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Character Arc

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Hiding a Sexual Relationship

November 23, 2024

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Hiding a Sexual Relationship

November 23, 2024

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain…

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life

November 2, 2024

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Coveting Someone Else’s Life

November 2, 2024

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain…

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge

October 19, 2024

Character Secret Thesaurus Entry: Monitoring Someone Without Their Knowledge

October 19, 2024

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain…

Character Thesaurus Entry: Using a False Identity

October 5, 2024

Character Thesaurus Entry: Using a False Identity

October 5, 2024

What secret is your character keeping? Why are they safeguarding it? What’s at stake if it’s discovered? Does it need to come out at some point, or should it remain…

Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

July 16, 2024

Need to Get a Stubborn Character Moving? Use an Amplifier

July 16, 2024

If you’ve researched story structure at all, you know there are many models out there, and they’re all slightly different. The most popular forms tend to follow the three-act structure,…

How to Generate Powerful Story Conflict

January 11, 2024

How to Generate Powerful Story Conflict

January 11, 2024

Conflict is a powerful tool for storytellers, allowing us to place roadblocks, challenges, adversaries and more in a character’s way so the road to their goal is much more difficult.…

How to Create a Protagonist with True Depth

November 7, 2023

How to Create a Protagonist with True Depth

November 7, 2023

Some characters are so dynamic, we feel immediately close to them. Everything they say, do, and think is consistent with who they are, they have a past and present, and…

Writing Flawed Characters Who Don’t Turn Readers Off

October 10, 2023

Writing Flawed Characters Who Don’t Turn Readers Off

October 10, 2023

No one in the real world is perfect, and so characters shouldn’t be either. To seem as real as you or me, they should have flaws and strengths, and these…

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

Improve Your Storytelling in 5 Minutes

July 25, 2023

What are writers chronically short on? Time. There never seems to be enough of it as we try to get the next book written, research our publishing options, keep up…

What Are Your Protagonist’s Flaws?

April 13, 2023

What Are Your Protagonist’s Flaws?

April 13, 2023

The most relatable characters are ones who mirror real people, meaning they are complex individuals with a blend of strengths, failings, attributes, and flaws. Of these four, flaws are often…