What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story's end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal's going to be and they'll know … [Read more...] about Character Motivation Entry: Protecting One’s Home or Property
Search Results for: what killed it for me
Story Midpoint & Mirror Moment: Using Heroes’ Emotions To Transform Them
I recently read a Huff Post psychology piece on Turning Negative Emotions Into Your Greatest Advantage and immediately saw how this could also apply to our characters. Feel free to follow the link and read, but if you’re short on time, the rundown is this: negative emotions are not all bad. In fact, … [Read more...] about Story Midpoint & Mirror Moment: Using Heroes’ Emotions To Transform Them
The Cure For CARDBOARD VILLAIN SYNDROME
Today I'm sharing an excerpt from The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws. Flaws play a HUGE role in each character's arc, so understanding how to build them into the personality of our novel's cast is key to forming compelling characters. However when writers don't go deep … [Read more...] about The Cure For CARDBOARD VILLAIN SYNDROME
Why Do Readers Stop Reading?
Happy Saturday, everyone! I'm a little swamped right now, so instead of our usual thesaurus entry, I'm reposting an old favorite. It's the first in a series of posts that explore different reasons why I stopped reading certain books. This is really helpful information for us to know as authors so we … [Read more...] about Why Do Readers Stop Reading?
Four Logic Problems that Will Ruin Your Day (and Your Manuscript)
As I’ve mentioned in other posts, there are a number of reasons why I may toss a book aside and never pick it up again. Clichéd characters, dragging first chapters, too much going on…the list, sadly, is long. (For my own personal list of what NOT to do in the opening pages of your story, check … [Read more...] about Four Logic Problems that Will Ruin Your Day (and Your Manuscript)
Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill
One worry that can plague writers is whether their characters are original enough or not. After all, readers meet a lot of characters over time, so how can writers make sure their characters are fresh and interesting? How can they make sure their story’s cast has that WOW factor that ensures they … [Read more...] about Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill
Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Reluctant Hero
In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—"universal images that have existed since the remotest times." He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different … [Read more...] about Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Reluctant Hero
Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
We’ve probably seen advice warning that any time our story revisits information, we risk the idea feeling repetitive or redundant to readers if we’re not careful. Not surprisingly, the same risk can apply even across books in a series. Yet when we write a book series, we usually need to repeat … [Read more...] about Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
The One Rule No Writer Should Break
Ah, the euphoria of holding one’s own book. Nothing compares, does it? In that moment, the months (or years) of writing, revising, editing, polishing, and finally publishing are in the rear view mirror. All we know is the joy of seeing our hard work compressed into pages and fitted with a stunning … [Read more...] about The One Rule No Writer Should Break
Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries
When we push characters to their limits, sometimes they get hurt. Injuries can range from annoyances to mortal wounds, and handled well, can add tension and complication to the story, drawing readers in deeper. We're always looking for ways to make sure our characters struggle as they navigate … [Read more...] about Writing About Pain: Describing Minor Injuries
Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Doomsday Prepper
In 1959, Carl Jung first popularized the idea of archetypes—"universal images that have existed since the remotest times." He posited that every person is a blend of these 12 basic personalities. Ever since then, authors have been applying this idea to fictional characters, combining the different … [Read more...] about Character Type & Trope Thesaurus: Doomsday Prepper
Writing About Pain: Different Types to Explore
“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” -The Dread Pirate Roberts Pain is an unfortunate part of life. As our characters go about their day—working, building relationships, pursuing goals and dreams, blowing off steam—things won’t always go as planned, and … [Read more...] about Writing About Pain: Different Types to Explore