I have six main characters: three English heiresses, Jane, Alexandra, and Martha Remmington; and three pirates, (Scottish) Tom Gregor, (Irish) Jacob Bern, and (English) Gavin Steele.
So yes, it helps that the guys are of different heritages from each other, but Tom and Gavin have personalities that are similar. So how I do keep them apart?
Well first of off, what is a character's individuality?
It's their personality, their passions, their dreams, their heritage, their nature.
Today I shall focus on their personality.
I asked five certain questions based on Meyer Briggs Personality:
1st, does he/she prefer solitary activities, think before speaking, get exhausted by social interaction, like an introvert? OR does he/she prefer group activities, think while speaking, get energized by social interaction, like an extrovert?
2nd, is he/she imaginative, rely on their intuition, absorbed in ideas, focus on what might happen? Or is he/she down-to-earth, rely on their senses, absorbed in practical matters, focus on what has happened?
3rd, is he/she tough, follow their minds, focus on objectivity and rationality? Or is he/she sensitive, follow their hearts, focus on harmony and cooperation?
4th, is he/she decisive, prefer clear rules and guidelines, see deadlines as sacred, seek closure? Or he/she very good at improvising, prefer keeping their options open, relaxed about their work, seek freedom?
5th, is he/she emotionally stable, calm, relaxed, refuse to worry too much? Or is he/she self-conscious, care about their image, success-driven, perfectionists?
For example:
Alexandra is an introvert. She is emotionally stable. She is sense driven. She is sensitive. She follows her heart. She is decisive. She prefers clear guidelines and rules. She seeks closure. She sees deadlines as sacred.
Jane is an introvert. She is an emotional ride. She is intuitive. She is tough. She follows her mind. She is good at improvising. She is relaxed about work. She seeks freedom.
Marty (aka, Martha) is an extrovert. She is an emotional ride. She is intuitive. She is sensitive. She follows her heart. She is decisive. She prefers clear guidelines and rules. She seeks closure. She sees deadlines as sacred.
Gavin is an extrovert. He is emotionally stable. He is intuitive. He is tough. He follows his mind. He is good at improvising. He is relaxed about work. He seeks freedom.
Jacob is an introvert. He is emotionally stable. He is sense driven. He is tough. He follows his mind. He is decisive. He prefers clear guidelines and rules. He seeks closure. He sees deadlines as sacred.
Tom is an extrovert. He is emotionally stable. He is sense driven (sometimes intuitive). He is tough. He follows his mind. He is good at improvising. He is relaxed about work. He seeks freedom.
Like...
So, how do I keep Tom and Gavin apart, when most of their personality traits align? I have to remember that one difference between them. Tom is mostly sense driven (like Han Solo or Flynn Rider or Robin Hood or Jack Sparrow), but can be intuitive; while Gavin is mostly intuitive (like Tony Stark or Peter Quill or James T. Kirk or Bard).
And well, everyone else is simpler! ;)
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