Create unforgettable characters your readers will love! 45 Master Characters will make your characters and their stories more compelling, complex and original than ever before. You'll explore the most common male and female archetypes—the mythic, cross-cultural models from which all characters originate—and learn how to use them as foundations for your own unique characters. Examples culled from literature, television and film illustrate just how memorable and effective these archetypes can be—from "Gladiators" and "Kings" like Rocky Balboa and Captain Ahab to "Amazons" and "Maidens" like Xena and Guinevere. The mythic journeys of heroes and heroines—the progression of events upon which each archetype's character arc develops—are also examined. Building such a "journey" into your character's story will enable you to stop worrying about what happens next and get on with telling your tale. It's a power-packed method for creating characters that stand the test of time!

"45 Master Characters" explores the most common male and female archetypes, provides instructions for using them to create original characters, and gives examples of how other authors have brought such archetypes to life in novels, film and television. Worksheets included for writers to develop their own characters. 45 illustrations.

Create unforgettable characters your readers will love! Want to make your characters and their stories more compelling, complex, and original than ever before? 45 Master Characters is here to help you explore the most common male and female archetypes--the mythic, cross-cultural models from which all characters originate. • Explore a wide variety of character profiles including heroes, villains, and supporting characters. • Learn how to use archetypes as foundations for your own unique characters • Examine the mythic journeys of heroes and heroines--the progression of events upon which each archetype's character arc develops--and learn how to use them to enhance your story. Complete with examples culled from literature, television, and film, 45 Master Characters illustrates just how memorable and effective these archetypes can be--from "Gladiators" and "Kings" like Rocky Balboa and Captain Ahab to "Amazons" and "Maidens" like Wonder Woman and Guinevere. Great heroes and villains are necessary to bring any story to life; let this guide help you create characters that stand the test of time.

Create unforgettable characters your readers will love! Want to make your characters and their stories more compelling, complex, and original than ever before? 45 Master Characters is here to help you explore the most common male and female archetypes--the mythic, cross-cultural models from which all characters originate. • Explore a wide variety of character profiles including heroes, villains, and supporting characters. • Learn how to use archetypes as foundations for your own unique characters • Examine the mythic journeys of heroes and heroines--the progression of events upon which each archetype's character arc develops--and learn how to use them to enhance your story. Complete with examples culled from literature, television, and film, 45 Master Characters illustrates just how memorable and effective these archetypes can be--from "Gladiators" and "Kings" like Rocky Balboa and Captain Ahab to "Amazons" and "Maidens" like Wonder Woman and Guinevere. Great heroes and villains are necessary to bring any story to life; let this guide help you create characters that stand the test of time.

Develop compelling character arcs using the power of myth! In the best novels, characters undergo dramatic changes that keep readers turning pages. A Writer's Guide to Characterization shows you how to develop such meaningful character arcs in your own work--stories of transformation that will resonate with readers long after the story ends. In this comprehensive guide, author Victoria Lynn Schmidt examines cross-cultural archetypes to illustrate how they can make your work more powerful and compelling. Plus, you'll learn how to draw from Jungian psychology to add complexity and believability to your characters. Schmidt also provides: • 40 lessons on character development (with examples from well-known films and novels) that you can apply to your own work • Questionnaires and exercises to help you select male and female archetypes and adapt them to your story • 15 classic animal archetypes (including the coyote, snake, tiger, and butterfly) you can use to build convincing character profiles With A Writer's Guide to Characterization, you'll have the information you need to infuse the development of your characters with drama and authenticity.

Build a Timeless, Original Story Using Hundreds of Classic Story Motifs! It's been said that there are no new ideas; but there are proven ideas that have worked again and again for all writers for hundreds of years. Story Structure Architect is your comprehensive reference to the classic recurring story structures used by every great author throughout the ages. You'll find master models for characters, plots, and complication motifs, along with guidelines for combining them to create unique short stories, novels, scripts, or plays. You'll also learn how to: • Build compelling stories that don't get bogged down in the middle • Select character journeys and create conflicts • Devise subplots and plan dramatic situations • Develop the supporting characters you need to make your story work Especially featured are the standard dramatic situations inspire by Georges Polti's well-known 19th century work, The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. But author Victoria Schmidt puts a 21st-century spin on these timeless classics and offers fifty-five situations to inspire your creativity and allow you even more writing freedom. Story Structure Architect will give you the mold and then help you break it. This browsable and interactive book offers everything you need to craft a complete, original, and satisfying story sure to keep readers hooked!

Originally published: Hollywood, CA: Lone Eagle Pub., c2000.

The villain is the hero of his own story - and is every bit as important as the heroic characters. This book contains the lectures and exercises from Tami Cowden's popular online class on villain archetypes. The workshop identifies and examines the motivations of the 16 literary villain archetypes, and shows what happens when heroes and heroines turn to the dark side. Here's what participants have said about the workshop: -I really enjoyed this class. Seeing these archetypes spelled out like this really gives perspective instinct does not. -Not only did this give me some really good tips on villain archetypes, but seeing the thought process behind creating a character for the archetypes helped me with your hero/heroine archetypes as well. -WONDERFUL class, again!!! It was quite a thrill figuring out which archetype matched up with the villianess of my WIP: ) . I have your exclamation about motivation stuck to my wall, just as a reminder. --I did get a chance to apply this to my characters. I put a lot more thought into my characters' motivations and I think I will have a stronger book for it. The workshop really helped me make a more consistant characters and to work through how my characters act. -I'm having trouble getting a handle on my villain in my next book, and these archetypes are really helping me. -The exercises were enlightening as well as a fun way to get into the heads of these characters. - You have given me good ideas for use in my current WIP and I'm certain I'll be using some of the others archetypes in future works.

What Can You Accomplish in 30 Days? If you make time to write and put away all of your excuses, could you stay on track and finish your novel in only a month? With a structured plan and a focused goal, yes, you can! Using a combination of flexible weekly schedules, focused instruction, and detailed worksheets, author Victoria Schmidt leads you through a proven 30-day novel-writing system without the intimidation factor. Book in a Month shows you how to: • Set realistic goals and monitor your progress • Manage your time so that your writing life has room to flourish • Select a story topic that will continue to inspire you throughout the writing process • Quickly outline your entire story so that you have a clear idea of how your plot and characters are going to develop before you start writing • Draft each act of your story by focusing on specific turning points • Keep track of the areas you want to revise without losing your momentum in the middle of your story • Relax and have fun–you are, after all, doing something you love So what are you waiting for? If you've been putting off your book project, let Book in a Month be your guide and find out just how much you can accomplish.

From Sex to Schizophrenia: Everything You Need to Develop Your Characters! What makes a person commit a white-collar crime? Who is a likely candidate to join a cult? Why do children have imaginary friends? How does birth order affect whether or not a person gets married? When does mind over matter become a crippling problem? Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition answers all of these questions and many others. With more than 400 easy-to-reference lists of traits blended from a variety of behaviors and influences, you'll gain the knowledge you need to create distinctive characters whose personalities correspond to their thoughts and actions - no matter how normal or psychotic they might be. In this updated and expanded edition, you'll also find: • Comprehensive instruction on how to use this book • New statistical information to help you create true-to-life characters • Corresponding exercises that show you how to put the material to work in your stories • A quick-reference index to make cross-referencing a snap • Idea sparkers to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page Plus, you'll learn about common - and not so common - psychological, physical, and relationship disorders; delve into the minds of criminals; find out what it takes to be a professional athlete, scientist, and truck driver; discover what life is like for a gang member, suicidal teen, and alcoholic; and more. In Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition, note psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generic personality types and into the depths of the human psyche where you're sure to find the resources you need to make your characters stand out from the crowd.