The Observer - Enneagram Type #5

Holy crap, good people of the blogosphere! It's Friday! Do a happy little dance because you get the next two days off work. Know what you should do with all that free time? Write! Try a couple of the exercises from the blog this week and get your dialogue muscles doing those mental push-ups. Continuing with my series on the Enneagram (pronounced any-a-gram) personality types. I give you #5 - The Observer. So, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever
Type #4 - The Artist

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #5 - The Observer.
Definition: Observers are motivated by the need to know and understand everything, to be self-sufficient, and to avoid looking foolish.


Observers, as their name implies, are watchers. They'll never be found at the center of the action, won't ever be the life of the party, and worry about everything, seeking knowledge to make sense of it all. However, when prompted, and reassured their viewpoint matters, it's difficult to shut them up.

They'll annoy the crap out of you with their controlling ways, but often have insight no one else in the room does. Their analytical mind goes crazy with options all the time. If you say yellow, they try to figure out why you said yellow rather than blue.

What's surprising about the observer is, they won't open their mouths until they're sure they're right with their opinion. Once you give them the go-ahead, they'll tell you about everyone in the room. They make interesting characters because you can have them sit by and watch, only to drop the bomb that makes everyone gasp.

Which leads us to today's exercise!
Take an observer and have them watch an artist and a reformer have a conversation. Drop hits that the reformer is wrong in their ever-giving advice but don't let it become obvious until the observer is asked for an opinion. Make it twisty and have some fun.

I know you're all wondering how any of this is going to help you write. I'll get to that next Friday. So keep your pants on!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Artist - Enneagram Type #4

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I know you've all been waiting for this one, being writers and all. Enneagram type #4 - The Artist. Would you believe there's only five more types? Well, believe it. Remember, you can delve into awesome things with my writing class over on INDIE Books Gone Wild. You'll learn so much! Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

As always, I'll begin with links to the first posts of the series:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver
Type #3 - The Achiever

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #4 - The Artist.
Definition: Artists are motivated by the need to experience their feelings and to be understood, to search for the meaning of life and to avoid being ordinary.

Artists are drama queens. They tend to make tsunamis out of every wave life rolls at them. In addition, they have a difficult time understanding how others don't see the tsunami. These people tell everyone they meet  about accomplishments, failures, and confusions in an effort to identify.

When I typed ordinary, above, it almost felt like a dirty word. I can't imagine being just like everyone else. I suppose most people would call that being normal. What the heck is normal, anyway? A house with a white picket fence, two and a half kids, and a golden retriever? I have all that but the golden retriever, and I'm far from normal. But I also don't like confrontation. That very firmly puts me out of the artist category.

Have you been trying to identify yourself as we go along?

Creating a character that's an artist requires you to be overly sensitive to the emotions in the world around you. But they have the potential to bring a whole new level of emotion to a story. Used wisely, these characters are confrontational, fun, and very rounded. They can also piss your reader off with their dramatic ways. Ah well, at least they'll be remembered. After all, that's what we strive for, right?

Time for today's exercise!
Put a character who's an artist into the following situation with a reformer: It's a Friday and both are waiting for an interview for a big job. While sitting in the holding area, these two strike up a conversation. Using what you know of the artist's tendencies to tell everyone everything about themselves, create a scene where the other people sitting nearby want to flee. Have some fun with it.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Achiever - Enneagram Type #3

Happy Hump-day, good people of the blogosphere! I love Wednesdays because I don't have to cook dinner and I get to spend time with The Best Boyfriend in the World. Plus, after today, there are only two days left until the weekend. All good. We're continuing with our Enneagram personality types today. The Achiever is quite the character. But we're gonna put a little spin on that type of character so we end up with more to give our readers. Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

If you'd like to take a peek back to the first two types, here are the links:
Type #1 - The Reformer
Type #2 - The Giver

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #3 - The Achiever.
Definition: Achievers are motivated by the need to be productive, achieve success, and avoid failure.

These types of characters have a lot of energy and a long to-do list. When they're engaging someone in conversation, they're not fully engaged. Their mind is always thinking of what they need to do next.

Having an achiever means they'll be focused and very good at whatever it is they do. Striving for people to like them, they're the ones working the room at parties; networking, introductions, and telling jokes is the order of the day.

On the flip-side, they're also persuasive and can sometimes talk someone into doing something they didn't even realize they were being convinced to do. It'll come out of nowhere. Achievers have a dire need to win every argument, outhink everyone in the room, and be the best of the best of the best. These characters succeed in everything they do.

You can use an achiever to either further your plot by having them convince your main character to do something (or not do something) they've been wavering on.

That leads us to:
The exercise for today!
Your achiever isn't going to be the CEO of a company. They won't be a business owner. Today, your achiever is going to be a serial killer. Engage them in dialogue with someone who they're planning to kill. Have them convince the person to do things that put them in harm's way without realizing it. Have some fun with this one and be devious as hell.

Remember, The Bird is still free until midnight tonight. Go snag a copy and see if you can tell what personality types the characters are!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Giver - Enneagram Type #2

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we continue with our Enneagram personality types. I do hope you're enjoying all the learning around here. I'm gonna take the time to remind you all, I give a four-week class on these things. You can check it out over on INDIE Books Gone Wild. Now, without further ado, I give you: The Giver.

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself. Type 1 can be found on this post: The Reformer - Enneagram Type #1.

Today, we talk about #2 - The Giver.
Definition: Givers are motivated by the need to be loved and valued and to express their positive feelings toward others. Traditionally society has encouraged #2 qualities in females more than in males.

These characters aren't usually good as protagonists in novels where the lead needs to be aggressive. They're passive, advice-giving people who are always willing to share what they have with others.

Keep in mind that what people say and what they do are oftentimes very different. Givers are the same. From my post on Holding a Grudge, from my Human Nature series, you can see this character would most likely fit into the category of Pretending to Let it Go. Oftentimes, their words and actions don't match their thoughts.

They also love to be martyrs. They'll sacrifice just about anything in the hopes people stand up and say, "Wow. That was really great of them to give the rest of their life to save hers." But even when people don't appreciate those actions, the giver will continue to give. It's what they know.

There's an easy way to let the reader know your character is a giver: inner-monologue.

This leads us to the exercise for today!
Write a page or two of dialogue in first-person interspersing inner-monologue. Have the giver face another character who's always asking for something. This is where you can really make your reader either love or hate the giver. Either way, go for strong emotional reaction to the character by the reader. Make your giver someone your reader won't forget any time soon.

I'm leaving you with a little treat today! Through tomorrow at midnight, my fantasy novel, The Bird, will be free on Amazon. Pop on over and grab a copy!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

The Reformer - Enneagram Type #1

Welcome back to Monday, good people of the blogosphere. Another week is upon us. Good news! For the next ten days, you're going to get a treat from the blog. We'll be going over Enneagram personality types and how you can use this labeling system to create dynamic characters. Not only will you be producing more interesting characters, they'll also have wants and needs. Hopefully, you can bring this out in dialogue with the exercise given at the bottom of each post. So grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

I'll be using definitions of each type from a book titled: The Enneagram Made Easy: Discover the 9 Types of People. That's the link to the Kindle edition, if you choose to check it out for yourself.

Today, we talk about #1 - The Reformer.
Definition: Reformers are motivated by the need to live their lives the right way, including improving themselves and the world around them.

These characters are outspoken and never miss an opportunity to point someone in a direction the reformer believes is right. Now, keep in mind these folks live with a strong point of view that isn't always socially acceptable. They try; but they don't always succeed. Oftentimes, they're called smartasses, jerks, assholes, or know-it-alls behind their backs. But they can come in handy either as a lead character or a secondary character who pushes the lead to do the "right" thing.

Reformers can also be fun. If you have one in your story, you might want to give him or her a snarky attitude. This could be great for the punchlines of jokes or just to annoy the crap out of other characters. Perhaps you can off the reformer just so the reader punches the air and yells, "It's about time!"

You decide what kind of personality to give your character. Why not have a reformer in the slew of cast you pull from your imagination? They're almost guaranteed to give your story the two-punch in the guts it needs.

Time for the day's exercise!
Write a few paragraphs of dialogue where a reformer talks to you. Let them show you where you're going wrong and have them point you in the "right" direction. See what kind of things you learn about the character. Tell them off, agree with them, or just let them rant at you about everything you're doing wrong and how you might be able to fix it.

This is going to be a long two weeks. But if you hang in there, I promise you'll be thanking me by the end.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Dialogue Exercises - #5

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Oh, man, what a week it's been! Busy is always good for a writer though, so I can't complain. Is everyone ready for the weekend? I know I am! Before you take off and grab some R&R, do a dialogue exercise or two and flex your creative brain. You won't be sorry. Today is the last day of pumping brain iron. Next week, and the week after, we'll be going over something that will help you with a final exercise. I'm not gonna ruin it by giving it away now. Come on back Monday and see what's in store! Enough about that, grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

If you'd like to check out the first four posts, follow the links below:
Dialogue Exercises - #1
Dialogue Exercises - #2
Dialogue Exercises - #3
Dialogue Exercises - #4

There are fifteen exercises total, three on each day. Remember, each of these workouts calls for at least two pages of dialogue.

Exercise #13: Using dialogue to create sympathy.
Grab a protagonist and antagonist from one of your stories. Throw them into a setting and have them talk about their pasts. Show your reader why they should root for one over the other; or, make your reader feel a little sorry for your antagonist.

Exercise #14: Adding dialogue where you usually wouldn't to amp up the scene.
Put two characters on an island and have them make love. Write what you think they'd say if they were speaking while participating in the act. Use this to garner a deeper understanding of what your characters are feeling as they do something where speech isn't usually the order of the day, to set the scene, or as a surprise to wake your reader up and make them pay attention.

Exercise #15: Revealing obstacles through dialogue.
This time, use yourself. Think of a lofty goal you have and bring someone into the scene who never fails to tell you like it is. Open the scene with that person revealing an obstacle you can't overcome. Focus on your own feelings and how you'd react when you realize your dreams just went down the toilet. Use the rest of the scene to convey the goal to the reader and have them understand why it can't be accomplished no matter what.

I hope these exercises have been useful, and I hope you did at least one of the fifteen. The next ten days are gonna be awesome! Make sure you come on back and check it out. If you'd like these helpful tips delivered to your e-mail inbox every day, subscribe to my blog!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Dialogue Exercises - #4

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned. Just two more days to go now. That's two more days of dialogue exercises. If you want to rush the time along, try doing one or more of these today. Before you know it, it'll be Friday! Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Again, I won't bore you by repeating myself. If you want to check out days one, two, and three, you can find them here:

Dialogue Exercises - #1
Dialogue Exercises - #2
Dialogue Exercises - #3

Remember, each of these exercises require at least two pages of dialogue.

Exercise #10: Remembering your senses when writing dialogue.
Take a place you've visited that's full of activity and bring it to mind. Put two characters in the midst of it all and have them talk about what's going on around them. Use all five senses as you write so your reader gets a good idea what the place is like. Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. Bring the venue to life on the page. Make one of them blind, if that helps.

Exercise #11: Using dialogue to bring about transformation.
Using the confrontation/response method, create dialogue in which one character gives the other a reason to change. Make it so the protagonist has to look deep within and see something they hadn't before. Your antagonist can be cruel or kind in their observations/opinions, but their words should bring about change.

Exercise #12: Setting tone/voice with dialogue.
Something is in the woods. A mom and daughter are camping, alone. Suddenly, mom feels like they're in danger. Using dialogue, set the tone of the scene. Be true to your characters and really bring forward their fear and Mom's protectiveness over her daughter.

I hope you'll give at least one of these a whirl today. You can't get better if you don't practice! Tomorrow is the last day of dialogue exercises. Next week, I'm going to begin a 10 day series on a very important topic relating to dialogue. Come back every day and see what you find!

Which one of these is your favorite?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo