Character Development - Erikson's Stages

Let's get the basics covered... -International -4.5 rating with no 1s or 3s in the past 3 months. If you want to participate but have a low rating, contact me. (I will angel for this swap.)

For this swap, you will write something to introduce your character, showing the character’s development over his or her life.

This can take any form, that’s up to the writer. Maybe you want to write a pretend psych evaluation for your character, or a self-reflection paper written by the character as a college student, or a letter from your character’s point of view telling his/her life story. Maybe you’d rather write up a character bio without trappings—just you, the writer, telling the reader about your character.

Write AT LEAST one full page. More is better. Give your swapping partner something interesting and entertaining to read, and challenge yourself to think more about who your character is, and why.

Any genre is acceptable. Want to write fantasy, science fiction, or something set in the world as we know it today? Great! There are no limits here.

The theme of this swap is Erikson’s Stages of Development. I know not everyone is familiar, so here’s a summary of the stages.

Trust vs. Mistrust – the earliest years of one’s life (approx. 0-2) in which the child is completely dependent upon those around him or her. Consistent food, comfort, and affection—the things a baby needs—develop an ability to trust others, while inconsistent care causes an individual to withdraw.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt – during toddlerhood, the individual (or character!) develops independence through things like dressing and feeding himself/herself, sleeping in his/her own bed, etc. The character emerges either with a sense of autonomy (“I can”) or shame (“I am a failure”). Obviously this isn’t stuff a toddler process, but it will show up later.
Initiative vs. Guilt – this is similar to the last stage, but that one was about necessary things (dressing, washing, etc.) and this one is about extras like playing, making art, building with blocks or Legos.
Industry vs. Inferiority – generally this is about 5-12 years, when people develop self-confidence, develop talents and interests—like picking a favorite subject or getting involved with music or sports.
Identity vs. Role Confusion – covering the teenage years, this is the stage at which individuals decide who they are and who they want to be. It can be through rebellion or through trying on different identities. There’s also a sense of separating from peers, determining one’s role as compared with one’s place in the group.
Intimacy vs. Isolation – this stage is all about sharing one’s life with another, the ability to develop deep, loving ties to peers. This often means romance, though it doesn’t have to; friendships can have as much meaning and impact.
Generativity vs. Stagnation – at this point, people begin to ask themselves what they leave or will leave behind. It’s a time of accepting one’s morality, in that it means knowing you won’t be around forever, and leaving your mark on the world.

So you can see how some stages impact others—like how it’s hard to form an honest bond without a sense of trust, or decide who you want to be without a sense of competence.

For this swap, there’s no requirement on a character’s age, so some people will have more stages to write on than others. I know it can look a bit daunting, but I hope you’ll consider it, because this really can be a lot of fun and a great way to develop characters.