Writers Helping Writers^®

Basic Human Needs

Want Readers to Connect to Your Character? Include this Element.

May 12, 2022

Want Readers to Connect to Your Character? Include this Element.

May 12, 2022

Some characters have more shape and weight than others, feeling so authentic we can almost believe they walked right out of the real world. Their emotions, vulnerabilities, needs, and desires…

What’s Your Story’s Focus? Plot vs. Character Arcs

November 18, 2021

What’s Your Story’s Focus? Plot vs. Character Arcs

November 18, 2021

There are as many ways to tell a story as there are stories in existence. That means not all writing advice will be a good fit with the story we’re…

Does Your Story Need More Conflict? Tap this Powerful Source

September 2, 2021

Does Your Story Need More Conflict? Tap this Powerful Source

September 2, 2021

Conflict is such a versatile storytelling element. Not only will obstacles, adversaries, and stressors keep tension high and readers focused, they also provide characters with valuable opportunities to prove themselves,…

Testing Fate: A Closer Look at Person vs. Fate Conflict

August 31, 2021

Testing Fate: A Closer Look at Person vs. Fate Conflict

August 31, 2021

Conflict is key to writing great stories. And while writers may categorize conflict differently, I categorize conflict into eight types: Person vs. SelfPerson vs. PersonPerson vs. NaturePerson vs. SocietyPerson vs.…

Balancing Your Cast of Characters

May 4, 2021

Balancing Your Cast of Characters

May 4, 2021

It’s no secret that side characters can be amazing in their own right. Great side characters feel like real people–even if the focus isn’t on them. They have lives that…

What Is Your Character’s Emotional Shielding and Why Does It Matter?

March 23, 2021

What Is Your Character’s Emotional Shielding and Why Does It Matter?

March 23, 2021

In the real world, we’re all products of our pasts. Good and bad, the people, events, and situations we’ve encountered have influenced us in profound ways, impacting our morals and…

The Author’s Guide to Redeeming Villains

February 4, 2021

The Author’s Guide to Redeeming Villains

February 4, 2021

Have you ever fallen in love with a story villain? Or at least found yourself liking him or her somewhat against your will? Seems a little weird, experiencing all the…

10 Steps To Revise Your Nano Novel

December 15, 2020

10 Steps To Revise Your Nano Novel

December 15, 2020

So, you did Nanowrimo and you made it to 50K! Congratulations, but you still have work to do. That’s right, now you need to revise … But where to start??…

Stuck in No-Man’s-Land: Your Novel’s Middle

November 19, 2020

Stuck in No-Man’s-Land: Your Novel’s Middle

November 19, 2020

If you have hit the point in your draft where you’re looking out at the vast landscape of your novel with no idea where to go next, congratulations…you’ve probably made…

Dropping Breadcrumbs: How to Show a Character’s Emotional Wound Through Behavior

November 5, 2020

Dropping Breadcrumbs: How to Show a Character’s Emotional Wound Through Behavior

November 5, 2020

Emotional wounds are transformative and have the power to re-shape a character in many negative ways, impacting their happiness, their self-worth, and causing mistrust and disillusionment to skew their worldview.…