
Round Characters: Techniques to Create Depth in Character Arcs
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a character who jumped off the page and felt so alive that you missed them
Metaphors are one of the first additions to our writing toolbox, usually paired with the simile in our high school...
Occasionally, tucked somewhere between an introduction, epigraph, and dedication, a book might have a prologue. This is the story before...
There’s rhythm in prose. The rhythm might be intentionally terse, like a Charles Bukowski novel, or dense and languid like...
Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories...
“Morning pages” is the term coined by Julia Cameron in her work The Artist’s Way used to describe the habit...
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a character who jumped off the page and felt so alive that you...
It is human to have blind spots, and often convenient to be in denial about certain aspects of ourselves. This...
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it...
There are times, as storytellers, when we can be so bull-headed about what we want to express, that we end...
Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is....
“A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the...
“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest...

If you’ve ever fallen in love with a character who jumped off the page and felt so alive that you missed them

The “fridging” trope was named after a specific incident in a Green Lantern comic (vol. 3 #54). The titular hero comes home

Stories that endure tend to tap into something deeply human. Philosophers, mythologists, psychologists, and more have theorized about different ways audiences resonate

The “dark night of the soul” is that moment in a story where all seems lost. It is the biggest challenge your

Tragic heroes are like a falling star, burning, hurtling to their doom, but are a sight to behold all the same. They

Stories are not always about morally spotless heroes, nor should they be. Truly compelling protagonists have flaws that affect their choices and

Without flaws, characters may be admirable, but they don’t feel real. Humans are complex and contradictory. We’re all naturally flawed in some

It may sound dry, but at the heart of every story is an argument. The theme (or dramatic question) is played out

In storytelling, we have heroes and villains, but where do anti-villains fit in? Who are they, and why have they become so

When you think of your favorite movies or books, what’s the first thing you think of? Is it the setting, the twist

Usually when you open a book and you’re embarking on a new adventure, you believe what the narrator tells you is true.

Creating memorable stories begins with creating memorable characters—those who struggle, adapt, and ultimately transform. While some characters find their strength in sticking

You’ve created a character. You’ve crafted their backstory, motivation, and physical features, but maybe they still feel wooden to you. What can

The characters we write in our stories play a central part in the audience’s engagement. Understanding your characters and why they do

There are times, as storytellers, when we can be so bull-headed about what we want to express, that we end up pushing

“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.”- Ernest

“The curious are always in some danger. If you are curious, you might never come home.” – Jeanette Winterson When my son

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to
If you’ve ever fallen in love with a character who jumped off the page and felt so alive that you...
The “fridging” trope was named after a specific incident in a Green Lantern comic (vol. 3 #54). The titular hero...
Stories that endure tend to tap into something deeply human. Philosophers, mythologists, psychologists, and more have theorized about different ways...
The “dark night of the soul” is that moment in a story where all seems lost. It is the biggest...
Tragic heroes are like a falling star, burning, hurtling to their doom, but are a sight to behold all the...
Stories are not always about morally spotless heroes, nor should they be. Truly compelling protagonists have flaws that affect their...
Without flaws, characters may be admirable, but they don’t feel real. Humans are complex and contradictory. We’re all naturally flawed...
It may sound dry, but at the heart of every story is an argument. The theme (or dramatic question) is...
In storytelling, we have heroes and villains, but where do anti-villains fit in? Who are they, and why have they...
When you think of your favorite movies or books, what’s the first thing you think of? Is it the setting,...
Usually when you open a book and you’re embarking on a new adventure, you believe what the narrator tells you...
Creating memorable stories begins with creating memorable characters—those who struggle, adapt, and ultimately transform. While some characters find their strength...
You’ve created a character. You’ve crafted their backstory, motivation, and physical features, but maybe they still feel wooden to you....
The characters we write in our stories play a central part in the audience’s engagement. Understanding your characters and why...
There are times, as storytellers, when we can be so bull-headed about what we want to express, that we end...
“My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest...
“The curious are always in some danger. If you are curious, you might never come home.” – Jeanette Winterson When...
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it...