Enneagram Personality Types for Authors

The Enneagram Personality Types for Authors provides insight into the perspective and motivations of each type giving your characters a primary motivation.

Stress and inaction can be explained by conflicts presented by the opposite personality. For instance, A Reformer might be guided by perfection, but also prone to The Enthusiast’s distraction trait. This conflict can be used to create tension. 

  1. The Reformer: A rational, idealistic type sometimes over-concerned with perfection.
  2. The Helper: A caring, generous person who can be possessive of others.
  3. The Achiever: A pragmatic, driven type concerned with how they are seen.
  4. The Individualist: A sensitive, withdrawn type able to express themselves well but prone to drama.
  5. The Investigator: An intense, innovative type likely to be perceptive but also prone to secrecy and isolation.
  6. The Loyalist: A responsible but anxious type prone to caution that can cross over into suspicion.
  7. The Enthusiast: A spontaneous, versatile type who is always busy but is also prone to distraction.
  8. The Challenger: A decisive, willful type whose self-confidence can lead to confrontation.
  9. The Peacemaker: An easygoing, agreeable type able to reassure others in the moment but sometimes complacent about larger issues.

These one-word descriptors can be expanded into four-word sets of traits. Keep in mind that these are merely highlights and do not represent the full spectrum of each type.

  1. The Reformer is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and a perfectionist.
  2. The Helper is generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive.
  3. The Achiever is adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious.
  4. The Individualist is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental.
  5. The Investigator is perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.
  6. The Loyalist is engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.
  7. The Enthusiast is spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered.
  8. The Challenger is self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational.
  9. The Peacemaker is receptive, reassuring, complacent, and resigned.

Making it all work: A lot of behaviors, choices, reactions, assets, and liabilities are already assigned by the Enneagram . Once you figure out which type your character is, you’ll have ready-made ideas for their personalities and how the plot unfolds as a result of their type-driven decisions.

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