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.
Snob
DESCRIPTION: Snobs look down on people below their own social or financial station. They often display an exaggerated sense of elitism and condescension because they believe they’re superior in some way.
FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: The Malfoys (the Harry Potter series), Lady Catherine de Bourgh (Pride and Prejudice), Tom Buchanan (The Great Gatsby), Regina George (Mean Girls), Frasier and Niles Crane (Frasier)
COMMON STRENGTHS: Ambitious, Centered, Charming, Confident, Meticulous, Passionate, Proper, Sophisticated
COMMON WEAKNESSES: Catty, Cruel, Fussy, Gossipy, Haughty, Humorless, Inflexible, Judgmental, Know-It-All, Materialistic, Nosy, Prejudiced, Pretentious, Self-Indulgent, Spoiled, Vain
ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Having a strong sense of personal identity
Not being easily swayed by the opinions of others
Paying meticulous attention to detail
Dressing stylishly
Being self-possessed and appearing confident
Being driven to achieve greater success and importance through self-development
Having discerning tastes
Having a deep understanding about their area of interest—art, fashion, literature, or even more mundane things, like coffee or wine
Sucking up to others; brownnosing
Congregating with other snobs who share their interests
SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being linked with someone the character deems as being inferior
Someone the character views as unworthy achieving status greater than their own
Someone they admire behaving like a snob toward them
Dismissing someone, then later discovering they have greater skill, wealth, or knowledge than the character
TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is outwardly confident but privately reveals their vulnerabilities to someone they trust and respect
Has a hidden talent or passion that defies their snobbish persona—i.e., raising money for an impoverished neighborhood because it’s where they came from
Intentionally uses the isolation caused by their elitism to keep their humanitarian efforts secret
CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
A prep school student whose self-worth is solely defined by displays of status
A snob who has loyal groupies despite constantly belittling them
A food critic with an exaggerated accent who makes a point of tearing down aspiring restaurateurs
Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.
Need More Descriptive Help?
While this thesaurus is still being developed, the rest of our descriptive collection (16 unique thesauri and growing) is accessible through the One Stop for Writers THESAURUS database.
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Becca Puglisi is an international speaker, writing coach, and bestselling author of The Emotion Thesaurus and its sequels. Her books are available in five languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. She is passionate about learning and sharing her knowledge with others through her Writers Helping Writers blog and via One Stop For Writers—a powerhouse online library created to help writers elevate their storytelling.