In Story Building Blocks II: Crafting Believable Conflict and the Build A Cast Workbook, I introduce sixteen character mannequins or prototypes based on personality types. I track them from cradle to grave and talk about their strengths and weaknesses and how to warp them. I use male or female pronouns based on the percentage of the population that fell in that category, but all mannequins can be anything you make them. The traits discussed are starting points. You can alter their temperaments depending on the purpose they serve. Their traits give them strengths to build on and weaknesses to exploit.
BLAIR
As a hero, Blair fights for those less fortunate or suffering. She is a social pollinator.
As a villain, Blair is capable of deception and treachery and may lead her followers into danger.
At her best, Blair travels to the beat of a different drum. She embraces the latest fads and trends. She lives in the moment but takes that moment very seriously. She is highly sensitive, artistic, competitive, and introverted. She does not seek acclaim. She is quiet and unassuming. She has deeply held values and doesn’t care if she fits in. She adheres to her own code of conduct. She has firm, if totally unfounded, opinions and is easily influenced. She is persuasive if she believes something is in someone's best interest. She stands up to people who behave badly. She learns through experimenting and may come up with the solution to a problem through accident rather than intention.
At her worst, she isn't interested in leading but could be pushed into it. She'd resent it. She grasps other people's motives and behavior and uses it to manipulate them. She takes risks and hates structure. She never finishes anything. She is not focused or disciplined. She is superficially charming and can draw a crowd. Rules and limitations make her feel dead inside. Blair balks when pushed. She could be subversive and would draw people to follow her based on faulty facts and theories. Blair comes up with wild ideas, but lacks setup and follow through. People follow her but she doesn't care about them. She is aloof and detached and avoids ties. She chafes at restrictions. She is easily bored and stirs up trouble to entertain herself. She is a sore loser.
Anxiety makes her overly critical and cynical. She rejects criticism from others, but is hard on herself. She hears criticism even when it isn't intended. Invasion of her personal space makes her rigid. Blair goes with her hunch. She doesn't analyze. She talks things over with her inner circle. She tells you how she feels, asks for sentiments, and is focused on whether the information is good or bad. She wants you to agree with her and understand her feelings and that she is upset. She does not respect people who lack self-control. She is a good listener, but poor at expression. She lacks insight and her opinions are shallow.
She dismisses people who don't agree with her and shuts down when opposed. She justifies her behavior and finds fault with her accuser. She suppresses negative emotions until she explodes. She chooses only when forced. She'd rather other people make the decisions. She considers every option even when it wastes time. She is paralyzed if presented with a snap decision. She makes emotional decisions. She ignores rules that don't suit her. Blair never plans. She changes course easily and improvises on the fly. She relies on her experience and isn't interested in theorizing. She gets things done at the last minute and just good enough. Deadlines are a suggestion. She rehashes the emotional impact rather than solving the problem. She is more focused on what happened than what could happen. She does not have a balanced view of the truth and blames other people if they point out she is wrong. She plays the victim to avoid blame. She takes criticism and conflict personally. She feels overly responsible for making everyone happy. If someone is having a bad day, it is somehow her fault. She becomes passive aggressive when stressed.
Blair's natural allies are Joss, Shelby, Hadley, and Wynn. Her nemesis is Lee. Blair takes her commitments seriously. She is caring and supportive of her friends’ dreams and aspirations. She hates conflict and feels attacked when confronted. She lets negative impressions build up until the final straw, then she spews venom. Blair needs to be seen and understood. She gets along with most people but is reserved around people she does not know well. She gravitates toward those who share her interests and values.
Blair hurts others through her carelessness. Her friendships are fluid and shallow. She is intensely private. Her friends might be surprised by how strong her opinions are. She defers to others, which creates problems if her friends are unaware that she actually has needs or opinions. She expects the other person to be psychic. She grows resentful when her friends aren’t as attentive to her as she is to them. Blair is slow to warm up, but loves deeply. She gives up on relationships that don’t meet her needs, even though she never stated her needs. She feels overlooked, discounted, and used. Blair needs affection and admiration. If she isn’t praised for being wonderful, she deflates. She is vulnerable and easily hurt. She withdraws when hurt.
As a hero, Blair is unpredictable but willing to go all in when necessary. She will defend her friends and her belief system. She can be a master manipulator inspiring others to do what is needed while no one suspects her.
As a villain, Blair is sheer chaos unleashed. She can be resentful and will turn on someone without warning for reasons they will never understand. She is good at manipulating people which is a problem because she is susceptible to unfounded belief systems. She could be a mysterious but charismatic leader of a cult. She can be the friend that is really an enemy.
Next week, we meet Dallas.
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