Table Of ContentAdvance 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
