We’re skipping around a bit. We’re going to do Color first, and Archetypes next.

The Color personality theory comes from Insight Learning Systems. They say that each person is a blend of the colors, with one being primary. (There’s an online test if you want to see what primary color you are.) For your own character, you can start with a primary color and throw in some traits of another to make him or her a little more well-rounded.

Gold – Guardian of tradition, dutiful citizen, law-maker

Primary Goal – to be useful, helpful and productive

• Need to be self-sufficient because receiving something for nothing or taking advantage of others is offensive
• Value order in all things, including their homes and even closets
• Value punctuality, schedules and rules
• Are goal-oriented
• Believe in preparing for the future
• Are inclined to join groups to belong and then support the group traditions
• Value responsibility so work comes before play
• Enjoy positions of authority – gives them the opportunity to create structure and order

Green – Seeker of knowledge, voice of reason and logic, innovator and questioner

Primary Goal – to understand the world around them

• Need to be competent and capable
• Need intellectual freedom to learn, think and question
• Are curious and may take things apart to see how they work
• Question authority – just because a person is in charge doesn’t make him correct
• Push themselves to improve
• Slow to make decisions and need a lot of time to think and analyze all the data
• Value concise communication with no repetition
• Can be oblivious to hurt feelings and emotions in other people
• Can be detached due to all the thinking in her head and will shy away from social events
• Work is play – tend to be easily consumed by work, drawn to technical occupations
• Focus on the future and the possibilities that lie ahead

Blue – Peacemaker, lover of harmony, crusader for good

Primary goal – to find a mission and then devote himself to it

• Values integrity of self – being true to himself
• Hungers for a unique identity, to be special, to be appreciated for her unique contributions
• Sensitive to nuances and subtleties in gestures and body language, always looking for symbolism
• Values close relationships and is deeply devoted and loyal friend
• Patient and optimistic, he looks for the good inside people
• Good listener and excellent communicator, likes to share emotions with others
• Makes decisions based on emotion, sensitive to criticism and conflict, feelings can be easily hurt
• Tends to collect mementos, keepsakes, souvenirs of people and events that are meaningful to her
• Not competitive, wants everyone to be a winner
• Drawn to nurturing careers like nursing, counseling, teaching, religion and social work
• Seeks deeper meaning in her life, gets involved in causes

Orange – Risk-taker, lover of fun, life of the party

Primary goal – freedom to do what they want when they want

• Values freedom and spontaneity with no ties, confinement or obligation
• Impulsive and optimistic, lives in the moment
• Thrives on crises, unexpected events, responds quickly and dramatically
• Might create his own crisis if things get dull and boring
• Compelled to use tools; must pilot the plane, play the instrument, shoot the gun or wield the scalpel
• Likes to be the center of attention, adds excitement to any environment
• Needs variety, tends to wanderlust, changing jobs, activities, life patterns often
• Has great endurance in discomfort, deprivation, hunger, fatigue or pain; he just keeps going
• Competitive and aggressive in his desire to win
• Drawn to active jobs

Do you see the beginning of a character in one of these Colors? Try choosing one color as primary and see how your story planning goes.  You can add in some traits from a different color if your character seems too one-dimensional.

And next up… I promise, is using Archetypes to jumpstart your character.

.
.
The second method for picking a personality for your character comes from David Keirsey’s Please Understand Me II. Building on the work of others (Plato, Jung, Myers), he’s consolidated people into four basic personality types – Artisan, Guardian, Idealist and Rational.

THE ARTISAN

Characteristics – Adaptable, artistic, athletic, open-minded, easy-going, tolerant, unprejudiced, persuasive, gifted with machines and tools, enjoys life

Speech – Use very specific details in their conversation, but seldom talks of planning. They tend to be great poets and orators. They like to use colorful phrases and current slang. Are also fond of similes, “drunk as a skunk” or “goes like a bunny”. Use their hands a lot when speaking.

In a relationship – the Artisan acts as Playmate and seeks pleasure and excitement

As a parent – the Artisan acts as Liberator, encouraging their children to be free spirits. They also teach/support their children in learning to use tools and machines, play games/sports, drive vehicles, etc.

As a leader – the Artisan acts as Negotiator, always looking for something to give them an edge.

The Artisan:

• values excitement
• trusts his own impulses
• yearns to have social impact
• seeks stimulation
• prizes generosity

THE GUARDIAN

Characteristics – Conservative, stable, consistent, likes routines, sensible, factual, patient, dependable, hard-working, detailed and thorough

Speech – Likes to talk about specific things and lacks interest in theoretical or fanciful topics. Is inclined to shift such conversation back to practical, concrete topics. Very good at social conversation, small talk, remembers an enormous amount of facts and details (names, birthdays, current events in people’s lives, who has what job, births and deaths along with details of such events). Uses old phrasing, such as “a penny saved is a penny earned” and “a stitch in time saves nine”. Also uses “local” language from their childhood – regional phrases and words. Is inclined to warn others of danger in their course of action or to caution or chide others. They avoid showy hand gestures, but do use their hands when animated.

In a relationship – the Guardian acts as Helpmate, ready to roll up his sleeves and work side-by-side with his partner. Extremely loyal.

As a parent – the Guardian acts as Socializer, teaching their children to be helpful and productive, a benefit to the community.

As a leader – the Guardian acts as a Stabilizer, following, or establishing, routines and standards to benefit the community.

The Guardian:

• values being concerned
• trusts authority
• yearns to belong
• seeks security
• prizes gratitude (from others)

THE IDEALIST

Characteristics – Sympathetic, enthusiastic, creative, insightful, nurturing, avoids conflict, wants to find their true self

Speech – Talks of what can only be seen by the mind’s eye: love and hate, heaven and hell, comedy and tragedy, tales and legends, etc. Seems to read between the lines or have a sixth sense about people. Often can’t explain why… they “just know” something. Uses a lot of metaphors. Often extends their hands to others in conversation.

In a relationship – the Idealist acts as Soulmate, longing for a deep and meaningful relationship

As a parent – the Idealist acts as a Harmonizer, bonding with their children and encouraging a healthy, positive self-image

As a leader – the Idealist acts as a Catalyst, facilitating, motivating or energizing people through their personal relationships

The Idealist:

• values being enthusiastic
• trusts his own intuition
• yearns for romance
• seeks her own identity
• prizes recognition (of who she is)

THE RATIONAL

Characteristics - Analytical, intellectual, complex, competent, inventive, efficient, exacting, independent, logical, technical, curious, scientific

Speech - Tends to be compact and terse. Is unusually exacting about word definitions, leading to “nitpicking” or “hairsplitting”. Talks of what is imaginable, of ideas rather than objects. Tries to avoid the irrelevant, the trivial and the redundant in conversation. Enjoys puns and paradoxes. Is extremely disinterested in small talk. Tick off points on their fingers.

In a relationship – the Rational acts as Mindmate, striving for intellectual sharing with their partner.

As a parent – the Rational acts as an Individuator, fostering the growth of individuality in their children.

As a leader – the Rational acts as Visionary, using his strategic planning to bring about the desired vision of the future.

The Rational:

• values being calm
• trusts reason
• yearns for achievement
• seeks knowledge
• prizes deference (to their work and ideas)

And those are the four Keirsey Temperaments. Again, these are only the bare bones of a character. You can use one of these as a start to building a great character.

Next up, using Archetypes to start a character.

.
.

A quick way to get started on creating a character is to use People Styles at Work” by Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton. The book was written to help people communicate with and relate better to others in the workplace, but it is a great shortcut for writers.

The Boltons have divided people into one of four categories based on the person’s responsiveness and assertiveness – Analytical, Amiable, Driver, Expressive.

For writers, here is what you need to know:

Analytical

• Personality – Focused on facts and data, systematic and well-organized , craves knowledge, punctual, conservative, would rather be safe than sorry, likes to be alone or with just a few people, perfectionist, set high standards, can be hard on themselves
• Appearance – show little emotion (though they feel deeply), other people find Analyticals hard to read, body language is low-key, walk slowly, few hand gestures, little eye contact, dress conservatively
• Speech – volume is low and pace is slow. Tend to talk less than other styles unless they’re speaking on a topic of interest and then they can go into great detail. Frequent hesitations when they speak because they are searching for precise words. Breaks conversation into points “(First…, second…”)

Amiable

• Personality – Focused on people, team player, likes working/being with others, known for quiet friendliness, helpful, very sensitive to other people’s feelings, patient with people, well connected to the grapevine, withholds feelings of anger and critical judgments of others, can seem calm on the outside while a storm rages within
• Appearance – body language is low key, gestures are subdued, clothing is appropriate and casual
• Speech – voice is warm and volume is low, good with small talk, conversation is focused on people

Driver

• Personality – Focused on achieving goals and getting results, get-it-done person, decisive and practical
• Appearance – Body language suggests purposefulness, seems to lean into everything she does, walks and moves faster than other people, gestures can be very forceful, facial expression tends to be serious
• Speech – very fast-paced, blunt about stating opinions or making requests, direct and to the point

Expressive

• Personality – Focused on having fun, flamboyant, loves being the center of attention, high energy, prefers to be with people always, natural networker, bold and imaginative, impulsive, live on an emotional rollercoaster, playful and fun-loving
• Appearance – Rarely stands or sits still, always moving feet or legs, uses flowing gestures that are big and forceful
• Speech – Talks more than he listens, talks loudly and rapidly, tend to think out loud, natural storyteller with jokes and examples rather than facts, very open with his observations or criticisms

Keep in mind that there are degrees to each style. A Driver is not the same as every other Driver. While all Drivers are assertive, Driver Dave might be extremely assertive, while Driver Doug is less assertive. Driver Doug, however, is still more assertive than any Analytical.

There’s more to each of these styles than listed here, but for creating a character, selecting one of the People Styles is a good way to start.

Tomorrow, we’ll look at a second way to Pick a Personality for your character.

Be sure to sign up for the RSS feed – you’ll get the posts “fed” to you so that you won’t miss a single one.

Characters… you need good ones to make your novel stand out in the slush pile and the crowded publishing market. But how do you come up with a good character? The Character Creation Made Easy series will get you started.

We’ll cover these three steps:

Pick a Personality – How does your character normally act and react? There are six easy methods you can use to pick a personality for your character.

Muster a Motivation – What makes your character get out of bed in the morning? Why does he keep struggling in the face of many obstacles? There are five quick ways to determine a motivation for your character.

Acquire an Appearance – How does your character look? What does her apartment look like? What’s his dominant attitude toward the world? We have three ways to put some physical details to your character.

Oh sure, there’s a lot more to a great character than just personality, motivation and appearance. But you have to start somewhere. Putting together these three items for a character will give you a good start toward creating a three-dimensional character that will wow your readers.

Starting tomorrow, we’ll cover each of these methods to help you put together your characters quickly, so you can get into your story faster. Sign up for the RSS feed so you don’t miss a single day.