How to Create Fictional Characters that Jump off the Page Crafting Stories or Baking a Cake? Creating fictional characters that jump off the page is one of the most important things you can do as a writer. So, are you ready for some tips, techniques, and exercises for developing fictional characters? Okay, let’s go! I […]
Scroll down to watch on YouTube! That Old Adage Understanding how your fictional characters react is essential to making them three-dimensional. There is an old adage that says it’s not the situation you face but how you deal with it that defines character. The idea is that 10% of life is what happens and 90% […]
Getting to know your fictional characters, inside and out, is crucial I’ve decided to change up the Writing Prompt process. I’m a goal-oriented person. Writing prompts are meant to get the creative juices flowing, however, they can also become a means to an end. When I first started writing, I used prompts to spark ideas. […]
Characters are at the Heart of the Story Characters are at the heart of every story. Without a strong hero, a book is often forgettable. This is why series are so popular. People come back not for whatever mystery or crime Stephanie Plum will be tackling, but because they love Stephanie herself. And Lula. And […]
We’re wrapping up our Writing Prompt series on SETTING by looking at the connection between character and setting. Setting gives the reader a world to visualize. It’s grounding. It creates mood and tone. In Gone With the Wind, for example, Atlanta is almost a character. So it Tara. These locations provide much more than just […]
Using Dialogue to Convey Setting Setting in a story can be given through description (see Writing Promp #3). Last time we talked about creating setting through description. Today, we’re still looking at setting as a way to convey a story’s time and place, but this time, we’re using dialogue. Why? Because setting doesn’t have to […]
Setting is a story’s time and place. You cannot have a story without setting. Setting grounds the entire narrative. In books, setting can be very overtly or explicit given to the reader, or it can be alluded to through descriptions of clothing, architecture, weather, topography, and other environmental elements. When we think of TIME, a […]
When you think of a scene, consider starting with a wide angle lens first. Capture the bigger setting. Once you’ve done that, you can move in closer and closer and closer until you introduce the character and the conflict. Think about it like this: A movie starts. First, the director shows stars twinkling in the […]
Everybody lives somewhere. When we look back on our childhood home, it’s common to feel uninspired by it. After all, it was jut the place we lived. Nothing exciting there, right? If I asked you to describe the kitchen in your childhood house, how detailed can you be? Close your eyes and try to visualize […]