Hello everyone! It's Me! Margaret!
……
Nothing, huh? Well, yeah, that sorta figures. If there should ever be a post on keeping to a writing schedule, Amanda would definitely write it. I know it's been a while, but I do solemnly swear I look at the posts and make sure this blog exists! I edit. Maybe. Sort of. Well, I do see every post before it goes up.
Why have I not written anything? Apathy. Procrastination. Pick one. I'd win a gold medal in procrastination and I guarantee you that I'd avoid picking up that medal as long as possible.
Why am I writing now? Have you ever felt the disapproving stare of your best friend, despite being three hundred miles away, and the only form of communication is the internet? …
….yeah.
Okay! Now to the subject of today!
The much anticipated sequel to How to Create a Non-Cliche Protagonist is finally here!
The biggest part of a character is doing their good traits and their bad ones. Their gifts and their flaws. It's a pain in the butt, really. Between making sure the traits complement each other (EX: The character is confident, but sometimes arrogant instead of the character being arrogant yet humble at the exact same time!) and balancing them out so it's realistic, it can be frustrating and confusing as to where to start!
Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret.
There's a cheat sheet.
You heard me. There's a cheat sheet to getting good, realistic character personalities.
Annnndd it has to do with psychology.
So, once upon a time, this old dude looked at the people around him and thought about it them and their personalities for a long time. After a lot of thinking, he came up with an idea.
What if there are a set of basic personalities that pretty much everyone in the world fits into?
And thus, the MBTI Personality Profiles were created. There's exactly 16 profiles, each one being a combination of 4 words, abbreviated to their first letter. Each of those 4 words stand for a trait, that, when combined, create a possible personalities.
And it's generally pretty accurate! My profile fits me exactly!
There are 8 words to choose from. There are two words per category. There are four categories. The categories are basically: How are we Stimulated?; How do we take in information?; How do we make decisions; and How do we operate on a day to day basis?
In more Simpler terms, it's this:
Are you:
Extroverted OR Introverted (Do you like to interact with people or do you want to mostly be left alone?)
Sensing OR iNtuitive (Are you practical and grounded, depending on your five senses, or are you a bit more up in the air, depending less on what's just in front of you?)
Feeling OR Thinking (Are you emotional, making decisions based on your value systems and emotions, or are you logical, depending more on facts than personal values?)
Perceiving OR Judging (Are you unorganized, spontaneous, or organized and purposeful?)
You pick one from each category that best suits you. A person doesn't have to fit 100% into each one, but they mostly suit one or the other.
As an example! I am an INTP - This means that I'm introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving. In other worlds, I'm a daydreamer that hides in corners, doesn't trust her own emotions, and is deeply unorganized. There's more than that of course, but that's the basic gist.
What does this have to do with your characters?
Well, if you can fit your character into a profile, you'll have a handy list of basic gifts and flaws, how they deal with relationships, friends, and possible careers!
It really is that simple! Of course, your character doesn't have fit the profile exactly, but even if they apply to most of the traits and flaws, that's still gives you a fantastic starting point!
It makes life so much easier than having to simply brainstorm. And, I know I haven't talked much bout cliche-ness here today, but I sorta figured it was obvious. These personalities are created for real human beings to fit themselves into. If your character fits one, then he technically has a personality like a real human being.
Cheating for the win, my friends!
Below are links for your to explore the different types. Why not try yourself while you're at it? ;)
Personality Page: How MBTI Works (If I wasn't clear enough. :) )
Personality Page: The 16 Types
……
Nothing, huh? Well, yeah, that sorta figures. If there should ever be a post on keeping to a writing schedule, Amanda would definitely write it. I know it's been a while, but I do solemnly swear I look at the posts and make sure this blog exists! I edit. Maybe. Sort of. Well, I do see every post before it goes up.
Why have I not written anything? Apathy. Procrastination. Pick one. I'd win a gold medal in procrastination and I guarantee you that I'd avoid picking up that medal as long as possible.
Why am I writing now? Have you ever felt the disapproving stare of your best friend, despite being three hundred miles away, and the only form of communication is the internet? …
….yeah.
Okay! Now to the subject of today!
The much anticipated sequel to How to Create a Non-Cliche Protagonist is finally here!
The biggest part of a character is doing their good traits and their bad ones. Their gifts and their flaws. It's a pain in the butt, really. Between making sure the traits complement each other (EX: The character is confident, but sometimes arrogant instead of the character being arrogant yet humble at the exact same time!) and balancing them out so it's realistic, it can be frustrating and confusing as to where to start!
Well, I'm going to let you in on a little secret.
There's a cheat sheet.
You heard me. There's a cheat sheet to getting good, realistic character personalities.
Annnndd it has to do with psychology.
So, once upon a time, this old dude looked at the people around him and thought about it them and their personalities for a long time. After a lot of thinking, he came up with an idea.
What if there are a set of basic personalities that pretty much everyone in the world fits into?
And thus, the MBTI Personality Profiles were created. There's exactly 16 profiles, each one being a combination of 4 words, abbreviated to their first letter. Each of those 4 words stand for a trait, that, when combined, create a possible personalities.
And it's generally pretty accurate! My profile fits me exactly!
There are 8 words to choose from. There are two words per category. There are four categories. The categories are basically: How are we Stimulated?; How do we take in information?; How do we make decisions; and How do we operate on a day to day basis?
In more Simpler terms, it's this:
Are you:
Extroverted OR Introverted (Do you like to interact with people or do you want to mostly be left alone?)
Sensing OR iNtuitive (Are you practical and grounded, depending on your five senses, or are you a bit more up in the air, depending less on what's just in front of you?)
Feeling OR Thinking (Are you emotional, making decisions based on your value systems and emotions, or are you logical, depending more on facts than personal values?)
Perceiving OR Judging (Are you unorganized, spontaneous, or organized and purposeful?)
You pick one from each category that best suits you. A person doesn't have to fit 100% into each one, but they mostly suit one or the other.
As an example! I am an INTP - This means that I'm introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving. In other worlds, I'm a daydreamer that hides in corners, doesn't trust her own emotions, and is deeply unorganized. There's more than that of course, but that's the basic gist.
What does this have to do with your characters?
Well, if you can fit your character into a profile, you'll have a handy list of basic gifts and flaws, how they deal with relationships, friends, and possible careers!
It really is that simple! Of course, your character doesn't have fit the profile exactly, but even if they apply to most of the traits and flaws, that's still gives you a fantastic starting point!
It makes life so much easier than having to simply brainstorm. And, I know I haven't talked much bout cliche-ness here today, but I sorta figured it was obvious. These personalities are created for real human beings to fit themselves into. If your character fits one, then he technically has a personality like a real human being.
Cheating for the win, my friends!
Below are links for your to explore the different types. Why not try yourself while you're at it? ;)
Personality Page: How MBTI Works (If I wasn't clear enough. :) )
Personality Page: The 16 Types
