Frank Barron is known for his in-depth studies of the creative mind. Most of these were done in his three decades at the Berkeley Institute for Personality Assessment and Research. His subjects, mostly college students, often took complex elements to produce a final product that was elegant and deceptively simple. Barron found that creative people could hold two opposite views at the same time and yet see no contraction. Basically, they could be both naïve and knowledgeable, emotional and logical, or disciplined and free spirited.[1]
Generating ideas that seem familiar to the reader and yet different from other books is a challenge for writers. One key to this is developing important characters with a similar type of dichotomy as the creative students that Barron studied. What does a character look like who holds two opposing views at one time? Look at the strengths of the protagonist that you have created. What is the opposite of a particular strength? How can that character benefit from it or suffer from it in their society?
Consider adolescent characters who are trying to balance ideas at opposite poles. They may appear as moody and fickle as they push the envelope when it comes to being different from older people and step on the toes of those who could have helped. Then, these same rebellious teenage characters turn around and cave into conforming with same-age peers. Such a character should create problems for themselves for themselves with the opposite trait rather than solving them, at least until the end. This keeps the creative character from seeming like a typical “Mary Sue.”
Often we assume a person who is deprived and abused will learn to lie, steal, and be cruel to other people. This does not have to be true, and the opposite can also occur. A person who gains what they desire will fear the loss of what they have. So, they assume a facade of superiority and behind this outer appearance exists an insecure person whose selfishness can be devastating to others if they do not get what they want.
Such dichotomies become better integrated as people grow older, and that is why we have the archetype of the wise old mentor.
In my current work in progress, the protagonist is one of the handful of literate people in 5th century Britain. He should seem erudite and wise to others. He is aware of past historical events. Yet, he struggles to apply his wisdom because he cannot detect how others are scheming. This child-like naivety is actually a strength. To rulers, he is a person they do not need to fear. In some incidents his struggle with this dichotomy provides unexpecting allies who also lack the power to sway their society.
Such dichotomies become better integrated as people grow older, and that is why we have the archetype of the wise old mentor. Younger characters of this type are often challenged with their own ideas about themselves. This may prove difficult when they deal with a crisis that requires a major turn around in their life. Writing a character who changes significantly during the story is also a valuable skill that AI seems unable to imitate in a realistic manner.
