Contents

TitlePageCopyrightPageWelcomeWhoIsThisGuy?WhoIsThisBookFor?WhatIsaStory?WhyWeNeedGreatCharactersNineFundamentalFearsThatMotivateYourCharactersNineCharacterTypesThatWillImproveYourStoryNineStagesofaCompellingCharacterArcHowtoWriteCharacterReactionPatternsCaseStudy:"Maleficent"Conclusion

HowtoWriteGreatCharactersTheKeytoYourHero’sGrowthandTransformation

DavidWisehart

HowtoWriteGreatCharactersTheKeytoYourHero’sGrowthandTransformation

Copyright©2015byDavidWisehart

AllRightsReserved

PublishedbyWisehartProductions

CharacterChange.com

Welcome

YearsagoIwasavideogameproduceratTwentiethCenturyFox.Oneday,awriterwalksintomyoffice.Pitchesmeastory.Iaskhim,"So,who'sthebadguy?"Thewriterthinksforamoment.Thensays,"Idon'tknow."Quicktip:Ifyou'rewritingastory,andyoudon'tknowwhoyourbadguyis,it'syou.Youhavegottoknowyourcharacters.I'mnotjusttalkingaboutcharacterdescriptions:

appearancedialectoccupationethnicitysocio-economicclassetc.

AndI’mnotjusttalkingaboutcharactertraits:

faithhealthintelligencesenseofhumormoralityetc.

I’mnoteventalkingaboutcharacterfunction:

herovillainmentorallytricksteretc.

Yes,thoseareallimportant.Butyouneedmore.

Muchmore.You'vegottoknowyourcharactersonadeeplevel.Fromtheinsideout.You'vegottoknowthembetterthanyouknowyourfriends.Betterthanyouknowyourfamily.Betterthanyouknowyourself.Youcanlearntodothat.AndIcanhelpyou.WelcometomybookonHowtoWriteGreatCharacters.

WhoIsThisGuy?

MynameisDavidWisehart.Iamawriter,director,andproducerinHollywood.IwasavideogameproduceratTwentiethCenturyFox.I'vewritten,directed,andproducedstageplays,amusical,andanopera.I'vedirectedafeaturefilm.I'vebeenhiredtorewritemorethanadozenmoviescripts.I'mthebestsellingauthorofanepicfantasynovel.And I am truly excited about this opportunity to help youmaster the art of

writinggreatcharacters.

WhoIsThisBookFor?

Areyouawriter?Doyouwanttoachieveyourgreatestpossiblesuccess?Thenthisbookisforyou.Byreadingthisbook,youwillgainabetterunderstandingofhumannature.You will acquire a set of tools that you can use to create compelling

characters.Youwilllearntheancientsecretsofhumanpsychology:

theninefundamentalfearsthatmotivatehumanbehaviortheninecorecharactertypestheninestagesofcharacterchangeandsomuchmore

The ideal reader for this book is awriterwhowants to complete their bestpossiblescreenplayornovel.Therearenopre-requisites.Completebeginnersandseasonedveteranswillbothbenefitgreatlyfromthis

material.Youdon’tevenhavetobeawriter.Ionlyaskthatyoucomeopen-minded,andreadytolearn.Aboutstory.Aboutcharacter.Andaboutyourself.Pleasejoinmeonthisgreatadventure.

WhatIsaStory?

Myfavoritedefinitionofastoryis:“Someonewantssomethingandhasahardtimegettingit.”It’ssimple,clear,andeasytoremember.No,itdoesn’tcovereverything.Andyes,it’soversimplified.Butthisshortsentenceisagreatwaytowrapourheadsaroundwhatastory

reallyis.Let’sbreakitdown.

“Someone…”

Storycomesfromcharacter.Inmoststories,thatcharacterisaperson,ahumanbeing.Butastorycouldbeaboutsomethingpersonified:

ananimalanalienarobotatoasteratoy

If a non-human character acts recognizably human, thenwe as an audiencecanrelatetothem.Audiencesgotostoriestolearnabout:

themselvesotherpeoplehowtosurviveintheworld

Theydothisbyfollowingacharacterwhoactshuman.Evengods,whentheyarethesubjectsofstories,actlikehumanbeings.AsAlexanderPopewrote:

Knowthenthyself,presumenotGodtoscan,TheproperstudyofmankindisMan.

Towritegreatcharacters,then,wemuststudyhumannature.Butpeopleareunique,complex,andunpredictable.To get a deeper understanding of people, we need a model of human

personalitythatringstrue.Forwritersoffiction,themodeldoesn’tneedtobescientificallyvalidated,but

itdoesneedtobeuseful.Tobeusefulasawritingtool,themodelmusthelpusto:

understandourselvesunderstandotherpeoplecreatecharacterscreateacharacterarc

ThemostusefulmodelthatIhavefoundiscalledtheEnneagram.

TheEnneagramisanancientsymbolandsystemofthought.Itseemstohavedevelopedovermanycenturies,andhasbeeninfluencedby

manyculturesandphilosophies.Its trueorigins are shrouded in the sandsof time,but early influencersmay

includethePythagoreans,theNeoplatonists,andtheDesertFathers.In the twentieth century these traditions were combined with modern

psychologyandpopularizedbyvariousNewAgeteachersandNorthAmericanJesuits.Given this history, or lack thereof, it should come as no surprise thatmost

scientistsandmanytherapistsviewtheEnneagramwithgreatskepticism.Which,forawriteroffiction,isneitherherenorthere.Forus,theEnneagrampassesthetestforusefulness.Itisaworkablemodelofhumanpersonalityandbehaviorthatcanhelpusto

better understand ourselves and other people, and can help us to createcompellingcharacterswhoundergoabelievableandsatisfyingcharacterchange.TheEnneagramclassifiespeopleintoninebasictypes,withvarioussubtypes.Eachtypeisdominatedbyafear,andthatfearcreatesarecognizablestyleof

thinking,feeling,andacting.It’ssimpleenoughtounderstand,yetcomplexenoughtobetrue-to-life.Youcangraspthebasicsinafewhours,andplumbthedepthsforalifetime.So if you want to write great characters, I recommend that you study the

Enneagram.Whichwewillcontinuetodointheupcomingchapters.Okay,movingon.What’snextinourdescriptionofstory?

“Someonewantssomething…”

Thecharacterhasagoal.Thegoaliswhatthecharacterknowshewants.Itdrivestheplotofthestory.Butthetruthis,thecharacterdoesn’tknowwhathereallywants,becausehe

doesn’tknowhimself.He’sbeenlivingalie,wearingamask,presentingafalseselftotheworld.Histrueselfwantssomethingthathisfalseselfhasforgotten.Let’scallithisneed.Sohiswantistheoutergoal,whichheisawareofatornearthebeginningof

thestory.Andhisneed is the innergoal,whichhe isnotawareofuntilatornear the

endofthestory.“IthoughtwhatIwantedwasX,butnowIknowthatwhatIreallywantedall

alongwasY.”Thecharacterlearnssomethingabouthimself.Andso,theaudiencelearnssomethingaboutthemselves.Let’slookatsomeexamples:

1.Shewants towinher casebefore theU.S.SupremeCourt, but sheneedsproveshe’sagoodperson.

2.Hewantstofinalizethecorporatemerger,butheneedslove.

3. She wants to win the state championship game, but she needs to feelvalued.

4.HewantstoplayinCarnegieHall,butheneedstofeelsignificant.

5.ShewantstooutwittheRussianhacker,butsheneedstoproveshehasn’tlostherskills.

6.Hewantstofindlove,butheneedstofeelsecure.

7.ShewantstofindthelosttreasureoftheIncas,butsheneedstoescapeherdulljobatthebank.

8.Hewants to launch a high-tech startup company, but heneeds to feel incontrol.

9.Shewants tostopherparentsfromdivorcing,butsheneeds tofeel likeawholeperson.

IsthereareasonIgavenineexamples?Yes.Because,aswewilldiscussinanupcomingchapter,thereareninesecretfears

thatmotivatecharacters.Whatthecharacterneedsmostistoovercometheirsecretfear.Andthat’swhatthestoryisfor.Butitwon’tbeeasy.

“Someonewantssomethingandhasahardtime…”

Thestoryplacesaseriesofincreasinglydifficultobstaclesinfrontofthehero,makingitalmostimpossibleforthemtoachievetheirgoal.Theytryandfail,tryandfail,butkeepontrying.Untilthey’verunoutofoptions.Theonlythinglefttotryistheonethingthey’vebeenavoidingmost.Theyhavetochange.Goodnewsforwriters:therearepatternstohowandwhypeoplechange.Ifyoumasterthosepatterns,youcanwriteabelievableandsatisfyingchange

foryourcharacter.Andyourreaderswillloveyouforit.Thereareninestagesofacompellingcharacterarc.We’lldivedeeperintothoseinalaterchapter,butfornowlet’sjustsaythat

the character cannot get what they want unless they profoundly changethemselves.

“Someonewantssomethingandhasahardtimegettingit.”

Thecharacterchanges.Andtheygetwhattheywant.“Yay!Happyending!”Ortheyrefusetochange.Andtheydon’tgetwhattheywant.“Bummer,dude.Sadending…”Isthereawaytoendyourstoryhappilyevenifthemaincharacterdoesn’tget

whattheywant?Yes.

Howdoyoudothat?Givethemwhattheyneed.Becauseaswe learned from those famousBritishphilosophers,TheRolling

Stones:“YouCan’tAlwaysGetWhatYouWant.”Butifyoutrysometimes,youjustmightfindyougetwhatyouneed.

WhyWeNeedGreatCharacters

Greatcharactersteachusaboutourselvesandhowtosurviveintheworld.TheliterarycriticHaroldBloomoncewrote:

“We read deeply for varied reasons,most of them familiar: thatwe cannotknowenoughpeopleprofoundlyenough;thatweneedtoknowourselvesbetter;thatwerequireknowledge,notjustofselfandothers,butofthewaythingsare.”

That’swhatstoriesdoforus.It’swhatthey’vealwaysdone.I’mremindedofthe1997adventurefilmTheEdge,writtenbyDavidMamet

anddirectedbyLeeTamahori.It’sabouttwomen,AnthonyHopkinsandAlecBaldwin,whosurviveaplane

crashintheAlaskanwilderness.On their journey back to civilization, they discover that a grizzly bear is

stalkingthem.AsSamElliottsaysinTheBigLebowski:

“Sometimesyoueatthebear,andsometimesheeatsyou.”

InTheEdge,ourheroesaremodernmenfromthebigcity.They’resoftandweak.They’renottrainedtosurviveinthewild.Letalonetokillagrizzlybear.But they do have somematches, and on the cover of thematch book is an

illustrationofa loneNativeAmericankillingagrizzlybearwithnothingbutaspear.Hopkinsplaysaself-madebillionairewhosepersonalmottois:

“Whatonemancando,anothercando.”

Thatbecomesthemantraofbothcharacters.Andthethemeofthemovie.Whatonemancando,anothercando.BecauseofthatNativeAmericanonthematchbookcover,thesemodernmen

cometobelievethatthey,too,cankillagrizzlybearwithnothingbutaspear.The illustration becomes a story, and the story becomes a lesson, and the

lessonis:amanwithaspearcankillasavagebeast.Itwassomethingaboutthemselvesthattheyhadonceknown.

Buthadlongsinceforgotten.Andintheirmostdesperatehour,whenallhopeseemslost, thesecharacters

areinspiredtoovercometheirfearsofthenaturalworld.Andtofinallybecamethementheyare.Theyeatthebear.

Whatonemancando,anothercando.

Thisiswhyweneedheroes:toteachusaboutourselves,andhowtosurviveinthisworld.Imagineforamomentthatyou’reacaveman,aCro-Magnon,sittingwithyour

tribearoundacampfiretwentythousandyearsago.You’vejusthadasuccessfulhunt.Everyoneisfeastingandcelebrating.Butonewomanrefusestoeat.She’sbeencrying.Trembling.When the celebration dies down and bellies are full, the woman finds the

couragetospeak.Sheturnstofacetheleaderofthehunt,andsaystohim,“Whathappenedto

myson?”Andforalongmomentnoonespeaks.Theyallknewtheboy.Theyhadknownandlovedhisfather,whodiedinahuntbeforetheboywas

born.Butthechildgrewuptobeatrouble-maker.Anangrychild,andselfish.He

was toleratedby the tribebecausehewasonly twelve.Buthedidn’thaveanyfriends. He was mean to the younger children, which angered the adults andembarrassedhismother.She had hoped his first huntwould change him, that hewould grow into a

good man. That he might have something to contribute. To his friends, hisfamily,hispeople.Butshesecretlyfearedthathersonwoulddieinthehunt,killedbysomeone

hehadonceoffended.Sonowthemotherisafraidtoknowthetruth.Butsheneedstoknow,andsosheasksagain,“Whathappenedtomyson?”Andtheleaderstandsup.Andhetellsthestoryofthehunt.Twohuntingpartiessetoutatdawn,oneheadedforwherethesunrises,and

theotherforwherethesunsets.The first hunting party found nothing, and after many days they returned

homewithnomeat.Thesecondhuntingparty,too,wasoutformanydays,andwasjustaboutto

turnback.Butthentheyfoundfreshantelopetracks.Itwastheyoungboywhospottedthem.Thetroubledkidnobodyliked.Hisfatherhadbeenagreattracker,anditseemedtheboyhadthesamegift.Henoticedthingsothersdidnot.So they followed the tracks, and found the antelope, and killed their prey,

bringingdowntwoyoungbucks.Whenthekillingwasdone,thehuntingpartywasexhausted.Beforetheycouldstartback,theyneededtosleep.Inthenight,thewatchmandozedoff.That’swhenthelionscame.Theycametostealthecarcasses.Andwhen the predators dragged themeat away, it was the boywhowoke

first.Hegaveashout,grabbedhisspear,andchargedatalionesswhowasstealing

theirfood.Theboywoundedthelionwithastabtoherflank.Butthelionfoughtback,sinkingherfangsdeepintotheboy’sleg.By the time theotherhunterswokeandchasedaway the lions, theboywas

nearlydead.Hislegwasmangled,andhewaslosingtoomuchblood.Theytriedtoclosethewoundwithaclothtiedaroundit,butthatcouldn’tstop

thelifefromleakingoutofhim.“Gohomewithoutme,”theboysaid.“Youfeedthetribe.I’llfeedthelions.”Thosewerehislastwords.The boy died, and they buried him in a shallow grave by a big tree near a

slow-movingstream.They covered the grave with stones to keep the lions out, and they said

prayerstosendtheboytotheirgods.Whentheleaderofthehunthadfinishedhisstory,themothersatbackdown.Andforthefirsttimeinmanydays,sheate.Notbecauseshewashungry,butbecause itwas the finalgift fromher son,

fromtheboyshehadsentaway,andfromthemanhehadbecome,amanshewouldonlyeverknowinastory.

Alsolisteningtothestorythatnightwasayounggirl.Shewasonlyfouryearsold,butshewasoldenoughtounderstandit,andshe

hadknowntheboy,andhowhewas.Thegirllivedagood,longlife.In a tribewheremostmembers died in childhood, or in the hunt, or giving

birthtotheirsixthorseventhchild,thisgirlgrewuptobeawomanwhocouldbearnochildren.Butshecouldtakecareofothers,andtellgoodstories.She lived tobemore thansixtyyearsold, theoldest livingmemberof their

tribe.Andshekeptthestoryalive.Thereisanotheryoungboy,thousandsofyearslater,whohearsthestory,or

onemuchlikeit.He’safraidtogooutonhisfirsthunt.Becauseheknowsthathemaydie.Butheloveshearingthatstory.Hedoesn’tknowwhyhelovesthatstorysomuch,buthewantstohearitover

andoverandoveragain.Inacavenearbythereareimagesofanimalsonthewall, left therebysome

greatancestor,ormaybeevenbythegods.The boy goes into the cave sometimes with fire in his hand to look at the

animalsanddreamofthehuntingboy.Hethinksaboutthatstoryallthetime.Becausehe’safraid.Hehasadeep,secretfearthathehasnevertoldanyone.Notevenhimself.Deepdown,thisboyisafraidofbeingunloved.Heneeds,morethananythingintheworld,tobeloved.Andheneverthinksaboutitinquitethisway,buttheboyinthehuntingstory

feltunlovedtoo.Untiltheveryend.Wheneveryonelovedhimandrememberedhim.Andnowthatboyisaherofortheages.Sothisyoungboywantstobelikehishero.And when the time comes for him to go out on his own first hunt, he

somehowfindsthecouragedeepinside,rightwherethefearofbeingunlovedishidden,andhegoesoutwiththeoldermen,tobecomeamanhimself.

Whatonemancando,anothercando.

Andwhateverhappens to thatboy,or to themillionsofothers just likehimdown through the ages, it is because of a story, and a hero, that young mencontinuetofacetheirfears,findtheircourage,andjointhehunt.Andsothetribe,andthehumanrace,survives.

NineFundamentalFearsThatMotivateYourCharactersTheEnneagramdescribesninecoretypesofhumanpersonality,eachofwhichisdrivenbya

differentdominantfear.

Thereare,ofcourse,manytypesoffear.Wewillexperiencemostofthesefearsatsomepointinourlives.Butonedeep,hiddenfearwilltendtodominateandcontrolus.Thisdominantfearwillmotivateus,andshapeourpersonalitymorethanany

oftheotherfears.AsTolkienmightsay:

Onefeartorulethemall,Onefeartofindthem,Onefeartobringthemall,Andinthedarknessbindthem…

Sowhatexactlyaretheseninefundamentalfears?First of all, these are not the fears that we are bornwith, but the fears we

developinearlychildhood.Researchsuggeststhatthereareonlytwofearsthateveryoneisbornwith:

thefearoffallingthefearofloudnoises

Allotherfearsarelearnedininfancy.Andahumanchildhaseverythingtofear.Tothem,theworldisastrange,new,andterrifyingplace.A newborn cannot feed or defend itself. On its own, a human baby is

absolutelyhelpless.Ifabandonedinthewilderness,itwouldsoonperish.Butmostofussurvivedourchildhoods,forbetterorworse.Wewereraisedin

familiesofonesortoranother,byadultswhodidtheirbesttofeedandprotectus.Andsomehowwegotthroughittobecometheadultswearetoday.Butnoonegetsthroughchildhoodunscathed.

WhatAreYouSoAfraidof?

Eachofusiscontrolledbyafundamentalfearthatwearemostlyunawareof.Earlyinlife,wefoundawaytodealwiththatfear.Adefensemechanism.Anditworked.Buttodealwiththatfear,wechangedourselves.And that changecontinues today in the formofourpersonality,ourbeliefs,

andouractions.Weperceivetheoutsideworldthroughthelensofthatpersonality.Alenslong-agodistortedbyourdominantfear.Thatlensnowdistortsourviewofeverythingandeveryonearoundus.It’sasifeveryoneiswalkingaroundwithamapoftheworldintheirheads,

butnotallthemapsarethesame.Thereareninedifferentmaps,andit’shardtotellifsomeoneelseisusingthesamemapasyou.Mostofthemarenot.Thiscancausesomemajorproblemsinrelationships.Asyoumayhavenoticed.Ifwecouldunderstandhowothersseetheworld,itwouldhelpustogetalong

withpeoplebetter.Wecouldcreatebetterrelationships,betterfamilies,betterlives.Andbettercharacters.

TheNineFears

IntheEnneagramsystemofpersonality,theninefundamentalfearsare:

1.Fearofbeingevil

Thisisthefearofbeingbad,corrupt,orimbalanced.Charactersdominatedbythisfeartrytoavoidbeingcondemned.Theywant to be correct and consistent, able to justify themselves and their

actions.Theycanbehighlycriticalofothers,andself-righteous.ThischaractertypeisTheReformer.

2.Fearofbeingunloved

Thesecharacterswantmostofalltobeloved.Toachievethis,theygivelovetoothers,expectingotherstogiveloveback.Butnoothertypeisasgivingastheyare.Thesegenerouscharactersmaybedisappointedbywhattheygetinreturn.Attimestheycanbemanipulativeandvindictive.ThischaractertypeisTheHelper.

3.Fearofbeingworthless

Charactersdominatedbythisfearwanttobeworthwhileandvaluable.Theycraveattentionandareeagertoimpress.Desperatetodistinguishthemselves,theystriveforadmirationandacclaim.They fear failure and humiliation, and can be deceitful, hostile, and even

psychopathic.ThischaractertypeisTheAchiever.

4.Fearofbeinginsignificant

Thesecharactersfearlosingtheiridentity.Theywanttobethemselves,andprotecttheirfeelings.Theyputtheiremotionalneedsfirst.Theyyearntoexpressthemselveswithbeauty,tofindideallove,andtolive

outtheirfantasies.But they are vulnerable to self-indulgence, self-destruction, and emotional

breakdown.ThischaractertypeisTheArtist.

5.Fearofbeingincompetent

Thesecharactersworkhardtomasterasystemofknowledge.Orasetofskills.Theyarekeeninvestigatorsandconceptualizers.Intellectualanddetached,theycanbereclusive,eccentric,andschizophrenic.ThischaractertypeisTheObserver.

6.Fearofbeingwithoutsupport

Thesecharacterscraveasenseofsecurity,andtheyfearlosingguidance.Theyoftenfindsupportandguidancewithinanorganization.Theyseektheapprovalofothers.Slowtotrust,theymaytestthosearoundthem,andtheycanbeparanoid.ThischaractertypeisTheQuestioner.

7.Fearofbeingdeprived

These characters have a great appetite for life, and are greedy for newexperiences.Themostextrovertedtype,theyareescapeartistswhofearbeingtrappedby

theirinnerpain.Theymayhavemoodswingsandmania.ThischaractertypeisTheAdventurer.

8.Fearofbeingcontrolled

Thesecharactersarehighlyindependentandself-confident.Theyarenaturalbornleaders,butcanalsobebossyanddomineering.Self-drivenandenterprising,theydenytheirownemotionalneeds.Theycanberuthless,vengeful,andsociopathic.ThischaractertypeisTheLeader.

9.Fearofseparation

Thesecharactersstrivetoavoidlossandfragmentation.Desiring peace and harmony, they make excellent communicators and

mediators.Theydissociatefromconflict,andpossiblyfromthemselves.Theymaybenumborevencatatonic.ThischaractertypeisTheDiplomat.

That’saquickglimpseintotheEnneagramsystem.Ofcourse,weallpossesssomeelementsofeachof these types,becausethe

ninefearsareuniversal.Butforeachcharacter,onefeardominates.Andsodoesonecharactertype.It’simportanttoknowthecharactertypeofyourprotagonist,andalsoofthe

othercharactersthatyourherocomesintocontactwith.Becauseitcangreatlyimproveyourwriting.Andmaybeevenyourlife.Inthenextchapterwewillexploretheninecharactertypesthatwillimprove

yourstory.

NineCharacterTypesThatWillImproveYourStoryStorycomesfrom

character.Butwheredoescharactercomefrom?Fear.Inthelastchapter,Idiscussedtheninefundamentalfearsthatmotivateyour

characters.AsImentioned in thatpost, thesenine fearscreate theninecharacter types,

whicharesymbolizedbytheEnneagram:

Nowlet’sdivedeeperintoeachcharactertype…

1.TheReformer

Reformersareperfectionists.Theywanttoberight.Reformersfearbeingbad,corrupt,orimbalanced.Theyneedtobeabletojustifytheiractions.Andtheycaneasilybecomecritical,judgmental,andself-righteous.Intheworkplace,Reformersareefficientandorganized.Theyliketofinishwhattheystart.You will often find them in law enforcement, management, and science

careers.Theymayenjoycommunityserviceandhumanitariancauses.At theirworst, Reformers are neurotic and unmercifully cruel in their fight

against“evil,”howevertheychoosedefinethat.Attheirbest,Reformersarerealistic,self-disciplined,andinspiring.

Reformersinhistory:

JoanofArcGeorgeBernardShawMahatmaGandhiWilliamF.BuckleySandraDayO’Connor

Reformersinfilm:

GregoryPeckinMobyDickJessicaTandyinDrivingMissDaisyKevinCostnerinTheUntouchablesHelenMirreninTheQueenHarrisonFordinTheMosquitoCoast

2.TheHelper

Helperswantmostofalltobeloved.Theyarepeople-pleasers.Inanefforttogetlove,theygiveitfirst,fullyexpectingloveinreturn.Thisbargainremainsassumedandunacknowledgeduntiltheissueisforcedto

thesurfacebythehelper’sgrowingresentment.Noone but another helper canmatch their giving nature, so they often feel

used,surroundedbyaworldofheartlesstakers.Thisiswhentheirpersonalitycanpivottowardvindictiveness.Whilehelpercharacterscanbewomenormen,infilmtheyarealmostalways

women,andsometimestheyappearintheroleofintimatevillains.To paraphrase the playwrightWilliam Congreve, “Hell hath no fury like a

womanscorned.”Malehelpersinmoviesareoftenportrayedaseffeminate.Perhaps this is a reflectionofour society,which seems to encouragehelper

traitsinwomenmorethaninmen.Intheworkplace,helpersfavorprofessionssuchasteaching,counseling,and

nursing.Manyexecutiveassistants,receptionists,andsalespeoplearehelpers.Attheirworst,helpersarepossessive,manipulativevictims.Attheirbest,helpersaregenerous,caring,andinsightful.

Helpersinhistory:

MaryMagdaleneMotherTeresaArchbishopDesmondTutuFlorenceNightingaleLeoBuscaglia

Helpersinfilm:

AnneBaxterinAllAboutEveTomCourtneyinTheDresserGlennCloseinFatalAttraction

NathanLaneinTheBirdcageKathyBatesinMisery

3.TheAchiever

Achieversarego-gettersandsocialclimbers.Because they fear being worthless, they expend a great deal of energy to

appearvaluabletothemselvesandtoothers.Theirlivesareapublicperformance.Achievers are eager to impress, and so they look for ways to distinguish

themselves.Ambitiousstatus-seekers,theycanbevain,superficial,andcompetitive.Pronetofeelingsofhumiliation,theyareintenselyafraidoffailure.Narcissismisquitecommonforthischaractertype.Intheworkplace,Achieversaredrawntobusiness,law,banking,andpolitics.Youwillfindtheminanycareerthatcreatescelebrities,suchasbroadcasting

andtheperformingarts.Americahasavery“typethree”culture.Thedriveand industriousnessofAchievers ishighly regarded in theUnited

States,wheretheself-madebillionaireisanationalfantasy.Achievers are very often the main characters in big-budget Hollywood

movies,whichtendtobeproducedbyreal-worldAchievers.Attheirworst,Achieversaredeceitful,hostile,andpsychopathic.Attheirbest,Achieversareoptimistic,confident,andcharitable.

Achieversinhistory:

BillClintonBarbaraStreisandJanePauleyO.J.SimpsonTonyRobbins

Achieversinfilm:

SharonStoneinBasicInstinctNicoleKidmaninToDieForTomCruiseinAFewGoodMenChristianBaleinAmericanPsycho

CharlieSheeninWallStreet

4.TheArtist

Artistsareindividualistic,idealistic,andromantic.Whiletheyhavegreatempathyforothers,theyfearlosingtheirownidentity,

andaresearchingfortheirtrueselves.They express their feelings through beauty and creativity, and have a rich

interiorfantasylife.Warmheartedandintuitive,theyyearnfortruelove.Buttheyarepronetoself-indulgence,addiction,andemotionalbreakdown.Careersintheartsareanaturalfitforthischaractertype.However,Artistscanbefoundsupportingthemselvesinalmostanymundane

job,andcanthriveinthosejobssolongastheircreativityisexpressedinsomeareaoftheirlives.Otherlikelycareersincludeteachingandcounseling.Attheirworst,Artistsaretormented,self-hating,andself-destructive.Attheirbest,Artistsarecreative,inspiring,andtransformative.

Artistsinhistory:

MariaCallasMarthaGrahamRudolfNureyevJoniMitchellTennesseeWilliams

Artistsinfilm:

JamesDeaninEastofEdenNicolasCageinMoonstruckF.MurrayAbrahaminAmadeusMerylStreepinOutofAfricaKateWinsletinHeavenlyCreatures

5.TheObserver

Observerswanttoappearcompetentandareafraidoflookingfoolish.Theypushthemselvestomastersystemsofknowledge.Theyareself-sufficientinvestigatorsandkeenconceptualizers.Emotionallydistant,theycanseemcoldandarrogant.Unwillingtodescendfromtheirivorytower,theycanbereclusive,eccentric,

andschizophrenic.In the workplace, they excel at intellectual pursuits, tending to thrive in

scientificandtechnologicallychallengingfields.Theiranalyticalskillsmakethemgreatproblemsolvers.Independentthinkers,theyprefertoworkalone.Observerscanbecomeexcellentwritersandmusicians.Attheirbest,Observersareinsightful,inventive,andwise.Attheirworst,Observersarenihilistic,psychotic,andsuicidal.

Observersinhistory:

CharlesDarwinEmilyDickinsonGeorgiaO’KeeffeBobbyFischerStanleyKubrick

Observersinfilm:

PeterO’TooleinGoodbye,Mr.ChipsAllySheedyinTheBreakfastClubJamesSpaderinSex,Lies,andVideotapeJulietteBinocheinBlueJesseEisenberginTheSocialNetwork

6.TheQuestioner

Questionerneedsecurityandguidance.Theyoftenfindthiswithinanorganization:workingforthemilitary,forthe

justicesystem,inthecorporateworld,orinanacademicinstitution.Theirsenseofinsecurityprodsthemtoseektheapprovalofothers.Andyet,asskeptics,theytestotherpeople.Theirdistrustingnaturecanleadtoparanoia.Thischaractertypehastwobasicstrategiesfordealingwithanxiety.Depending on which strategy is they use, Questioners fall into one of two

subtypes:

phobiccounterphobic

Thephobicsubtypeisoutwardlyanxious.Theykeepalowprofileandturntoauthorityinordertoeasetheiranxieties.Theyavoidconfrontationbecausetheyfearabandonment.Thecounterphobicsubtypeopenlyconfrontstheirfears.Theyarerebellious,evenbellicose.Asanti-authoritarians,theytendtobeself-employed.Theirpersonalitycanresembleatypeeightcharacter,theLeader.ThedifferenceisthattheconfrontationalstyleofQuestionerismerebluster.TheylacktheinnerconfidenceofaLeader.Instead,theyattackotherstohidetheirownweakness.At their worst, Questioners are controlling, defensive, testy, and

unpredictable.Attheirbest,Questionersareresponsible,practical,andcompassionate.

Questionersinhistory:

RobertF.KennedyPrincessDianaJohnnyCarsonJ.EdgarHooverOliverNorth

Questionersinfilm:

JackLemmoninTheApartmentWoodyAlleninHannahandHerSistersDianeKeatoninAnnieHallEllenBarkininTheBigEasyBillMurrayinWhatAboutBob?

7.TheAdventurer

Adventurersseekexcitementtoavoidsuffering.Happinessistheirgoal.Themost extroverted type, theyhavea lust for life andarehungry fornew

experiences.Thisisanescapefromtheirinnerselves.Butwhentheyfinallyexhausttheirmanicresources,theyfindthattheycanno

longerhidefromtheirfesteringanxieties.Intheircareers,theylookfortravelopportunities.Flightattendants,pilots,andoutdoorphotographersaretypicallyAdventurers.Theyavoidrepetitivejobs,andareoftensuccessfulasentrepreneurs.In their free time, theymay be adrenaline junkieswho flirtwith danger by

rockclimbing,skydiving,orracecardriving.Attheirworst,Adventurersareimpulsive,manic,andself-destructive.Attheirbest,Adventurersarefun-loving,spontaneous,andenthusiastic.

Adventurersinhistory:

EpicurusMozartJohnF.KennedyElizabethTaylorJohnBelushi

Adventurersinfilm:

AudreyHepburninBreakfastatTiffany’sMichaelCaineinAlfieRuthGordoninHarold&MaudeJeffBridgesinTucker:TheManandHisDreamSeanConneryinTheManWhoWouldBeKing

8.TheLeader

Leadersareself-reliantandself-confident.Theyfearbeingcontrolledbyothersorbycircumstances.Theytrusttheirgut,andcanbeimpulsive.Theyarequick toassert themselves, sometimes tramplingoverothers in the

process.They may obsess over the acquisition and maintenance of power, ignoring

theiremotionalneedsinfavorofconquest.They have a will to power, and can be ruthless, vengeful, and even

sociopathic.Intheworkplace,leadersneedtofeelincharge.Autonomyisoftheutmostimportance.Theydemandthefreedomtomaketheirowndecisions.Unless they are at or near the top, leadersmay chafe in the shackles of the

corporateworld.Manychoosetobeself-employed.Leadersareoftenentrepreneurs,executives,andlawyers.They thrive in positions of responsibility and authority, and love to tackle

toughchallenges.Attheirworst,Leadersarecontrolling,domineering,andaggressive.Attheirbest,Leadersareconfident,energetic,andprotective.

Leadersinhistory:

NiccolòMachiavelliRichardWagnerIndiraGandhiMartinLutherKing,Jr.BarbaraWalters

Leadersinfilm:

GeorgeC.ScottinPattonLindaFiorentinoinTheLastSeductionJuliaStilesin10ThingsIHateAboutYou

EllenPageinHardCandyDenzelWashingtoninMalcolmX

9.TheDiplomat

Diplomatsavoidconflict.Theycanseetheworldfromanotherperson’spointofview.This bridges interpersonal differences, and improves communication and

understanding.Butinmirroringsomeoneelse,Diplomatsmaylosethemselves.Intheworkplace,theyaredrawntothehelpingprofessions.Theymakegreatmediatorsandcounselors.Theyfunctionwellinbureaucracies.Attheirworst,Diplomatsarejudgmental,stubborn,andpassive-aggressive.Attheirbest,Diplomatsarepeaceful,generous,andempathetic.

Diplomatsinhistory:

AbrahamLincolnJosephCampbellPrincessGraceofMonacoQueenElizabethIIGeraldFord

Diplomatsinfilm:

ShirleyMacLaineinTheApartmentKevinCostnerinDancesWithWolvesMorganFreemaninDrivingMissDaisyEdNortoninFightClubJeffBridgesinTheBigLebowski

Next,we’llexplorehowthesecharacterschange.

NineStagesofaCompellingCharacterArcManywritersaregoodat:

storystructureworldbuilding

charactercreationdialogpacingetc.

Buttheyfailtodescribeabelievableandsatisfyingcharacterchange.Thiscankillyourscreenplayornovel.It’soneofthebiggestcomplaintsofscriptreadersinHollywood:

“Nocharacterarc.”“Thearcwasunmotivated.”“Unbelievable.”“Unsatisfying.”etc.

Youcandobetter.Solet’stalkabouthowcharacterschange.Atthebeginningofastory,themaincharacterhasafearandadesire.Theyareawareoftheirdesire,whichisthegoalofthestory.Buttheyareunawareoftheirfear,whichisburieddeepinsidethem.Thisfearhascontrolledthemsinceearlychildhood.Todealwiththisfear,thechildcreatedadefensemechanism.Whichturnedthemintothetypeofpersontheyaretoday.Toachievetheirgoalinthestory,thecharactermustchange.Tochange,theymustovercometheirfear.Inreallife,peopledon’twanttochange.Infiction,charactersdon’twanttochangeeither.Sothejobofthestorytelleristoforceabelievablechangeuponthem.Todothis,awritermustcraftthestorysothatthecharacterisconfrontedwith

aseriesofobstacles.The character fails again and again to get what they want, until they’ve

exhaustedeveryavailabletacticexcepttheonethey'vebeenavoidingallalong…Characterchange.Thereareninecharactertypes,andeachtypechangesindifferentways.Buttherearesimilarities.Thinkofacharacterarcisamoralarc.Thecharacterchangesinamoraldirection.Towardsgoodorevil.

Rightorwrong.Lightordark.Ingeneral terms,andmovingfromgoodtoevil, theninestagesofcharacter

changeare:Virtuous

1.Liberated

Thecharacterhasovercometheirfearandachievedtheirdesire.Theyarefree,transcendent,andself-actualized.Aparagonofvirtue.

2.Capable

Thecharacterispsychologicallyhealthy,buttheirdominantfearispresent.Soistheirunmetdesire.Todealwithanxiety,thecharacterusesdefensemechanismsthatshapetheir

styleofthinking,feeling,andacting.

3.Valuable

Thecharacterisaconstructivememberofsociety,andrelativelyhealthy.Buttheyhavesecondaryfearsanddesiresthatcomplicatetheircharacter.Theyarewithinreachofliberation.Ifonlytheycanovercometheirdominantfear.Andtakevirtuousactiontoachievetheirdesire.

Neutral

4.Imbalanced

The character has given in to an unhealthy temptation that now pulls themtowardtheirdarkside.Nevertheless,theiractionsfallwellwithinthemoralityoftheirculture.Theirflawsareeasilyoverlooked,becausetheyaresocommon.Butthecharacterhasviolatedtheirbestinterests.Theyhavesinnedagainstthemselves.Becausetheyareresistingthebetterangelsoftheirnature,theirpositivemoral

developmentisinjeopardy.

5.Controlling

Thecharacterattemptstocontroltheirworldbypresentingafalseself.Theywearthemaskoftheircharactertype.Defensemechanisms,whichwerecreatedtocontroltheirownfear,nowkeep

thecharacterinconflictwithotherpeople,andwiththeworld.The character is morally and psychologically average, in a world of the

walkingwounded.

6.Overcompensating

Thecharacter’sdefensemechanismsaren’tworkingproperly.Otherpeoplebegintosensethatsomethingaboutthischaracteriswrong.Thecharacterovercompensatesbygivingevenmorepowertotheirfalseself.Theybecomeself-centeredinamannerthatmatchestheircharactertype,and

theyactoutinunhealthyandinappropriateways.

Villainous

7.Violating

Because of someoutside stress, the character’s normal defensemechanismshavefailed.Thecharacterisnowinsurvivalmode.Theymustprotectthemselves,whilestilltryingtosaveface.Butthefacetheyaretryingtosaveisamaskoftheirownmaking.Thecharacterisunbalanced.Depending on their character type, they will either violate others or

themselves.They are still redeemable, but they have crossed amoral bridge and joined

forceswiththedarkside.

8.Delusional

Thecharacter’sperceptionofrealityiscompletelydistorted.Theyarecompulsiveintheirthinking,feeling,andactions.They’velostcontrolofthemselvesandtheirreality.Dependingontheircharactertype,variouspathologiesbegintoemerge.Thefalseselfisfallingapart.Beneaththecrumblingmaskisnakedfear.

9.Pathological

Thecharacterisextremelyviolentanddestructive.Theyarecapableofdestroyingthemselvesand/orothers.Theymayevendestroytheirworld.Depletedofallmoralandpsychologicalresources,theyfinallyconquertheir

fearthroughannihilation.

Sothosearetheninestagesofcharacterchange,astheyapplygenerallytoallninecharactertypes.Itisdifficultforacharactertomoveuptoahigherstage.Instead,theytendtotakeonthetraitsofanothercharactertype,asrepresented

bythestraightlinesoftheEnneagram.Instories,mostcharacterarcsmovefromonestagetothenexthigherorlower

stage.For example, a story might depict a character advancing from imbalanced

(stagefour)tosociallyvaluable(stagethree).Manystorieshavedoneso.To show a character arc from being delusional (stage eight) to being in

control (stage five),youmust show thecharacter’s struggle to riseup througheachoftheintermediatestages,onebyone.Otherwisetheaudiencewillnotbelievethechange.Andthestorywillfail.However,itmustbementionedthattheoppositeisnotnecessarilytrue.Villainscanfallfastandlandhard.Forexample,avillainmightbeginasavaluablememberofsociety(Stage3)

andinonlyoneortwostepsplummetintoadeeppathology(Stage9).Because we are rooting for the villain to fall, we can happily accept their

completeandutterbreakdown.Butifthecharacterisatragichero,likeWalterWhiteinBreakingBad,then

theaudiencewantstoexperiencethefallwithhim,andyoushouldclearlydepicteachstageofhisdescent.

Next,we’llexploreanamazinglypowerfultoolforcreatinggreatcharacters:characterreactionpatterns.

HowtoWriteCharacterReactionPatternsWritingteachers,storycoaches,

andscreenwritinggurusoftensay:“Storycomesfromcharacter.”Or:“Storyischaracter.”Andthat’strue.Unfortunately, these writing teachers rarely go into detail about what that

actuallymeans.Orhowitworks.Well,I’mabouttoshowyouexactlyhowitworks.

MasterthePattern,andYouMastertheGame

Inastory,whenacharacterisconfrontedwithamajorstress,theyreact.Howdotheyreact?Characters react to major stresses in ways that are both unique and

predictable.Therearepatterns.Icallthemcharacterreactionpatterns.Ifyouknowacharacter’stype,thenyoucanknowhowtheywilltendtoreact

tomajorstresses.Knowingthesepatternscanhelpyoutowriteorrewriteyourstory.If you’re outlining a plot, you can use these patterns to come upwith new

scenes.Thiscanbeahugehelpinplottingyourscreenplayornovel.Ifyou’rerewritingastory,andyousensethatsomethingisn’tworking—orif

you’re strugglingwith rewrite notes from someone else—you can check yourcharacter’sreactionsagainstthesepatternstoseeifthereisabetterwaytowriteascene,ormaybeevenchangetheplot.Butwhatexactlyarethesecharacterreactionpatterns?TheyarepartoftheEnneagram,whichIintroducedinpreviouschapters.Character reaction patterns are an advanced writing technique, so youmay

wanttoreviewtheseearlierchaptersbeforemovingahead.Okay,nowlet’stakeanotherlookattheEnneagramsymbol:

Seethosestraightlinesinsidethecircle?Whatthehellarethose?Dotheymeansomething?Theysuredo.

TensionLinesandRelaxationLines

IcallthosetheTensionLinesandRelaxationLines.Psychologistscallthemthe“linesofintegrationanddisintegration,”butIlike

tothinkintermsofstory.Andstoriesaredrivenbytension.Thistensionisfeltinsideacharacter,butresolvedthroughcharacteractionsin

the outside world. Thus it is the character’s inner tension, their anxiety, thatdrivesthestory.Inotherwords:“Storycomesfromcharacter.”Thisinnertensioniswhatultimatelywillcausethecharactertochangeintoa

betterorworseversionofthemselves,inwhatisknownasacharacterarc.On theEnneagram,you’ll notice that the lines inside the circle connectone

charactertypetoanothercharactertype.Thesearen’tjustlines.They’revectors.Which means that they each have a direction:

The lines are Tension Lines when a character goes in the direction of thearrows.ThelinesareRelaxationLineswhenacharactergoesinthedirectionopposite

tothearrows.Ofcourse,mostcharacterswouldprefertorelax.Butthedamnstorywon’tletthem.Afterall,that’swhatthestoryisfor.Totestthecharacter.

MinorStressvs.MajorStress

Now, we need to make a distinction between minor stresses and majorstresses.When a character is confronted with minor stresses—their day-to-day

problems—theycanusetheirnormaltactics.There’snoneedfor themtochange theirapproach inorder tohandleminor

stresses, becausewhatever the character is already doing isworking for them.They have mastered a set of tools and tactics to deal with their life in theordinaryworld.Thesetoolsandtacticsworkmostofthetime.Inthecharacter’sstatusquo,atthebeginningofastory,thesetoolsandtactics

workjustfine.Butinastory,themaincharacterfacesamajorstress.Orbetteryet,aseriesofmajorstresses.In story theory, these major stresses are sometimes called plot points,

midpoints,turningpoints,plottwists,reversals,etc.Whateveryoucallthem,theyareallmajorstressesonacharacter.Thesemajorstressesforcethecharactertoreactinnewways.Eventually,themaincharacterisforcedbythesemajorstressestochangein

some deep, fundamentalway, for better orworse, to complete their characterarc.

CharacterReactionPatterns

Sowhathappenswhenacharacter,livingintheirordinaryworld,issuddenlyfacedwithamajorstress?Theytrytorelievethatstress.First,they’llusetheirnormaltoolsandtactics.Butthosestandardtricksdon’twork.To relieve the tension caused by the first major stress in the story, the

characteractsout.WhatdoImeanbythat?Imeanthattheyactoutsidetheirnormalcharactertype.Theyactlikeacompletelydifferentcharactertype.Thereisapatterntohoweachcharactertypereacts,or“actsout,”whenfaced

withamajorstress.The key is that they seek a defense outpost, and they find that outpost by

followingtheirTensionLine.

DefenseOutposts

Solet’slookatanexample:

NoticeontheEnneagramthataTensionLineconnectsType8toType5.AndType2toType8.Thismeans that when a Type 8 character, a Leader, is facedwith amajor

stress,theywillseekadefenseoutpostatType5.HeretheywillactoutasaType5character,anObserver.However,whenaType8character isatpeace, theymayactoutalong their

RelaxationLine,asaType2character,theHelper.In a story, we’re much less concerned about characters at peace, because

storiesaredesignedtoputcharactersintension.So,acharacterwillbegivenaseriesofmajorstresses,whichwillrepeatedly

testtheirmettle,knockingthembackagainandagain.Eachtimeamajorstressknocksthemback,theyreachanewdefenseoutpost

wheretheytemporarilyactoutasanewcharactertype.Most importantly, each defense outpost is an opportunity for character

growth.It is at these defense outposts that a character learns something new about

themselves.For example,when a Type 8Leader character is stressed and acts out as a

Type 5 Observer, he first exhibits the negative aspects of that new charactertype:

reclusiveeccentricarrogantcold

nihilistic

But then, being a hero, the character picks himself back up and begins tointegrateintohispersonathepositiveaspectsoftheObservertype:

self-sufficientstrategicinventiveconceptualizer

To show the character’s arc, it is important to show some small characterchangesineachofthesedefenseoutposts.Okay,sowhatgoodisallthischaractertypetheory?What’sitfor?Remember:“Storycomesfromcharacter.”Canweusethesecharacterreactionpatternstocreateastory?Wesurecan!

MeettheCrimeBoss

Imagine,ifyouwill,aCrimeBoss.He’saType8character.ALeader.Herunsthefamilybusiness.He’sthebigmanincharge.Whatishisordinaryworld?It’s the crime world, and of course it’s full of stress, but our Crime Boss

knowsthisworld,andhe’sprettycomfortableinthisworld.Thisishisdomain.Whenminorstressesarise,hedealswiththemlikeaType8.He’saggressiveandinstinctual.Butalwaysincontrol.So if this were a movie, we might first establish our Crime Boss in his

ordinaryworld,facingsomeordinaryproblems,andsolvingthemquiteeasilybyusinghisordinarytoolsandtactics.Butthen,earlyinthestory,he’sfacedwithamajorstress.Somekindofthreat.Eitherfromoutsidehisworldorabetrayalfromtheinside.Orboth.Nowsuddenlythisisacrisissituation.

Our Crime Boss tries to solve this new problemwith his normal tools andtactics. He’s reluctant to change his methods of operation, because they’vealwaysworkedforhimbefore.Butthistime,it’sdifferent.Thestresswon’tgoaway.Andnowhisbackistothewall.He’salreadyrunthroughhisusualbagoftricks.Whatdoeshedonow?Somethingnew.HereactsalonghisTensionLine.AndfindsadefenseoutpostatType5.Inotherwords,heactsoutasanObservercharacter.

GimmeShelter

Well,whatdoweknowaboutObservercharacters?Theyare,amongotherthings:

reclusivestrategicinventivecuriousconceptualizers

Okaythen.Asstorytellers,thatgivesussomethingtoworkwith.Let’ssayourCrimeBossbecomesreclusive.Herunstothesafehouse.Thehideout.Yes,it’sabitbeneathhisdignity,butthatcan’tbehelpedrightnow.Thisisa

majorstress,afterall,andthat’swhatthesafehouseisfor.Timetouseit.So our Crime Boss is hiding in his safe house, acting like an Observer to

relievethetensioncausedbythismajorstress.Whatishegoingtodoinhissafehouse?

lickhiswoundsfigurethingsoutinvestigatetheproblem

comeupwithanewplan

ThisistheordinaryworldforanObserver.ButforourCrimeBoss,aType8Leader, this isadefenseoutpost.Heonly

goeshereinadeepexistentialcrisis.He’snotverycomfortableacting likeaType5character,butnowsuddenly

he’sbeenpushedherebycircumstancesbeyondhiscontrol.Our Crime Boss is not completely out of his element, but he is out of his

comfortzone.Anxietyisrunningprettyhigh.So as he investigates, and plans, and figures things out, and grows as a

character,whathappens?Hisstressisreduced.Well,that’sgoodnewsforourCrimeBoss.Hischangeoftacticsisstartingtowork.Hisanxietyisbeginningtoease.He’s

feelingalotbetteraboutthingsnow,andhehasanewplanthatjustmightwork.Ashis inner tension is reduced, andhe starts to relaxmore, hewill tend to

movebackalonghisRelaxationLine.Iftheproblemistrulysolved,thenourCrimeBosscangobacktobeinghis

normalType8Leaderself.Maybeheleavesthesafehousewithhisnewplan,thinkinghecanreturnhis

ordinaryworld.Ifhecan,thestoryisover.Theend.Wellnow,holdonaminute.That’snotverysatisfying,isit?Ourstoryneedssomethingmore.Whatcanwedonowtoimproveourstory?Well,what if, inside thesafehouse—justasourCrimeBosshasformulated

his brilliant newplan to dealwith the firstmajor stress—he’shit by a secondmajorstress?Whatwouldhappenthen?Well, right now our Type 8 Crime Boss is still acting out as a Type 5

Observer.WhenanObserverisunderstress,wheredotheygo?

RiskyBusiness

AType5ObserverhasaTensionLinethattakesthemtoadefenseoutpostatType7.

WholivesthereatType7?TheAdventurer.SonowourCrimeBoss,facedwithasecondmajorcrisisinarow,actsoutas

anAdventurer.WhatdoweknowaboutAdventurers?Theyare:

extrovertedspontaneousmanicrisk-takers

Well,that’ssomegreatstorymaterialrightthere.Let’susethat.SoourCrimeBossisdefinitelynotgoingtostayreclusive.Andhe’sgoingtohavetotakesomerisks.Ourcharacterisnowforcedout—orluredout—ofhissafehouse.Andhestartstakingsomepreviouslyuncharacteristicrisks.Now,youmight be thinking that ourCrimeBoss, living in theunderworld,

wouldbeusedtotakingrisks.Buthe’snot.Yes,he’saggressive,impulsive,andbossy.That’swhatmakeshimcomfortableinhisordinaryworld.Buthedoesn’tbelieveintakingunnecessaryrisks.

Andwhyshouldhe?He’stheboss.Ifanyoneisgoingtotakearisk,it’sgoingtobehishenchmen.FortheCrimeBosspersonallytotakeariskwouldbebadforbusiness.However,atthispointinthestory,hisbusinessisn’tgoingsowell.Sonowhe’sreactingtothissecondmajorstress.InAdventurermodehecan

reduce his inner tension, his anxiety, his fear, by taking some big risks androllingthedice.If that solves his tension, then he they can relax back to Type 5, and

eventuallyrightbacktoType8,wherehestarted.Andhewon’teverhavetocompletehischaracterarc.Butwhatifthereisathirdmajorstress?Well,rightnowourCrimeBossisactinglikeaType7,anAdventurer,taking

risks,throwingcautiontothewinds.WhenanAdventurerisunderamajorstress,wheredotheygo?

Housecleaning

AType7AdventurerhasaTensionLinethattakesthemtoadefenseoutpostatType1.

WholivesthereatType1?TheReformer.WhatareReformerslike?

organizedefficientjudgmentalself-righteous

So maybe as a result of this third major stress, our Crime Boss becomesjudgmentalandstartstopointthefingeratthosearoundhim.Hethinksthesemajorstressesareallthefaultofhisunderlings.Orhispartnersincrime.Timetogetridofthebadapples.Therearegoingtobesomechangesaroundhere,andourCrimeBossisjust

themantodoit.Somaybehestartsto“restructure”hisbusiness,and“implementreforms.”What does that mean in the criminal underworld? He can’t just fire his

employeesandbusinesspartners.Hehastofireatthem.Sohebumpsthemoff.But what if putting the hit on his former associates doesn’t solve his

problems?Whatifitbackfires?Thatsoundsgood—forourstory,anyway.Maybenotsogoodforourhero.Let’sgivehimafourthmajorstress.Well, rightnowourCrimeBoss is acting like aType1, aReformer, fixing

whatneedstobefixed.WhenaReformerisunderamajorstress,wheredotheygo?

MasterofDisguise

AType1ReformerhasaTensionLinethattakesthemtoadefenseoutpostatType4.

WholivesthereatType4?TheArtist.WhatareArtistslike?

individualisticidealisticcreativetransformative

Okay,sonowhehastogetcreative.Hisclevertacticofkillingisclosestfriendshasturnedeveryoneelseintoan

enemy.OurCrimeBoss ison therun,withnowhere left togo.Noonehecanturnto.Isthereacreativesolution?Atransformation?Adisguise!Hebecomesanactor.Playsarole.Ifit’sacomedy,hemightputonadress.Let’ssayit’snotacomedy,andhegoesforplasticsurgery.Facialreconstruction.Nowwhat?Afifthmajorstress,ofcourse.Someone put a price on his head, and when our Crime Boss is on the

operatingtable,theplasticsurgeontriestokillhim!Ourherocan’tcatchabreak.Hethinks,“Please,God,whyisthishappeningtome?”Becauseyou’reinamovie,pal.Dealwithit.Howdoeshedealwithit?Well, right now our Crime Boss is acting like a Type 4, an Artist, being

creative.WhenanArtistisunderamajorstress,wheredotheygo?

Help!

AType4Artist has aTensionLine that takes them to a defenseoutpost atType2.

WholivesthereatType2?TheHelper.WhatareHelperslike?

generouscaringinsightfulpossessivemanipulative

vindictive

NowourCrimeBossiswayoutofhiscomfortzone.He’sanatural-bornLeader,notaHelper.Butafterescapingcertaindeathatthehandsofhisplasticsurgeon,heendsup

onthestreets,homeless.Maybeinashelter.AttheshelterheisfedandclothedandgivenaBible.Hisbotchedsurgeryhas

lefthimmutilatedandunrecognizable,soaprettyfemaledoctorwhovolunteersattheshelterpatcheshimup.Helikesher,andhelikesthesafetyofthisplace,butafterhisfaceishealed

hecanonlystayattheshelterifhevolunteersinthesoupkitchen.Sohedoes.Hebeginstohelpothersandmaybe,forthefirsttimeinhislife,hegetslove

inreturn.Themanwhowasonceemotionallyindependentisnow,forashortwhileat

least,emotionallyinterdependent.He’s been on a whirlwind tour of his own psyche, exploring the best and

worstaspectsofhisinnerself,andwhathasitearnedhim?Willthisbealastingchange?Toosoontotell.IfourCrimeBosshasnomoremajor stresses, theneventuallyhewill relax

backintohisoldself.Buthehasonefinalchallenge.Andit’sabigone.BecausethislastmajorstresswillpushhimalongtheTensionLineofType2.Whichtakeshimrightbackto…

Type8.Fullcircle.Butthisisn’texactlywherehestarted.Hecan’tgohomeagain.Hisworldhaschangedforever.IfhecontinuestomovealongtheTensionLine,thislastmajorstressisgoing

tochangehiminamoraldirection.Intoabetterorworseversionofhisformerself.Butwillthischangebegoodorbad?

TheMoralChoice

In the real world, and in the Enneagram system of personality, a personmovingin thedirectionofdisintegration,alongtheTensionLines,will tendtotakeonthenegativecharacteristicsofthenewtype.When a person in the realworld faces a series ofmajor life stresses, these

eventswilltendtoleadthepersontoincreasinglyunhealthystates,perhapseventodesperate,abhorrent,andcriminalbehaviors.In therealworld,severeandprolongedstressrobsusofour innerresources

andwearsusdown,physicallyandspiritually.Inafictionalstory,however,we’rerootingfortheherotochangeinapositive

direction.Wewanthimtoriseabovehischallenges.That’showheproveshimselfahero.Heneedstogothroughhell.

Andback.Sointhefinalconfrontation,hemustovercomehisdarkside,hisshadowself,

andmakeamoralchoiceforgood.To face this final challenge, he must use everything he has learned on his

journeytobecomeabetterversionofhimself.Ifnot,thenhewillself-destruct,becomingatragicherooravillain.Sointhefinalbattleofourstory,whenthearmyofbadguyscomesgunning

forourCrimeBossatthehomelessshelter,ourherowillmakeamoralchoice.Ifhemakesthechoiceforgood,thenhewilldefeatthebadguys,winthelove

oftheprettydoctor,andcompletehischaracterarc.

Denouement

So that’s an example of how to use a character reaction pattern to create astory.FollowingtheTensionLines,weusedthissequence:

8,5,7,1,4,2,8

Clearly, this particular crime story isn’t fully developed. I didn’t work outmostofthedetails.ButIhopeyoucanseehowyoucanbegintousecharacterreactionpatternsto

developyourownstoryfromcharactertypesandtensions.OfcourseyoucanstartwithanycharactertypeandfollowtheTensionLines

tomapoutadifferentstory.Sothenaturalsequencefor,say,aType9Housewifewouldbe:

9,6,3,9

This may all seem a bit formulaic, but in the hands of a good writer, acharacterreactionpatternisatoolthatleavesplentyofroomforcreativity.Thepatternisaguide.Yousupplythedetails.Inourcrimestory,ateachdefenseoutpost,wesawadifferentaspectofour

CrimeBoss,thusroundingouthischaracter.Ifwe’vedoneour jobs right, theherowill seem to theaudience—and toan

actorreadingthescript—likeafullyfleshed-outperson.Ofcourse,I’msureyoucouldcomeupwithamuchbetterstorythantheoneI

improvisedhere.AndIhopeyoudo.

Ilookforwardtoseeingitonthebigscreen.

CharacterSecretsCaseStudy:Maleficent

In theprevious chapter, Imadeup an exampleof aType8 character goingthroughacomplete6-stepcharacterarc.ButcanwefindthissamepatterninrealHollywoodmovies?Ofcoursewecan.Let’stakeacloselookatthetitlecharacterinDisney’sMaleficent.I’ll be going into spoilers here, so if you haven’t seenMaleficent yet, you

mightwanttocheckitoutfirst.ThescreenplayisbyLindaWoolverton,whosecreditsincludeBeautyandthe

BeastandTheLionKing.She’soneofthebestwritersinthebusiness,andreallyknowswhatshe’sdoingwhenitcomestothesekindsoffairytalemovies.Anywritercouldlearnalotbystudyinghowshehandleshercharacters.

TheLeaderType

InMaleficent,thetitlecharacterisaType8Leader.ShealsohassomecharacteristicsofaType9Diplomat,whichmeansthatis

her“wing.”In Enneagram parlance, that makes her an “8w9,” or an eight with a nine

wing.You see, the circle of the Enneagram is actually a spectrum of personality

types.Mostpeoplewillnotbeapuretype,butinsteadwilltendtofavoroneofthe

neighboringtypes,or“wings,”thetypesnexttotheirsonthecircle.In Maleficent’s case, she is a Leader first, but leans a bit toward being a

Diplomat,alsoknownasaPeacemaker.WhatdoweknowaboutType8Leaders?They:

fearbeingcontrolledwanttocontrolthemselvesandotherscanbegreatprotectorsandleaderstendtosuppresstheiremotionsareself-reliantandself-confidentcanbecomeobsessedwithpowerhaveproblemswithangercanbecomeruthlessandvengeful

Maleficentisanexcellentexampleofthistype.Hercharacterarcgoesthroughall6stepsinthecharacterreactionpatternfor

aType8Leader.

The6-StepPattern

Whenconfrontedbyamajorlifestress,characterswilltendto“actout”asadifferenttypethantheircorecharactertype.ForaLeader,thereisa6-steppattern.ItstartsatType8andreturnstoType8—butatahigherorlowerlevelof

morality.Youcanseethispatternbyfollowingthearrows:

Followingthearrows,thepatternis:8,5,7,1,4,2,andbackto8.Sohereare6stepsinMaleficent’scharacterarc,fromaType8Leaderto:

Type5ObserverType7AdventurerType1ReformerType4ArtistType2HelperType8Leader,butatahighermorallevel

Thismaysoundcomplicated,butyou’llget thehangof itaswego throughtheexample.Andwithpractice,itcanbecomesecond-nature.Solet’sseehowthispatternworksinMaleficent.

Maleficent:ProtectoroftheFaerieRealm

At the beginning of the story, Maleficent is a young, happy faerie in anenchantedrealmknownastheMoors.Sheisanatural-bornprotector.Whenahumanpeasantboy,Stefan,wandersintotheMoors,Maleficentgoes

toconfronthim.Hehasstolenarock.Shemakeshimreturnit.

Overseveralyears,MaleficentandStefangrowinfatuatedwitheachother.Butthentheydriftapart.BecauseStefanstopscomingtovisither.Asanadult,MaleficentistheprotectoroftheMoors.When the humanking,Henry, launches an attack on theMoors,Maleficent

successfullyleadsthedefense.KingHenryisfatallywounded,butbeforehedieshepromiseshiskingdomto

whoeverkillsMaleficent.

Stefan:VaultingAmbition

StefanisaType3Achiever,ruledbyhisambition.Hegrewupinabarn,butwantstobeking.Hischaracterarchasa3-steppattern,fromaType3Achieverto:

Type9DiplomatType6QuestionerType3Achiever,butatalowermorallevel

Heisthevillain.

TheType3Achiever’sdominantfearisthefearofbeingworthless.Theystrivetoprovetheirworth.Theysuppresstheiremotionstoachievetheirgoals.

Under extreme circumstances, theywill do anything to getwhat theywant,evenifitmeansdeceivingtheonestheylove.ThisisexactlywhatStefandoes.HegoestoMaleficent,andsays,“I’vecometowarnyou.Theymeantokill

you.KingHenrywillstopatnothing.Please,youhavetotrustme.”Anycharacterwhosays“trustme”isimmediatelysuspect.Sadly,Maleficenthasn’tyetlearnedthatrule.TheNarratortellsus,“SheforgaveStefanhisfollyandambition.”Ambition,ofcourse,isthekeytoStefan’scharacter.HedrugsMaleficentwithasleepingpotion,andisabouttokillher,butcan’t

quitebringhimselftodoit.Instead,hecutsoffherwings,andbringsthembacktoKingHenry,claiming

thatMaleficentisnowdead.He tells thedyingking, “I shalldomybest tobeaworthy successor,Your

Majesty.”Hehasbetrayedhislovetoprovehisworth.

Maleficent:TheWoundedRecluse

Maleficentwakesinpain,anddiscoversthatherwingsaregone.When aType 8Leader is under amajor stress, they go to the dark side of

Type5,theObserver.Theymaybecomereclusive,tolicktheirwoundsandcomeupwithaplan.ThisisexactlywhatMaleficentdoes.Sheretreatstoherdarkcastle,allalone.A raven comes to visit her, but the now-winglessMaleficent can’t bear the

companyofanycreaturewithwings.Sheblowsintheraven’sface,tochasehimaway.

Maleficent:TheDarkQueen

Maleficentcomesupwithaplan.Shewillbethedarkqueenandgethervengeance.NowshemovesfromType5ObservertoType7Adventurer.Adventurersarerisk-takers.Theyfearbeingdeprived,andtheyescapetheirinnerpainbyactingoutinthe

world.

Havinglostherwings,Maleficentfearsalifeofdeprivation.Sheescapesherinnerpainbytakingrisksintheformofvengeance(thedark

impulseoftheLeadertype).Maleficentleavesherdarkcastleandrescuestheraven,Diaval,whohasbeen

trappedbyhumans.ShemagicallyremovesDiaval’swingsandmakeshimhuman.Hebecomesashape-shifter,butunderMaleficent’scontrol.Sheisstillaprotector,butisactingoutofherdarkside.Now, insteadofbeing themoralprotectorofa free realm,Maleficent is the

masterofaminion.Diavalspiesforher,anddiscoversthetruthaboutStefan.Sherealizes,“Hedidthistomesohewouldbeking.”In awild rage (apotential problemwithType8Leaders), she screams, and

greenflamesshootintothesky.Obsessedwithpower,shebecomestheDarkQueen.Thefaerierealm,likeherheart,growsanimpenetrablewallofthorns.

Stefan:TheReluctantDiplomat

Stefanisnowking,andmarried,andhasabrandnewchild,Aurora.Maleficentlearnsofthis,andinterruptsthechristeningceremonytodelivera

curse:WhenAuroraturns16,shewillprickherfingeronaspindleandfallintoadeathsleep.NopoweronEarthwillbeablechangethespell.Stefan,anAchiever,isnowunderamajorstress.Whenunderstress,aType3AchieveractsoutasaType9Diplomat.SoKingStefan,whocannothopetodefeattheDarkQueen,triesdiplomacy.Hebegshertosparethechild.Maleficent grants him one hope: the princess can be woken by true love’s

kiss.ButMaleficentknowsthereisnosuchthingastruelove,sothisismerelya

twistoftheknifetoherfalselover,Stefan.

Stefan:TheParanoid

Defeated,KingStefanbecomesincreasinglyparanoid.The Narrator tells us, “As the days went on, Stefan darkened, further

consumedbyparanoiaandvengeance.”ThisisthedarksideoftheType6Questioner.He orders all the spindles in the kingdom burned, and sends his infant

daughterAuroraintohiding.Aloneinadarkroom,thekingfearsMaleficent’sreturn:“She’scoming.”

Maleficent:TheCritic

Maleficent’svengeanceagainstKingStefanisaPyrrhicvictory.Shehaswonpower.Butlostlove.Unsatisfiedwiththeemptinessofherlife,shemovesfromType7Adventurer

toType1Reformer.Reformers are, among other things, judgmental, and Maleficent begins

expressingthistrait.WhenthekingsendsbabyAuroraintohiding,Maleficentfindsthebabyina

secludedcottage.Shesays,“It’ssougly,youcouldalmostfeelsorryforit.”Ofcourse,Maleficentcannotyetadmitanysuchfeelings,eventoherself.Herfeelingsaresafelylockedaway.Shesaystothesmilinginfant,“Ihateyou,Beastie.”Ofcourse,Maleficentisreallypassingjudgmentonherself.Shehatesherself.Withoutwings,shethinksofherselfasaBeastie.She now projects these feelings outward, onto the child, because to

acknowledgehertruefeelingswouldrisklosingcontrolofherselfandherworld.ItisnowclearthatMaleficent’sinnerstruggleisbetweenhersenseofcontrol

andherbanishedfeelings.WhenMaleficenthears thebabycrying, thequeencomplains,“It’sgoing to

starvewith those three lookingafter it,” referring to the threebungling faeriessentasAurora’sguardians.ThisisMaleficentbeingaperfectionist,areformer.The three faeriesaren’tgoodenoughforAurora,soMaleficentmuststep in

anddothejobtherightway.Soshesendstheraventofeedtheinfantwithflowernectar.MaleficentistornbetweenwantingtokillAuroraandwantingtoprotecther.This isshownwhen thequeen temptsAurorawithabutterfly,and leads the

littlegirltowardtheedgeofacliff.

“OhLook,”MaleficentsaystoDiaval,“thelittlebeastieisabouttofalloffthecliff.”ButMaleficentsavesthegirl.The faerie queen is not totally evil, but is still tempted by her darkest

impulses.WhenAurora grows up andmeetsMaleficent, the queen declares, “I don’t

likechildren.”Butwhenthegirlleaves,thequeenisthreatenedbytears.

Maleficent:TheFakeFairyGodmother

Maleficentbrings thegirl into theMoor,allowingAurora inside thewallofthorns.Aurorathinkseverythingisbeautiful,includingMaleficent,whoshemistakes

forherfairygodmother.Now,insteadofcorrectingthegirl,likeaType1Reformer,Maleficentplays

along,likeaType4Artist.ButAurora’s happiness is a threat toMaleficent’s emotional control, so the

queeninterruptsthegirlbyputtinghertosleep.RejectingthejoythatAuroraoffers.ButMaleficentcontinuestoactasifsheisagoodperson,amoralprotector,a

fairygodmother.ThisbeginstobringoutMaleficent’struefeelings.WatchingAuroragetintoamudfightwithfaeriecreatures,Maleficentlowers

herguardandallowsherselfasmile.Atfirstit’sonlyahintoffeeling—atseeingayoungbeautycoveredwithmud

—butitisacrackinthewall.ButthenMaleficentgetshitwithmud.AndDiavallaughs.Ohno!Howwilltheevilqueenreact?Insteadofraging,Maleficentplaysalong.Shethrowsmudatherservant.Yes,it’sasmallstep,andsheretaliatesagainstherservant,but

thistimeit’snotoutofanger.It’sallpartofthegame.AurorahaschangedMaleficent.

Maleficent:TheHelper

MaleficentnowwantstosaveAurorafromthecurse.SheactsoutasaType2Helper.“Irevokethecurse,”shecommands.“Letitbenomore.”Butitdoesn’twork.BecausenopoweronEarthcanchangeit.Thecursestands.Maleficentisgoingtolosetheonlyjoyinherlife.She looksonasPrincePhillipmeetsAurora,butMaleficentdoesn’tbelieve

theprincecansavethegirl.“True love’s kiss?” the queen says toDiaval. “Have you notworked it out

yet?Icursedherthatwaybecausethereisnosuchthing.”Shedoesn’tbelieveinapowergreaterthanherself.Noteven—andespeciallynot—love.ThenAurora discovers the truth about her own past, and aboutMaleficent,

andsheconfrontsherfakefairygodmother:“You’retheevilthat’sintheworld.It’syou!”Aurorarunsaway,togobacktoherunknownfather,theking.

Maleficent:TheEnlightenedLeader

MaleficentbeganasaType8LeaderwithaType9wing,whichmeansshehassometraitsoftheDiplomat.ThedominantfearforaType9Diplomatisthefearofseparation,orthefear

ofloss.MaleficentisnowafraidoflosingAurora.Her fear of separating forever from the girl she has grown to love now

overridesherfearoflosingcontrol.MaleficentbeginsactingagainasaLeaderwithaDiplomatwing.SheabductsPrincePhillipandhurriestothecastletosaveAurora.Butsheistoolate.Aurorafallsintothedeathsleep.Upon reaching the castle, Diaval warnsMaleficent that they won’t get out

alive.Maleficentreplies,“Thendon’tcome.It’snotyourfight.”Shefreesherminion—voluntarilygivesuppowerandcontroloverhim.

NowMaleficentmustinfactbecomethepersonshewaspretendingtobe—Aurora’sfairygodmother.OnlyshecanprotectAuroranow.ThetruetesttoseeifMaleficenthascompletedhercharacterarccomesafter

PrincePhillipfailstowakeAurorawithakiss.Maleficentopenlyexpressesherfeelings:“SweetAurora,youstolewhatwas leftofmyheart.AndnowI’ve lostyou

forever.IswearnoharmwillcometoyouaslongasIlive,andnotadayshallpassthatIwon’tmissyoursmile.”She kisses the girl on the forehead, and Aurora wakes. “Hello, fairy

godmother.”“Hello,Beastie.”Maleficent’scharacterarcisnowcomplete.Butwhatoftheking?

Stefan:TheMadKing

KingStefan’sparanoiahasonlydeepened.He is now a mad king, muttering alone to Maleficent’s stolen wings, and

refusingtovisithisdyingqueen.Inordertoredeemhimself,KingStefanmustmakepeacewithMaleficent,by

goingbacktoaType9Diplomat.Instead,hecompleteshisdownwardarcby returning to thedarksideof the

Type3Achiever,andchoosestofightheratallcost.WhenMaleficentdefeatshim,shemakesthemoralchoicetosparehislife.“It’sover,”shesays.Butthekingisstillmad.Givinguphislastchanceforredemption,heattacks

Maleficentandfallstohisdeath.

Unification

So the storyhas takenMaleficentonagrand tour throughall6 steps inhercharacterarc,fromaType8Leaderto:

Type5ObserverType7AdventurerType1ReformerType4Artist

Type2HelperType8Leader,butatahighermorallevel

Shehasgivenupherneedforcontrol,andopenedupherhearttolove.Now,asaType8LeaderwithaType9Diplomatwing,Maleficentunitesthe

kingdomsoffaeriesandhumans.TheNarrator tellsus,“Maleficentbroughtdownherwallof thornsandtook

offhercrown.AndsheinvitedAuroratoseehowtheMoorshadbeenonce,longago,whenMaleficentwasjustachildandherheartwasbright.Fornow,itwasagain.”

Conclusion

ThankyouverymuchforreadingHowtoWriteGreatCharacters:TheKeytoYourHero’sGrowthandTransformationIhopeyouenjoyedthisexplorationofthe nine fundamental fears, the nine character types, and the nine stages of acompellingcharacterarc.Thesearespecifictoolsyoucanusetodaytoimproveyourwriting.Ofcourse,when itcomes tohumannature,charactercreation,andcharacter

arcs,thereismuchmoretoexplore.If you’d like to learn more about how to write great characters, please

subscribetomyfreenewsletter:Clickheretosignup.

Also,ifyouwouldtakeabriefmomenttoleaveanhonestreviewonAmazon,itwouldbegreatlyappreciated:HowtoWriteGreatCharacters

Reviewshelpnewreadersfindmyworkanddecideifthebookisforthem,aswellasprovidevaluablefeedbacktotheauthor.

TableofContents

ContentsTitlePageCopyrightPageWelcomeWhoIsThisGuy?WhoIsThisBookFor?WhatIsaStory?WhyWeNeedGreatCharactersNineFundamentalFearsThatMotivateYourCharactersNineCharacterTypesThatWillImproveYourStoryNineStagesofaCompellingCharacterArcHowtoWriteCharacterReactionPatternsCaseStudy:"Maleficent"Conclusion