David Corbett - The Art of Character: Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV

Advance Praise for

The Art of Character

Corbetts The Art of Character is no how to book or writing by numbers manual. It is an artful testament to the writers credothat a story is only as affecting and meaningful as the characters who tell itthat writing, essentially, is character. Corbett writes with the grace and authority of a seasoned professional, but offers much more than the usual inventory of method and strategy. With clarity and compassion, he gets to the very thing that lies deep within us, that longing we share to discover that one distinct and authentic voice. TheArt of Character is itself a work of art, an indispensable resource for writers of any genre, and a pedagogical tool for teachers of writing at any level.

Elizabeth Brundage, bestselling author of A Stranger Like You and The Doctors Wife

David Corbett has combined his unique talents as a gifted writer and an extraordinary teacher to create a superb resource on character development. Suitable for beginners to bestselling authors, The Art of Character should be on every serious writers shelf next to Strunk and Whites The Elements of Style, Anne Lamotts Bird by Bird, and Stephen Kings On Writing.

Sheldon Siegel, New York Times bestselling author of Perfect Alibi and Incriminating Evidence

I once made the mistake of writing a story with David Corbett. The man smoked me. He can delineate the character and personality of an accordion in three strokes. Imagine what he can do with people. This act of generosity and wisdom from a very good writer will help anyone who is staring at a blank page, any day, any time. Highly recommended.

Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer finalist and bestselling author of Queen of America and The Hummingbirds Daughter

Both inspiring and practical, The Art of Character belongs on every writers shelf. David Corbett brilliantly illustrates those elusive tools writers need to breathe life into their characters.

Cara Black, bestselling author of Murder at the Lanterne Rouge

Indispensable. Few are the writers guides that are written as beautifully, cogently, and intelligently as a well-wrought novel. This is one of those books.

Megan Abbott, Edgar Awardwinning author of The End of Everything and Dare Me

David Corbetts The Art of Character belongs on every writers shelf beside Elizabeth Georges Write Away and Stephen Kings On Writing. An invaluable resource for both the novice and the experienced professional, its as much fun to read as a great novel.

Deborah Crombie, New York Times bestselling author of No Mark Upon Her

David Corbett is a guy who knows his business. Reading this book, I learned things I didnt know and was reminded of ones I did. I recommend The Art of Character to every writer, at any level.

S. J. Rozan, award-winning author of Ghost Hero

The topic of character development begins and ends with David Corbetts The Art of Character. This is the book on the subject, destined to stand among the writings of John Gardner, Joseph Campbell, and the others of that select few whose work is fundamental to understanding the craft of storytelling.

Craig Clevenger, author of The Contortionists Handbook

It is rare to find the deep philosophical questions of literature (and life) met with such straightforward and inspiring instruction. But David Corbett is that writer, and The Art of Character is that book.

Robert Mailer Anderson, author of Boonville

David Corbett, himself a master crafter of riveting and remarkable narratives, delivers in this highly readable guide a smorgasbord of smart examples of memorable characters from literature and popular culture to create an addictive and helpful primer on this most central of narrative ingredients. Clearheaded and confident, Corbett takes us through the steps in a manner that resists formula while at the same time demystifying a process that has likely daunted every writer since Homer.

Robin Hemley, award-winning author of Turning Life into Fiction

As thorough an examination of character and what it means as youre likely to find. This is an exploration of the phenomenon of characterin as wide a variety of fiction and drama as there is. It will help any writer create and sustain human beings who make you forget youre reading, who are alive, who are worthy of our attention and sympathy.

Robert Bausch, prizewinning author of Out of Season

Writerspay attention! The Art of Character is a tremendously useful and important book. David Corbett delivers in-depth analysis and practical wisdom on every page.

Sam Barry, author of Write That Book Already! The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now

Character is the beating heart of fiction, and with The Art of Character novelist David Corbett has written a clear, in-depth, and highly entertaining exploration of how to create remarkable characters. This is an essential guide to students of the writers craft at all levels.

Mark Haskell Smith, author of Baked

PENGUIN BOOKS

THE ART OF CHARACTER

David Corbett is the author of four novels: The Devils Redhead, Done for a Dime (a New York Times Notable Book), Blood of Paradise (nominated for numerous awards, including the Edgar), and Do They Know Im Running? His short fiction and poetry have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including Mission and Tenth, The Smoking Poet, San Francisco Noir, and Best American Mystery Stories (2009 and 2011). He has taught both online and in classroom settings through the UCLA Extensions Writers Program, Book Passage, LitReactor, 826 Valencia, The Grotto in San Francisco, and at numerous writing conferences across the United States.

THE

ART

OF

CHARACTER

Creating Memorable Characters for Fiction, Film, and TV

DAVID CORBETT

PENGUIN BOOKS

PENGUIN BOOKS

Published by the Penguin Group

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First published in Penguin Books 2013

Copyright David Corbett, 2013

All rights reserved

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Corbett, David, date.

The art of character : creating memorable characters for fiction, film, and tv / David Corbett.