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In this episode of Way-Word Writers, hosts along with guest author Nikki Lenz, explore the intricacies of character development in writing. Nikki Lenz shares her journey from teaching to becoming a published author of middle-grade books, highlighting the role her teaching experience and personal life played in her writing. The discussion delves into the challenges of conveying strong, well-rounded characters and how feedback on her second book led Lenz to utilize the Enneagram personality typing system to enhance her characters' depth. Lenz and the hosts provide an overview of the Enneagram, explaining how its nine personality types can assist writers in creating more complex characters with distinct traits, flaws, growth opportunities, and interactions with other characters. They also discuss practical ways this system can be applied to writing, including reverse-engineering characteristics to fit a theme, and the value of understanding character dynamics for narrative conflict and growth. The conversation concludes with insights into Lenz's current projects and how understanding personality types can enrich character development and storytelling.

00:00 Welcome to Way-Word Writers!
00:03 Introducing Guest Author Nikki Lenz
01:22 Nikki Lenz's Journey to Writing
02:24 Balancing Teaching and Writing
04:46 Character Development Insights
06:39 Exploring the Enneagram for Character Creation
09:20 Deep Dive into Enneagram Types
15:45 Applying Enneagram to Writing
34:56 Nikki's Current Projects and Future Plans
37:13 Closing Thoughts and Goodbyes

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