The Art of Character Study Lesson 1.1
Jul 1, 2021 20:12:18 GMT -6
Post by ScienceGirl on Jul 1, 2021 20:12:18 GMT -6
The Art of Character by David Corbett is so rich in tasty nuggets of character knowledge that we may still be studying it in 2031. To understand character is to understand people. And, to understand people is to have at your fingertips an ever-present source of inspiration. Hopefully in this study you'll even come to understand yourself better. What are the motivations that drive humanity to make the choices they do? Who are we, and what does that mean about our contribution to the world?
In his introduction, Corbett says,
He points out that the questions are explored, but not necessarily answered. He asserts that storytelling can't provide that kind of scientific certainty, nor should it try. "No one convinces us less than the person who crows, 'I have the answer,'" he says, "and ironically, this is precisely why fiction provides a more satisfying depiction of human life than any scientific or otherwise theoretical rendering can offer."
I particularly loved this quote he gives from Murray Burns in his film A Thousand Clowns, that each of us:
Since our characters are reflection of ourselves, this quote really brings it home for me. If I understand myself and my reason for being, then I understand more about the characters I'm trying to write, which may be the hardest thing about character development. It requires a certain vulnerability to be honest with ourselves and see who we truly are deep within.
Corbett wraps up his intro with this bit:
Yes!!!! THIS!!!! I think all great writers reach a point where their characters live so deep inside their head that they become more like friends. Or enemies. Or those nagging, pestering souls driving them to insanity. Thus is born within them a deep desire to share their stories and let the characters jump off the page and come to life. Relationships are key in all facets of life, perhaps even moreso in fiction writing.
This book is divided into four parts:
Part 1: Conceiving the Character
Part 2: Developing the Character
Part 3: Roles (looking at protagonist, secondary characters, opponents, etc)
Part 4: Technique
The next several posts will be dedicated to part 1, where we will explore potential sources of great characters and why characters are more derived than imagined.
In his introduction, Corbett says,
Every story worth telling in some way mirrors our lives, and to that extent explores four key questions:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Where am I going?
What does it mean?
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Where am I going?
What does it mean?
I particularly loved this quote he gives from Murray Burns in his film A Thousand Clowns, that each of us:
Is trying to reach some understanding of the "subtle, sneaky, important reason why he was born a human being and not a chair."
Corbett wraps up his intro with this bit:
But at some point in your life you've felt that curious, ineffable stirring in your imagination--the shapeless voition that seems to both arise from within and yet come from elsewhere, that pulse of urgency that we somewhat crudely refer to as the creative impulse. It's why you're reading these words. You may even believe it's why you're alive. You craft stories. Characters--whether they're demons or angels, apparitions, or simply mental stuff--are your inescapable cohorts.
This book is divided into four parts:
Part 1: Conceiving the Character
Part 2: Developing the Character
Part 3: Roles (looking at protagonist, secondary characters, opponents, etc)
Part 4: Technique
The next several posts will be dedicated to part 1, where we will explore potential sources of great characters and why characters are more derived than imagined.
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