3T Writing Tidbit

Published since 2009, over the years I've accumulated various items of writing wisdom. The Third Tuesday Writing Tidbit showcases these items in no particular order. Click here to see all 3T Tidbits.

Archetypes. How many are there, and what are they?

Basically, an archetype is a prototype; a model on which all others are based.

The problem is that archetypes are found in a variety of fields, e.g. psychology, literature, drama, mythology. Each field adds its own flavoring to the word. For example, Jungian psychology ramps up archetype to a universal model subconsciously shared by all of us.

Of course as authors, we're looking for character archetypes. Are there seven? Eight? Twenty-eight? Depends on which website you visit. Some base their archetypes on recurring mythic characters; some on their roles within the story.

Here are some interesting links I found. (No recommendations explicit or implied here, they're simply places I found with ideas that might jump start your own. That having been said, I did see some neat ideas :)

Some views on archetypes:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArchetypalCharacter
http://www.tamicowden.com/archetypes.htm
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/archetypal-characters.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetypal_literary_criticism