Character Development from the Inside Out by Scott MorganMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
If what you’re looking for is a book that pulls out from your own subconscious the basic building blocks of how to create compelling characters, then Scott Morgan’s Character Development from the Inside Out is a great resource.
Character Development is a well-structured resource book that leads you a step at a time through subjects like the necessity of creating believable and relevant characters, how characters and their reactions really drive the story (even if it’s a plot-driven novel), getting to know your characters, types of characters and, of course, how to actually build your character. He relates the process with how an artist draws a figure model - from the bare bones outwards.
Morgan also drills down into three main genres - defined as heroic, commercial and literary fiction - to discuss typical heroes and villains that are often found and gives keys to understanding how they were created and how it can be applied in developing your own characters.
Following his points is not difficult - Morgan relates his key points to everyday life observations and our own natural reactions to the people around us. To further drive it home, he then links these to characters in different novels which makes you sit up and go “hey - I kind of knew that. Why didn’t I realise it before?”
This is one resource I will probably be reading again for refreshers.
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Note: I received this a review copy of this book from Scott Morgan.
