Enneagrams – How Writers Can Use These When Creating Characters
Today’s guest post comes from my friend, Kate Penndorf, one of the founders of Much Ado About Writing. Each month week, members of their subscription based group are treated to a presentation from an expert that will help them along their writing journey. This month, one of those speakers, shared all sorts of word nerd goodness about enneagrams. Kate was nice enough to give us a recap, so my blog readers can use these tips and tricks on their own works in progress. Thanks Kate!
Defined through nine personality profiles to help understand why people behave how they do, it’s no wonder screenwriters have been studying Enneagrams for decades when creating characters for a Hollywood script. Now, writers of books are jumping to learn this craft as well.
Guest speaker and expert practitioner of the Enneagram, Lauri Lumby came to the online writer’s group Much Ado About Writing to speak about how writers can use Enneagrams to craft characters full of traits, layers, and depth.
Ms. Lumby informed members of the group that each person (or character) has one Enneagram type. And although there are nine profiles in total, a character does not arc through all nine, rather within their one specific profile. A character can also have a “wing” number – meaning traits that fall under the category of a consecutive number, or wing, to the Enneagram type for that character. So, as an example, one’s strong profile could be type # 3 with traits found in wing numbers 2 or 4.
How would this manifest for crafting a character?
Let’s have a look at Type # 6 – the Loyalist. Since Enneagram profiles list wants and fears, they’re set up perfectly for developing your characters. In viewing type # 6, characters of this profile want to have security and to fight against anxieties. Their fears would be to have a lack of support or guidance.
Lauri had this to share about sixes:
“Sixes are phobic – fear is their driving motivation. They are driven by fear. And there are two ways that they respond to that fear. Either they become phobic – like afraid of everything. Or, they become counter phobic. So, the way they deal with that tension of that fear is they go against it. They find something that’s really scary and they do it. I think of extreme sports – extreme athletes who are often counter phobic type sixes. Sixes are strategic and calculating. They are driven by survival needs. They are afraid of death and often are preoccupied by the fear of death. They are worriers. The life lesson of the six is to learn how to identify trust and live by their own inner will, because sixes tend to be very insecure about their inner will. They don’t trust themselves to make good decisions. And so, a six in their compulsion or a medium development state, they will have an outside authority. They will have someone who they go to – or a whole room of people who they go t – to ask questions about what they should do.”
In her workshop for writers, she uses memes based on the characters from “Penny Dreadful”. In that show, Victor Frankenstein is a type 6. Sixes often follow trouble, whether it can be helped or not. When viewed by other characters, a six’s thoughts and actions might seem negative. But to the six, these are viewed as smart ways of being prepared or for finding solutions. Often, this lens gives them a sense of control – even if that sense might be false leading. Other characters who come to mind would be Seinfeld’s “George Costanza” or Lord of the Rings’ “Frodo Baggins”.
If you are interested in learning more about the other profiles of the Enneagram, consider taking one of Lauri’s courses!
Lauri Lumby is the owner of Soul School where she teaches many online courses.
As a bonus, she is offering her Enneagram course to friends of this newsletter, compliments of Much Ado About Writing at 50% off now through October 3rd, 2022.
To access her Enneagram course at half off, use the code MUCHADO at during checkout.
You can start the course at anytime after purchase. There is no timeline for completing it.
Learning about Enneagrams is a great way to bring characters to life on the page! Consider signing up on your own or working with a friend / writing study-buddy.
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