Heroes of their own Stories
It’s easy to forget that your side characters are the heroes of their own stories; that they have their own […]
Character
Posts on writing characters
Characters Outside their Fictional World
–If you take your characters outside their fictional world, do they still function as compelling, relatable characters? Drop them into
Restoring a Deleted Scene
Editing is a strange process, especially when you find yourself restoring a deleted scene. Listen to the audio version on
How Many Orphaned Protagonists?
Ever thought how many orphaned protagonists there are in fiction? Why are there so many? Is it a staple, a
Baiting the Character Hook
Can you draw readers in without baiting the character hook? Genre and plot mean nothing if there isn’t a compelling
A Protagonist with no Backstory
Can you defy convention and write a protagonist with no backstory? I started a new project to explore just that.
Wants, Needs, Fears and Misbeliefs
Four essentials of character will inform the character’s arc or transformation: wants, needs, fears and misbeliefs. More than the simple
Pretty Woman Hates its Protagonist
Time and again this movie comes up as a ‘classic’ romance, but Pretty Woman hates its protagonist. Twice this week
Novels Obsess over the Past
According to our favourite writing coach, novels obsess over the past. At his most recent writers’ summit, Daniel David Wallace
Villainy without Melodrama and Tantrums
Every story needs an antagonist, but can you have villainy without melodrama and tantrums? Listen to the audio version on