Well-written stories are driven by the choices characters make, and understanding why the characters made those choices is crucial if you want them to seem believable and authentic. That’s where psychology can come in.

In this week’s episode of Fully Booked, journalist and High Fantasy author Steffanie Costigan joins Craig and Roland to discuss how she uses elements from the classic Myers-Briggs Type Indicator when she develops her characters, because she believes it offers a powerful guide into how each of them might think, act, and interact with each other.

Inspired by the work of Carl Jung, this personality index ranks traits like extraversion, empathy, intuition, and perception and then assigns one of 16 personality types to the result - mapping out characteristics that particular type of person is best known for. Steffanie explores how assigning these personality types has helped her gain a deeper understanding of her characters, and made them more compelling and engaging for the readers of her work.

Steffanie Costigan https://landofthedragon.ca/about/

Hidden Gems Need our help publishing or marketing your book? https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/author-services/ All episode details and links: https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/podcast