Creating Characters: A Writer's Reference to the Personality Traits That Bring Fictional People to Life

by Howard Lauther

A frequent problem area for fiction writers is characterization. If writers jump headlong into a story with only a fuzzy notion about the people who are in it, the result is a collection of characters who are cliched, stereotypical and not very interesting. Creating Characters is an easy to use reference work that looks at character development from many different angles. The book does not tell writers how to write. Instead, it generates a thought process by asking crucial questions about characters' internal and external traits, wants, needs, likes, dislikes, fears, beliefs, strengths, weaknesses, habits and backgrounds. Following these questions, the writer will find an ever deeper and wider array of options. Thus, Creating Characters helps writers delve as deeply into a character's psychology as they want. All characters, and the stories they people, can be made richer and more compelling.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2004

Reviews

[★ gwiz ★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference book for writing with a starting point in creating your novel's characters.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful. Great to jumpstart your thinking about your characters. A great alternative to the usual fill-in-the blank checklists of characters traits and data.

[Jazz Feylynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reference book for writing with a starting point in creating your novel's characters.