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On May 16, 2025, Rex was back and we picked up the male archetype conversation after last week’s visit with the ladies and an examination of female archetypes. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Variations on Male Archetypes

Agenda

• Quick catch up
• Explain the notion of archetypes
• The difference between an archetype and a cliche
• Popular male archetypes

Segment 1

What are archetypes? Why do writers use them?

Male archetypes:

• Mentor
• Father
• Basic Hero
• Buddy / Best Friend
• Villain
• Brute
• Bully / Abuser
• Clown / Jester

This list includes The Businessman, The Messiah, The King

Archetypes give basic characteristics – the Warrior would be strong, brave, would have something to prove, he might carry expectations. 

So are archetypes short cuts? Are they the same as cliche?

They exist for a reason: they’re familiar, they reflect the human condition, people do break down into those things, maybe not all the time, but people segregate into roles depending on the situation.

Segment 2

We asked AI why isn’t an archetype a cliche and here’s what it told us:

An archetype and a cliché are related but not the same. An archetype is a universal, recognizable pattern or type, like the hero, while a cliché is a overused phrase or idea that has lost its impact due to excessive repetition. While an archetype might become a cliché if overused, it’s the initial pattern or type that is the archetype, not the overused expression. (LINK)

What’s the difference between a trope and a cliche? (this link again)

Some overused tropes include: 

Taming of the Shrew – the grump that is just misunderstood and when the right person unlocks them …

The Cinderella Story – Annie, rags to riches, the life is awful but with enough hope and perseverance, you’ll be rescued by someone who finds you worthy.

Segment 3

What combinations of archetypes do we have to have? All heroes need a mentor, all clowns need a straight guy.

What are the expected behaviors of some of these archetypes and why might you want them? Thinking about the bully, for example, and how he might force the hero to do something he wouldn’t otherwise do.

Archetypes are familiar, we recognize them. That makes them relatable and easy to connect with. Readers crave that connection and archetypes deliver it.

Segment 4

So how can you do it? Think about the roles in your plot – what do you need done? What kind of character can make that happen?

Then think about how to add dimension to that archetype. If you’re employing a mentor, what does the mentor want? How are they related? Is the mentor patient and supportive or impulsive and pushy?