CHARACTER TYPE AND TROPE THESAURUS

JOCK



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HELPFUL TIP:

Using a trope or archetype helps readers quickly understand a character, but stopping there creates a weak and predictable figure. Instead, add depth with a unique backstory, emotional wounds, and related fears and flaws. You can also break expectations with an unusual job, relationship, secret, or positive trait.
DESCRIPTION:
Athletically gifted, jocks live for their sport and are often popular because of their talents and accomplishments. A staple of Young Adult stories, these characters are often cast as heroes, antagonists, and love interests. As supporting or minor characters, they're frequently portrayed in a negative light, as unintelligent, one-dimensional, cruel, or predatory.

FICTIONAL EXAMPLES:
Cedric Diggory (the Harry Potter series), Andrew Clark (The Breakfast Club), AC Slater (Saved by the Bell), Oz (American Pie)

COMMON STRENGTHS:
ALERT, AMBITIOUS, CONFIDENT, DECISIVE, DISCIPLINED, ENTHUSIASTIC, EXTROVERTED, FOCUSED, FRIENDLY, INSPIRATIONAL, PASSIONATE, PERSISTENT, PLAYFUL, PROTECTIVE, SIMPLE, SPONTANEOUS, TALENTED

COMMON WEAKNESSES:
COCKY, CONFRONTATIONAL, FANATICAL, IMPATIENT, IMPULSIVE, IRRESPONSIBLE, MACHO, OBSESSIVE, PUSHY, RECKLESS, ROWDY, SELF-INDULGENT, SUPERSTITIOUS, UNINTELLIGENT, VAIN, VOLATILE

ASSOCIATED ACTIONS, BEHAVIORS, AND TENDENCIES:
Being gifted in one or more sports
Being confident in social situations
Working out and exercising religiously
Working well on a team
Listening to their coach (but not necessarily to other authority figures)
Being disciplined
Watching their diet
Fighting through injuries and illnesses
Obsessing over their physical appearance
Using sports metaphors and analogies to explain themselves
Obsessing over performance metrics
Pursuing goals surrounding their sport (breaking a record, getting a scholarship, etc.)
Having close friends who are also jocks
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FEARS THAT MIGHT LIMIT THE CHARACTER:
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SITUATIONS THAT WILL CHALLENGE THEM:
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INNER STRUGGLES TO GIVE THEM DEPTH:
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CLICHÉS TO BE AWARE OF:
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TWIST THIS TROPE WITH A CHARACTER WHO...:
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UNEXPECTED OCCUPATIONS FOR THIS CHARACTER:
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CREATE SOMETHING NEW:
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