Beyond Character Archetypes
Greetings and salutations Scribblers!
Today we’re chatting about character archetypes and how to push past the readers' expectations.
I’ll admit it, I’m a character girlie. I will read any book, regardless of how poorly it’s writen or how many plot holes it has if I find the characters compelling. Same for TV shows or movies, if I fall in love with a character, I’m willing to forgive whatever writing or other weirdness I encounter as I watch.
We all have archetypes we fall in love with. I love assassin characters, any character affiliated with organized crime, and I have a HUGE soft spot for sharpshooters. As soon as I hear a character is a sharpshooter, I adopt them and will defend them until I die. These are all archetypes and while I love them at their cores, what I love more is when authors take those archetypes and bring something unexpected to the table.
This takes a level of skill on the part of the author. Anyone can write an assassin character–all they have to do is accept some type of payment in exchange for killing someone. But, how boring is that? It’s much more fun when they give that assassin some meaningful baggage or a life and traits that push the boundaries of that archetype. As writers, we want to take the mundane and make it unforgettable and enticing.
Archetypes are great places to start our characters at, but in order to engage our audience, we need to push beyond that basic blueprint. If you rely solely on archetypes, you’re leaving opportunities on the table and are doing both yourself and your readers a disservice.
Pushing beyond character archetypes is a way to hook your readers. A great example of this is the Netflix show, The Brothers Sun. One of the main characters is a high ranking member of an organized crime ring with a dash of assassin thrown in. But, he also loves to bake and throughout the series, he’s obsessed with finding the perfect churro recipe. So basically, the writers combined an assassin-esque crime archetype with a baker. It’s absolute genius and as a viewer, I was delighted to see this contrast and how it all came together to create a character I was rooting for the entire time.
When writers just stick to archetypes and don’t push the boundaries, readers can be disappointed. And of course, depending on the book you’re writing and what its purpose is, archetypes can be the perfect thing. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my favorite examples of using archetypes just as they are and how powerful they can be. In Speak, one of the main points of the story is how what happens to Melinda could happen to anyone, so using archetypes for all of the characters surrounding her was a brilliant choice. It really drove home the message of the book. Melinda herself is very stereotypical in how she withdraws from her peers and how she views everyone as these basic types–describing her classmates according the the cliques they’re in and her teachers as Hairwoman, Mr. Neck, and her peace dope love hippie dippy art teacher who breaks through her fugue and helps her to feel inspired. There are absolutely times when you want to lean into those archetypes, that’s what they’re there for.
But in most cases, you want to try and break free of those constraints. You want to push boundaries and see what you can bend, twist or subvert.
A great example of this is in V.E. Schwab’s This Savage Song duology. August is a monster, but he’s one of the gentlest characters in the books. Kate is kind, but she’s constantly chasing this ideal of being a monster. Watching as their story unfolds and how they both rebel and refuse to fit into the archetype they should fit in is an absolute masterclass.
From a reader's point of view, it makes the story that much more engaging and interesting. We love seeing characters push back against the boxes others try to put them in–which goes back to that human connection piece that we as authors are always chasing. Readers want to read about people like themselves. No, we might not be monsters born of a dark deed or have parents who are mayors of a town with a monster problem, but we all struggle to be a version of ourselves that breaks free from the constraints that others put on us.
This human connection is a vital part of writing a good story. And as we grow older, the more complex these stories become. When you look at books aimed at kids, that nuance isn’t as subtle. It’s very clearly defined who the good guy and the bad guy is and the good guy is generally joined by a host of archetypical characters. It is worth noting that when I read middle grade stories as an adult, I’m feel like I am aware of the subtlety and nuance those authors put in whereas a young reader might not see those connections. Middle grade authors are truly some of the most talented writers out there. When we move on to young adult and then into the adult spaces, we see more nuance. The Green Bone saga–my absolute favorite series of all time. It’s perfect. Every character in that story fits into an archetype, but then Fonda Lee turns everything on its head and starts bringing in all these unexpected traits and thought processes that makes that boring old archetype fresh and exciting for the reader.
If you make everyone cookie cutter in your story and they’re never developed beyond those archetypes, you’re going to lose your reader. You could have the coolest world building and the best, most twisty-est plot, but it often won’t be enough to keep readers wanting to turn the page. There are, of course, always exceptions. Earlier I mentioned Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, this is a book that leans into the archetypes and it really pays off.
In future videos we’re going to dive into this concept a bit more, but for now, start thinking about how you can push past character archetypes to hook readers and to surprise readers with something that’s so much more than they were expecting.
As always, your mileage may vary! Feel free to tell what your favorite archetype is in the comments.
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