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Character Archetypes

Character Archetypes

Stereotypes exist for a reason. Usually, they are derived from common characteristics of groups, which makes them easy to classify. However, what people fail to understand is that one, not every person in that group has all those qualities, and two, a person isn't only those qualities. 

The second point is important because what happens with stereotypes is that you have someone who has played someone else, for example, and then they get known as a 'Player' and thus, the player stereotype is born. Then, someone goes to use that stereotype and makes a flat, unrealistic, character whose only purpose in life is to 'play' people. The character becomes one dimensional because the author has given them one function and no depth that real characters deserve. 

That saying, sometimes authors use flat characters to achieve a certain purpose. For example, in Morality Plays before the Reformation, characters would represent virtues and vices to portray a moral message. 

However, in teen fiction, where these character archetypes are commonly found, realism is paramount. Teen fiction is meant to represent real life - its relatability is what makes it enjoyable. 

Common archetypes used in Wattpad fiction:

Player - if you're going to have a player, give them some better motivations then wanting to 'play' people. Who even wants to do that? People who end up playing generally have commitment issues or are confused about what they want. See my story It's Not Me, It's You for more information about how I think the concept works in real life. 

Nerd - I'm a nerd and I don't know about how it works in America, but in England, nerds aren't unpopular, bullied nor unnoticed. In fact, if you're clever, pretty much everyone will know your name because of your good grades and people will respect you. And nerd can have different definitions, it could mean someone who likes reading, someone who likes computer games, someone who's shy, someone who is clever. So really, the nerd stereotype is null. 

Bad Boy/Girl - you don't have to wear a leather jacket and ride a motorbike. Sometimes they have behavioural issues or just want to do what they want. They don't have to be so stylised. 

Bitchy Ex - give them some feelings and have their ex still like them and you have a believable character who isn't just a plot device. I'll rant about this more in cliché plots.

Werewolf/Vampire - I can't bring myself to read any of these so I won't say anything other than I just don't get it. 

Finally, you'll notice that while I've mentioned some stereotypes I don't like, I haven't said they don't exist completely. The main issue I have is when that trait defines them. People are complicated and  contradictory. Rather than have the few things I mentioned above as your character, have it as a character trait instead. Mix them up a bit.

Tips to make more realistic characters:

-Base them off people you know. Take parts of people you know and mix them with other things. 

-Observe people on the street or at a train station and wonder what their journey or story is. 

-Give them a backstory and think about how it has shaped them. 

-Try and describe them in three words. 

-When trying to describe your character, think of how you would describe them as a friend rather than what clothes they were wearing. (No one actually cares about that.) 

Something like this:

His eyes are shining in mirth; he is obviously very happy. The movement of his head while he laughed caused him to look like a completely different person. He seemed less serious, more carefree; as if in that moment he had forgotten all of the troubles he had carried that day. 

Says more about a character than:

He had brown floppy hair that made his blue cerulean eyes sparkle. He was wearing... blah blah. 

This tells me nothing, not to mention that every guy on Wattpad seems to have 'brown floppy hair' and cerulean should not be used to describe blue eyes any more. Create dynamic images of people, not static ones. (I was actually describing someone I knew in the first paragraph.)

There is no shame in taking things from real life. It helps. Trust me. 

So this has kind of deviated from character archetypes to characterisation but oh well. 

And if you think I've had a point in this rant, please go an check out my story It's Not Me, It's You. I'm trying to bring something fresh and realistic to Wattpad.