I’m thrilled to announce that The Mythic Guide to Characters is here!
I began planning this book in the summer of 2012, after spending five years studying the workings of the unconscious mind. As a professional academic, I had become fascinated with how the unconscious drives so much of human behavior.
This gave me the idea of designing a new approach to writing characters, one that is based on the concept of “layers.”
This method starts with the unconscious mind, which is the first and deepest layer of each character, and moves outward. The end result is characters who are driven by longings and fears that they aren’t consciously aware of… just like real people.
The Three Layers
The Mythic Guide to Characters approaches character development in three layers.
The first and deepest layer is the character’s unconscious mind, which forms the basis of the character’s actions and motivations. The second layer is how the character relates to his or her world. The third and final layer is the character’s role in your story, which can be developed using mythological archetypes.
In the process of working through these layers, you will discover:
- The secret to writing multidimensional characters
- How to develop your character’s unconscious motivations
- Four ways in which characters interact with their worlds
- Five formative relationships that shape your character
- Nine mythic archetypes and how to use them
- The difference between proactive and reactive protagonists
- Ways to define a character through dialogue and physicality
The guide also includes a detailed worksheet that walks you through the stages of character development.
You can look inside the book on Amazon.
See Also:
I just bought this book for my Kindle and I think it is really good. I haven’t gotten through much of it, but what I have read is quite possibly the best information available.
I think that Brandon Sanderson is the best living author when i comes to portraying characters in his trilogy Mistborn he creates a villain who The lord Ruler who at first is portrayed as unbeatable. But then slowly Brandon makes the villain show his flaws. The Lord Ruler is eventually beaten but later on in the trilogy you find out that the villain is the only thing that was protecting the human race from destruction. You slowly learn how the enormous pressure
This used to be my favorite pastime. Maybe now’s the time to take it up again.
Julie Cantrell, a new author that has her first novel out, with a sequel due out in Sept. She has won a lot of awards and acclaim for her book. It is a coming of age novel with wonderful characters, some of whom really grow and change. Loved it!
Thank you, this was so helpful!
I’ve actually liked Steven King’s and Tanith Lee’s characters. They are very indepth and you learn more and more as it goes. in their stories.
Great work on the book, very excited to read it!
Legerdemain Thanks Chris!
I really likes J.K. Rowling’s Characters, but I’d have to
say Michael Scott, because despite the fact that most of his characters were
derived from existing people or mythic people, he built upon them better than
anyone else could have, at least… in my opinion.
I think JK Rowling is the best modern author at character development. The Harry Potter series had so many different types and styles of characters. Each was well-rounded and fully-fleshed. Each had strengths and weaknesses, idiosyncrasies, and tragic flaws. And the story fed off of the characters instead of the other way around.
Elizabeth George. Even the novels that have left me disappointed have advanced her characters as they grow and change over the years.
My copy just arrived; can’t wait to read.
For my money, it would have to be Neil Gaiman. There’s a variety and depth in his characters, in that I find they seem one thing and after a few more pages are often quite something else. The comedic but very sinister assassins in Neverwhere, or the young hero in The Graveyard Book.
Reading it now. Well worth the greenbacks.
Terry Pratchett makes his characters unique and interesting. Even the smallest role is created intricately. All of his characters, of which there are many, are masterfully set up so as to both amuse and fulfil their part in the story.
I would have to say Brent Weeks. His Night Angel trilogy was superb and I was hooked by his characters.
I have to go with Jim Butcher. I have a very clear picture of every character in my mind. I feel like I know the characters well enough that they are my friends. Each one is distinctly different.
I’m going with George RR Martin as well. There seems to be no end to the layers in his characters.
Danio Caw Congratulations, Danio. You won the ebook giveaway!
Antonio del Drago Danio Caw Wow! So happy!:) Let me know how I can get a copy of the ebook. Super thanks!
Danio Caw Using the Contact tab above, go ahead and send me a message, letting me know your preferred digital format.
Eric Flint, the Ring of Fire series has everyone from a former hippy turned master chemist, to seventeenth century nobility all interacting in perfectly distinctive yet believable ways.
MichaelHealy Congratulations, Michael. You won the ebook giveaway!
Now On mine too -_- /
I’m going with George RR Martin as well. There are just so many characters and they are so varied and unique.
put it on my wish list 🙂
I’m going to vote for George RR Martin – because all his characters are distinctive, clearly motivated, and as a reader I feel they genuinely ‘come alive’ on the page. That’s impressive, when there are so very many characters. I read somewhere that there are more than a 1,000 characters in the ‘Game of Thrones’ /’Song of Ice and Fire’ books. And there are probably more than 100 important characters. But if you gave me a name, I’d know who they were and where they fit in to the story.
I think KJ Parker does brilliant characters. There are not good guys or bad guys. Nothing is black and white. They all have very real motivations that they don’t always understand themselves.
Tony was kind enough to send me a review copy of the Mythic Guide to Characters a few weeks ago; I can heartily recommend it. My review can be found here: http://aliceleiper.com/2013/03/24/review-the-mythic-guide-to-characters-by-antonio-del-drago/
I think Brandon Sanderson writes good characters. I think it is because he envisions a life for them outside of the plot. They have hopes and dreams and fears before the plot problem hits them.
Then again, I could be wrong.
I’ve already read this and it’s a great guide to have for any writer, especially those who love fantasy.