Creating Characters: How to Build Story People

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Creating Characters: How to Build Story People Page 23

by Swain, Dwight V.


  Gantry, Elmer, 17

  Genre characters, 150–152

  Ginsberg, Allen, 28

  Giono, Jean, 45

  Glamour, 167

  Goal, 42–44, 57, 58, 99

  Gods Must Be Crazy, The, 106

  Godzilla, 106

  Goetz, Bernhard, 25

  Goldman, Emma, 72–73

  Goodwin, Archie, 173

  GQ, 167

  “Great Imposter,” 77

  Green, Hetty, 77

  Gresham, William Lindsay, 101

  Greyfriars Bobby, 106

  Grimes, Martha, 77, 80, 91

  Gruber, Frank, 91, 123

  Guinness, Alec, 14

  Gun in Cheek, 136

  Hal, 106

  Hamilton, Donald, 89

  Hamilton, Nan, 89

  Hamlet, 7

  Hammer, Mike, 148

  Hammett, Dashiell, 50, 95, 100

  Happiness, 36–37, 40–42

  Harris, Thomas, 86, 179

  Health, 67–68

  Hearst, Patty, 12

  Heinlein, Robert, 73

  “Helen O’Loy,” 105

  Heller, Joseph, 73

  Helm, Matt, 89

  Hemingway, 50

  Hepburn, Katharine, 103

  Hercules, 12

  Heredity, 65–68

  “Herman the German,” 22

  Hero, 55, 89, 98–101, 101–104, 125, 126, 172, 173, 174, 176, 177; See also: Protagonist

  Hero with a Thousand Faces, The, 46

  Heroine, 55, 89, 98–101, 101–104, 151, 173, 176, 177; See also: Protagonist

  Hill, Fanny, 183

  Hillerman, Tony, 7, 89

  Hinton, S.E., 179

  Historical, 158–161

  Hitchcock, Alfred, 8

  Hite, 114

  Hoare, Mad Mike, 65

  Hogarth, 179

  Holmes, Sherlock, 6, 12, 37, 78, 89, 93, 130, 183

  Homicide Investigation, 149

  Hook, 54–55

  Hope, Bob, 108

  Huckleberry Finn, 175

  Hugo, Victor, 7

  Humor, 108–127; definition of, 108–109

  “I Am A Camera” approach, 95

  Ideas, 71–74

  Incidental characters, 103–104

  Incongruity, 120, 124, 126

  Individual, imitation of, 3; importance of, 3–4

  Ingersoll, Robert G., 72

  Inside the Criminal Mind, 149

  Introducing characters, 19

  Ivanhoe, 159, 183

  Jack the Ripper, 34

  Jarre, Jean Michel, 104

  Jaws, 55

  Jennings, Gary, 77

  Johnson, George Clayton, 161

  Juliet, 7, 12

  Keillor, Garrison, 108

  Kemelman, Harry, 74

  Kesey, Ken, 80

  Kienzle, William, 24, 73, 91

  King, Stephen, 34, 77, 87

  Kinsey, 114

  Knock Three-One-Two, 87

  Kropotkin, 72

  Labeling, 15–20

  Lady Macbeth, 7

  Lafargue, Paul, 72

  Laing, R.D., 85

  L’Amour, Louis, 169

  Landy, Eugene, 24

  Lansdale, Joe, 91

  Larger than life, 60

  Laughter, definition of, 114

  Lavender Hill Mob, The, 14

  Le Moulin de Pologne, 45

  Leary, Timothy, 73

  Le Carré, John, 91

  Lenny, 80

  Life in Darwin’s Universe, 162

  Lindsay, Judge Ben, 72

  Logan’s Run, 161

  London, Jack, 105

  Long John Silver, 66, 130, 183

  Long story, 147–150

  Look of the Old West, The, 160

  Looking for Mr. Goodbar, 66

  Lost World, The, 169

  Love interest character, 102–103

  Macbeth, 101

  MacDonald, John D., 7, 22, 93–95, 183

  MAD, 167

  Mademoiselle, 167

  Magic Wagon, The, 91

  Maltese Falcon, The, 50, 95, 100

  Man Who Walked Through Walls, The, 118

  Manchu, Dr. Fu, 7

  Manner, in dominant impression, 15, 16–17, 18

  Mannerisms, 21, 25

  Manson, Charles, 70, 175

  Marlowe, Philip, 130

  Martians, Go Home!, 106

  Marx, Karl, 72

  Mason, Perry, 169, 183

  McArdle, Phil and Karen, 149

  McCrumb, Sharyn, 112, 122

  McGee, Travis, 7, 22, 183

  Meily, Clarence, 72

  “Millionaire hobo,” 77

  Missing Persons, 86

  Mister Macawber, 130

  Morgan, 72

  Moses, 12

  Mote in God’s Eye, The, 150

  Motive, 31–38, 50–52, 76; definition of, 50

  Motivation, 176–177

  M/R gaps, 176–177

  MTV, 168

  Murphy, Pat, 23

  Mutual Aid as a Factor in Evolution, 72

  “My Heart’s in the Highlands,” 113

  My Sister Eileen, 118

  Names of characters, 22–23

  Narration, 148

  New Age music, 104

  New Woman, 167

  Nichol, Peter, 162

  Nightmare Alley, 101

  Nightmare on Elm Street, 169

  1984, 162

  Niven, Larry, 150

  Nixon, Richard, 21

  Nolan, William F., 161

  Non-human characters, 105–107

  Non-likable characters, 179–181

  Noon, Ed, 90

  North and South, 159

  “Not-you,” 157, 163–168

  Noun of vocation, 17, 131

  Novel, 147–150

  Novelette, 147–150

  Novella, 147–150

  Of Mice and Men, 80

  O’Hara, Scarlett, 7, 183

  Ohara, 89

  Oliver, Gideon, 90, 169

  One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 80

  Orwell, George, 162

  O’Shea, Wildcat, 90

  Outsiders, The, 179

  Over-the-Hill Gang, The, 14

  Palmer, Ray, 137

  “Parsimony, principle of,” 74

  Past, 157, 158–161

  Pay off, 178

  Paying the Piper, 112

  Perfect Age, The, 23

  Piesman, Marissa, 113

  Pileggi, Nicholas, 69

  Pinkwater, Daniel, 108

  Planting, 177–178; definition of, 177

  Playboy, 167

  Please Write for Details, 93

  Poe, 87

  Pohl, Fred, 169

  Point of view, 48, 92

  Poirot, Hercule, 183

  Pollyanna, 92

  Polti, George, 185

  Pournelle, Jerry, 150

  Presley, Elvis, 21

  Principle of parsimony, 74

  Pronzini, Bill, 136

  Protagonist, 98–101, 104

  Psycho, 76, 80–87; definition of, 80; as viewpoint character, 86–87

  Psycho, 80

  Ptath, 106

  Puritanism, 72

  Purpose, 76

  Quade, Oliver, 91

  Quasimodo, 7, 66, 92

  Radio, 152–155

  Raft, George, 25

  Rake’s Progress, The, 179

  Rambo, 25, 169

  Randolph, Vance, 24

  Raskolnikov, 3

  Rationalization, 8–11; in background, 62–75; of actions, 50–52; presence and behavior, 8

  Rationalize, to, 9, 71, 79, 182

  Reaction, 176

  Reader identification, 60

  “Real” people versus characters, 21, 59, 61–65

  Recognition, 40

  Red Dragon, 86

  Regan, Dian Curtis, 23

  Relationships, 21, 26–28

  Renfroe, Martha Key, 22, 185–186; See also M.K. Wren
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br />   Research, inadequate, 174–175

  Response, 40

  Rice, Craig, 56, 123

  Right to be Lazy, The, 72

  Rister, Carl Coke, 160

  Ritual in the Dark, 80

  Rivera, Geraldo, 168

  Roberts, Gillian, 123

  Rodman, Howard, 8

  Rogers, Will, 122

  Roles, 88–107

  Rolling Stone, 167

  Romeo, 12

  Rosary Murders, The, 24

  Samenow, Stanton, 149

  Sandler, Susan, 99

  Sanger, Margaret, 72

  Savage, Doc, 92

  Sawyer, Tom, 183

  Scarf, The, 30, 87

  Scene, 176; definition of, 176

  Science Fiction Encyclopedia, 162

  Science in Science Fiction, The, 162

  Scott, Walter, 159

  Sears & Roebuck catalog, 160

  Second-person viewpoint, 98

  Security, 40

  Sequel, 176–177; definition of, 176

  Series characters, 30

  Serpent’s Mark, The, 86

  Sex, 67; in dominant impression, 15–16

  Shakespeare, 7, 77

  Shane, 185

  Shannon, Dell, 56

  Shape of Minds to Come, The, 163

  Shaw, George Bernard, 67

  Shylock, 183

  Short story, 146–147

  “Should,” the, 114–120, 126

  Showing, 148

  Silence of the Lambs, The, 179

  Smiley, George, 91

  Smith, H. Allen, 118

  Snyder, Le Moyne, 149

  Socrates, 114

  Sod House Frontier, The, 160

  Southern Plainsmen, 160

  Spade, Sam, 100, 183

  Specificity, 130–135

  Speech, 21, 24–25

  Spock, Mr., 92

  “Springboard scene,” 55

  Stableford, Brian, 162

  Stage, 155–156

  Steinbeck, John, 80

  Stevenson, Robert Louis, 77, 83, 130

  Stinson, Jim, 123

  Story, 104, 141; definition of, 43, 55; long story, 147–150; short story, 146–147

  Stout, Rex, 78, 173

  Stranger in a Strange Land, 73

  Streetcar Named Desire, A, 80

  Superman, 66, 148

  Suspects, 22

  Swanson, Charles, 149

  Symbionese Liberation Army, 12

  Symmes, John, 77

  Szasz, Thomas, 85

  Szondi Test, 8

  Tags, 18–19, 21, 22–26, 63–64, 131; ability, 23, 25; appearance, 23–24; attitude, 23, 25; contrast, importance of, 25–26; mannerism, 23, 25; of speech, 23, 24–25, 137, 140

  Tall Dolores, The, 90

  Tarzan, 7, 130, 148, 183

  Taylor, John, 163

  Techniques of the Selling Writer, 58, 176

  “Tell-Tale Heart, The,” 87

  Telling, 148; vs. showing, 175–176

  Thinkers Exchange, 71

  Third-person viewpoint, 97–98

  Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, The, 185

  Thomas, Ross, 24

  Thomas, W.I., 40

  Three-Penny Opera, 132

  Through Darkest America, 161

  Torrey, E. Fuller, 85

  Town and Country, 167

  Traits, 21, 26–32, 131; action to show, 29–30; human, 26; individual, 26; planting, 177; rules for, 180; social, 26; typical, 26

  Trollope, 77

  Truck Shot, 123

  Twain, Mark, 175

  Twist, Oliver, 7, 183

  2001, 106

  Tyler, Anne, 108

  Types, 27–28

  Tyranny of the “should,” 114–120

  Unanticipated, the, 115–116, 119

  Underground Dictionary, The, 24

  University of Oklahoma Professional Writing Program, 26

  Unorthodox Practices, 113

  Valentine, Jimmy, 175

  Van Vogt, A.E., 106

  Vanity Fair, 167

  Vesco, Robert, 3

  Viewpoint, “author omniscient,” 95; “I Am A Camera” approach, 95; weaknesses, 170–174

  Viewpoint character, 48, 92–98, 149, 170–174, 176

  Villain, 89, 101–102, 104, 172, 173, 177; See also Antagonist

  Vocation, in dominant impression, 15, 16

  Watson, Doc, 93

  Wayne, John, 156

  Weaknesses, 170–174

  Weill, Kurt, 132

  Wertham, Frederick, 179

  Western Words, 24

  Whitman, Charles, 85

  Whitney, Phyllis, 35

  Wild cards, 76–87

  Williams, Tennessee, 80

  Wilson, Colin, 80

  Wilson, George P., 24

  Winfrey, Oprah, 168

  Wiseguy, 69

  “Witch of Wall Street,” 77

  Wizard of Oz, The, 78

  Wolfe, Nero, 78, 92, 173

  Woman’s Day, 167

  Women in Business, 167

  Words, 128–136

  Working Woman, 167

  Wren, M.K., 22

  Zest, search for, 182–186

 

 

 


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