Creating Unforgettable Characters

Author: Linda Seger
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1429942029
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 301

Book Description
From a longtime script consultant, “a vital aid to all writers, novelists, and screenwriters . . . invaluable” (Gale Anne Hurd, producer, The Walking Dead and Aliens). In this book, Linda Seger, author of Making a Good Script Great, shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. She introduces concepts designed to stimulate the creative process, combining them with practical techniques and exercises. She also offers specific advice on creating nonfiction and fantasy characters, and case studies of such classics as Ordinary People and the sitcom Cheers. Addressing topics from backstory development to character psychology to avoiding stereotypes, Creating Unforgettable Characters is an excellent resource for writers in any genre or creative field. Interviews with successful professional writers complete this essential volume.

Creating Extraordinary Characters

Author: Angela Elwell Hunt
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780615841182
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44

Book Description
Scarlett O'Hara, Anne Shirley, Wilbur the pig, Katniss Everdeen. Why do we love these characters? Why do we remember them long after we've forgotten the details of their stories? In this second book in the Writing Lessons from the Front series, Angela Hunt explains how you can create unforgettable characters that will bring your fiction to life.These lessons, Hunt says, "are brief for a reason-I don't want you to spend most of your time reading how-to books. I will give you what you need so you can put what you've learned into practice. That's the best way to improve."Enjoy this writing lesson for a fraction of the cost of attending one of Angela's writing classes--your writing will never be the same.

The Art of Character

Author: David Corbett
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 014312157X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 418

Book Description
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.

Creating Characters

Author: Writer's Digest Books
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1599638762
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
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.

Leaving Haven

Author: Kathleen McCleary
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062106252
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
In Leaving Haven, Kathleen McCleary, author of A Simple Thing, explores the intricacies of love, friendship, and parenthood. Georgia longs for a baby, but she's had miscarriage after miscarriage since her daughter was born more than a decade ago. Through a miraculous egg donation, Georgia is thrilled to find herself pregnant—until she makes a startling discovery that changes her mind about how much she really wants the baby… Georgia’s best friend, Alice, has a happy teenage daughter, a faithful husband, and a perfectly organized life. But her world spins off its axis when she falls for a man who is everything she knows she doesn’t want… Leaving Haven is a provocative and touching novel that will appeal to readers of contemporary fiction and fans of Jodi Picoult, Luanne Rice, and Kristin Hannah.

House and Home

Author: Kathleen McCleary
Publisher: Hachette Books
ISBN: 1401395449
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
The story of a woman who loves her house so much that she'll do just about anything to keep it. Ellen Flanagan has two precious girls to raise, a cozy neighborhood coffee shop to run, terrific friends, and a sexy husband. She adores her house, a yellow Cape Cod filled with quirky antiques, beloved nooks and dents, and a million memories. But now, at forty-four, she's about to lose it all. After eighteen roller-coaster years of marriage, Ellen's husband, Sam--who's charismatic, spontaneous, and utterly irresponsible--has disappointed her in more ways than she can live with, and they're getting divorced. Her daughters are miserable about losing their daddy. Worst of all, the house that Ellen loves with all her heart must now be sold. Ellen's life is further complicated by a lovely and unexpected relationship with the husband of the shrewish, social-climbing woman who has purchased the house. Add to that the confusion over how she really feels about her almost-ex-husband, and you have the makings of a delicious novel about what matters most in the end. . . . Set in the gorgeous surroundings of Portland, Oregon, Kathleen McCleary's funny, poignant, curl-up-and-read debut strikes a deep emotional chord and explores the very notion of what makes a house a home.

High Pressure

Author: Sam Blake
Publisher: Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1838956190
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
A gripping standalone thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of Little Bones and The Dark Room As temperatures soar across Europe during the hottest summer for forty years, a series of hoax terrorist attacks is generating panic in London. Then a bus blows up on Oxford Street and the hoaxes have suddenly become real. Student Brioni O'Brien has been desperately trying to contact her older sister since she unexpectedly returned early from travelling, so when Marissa's bag is found near the site of the explosion, she fears the worst. Teaming up with terrorism expert Anna Lockharte to search for Marissa, Brioni discovers that her sister had got herself into a very dangerous situation - and that now she and Anna could be caught in the fallout.

Writing Unforgettable Characters

Author: James Scott Bell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780910355513
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Book Description
What will take your fiction from good to great? From decent to dazzling? From lackluster to blockbuster? Characters who "jump off the page." Of course plot matters. So does conflict, and scenes, and every other aspect of the fiction craft. But without unforgettable characters, your books will always be less than they could be. Don't let that happen. In WRITING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS you'll learn: -How to lay the foundation for a memorable character -How to bond the reader with the main character from the start -The super power of unpredictability -The secrets of grit, wit, and moxie -How to bring your character to life on the page-How and when to reveal backstory -All about arcs and what they truly mean -The key to unforgettable villains-How to make minor characters memorable, too -How to create a great series character And more, PLUS the powerful exercises James Scott Bell has taught in his sold-out writing workshops. No more flat stories! Give your readers what will turn them into career-long fans-characters who jump off the page.

Making a Good Writer Great

Author: Linda Seger
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781879505490
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 254

Book Description
Teaches writers how to be creative within the craft of screenwriting, and discusses theme development, sensation-thinking, dream images, character opposition, and personal vision.

Creating Character Arcs Workbook

Author: K. M. Weiland
Publisher: Helping Writers Become Authors
ISBN: 9781944936051
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
Uncover the Secrets to Creating Characters Readers Will Never Forget Award-winning author K.M. Weiland's previous book, the acclaimed Creating Character Arcs, showed writers how to identify the five most important types of character arcs and use them to bring your own characters to life with stunning and powerful realism. Now it's time to put those lessons to use! Building upon the principles you've already learned, the Creating Character Arcs Workbook presents a guided approach to choosing the right type of character arc for your story, joining plot and character into a cohesive and resonant whole, and choosing stories with life-changing themes. Containing hundreds of incisive questions and imagination-revving exercises, this valuable resource will show you how to: Write an inspiring Positive Change Arc Create one of three unforgettable Negative Change Arcs Take full advantage of a heroic Flat Arc Align the structure of your character arcs with that of your plot Revise a story that has no arc And so much more! This accessible and streamlined workbook will empower you to create resonant character arcs-and an outstanding novel. Start writing your best book today!