By Scott T. Barnes I’ve heard of a lot of different methods for creating characters. I’ve used extensive character sheets which ask questions both about the physical attributes of the characters, and also about their tics, their family, their psychological underpinnings, their flaws. I’ve read numerous how-to books, taken in-person classes and Zoom classes. I once went to a writer’s …
Your Author Voice, the Writing Rules, and—ACK!—Show vs. Tell
by Rachel Hauck @rachelhauck I’ve been at this writing game for over 30 years. This summer marked my 20th anniversary of writing full-time. Not to brag or anything, (Ha!) but I’ve learned a few things over the years, and top of the list is – I’m still learning! It never ends. As writers, we never stop learning, improving, and defining …
Naming the Baby
by Chandra Lynn Smith Names matter. My name is unique. In my sixty-five years I have met two people with the same name as me and know of a few others. The first person was actually my boss at a job in college and he was from India. Yes, evidently my name is not gender specific in India. The other …
Creating Authentic Cause and Effect
DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills Bestselling stories explode from powerful emotions that push a character into authentic cause and effect. The process is the backbone of fiction. A character is deeply motivated and commits skills, time, energy, and knowledge to pursue something tangible or intangible. The something is valued, meaning sacrifices are expected. The reader will feel cheated if the character is …
Seven Components Required to Create a Compelling Character
by Rachel Hauck @RachelHauck This August I’ve been writing full time for twenty years. I quit my job—cutting our household income by two-thirds—with one little $2,500 contract and a big deposit of dreams. While other contracts followed, my books didn’t fly off the shelf, win awards, or create buzz at my publisher. In many ways, I had a wrong idea …
Dog, dogs, and more dogs as the star or supporting characters in fiction
by Cindy Ervin Huff @Cindyhuff11Huff As a writer, I’m an avid reader and find there are lots of interesting books written either from a dog’s POV or surrounding dogs. Some are lap dogs that share their opinion with the reader about their human or working dogs that save the day repeatedly. Some are super friendly while others are aggressive and …
How to Write a Detective Team
by JPC Allen I’ll state the obvious: if you want to write a mystery, you must have a detective. But detectives come in all shapes and sizes, so you have a lot of room to develop an interesting main character. As you write, you might find your story is better if you have a duo of detectives. When I began …
What’s in a Name?
by Janice Cantore This might be a rambling blog post. I’m not sure if every writer struggles with this subject like I do. I’ve written 14 books and I think I’ve struggled with this at some level with every single one. How do you pick names for your characters? I write suspense fiction, plot driven, not character driven, still, in …
How a Troublesome Manuscript Was Saved
by Glynn Young Hold on to those unfinished or problematic manuscripts. You never know when they’re due for a rebirth. You pour everything into creating a manuscript. You type “The End.” You smile and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. It’s done. You finished it. You set it aside for a few days, and then you reread it. …
On Becoming a Main Character
by Lori Domingo @LoriDomingo22 It’s safe to say that regardless of your chosen genre, when you write your story, someone’s life will be completely upended. Something will happen that will lead to change in this person – usually for the better, but sometimes possibly not so much. Some event, person, relationship – whatever it may be – will be what …