Characters viewed as archetypes can be seen as facets of the protagonist’s personality come to greet her or him in the journey towards achieving a goal.
Operating as archetypes, the characters present aspects of the protagonist’s psyche, dimensions of her or his mind and soul.
Engagement with the supporting cast then becomes a spiritual battle fought on an earthly plane. Through endurance the major character undergoes both psychological and/or spiritual rebirth in the quest to attain her or his goal.
A spiritual quest to achieve a physical goal. This is the essence of any good story.
Envisioning characters as holding transforming and catalytic energies allows the writer to integrate the celestial and mundane worlds of the protagonist, the yearnings of the heart with the basic needs of survival in a way that the reader can not only understand, but identify with our major character, her or his fears, and their the needs.
Are you drawn to writing dialogue or prose?
How much time do you spend identifying your character’s psychological and/or spiritual needs and desires?
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