Inside Fictional Minds: Tips from Psychology for Creating Characters

by Stephanie Carty

‘As a psychological thriller author I found this book both educational and inspiring; such a useful resource to help writers create intriguing, authentic characters – and maybe learn something about themselves too.’
~Jackie Kabler, author of the Cora Baxter Mysteries , Am I Guilty? and The Perfect Couple . ‘An invaluable guide to creating authentic characters by peeling back the layers and searching for the ‘why’ that lies behind all our actions. I have really enjoyed applying psychological theory to creative intuition, led by Stephanie’s accessible approach to creating believable, motivated characters.’
~Sarah Steele, author of T he Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon and The Schoolteacher of Saint-Michel

‘What are the subliminal influences that really drive a character? How can these be revealed in a way that pulls the reader in and keeps the pages turning? In Inside Fictional Minds Dr Stephanie Carty offers an insightful, easy-to-read guide for all writers seeking to create believable characters who keep us gripped by their choices.’
~Jane Bailey, author of Sorry Isn’t Good Enough and Larksong

‘ Inside Fictional Minds is an accessible and invaluable tool for any writer of fiction wanting to get underneath their character’s skin. Packed with psychological insights into motive, reason and desire, it’ll have you unravelling the intricacies of being human in new and exciting ways.’~Hannah Persaud, award-winning short story writer and author of The Codes of Love

‘A truly exceptional book, a classic in the making. It offers unique insights into human psychology that are easy to apply to fiction writing, but that also taught me a lot about myself. Inside Fictional Minds is a journey of discovery.’
~Sophie van Llewyn, author of Bottled Goods , longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Genres: Writing, Crafts

132 pages, Paperback

Published June 23, 2021

Reviews

[Jude P]

This is such an excellent book for writers. It is very accessible and has some well thought out exercises to enable you to examine your characters psyches and motivations. It helps you explore the dynamics between your characters, which of course helps you develop a stronger more realistic plotline.
Personally I was able to identify a significant flaw in my work in progress, a choice my character simply wouldn't make. This has forced me to dig deeper and I believe I now have a much stronger piece of writing.
This will be a go to resource for me in future writing.

[Tracy Fells]

The introduction describes this a "guide to using psychological concepts to help form fictional characters with depth ..." and it does exactly this in easy to read short chapters. You can work through in order or dip in to refresh ideas when needed, and there are useful exercises to help with your own work-in-progress.
My copy is now buried under yellow stickies to mark sections I found helpful. Sometimes I hit a 'light bulb' moment which really helped me to understand a character or situation I'm trying to write.

This is the perfect aid for any fiction writer and an essential part of a writer's toolkit.

[Allison Renner]

My writing book of the month. I’ve read this before but apparently didn’t review it. It’s an amazing book; I see how it can apply to any writing, but it seems especially helpful for short stories and novels, when you have more room to get to know the characters. However, it’s still crucial to know your characters in flash. It’s also really interesting on a personal level, reading about characters and understanding how it applies to you and people you know as well…

[Jane]

This writing guide is accessible and logical. It will help you dig down to uncover the inner workings of your characters’ emotions and motivations, and create fictional people who feel believable and real. I will definitely be referring to it as I develop future character profiles.

[Ellie]

This is a book I recommend to have on hand when learning more about your characters, going beyond character sketch exercises.