(02-22-2017, 10:25 AM)Gegenji Wrote: I think it's more a matter of terminology here. Whether you're following a "stereotype" or an "archetype." I think the terms are both kind of being used interchangeably in this situation, but stereotype has a negative connotation affixed to it due to common modern usage of the word. So I'll stick to using the term archetype instead.
There is nothing wrong with using an archetype as a base for your character. After all, the reason archetypes exist is because they are something people can readily recognize and identify, and most characters already existent in all forms of media can be described using archetypes. A lot of groundwork is laid out for you already by utilizing them, leaving you to only have to put your own unique flavor or spin on it.
And even when you're subverting an archetype, you're still using that archetype as a point of reference. So, in a sense, you're still using it and its base familiarity... just as the character "not" being those things. And some of those are their own archetypes as well, such as the Antihero or the Villain as compared to the Hero - if I may use some of the broader archetypes.
So, I can't quite say I personally seek to use or circumvent them. I just end up with character ideas and play them out, seeing where they go. Sometimes they align neatly with archetypes, sometimes they subvert them. I have no real particular preference.
This! A thousand times this!
I don't worry about stereotypes, archetypes, or generally going with or against the grain. I just get ideas for characters, and class/job is a minor detail. The key, I feel, to making a successful character is to not make them their class. Make them a person first. The class (even race/gender, too) is always an afterthought for me.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/VVgRNcBKp64NO/giphy.gif)
