Creating Characters (2 page)
Locks out any notion that he could be wrong about something or someone.
Not even the most persuasive argument can bend him.
Resistant to any kind of compromise, even one that would allow most of his opinion to stand.
Hears nothing that is not in harmony with what he believes.
Slams the door in the face of anything that would intrude upon his certainty.
Refuses to consider another's appeasement.
His opinions are aligned within him like an army preparing for battle.
What Are the Character's Internal Traits?
Related Traits:
Broad-minded, dispassionate, forbearing, indulgent, lenient, liberal, long-suffering, magnanimous, nonpartisan, permissive, unassuming, unbiased, unbigoted, understanding, unjaundiced, unprejudiced.
Character Possibilities: Allows no one's race, religion, or background to bend his thoughts unfairly toward them. Strives to be fair in his judgment of what people do or don't do, as well as what is expected of them. Nonjudgmental regarding the beliefs and customs that are central to the lives of others.
Patiently endures offenses against himself.
Attitude is decidedly liberal, in that he believes everyone deserves to be heard. Socially, sees others as being equal to himself. Able to withstand nonphysical abuse over an extended period of time.
Related Traits:
Biased, bigoted, fanatical, hidebound, illiberal, jaundiced, mean, narrow-minded, one-sided, partial, parochial, petty, prejudiced, priggish, sectarian, self-righteous, small, snobbish, nonindulgent, unreasonable, unsympathetic.
Character Possibilities: Because the acts, beliefs, or customs of one or more person(s) are different than his own, views them as vastly inferior.
Thinks his social status, i.
e.,
birth and wealth, is superior to those who belong to another group and believes it would be unbecoming of him to mix with them.
Sees others as corrupting influences and wants nothing to do with them. Assumes he is more virtuous or knowledgeable than any member of another group. Unable to reason effectively and cannot see the entanglements of all human beings and their ultimate dependency upon one another. Sees himself as traveling the main road in the universe and forbids everything to the right or left of himself. His lack of tolerance is a result of jealousy or envy.
Related Traits:
Anticipative, apprehensive, foreknowing, foresighted, insightful, perspicacious, precognizant, prescient, sagacious, second-sighted.
Character Possibilities: Because of a sixth sense beyond the rim of logic, able to perceive a hidden truth about something or someone. Frequently anticipates what will happen, as a result of what has either already occurred or is occurring.
Senses the presence, or the intended visit, of good or evil.
Often able to see misfortune's approach long before it ever becomes visible to anyone else. Can immediately and clearly see through the most heavily veiled and complex situation. Possesses an understanding about that which is yet to be, or which is clouded over in the present, thus simply defying explanation. Able to see the results of today's action long before it happens.
Related Traits: Myopic, shortsighted, unanticipative, unexpectant.
Character Possibilities: Cannot ascertain anything other than what his five senses tell him. Disconnected to the future and is only able to see what is close at hand. Prone to make a judgment based solely upon first appearances. Unable to see the consequences of his, or someone else's, action. Deaf to the voices of caution.
Related Traits:
Artistic, creative, enterprising, fanciful, gifted, improvisational, ingenious, innovative, inventive, notional, original, resourceful, talented, visionary, whimsical.
Character Possibilities: Able to create images in his mind, which mayor may not have practicality.
What Are the Character's Internal Traits?
Has the skill to turn his mental-picture power into actual forms that others can either appreciate and perhaps even use, affecting such areas as art, science, etc.
Concocts mental images that are decidedly odd and not rooted in any current reality.
Has the power to develop things on the spur of the moment.
Possesses the skill to bring a freshness to something by somehow changing one or more of its elements. Cannot only see something that may have a practical use but is able to fabricate it as well.
Sees possibilities within the realm of impossibility.
Envisions bold departures from the norm.
Related Traits: Barren, dull, imitative, practical-minded, pragmatic, prosaic, realistic, unfanciful, uninspired, uninventive, unromantic.
Character Possibilities:
Not only unable to produce mental abstractions but cannot improvise, innovate, or see anything that is not already in existence. Copies what has already been proven to work. Dislikes theory and speculation. Measures the value of something by the extent to which others use it. His thoughts dance with the commonplace. Lacks the skill to court fresh images. If he owned a horse, he would not understand the coming of the automobile; if he owned a radio, he would scoff at the idea of television; if he owned a typewriter, he would be unable to see the promise of the computer age.
Tied to what works and does not entertain any thoughts about what might work better. Takes pride in having both feet anchored solidly to the ground.
Related Traits:
Absorbed, engaged, enthusiastic, examining, fascinated, immersed, inquiring, inquisitive, interested, interrogative, intrigued, investigative, involved, meddlesome, nosy, open-eared, preoccupied, probing, prying, questioning, quizzical, searching, snoopy.
Character Possibilities:
Always searching to learn more about something or someone.
Eagerly follows the scent of information, whether it is narrow or broad in scope and whether it has any redeeming value or not.
His mind is greatly occupied with the who, what, where, or why of something. Enthusiastic, if his interest becomes a burning passion. Has become irresistibly and unexplainably attracted to find out more about someone or a particular thing. Titillated by, and subsequently pursues, information that concerns the privacy of others and which is frankly none of his business. His ears are consistently cocked to find out something he didn't know before. His mind grows questions.
Related Traits:
Aloof, apathetic, blasé, bored, detached, disconnected, disengaged, disinterested, indifferent, jaded, nonchalant, uncaring, unconcerned, uninterested, uninvolved, unmindful, unmoved.
Character Possibilities: The possibility of learning more about a particular subject or some individual does not intrigue him. Has almost no interest in something because he sees it as being unimportant. His interest regarding a matter has diminished, if not exhausted, since his original curiosity has produced no results.
Tends to let things slip by without noticing them.
Hardened by experience, he no longer has the exuberance that paves the way for curiosity. Tends to think «So what?" rather than «Why?" Because something does not immediately affect him personally, has virtually no interest in its implications.
Views matters in a most casual way.
Related Traits: Alert, astute, attentive, aware, heedful, keen, mindful, open-eyed, perceptive, ready, thoughtful, vigilant, wary, watchful.
Character Possibilities:
Without being spurred by curiosity, he is habitually attentive to almost all things that happen. A symphony of eyes and ears. Tries not to be caught off guard. Constantly prepared for an emergency. Poised to stop the intrusion of peril or to welcome the advance of opportunity. By paying close attention to the words and actions of people, attempts to determine their motives.
Related Traits: Disregardful, heedless, inattentive, neglectful, oblivious, unalert, unaware, unconscious, undiscerning, unmindful, unperceptive, unvigilant, unwary.
Character Possibilities:
Tends not to see that which may be clearly obvious to almost everyone else. Ignores that which he deems not worthy of serious attention. His attention span is always narrowly focused; thus, he will fail to take note of something if he is immersed in something else. Will allow a crisis to develop because he will overlook the elements that contributed to it. Matters slip by him as if he sat blindfolded on the double yellow line of a busy highway. Finds it hard to see what is obviously staring him in the face.
Related Traits:
Anticipative, blithe, bullish, buoyant, cheerful, confident, encouraged, enthusiastic, forward-looking, heartened, hopeful, jaunty, light-hearted, reassured, rosy, sanguine, sunny, upbeat.
Character Possibilities:
Believes that everything happens for the best and that something good must eventually follow that which is bad.
Fully expects something pleasurable is going to happen.
His hope is accompanied by certainty.
Entirely focused upon the future and is far more interested in where he's going than where he's been.
Even in the worst of situations, he clings to the expectation that things will soon get better.
His expectation is as light as a feather in the wind.
Looks at the future with an incurable sprightliness.
Related Traits:
Apprehensive, captious, cynical, defeated, dejected, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, discouraged, disheartened, dispirited, downhearted, funereal, gloomy, glum, low-spirited, lugubrious, misanthropic, solemn, spiritless.
Character Possibilities:
Looks at the future through dark-colored glasses.
Finds no justification in romancing hope.
Has abandoned all expectations that things will get better.
Believes that the possibility of a better world is a complete fantasy.
Convinced that everything man touches becomes corrupted.
His sense of hopelessness has crippled his desire to do something positive. Distrusts all signs of virtue and is skeptical of the apparent superior motives of others. His courage to withstand all that is mean and destructive in the world has become threadbare. Defeated, he now sits immovable, wrapped tightly in a gray shroud.
Related Traits: Contemplative, deliberative, meditative, museful, pensive, ponderous, ruminative, speculative, thoughtful.
Character Possibilities:
Thinks before acting.
Ponders the future or past in a constructive manner, to either circumvent potential problems or to gain wisdom.
Takes considerable care in examining his options before deciding upon what to do.
Prone to weigh something in his mind for a long time.
Mulls things over like a cow chewing its cud.
Looks at things from all sides before making up his mind.
Related Traits:
Eager, hasty, heedless, impetuous, imprudent, incautious, precipitate, rash, spontaneous, thoughtless, undeliberative, unreflective.
Character Possibilities:
Even when presented with a situation that does not demand immediate attention, has a tendency to initiate action rather than examine the matter closely.
Rarely weighs the pros and cons.
There are no stop signs or caution lights in his mind.
To him, consequence is a foreign language.
Related Traits:
Amorous, ardent, bold, carnal, careless, concupiscent, daring, debauched, eager, emotional, enthusiastic, fervent, fevered, fiery, hasty, hearty, horny, hot-blooded, intense, lascivious, lecherous, licentious, lustful, profligate, prurient, salacious, sensual, spirited, temperamental, undisciplined, warm-blooded, wholehearted, zealous.
Character Possibilities:
His emotions simmer over a low fire, with first one and then another bubbling hot to the surface. Has a propensity to fall in love quickly. Once he becomes interested in something or someone, that thing or that person can consume him.
His appetite for sex is beyond the norm.
His enthusiasm for a cause can become overly enflamed.
Possesses a gluttonous desire for sensual pleasure, which in turn corrupts those thoughts unrelated to it.
Rare is the thought that lies cool in his mind.
His attraction to vice is underwritten by recklessness.
Related Traits:
Abstinent, ascetic, bridled, circumspect, composed, controlled, discreet, dispassionate, frigid, guarded, inhibited, judicious, moderate, monkish, nonindulgent, repressed, reserved, reticent, self-controlled, self-denying, self-disciplined, self-governing, self-regulating, stolid, temperate, tethered, undemonstrative, unemotional, unimpassioned, unsexual, virginal.
Character Possibilities:
Emotions are imprisoned behind a cold demeanor.
Guards his thoughts and feelings as though he did not trust them.
Maintains calm over all his emotions and does not allow any to become agitated.
Has a low sexual urge.
Intimidated by his own sexual desires and, thus, suppresses them.
Only adopts an extreme view when there is nothing left to satisfy him, but refuses to become its mouthpiece. It is impossible for him to generate any no-holds-barred enthusiasm for something or someone. Never allows passion to get the better of him.
Related Traits:
Collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equable, even-tempered, impassive, imperturbable, level-headed, pacific, peaceful, placid, poised, relaxed, sedate, self-possessed, serene, staid, tranquil, undisturbed, unflappable, unruffled.
Character Possibilities:
The candle within the core of his soul does not flicker.
Faces the challenges of adversity with a steady eye and refuses to be intimidated by them. Subdues his feelings of excitement and prepares to do the job that needs to be done. Usually resigns himself to doing battle and is willing to accept the consequences that follow.