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The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV by David Corbett
The ultimate guide for creating captivating charactersFormer 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.
Unknown Binding
First published January 29, 2013
346 people are currently reading
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About the author
David Corbett
32 books189 followersDavid Corbett is the author of seven novels: The Devil’s Redhead (nominated for the Anthony and Barry Awards for Best First Novel) Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book and nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Novel), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), Do They Know I’m Running (Spinetingler Award, Best Novel—Rising Star Category 2011), The Mercy of the Night, The Long-Lost Love Letters of Doc Holliday (nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery), and The Truth Against the World (June, 2023).
David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories.
In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format.
In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books).
He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.
Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.
David’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and anthologies, with two stories selected for Best American Mystery Stories.
In 2012, Mysterious Press/Open Road Media re-issued his four novels plus a story collection, Thirteen Confessions, in ebook format.
In January 2013 Penguin published his textbook on the craft of characterization, The Art of Character (“A writer’s bible that will lead to your character’s soul.” —Elizabeth Brundage). he followed this up with The Compass of Character (Writers Digest Books).
He has taught creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Project, Chuck Pahalniuk’s Litreactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, Book Passage, and at writing conference across the country. He is also a monthly contributor to Writer Unboxed, an award-winning blog dedicated to the craft and business of fiction.
Before becoming a novelist, David spent fifteen years as an investigator for the San Francisco private detective agency Palladino & Sutherland, working on such high-profile civil and criminal litigations as The DeLorean Case, the Peoples Temple Trial, the Lincoln Savings & Loan Scandal, the Cotton Club Murder Case, the Michael Jackson child molestation investigation and a RICO action brought by the Teamsters against members of organized crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
July 8, 2019
There's a ton of info here for anyone who wants to write better characters. I know I'll be coming back to this one a lot in revisions, trying to strengthen and imagine characters in different ways. Each chapter is pretty short and targeted, to make it easier to use as a tool kit. For some reason, the examples from literature and film all fell totally flat with me. None of them felt inspiring or particularly interesting. They were simply examples, and they each showed a point. I guess that's good? I'm not sure. But as a how to write better book, this is helpful.
May 21, 2013
Pre-read thoughts: Yet another book I randomly bought from my university's bookstore (and yeah I've splurge spent on a number of fiction reads and writing guides in recent weeks). I'll probably be using it quite soon because I'm trying to re-examine some of my characters from my WIPs. Hope it turns out worth the read and buy.
Post read thoughts: Worth every penny. I'm definitely going to be revisiting this guide more often. What I liked about it was that the book constructively examines aspects of character motivation, conflict, internal rationale, among other dimensions to make it possible to delve into a deeper POV set. There were exercises at the end of each chapter to not only look into your own experiences as a guide for character (because people are the characters of their own stories), but also active exercises to refer to and examine in your own WIPs. I liked that the examples given from multiple sources of media were plausible and great examples, but it may be limiting for some depending on whether or not you've watched/perused that show or series. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this and I will be using it as an active guide. I would highly recommend it for anyone who want to develop their characters more in their stories.
Post read thoughts: Worth every penny. I'm definitely going to be revisiting this guide more often. What I liked about it was that the book constructively examines aspects of character motivation, conflict, internal rationale, among other dimensions to make it possible to delve into a deeper POV set. There were exercises at the end of each chapter to not only look into your own experiences as a guide for character (because people are the characters of their own stories), but also active exercises to refer to and examine in your own WIPs. I liked that the examples given from multiple sources of media were plausible and great examples, but it may be limiting for some depending on whether or not you've watched/perused that show or series. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this and I will be using it as an active guide. I would highly recommend it for anyone who want to develop their characters more in their stories.
September 4, 2021
He leído más de 100 libros de creación literaria, y este va directo al top 10. Con eso está dicho todo.
David Corbett no solo domina el arte de crear personajes, sino que proporciona propuestas frescas, razonadas y comprensibles, que al mismo tiempo nos hace entendernos a nosotros mejor, personajes del gran teatro del mundo.
Un libro de 10, que te hace querer lanzarte a aplicar todo lo que el autor muestra.
David Corbett no solo domina el arte de crear personajes, sino que proporciona propuestas frescas, razonadas y comprensibles, que al mismo tiempo nos hace entendernos a nosotros mejor, personajes del gran teatro del mundo.
Un libro de 10, que te hace querer lanzarte a aplicar todo lo que el autor muestra.
February 7, 2014
David Corbett’s recent book, The Art of Character, is hanging out, not on the shelves with the other book on the craft of writing, but on my desk, an easy grab-distance away. Why? Well, frankly, I was getting tired of the trips to the bookcase. I’ll bet I put a few miles on the old slippers daily, checking out what he has to say on the subject of character.
Because Mr. Corbett is an accomplished writer and teacher, and because he’s obviously a student of the craft of fiction and of characterization, there’s a lot that’s great about The Art of Character. Let me tell you four of the greatest elements:
1. You can read the book your way
Definitely, you can read this book in an orderly fashion from start to finish, which is fine if you are in “learn the craft” mode. But, because Mr. Corbett has organized his presentation well, you can also pick your sections based on your own preferences or needs. This is a fantastic element if, like me, you are often in “help, I need specific help” mode.
Whichever approach to the book you decide to take, you’ll find enlightening and practical discussions about topics such as scenes, protagonists (and thankfully, how to solve problems with them), antagonists, point of view, dialogue, and conflict.
2. The army of secondary characters
Most of us have several secondary characters in our stories. In The Art of Character Mr. Corbett analyzes the roles that those secondary characters can, or should, play in order to strengthen your work. Roles such as the crucial ally, the betrayer, the village, the stranger, the ghost. Understanding those roles and reviewing your manuscript with them in mind is an eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience. At least it was for me.
3. Helpful examples
Mr. Corbett illustrates the principles discussed in The Art of Character with examples from books and films that you are likely to recognize. For me, concrete examples help me understand the technique or lesson and to analyze how I might utilize it in my writing.
4. Exercises
At the end of every chapter there are exercises to help you apply the principles discussed. The great thing about these exercises are that they permit you to focus on your work in progress, so that in addition to working on the technique in question, you are able to move your own project forward. Always a good thing.
The Art of Character is a worthwhile addition to every writer’s toolbox.
Because Mr. Corbett is an accomplished writer and teacher, and because he’s obviously a student of the craft of fiction and of characterization, there’s a lot that’s great about The Art of Character. Let me tell you four of the greatest elements:
1. You can read the book your way
Definitely, you can read this book in an orderly fashion from start to finish, which is fine if you are in “learn the craft” mode. But, because Mr. Corbett has organized his presentation well, you can also pick your sections based on your own preferences or needs. This is a fantastic element if, like me, you are often in “help, I need specific help” mode.
Whichever approach to the book you decide to take, you’ll find enlightening and practical discussions about topics such as scenes, protagonists (and thankfully, how to solve problems with them), antagonists, point of view, dialogue, and conflict.
2. The army of secondary characters
Most of us have several secondary characters in our stories. In The Art of Character Mr. Corbett analyzes the roles that those secondary characters can, or should, play in order to strengthen your work. Roles such as the crucial ally, the betrayer, the village, the stranger, the ghost. Understanding those roles and reviewing your manuscript with them in mind is an eye-opening, jaw-dropping experience. At least it was for me.
3. Helpful examples
Mr. Corbett illustrates the principles discussed in The Art of Character with examples from books and films that you are likely to recognize. For me, concrete examples help me understand the technique or lesson and to analyze how I might utilize it in my writing.
4. Exercises
At the end of every chapter there are exercises to help you apply the principles discussed. The great thing about these exercises are that they permit you to focus on your work in progress, so that in addition to working on the technique in question, you are able to move your own project forward. Always a good thing.
The Art of Character is a worthwhile addition to every writer’s toolbox.
July 22, 2013
To anyone out there crafting the next best-seller for the waiting universe of hungry readers, stop your clacking keyboard for a few hours and read "The Art of Character."
David Corbett makes a convincing case that all fiction starts with developing the right character and giving that character the right traits, issues, background, history and depth.
Corbett’s standards are high and his examples are strong and diverse, from movies to the stage to novels. His references run the gamut, from Patricia Highsmith, Jim Harrison, Cormac McCarthy, Elmore Leonard and Joseph Conrad to "The Godfather," "Michael Clayton" and "Slumdog Millionaire."
Corbett occasionally points out what doesn’t work (and frankly, I wish there was more examples of why some stories or movies fall flat).
Corbett urges writers to conduct an “unflinching” analysis of their own identity to understand their characters. He wants scenes that allow characters to meaningfully engage characters in conflict with each other and recommends character biographies created from scenes over the traditional inventory-based approach. And he shows you how to develop an intuitive grasp of your character by understanding moments of profound emotional impact—shame, fear, pride, regret, forgiveness.
"The Art of Character" is a toolkit and my copy is heavily marked-up with pages and paragraphs that resonate. Corbett’s style is breezy and conversational.
One of the most interesting sections is “The Army of Others: Secondary Characters,” including Corbett’s detailed description of the role he calls “The Revenant,” the character in successful stories who forces the protagonist to work through her issues, particularly her biggest fears.
“A hero may grow purely from the pressure of external events, but it’s doubtful she can transform, moving beyond a previous flaw or limitation, without the challenging or supportive scrutiny of another person. We don’t know ourselves by ourselves, as the saying goes, and it’s no less true of fiction than real life.”
Put "The Art of Character" on your shelf of books about writing. If you’re stuck, browse for a few minutes and try out one of the exercises. I doubt you’ll be stuck for long.
David Corbett makes a convincing case that all fiction starts with developing the right character and giving that character the right traits, issues, background, history and depth.
Corbett’s standards are high and his examples are strong and diverse, from movies to the stage to novels. His references run the gamut, from Patricia Highsmith, Jim Harrison, Cormac McCarthy, Elmore Leonard and Joseph Conrad to "The Godfather," "Michael Clayton" and "Slumdog Millionaire."
Corbett occasionally points out what doesn’t work (and frankly, I wish there was more examples of why some stories or movies fall flat).
Corbett urges writers to conduct an “unflinching” analysis of their own identity to understand their characters. He wants scenes that allow characters to meaningfully engage characters in conflict with each other and recommends character biographies created from scenes over the traditional inventory-based approach. And he shows you how to develop an intuitive grasp of your character by understanding moments of profound emotional impact—shame, fear, pride, regret, forgiveness.
"The Art of Character" is a toolkit and my copy is heavily marked-up with pages and paragraphs that resonate. Corbett’s style is breezy and conversational.
One of the most interesting sections is “The Army of Others: Secondary Characters,” including Corbett’s detailed description of the role he calls “The Revenant,” the character in successful stories who forces the protagonist to work through her issues, particularly her biggest fears.
“A hero may grow purely from the pressure of external events, but it’s doubtful she can transform, moving beyond a previous flaw or limitation, without the challenging or supportive scrutiny of another person. We don’t know ourselves by ourselves, as the saying goes, and it’s no less true of fiction than real life.”
Put "The Art of Character" on your shelf of books about writing. If you’re stuck, browse for a few minutes and try out one of the exercises. I doubt you’ll be stuck for long.
July 21, 2019
If I were teaching a class in writing, this would be a required text. This book contains everything from the thoughtful to the practical. I can see myself combing through this book over and over again with every work I begin.
July 12, 2019
I never imagined I'd read a writing craft book that would make me sad, but this book did exactly that. A very strange thing to say, I know. I'm as surprised as you are. But let me drop a few quotes from the text and maybe you'll understand why:
...I came here for writing advice, not an existential crisis.
To be fair, there was some genuinely useful content in this book, as well as discussions of things I already knew, but which were good refreshers nonetheless. I particularly liked the bits about The Revenant, The Ghost, The Counterweight, etc. It's an undeniably thorough book too, and Corbett is always sure to include references to other works of literature/films to illustrate his points. Every chapter ends with a couple of different writing exercises for you to try if you find those sorts of things helpful.
To be perfectly honest, however, any inspiration I might have gotten from reading this was immediately snuffed out by how oddly hollow this book made me feel. I doubt every reader will be bothered by this, and most might not even notice it at all. Heck, maybe an argument could even be made that such inclusions are necessary for a book that aims to thoroughly examine characterization, I don't know - I just know it wasn't my cup of tea. Thankfully, I annotated this so the next time I want to reference anything in here I can skip the unnecessarily depressing bits and go straight for the pertinent stuff.
"Death transforms us by forcing us to reshape our wants, our identities, our lives in the face of inescapable disconnection."
"Vulnerability reacquaints us with what Camus describes as the 'benign indifference of the universe,' and our relative insignificance in the scheme of things."
"Our pains, sorrows, miscues, and wrongs misshape us, disfiguring our spirits, our hearts, our consciences. We become brittle, self-protective, mistaken, false. We unknowingly chase the ghost of our past through the labyrinth of our days."
"Every notion of mankind that conjectures immutable laws of behavior... stumbles over the idea of freedom. If everything is already predetermined-same as it ever was-how can our indecision, our anxiety, our planning, our choices be anything but illusion, the drama of our ignorance?"
...I came here for writing advice, not an existential crisis.
To be fair, there was some genuinely useful content in this book, as well as discussions of things I already knew, but which were good refreshers nonetheless. I particularly liked the bits about The Revenant, The Ghost, The Counterweight, etc. It's an undeniably thorough book too, and Corbett is always sure to include references to other works of literature/films to illustrate his points. Every chapter ends with a couple of different writing exercises for you to try if you find those sorts of things helpful.
To be perfectly honest, however, any inspiration I might have gotten from reading this was immediately snuffed out by how oddly hollow this book made me feel. I doubt every reader will be bothered by this, and most might not even notice it at all. Heck, maybe an argument could even be made that such inclusions are necessary for a book that aims to thoroughly examine characterization, I don't know - I just know it wasn't my cup of tea. Thankfully, I annotated this so the next time I want to reference anything in here I can skip the unnecessarily depressing bits and go straight for the pertinent stuff.
July 7, 2013
Incredibly helpful. The first two chapters had me worried that this was going to be more of an abstract treatise than a practical guide (Corbett's prose can sound a bit pretentious off the bat), but as I got further in I started scrutinizing my own characters so much that the margins were soon overflowing with hasty scribbles. I even filled up the four blank pages in the back of the book with walls of text – I just had to think things through with a pen. Certain sections made me panic a bit too much: I would think "Oh no! My story is missing this KEY ELEMENT" only to realize that yes, that element exists, I'd just forgotten about it – or failed to draw it out. But that's what made the book so invaluable: it really forced me to step back and assess things as objectively as possible (even though I know that's always an oxymoron when you're talking about your own work).
Since so much of the character building process comes from understanding how people tick, Corbett naturally delves into some more philosophical questions about human nature, and I found myself appreciating his point of view more often than not. I especially liked what he had to say about politics, religion, and the other hot-button issues that so commonly tangle people up, but are an inescapable part of who we are and why we behave the way we do. Judging the antagonists in your story prevents you from understanding them (as in life), and turns them into caricatures – you need to be willing to see the world through their eyes, as abhorrent as their actions or viewpoint might be to you. As Chesterton put it: "A good novel tells us the truth about people; a bad novel tells us the truth about its author."
Each chapter ends with a series of exercises, some of which were more helpful than others. But I definitely intend to return to a few of them once I'm in the revision stages of my own beastly manuscript (God help me).
Since so much of the character building process comes from understanding how people tick, Corbett naturally delves into some more philosophical questions about human nature, and I found myself appreciating his point of view more often than not. I especially liked what he had to say about politics, religion, and the other hot-button issues that so commonly tangle people up, but are an inescapable part of who we are and why we behave the way we do. Judging the antagonists in your story prevents you from understanding them (as in life), and turns them into caricatures – you need to be willing to see the world through their eyes, as abhorrent as their actions or viewpoint might be to you. As Chesterton put it: "A good novel tells us the truth about people; a bad novel tells us the truth about its author."
Each chapter ends with a series of exercises, some of which were more helpful than others. But I definitely intend to return to a few of them once I'm in the revision stages of my own beastly manuscript (God help me).
July 5, 2013
I've been a fan of David Corbett since reading Blood of Paradise, and subsequently Do They Know I'm Running? and Done For a Dime. Each of these books is notable for the depth and vibrancy of the characters, who typically inhabit a dark, desperate and violent world. So, it was with great eagerness that I bought "The Art of Character," which ought to be a standard reference work for any writer, screenwriter or playwright.
I've also noticed that "The Art of Character" has affected my reading, as now I can't embrace new characters in fiction -- or even nonfiction -- without measuring them against Corbett's standards. Which is a good thing; it allows me to enjoy interesting protagonists, villains, and supporting cast members all the more.
Corbett's gritty fiction, much of it set south of the U.S.-Mexican border, might not appeal to everyone, but "The Art of Character" is a master class for novice and experienced writers alike. Highly recommended.
I've also noticed that "The Art of Character" has affected my reading, as now I can't embrace new characters in fiction -- or even nonfiction -- without measuring them against Corbett's standards. Which is a good thing; it allows me to enjoy interesting protagonists, villains, and supporting cast members all the more.
Corbett's gritty fiction, much of it set south of the U.S.-Mexican border, might not appeal to everyone, but "The Art of Character" is a master class for novice and experienced writers alike. Highly recommended.
April 22, 2022
This book on character starts and ends with examining your own life and using that as source for writing. There are other sources for character which Corbett explains and they can be used with your own examined life to form real characters. The Art of Character tackles character in the first third - about 100 pages with lots of excercises and examples from a variety of books, plays, movies and TV shows. It also covers other writing topics such as scenes, dialogue, perspective and voice. I found the character and scene help to be the best.
February 13, 2016
Corbett's book is the most in-depth study of character I've ever read. His thorough treatment of character genesis and development is exhaustive. I often re-read passages, wishing I could commit them to memory. It's a book I'll turn to again as a resource, particularly while the characters for a new book project are taking shape.
The Art of Character is an invaluable resource for fiction writers.
The Art of Character is an invaluable resource for fiction writers.
February 6, 2021
Great but not godtier - but I suspect the author knew this anyway. I wonder if this will get better when I go back to it for reference.
May 22, 2017
As the author himself states in the book, what works like magic for one writer, falls completely flat for another. Well, that is, unfortunately, my story with this book. I've read it through and through, tried a lot of exercises, but none of them seemed to work or result in any usable piece of writing. Probably, the author and I exist in parallel writing universes.
That being said, the book is well-written, goes much deeper than the usual "write that story" lot, and provides plenty of useful insights into psychology of characterization.
That being said, the book is well-written, goes much deeper than the usual "write that story" lot, and provides plenty of useful insights into psychology of characterization.
July 8, 2025
Really long winded. I ended up skimming a lot of it since I have a lot of other books to read. A lot of advice is nice but I’m looking for something more succinct.
August 13, 2017
I bought this book without reading anything about it. What a good surprise! Deep, full of useful tips and thoughts. Very helpful.
April 24, 2018
truly one of the best books I’ve read on the craft of writing.
July 23, 2017
The first 120 pages, and the last 65 pages of this book are worth reading. Those are packed with insights. In the middle, the book degenerates into long, annotated lists without much analysis.
Corbett cites The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lajos Egri, which itemizes how to construct a character in terms of physical appearance, psychological traits, and sociological factors. Corbett spends 80 pages going over Egri’s list in detail that adds little to its understanding. (Is your character comfortable with sex? Does your character have a good fashion sense? What are your character’s favorite foods?). The point of this drawn-out exercise is to expand the range of choices you might consider when crafting a character, a worthy consideration, but his instruction is swamped by tedious examples from books, TV, and movies. Do we really need to be reminded that James Joyce took seriously the religion of his characters?
Part III is another long list, this time of all the possible roles a character can take, such as protagonist, antagonist, the steadfast character, the sleepwalker, the ghost, the betrayer and other Joseph Campbell-y reductionistic stereotypes. There are other similar lists out there, equally informative (e.g., Story Structure Architect, by V.L. Schmidt.)
So let’s look at the “good” 185 pages of the book, at the beginning and at the end. In the beginning section, Corbett starts with the classical, Aristotelian character arc but comes to a startling conclusion. Revelation of the character’s hidden weakness or Achilles’ Heel, does not result in epiphany, as Aristotle suggested, but in shame. This was an insight for me, and I realized that the whole notion of the epiphany is an intellectual artifice. Shame is a much more likely reaction. The character must then find a way to believe in his/her self-worth again to overcome that shame, or at least deal with it, as it’s possible that shame can never be undone.
Corbett’s discussion of secrets is likewise insightful. All characters have secrets, even secondary characters, and that’s a good way to animate a character and drive a story. Secrets produce contradictions: a hugely useful insight. The use of contradictory traits in the same character is an old trick, hard to do, but Corbett makes it seem reasonable and interesting with his examples (love v. duty, addiction v. propriety, poverty v. pretension, sex v. everything, etc.)
The section on “voice,” both the narrator’s and the character’s (often they are different) was disappointing, but perhaps there is nothing to say about voice. Everybody wants it but nobody can say what it is or how to get it. The section on dialog was only cursory, but there was a useful list of nuts-and-bolts techniques.
The exercises at the end of each chapter seemed formulaic but I imagine if you actually did them (I didn’t), they’d be helpful. The lessons of the book apply equally well to fiction, TV and movies, as the subtitle suggests, but aside from a brief and dubious discussion of the camera as narrator in visual storytelling, the book is not customized for screenwriting.
Overall, I’d say this book has useful reminders about what’s possible in developing character, tips that prevent you from falling into a rut, and is spiced by some insights into character development, and it all adds up to a compendium of information on the art of character that is worth having.
Corbett cites The Art of Dramatic Writing, by Lajos Egri, which itemizes how to construct a character in terms of physical appearance, psychological traits, and sociological factors. Corbett spends 80 pages going over Egri’s list in detail that adds little to its understanding. (Is your character comfortable with sex? Does your character have a good fashion sense? What are your character’s favorite foods?). The point of this drawn-out exercise is to expand the range of choices you might consider when crafting a character, a worthy consideration, but his instruction is swamped by tedious examples from books, TV, and movies. Do we really need to be reminded that James Joyce took seriously the religion of his characters?
Part III is another long list, this time of all the possible roles a character can take, such as protagonist, antagonist, the steadfast character, the sleepwalker, the ghost, the betrayer and other Joseph Campbell-y reductionistic stereotypes. There are other similar lists out there, equally informative (e.g., Story Structure Architect, by V.L. Schmidt.)
So let’s look at the “good” 185 pages of the book, at the beginning and at the end. In the beginning section, Corbett starts with the classical, Aristotelian character arc but comes to a startling conclusion. Revelation of the character’s hidden weakness or Achilles’ Heel, does not result in epiphany, as Aristotle suggested, but in shame. This was an insight for me, and I realized that the whole notion of the epiphany is an intellectual artifice. Shame is a much more likely reaction. The character must then find a way to believe in his/her self-worth again to overcome that shame, or at least deal with it, as it’s possible that shame can never be undone.
Corbett’s discussion of secrets is likewise insightful. All characters have secrets, even secondary characters, and that’s a good way to animate a character and drive a story. Secrets produce contradictions: a hugely useful insight. The use of contradictory traits in the same character is an old trick, hard to do, but Corbett makes it seem reasonable and interesting with his examples (love v. duty, addiction v. propriety, poverty v. pretension, sex v. everything, etc.)
The section on “voice,” both the narrator’s and the character’s (often they are different) was disappointing, but perhaps there is nothing to say about voice. Everybody wants it but nobody can say what it is or how to get it. The section on dialog was only cursory, but there was a useful list of nuts-and-bolts techniques.
The exercises at the end of each chapter seemed formulaic but I imagine if you actually did them (I didn’t), they’d be helpful. The lessons of the book apply equally well to fiction, TV and movies, as the subtitle suggests, but aside from a brief and dubious discussion of the camera as narrator in visual storytelling, the book is not customized for screenwriting.
Overall, I’d say this book has useful reminders about what’s possible in developing character, tips that prevent you from falling into a rut, and is spiced by some insights into character development, and it all adds up to a compendium of information on the art of character that is worth having.
May 1, 2024
Very comprehensive look at nearly everything an author could consider when formulating characters (though I’m sure there’s more). Scratched an itch I had been looking for.
Only downside to the book is Corbett uses prose examples from his own books rather than, oh i don’t know, Hemingway or Didion or any of the other wonderful writers he alludes to in the text. I haven’t read his work so I can’t make a full value judgement on it, but it seems a tad silly to shove yourself in with the greats. Maybe it was a copyright issue or something.
That said, the book really is informative and one I’m going to keep close by while writing. Another thing to note is it jarred me awake a bit. It forced me to remember things about my own life that I had shut away many years ago. Feel like I should send Corbett copay for a therapy session
Only downside to the book is Corbett uses prose examples from his own books rather than, oh i don’t know, Hemingway or Didion or any of the other wonderful writers he alludes to in the text. I haven’t read his work so I can’t make a full value judgement on it, but it seems a tad silly to shove yourself in with the greats. Maybe it was a copyright issue or something.
That said, the book really is informative and one I’m going to keep close by while writing. Another thing to note is it jarred me awake a bit. It forced me to remember things about my own life that I had shut away many years ago. Feel like I should send Corbett copay for a therapy session
December 28, 2017
Not surprisingly, because they are the ones who write based on craft, Corbett borrows heavily from the Film and TV writing bibles, and also from numerous psychologists, for his source material to help flesh out characters in a way that is designed to make them seem like real people. He has the further goal to also make the characters function well in plots, and to that end his emphasis is to place the characters in scenes and see how they respond. The exercises are designed to put you to work along those lines: create characters that have the heft and surprise of real people and plop them into scenes and see how they perform. The exercises are hard work but will yield rewards. If you struggle with characters, or are just looking for a fresh approach, this book is a gold mine.
October 27, 2015
"Look to the writers you admire, study them, learn from them, obsess on their work like a jealous lover. Gain a sense for the relentless search for worth in their writing, the reckless adventure of a meaningful life, not just the thrills and giggles. Attend to detail and steal wisely. Beyond that, you're on your own." - David Corbett
January 13, 2018
If you're looking for a quick read, this is not it. In fact it's rather a slow read. However, the insights it provides are invaluable to writers - way beyond what does your character desire, far past making lists of character traits. This book explains how to plumb the inner worlds of your characters to make your fiction sing with depth.
October 25, 2013
A dry, textbook read full of references to books and authors I've never heard of. But there's some good advice near the end.
If I come across something that gives the same information with more mainstream examples and a more engaging voice, this one will be headed for the donation pile.
If I come across something that gives the same information with more mainstream examples and a more engaging voice, this one will be headed for the donation pile.
December 20, 2013
I decided not to finish. I prefer a book centered on books. I almost said centered on writing, but screen writing is writing, and the author indicates in the title he is going there. I just didn't enjoy it as much as a book that addresses books only. My bias. And I like movies. Go figure.
January 1, 2023
So many examples, references to stories and films that illustrate the techniques the best, and so well organized. It is not reductive; in fact, this book is a toolbox out of which you have a good chance of pulling out the right tool when you need it.
April 26, 2023
shoutout to my professor for making me read this!! I never even thought about being a film writer but this really opened my mind to the beauty of creating characters. this also helped me get a 97 on my screenplay lol
June 14, 2013
A must-have for writers. Tremendous resource and a beautiful read.
January 17, 2014
"Everything starts with a *desire*."
October 18, 2015
هذا الكتاب لا يستحق إلا الخمسة نجوم، وفي ذلك سأطيل الشرح في الريفيو بعد أن أفرغ منه :)
January 15, 2026
While there is tons of content and useful exercises, overall the writing was a tad dry for my taste.
January 26, 2019
Un libro esencial para aprender sobre la creación de personajes. Rico en información valiosa y muy bien explicado. Se lee y se entiende con facilidad. No defrauda.
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