Helps for Writing Rich Character Worldview that Drives Plot
Labeling Exercise for Discovering or Solidifying Character Worldview
Choose members of a family (or friend group that functions like one), real or fictional.
Write their names down one side of a page. Leave space to add labels.
Assign these labels to any person or character. Some may not work at all. Some may work for more than one person.
Goody Two-Shoes, Baby Bear, Black Sheep, Little Miss Perfect, Know-it-All, Slacker, Golden Child, Problem Child, Pushover, Jock, Nerd, Prom Queen, Robot, Crybaby, Rule-Follower, Daddy’s Little Girl, Mama’s Boy, Weakest Link, Narcissist, Fashion Police, Party Pooper
Look at your lists and ask some questions:
Is anybody pretty one-sided?
Is someone coming off like the problem or the villain? Or the hero?
Are there physical traits that the person has that contribute to the way they are labeled? How does the character think or feel about that?
If these are characters in your work, are they labeled the way you really want?
Is this how the character seems themself?
What are the ways they play to or against the label? Why do they do that?
The answers to these questions help you find and define a character’s worldview!
Worldview is the lens through which a person sees and interprets the world and the set of heuristics by which they make decisions. Depending on the person’s self-awareness, maturity, etc, they may or may not understand their own worldview and how it compares to others’.
In writing fiction, a clear view and consistent application of a character’s worldview can guide character choices and reactions. Clashes in worldview between characters create conflict and tension, generating plot!
Favorite Psychology Books for Understanding Human Behavior and Development
The Myth of Normal by Daniel and Gabor Mate
Internal Family Systems by Richard Schwartz
Mindsight by Daniel J. Siegel
Mother Hunger by Kelly McDaniel
Emotional Inheritance by Galit Atlas
I recognize that my list heavily represents white writers and researchers, so I’m reading more from this list of Mental Health Resources by BIPOC authors from the King County Library System