caregiver Archetype Examples: Dolly Oblonsky (Anna Karenina), Calpurnia (To Kill a Mockingbird), Samwell Tarly (The Game of Thrones series), Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins)
- The Everyman: A relatable character who feels recognizable from daily life.
Strengths: grounded, salt-of-the-earth, relatable
Weaknesses: lacking special powers, often unprepared for what’s to come
Everyman Archetype Examples: Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit), Leopold Bloom (Ulysses), Leslie Knope (Parks & Recreation), Winston Smith (1984)
- The Jester: A funny character or trickster who provides comic relief, but may also speak important truths.
Strengths: funny, disarming, insightful
Weaknesses: can be obnoxious and superficial
Jester Archetype Examples: Sir John Falstaff (Henry V), King Lear’s Fool (King Lear), Frank and Estelle Costanza (Seinfeld), R2D2 and C-3PO (Star Wars)
Any character that you create can have whichever traits you want to give them so they can believably make the choices they need to make, to get to the ending you have designed. And you don’t have to choose one type for each character you build. Your Hero could also be an Innocent. Or, you could go totally OG and combine the traits of the Joker and the Mentor as your Hero’s sidekick. Why not forge the Innocent Outlaw?
The more conflict you’re able to plant within the DNA of your character, the easier it will be to hear their voice when you sit down to write.
Knowing Your Character
There is a difference between knowing the what the character should do and making their choices believable. The best way to create believable characters is to dive into their psyche and get to know them from the inside-out. Knowing who they are in their core is key to hearing their voice, which makes writing them much easier. There are tons of helpful blog posts and questionnaires about all of this, so I won’t dive in, but here are a few free resources:
Open Culture is an amazing website that allows anyone to watch free video lectures by professors at notable universities, on just about any topic you can imagine. All you need is an email. I recommend anyone who loves learning to check them out. Here are some of their offered writing courses: Start Fiction Writing Fiction, Start Writing Essays, Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy, Writing Stories About Ourselves, and my favorite, a Script Writing Course offered by David Wheeler of Michigan State. Yeah. All free and online. In screenwriting courses you get the most tools to build a story.
And here is the longest character questionnaire you will ever find. I got it from my English 520 Story and Concept professor, when studying for my MA in English and Creative Writing. There’s even a link in there to a page on character archetypes.
The Flaw
I have covered this before, but want to reiterate the importance of uncovering your main characters flaw. What is the flaw? Well, it varies from character to another. We all know that people have more than one flaw, but your hero’s flaw should be, according to Jill Chamberlain, the opposite of their strength:
We can use our characters flaw and the problem they’re trying to solve to create friction (conflict) in our stories. Conflict is the most important attribute (IMHO) in storytelling. If every problem is solved without conflict, then there is no story. There must be odds they have to overcome, otherwise, why are we reading?
John Truby, a writing legend, has some valuable thoughts on The Flaw:
Below is a quick video with useful tips on how to apply the character’s flaw:
Make your characters shine by pitting what is in their head against what is in their heart. Like, when you want something or someone that you know is not good for you. #veryone can relate to that. Right? Making interesting characters comes from pitting their needs against their desires and their heads against their hearts. Remember The Whale, with Brenden Frasier? That Oscar-winning film utilized this concept. To perfection. With themes of self-acceptance and honesty, and a main character who was losing the battle from the opening scene… no wonder critics loved it.
Come back for next week’s when post, How-To Write Lesson 6: B-Story!
A.R. Rivera 