Learn how zodiac personality traits make believable characters
Many writers begin the writing process by concentrating on what’s going to happen in their story well before they determine who the main character is and how that character is going to move through the story. This is a great way to organize your plot points. It’s also a great way to procrastinate.
Since change is the heart of any story, it’s important to merge those well, thought-out plot points with character arcs. And in order to develop character arcs, you’ll need to have a complete understanding of your main character’s personality traits, behaviors, and temperament.
When you concentrate on your character’s behavioral patterns, or how the protagonist typically reacts under pressure, you’ll learn what motivates them, how they make decisions, and purposely put them in situations they wish to avoid. Basically, you are creating predictable patterns that will consistently pop up throughout the story and those pop-ups should coincide with plot points.
What are Zodiac Signs?
For the purpose of this article, we will keep our attention focused on western astrology.
Astrology is the study of the movements and the relative positions of the planets, moon, sun, and stars. Your astrology chart begins the moment you’re born, or when your unique time stamp unfolds in this vast universe. Astrologists study the movements of the mentioned celestial bodies in comparison to your birth position, offering a glimpse into your future relationships, personality, and life events.
There are twelve signs of the Zodiac Wheel. The sun takes one month to travel through each of the twelve zodiac signs in one year. Each sign is relative to a person’s birth month, birth time and geographical location. And by gaining reference points about astrological signs, writers can utilize personality charts to build unforgettable characters and powerful character arcs.
Zodiac Signs are Personality Charts
Zodiac signs offer personality insights into the theme of the story you want to tell. By researching signs, you can identify the core values associated with that sign. Core values shape a character’s motivations and behaviors. Those natural behaviors influence their decision-making skills and determine how that character reacts in conflict.
When your character experienced a deeply traumatic occurrence early in life, that conflict made your character make a decision in that moment. The response to that event shaped the way they moved through life because every time a similar situation arose, their responding behavior or reaction was similar to that childhood trauma.
This is a core wound.
The specific way in which they respond to that conflict, is categorized under the sign they were born. For instance, Cancers are emotionally charged zodiac signs. They thrive in safe environments. They love to be loved and love loving. If those needs aren’t met, they pull away, or retract into their “shell” for safety. This means that they emotionally withdraw, whether at work or the soccer field, they hide their own emotions in order to protect themselves from more pain.
The heart of a Cancers character arc is the misbelief that vulnerability equals danger.
How to use Signs in Scenes
Now we know that Cancers are sensitive by nature and want above all else to feel safe in their environment. When that environment no longer offers protection, they retreat, go quiet, or shut down communication completely.
Here’s an example of a situational scene that expresses a Cancer’s response to a core wound-
If someone important in their life cancels plans or seems distant, a Cancer might respond with these actions in a scene:
- Retreat to their room
- Cook for the person instead of expressing hurt
- Say, It’s Fine! while clearly withdrawing
- Build emotional walls and wait for the other person to prove they care
The transitional arc of the Cancer character as the story progresses is to show the Cancer choosing openness rather than retreating back into their shell. The character is going to risk emotional exposure and may not receive the trust they’re giving, but again, that’s part of the character’s arc and how they change from the beginning in comparison to the end of the story.
In Conclusion
By assessing and solidifying your protagonist’s personality attributes, you are establishing consistencies across scenes and creating believable reactions when your protagonist is faced with situations that attack their wants and desires. A well-developed Personality will lead to powerful stakes for your readers in order to fill them with tension and dread.
Happy Writing,
-RADolence