Character Development

Most popular posts

A photography montage to demonstrate the parallel to creating a montage in the visual medium of a screenplay.

How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay

Learn how to write a montage in a screenplay to condense time and show character growth. Master the format and...
A woman in a red dress looking pensively to the corner of the frame to dramatize the difficulty of how to plan a novel

How to Plan a Novel

Learn how to plan a novel by balancing creative intuition with a structured 90-day schedule, from initial inquiry to finishing...
Three windows on a yellow wall opened to different lengths, a visual metaphor to represent the progression in a rule of three

The Rule of Three

Master the rule of three to create satisfying patterns, memorable character trios, and a rhythmic story structure that resonates with...
A ship's mooring in a snowy part of the world to give a frosty visualization of Unmoored

Unmoored: My Search for Meaning

Explore the transformative power of writing as a tool for healing trauma, finding self-acceptance, and discovering meaning beyond the search...
Someone reading a book in the darkness at a café on a very sunny day, emotional themes of relaxedness

How to Publish a Book

Master the path to publication. Learn how to polish your manuscript, query literary agents, handle rejection, and weigh the pros...
A woman set in foil and pins to her face to quickly visualize the concept of foil characters

Writing a Foil Character

Unlock your protagonist's depth using foil characters. Learn how to use contrast and dilemmas to highlight key traits and drive...
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 »
Taking Off the Mask
Blog
Alan Watt

Taking Off the Mask

  “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart In Jerry Stahl’s memoir, Permanent Midnight, he shares

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Who is My Protagonist?
Blog
Alan Watt

Who is My Protagonist?

Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is. The key

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The Power of Curiosity
Blog
Alan Watt

The Power of Curiosity

Story creation often begins with an idea or an image that ignites your imagination. You become curious, wanting to know more, to

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Narrative Drive
Blog
Alan Watt

Narrative Drive

“The purpose of narrative is to present us with complexity and ambiguity.”— Scott Turow If you’re rewriting and a point in your

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Recent posts

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...

Taking Off the Mask

Taking Off the Mask

  “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart In Jerry Stahl’s memoir, Permanent Midnight,...

Who is My Protagonist?

Who is My Protagonist?

Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is....

Blind Spots in Your Story

Blind Spots in Your Story

It is human to have blind spots, and often convenient to be in denial about certain aspects of ourselves. This...

The Power of Curiosity

The Power of Curiosity

Story creation often begins with an idea or an image that ignites your imagination. You become curious, wanting to know...

Using Your Credo to Create Story Conflict

Using Your Credo to Create Story Conflict

(Image from And Justice for All, 1979) You can’t have story without conflict. As writers, it is important to investigate...

Act One - Maintaining Tension

Act One: Maintaining Tension

“A writer writes not because he is educated but because he is driven by the need to communicate. Behind the...

Shedding the Idea for Truth in Writing

Shedding the Idea for Truth in Writing

It’s not just first-time novelists or screenwriters that struggle with getting their story from the imagination to the page. Every...

The Protagonist's Experience

The Protagonist’s Experience

Regardless of the medium, your reader is not interested in what your character is feeling. Seriously. In fact, if you...

Our Characters are Malleable

Our Characters are Malleable

“Nothing changes more constantly than the past; for the past that influences our lives does not consist of what happened,...

Narrative Drive

Narrative Drive

“The purpose of narrative is to present us with complexity and ambiguity.”— Scott Turow If you’re rewriting and a point...