Using The ENNEAGRAM To Write CONFLICTED CHARACTERS
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- čas přidán 15. 05. 2024
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I get a lot of questions about writing good internal conflict. You know that your characters must have internal conflict, but WHAT exactly should their desires, fears, and misbeliefs be? When in doubt, go to the Enneagram. In today's video I'm sharing with you how I use the Enneagram system as a starting point to writing relatable, conflicted, dynamic characters.
The Enneagram Institute: www.enneagraminstitute.com/ty...
Take the test: www.eclecticenergies.com/enne...
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✨T I M E S T A M P S ✨
0:00 Introduction
2:00 What Is The Enneagram?
4:40 1: The Reformer
5:48 2: The Helper
6:16 3: The Achiever
6:44 4: The Individualist
7:22 5: The Investigator
7:51 6: The Loyalist
8:24 7: The Enthusiast
8:57 8: The Challenger
9:30 9: The Peacemaker
10:22 Using the Enneagram on Your Characters
14:00 Get My Enneagram Cheat Sheet
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My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true.
Story isn’t about “what happens” - it’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. That’s what we talk about every week on this channel - and if it’s something you’re into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!
Ok to be honest I always rolled my eyes at using personality type stuff to make characters cuz it just never worked for me. I think it was because I always looked at it as a way to create characters, not STRENGTHEN them like you mentioned. So now that I’m watching this I feel like I finally get the hype and I’m totally going to be using this for my main character!!
For me the turning point was when I started using the types as a way to get to know already established characters better,rather than create them.
I totally get where you're coming from. When I first started writing, I just thought a character needed a name, a basic physical description and a few personality traits which ended up being 'she's kind, smart, caring' and a male character would be 'protective, tough, caring of those he loves'. But over the last decade I've expanded on my character profiles, dug deeper to find more traits for them and I try to 'interview' with each character once a week to help me get into their heads (I tried this with a male protag and I learned exactly what I was missing to flesh him out and kickstart his own character arc. Wow! What a great day!). About two years ago I started using their birthdates to find their astrological sign, or using their core personalities to track down their sign so I can generate a birthdate. And about a year ago I started adding in the complexities of their Hogwarts and Ilvermorny houses, their wands and patronuses to add more depth (I can't even explain how helpful this has been! I never would have pictured myself as a Hufflepuff as a kid but now I'm older and I wouldn't choose another house, and my wand is a unique mix that speaks to my being individual in all of my subtle ways, and my patronus is AMAZING in that its more than a cat....its a Norwegian Forest cat - an extremely tough wildcat in Norway that helped us to create the domesticate cats we have today. So even though the species is common and 'cute', which I'm totally okay with, they picked a breed that resonated with my own core beliefs and strengths in a different way from my House and wand. And I like my Ilvermorny house, too, but there's not a whole lot of info on those but I like the idea of being a Thunderbird Adventurer.), but because of the nature of the Pottermore tests, I'm only doing this for my favorite characters and I'm gonna have to find out for myself where each supporting character fits into the Hogwarts world. It won't be perfect but even creating that image, writing down that information, will be a big help because it'll add to my mental image of that character.
And I've only recently started to use MBTI's for all of my characters as well, not just my favorite protags. When I took the test, I was floored by how accurate it was and it gave me a lot of answers to questions I literally hadn't asked, hadn't known I needed to ask, but gave me the tools to understand myself a bit better. Now I've applied it to my characters and its so much easier for me to switch into their mindsets. And I'm excited to add Enneagrams to the mix, to help me tap into what the characters believe which I can then use to figure out their needs, wants and misbeliefs.
The more you attend to the Enneagram the more insight you'll be rewarded with
The enneagram is new to me. I have a supporting character I am trying to flesh out. There is a conflict where this character’s identity is kept hidden from the main character as a means of protection, so much of what is done is outside of the main character’s sight and knowledge, at least until the point of revealing that hidden identity.
What type or types would best fit a supporting character like this?
Be careful. if you talk to a psychologists they will point you are the eneagram is EXTREMELY faulty at pointing the conflicts and sufferings of a person. It is a very very simplistic tool that assumes are more or less NORMAL LIFE person. A simple example where it fail completely is in a War scenario.... the point is.. people are not FIXED forms... modern psychology doe snto support that people are of a type A or B, but that each build a set of tools and practices to deal with the environemnt and each moment you use a subset of that.
Since one of my protagonists is a psychologist I just had a meta thought that he'd probably know about the Enneagram. But EVER BETTER, he would be absolutely conflicted with his answer!!
Okay, but what if WE are characters like your psychologist, and the only reason we know about the Enneagram is because out author likes it?
@@lenkazsoldos1071 don't bro...Just don't
@@dr.j7542 😂
How do I get two opponents of characters to butt heads together to make a story interesting?
What’s that? I should be working on my WIP? I totally am- by binge watching Abbie Emmons entire channel and stalking her blog and Pinterest.
And how's it coming along?
I understand...
Us 🤝🏻
Alrighty...where's it being sold, now? Do tell.
TIMESTAMPS!!!
1- The Performer 4:40
2- The Helper 5:48
3- The Achiever 6:16
4- The Individualist 6:44
5- The Investigator 7:22
6- The Loyalist 7:51
7- The Enthusiast 8:24
8- The Challenger 8:57
9- The Peacemaker 9:30
Thanks!
*reformer
1 - The Reformer
Daniela, if you ever read this you really should edit #1 to be Reformer not Performer... CZcams comments are editable after all
Thanks!
I was so worried my character's misbelief/fear/desire didn't make much sense, as I'd based it off a pretty particular theme. Took the personality test for my character and was basically given the exact same fear/misbelief/desire I'd already planned out. Which is a huge help because now I know I'm on the right tract. Sure, this isn't a be all end all. But it was really helpful, and now I feel ready to move on to other characters. Thanks so much!
I think my protagonist bleeds into about three of these...
He definitely doesn't want to be seen as worthless or incompetent and works tirelessly to fix his perceived weaknesses, but he's also going through something of an identity crisis as he's never really had the guts to sit down and ask himself "who am I? What do I REALLY want out of life?"
He's also an idealist, so he's very hard on himself and judgemental of others who fall short of his ideals. But especially towards himself.
Just finished writing a YA book that has the Enneagram at the heart of the story, and a Five as the protagonist. MC's secretive personality doesn't allow her to deal with the truth/reality of her father's death (or any deep emotional pain), or to speak about it with others. She learns a better way to cope eventually... and therein lies the story.
I'd love to read it when it gets published.
I want to read it, when is it coming out?
Funny that this came up! My daughter, a life coach on personality types, says enneagram is better than MB because it shows weaknesses. Well done! This is what I am using.
I saw type 8 and immediately thought “that’s Toff Beifong right there”.
Toph
Abbie, your writing channel is by far one of the best on youtube because you focus more on the internal aspect of storytelling-- the part that makes the story matter.
I just decided this morning to watch your entire character series to help me with my novel, so this is an amazing coincidence: thank you for the amazingly helpful video!!
Hope you enjoy it!
Same here
I just took the 16 Personalities test, answering as if I were my characters, and it was super helpful! It let me see how they would interact with each other, their motivations, etc.
All of my characters fulfill multiple personalities. It's fine. I'm fine. Everything is FINE!
in enneagram theory, people usually have a dominant type and then a "wing" that they share a lot of traits with so that's totally normal. and it's normal to relate to many or all types (this is based on the little I know about enneagram)
I don’t comment often, but this helped me so much! I’m currently planning a novel. Without knowing it, I made one of my POV characters an enneagram type 3 and the other a type 5. Reading through the in depth descriptions is helping me tighten up their character arcs and giving me ideas for new conflicts and character interactions. It was so cool to read the descriptions and think, “That’s 100% my character!!!” Now I understand my imaginary friends better :)
This is helpful to fill in supporting characters with some depth, but without having to build each one from scratch
This is so helpful! I was just thinking of how to apply the enneagram concepts to my characters. Thank you so much for breaking this down. I'm a 5 and I'm thinking my MC is a 3.
My primary protagonist is somewhere between a 5 and a 6. She is broken 6 with significant trust issues and lack of relationships growing up so she overcommitted to her 5 tendencies to cover her insecurities. She likes to hide behind the confident investigator veil but her arc will revolve around learning to trust others and help others.
It's somewhat similar to me but I like to think I am a lot healthier than she is at the start haha
I'm revising my novel and I can't even express how much this is helping me. Literally had the question in the back of my mind two days ago about how to create more dimension in my characters. Thank you!!!
Also you can look up the core sins of each Enneagram type and use those to help develop some of your characters' flaws.
I've never seen so much fantastic content on writing on any other channel. You are my go to. Thanks for your wisdom. :D
ABBIE ABBIE ABBIE! I love love love you way too muchhh for someone I’ve never known. Your passion for psychology and writing and figure skating and optimism makes my heart melt LIKE ICE-CREAM ON WAFFLES!!! You inspire me and you help me make my dreams come TRUE. We NEED more youtubers like you in the authortube community!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
I was SO excited when I saw the title! I feel like a lot of people haven't heard of the enneagram before which is unfortunate because it's so interesting! My type is 4 and I have several protagonists but I'm pretty sure my central one is a 3. Also! I noticed the tin of Harney and Sons Paris tea in the background! XD I love that tea haha
My character is definitely an achiever. She constantly feels like she has to make a name for herself because her mother and grandfather both are/were revered where she lives. Nobody pushes her or even compares her to them, it's all internal, her aha moment is actually just a conversation with her dad. I decided to make if off of my younger self, I still am an achiever, but I no longer let it make all of my decisions.
My MC is a type 6 but at the same time one of her desires is freedom even though she also wants security. She has a lot of internal conflict. Maybe she will find a balance!
Thank you so much! this is just what I needed to flesh out the characters I haven't had the chance to "get to know" very well yet. Thanks again!
What perfect timing! I have been struggling with realistic internal conflict. Thanks Abbie!
I'm so glad I have found this channel. Thank you for the quality of your content abbie. I took the test and was surprised how accurate it is. I am a loyalist.
a couple months ago i came up with this idea of using the enneagram for my characters but they started to get muddled and i was discouraged. i’m so excited that i found this video and your channel because you’ve given me hope!! i’m trying to re-spark my enthusiasm for the novel i’m working on and taking small steps with character building is helping so much. thank you!
I did this the other day with two characters and it's exactly what I had envisioned for them! This video helps so much!
This video is fantastic! I've been watching your channel for a few days now, originally trying to create good dialogue and stay true to my characters' personalities in a story that I'm writing. But I stayed and have watched nearly 20 of your videos!
Checking for Enneagram types and MBTI's has helped me feel so much better about the characters in my story, and I've had way too much fun nailing down the fears, desires and misbeliefs based on their types. And it fits excellently! Thanks for the help, Abbie! You've got a subscriber out of me!
YES I've been waiting all week for more content. Highlight of self-isolation 👌
I honestly love your videos. Thank you so much for this great content! I hope you're staying safe during this quarantine. Keep up with the good work!!
My favorite video so far! I spend tons of timing looking at Enneagram stuff, but with you putting it so simply, it became obvious which one my character is! Very helpful.
Okay I only discovered Abbie recently, but she’s blessed me lol
This video made me create my FAVORITE villain of all time -- or antagonist, really -- for TMOOE and oml I made her a type 1 enneagram and now I made the plot for one of the books aaaa
TAKE ALL MY LOVE U ARE A TRUE QUEEN AND I’M SO EXCITED TO MAKE MY STORY BETTER
HOLYS*T! Thank you for this Abbie!
I first watched this video a year ago, and it was my first encounter with Abbie. I can't overstate how much I have learned from her! So thankful I stumbled upon this when I did. I've been in the brainstorming/outlining process for a novel this past year and I can't imagine doing it without the principles I've learned on Abbie's channel!
Oh my god! It never occurred to me that I could use enneagrams to help develop my characters; this is brilliant! Seeing the layout of the Enneagram personality types I began to recognize the characters in my head. I can now see how to better express their sense of internal conflict while also gaining a stronger understanding of how to create said conflict in a believable way for my future readers. I'm so grateful for this video, I could hug you (but in a fatherly way, I'm in my 50's and you're young enough to be my daughter). After having a book series in my head for literal decades, I finally have the time for writing (Hooray for semi-retirement!).
But, if I'm being completely honest, I'm terrified. To have been writing a book in my head for so long, then finally begin putting it to paper is indescribably daunting. I truly don't know how to live up to the story's wonderful potential. I've joined your Scrivener Master Class and I'm working through it while simultaneously consuming your shared experience through these videos. I'm truly appreciative of what you've created to help new writers set off on their best foot. Thank you, Abbie Emmons.
The Enneagram is really great, but you have to go deeper into it to make it useful. There is a pattern in how it works. There are 3 possible basic emotions we all have (fear, shame and anger) and 3 basic ways we react to it: rejection, projection or introjection. 3x3 = 9 types. All are about how the ego reacts to triggers. The enneagram instincts (sexual, social and self-preservation) are the triggers that cause our core type to react to it.
Type 8 projects their anger at being controlled/manipulated onto others by seeking to dominate them.
Type 9 rejects their anger at control/manipulation by denying their ego and avoiding conflict in passive-agressive ways, dissociation, and merging.
Type 1 introjects anger as self-criticism, becoming perfectionistic, idealist and moralistic.
Type 2 projects their shame onto others by seeking to feel valued in service to other's needs, often confusing their own needs for the other person's desires.
Type 3 rejects and denies shame by seeking identity in accomplishment, denying any hint of feeling inferior or reason to feel shame.
Type 4 introjects shame into their self-image, as broken, alien, separate and misunderstood.
Type 5 introjects fear of uncertainty, resulting in long research dives to learn obscure knowledge and skills.
Type 6 projects fear of uncertainty onto others, as paranoia and anxiety for anticipating worse case scenarios.
Type 7 rejects fear of uncertainty by embracing it and rushing towards new experiences. If anything they fear missing out on opportunities.
We can have a different strategy for each of the emotions. One might reject fear, introject shame and project anger. That would make you a tritype 748, which is known as the Messenger.
The instincts are triggers. Usually shortened to SX, SO and SP. The order they stack is important because the dominant one is subconscious, the second one is conscious, and the third one is unconscious (the blindspot). The conscious one is the one we are most comfortable with and enjoy. The dominant one preoccupies our thoughts and triggers our core type.
The sexual instinct is about chemistry and desire for transformation, change, transgressing boundaries and merging with another, not about intimacy as sometimes said amongst enneagram coaches, but sex. The Social instinct is about desire for justice and give aid or teaching when somebody needs help. The self-preservation instinct is about boundaries and resources. All can trigger someone, and the stacking might corresponds to the different types in the tritype. For example, a sx/so/sp person who is tritype 259 would have SX triggering their 2, SO triggering their 5, and SP triggering their 9.
As you can see, it is much more complex than 9 types, and has a lot of variety because it works as a system.
This is the video I was looking for. It's been a struggle for me writing my characters especially antiheroes with blurred moral codes due to not being very familiar on how to determine an individual's beliefs. It was fun watching all of Abbie's videos on story arch structures, outlining, and a whole bunch of her other discussions out there, but I guess it's about time I should continue working on my own novel. A graphic novel to be more specific by the way.
I've been bingeing your videos so hard! You are by far the most helpful writing resource I've come across! And the internet says you're an ENFJ 1w2! No wonder I love your stuff, I'm an INFJ 2w1. Thank you so much for these videos, they're truly a goldmine!
I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this video was because each type has so much information about them that it's really overwhelming to sift through it all on my own, so having you break each one down to a more condensed version with less, but concise, information was really really helpful.
Thank you Abbie! I adore using personality type stuffs for myself and my own life as well as for creating characters. I'm definitely type 7 and ENFP so I'm just all over the place with ideas, always thriving for entertainment. My novel's MC is somewhere around a type 1 and a type 2, in having as main desires to feel loved and to do the right thing. I would say that she naturally is a type 1 but her life's experience made her tends on a type 2 kind of emotional person.
Thanks for the sheet, super handy!
I just realized this existed yesterday! Thank you for the video! It helps so much!
I've just learned what enneagram's are, and yes, I will be diving so deep into this I lose track of time and reality itself and remerge into society like I'd been living in the woods for weeks lol. Thank you for explaining this so well! I've downloaded the cheat sheet and will definitely be checking out your other videos :)
I was scouring CZcams a few days ago looking for a youtuber who gives practical, specific writing advice and I magically found this channel. New subscriber here! Love this content!
This is a brilliant episode. I’ve been obsessed with Myers-Briggs, but had only a passing knowledge of Enneagrams. I love how you put it to use for character development - really something I hadn’t thought about and I’ve spent more than a few years with different character development methods. After watching this the f irst time I took a couple of online tests (I seem to be a solid 4, but that could be the Norco talking…😊) and thanks to your intervention I have a good idea how to proceed with applying it to my current novel in progress. I only recently found your CZcams (Praise the Algorithm)to ooand I’m thoroughly enjoying going through your catalog. I follow you on Patreon and I’m looking forward to perusing your archive and catching your new episodes (and your sister’s). Your content is superior and that’s what matters. You have amazing production values and that makes your work art unto itself. Thanks for sharing your talent and wisdom.
I already had an idea of what my character's fears and wants are and I started looking at this sort of thing after to kind of help guide me if I'm not sure what their personalities would do in certain situations, definitely a good tool to strengthen characters 😊
Just took the instinctual version of the test for myself and the results gave me chills. During my next writing session, at a moment when I am deeply emersed in my first person protagonist's world view, I will go take the test again. I can already see that this is going to be instrumental for me, both inside my fictional worlds and out here in the real. Thanks!
Hi!
I've been studying storytelling by a more "plot driven" perspective with books like Story Engineering, Save the Cat! and Book Architecture, along with some character oriented books like Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland. But I really liked the way you present story drawing as character oriented process, in the sense that although important, plot must be justified, and is linked to, the character arc.
So, I would like to know if there are some books that you recommend to study in more depth this approach.
I already pinch Story Genius and Wired for Story from your videos, and find this book: How to Write Great Characters - The Key to Your Hero's Growth and Transformation, which I think is about using the ENNEAGRAM on character creation, but I didn't find any other book, specially regarding the plot structure of external events and its connection to the character arch and its progression.
I'm loving your videos and sorry for the odd English, but I'm Brazilian and an English self learner.
I adore Larkrise to Candleford, and i’m so happy you dropped some refernces to it here. I think Harriet Smith from Emma fits neatly into the Peacemaker category. And seriously> this is a fantastic way to focus on some inner conflict and keeping it very separate from the exterior goal. Ilove this video
This video got me on a WHOLE thing about the enneagram as a writing tool... Beatrice Chestnut has a great series of panels here on CZcams where 4 or 5 people of the same type talk about their experience being that type. Pretty cool!
Okay, I love how organized but also passionate you are at the same time. You really get me into the feeling of I want to create something. I'm happy to found your videos. :)
Anyway, I knew you're a 1! I'm an INFP type 4 with 5 wing and obsessed with personality types too. My protagonist is a 4 so I can show my struggles and maybe help the readers with it.
My character definitely contorts himself to be the achiever when he is really the helper. I think you've helped me figure that out so thanks!
Thanks a lot Abbie ! This is so helpful !! I believe in what you say about internal conflict but always got lost when trying to find answers even to the questions of your character template. The enneagram is going to help me alot with a new story I'm currently beginning to write, and it also just made me realize something that I think is of vital importance to a writer: your characters don't just fall in love with each other because they're handsome or funny or smart, or just because you decided it would be so before you even began writing. They do because they fill each other's NEEDS, because their personalities are complementary. I think this as well is going to improve my writing a looooot.
Thank you for your awesome content, I love the energy on your channel, you sound so passionate & everything is fun with you !
I'm a first time writer. I pushed myself into this world after getting an idea I couldnt put down. I just want to say your videos have helped me a lot in researching the writing process and discerning quality writing from well what im probably gonna end up with on my first draft. But thats okay haha. Im a type 3 so I will eventually get it done and I want to thank you for your help!
PERFECT answer to my question.
I am a type 4 and I am writing a type 1 which feels like the opposite to me. But I realized that to have all the intellectual traits doesn't mean they can't have strong emotional consciousness either! So I like the idea that none of the types have to fit into a solid box but can be a mix of personalities with a main type that applies to most of their personality but not all of it. 💜
That sounds really cool to concept to write and read about. Also my bestie are type 1 so i find it very interesting
@@mikaelwallentin.. thank you! 🤣I bet you and ur bestie are quite the pair!
@@rhyahrobinson4616 as a type 4 who seek growth in type 1 we have our real fun times and he help me with growth
Just took the test! I'm a type 2-Helper wing-3 Achiever. Which...makes a lot of sense, haha!
My protagonist in one of my stories is definitely type 3, Achiever.
The other protagonist is probably more align with me as type 2, Helper.
I'm excited to explore the other types in future characters! Thanks for the awesome video, Abbie!!
I get so excited when 8 get ur notifications!
I found your channel this week and you have such a clear, direct way of boiling down story into a concise package that I can wrap my head around so much more easily. The comments I get from agents are that my writing, description, etc, are great, but plots need work. After watching many of your videos... I think it's truly my CHARACTERS that need work! This feels like a breakthrough. And this method of using the Enneagram is completely revolutionary. Thank you so much for this channel!
👆👆👆
There was an Enneagram ad on your video but I didn't notice. I watched the whole thing thinking it was your actual video. Bit of a chuckle moment.
Amazing, I’m obsessed with the enneagram
Thanks for the enneagram quiz link. I just found out my type, 5w4, after mistyping as a 1.
Your video was useful and high quality as well.
I've been obsessed with MBTI for the last year or so and know so much about my type (ENFP) only really discovered the Enneagram late last year, but couldn't figure out how to find out what mine was......now I know! Type 2w3 which makes 100% sense. I'm so glad that you're obsessed with this stuff too because everyone thinks I'm so weird. Hahahaha. I'm also loving your channel, you always have such great examples for everything you're talking about and it makes it so much easier to understand than a lot of other things I've watched or read. Thank you!!
I ultimately watched this just because I didn't know what emneagram is having watched I can identify each of my characters in one of these types
Love using enneagrams & you might be the only Authortuber I've seen talk about it! I'm definitely a 4 which is probably why I love writing from my WIPs MC's POV (she's also a 4). Some of the names are different but same basic concept. Mine has breakdown of fears & also using the numbers to plot character arcs. Yup, Im obsessed too lolz.
Great video, Abbie! I started watching this in order to develop my main character, but then inadvertently ended up analysing myself. Thanks to the link you provided to The Enneagram Institute, I now believe that I'm definitely a 4. It's quite reassuring to discover that I actually fit into a certain personality group, and aren't just a unique odd-ball!
I first heard of the enneagram when a friend was suggesting it to help me create characters. She’s not even a writer but now I know that that’s a brilliant idea! When I finally got a handle on the enneagram I tried to figure out which type my characters were but I just couldn’t figure it out. I already had my second draft completed so I was kind of working backwards. (And since I’m finding out I lean more towards the pantser side I prolly will always be working backwards on figuring out my characters enneagram) anyway, but I LOVE this system you’ve created to finding your characters enneagram and I LOVE that it ties into the theme!! So important and so brilliant of you! Thank you for this!! I’m writing a love triangle and I now know my MCs enneagram and the 2 love interests too! The MC is a 3w2, one love interest is a 2w1 and the other is an 8, not sure about his wing yet. THANK YOUUUUU!!
I cant explain to you how much your videos help me. I have fibromyalgia and get real bad brain fog. so its hard to plan anything even on my best days. but your tips on planning and creating characters is amazing. thankyou
This is the first I've heard of this. I've loved the book, The Child Whisperer, which does this too, plus, just by looking at a person's face, you can see how to appeal to their particular personality type, or how a child would wish to be raised. You, for instance, just by your facial characteristics, would be a primary 1 and secondary 4. I've enjoyed your videos!
Your channel is amazing, thank you for your work! I took the enneagram test and... gosh I'm a 1w9!! But I also have a strong influence of the other type as well (with a minimum score of 6 for each one) I don't really know if this test really revealed my personality type, I guess it does but... well, I will have to dig a little bit more to find out the answer.
As for my characters, I will definitely try to use the enneagram to complexify them!
Thank you again, you're amazing!
I've had same idea for story for many years practically a decade so I am currently binging your channel to get ready to write.
Seems that my mc is a type 1. I took test for fun and it said I'm a type 5
I love the Enneagram. It has helped me discover my protagonist's character type and even mine. I love Abbie's way of finding your character type using the themes and misbelief. Now, my protagonist is a challenger! I love this video. :-) 💖
Good video, this is a compact overview and I would recommend this to anyone looking to get familiar with the system. Writers and non-writers.
This is an awesome video. Coming from someone newly exposed to Eneagram I just found it so fascinating when applied to character development. Great stuff
I took the test for my main character that I've already kind of developed a personality for. And it was soo accurate!! It literally told me exactly what I had already determined about her!
Great I’m a challenger and I got lumped in with Scrooge and Scarlett
Go me
Lol. There are plenty of good examples too. Hetty Feather is the only one coming to my mind right now, but she's not well-known. XP
I was listening to the description of #1 and thinking "that's me!" Then I listened to the rest and saw myself in a bunch (but not all). I'm going to try using the enneagram role as a place where my character is the strongest, but also not be afraid of mixing and matching in other types as appropriate. Actually, that probably makes for a better character. Thanks for the video!
This was a great topic to take on! I did the test immediately and it just fits. I'm a Five and I'm writing a hard Eight. It's not easy because I generally avoid confrontations, but it's fun to write someone who would sooner bash his head against yours than look at you. Thanks for the info!
12:41 -- Very good point. I'll never forget a review of one of Arthur C. Clarke's novels that said that the trouble with all the dialogue between his characters is that it sounds like Arthur C. Clarke talking to himself. I take that assessment as a cautionary tale for my own writing.
I love hearing about these anigram types! I'd love to hear more about them in the future, please and thank you!!! Have a fantastic day!
More to come!
Just yesterday I dabbed into Enneagram and I immediately though how useful it would be to help create realistic and compelling characters. And today I discovered your video about that! A well explained video that introduced this typology clearly, with great exemples.
Like you, I think personality types are a great tool for self improvement and writing.
For the last months I "studied" MBTI. It's different from Enneagram but I think it could be a complementary tool to flesh out characters. Especially for a story with more than one POV, I think it could help give everyone their unique perspective and voice.
I know a decent amount of astrology. When I create my characters, one of the first things that I do when writing out the characters' outline is give them a birthday and from there write their responses based off of what their zodiac sign would say and do. This also gives a template for how the characters may interact with each other.
Wait I do that Too!!
I am always a bit cautious regarding this kind of tests, but, of course, I was curious and took the Enneagram test. It turned out I was a Five and the description on their website is really me in a nutshell;-) Amazing. Since I am really struggling with the internal conflict of my protagonist, I now have a more precise sense of what he is dealing with on the inside. (It might be not too narcissistic to write a first character that one feels most close to, right?) This was great help, thanks a lot, Abbie! I am new to your channel and highly appreciate the enthusiastic and well-organized work you do here. Good luck for your own writing:)
After watching several playlists that Abbie posted I finally decided to try the test and yes I am a conflicted character as always. Taking the enneagram, I got a result of 5w4 or 4w5. Taking the MBTI I got an INFJ. This is my end of personality tests.
This was quite fascinating and very helpful! I had never heard of enneagram before, and had never written anything before, but I wanted to try. As I was writing my notes on the types, I could see very clearly which ones represented some of my family members, and even myself. I'm very much an Investigator. My protagonist I think is going to be similar (with some subtypes thrown in) since it's what I know best, and I've already got some ideas about how I want the story to go and what it's going to say.
I love the enneagram. So happy to have found a writing and enneagram video. Ennea5 here.
I just started using this, and boy is it helping. I've always been a big fan of personality stuff (MBTI and Enneagram, for the most part) and this is extremely helpful.
The Enneagram is like nurture, and why you think certain ways and why you perceive the world as it is. It reveals more ugly sides of you compared to the MBTI. In the setting of characters, Enneagram helps develop characters and their conflicts. Certainly helps a lot.
Also recommended, the Myers-Briggs test can help craft or develop characters as well. MBTI is like nature (although personalities can be influenced and changed over time) and how you perceive the world. Basically, it shows you your behaviour as opposed to why you behave the way you do (which is covered in Enneagram). While in the setting of a character, the letter dichotomy works fairly well, but better developed characters and your understanding of them shifts when you use the cognitive functions, which is the true basis of MBTI. The Cognitive Functions is the preferred way one were to think and interact with your environment.
All in all, using both these could make your characters far more interesting and well-developed. Enneagram is definitely a great way to expose and find weaknesses, flaws, fears, and more, and MBTI helps support how the character would act and their personality.
Seems like you could create a really deep character and plot just by taking of these and outlining their backstory, figuring out how their past has effected the manner in which they pursue their basic desire. Maybe also figure out where they are on the introvert-extrovert scale to clarify how they go about it but that should be just about all the info you need.
love this! I've looked a little into enneagram, but I'm still unsure about how it all works besides the basic types--this definitely helped me. the cheat sheet is awesome! I'm a type 9 (idk if I have a wing or not, and I read something about triads? I think that's what they were called? I have no idea) and my character is a type 8. 😊 this got me excited to try to figure out my other characters' enneagram types!
It was really interesting to take the test and I’m a 7w8, which I don’t doubt at all. Thank you for all your helpful videos, I’ll continue to be watching them. Have a great day 🍀
I saw this video the third time and don't get bored by this theme. I plan a new story and began creating my characters. I wanted the protagonist to be my enneagram type. I'm a 6w7 :D And this is kind of creepy, how it fits to me, especially with the wing, that describes what my inner rockstar wanted to be (but I'm to introvert to let him out so often). My second main character is a 8w7 and I love the common ground the wing give them. It's a story about finding your meaning in life (finding this thing you stand up for every day) and the person who accompany you this way (some kind of Soulmates).
So thanks for the summary and inspiration. :D
Keep it up. I love all your content.
Greetings from good old germany
Anke
Hahahahaha I already love the myersbriggs for my characters, I'm already in love with adding this as another dimension!
You are brilliant, and I love your energy. Thank you soo much for sharing, you're my go to writer.
I just love all of your videos they have helped me so much that once I finish my school work for today was going to use your videos to help me start to write a nice novel. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!
Internal conflict is really good for a character driven story, but not strictly nessesary for all stories! In early Sherlock Holmes you never really saw him have any internal conflict- that's because there is another category if characters called Iconic characters, like Sherlock Holmes or (I've heard) Indiana Jones, where you don't see a whole lot of internal conflict because Iconic characters don't change much through the story, because its a plot driven story- where you're interested is based in "wow this person is really cool, and watching them do this is really awesome." Brandon Sanderson has a series of lectures on CZcams that I would highly recommend to anyone, they may be for a science fiction and fantasy class hut there is so much in general writing advice that makes it completely worth it! 😄
Took me a while to understand this but man it was worth it!
when I did this on myself it was like a full on therapy session lol, very helpful!
Thank you for your video!
Type 5 here!
When you gave examples for each type I struggled a bit to relate since a majority came from Chick flicks.
I know I know. I'm an uncultured nerd of anime and comic books still I got a lot of value, thank you!