Endearing Female Protagonists
Comparing the wildly popular Black Widow and the (unfairly in my view) not wildly popular Captain Marvel. Then looking at who I have in my fantasy series. …
character
Completing a Character Arc: Misbelief
This week I found the key in completing a character arc: misbelief. It followed two years of writing, ignoring that my protagonist wasn’t working.
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Everyman Saves the Day
Why do we so love the stories in which Everyman saves the day? Recalling a previous post, the Everyman – or in my stories, Everywoman – is a character who is ordinary enough to be relatable to the average reader.
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Why Stories Need the Everyman
One of the key ingredients of successful novels is the relatability of the characters; it’s why stories need the Everyman, or Everywoman.
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Troubles, Decisions and Consequences
Worry not, no personal woes here; we’re plotting troubles, decisions and consequences in fiction. Another guest lecturer on Sanderson’s BYU Creative Writing course, author Brandon Mull sets out his approach to character and plot.
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Applying Character Arcs in Fiction
In a previous post I looked at how character arcs rise and fall and promised to look at applying character arcs in fiction. I have multiple novels in progress, linked in a series, looking for meaningful, satisfying character arcs. Somehow I have to apply all that received wisdom of writing coaches and authors.
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Character Arcs Rise and Fall
Part of the editing process is considering how character arcs rise and fall in the course of the novel. Movement, growth and change are key.
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Three ‘scales’ of character
Some of the takeaways from Brandon Sanderson’s 2020 lectures include his three ‘scales’ of character.
Sanderson’s three ‘scales’ of character are:
- Likability
- Proactivity
- Competence
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Sanderson on Character
Another gem from the BYU online writers’ course features author and lecturer Brandon Sanderson on character. In this lecture, Sanderson outlines his theory of character in fiction. It’s a remarkably simple and effective formula, from a best-selling genre writer.
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Plot, Character and Second Sight
Editing my genre series
got a lot harder thanks to the collision of plot, character and Second Sight. That’s right, the one big fantasy idea is clairvoyance, the ability to perceive future or distant events. It enables the author to see just how big a hole they’re about to bury themselves in.
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