Develop Characters Using Enneagram Personality Types (Part 1)

Develop characters using the Enneagram Personality types to create realistic emotions, choices, and behaviors.

If you assemble a cast of characters with a wide range of behavioral traits, imagine the unique voices, interesting dialogue, dynamic scenes, and potential conflicts you could write. Here’s Part 2.

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What Are Enneagram Personality Types?

By identifying a character’s personality type, strengths, and preferences, you’ll understand how they approach life, such as romantic relationships, career choices, and friendships.

The Enneagram describes interconnected patterns of how people see the world and manage their emotions. Since the 1950s, theorists have tested the Enneagram and documented their theories.

In fiction, you can use this body of knowledge to create dynamic villains, heroes, and supporting cast members. Use the Enneagram to develop characters who react to people and events with realistic emotions and behaviors.

Enneagram Basics

There are nine Enneagram personality types.

• Each type can exhibit nine traits. The behaviors range from optimal to sub-optimal.
• When a character is under stress, an individual’s demeanor and reactions can emulate negative traits.
• When a character feels secure, traits can shift toward the positive traits, opening up yet more possibilities.

An Enneagram Example

Let’s look at the Enneagram Type 1: The Perfectionist.

In life, people show combinations of positive and negative traits, creating a range of emotions and reactions.

For example, here’s the general range of characteristics for The Perfectionist:

• Positive Traits: Conscientious and ethical, with a strong sense of right and wrong. The Type 1 often serves as teachers, crusaders, and change advocates. Above all, they strive to improve.
• Negative Traits: The Type 1 is afraid of making a mistake. So, they try to maintain high standards. For instance, they can slip into being critical with perfectionistic tendencies.

The Perfectionist’s best and worst case characteristics:

• At Best: Wise, discerning, realistic, and noble—even morally heroic
• At Worst: Becomes condemnatory toward others, punitive and cruel

Develop Characters Using Enneagram Personality Types

The traits range between optimal and sub-optimal. Thus, your bad guy can show positive qualities and your good guy can show negative qualities.

When stressed, the traits progress toward sub-optimal, and when secure, the traits move toward optimal.

Character Development

To develop characters using the Enneagram Personality types:

1. Assign an Enneagram type to each character based on your story’s premise.
2. Decide the character’s starting point within the range of “healthy” to “unhealthy” traits.

Example: Type 1 Antagonist

Let’s start the antagonist at number five. Al McWhiggin, a character from Toy Story 2, will serve as our example.

Example: Type 1 Protagonist

With our protagonist, let’s also start the character’s role at number five.

Part 1 Wrap Up on How to Develop Characters Using the Enneagram Personality Types

The Enneagram types offer excellent starting points for developing characters. Once you set a character’s type, you can use the Enneagram to enhance consistency—essential if you’re writing a series where the character appears in multiple books.

To sum up this post, I’ve given you a glimpse of the possibilities to develop characters using the Enneagram Personality types. Similarly, in Part 2, I’ll show you how the Enneagram can help you define relationships and create unique voices.

Looking for the Character Template?

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