Character Personality Class.4 The Thinker.Organizer

The advantage to figuring out what kind of personality your main character/s has or have is: you will better understand what he/she will do in every scene in your story. 

We cannot make these things up. There is a rhythm that makes sense and flows. If we step outside of what is expected for a given personality, the readers will no longer trust the story and may put the book down.

For example, no matter what wonderful person a Joker/Scarlett O'hare character dates, he/she will not be satisfied with a bouquet of flowers or other traditionally sentimental object for a gift. Could Brett have won Scarlet's affections with roses? No. Would Joker be touched by a home cooked meal? No.

Knowing what is typically in the heart and mind of a character will give validity to your character's actions. The reader will engage in a story that makes sense. And don't be afraid to let your character be true to himself. If he is a jerk but also an introvert, make sure the specific jerk behavior matches what an introvert would do.

Before the story begins, the writer needs to get to know their character and determine their personality. This knowledge will not only help when blank pages face you, but also will make the story believable. In the last three classes we have discussed three different character types. There will be a total of sixteen. A list of previous class links is at the end of this post.

Today we will look at the "Thinker" character.

He has an unbelievable drive to finish whatever he starts, even if forced to do something he doesn't like. Against his will, Jack Ryan had to give a presentation to a board of VIPs, he had to ride in a shaky military helicopter, etc.

He is logical. Lives to make plans. Organizes things. He is focused on the one task at hand and notices things others do not--like Sherlock Holmes 

She is serious. Tasks and goals are accomplished in a clear path.

If she has to be at a party she will find ways to not engage in the social aspects. She may pick up a coat and put it away-not because she is helping or likes to do behind the scenes work, but because she is looking for an excuse to get away from the crowd. She may also be in the corner using her cell phone as the reason she isn't talking. "I have a message."

She is a hard worker.

He is no nonsense and has a head for details

He prefers utility not fashion.

Likes trivial pursuit, computer games, watching sports events, and pursues physical fitness. Plays solitary sports like golf.

He is most comfortable in familiar surroundings.

He values predictability over imagination and wants to maintain social order

He likes clear guidelines and follows them.

Likes to stay out of the spotlight and doesn't like to be recognized for doing what simply needs to be done.

Can be an administrator, work in finance or medicine. But he is shy when called to supervise others.

Knows where he belongs in life.

Frustrated by those who like to do things different than the norm.

Do you have a thinker/organizer in your WIP? 

Reed Richards from Fantastic 4 struggled to stay focused in his relationship. He dated the gorgeous girl, the one everyone else loved. But ideas for projects popped in his head all the time, yanking him away from even his wedding vows! 

Professor Henry Jones' relationship with his son didn't include tossing a baseball or going to activities together. Instead he'd tell Indiana to say the Latin alphabet--backwards and then return to his own work.

Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan decided she reached the age when her clock would be ticking. She decided she needed to have a child but didn't want to have a relationship. This was something humans did and needed to be checked off her list. Just have the child, raise it. Get the job done. No emotions.

The thinker/organizer is sorely lacking in social skills and sadly is rather clueless about it. These characters, the Sheldons from The Big Bang Theory and others, are ripe for comedy. This character honestly just doesn't get it when social interaction is involved. He or she also does not understand why others are not on the same thinking plane as they are. 


If you need a comic relief, a spark of humor, infuse in your story a thinker/organizer. He doesn't need to be the main character. He can be a bookbinder, the detective, the medical examiner, the teacher, postal worker, etc. This person could literally hop into any career, any place because hard times even fall on the very intellectual.

Ready to play a game?

1. Which would the thinker/organizer most likely do:

a. go to the Super Bowl with his friends
b. go to a church potluck
c. walk on a beach, take her shoes off and enjoy the sand between her toes
d. sniff a flower handed to her and analyze the chemical components rather than say thank you.

2. What is the thinker/organizer's favorite sport?

a. Hockey
b. Rock Climbing 
c. Soccer
d. Baseball


3. What is the thinker/organizer's favorite meal?

a. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich
b. Steak
c. Lunch? In a minute.
d. Whatever's in the fridge

4. The thinker/organizer's caring family kidnaps her for a sunny weekend at a Gulf condo on the beach. Despite their best efforts, she...

a. spends her time working on a tan
b. working in the kitchen with Mom and Sis
c. sleeps in
d. is up at 5 am walking on the beach, assessing the height variance and duration of different waves.

How did you do? Here are the answers:Answers: 1. d  2. b  3. c  4.d

Links to previous classes:
Class 1: The Outgoing.Observant.Outspoken. Joker/Scarlett O'Hara character 
Class 2: The Life of the Party
Class 3: The Composed and Sensitive Personality

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section! I hope to see you at our next class in two weeks.

Question: Why would a Thinker.Organizer be a great addition to: (pick one)
A church
A bible study
A romantic dinner
A vacation

Information for this series has been gathered from sources focusing on Carl Jung's personality assessment works and include: 
Myers. "The 16 MBTI® Types." The Myers and Briggs Foundation. The Myers and Briggs Foundation, 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.;
Smith, Daniel. How to Think like Sherlock: Improve Your Powers of Observation, Memory and Deduction. New York: MJF, 2012. Print.
Myers, David G. Psychology. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2013. Print.

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If you found any typos in today's post...sorry about that. 

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes young adult mystery/adventure Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

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

Character Personality Class.3 Composed and Sensitive

Photo Courtesy - Helen Keller circa, 1912

In today's Character Personality Class we will discuss the character who is composed and sensitive. We'll see how characters from movies and TV shows demonstrate this characteristic and use this information to deepen our own characters.

What confused me, at first, about the Composed and Sensitive Character is I assumed too much about them. Or perhaps too little. 

Although introverted, many individuals/characters with this type of personality have accomplished great things. Their greatest asset, in my view, is their drive to learn more about the one aspect of life that means the most to them.

Perhaps many of us are secretly this personality. Don't you want to seek to know God more? To the point that you will set other things aside to do so? Me, too. 

While the characters here may not always seek God more, they have some aspect of personal growth, something to make the world better that burns in their heart. Think of these real people: Helen Keller, Fred Rogers, Princess Dianna, and Audrey Hepburn.

Ready to take a look at the Composed and Sensitive Character?

Remember, each class is independent. However, adding the previous classes to your notes will be beneficial to you. Here is the link for the first class: The Outgoing.Observant.Outspoken. Joker/Scarlett O'Hara character and the second class: The Life of the Party

By having a basic understanding of each characteristic, you will be able to write deeper characters and avoid cliche descriptors. 

The Composed and Sensitive character has these personality characteristics:

She is imaginative and idealistic. 

Whatever is happening will pass and things will get better.

She is sensitive, caring, and non judgmental. 

Accepts others without question

Sensitive

Composed




He is sure the future will bring better options.

Likes to explore ways to improve himself.

Encourages others to do so.

Likes to explore new ways to express their thoughts.

Can see many points of view.

Flexible

Often unconventional.

Supportive until it crosses their belief.

Does not have a desire to conform and is willing to march to his own beat.

Would rather feel good about a choice than fit in.

Likes open exchange of ideas.

Likes avant garde because he can explore new concepts in the area he is interested.

Seeks to understand himself and others around him. Few know just how much this means to him.

Mundane aspects of life are not interesting. He is more interested in ideas than practical facts.

Reflective. Spiritual. Likes meaningful conversations about personal growth.

Wants to make sure they are telling the truth and searches to learn more.






**Important to note- the composed and sensitive one will boldly act if the moment stirs the truth they hold dear to them. Jean Valjean risks his life to save another. Peter Parker gives up the love of his life to protect her. Larry Daley sets aside his failures to survive the unbelievable, Walter Mitty proves he can be the dream, Mater saves McQueen from destroying himself in pride, Sid helps the tiger save the baby, Jane stands up to propriety,  

How about some fun?

Think about your WIP or a previous work. Does your character have a Composed and Sensitive personality? If so, re-examine your character's scene for a moment in your mind. Is there one or more responses to situations you could deepen knowing the above information?

Ready to stir your thoughts? 

1. I've thought of a few godly real people who could be added to this list. Which one does not fit?
    a. Jonathan Edwards (Preacher, 1700's)
    b. Corrie Ten Boom (lived in Germany and hid Jews)
    c. William Penn (Quaker, fought for the right to worship, founded Philadelphia)
    d. Fanny Crosby (blind, hymn writer, poet)

2. What is the only way the Life of the Party character could talk today's Composed and Sensitive character into going to a party?
    a. If the Life of the Party character promised to stay with him or her the whole time.
    b. If the party was inexpensive.
    c. It the party honored or was dedicated to a cause dear to Composed and Sensitive's heart.
    d. If there were only a few people attending.

3. Composed and Sensitive would be more likely to:
   a. Assist Judge Deborah as she gives the battle plan.
   b. Run with the Shepherds to tell all of Bethlehem about the newborn King they just saw.
   c. Help Martha in the kitchen as she prepared a meal for Jesus
   d. Sit at Jesus feet listening with Mary 

4. The best gift the Composed and Sensitive female character could receive is:
    a. A romantic marriage proposal in a secluded setting, by Mr. Right. 
    b. A surprise birthday party.
    c. A sparkly, chic dress with matching shoes.
    d. A diamond necklace

answers: 1. a/ 2. c/ 3. d/ 4. a

What would happen if a Composed and Sensitive personality discovered a secret code? Tell two things the character might do. Can you see how this personality would treat the discovery of the code completely different from The Life of the Party or  Joker/Scarlett personality we discussed the last two classes? You can review Joker/Scarlett O'Hara character personality here and/or The Life of the Party character personality here.

Is this character in any of your WIP? If so, take a moment and consider their scenes.  Did he or she respond/think true to their personality? Can you deepen the scene by modifying or including something, even in the smallest measure, only this personality might do? This is the writing that will make your story stand out.

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section! I hope to see you at our next class in two weeks.

Information for this series has been gathered from sources focusing on Carl Jung's personality assessment works and include: 
Myers. "The 16 MBTI® Types." The Myers and Briggs Foundation. The Myers and Briggs Foundation, 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.;
Smith, Daniel. How to Think like Sherlock: Improve Your Powers of Observation, Memory and Deduction. New York: MJF, 2012. Print.
Myers, David G. Psychology. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2013. Print.

 *****************************************************************************************

If you found any typos in today's post...sorry about that. 

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes young adult mystery/adventure Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

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

Character Personality Class.2 The Life of the Party

In today's Character Personality Class we will discuss the character who is the life of the party. We'll see how characters from movies and TV shows demonstrate this characteristic and use this information to deepen our own characters.

Remember, each class is independent. However, adding the last class to your notes to complete the class will be beneficial to you. Here is the link for the first class: The Outgoing.Observant.Outspoken. Joker/Scarlett O'Hara character

Photo Courtesy
Anna from Frozen

By having a basic understanding of each characteristic, you will be able to write deeper characters and avoid cliche descriptors. For example, last night I watched a recent Forever episode. Abraham, the older man, goes to the funeral of his best friend from grade school. He dresses up in a nice suit and drives to the cemetery. He searches for the widow, whom he also knew, and when he sees her he says, "There she is. Fiona. What a tomato." Fiona has red hair and was the first girl he ever kissed--and planned to marry from childhood. The show ends with her stopping by his store to say hello. Not your typical funeral scene. But very much in Abe's character.

See how this funeral scene played out different from a serious, weepy typical one--as in Sleepless in Seattle.

The Life of the Party character has these characteristics:

Photo Courtesy
Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean
 Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Fun-loving. He loves to be in the middle of the action. 

He is playful, open, and has a sense of humor. 

He is friendly, likable, but hard to get close to.

Reluctant to be serious or talk about anything negative.

There isn't enough time in the day to do all he wants to do.

He has a zest for life and makes decisions based on a gut feeling.

Photo Courtesy
Mary Clancy in Trouble With Angels
Fred&George Weasley in Harry Potter

She lives in the moment, enjoying what life has to offer. Mary Clancy had scathing brilliant ideas, and the Weasley brothers were practical jokesters.

She is spontaneous and energetic. She prefers hands on activities and is focused on the external.

They like to draw out other people to enjoy themselves.

They do not plan ahead, and often become overextended when there are too many exciting things to do.

Photo Courtesy
Porthos the Pirate in The Three Musketeers
Hawkeye Pierce in M*A*S*H

He hates doing nothing and would rather find the action or stir up action.

He is tuned into facts and details of his environment and especially when it involves people.

He is observant of others needs and responsive in offering assistance (although it may be done in a light manner.

Likes to help others in practical tangible ways (Porthos saves the king, Hawkeye saves the injured).

He enjoyed participating in the community and being with friends and family.

Photo Courtesy
Lydia in Pride and Prejudice
Rizzo in the movie Grease

She takes the lad to get everyone involved in a diversion to bring a spark to the moment. 

She is up on the latest trends and she likes to be the first to tell everyone around her about new things. Lydia always wanted the latest and best ribbons for her hair, and the status of marrying a military man. Rizzo was cool, she led the pink ladies in ruling the school.

Photo Courtesy
Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet
Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac

He is witty, warm, and talkative

He can charm and engage those around him.

He is a vivacious entertainer.

He enjoys sensory things around him like food, nature, animals, and especially people.

Has a packed social calendar, us positive and upbeat. He avoids conflict, preferring to turn the situation into something light hearted.





**Important to note- the life of the party appears to only be interested in having fun, yet each one I've mentioned above did something unexpected. Here are a few, can you see a pattern? Porthos the Pirate was the only one to shed a tear when d'Aartagnan's received his musketeer cape. Mary Clancy was the only one, besides the smart girl, to choose to stay at the convent and train to become a nun. Rizzo chose to keep her unplanned pregnancy to herself rather than "be cruel to the father". Anna from Frozen saves her sister with a single movement of her arm. Although they don't seem to show it on the outside, they have a deep conscious that cares on the inside. At the right moment, this component will show in an unexpected way. 

Let's see if we understand who The Life of the Party character personality is:

1. From the Importance of Being Ernest which character is best described as the one discussed today-- The Life of the Party:

 Jack Worthing (aka Ernest) or Algernon Moncrieff (aka Ernest)?

Think about you WIP or a previous work. Do you have a Life of the Party character? If so, re-examine your character's scene for a moment in your mind. Is there one or more responses to situations you could deepen knowing the above information?

Here are examples to help: 

2. Say a group of people stood by a bus stop and the bus was now late by fifteen minutes. This character is in the group and is very excited to get to a party. The bus is no where in sight. This character would:

a. Hail a taxi to get to the party.

b. Pace with the other unhappy bystanders.

c. Do something silly to make everyone laugh.

d. Go inside the coffee shop behind him and purchase something to drink.

3. Our character has met a girl he truly likes. He brings her a dozen roses and hides them behind his back. She opens the door. He:

a. Hands her the bouquet and says tender words to make her heart swoon.

b. He hands her one flower at a time, watching to see if she grins with each additional stem.

c. He become caught up in her beauty, stumbles with what to say and for a moment forgets to give her the flowers.

d. He waits to be invited inside/or for her to come outside and hopes she asks "What are you hiding?"

4. Which one of these characters would not be the life of the party character personality?

a. Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games)
b. Donkey from Shrek (Shrek's sidekick)
c. Sanka from Cool Runnings (the Jamaican Bob Sled team in the Calgary Olympics)
d. Hans Solo (Star Wars)

answers: 1. Algernon Moncrief/ 2. c/ 3. b/ 4. a

What would happen if The Life of the Party personality discovered a secret code? Tell two things the character might do. Can you see how this personality would treat the discovery of the code completely different from Joker/Scarlett personality we discussed last time? You can review the first personality here:  Joker/Scarlett O'Hara character

Would this character be in any of your WIP? If so, take a moment and consider their scenes.  Did he or she respond/think true to their personality? Can you deepen the scene by modifying or including something, even in the smallest measure, only this personality might do? This is the writing that will make your story stand out.

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section! I hope to see you at our next class in two weeks.

Information for this series has been gathered from sources focusing on Carl Jung's personality assessment works and include: 
Myers. "The 16 MBTI® Types." The Myers and Briggs Foundation. The Myers and Briggs Foundation, 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.;
Smith, Daniel. How to Think like Sherlock: Improve Your Powers of Observation, Memory and Deduction. New York: MJF, 2012. Print.
Myers, David G. Psychology. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2013. Print.

 *****************************************************************************************

If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes young adult mystery/adventure Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

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

Character Personality Class.1-Outgoing.Observant.Outspoken

Today begins our Character Personality Class. Classes will be held every other Wednesday starting today.

Photo Courtesy

Back in December I mentioned my dislike for completing the tedious forms that asked fifty plus questions about each of my dominant characters. To me the questions often cause me to create useless information (birthdate, favorite food, etc) that I either never use or only add a layer of superficial boring details rather than help me dig into the character's gut feeling and subsequent response.

The purpose of knowing a character's personality is to help the writer know what typically plays out in a given situation. A character's response can change the flow of an entire scene. 

Determining the personality does not put a character in a box. No, not at all. I will provide you with an extensive list of characters who display each of the personality types. From this, you will be able to see the vast freedom your character has to respond in a logical way specific to them.

The benefit to understanding your character's personality is knowing what he/she would think and do when faced with, say, the last petal of a daisy and the words he/she loves me not. Or the physical response when your character is the last one holding the gun in a game of Russian Roulette. 

My qualifications: I have a Masters in Guidance and Counseling and have worked in this field for more than ten years. I am also a fiction writer and speaker.

Let's get started with Personality One: Outgoing. Observant. Outspoken. Spontaneous

The Joker          Nickie Ferrante

This character can be the aggressive villain or the suave star viewers/readers fall in love with.

He is outgoing: characterized by masterminding plots, Joker, sweeping a forbidden love off their feet, Nickie. He is engaged with those around him without a shred of loyalty to the following.

The more his friends laugh and seek him out the more successful he feels. At some point, though, he will grow tired of them, cast them away, and seek new followers.

Miranda Priestly       Scarlett O'Hara

She is observant. Able to rise to management and can turn a failure into a success. Hands-on: struggles to fully delegate. Checks on tasks, never quite trusting those under them.

She keeps people on their toes. Her followers/friends never know what she will poke fun at next. It will not be kind. "Is my coffee ready? Has she died?"

She is gregarious and proud of the fact that the masses want to be around her Scarlett...be her, Miranda.

Four                    Thorin Oakenshield

He is athletic. Enjoys extreme sports. He is naturally coordinated which enables him to pursue elements of danger like rock climbing, bungie jumping, windsurfing, jousting, train jumping, dragon slaying, killing the Azog, the Orc chieftain, and etc.

He is spontaneous, ready to initiate an activity, program, policy, for the-what-he-understands-to-be-right/best. A divergent.

Robin Hood, James T. Kirk, Gaston
Mrs. Smith, Cleopatra, M

She is outspoken, objective, logical, perceiving, responsive, adventurous.

Satisfaction chiefly comes in a new opportunity. Motivation is fueled by a desire to reach the goal.

Each of the characters in the photos have the personality discussed in today's class. Take a minute to look at the photos and consider the character (not the actor). Would you have invited them to your New Year's Eve party? Why or Why not?






For the sake of giving this personality an easy to remember label, this one will be called the Joker/Scarlet Personality. As you consider the characteristics of this outgoing, observant, outspoken, and spontaneous character take quiz below to check your working understanding of his or her response to the given situations:


1.  While at a ball or state function
    a. he would dance with his true love for most of the dances.
    b. he would ignore a spill caused by the server.
    c. he would keep a lively conversation at the dinner table.
    d. he would encourage others to speak

2. Each day
    a. she rises early with an agenda in her head
    b. she wishes for five more minutes of sleep
    c. she prefers to shop then stop at the coffee shop rather than go to work, but goes to work anyway
    d. she dreams of a strong man to sweep her off her feet

3. His New Year's Resolution might be:
    a. start a volunteer program to help the homeless
    b. organize/clean/polish his weapons/tools
    c. hike Mt. Everest
    d. write a novel

4. After a long day at work she prefers to:
    a. sip a cup or glass of her favorite beverage and put her feet up
    b. go out with her friends
    c. run errands
    d. catch up with social media

5. When personal tragedy strikes:
    a. he seeks the company of friends
    b. punches a wall or breaks something
    c. hides in his room for days, unwilling to eat or drink
    d. frustration and heartache rip him apart on the inside but he pulls himself together to act 

6. Which character would not be an example of the Joker/Scarlett Personality?
    a. Iron Man
    b. Sherlock Holmes
    c. 007
    d. Hans Solo
    (Bonus- why would the character you chose not be an example of the Joker/Scarlett Personality?)


How did you do? Here are the answers: 1. c  /2. a  /3. c  /4. b  /5. d  /6. b


What would happen if a Joker/Scarlett personality (outgoing, observant, outspoken, and spontaneous) discovered a secret code? Tell two things the character might do. 

Would this character be in any of your WIP? If so, take a moment and consider their scenes.  Did he or she respond true to their personality? Can you deepen the scene by modifying or including something only this personality might do? 

Feel free to ask questions in the comment section! I hope to see you at our next class in two weeks.

Information for this series has been gathered from sources focusing on Carl Jung's personality assessment works and include: 
Myers. "The 16 MBTI® Types." The Myers and Briggs Foundation. The Myers and Briggs Foundation, 2014. Web. 29 Dec. 2014.;
Smith, Daniel. How to Think like Sherlock: Improve Your Powers of Observation, Memory and Deduction. New York: MJF, 2012. Print.
Myers, David G. Psychology. 10th ed. New York: Worth, 2013. Print.

 *****************************************************************************************

If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes young adult mystery/adventure Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

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