The Streamlined Character Creation Process

Introduction

Character creation can feel overwhelming without a clear system. This streamlined process ensures every character is narratively functional, psychologically deep, and behaviorally consistent by layering key elements from the outside-in while keeping reference tools on standby to refine details.

Step 1: Define Their Narrative Role (8 Universal Conflicts)

What This Step Does:

Every character must be tied to the story’s core conflict to ensure they serve a real purpose. By anchoring them in one of the 8 Universal Conflicts, we immediately establish:

• What their function is in the story

• Why they exist in relation to the protagonist or main conflict

• What kind of stakes they engage with

Why This is Logical:

A story doesn’t exist without conflict; characters exist to either resolve or complicate it. This step prevents unnecessary characters and guarantees that each one plays a meaningful role.

Key Questions Answered:

✔ What is this character’s purpose in the story?

✔ How do they interact with the main conflict?

✔ What kind of protagonist, antagonist, mentor, or supporting role do they fill?

Step 2: Define Their Internal Drive (Enneagram)

What This Step Does:

Now that we know their function, we explore why they care about this conflict by tapping into their core motivation, fear, and internal struggles using the Enneagram. This step ensures they:

• Have personal stakes in the story’s conflict

• Possess a driving force behind their actions

• Have an internal struggle that creates depth

Why This is Logical:

Characters don’t act without a reason. Their Enneagram type reveals their deeper motivations and fears, which shape their decision-making and reactions. It also ensures that their growth (or downfall) feels organic.

Key Questions Answered:

✔ Why is this character engaging in the conflict?

✔ What core desire and fear drive their actions?

✔ How do they struggle internally, even if externally competent?

Step 3: Define Their Thought Process (MBTI)

What This Step Does:

Now that we know why they care, we need to understand how they think, process information, and make decisions. This step guarantees:

• They approach problems in a way that fits their personality

• They make decisions consistently and logically within their framework

• Their behavior, dialogue, and interactions feel unique

Why This is Logical:

Even if two characters share the same motivation, they will approach decisions differently based on how they process the world. This ensures that personalities feel distinct without forcing quirks that don’t fit.

Key Questions Answered:

✔ How does this character think and make decisions?

✔ How do they approach problems and stress?

✔ How do they interact with others in everyday situations?

Step 4: Define Their Core Identity (Desire Profile)

What This Step Does:

The Desire Profile refines who they truly are beyond the immediate story stakes. This step:

• Defines their fundamental personality, values, and priorities

• Shapes how they interact with the world beyond the conflict

• Explains their natural inclinations, attractions, and repulsions

Why This is Logical:

A character should feel like a fully realized person, not just a vehicle for plot. This step prevents them from existing only for the conflict and makes them feel real, ensuring they remain consistent across different situations.

Key Questions Answered:

✔ Who is this person beyond the story conflict?

✔ What are their deep, personal values and priorities?

✔ What long-term desires drive them, even after the story ends?

Step 5: Assemble The Three Layers of Character

Now that all foundational elements are in place, we naturally populate the three key layers of character:

1. Exterior (Surface-Level Traits & Behavior)

• Primarily Informed By: Desire Profile

• Reference: Enneagram & MBTI for additional refinement

• What it Answers: How do they present themselves? How do they speak, move, dress, and act casually?

2. Sociological (Upbringing, Status, Relationships)

• Primarily Informed By: Universal Conflict & Enneagram

• What it Answers: How does their past shape them? What social circles do they navigate?

3. Psychological (Core Beliefs, Fears, & Desires)

• Fully Defined By: Desire Profile

• What it Answers: What defines their inner world? What personal growth (or downfall) is likely?

Why This Process Works

✅ Ensures every character serves a purpose in the story

✅ Prevents contradictions between motivation, behavior, and personality

✅ Guarantees depth without unnecessary complexity

✅ Allows flexibility to tweak portrayal without breaking logic

By following this streamlined system, you build layered, compelling characters with both depth and purpose—all while keeping it structured and efficient.

Optional Next Step: The Character Portrayal Palette

Once the character is fully developed, their portrayal style can be adjusted for tone and aesthetic. This is an optional final layer to determine if they should be stylized, realistic, exaggerated, etc., depending on the type of story they appear in.

Final Thoughts

This process ensures that every character is deeply motivated, mentally consistent, and narratively meaningful. The reference tools (Enneagram & MBTI) help refine details, but the core of the character always comes from the Desire Profile anchoring the Psychological Layer. With this method, character creation becomes streamlined, logical, and highly effective in producing compelling, story-driven individuals.