Begins with concise sections on each of eight heroic archetypes: chief, bad boy, best friend, charmer, lost soul, professor, swashbuckler, warrior. Eight archetypes of heroines follow: the boss, seductress, spunky kid, free spirit, waif, librarian, crusader, nurturer. Information is then offered on creating more fleshy characters by providing flaws, virtues, qualities, background, style, and occupations of the particular archetypes. Interactions of these archetypes are then explored. For example, the chief paired with the nurturer or the spunky kid. Or, the professor coupled with the waif. Finally, a section addresses these archetypes in ten films (e.g., Steel Magnolias and The Dirty Dozen ), and two television shows ( Gilligan's Island, Star Trek: Voyager ). Authors are writers of various sorts, and the book is designed for popular writer-readers. Appendices list television shows, films, and literature with the particular archetype featured in each. No index or notes. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)