Hmm not sure if you are, but covering strong silhouettes and posing would be good.

I think posing would fall under body language, but the strong silhouette bit is a good point. Thanks!

I think I'm going to file that under looking to other times/cultures for influence. Thanks!

Wow, a character design book focusing on the theory of character design would be a brilliant idea!

Personally, when it comes to creating characters the things that I struggle with are:
conveying the characters personality through body language (Though you've already mentioned body language), deciding on personality traits, deciding on an overall aesthetic that suits the character, keeping a character's design consistent within a particular setting and how the setting is/should be involved in the character's creation.

I'm not sure I've phrased that all correctly but I hope it helps!

I definitely get what you're saying. I think just about all of the things you mentioned are super important points and I'll definitely be sure to work them in. Thank you!

That sounds like a really cool idea!!

I think something good to include, which I personally can get caught in, is avoiding cliches.

Oh DEFINITELY. I feel like there's a fine line between archetypes and clichés, so that's definitely something worth exploring. Thanks!

Are you going to be covering anthropomorphic animals?

I plan on covering them, as well as human/oids and possibly inanimate objects. Anthros will be more in terms of translating and simplifying animal attributes, and ways of toying with expressions on non-human faces/bodies.

Establishing depth and revealing hidden traits through subtleties and nuance would be great.

Yup, I'll definitely have a section on those things. Thanks!

Fuck you, Wicket!

Color choices. Too many people barf up rainbows on their characters.

Whoo boy, I am in full agreement on that one.

Sounds like a great idea!

One interesting topic could be on how to make multiples of the same species unique from others of its own kind.

I saw something similar on dA though it wasn't a book, but on a submission topic. It was really neat. :}

Certainly! It's sometimes really hard to distinguish between non-human secondary/background characters (and sometimes even main ones depending on the style!), but it can be done. Thanks!

i definitely look forward to hearing your thoughts on character design!

My core beliefs on character design are actually pretty simple, but hopefully I'll be able to create something both useful and accessible in the end.

Need something interesting for the list. Number 5! (http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4604562/)

Can't think of much to suggest at the moment. I'll have to write a few more chapters and reflect on where I'm taking my first characters when I get to where I've already planned to go with them.

Thank you for the signal boost. :)

You're very welcome.

Would this be for a primarily visual medium or literary? reason i'm curious is that for me the process i take is different for a visual medium than the process i'd take for a literary approach.

This will be primary for visual purposes, but many things I plan to discuss can be applied to literary mediums as well.

aah, okay!

I'd like to offer some help but to be blunt, you're better at art than i am (not trying to be self-depreciating because i'm going to say that i'm not a slouch at art either, i just recognize that there are people out there that are better at it than i am.)

though, when it's done, i might be interested in purchasing one if the value is right.

What about making up good back stories for the characters? Or how to give them more personality?

I think back stories would fall under intent or purpose for the character's creation, which I plan to cover. I'll be talking about personality more from a visual standpoint, specifically what can be inferred via things like body language, expression, or even costumes.

Mary Sue would be a good thing to touch on.

I think that may be more of a literary aspect, but I'll definitely think on it when I'm working on the character intent portion of the book.

That would be worth a look alright. Especially if you offer some pitfalls of over-designing, which is rife on this particular site.

I don't think I can contribute a substantive answer to your question, but I think this is a very worthwhile endeavor and I wish you great luck as you explore it. I can't wait to see the results! :)

I think this is an amazing idea. As a writer working within a custom universe, what I struggle with is distinguishing a member of race or species from others. Especially if they are a primary or even secondary character, I still find it difficult to this day making x character different than other of their species (unless its more realistic/slice-of-life of course).

That sounds like a very good idea to me. I have the Tigermode sketchbook and find it very inspiring. And because I'm very interested in concept development, I would love to get inspiration on how to create characters that fit in with a universe and mood.

I would echo what diarmaidhutchence and zapydos2 said (avoiding overdesigning and rainbow barf, respectively). Basically how to keep designs simple but original. I think a lot of designers these days, professional and amateur alike, think that more intricate design = better, more original character, and that's just not always the case. Adding detail just for the sake of adding detail doesn't accomplish anything.

Then again, I've created exactly zero characters in my time, so maybe I'm just full of it. :O

I'm definitely keeping an eye on this project...
Although I couldn't really contribute anything to the discussion.