Creating Characters

by Lauther, Howard

  THE NONCONFORMIST

  Has an aversion to conformity; frequently shocks those who embrace the ordinary; always at odds with the status quo; breaks with tradition, questions accepted truths; leans in the opposite direction of which the majority demand that he go; contemptuous of blind obedience and dogma; attracted to that which lies off the beaten path; perennially out of step by his design.

  Adjectives: audacious, daring, defiant, eccentric, oddballish, unconformable unconventional, undisciplined, unorthodox, unyielding.

  THE OPTIMIST

  A repository for hope, that which Emily Dickinson describes as «the thing with feathers that perches in the soul." Convinced that things will either get better or that they happen for the best. Buoyed by bright expectations. Infused with an inextinguishable inner cheerfulness. Immune to failure. Can spot a tiny drop of promise in a sea of dread. A living antidote for defeat. Looks at the world through rose-colored glasses. Makes the best of a bad situation. Counts his chickens before they are hatched.

  May also be called: Pollyanna. Adjectives: anticipative, blithe, buoyant, cheerful, confident, encouraged, enthusiastic, expectant, forward-looking, hopeful, optimistic, sanguine.

  THE ORGANIZER

  Likes to keep things in order. Has a place for everything and wants to keep everything in its place. Prefers establishing a systematic approach to things and determining priorities. Dislikes irregularities, unevenness, spasmodic or intermittent occurrences, fluctuation, haphazardness. Hates loose ends. Strives for tidiness. Wants things to fall neatly into place. Categorizes, tabulates, and files things by rank, alphabetical order, and general classification. Tinkers with methods, with the hope of streamlining them. Daily habits help lend structure to his life. Makes preparations for the unexpected.

  May also be called: neat freak, fussbudget, picture-straightener. Adjectives: businesslike, efficient, exacting, fussy, methodical, orderly, systematic, precise, punctilious, structured, thorough, tidy.

  THE OUTCAST

  Stands rejected by those who feel he no longer holds any worth for them, for he has either done something or been accused of something that has offended them. Denied entry into a group that may once have gladly accepted him. Brushed aside as no longer important. Bears the silence of others' disapproval. Has become guilty of something that no one gives a name. Loses favoritism as a result of his associations. The focal point of great dislike. Repelled by those who are sickened or embarrassed by his physical deformity.

  May also be called: castaway, pariah, untouchable.

  Adjectives: abandoned, blackballed, disapproved, discarded, disdained, disowned, forsaken, rejected, renounced, scorned, spurned, unappreciated, uninvited, unloved, unvalued, unwanted, unwelcome.

  THE PACIFIST

  (See also the Accommodator; the Bootlicker; the Poltroon) Takes special care not to offend anyone in any way. Willing to make concessions. Inclined to accept the terms dictated by an aggressor rather than make a "big deal" out of something. Will go considerably more than half way to get along with others. Tries to disarm belligerence toward him with a smile, a nervous giggle. Confrontation upsets him. If someone gets mad at him, he is the first one to try to patch things up. Says, "I'm sorry" quite a bit. The Prince of Neutrality in that he steers a middle course and will not take sides. Does not want to be controversial. For him, he feels it's a lot better to go along so that he can get along.

  Adjectives: cautious, nonaggressive, noncombative, nonconfrontational, nonpartisan, pacific, peaceable, unbelligerent, uncontentious, unhostile, unpugnacious.

  THE PARAGON

  (See also the Moralist) The Moralist at his highest level of excellence. His virtues sparkle. Finds value in the effort that others devote toward improving themselves, but pays no mind to the level he himself has attained. Anger slips away from him like water. Does not desire what others have. Refuses to harshly judge others for what they did or should have done. Views the future with optimism. Unsparing in his effort to help others. Does all those things that are characteristic of saints, but not because he wishes to be recognized as one.

  May also be called: one in a million.

  Adjectives: angelic, excellent, first-rate, flawless, good, highly-polished, irreproachable, magnificent, moral, pure, saintly, sinless, splendid, spotless, superexcellent, superior, uncorrupt, unsoiled, unsullied, virtuous.

  THE PEACEKEEPER

  (See also the Diplomat) Looks for things that bring people together rather than what sets them apart. Attempts to avert conflict between them. Seeks areas where they might find compatibility rather than confrontation. Tries to mediate, patch things up, settle differences, heal wounds, disarm aggression. Seeks concessions from both sides. Preserves the middle ground. Believes that people should try to get along. Builds bridges between people and attempts to dismantle the barriers they have erected. Sees war as nonsensical and destructive, whether it is broad-based or simply between two people.

  May also be called: arbiter, conciliator, go-between, intermediary, mediator, middleman, moderator, negotiator, noncombatant, pacifist, referee, spokesman, umpire.

  Adjectives: diplomatic, fair-minded, impartial, intercessionary, mediatory, neutral, nonpartisan, peaceable.

  THE PERFECTIONIST

  Meticulous about almost everything that is important to him—it must be "just so." May have some traits that are peculiar to the organizer, but is essentially quite different in that he continuously strives for excellence—sometimes in the case of others as well. Will not do anything halfway. Shortcomings found in his own efforts cause self-incrimination, followed by more work to achieve improvement; errors on the part of others bring him dismay and a renewed effort to help them achieve perfection. Prone to read the fine print in a contract and to follow step-by-step written instructions. Hard to please. Overly concerned about trivial matters. Insists that all forms of etiquette be precisely followed.

  May also be called: fuddy-duddy, fussbudget, stickler.

  Adjectives: conscientious, disciplined, exacting, fastidious, finicky, hypercritical, meticulous, painstaking, particular, persnickety, picky, punctilious, rigid, scrupulous, selective.

  THE PESSIMIST

  Holds the view that everything in life has been designed to make man's life perfectly miserable and that anything promising is merely a mask over some yet-to-be-seen torment. Sees unnamed impediments around every corner. Distrusts anything that would motivate most people to feel good. Estranged from hope. Feels that universal forces have conspired to make him unlucky and therefore miserable, no matter what he does and how hard he tries. Fully expects the worst to happen; when it does, he not only feels justified but has something else with which to replace it. Hears the approaching footsteps of danger, but is deaf to those sounding the approach of good times. Carries the blues on his back like a knapsack. Defeated before he even begins.

  May also be called: crepehanger, defeatist, killjoy, skeleton at the feast, sorrow-seeker, spoilsport, wet blanket, worrywart.

  Adjectives: brooding, cheerless, cynical, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, doleful, downhearted, funereal, gloomy, glum, inconsolable, joyless, low-spirited, melancholy, miserable, moody, mournful, somber, sorrowful, uncheerful, woeful.

  THE PLAIN DEALER

  Speaks honestly and expects the same in return. Says what he thinks, not what he believes someone wants to hear. An "open book." Never puts on airs.

  May choose to say nothing if the truth threatens to harm someone unnecessarily. Doesn't act one way around one person and then behave another way when he is with someone else. Never embellishes a fact. Does not get involved in transporting conjecture.

  Adjectives: candid, direct, ethical, forthright, guileless, honorable, matter-of-fact, open-and-aboveboard, principled, reputable, sincere, square-dealing, straightforward, straight-shooting, undeceptive, unpretentious, truthful, veracious.

  THE POLTROON

  (See also the Accommodator; the Bootlicker; the Pacifist) Tries to stay out of harm's wa
y. Intimidated by anything that could potentially threaten him. Always on guard. Unlikely to do something without having total confidence that the outcome will be favorable. Only bets on sure things. Inclined to worry and be full of questions that begin with «What if," e.g., What if I make a mistake? What if I lose my job? What if they get mad? Tends to become immobilized by doubt. Easily daunted, he remains a perfect candidate for others to browbeat, bully, harass, terrorize, or demoralize, for they will sense his timidity and wish to exploit it. Has an on-going affair with Anxiety. Does not accept dares. Others accuse him of being afraid of his own shadow, of backing out when the going gets rough, of turning tail at the slightest provocation, of abandoning what's right in the face of might. Knows a place where he can feel sheltered.

  May also be called: alarmist, big baby, chicken, coward, fraidycat, jellyfish, knee-knocker, milksop, safeguarder, scaredy-cat, weakling, white feather.

  Adjectives: afraid, apprehensive, chickenhearted, cowardly, cowering, craven, fainthearted, fearful, gritless, hesitant, lily-livered, panicky, pusillanimous, qualmish, reluctant, self-protective, skittish, slinky, terrified, timorous, unadventurous, uncourageous, undaring, unheroic, unvaliant, unvalorous, weak-kneed, white-livered, yellow.

  THE POSSESSOR

  Anoints himself as the landlord of someone's affections, and is always on the alert that that person will cast some or all of it toward someone other than himself. Feels a sense of ownership, which in reality does not exist. Does not want to share someone's love and attention, but wants it all. Could become revengeful if he thinks he is being slighted. His fear of being replaced causes him to erroneously read the actions of those whom he wants to hold close.

  Tries to limit the freedom of those whom he watches over.

  Adjectives: confining, doubtful, fearful, guarding, jealous, monopolistic, possessive, protective, restrictive, selfish, stifling, suppressive, suspicious, ungenerous, watchful.

  THE PREACHER

  Speaks at length on almost any subject with which he is conversant. One person may constitute his audience. Delivers long, rambling opinions. Pounds things to create exclamation marks. Has the so-called gift of gab, as words percolate out of him in one grand profusion. May blast the ear, utter thunderous proclamations, stir emotions from among a collection of blank faces. Hurls words at the heart of his listeners, which may arouse them, frighten them, or set their minds to singing. At his best he can inflate a dwindling passion; at his worst, his words will be met with a desire for him to shut up.

  May also be called: lecturer, phrasemonger, speechmaker, windbag.

  Adjectives: discursive, dramatic, eloquent, flowery, forceful, high-sounding, long-winded, lyrical, majestic, melodramatic, passionate, sensational, silver-tongued, theatrical.

  THE PRETENDER

  (See also the Deceiver; the Hypocrite) The pretender deceives himself rather than someone else, and his motives are usually glaringly obvious. Does not have the credentials to be what he would like others to think he is, but that does not stop him from acting the part of the group with which he wishes to be associated. Has possibly convinced himself that if he appears to be what he wishes he was over a long enough period, that it will somehow become true. Thus, if he does all the fashionable things necessary to keep up with the Joneses, he will one day catch up with them. If he pretends to be a sophisticate, with all the responsibilities that entails, surely some of the necessities will one day rub off on him. Or if he pretends to be highly moralistic, or knowledgeable, or successful, or whatever else he wishes others to see him as, perhaps the day will come when he will indeed be fully compatible with the thing he is imitating.

  May also be called: bluenose, fake, fine lady, fop, four-flusher, fraud, goody-two-shoes, impo/stor, man about town, mannerist, masquerader, phony, prig, puritan.

  Adjectives: affected, artificial, counterfeit, dandified, dressy, flashy, foppish, gaudy, goody-goody, highfalutin, high-toned, grandstanding, mannered, ostentatious, over-refined, pompous, pretentious, prudish, puritanical, Quakerish, showy, stagy, strait-laced, swaggering, theatrical.

  THE PRISONER

  Psychologically rather than physically behind bars. Has a desire, for example, to escape from what he perceives as a suffocating restriction, one which may involve his family, a marriage, a romantic relationship, a job or career, a social environment, an economic level, his own past, some form of monotony, etc. Could be a prisoner of his own lies. Similar to a dog that is tied outside, stretches whatever rope he is given until it is taut and no more slack is possible.

  THE PROGNOSTICATOR

  Possesses an inexplicable sixth sense that provides some special insight into the future, which mayor may not be in great detail-or he either thinks or pretends he does. (If the latter is true, see the Deceiver.) Instinctively feels that something will happen somewhere or to someone in particular. Subject to occasional visions. Perceives trends before their conception. Reads omens that appear in the natural world. Looks for omens in nature. Interprets historical parallels. Reads tea leaves, crystal balls, human palms, the juxtaposition of the stars. Warns others of bad days coming. Talks of Judgment Day and the Day of Reckoning. Predicts special things that will take place in the lives of others.

  May also be called: astrologist, diviner, forecaster, fortune-teller, oracle, palmist, predictor, prophesier, prophet, psychic, seer, soothsayer.

  Adjectives: divinatory, farsighted, foreknowing, foreseeing, intuitive, messenger, precognizant, predictive, presageful, prognostic, prophetic, second-sighted.

  THE PROMOTER

  Always engaged in the practice of selling himself to others. But since almost everyone becomes a promoter at one time or another—for example, a job interview is a promotion and so is a simple argument between two people who try to "sell" their conflicting viewpoints to each other—what separates the actual Promoter from those who do their promotions sporadically is that his desire to is the cornerstone of his nature, if not essential to his survival. In the latter instance, his reputation, his livelihood—indeed, his very life—may well hinge on his ability to persuade someone to do or not do something. His powers of persuasion and dissuasion are above average. His ability to encourage, tantalize, and seduce are essential tools in his arsenal. Makes offers, overtures, and requests. Haggles, drives a hard bargain, negotiates, sweetens the pot. Pursues the close of the deal. Forcefully presents his case.

  May also be called: booster, hawker, huckster, lawyer, peddler, petitioner, pitchman, preacher, salesman, solicitor, stump speaker, wheeler-dealer.

  Adjectives: dissuasive, enticing, persuasive, promotive, provocative, seductive, self-promoting.

  THE PROTECTOR

  Chooses to be protective of someone or something, e.g., the watchful parent, the best friend, etc. Has a need to ensure someone's safety, or from being taken advantage of, or being humiliated in any way. But the guardianship may be directed toward keeping someone's memory alive in the minds of others that is, making sure that they honor what the deceased represented. As a protector of something that is nonhuman—for example, an environmentalist who wants to protect nature's gifts or the person who wants to preserve some government institutions—he may be filled with civic pride.

  May also be called: defender, guardian, safekeeper.

  Adjectives: sheltering, shielding.

  THE PSYCHO

  Has an inability to reason effectively. Hallucinates frequently. When he broods or displays elation it is usually excessive. Exhibits two or more distinct personalities. Has delusions of grandeur or persecution. His fears and his passions are always in the extreme, e.g., may consistently worry about his health while also being terrified of medicine. In the grip of a compulsion, such as stealing, telling lies, or having sex. Avoids realities by imagining nothing but pleasantries. Lives in a fantasy world. Has a need to burn things or set off explosives.

  Adjectives: demented, deranged, insane, unbalanced.

  THE QUIBBLER

  Often seems to speak with t
wo tongues in that he is inclined to leave his listeners confused about what he means to say on a particular subject. A creator of double meanings. Presents two possible interpretations within the same breath. A riddle-maker. A generator of doubt. A masker of full-blown truths. A creator of the obscure. Mixes his pros and cons in such a way that someone else is unable to determine if he is for or against something. Never seems to come to the point. At all costs, avoids making a declarative statement.

  Adjectives: ambiguous, enigmatic, evasive, hair-splitting, indefinite, indistinct, perplexing.

  THE RASCAL

  Attracted to mischief, though without intent to harm anyone. Enjoys a harmless prank, something to give everyone a big laugh. In school, he is forever the class cutup. Addicted to practical jokes. Lacks verbal wit, so his teasing is rather trite. Always looking to see what kind of innocuous trouble he can find to amuse himself. May also be called: caution, cutup, imp, knave, mischief-maker, prankster, rogue, scalawag, scamp, tease. Adjectives: mischievous, naughty, playful, rascally.

  THE REALIST

  Riveted to the here and now, to what's practical rather than what's remotely possible. Wedded to the physical world around him. Unimaginative in that he does not produce quaint pictures in his mind nor chase shooting stars of his own creation into the far-flung blackness of thought. Only interested in what he can see, hear, or touch. Judges the merit of things based upon their immediate usefulness to society. Capable of making the dreamer's ideas usable. Not interested in the romance of the thing, but whether or not it will work and if someone can use it. Remembers things as they really were and refuses to attach any more importance or significance than is deserving.