<p><em>A jargon-free manual on the basics of developing interesting fictional characters</em></p><p>Vibrant, believable characters help drive a fictional story. Along with a clever plot, well-drawn characters make us want to continue reading a novel or finish watching a movie. In <em>Creating Characters</em>, Dwight V. Swain shows how writers can invent interesting characters and improve them so that they move a story along.</p><p>&ldquo;The core of character,&rdquo; he says in chapter 1, &ldquo;lies in each individual story person&rsquo;s ability to care about something; to feel implicitly or explicitly, that something is important.&rdquo; Building on that foundation&mdash;the capacity to care&mdash;Swain takes the would-be writer step-by-step through the fundamentals of finding and developing &ldquo;characters who turn you on.&rdquo; This basic but thought-provoking how-to is a valuable tool for both the novice and the seasoned writer.</p>