Talking Character
What Does Your Protagonist Want? (And Why Can’t He Have It?)
A protagonist without a clear goal has nothing to figure out and nowhere to go. Lisa Cron in Wired…
March 19, 2017-
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Talking Character
Do You Know What Your Character Is Doing?
What is your main character’s goal? The thing that drives her through the story, no matter how many obstacles…
February 19, 2017 -
Talking Character
5 Character Development Exercises
Go shopping This non-writing exercise can help you connect with your character in a tangible way, by interacting with…
January 19, 2017 -
Talking Character
How Selfish Is Your Protagonist?
We writers love our protagonists. We give them a few flaws and quirks, but we know that underneath their…
December 19, 2016 -
Talking Character
Different Temperaments, Different Fears
The heroine of the mystery novel I am working on needs certain qualities to be a good sleuth. Things…
November 19, 2016 -
Talking Character
Moving Beyond Clichés
I struggle when it comes to writing descriptions of character emotions. I know better than to simply tell the…
October 19, 2016 -
Talking Character
Body Language: What Your Character Is Really Saying-Lisa Betz
If actions speak louder than words then a character’s body language is an important part of dialogue. And yet…
September 19, 2016 -
Talking CharacterFirst Impressions Matter, Part 2: Utilzing Point of View
How we introduce our characters should be designed to create the reaction we want in our readers. Is the…
August 13, 2016 -
Talking Character
First Impressions Matter–Part 1
Scientific studies confirm that we humans make a host of judgments about a person based on the first few…
July 7, 2016 -
Talking Character
Creating Villains
In order to really show his stuff, a protagonist needs challenges to overcome. The tougher the opposition, the more…
June 20, 2016 -
Talking Character
Give Them Something to Hate
I hate making phone calls. When it comes to picking up the phone, I always procrastinate as long as…
May 15, 2016 -
Talking Character
What’s In A Name?
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. Perhaps…
April 13, 2016 -
Talking Character
Surprise Them with a Twist
Characters who violate a stereotype are interesting; by surprising us they pique our interest, make us want to explore.…
March 17, 2016 -
Talking Character
The Power of a Single Detail
In her book The Resolution for Women, Priscilla Shirer tells a story about a tassel. She was in the…
February 21, 2016 -
Talking Character
Writing Characters of the Opposite Gender
I am not a horse person. I freely admit almost complete ignorance in regard to horses and horse-related things.…
January 17, 2016 -
Talking Character
10 Tips for Writing Secondary Characters
Not everyone can be the hero or the villain. A story needs a cast of supporting characters too. Here…
December 20, 2015 -
Talking Character
Where Do Mannerisms Come From?
Habits and mannerisms must originate somewhere, for some reason. In a novel, where aspect of a character should be intentional, a character’s…
November 19, 2015 -
Talking CharacterDrilling to the Core of a Character
Fictional characters are like onions; they are made of many layers. A writer must peel back the layers to…
October 16, 2015 -
Talking CharacterWhy Won’t My Main Characters Cooperate?
Do your characters sometimes refuse to cooperate in the middle of a scene? Why is that? You know your…
September 14, 2015 -
Talking Character5 Tips to Deepen Your Characters
Take your characters deeper All great writers understand the importance of creating well-developed characters, but how does a character…
August 27, 2015 -
Talking CharacterThe Importance of Emotional Continuity
What is emotional continuity? When actors enter a scene, they bring with them a certain attitude and emotional state…
July 9, 2015 -
Talking CharacterPros and Cons of Character Questionnaires
Good writers know that developing well-rounded characters is critical, and one technique for creating such interesting characters is to…
June 16, 2015
