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Complex Character Reactions
Character reactions to an event, comment or action are often complex. For instance, what if Jill slaps Jack. So what? The physical action alone isn’t enough to determine meaning in the story. Instead, the writer must give the reader some kind of clues as to what is really happening and what Jack and Jill think […]
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4 Crucial Yearnings to Enrich and Deepen Your Characters
When we develop characters, we know the drill. You must know what your character wants. But as I’ve worked on my current novel, I wasn’t getting to the heart of the character the way I wanted. So, I switched up the wording and asked, “What does this character yearn for?” The idea of yearning goes […]
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Grand Entrance: Pay Attention to This Character
How do you introduce your character to your reader? Do you give the character a grand entrance or sneak them in while the reader is focused on something else? A grand entrance signals to the reader that this is a character they should pay attention to. Let’s talk about some ways to make this happen. […]
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Don’t Write a Damsel-in-Distress OR a Modern Super-Woman: Be Original
I have a problem in my WIP novel, which is just in the outline stage. There’s a specific illness going around and to SHOW, DON’T TELL that the illness is really bad, an important character must become sick. But then, I have this sick character, Em. And she’s, well, sick. She’s become a Damsel-in-Distress, who […]
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Outrage: A Negative Emotion that Works In Your Novel
As 2014 events unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri and in New York City over race relations, I watched with a storyteller’s eye. That’s not to make light of the events–which have sparked massive debates and outrage. Rather, I put on my writer’s glasses and tried to evaluate the news reports AS A WRITER. Conflict on Every […]
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4 Types of Villain – The Last One is Truly Scary Because He’s So Good
Guest post by K.M. Weiland Ooh, bad guys. Where would our stories be without their spine-tingling, indignation-rousing, hatred-flaring charm? It’s a legit question. Because, without antagonists to get in our heroes’ way and cause conflict, we quite literally have no story. So write yourself a warty-nosed, slimy-handed dude with a creepy laugh. No problemo, right? […]