Writing Exercise: Character Traits

When I schedule my writing, I like to do so by the month, mapping out what novel I’ll be writing, what novel I’ve been editing. Often this leaves me with a few days or a week of slack at the end, and rather than fill in those gaps by starting the next novel early, I work on shorter projects. Lately it’s been eaten up trying to get ahead with my alternate-history superhero serial Hero Historia, but I’ve decided to write more stand-alone short stories.

Short Fiction

I haven’t really written any since the publication of Grief, and those were all variations on the same theme. To refresh my memory, I’m re-reading some of my reference library.

Writing the Short-Story: A Hands-on Guide by Jack M Bickham is two-decades old, but it’s chock-full of good advice, and his follow up Scene and Structure has really helped my novel-writing. Writing the Short Story includes a variety of exercises involving index cards, some of which I’ll be sharing with my readers.

Because hey, why not.

Character Traits

Today’s exercise has two parts. First, I need to identify and write down character traits I find admirable on 20 index cards. Secondly, I need to identify and record traits I find unpleasant. Here are my lists:

Admirable Traits

Disciplined
Intelligent – capable of understanding and communicating complex ideas
Socially Aware
Interesting
Self Aware of own strengths, weaknesses, and prejudices
Patient – with flaws of others
Skillful – in chosen discipline(s)
Honorable – keeps ones word
Rational – painful truths chosen over comfortable illusions
Practical
Reliable – fulfills obligations
Optimistic
Resolute in the face of adversity
Witty/Clever
Adaptability
Empathy
Compassion
Creativity
Openmindedness – to the lifestyles and values of others
Confidence

Note that these aren’t my 20 favorite traits, just twenty that came to mind while filling out the cards. Some of them have clarifications or qualifiers; I was trying to be specific.

Unpleasant Traits

Fearful – lets fear dictate choices
Judgmental
Unambitious – content with the unacceptable
Elitist
Entitled
Manipulative
Self-Absorbed
Unreliable
Dishonest
Dismissive – of others values
Materialistic
Ethnocentric
Cruel – callous
Close-Minded in the face of overwhelming evidence
Arrogant
Exploitative – profit @ expense of others
Willful Ignorance
Classist
Racist
Sexist

Again, no particular order, not all-inclusive. Interestingly some of my villains have “admirable” traits, and some of my heroes have unpleasant ones. The lists cannot, for me, be delineated along hero/villain or protagonist/antagonist lines.

What about you?

What character traits do you find appealing or repulsive?

Questions? You are invited to either leave a comment below, or ask directly through the comment form.

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