Teaser Tuesday Snippets

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday. Each Tuesday, I will post a snippet of a book from my personal bookshelf. Some books may be fiction. Some may be on the craft of writing. Here's today's selection.

Craft Book Selection

All characters have unique personal histories and childhoods upon which social/historical events have a huge impact. Events that occur in a person's childhood shape the individual's background assumptions about life and the world, while those occurring in late adolescence shape the individual's conscious identity. Events in adulthood may affect the opportunities available to an individual, but do not shape their values or their identities.

Page 16, Writer's Guide To Character Traits by Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.




Here's the Blurb:

From sex to schizophrenia: Everything you need to develop your characters!

What makes a person commit a white-collar crime? Who is a likely candidate to join a cult? Why do children have imaginary friends? How does birth order affect whether or not a person gets married? When does mind over matter become a crippling problem?

Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition answers all of these questions and many others. With more than 499 easy to reference lists of traits blended from a variety of behaviors and influences you'll gain the knowledge you need to create distinctive characters whose personalities correspond to their thoughts and actions--no matter how normal or psychotic they might be. In this updated and expanded edition, you'll also find:

* Comprehensive instructions on how to best use this book.
* New statistical information to help you create true to life characters.
* Corresponding exercises that show you how to put the material to work in your
stories.
* A quick-reference index to make cross-referencing a snap.
* Idea sparkers to get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page.

Plus, you'll learn about common--and not so common--psychological, physical, and relationship disorders; delve into the minds of criminals; find out what it takes to be a professional athlete, scientist, and truck driver; discover what life is like for a gang member, suicidal teen, and alcoholic; and more.

In Writer's Guide to Character Traits, 2nd edition, noted psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generic personality types and into the depths of the human psyche where you're sure to find the resources you need to make your characters stand out from the crowd.


Do you have this in your bookshelf?