Learn the 12 common character archetypes Using the strengths and weaknesses of each archetype for brainstorming Understanding a character flaw for each archetype Character Development is supposed to be fun! Much like players of the popular Dungeons & Dragons role playing game, we as writers and creators can build and create our characters based off of universally known character types and attributes. We don't need to use dice to build our characters (though, that can be fun)! Instead we can consider the overall conceptual situation you are creating for your story, and then mold your character to help get the most out of your concept. Max has said it before a number of times; character meets situation, and situation meets character. This combination creates your emotional story. While there are a number of exercises that can be found through a simple Google search, we want to develop our Feature and Series characters from a place that includes meaning, and themes, and messages that you, the writer, intend to deliver to an audience. The archetype development can help you see your characters from a bird's eye-view so that you can better understand their flaws, which directly translates to a thematic message. This is what the ISA's Director of Education, Max Timm, will delve into during our next ISA Connect webinar