Unlock the Secrets of Crafting Unforgettable Characters

In the world of storytelling, characters are the heartbeat of any narrative. For fiction writers and avid readers alike, understanding character tropes and their counter-tropes is essential. In this article, we'll...

I want to develop the definitive list of the best mysteries. What are the best mysteries (and how do we know that they are, in fact, the very best)? Consider 3 dimensions for discovering the best mysteries:

1. Peer Recognition – authors (and their...

The sunset makes the darkening sky blush and adds rose highlights to the emerald water. A young couple, a man and a woman, perhaps in their early twenties, tanned and trim, golden-skinned in their bathing suits, have their beach blankets spread on the white sand. They sit close...

Writing is a solitary occupation. But does it have to be?

There are several ways of making writing less solitary, in fact there's a whole spectrum. Here are three examples:

1. The Light Touch: Writing Accountability (and Inspiration) Groups
2. The Safe Challenge: Writing Contests
3. The...

The Bear Inn, Oxford, Nazi-Occupied Britain, 1947

SS-Sturmbannführer Ewald von Haupt walks into the pub.

In one moment, a pleasant, warm cacophony — loud voices, clinking glasses, laughter, singing — in the next, a chilled sudden silence, heads turning...

From the diary of Kermit Roosevelt, the second son of Theodore Roosevelt, found in the estate of his younger sister, Esther Roosevelt.

Sunday, February 27, 1927, Rondônia, Brazil

Thirteen years the nightmare has haunted me. 

I have blamed myself, pushed...

I want to write characters with motivations that drive the story and the character arc. How do I develop  character motivations? Consider 9 types of character motivations:

1. Physiological needs – basic survival instinct (hunger, thirst, sleep,...

Looking into my reflective surface, she whispers:

"Mirror, Mirror. Who is fairest of them all?"

I always answer:

"Your majesty, you are fairest of all."

... and then I show her the very best social images of herself, the ones that are curated (by me) for the combination of most...

I want to write complex, layered characters that feel real and are interesting and memorable. How do I write layered characters? Consider 11 contrasts that create layered characters in fiction:

1. External vs Internal – external actions,...

“Are you hungry?”

I open my eyes and see … me.

Well, it’s me, but a me that’s a bit older. This version of me is a very distinguished me, slim, dressed in a three piece suit, with gray thinning hair and a trim gray beard and mustache.

I’m in a...

I want to write well-rounded characters with quirks that makes them interesting and memorable. How do I write character quirks? Consider 9 types of character quirks in fiction:

1. Physical - appearance and body habits, physical traits, features, mannerisms
2. ...

The flash fiction story "His Wounds Green" was written in the "Pantser" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: by the seat of my pants, using no outline, making it up as I went along. 

The story was inspired by this ...