by Lindsey Brackett @LindsBrac

With the start of a new year—a new decade!—you’ve likely had your inbox inundated with information on how to be your best self. Whether you’re actively seeking self-reflection or merely deep diving so you can develop more authentic characters, I can’t recommend an Enneagram study enough. If you’ve been around for the past few months, you know I’ve been explaining how this ancient tool suggests nine basic personality types for people, all focused on how a person’s underlying motivation (or core sin) influences behavior. Enneagram experts believe every person carries tendencies of the nine different types—which makes us (and our characters) incredibly complex.

Every novel—or for more timely relevance, every Hallmark movie—has a character who represents Enneagram Type Seven, otherwise known as the Enthusiast. This personality type is characterized most often as an extreme extrovert: fun-loving, full of energy with a zest for life. They may show up as the class clown, the eternal optimist, or the quirky sibling no one can pin down for family dinner because he’s too busy cliff diving in the South Pacific. This type is entertaining to portray because while many of us have no desire to lead a spontaneous, vagabond lifestyle, writing about the adventures of an Enneagram Seven satisfies that part of ourselves that craves stimulation and distraction.

Which is the core motivation of a Type Seven—distraction to avoid pain.

Think about those characters—or real life people you know—who are always moving on to the next thing before they’ve finished the first. They may have had a variety of interesting, unusual jobs. They may be world travelers. They may be settled into suburbia but are always up for a last minute weekend getaway. I recently heard about a couple who woke up one Saturday morning looking to do something interesting, so they hopped a quick flight from Atlanta to DC, walked around a few hours, had dinner and came home.

Friends, meet the Enneagram Seven.

Who doesn’t want to have that kind of energy and enthusiasm for life? That ability to say, “the house and the yard and the chores will all still be there on Monday, so let’s soak up some fun today.”

But what makes a Seven so much more than just the quintessential “life of the party” is that their carpe diem attitude is actually masking a deep need to find satisfaction and contentment. Consider these thoughts:

• Sevens seek stimulation to avoid the inevitable disappointment that follows the high of anticipation.
• They are fast learners who absorb new information and quickly pick up manual skills.
• Because they can do most things with relative ease, they struggle to decide what to do with their lives.
• Often Sevens cope with this anxiety (or negative feelings) by staying busy all the time.
• This makes them productive because anticipating a future project brings them joy.

However, in constantly trying to find their next source, Sevens can become overextended, distracted, and exhausted. Which leads to a classic crash and burn.

Sounds like the perfect set up for a character arc, right?

While it’s easy to see how this personality type translates to the page, what’s more important is to recognize these tendencies in yourself and the people around you. The next time you want to hop a plane somewhere on a random Saturday morning—maybe ask yourself, is there something I’m avoiding?

Because underneath the surface is always where life—and story—gets interesting.

Your turn! I’d love to hear what you think about the Enneagram and how it’s impacting your writing and living.

For more Enneagram Study:

• Modern Mrs. Darcy
• Enneagram.net
• The Enneagram at Work
• Enneagram and Coffee on Instagram
• Eclectic Energies
• Enneagram Types of 99 Fictional Characters

Don’t miss the rest of the posts in this series!

• Part 1: How to Use Enneagram to Type the Characters You Write
• Part 2: THE PERFECTIONIST: How to Type Your Characters with the Enneagram
• Part 3: Enneagram Type 2—How to Use Enneagram to Type the Characters You Write
• Part 4: Use Enneagram to Type the Characters You Write – Type Three
• Part 5: Use Enneagram to Type the Characters You Write – Type Four
• Part 6: Use Enneagram to Type the Characters You Write – Type Five
• Part 7: Use Enneagram To Type Your Characters – Type Six
• Part 8: Type Your Characters – Enneagram Seven
• Part 9: Type Your Characters – Enneagram Eight
• Part 10: Type Your Characters – Enneagram Nine

Because she’s a type 4 and therefore always seeking the unique, Lindsey P. Brackett writes southern fiction infused with her rural Georgia upbringing and Lowcountry roots. Her debut novel, Still Waters, released in 2017 and was named the 2018 Selah Book of the Year. Her latest novel, The Bridge Between, released in 2019. Someday she hopes to balance motherhood and writing full-time. Until then, she’s just very grateful for her public school system.

Connect with Lindsey and get her free novella, Magnolia Mistletoe, at lindseypbrackett.com or on Instagram @lindseypbrackett.