Character Stories Driven by Angst
Why are readers so fascinated by character stories driven by angst? No matter the genre, from Romance to Crime to
Character
Posts on writing characters
A Myth About A Shark
There’s a myth about a shark in the movie Jaws; how the constant breakdowns of the mechanical shark forced Spielberg
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
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.
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