Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Starving Artist

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: This talented artist is dedicated to a craft that doesn’t meet their financial needs. They are often plagued by self-doubt and struggle to balance artistic endeavors with real-world responsibilities.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Cyrano (Cyrano de Bergerac), Theo Decker (The Goldfinch), Stephen Dedalus (A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man), Cliff Stern (Crimes and Misdemeanors)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Ambitious, Creative, Disciplined, Focused, Idealistic, Imaginative, Intelligent, Introverted, Observant, Passionate, Pensive, Persistent, Philosophical, Quirky, Resourceful, Talented, Thrifty

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Addictive, Antisocial, Compulsive, Inhibited, Insecure, Irresponsible, Jealous, Needy, Obsessive, Pessimistic, Resentful, Self-Destructive, Stubborn, Temperamental, Withdrawn, Workaholic

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Scorning the system and popular society
Being comfortable with solitude and working alone
Being frugal and thrifty
Being intensely dedicated to their artistic practice
Making sacrifices for their art—e.g., foregoing food or sleep
Feeling misunderstood
Tending toward non-conformity
Sacrificing relationships in the pursuit of their art
Having strong ideas about how art should or shouldn’t be done
Embracing unusual beliefs or ideas; being viewed by others as odd or “out there”

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
A close friend or loved one becoming more successful than the character
Having to take a hated day job
A publisher, editor, or agent pushing the character to compromise their standards for money
Being pressured by a parent or spouse to give up their dream
Experiencing discrimination that keeps the artist from being accepted
A masterpiece being rejected

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Had one early success but hasn’t been able to replicate it
Is extremely successful in their day job, which is unrelated to their art
Has an atypical trait: Catty, Devious, Manipulative, Superstitious, Traditional, Sensible, etc.

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The artist who romanticizes poverty and doesn’t seem to be affected much by it
The artist experiencing a breakthrough and effortlessly creating a masterpiece
The starving artist whose finances don’t match their lifestyle

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

Need More Descriptive Help?

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The post Character Type and Trope Thesaurus: Starving Artist appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

The Bookshelf Muse is a hub for writers, educators and anyone with a love for the written word. Featuring Thesaurus Collections that encourage stronger descriptive skills, this award-winning blog will help writers hone their craft and take their writing to the next level.