Enthusiasts, Leaders, and Peacemakers: Using Enneagram Types to Deepen Your Characters Part III

These past few weeks, I've been discussing personality types in literature and how psychoanalyzing your character using the 9 types (check out the RETI test).

Is your character the same prototype as Javert from Les Mis or Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady?  I also share links to other personality tests and analysis pages here.

Are you writing a Cyrano or a Hamlet?

Previously we've discussed:
Type 1: Reformer (think Javert from Les Miserables)
Type 2: Helper (Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady)
Type 3: Motivator  (Tom Riddle/Voldemort from the Harry Potter series)
Type 4: Romantic (Cyrano from Cyrano de Bergerac)
Type 5: The Thinker (John Forbes Nash from A Beautiful Mind)
Type 6: The Skeptic (Hamlet)

Here are the last three types:

Type 7: Enthusiast (click here to see the character motivator loop for a 7).

Type sevens have no greater desire than to be happy. Related their greatest fear is of being deprived. They desperately want to have a good time and to be thought of as fascinating. Never be bored is their motto. Their lives are busy and full with all their creative energy. Ideas motivate them.

Character traits:
outgoing
spontaneous
visionary
creative
charming
positive
optimistic
jovial
funny
idealist
youthful
trend-setting
witty
peace-seeking

Roles:
cheering up others
stirring up others ideas
bringing a new energy to a task
starting new projects
diffusing conflict

Fears: 
being inferior to others
being deprived

Fictional Type 7: Okay, I'm cheating just a bit here because he's a movie character and not a literary character...but Jack Sparrow.

Why I think he's a great embodiment of a type 7: Super spontaneous, Jack Sparrow is always up for a good time, which is also his comeuppance. He is a spur of the moment decision maker and creative at finding ways to get into and out of trouble. Sense of humor, most definitely. Young at heart and witty, he is more likely to connive his way out of trouble than to confront.

Why a 7 would be a great addition to your novel: Often side characters, sevens are great comic relief. They keep the reader in stitches and can provide a bit of release from the high-tension moments. Their spontaneity can add some surprising decisions which keep the reader guessing.

Possible goals for 7/motivators:
Type 7's greatest need is to be happy so it follows that their greatest goal is working towards their own happiness. These characters are goal driven. From a spiritual perspective their goal can be challenged as they grow in their Christian life and find out its not all about "them" and learn to live for others.

Possible motivation for 7s:
Type 7s are motivated by a need to explore their own world and to appreciate the world around them. This can be a positive force in their lives helping them to achieve a greater outward focus.

Possible conflict for 7s:
The same desire to push themselves forward towards any goal (especially one that involves furthering their own happiness) can also be their strongest interior conflict. An unhealthy pattern is that 7s will tend to seek sensation at all costs. Ultimately from a spiritual perspective, selfishness holds them back from their goals and opposition from the outside controls them in spite of their wish to fulfill their own goals. Gluttony and lack of self-control can be some of the greatest struggles of #7s.



Type 8: Leader: click here to see loop for 8s

Leaders are dominating, The BIG Boss. The Provider and the The Rock, they are unchanging and protect those they love at all costs. They take care of others. Powerful is another moniker for type 8s. Often physically strong, they don't back down from a challenge.

Character traits: 
self-confident
strong (physically or emotionally)
protective
resourceful
honest
decisive
self-centered
egotistical
domineering
controlling
dominating
intimidating
self-controlled
heroic
inspiring
provider
unchanging
stable
charismatic
strong-willed
individualist

Roles:
Taking on challenges
Encouraging others to take on challenges
Persuading others

Possible Fears:
being harmed by others
being controlled by others

Fictional type 8:    Sarumon from Lord of the Rings

Why I think Sarumon is a great embodiment of type 8/leader:
Sarumon is very self-confident, physically and emotionally strong. He is resourceful, definitely knows how to motivate those orcs often by physical pain. Highly charismatic, at first the reader is unsure of his true motives.

Why an 8 would be a great addition to your novel:
Cult leaders, CEOs, many powerful and famous people fall into the 8 category. As such, most of us are fascinated with what makes them tick. They can be great at providing conflict particularly for more people pleasing characters.

Possible goals for 8s/leaders:
Becoming self-reliant is a goal for a #8, as is seeking fame, fortune, notoriety. As a character grows in his/her Christian life 8s are challenged to learn humility and looking to others first. This comes into conflict with their quest for power.

Possible motivations for 8s/leaders:
Fear of being controlled by others is often a motivator behind the actions of 8s. As they grow in faith, they will come to the knowledge of God's sovereignty in their life and seek to understand that true freedom is found in allowing God to control your life, not self-control.

Possible conflicts for 8s/leaders:
Eights don't mind butting heads with others, but their biggest internal conflict on a spiritual level may be seeking to put their lives completely under God's control, giving up their own control.


Type 9: Peacemaker (Click here for the loop for type 9)

Type 9s generally dislike conflict and they dislike getting upset. Often they will go to all costs to avoid disagreements. Nines often blend in with the crowd and avoid getting too much attention. They tend to minimize their own upsets to others and often even to themselves.

Character traits: 
accepting
trusting
stable
creative
optimistic
supportive
people-pleasers
conflict-avoiders
complacent
resistant to change
stubborn
embracing

Roles:
embracing others
bringing diverse groups of people together
healing conflicts

Possible fears:
loss and separation
loss of loved ones
loss of the love of others
loneliness and isolation

Fictional type 9: Frodo from Lord of the Rings

Why I think Frodo is a good embodiment of type 9/peacemaker:
Frodo is ultimately accepting and trusting of others even in the case of Gollom where it is unwarranted. He is a peacekeeper who is able to bring together a diverse group of people to work together towards his goals.

Why a 9 would be a great addition to your novel:
Nines have the great ability to bring others together for a cause. If you need your characters to work closely together for a common goal, add a 9 into the mix. He or she will help bring understanding and peace to the situation.

Possible goals for 9s/peacemakers:
To gain inner stability and peace of mind is a common goal for #9s. On a spiritual level, nines must realize that they can't base their peace and stability on their own life but must look to Christ for the peace and happiness they naturally crave. Along the way, 9s may learn that sometimes conflict is healthy and necessary to the Christian life. Holding in their emotions can be a destroyer of #9s relationships.

Possible motivations for 9s/peacemakers: 
Nines desire to create harmony in their environment, avoiding all conflict and tension. Of course this is not possible and in their Christian journey they must learn that true harmony comes from following God and not others' opinions. Also, they desire to keep things as they are. Change in itself can be a major issue and learning to cope with it can provide character growth. Nines will avoid disturbances, yet these same disruptions can lead to character growth.

Possible conflict for 9s/peacemakers:
On a spiritual level, a major conflict is between the desire for stability and the love of others, versus accepting the love of Christ and knowing that the basis for their life is what Christ did for them. Along the way they may learn how to serve others instead of being dependent on others to meet their every need.



Do you fit into any of these prototypes? Or does your character? Do you have a favorite type in fiction?

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 writes and reviews for Library Journal, a well-known trade publication available in over 60,000 libraries.

Romantic, Thinker, Skeptic: Using Personality Types to Flesh out Your Character Part II

Its been fun playing with personality tests to create more believable characters. Over here I discuss the enneagram types of the reformer, motivator, and helper.

In this post I'll be discussing three more personality types, the romantic, the thinker and the skeptic with examples from literature and life.

9 types is a great site to revisit. I love the visual charts of each of the personality types. 

Here are three more enneagram types: Do you have a character among these types?

Type 4: Romantic

The romantic believes something is missing and that they differ from others because they don't have it. They desire to understand self better and their biggest fear in life is being defective. Romantics have a tendency to indulge in fantasy.

Type 4/Romantics can be too subjective. One weakness is that they can be very easily caught up in themselves or selfish. Fours desire to be authentic and true to themselves and often have a very clear picture of who they are. Often times they are against the status quo, revolutionary, with strong opinions.

One example of a four might be Cyrano De Bergerac from the book and film of the same name. Romantic, dramatic, with a love for words Cyrano woos the fair Roxane without her knowledge. A military officer with a flair for the poetic, Cyrano has everything that would make him attractive to a young woman with the exception of a bulbous nose that he feels is his one fault in life.

Cyrano's warrior heart is shown in this passage, he has a "do" or "die" attitude when it comes to love.

“My heart always timidly hides itself behind my mind. I set out to bring down stars from the sky, then, for fear of ridicule, I stop and pick little flowers of eloquence.” -Edmond Rostand, Cyrano


Out of his lips escape romantic words:

“A kiss, when all is told, what is it? An oath taken a little closer, a promise more exact. A wish that longs to be confirmed, a rosy circle drawn around the verb 'to love'. A kiss is a secret which takes the lips for the ear, a moment of infinity humming like a bee, a communion tasting of flowers, a way of breathing in a little of the heart and tasting a little of the soul with the edge of the lips!” -Edmond Rostand

Other type 4s from fiction or movies might include: Romeo, Edward Scissorhands, Benny from Benny and Joon.

Type 5: The Thinker

Thinkers enjoy living in a private place where they can concentrate. They don't want interruptions or demands and often see their house as their castle. Often introverts, they need alone time to keep revived and try to keep their lives as simple as possible. 

Savers, they value their time and money very highly and try to protect them. They hate being in debt or owing anyone anything. 

Fives often enjoy keeping secrets. They like to keep private matters to themselves and have a higher sense of privacy than most. Thinkers enjoy having analytical conversations, though as introverts they may not initiate. They may have difficulty expressing their true feelings. 

Many fives are self-employed or work for colleges or other places where they can play a more independet role. They don't always like following rules and regulations, particularly if they don't seem to make sense to the thinker.

John Forbes Nash from A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar (movie starring Russell Crowe) is an example of a thinker. He was a math prodigy able to solve puzzles that baffled many great minds before him. At the same time he suffered from schizophrenia.

Classes will dull your mind, destroy the potential for authentic creativity. -John Nash

"Find a truly original idea. It is the only way I will ever distinguish myself. It is the only way I will ever matter."-Nash

"Alicia, does our relationship warrant long-term commitment? I need some kind of proof, some kind of verifiable, empirical data."-Nash

Here we see, Nash avoids the traditional models and seeks an outlet to be creative. He wants to be original and to be thought of as original. Mattering, having a purpose is important to him. He needs to see things in an objective manner and looks for proof, even for his emotions and relationships.

Type 6: The Skeptic

Skeptics want you to be direct and clear with them. They often struggle with anxiety and insecurity and want to be told everything will be alright. Reluctant to try new experiences, the skeptic wants friends that will reassure them and help them with the fears they struggle with deep inside.

They can be either highly rebellious to authority, or by the opposite token desperately seeking approval of the authorities in their lives. Sixes feel protected when people like them. Often they are polite, responsible, loyal and have great sense of humor. Sometimes they may seem to overanalyze their decisions. 

Working hard to achieve their own goals, sixes are often described as both energetic and competitive. Strong, attractive, capable are some adjectives sixes would describe themselves with. They often have a strong sense of duty and work hard for causes they believe in.

Hamlet could very well be a skeptic. 

"This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day, 
Thou canst not then be false to any man." -Hamlet

Can you get more direct than Hamlet here. Be true to yourself, a motto of the skeptic. Be yourself in front of others, but first you must be comfortable with who you are.

"Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." -Hamlet

Listen, but protect yourself from others. This perhaps speaks to Hamlet's insecurity.

Throughout the play there are frequent quotes about being truthful to yourself and to others, yet also guarding yourself. 


Do your characters fit into any of these categories? What tools have you used in developing your characters?

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.

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.