Writers Helping Writers^®

Characters

The Plot Whisperer: Benefits of Plotting in Scenes

August 23, 2012

The Plot Whisperer: Benefits of Plotting in Scenes

August 23, 2012

Martha Alderson (aka The PLOT WHISPERER) is here to share the benefits of plotting in scenes, Some writers write by the seat of their pants. Others prefer to pre-plot first,…

5 Techniques for Adding Subtext to your Story

June 14, 2012

5 Techniques for Adding Subtext to your Story

June 14, 2012

By Ollin Morales About 90% of the time, we human beings don’t say what we mean to say. Instead, we speak in subtext. The beauty of subtext is that it makes…

KM Weiland on Reverse Outlining

January 30, 2012

KM Weiland on Reverse Outlining

January 30, 2012

Katie’s book, Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success guides writers with a step-by-step approach to developing and writing a novel. One of the story mapping techniques is Reverse…

Frustration: Your Novel’s Best Friend

September 12, 2011

Frustration: Your Novel’s Best Friend

September 12, 2011

You’re thinking that title must be a typo, aren’t you? It isn’t, I promise. 🙂 Frustration is awesome. Sure, as writers, we want NOTHING to do with this emotion. Between…

Introducing…the Character Traits Thesaurus

May 17, 2011

Introducing…the Character Traits Thesaurus

May 17, 2011

Quick, name your favorite character. Now list a trait or two that defines him/her. Chances are, you were able to come up with a defining trait fairly quickly. That’s because likable characters are…

Description 911: Over Expressed Emotions

February 28, 2011

Description 911: Over Expressed Emotions

February 28, 2011

Because this blog is all about flexing our descriptive skills, I wanted to touch on something I see from time to time when I critique: too much emotional showing. Emotions…

Want High Stakes? Amp up the Stress!

December 13, 2010

Want High Stakes? Amp up the Stress!

December 13, 2010

In the real world, we avoid stress whenever possible but in writing, the opposite is true. Why? Because in the land of the Three Act Structure (TAS), STRESS = CONFLICT.…

How to Show Characters Failing at Flirting

September 21, 2010

How to Show Characters Failing at Flirting

September 21, 2010

The other week, I made a list for Body Language associated with Flirting and had a huge response to the topic. Flirting is often a big component to teen fiction…

How to Show Flirting Between Characters

September 7, 2010

How to Show Flirting Between Characters

September 7, 2010

Flirting–a smile, a joke, a quick touch that is so much more than what it appears to be. It can instantly forge a connection between two strangers, or escalate a…

The Writer’s Bane: Describing a Character’s Physical Appearance

April 26, 2010

The Writer’s Bane: Describing a Character’s Physical Appearance

April 26, 2010

I’m going to be totally honest here. There is little I detest more than trying to describe how my character looks. The reasons are numerous. I think it sounds boring.…