Do you ever feel as though your characters all have the same personality? Do you find your characters reacting to everything the same way that you would react as the author? Are you not sure about either of these answers but are suddenly doubting yourself? If so, you can define a cast of unique personalities with the Meyers-Briggs Typology Indicator!
The MBTI isn’t just a fun and interesting way to understand your own personality, it’s also a good way to understand how other people think, react, and express their emotions. This is as equally true for fictional characters as it is for real people, and if you want your characters to feel like a cast of unique and realistic actors, then you can use the MBTI to shape their personalities.
For this activity, we are going to reverse the process of determining a personality type. That is, your first step is to assign an MBTI personality type to a character. Assuming that you’re familiar with the 16 types, choose the one that you feel best represents your character. If you’re not familiar with the options, start by reading a basic summary of each type. Nothing too deep. A single paragraph should suffice.
Next, take an MBTI test, such as this one. However, instead of answering the questions as yourself, answer as your character.
With the test complete, analyse your results. Did you get the personality type that you assigned? If yes, great! Nailed it! If no, perhaps the new personality is a better fit? If it’s not a good fit, go back and adjust the test until you get the personality you want, and pay careful attention to your answers. Remember, that’s how your character would have answered.
Personally, my biggest challenge in writing comes in the form of truly extroverted characters. I’m an extreme introvert, and if I’m not vigilant, so are all my characters. The MBTI is a great guide when it comes to keeping my extroverts extroverted.
Happy writing!
