Writing Assignment #3 : The “Who am I” paper version 1.0

This writing assignment will become a worksheet to help you explore who you are as a person and also become the template for how you approach character research.

Steps of how to write version 1.0

Section 1: Personal Attributes

1. This version will be no more than two pages.
2. It will preferably be bullet points and not long form narrative.
3. Start by brainstorming then organize what comes to mind into categories.
4. Keep it in a place where you can come back to it, edit it, add to it, even after turning it in.
5. Answer the following question: “What makes you who you are?”
6. If you are my university student you must either turn it in or if you want to keep it private then I need you to show me that you wrote it. For some people they will be more honest if they know no one else will read it. If that is that is the case the go that route. For others they want help from someone else to help them dig deeper.

Section 2: MBTI

1. Take this personality test.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

2. Research what attributes and qualities are associated with the results. Write down and discuss the attributes that really seem to match with you.

3. Don’t over-think the test. Answer for how you would respond the majority of the time.

Why MBTI? Phycologists, career counselors, and businesses use MBTI testing as a way to identify four elements of human nature that give a glimpse into what motivates people to do what they do. The goal here isn’t to categorize you and put you into a nice little box. It is just a different way to self analyze and later better understand the characters you will play.

Section 3: Core Human Fears and Core Human Drives

1. Research Core Human Fears and Drives. The following two links will get you started. Discuss which drives and fears best match you and why.

https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/5-types-of-fears-dr-karl-albrecht/

https://personalmba.com/core-human-drives/

Section 4: Three moments from my past that made me or my character who I am at this moment.

Here is a sample template of what it could look like

PLEASE DON’T JUST USE THE TEMPLATE CATEGORIES – Start like this

Brainstorm:

George Germain, 5′ 10″, from Shimizu Japan but currently live in Pasadena, California, friendly, hard-worker, poor, I like cheesecake, I hate lima beans, Shinto/Buddhist, student, I work at TGI Fridays, I am not a morning person.

Brainstorm organized into categories then added to

DL Info : George Germain, 5′ 10″, from Shimizu Japan but currently live in Pasadena, California.

Things I like: cheesecake

Things I hate: lima beans

Religion/Spirituality: Shinto/Buddhist

Positive Character Traits: friendly, hard-worker,

Things about myself I don’t like: not a morning person, get hangry a lot, I’m picky

What I do: student, work at TGI Fridays

Common Mistakes

1. Don’t jump straight into the deep abstract things that make you who you are. Start with the simple things. Imagine you are introducing yourself to a stranger. Start there then work to deeper levels of who you are. I call this starting with the driver’s license type of information (Name, age, height, hair color, eye color, where you are from, etc. Obviously please do not include your driver’s license number or actual address.)
2. Don’t overthink this at the start. Start with a stream of consciousness type of brainstorm session. After that, you can slow down and start to sort through your thoughts.
3. Don’t get too wordy. Try to keep the bullet points to a word or two. Maybe a phrase at most. Later on, you can get more specific and wordy.