A Writer's Guide to Characterization: Archetypes, Heroic Journeys, and Other Elements of Dynamic Character Development

by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

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

   • 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.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Research, Own

218 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2012

Reviews

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marginally competent introduction to characterization damaged by adopting the discredited theory of depth psychology and the even more reactionary mythology of Jungian Psychology.

Only educational theorists and writers cling to this bankrupt branch of cultural criticism.

That said, the author presents beginning writers with an easy to deploy set of characters that are a little on the flat and cliched side.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book would have worked better if it had been integrated into a revised edition of Schmidt's earlier book 45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters rather than published separately. In the first half of the book, Schmidt briefly describes the interactions between the character types she introduced in 45 Master Characters, working her way through all female pairings, all male pairings, and all male and female pairings in that order. It's a good start, but it really only felt like a start. Schmidt mentions the negative manifestations of the character types in their basic descriptions, but they're not included in the interactions section. The interaction descriptions are extremely formulaic, with many sentences repeated word-for-word several times throughout. Only the male-female interactions have a romantic interpretation included, although since the interactions are so pared down, the writer of a male-female romance isn't getting much more help than the writer of a same-sex romance.

In the second half of the book, Schmidt focuses on animal archetypes. She uses the archetypes to describe character arcs rather than character types themselves. There are virtually no connections between this and the first half of the book, and it might have done better as a small book on its own.

[Cari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn't a bad book on writing. A Writer's Guide to Characterization... is, however, a book rendered pointless by other good books on writing.

There's nothing here that can't be found in a dozen other writing guides, other books with depth and analysis that put this one to shame. Schmidt's extreme repetition feels like a lazy attempt to flesh out pages without really saying anything new, and her suggestions for "twists" and new approaches fall flat, themselves being overused and no longer unexpected by even casual readers. The author does a good job of touching on different character archetypes and how they interact, but the interpretations presented are shallow, just barely touching on the subject before moving on.

Handy for reference on the animal archetypes, there's not much else to recommend this as more than something to flip through once, and writers looking for groundbreaking guidance on character development would do well to look elsewhere. Everything in this book can be found for free with a 30 second Google search.

[Thuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful reference book. lots of new information to me
A good tool to get to know your character more

[Hijinx Abound · Rating 3 out of 5]

His book has some really great advice but the animal characterizations just st didn’t work for me

[Suzie Quint · Rating 1 out of 5]

To bound up with archetypes which always strikes me as writing in a straight jacket.

[Margaux · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better to skim than read

[Michael Anson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very brief review: An incredibly valuable primer, perhaps a tad overly didactic in tone

[Wolfgang · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's the second book covering the same topic and it's very repetitive. I would recommend reading only one of both books.

[Babylon]

DNF

[Rachel]

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 workQuestionnaires and exercises to help you select male and female archetypes and adapt them to your story15 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.

[Tracy Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Writer's Guide to Characterization" is a great handbook for authors of all genres. With easy-to-read descriptions of archetypes and heroic journeys, this book teaches writers how to create more vivid characters, compelling character arcs, and all-around more meaningful stories. As an author working on my second novel, "A Writer's Guide to Characterization" is not only teaching me how to create more interesting characters, but is also helping me feel more excited about the whole writing process!

[Tedders · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can afford to give this one a miss.
The whole first half of the book is mostly copy/paste from one archetype to another and from one relationship pairing to another.
If a female archetype says "She (A) her (B), and (C) the corresponding male archetype will be worded identically with the gender pronouns changed. I read the same things over and over and over.
The second half is better, and looks like it was actually written with thought.
However I regret paying actual money for this book.

[Nolan Ridley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of Ms. Schmidt's several extremely useful references that expose the foundational elements of character in an easy to use guide. What I enjoy about these books is that I can take a character that I'm developing and quickly cross-reference their personality and individual qualities with their archetypal corollaries. It helps to shake things up and get me to ask new questions about the character or see them from a new perspective. Always helpful.

[D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping there would be more here I could use in my creative writing classes...but I don't think it will be a good fit to use in excerpts. The information is interesting, but there is nothing here that explicitly needed explaining -- and nothing that talks about forming characters that AREN'T specifically archetypes.

Not worth buying.

[G.R.S. Hjelm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is by far the lowest I've given any book, but I aim to be honest with myself and others.

Personally, there was something off about this book - it simply did not click with me. The idea is interesting, and I'm sure that for someone else this book might just be THE THING to get them going. That person is simply just not me.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Extremely heteronormative. To be fair I mostly flipped through this for the character building exercise/archetype finder, but what I saw of the romantic relationship section leaves a lot to be desired.

[Tara Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some parts of this was a bit vague but there was some useful questionnaires to help with character archetypes.
The second half of the book was full of animal as archetypes.
Overall a very helpfully book

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book is the test that allows you to find out what archetype rules your character. Also the compatibility between all archetypes in both friendships and relationships. A great reference book.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generalizations and archetypes for a good basis for creating characters. Then you can add twists, opposing characteristics, and extra layers to the personality on your own. Great for a first time writer like me.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work deals with character development based on the philosophies of Jung. Which both male and female characters are discussed the emphasis appears to be female. There is some character totems based on animals. Examples of characters are given.

[Hera Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has three sections: Female Archetypes, Male Archetypes, and Animal Archetypes (which is not about animal characters, but rather a new take on plot forms). Combined, they make this book worth buying.

[Dr Zorlak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, actually. A little limited in terms of examples and archetypes. Good to jumpstart characterization, but do not regard as a manual FOR characterization. I found the part on animal archetypes better and more useful than the part about human archetypes. Go figure.

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been trying to find the perfect books to give me more of idea of character's and in this one it gave me a better look at different types I love this one I just hope she writes more for writing.

[Diane Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful companion to Schmidt's other book, 45 Master Characters. This enhances the information in the previous book and adds new ideas and character types. Highly recommend for writers.

[Danielle G · Rating 2 out of 5]

only a middling amount helpful. easy read but not really more insightful than what i knew myself already.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the quizzes and the detailed archetypes. Does best when paired with her 45 Master Characters. I liked everything but the animal chapters. Still a good writing reference.

[Sara Cardon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good one on character archetypes and how they function.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect in concept and approach. Great truths and suggestions.

[coolwind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a quite useful reference. It can prompt the imaginations when plot the characters. Quite good.