Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life (Red Sneaker Writers Books) (Volume 2)

Even if you are not writing your own novel, do you know how authors create memorable roles? Not just historical fiction, but future characters- what makes you hate/ love/ root for someone?Ex:' One warning: The secrets I am about to reveal will likely ruin books, plays, and movies for you till the end of time. Why? Because once I’ve made you aware of these tricks for engendering reader sympathy, you will start to see them everywhere. You will understand why the thriller hero stops to rescue a cat from a tree. 'Bernhardt, William. Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life (Red Sneaker Writers Book Series 2) (p. 91). Babylon Books. Kindle Edition.Referring to classic examples, Bernhardt points to the arc as a character matures, the challenges surmounted despite their faults.This short book asks authors to commit to a project and schedule of work, but even this makes readers respect the effort of creating a tale that pulls you into its' world.

There is no filler in this book. Lots of practical help in developing a character that will hold the reader's interest. Gives lots of examples. Tells you what to do as well as what not to do. Even talks about point of view. Lots of good advice about how to create a character with a journey that helps the reader to feel like a participant in the story---like she knows the character personally and cares what happens to him. I learned a lot of helpful information without having to read a long book. I highly recommend this book. Perfect for the beginning writer as well as the experienced writer. Even if you have been writing novels for a while, you will learn new ideas that will help you improve.

William Bernhardt understands writing and more importantly, he understands how to develop real characters that draw the reader into the story. Of all the books on writing out there, this is one of the best. And it is the second in his Red Sneaker Writer series. This book cuts right to the chase and gives you exactly what you need. For writers already stressed about finding time to write, relax...you can read this book in one day. If you can't afford to travel across the country attending writing conferences and seminars, this is your solution. You won't be disappointed. While the book is inexpensive, the material inside is equivalent to the best seminar on character development around. Go for it!

This is a great little book for when you want to learn to do the thing, but not spend a ton of time on theory. I would recommend this either as an individual endeavor, or as part of a writer's group. Each chapter is short and has helpful exercises at the end. It would probably work as a teen-writing book as well (if you're teaching teen creative writing) because of the brevity of each chapter, the quick chapter-summary at the end, and the number of exercises at the end of each chapter.

“Characters are not real people, they are Metaphors. . .” is a quote from this book, which I found to be the very metaphor for what this book represents. The author “ William Bernhardt” conveys his insights into writing by inspiring your thinking about the characters in your story, especially the main characters, as metaphors for the dramatic journey that will persuade your readers to embark without looking back. If your desire to write needs an enthusiastic stimulus to get you started and organized, this is the book. Extremely well written and easy to comprehend. It’s an inexpensive way to delve into the essence of what brings a story to life. There is no definitive book on how to write a book (short story, novella, or novel), but this book—only 142 pages in paperback—is an easy, informative read. Bernhardt's concepts on writing are fresh and invigorating, the efficacy of which is only limited by your desire and resolve to write.

Like the first book in this series, Bill Bernhardt's "Creating Character" is an essential book for any serious writer. If anything his straightforward, humorous, and enlightened approach to creating compelling characters addresses a more serious need of budding and accomplished authors than his first excellent book in this series. Creating compelling characters with whom the reader can identify is the single greatest failing of most unsuccessful novels. Bill teaches us how to quickly establish a link with your characters and an interest in learning more about them. This drives a reader to keep on reading, the single most important goal of all writing. Read and enjoy this book and then read it again to pick up everything you missed the first time through, because it so flush with valuable information.

Bernhardt offers some wonderful advice in all his Red Sneaker Writer's Books and this work is no exception. Particularly impressive is the depth of his reading and the ability to translate it into practical educational use for any level writer. As a novice, I feel like he's writing all this for me. And I suspect, for the more advanced, they might feel the same for themselves. Why? Because there's something to be learned or to be reminded of on every page.

This is a very good guide, and it covers the bases well. Aspiring writers will certainly find it useful. It does a very good job of taking one through all the steps necessary to invent characters, then give them characteristics that make them memorable, and it does this quickly and clearly. If you are looking for a more nuanced approach, one that goes into more detail and subtlety about humans and their conditions, other guides may be better and cover the subject in more depth. But I have no hesitation in recommending this one. The Kindle version is very cost effective as well.