Character Arc - Part 1 - The Basics

https://www.emaze.com/@AOWWTRTL/Pride-and-Prejudice

Have you ever read a story where the characters clung to you long after you closed the book?

Somehow your thoughts turned a little fuzzy from the whirlwind of emotion, drama, humor, or danger which propelled these characters through a palpable discovery or change which your mind cannot release? Been there?

Oh, I have. It’s a wonderful, and sometimes painful, release for some of the very best stories.

But what are we mourning or celebrating in this fiction-filtered fog?

Usually…it’s characters.

Dynamic characters.

A quick reference in your handy-dandy Webster’s dictionary will tell you that the word dynamic means “marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change” (bolded for emphasis)

This is not to say that all that continuous and productive change is for the greater good, but any memorable character (whether hero or villain) becomes more potent when they’re dynamic.

Dynamic can mean large changes or small ones, but there ARE changes, nonetheless, and they impact not only your character, but usually the characters around them.

Some of the most memorable stories are made up of dynamic characters – and one of the main tools used to create these dynamic characters is the development of the character arc.

I really like how Wikipedia gives a simple definition of character arc: “the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story”

Pretty straight forward, right?

Well… what does ‘transformation’ really mean? Or for that matter, if we go back to the definition of ‘dynamic’, what does ‘productive’ mean?

Both answers might look different based on our character, right? A ‘productive’ change for the Joker is going to probably look different than one for The Dark Knight, right?

Aha, so…here’s the hallmark of a character arc.

It’s PERSONAL!

The best character arcs are those so entwined uniquely and personally with the character’s personality, past, plans, and progress, that the change is logical, believable, and realistic.

So, to write a solid arc, you need a good idea of who your character is…and where you want them to go.

http://earnthis.net/the-top-10-characters-from-avatar-the-last-airbender/

There are three possible directions your character can go with an arc.

1.     He can transform – a move from a weak, nobody to a hero of the known world J Or…Beauty and the Beast (both figuratively and literal change in this one)

Does your character become a whole new person by the end of the story? From dark to light?

Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender (animated series), George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Can you name a few?

2.     He can grow (and arguably the most common in popular fiction). The basic heart of the character doesn’t change/transform, but the character grows from a weaker person, lesser understanding, undecided, etc. In most novels, we read, the character arc is a growth from a lesser developed character to a more developed one due to growth…not necessarily a big change. Lizzie in Pride and Prejudcie really stays the same person, but has grown in her understanding of herself and Mr. Darcy. Peter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe grows to become a braver, stronger, humbler Peter, but the main component of who Peter is stays the same. Jane from Jane Eyre grows in her understanding of who she is and what she can do as an independent woman, but her core personality doesn’t transform, it grows.

3.     He can fail – the one I don’t like to discuss because I’m a happily-ever-after girl ;-) This is your usual tragedy. Romeo and Juliet. The character goes from an area of strength, knowledge, understanding, and declines throughout the story. Personally, I felt that Henry VIII in the movie/book The Other Bolyen Girl shows this arc brilliantly.

What about YOU?

Next time I’ll talk about what aspects SHAPE a character arc but for now, can you list some books where you’ve seen an example of a certain type of arc? Maybe an example of all three??

The Authentic and Deceitful Sides to a Main Character

Notes from Intensive Interview Interview Class.

Readers are quick to determine if a character is real or not. 

Believe it or not, the realism reader's want is the deceitful ways we all portray ourselves to each other. Hang on, this ride is about to get bumpy. Trust me, the trip is worth your reading time.

When I was a teen, my mom blew up at me at least weekly. I was not a saint, and she'd be the first to admit that. Here is the scene: Mom is yelling at me and the phone rings. She stomps to the phone hanging on the wall, clears her throat, yanks the receiver off the phone, and says, "Hello?" in a sweet voice. 

Can anyone here say they've never switched from blazingly angry to perfectly kind on the outside while still angry on the inside in an instant?  The boss, the dad, the co-worker, the politician, the actor, the list includes everyone. 

This is the foundation for our main character. She starts the story in a needy state. The problem is:
*she doesn't know it
*she won't show it
*she doesn't know what to do about it

As far as the world around her (and possibly herself, too) is concerned, everything is fine. I'm fine. Leave me alone. Would you just go away?

Bookmark from
Wordery bookshop

She isn't receptive to any advice in chapter one, because she is still trying to figure out her situation. This is the story. The authentic story. The revelation of her problem, the lowering of the mask, and in the end the resolution...to this problem. Stay tuned. She has many more to deal with in another story waiting to be written.

In the case of my mom, she might have thought her day would have been perfect had daughter number two not committed the offense. But the caller happened to be Aunt Gail, who had three well behaved daughters. Aunt Gail called to share yet another of her daughter's accomplishment. And my mom--well, bless her heart, she had to deal with the likes of me and my teen years. Sigh. Poor mom.

But what Mom only saw was my actions and what she heard me say. The only one who knew my heart was God. He even knew me better than I did. Thank God. He saw something special. He has even chosen to work with me ever since.

AND THAT IS WHAT YOUR MC ALSO NEEDS. A chance to be a work in progress. One who chips off one issue at a time until the mask is gone, like all of us.



Here are some questions to help you:
1. How deep is your MC hung up in her issue in the beginning? This is so important to know.
2. What point of resolving her issue do you, the author, hope MC to be at in the end? MC may not resolve her issue. She may only be at the point of ready to admit she has the issue.
3. The day MC was born in your mind, what did God tell her she was meant to become?
4. How do her friends treat her? (She is allowed to have her friends treat her great...perhaps this isn't her issue or perhaps she has deceived them all.)
5. How is her deceit shown itself to those around her...and to her own self?
6. Does she have any physical issues that play a role in this story's situation?
7. Has her deceit to others and/or herself created any issues before the first chapter that needs to be threading into the story?

As writers, we NEED to paint the realism, which will include a bucketload of deceit. 

Look at the Bible. In Genesis, God asked Adam what he did. Adam said the woman told him to eat the fruit. Eve said the serpent deceived her. And right she was. Still, she made the choice and so did Adam. The whole story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation tells of our being deceived, making wrong choices, and God's demonstration of love for us through salvation-the only escape from deception.


Original Photo courtesy
Research for todays post came from Nancy Rue's class at Mt. Hermon, 2016

I can't wait to read your comment(s)!

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Rock climbing, white-water rafting, zip lining, and hiking top Mary's list of great ways to enjoy a day. Such adventures can be found in her stories as well.

Mary writes young adult mystery/suspense, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and tell Bible event stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids. She has finaled in several writing contests.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

All subscribers to Mary's newsletter will receive her new short story an intriguing suspense/mystery. Come, read a good story. To get your free gift, sign up for the newsletter at Mary's website or:  Join the adventure!

Subscribe to Mary Vee's Never Give Up Stories 

Oh, Yeah, This is How to Write a REAL Character

Writing a unique character is difficult. 

The problem/setting/time combination may be unique, but overall, the character sometimes lacks a genuine/unique feel. His or her responses and actions may seem right...but then again...maybe just a little off at times. Maybe more canned like a hundred other characters.

As authors/writers, we can talk ourselves into believing our characters are well portrayed then become bothered when a crit person, an agent, beta reader, editor says...um...no. 

I've searched for the answer to writing a real character in so many places. Attended many classes. Basically two methods in varying forms had been presented to help writers find the unique components and traits of their character.

1. The list method. Writers can complete a list of questions to help them understand their main character (MC). The lists provided in writing classes vary from ten to one hundred questions. Writers can determine eye color, hair color, favorite color, birthday, preferred clothes, sport, restaurant, movie, book, etc. 

Can I just say that this is tedious for me? I look at the list and say....uh...I don't know. Who am I to tell this character if they like fresh broccoli instead of cooked broccoli like I do? BTW I dip mine in Ranch dressing. :)

2. The interview method. Writers can write a list of questions then meet with their character.  Some writers go to a coffee shop to give a sense of realness to the idea. They may go shopping and look at clothing, food, etc, and all the while ask their character questions. The answers are recorded and kept for when needed in the story. 

This method is better for me...but not epic. I feel like I am putting the main character in a box. Basically, they are only allowed to answer the questions I had written. At first I felt like I was giving them choices, but then I realized my next question fired before the character even had a chance to change subjects.


THEN I LEARNED THIS METHOD AT MT. HERMON THIS YEAR:

3. The journal method. WAIT!  Don't blow this off. Hear me out!!!

This is the golden egg. The grand takeaway for me from the Mt. Hermon conference this year. Nancy Rue was the instructor (yeah, Nancy Rue!!! Famous writer with a gazillion published books. She is fun, expressive, helpful...downright a-mazing). Here is the method she taught us in a nutshell:
 

A. Buy the perfect journal that describes your MC. I have a female teen who likes purple.

B. Write a short note to your MC and let them respond. I chose to color code the conversation. Black ink for me, purple ink for my MC. I chatted a bit with her then asked a question to get the ball rolling. Just like we do when meeting new people. 

The more we share. The more we know. The deeper the friendship. 

   

C. My MC responded in a deeper way than I expected. I think she saw that this was not an interview, instead, this was an informal time to share whatever happened to cross our minds. I wrote a few words, left the journal out for her. She wrote what she wanted, sometimes asking me a question back, then left the journal sitting on my desk. I found that the answers were much deeper than when using the list or interview method. 

This is open ended. The MC has as long as she wants to respond and may write as much as she wants. After a while the MC asked a question back that required at least a paragraph answer on my part. This, to me was the real breakthrough. True conversation. Two sided. Deepening relationship and understanding.

Jocelyn's Journal:

D. Author Nancy Rue recommended doing this journal method early on in a story. If possible, before writing. This helped her plan out the story. Find the direction. See issues and problems which led to more discussions with her MC in the journal. The conversation deepened every aspect of the story. She used portions from the journal--directly quoting them in her manuscript. Then marked which chapter she used the quote on the corresponding page in the MC's journal. 


My manuscript is finished, but I felt my MC needed to be developed more. 
       **Maybe I didn't know her as well as I thought.
       **Maybe she was nothing more than a cookie cutter character.
       **Maybe her unique personality needed to come across more to help readers truly identify with her.

I spent days chatting with my MC in the journal. Oh my...I cannot believe what I discovered. The more we talked, the more she trusted me and spilled her heart. The more she wanted to know me and ask questions. I went back to my MS, starting with chapter one, to deepen every aspect of her. The difference has transformed cookie cutter to genuine.

Nancy Rue showed us the different journals for each book she'd written. The cover of each journal really did match the character. Colorful. Plain. Dark. Bright. She'd kept them all this time! What was amusing was the expression on her face as she picked up each journal. A unique expression flashed on her face, for some she even laughed before showing us the journal.

This tool works for any character. Are you having trouble stepping into the shoes of your villain? Your hero? Is he manning up? Is she really and truly unique? The journal doesn't have to be just for the MC. Write one for the character you would like to know better.

I can't wait to read your comment(s)!

Help others--tweet or FB share this post

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Rock climbing, white-water rafting, zip lining, and hiking top Mary's list of great ways to enjoy a day. Such adventures can be found in her stories as well.

Mary writes young adult mystery/suspense, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and tell Bible event stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids. She has finaled in several writing contests.

Visit Mary at her website, blog, and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

All subscribers to Mary's newsletter will receive her new short story an intriguing suspense/mystery. Come, read a good story. To get your free gift, sign up for the newsletter at Mary's website or:  Join the adventure!

Subscribe to Mary Vee's Never Give Up Stories 

Swooning with Austen's Heroes...Part 2

Last time I introduced the 6 Austen-hero-types, but only expounded on the first two. As a refresher, here are the 6 categories:

The Reluctant Hero

The Subtle Servant

The Good Guy

The Best Friend

The Reformed Rogue

The Anti-Hero

Though the last two hero types seem to cause greater swoon-power, I am equally impressed (and enamored) by the next two Austen heroes.

The Good Guy

This hero is good for goodness sake. The heroine meets him within the first chapter or two, and there is an immediate kinship because this hero has the ability to create instant camaraderie. He doesn’t brood, is honest, hopeful, encouraging, and usually has a fantastic sense of humor. Though – I’d have to say most of Austen’s heroes have solid senses of humor, this one may have of the best.

Henry Tilney

Austen describes our first glance at Henry as this: "rather tall, had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent and lively eye, and, if not quite handsome, was very near it."

Henry Tilney, a second born son and one of the few ‘good’ clergyman in Austen’s novels, stands in contrast to many of her other heroes. He’s open, friendly, honest, has a fine income, quick wit, and teases the conventions of society. Much like Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, he takes the poor, inexperienced heroine, Catherine, under his wing to guide her in ‘polite’ society – most of the time tongue-in-cheek style. Unlike Henry Higgins, he does not carry the same arrogance or self-importance, but seems genuinely kindhearted and goodnatured. Plus, he’s good to his sister and likes to read novels ;-)

In all honesty, how can you not like a guy who says stuff like this:

Miss Morland, no one can think more highly of the understanding of women than I do. In my opinion, nature has given them so much that they never find it necessary to use more than half.” -Ch 14 of Northanger Abbey

Austen's Mr. Bingley and perhaps Colonel Fitzwilliam might fit in here too.
Justin Wells from Margaret Brownley’s A Lady Like Sarah

Red Dawson from Mary Connealy’s book Montana Rose (FAVORITE Connealy classic)

Harry DeVries from Siri Mitchell’s She Walks in Beauty (FAVORITE Siri historical)

George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life

Captain America, Superman

David from my novel, The Thorn Keeper

August from my WIP, The Thorn Healer

Red Shirt from Laura Frantz's novel, Courting Morrow Little

And Jack from While You Were Sleeping

 

The Best Friend

This is the man who not only provides a solid friendship, but is a confidante for the heroine. The difference between him and the Good Guy type is the depth of relationship he already possesses with the heroine. His closeness, many times, fogs up the feelings of love growing between the two, and may become entangled with conflict, irrational behavior, withdrawal, and conflict before the pair realizes what revelation is taking place in their hearts. In my opinion, solid friendship is a prerequisite to true love, and there is rare beauty in a gentle transition of platonic relationship deepening with romance.

Within the uniqueness of this romance is the need the hero might have to 'set the heroine straight'.  Their close relationships encourages the hero to feel a particular need to keep the heroine on the right track and perhaps even reprimand her if she sways off.

Mr. George Knightley – George Knightley seems to possess all the makings of a perfect hero and without the brooding of Mr. Darcy or bitterness of Captain Wentworth (though both of those heroes are fantastic). He is prone to ‘right wrongs’ to the point of being a bit bossy sometimes, but his intentions are to bring Emma back to the woman he knows she truly is on the inside. Their friendship gives him the intimacy of knowledge about her which a shorter acquaintance might not provide. Controlled, even-tempered, and logical, Mr. Knightley only loses ‘his cool’ when he becomes aware of his deepening feelings for Emma, to which he then responds with foreign internal feelings such as jealousy and impulsivity. He is the epitome of kindness, and is quick to assist the needs of the women of his acquaintance. And though he sees clearly Emma’s flaws, he loves her still, perhaps his love even deepens because of the solid foundation of their friendship.

 John Brady in Julie Lessman’s novel A Passion Denied

Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series

Sam from my debut novel, The Thorn Bearer

Harry from When Harry Met Sally

Adrien from Siri Mitchell’s novel Kissing Adrien

What do YOU think of these two Austen hero-types? Have you ever written a Good Guy or a Best Friend? In my current historical romance I have a 'Best Friend' hero. In the third book of that same series, I have a Good Guy.

Casting Call: Heroes Sign Up Here!

*What did you do last summer? I wrote this post! :) This is a revisit simply because it was too much fun!*

Calling all Heroes! Spineless, chauvinistic jerks need not apply.

Every girl has a type. And thank heaven our tastes aren’t all the same! Can you say global cat-fight? I myself tend to favor a more rugged, less polished type of man. A man’s man with callused hands, five-o’clock shadow, sun-kissed skin, and a certain country boy swagger. In other words, not a man that requires more upkeep than I do.

Brad Paisley’s Song “I’m Still A Guy” comes to mind and always makes me giggle…

“These days there's dudes gettin' facials
Manicured, waxed and botoxed
With deep spray-on tans and creamy lotiony hands
You can't grip a tackle box

Yeah, with all of these men linin' up to get neutered
It's hip now to be feminized
But I don't highlight my hair, I've still got a pair
Yeah honey, I'm still a guy”

Not my thing though, to be fair, those are the just the initial things we notice on first impression. The true measure of man is determined by far more important things underneath. (And don't go gettin' all randy on me, I don’t mean what’s under his clothes!)

Sense of humor. Integrity. Loyalty. Compassionate. Strong. Honest. Brave. Sensitive. Intelligent. Suave. Loving. Tender. Oh, the list of attractive qualities could go on and on.

But…

Since no man is perfect our heroes will naturally have some less than desirable flaws.

Arrogant. Temperamental. Jealous. Gruff. Stubborn. Proud. Unfaithful. Overbearing. Controlling. Indifferent.  

Now we may be married and monogamous, but as authors we get to take our heroes out for a test run in our imaginations. And more than likely, you will not be writing the exact same man over and over throughout the course of your writing career. Variety, in this instance, is the spice of our writing life. Ahh, yes, a fictional boyfriend. Who knew we’d revisit our 12-year-old starry eyed selves as adults. Good times!

But even though I favor a certain type of man that resembles my husband, whether I’m creating a hero or reading someone else’s, I can still start falling for a hero who colors outside my preference. Sure I love a laid back hunky cowboy type, ooo or say a firefighter with that charming yet arrogant swagger. But I’ve also written heroes that are the suit and tie kind, or the goof ball best friend type you might just overlook at first. The stoic hard-edged soldier. The smooth-talking bad boy. The antisocial intellectual. Yes, we take the good and the bad and despite our “type” we can still get snared in that hero’s web. 

I'm don't mean to "type-cast" because there’s always that moment when the country boy cleans up and WOWSA! But that’s neither here nor there. Forgive me, just picturing my man clean shaven in a suit and having a pre-menopausal hot flash. ;)

What about these examples of unconventional on-screen heroes you KNOW you swooned over…

Nick in The Wedding Date. Charming. Clean cut. And a PROSTITUTE. 

Benjamin Barry in How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days. Tough. Competitive. And out of control egotistical.

Declan O’Callahan in Leap Year. Quiet. Playful. And opportunistic. 

Ben Wrightman in Fever Pitch. Quirky. Funny. And Obsessed.

George Wade in Two Weeks Notice. Successful. Self-centered. Needy.

Amazingly enough, NONE of those guys are my type. Shoot, if I’m being honest, I don’t find a single one of those actors attractive. And yet… they reeled me in. Had me pulling for them. And falling just a little.

Maybe we just root for the hero regardless. Or maybe there’s a special ingredient, that chemistry that makes you swoon in spite of your preference. The point is… there is no right or wrong way to write a hero. And you pair him up with the right woman your reader wont stand a chance. 

So let’s dish… What’s YOUR type? Also what type of hero are you currently writing and who would play him? Tell me about the two men in your life! (And er… if any men read this post turn the tables on us… tell us about your women. One real and one fictional, please and thank you!)

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Amy Leigh Simpson writes Romantic Suspense that is heavy on the romance, unapologetically honest, laced with sass and humor, and full of the unfathomable Grace of God. She is the completely sleep deprived mama to two little tow-headed mischief makers, one pretty little princess, and wife to her very own swoon-worthy hero. Represented by the oh-so-wise and dashing Chip MacGregor of MacGregor Literary Inc.

The Chocolate Cafe with Mary Connealy

There are a lot of people I look for at ACFW, but the Seekers are a group I make SURE to find each time. And author, Mary Connealy, is one of the reasons I've stalked the Seekers as much as I have over the past 4 years. (Well, Mary told me that I wasn't working hard enough to be a stalker and I "needed to apply myself" - so I need to stalk harder :-)

I read Petticoat Ranch in 2009 and immediately fell in love with the style, humor, and male/female banter. It was one of the first books in CBA I'd read which really hit at the humor aspect I wanted to write. (Siri Mitchell was another initial influence). 

Mary's characters have such vibrancy and each book is an adventure. So... let's see who one of her most memorable characters is?

I love Dare Riker, the hero of Fired Up because he is deeply honorable. So deeply honorable that he is tormented to realize that he completely missed the Glynna Greer was being abused by her husband and left her to be beaten a second time. It's destroyed his belief in himself and he no longer wants to be a doctor. Ever since he trained to help a doctor in the Civil War he's taken some smug satisfaction in practicing medicine without 'wasting a bunch of time' in college. Believing he's just as good as any doctor. But now he sees himself as a liar and a fraud and he's ashamed of himself.
 
But he has such a natural gift for nurturing and healing that everytime someone gets sick or hurt near him, he just can't help stepping in and taking care of them.
 
It's enough of a dilemma to drive a poor defenseless doctor mad!

I do like him a bunch - but why does Glynna end of liking him?

He's smart. Hard working. Kind. Intensely loyal. A natural caretaker. A driven student, learning all he can about medicine, more than most men who have been to college by reading everything he can get his hands on. Honest. Cute. Once he realizes Glynna's in trouble nothing matters but saving her. Including Luke's ranch.
 
Leaving her behind the second time he is called to her house, once he knows Flint beat her, knowing he will die if he tries to take her...and being willing to do that if it would save her, but knowing it wouldn't save her at all, nearly tears him in half.
 
Plus he is smoking hot and he wants to get his hands on Glynna so bad it is driving him mad and Glynna wants him right back.
 
What's not to love?

Wooweee! Romance with rifles! Passion with pistols. No doubt, Fired Up will take you on a fun and furious ride through another Connealy classic. If you'd like to hear more about character creation with Mary Connealy, you can check out her posts at Seekerville. You can also learn more about her books at her website.

Quotes for the day: (and Mary will probably appreciate these :-)

“Writing historical fiction is a legitimate use of Multiple Personality disorder.” 
- Peggy Ullman Bell

I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.” 

-Clarence Kelland

Believable Characters: Applying Personality Types

Have you ever taken an enneagram test?

As I've been thinking of some of my favorite characters and my own characters, I've come across a site called the 9types.

Thinking about the personality types can give us some new insight into our characters. Click here to take a free short enneagram test.

 You might want to test yourself first, then think of a character or two. Personally, I find these lots of fun and have learned new things about my characters, although it is important not to let the test box in your characters.

Similar minds is a site with even more tests, which can yield different insights. Lots of fun.


Whether you chose to take the test or not, here are some ways pesonality type application can be one tool in your box for creating a more believable character. I will attempt to show a possible goal, motivation, and conflict for each type of personality type in order to spur you on to think of believable goals for your own characters.

Then using literature, I will share some fun guesses about some of our favorite literary characters and what their personality types may be.

I want to note that I found studying the loop diagrams to be very helpful to understand the healthy and unhealthy patterns my character might find themselves in.

TYPE 1: THE REFORMER

See here for a great diagram if you are a visual type learner.

The reformer believes the world is an imperfect place. Often a perfectionist, the reformer's main goal is to make things perfect. They strongly desire to be right. Yet, reformers can be highly fearful of other's opinion and the thought of suffering condemnation at the hands of others.

If your character is a politician, world leader, lawyer, cult leader, or policeman its possible they might draw high scores in Type 1.

I was fascinated with the thought that basic correct desires can create healthy character arc movement. By the same token, the main fear can create an unhealthy loop that continues.

GOAL FOR A TYPE 1/REFORMER: Make things perfect.

An example would be Inspector Javert from Les Miserables. Javert has a very strong sense of law. He is a highly perfectionist individual whose life goal is to create a more fair world. Hence, he chases Jean Valjean throughout France.

MOTIVATION FOR A TYPE 1/REFORMER: Can be motivated by a desire to be right, yet also are often motivated by other's opinions.

Javert is motivated by his desire to be right or bring justice to the world. His mother was a prostitute and he never knew his father. He believes he will redeem himself from his past somehow by capturing and punishing others for their deeds. Javert himself tries to live by his own sense of the law. He is also a great example of how fallen man sinks to legalism.

CONFLICT FOR A TYPE 1/REFORMER: 

Inspector Javert's main inner conflict is between justice and mercy. As a non-believing character he believes the lie that he can fix himself, fix his past, make up for his mother's sins as well as his own. Yet he has no true understanding of mercy or the love of God. I believe he represents an unhealthy loop Type 1's can fall into, correcting others because he feels condemned himself.

Do you have a type 1 reformer? 

TYPE 2: THE HELPER

Loop diagram  here shows healthy and unhealthy cycles. 

A type 2 Helper might be a counselor, social worker, teacher, policeman or woman, firefighter, nurse or paramedic. They are labeled as a giver, caretaker, helper, nurturer, advisor, or manipulator.

A Type 2 Helper likes being depended on and needed. He or she wants to be loved and conversely their biggest fear is being unloved.

GOAL FOR A TYPE 2/HELPER: helping others

One of my favorite characters who I think would fall into this category is Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady or the play Pygmalion. Higgins goal is to teach a poor flower girl to be a lady of course and boy does he have lots of challenges along the way, from Eliza's cockney accent to her money-grubbing father who tries to use the situation to his advantage.

MOTIVATION FOR A TYPE 2/ HELPER: desperate need to be loved

In the end, though all Henry Higgins can tell Eliza is "fetch me my slippers" the satisfied viewer knows something deeper is going on. Henry's desperate need to be loved has been fulfilled in Eliza. Higgins perhaps is not even conscious of this need, but it is obvious to the reader. He begins his task to prove a bet, but realizes along the way, his motivation has changed. "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" he sings.

CONFLICT FOR A TYPE 2/HELPER: often controlled by feeling unloved

"Pygmalion" syndrome has been created as a term to explain the phenomena that greater expectation equals greater performance on the part of the other person. Higgin's jealousy at Eliza's excellent performance at the ball leads him to arrogantly conclude that it was his triumph, not hers. He is so consumed with creating success for someone else and helping others that he often becomes inherently selfish in his actions. He often fails to recognize his own need for love and fails to recognize it when it is given to him.


Do you have any type 2 characters in your story? How can you widen their character arc?

TYPE 3: MOTIVATOR

For a chart of this type, go to 9types.

The motivator is a champion, because she believes the world values winners. She longs to be admired and despairs of being rejected.

Common names are: motivator, performer, achiever, producer, or status seeker.

They are goal oriented and often seek attention. They are often viewed as self-motivated, confident, ambitious and also arrogant. Type 3's love having a high status, prestige and are very concerned with their appearance. Also they are natural born performers.

Possible career choices might include: CEOs, actors, singers, performers of any type.

GOAL FOR A TYPE 3/MOTIVATOR: succeed

This one was harder to come up with for me. One idea was Tom Riddle/Voldemort from the Harry Potter series. I haven't read the entire series, but I do think Voldemort might fit this personality type.

Tom Riddle was a start student and head boy. He overcomes some difficult circumstances in order to attempt to reach his goal. His main goal is power over all and to gain immortality.

MOTIVATION FOR A TYPE 3/MOTIVATOR: to be admired

Voldemort is consumed with working hard to improve himself and succeed. He is desperate to achieve his own form of success. He wants to be admired, but also feared by others.

CONFLICT FOR A TYPE 3/MOTIVATOR: can be fear of being rejected

A common conflict for this type is fear of being rejected. I believe Voldemort's greatest conflict is inner and is the frustration between who he is and who he wants to be. He must be dependent on others to achieve his goals because he needs to use the life energy of others.


Does your story have a type 3 motivator? How can you strengthen his arc?


What type are you or one of your characters? Or what do you think they might be? Do you see them in any of these three types? (I'll be returning next time with more types). If you want something to check out in the mean time, here is a great link on Enneagram Personality conflicts between couples. What is the compatibility between your hero and heroine. 

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for Library Journal, The Title Trakk, and Christian Library Journal.