Book description
Create Convincing Characters That ReadersÂ-and EditorsÂ-Can't Resist!
It's the question that eternally plagues all good writers: How can
you describe the thoughts and feelings of characters who have
backgrounds or psychological aberrations with which you have no
personal experience?
How can you describe the feelings of a drug addict if you've never
been one? How can you write about being a prisoner if you've never
been to jail? You can do all the research you want, but the question
still remains: How do you convincingly portray characters if you've
never lived in their skin?
In Breathing Life Into Your Characters, writing consultant
and professional psychotherapist Rachel Ballon, Ph. D., shows you how
to get in touch with the thoughts and feelings necessary to truly
understand your charactersÂ-no matter what their background or life
experiences. She'll show you how to:
- Develop a psychological
profile for every character
- Turn archetypes into
conflicted characters
- Think like a criminal to
convincingly write one
- Reveal personalities through the
use of nonverbal communication
In addition, you'll learn
how to effectively use Ballon's "Method Writing"
systemÂ-taught previously only in her writing workshopsÂ-to explore
your own feelings, memories, and emotions to create characters of
astonishing depth and complexity!
Rachel Ballon, Ph. D., is a licensed psychotherapist and the
founder and director of the Writer's Center in Los Angeles. She is the
author of four other books for Writer's Digest. She has reviewed
hundreds of scripts for major Hollywood studios. A master teacher and
noted success coach, she has taught as an adjunct professor at USC
School of Cinema and Television. She lives in Los Angeles.
