Writers often project themselves into their stories, so characters tend to think and talk alike, with predicable actions and boring plots. If you use your personality for a character, don’t let any other character in the story be like you. Make your story more compelling by focusing on personality differences.
Conflict quickly arises when a character wants something but an associate wants something else. The Myers-Briggs Type indicator is a useful tool to identify and contrast character traits so your stories will be interesting and unpredictable.
- Four Character Contrasts
| Social: Information: Decision Making: Lifestyle: |
Extrovert (E) or Introvert (I) Sensing (S) or Intuitive (N) Thinking (T) or Feeling (F) Judging (J) or Perceiving (P) |
In each of the categories above, decide which way your character leans. Use those four letters to identify one of the general categories below.
- Sixteen Personality Categories
| ISTJ Inspector ISTP Crafter ESTP Promoter ESTJ Supervisor |
ISFJ Protector ISFP Composer ESFP Performer ESFJ Provider |
INFJ Counselor INFP Healer ENFP Champion ENFJ Teacher |
INTJ Mastermind INTP Architect ENTP Inventor ENTJ Fieldmarshal |
For the most dramatic contrast, identify your hero’s personality and use the opposite core values, goals, and outlooks on the opposite side for your antagonist.
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| ENFJ: An organized and decisive person who sees potential in everyone | INFJ: A planner who recognizes where people are and can motivate them for a worthy cause. |
| ESTP: A tolerant, flexible person who is spontaneous, impulsive, and competitive | ISTP: Someone who sees only himself as qualified to fix all the big problems |
| ESTJ: The realistic lover of facts rather than opinions, who seeks to enforce what is right | ISTJ: The rule follower who is cold and calculating |
| ENFP: The creative and enthusiastic person who requires variety and discovery in his work |
INFP: The idealistic one who sees the world through rose-colored glasses and pursues goals merely because of their apparent worthwhile purpose. |
| ENTP: The ingenious champion of change who can’t tolerate the sameness of everyday routine | INTP: The geek who would rather work alone |
| ESFJ: The natural leader who loves to throw parties and encourages people toward excellence | ISFJ: The responsible servant who cares most about what pleases others |
| ENTJ: The organizer who fixes upon a goal and enlists followers | INTJ: The systematic strategist who is always building upon the old |
| ESFP: The effervescent person who must constantly be doing something new | ISFP: The moody person who needs his space and will avoid conflict at all co |
