Character Values
One of the most important things to know about your character is their values. Values are often what define the character. Here are some ways you can use values
I wish there could be a list of values you can choose from, but to be honest, if you know your character, it’s going to come to you, and picking off a list probably won’t be genuine. You can try experimenting and seeing if certain values fit them, but values are one of the backbones of the character.
Creating relationships with values
How can you have two characters that have a very close, complementary relationship? Try this: For one of the characters, whichever you know better, list their primary and secondary values. For the next, try
-Switching primary and secondary values: This way, they agree on a lot of things and have the same values, but one of them’s personality is more built on one and the other is on the other, so they’re different characters but similar and getting along.
-Having the same primary value but opposite secondary values: I don’t mean opposite like everyone should live vs people should die. I mean more like, maybe one character has a lot of value in what others think, and the other has a lot of value in identity. Maybe one values exploration and adventure while one values safety and control. This allows for complementary personalities, and often allows one to push the other out of their comfort zone
Character development with values
-Have the story present a situation where acting on one value conflicts with the other
Ex: Character A has a primary value of acceptance and secondary value of the safety of her friends, and in the story, she has to risk being unaccepted in order to protect her friends
-Have the story switch their primary and secondary values: This is really great, because maybe they’ve been acting on one value almost completely, but the second one is still there and shown, but throughout the story they start to act more on the secondary value until that value becomes more prominent to them, and they change as a result
Ex. Same situation as above, as A develops she acts more and more on her secondary value until the value of acceptance is less important to her. Since her previous identity was built around being accepted, her new personality is one more shaped by protecting those she cares about.
I do want to give some examples because sometimes it is hard to think of some. But my advice is to try to think of your own or only use it if it clicks with the character, not simply to fill out a character diagram. So here’s some I’ve used, copy/pasted from notes (Note: A lot of mine are similar because there are certain types of characters I like to write)
-Acceptance and love/validation from those around them
-The safety, security, and happiness of their friends
-Their own safety
-Their family/friend/sibling
-Being the best, mastering everything they come across they feel a need for
-Control
-Knowing everything that’s going to happen
-The pursuit of knowledge and learning
-Freedom
-Their sense of self
-Independence
-Adventure and excitement
-Survival
