Getting into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn from Actors
Proven techniques for creating vivid, believable charactersWant to bring characters to life on the page as vividly as fine actors do on the stage or screen? Getting into Character will give you a whole new way of thinking about your writing. Drawing on the Method acting theory that theater professionals have used for decades, this in-depth guide explains seven characterization techniques and adapts them for the novelist’s use.In this unique and practical book, you’ll discover concepts that will help you understand and communicate the behavior, motivation, and psychology of every fictional character you create. Examples from classic and contemporary novels show you how these techniques have been used to dazzling effect by Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Steve Martini, Anne Rivers Siddons, and others. These simple yet highly effective techniques will help you:Create characters whose distinctive traits become plot componentsDetermine each character’s specific objectives and motivationsWrite natural-sounding dialogue rich in meaningEndow your characters with three-dimensional emotional livesUse character to bring action sequences to exuberant lifeWrite convincingly about any character facing any circumstance