When selecting a main character, it’s often a good idea to use an Archetype. Archetypes are a proven success that have been beloved for eons. Secondary and tertiary characters are less critical, and can get by as quirky, non-Archetypes. In any case, we needn’t limit ourselves to stock characters in prose. And we may not want to. Archetypes can have a tendency to come off as clichés because they’ve been used so often, especially if no effort is made to distinguish them from similar Archetypes of the past. Comedy always works better when characters sparkle with originality.
