Creative writing question regarding characterisation?
can anyone tell me what the main character types are, I read somewhere that there are only 20 types of characters that appear in fiction as well as 8 or so different types of plots.
Many thanks
- mellow yellow
October 29th, 2009 at 10:05 am
There are different theories; some say 20, some say 45, some say 7. Look up ’stock characters’ on wikipedia and continue your research from there.
There are also a couple of great books studying archetypal characters and plots - see the links below.
Hope this helps : )
November 1st, 2009 at 4:29 am
well, here’s a list of character archetypes:
And here’s something I found on wikipedia (there’s a seperate list for heroines and villains):
Theophrastus
The study of the Character, as it is now known, was conceived by Aristotle’s student Theophrastus. In The Characters (c. 319 BC), Theophrastus introduced the “character sketch,” which became the core of “the Character as a genre.” It included 30 character types — twenty-six moral types and four social types. Each type is said to be an illustration of an individual who represents a group, characterized by his most prominent trait. The Theophrastan types are as follows:
The Insincere Man (Eironeia)
The Flatterer (Kolakeia)
The Garrulous Man (Adoleschia)
The Boor (Agroikia)
The Complaisant Man (Areskeia)
The Man without Moral Feeling (Aponoia)
The Talkative Man (Lalia)
The Fabricator (Logopoiia)
The Shamelessly Greedy Man (Anaischuntia)
The Pennypincher (Mikrologia)
The Offensive Man (Bdeluria)
The Hapless Man (Akairia)
The Officious Man (Periergia)
The Absent-Minded Man (Anaisthesia)
The Unsociable Man (Authadeia)
The Superstitious Man (Deisidaimonia)
The Faultfinder (Mempsimoiria)
The Suspicious Man (Apistia)
The Repulsive Man (Duschereia)
The Unpleasant Man (Aedia)
The Man of Petty Ambition (Mikrophilotimia)
The Stingy Man (Aneleutheria)
The Show-Off (Alazoneia)
The Arrogant Man (Huperephania)
The Coward (Deilia)
The Oligarchical Man (Oligarchia)
The Late Learner (Opsimathia)
The Slanderer (Kakologia)
The Lover of Bad Company (Philoponeria)
The Basely Covetous Man (Aischrokerdeia)
Though it might be more or less detailed than what you wanted. Anyway, there are different kinds of character types (archetypes, stock characters, stereotypes, etc). Which one did you mean?
And do you mean this list of plot types?
-from problem to solution
-from mystery to solution
-from conflict to peace
-from danger to safety
-from confusion to order
-from dilemma to decision
-from ignorance to knowledge
-from questions to answers