Writer's Guide to Character Traits [Paperback]

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 400 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 instruction on how to 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, note psychologist and author Dr. Linda Edelstein takes you beyond generilS