The Science of Writing Characters is a comprehensive handbook to help writers create compelling and psychologically-credible characters that come to life on the page. Drawing on the latest psychological theory and research, ranging from personality theory to evolutionary science, the book equips screenwriters and novelists with all the techniques they need to build complex, dimensional characters from the bottom up. Writers learn how to create rounded characters using the 'Big Five' dimensions of personality and then are shown how these personality traits shape action, relationships and dialogue.

Throughout The Science of Writing Characters, psychological theories and research are translated into handy practical tips, which are illustrated through examples of characters in action in well-known films, television series and novels, ranging from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and Game of Thrones to The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Goldfinch. This very practical approach makes the book an engaging and accessible companion guide for all writers who want to better understand how they can make memorable characters with the potential for global appeal.

Kira-Anne Pelican, PhD, is a writer, speaker and script consultant with 25 years of experience working in the British, American and Chinese film and television industries. She began her career assisting director Stanley Kubrick, took posts in visual effects production on The Matrix films, before working as a screenwriter, academic and script consultant. Her original screenplays have been optioned by the BBC, ITV and other independent producers and she has lectured on character development across the world.