Exaggerated Personality Traits

I know what you're saying, but my approach to characterization is different. I'm more interested in having all of my characters play off each other; it's how I understand them. Their personalities are, in part, revealed through dialogue and action. Any subtleties, complexities, or inconsitencies will come out through the shifting dynamics or balances.

That's not, to say, that I'm underestimating the importances of goals or wants in a story. It's just not my focal point. Your mileage may vary, right?

Ah, I see.

Yeah, I'm just not a very goal-orientated writer. I may be alone in that.

edited 24th Sep '11 8:05:47 PM by BetsyandtheFiveAvengers

I tend to start with their basic personality trait, actually, and let their desire be influenced by that. Or, I'll have a goal in mind for the character first, but use the personality that I gave them to drive themselves toward that goal in their own unique way.

edited 24th Sep '11 8:02:42 PM by tropetown

^^ Betsy, do you suppose you understand characters better if you look at them through their relationships, as compared with their inner psyches? I find this rather interesting to consider for an author's style.

Warning: I'm not going to articulate this correctly.

The external relationships and internal emotions, thoughts, etc. are on equal weight for me. I think they influence each other. As I'm writing, however, I tend to favor the relationships and dynamics, but I'm not sure why.

I usually do have a basic personality trait in mind when creating a character, but I quickly think about their motivation when fleshing them out. I also think about what they care for.

I also think about dynamics, but internal structure, and how it influences the external, is essential for me. It's how I think.

Are we derailing this topic too much? Should we make a new thread?

EDIT: This article comes to mind when I think about objectives.

edited 24th Sep '11 8:19:29 PM by chihuahua0

For me, I don't tend to put much weight about how so-and-so relates to this chico there, but I perceive it instead as like these people have their own internal worlds, inside which lie their orientation to life. One man thinks life is meant to be a struggle to be won. Another wishes to fill an empty void in themselves. And although you might put on a nice face and talk, it's only very rare that you truly connect to each other — for every word you say, you have a hundred held up in you more honest that wishes to be said.

How characters see the world is how they project unconsciously themselves.

Although I've tried incorporating that line of thought, systems thinking a personality - in the end I prefer to use a character's 'essence' and the related things; behaviour, interests and desires, sprout out naturally. To use trait words and fill-in-the-sheet questionnaires for character creation (What is his objective? What is his favourite novel?) doesn't ring well for me because it feels so constraining and artificial. Like colouring by numbers.

We aren't derailing it. This is topical progression.

edited 24th Sep '11 8:42:06 PM by QQQQQ

I find that exaggerated personality traits can work, so long as you take them to a logical conclusion.

Of course, that could just be me.

Yes, especially strong personality traits can work if they're framed correctly by other traits, or if the character is supposed to be a small player (like a large-hammed One-Scene Wonder).