A character arc refers to the internal growth of a character due to the plot. It’s how a character’s worldview changes as she endures struggles and overcomes obstacles. These arcs often revolve around the book’s theme, and they portray an argument on how life should be lived. Many writers talk Read more…
In a fast-paced world full of instant gratification where “being busy” is the new norm, books should be a dying hobby. Why read the book when someone made it a two-hour movie? The answer is simple: interiority, access to characters’ thoughts and feelings. Books invite readers into someone else’s mind Read more…
The last character detail I’m going to cover this round for Character Under A Microscope is manipulation. That’s right, I just went there. Every person, regardless of how good he is, manipulates other people to get what he wants. It’s part of being alive. Even animals do it. Why does Read more…
This week, let’s take a deeper look at character motivations. What makes the characters act like they do? Writers are often told to give characters goals, but along with those goals come motivations. Why do they want those goals? The reasons characters act the way they do will not only Read more…
I want to start a new ongoing series on my website called Character Under A Microscope. There are so many things you can consider when creating characters that I think it needs an in-depth study. I don’t want to burn my readers out on all things character though so I’m Read more…
If I had to name one topic about writing that is the most mentioned and the least quantifiable, it’s voice. Publishers want a unique writer voice. Agents look for distinct character voices. Readers dislike reading abrasive narrator voices. On an on, everyone talks about voice; however, very few people can Read more…
As writers, we use foils all the time in our writing without realizing it. A foil is when you put opposites close together in order to make one stand out more. I’ve heard that the term comes from jewelers who placed a piece of foil under a gem to make Read more…
Every writer wants to have engaging characters that hook the readers. In this post, I’m going to talk about three elements that can create a character that readers want to get behind. These are proactivity, competence, and sympathy. All three elements should be treated like sliders instead of an on/off Read more…
Some writers start a book without knowing any of the details, and others have a meticulous outline of the story before they sit down to write. I fall somewhere in the middle. For my characters, I like to have some details preplanned. My reasoning for this is twofold. One, I Read more…