Crafting Characters That Stick: Psychology for Writers

Creating characters that resonate with readers is key to a compelling story. Ever wondered how authors manage to make fictional individuals feel so alive? The secret often involves grounding characters in psychological depth. We’ll explore how a basic understanding of psychology can be a powerful tool for crafting memorable characters. Forget dense textbooks; we’ll focus on simple, applicable concepts that will help your characters truly stand out.

Why Psychology Matters for Writers

Characters should be conceived as authentic individuals, possessing unique thoughts, emotions, and driving forces, rather than mere figures navigating a narrative. Authenticity and reader engagement stem from comprehending their inner workings. Psychological principles provide frameworks for exploring a character’s psyche, unveiling their motivations, anxieties, and genuine desires.

The Big Five: Building the Basics

Let’s begin with the concept of the “Big Five” personality traits. These are five broad categories that psychologists use to describe people’s personalities. They’re often remembered with the acronym OCEAN:

• Openness: How much someone enjoys new experiences and ideas. Are they curious and imaginative, or do they prefer routines and familiar things?
• Conscientiousness: How organised and responsible someone is. Are they disciplined and goal-oriented, or more spontaneous and easygoing?
• Extraversion: How sociable and outgoing someone is. Do they love being around people, or do they prefer quiet time alone?
• Agreeableness: How kind and cooperative someone is. Are they trusting and helpful, or more sceptical and competitive?
• Neuroticism: How emotionally stable someone is. Do they tend to be calm and resilient, or are they easily stressed and anxious?

Every person, and every character, falls somewhere on a spectrum for each of these traits. Think about a character who’s very high in Openness and Conscientiousness. They might be an adventurous scientist who meticulously plans their expeditions. Now imagine a character who’s low in both. They might be someone who prefers a simple, predictable life. By considering where your character falls on each of these scales, you can start to get a clear picture of their basic personality.

How to Use the Big Five in Your Writing

1. Create Unique Combinations: The real magic happens when you mix these traits. Don’t just make every character an “extrovert” or an “introvert.” Think about the combinations. What if you have a character who is an introvert but very high in Openness? They might be someone who loves exploring new ideas but prefers to do it alone.
2. Show, Don’t Tell: Instead of saying “Sarah was very agreeable,” show it. Maybe she’s always the first to offer help, or she goes out of her way to avoid conflict. Use actions and dialogue to reveal your characters’ traits.
3. Create Conflict: When you put characters with very different Big Five profiles together, you’re bound to get conflict. Imagine a highly conscientious character trying to work with someone who’s very disorganised. Their differences will create natural tension and drive the story forward.
4. Test for Consistency: Once you’ve decided on your character’s Big Five profile, use it to check their reactions. If they’re high in Neuroticism, they’re probably going to react strongly to stressful situations. If they’re low in Agreeableness, they might not be the most empathetic person. Ensure their actions and reactions align with their overall personality.

The Enneagram: Delving Deeper

Now, let’s talk about the Enneagram. This is another system for understanding personality, but it focuses more on what drives people at a deeper level. The Enneagram describes nine different personality “types,” each with its core motivations and fears.

Each Enneagram type has:

• A Basic Desire: What they truly want in life.
• A Basic Fear: What they’re most afraid of.
• A “Lie” They Believe: A false idea they hold about themselves or the world.

For example, let’s say you have a character who’s a Type Two, “The Helper.” Their basic desire is to be loved and needed, but their basic fear is being unwanted or unworthy of love. They might believe the lie, “I must be indispensable to be loved.” Understanding this core motivation can explain many of their actions. They might constantly try to help others, even when it’s not asked for, because they’re trying to prove their worth.

Using the Enneagram to Deepen Your Characters

1. Uncover Core Motivations: Figure out your character’s Enneagram type. What do they really want? What are they terrified of? This will give you a powerful insight into their behaviour.
2. Find Their “Lie”: This is key. What false belief is your character operating under? This “lie” often leads to their biggest problems and drives their internal conflict.
3. Map Their Arc: A great character arc often involves your character confronting and overcoming their “lie.” If your “Helper” character learns that they’re worthy of love just as they are, they can grow and change. Or, if they never confront it, it can lead to a tragic downfall.
4. Add Layers: The Enneagram also discusses “wings” and “instinctual variants,” which provide even more nuance. These can help you create very specific and unique characters, even within the same Enneagram type.

Combining the Big Five and the Enneagram

These two systems aren’t at odds. They actually work really well together. The Big Five tells you how your character behaves, while the Enneagram tells you why.

Imagine a character who’s high in Extraversion (Big Five) and a Type Eight, “The Challenger” (Enneagram). The Extraversion might make them outgoing and assertive, while the Type Eight explains why they’re so assertive—they have a deep need to be in control and protect themselves. By using both models, you get a much richer and more complete picture of your character.

Avoiding Flat Characters

One of the biggest dangers in writing is creating “flat” characters—characters who feel one-dimensional and unrealistic. Using psychology helps you avoid this. When you understand your characters’ personalities, motivations, and fears, they become more complex and believable. They have internal conflicts, flaws, and growth potential.

The “Show, Don’t Tell” Balance

You’ve probably heard the advice “show, don’t tell.” That’s sound advice, but it’s crucial to know when to “tell.” At times, the most effective way to express a character’s internal thoughts or motivations is simply to state them. You needn’t always depict every single feeling through action. Employ a blend of showing and telling to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of your characters’ inner world.

Putting It Into Practice

Here are a few exercises to help you use these ideas in your writing:

1. Big Five Character Profile: For one of your characters, give them a score (1-10) on each of the Big Five traits. Then, write a paragraph for each trait explaining why you gave them that score and providing specific examples of how it shows up in their behaviour.
2. Enneagram Deep Dive: Choose another character and decide on their Enneagram type. What’s their basic desire, fear, and “lie”? Write a scene where their fear is triggered and see how they react.
3. Scenario Test: Put your characters in a situation—maybe a conflict with another character, or a tough decision they have to make. How do they react based on their Big Five and Enneagram profiles?

Crafting Characters That Resonate

Using psychology in your writing isn’t about making your characters fit into neat boxes. It’s about understanding the complexities of human nature and using that understanding to create characters who feel real. When your characters have depth and motivation, readers will connect with them on a deeper level. They’ll care about what happens to them, and they’ll remember them long after they’ve finished reading your book.

So, go ahead and dive into your characters’ minds. Explore their motivations, fears, and quirks. Use the tools of psychology to bring them to life. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.