What do you think?
Rate this book
The Red Sneaker Writers #2
Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life
All fiction is character-driven, according to William Bernhardt, despite what you might have heard elsewhere. If your characters don’t interest readers, even the most exciting plots will fail. “Action is character,� Aristotle wrote, but what does that mean, and how can you use that fundamental principle to create dynamic fiction that will captivate readers? This book explains the relationship between character and plot, and how the perfect melding of the two produces a mesmerizing story. Using examples spanning from The Odyssey to The Da Vinci Code, Bernhardt discusses the art of character creation in a direct and easily comprehended manner. The book also includes exercises designed to help writers apply these ideas to their own work.
William Bernhardt is the author of more than thirty novels, including the blockbuster Ben Kincaid series of legal thrillers. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. His programs have educated many authors now published by major houses. He is the only person to have received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (U Penn) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (OSU), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large."
The Red Sneaker Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers achieve their literary goals. What is a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction and guidance rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done, and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
William Bernhardt is the author of more than thirty novels, including the blockbuster Ben Kincaid series of legal thrillers. Bernhardt is also one of the most sought-after writing instructors in the nation. His programs have educated many authors now published by major houses. He is the only person to have received the Southern Writers Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (U Penn) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (OSU), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large."
The Red Sneaker Writing Center is dedicated to helping writers achieve their literary goals. What is a red sneaker writer? A committed writer seeking useful instruction and guidance rather than obfuscation and attitude. Red sneakers get the job done, and so do red sneaker writers, by paying close attention to their art and craft, committing to hard work, and never quitting. Are you a red sneaker writer? If so, this book is for you.
142 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2013
59 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
William Bernhardt
100Ìýbooks492ÌýfollowersWilliam Bernhardt is the author of over sixty books, including the bestselling Daniel Pike and Ben Kincaid legal thrillers, the historical novels Challengers of the Dust and Nemesis, three books of poetry, and the ten Red Sneaker books on fiction writing.
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.� The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.�
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.�
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.�
In addition, Bernhardt founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to mentor aspiring writers. The Center hosts an annual writers conference (WriterCon), small-group seminars, a monthly newsletter, and a bi-weekly podcast. More than three dozen of Bernhardt’s students have subsequently published with major houses. He is also the owner of Balkan Press, which publishes poetry and fiction as well as the literary journal Conclave.
Bernhardt has received the Southern Writers Guild’s Gold Medal Award, the Royden B. Davis Distinguished Author Award (University of Pennsylvania) and the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award (Oklahoma State), which is given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work that has profoundly influenced the way in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He has been nominated for the Oklahoma Book Award eighteen times in three different categories, and has won the award twice. Library Journal called him “the master of the courtroom drama.� The Vancouver Sun called him “the American equivalent of P.G. Wodehouse and John Mortimer.�
In addition to his novels and poetry, he has written plays, a musical (book and score), humor, children stories, biography, and puzzles. He has edited two anthologies (Legal Briefs and Natural Suspect) as fundraisers for The Nature Conservancy and the Children’s Legal Defense Fund. OSU named him “Oklahoma’s Renaissance Man.�
In his spare time, he has enjoyed surfing, digging for dinosaurs, trekking through the Himalayas, paragliding, scuba diving, caving, zip-lining over the canopy of the Costa Rican rain forest, and jumping out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion winning over $20,000.
When Bernhardt delivered the keynote address at the San Francisco Writers Conference, chairman Michael Larsen noted that in addition to penning novels, Bernhardt can “write a sonnet, play a sonata, plant a garden, try a lawsuit, teach a class, cook a gourmet meal, beat you at Scrabble, and work the New York Times crossword in under five minutes.�
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 3, 2014
I personally did not like this book at all, but I will not deny that his tips will be very good � for a select audience.
My biggest concern with this book is that newbies will receive his advice as gospel truth, since Bernhardt has been so successful in publishing. Frankly, he's wrong about nearly everything in regard to people whose styles of writing or creativity differ from his. He sounds like a die-hard planner who has honed his craft into snappy, casual storytelling. There's nothing wrong with aiming for such a book (especially in the genre he's chosen), but his advice would be poison for a different type of writer.
For the more advanced writers, this content will be same old, same old. We've heard this before and we've learned this by our own sweat and blood (or we have our own alternate theories that make his look incredibly shaky) � but for those just starting out and looking to him for a leg up in professional writing, I worry that they will find his advice confining, putting them in a box with the paramount goal of publishing and selling a lot of second-rate books, rather than giving them tools to make something they can be truly proud of in the end.
Bernhardt's advice contradicts my own in many cases, but we could agree more often than not if he were more consistent and clear in his efforts to explain himself. For instance, in the first part of the book, he insists that "characters are not real" and no one should treat them as such, but in the latter portion of the book, he says that his own characters have become "like real people" to him, which shows that he is not so against the notion of "real" characters, but that we shouldn't act as if they are without our control.
People looking to publish books just like Bernhardt's novels no doubt will view this advice as enormously invaluable. For nearly everyone else, though, this will either be too opinionated or too simplistic.
My biggest concern with this book is that newbies will receive his advice as gospel truth, since Bernhardt has been so successful in publishing. Frankly, he's wrong about nearly everything in regard to people whose styles of writing or creativity differ from his. He sounds like a die-hard planner who has honed his craft into snappy, casual storytelling. There's nothing wrong with aiming for such a book (especially in the genre he's chosen), but his advice would be poison for a different type of writer.
For the more advanced writers, this content will be same old, same old. We've heard this before and we've learned this by our own sweat and blood (or we have our own alternate theories that make his look incredibly shaky) � but for those just starting out and looking to him for a leg up in professional writing, I worry that they will find his advice confining, putting them in a box with the paramount goal of publishing and selling a lot of second-rate books, rather than giving them tools to make something they can be truly proud of in the end.
Bernhardt's advice contradicts my own in many cases, but we could agree more often than not if he were more consistent and clear in his efforts to explain himself. For instance, in the first part of the book, he insists that "characters are not real" and no one should treat them as such, but in the latter portion of the book, he says that his own characters have become "like real people" to him, which shows that he is not so against the notion of "real" characters, but that we shouldn't act as if they are without our control.
People looking to publish books just like Bernhardt's novels no doubt will view this advice as enormously invaluable. For nearly everyone else, though, this will either be too opinionated or too simplistic.
March 30, 2014
This was a good book but not a mind-blowing book. Falls into the trap a lot of these authors do where they write a book about a topic and most of their references are to their own books, which isn't necessarily bad, but some of these books reference examples from more widely known literature or films instead of using the reference book as a self-promotion platform. Some good things to think about in here, but nothing life-changing. And one big complaint is that he, like many of these indie author self-help writing books, has separated out the information into a number of small books on specific topics, and he'll tell you to read the book on plot, or what have you, instead of going into depth when these topics touch on this book's topic. He assumes you're going to get these other books to the point where he will say 'Find out more in the book on plot.' THE book on plot? You mean YOUR book on plot?
Anyway, that's hardly a serious complaint. It's frustrating that these sorts of books frequently come in a number of slender volumes with laser-like focus on one aspect of writing and then spend half of their time shilling the author's fiction, and the other half shilling the author's numerous other slender volumes, each about a single topic of writing. But there are still some good pieces of advice in here.
Anyway, that's hardly a serious complaint. It's frustrating that these sorts of books frequently come in a number of slender volumes with laser-like focus on one aspect of writing and then spend half of their time shilling the author's fiction, and the other half shilling the author's numerous other slender volumes, each about a single topic of writing. But there are still some good pieces of advice in here.
March 17, 2019
Full of practical information on how to bring your character to life.
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.
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.
April 4, 2020
Recommended in the DM Guide for 5e so originally thought that it would be good for my villains. However the more I delved, the more I thought it’s really for the PCs. I love the idea of having a character as a metaphor and that a character must change over the telling of the story. I hope that the players in my game will get the opportunity to change.
As for the guide itself, it’s written in a no-nonsense fashion which I appreciate. However, I have never read the author’s fiction work so most of those references were lost on me. Additionally, there were no fantasy references which could have been helpful. I would have loved additional appendixes like a list of metaphors for characters. So in summary, lots to be desired but still worth while because the guide is succinct.
As for the guide itself, it’s written in a no-nonsense fashion which I appreciate. However, I have never read the author’s fiction work so most of those references were lost on me. Additionally, there were no fantasy references which could have been helpful. I would have loved additional appendixes like a list of metaphors for characters. So in summary, lots to be desired but still worth while because the guide is succinct.
September 21, 2021
A lot of good concepts. Like most of these books, it has good reminders for everyone, but is more focused for those new to writing.
The biggest downside to this (and many others)is that it comes off as arrogant and like the author is some kind of all-knowing being. Strange, because every one of these books will tell you that some specific thing, different from the others, is the key to good writing.
I would still recommend it, but know that it has its limitations and oftentimes seems more like an ad for the authors other books.
The biggest downside to this (and many others)is that it comes off as arrogant and like the author is some kind of all-knowing being. Strange, because every one of these books will tell you that some specific thing, different from the others, is the key to good writing.
I would still recommend it, but know that it has its limitations and oftentimes seems more like an ad for the authors other books.
October 16, 2022
This was an excellent book concerning characters. It had other things in there too. The approach was very different from some other books I have read and in some cases I like books that have conflicting recommendations. This one had some that conflicted with others and I still find them to be very valuable perspectives even though I feel sometimes the perspectives were too narrowly defined. But overall, still, I recommend it . Just always decide what makes sense to you.
July 22, 2018
Another Excellent to Inspire the Author
The Red Sneaker series on how to write are strategically placed gems to guide any new writer the basics of the Writer’s Red Sneakers. This particular book is barte
Ok, we’re all
The Red Sneaker series on how to write are strategically placed gems to guide any new writer the basics of the Writer’s Red Sneakers. This particular book is barte
Ok, we’re all
October 10, 2020
Great resource!
You need this book it you write fiction stories of will help you Bring your characters to life and making them someone readers can relate to is no easy task. Mr. Bernhardt gives you a excellent resource to use to make your characters be the most they can be.
You need this book it you write fiction stories of will help you Bring your characters to life and making them someone readers can relate to is no easy task. Mr. Bernhardt gives you a excellent resource to use to make your characters be the most they can be.
June 30, 2021
The entire Red Sneaker series is very accessible for new novel writers and helped me get my first novel from idea to polished, published product. I recommend it for anyone who is trying to write their first novel or wants to.
September 5, 2020
My favorite Writing Master!
February 19, 2024
A different approach to crating characters. Good examples of why certain characters work in fiction.
March 16, 2018
Excellent resource for writers. Concise and clear, just the way I like my writing craft books. I enjoyed Berhardt's sense of humour and ability to get to the heart of the matter. The chapter summaries and exercises make referring back to this guide a pleasure. I'll be keeping this one in my writing toolbox for continual referral.
July 16, 2013
I haven't been this excited about a book on writing in a very long time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review. As a writer who's been publishing her work for over 35 years and who has a bookcase full of books on writing, I expected another rehash of previous works on the subject by other authors. To my surprise, I discovered William Bernhardt brought a fresh and grounded view to the art of character construction.
Bernhardt disputes much of the trite advice handed out in most writing classes, and offers solid guidance which will aid many struggling writers--even those who are already successful in the field. In the modern world of easy self-publishing, many would-be writers believe it's enough to fill a set number of pages with words and call it a book. The result is a deluge of poorly written books by writers who turn to self-publishing when professional publishers reject their work. I often recommend the same three books to beginners (Swain's "Techniques of the Selling Writer"; Dixon's "GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict" and Kress's "Beginnings, Middles & Ends"). Now I have a fourth work to add to my list: "Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life."
Don't let the short length deter you from purchasing this book. Bernhardt doesn't waste time with fillers; "Creating Character" is a concise handbook with a few helpful exercises at the end of each chapter. After reading this, I found myself viewing my characters in a new way--one that has already sent me back to the first page of my current work-in-progress in order to make revisions.
I won't go into detail about Bernhardt's unique view of what characters actually represent, or try to explain why so much of the supposedly 'tried-and-true' methods of character construction don't work in the real world--something I figured out myself long ago. Just get this book and read it for yourself.
I haven't read any of the other books in Bernhardt's "Red Sneaker" series, but after finishing "Creating Character", I intend to acquire the rest of the set. If they're as good as this one, I look forward to reading them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about the art of writing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review. As a writer who's been publishing her work for over 35 years and who has a bookcase full of books on writing, I expected another rehash of previous works on the subject by other authors. To my surprise, I discovered William Bernhardt brought a fresh and grounded view to the art of character construction.
Bernhardt disputes much of the trite advice handed out in most writing classes, and offers solid guidance which will aid many struggling writers--even those who are already successful in the field. In the modern world of easy self-publishing, many would-be writers believe it's enough to fill a set number of pages with words and call it a book. The result is a deluge of poorly written books by writers who turn to self-publishing when professional publishers reject their work. I often recommend the same three books to beginners (Swain's "Techniques of the Selling Writer"; Dixon's "GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict" and Kress's "Beginnings, Middles & Ends"). Now I have a fourth work to add to my list: "Creating Character: Bringing Your Story to Life."
Don't let the short length deter you from purchasing this book. Bernhardt doesn't waste time with fillers; "Creating Character" is a concise handbook with a few helpful exercises at the end of each chapter. After reading this, I found myself viewing my characters in a new way--one that has already sent me back to the first page of my current work-in-progress in order to make revisions.
I won't go into detail about Bernhardt's unique view of what characters actually represent, or try to explain why so much of the supposedly 'tried-and-true' methods of character construction don't work in the real world--something I figured out myself long ago. Just get this book and read it for yourself.
I haven't read any of the other books in Bernhardt's "Red Sneaker" series, but after finishing "Creating Character", I intend to acquire the rest of the set. If they're as good as this one, I look forward to reading them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about the art of writing.
August 2, 2013
In full disclosure I won this book in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ giveaway. I haven’t read any other writing books, but I had written about a 1/3 of a novel at the time of reading this book.
This book provides excellent tips for writing more interesting characters.
I must admit I was a little worried when I read the first chapter, it seemed a little wishy-washy without any real tips, fortunately the rest of the book was excellent with great tips and advice.
The tips are general enough to apply to whatever book you are writing but specific enough for you know how and where you will apply it to your own work.
There are plenty of examples in this book that calls upon well known characters both from books and TV (such Sherlock Holmes, Doctor House and James Bond.) The nice thing about these examples is that you can still understand them even if you don’t know the characters. He sometimes uses characters from his own books, although these were just because he knew them so well and could give excellent examples and it never felt that he was trying to promote his own books.
There were plenty of tips where it helped me realize how I could improve my book and writing, although rather nicely I also saw what I had done a lot right.
The writing style is very easy to read, even if you have never studied writing you will be able to understand everything that the author tells you. He very rarely uses technical terms and on the few occasions that he does, he fully explains what they mean.
One tip I have for this book, use a highlighter pen, there are so many useful tips you will need to highlight the ones that you find the most useful and relevant.
I liked the short length of this book, there was no filler, just great advice on how to write. The short length was nice as it meant I could read it without feeling I should get back to my own writing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to improve their writing, I will defiantly getting the rest of this series.
This book provides excellent tips for writing more interesting characters.
I must admit I was a little worried when I read the first chapter, it seemed a little wishy-washy without any real tips, fortunately the rest of the book was excellent with great tips and advice.
The tips are general enough to apply to whatever book you are writing but specific enough for you know how and where you will apply it to your own work.
There are plenty of examples in this book that calls upon well known characters both from books and TV (such Sherlock Holmes, Doctor House and James Bond.) The nice thing about these examples is that you can still understand them even if you don’t know the characters. He sometimes uses characters from his own books, although these were just because he knew them so well and could give excellent examples and it never felt that he was trying to promote his own books.
There were plenty of tips where it helped me realize how I could improve my book and writing, although rather nicely I also saw what I had done a lot right.
The writing style is very easy to read, even if you have never studied writing you will be able to understand everything that the author tells you. He very rarely uses technical terms and on the few occasions that he does, he fully explains what they mean.
One tip I have for this book, use a highlighter pen, there are so many useful tips you will need to highlight the ones that you find the most useful and relevant.
I liked the short length of this book, there was no filler, just great advice on how to write. The short length was nice as it meant I could read it without feeling I should get back to my own writing.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to improve their writing, I will defiantly getting the rest of this series.
June 28, 2013
I'm not a serious writer; that is, I don't ever intend on being published. I write for fun, as a hobby. But's it's something I enjoy, and so want to excel at. And this is a great book for any level writer.
Bernhardt knows what he's talking about. In nine short chapters he covers all the basics of characters, with short helpful exercises at the end of each chapter. Following along with these gave me some great insight into my main character for the story I'm writing for NaNoWriMo. I'm going to have to go through this again for my second "main" character and antagonist before then!
Bernhardt has a clear-cut and direct voice that is easy to read and understand. He makes concepts that might be abstract and difficult otherwise, such as character arc, easy to grasp with vivid examples and plain speaking. I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the books in this series, hopefully before November. I'll take all the help I can get. :D There's also a really good chance I'll be looking up 's fiction...
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.] (less)
Bernhardt knows what he's talking about. In nine short chapters he covers all the basics of characters, with short helpful exercises at the end of each chapter. Following along with these gave me some great insight into my main character for the story I'm writing for NaNoWriMo. I'm going to have to go through this again for my second "main" character and antagonist before then!
Bernhardt has a clear-cut and direct voice that is easy to read and understand. He makes concepts that might be abstract and difficult otherwise, such as character arc, easy to grasp with vivid examples and plain speaking. I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of the books in this series, hopefully before November. I'll take all the help I can get. :D There's also a really good chance I'll be looking up 's fiction...
[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.] (less)
June 14, 2015
OK, you can't read 100 books a year without thinking: I could have done better than that. Having said that, I do have some small amount of humility and am aware that like running a 5 hour marathon, even writing a bad book is a milestone. I have respect for anyone who has done the planning and spent the hours writing and selling their book. So if I'm going to have such arrogant thoughts, I aught to appreciate the process at a deeper level. Thus, I've picked up a series of short books on how to develop characters, structure a novel and write.
I've enjoyed (not) both secondary and post secondary literature and general writing classes. However, beyond the most basic academic writing skills, I know nothing about writing novels or repentantly prose. The Red Sneaker Writers series is perfect. Bernhartdt is an award winning writer who does a fantastic communicating his craft. Bernhardt makes each of his points and then gives examples from a broad range of popular and classic fiction. While the book is wonderfully instructive, it is also entertaining. When I read books about my favorite musicians, I can hear the music as songs are referred to. Reading this one, literary works were brought to mind. Even if it doesn't make my writing better, Bernhardt's writing on how to write is fascinating and entertaining. I look forward to the rest of the series.
I've enjoyed (not) both secondary and post secondary literature and general writing classes. However, beyond the most basic academic writing skills, I know nothing about writing novels or repentantly prose. The Red Sneaker Writers series is perfect. Bernhartdt is an award winning writer who does a fantastic communicating his craft. Bernhardt makes each of his points and then gives examples from a broad range of popular and classic fiction. While the book is wonderfully instructive, it is also entertaining. When I read books about my favorite musicians, I can hear the music as songs are referred to. Reading this one, literary works were brought to mind. Even if it doesn't make my writing better, Bernhardt's writing on how to write is fascinating and entertaining. I look forward to the rest of the series.
November 24, 2014
Very short and to the point, William Bernhardt has condensed a pretty standard approach to writing characters into a much shorter and more accessible little go-to guide. This is only one of a series of books that I imagine serves as a pretty quick comprehensive crash course in writing fiction. He hits most of the major points and follows it up with useful examples, both from the more credible side of serious literature and what some might consider to be less substantial popular fiction(Twilight, Da Vinci Code, etc). Obviously the length limits it from really elaborating on a lot of the topics but he does an impressive job of concisely and effectively conveying the essential information. It also provides some exercises that, although I didn't try them, seem like they'd be useful. If you're looking for a really comprehensive guide to characters this may leave you wanting more, but if you're only looking for a nice little refresher that you can pick up and skim every so often, this is a solid choice.
October 14, 2013
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.
August 14, 2015
More useful advice!
I finished the first book on Structure yesterday and dove into this one almost immediately. I already had outlines for most of my main characters but this really showed me how much more I needed to work on their backgrounds. The exercises will be very helpful. I find myself thinking about my characters and new scenes and bits of dialogue throughout the day - even dreaming new ideas. I keep my iPad close to jot everything down so I don't forget it. And I find inspiration in many places. I look forward to the next book. My only wish would be more guidance on POV. It seems everything I read lately is first person and I really prefer, and want to use, third - but there's not much info on that. Otherwise, very solid and concise. Still hoping one of the future books will help me figure out my genre (sci-fi romance?) Sigh.
I finished the first book on Structure yesterday and dove into this one almost immediately. I already had outlines for most of my main characters but this really showed me how much more I needed to work on their backgrounds. The exercises will be very helpful. I find myself thinking about my characters and new scenes and bits of dialogue throughout the day - even dreaming new ideas. I keep my iPad close to jot everything down so I don't forget it. And I find inspiration in many places. I look forward to the next book. My only wish would be more guidance on POV. It seems everything I read lately is first person and I really prefer, and want to use, third - but there's not much info on that. Otherwise, very solid and concise. Still hoping one of the future books will help me figure out my genre (sci-fi romance?) Sigh.
July 20, 2013
I received this book through Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads. It's a slim book with lots of interesting advice and a few tricks I will definitely try. I'm not sure how much trust to put in someone who upholds Robert Langdon, Bella Swan and Ana Steel as examples of great characters or who spends so much of the time touting his own novels (I guess I can't blame him, but when I had no frame of reference to those characters it got old fast.) But much of the advice is common sense and there are good exercises for beginning writers or those struggling to make a character come together on the page.
December 28, 2013
An easy to understand, no-nonsense book with good advice. And at last someone has explained exactly what literary fiction is: I always thought it was a title thought up by pretentious people who didn't want you to think they wrote genre fiction. I shall be referring back to this book regularly as it's too much to remember all in one go.
July 15, 2013
This is a must read for any aspiring novelist, and helpful to those who've already published. Concise and clearly written, the experience of the author is obvious. In fact, all of the "Red Sneaker Series," as Mr. Bernhardt calls his instructional series for writers, should be read by anybody who puts pen to paper, or characters to the monitor.
September 27, 2014
I know so little about creating a character for a book, that I, probably, cannot yet fully appreciate the advice William Bernhardt gives. The process is still quite hazy for me, although I gained lots of great advice from this slim, yet informative volume. I will continue exploring the Red Sneaker series on writing.
June 6, 2015
Some very very good points across the board, bite sized and practical advice that immediately had me looking at my sentences/characters differently. The section on characterisation alone justified the purchase.
Although I may not always agree with Mr Bernhardt's views, I've had a great deal of value from this series and would recommend all of them to other writers.
Will definitely read again.
Although I may not always agree with Mr Bernhardt's views, I've had a great deal of value from this series and would recommend all of them to other writers.
Will definitely read again.
June 8, 2013
As a reader, I’ve always been a huge fan of William Bernhardt. As an author, I’m in awe of the insight and wisdom he displays in Creating Character. This little gem is a must read for anyone who hopes to have their own work published.
May 30, 2015
If you're planning on writing a book, are in the middle of writing a book, or getting ready to edit your first manuscript, then you'll want to stop and take some time to read this book. Lots of valuable and helpful info in there.
November 12, 2015
Full of good tips
Good tricks to make sure your characters come alive and hold the interest of the reader. Exercises at the end of each chapter bring the concepts in to practical focus.
Good tricks to make sure your characters come alive and hold the interest of the reader. Exercises at the end of each chapter bring the concepts in to practical focus.
July 8, 2013
Infuse some life into your one-dimensional cut-outs by following these highly accessible and readily understandable tips.
August 5, 2014
Excellent tips--need to work through exercises, and listen to it at least one more time, I think.
Will write a longer review after I've had the chance to put it into use!
Will write a longer review after I've had the chance to put it into use!
March 17, 2015
Wonderful advise to aspiring writings.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.