If you’re a fiction writer or inspiring to be one, Persona may be a dream come true!
Persona is all about character organization. It’s a seriously niche app, as it makes developing and organizing characters a breeze.
From the Persona website:
“Persona is based on this concept: by categorizing characters into archetypes, you can know their background, which in turn shows their motivations, and then allows you to predict their behavior. To put it bluntly, it is the difference between deliberately crafting a compelling character or hoping that the character turns out the way you wanted.”
Take a closer look and I think you’ll agree that Persona takes character development to a whole new level.
Persona
[tentblogger-vimeo 55737963]
Did you watch the video?
I told you this was serious!
Features include:
- Explore the relationships and interactions between each of
your characters. - Categorize each character into one of 32 archetypes and
64 styles. - Create Smart Groups of characters based on attributes like
tags, type, sex, or any word or phrase from your notes. - Construct ad hoc groups of characters without a defined
relationship to explore their interactions. - See what happens if the man or woman of the hour
suddenly becomes corrupt and turns into a villian or
villianess. - Shape the details of a character from the color of their eyes
to their hobbies or occupation.
Screenshots
Like I said, this app is serious, so don’t be surprised when you see the $49.99 purchase price.
Is it worth it? If you’re serious about your character development, this is a small price to pay. I would jump on the 30-day trial first, as I would be curious if there were any export features included that would allow you to export the data into another (readable) format.
Learn more on the Persona website or grab it straight from the Apple App Store.
Rachel Blom says
Looks really interesting, I’ll have to check this one out!
Eric Dye says
VERY interesting and very niche. I would love to try it out!
Rachel Blom says
I tried it, but I have to say I agree with this review: http://www.macworld.com/article/2011491/review-persona-is-limited-values-stereotypes-over-substance.html It’s too cookie-cut and limited for me and it’s not based on any known archetype structure in writing.
Eric Dye says
Bummer. What do you use (if you use one)? Heard of any alternatives?
jeremy says
I’m actually kind of floored.. who knew this was a problem.. I’m intrigued..
Eric Dye says
🙂
Thomas says
At the time of your post, Persona was only available for Mac, but Mariner Software has just released a Windows version of Persona.
Eric Dye says
Great! Here’s the link for those that are interested. 🙂