Like characters, settings are made of, you guessed it, questions. Somewhat early on when I was drafting what would become the Dreams of QaiMaj series, I discovered a gem of a resource on SFWA’s website, this amazing article by Patricia C Wrede. It is basically a very long list of questions. I […]
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It’s easy to think of setting as a theatrical backdrop for the dramatic action of the story. But in all genres, from contemporary literature to the most fantastical world-building, the setting is far more than images on a green screen. Setting determines not just where your characters are, and not just […]
Every writer has to be at least a little bit sadistic. Why? Because we have to torment our characters. There is really no way around this. We have to thrust them into the deepest depths of hell and then say, well, how are you going to get out of this one, […]
When we craft characters, we often do it half-blind. As we draft, a character’s form, both physical and psychological, takes shape in our minds. By the time the first draft is complete, our characters often resemble Frankenstein, cobbled together from pieces, lurching inanimately across the page. Even writers who outline […]
There are books in which characters don’t change, and that is ok. When we enjoy TV sitcoms it is precisely because we know that Homer Simpson will be the same person he is in episode 1 and episode 500. The same with a mystery series; readers expect that the detective […]
Last week, we learned the difference between Character Driven fiction and plot-driven fiction. But whether the focus of your story is the character or the things that happen, understanding and managing your characters’ motivations is the key to managing plot and tension. What is motivation? It is the inner drive […]