Why is it important to create active characters? The writing world likes to talk a lot about Strong Female Characters. These conversations have gotten me thinking about strong characters in general, regardless of gender, age, or abilities. What attributes define a strong character? After much thought, I’ve concluded that, in general, a strong character is one who is Active.
Read MoreOne technique I use to help me create realistic characters with distinct personalities is to write letters from my characters. It helps me discover the character’s voice, as well as the intimate details about their inner life—their goals, motivations, and fears—that can be hard to discover with character profiles and worksheets alone.
Read MoreCreating realistic characters that are multi-dimensional involves knowing as much about them as possible. That includes knowing what they lie about, who they lie to, and why. Knowing these details about your characters will help give them authentic, well-rounded personalities.
Read MoreWe all want to create vibrant, lively, realistic characters with personality that leaps from the page. We want our characters well-rounded and interesting. We want our characters to each have their own “voice.” All of that is important, yet none of it guarantees our readers will care about our characters.
Read MoreWriting a book with a large ensemble cast of characters gives a writer many opportunities to create memorable, unique, and varied characters readers will love. But if the characters are not sufficiently distinct, the result can be confusing for the reader and distract from an otherwise good story.
Read MoreInner monologue in writing is the revelation of the character’s thoughts in the narration, but not in the dialogue. It’s all the things the reader learns that the character thinks, feels, and believes, but doesn’t say out loud. It can be used to reveal a character’s inner truths, inner conflicts, or outward deceptions.
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