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.
MORGAN
As a hero, Morgan is the leader who makes people reconsider their actions and beliefs. He is daring and risk-taking. He will lead others to overthrow an evil enemy.
As a villain, Morgan is the ultimate devil’s advocate. He’ll do anything for a truly spectacular show.
Morgan argues all sides equally well. He helps people see the full ramifications of what they have done or plan to do. He is clever, daring, and imaginative. He is a natural leader and action-oriented. He sees connections between unrelated topics and the potential for widgets others ignore. He evaluates the people and the situation before coming up with a solution. He isn't deliberately malicious unless attacked, but likes to shake things up and takes risks others fear. Trouble sets in if he loses respect for an authority.
On the dark side, Morgan does not suffer fools. He likes outwitting foes and uses the rules of the game against them. He has people to back him up if he seeks revenge. If he distrusts the people around him or finds himself in a sea of illogical beings, he withdraws and shuts down. He defends his inner circle even when they are wrong. He is impervious to peer pressure. It amuses him to be subversive. He rejects the input of those he does not respect or care for and they are the majority. He can be arrogant, boastful, and scathing to those who oppose him.
Small setbacks make Morgan anxious. Major setbacks are a challenge to be overcome. Emotional outbursts are a turnoff. He becomes a bit scattered when stressed. He cuts corners when it is expedient. He becomes critical when confronted.
He is a terrific conversationalist. He is confident, open-minded, and prefers to keep his options open. He is more interested in being proficient not recognized. His wit is incisive and accurate. He is verbally quick, mentally sharp, and has a perverse sense of humor. He can predict what comes next and is open to all possibilities. He is analytical and enjoys complex challenges. He examines data and applies it to the world around him. He is rational, objective, and logical. He listens to all sides before making a determination. He has poor emotional intelligence. He tells you what he thinks, delivers objective opinions, and focused on whether information is true or false.
Morgan argues people into agreement. He can become overbearing if he thinks no one is listening. If paired with another competitive type, the situation escalates to comic or tragic effect. He generally avoids confrontation but loves a debate.
Morgan considers the means and the end. He knows a lot about things that interest him, but is ignorant of the rest. He has practical insights when needed. He does not look before he leaps, so his advice is not the best in all situations. He is immune to praise and flattery and doesn't offer it. He makes decisions on the fly and adapts as he goes. He listens to his gut despite the evidence. He doesn't second guess himself. He only listens to people he admires. He wants other people to reinforce his decisions.
He focuses on the big picture and is fuzzy on details. He makes impersonal, rational choices but is never totally satisfied with a decision. He often decides by procrastinating so he doesn't have to decide or someone else steps in. He comes up with innovative ideas but isn't interested in procedural details. All options are considered no matter how illogical they are. He decides at the last minute and does the job just good enough. He will get it done, just not necessarily the way you'd like. Done is good enough.
Morgan only moves mountains if they are in his way. He ignores authority and tradition. He does things his way. He views competence as power and has no respect for incompetence. He finds rule makers to be petty annoyances. He is not interested in open rebellion because stupid people deserve each other. He prefers to work alone but can work with people and, if forced, will take charge. He follows rules that work and disregards the rest. He likes having the freedom to walk away. He has no problem scrapping one plan and following another. He sometimes drops a project midway to work on something more interesting. He may not stick around to see something through and doesn't follow up. Deadlines are suggestions. He often overextends himself. He hates routine and bureaucracy. When conflict occurs, Morgan doesn't care if you agree or why you are upset. He is more interested in what comes next than rehashing.
Morgan's natural allies are Dallas, Kelly, Greer, and Lee. His nemesis is Wynn. Morgan is charming and congenial. He makes friends easily and bonds closely. He keeps a tight, close circle and if you aren't one of them, you are the audience. He gets along with most people. He can appear either indifferent or surprisingly demonstrative. He is a fun-loving wild card of a friend. He embroils them in adventure and leaves them there. He doesn’t mean any harm and is useful to know.
He prefers his friends to be as clever and entertaining as he is. He avoids dull, plodding people. He isn't a joiner and hates interpersonal conflict. Once the pettiness and nitpicking start, he is out. He loves a good debate and that grows tiring. He is competitive. His need to be one-up intimidates and offends some types more than others. Those who take objective statements as criticism find him contentious. He eagerly adopts new activities and plans, but drops them as quickly. It is no surprise if he doesn't show up because he found something better to do.
As a hero, Morgan is an intelligent, unpredictable Maverick. He is a fast talker and faster thinker. He easily rebels against the status quo and people he dislikes. As a social chameleon, he makes a good spy or infiltrator.
As a villain, Morgan is a competitive trouble maker and doesn't care who he hurts in his quest for adventure. He would damage things just to relieve boredom. Nothing is off the table and you won't know his last minute plans.
Next week we meet Lee.
You can download free character information sheets:
Character Worksheet
Mannequins Under Pressure
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