Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Hotshot

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: Talented and successful in their field, this character is cocky and loves taking risks. While hotshots have often been written with static arcs (as characters whose flaws don’t need addressing) recent years have seen a revisitation of these characters as ones with weaknesses that need to be addressed.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES: Jack Reacher (the Jack Reacher series), James Bond (the James Bond series), Maverick (Top Gun), Han Solo (A New Hope), Axel Foley (Beverly Hills Cop)

COMMON STRENGTHS: Adaptable, Alert, Bold, Charming, Confident, Courageous, Decisive, Efficient, Focused, Independent, Industrious, Intelligent, Observant, Passionate, Perceptive, Persistent, Resourceful, Spontaneous, Talented

COMMON WEAKNESSES: Abrasive, Addictive, Cocky, Compulsive, Confrontational, Impatient, Impulsive, Inflexible, Irresponsible, Macho, Obsessive, Rebellious, Reckless, Self-Destructive, Stubborn, Uncooperative, Vindictive

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES
Refusing to follow rules or protocol
Preferring to work alone
Being able to read a room and assess people and threats
Being an adrenaline junkie
Freely speaking their mind
Being expert in a certain area (marksmanship, flying a plane, fighting, gambling, etc.)
Not caring what others think of them
Tending toward risk-taking and recklessness
Thinking they know best
Disregarding customs and traditions that get in the way of the job
Having an addictive personality

SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM
Being paired with an incompetent partner
Being in a situation where the rules must be strictly followed
Having a superior who is a rule-follower or micro-manager
Being forced to compromise their beliefs or practices
Being ignored or minimized

TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO…
Is exceptional in some way but otherwise lives an average, simple life
Has a surprising or mundane hobby
Has an atypical trait: Nature-Focused, Nurturing, Spiritual, Pensive, Worrywart, etc.

CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF
The loner hotshot who can’t get along with anyone
Loose cannons who are respected but mistrusted by colleagues

Other Type and Trope Thesaurus entries can be found here.

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