Fiction Advice

Making a fictional character is often difficult. We want them to be complex and to have interesting personalities, but we can sometimes have trouble coming up with those personalities. Without complex characteristics, we don't have a complex character. For my fiction, if I rely on my own imagination, I start spinning out very similar characters. They are guilt-ridden, sour men who often have good hearts under their tough exteriors. That character is only so interesting.

Well, I found a personality generator. If you go to http://www.kabalarians.com/ you'll find their Name Analysis. Type in a first name, and you will get personality traits that people with that name should have. You see, the Kabalarians believe that your name dictates your personality. The Kabalarians also believe that if you change your name (yes, change your name) you can change your life.

That aside, it's a great place to go to generate extra personality traits for your character. It gives interesting, complex traits, and you could even see where conflict would come out of many of the traits. In fact, you could probably cook up a short story just by typing in a name.

Say for instance, my character is named Ted, and I'm finding him a little lifeless on the page. Well, let's see what the Kabalarians say about Teds.


Although the name Ted creates an active mind and a restless urge to explore new ideas, we emphasize that it causes procrastination, lack of confidence, and the inability to realize your goals and ambitions.

This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the solar plexus, and fluid systems.

The name of Ted has given you a very imaginative, creative mind.
You always have new ideas, but too often they are for an easy way out of a difficulty, or an easy way of making money.

You are not inclined to apply yourself consistently to a job and to reach the fulfilment of your goals through perseverance and hard work.

The influence of this name has caused you to feel unsettled emotionally and mentally.

You are never satisfied with conditions, because your feelings and desires are so changeable.
Hence you seek change in order to have the opportunity for travel, new experiences, and new friends and associates.

There are people in your association who could influence you unfavourably and thereby mislead you; disillusionment, embarrassment, and bitter experiences then become your lot.


Wow -- look at that! There's a lot to work with to develop a fictional character.

I'm going to try this with my students tonight. I hope it helps a few people.