The Leader - Enneagram Type #8

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Wednesdays always make me think of weddings. You got wed on a Wednesday. How charming. Okay, enough drivel. We're continuing with our Enneagram personality types today! The Leader (also can be called The Asserter) is a fun type of character for an action novel or as comic relief for a lighter read like chick-lit. Grab your 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
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner
Type #7 - The Adventurer

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 #8 - The Leader.
Definition: Leaders are motivated by the need to be self-reliant and strong and to avoid feeling weak or independent.

Leaders are assertive and often end up getting themselves into trouble with their constant fight for what's right. They can be martyrs, sacrificing themselves for the "greater good." If you use a leader in your novel, do it with caution if they aren't the main character. They'll steal the spotlight every time if you allow them to.

Using an Eight as your protagonist might just be the kick you need to really catapult your story into the next realm of awesomeness. They're assertive, loyal, and fiercely protective of those they love or their own ideals.

When they're bad, you see a control freak that can go overboard with their wants and needs. Leaders make great bad guys; but they can also make a compelling good guy. Remember Peeta in The Hunger Games?

All this leads us to today's exercise!
Create a leader who's angry about deforestation in their area. When the machines show up to cut down the trees, put a Three in the role of foreman. Allow the scene to write itself. What the Eight will do should be based upon their feeling of injustice to the trees. Use action tags with only a few dialogue tags as the two go at it. Remember, you can use a woman and a man, two women, or two men. Do something unexpected. Have fun with it!

Is there someone in your life who's a cut-and-dry Leader? What causes do they fight for?

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

Jo

The Adventurer - Enneagram Type #7

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we talk about an exciting personality type: The Adventurer. When you read the book about the different types of people, you'll start typing people in your head. Heck, you may be doing it now, from these blog posts! I urge you to pick up a copy of the book and have your friends or loved ones answer the typing questions at the start of each chapter. You may be surprised. Someone you've nailed down as a Three may end up being a closet One or Eight. It's a lot of fun. Well, grab your 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
Type #5 - The Observer
Type #6 - The Questioner

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 #7 - The Adventurer.
Definition: Adventurers are motivated by the need to be happy and plan enjoyable activities, contribute to the world, and avoid suffering and pain.

This character is fun-loving, enthusiastic, and charming when on their game. They're also clingy, needy, and a wee bit self-destructive when they aren't. Never being happy with what life gives them, they're constantly searching for more.

Your reader may see the character as impulsive and want to slap their face. Or, the reader may wonder why in the hell this character would act they way they do. Especially if your reader is a Five or Six.

Adventurers are reckless and love the element of danger. They sometimes seek it out if life becomes too hum-drum. These actions can cause trouble or a lot of fun! Great characterization can be done if you create a protagonist who's a Seven.

On to today's exercise!
Write two pages of dialogue between a Seven and a Three. Remember, the character types on either side, called wings, also influence the actions of a person (we'll go into this more on Friday). A Three will also have traits of a Two and a Four. Keep your Seven firmly in their type while allowing the Three to lean one way or the other. Your scene? A crowded bar with loud music and lots of dancing. Threes are workaholics so go with the flow and enjoy writing. Don't paint the scene through anything but dialogue. Use no inner-monologue for this exercise.

What was your favorite book with a Seven as the protagonist?

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

Jo

The Questioner - Enneagram Type #6

Good morning and happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we'll be talking about more of the Enneagram personality types. If you've been keeping up with these posts, you'll have taken a headlong dive into some of the more interesting personality types. I think Questioners would make very good writers because they're always asking what if. Decide for yourself! Grab your 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
Type #5 - The Observer

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 #6 - The Questioner.
Definition: Questioners are motivated by the need for security. Phobic questioners are outwardly fearful and seek approval. Counterphobic questioners confront their fears. Both of these aspects can appear in the same person.

Questioners are constant worriers. They stress over things you'd probably never dream of giving more than a passing thought to. They always look at a situation and try to figure out what's really going on, how it can worsen, and what could make it better.

They make fun characters because you can play with those fears and really show the reader how much deeper the trouble really is. On the flip side, you can also use them as a crux to a One, having the Six constantly make judgments about the decisions being made, or being overly critical of the One's appearance.

Keep in mind flattery rarely works on a Six. They never believe compliments and will always ask themselves why someone is saying those pretty words. Rarely can a Six see it for themselves, even if the person giving the compliment is sincere.

Time for today's exercise!
Use a Two (Giver) and a Six. Put them in a coffee shop and have the Two pick up the tab for the Six. Write one page of inner-monologue and dialogue that shows what the Six is saying and thinking. Remember, your Giver gives freely, with no thought of payback. Now change the POV and write the same scene from the Giver's point of view.

As you've probably realized, many of these personality types can blend a bit into one person. That's because of the way the Enneagram is formed. Folks can jump to the types on the opposite side when in stress or when feeling confident. Know your personality types and use them. If you want to know more, pick up the book. As always, I don't make any money off what I recommend on this blog, I just suggest tools that I believe will help you in your writing endeavors.

Have you read anything lately with a character that fits one of these personality types? What was it?

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

Jo

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