Category: Character Development
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Why do I love sidekicks and less important characters so much? Am I the only one?
I tend to find sidekicks, helpers, and non-protagonists more interesting than protagonists, villains, and more major characters in most stories. Maybe it’s that we see less of more secondary characters, so they have something more of mystery about them. More questions. Maybe it’s that good storytelling doesn’t hide the flaws of protagonists, and the faults…
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My most memorable experience writing as a pantser
The reason I write without an outline is because, honestly, an outline would spoil all the fun for me. It would ruin the excitement, the joy, and the surprises of writing and turn it into work. The best memory I have that can show the joy and enjoyable chaos of writing as a panster comes…
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“Persuasion”: How Jane Austen hooked me despite comparatively low stakes
I like to read a variety of things, and I just finished a re-read of “Persuasion” by Jane Austen. I last read it some 18 or so years ago. Even knowing how it would end, I didn’t remember the plot very well. Even if I hadn’t read it before, it’s clear from the very beginning…
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What makes you root for a character?
Today, I wanted to explore the phenomenon of rooting for a character. As a writer, it’s important to understand what will distance your readers from a character or fail to inspire a connection with them. Readers root for characters they care about and are invested in. So how do we make that happen? What makes…
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What the pícaro?
(Hopefully this title grabbed your attention!) What is a pícaro, and what does it have to do with a blog dedicated to creative writing? I’m here to tell you! Picaresque literature, it turns out, was an important inspiration in The Crimson League: The Fight for Hope, releasing June 15! THE TRADITIONAL SPANISH PICARO I very…
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Changes to the second edition of “The Crimson League,” Part 1: Goodbye, Hal!
Someone on Facebook recently told me she had enjoyed the first edition of The Crimson League (squee!) and asked what changes to expect in the upcoming second edition. (I took my entire trilogy out of circulation years ago to fix things up and make a more professional go of it.) The first major thing anyone…
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Sibling relationships in life and fiction
I am the middle child of three girls (the middle of 5 kids total, counting step-siblings who are real siblings to me). I have great relationships with all of them. They are ALWAYS there for me, and I hope they are able to say I am there for them. They support and help me. They…
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Flaws versus faults, character development, and why it matters
One of my most popular posts ten years ago on my old blog was about the distinction I’ve always made between flaws and faults in fictional characters (and real people). You see, it’s important as an author to show that you respect your reader (as I recently discussed). One way we do that is by…
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On courage
G. K. Chesterton (he’s just about the most quotable guy ever) says in Orthodoxy that: “Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die.” For YEARS now, I cannot think think of this quote without thinking that it would be a perfect…
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What writing and blogging are really all about
Three years after leaving religious life, I no longer feel necessarily like I am in survival mode. (I will write about survival mode soon.) Still, somedays, with an upcoming release, a full-time day job I am super blessed to have, even if makes me uncomfortable and frustrated–I’m constantly reminding myself that life isn’t about comfort–limited…
Creative Writing with the Crimson League 