Writers Helping Writers^®

Characters

Create Killer Twists: Learn How to Redeem Your Villain

October 9, 2018

Create Killer Twists: Learn How to Redeem Your Villain

October 9, 2018

You might think a villain can’t be redeemed. After all, they’re sinister and twisted and think killing people is a post-dinner dessert choice. But even villains are people, and, no…

Capturing Complex Emotion: A Writer’s Superpower

October 2, 2018

Capturing Complex Emotion: A Writer’s Superpower

October 2, 2018

Our brain is driven by emotion. We may like to think we’re rational beings, applying the rules of logic calmly and sensibly to those little and not-so-little decisions, but our…

And…Action! Applying TV Lessons to Chapter Hooks

September 11, 2018

And…Action! Applying TV Lessons to Chapter Hooks

September 11, 2018

We’ve probably all heard the advice to end our scenes and chapters on a hook. At the end of every scene or chapter, readers might put down our book and…

Powerful Scenes: Using One Stop for Writers’ Informal Scene Map

August 23, 2018

Powerful Scenes: Using One Stop for Writers’ Informal Scene Map

August 23, 2018

A while back, I profiled some of the custom brainstorming tools at our sister-site, One Stop for Writers, which help take the mystery (and misery) out of story structure. One…

Crafting a “Body Language Voice”

August 14, 2018

Crafting a “Body Language Voice”

August 14, 2018

You’ve probably heard about “voice”–that elusive quality that so many editors, agents, and readers are drawn to. Years ago, I did a couple of posts about character voice, arguing that…

Writing By Design Part 4: Contrast, or Light versus Dark

August 7, 2018

Writing By Design Part 4: Contrast, or Light versus Dark

August 7, 2018

In earlier installments of this “Writing by Design” series, we’ve discussed how to use the constraints of space to lend a shape to your story, and we also looked at…

The Six Stages of Your Hero’s Character Arc

August 2, 2018

The Six Stages of Your Hero’s Character Arc

August 2, 2018

By C.S. Lakin As a writer, you’re probably familiar with the term “character arc,” but what does a character arc entail? How do you structure this arc? And what informs…

Character Vulnerability: There Will Be Blood

July 17, 2018

Character Vulnerability: There Will Be Blood

July 17, 2018

This is something I say to almost every writer: Make no mistake, there WILL be blood! No, I’m not referring to the movie. Or even to literal blood. But to…

Spy Novels: How to Nail The Character of an Espionage Hero

July 12, 2018

Spy Novels: How to Nail The Character of an Espionage Hero

July 12, 2018

Great treat for you today–Piper Bayard (of Bayard & Holmes) is digging into what an espionage character should look like. And she should know, because her co-author, Jay Holmes…well, read…

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Understanding how to properly create a character's emotional wound

How To “Level Up” Your Character’s Wound

July 3, 2018

Every writer who has spent time studying the craft writing knows of the character wound, and that they are the foundation of a strong, memorable character. Why? Because they make…