Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Free Spirit

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.

Free Spirit

DESCRIPTION: This character walks to the beat of their own drum and is comfortable being different. Because they don’t conform to traditional norms, they also don’t expect others to do so, which makes them highly tolerant individuals.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Luna Lovegood (the Harry Potter series), Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre), Phoebe Buffet (Friends), Jeff Spicoli (Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adventurous, Confident, Courageous, Creative, Curious, Enthusiastic, Happy, Idealistic, Imaginative, Independent, Passionate, Playful, Quirky, Resourceful, Spontaneous, Spunky, Uninhibited, Whimsical

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Childish, Disorganized, Flaky, Foolish, Forgetful, Frivolous, Impulsive, Inattentive, Irresponsible, Mischievous, Rebellious, Reckless, Scatterbrained, Self-Indulgent, Temperamental

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Thinking for themselves; not being easily led
Shunning routines and systems
Frequently challenging conventions just by being themselves, in a non-confrontational way
Enjoying solitude
Easily standing up for themselves
Being unconcerned with what others think
Eagerly trying new things
Lacking discernment; not being able to read people very well
Being impulsive and not thinking through the consequences of their actions
Being impractical
Lacking strong financial sense

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Joining an institution that forces them to follow the rules, such as the military
Living in a time or place where nonconformity is dangerous
Doing something impulsive that has terrible consequences
Being too curious and discovering something that could get them in trouble

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is surrounded by people like them (instead of them being the oddball in the group)
Is responsible and successful despite their free-spiritedness
Is in a stable, healthy, long-term relationship
Has an atypical trait: analytical, pushy, proper, mature, worrywart, needy, etc.

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The free spirit who goes where the wind blows, never staying in one place for long
The character whose wardrobe is over-the-top unbelievable

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Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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