16 Heroes & Villains: Cam

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. 

CAM

As a hero, Cam does what he thinks he should, regardless of the human cost or emotional arguments against it. He finds the core of the problem and knows how to fix it.

As a villain, Cam turns his beautiful mind to thoughts of revenge. He knows exactly what makes people tick and how to make them explode. The results would be catastrophic.  

Cam is self-confident and powerfully self-aware. He runs daily internal diagnostics. He thinks people should be useful. He is the ultimate freethinker, is immune to peer pressure, and didn't inherit the worship gene. He has high standards for himself, but isn't interested in forcing them on others. He doesn't care what other people do as long as it doesn't affect him. He is a good communicator on paper and in person. He thinks anything is possible, everything is negotiable, and nothing is terminally serious. His keen powers of observation help him navigate foreign emotions. He registers tone of voice, turn of phrase, and micro expressions. He is a deep thinker. He prefers to work alone and is not a risk taker. He would have to be forced to lead. He expects people to monitor themselves and set their own standards. He doesn't interfere unless targeted. He would prefer to work behind the scenes to overthrow someone.

On the dark side, Cam despises weakness, bad behavior, and laziness. He can make other people feel inadequate. He can grow isolated. He hates incompetence and people who aren't reliable. He is not in tune with social rituals. He has little patience with shallow small talk and less for materialistic people. He could come up with a plan for revenge and see it through with or without help. He can be terse, arrogant, derisive, and sarcastic if opposed. People fear he can see inside their minds. He isn't interested unless attacked. Humanity could be wiped out if it got too out of control.

Cam likes to play devil's advocate and debate. His wit is biting and self-deprecating. He listens to logical proposals if they are persuasive enough and based on data rather than feelings. He prefers to think before speaking or acting. He listens to the few people he trusts. He can explain complex theories when he bothers. His objective commentary alienates those who see criticism in everything. Cam tells you what he thinks, delivers objective opinions, and is focused on whether information is true or false. He doesn't need you to agree and doesn't care why you are upset. He wants you to focus on what he is thinking. He only respects people he deems intelligent. He likes people who admire his handiwork.

Cam is more interested in solving a problem than rehashing or blaming. Emotional arguments leave him cold. He represses his anger, so when he reaches a boiling point, he is feral. He does not carry a grudge and once he has lost his temper, he forgets about it. He wants you to clearly articulate  your position, not dither or waste time.

Cam points out long term consequences and system defects. He sees how things really are not how people pretend they are. He likes to brainstorm, generalize, classify, and summarize data. He sees connections others miss. He is free from the sentiments and group think that blind others. He researches things that interest him and ignores the rest. He goes with his gut instead of relying on evidence alone. He bases rational and impartial decisions based on facts no matter the emotional price tag. He likes closure and makes decisions without consulting anyone. Once he makes a decision, he sticks with it, even if he ends up being wrong. He will let you know immediately whether he can help you and how.

Cam follows his own rules and challenges the status quo. He asks inconvenient questions and has little respect for authority. He embraces rules only if the agrees with them. He hates schmoozing, politics, rah rah, and woo woo. He does not respect title, status, or rank. He isn't interested in competition, voting, or popularity. He loathes meetings, company slogans, and herd mentality. He is immune to personal praise and flattery.

Cam only cares if a plan is feasible, not who came up with it. If something doesn't work, he moves on, sometimes unilaterally. He doesn't care how it impacts other people. He is more interested in the tasks ahead than the one in front of him. He has innovative ideas and leaves other people to enact them. He completes tasks early and under budget. He changes course only when he has to. He will finish the job even after he loses interest. He discounts the effect on other people. He prefers a backup plan for the backup plan. He is irritated when others don't meet deadlines or see things through. People just get in his way, that is why he prefers to work alone. He doesn't want to be in charge of other people. Cam is very self-critical and but not open to external criticism. He is harder on himself than anyone else could ever be.

Cam's naturally allies are River, Francis, Lee, and Greer. His nemesis is Dallas.  Cam is hard to get to know. He has a low need for connection and belonging. He is often a loner. Cam has a few high-quality friends. Illogical, overly emotional people strain his patience. He cares for his inner circle deeply and is their greatest ally. He is serious most of the time but can be fun with an incisive, self-deprecating wit. He only spends time with people he respects and enjoys. He gives generously and wants his friends to be happy. His extroverted friends encourage him to get out more. He may be seen as snobbish because he is reserved and quiet. Trust and respect are key. If people let him down, he is hurt and withdraws. Once someone loses his confidence, they don't get it back.

As a hero, Cam is highly intelligent, informed, capable, and the enemy won't see him coming. He prefers to work alone but would die for his friends and loved ones. He makes a good spy or agent.

As a villain, Cam is the mad scientist, the bomb maker, or destroyer of an inadequate population. He will fight from the back lines, often under the radar. Getting close to him will be difficult.

Next week we meet Morgan.

You can download free character information sheets:

Character Worksheet

Mannequins Under Pressure

Sixteen Lovers

16 Heroes and Villains: Taylor

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. 

TAYLOR

As a hero, Taylor is fiercely protective of friends and loved ones and is a born leader. 

As a villain, Taylor is an interfering busy body or toxic enabler. She makes the perfect stalker roommate or girlfriend.

Taylor is charismatic and confident. She assumes other people will follow her and they do. She favors cooperation and puts other people first. She is persuasive and believes her own hype. She views herself as a benevolent crusader. She is trustworthy, enthusiastic, and looks for the good in others. She fights on the side of what she believes is “good." She is drawn to activism more than income and likes helping people. She takes her values and beliefs seriously. She is good at reading people and assessing motive.

On the dark side, Taylor absorbs the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of people around her. She is a master of spin and could be a zealot. She figures out other people's triggers and uses them to manipulate. Her boundaries are naturally fuzzy and she interferes where she shouldn't. She often ignores her intuition. She overextends and neglects herself to fulfill the needs of others. She can't say no and can't separate. She can be overpowering in her need to fuss. She idealizes people then is hurt when they let her down by being human. Transgressions are a deal breaker. She can become petulant, paranoid, and manipulative if opposed or when someone lets her down.

Taylor just assumes people understand her and is hurt when they ask questions. She excels at verbal communication and public speaking. She is better in person than on paper. She embraces paranormal explanations and refuses to listen to anything that counters her beliefs. She likes to talk things over as she thinks them through with her wide network. She is focused on feelings and sentiments and whether information is good or bad. When it comes to conflict, she wants you to agree with her, understand how it makes her feel, and acknowledge that she is upset. She has strong opinions but keeps them to herself to avoid conflict. When she speaks, she is clear. She can't handle criticism. She suppresses her own needs to make other people happy then sizzles and combusts. She is harshly self-critical but rejects outside criticism.

Taylor relies on other people's opinions. Her intuition is keen but reality won't get in the way of her feelings. She isn't hampered by evidence. She is swayed by emotional arguments. She follows hunches and convinces other people to overlook pesky facts. She relies on other people and listens to those she admires. She grasps the big picture, but is fuzzy on the details. She makes emotional choices based on how they affect everyone. She wants to keep the peace. She hates making decisions and lose-lose options. She often decides by not deciding, because she is focused on her integrity and reputation. Once she decides, she is done, even if new evidence arrives or the situation changes. She won't reconsider.

Taylor assigns a high value to those with status, title, and rank. She goes along with the prevailing tide and conforms. If she flouts authority, she persuades people to switch sides. She has no problem unseating a rival or someone who has lost her respect. She would cling to the system but remove the figurehead.

Taylor likes structure and group activities and hates solitude. She wants recognition for her effort. She makes plans and sees them through, meeting deadlines. She focuses on the problem at hand, not what is ahead. She is capable of innovative solutions and gains consensus. If one idea fails, she comes up with another one and implements the plan once everyone agrees on it. She prefers for someone else to make the final decision so she can't be held responsible. She likes being in charge and getting the credit though. 

She can think on the fly and likes a challenge. She prefers having a schedule but hates monotony. She is organized without planning. She likes helping and rewarding people. When things go wrong, she can get stuck rehashing the emotional impact instead of solving the problem. She is not interested in what went wrong or whose fault it was. She wants to soothe ruffled feathers and move on.

Taylor's natural allies are Nevada, Lee, Dallas, and River. Her nemesis is Joss. She has many, but not intimate, friends. Relationships and responsibilities come before leisure or self. She enjoys intellectual conversations. She is neither competitive nor malicious. She is committed and loyal and usually well liked and tuned in. She joins clubs and causes. She is a social butterfly and the life of the party. She wants to make her friends happy. Because she shifts to accommodate other people, many different people consider her a friend. She is a good cross-pollinator.

Taylor does not handle constant fluctuations well. She turns against anyone she sees as a false friend. She has a real problem with characters who resist consensus or don’t work toward the collective good. Her self-worth is tied up in the closeness and quality of her relationships. She is needy and resentful when she does not receive the positive affirmations she craves. She is momentarily vicious if crossed, but returns to being all sunshine a moment later. At her worst, she is suffocating.

As a hero, Taylor is an activist and cheerleader, convincing people to follow a good cause. She will fight alongside others to win the day and has a wide network to draw on for assistance.

As a villain, woe betide the person who crosses her, violates her belief system, or takes her for granted. She will be vicious in retaliation and has the posse to back her up.

Next week we meet Cam.

You can download free character information sheets:

Character Worksheet

Mannequins Under Pressure

Sixteen Lovers

Sixteen Heroes and Villains: Kelly

 

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. 

KELLY

As a hero, nothing stands in Kelly’s way. He is the ultimate gamer and thrives on beating the competition. Kelly goes for his enemy’s jugular. 

As a villain, Kelly is the stereotypical sociopath, evil business tycoon, or mob boss.

Kelly gathers information and uses it to his best advantage. He is keenly discriminating when he chooses. Kelly’s senses are on high alert. He thrives on stimulation. He is impulsive and action-oriented. He loves power, speed, risks, and thrill rides. He is lively, resourceful, entertaining, and lives in the moment. He is socially sophisticated and cares deeply but isn't hampered by it. He can rouse people to action. Kelly is never boring and not entirely trustworthy. He loves to save the day and will cheat, steal, and lie if necessary without guilt. Kelly is hypersensitive to micro expressions. He can read and play other people. He never forgets a face or a detail about a person.

On the dark side, Kelly uses other people's feelings against them. He adds other people’s perspectives and opinions to his mental database so he can use the information later to his benefit. He goes for shock effect to gain attention and can be crass and outlandish. His empathy is a trick. He calculates to manipulate. He demands center stage and feeds off the energy of the crowd. He cares about himself more than others. He hates losing. His conclusions can be bizarre. He is subject to odd superstitions or flights of fancy. He has convoluted explanations to prove his beliefs are true. He never admits to being wrong.

Kelly makes mistakes when pressured and becomes excessively impulsive under stress. No one knows what Kelly truly thinks or feels. He likes to talk things over as he thinks them through. Deep thinking people bore him. He is immune to criticism because he rarely respects the source. He knows everyone, but no one really knows him. He does not care about other people's thoughts or feelings or opinions of him. He is blunt but not honest. He makes other people doubt themselves. He can talk his way out of trouble. He tells you what he thinks, delivers objective opinions, and is focused on whether information is true or false. He doesn’t care if you agree or you are upset. He wants you to focus on his opinion of the matter. He is more interested in solving (or avoiding) the problem than rehashing it. He can be a verbal bully or sweet and charming. He favors evidence over hunches. He relies on experience. He is not subtle.

Kelly never admits weakness or failure. He never apologizes or explains. Everything is win-lose and he wants to win. He embraces opposition just to defeat it. Kelly wants backup for his last minute decisions. He focuses on the details and loses sight of the big picture. He makes impersonal, rational decisions. He is not swayed by emotional arguments. He likes to keep his options open and is never entirely satisfied with a choice. He procrastinates to avoid deciding and struggles with multiple options. He considers even ridiculous options.

Kelly likes being in charge. He appears to play by the rules (only ones he agrees with) while breaking them. Rules are suggestions and everything is open to interpretation. Kelly hates restrictions. He looks for loopholes and lives in the gray areas. Kelly admires anyone who can best him at his own game. Anyone who tries to control him becomes an enemy. He resists anyone who tries to limit him. He undermines them, works around them, or has them removed. He uses subtle rather than overt tactics. Leverage is better than muscle. He conforms outwardly only if it is a means to an end. He isn't attached to a particular belief system. He pretends to be sorry and put on a show, then goes right back to misbehaving.

Kelly skates by with only what he needs. He is action-oriented and hates restrictions. He has grandiose ideas but can't run a business. He needs minions to handle details. Kelly easily influences people and gets them to follow him and do his dirty work. He seeks situations where he is called upon to react and solve immediate problems or to use his powers of persuasion. He happily travels anywhere. He hates being tied down or trapped in routine. He prefers high physical, intellectual, personal, or financial risks and high yields. He is a gambler. He makes things happen even when he shouldn't.

He doesn’t plan, but will carry out someone else's plan. He is not attached to a plan and switches tactics at a moment’s notice. People might not appreciate his modifications. He comes up with solutions but doesn't see them through or follow-up. He goes with gut instinct, timing, and luck. He gets the job done at the last minute and just good enough. Deadlines are suggestions. He is quick and flexible and can select the most efficient route at the last moment. He never justifies his actions but can waste time pointing the finger when things go wrong instead of fixing it.

Kelly's natural allies are Morgan, Hadley, Joss, and Arden. His nemesis is River. She is the depth to his shallowness. Kelly admires strong personalities. He takes people one day at a time. When he is with you, he is truly with you, until the day he isn’t. He tailors his behavior to fit in with all kinds of people. Friends are drawn to his charm and love of a good time. He is drawn to other extroverts who enjoy sports and risk-taking hobbies. People think they are his friends because it suits him for them to believe it. Kelly isn’t invested in long-term relationships. He quickly moves on without a backward glance if the other person gets too needy or boring. Few feel they know him well, if at all. He is inspired by the concept of brotherhood, but lacks the commitment it entails. He is on the move, not sitting around pondering the meaning of life. Navel gazers and theorists bore him.

As a hero, Kelly is the life of the party. He is a freewheeling, unpredictable rebel. He can inspire other rebels who will probably be the ones to see the problem through to the end. But Kelly will take credit for it. He makes a good spy or charismatic leader.

As a villain, Kelly is pure chaos. He is the ultimate showman, a grifter, a thief, or a conman. 

Next week we meet Greer.

You can download free character information sheets:

Character Worksheet

Mannequins Under Pressure

Sixteen Lovers

16 Heroes and Villains: Greer

 

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. 

GREER

As a hero, Greer comes up with the solution to the mystery, the cure for the disease, or the weakness of the aliens. He may not convince anyone unless he is highly respected in his area of expertise.

As a villain, Greer designs bombs or plans catastrophes to prove his theories to the dim-witted. He is the hacker who hacks to prove someone’s system is flawed.

Greer hates redundancy and incoherence. He seeks to understand the universe and natural laws. He easily grasps ideas, principles, and behavior. He is analytical, imaginative, quiet, thoughtful, a critical thinker, and an extreme introvert. Greer can explain complex theories and principles and offers detailed explanations. He pushes for more information and is frustrated when you can't provide it. He is better on paper than in person. His intelligence is generally respected. People are surprised by his quick wit and sly humor he uses to diffuse tense situations. Greer picks up on contradictory statements, no matter how far apart they were uttered. He has a facility for language and has strong intellectual scanning and recall. He could have a photographic memory. Greer often appears to be off  in the ether but retains everything that is said. He has no time for highly emotional or illogical people. He could have inside knowledge to destroy someone or expose a plot.

On the dark side, Greer fears being a failure. He second-guesses himself. He hates raw emotion. He can be self-absorbed and aloof. He ignores rules and authorities he doesn't agree with. He just wants to be left alone to do his thing. He lacks interpersonal skills and has weak emotional intelligence. He can be abrasive and rude. He does not trust easily. He can be an intellectual snob, which makes other people hostile and defensive. He won't care. He turns against those who violate his core values. 

If insulted Greer responds with clever, crushing criticism and people are shocked by his outburst. If you lose his respect, you are cut off. He can seem out of touch with people. He cares about what you know and when you know it and whether it is useful. He tells you what he thinks, delivers objective opinions, and is focused on true or false. He doesn't care if you agree or why you are upset. He never offers or needs praise.

Greer becomes rigid when opposed. He shuts down in face of emotional outbursts and is immune to criticism. His sarcasm feeds the flames. He represses negative emotions until he blows. He becomes withdrawn and resentful when pushed. He prefers to go around an obstacle rather than confront it head on.

Greer understands ideas and systems. He goes with his gut and ignores evidence. He thinks before he acts and prefers open-ended solutions. He delays making a decision to avoid offending people he cares about. He won't go along with the prevailing belief system. He trusts his own opinions and those of people he considers intelligent. He is more interested in potential, focusing on the big picture rather than the details. When pushed, he makes impersonal, rational choices despite the human cost. All options are considered, even if the facts don't support them.

Greer isn't impressed by status, titles, or position. He likes other people to reinforce his decisions. He is not interested in leading or following. He follows rules he agrees with and ignores those he does not. He is impatient with bureaucracy, rigid hierarchies, and political correctness. Everyone is equal to or less than, never superior. He has no trouble ignoring or dethroning an authority he does not agree with. He  won't protest or lobby. He ignores anything and everyone unless they affect him personally.

Greer comes up with innovative solutions then leaves it for others to enact. He is not attached to a plan or an idea. Everything is exploration and he is willing to modify or adopt someone else's plan if he respects them. He will modify a plan he sees as flawed without asking. He prefers to work alone and easily blocks distractions, becoming lost in work and oblivious to his environment. He improvises and adapts and gets the job done in his way and on his schedule. Deadlines are suggestions. He rushes in to avert chaos.

Greer prefers solving the problem to rehashing it. He will correct you if he thinks you are wrong. He is not interested in what happened or who caused it, he just wants the problem solved. He is more concerned with what could happen than what is happening.

Greer's natural allies are Joss, Morgan, Shelby, and Cam. His nemesis is Nevada. He enjoys the company of  the few who share his interests and intellectual conversations. He is not nurturing or effusively social and limits his circle to a trusted few. He hates being center of attention. He can be charming in a quiet, reserved way. Those who like him like him a great deal. Everyone else makes fun of him. He is usually easygoing and relies on his inner circle. He becomes easily isolated. He values intelligence and rationality and isn’t drawn to overly emotional characters. He isn’t interested in manipulating people or playing games. 

Greer ignores people who are vastly different and is suspicious of their motives. He has little patience with mushy feelings and woo-woo stuff. He finds it hard to step out and connect with other people. He isn’t interested in belonging to groups of any kind. He would not appreciate being toyed with. He banishes people who lose his confidence and trust. He feels passionately but isn't good at verbalizing it. He forgets birthdays and special events.

As a hero, Greer has the expertise and analytical capacity to solve any problem. He will have to leave his lab to do it. He is not a maverick but a very effective weapon when you need strategy and knowledge to solve the problem.

As a villain, Greer is the remote, logical alien who could decide humanity needs to be obliterated for their stupidity. He thinks he is the smartest man alive. That is both his strength and his weakness. He is a strategist but isn't a physical fighter. He would need minions to do the dirty work.

Next week we meet Taylor.

You can download free character information sheets:

Character Worksheet

Mannequins Under Pressure

Sixteen Lovers