A special talent or skill can help a character stand out in the story. This might be something small, like having a green thumb or being good with animals, to a larger and more competitive talent like stock car racing or being an award-winning film producer.
When choosing a talent or skill, think about the personality of your character, his range of experiences and who his role models might have been. Some talents might be genetically imparted while others are created through exposure (such as a character talented at fixing watches from growing up in his father’s watch shop) or grow out of interest (archery, wakeboarding, or magic). Don’t be afraid to be creative and make sure the skill or talent is something that works with the scope of the story.
Psychokinesis
Description: the ability to move objects using only the power of one’s mind
Beneficial Strengths or Abilities: having control of one’s emotions, being able to enter and keep a meditative state even when there are distractions, being highly knowledgeable in chakras (nodes of life force energy in the body) and how to manipulate that energy…
Character Traits Suited for this Skill or Talent: focused, open-minded, determined, centered, spiritual…
Required Resources and Training: training exercises with a paper psi wheel (using it as a focus center to visualize being one with it and then using one’s psychic energy to move the psi wheel), being mentored by a teacher who has mastered the chakra healing…
Associated Stereotypes and Perceptions:
- in real life, many believe that people who claim to have psychokinetic abilities are simply sleight-of-hand masters
Scenarios Where this Skill Might be Useful:
- In situations where one must collect or gather something beyond reach (jail cell keys, pickpocketing for one’s survival, stealing food to eat, pulling a weapon toward oneself for defense, etc.)
- When something requires maintenance or fixing but it is too dangerous to be close to (a machine within range of a radiation leak, drawing blood from a patient who is under quarantine, working with toxic chemicals or bio hazards in the lab
- Working with animals that are dangerous, untamed or simply just afraid (being able to slip a noose over a rabid dog’s head without being bitten as a dog catcher, etc.)…
TIP: Choose a talent or skill that makes your character memorable, and it helps them achieve their goals.
Brainstorm your character’s natural abilities using the Talent and Skills Thesaurus.
At One Stop for Writers, our database has over 80 unique abilities that can help individualize your character. We’ll help you find a talent or skill that will fit your character’s personality and the story you’re writing.
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Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.
I’m with Traci—there’s definitely a fear factor when thinking about this trait, but it can be really useful in fantasy and sci-fi 🙂
Yes, definitely this one is a talent that could do harm and good, making it a good choice for a protagonist or a villain. 🙂
This is a scary but useful trait to give a character.
Great reminder to make sure your character’s trait fits within your story.