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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
BOOK REVIEW
The Writer's Guide to Character Traits
By Linda N. Edelstein. Ph.D.
Writer's Digest Books
Cover price $18.99
Now here's an interesting horse of a different color.
Linda Edelstein, a psychologist, has sliced and diced human traits, behavior and personalities into a fascinating 13-chapter compendium.
Want to know traits of sexual criminals? Chapter five. Need to brush up on the stages of adolescent development? Chapter three. Want to describe the non-verbal communication of your protagonist? Peruse chapter twelve.
Edelstein speaks with authority on these topics and dozens more. But it isn't like reading a textbook. It has a nice flow, and though it's primarily a reference book, "Traits" has a very engaging quality about it. It's fun to pick it up and just read bits and pieces of descriptions, many of which are based on Edelstein's own patients and cases.
The book packs in a huge amount of information, but an excellent table of contents and index system makes it all accessible and very easy to find what you're looking for without wading through chapters of information that's not relevant to your problem.
If you're familiar with David Freeman's "character diamond" concept, this book is the ultimate companion to constructing a character with that method.
Whether you're a book author, playwright or good ol' screenwriter, this one needs to be on your shelf.
Two snaps up, baby.
Available in all the usual places.
Keep writing.
BW
LA
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