Character Development

Most popular posts

extended metaphor

Extended Metaphors: Turning Simple Comparisons into Lasting Impact

Metaphors are one of the first additions to our writing toolbox, usually paired with the simile in our high school...

Prologue

What is a Prologue? How and When to Use One

Occasionally, tucked somewhere between an introduction, epigraph, and dedication, a book might have a prologue. This is the story before...

stream-of-consciousness

Stream-of-Consciousness Writing: Tips for Creative Expression

There’s rhythm in prose. The rhythm might be intentionally terse, like a Charles Bukowski novel, or dense and languid like...

story arc

Mastering Story Arcs for Stronger Storytelling

Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories...

morning pages

Morning Pages: A Daily Habit to Boost Creativity

“Morning pages” is the term coined by Julia Cameron in her work The Artist’s Way used to describe the habit...

round character

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...

dynamic characters
Blog
Alan Watt

How to Write Dynamic Characters

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

Read More »
Stay Curious
Blog
Alan Watt

Stay Curious

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

Read More »

Recent posts

round character

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...

fridging

Fridging: When Trauma Replaces Character Development

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

Jungian archetypes

Jungian Archetypes for Character Building

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

dark night of the soul

The Dark Night of the Soul: From Despair to Decision

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

tragic hero

The Tragic Hero Explained: Aristotle to Modern Fiction

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

antihero

The Antihero’s Dilemma: Emphasizing Moral Conflict

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

character flaws

The Importance of Character Flaws 

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

antagonist

Writing Effective Antagonists: Craft Conflict that Matters

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

anti-villain

Mastering the Anti-Villain: How to Build Sympathetic, Relatable Antagonists 

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

Protagonist

What Makes a Protagonist? The Character at the Center of Your Story

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

Unreliable Narrator

The Unreliable Narrator: All You Need to Know

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

dynamic characters

How to Write Dynamic Characters

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

mannerisms

How to Use Mannerisms Effectively

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

Static Character

The Static Character’s Secret: Why Change Isn’t Always Necessary

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

No Good Guys, No Bad Guys

No Good Guys, No Bad Guys

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

Writing the Reluctant Protagonist

Writing the Reluctant Protagonist

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

Stay Curious

Stay Curious

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

The True Nature of Our Characters

Dramatizing Character

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it...