Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Jock

In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—”universal images that have existed since the remotest times.” He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different archetypes to come up with interesting new versions. The result is a sizable pool of character tropes that we see from one story to another.

Archetypes and tropes are popular storytelling elements because of their familiarity. Upon seeing them, readers know immediately who they’re dealing with and what role the nerd, dark lord, femme fatale, or monster hunter will play. As authors, we need to recognize the commonalities for each trope so we can write them in a recognizable way and create a rudimentary sketch for any character we want to create.

But when it comes to characters, no one wants just a sketch; we want a vibrant and striking cast full of color, depth, and contrast. Diving deeper into character creation is especially important when starting with tropes because the blessing of their familiarity is also a curse; without differentiation, the characters begin to look the same from story to story.

But no more. The Character Type and Trope Thesaurus allows you to outline the foundational elements of each trope while also exploring how to individualize them. In this way, you’ll be able to use historically tried-and-true character types to create a cast for your story that is anything but traditional.

DESCRIPTION: Athletically gifted, jocks live for their sport and are often popular because of their talents and accomplishments. A staple of Young Adult stories, these characters are often cast as heroes, antagonists, and love interests. As supporting or minor characters, they’re frequently portrayed in a negative light, as unintelligent, one-dimensional, cruel, or predatory.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Cedric Diggory (the Harry Potter series), Andrew Clark (The Breakfast Club), AC Slater (Saved by the Bell), Oz (American Pie)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Alert, Ambitious, Confident, Decisive, Disciplined, Enthusiastic, Extroverted, Focused, Friendly, Inspirational, Passionate, Persistent, Playful, Protective, Simple, Spontaneous, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES:  Cocky, Confrontational, Fanatical, Impatient, Impulsive, Irresponsible, Macho, Obsessive, Pushy, Reckless, Rowdy, Self-Indulgent, Superstitious, Unintelligent, Vain, Volatile

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Being gifted in one or more sports
Being confident in social situations
Working out and exercising religiously
Working well on a team
Listening to their coach (but not necessarily to other authority figures)
Being disciplined
Watching their diet
Their identity being tied to their athletic ability and accomplishments
Being susceptible to peer pressure
Using athletic accomplishments to compensate for a perceived weakness

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being stuck on a losing team
No longer being able to perform due to an injury, disease, the natural effects of aging, etc.
Moving to a location where their preferred sport isn’t offered
Being pressured by an authority figure to perform well

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is multi-dimensional in their personality
Is an adult (not a teen)
Has an atypical trait: Humble, Philosophical, Studious, Whiny, Worrywart, etc.

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
Dumb, muscle-bound jocks
The bullying jock who rules the roost and picks on weaker people

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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