Writer's Guide to Character Traits

Writer's Guide to Character Traits
Author: Linda Edelstein
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 3
Release: 2006-08-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1582973903

From Sex to Schizophrenia: Everything You Need to Develop Your Characters! What makes a person commit a white-collar crime? Who is a likely candidate to join a cult? Why do children have imaginary friends? How does birth order affect whether or not a person gets married? When does mind over matter become a crippling problem? Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition answers all of these questions and many others. With more than 400 easy-to-reference lists of traits blended from a variety of behaviors and influences, you'll gain the knowledge you need to create distinctive characters whose personalities correspond to their thoughts and actions - no matter how normal or psychotic they might be. In this updated and expanded edition, you'll also find: • Comprehensive instruction on how to use this book • New statistical information to help you create true-to-life characters • Corresponding exercises that show you how to put the material to work in your stories • A quick-reference index to make cross-referencing a snap • Idea sparkers to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page Plus, you'll learn about common - and not so common - psychological, physical, and relationship disorders; delve into the minds of criminals; find out what it takes to be a professional athlete, scientist, and truck driver; discover what life is like for a gang member, suicidal teen, and alcoholic; and more. In Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition, note psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generic personality types and into the depths of the human psyche where you're sure to find the resources you need to make your characters stand out from the crowd.

A Writer's Guide to Characterization

A Writer's Guide to Characterization
Author: Victoria Lynn Schmidt
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2012-07-30
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1599635593

Develop compelling character arcs using the power of myth! In the best novels, characters undergo dramatic changes that keep readers turning pages. A Writer's Guide to Characterization shows you how to develop such meaningful character arcs in your own work--stories of transformation that will resonate with readers long after the story ends. In this comprehensive guide, author Victoria Lynn Schmidt examines cross-cultural archetypes to illustrate how they can make your work more powerful and compelling. Plus, you'll learn how to draw from Jungian psychology to add complexity and believability to your characters. Schmidt also provides: • 40 lessons on character development (with examples from well-known films and novels) that you can apply to your own work • Questionnaires and exercises to help you select male and female archetypes and adapt them to your story • 15 classic animal archetypes (including the coyote, snake, tiger, and butterfly) you can use to build convincing character profiles With A Writer's Guide to Characterization, you'll have the information you need to infuse the development of your characters with drama and authenticity.

Character Creation

Character Creation
Author: Paul Tomlinson
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2018-11-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781731230140

Create Larger-than-Life Characters Readers and audiences love larger-than-life characters. Think of Hannibal Lecter, Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Bennet, Holly Golightly or Sherlock Holmes. But how do you create memorable story people like this? 90% of a character, like an iceberg, exists below the surface. But you have to create that submerged content so that the part an audience sees can shine in the sunlight. Or spotlight. Character Creation is not a 'how to write' or 'how to act' book - it is about doing the background work that enables you to bring a character to life. Here you will find three fundamental character personality archetypes - the primary colours of your character palette: the Warrior, the Thinker, and the Carer. And three 'hybrid' personalities that blend those three - the Crusader, the Artist, and the Adventurer. These six types are all you need to understand to create any character - including psychopaths, antiheroes, and rebels. To guide you in creating the three-dimensions of character - the physical, social, and psychological - each of the archetypes are explained in terms of a dozen key features. To help you create heroes and villains there is detail about the dark and light side of each of the types - and why individuals end up on a particular side. To allow you to develop conflict or romance, friendship or feud, there is advice on which personality types attract one another and which ones will fight. And there is a step-by-step framework for a character development arc that you can use to take your 'flawed hero' character towards a happy-ever-after or a tragic ending./p> These tools can be used to improvise a new character from scratch or to explore an existing character and fill in the 'missing pieces' of their background. Character Creation draws on the work of Stanislavski and Laban, combining this with modern theories of human psychology and mental health to provide a detailed and complete framework for creating larger-than-life characters.

A Writer's Guide to Character Creation

A Writer's Guide to Character Creation
Author: Andrew D. Oldham
Publisher:
Total Pages: 86
Release: 2010
Genre: Characters and characteristics in literature
ISBN: 9781907172984

The defnitive book for character creation for writers

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes

The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes
Author: Becca Puglisi
Publisher: JADD Publishing
Total Pages: 518
Release: 2013-10-21
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0989772535

It’s a writer’s job to create compelling characters who can withstand life’s fallout without giving up. But building authentic, memorable heroes is no easy task. To forge realistic characters, we must hobble them with flaws that set them back while giving them positive attributes to help them achieve their goals. So how do writers choose the right blend of strengths for their characters—attributes that will render them admirable and worth rooting for—without making it too easy for them to succeed? Character creation can be hard, but it’s about to get a lot easier. Inside The Positive Trait Thesaurus, you’ll find: * A large selection of attributes to choose from when building a personality profile. Each entry lists possible causes for why a trait might emerge, along with associated attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and emotions * Real character examples from literature, film, or television to show how an attribute drives actions and decisions, influences goals, and steers relationships * Advice on using positive traits to immediately hook readers while avoiding common personality pitfalls * Insight on human needs and morality, and how each determines the strengths that emerge in heroes and villains alike * Information on the key role positive attributes play within the character arc, and how they’re vital to overcoming fatal flaws and achieving success * Downloadable tools for organizing a character’s attributes and providing a deeper understanding of his past, his needs, and the emotional wounds he must overcome If you find character creation difficult or worry that your cast members all seem the same, The Positive Trait Thesaurus is brimming with ideas to help you develop one-of-a-kind, dynamic characters that readers will love. Extensively indexed, with entries written in a user-friendly list format, this brainstorming resource is perfect for any character creation project.

Creating Characters

Creating Characters
Author: Writer's Digest Books
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2014-11-01
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1599638762

Create characters that leap off the page--and into readers' hearts! Populating your fiction with authentic, vivid characters is a surefire way to captivate your readers from the first sentence to the last. Whether you're writing a series, novel, short story, or flash fiction, Creating Characters is an invaluable guide to bringing your fictional cast to life. This book is a comprehensive reference to every stage of character development. You'll find timely advice and helpful instruction from best-selling authors like Nancy Kress, Elizabeth Sims, Orson Scott Card, Chuck Wendig, Hallie Ephron, Donald Maass, and James Scott Bell. They'll show you how to: • Effectively introduce your characters • Build a believable protagonist • Develop strong anti-heroes and compelling villains • Juggle multiple points of view without missing a beat • Craft authentic dialogue that propels the story forward • Motivate your characters with powerful objectives and a believable conflict • Show dynamic character development over the course of a story No matter what your genre, Creating Characters gives you the tools necessary to create realistic, fascinating characters that your readers will root for and remember long after they've finished the story.

The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws

The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws
Author: Becca Puglisi
Publisher: JADD Publishing
Total Pages: 539
Release: 2013-10-21
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0989772527

Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. Not only does a well-drawn protagonist need positive attributes to help him succeed, he must also have flaws that humanize him and give him something to overcome. The same is true of villains and the rest of the story’s supporting cast. So how can writers figure out which flaws best fit their characters? Which negative traits will create personality clashes and conflict while making success difficult? Nothing adds complexity like character flaws. Inside The Negative Trait Thesaurus you’ll find: * A vast collection of flaws to explore when building a character’s personality. Each entry includes possible causes, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and related emotions * Real examples from literature, film, or television to show how each flaw can create life challenges and relational friction * Advice on building layered and memorable characters from the ground up * An in-depth look at backstory, emotional wounds, and how pain twists a character’s view of himself and his world, influencing behavior and decision making * A flaw-centric exploration of character arc, relationships, motivation, and basic needs * Tips on how to best show a character’s flaws to readers while avoiding common pitfalls * Downloadable tools to aid writers in character creation The Negative Trait Thesaurus sheds light on your character’s dark side. Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters readers will relate to.

Books That Build Character

Books That Build Character
Author: William Kilpatrick
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1994-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0671884239

William Kilpatrick's recent book Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong convinced thousands that reading is one of the most effective ways to combat moral illiteracy and build a child's character. This follow-up book--featuring evaluations of more than 300 books for children--will help parents and teachers put his key ideas into practice.

The Art of Character

The Art of Character
Author: David Corbett
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2013-01-29
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 014312157X

Former private investigator and New York Times notable author David Corbett offers a unique and indispensable toolkit for creating characters that come vividly to life on the page and linger in memory. Corbett provides an inventive, inspiring, and vastly entertaining blueprint to all the elements of characterization-from initial inspiration to realization-with special insights into the power of secrets and contradictions, the embodiment of roles, managing the "tyranny of motive," and mastering crucial techniques required for memorable dialogue and unforgettable scenes. This is a how-to guide for both aspiring and accomplished writers that renders all other books of its kind obsolete.

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (2nd Edition)

The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression (2nd Edition)
Author: Becca Puglisi
Publisher: JADD Publishing
Total Pages: 541
Release: 2019-02-19
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0999296353

The bestselling Emotion Thesaurus, often hailed as “the gold standard for writers” and credited with transforming how writers craft emotion, has now been expanded to include 56 new entries! One of the biggest struggles for writers is how to convey emotion to readers in a unique and compelling way. When showing our characters’ feelings, we often use the first idea that comes to mind, and they end up smiling, nodding, and frowning too much. If you need inspiration for creating characters’ emotional responses that are personalized and evocative, this ultimate show-don’t-tell guide for emotion can help. It includes: • Body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for over 130 emotions that cover a range of intensity from mild to severe, providing innumerable options for individualizing a character’s reactions • A breakdown of the biggest emotion-related writing problems and how to overcome them • Advice on what should be done before drafting to make sure your characters’ emotions will be realistic and consistent • Instruction for how to show hidden feelings and emotional subtext through dialogue and nonverbal cues • And much more! The Emotion Thesaurus, in its easy-to-navigate list format, will inspire you to create stronger, fresher character expressions and engage readers from your first page to your last.