The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love

Everyone must have heard the famous quote from Stephen King’s On Writing: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” So, when I was searching for books on creative writing, I did my research. And I found not one but several founts of knowledge. I offer you a little sneak peek:

Creating Character Arcs – K. M. Weiland
Structuring Your Novel – K. M. Weiland
Bird by Bird – Anne Lamott
Characters & Viewpoint – Orson Scott Card
Save the Cat – Blake Snyder
Plot – Ansen Dibell

All of the above mentioned books are absolutely brilliant and if you are interested in the process of creative writing I cannot recommend them enough. As I was researching, I also came across the name Matt Bird. It piqued my interest, so I bought his book about character craftsmanship and instantly fell in love.

The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love is a fascinating dive into the process of creating literary, movie, or TV characters. It uncovers all the tips and tricks authors use to make you fall in love even with the most deplorable characters. The book is based on an analysis of three main pillars which experienced writers use to get under the reader’s/viewer’s skin and model the most likable characters.

Believe – your readers/viewers must believe your characters are real.
Invest – yourreader/viewer must be willing to spend their time with your characters, so being able to empathize with them is crucial.
Care – your reader/viewer must care about your characters and worry about them when they undergo the challenges the author puts them through.

Secrets of Character

Matt, Bird

EnglishPaperback / softback

Random House USA Inc

ISBN: 9780593331224

On order

Delivery on Wednesday, 5. of March 2025

On order

Delivery on Wednesday, 5. of March 2025

CZK 404 -10%

This is, however, only the tip of the iceberg. Matt Bird supports his analysis with a myriad of examples, both from famous and not-so-famous works. From Pixar animated movies through literary bestsellers all the way to our favorite TV shows. Matt’s research is so thorough that one wonders whether it’s possible to understand everything without spending thousands of hours in front of a TV or with a book in hand.

Lucky for us, he’s already done the work and he shares it on his fantastic and regularly updated blog. And don't be fooled, it is not only a matter of simply theorizing and stating the obvious, it is an incredibly entertaining pondering over what people unconsciously search for in characters, their needs and expectations, whether it’s the villainous Joker or the lovable robot Wall-E.

In other words, if you ever thought about expressing yourself creatively through writing or perhaps you’ve done so already. If you want to understand better why you like the books/movies you like. If you want to know why something makes you so frustrated and annoyed that you have to fight the urge to destroy your TV or shred the otherwise gorgeous paperback. If you wonder whether you justifiably disliked the last seasons of Game of Thrones because something just doesn’t feel right. If you can find yourself in any of these, then this is the right book for you. The one you will find yourself coming back to repeatedly. I know I will.

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