How To Build Our Characters.

CHARACTERISATION

PERSONALITY TYPES FOR WRITERS
We all have trouble coming up with our characters and giving them a personality, I discovered this set of 16 personality traits that are extremely useful in helping to develop our characters whether good or bad. All so included within these pages, other information which could prove useful in the aid of building our characters.
The five primary methods of characterization are:
1) Dialogue: the syntax, accents, diction within the speech of a character can hint to important details regarding the character's nationality, heritage, upbringing, moral standings, social skills, and overall personality.
2) Physical Actions/Reactions: The character's actions and reactions to the plot events and other characters is shown in the prose of literature and often positioned in such a way to determine a writer's style. Contemporary writers like to situate particular actions/reactions in between dialogue and throughout the prose whereas centuries-old writers used to include mostly exposition with little dialogue. Overall, the actions/reactions of the character allows the reader to observe the character's body language and interpret the character's personality instead of being blatantly told what the character is like, as was often done in the past.
3) Physical traits/characteristics: Writers tend to choose or only describe the physical attributes/flaws of a character that are symbolically significant to the character and the story. Again, in past centuries, writers would often dump information in blocked paragraphs for the reader to sift through but more contemporary writers use the technique of only drawing attention to the most telling characteristics of a character's physical appearance so as to allow the reader to make inferences and more easily remember the character.
Example 1: A character with greying hair peppered with black might symbolically signify a dual personality. This could foreshadow a plot event in the future where the character shows both dark and light sides to his personality.
Example 2: A character with a nervous stutter would suggest to the reader that this character is struggling with internal self esteem issues and does not feel comfortable in the large social surroundings. The characteristic stutter is a telling quirk that personifies who this character is as a person.
4) Internal Monologue/Thoughts: The internal thoughts of a character provide insight for the reader into a character's mind, allowing them to experience the character's conflicts and sentiments on a personal level and learn things about him/her that would not have been otherwise obvious within the dialogue or actions.
5) Names: The names given to a character often suggest or symbolize some sort of underlying characteristic or principle within the character's personality. Not all authors choose symbolically significant names but those that do, tend to do so to reinforce the overall theme of the story or the character's overall conflict. Nicknames that are given to characters also apply.
Example 1: The name, Harry Potter, is the most common and unremarkable of the character names within the Harry Potter series. Rowling chose this name in an attempt to both foreshadow an underlying theme that everyday people can achieve remarkable goals and to also allow the reader more able to relate to the character and see him as someone not unlike themselves.

Example 2: A character who practices celibacy might be nicknamed "monk," and this is to both characterize his personality/values and to show the reader how other characters might judge this character.
The most direct of these 5 are the dialogue, actions/reactions, and internal thoughts because they more blatantly inform/show the reader the character's personality traits than the subtle hints symbolized through appearance or names.
PERSONALITY TYPES.
There are sixteen distinct personality types in the currently most widely-accepted Personality Type model. Each type has its own characteristics which can be identified in individual personalities. We have created a profile of each personality type, which provides a guideline for understanding the similarities and differences amongst the types.


ISTJ - The Duty Fulfillers
ESTJ - The Guardians
ISFJ - The Nurturers
ESFJ - The Caregivers
ISTP - The Mechanics
ESTP - The Doers
ESFP - The Performers
ISFP - The Artists
ENTJ - The Executives
INTJ - The Scientists
ENTP - The Visionaries
INTP - The Thinkers
ENFJ - The Givers
INFJ - The Protectors
ENFP - The Inspirers
INFP - The Idealists

Whether you're a young adult trying to find your place in the world, or a not-so-young adult trying to find out if you're moving along the right path, it's important to understand yourself and the personality traits which will impact your likeliness to succeed or fail at various careers. It's equally important to understand what is really important to you. When armed with an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses, and an awareness of what you truly value, you are in an excellent position to pick a career which you will find rewarding.

ISTJs generally have the following traits:

Value tradition, security, and peaceful living
Will work long and hard to fulfill duties
Can be depended on to follow through on tasks
Loyal and faithful
Stable, practical and down-to-earth
Family-minded
Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
Dislike abstract theory, unless they see the practical application
Natural leaders
Prefer to work alone, but work well in teams when necessary
Extremely observant, they take in facts via their senses and store them internally
Vast, rich inner store of facts which they rely on to understand problems which they encounter in their lives
Profound respect for facts and concrete information
Make decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking
Dislike change, unless they are shown it's benefit in a concrete way
Have strong opinions about the way things should be done
Appreciate structured, orderly environments
Have very high standards for their own behavior and the behavior of others
Not naturally in-tune with other people's feelings
Able to accomplish almost anything if they put their minds to it
Community minded "good citizens"

ISTJs have one character trait which puts them at a definite advantage in terms of career success - Perserverance. An ISTJ can do almost anything that they have decided to do. However, there are areas in which they will function more happily and naturally. An ISTJ will do best in a career in which they can use their excellent organizational skills and their powers of concentration to create order and structure. ISTJs seem to fit extremely well into the Management and Executive layer of the corporate business world.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ISTJ:

Business Executives, Administrators and Managers
Accountants and Financial Officers
Police and Detectives
Judges
Lawyers
Medical Doctors / Dentists
Computer Programmers or Systems Analysts
Military Leaders

ESTJs generally have the following traits:

Natural leaders - they like to be in charge
Value security and tradition
Loyal
Hard-working and dependable
Athletic and wholesome
Have a clear set of standards and beliefs which they live by
No patience with incompetence or inefficiency
Excellent organizational abilities
Enjoy creating order and structure
Very thorough
Will follow projects through to completion
Straight-forward and honest
Driven to fulfill their duties

ESTJs have a lot of flexibility in the types of careers that they choose. They are good at a lot of different things, because they put forth a tremendous amount of effort towards doing things the right way. They will be happiest in leadership positions, however, because they have a natural drive to be in charge. They are best suited for jobs which require creating order and structure.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ESTJ:

Military leaders
Business Administrators and Managers
Police / Detective work
Judges
Financial Officers
Teachers
Sales Representatives

ISFJs generally have the following traits:

Large, rich inner store of information which they gather about people
Highly observant and aware of people's feelings and reactions
Excellent memory for details which are important to them
Very in-tune with their surroundings - excellent sense of space and function
Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
Will work long and hard to see that jobs get done
Stable, practical, down-to-earth - they dislike working with theory and abstract thought
Dislike doing things which don't make sense to them
Value security, tradition, and peaceful living
Service-oriented: focused on what people need and want
Kind and considerate
Likely to put others' needs above their own
Learn best with hands-on training
Enjoy creating structure and order
Take their responsibilities seriously
Extremely uncomfortable with conflict and confrontation

ISFJs have two basic traits which help define their best career direction: 1) they are extremely interested and in-tune with how other people are feeling, and 2) they enjoy creating structure and order, and are extremely good at it. Ideally, the ISFJ will choose a career in which they can use their exceptional people-observation skills to determine what people want or need, and then use their excellent organizational abilities to create a structured plan or environment for achieving what people want. Their excellent sense of space and function combined with their awareness of aesthetic quality also gives them quite special abilities in the more practical artistic endeavors, such as interior decorating and clothes design.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ISFJ:

Interior Decorators
Designers
Nurses
Administrators and Managers
Administrative Assistants
Child Care / Early Childhood Development
Social Work / Counselors
Paralegals
Clergy / Religious Workers
Office Managers
Shopkeepers
Bookkeepers
Home Economics


ESFJs generally have the following traits:

Organized
Loyal
Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
Enjoy creating order, structure and schedules
Enjoy interacting with people
Warm-hearted and sympathetic
Tend to put others' needs above their own
Very good at giving practical care
Very cooperative, good team members
Practical and down-to-earth
Value peaceful living and security
Enjoy variety, but work well with routine tasks
Need approval from others
Receive satisfaction from giving to others
Live in the here and now - dislike theorizing about the future

The ESFJ has two primary traits which will help define their best career direction: 1) they are extremely organized and enjoy creating order, and 2) much of their self-satisfaction is gotten through giving and helping others. Accordingly, they will do well at tasks which involve creating or maintaining order and structure, and they will be happiest when they are serving others.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ESFJ:

Home Economics
Nursing
Teaching
Administrators
Child Care
Family Practice Physician
Clergy or other religious work
Office Managers
Counselors / Social Work
Bookkeeping / Accounting
Administrative Assistants

ISTPs generally have the following traits:

Interested in how and why things work
Do not function well in regimented, structured environments; they will either feel stifled or become intensely bored
Constantly gather facts about their environment and store them away
Have an excellent ability to apply logic and reason to their immense store of facts to solve problems or discover how things work
Learn best "hands-on"
Usually able to master theory and abstract thinking, but don't particularly like dealing with it unless they see a practical application
Action-oriented "doers"
Focused on living in the present, rather than the future
Love variety and new experiences
Highly practical and realistic
Excellent "trouble-shooters", able to quickly find solutions to a wide variety of practical problems
Results-oriented; they like to see immediate results for their efforts
Usually laid-back and easy-going with people
Risk-takers who thrive on action
Independent and determined - usually dislike committing themselves
Usually quite self-confident

The ISTP is fortunate because they have the abilities to be good at many different kinds of tasks. Their introverted and thinking preferences give them the ability to concentrate and work through problems which leaves many doors open to them. However, to be happiest, the ISTP needs to lead a lifestyle which offers a great deal of autonomy and does not include much external enforcement of structure. ISTPs will do best working for themselves, or working in very flexible environments. Their natural interests lie towards applying their excellent reasoning skills against known facts and data to discover underlying structure, or solutions to practical questions.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ISTP:

Police and Detective Work
Forensic Pathologists
Computer Programmers, System Analysts
Engineers
Carpenters
Mechanics
Pilots, Drivers, Motorcyclists
Athletes
Entrepreneurs

ESFPs generally have the following traits:

Live in the present moment
Are stimulated and excited by new experiences
Practical and realistic
Warmly interested in people
Know how to have a good time, and how to make things fun for others
Independent and resourceful
Spontaneous - seldom plan ahead
Hate structure and routine
Dislike theory and long written explanations
Feel special bond with children and animals
Strongly developed aesthetic appreciation for things
Great people skills

ESFPs are good at many things, but will not be happy unless they have a lot of contact with people, and a lot of new experiences. They should choose careers which provide them with the opportunity to use their great people skills and practical perspective, which will also provide them with enough new challenges that they will not become bored.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ESFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ESFP:

Artists, Performers and Actors
Sales Representatives
Counselors / Social Work
Child Care
Fashion Designers
Interior Decorators
Consultants
Photographers

ISFPs generally have the following traits:

Keen awareness of their environment
Live in the present moment
Enjoy a slower pace - they like to take time to savor the present moment
Dislike dealing with theory or abstract thought, unless they see a practical application
Faithful and loyal to people and ideas which are important to them
Individualistic, having no desire to lead or follow
Take things seriously, although they frequently appear not to
Special bond with children and animals
Quiet and reserved, except with people they know extremely well
Trusting, sensitive, and kind
Service-oriented; they're driven to help others
Extremely well-developed appreciation for aesthetic beauty
Likely to be original and unconventional
Learn best with hands-on training
Hate being confined to strict schedules and regimens
Need space and freedom to do things their own way
Dislike mundane, routine tasks, but will perform them if necessary

The ISFP is a very special individual who needs to have a career which is more than a job. The middle of the road is not likely to be a place where they will be fulfilled and happy. They need to have a career which is consistent with their strong core of inner values. Since they prefer to live in the current moment, and take the time to savor it, they do not do well with some of the more fast-paced corporate environments. They need a great deal of space and freedom if they are going to function in their natural realm of acute sensory awareness. If they give free reign to their natural abilities, they may find a wonderful artist within themselves. Almost every major artist in the world has been an ISFP. Since the ISFP is so acutely aware of people's feelings and reactions, and is driven by their inner values to help people, the ISFP is also a natural counselor and teacher.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ISFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ISFP:

Artist
Musician / Composer
Designer
Child Care / Early Childhood Development
Social Worker / Counselor
Teacher
Psychologist
Veterinarian
Forest Ranger
Pediatrician

ENTJs generally have the following traits:

Driven to turn theories into plans
Highly value knowledge
Future-oriented
Natural leaders
Impatient with inefficiency and incompetence
Want things structured and orderly
Excellent verbal communication skills
Dislike routine, detail-oriented tasks
Self-confident
Decisive

ENTJs are especially well-suited to be leaders and organization builders. They have the ability to clearly identify problems and innovative solutions for the short and long-term well-being of an organization. Having a strong desire to lead, they're not likely to be happy as followers. ENTJs like to be in charge, and need to be in charge to take advantage of their special capabilities.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ENTJ:

Corporate Executive Officer; Organization Builder
Entrepreneur
Computer Consultant
Lawyer
Judge
Business Administrators and Managers
University Professors and Administrators

INTJs generally have the following traits:

Able to absorb extremely complex theoretical and complex material
Driven to create order and structure from theoretical abstractions
Supreme strategists
Future-oriented
See the global, "big picture"
Strong insights and intuitions, which they trust implicitly
Value their own opinions over others
Love difficult theoretical challenges
Bored when dealing with mundane routine
Value knowledge and efficiency
Have no patience with inefficiency and confusion
Have very high standards for performance, which they apply to themselves most strongly
Reserved and detached from others
Calm, collected and analytical
Extremely logical and rational
Original and independent
Natural leaders, but will follow those they can fully support
Creative, ingenious, innovative, and resourceful
Work best alone, and prefer to work alone

More so than any other personality type, INTJs are brilliant when it comes to grasping complex theories and applying them to problems to come up with long-term strategies. Since this type of "strategizing" is the central focus and drive of the INTJ, there is a happy match between desire and ability in this type. Accordingly, the INTJ is happiest and most effective in careers which allow this type of processing, and which promote an environment in which the INTJ is given a lot of autonomy over their daily lives.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INTJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Path for the INTJ:

Scientists
Engineers
Professors and Teachers
Medical Doctors / Dentists
Corporate Strategists and Organization Builders
Business Administrators / Managers
Military Leaders
Lawyers / Attorneys
Judges
Computer Programmers or Systems Analysts

ENTPs generally have the following traits:

Project-oriented
Enjoy generating ideas and theories
Creative and ingenius
Bright and capable
Flexible and Diverse
Excellent communication skills
Enjoy debating issues with other people
Excellent people skills
Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
Resist being controlled by people
Lively and energetic; able to motivate others
Highly value knowledge and competence
Logical, rational thinkers
Able to grasp difficult concepts and theories
Enjoy solving difficult problems
Dislike confining schedules and environments
Dislike routine, detailed tasks

ENTPs are fortunate in that they have a wide range of capabilities. They are generally good at anything which has captured their interest. ENTPs are likely to be successful in many different careers. Since they have a lot of options open to them, ENTPs will do well to choose professions which allow them a lot of personal freedom where they can use their creativity to generate new ideas and solve problems. They will not be completely happy in positions which are regimented or confining.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ENTP:

Lawyers
Psychologists
Entrepreneurs
Photographers
Consultants
Engineers
Scientists
Actors
Sales Representatives
Marketing Personnel
Computer Programmer or Systems Analyst

INTPs generally have the following traits:

Love theory and abstract ideas
Truth Seekers - they want to understand things by analyzing underlying principles and structures
Value knowledge and competence above all else
Have very high standards for performance, which they apply to themselves
Independent and original, possibly eccentric
Work best alone, and value autonomy
Have no desire to lead or follow
Dislike mundane detail
Not particularly interested in the practical application of their work
Creative and insightful
Future-oriented
Usually brilliant and ingenius
Trust their own insights and opinions above others
Live primarily inside their own minds, and may appear to be detached and uninvolved with other people

INTPs have a special gift with generating and analyzing theories and possibilities to prove or disprove them. They have a great deal of insight and are creative thinkers, which allows them to quickly grasp complex abstract thoughts. They also have exceptional logical and rational reasoning skills, which allows them to thoroughly analyze theories to discover the Truth about them. Since the INTP is driven to seek clarity in the world, we have a happy match of desire and ability in this personality type. INTPs will be happiest in careers which allow them a great deal of autonomy in which they can work primarily alone on developing and analyzing complex theories and abstractions, with the goal of their work being the discovery of a truth, rather than the discovery of a practical application.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the INTP:

Scientists - especially Physics, Chemistry
Photographers
Strategic Planners
Mathematicians
University Professors
Computer Programmers or Systems Analysts
Technical Writers
Engineers
Lawyers / Attorneys
Judges
Forensic Research
Forestry and Park Rangers


ENFJs generally have the following traits:

Genuinely and warmly interested in people
Value people's feelings
Value structure and organization
Value harmony, and good at creating it
Exceptionally good people skills
Dislike impersonal logic and analysis
Strong organizational capabilities
Loyal and honest
Creative and imaginative
Enjoy variety and new challenges
Get personal satisfaction from helping others
Extremely sensitive to criticism and discord
Need approval from others to feel good about themselves

The flexibility of these characteristics leave the ENFJ a lot of leeway in choosing a profession. As long as they're in a supportive environment in which they can work with people and are presented with sufficient diverse challenges to stimulate their creativity, they should do very well.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed here.

Possible Career Paths for the ENFJ:

Facilitator
Consultant
Psychologist
Social Worker / Counselor
Teacher
Clergy
Sales Representative
Human Resources
Manager
Events Coordinator
Sales Representative
Politicians / Diplomats
Writers
INFJs generally have the following traits:

Intuitively understand people and situations
Idealistic
Highly principled
Complex and deep
Natural leaders
Sensitive and compassionate towards people
Service-oriented
Future-oriented
Value deep, authentic relationships
Reserved about expressing their true selves
Dislike dealing with details unless they enhance or promote their vision
Constantly seeking meaning and purpose in everything
Creative and visionary
Intense and tightly-wound
Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it

The INFJ is a special individual who needs more out of a career than a job. They need to feel as if everything they do in their lives is in sync with their strong value systems - with what they believe to be right. Accordingly, the INFJ should choose a career in which they're able to live their daily lives in accordance with their deeply-held principles, and which supports them in their life quest to be doing something meaningful. Since INFJs have such strong value systems, and persistent intuitive visions which lend them a sense of "knowing", they do best in positions in which they are leaders, rather than followers. Although they can happily follow individuals who are leading in a direction which the INFJ fully supports, they will very unhappy following in any other situation.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the INFJ:

Clergy / Religious Work
Teachers
Medical Doctors / Dentists
Alternative Health Care Practitioners, i.e. Chiropractor, Reflexologist
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Counselors and Social Workers
Musicians and Artists
Photographers
Child Care / Early Childhood Development

INFJs generally have the following traits:

Intuitively understand people and situations
Idealistic
Highly principled
Complex and deep
Natural leaders
Sensitive and compassionate towards people
Service-oriented
Future-oriented
Value deep, authentic relationships
Reserved about expressing their true selves
Dislike dealing with details unless they enhance or promote their vision
Constantly seeking meaning and purpose in everything
Creative and visionary
Intense and tightly-wound
Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it

The INFJ is a special individual who needs more out of a career than a job. They need to feel as if everything they do in their lives is in sync with their strong value systems - with what they believe to be right. Accordingly, the INFJ should choose a career in which they're able to live their daily lives in accordance with their deeply-held principles, and which supports them in their life quest to be doing something meaningful. Since INFJs have such strong value systems, and persistent intuitive visions which lend them a sense of "knowing", they do best in positions in which they are leaders, rather than followers. Although they can happily follow individuals who are leading in a direction which the INFJ fully supports, they will very unhappy following in any other situation.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INFJ. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the INFJ:

Clergy / Religious Work
Teachers
Medical Doctors / Dentists
Alternative Health Care Practitioners, i.e. Chiropractor, Reflexologist
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Counselors and Social Workers
Musicians and Artists
Photographers
Child Care / Early Childhood Development

ENFPs generally have the following traits:

Project-oriented
Bright and capable
Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
Able to relate to people on their own level
Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
Future-oriented
Dislike performing routine tasks
Need approval and appreciation from others
Cooperative and friendly
Creative and energetic
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
Resist being controlled by others
Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories

ENFPs are lucky in that they're good a quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:

Consultant
Psychologist
Entrepreneur
Actor
Teacher
Counselor
Politician / Diplomat
Writer / Journalist
Television Reporter
Computer Programmer / Systems Analyst
Scientist
Engineer
Artist

ENFPs generally have the following traits:

Project-oriented
Bright and capable
Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
Able to relate to people on their own level
Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
Future-oriented
Dislike performing routine tasks
Need approval and appreciation from others
Cooperative and friendly
Creative and energetic
Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
Resist being controlled by others
Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories

ENFPs are lucky in that they're good a quite a lot of different things. An ENFP can generally achieve a good degree of success at anything which has interested them. However, ENFPs get bored rather easily and are not naturally good at following things through to completion. Accordingly, they should avoid jobs which require performing a lot of detailed, routine-oriented tasks. They will do best in professions which allow them to creatively generate new ideas and deal closely with people. They will not be happy in positions which are confining and regimented.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an ENFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:

Consultant
Psychologist
Entrepreneur
Actor
Teacher
Counselor
Politician / Diplomat
Writer / Journalist
Television Reporter
Computer Programmer / Systems Analyst
Scientist
Engineer
Artist

INFPs generally have the following traits:

Strong value systems
Warmly interested in people
Service-oriented, usually putting the needs of others above their own
Loyal and devoted to people and causes
Future-oriented
Growth-oriented; always want to be growing in a positive direction
Creative and inspirational
Flexible and laid-back, unless a ruling principle is violated
Sensitive and complex
Dislike dealing with details and routine work
Original and individualistic - "out of the mainstream"
Excellent written communication skills
Prefer to work alone, and may have problems working on teams
Value deep and authentic relationships
Want to be seen and appreciated for who they are

The INFP is a special, sensitive individual who needs a career which is more than a job. The INFP needs to feel that everything they do in their lives is in accordance with their strongly-felt value systems, and is moving them and/or others in a positive, growth-oriented direction. They are driven to do something meaningful and purposeful with their lives. The INFP will be happiest in careers which allow them to live their daily lives in accordance with their values, and which work towards the greater good of humanity. It's worth mentioning that nearly all of the truly great writers in the world have been INFPs.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INFP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the INFP:

Writers
Counselors / Social Workers
Teachers / Professors
Psychologists
Psychiatrists
Musicians
Clergy / Religious Workers


CHARACTER
A character is a person or creature that interacts with others within a story.
There are different kinds of characters in stories, and different ways to describe them.
Character traits - elements of a character's personality that define who the character is. Shrek is grouchy and irritable, but kind-hearted; these are his character traits. In the Spider-Man movies, Peter Parker's character traits are his intelligence, his shyness, and his cautiousness. You can map out a character's physical and mental traits.
Characterization – refers to a character’s personality or the method by which the writer reveals this personality
Direct characterization – when an author tells you directly about the character’s personality; “Dena was a kind, caring individual.” The author tells us what the character is like.
Indirect characterization – when an author reveals a character’s personality through his or her actions or dialogue; “Dena felt so sad when she saw the hurt little chipmunk that she began to cry. She immediately approached it to try and help it get better.” The author shows us what the character is like.
Major character - the most important character in the story; the one the story is about; the protagonist - this character is often called the "main character". There is usually one single major character, though it is possible for there to be multiple major characters (for example, in the TV series Friends, the six friends [Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, Ross] are all major characters)
Minor character - person of less importance than the major character, but who is necessary for the story to develop. Dorie from Finding Nemo is a minor character; she is important, but the story is not about her.
Foil – A character who serves to point out the strengths or weaknesses of the protagonist; usually, the foil has the opposite character traits of the protagonist, and often (but not always), is called an antagonist. Most of the time, the foil is the antagonist (like Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope [Vader wears black, Luke wears white; Vader is strong and powerful, Luke is weak; Vader is respected, Luke is not]), though the foil does not have to be the antagonist; some times, the "sidekick" or "friend" of the protagonist has traits that are opposite of the main character (like Donkey in Shrek; Donkey is small, cute, talkative, and nice, while Shrek is the opposite of these traits).
Hero/Heroine – a character whose actions are inspiring or noble (the term “hero” is now commonly used for both male and female characters). In the movie I, Robot, Will Smith's character is inspirational; though no one believes him, he continues to do what he thinks is right.
Villain – a character who is evil or capable of cruel or criminal actions; usually (but not always) an antagonist. In the Harry Potter series, Voldemort is an evil wizard who wants to kill Harry; Voldemort is a classic villain, and is Harry's antagonist. In the movie Catwoman, Catwoman is a villain who steals and breaks the law, even though she is the protagonist.
Hubris – When a character’s egotism leads to the character’s downfall. Villains often are brought low by their hubris. A character was always going on about what a great quarterback he was, and how he was the greatest quarterback of all time. A bomb is found ticking down to zero. The quarterback figures he'll save everyone by throwing the bomb far enough away with his amazing quarterback abilities. He doesn't know that the bomb has a motion trigger - when he throws it, BOOM! That's hubris. SEE ALSO "The Tortoise and the Hare".
Poetic justice - Usually refers to a situation in which a bad character "gets what he deserves" at the end of a story; although the villain may not be caught by the police, he (or she) loses something important to him/her, or possibly his/her life. Frequently this involves irony of situation or hubris.
When you are writing a story, you should think carefully about your character development. This means you need to consider your characters' motivation.
Rationale/motivation/reason – information that explains or justifies a condition, an action, or a decision; why a character does a certain action
Undeveloped characters are not interesting to read about; they are flat and static. Realistic characters are round and dynamic.
Round character - a character with a complex and realistic personality; often called "three-dimensional" or "multifaceted" characters. Generally, these are major characters; usually, they are round because they are dynamic (see below). We understand the motivation of these characters (why they do things) and their personal perspective. In Finding Nemo, Marlin is a round character - he starts out very brave, but changes his perspective after an unfortunate incident; later, he changes his perspective again.
Flat character - a character with a very simple personality; often called "one-" or "two-dimensional" characters. Unimportant characters are often flat - the writer does not provide enough information for us to understand them; we only get to see one side of the character's personality. In Finding Nemo, Bruce the shark is a flat character - he is not around very long, and we don't really understand why he does what he does. His motivations are very simple - when he gets hungry, he tries to eat.
Static character – a character who does not change throughout the course of the story; a character who does not “grow” emotionally, a character whose personality remains the same at the end of the story as it was at the beginning of the story. These are usually minor, flat characters.
Dynamic character – a character whose personality changes during the course of the story; a character who grows, emotionally, due to or learns from the actions or events in the story. These are usually major, round characters.
Caricature – the distortion or exaggeration of the peculiarities in a character’s personality, often done to comical effect
Archetype (pronounced arc-type) – A stereotype (personality type observed multiple times, especially an oversimplification of such a type) or an epitome (an typical example of a personality type, especially an extreme version of such an example)


Character & Characterization Notes

Types of Characters
• Dynamic = A characters that changes over the course of the story
• Static = A character that does not change over the course of the story
Protagonist
- Main Character
- Almost always dynamic
Antagonist
- Opposing Character or Force
- May be either dynamic or static


Characterization:
• The evaluation of a character to better understand his or her
personal attributes
o Personal attributes are the qualities or characteristics of a character in regards to:

 Physical appearance
 Age
 Personality traits
 Mental traits
 Emotional traits
 Social traits
 Interests
 Occupation
 Etc.


Types of Characterization:
• Characters may be revealed directly or indirectly
o Direct Characterization
 A direct and specific statement is made by either the author or the narrator about a character’s appearance, thoughts, feelings, actions, or reaction
 The description of a character is directly stated in the text and can be read word for word

o Indirect Characterization
 The reader must use clues from the text and draw upon their own experiences to make inferences about a character and their personal qualities
 The description of the character is NOT directly stated within the text.


Methods of Characterization:
A character’s qualities are revealed through 4 main methods.

1. Appearance (Author/Narrator’s Description)
o An attribute can be revealed by how a character looks
i. Direct Characterization Example:
 Megan was six feet tall, making her the tallest girl in her class.
ii. Indirect Characterization Example:
 His clothes were baggy and did not fit properly.
2. Thoughts & Emotions
o An attribute can be revealed by what a character thinks or feels
i. Direct Characterization Example:
 Julie was excited to find out Mark was in her class. She thought that he was the cutest boy in the whole school.
ii. Indirect Characterization Example:
 Quickly scanning for her name the team roster, Nicole’s stomach began to curl and tears welled up in her eyes until she was crying uncontrollably.
3. Actions & Reactions
a. An attribute can be revealed by what the character does, how he/she reacts, and how others react to the character
i. Direct Characterization Example:
 Stephen was a great hockey player and as he scored his 100th goal of the season, the fans roared with excitement.
ii. Indirect Characterization Example:
 Gabby gazed out the window as Stephen continued to talk.
4. Dialogue
a. An attribute can be revealed by what the character says or by what others say about him/her.
i. Direct Characterization Example:
 “I Love Him, Diana!”
ii. Indirect Characterization Example:
 I asked her if she liked buffalo wings and all she could say was, “I didn’t know buffalos had wings!”
I found these four exercises on a web site designed for student actors but they are just as relevant towards characterization in books, try them out.
1- Take a trip to a public place where sitting and watching people could occur. Some good places for this activity are a shopping mall, an airport, a sporting event or anyplace where people move around as a natural part of the event. Pick a movement trait to observe such as how fast or slow people walk or how people gesture with their hands when they talk. It is helpful to write down quick notes or to draw sketches of the traits you observe. Later, in private, try to duplicate the observed movements yourself. As you duplicate the movement, also imagine the type of person you watched and try to understand why they moved the way they did. Use your imagination.
2- Listen carefully to your favorite actor on television or in a movie. Try to imitate the way that person talks. This is one way to begin "collecting" vocal patterns to use in characters you will develop later. Listen carefully to individuals who have strong accents or rent a video specifically selected for the accents of the characters in the movie. Try to mimic the accent used by these individuals. You will probably be most comfortable doing this in private, but getting a friend to listen after you have been practicing for a while is also helpful.
3- Look through a magazine and find an interesting picture of a person in an everyday situation. Some examples might include a person eating in a restaurant or a person watching a sporting event. Study the picture and use your imagination to create a "life summary" of the person. Decide what their name is and where they went to school. Imagine how they sound when they talk and how they look when they walk. Fill in all the details about their life including favorite food and their most embarrassing moment. After you feel you really know the background of this imaginary person, write a monologue about what the person was thinking the moment the picture was taken. Rehearse the monologue using the voice you created for the person and perform your monologue for a friend.
4- Study individuals as they are feeling different emotions. Do this in a public place where you can watch people without being noticed. As you hear people arguing or laughing, watch how their bodies change and their gestures become faster or slower. If a person looks sad to you, try and decide exactly what the person has done to make you think they are unhappy. You are observing the effects of emotion on the outward appearance of a person. This is important in character study considering that very few characters go through a play without feeling any emotion. You may want to make notes on the various elements of the visual display of emotion.


THE CHARACTERISATION TRIANGLE

STEREOTYPE: Characters in popular fiction become vivid to the degree the reader relates to who
they are. Stereotypes cause crisp images in readers' minds. The trick is to start with the stereotype,
then add differentiating traits that make the character an individual.
1. Start with a stereotype such as profession, place of birth, social background, personal interest
or an unusual personality trait. Examples: Cop, New Yorker, trailer park kid, bird watcher,
hyperactive — the possibilities are endless.
2. Refine the stereotype to bring it into focus. Examples: Hotheaded cop, upstate New Yorker,
vacation time RV park, watches birds of prey, poetry in motion — the possibilities go beyond
endless.
3. Begin character points with a refined stereotype in mind.
Character Points:
Primary
Characteristic
Shadow
Fatal
Flaw
1. Primary Mode — Defines how the character operates. It’s the trait which she normally displays,
such as warm, caretaker, reserved, logical, warrior, outgoing, leader, etc. Think snappy,
descriptive nouns or adjectives. This is an admirable trait and it makes the character
distinctive and likeable to your audience (or in case of the villain, despicable). It is the most
visible part of the personality, both in life and in stories.
2. Fatal Flaw — This trait brings the protagonist down, and is the villain's strength. In all cases,
the fatal flaw is a positive trait carried to extreme (thrifty vs. miserly; courageous vs. reckless,
protective vs. overbearing). The character is blind to this trait or considers it a virtue. Stories
revolve around how the character deals with the fatal flaw.
3. Shadow — A secret yearning. The protagonist actively suppresses this trait or is unaware he
has it, or believes it's a quality he lacks. Mostly it is invisible to the character and to the world.
It is not an evil trait as is commonly supposed. It is suppressed because it doesn't harmonize
well with the other three traits. Generally the shadow is in direct opposition to the primary
characteristic and fatal flaw. The individual believes that allowing it to emerge would destroy
the integrity of the personality while, in truth, this is the trait that completes the personality and
allows the character to defeat the fatal flaw.

Example: An ambitious person squashes a yearning to be laid back and carefree. Her triangle is that
she's an achiever, her fatal flaw is that she's single minded and her shadow is a desire to be more
easygoing. As the story starts, her [insert a profession] career is going gang-busters. She's working
80 hours a week, getting long desired recognition. She's also getting an ulcer along with it. Plus, her
teenaged daughter has been breaking curfew. Or so her husband says (how would she know? she
works all the time) and he's been having a guilty flirtation with the lady who runs the coffee shop in his
office building that he knows he should confess (but how can he? his wife works all the time).
These situations occur almost predictably, considering what's driving this woman. With them, you can
extrapolate a variety of stories. Daughter gets caught in a raid at a wild party that she ended up at by
mistake. Dad rescues her. As they drive home, they strike an agreement not to tell Mom, she's
already overwhelmed, and get in an auto accident. Or daughter attends a wild drug party, not
knowing what she's getting into. She tries to leave, but the party is busted by Russian white slave
traders who are looking for girls to export home. Daughter calls Dad, but he's too busy with the coffee
shop lady and Mom is meeting with important clients at an unknown location.
Build your triangles well for each character and ask yourself the most logical consequences of their
behaviors. In this case an unsupervised teenager and a potentially straying husband. Leave out
your value judgments as you do these exercises. If you want readers to have sympathy with your
characters, you must sympathize with them also. And how do you do that? By building a background
that would as inevitably produce a person who would have your character's fatal flaw. And by
creating challenges that push on that fatal flaw until the character faces it and gives it up.
Obviously there is more to great characterization than the triangle traits. Characters must also have
supporting traits and backgrounds. The thing to remember is that in a mentally healthy person, the
traits and background harmonize and support the primary mode. If they lightly clash , your character
will be neurotic. If they strongly clash, your character will be psychotic (keep this in mind when
crafting villains)
The shadow always contrasts with the fatal flaw. You draw on the shadow trait to transform the
character's fatal flaw. The protagonist's struggle creates character growth and surrendering the flaw
is the sacrifice that wins the ultimate prize. The shadow is the key to growth and sacrifice because it
gives the character the strength to do the right thing.
Combining Character and Plot:
To intertwine character and story, do this:
1. Use the triangle to build your character.
2. Devise an introductory scene showing the character acting out his stereotype and primary
characteristic. Give the character a problem to solve that sets up the story. Plug this into a plot
worksheet as the inciting incident.
3. Allow the shadow side to emerge gradually. At first rejected, then eventually accepted. Devise
scenes that show this internal conflict and plug into a plot worksheet as supporting incidents.
4. Begin revealing the shadow and give character glimpses of how the flaw adversely affects her
life. Each consequence gives more evidence and eventually character is forced to face the
truth. This brings about the turnaround scene, which is triggered by one final event. The
shadow emerges, softens the flaw and allows the decision that brings about the climax. Plug
these scenes into the final conflict section.
5. Create the climax scene tying it into character growth. Plug that into the climax section.
6. Reveal the results of the character growth in the denouement.
Conflict Points:
1. Create points for the second protagonist/antagonist and/or villain. Keep the following principles
in mind:
a. Conflict is intensified to the degree that the characters' primary characteristic,
supporting trait and fatal flaw are in direct opposition, making relationships an exercise
in compromise and adaptation.
b. Resolution occurs when the characters' shadow needs are drawn out by the other
character.
c. Antagonists are characters whose goals oppose the protagonist's goals, but they aren't
necessarily bad people.
d. Villains are characters with destructive intentions. Their fatal flaw often supports them
in the beginning, but eventually combines with the shadow to bring them down. To
make well-rounded villains, give them an admirable supporting trait and a sympathetic
shadow.
2. Compare the points with the protagonist's points and look for contrast between the two.
Intensify as much as possible.
3. Complete a separate plot worksheet for each major character. Compare them to that of the
main protagonist. Look for ways to combine scenes, then plug the results into a separate plot
worksheet to use as a story guideline.
There are many tools for character and plot development. This is one that may be of use to kick-start
a plot or shore up an ailing storyline, but it can easily be combined with other methods. Be as creative
with your use of this tool as you are in your writing.

EFFECTIVE CHARACTERISATION
Effective characterisation is not achieved by describing visual features alone (‘He had a light blue top with a faded, frayed collar’) but rather by balancing this kind of descriptive writing with action, motive and a trait, or traits. As motive and actions (and therefore, to some degree, plot) evolve from the characters/s’ temperament/s, emphasising this aspect of characterisation in our teaching leads to more ‘rounded’ characters in pupils’ stories.
A successful method of achieving this is for the teacher to dramatise particular character traits and then ask the pupils
‘What kind of character am I ?’
The author begins with sad, happy, angry and shy , all of which are easy to render dramatically. Pupils are then invited to dramatise, or suggest, other character traits. If the pupils are reluctant to dramatise further traits the teacher may wish to continue with some of the following : lazy, cruel, greedy, jealous, confident, talkative, helpful, argumentative, cunning etc.
After a list of traits has been generated it is usually possible to reinforce previous work on synonyms by grouping some of the words on a basis of similarity e.g.
happy, joyful, cheerful, blissful
sad, unhappy, cheerless, miserable etc.
This activity also provides an opportunity to discuss / use a Thesaurus in a meaningful context.
One of the traits is then chosen and the teacher explains that a game of ‘Show not Tell’ is going to take place. A sentence, which includes the chosen trait, is then written for all to see e.g.
He / She was sad.
The teacher explains (whilst writing ‘TELL’ before the sentence) that this is ‘telling’ the reader about the character. It is then explained that it is better to ‘show’ the reader what kind of character is developing by describing things that such a character would do ! The word ‘SHOW’ is then written under the sentence already on the board and the teacher asks the following question.
‘If I came into the classroom and I was sad what would I do ?’
The sentence starter ‘He---‘ is then written after the word ‘SHOW’ and the pupils are invited to suggest ways of continuing the sentence which demonstrate what a sad person would do e.g.
‘He cried a lot’
At this stage in the modelling of ‘Show not Tell’ process, judicious teacher interventions and questioning can maximise the learning opportunities ;
Firstly the teacher can place a range of connectives between each of the pupils’ suggestions, thereby avoiding the ‘and then-----and then’ trap ! Secondly the teacher can extend answers through careful questioning :
Teacher : What did he do ?
Pupil : He wept ?
Teacher : How did he weep ?
Pupil : (No answer)
Teacher : Can you give me a word that will ‘go’ after wept which will describe how he wept ?
Pupil : bitterly etc.
The final question, asked by the teacher, in the above sequence could be replaced with,
‘Can you give me an adverb of manner which we could place after the word wept ?’
The complexity of the questioning is determined by both prior and future learning.
When the process has been completed the pupils are asked to compare the two approaches ‘Show’ and ‘Tell’ and to describe which works best. As there is clearly no competition the pupils are then asked to work collaboratively (pairs – fours) on a further trait selected from the list. Deadlining functions as a useful motivator (‘You now have ten minutes to complete the ‘Show not tell’challenge !) as does explaining that they will be required to read their piece to the rest of the class who will be invited to guess which trait they have chosen.
The activity can be differentiated so that ‘more able’ pupils develop more complex multi – faceted characters. To achieve this, two methods can be applied.
1. The pupils are asked to choose two (or three traits) to be combined in their character description so that the final piece of writing evokes a character who is both shy and sad ; both happy and talkative ; both cheerless and lazy etc. The teacher can then discuss how events in a story can alter the character trait of their protagonist or antagonist e.g. A happy character is involved in a plane crash which traumatises him /her. After the event he / she is both sad and shy.
Clearly this approach can only be taken after the teacher is sure that the pupil has understood the ‘Show not Tell’ process using a single character trait.
2. The second method of eliciting more complex characterisation is to consider trait development. This is best achieved through modelling but essentially the story begins with the character exhibiting infrequent aspects of their trait. As the story develops so does the trait so that, for example, a character who, at the beginning of the story is mildly annoyed becomes, by the end of the story,very angry. Incidents which occur throughout the narrative will influence the the development of the specific trait.The interrelationship between plot and character development makes this quite complicated at Key Stage 2. It is , however, achievable with more able Y4 – 6 pupils. An interim stage, which the author uses, is to focus (after single trait writing) on analysis of characters in books which the pupils are reading. The undoubted benefit of this is that the link between reading and writing is made explicit. A grid like the one below can be used by pupils to consider how authors create multi – faceted characters.
Name of character: Title of book: Author:
Trait Very (quote evidence and page number) Quite (quote evidence and page number) Not a lot (quote evidence and page number) Not at all (quote evidence and page number)
Shy
Sad
Happy
Lazy
Brave
Nervous
Confident
Jealous
The column of traits on the left should be altered by the teacher so that it relates specifically to the book being read. It should be noted that some characters in published books are, sadly, uni – dimensional ; for this reason books should be pre – selected by the teacher.
The methods of developing more effective characterisation, thus far discussed, focus on more than description of the visual. If the teacher wishes, however, to further extend descriptive writing in relation to characterisation the author has found , in analysis of Key Stage 2 writing samples, that ‘build’ is rarely discussed. For this reason the teacher may wish to provide a visual learning referent which includes words which are suggestive of a characters’ build.
A further aspect of characterisation which can be developed through direct teaching is interaction. This can easily be linked to trait development so that a shy person, for example, talks infrequently to others ; speaks in short sentences ; never instigates conversations etc. The same approach works with other traits and explicit discussion (and modelling) of this should help pupils to integrate the process into their own story writing.
In conclusion, effective characterisation is achieved by focussing on much more than what a person is wearing. The busy teacher needs practical strategies to raise the standard of pupils’ writing. It has been the aim of this article to provide a range of new, practical, ideas which will assist in developing the ability of pupils to evoke believable characters in their narrative writing.
I hope you have and will find the information in here useful in your endeavors.
Andy Scorah.

Impressum

Texte: Andrew Scorah
Lektorat: Andrew Scorah
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 10.05.2012

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