Mimi Barbour

Author

Personality tests for characters? Really??

By 49 Comments

***
I recently found
an old file that showed the results of a Myers-Briggs Personality test that I had
taken over fifteen years ago (and it seems like just yesterday….gulp!) Anyway,
the results were different than what they were when I tried the same test today.  As a younger woman I’d scored an ENFP and I have
to admit to knowing why things have changed for me.

Always having
been an extrovert, I derive enjoyment from interaction with others. I watch
their idiosyncrasies, and I admit to using some of their foibles in my
characters. It helps me tremendously. I do know many authors who are introverts
and love using their imagination rather than real-life examples. Not me!

Intuition has
stayed the same and as an author I’m glad. I’d rather see the big picture than
deal with all that annoying small stuff. Of course one does have to edit…??

Feeling rather
than thinking will never change. I admit to being a bit of a bubble head and it’s
too ingrained. People matter to me much more than ideals, and so I’m afraid I’ll
be stuck with this till the end.

The one that has
changed is the last, from perceptive to judgment –  and of that I am glad. Since I’ve become an
author, I’ve had to plan my days, and my characters days. To do this
properly it’s taken a lot of organization. I’ve had to become predictable in my
choices using sound judgment.   

  • E – Extraversion preferred to introversion: ENFJs often feel
    motivated by their interaction with people. They tend to enjoy a wide
    circle of acquaintances, and they gain energy in social situations
    (whereas introverts expend energy).[7]
  • N – Intuition preferred to sensing: ENFJs tend to be more
    abstract than concrete. They focus their attention on the big picture
    rather than the details, and on future possibilities rather than immediate
    realities.[8]
  • F – Feeling preferred to thinking: ENFJs tend to value
    personal considerations above objective criteria. When making decisions,
    they often give more weight to social implications than to logic.[9]
  • J – Judgment preferred to perception: ENFJs tend to plan
    their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control
    through predictability.[10]

I wonder if our characters would benefit from taking this
test.  After all, many writers plan their
character’s roles from the day they’re born to the day they show up on the
page. Would you consider this as being a useful tool?

And would it matter if you wrote for a living? This
information could help anyone in their day to day life. Explain why they do the
things they do—make the choices they make. Marry the people they chose.
If you
would like to take your own test go to:
 http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

 And check the results:

http://typelogic.com/enfj.html

 What do you think…does it make sense??

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer  

For this Freedom to Read Blog Hop I will be happy to present one lucky winner with a $10 Amazon Gift certificate and five others with a free e-copy of My Cheeky Angel. All you need to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address.

And…I’ll be adding your names to my newsletter list, so I hope you won’t mind getting a periodic letter from me telling of new releases and special news!

***

Comments

  2. Ciara Ballintyne says

    I know some writers do use personality tests for their characters. It's probably a useful tool for logical thinkers, perhaps – those who need clear guidlines from which to work, thise who are more likely to be detailed plotters than pantsers. I admit it has crossed my mind…

    Reply

  3. Diana Layne says

    I have often used this for characters. As well as character interviews. I do tend to be a plotter (and an introvert) so it's sometimes hard for me to get to know a character. Occasionally a character will pop in and just start talking but that's rare. Oh. I just realized this was a bloghop, cool. dianalayne at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  4. Mimi Barbour says

    Ciara & Diana,
    Thanks for the comments. I'm glad to see that there are some who would take this seriously as a part of plotting. I tend to write as a pantser so I scoffed at first. Until I read my own test results and realized that it really did work…so…why not use it as a tool for authors??

    Reply

  8. Sue Sattler says

    That was really interesting. I took the test on how I use to be and how I am now after losing my son to war induced PTSD. I knew that I had changed but I didn't realize how much.

    proudarmymom32(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  28. BLHmistress says

    I think they would be helpful for a writer to use these tests. Might have to try and see where I fall I think I took it when I was younger but its been so long.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  34. Jody says

    I loved the Myers-Brigg test and studied it in college-almost a psych degree thanks to that interest. Funny applying it to characters. I was an INFJ –I still remember. Thanks for the giveaway! Jody D.
    iteachfl@aol.com

    Reply

  49. Mimi Barbour says

    Marybelle, Sue Sattler, desi the blond, unknown (Catherine), & Book Attict were the winners chosen for the five free gifted e-books of My Cheeky Angel and Deasuluna was the lucky winner of the Amazon $10 gift certificate. Thank you all for leaving comments on my blog.
    xo Mimi

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Mimi’s Books