Advance Praise for The Art of Character “Corbett’s The Art of Character is no ‘how to’ book or ‘writing by numbers’ manual. It is an artful testament to the writer’s credo—that a story is only as affecting and meaningful as the characters who tell it —that 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. The Art 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 Doctor’s 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 writer’s shelf next to Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and Stephen King’s 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 Hummingbird’s Daughter “Both inspiring and practical, The Art of Character belongs on every writer’s 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 writer’s guides that are written as beautifully, cogently, and intelligently as a well-wrought novel. This is one of those books.” —Megan Abbott, Edgar Award–winning author of The End of Everything and Dare Me “David Corbett’s The Art of Character belongs on every writer’s shelf beside Elizabeth George’s Write Away and Stephen King’s On Writing. An invaluable resource for both the novice and the experienced professional, it’s 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 didn’t 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 Corbett’s 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 Contortionist’s 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 you’re likely to find. This is an exploration of the phenomenon of character—in 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 you’re reading, who are alive, who are worthy of our attention and sympathy.” —Robert Bausch, prizewinning author of Out of Season “Writers—pay 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 writer’s 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 Devil’s 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 I’m 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 Extension’s 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 Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, U.S.A. Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Group (Australia), 707 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3008, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi – 110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa), Rosebank Office Park, 181 Jan Smuts Avenue, Parktown North 2193, South Africa Penguin China, B7 Jiaming Center, 27 East Third Ring Road North, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020, China Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England 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. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-14-312157-2 (pbk.) 1. Fiction—Technique. 2. Characters and characteristics in literature. 3. Creative writing. I. Title. PN3383.C4C67 2013 808.3—dc23 2012031265 Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. For Mary Elizabeth Corbett: In fond and grateful memory Contents PRAISE FOR THE BOOK ABOUT THE AUTHOR TITLE PAGE COPYRIGHT DEDICATION EPIGRAPH CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION PART I Conceiving the Character Chapter One Fingering Smoke: Are Characters Created or Discovered? Chapter Two Summoning Ghosts: Source Materials for Characters The Story as the Source for One’s Characters Characters Derived from the Unconscious Characters Derived from Art or Nature Characters Based on Real People Composite Characters Chapter Three The Examined Life: Using Personal Experience as an Intuitive Link to the Character PART II Developing the Character Chapter Four Five Cornerstones of Dramatic Characterization Chapter Five Desire as Purpose: A Driving Need, Want, Ambition, or Goal The Centrality of Desire The Complexity of Desire—and Thus the Need for Clarity Variety in the Depiction of Desire Identifying the Core Desire Chapter Six Desire Denied: Adaptations, Defense Mechanisms, and Pathological Maneuvers How We React to Conflict Defines Our Capacity for Success The Normality at the Heart of the Pathological Maneuver Dramatizing Growth from One Level of Adaptation to Another—The Ghost and the Revenant Core Versus Secondary Desires and Adaptations Chapter Seven The Power of Wounds: Vulnerability Chapter Eight The Gravity of the Hidden: Secrets Chapter Nine The Paradox of This but That: Contradictions The Nature and Dramatic Purpose of Contradiction Contradictions Based on Physical, Ironic, or Comic Juxtaposition Contradictions Based on Our Need to Serve Multiple Social Roles Contradictions Based on Competing Morals or Goals Contradictions That Result from a Secret or Deceit Contradictions Based on Conscious Versus Unconscious Traits Dispositional Contradictions Chapter Ten Serving and Defying the Tyranny of Motive The Mystery at the Heart of Character How Much Do We Need to Know About a Character? The Limits of Intellect