Writers Helping Writers^®

Character Arc

Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story

September 5, 2019

Using Backward Design to Plan Your Story

September 5, 2019

Angelica Hartgers is here to show how planning your story backward may be a great technique if plotting is something you struggle with. “Begin with the end in mind.” -Stephen…

4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

August 22, 2019

4 Keys to a Powerful Denouement

August 22, 2019

Often as writers, we put a lot of our focus on the starting, climax, and middle of a story, and the denouement or falling action may be somewhat of an…

Motivation for Character Arc: A Different Approach

August 20, 2019

Motivation for Character Arc: A Different Approach

August 20, 2019

When it comes to discovering and writing about your character’s motivation, there are a dozen different methods. We can get there by any number of roads—most of which originate in…

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

The Easiest Way to Plan Characters in a Series: Cloning (Yes, Really!)

June 27, 2019

This spring, Becca and I released two very important tools for writers… The Emotion Thesaurus 2nd edition (expanded by 55 entries) and a Character Builder Tool at One Stop for…

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Tension

June 18, 2019

Goal-Oriented Storytelling: Tension

June 18, 2019

This is the third post in my four-part series on ANTS, my framework for understanding what a story needs to keep readers engaged. Previously, I’ve covered attachment and novelty. Now…

Story Goals: Are They Slowing Your Story’s Pace?

June 11, 2019

Write what is in your heart, not to trends

Story Goals: Are They Slowing Your Story’s Pace?

June 11, 2019

If we’ve spent any time learning about story craft, we know the importance of goals in our story. They affect every aspect of our story: Stories are about a problem…

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Plot, Inner Change, Evocative Writing—What Really Rivets Readers?

April 16, 2019

Here’s a counterintuitive fact: Writers spend way too much time obsessing about “the writing.” They sweat over the words, the technique, the language, the flow, the use of metaphor, and…

5 Character Tools You Absolutely Need to Know

April 9, 2019

5 Character Tools You Absolutely Need to Know

April 9, 2019

Angela here, happy to welcome Savannah Cordova from Reedsy who has done some sleuthing to find tools that might help you create your characters. Play around with ideas, or take…

Three Ways Writers Tell, Not Show (And How You Can Fix Them)

March 7, 2019

Three Ways Writers Tell, Not Show (And How You Can Fix Them)

March 7, 2019

One of my favorite writing coaches is here with us to dish some helpful advice on Show and Tell. Please welcome Janice Hardy and read on… Show, don’t tell, is…

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

Does Every Lead Character Need An Arc?

March 5, 2019

At a Bouchercon some years ago, Lee Child was part of a panel on characters in thrillers. An audience member asked him a question about character change. “Every character has…