Today's post is about archetypes. The handsome brave warrior, the beautiful tragic bride, the filial son or daughter etc. These characters are popular because they work. They come up quite often in stories because readers like reading about them.
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Today, I would like to talk about how you can use these existing popular symbols and adapt them to your local story. There are lots of articles and writing tips online that lists out the different archetypes, so I will not discuss them all in here. You can just search for a list online, and adapt them to your needs.
Archetypes are Familiar
I have said in earlier videos that I do not like reading romance. However, stumbling across the work of a Chinese writer a few days back has convinced me that it could be because I have been reading the wrong kind of romances. Right now, I am quite obsessed with Mo Xiang Tong Xiu's Heaven Official's Blessing. I guess I just need lots of sword-fighting mixed in with folklore, tragedy and magic in my romances.
There are way too many characters in HOB to discuss in one short post, so I will be using the characters in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Since the story is widely known, I expect that most of you have either read the novel, or seen a movie or drama version of it, so it should help you follow today's tips.
For Romance, the favourite trope is a high-status hero with a character flaw such as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and a heroine of good character with a lower social status, hence Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The hero's character flaw, of course, is something that the heroine has either misunderstood or is expected to fix. So, did Jane Austen invent these characters? No, mothers did. Daughters of my generation have been taught since young that perfect love is only possible with a man who is your superior in a material way. I think this is the reason why this archetype is so popular in romance because we tend to be drawn to what is familiar to us. This is also the reason why I find them boring.
Why Use Archetypes
Archetypes help build instant connection with the reader since they are quite common in many cultures. The simple plot of a rich aloof man pitted against a poor but smart woman in itself is a dull and predictable story. The way to spice things up is to put troublesome characters or situations in their path, so that their personality can shine through. Meaning that, if you want your main character to shine like a many-facet diamond, then you will need to compare and contrast them with other simpler characters.
For example, the scholarly father Mr. Bennet reflects Lizzy's intelligence. On the other hand, the troublesome sister Lydia, is reckless and irresponsible. This contrasts against Lizzy who is confident and responsible. Even Mr. Collins, Lizzy's stuffy suitor, helps us understand what kind of man Lizzy wants in her life. When you have clearly defined side characters with different motivations that you can compare and contrast with your main character, then you can create a complicated story.
Readers can connect instantly with these characters because they are familiar symbols. They can be helpful to you as the writer, because you do not have to go out of your way to create extra scenes or extra situations to explain anything unless you want to. You only need to create dialogue in the form of arguments, gossips, hints or even outright confession. Or you can show how the characters treat each other. Readers will generally know what to expect from an archetypical character because there is only two ways to interpret it: either she is as they say she is, or she has been misunderstood.
It is sort of like giving someone a role to play. For example, a teacher teaches, a lover loves, and a doctor heals. Then you look at the good and evil version of the archetype. A heroic teacher is someone who will go to all lengths to teach, while an evil teacher will lead her students astray or abuse them. We all know that story, so it is relatable. A good lover is charming and respectful but a bad one is domineering and controlling. You get the idea.
How To Adapt Archetypes
Archetypes are useful because they help you simplify character building. If you want to learn more, there is a number of free online articles about Carl Jung's study on symbolism and tropes. I use to think that this simplifies characters too much but then I notice that they are very useful in helping me manage the side characters I have created.
The more complex your story, the more clear the side characters must be. For example, a loyal secretary betrays the boss and a contract is cancelled. Later in the book the boss finds out that this secretary is trying to protect him from being cheated by the other company, which happens to be her brother's. Giving a character a clear archetype, such as a loyal secretary and loyal sister, helps you make sure that the motivation for their action and dialogue is consistent throughout the story. You can make them lie or cheat, or steal or even help someone anonymously. You don't even have to explain the motivation until the end of the plot, but if you keep that motivation in mind when you are writing then whatever you make them do throughout the story will be consistent till the very the end.
In other words, your main character can be as complicated and as confused as you wish them to be, but if you keep the side characters' motivation simple then it will be easier to navigate the complexities of a big story.
Now here is the fun part. Try to give some local flavour to the list of character archetypes you find. For example, how does a warrior behave in your culture? Are they loud and boisterous like an Iban, or quiet and restrained like a Japanese samurai? How about ghosts in your culture? Are they disembodied flames or misty apparitions? Why do they stay? Can they come back in human form? If you are not familiar with this last idea, then I suggest you read folklores about Nang Nak, a true classic from Thailand.
Start writing, keep writing. Good luck.
P/S: Please help me share this post. I need to read more folklore based indigenous stories in novel form.
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