Archetypes: The Irresistible Novel

There is one more week left in The Irresistible Novel Giveaway and one more chapter after today to examine before the blog closes its 6 month journey through creating an irresistible novel.

What are some things you’ve learned from walking through the pages of this book with me? I’ll be summarizing some of my favorite lessons next week and would love to include some reader response. So comment and let me know your favorite chapter or an idea that has transformed your writing. Take a look at the details and enter the giveaway below if you are interested in a FREE copy of Gerke’s book for yourself.

Give Away Details

This give away is in response to a blog series that has received phenomenal feedback and readership throughout its course. If you are interested in writing, have written a novel in the past, or are simply curious about some of the finer points of writing please take the time to answer one simple question for a chance to win your very own FREE copy of The Irresistible Novel by Jeff Gerke

1. Complete this short survey. Be sure to answer all fields in order to qualify for the random drawing: https://goo.gl/forms/s9cvqiiuElCPdIq43

2. The survey will be open from Saturday 9/3 until Saturday 9/24 at 11:59pm.

3. The winner will be contacted and announced on Sunday 9/25.

Archetypes

In the early 20th century, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung developed the idea of archetypes. An archetype is a type of person or character with which nearly every reader can identify. It doesn’t take much energy to produce and understand an archetype because these are all types of people that are familiar to us. In his theory about archetypes Jung came up with twelve titles with which a reader will easily identify. Some writers say there are more, but this is the original list:

1. The Innocent-The person who is a child at heart. This person is oftentimes friendly, naive, simple, and honest. Their downfall is that they may be too trusting, childish, or dependent.
2. The Orphan (or Every Man)-This character is the typical man or woman. Usually an archetype for a main character who comes from a life they believe to be mundane and unoriginal. They can play the “victim-of-circumstances” card, but also can become the hero of their story when they learn to live outside of the constraints of Every Man or Orphan.
3. The Hero-This is the strong and heroic figure who slays the dragon and defeats the enemy.
4. The Caregiver-The person who will sacrifice themselves for the good of the main character. These are people who put others first (usually for a living) through acts of service.
5. The Explorer-Motivated by the unknown this person sets out on challenges and conquers new lands or feats.
6. The Rebel-This is a revolutionary figure who stands in contrast to the society of your story. Their morals are often their driving force.
7. The Lover-This is the person driven by emotions and passion. The pitfall here could be jealousy and the tunnel vision created by romance.
8. The Creator-These are the innovative thinkers who spend their lives creating as a way of self expression. They search for the meaning of life and relationships through architecture, art, theater, and writing.
9. The Jester-These are the comical characters that your brain craves in the thick of the conflict of the story. Their purpose is to bring some relief to an otherwise tense situation. They live in the moment and oftentimes make witty remarks and poor decision all for the good of the plot.
10. The Sage-These are the scholarly characters who offer wisdom and advice to the main character in their quest to become a hero.
11. The Magician-They may seem mysterious, but these characters harness the visions of the author and use their abilities and secret knowledge for good or bad.
12. The Ruler-This person aspires to power through title, war, or many other means.

Your readers mind will readily identify with these twelve archetypes and many more. This is a good look at basic types, however, a simple Google search will bring up many many more.

The Ameri Brit Mom