i like the idea of using the tritype as a blueprint for a main character's arc in a trilogy. each story would focus on one fixation, leaving the strongest one for the climax of the story at the end.
Wait this might actually apply to Woody in the Toy Story trilogy TS1: 2: He gets jealous of Buzz cuz Andy plays with him more TS2: 6: He gains existential anxiety about his mortality and Andy one day leaving him so he joins the museum plan because of its certainty TS3: 1: He has to let go off his rigid code about always being there for Andy and "dirty his hands" by finally saying goodbye
Literally wouldn't be a writer if it wasn't for you. I know that a lot of creative arts don't have rigidly defined fundamentals. But if I ever had to point someone towards anything I'd consider to be some form of fundamentals in writing, it would be this channel!
Your videos about storytelling have incidentally helped me confront my own pathologies and common mistakes. Your 9 video made me realize "oh thats not good that i am just like this". Thanks guy from TH-cam
Learning about the eneagram has helped me so much, and I'm glad he started this for me because I learned I was a 2w4 (now just a 2) and I learned how to see myself as a normal part of society and appreciate the world around me, and feel like a full fledged human being because I have overcome my fourness it's a beautiful thing
As a writer, I feel like I really lucked out with finding your channel. Learning more about enneagrams has helped me substantially with flushing out my characters more and now as I’m writing the second installment to my book series I feel all the more confident in my ability to bring my story and characters to life.
Your differentiation between knowing and understanding really connects with me, writing vids like this are great but when im in the thick of writing it truly comes down to understanding rather then following "orders". Atleast for me my characters are usually only as good as my understanding of those characters, and usually if i cant explain them simply then i dont understand them. And originally that was a truth i wasnt fully willing to accept. Idk if youll see this but thank you!
Following the Enneagram series has been an absolute gift for someone wanting to write their own story and the part about how people communicate to one another really resonated with me as someone who's also an artist. Sure you can take all of these fundamental concepts and regurgitate them onto a canvas but when you're first starting out you're really taking those fundamentals and building your own "training wheels" based on your weak points and over time you can discard the extra steps because you have most of it down to intuition. The Enneagram feels the same way to me, you shouldn't take it literally but as one of a handful of filters you put your characters' lived experiences through to outline their emotional development. Really enjoyed this series and will be rewatching it several times to really soak it in I'm sure, can't wait to see what you have for the future.
I cannot say enough about how much I've learned from this series. Total game-changer. As a Type 5 (with 3 in my tri-type), I'm very much on that same wavelength in terms of mental models and organizing things for the purpose of creating something coherent. As such, it warmed my heart at 13:23 to hear you suggest exactly what I've been doing all this time: taking a good look at all your ideas, picking the stuff that works really well in my own head, then making amendments/cuts/additions as needed to refine my own mental model.
Interesting series. You've reawakened my fascination with enneagram which has lay dormant for 10 years or so. I'm a 947 tri-type. Often referred to as quintessential daydreamers/escapists. Highly creative, but equally impractical. Triple avoidant. Your take on enneagram 9s alone, specifically having too thick of a skin, as well as the "some-day" dream was extremely thought provoking and something I've rarely seen explored. Equally interesting how your tritype 351 is literally my ideal psychological destination based on the integration points of each individual type of my own and involves, (to my understanding,) ruthless, sigma grindset esque engagement in practical tasks to reinforce self worth, (3), an iron-clad, systematic process where the conditions are flawless (1) as well as autistic levels of over-analysis to secure intellectual competence. (5) I have high ambitions of following through with creative endeavors to the point of being self-published and this video series has reinforced this seemingly impossible mission of mine. Pleased to say I've made significant process since the middle of the year, retroactively applying it to fictional characters of my own to better simplify complex core motivations. Taking a break for the holidays, but thanks for making these videos. Been a very intriguing no-nonsense approach to a personality system which appears deceptively shallow based on the content creator explaining it. You clearly have a genuine interest in the subject manner. Keep up the good work. Curious to see where you take the channel from here,
1:10 to 4:00 on was a really wonderful to hear, I was kinda going out of my mind thinking there is no place for someone like me in this writing game. I am one hundred percent someone who writes a for humour/joke building over emotional depth(while still making sure every character has some pathology). And seeing the way a show like Smiling Friends is praised for its novelty gives me hope for my show concepts. I appreciate the emotional arcs of something like Bob's Burgers and people who can tap into that but it is not for me. Cheers, Merry Christmas, brother!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and have learned a lot. I really appreciate the effort and time put into dissecting and even improving the Enneagram. Do you think that there’s any chance you might consider crafting a single document which summarises the Enneagram types? I think it would be very valuable to many people. As a writer myself, I would be willing to pay for such a thing.
Your early mentions of the enneagram as a writing tool back in 2023 already gave me a new fresh way to enjoy both writing and consuming other media, and now you've laid it all out super clearly, and wrapped it all up with a bow. I think you really delivered something super useful, entertaining, and self-aware, that will help a lot of people. Brilliant series, thank you!!
If you're not constantly asking why things are the way they are then it's very difficult to learn and retain information. And I think the Enneagram is a great way of learning from the ground up with character writing. Personality is just a reaction as with anything else in life.
Through this series and your previous videos you have changed how I think of characters and writing. Im an artist at heart, I fit into that "has 2000 characters with no story or plot" and you've given me the tools to rethink/rewrite my characters. Keep up the amazing work, I always feel a light bulb go off after watching on of your videos!
Great, now I'll have a voice in the back of my head categorizing every character I see till the end of time because of YOU. Merry Christler to you too.
Several things ended this crumbus season: TF2 comic series LocalScriptMan Enneagram series. And other things that I don't currently have in mind right now.
This channel is such a gem. You came along at just the right time to reinforce the writing style that I was naturally inclined towards. The logical way of outlining characters arcs, the heavy emphasis on themes, it's all so perfect. It's like you were finding a way to explain things that I half-knew, but couldn't pin down. Thanks for that. (This not to say I'm going to follow every bit of advice or take this channel as the be-all-end-all, but I do highly admire this way of thinking and agree with a large chunk of it.)
Thanks a bunch for this series, dude! It's raw and honest and genuinely helpful. You've provided me with new ways of viewing the core conflicts of many of the types. I think I'm now on the same page as you regarding how to implement it practically for writing purposes. Since I'm a 4 writing about a 4, I'll probably be lost in the mirror maze of introspection for a while longer, but your 4 video has helped a lot. Happy holidays!
One of the most transformative series on screenwriting around. This series has been the missing link between me being able to properly write subtext. Already feel like my characters words are so much more insidiously hiding deeper core motivations.
I gotta agree with you on your methodology there. Simply knowing the thing is not enough. What you can do with information is what counts. What you can build off of it helps form intuition.
Oh my gosh, I was using your character sheet for my story, and I was immediately finding that each of my characters fit into an eneagram type. My mind is kind of blown.
This series helped me so much and i dont even know if i can thank you enough. I have been watching them continuously and I think you have done a great job of getting your points across without the videos dragging out longer. Not that I wouldnt watch longer videos, actually I would prefer longer videos but that's besides the point. I am so grateful for all the efforts you've put into this. Stay safe❤
These videos were one of the most AMAZING classes I've ever had the opportunity to take on storytelling, they're worth years of college, a big thank you local script man!
it's like you heard i was on the verge of giving up writing broke into my house and shook me until i remembered why i enjoy the painful process of character creation, thank you for your service script man
I just watched this video today and your formulation @5:49 has already been more helpful to my writing and my life than I've gotten from whole books I've read on writing. Thanks.
The blank is preventing them from being blank thingy is so good. Also the Trityping helped a lot with the consistency of how my characters would react to the plot points (that they themselves brought on) which is something I've been feeling lost about. Genuinely all the things I've learned from you are so good. Is this how it's like when you're a storyteller talented enough to make money out of it lmao. Genuinely, thanks so much. Merry Christmas!
I feel like the only thing missing from this really impressive model (no sacrasm, actually amazing stuff you’ve made here) is what it means to be a “healthy” individual, and how societal context shaping what traits are healthy and which are not. I feel like that should be the starting point for discussing the Ennegram, which, as I understand, is basically a tool for diagnosing mental health issues. I think if we limit what character stories are to just people getting over their mental issues, it paints a rather weird picture, where nothing interesting could happen with “healthy” characters. Is it possible to write a story with deep and intereting characters, where all of them are healthy? Is mental issues = depth?
I think it's a simple "not giving in to your compulsion and hurting yourself and others". Like a healthy 2 will learn to stop checking on people, giving to get, etc. A healthy 8 will stop attacking everything head on. There's a concept in the enneagram that every type in health will look more like a different type (healthy 2s resemble 4s, healthy 8s are closer to 2, that's what the lines are for) but even if you disagree with the concept, i think health is when you stop hurting yourself. And each type has their own unique way of hurting themselves
Healthy = self-actualization, thus, moral neutrality. At least, from how I understand Local's interpretation, he specifically forgoes the idea of characters "fixing" themselves or mental issues. What really matters about a character is that they have something they're not satisfied with, some kind of coping mechanism that they either get over with (growth) or don't (tragedy). So, no, I think mental issues ≠ depth. It's possible to write a story full of mentally problematic people and have it fall flat and boring because there's no real thematic framework behind it. Meanwhile, a story filled with healthy, self-actualized people _is_ possible. Maybe not _all_ of them should be healthy, but even healthy people have things they need to smooth out. They have problems, and those problems _can_ make for a deep and interesting story, lest you know where you're going with that theme.
I know in the video, episodic random situations, goofing around kids, archetypal good vs evil, and mouthpiece stories operate outside of the Enneagram. Those are the stories where characters unlearning lies aren't the point, but they can still be interesting. Shallow characters can still be interesting. But you're asking if a story can be interesting when when we begin with all the characters post-arc and they've all overcame their compulsion. Depth doesn't disappear when you're healthy right? If you put them all in one room, would they all act the same? Would they agree on everything? If they're always healthy throughout the story, that doesn't mean they can't still change/be dynamic and make decisions unique to them. They may be healthy, but that doesn't mean they'll all just hold hands and sing kumbaya. Unless they all achieved literal Nirvana and 100% total self-actualization, I think there's still something juicy to be squeezed out from this. Conflict can still exist. Goals and motivations can still exist. Steps in between points A and B still exist. Maybe they overcame their flaws, but what about their weaknesses? Would you agree that healthy would just mean we don't take a weakness to a bad extreme? You still have a lot to work with Here's an idea, if they don't have to stay healthy, then maybe we can force them to be unhealthy again. That'd be interesting imo Tbh, I don't know how you'd approach this
Yeah I’ve had a similar thought to yours, and for now I’ve leaned on the idea that “healthy” and “unhealthy” are at different ends of a spectrum. Human perfection doesn’t really exist, and so a “healthy” character will just find some other trait-rooted-in-negative-pathology that’s holding them back which they do or don’t overcome. But this unhealthy aspect of them can still be pretty small. For instance, I’m writing a 6 who deals with sixy stuff, but even in situations where the character’s actions, thoughts, and/or feelings are challenged, they don’t go completely off the rails. Instead the flaw is shown more subtly, and its emerging consequences are more insidious. That can make for a bit more of a convincing character in my eyes-a “somewhat” healthy but definitely still flawed character.
Merry Christmas Lucascriptman. Thank you very much for making the enneagram series. It has allowed me to understand my own fictional stories on a much deeper level by figuring out what my characters want and what scenarios and relationships can make their journeys work. I’ve also typed myself with these videos and that has helped me a lot. There aren’t a lot of times when I open up TH-cam and find anything that actually sticks with me for much longer than 5 seconds, genuinely. But this series is really amazing. I’ll be revisiting it periodically from now on.
Found this channel a little over a year ago. Had been watching other channels line The Closer Look before because learning about writing interested me. I wanted to rewrite the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie just to see what I could come up with, and reflecting on what I was trying to do a year ago vs now just by watching these videos, it’s crazy. I used to try to force every character(even the ones with no importance to greater events) to have some super deep connection to theme when it didn’t make any sense, and your commentary here among other videos relating to children not yet having these deep wants or trauma specifically is what actually made me throw away what I had been working on with that rewrite. Probably was a bit scrambled there but I’m just grateful this channel exists. I want to make a screenplay for something one day and I feel more confident in my ability to try that now
Merry Christmas fairly localscriptman. Will definitely be re watching the enneagram series in the future. It's Hella useful I'm just not quite in a writing position to use them yet.
These videos have been amazing, really helped me to conceptualize characters so much easier. My own and others. I don't really have another place to do this so I'm gonna talk about my own tri-types real quick. I'm gonna order it from which ones affect me most though. So I'd have 952, from the very first video I knew I had 9 stuff going on, to the point that I cried a little bit when rewatching the series when the 2 video came out. I'm constantly hyper rationalising everything but only when the 9ness has put me in a slump so I don't have much else to do but think. And I get overbearing in relationships that aren't 100% secure (so my immediate family) to the point they either get exhausted or bored by the repetition and the 9 5 stuff as you would know is pretty paralyzing so those relationships are often few are far between due to not seeking them out It's a neat little self-fulfilling cycle
THANK YOU for the series and continuing to upload to youtube! Your videos has helped me continue writing more times than I can count! Happy holidays! 🙏👍💯
the tri-pick is interesting. I personally self-analyzed to have the issues of 8, 9 and 1 far more than anything else. Any other type feels rather distant on an emotional and analytical level.
Personally I did not that much use out of the anagram myself (Fanfic writer) but they videos where still really useful! They showed me some of story beats, the actual things you use to make the story in the first place, thank you for making this series!
This has been a cool series, thanks for all your hard work on it! I think the tri type breakdown in particular has been helpful for me, because I was having trouble putting this into practice when I would push on a character in ways that didn't feel like they had a clear response when focusing on a single typing.
This thing about the personal models is so true. And I say that as someone who doesn't work in any kind of a creative industry but as an accountant. We regularly have apprentices in our department for two months at a time, and sometimes we get someone on an internship for a day. And the best way to see if our current apprentice truly understands what they're doing is by having them explain our daily business to the intern. That's when you get to see whether they just 'learned stuff' to be able to recite said stuff by heart, or whether they really got it. When theoretical input is being transformed to output, that's the point when it shows. And in the creative sector developing your own theory or your own version or subdivision of a theory or model is certainly super helpful.
Merry Christmas local script man and thanks for creating this awesome content. Would be great to get your take on the moments between the arcs and acts and how you build up those when you are working from a theme or a character perspective. For example - what is the function of a given scene and then beats and tropes within that scene. Cheers.
Merry Chrysler! I've appreciated your approach of building dynamic comprehension of the types with open applicability. You're quite right about making it your own tool, I'd say I approach it a bit differently than you, but this series has definitely built up my overview and you have good takes and analysis. I also appreciate you arranging to do the type you had the most difficulty with last, to create more to time work on it, very fair. Congrats on completing the series!
The more I play with neural networks the more I think that people overestimate telling abstract concepts and underestimate showing dozens of examples to make learner form his understanding of abstract concept.
It occurs to me that you released the 4 video like a month too early, as Wicked is essentially the ultimate type 4 tragedy and it would've been great to talk about it while it was coming out. But oh well. Very glad this series is finished :3
I have a friend who sometimes asks me for advice about the story he is writting. At one point there was a character who did something really cool in an eveil way. It was a great moment but it didn't click with me beacause it wasn't something he enjoyed doing or benifit from. And then I watched the type 8 video again and it all made sense. Withine a couple of hours I had figured out his motivation backstory and redemtion arc. I'm not sure how much I'll be using the eneargram going fowards but watching all your videos was worth it just for that. Thank you
Thank you for this video and really this whole series it’s all so insightful video also I am so fascinated about whatever Billybob and Martha are getting up to on those sticky notes especially the sixth one with the circled words 😂😂😂 I wish I had a bunch of walls to do that on I’d put up like a thousand of ‘em 😂
This series really opened my eyes to some powerful stuff, I probably never would've engaged that deeply with something like this otherwise, as I too used to write off any and all personality theory as astrology-adjacent Buzzfeed clownery. But in researching it through various other sources like the you've got a type channel, Josh Keefe's videos, Richard Rohr, Ian Crohn, etc, I've synthesized it all internally into something that makes me view myself, other people, and especially fictional characters, in a much different way, for better or worse. The burden of knowledge is truly great. I don't totally agree with any one interpretation of it but that's the point, it's a helpful guideline and not a strict doctrine. I am pretty sure I'm 1-pilled based on the sum of the descriptions I've heard, so my need to be right by applying a consistent set of rules to everything can make the enneagram a bit addicting and frustrating for me at the same time. It seems at once like an arbitrary matter of interpretation and a mysterious, holistic insight to a deeper truth of the universe. It's like the calendar year or the face of a clock. It's a model. A supermodel, even. But I digress. Thank you for making this series and sharing the nukes. Even in all my enneagram consumption, I don't think I've found any other singular source as intuitive, accessible, and digestible as your series has been, particularly as it pertains to the realm of fiction (especially since Josh Keefe went into witness protection, presumably). Obviously, most other people come at it from a more psychological or religious point of view, which is certainly valuable, but real people's minds are messy with distracting egotism. There's a raw, unintentional honesty available in fiction that isn't as accessible in psychoanalysis or even spiritual practice. I've written protagonists who are 1s without realizing it, and I know other people who have done the same with their own fixations. Fiction is such fertile ground for discussing this stuff because there's an air of detachment baked into it, which makes it less threatening, and at the same time, it's hard to tell a story with deeper meaning if it isn't at least partially about your own lived experience. And since all 9 types are a part of every person, the enneagram can help a writer understand any and all perspectives they could need to tap into to write a compelling story with a fleshed-out cast of characters, should they want to. And honestly (big side note), I don't know that there's even such a thing as a primary character without a type, per se. It's only a matter of how dynamic you want to make them. Character *development* isn't necessarily built into it, I've written static characters since learning the enneagram, using it to inform their roles in the story, and still made them appear shallow on the surface on purpose because they're meant to be exaggerated archetypes. Is Mr. Boss type 0 or is he just a static 7? Nothing is out of character for him except him suddenly becoming a consistent, grounded character who never does anything chaotic for a whole season (even for SF that'd be a weird bit to commit to, there'd have to be a punchline where he does something insane again, which wouldn't count). I might seem silly saying Mr. Boss is afraid of facing the darkness in his soul so he distracts himself with random bullshit and positive vibes, but that reading only seems silly because his deeper problems aren't the "point" of his character on a metatextual level. That doesn't mean it's not true in-universe. Sure, he doesn't need to grow so he doesn't "need" to be typed, but that doesn't mean the type isn't there, informing how his decisions are written from the subconscious 7 part of the writers' brains. I actually think it's pretty hard to write a truly inconsistent character, even if you don't know what you're doing. The enneagram just helps you identify what you're doing and why. Anyway, TLDR; this series kicked ass and put me on some game.
It's funny that I work a lot with the enneagram to the point where I find everyday that I don't agree with some parts of it and how people present it (as if it was something to agree on), though I loved your videos BECAUSE you picture YOUR perspective on that matter (one that's well versed that is). If we are to repeat alphanumerically every chapter of Riso's book or just emulate the experiences from Claudio Naranjo's work, we won't actually get to create something of our own with it. My take is that the enneagram is a tool of understanding and symbolic human nature, it needs to be integrated as a path, not a finish line; as a compendium of complexes like archetypes based on observation, not a clinical typology with which to analyze a single unfathomable person. Really liked your videos, you absolutely helped a fellow writer.
I once payed for a consulting call with this guy for the tv show we're developing and I rarely spend money on stuff like this but it was well worth it.
Definitely going to have to binge the series. Felt like I could see myself in every one of these, which you did mention, but want to see if there's anything I can really pick out. Having a hard time really internalizing the information (which I guess just takes time).
I’m happy to have learn from you and your intellect. Ennegram was hard to understand but you made it easy. Thanks and I can’t wait to watch more of your stuff. Merry Christmas 🎄
Watching your videos was the first domino that led to me reviving some of my favorite stories - plus your videos kept me reconsidering hmm do I want this domino... Oh shit here's a WAYYY better domino. Merry Christmas Man of Scripts that are Local
this helped a lot! i was stuck in writers block for a bit because i was trying to apply the enneagram from your own viewpoint, but now you've helped me realise that i should watch many many more videos if i want a proper understanding of it. seems i've still got quite a while to go 👍. thanks for all your information though ill be neatly storing it into a journal in my closet
My favourite part about this series you are also a the same type as Dave from objective personality group who do the same thing of looking for pathologies to type people but under mbti. Like down to advice and takes and body language.
Merry Christmas, and thank you for providing this free and useful information. As some one who wants to get into writing, but struggles with people your video helps. I had started plotting my world, but my characters were lacking a lot. Your videos helped me map the reason for each characters actions, and why they are the way they are.
damn, ain't this just the perfect christmas present. but for real, this was actually the most useful video in the series I really like the tritype thingy. if I had to develop my own model (which I will because I find myself in a transitionary period again, in which I have to reinvent the way I create art because what use to drive me to create before is no longer doing it) I'd probably start with the tritype and brain something personal from there
If you're a complete beginner, how do you test your personal gospel to know which tool is worth keeping and which one is bunk? There isn't a one true storytelling theory, so we all have to find our own way, but maybe there's one theory filterer? or a theory grader? "Does your theory include ___? Does your theory account for ___? Your total score is 7.83 out of 10". You know what i mean?
You have to try stuff. If you’re a complete beginner, take whatever advice gets you over the finish line of a first draft. If you need motivation, watch CJ the X’s 7 Deadly Art Sins. A banger.
Christmas came earl- Well, is here. Anyhow, watched this on double speed so I could throw my hat into the early comment ring A 9-4 here, any off the cuff broadstroke tips for using the enneagram as a tool within the bounds of live session text roleplaying games? Primarily, I think, in terms of mapping a character's approach out or figuring other NPCs out socially EDIT: Thanks so much for this series. Don't know why I didn't say that first- Your channel's really helped me grow as a creative.
I think you can definitely apply the enneagram to NPC conversation styles, but it’s ultimately about why a character is making the decisions they are. There’s also just plain ole leudonarrative dissonance
Thanks for the response; and for sure. Meant more as a player, since the enneagram felt like it helped me with something I usually struggle with- Cutting right to the core of a character (mine or otherwise), especially concerning a GM's antagonists (within more of a narrative system than dnd admittedly) The tritypes you mentioned feel like a really personally fitting step forward in its use too, just have to avoid the trap of overtyping (all systems fake, some are useful and all); thanks again- And godspeed
Merry Christler Localised Scriptwriter Individual.
It's *cRIZZler* , dude
10:33 "*nonconfrontational noises* ... I have a college degree."
*looks up from screen* I love him, your honor
Felt.
gosh local youre so pretty and smart i love you buddy😭
Isn’t he just so pretty to look at
i like the idea of using the tritype as a blueprint for a main character's arc in a trilogy. each story would focus on one fixation, leaving the strongest one for the climax of the story at the end.
Wait this might actually apply to Woody in the Toy Story trilogy
TS1: 2: He gets jealous of Buzz cuz Andy plays with him more
TS2: 6: He gains existential anxiety about his mortality and Andy one day leaving him so he joins the museum plan because of its certainty
TS3: 1: He has to let go off his rigid code about always being there for Andy and "dirty his hands" by finally saying goodbye
But then there's a 4th 🤔
@@JamaalLV That's enneagram type 10
Literally wouldn't be a writer if it wasn't for you. I know that a lot of creative arts don't have rigidly defined fundamentals. But if I ever had to point someone towards anything I'd consider to be some form of fundamentals in writing, it would be this channel!
Bro had the week planner conveniently in the background to try and impress us with his organizational skills. Classic Type 3 just showing off.
Your videos about storytelling have incidentally helped me confront my own pathologies and common mistakes. Your 9 video made me realize "oh thats not good that i am just like this". Thanks guy from TH-cam
Learning about the eneagram has helped me so much, and I'm glad he started this for me because I learned I was a 2w4 (now just a 2) and I learned how to see myself as a normal part of society and appreciate the world around me, and feel like a full fledged human being because I have overcome my fourness it's a beautiful thing
Thank you for your contributions to the Enneagram and writing community, Lucas.
YESSS 2 VIDS IN A FEW SECONDSSS
Introduced me to new rabbit hole of ways to study scripting and storytelling
Merry chrisler scriptman
As a writer, I feel like I really lucked out with finding your channel. Learning more about enneagrams has helped me substantially with flushing out my characters more and now as I’m writing the second installment to my book series I feel all the more confident in my ability to bring my story and characters to life.
Your differentiation between knowing and understanding really connects with me, writing vids like this are great but when im in the thick of writing it truly comes down to understanding rather then following "orders". Atleast for me my characters are usually only as good as my understanding of those characters, and usually if i cant explain them simply then i dont understand them. And originally that was a truth i wasnt fully willing to accept. Idk if youll see this but thank you!
Following the Enneagram series has been an absolute gift for someone wanting to write their own story and the part about how people communicate to one another really resonated with me as someone who's also an artist. Sure you can take all of these fundamental concepts and regurgitate them onto a canvas but when you're first starting out you're really taking those fundamentals and building your own "training wheels" based on your weak points and over time you can discard the extra steps because you have most of it down to intuition. The Enneagram feels the same way to me, you shouldn't take it literally but as one of a handful of filters you put your characters' lived experiences through to outline their emotional development. Really enjoyed this series and will be rewatching it several times to really soak it in I'm sure, can't wait to see what you have for the future.
I cannot say enough about how much I've learned from this series. Total game-changer. As a Type 5 (with 3 in my tri-type), I'm very much on that same wavelength in terms of mental models and organizing things for the purpose of creating something coherent. As such, it warmed my heart at 13:23 to hear you suggest exactly what I've been doing all this time: taking a good look at all your ideas, picking the stuff that works really well in my own head, then making amendments/cuts/additions as needed to refine my own mental model.
You are becoming more articulate, and improving as a creator
Interesting series.
You've reawakened my fascination with enneagram which has lay dormant for 10 years or so.
I'm a 947 tri-type. Often referred to as quintessential daydreamers/escapists. Highly creative, but equally impractical. Triple avoidant.
Your take on enneagram 9s alone, specifically having too thick of a skin, as well as the "some-day" dream was extremely thought provoking and something I've rarely seen explored.
Equally interesting how your tritype 351 is literally my ideal psychological destination based on the integration points of each individual type of my own and involves, (to my understanding,) ruthless, sigma grindset esque engagement in practical tasks to reinforce self worth, (3), an iron-clad, systematic process where the conditions are flawless (1) as well as autistic levels of over-analysis to secure intellectual competence. (5)
I have high ambitions of following through with creative endeavors to the point of being self-published and this video series has reinforced this seemingly impossible mission of mine. Pleased to say I've made significant process since the middle of the year, retroactively applying it to fictional characters of my own to better simplify complex core motivations.
Taking a break for the holidays, but thanks for making these videos. Been a very intriguing no-nonsense approach to a personality system which appears deceptively shallow based on the content creator explaining it. You clearly have a genuine interest in the subject manner.
Keep up the good work. Curious to see where you take the channel from here,
The Enneagram has been so very useful for my writing. I started studying it on the recommendation of this channel!
Merry crisis ✨
My pipes randomly burst while I was out today, it wasn't even below 45 degrees.
:o Merry Crisis indeed.
1:10 to 4:00 on was a really wonderful to hear, I was kinda going out of my mind thinking there is no place for someone like me in this writing game. I am one hundred percent someone who writes a for humour/joke building over emotional depth(while still making sure every character has some pathology). And seeing the way a show like Smiling Friends is praised for its novelty gives me hope for my show concepts. I appreciate the emotional arcs of something like Bob's Burgers and people who can tap into that but it is not for me.
Cheers, Merry Christmas, brother!
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and have learned a lot. I really appreciate the effort and time put into dissecting and even improving the Enneagram. Do you think that there’s any chance you might consider crafting a single document which summarises the Enneagram types? I think it would be very valuable to many people. As a writer myself, I would be willing to pay for such a thing.
Your early mentions of the enneagram as a writing tool back in 2023 already gave me a new fresh way to enjoy both writing and consuming other media, and now you've laid it all out super clearly, and wrapped it all up with a bow.
I think you really delivered something super useful, entertaining, and self-aware, that will help a lot of people. Brilliant series, thank you!!
If you're not constantly asking why things are the way they are then it's very difficult to learn and retain information. And I think the Enneagram is a great way of learning from the ground up with character writing. Personality is just a reaction as with anything else in life.
Through this series and your previous videos you have changed how I think of characters and writing. Im an artist at heart, I fit into that "has 2000 characters with no story or plot" and you've given me the tools to rethink/rewrite my characters. Keep up the amazing work, I always feel a light bulb go off after watching on of your videos!
Great, now I'll have a voice in the back of my head categorizing every character I see till the end of time because of YOU.
Merry Christler to you too.
Several things ended this crumbus season:
TF2 comic series
LocalScriptMan Enneagram series.
And other things that I don't currently have in mind right now.
Epic the Musical's concept album
This channel is such a gem. You came along at just the right time to reinforce the writing style that I was naturally inclined towards. The logical way of outlining characters arcs, the heavy emphasis on themes, it's all so perfect. It's like you were finding a way to explain things that I half-knew, but couldn't pin down. Thanks for that.
(This not to say I'm going to follow every bit of advice or take this channel as the be-all-end-all, but I do highly admire this way of thinking and agree with a large chunk of it.)
Thanks a bunch for this series, dude! It's raw and honest and genuinely helpful. You've provided me with new ways of viewing the core conflicts of many of the types. I think I'm now on the same page as you regarding how to implement it practically for writing purposes. Since I'm a 4 writing about a 4, I'll probably be lost in the mirror maze of introspection for a while longer, but your 4 video has helped a lot. Happy holidays!
One of the most transformative series on screenwriting around. This series has been the missing link between me being able to properly write subtext. Already feel like my characters words are so much more insidiously hiding deeper core motivations.
I gotta agree with you on your methodology there. Simply knowing the thing is not enough. What you can do with information is what counts. What you can build off of it helps form intuition.
Oh my gosh, I was using your character sheet for my story, and I was immediately finding that each of my characters fit into an eneagram type. My mind is kind of blown.
Local script claus is being quite generous this Christmas. ;) I hope you and everyone are having a great Christmas.
This series helped me so much and i dont even know if i can thank you enough. I have been watching them continuously and I think you have done a great job of getting your points across without the videos dragging out longer. Not that I wouldnt watch longer videos, actually I would prefer longer videos but that's besides the point. I am so grateful for all the efforts you've put into this. Stay safe❤
Cheers Mr. Man of Local Scripts, this series has been fascinating and thought-provoking! I’m so grateful for it
These videos were one of the most AMAZING classes I've ever had the opportunity to take on storytelling, they're worth years of college, a big thank you local script man!
it's like you heard i was on the verge of giving up writing broke into my house and shook me until i remembered why i enjoy the painful process of character creation, thank you for your service script man
Just want to say I adored this series and it made a big impact on how I view people as a whole, let alone characters.
I just watched this video today and your formulation @5:49 has already been more helpful to my writing and my life than I've gotten from whole books I've read on writing. Thanks.
Thanks a lot for the valuable information, mister O7
The blank is preventing them from being blank thingy is so good. Also the Trityping helped a lot with the consistency of how my characters would react to the plot points (that they themselves brought on) which is something I've been feeling lost about. Genuinely all the things I've learned from you are so good. Is this how it's like when you're a storyteller talented enough to make money out of it lmao. Genuinely, thanks so much. Merry Christmas!
Thanks for putting this whole series together. From what I can tell, it's helped me a lot in understanding myself.
This series has been an absolute joy to watch.
I literally love your content. And I do think you're the coolest. And I would also like to be able to like your videos multiple times
I feel like the only thing missing from this really impressive model (no sacrasm, actually amazing stuff you’ve made here) is what it means to be a “healthy” individual, and how societal context shaping what traits are healthy and which are not. I feel like that should be the starting point for discussing the Ennegram, which, as I understand, is basically a tool for diagnosing mental health issues.
I think if we limit what character stories are to just people getting over their mental issues, it paints a rather weird picture, where nothing interesting could happen with “healthy” characters.
Is it possible to write a story with deep and intereting characters, where all of them are healthy? Is mental issues = depth?
I think it's a simple "not giving in to your compulsion and hurting yourself and others". Like a healthy 2 will learn to stop checking on people, giving to get, etc. A healthy 8 will stop attacking everything head on. There's a concept in the enneagram that every type in health will look more like a different type (healthy 2s resemble 4s, healthy 8s are closer to 2, that's what the lines are for) but even if you disagree with the concept, i think health is when you stop hurting yourself. And each type has their own unique way of hurting themselves
Healthy = self-actualization, thus, moral neutrality. At least, from how I understand Local's interpretation, he specifically forgoes the idea of characters "fixing" themselves or mental issues. What really matters about a character is that they have something they're not satisfied with, some kind of coping mechanism that they either get over with (growth) or don't (tragedy).
So, no, I think mental issues ≠ depth. It's possible to write a story full of mentally problematic people and have it fall flat and boring because there's no real thematic framework behind it. Meanwhile, a story filled with healthy, self-actualized people _is_ possible. Maybe not _all_ of them should be healthy, but even healthy people have things they need to smooth out. They have problems, and those problems _can_ make for a deep and interesting story, lest you know where you're going with that theme.
I know in the video, episodic random situations, goofing around kids, archetypal good vs evil, and mouthpiece stories operate outside of the Enneagram. Those are the stories where characters unlearning lies aren't the point, but they can still be interesting. Shallow characters can still be interesting.
But you're asking if a story can be interesting when when we begin with all the characters post-arc and they've all overcame their compulsion. Depth doesn't disappear when you're healthy right? If you put them all in one room, would they all act the same? Would they agree on everything? If they're always healthy throughout the story, that doesn't mean they can't still change/be dynamic and make decisions unique to them. They may be healthy, but that doesn't mean they'll all just hold hands and sing kumbaya. Unless they all achieved literal Nirvana and 100% total self-actualization, I think there's still something juicy to be squeezed out from this. Conflict can still exist. Goals and motivations can still exist. Steps in between points A and B still exist. Maybe they overcame their flaws, but what about their weaknesses? Would you agree that healthy would just mean we don't take a weakness to a bad extreme? You still have a lot to work with
Here's an idea, if they don't have to stay healthy, then maybe we can force them to be unhealthy again. That'd be interesting imo
Tbh, I don't know how you'd approach this
Yeah I’ve had a similar thought to yours, and for now I’ve leaned on the idea that “healthy” and “unhealthy” are at different ends of a spectrum. Human perfection doesn’t really exist, and so a “healthy” character will just find some other trait-rooted-in-negative-pathology that’s holding them back which they do or don’t overcome. But this unhealthy aspect of them can still be pretty small.
For instance, I’m writing a 6 who deals with sixy stuff, but even in situations where the character’s actions, thoughts, and/or feelings are challenged, they don’t go completely off the rails. Instead the flaw is shown more subtly, and its emerging consequences are more insidious. That can make for a bit more of a convincing character in my eyes-a “somewhat” healthy but definitely still flawed character.
Merry Christmas Lucascriptman. Thank you very much for making the enneagram series. It has allowed me to understand my own fictional stories on a much deeper level by figuring out what my characters want and what scenarios and relationships can make their journeys work. I’ve also typed myself with these videos and that has helped me a lot. There aren’t a lot of times when I open up TH-cam and find anything that actually sticks with me for much longer than 5 seconds, genuinely. But this series is really amazing. I’ll be revisiting it periodically from now on.
Found this channel a little over a year ago. Had been watching other channels line The Closer Look before because learning about writing interested me. I wanted to rewrite the Five Nights at Freddy’s movie just to see what I could come up with, and reflecting on what I was trying to do a year ago vs now just by watching these videos, it’s crazy. I used to try to force every character(even the ones with no importance to greater events) to have some super deep connection to theme when it didn’t make any sense, and your commentary here among other videos relating to children not yet having these deep wants or trauma specifically is what actually made me throw away what I had been working on with that rewrite.
Probably was a bit scrambled there but I’m just grateful this channel exists. I want to make a screenplay for something one day and I feel more confident in my ability to try that now
0:39
CAN WE GET MUCH HIGHER? 🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥
This has been my year of enneagram 🎉 And it all started with your video series! Thank you for putting together such a great introductory series!
Merry Christmas fairly localscriptman. Will definitely be re watching the enneagram series in the future. It's Hella useful I'm just not quite in a writing position to use them yet.
These videos have been amazing, really helped me to conceptualize characters so much easier. My own and others.
I don't really have another place to do this so I'm gonna talk about my own tri-types real quick. I'm gonna order it from which ones affect me most though. So I'd have 952, from the very first video I knew I had 9 stuff going on, to the point that I cried a little bit when rewatching the series when the 2 video came out. I'm constantly hyper rationalising everything but only when the 9ness has put me in a slump so I don't have much else to do but think. And I get overbearing in relationships that aren't 100% secure (so my immediate family) to the point they either get exhausted or bored by the repetition and the 9 5 stuff as you would know is pretty paralyzing so those relationships are often few are far between due to not seeking them out
It's a neat little self-fulfilling cycle
THANK YOU for the series and continuing to upload to youtube! Your videos has helped me continue writing more times than I can count! Happy holidays! 🙏👍💯
the tri-pick is interesting. I personally self-analyzed to have the issues of 8, 9 and 1 far more than anything else.
Any other type feels rather distant on an emotional and analytical level.
11:54 "I'm not trying to suck myself off. Also I'm a type 3"
investigations like yours are exactly what tf the Internet was made for.
thanks for the ride and happy New Year.
Personally I did not that much use out of the anagram myself (Fanfic writer) but they videos where still really useful! They showed me some of story beats, the actual things you use to make the story in the first place, thank you for making this series!
This has been a cool series, thanks for all your hard work on it! I think the tri type breakdown in particular has been helpful for me, because I was having trouble putting this into practice when I would push on a character in ways that didn't feel like they had a clear response when focusing on a single typing.
Tritypes are actually awesome, thx
Love that you changed your opinion on tritypes :)
Incredibile fit for the grand finale of this amazing series
Merry Christmas and happy new year
This thing about the personal models is so true. And I say that as someone who doesn't work in any kind of a creative industry but as an accountant. We regularly have apprentices in our department for two months at a time, and sometimes we get someone on an internship for a day. And the best way to see if our current apprentice truly understands what they're doing is by having them explain our daily business to the intern. That's when you get to see whether they just 'learned stuff' to be able to recite said stuff by heart, or whether they really got it. When theoretical input is being transformed to output, that's the point when it shows. And in the creative sector developing your own theory or your own version or subdivision of a theory or model is certainly super helpful.
Merry Christmas local script man and thanks for creating this awesome content. Would be great to get your take on the moments between the arcs and acts and how you build up those when you are working from a theme or a character perspective. For example - what is the function of a given scene and then beats and tropes within that scene. Cheers.
Absolutely loved this series, has really helped in my revision process to understand my characters (and self) better!
When he doesn’t give you a special access pass
My bad
Merry Christmas bro ❤😤
Likewise bro 🎄💚
Merry Chrysler! I've appreciated your approach of building dynamic comprehension of the types with open applicability. You're quite right about making it your own tool, I'd say I approach it a bit differently than you, but this series has definitely built up my overview and you have good takes and analysis. I also appreciate you arranging to do the type you had the most difficulty with last, to create more to time work on it, very fair. Congrats on completing the series!
The more I play with neural networks the more I think that people overestimate telling abstract concepts and underestimate showing dozens of examples to make learner form his understanding of abstract concept.
It occurs to me that you released the 4 video like a month too early, as Wicked is essentially the ultimate type 4 tragedy and it would've been great to talk about it while it was coming out. But oh well. Very glad this series is finished :3
I completely agree with everything you said about learning! I'm gonna have to remember that, honestly nothing more can be added... wait a second
Merry Chrisler Lucas, and a Happy New Year!
His name isn't LocalScriptMan? 😔
I have a friend who sometimes asks me for advice about the story he is writting.
At one point there was a character who did something really cool in an eveil way. It was a great moment but it didn't click with me beacause it wasn't something he enjoyed doing or benifit from. And then I watched the type 8 video again and it all made sense. Withine a couple of hours I had figured out his motivation backstory and redemtion arc.
I'm not sure how much I'll be using the eneargram going fowards but watching all your videos was worth it just for that.
Thank you
Merry Quiznos
Thank you for this video and really this whole series it’s all so insightful video also I am so fascinated about whatever Billybob and Martha are getting up to on those sticky notes especially the sixth one with the circled words 😂😂😂 I wish I had a bunch of walls to do that on I’d put up like a thousand of ‘em 😂
This series really opened my eyes to some powerful stuff, I probably never would've engaged that deeply with something like this otherwise, as I too used to write off any and all personality theory as astrology-adjacent Buzzfeed clownery. But in researching it through various other sources like the you've got a type channel, Josh Keefe's videos, Richard Rohr, Ian Crohn, etc, I've synthesized it all internally into something that makes me view myself, other people, and especially fictional characters, in a much different way, for better or worse. The burden of knowledge is truly great. I don't totally agree with any one interpretation of it but that's the point, it's a helpful guideline and not a strict doctrine. I am pretty sure I'm 1-pilled based on the sum of the descriptions I've heard, so my need to be right by applying a consistent set of rules to everything can make the enneagram a bit addicting and frustrating for me at the same time. It seems at once like an arbitrary matter of interpretation and a mysterious, holistic insight to a deeper truth of the universe. It's like the calendar year or the face of a clock. It's a model. A supermodel, even. But I digress.
Thank you for making this series and sharing the nukes. Even in all my enneagram consumption, I don't think I've found any other singular source as intuitive, accessible, and digestible as your series has been, particularly as it pertains to the realm of fiction (especially since Josh Keefe went into witness protection, presumably). Obviously, most other people come at it from a more psychological or religious point of view, which is certainly valuable, but real people's minds are messy with distracting egotism. There's a raw, unintentional honesty available in fiction that isn't as accessible in psychoanalysis or even spiritual practice. I've written protagonists who are 1s without realizing it, and I know other people who have done the same with their own fixations. Fiction is such fertile ground for discussing this stuff because there's an air of detachment baked into it, which makes it less threatening, and at the same time, it's hard to tell a story with deeper meaning if it isn't at least partially about your own lived experience. And since all 9 types are a part of every person, the enneagram can help a writer understand any and all perspectives they could need to tap into to write a compelling story with a fleshed-out cast of characters, should they want to.
And honestly (big side note), I don't know that there's even such a thing as a primary character without a type, per se. It's only a matter of how dynamic you want to make them. Character *development* isn't necessarily built into it, I've written static characters since learning the enneagram, using it to inform their roles in the story, and still made them appear shallow on the surface on purpose because they're meant to be exaggerated archetypes. Is Mr. Boss type 0 or is he just a static 7? Nothing is out of character for him except him suddenly becoming a consistent, grounded character who never does anything chaotic for a whole season (even for SF that'd be a weird bit to commit to, there'd have to be a punchline where he does something insane again, which wouldn't count). I might seem silly saying Mr. Boss is afraid of facing the darkness in his soul so he distracts himself with random bullshit and positive vibes, but that reading only seems silly because his deeper problems aren't the "point" of his character on a metatextual level. That doesn't mean it's not true in-universe. Sure, he doesn't need to grow so he doesn't "need" to be typed, but that doesn't mean the type isn't there, informing how his decisions are written from the subconscious 7 part of the writers' brains. I actually think it's pretty hard to write a truly inconsistent character, even if you don't know what you're doing. The enneagram just helps you identify what you're doing and why.
Anyway, TLDR; this series kicked ass and put me on some game.
It's funny that I work a lot with the enneagram to the point where I find everyday that I don't agree with some parts of it and how people present it (as if it was something to agree on), though I loved your videos BECAUSE you picture YOUR perspective on that matter (one that's well versed that is). If we are to repeat alphanumerically every chapter of Riso's book or just emulate the experiences from Claudio Naranjo's work, we won't actually get to create something of our own with it. My take is that the enneagram is a tool of understanding and symbolic human nature, it needs to be integrated as a path, not a finish line; as a compendium of complexes like archetypes based on observation, not a clinical typology with which to analyze a single unfathomable person.
Really liked your videos, you absolutely helped a fellow writer.
I once payed for a consulting call with this guy for the tv show we're developing and I rarely spend money on stuff like this but it was well worth it.
These videos lowkey highkey invaluable
i love you LocalScriptMan 😞💗
Definitely going to have to binge the series. Felt like I could see myself in every one of these, which you did mention, but want to see if there's anything I can really pick out. Having a hard time really internalizing the information (which I guess just takes time).
I’m happy to have learn from you and your intellect. Ennegram was hard to understand but you made it easy. Thanks and I can’t wait to watch more of your stuff. Merry Christmas 🎄
Watching your videos was the first domino that led to me reviving some of my favorite stories - plus your videos kept me reconsidering hmm do I want this domino... Oh shit here's a WAYYY better domino. Merry Christmas Man of Scripts that are Local
omg my christmas gift is here
Now that the Enneagram is saga is over - I can binge them all at once!
You have amazing eyebrows wtf
this helped a lot! i was stuck in writers block for a bit because i was trying to apply the enneagram from your own viewpoint, but now you've helped me realise that i should watch many many more videos if i want a proper understanding of it. seems i've still got quite a while to go 👍. thanks for all your information though ill be neatly storing it into a journal in my closet
Absolutely beautiful. Absolutely perfect. I am so glad to see someone who gets the system so easily. Very good understanding of the tritype.
2 videos?! its a Christmas miracle
Merry Christmas Funny TH-cam man!
WOO TODAY JUST GOT BETTER MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Feels like one of my favorite TV shows just ended, generational series here
Thank you for getting me into the enneagram! It has been one of the most interesting things to get into.
Merry Christmas bud, your videos are such a great resource
Thank you so much for this series. It's incredibly helpful in understanding my characters and writing their arcs.
My favourite part about this series you are also a the same type as Dave from objective personality group who do the same thing of looking for pathologies to type people but under mbti. Like down to advice and takes and body language.
Merry Christmas, and thank you for providing this free and useful information. As some one who wants to get into writing, but struggles with people your video helps. I had started plotting my world, but my characters were lacking a lot. Your videos helped me map the reason for each characters actions, and why they are the way they are.
damn, ain't this just the perfect christmas present. but for real, this was actually the most useful video in the series
I really like the tritype thingy. if I had to develop my own model (which I will because I find myself in a transitionary period again, in which I have to reinvent the way I create art because what use to drive me to create before is no longer doing it) I'd probably start with the tritype and brain something personal from there
also 4 9 6
Hey did u miss an enneagram number? I didn’t identify with any, was there a 6’8” sigma number? Also which one is baby gronk thanks
I will get back to you on that
If you're a complete beginner, how do you test your personal gospel to know which tool is worth keeping and which one is bunk? There isn't a one true storytelling theory, so we all have to find our own way, but maybe there's one theory filterer? or a theory grader? "Does your theory include ___? Does your theory account for ___? Your total score is 7.83 out of 10". You know what i mean?
You have to try stuff. If you’re a complete beginner, take whatever advice gets you over the finish line of a first draft.
If you need motivation, watch CJ the X’s 7 Deadly Art Sins. A banger.
Merry Christmas! your videos are a gift to the writing community
Christmas came earl- Well, is here. Anyhow, watched this on double speed so I could throw my hat into the early comment ring
A 9-4 here, any off the cuff broadstroke tips for using the enneagram as a tool within the bounds of live session text roleplaying games? Primarily, I think, in terms of mapping a character's approach out or figuring other NPCs out socially
EDIT: Thanks so much for this series. Don't know why I didn't say that first- Your channel's really helped me grow as a creative.
I think you can definitely apply the enneagram to NPC conversation styles, but it’s ultimately about why a character is making the decisions they are. There’s also just plain ole leudonarrative dissonance
Thanks for the response; and for sure. Meant more as a player, since the enneagram felt like it helped me with something I usually struggle with- Cutting right to the core of a character (mine or otherwise), especially concerning a GM's antagonists (within more of a narrative system than dnd admittedly)
The tritypes you mentioned feel like a really personally fitting step forward in its use too, just have to avoid the trap of overtyping (all systems fake, some are useful and all); thanks again- And godspeed
Merry Christmas Lucas!!
Merry Christmas 🎁