May 15, 2019
Sharpen Your Main Character by Using Books on Writing
May 15, 2019
By Max Vonne.
Making sure that readers connect with your main character is a
critical point of focus for your writing. This is an especially tough
challenge for new writers. Thankfully,
there are some great tools available to us.
In my last article, I spoke about CritiqueMatch.com, which I’m
just going to briefly mention here. Getting your work in front of
others and getting their feedback is key to understanding if your main
character is resonating. Other writers will not only tell you if they
like the character but will also make suggestions on how to improve
him/her. I can’t imagine developing my
characters without this process.
May 13, 2019
Developing Minor Characters 101: A Neville Longbottom Exposition
May 13, 2019
By Madison Bringhurst.
Though
you could write an entire soliloquy about the amazing character arch Neville
Longbottom has, his unfailing ability to try, or how he overcame a tragic
beginning, the real genius of Neville Longbottom’s character is in JK Rowling’s
ability to use him.
In
the fourth book of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, Neville is shown clumsily falling into the trap of a trick stair after
dinner one evening. The scene paints a vibrant image of the quirky nature of JK
Rowling’s magical world and pairs it with a light-hearted laugh. Though this
great moment in itself would make the scene worth having in the final draft,
its implications for later in the book are what make Neville more than just a
comic relief character. Later in the book, Harry finds himself trapped by the
same stair. Rather than having Harry explain this during a heated moment, thus
taking away from the urgency of the scene, Rowling shows the necessary details earlier
using one of her favorite expositional devices: Neville Longbottom.
May 8, 2019
Character Stereotypes – How to break them
May 08, 2019
By Ela Mishne.
The Chosen One, Dumb Blonde, The Wise Old Man, Queen Bee.
We’ve all seen these characters. The scientist is always crazy and looks like
Albert Einstein. The bully loves being bad because—well, for no particular
reason. The problem with these characters is that they make the story predictable
and boring. So writers are encouraged to create fresh and unique characters.
But here’s the problem. Readers love familiar
characters because they don’t have to get to know these new people. They feel safe.
But safe is boring, and readers should never be bored.
Apr 15, 2019
The Critique That Crushed My Fears
April 15, 2019
By Alicia McLachlan.
Even though I’ve been
writing (with varying degrees of commitment) for over fifteen years, I have
only recently started to send my pieces out for feedback. For so long, the idea
of sharing my writing terrified me; it felt egotistical to think my writing was
good enough to put out into the world. On the flip side, I was also halted by
the fear that I would find out that I was, in fact, a terrible writer; that I
should give up. Because I enjoyed the act of writing in and of itself, I
decided doing just that was enough for me.
Apr 10, 2019
My Critique Partner Journey
April 10, 2019
By Negeen Papehn, author of The
Forbidden Love series.
I used to believe that writing was a solitary action,
getting lost in the words I typed across a blank screen, just me and my
characters in a world of my making. Three published books and four full
manuscripts later, I’ve realized it’s anything but singular. Truthfully, it’s a
group effort. The story may spill out through my fingertips, but it’s plotted,
molded, and fine-tuned, by my amazing critique partners (CPs). There is seldom
a page written that someone hasn’t read through and given me feedback on.
Apr 8, 2019
First-Time Critique Partner? Here Are 8 Critique Dos and Don’ts
April 08, 2019
By
Rene Penn.
Is
this your first time critiquing someone's work? No worries. You got this.
People
with little or no critiquing experience may doubt they're up for the task. The
truth is, you don't have to be an expert to critique someone's work.
Think
about the last time you were blown away by the first few pages of a book. Or
when you noticed that a movie dragged in spots. Or how you were disappointed by
a book's ending. All of those times, you were critiquing, even if you
didn't realize it.
As a
critique partner, you'll learn to recognize moments that give you pause—like dialogue
that needs to be trimmed or a character that falls flat.
Apr 5, 2019
Developing Character Empathy – A Darth Vader Example
April 05, 2019
By Margi Guilfoyle.
“Be Careful Not to Choke on Your Aspirations.” –Darth Vader
If you have not read Michael Hauge’s book, Writing Screenplays That Sell, it is worth your time to do so. Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi recommend Writing Screenplays That Sell as a
resource in their craft book, The
Positive Trait Thesaurus. And, for good reason. Hauge’s character
development advice is succinct, approachable and proven. All the quoted
material in this blog (except for Darth Vader’s words, written by George Lucas),
comes from Hauge’s book, Writing
Screenplays That Sell.
Now, back to our friend Darth…
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