How do you create characters who keep readers hooked? How do you write the opposite sex? Teenagers? Believable relationships? Historical characters? Enigmatic characters? Plausible antagonists and chilling villains? How do you understand a character whose life is totally unlike your own? How do you write characters for dystopias? How do you make dialogue sing? When can you let the reader intuit what the characters are feeling and when should you spell it out?
Roz Morris is a bestselling ghostwriter and book doctor, and a literary author in her own right. Her titles have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. She has mined 20 years' worth of writing, editing and critiquing experience to create this book. It contains all the pitfalls and sticky points for writers, laid out as a set of discussions that are easy to dip into. And it wouldn't be a Nail Your Novel book without a good dose of games, exercises and questionnaires to help you populate a novel from scratch.
Whether you write a straightforward story-based genre or literary fiction, this book will show you how to create people who enthrall readers - and make you want to tell stories.
Industry Reviews
'Really meaty advice. Am not usually a fan of character questionnaires but the questionnaires in this book ask the kind of searching questions that really help you get to know your character. Packed with interesting advice and suggestions.' M Louise Kelly
'Roz Morris follows up her bravura Nail Your Novel with this insightful guide into crafting memorable characters. She walks authors through the basics of protagonists, antagonists, and supporting characters. She touches on dialogue, showing vs. telling, motive and conflict, and character relationships. My favorite sections were those on the ever-popular "character interview/questionnaire" (in which Morris offers some unique suggestions for probing the character's mind) and the appendix (in which she addresses the "Top 10 Novice Mistakes With Characters). This is a great foundational tool for any writer wanting to deepen his presentation of character.' KM Weiland, tutor at Writer's Digest
'Inspiring and brilliant for any author. It made me rethink my approach to characters and helped me turn a scene I'd written into a much sharper piece. Roz is the first person to help me understand 'show, not tell' in a way that doesn't leave me scratching my head in puzzlement. I finally feel like that concept is sinking in and I haven't even finished the book yet. I love the way she writes. Thank you, Roz, for this little gem. I hope she continues the series.' Jenny Grey
'I'd heard about Roz's book so decided to invest. I'm so glad I did. In concise language she explains all aspects of building a character. I can now see which parts I'm getting right and how to fix the parts I'm getting wrong. I read it through quickly the first time. It's a page turner! Now I'm going through it section by section to help the info sink in. After that, I have no doubt I'll be dipping into it on a regular basis. I highly recommend it.' Miss A Huskisson
'A new book by Roz Morris is always an event to be celebrated. Whether you're a novice or you've been writing all your life, there's always something to be gleaned from her gentle, humorous, yet razor-sharp tutorship. If you want to up your game, writing-wise, buy it now!' Miss Chinaski
'Learning from masterworks such as Fahrenheit 451, Jane Eyre, Lolita, and the more recently celebrated Twilight and Hunger Games series, you'll be shown how to craft powerful protagonists, vivid villains and memorable minor characters. It covers all the essentials, such as viewpoint, narrative voice, catalyst characters (think James Bond, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Who) and those trouble-makers: antagonists. Morris's colloquial style frees the writer from being tangled up in technicalities.' Trevor Veale
'Another gem of a book from Roz. Easy to read and broken down into manageable sections, it helps you to create believable characters who won't just be names on the paper. She shows you how to create believable dialogue and provides a highly useful toolbox to equip you with all you need to know to engage your readers and make them eager to read on. She also helps you to think about the secondary characters. A fabulous book, written in an easy to understand language that doesn't make you clutch your forehead and reconsider the crochet. An essential reference for the would-be writer, I would recommend it without hesitation. Make sure you get the first book, too.' Sharon Booth
'I'm reading it for the second time now, and it only gets better.' Mars Dorian
'I have read many books on writing and I would say this contains some of the best advice. Every aspect of characterisation is covered, supported with examples. There is an excellent chapter on the mistakes that novice writers make. The book concludes with writing exercises, some of which are original in the extreme. I certainly intend to try many of them out. If you want to lift your characters out of the humdrum and give your novel zing and tension, this is the book for you.' Wen
