PERSISTENT DEFINITION:stubbornly continuing on despite opposition, difficulty, or danger CATEGORIES:achievement, moral SIMILAR ATTRIBUTES:determined, perseverant, relentless, tenacious POSSIBLE CAUSES: Desperation The belief that one’s goal is the only thing worth pursuing Ambition Having something to prove, either to others or to oneself Stubbornness Having an obsessive personality Learning through experience that persistence pays off in the end ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS: Having an end goal in mind Learning from past mistakes Breaking a big goal into bite-sized pieces that are less intimidating Trying new methods when an old one fails to produce results Assessing problems and coming up with possible solutions Asking others for their support and encouragement Making oneself accountable by sharing one’s goal and timeline with others Patience Accepting that the journey will be long and that setbacks will occur Making plans Training and gathering knowledge that will help Replacing bad habits with good ones Avoiding people or events that could impede one’s progress Making immediate sacrifices to attain the long-term goal Growing excited when small milestones are reached Investing large amounts of money, time, and energy to achieve one’s goal Becoming obsessed Spending a lot of time thinking about how to get results Being temporarily crushed by setbacks but eventually bouncing back Enlisting the help of others Becoming so involved in achieving one’s goal that relationships falter Not taking care of one’s health (having poor nutrition, stress headaches, etc.) Never giving up, even in the face of seeming impossibility Basing decisions on how they can help achieve the goal Giving up former hobbies and interests; cutting back on other commitments Performing poorly at work or school due to a lack of focus Strongly believing in oneself Offering encouragement to others who are working toward their own goals Poor hygiene (not shaving, not showering, wearing the same clothes, etc.) Becoming defensive when others express doubt, particularly as time passes Experiencing mood swings about a project, from confidence to confusion to despair Shutting out anything that counts as a distraction Never giving up hope ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS: It’ll happen eventually. I just have to keep working. On to Plan B. They’re laughing now, but just wait. Someday, I’ll be the one laughing. There has to be a way to make this happen. If I keep thinking about it, it’ll come to me. This is too important to give up on. Deep down I know Mary understands that. ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:anticipation, confidence, denial, determination, disappointment, eagerness, excitement, frustration, worry POSITIVE ASPECTS:Persistent characters have great will power. They will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. While discomfort, inconvenience, or pain would sidetrack some, persistent characters aren’t distracted from their purpose. They have incredible focus, always keeping the prize in their sights. In this way, persistence as a character trait is admired and envied; we can’t help but be impressed by someone who overcomes circumstances that would defeat the average person. NEGATIVE ASPECTS:Because of their single-mindedness, persistent characters often become consumed by their desires. Everything else is peripheral: career, relationships, even morals. They can become so focused on the goal that everything else falls to the wayside. These characters are often stubborn to a fault, refusing to give up even when the pursuit of their goal becomes destructive. They don’t heed the advice of others and may sacrifice common sense for obsession. Although the goal might be noble, their way of pursuing it can become less than honorable. EXAMPLE FROM TV:Wile E. Coyote has only ever had one goal: to catch Road Runner. His entire existence centers around how to catch, entrap, disable, and outsmart his opponent. When one idea doesn’t work, he moves on to another, and another, completely disregarding his own injuries and inconveniences along the way. It doesn’t matter that Road Runner is faster; through his own intelligence, resources, and his invaluable connections at the Acme Company, Wile E. Coyote is confident that if he just sticks with it, one day he will achieve his goal.Other Examples from Film:Maya (Zero Dark Thirty), Richard Kimble (The Fugitive), Rudy Ruettiger (Rudy) TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:demanding, easygoing, empathetic, flaky, illogical, lazy, needy, timid, unselfish, weak-willed CHALLENGING SCENARIOS FOR THE PERSISTENT CHARACTER: PLOTLINE: Facing an illness or decline that threatens one’s physical or mental ability to carry on PLOTLINE: Having access to limited or insufficient resources PLOTLINE: Working within an impossible deadline PLOTLINE: Having to choose between one’s goal and the other important things in one’s life PLOTLINE: Being pitted against an equally persistent villain