In this book, Linda Seger shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. Interviews with today's top writers complete this essential volume.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Average, June 5, 2008
By
AJ (Santa Rosa, CA USA)
I thought this would be a great book, but it really wasn't up there in terms of being helpful. There are lots of other really good books like:
1. Dave Trottier's - The Screenwriter's Bible
2. Blake Synder's - Save the Cat
3. Syd Field's - Foundations of Screenwriting
4. Syd field's - The Screenwriter's Problem Solver
5. Scott Sedita's - The Eight Characters of Comedy
Stick with those five and don't waste your money on the rest. I've bought them all and those five are the only ones worth buying!
CREATING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS, June 1, 2008
By
C. J. Singh (Berkeley, California, USA)
In the preface, Linda Seger observes: "The concepts within this book relate to the creation of all fiction characters and are based on the principles I've discovered as a drama professor, a theater director, and script consultant.... For this book, I've interviewed over thirty writers who have articulated and affirmed these concepts; these include novelists and writers for film."
Her how-to book comprises ten engaging chapters, each concluding with a case study on a well-known screenscript such as ORDINARY PEOPLE, GORILLAS IN THE MIST, and ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. The chapters also provide a detailed "application" checklist to guide the reader during the character-creation process.
Some of the highlights of the ten chapters are as follows.
Chapter 1: Researching the Character. "Research can take longer than any other part of scriptwriting." Seger quotes William Kelley, writer of WITNESS: "I researched the Amish for seven years, and Earl and I wrote the script during the 1980 writers' strike, which lasted about three months" (p 17).
Chapter 2: Defining the Character: Consistencies and Paradoxes. "Shaping the clay of your character is a six-step process." One of these steps is "adding quirks, the illogical, the paradoxical" (p 46).
Chapter 3: Creating the Backstory. "Finding the backstory is a process of discovery. The writer needs to work back and forth constantly -- asking questions about the past to understand the present" (p 62).
Chapter 4: Understanding Character Psychology. Seger quotes Barry Morrow, writer of RAIN MAN, "Half of writing is psychology. There's a consistent core, or a consistent unity to behavior.... Every action has motivation and intention" (p 63). This chapter includes an insightful section on "how inner backstory defines character," citing Freud and Jung's theories. Also a section on "how abnormal behavior defines character," citing Woody Allen's HANNAH AND HER SISTERS among others.
Chapter 5: Creating Character Relationships. Seger notes that "some of the most successful films and television series have featured two stars, not one" (p 91), citing examples of THE AFRICAN QUEEN, ADAM'S RIB, LETHAL WEAPON among others.
Chapter 6: Adding Supporting and Minor Characters. Seger notes that "many of the best stories are memorable because of their supporting characters" and quotes James Dearden, writer of FATAL ATTRACTION: "Within the context of reality, you can make your little characters interesting...keeping people's eyes moving and their ears flapping and their brains working. It's those little details that make something come alive" (p 145).
Chapter 7: Writing Dialogue. I found this chapter the most instructive of all. "Great dialogue has conflict, emotions, and attitudes. It also has another essential component: the subtext. Subtext is what the character is saying beneath and between the lines. One of the most delightful examples of subtext comes from the film ANNIE HALL, written by Woody Allen. When Alvie and Annie first meet, they look each other over. Their dialogue is an intellectual discussion about photography, but their subtexts are written in subtitles on the screen." Subtextually, "she wonders if she's smart enough for him, he wonders if he's shallow; she wonders if he's a shmuck like other men she's dated, he wonders what she looks like naked. Both understand the subtext of their conversation" (p 148).
Chapter 8: Creating Nonrealistic Characters. Examples cited include E. T.; KING KONG; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND; SUPERMAN; THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Chapter 9: Beyond Stereotyping. Example of stereotyping: "Blacks are often portrayed as comical or as perpetrators of crimes" (p 197). "A character type is not the same as a stereotype. The doddering father or the braggadocio soldier are character types, not stereotypes, because the portrayal is balanced with other images of fathers and soldiers" (p 198).
Chapter 10: Solving Character Problems. "Writing good characters is a complicated process. Getting stuck happens to even the best of writers. Turning to some of these problem-solving techniques can lead to breakthroughs that can help make your characters work." Yes, indeed.
This outstanding book merits high priority on the aspiring screenwriter's craft-study list.
-- C J Singh
Good deal, August 11, 2005
By
Seku Rajendra (Philadelphia , PA USA)
The book has been delivered brand new, in time. The contents of the book are above expectations and live upto to the reviews.
Keep it up guys.
there are better books on characterization, February 6, 2005
By
bookloversfriend (United States)
Unlike her book, Making a Good Script Great, this book is disappointing. Creating characters involves: "getting the first idea..., creating the first broad strokes, finding the core of the character...finding the paradoxes within the character..., adding emotions, attitudes, and values, adding details to make the character specific and unique" (p.23). These steps are then elaborated in separate chapters (although the elaboration consists mostly of extended examples of films most people--those who actually saw the films--would consider to be mixed bags at best, long series of autobiographical paragraphs, and extended quotes from screenwriters ruminating about their experiences in writing this or that character). Seldom is information actually added to that already given on page 23.
There are also chapters on backstory--use backstory only when you have to (p.56), minor characters, dialogue--"bad dialogue is difficult to speak...all characters sound alike...spells out every thought...simplifies people instead of revealing their complexity" (p.151), and nonrealistic characters. Also a chapter on avoiding stereotypes and other character problems such as unlikable characters and vague characters.
There is only enough actual information in the book to fill an article; but if you are a beginning screenwriter, this book (and many others) can be a help to you. The thing to be careful of is (a) emulating writing from movies that most viewers were lukewarm about. You want to learn the best techniques, not the mediocre ones. And (b) thinking that if you've read this book, you know all you need to know about characterization. You don't. Far from it.
Finally, Good Characters, October 5, 2004
By
Myra Schjelderup (Salt Lake City, Utah, USA)
Before I read this book, I have to admit - my characters were all pretty lame. Then, hey, I read this book, and boom! Ok, so they still need work, but this book made me understand how to keep characters exotic, good, and believable.
The first part of this book didn't interest me as much, because it was advising on how to make sure your characters are good on their background - of people who live in this world. This wasn't 'really' helpful for me, because I write fantasy in other worlds, but I picked up a few helpful things.
Then came a section on Dialogue, which was good too - at the time I was reading it I didn't realize it, I thought it was a bit dull, but then I realized I had started taking the advice unconciously.
But then came along the next part of the book, and I could hardly wait to pick it up each time. It explains greatly how to make sure your characters aren't hollow, and how they should respond in situations according to their attitudes and past life.
This book I highly recommend to any author who feels his characters aren't to their full potential (or if they don't want to admit that, this book was fun to read as well).
