There is a point at the beginning every project when the writer is faced with a blank page and a need to create a protagonist out of thin air. When you find yourself working with nothing more than a spark of an idea, Heroes & Heroines is a great tool to help you fan the flame. The authors set out to define sixteen general personality types befitting a main character, wisely dividing them into a group of eight for each gender, analogous but separate.

Each archetype is described with just the right amount of insightful pop psychology, as well as sufficient examples from pop culture and literature. The book suggests probable virtues and vices for each character type. We get back story and subclasses for each type, and even probable occupations.

The best part, however, comes after the character categories have been defined. The authors then play each of the male types against each of the female types, describing what is likely to happen when such personae meet for 115 or so pages of script. Should you ever find yourself uninspired or blocked (which we all know NEVER happens), classifying your main characters with this system, and then examining their typical interactions, might be just the thing to push you through.

Fortunately, the authors are the first to admit that their system is imperfect, almost by definition. In fact they devote a substantial number of pages discussing hybrid characters and characters who evolve over the course of the story. Throughout their writing, the authors remind us that they are proposing guidelines, not formulae.

If there is a drawback to Heroes & Heroines, it lies in the lack of combinations with same-gender types. This book is better suited to a romance writer than a buddy cop film scribe. However, it is safe to say that this book offers insight of use to any writer.