McKee does present some creative ways to design characters, from central protagonists with multiple dimensions to secondary characters and supporting cast. He defines what dimensions are and how to generate complex personalities from contradictory traits, such as
Openness/Closeness
Conscientiousness/Capriciousness
Extraversion/Introversion
Agreeableness/Argumentativeness
Rationality/Neuroticism
Pragmatic/Idealistic
Obedient/Defiant
Truthful/Deceitful
Brilliant/Blundering
Protecting/Jeopardizing
Honorable/Thieving
Cool/Raging
Loyal/Unfaithful
The book draws examples from novels like Harry Potter as well as plays like Shakespeare's Hamlet, screenplays and movies, TV series like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.
He defines cliché as well as when to use one:
"A cliché is a once-superb idea that's been copied to death and is now done without originality. As Henry James pointed out, clichéd characters are used but never used up. Are the old miser, young spendthrift, penny pincher, gambler, drunk, and teetotaler never to appear again because they've been done before? Of course not. In the hands of an imaginative writer, a stock can be wonderfully idiosyncratic."
He describes situations where clichés may suffice, and where and how to be original, by providing a fresh view or unforeseen combination of dimensions.
"To evolve him into a complex protagonist, we need to transform his traits into dimensions. As noted above, when one trait consistently contradicts another, the tension between them fuses into a dimension. So, let's take each of his traits, imagine its opposite, and see where that leads."
He deep dives common tropes like the Collector, the Player, the Obsessive, the Businessman, as well as ways to twist them into something unique, unexpected, and interesting.
He shows how to use subtext and reader expectation to go beyond surface observations, and into more suspenseful, imagined personas, so different readers can relate in different ways.
Only problems are
1.) Too much sexual innuendo. Many of the examples talk about cheating, adultery, sex life, and killing people, which is not appropriate for middle grade or young adult literature. In fact, the author rarely discusses reaching a young audience at all. Everything seems aimed at the cynical, jaded adult.
2.) Too much fluff and theory without getting to the point. Hooking the audience, vignetting a character in a few lines, and other tactics for high-concept character go largely untouched. He assumes we can hold the reader to see the entire character, when in reality, we're not all established Pixar studios with the luxury of a patient viewer/reader.
3.) Not enough in-depth discussion of how to chart, plan, and profile a protagonist in terms of process. Everything written is prose, with a few diagrams for cast design. The book is dense, but mostly with theory and examples of existing works. I'd have appreciated more step-by-step processes and creating from scratch, rather than commenting on what already exists. We're creators, after all, not commentators!
Otherwise, a solid manual with inspiring, original examples!
Character: The Art of Role and Cast Design for Page, Stage, and Screen
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Top reviews from other countries
Ayrra
Brilliant bible on character and the mind of fiction
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on September 2, 2021
Ayrra
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on September 2, 2021
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