Sometimes my mind gets highly analytical. I think it must come from my engineering background. But I’ve noticed, recently, that a lot of women characters are missing a husband, or a child, or both, as a way to make them
My Gateway Novel: Wishsong of Shannara
Whenever we find something we like–a TV show, a band, a sport, whatever–there’s always something that introduces us to whatever it is, our “gateway,” if you will, that we never forget, especially if whatever turns out to be transformative in
Character Archetypes: Wrap-up
Well, Squiders, I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at some of the character archetypes. We could go on forever, honestly. Some people denote eight different character archetypes, others twelve. Still others can break down each archetype into another six or
Character Archetypes: The Sidekick
Very few Heroes stand alone. Often they are accompanied by a Sidekick, or a few. In some cases, a large number of companion characters will form a different archetype known as the Hunting Group of Companions. Sidekicks help the Hero
Character Archetypes: The Innocent
The Innocent is an archetype that can be used for a number of different types of characters, though if the Innocent is included in the main part of a story, they rarely remain such. Innocent characters can also fall into
Character Archetypes: The Temptress
Ah, the Temptress. She saunters in and gives you a coy smile, her eyes promising that more is available, if you’re willing. The Temptress is a fairly common female archetype though, like the Damsel in Distress, it is evolving in
Character Archetypes: The Damsel in Distress
Ah, the Damsel in Distress Archetype. Well known, common, but I like to think, in this day and age, we’re getting a little more creative in our application of it. Like the Mother Archetype, at times it seems like the
Character Archetypes: The Threshold Guardian
I admit I like the name of this one. The Threshold Guardian! It sounds cool. Threshold Guardians are very common in any sort of Hero’s Journey plotline. Threshold Guardians can be good, evil, or neutral, alive or not, and may
Character Archetypes: The Mother
The Mother Archetype is kind of like the Mentor Archetype, in that Mother characters tend be more idealized and more removed from the action. They often show up only for a short time to provide guidance and nurturing before a