Reposted: Cast and Character

Take a look at this excellent piece from Cedar Sanderson over at the Mad Genius' Club, readers! Cast and Character I’d asked in the spiky book club server what topics they’d like to see me touch on in posts, and the first response was to ask about fleshing out supporting characters. Which is a good…

Further Reflections on “Boys Don’t Cry”

I stumbled across this video by author David V. Stewart not long ago. The video was very good, but also somewhat startling, as it echoed my own article “Big Boys Don’t Cry! – A Look at Male Vulnerability in Fiction.” I did not watch the video before writing that piece, yet Mr. Stewart and I…

Reposted: Conflict + Choices = Character Agency

A thought-provoking article from Ms. K.M. Weiland, readers: Conflict + Choices = Character Agency Note From KMW: Character agency is a hot topic these days, but truly it was always an important topic for writers. Why? Because a character (particularly a protagonist) with no agency is a character who isn’t likely to be very interesting. More…

Big Boys Don’t Cry! – A Look at Male Vulnerability in Fiction

There is a trend – perhaps seen frequently now, perhaps still moving about “on little cat feet,” as the poet says of the fog – that praises how men are crying more in films and TV shows. It may include books as well, but if so, I have yet to see those mentioned. A great…

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 12: Emotional Continuity for Characters in Fiction

Crossover Queen had a thought-provoking post on her site about emotional investment in the characters of her favorite stories. This was spurred by the tumblr post here, which is interesting reading in itself. Both of them pointed out that plots revolving around “saving the world” and a “Chosen One” – as they are presently presented,…

Reposted: 8 Ways to Avoid Cardboard Characters (and Plot Contrivances While You’re At It)

Check out this article from K.M. Weiland, readers! 8 Ways to Avoid Cardboard Characters (and Plot Contrivances While You’re At It) “The plot was contrived, and the characters were cardboard.” Ouch. That’s about as bad as it can get when it comes to negative story reviews. It’s also perhaps one of the most common complaints…

Reposted – Creative Writing Reflection: Do Multiple Protagonists Require Some Pattern of Narration?

Take a look at this excellent article, readers: Creative Writing Reflection: Do Multiple Protagonists Require Some Pattern of Narration? multiple protagonists: how do you find balance? Every story, and therefore every novel, has a protagonist: at least one. I wrote yesterday about troubles I’m having with a character trying to fight her way up, becoming more…

Reposted: Well Done Stakes

Take a look at this great post by Nate Winchester, readers: Well Done Stakes Something I’ve come to learn about stories: When it comes to their stakes, it really doesn’t matter (except it does). I’ve heard it said more than once, “The audience can tell you the problem, but not the solution.” This applies to…

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 6: Character Progression – Consistency and Repetition Make Even a Broken Character Who He Is

Considering the points made in the previous two articles here and here, one has to wonder what makes a character at all. If it isn’t earth-shaking events like those seen in Picard, Avengers: Disassembled, or The Last Jedi that make a character who he is, then what does? What does real character progression look like?…

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 4: Character Progression – Or Character Destruction?

Gunsmoke's main cast I was privy to a discussion on character progression sometime in the past month. While I did not take part in it, that conversation got me thinking: many storylines in a variety of franchises with long or established characters aim for “shock and awe” character changes. These usually happen when everything appears…