What This Course Delivers

  • Insightful Videos

    Each point about how to build a character is backed up by fantastic graphics.

  • Character PDFs

    Learn from the greatest writers how to create memorable, fascinating characters.

  • Writing Challenges

    Put your knowledge into action with fun writing challenges at the end of each video.

Learn how to write Likable and Unlikable Characters

You shouldn't be writing saints or villains, but human beings with a mix of good and evil. Learn how in this video.

Hone Your Character Descriptions

A bad character description of eyes and hair color will sabotage your characterization. Learn 7 excellent techniques to describe your characters.

Polish Your Dialogue

What your character says reveals who they are. Learn how to use sharp dialogue to reveal character.

Course curriculum

  • 01

    The Triangle Method of Character Creation

    • 3 Questions that Build Character Desire

    • PDF of 3 Questions that Build Character Desire

    • The Triangle Method of Character Creation

    • PDF of the Triangle Method

  • 02

    Character Firsts

    • First Descriptions: 7 Techniques to Describe Characters

    • PDF of First Descriptions

    • First Lines of Dialogue

    • PDF of First Lines of Dialogue

    • Dynamic First Actions

    • PDF of Dynamic First Actions

  • 03

    Fantastic Names and Where to Find Them

    • Fantastic Names and Where to Find Them

    • PDF of Fantastic Names

  • 04

    The Likability Factor

    • The Likability Factor

    • PDF of The Likability Factor

  • 05

    Revealing Characters through Dialogue

    • Revealing Characters through Dialogue

    • PDF of Revealing Characters through Dialogue

  • 06

    The Art of Minor Characters

    • The Art of Minor Characters

    • PDF Minor Characters (Part I)

    • The Art of Minor Characters (Part II)

    • PDF Minor Characters (Part II)

  • 07

    5 Tips for Creating Complex Characters

    • 5 Tips for Creating Complex Characters

    • PDF of Complex Characters

    • 5 Tips for Complex Characters (Part II)

    • PDF of Creating Complex Characters Part II

    • SURVEY :: Please Give Feedback

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Your Takeaways

  • By the time you finish this course, you'll have created a vibrant human being that seems alive on the page.

  • You'll know how to use the Triangle Method to create an infinite amount of characters.

  • You'll have a quiverful of practical tips to help you avoid making thin and implausible characters.

More Reviews of the Course

Lorin Pillai

5 star rating

“This course is definitely worth your time and money. It definitely helped me with some problematic characters in my novel. After applying what I learned, they went from flat to feeling real. ”

“This course is definitely worth your time and money. It definitely helped me with some problematic characters in my novel. After applying what I learned, they went from flat to feeling real. ”

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Sophia Pelsue

5 star rating

“I loved this course! I served as a great help with my characters and I'm excited to create new ones. While I was taking this course, I was working on a novel. This course helped me strengthen those preexisting characters and I was able to use some...”

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“I loved this course! I served as a great help with my characters and I'm excited to create new ones. While I was taking this course, I was working on a novel. This course helped me strengthen those preexisting characters and I was able to use some of the writing challenges by including them in my current draft. Great course!”

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Larry Keeton

5 star rating

“I've read a lot of craft books, blogs, and taken a couple of courses on character development. They had something to teach me. This course went a different direction in terms of how to do things. For example, in the module of firsts, the focus on ...”

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“I've read a lot of craft books, blogs, and taken a couple of courses on character development. They had something to teach me. This course went a different direction in terms of how to do things. For example, in the module of firsts, the focus on seven different techniques is outstanding. Instead of the traditional physical description, the course provides other methods: non-physical, use metaphors, etc. The video lessons were engaging and the narrator's voice is definitely not dull. The pdf files are great for future reference. Highly recommend this course for price and techniques gained in character development. ”

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Courtney J

5 star rating

“I think I struggle with giving characters depth and making them more life like! This course provided great tips for that and gave me more to consider when building characters.”

“I think I struggle with giving characters depth and making them more life like! This course provided great tips for that and gave me more to consider when building characters.”

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Cathy Tenzo

5 star rating

“This course was fun, and I thought the teacher had a lot of good insights which I plan to use in my writing going forward. Much appreciated. I will be watching for more courses from this instructor.”

“This course was fun, and I thought the teacher had a lot of good insights which I plan to use in my writing going forward. Much appreciated. I will be watching for more courses from this instructor.”

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April Singer

5 star rating

“This course can be completed in 1-2 days (not including writing assignments) but it is complete, thorough and provides suggestions and tips a writer can apply immediately. I know completing this course will help me create more interesting, mysteri...”

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“This course can be completed in 1-2 days (not including writing assignments) but it is complete, thorough and provides suggestions and tips a writer can apply immediately. I know completing this course will help me create more interesting, mysterious and complex characters. Highly recommend”

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Jayne Caruso

5 star rating

“A perfect course for adding flesh to your characters and turning them into real people, as opposed to shallow or two-dimensional characters. John navigates every little detail for the writer to keep in mind, from minor to complex characters, as w...”

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“A perfect course for adding flesh to your characters and turning them into real people, as opposed to shallow or two-dimensional characters. John navigates every little detail for the writer to keep in mind, from minor to complex characters, as well as using characters from well-known books as examples to highlight a specific point. I found the course to be very enlightening and empowering.”

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Laurie Carta

5 star rating

“This was a very informative and fun lesson. I will definitely put his tips into practice.”

“This was a very informative and fun lesson. I will definitely put his tips into practice.”

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Belinda Fidler

5 star rating

“Made me think about how much better I could make my characters”

“Made me think about how much better I could make my characters”

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Chris Day

5 star rating

“This is the second Bookfox course I've taken and I'm hooked. There's so much information and the writing exercises are such a great way to flex my creative muscles. A+”

“This is the second Bookfox course I've taken and I'm hooked. There's so much information and the writing exercises are such a great way to flex my creative muscles. A+”

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kelly grenier

5 star rating

“Excellent course. I am rewatching these videos again and again, and getting more out of them each time. Definitely 5 stars!”

“Excellent course. I am rewatching these videos again and again, and getting more out of them each time. Definitely 5 stars!”

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Costin Pătru

5 star rating

“Mr. Fox gets his point across through simple graphics which relay the information effectively and efficiently. Also, the 'Writers don't Give Up' should be a motto because it kept me going.”

“Mr. Fox gets his point across through simple graphics which relay the information effectively and efficiently. Also, the 'Writers don't Give Up' should be a motto because it kept me going.”

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John Matthew Fox

I’ve spent the last ten years working as an editor and my book “I Will Shout Your Name” was published by Press 53. I've been published in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and won fiction contests at Third Coast and Shenandoah. In a former life I was a college professor — I earned an MFA from the University of Southern California and an MA from New York University, but now I focus on Bookfox full time.

John Matthew Fox

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