Home › Fiction Writing › The Character Quad

The Character Quad

by Charles A. Cornell

A four-role framework for planning a story’s character ecosystem

Regular price $14.39 USD
Regular price $17.99 USD Sale price $14.39 USD
Save 20%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

A four-role framework for planning a story’s character ecosystem

The Character Quad presents a practical planning tool for fiction writers deciding both which roles a story’s cast needs and how large that cast should be. Its Four-Role structure is positioned as a way to map character functions and visualize arcs across any genre, while helping authors notice openings for additional conflict and variety. The guide also addresses structural questions that arise as a narrative develops: introducing characters, removing them, and expanding a cast across sequels or a multi-book series. Black-and-white illustrations accompany the print edition.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fiction writers building ensembles or multi-character stories
  • Authors planning a novel series and its expanding cast
  • Writers seeking a structured alternative to archetype-based character profiles

Themes

Character rolesCast sizeCharacter arcsSeries planningStory conflict

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

(Note: This print edition of The Character Quad has black and white illustrations)

 

Dozens of guide books explain how to build character profiles from a variety of archetypes but in the end it's up to YOU the author to decide the roles your characters play. How many characters your story needs is also entirely up to you. There's not much guidance to tell you if you have too many characters or not enough.

What happens when you kill off a character? When should you introduce new ones? If you plan a sequel or a multi-book series, how should you create new characters as you grow your character universe? Do you want a simple tool to help you make these critical decisions?

Of course you do. The Character Quad is that tool and yes, it's simple to learn and easy to use.

The Character Quad answers two questions every author has:

What kind of characters does my story need?
How many characters does my story need?

The Character Quad's two powerful factors help you define your character's roles and and visualize your character arcs.

The Character Quad's simple Four-Role structure helps you create characters from any archetype for stories in any genre.

The Character Quad helps identify missed important opportunities to add variety and conflict to your story.

The Character Quad is a MUST-HAVE tool for authors who are building a multi-character universe within a novel series.

Create a Character Quad at the start of each new book and supercharge your stories and your character universe!

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews