1.
CHARACTER

2.
Character Is Pre-Eminent
Emotion is more important than logic.
Therefore character beats plot.
Goals are what characters are striving
for.
Motivation is why they are striving for
their goals.

3.
Motivation
Every character thinks the story is about
them.
Everyone has a core motivation.
Victor Frankl called this the ‘One Thing.’
The motivation can be anything.
The motivation must be believable to the
reader.
You need to know it (or uncover it), but
does the character?

4.
Blind Spot
Needs produce blind spots.
Everyone has blind spots.
As an author, make sure you know yours.
Strongest defenses are built around the blind
spot. Therefore . . .
Often the blind spot is the part of character
thought to be the strongest.
Denial defends blinds spot and justifies needs.
Blind spots are the making of tragedy.

5.
Pathological Need
In a moment of crisis, what is the driving
force?
It is a need, not a want.
Every need has a corresponding flaw.
A pathological need produces a blind spot.

6.
Trait Need Flaw
• Loyal
• Adventurous
• Altruistic
• Tolerant
• Decisive
• Realistic
• Competitive
• Idealistic
• To be trusted
• To have change
• To be loved
• To have no
conflict
• To be in charge
• To be balanced
• To achieve goals
• To be the best
• Gullible
• Unreliable
• Submissive
• No conviction
• Impetuous
• Outer control
• Overlook cost
• Naive

7.
Develop Characters
Where do your characters come from?
Invented or real life?
How does the reader meet them?
How do you get to know people?
What do we see in their first scene.
What was the key point in their life?
Do you know everything about your
character?
You have to (or uncover it).
Reader doesn’t have to.
Less is better.

8.
Protagonist
Drives the main story line.
Always have one.
Reluctant protagonists. Bruce Willis in Die
Hard.
Empathetic protagonists. We have to feel
something about the protagonist.
Negative protagonists. Yes, you can have one.
Often, everyone else is worse.

9.
Protagonist
What if your protagonist fails?
If you are going to have character arc, the
protagonist would usually fail in the climactic
scene being who they are as the book opens.
Their arc is the change through the story to be
someone who will succeed.
If they fail, it reveals what’s at stake in your
story.

10.
Antagonist
Always have one.
Should be human.
Has a believable motivation.
If removed, the plot collapses.
Usually drives the plot by introducing the
problem.

11.
Antagonist
Do the antagonist’s plan before writing.
If you are going to google “how to kill my
spouse” for a murder mystery do it on a friend’s
computer, not your own.
Stronger antagonist= stronger protagonist.

12.
Show, Don’t Tell
Actions speak louder than words.
Do your characters react ‘naturally’?
Give the spark of redemption in the
beginning if you want to arc a character
with that theme.

13.
Character Templates
Instead of inventing from scratch.
Or using real people.
Also use these to understand characters and
real people.
Use what experts have already done for you:
Profiling
Archetypes
Myers-Briggs

14.
Profiling
FBI Behavioral Science Unit: John Douglas:
MINDHUNTER-- tracking serial killers.
But you can profile anyone.
99% of what we do is habit.
Habit= behavior patterns.
Examine the results and work back.
What are your characters’ habits?

15.
Archetypes-- Gender Differences
Female
• Boss
• Seductress
• Spunky kid
• Free spirit
• Waif
• Librarian
• Crusader
• Nurture
Male
• Chief
• Bad boy
• Best friend
• Charmer
• Lost soul
• Professor
• Swashbuckler
• Warrior
The same person, labeled by gender.

16.
Myers-Briggs Types
• INTP= Architect
• ENTP= Inventor
• INTJ= Scientist
• ENTJ= Field Marshall
• INFP= Questor
• ENFP= Journalist
• INFJ= Author
• ENJF= Pedagogue
• ESJF= Seller
• ISFJ= Conservator
• ESFP= Entertainer
• ISFP= Artist
• ESTJ= Administrator
• ISTJ= Trustee
• ESTP= Promoter
• ISTP= Artisan

17.
Gives you 16 character types.
Where characters are different in one of
the letters, you have potential sources
of personal conflict.
Myers-Briggs Types

18.
Character And Change
Can people change?
Change produces character arc.
You want to show change, not tell it.
Change requires three things to happen
. . .

19.
Moment Of Enlightenment
Experience something never
experienced before.
Experience something you’ve
experience before, but it affects you
differently than ever before.
This is the classic ‘’light bulb going on’.
By itself, it is not change, just a
momentary awareness.

20.
Decision
Because of the Moment of Enlightenment, a
decision is made.
It is not necessarily a good decision.
Character is then:
Stuck with the decision (externally imposed
change) or
Sticks with the decision (internally motivated
change)
By itself, a decision is not change, just a
fleeting commitment.

21.
Sustained Action
Because of the decision, behavior is
changed.
The changed behavior is sustained long
enough to become habit.
In the military, this is called training.
Sustained action leads to change.

22.
The Emotional Stages Of
Change
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance

23.
The Climax & Character Arc
If you want arc, then by the end of the book
we want to know our protagonist has
changed.
They act differently.
Take your protagonist as she is at the
beginning of the book and put her in the
climactic scene.
She should fail.
If she does, then you have arc.

24.
“Talent is less important in film-
making than patience. If you
really want your films to say
something that you hope is
unique, then patience and
stamina, thick skin and a kind of
stupidity, a mule-like stupidity, is
what you really need.”
~Terry Gilliam

25.
For more free slideshows on
writing, survival, history and other topics,
go to:
www.bobmayer.com/workshops

26.
How to
write the book
How to
be an author
www.bobmayer.com/nonfiction
“A book to inspire, instruct and challenge the writer in everyone.”
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Susan Wiggs
"An invaluable resource for beginning and seasoned writers alike.
Don't miss out."
#1 NY Times Best-Selling Author Terry Brooks

27.
“In Who Dares Wins, Bob Mayer gives us a unique and valuable window into the
shadowy world of our country’s elite fighting forces and how you can apply many of
the concepts and tactics they use for success in your own life and organization.”
Jack Canfield: Co-creator Chicken Soup for the Soul and The Success Principles
“Success in life—as in combat—has always demanded depth of character. Who Dares
Wins reveals what it takes for you to move into the world of elite warriors and how their
training developed that Can Do spirit and Special Forces ethos of excellence.”
Lewis C. Merletti: Director United States Secret Service (retired), Former Sgt 5th
Special Forces Group (Vietnam); Cleveland Browns Executive Vice President & COO

28.
New York Times bestselling author, graduate of West
Point and former Green Beret. He’s had over 80 books
published across an array of genres, including the #1
bestselling series Green Berets, Shadow Warriors, Time
Patrol, Area 51, and Atlantis.
He’s presented for over 1,000 organizations during three
decades of writing full time.
If you’re interested in his weekend intensive workshop or
having him present for your group, email him at:
bob@bobmayer.com
www.bobmayer.com