The Enneagram offers insights as to how these types may interact with each other with potential compatibility and conflict. (The Path Between Us is great for such examples, though only covering the range of conflict and emotion that would occur in everyday interactions). The Enneagram Institute also has pages exploring relationships between the various types. Reading about the strengths and pitfalls of these relationships can be great inspiration for scenes and plot throughout the story
On a story structure level, we also want a deeper connection between characters, not just how they interact with each other in a particular scene, but what they represent to each other over the scope of the entire story. Characters are symbolic of something, and those closest to the protagonist are most important in this way. They will either represent warnings or lessons and are there to teach us and the protagonist something, whether they realize it or not. These teachings and the progress of these relationships will all point to the theme of the story.
We need to look at both of these levels when defining the types of our cast of characters. The “microscopic” level of day to day character interactions that forward the plot, as well as the “cosmic” scope, the thematic level of of how the characters relate to and revolve around each other. How to these character’s egos interact with each other (chemistry) versus how do these characters relate to each other from deep inside (gravity). Here I’ll be focusing on the large scale scope of overall story structure and how you can look to premise, plot and theme to select the best types for your characters to play out their story.
Building a Character Map
(example image of a character map)
Whether you’ve decided on your character enneatypes already, or you want to explore how they might need to interact with each other first, drawing out a character map can be a great way to brainstorm potential conflict, internal and external, as well as ideas for subplots and theme
I’ve found that changing around various points on this map can have unexpected effects on the rest of the characters. The protagonist is of course the most important point on this map so make sure that the type you’ve chosen for this character is the best suited to the plot. Other characters’ points can have subtle but important effects on the overall story as they are moved around. Try to find the one arrangement that carries the most weight and provides the most ways possible of viewing the particular conflict and premise of your story.
Multiple Points of View
Here, I don’t mean a story with multiple points of view, though that would certainly be a great way to explore this idea, rather I mean ensuring your cast of characters has a wide range of ways of viewing the plot and theme within the story. This can help fully explore the conflict and what is at stake for various types and make it easier for anyone to relate. Here’s a good example from The Hunger Games. Think about Katniss and Peeta’s conversation on the roof the night before entering the arena. They had completely different fears and ideas about what was at stake. Remember the first step of character growth is when your protagonist realizes and believes that that there are ways of seeing the world other than their own
We don’t need to have nine characters in every story to represent each of the types. This would probably only clutter rather than bring something profound to our story. Instead, two or three important supporting characters from other parts of the Enneagram works best to provide balance and represent the various groups that makes up the Enneagram.
The Triads
These groups each have a different underlying motivating emotion. They are also the most stereotypically unique from each other. Including this variation will bring characters of completely different temper and motivations to your story, helping to show the different ways the plot effects these different characters.
The Hornevian Groups
Diversity among these groups is most interesting with characters that are working together as they are defined by their differences in how they pursue a goal. It can add conflict when they disagree and also teach lessons about times and places when the different ways of thinking are most effective. These characters can learn from and draw on each other’s strengths and become incredibly effective when they work together.
The Harmonic Groups
These groups all have different ways of reacting to setbacks. Characters that have to struggle through difficulties together will bring their own strengths and weaknesses to the conflict when their types come from these different groups
Stress and Security
The moment I saw the arrows on the Enneagram symbol the idea came to me that there might be a pattern of types particularly suited to fueling conflict in each other. I soon learned that this is not what the arrows refer to, rather they show how an individual of a certain type may exhibit qualities of another type during times of security or times of stress. I explored the idea anyway and so far have found that it holds true. If other types can represent our potential strengths or pitfalls, then characters of these types can serve as lessons or warnings to our protagonist and the most important supporting characters usually are the ones that fill these roles.
I’ve observed that this type of relationship is most important in exploring character growth whereas characters diversified across the other groups more easily stay the same, especially where the compare and contrast between them is used for comedic effect. (There are some sitcoms that are exceptions to this, but in those cases it seemed like the characters’ lack of growth was part of the comedy. “Will they never learn?” we say, shaking our heads. Setting up the potential for growth highlighted the fact that the characters did not achieve it.)
Frankenstein
Victor Frankenstein is a One, the perfect type for this premise, as a One fears becoming corrupted or being the cause of evil. The Creature is ironically a Four, a heart type, driven by shame of himself and the intensity of his emotions and suffering which he believes sets him apart from any other creature on earth. And what character could be more obvious a warning to a protagonist than Frankenstein’s Monster? Frankenstein’s best friend, Clerval, is a Seven. He represents the lessons a Seven has to offer a One: Positive outlook and joy of life. These forces pull at Frankenstein’s internal conflict, emotionally tearing him in two. The evil he has created torments him and makes him feel unworthy of the joy of life his friends and family want for him. Every attempt to make him happy only increases the stress on this conflict. He cannot ask for help because he doesn’t wish to burden his friends and family with this horror (possibly he has a Two wing adding to his conflict of wishing to help mankind when he has instead caused injury) and also he fears being shunned as evil if anyone knew what he had done
Pride and Prejudice
Elizabeth Bennett is an Eight, a type that will naturally become conflicted in this story as she has very little control over her situation and her future. The control she does have however, she is not afraid or ashamed to seize, such as refusing marriage proposals from men she doesn’t love, even though the union may have been good for her family. Under stress, she becomes like a Five, withdrawn and confiding only in her sister, Jane who gives her strength, being the Eight’s security type. Jane is an obvious Two, thinking always of how she can support and please others and maintain a positive outlook for their sake. Darcy is a Five, withdrawn and private to hide his fears of dealing with people and the world, and his very position in life helps him to continue in this way. At his best he is strong and protective as he is towards his sister. These strengths he sees and admires in Lizzy and they are also the very strengths he needs to drawn on to confront his own internal conflict and protect her and so prove himself and win her heart. Through the external conflict they both achieve their strengths, Darcy letting go of his protective shell of pride and Lizzie letting go of prejudice and becoming unafraid to trust and be generous.
The Hunger Games (trilogy)
Katniss Everdeen is an Eight, already conflicted as she has almost no control over her situation in life to start with and absolutely none after she volunteers to take her sister’s place as tribute. Protecting her sister and gaining control over her own life were two instincts central to the Eight that could not coexist in that moment when her sister’s name was drawn. Primrose is a Two and the only person who gives Katniss strength, in a way that she doesn’t even realize. Exercising her security point by caring for Prim is the only thing keeping Katniss from falling into her stress point. Haymitch, who is literally her mentor which usually takes the security point or lesson role instead takes the role of her warning as a Five. At the beginning, Katniss can’t comprehend how anyone could become like Haymitch, but his state is the very pitfall she will have to overcome. Haymitch at his best can be strong and protective like an Eight, something he admires and even envies in Katniss, though she doesn’t realize it. Peeta is another Two, perceptive of the feelings of others and never putting himself first. He is Katniss’s chance to achieve her own Twoness apart from exercising her security point outlet. Like any romance, love interests represent choices about self and choosing him over Gale, also an Eight, represents character growth.
Opposite & Same Types
If you know you’ll have a character close to your protagonist but not sure of that character’s type, try seeing what happens if the two characters’ types are complete opposites, across the Enneagram from each other. This can be especially interesting if those characters are forced together in some way or must spend a lot of time solely in each other’s company. There can also be interesting similarities in opposites that share the same Hornevian group that can add to potential conflict.
Harry Potter
Across the Enneagram from Nine are the other two Withdrawn types, Four and Five. In this way, Snape is a great conflict character for Harry. Snape is a Five with a Four wing (I’ve seen him typed with a Six wing but I disagree). When Harry is forced to have Occlumency lessons with Snape, the perfect conflict is created between the two of them that plays into both of their fears. Even without the Enneagram we can appreciate this conflict, but looking more closely at their types brings even more to light. Being withdrawn types, neither of them want their thoughts invaded, particularly by someone they dislike or distrust. Snape protected himself by setting his thoughts in the pensive but Harry had no such protection.
Don’t be afraid of doubling up on the same type. This can be particularly useful if two friends fall apart or two characters go down opposite paths in the same conflict.
Creating Your Own Character Map
No matter what types you choose for your characters, you will be able to find some connections between them that add depth and complexity to the story. Draw maps of your characters relationships to explore and emphasis this potential that you might otherwise have overlooked. The more weight that can be carried by less characters the better. See where you might double up on benefits two characters bring to the story by combining them into a new type.
Compare your character map to the maps of other stories where the characters share the same types. How is your protagonist like and unlike protagonist of the same type? How are the differences brought to light by the differences in the supporting characters, either their types or the roles they play? You might learn more about the story you’re telling by asking yourself how it is different from other similar stories rather than how is it the same. Elizabeth and Katniss are very different characters, though they and their supporting characters share the same types.
Eights, Ones and the Triangle types (Nines, Sixes and Threes) can be particularly effective and popular characters not just because they are interesting to watch, but because two supporting characters taking the roles of their stress and security types will also naturally be representing the other two Triads, Hornevian and Harmonic groups. A lot of differences in ways of thinking, acting and handling setbacks, all relating back to the protagonist, carried just by two characters. That can be very powerful.
A Note On Wings…
Wings can also play a role in what a character has to teach the protagonist. Just because the wing is not the character’s base type and doesn’t drive them at their core, doesn’t mean that it cannot emphasis a lesson to the protagonist.
It’s not about forcing the characters to follow a certain formula or take their places in a set equation, its about seeing the potential for theme and conflict between the characters and using those ties to emphasize important points in the story. These are things that subconsciously might lead you to choose certain types of characters to populate your story, but unless you’re more aware of it, you might not take full advantage of these opportunities for deeper meaning.
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