Writers Helping Writers^®

Characters

The Myths and Misconceptions of Villains & Mental Health

July 18, 2017

The Myths and Misconceptions of Villains & Mental Health

July 18, 2017

Villains are fun characters, but writers sometimes take shortcuts to make them “villainous,” including giving them a mental health disorder. There are two problems with that: The disorders aren’t always…

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

How to Add Meaningful Subplots to Your Novel

July 5, 2017

Many people are familiar with subplots. They are those side stories that give a novel’s plot depth. A subplot may involve the main character or minor characters, but they enrich…

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

June 22, 2017

Keep It Fresh: 10 Ways To Show Your Character’s Emotions

June 22, 2017

Years ago, Becca and I grumbled about how our characters always expressed emotion the same way. My big thing? Frowning. Did my characters EVER know how to frown. They were…

A Question of When: Indicating Time Passage in Our Stories

June 13, 2017

A Question of When: Indicating Time Passage in Our Stories

June 13, 2017

Today, we’re looking at how to show the passing of time between scenes. First, let’s recap why it’s important for our readers to be at least vaguely aware of the…

Giving Your Characters Free Rein in the Story

June 6, 2017

Giving Your Characters Free Rein in the Story

June 6, 2017

In my collection of writing books is a 1919 title, A Manual of the Art of Fiction, by one Clayton Meeker Hamilton, a professor at Columbia University. It’s a bit…

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

What American Horror Story Taught Me About Anti-Heroes

May 30, 2017

Every time I search Netflix, Hulu, or primetime TV for a new show to watch, I’m convinced that anti-heroes are taking over the world. Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, the Sopranos, Nurse…

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Three More Lesser Known Archetypes

May 23, 2017

Back in January, Jonathan Vars was here to talk about some lesser-known archetypes and how utilizing them can bring a sense of freshness to our stories. Because of the positive feedback on that…

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

Complex Characters and the Power of Contradiction

May 9, 2017

You’ve likely seen countless posts and resources related to creating great characters, but almost all of them seem to be lacking in one aspect I’ve found to be perhaps the…

Angela’s Fantastic Finds for Writers

April 27, 2017

Angela’s Fantastic Finds for Writers

April 27, 2017

People who follow me in social spaces know I curate A LOT of content–enough to supply 3 twitter accounts, 3 facebook pages, one personal FB profile and then of course,…

Planning the Perfect Love Triangle

April 11, 2017

Planning the Perfect Love Triangle

April 11, 2017

Love triangles are potent story devices, even if the triangle isn’t the story’s main concern. When I work with authors, one of the most common issues is underdeveloped plot situations,…