How your personality type affects your writing

Image by Mr Lightman, freedigitalphotos.net

Before we got married, my hubby and I did a relationship course written by Gary Smalley, in which we learned about the four different personality types. A lot has been written about the four basic temperaments, but of all the explanations I’ve heard, Smalley’s is the clearest.

He compares the four personality types to animals: the lion, otter, golden retriever and beaver.

The lion is a natural leader: bold, confident and assertive.

The otter is the socialite: playful and optimistic.

The golden retriever is a loyal companion: calm and gentle-natured.

The beaver is the details-person: organized and analytical.

For us as a young couple, this knowledge was an eye-opener, and something we’ve carried with us for over a decade of marriage. I learned that I’m a golden retriever/ beaver, while my husband is a lion/ otter. What do they say about how opposites attract?

Each personality type has its particular set of strengths and weaknesses, and knowing these has helped us better understand and appreciate each other, instead of rubbing each other up the wrong way.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how else my personality type influences my behaviour – in particular my writing.

It’s become obvious to me that each temperament has strengths that will benefit our writing, and weaknesses that will make our journey more difficult.

Each person usually has one or two dominant temperaments. Reading over what I’ve just shared, you may instantly recognise yourself in some of these descriptors. If, however, you’re still unsure of where you fit, you can take a quick personality test here (you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page). We’ll wait until you get back. 

Got it figured out? Good. That’s the first step. Knowledge is power. If you’re better aware of your writing strengths and weaknesses, and understand that they flow from the core of who you are as a person, you’ll be able to stop fighting them and start working with them.

That means maximizing your strengths and developing strategies  - in line with how you think, what makes you tick - to compensate for, or overcome, your weaknesses. Remember, no one personality type is “better” than another. They’re just different.

Let’s take a look at how this works for each personality type.

Image by John Barker, freedigitalphotos.net

Lion

Writing strengths:

Lions are confident and determined. They love a good challenge, are goal-oriented, and have a “just do it” mentality. While a dozen other writers are still nervously plotting, talking about writing, writing about writing, and doing everything BUT write, Lions have already finished their first book and are onto the second.

Writing weaknesses:

Lions have an arrogant streak, which means they can be unwilling to accept feedback. Their boredom with details can be a hindrance when it comes to painstaking work such as research or line editing.

Self-help strategies:

• Focus, in your quiet times with God, on developing humility. Even the Lion of Judah, the greatest leader this world has ever known, served others by washing their feet.

• When you receive critique, instead of becoming angry or dismissing the criticism, give yourself an exercise. Tell yourself, “She’s probably wrong in what she’s said, but I’ll just humor her a little. I’ll back up my original version, then try implementing the suggestion, just as a theoretical exercise. If it stinks, I haven’t lost anything. If it turns out great, well, there ya go.” Approaching critique with such a mindset can help a Lion to embrace change without fighting against their own personality type.

• Those pesky details: Lions are great problem-solvers and incredible leaders. Why not harness these traits to enlist the help of others? Ted Dekker pays college students to research his books for him. Many published authors corral support from others when it comes to tasks of administration and marketing. If your Great Aunt Mildred was an English teacher for fifty years, and would love nothing better than to pore over your manuscript weeding out punctuation errors – turn her loose with a blood-red pen. Show your appreciation in a way that truly honors your helpers. Then do what Lions do best, and turn your attention to the next project.

Image by Bernie Condon, freedigitalphotos.net

Otter

Writing strengths:

Otters have the ability to splash words onto the page with a carefree zest that many stodgier writers envy. They have vim and flair. They take joy in their craft. Otters also make the best social networkers. They have no trouble building a tribe of fans, because they love people, and people in turn are naturally drawn to them.

Writing weaknesses:

When the task becomes hard, otters quickly lose momentum. Their computer files are littered with the corpses of unfinished manuscripts that started strong and then fizzled. Otters can be disorganized, and have no patience for “boring” but essential tasks such as editing. If it ain’t fun, it don’t get done.

Self-help strategies:

• Keep it fun. Set goals that have rewards attached. Social rewards work well for otters. For example, fifteen minutes play on Facebook after writing for an hour. A Skype chat with your writing buddies once you reach chapter ten. A chick flick and coffee with a friend for pushing through that sagging middle. A girls’ weekend away once you finish editing your MS.

• Harness peer power to keep you motivated. Ever heard of #1k1hr? Next time you sit down for an hour-long writing stint, jump on Twitter first and announce your plans to the world. Use the hashtag #1k1hr, and you’ll soon rally a group of eager writers who can cheer you on and celebrate with you when you reach your 1000 word milestone.

• Give editing a social, interactive element by joining forces with a critique partner or group.

• Beware of distraction. Social networking is your strength, but spending hours on Facebook each day won’t get that manuscript written. If you’re all play and no work, consider using an app to limit the time you spend on social media sites.

Image by puttsk, freedigitalphotos.net

Beaver

Writing strengths:

The writing world is full of beavers. Highly creative, organised and meticulous, beavers like to have every detail mapped out before they begin writing: each twist and turn of the plot, the intricate backstory of their MC going back two generations, and the height/ eye colour/ favorite ice-cream flavor of each supporting character.  Beavers thrive on research. They set high standards for themselves, and consistently produce quality work.

Writing weaknesses:

Beavers may become so bogged down in their systems and plotting that they struggle to begin. Beavers are perfectionists, and highly self-critical. For a writer, this can be crippling. A beaver can become paralysed by an empty computer screen, a harsh critique, or a sense that their book is not where it should be. Writer’s block is a common malady for the beaver, who often takes an all-or-nothing attitude – if they can’t make it perfect, they can’t bring themselves to try. Beavers may produce very slowly, because they cannot help but edit ruthlessly as they write. When it comes time to submit, a beaver may fret and worry over perfecting every final detail of a manuscript, and struggle to ever hit send.

Self-help strategies:

• Don’t forget to play. When you feel yourself floundering beneath self-criticism or getting bogged down in details, find ways to recapture the joy of writing. If you usually hole up at home to write, shake up your routine by taking your laptop to a crowded café and doing some people-watching.

• Try taking frequent short breaks in which you do something else creative to engage the right side of your brain – painting, scrapbooking, pottery, playing music. 

• Sometimes the best thing a beaver can do is to step away from their project for a time to regain some perspective. Immerse yourself in reading for pleasure alone. Do something that inspires you, like wandering through an antique bookstore or taking a fun research trip. But don’t let yourself stay in limbo. Give yourself a deadline, and get back into it.

• Loosen up before a big session with the technique of free writing – perfect for shutting down that picky, left-brained internal editor beavers struggle with so much.

• Don’t isolate yourself. Engage in community with other writers.

Image by Photokanok, freedigitalphotos.net

Golden Retriever

Writing strengths:

Relaxed and easy to work with, the Golden Retriever is every editor’s dream. A Golden Retriever is calm, dependable, and doesn’t stress out under deadline.

Writing weaknesses:

Laziness can be a real problem for the laid-back temperament of a Golden Retriever, who may lack motivation to initiate tasks or carry them through to completion. The Golden Retriever can also be very stubborn, and dislikes change in any form – both of which are bad news when large-scale edits are required.

Self-help strategies:

• Get an accountability partner who will be tough about holding you to your goals. Golden Retrievers are people-pleasers and dislike confrontation, so if the accountability is genuine, they’ll rise to the challenge.

• Appeal to your easy-going nature by making it easy to write. Rather than setting a lofty word-count goal, which all sounds like far too much work – especially when your favorite show is on TV – give yourself a goal of 500 words, and try to hit it twice a day.

• Because you struggle with change, approach edits as an open experiment. Save the whole document with the file name “Original” and the title, and make a new copy entitled “Experiment.” In this new document, take any suggestions you’ve been given and simply give them a go. If you need to reassure yourself that nothing has really changed, click back on over to your original document, still safe and sound and untouched right where you left it. In this way, you’ll give yourself the freedom to play, knowing that any changes you make don’t have to be permanent. Chances are, you’ll find once you’ve actually made the changes that you like it better that way anyway.

So, that’s it from me – the four personality types as they pertain to the writer’s life.

I’m interested to hear your take on this. What is your dominant personality type, or types? Do you have any tips to add that have helped you in your writing journey?

GIVEAWAY!

Don't forget to enter for our huge giveaway at our Facebook Party, Saturday, August 30! For the big giveaway, we are giving away The Writer's Alley New Design Launch Basket containing the following:

• $20 Amazon gift card
• Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg (paperback book)
• Sandwich, with a Side of Romance by Krista Phillips (paperback book)
• A Side of Faith by Krista Phillips (paperback book)
• Duchess by Susan May Warren (autographed paperback book)
• Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Squares
• A Writer's Conference Jamberry PediPack 

Throughout the day of our Facebook party August 30, we will be giving away the following:

• A Side of Faith by Krista Phillips (ebook)
• A Home At Trail's End by Melody Carlson (paperback book)
• $10 Amazon gift card
• Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund (paperback book)
• The Writer's Toolbox
• Showdown by Ted Dekker (paperback book)
• Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz (paperback book)
• Vanished by Irene Hannon (paperback book)

You can enter for a chance to win HERE. Just scroll to the end of the post and enter through our Rafflecopter giveaway widget!

Have a great day!

Karen Schravemade lives in Australia, where she mothers by day and transforms into a fearless blogger by night. Her popular creative home-making blog, A house full of sunshine, reaches over 50,000 readers a month. She's a Genesis finalist for women's fiction and is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such. Find her on Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

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.

How your personality type affects your writing

Image by Mr Lightman, freedigitalphotos.net

Before we got married, my hubby and I did a relationship course written by Gary Smalley, in which we learned about the four different personality types. A lot has been written about the four basic temperaments, but of all the explanations I’ve heard, Smalley’s is the clearest.

He compares the four personality types to animals: the lion, otter, golden retriever and beaver.

The lion is a natural leader: bold, confident and assertive.

The otter is the socialite: playful and optimistic.

The golden retriever is a loyal companion: calm and gentle-natured.

The beaver is the details-person: organized and analytical.

For us as a young couple, this knowledge was an eye-opener, and something we’ve carried with us for over a decade of marriage. I learned that I’m a golden retriever/ beaver, while my husband is a lion/ otter. What do they say about how opposites attract? J

Each personality type has its particular set of strengths and weaknesses, and knowing these has helped us better understand and appreciate each other, instead of rubbing each other up the wrong way.

Lately I’ve been thinking about how else my personality type influences my behaviour – in particular my writing.

It’s become obvious to me that each temperament has strengths that will benefit our writing, and weaknesses that will make our journey more difficult.

Each person usually has one or two dominant temperaments. Reading over what I’ve just shared, you may instantly recognise yourself in some of these descriptors. If, however, you’re still unsure of where you fit, you can take a quick personality test here (you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page). We’ll wait until you get back. 

Got it figured out? Good. That’s the first step. Knowledge is power. If you’re better aware of your writing strengths and weaknesses, and understand that they flow from the core of who you are as a person, you’ll be able to stop fighting them and start working with them.

That means maximizing your strengths and developing strategies  - in line with how you think, what makes you tick - to compensate for, or overcome, your weaknesses. Remember, no one personality type is “better” than another. They’re just different.

Let’s take a look at how this works for each personality type.

Image by John Barker, freedigitalphotos.net

Lion

Writing strengths:

Lions are confident and determined. They love a good challenge, are goal-oriented, and have a “just do it” mentality. While a dozen other writers are still nervously plotting, talking about writing, writing about writing, and doing everything BUT write, Lions have already finished their first book and are onto the second.

Writing weaknesses:

Lions have an arrogant streak, which means they can be unwilling to accept feedback. Their boredom with details can be a hindrance when it comes to painstaking work such as research or line editing.

Self-help strategies:

• Focus, in your quiet times with God, on developing humility. Even the Lion of Judah, the greatest leader this world has ever known, served others by washing their feet.

• When you receive critique, instead of becoming angry or dismissing the criticism, give yourself an exercise. Tell yourself, “She’s probably wrong in what she’s said, but I’ll just humor her a little. I’ll back up my original version, then try implementing the suggestion, just as a theoretical exercise. If it stinks, I haven’t lost anything. If it turns out great, well, there ya go.” Approaching critique with such a mindset can help a Lion to embrace change without fighting against their own personality type.

• Those pesky details: Lions are great problem-solvers and incredible leaders. Why not harness these traits to enlist the help of others? Ted Dekker pays college students to research his books for him. Many published authors corral support from others when it comes to tasks of administration and marketing. If your Great Aunt Mildred was an English teacher for fifty years, and would love nothing better than to pore over your manuscript weeding out punctuation errors – turn her loose with a blood-red pen. Show your appreciation in a way that truly honors your helpers. Then do what Lions do best, and turn your attention to the next project.

Image by Bernie Condon, freedigitalphotos.net

Otter

Writing strengths:

Otters have the ability to splash words onto the page with a carefree zest that many stodgier writers envy. They have vim and flair. They take joy in their craft. Otters also make the best social networkers. They have no trouble building a tribe of fans, because they love people, and people in turn are naturally drawn to them.

Writing weaknesses:

When the task becomes hard, otters quickly lose momentum. Their computer files are littered with the corpses of unfinished manuscripts that started strong and then fizzled. Otters can be disorganized, and have no patience for “boring” but essential tasks such as editing. If it ain’t fun, it don’t get done.

Self-help strategies:

• Keep it fun. Set goals that have rewards attached. Social rewards work well for otters. For example, fifteen minutes play on Facebook after writing for an hour. A Skype chat with your writing buddies once you reach chapter ten. A chick flick and coffee with a friend for pushing through that sagging middle. A girls’ weekend away once you finish editing your MS.

• Harness peer power to keep you motivated. Ever heard of #1k1hr? Next time you sit down for an hour-long writing stint, jump on Twitter first and announce your plans to the world. Use the hashtag #1k1hr, and you’ll soon rally a group of eager writers who can cheer you on and celebrate with you when you reach your 1000 word milestone.

• Give editing a social, interactive element by joining forces with a critique partner or group.

• Beware of distraction. Social networking is your strength, but spending hours on Facebook each day won’t get that manuscript written. If you’re all play and no work, consider using an app to limit the time you spend on social media sites.

Beaver

Writing strengths:

The writing world is full of beavers. Highly creative, organised and meticulous, beavers like to have every detail mapped out before they begin writing: each twist and turn of the plot, the intricate backstory of their MC going back two generations, and the height/ eye colour/ favorite ice-cream flavor of each supporting character.  Beavers thrive on research. They set high standards for themselves, and consistently produce quality work.

Writing weaknesses:

Beavers may become so bogged down in their systems and plotting that they struggle to begin. Beavers are perfectionists, and highly self-critical. For a writer, this can be crippling. A beaver can become paralysed by an empty computer screen, a harsh critique, or a sense that their book is not where it should be. Writer’s block is a common malady for the beaver, who often takes an all-or-nothing attitude – if they can’t make it perfect, they can’t bring themselves to try. Beavers may produce very slowly, because they cannot help but edit ruthlessly as they write. When it comes time to submit, a beaver may fret and worry over perfecting every final detail of a manuscript, and struggle to ever hit send.

Self-help strategies:

• Don’t forget to play. When you feel yourself floundering beneath self-criticism or getting bogged down in details, find ways to recapture the joy of writing. If you usually hole up at home to write, shake up your routine by taking your laptop to a crowded café and doing some people-watching.

• Try taking frequent short breaks in which you do something else creative to engage the right side of your brain – painting, scrapbooking, pottery, playing music. 

• Sometimes the best thing a beaver can do is to step away from their project for a time to regain some perspective. Immerse yourself in reading for pleasure alone. Do something that inspires you, like wandering through an antique bookstore or taking a fun research trip. But don’t let yourself stay in limbo. Give yourself a deadline, and get back into it.

• Loosen up before a big session with the technique of free writing – perfect for shutting down that picky, left-brained internal editor beavers struggle with so much.

• Don’t isolate yourself. Engage in community with other writers.

Golden Retriever

Writing strengths:

Relaxed and easy to work with, the Golden Retriever is every editor’s dream. A Golden Retriever is calm, dependable, and doesn’t stress out under deadline.

Writing weaknesses:

Laziness can be a real problem for the laid-back temperament of a Golden Retriever, who may lack motivation to initiate tasks or carry them through to completion. The Golden Retriever can also be very stubborn, and dislikes change in any form – both of which are bad news when large-scale edits are required.

Self-help strategies:

• Get an accountability partner who will be tough about holding you to your goals. Golden Retrievers are people-pleasers and dislike confrontation, so if the accountability is genuine, they’ll rise to the challenge.

• Appeal to your easy-going nature by making it easy to write. Rather than setting a lofty word-count goal, which all sounds like far too much work – especially when your favorite show is on TV – give yourself a goal of 500 words, and try to hit it twice a day.

• Because you struggle with change, approach edits as an open experiment. Save the whole document with the file name “Original” and the title, and make a new copy entitled “Experiment.” In this new document, take any suggestions you’ve been given and simply give them a go. If you need to reassure yourself that nothing has really changed, click back on over to your original document, still safe and sound and untouched right where you left it. In this way, you’ll give yourself the freedom to play, knowing that any changes you make don’t have to be permanent. Chances are, you’ll find once you’ve actually made the changes that you like it better that way anyway.

So, that’s it from me – the four personality types as they pertain to the writer’s life.

I’m interested to hear your take on this. What is your dominant personality type, or types? Do you have any tips to add that have helped you in your writing journey?

Karen Schravemade lives in the land of Oz and likes to confuse her American friends by using weird Australian figures of speech. When she's not chasing after two small boys or cuddling her baby girl, she spends her spare minutes daydreaming about the intricate lives of characters who don't actually exist. Find her on her website and Twitter.