by Dani Pettrey My daughter got married last weekend. It’s hard to believe my baby girl is all grown up and now a wife of her own. My husband is a wedding photographer and was able to capture this gorgeous moment. It was a day of enjoying, making and capturing memories. And, it got me thinking. Isn’t that what we …
The Beloved Character
by Phyllis Keels I used to have a hard time causing my main characters to go through hardship, suffering, or even to allow them to experience conflict or pain. That was before I understood its purpose. That was before I personally understood its purpose. Suffering is not pleasant and we usually avoid it at all costs, but sometimes it finds …
Why – Character Motivation
by Anne Greene Want to create unforgettable characters? Then find the WHY for what they do. Find the deep-down inner motivation that drives your character. Character Motivation is vitally important. Motivation engages the reader. Readers relate to character motivations. They make the character live in the reader’s minds. Motivation leads to the character arc. It’s the WHY of Goal Motivation …
What’s in a Name?
by Ann H. Gabhart I’m at the beginning of a new story. I’ve written the proposal. I’ve named the main characters. No way can I write their stories without knowing their names. And just pulling a name out of a hat doesn’t work for me. I need them to have the right name. That’s not to say a character has …
When Tragedy Strikes…
by Shirley E. Gould My amazing husband passed away suddenly on May 7, 2013. My life has taken a devastating turn that has sapped my writing creativity. It’s hard to string words together when you’re telling yourself to breathe in and out, when your heart is broken, and everywhere you turn reminders of his absence overwhelm your emotions. After two …
Letting Your Protagonist Be Super and Human
by Rachel Hauck Did you see the movie, “The Avengers”? Did you like it? I did last year and wow! Another blow-’em-up New York City movie. I think Hollywood needs to get more creative, but hey, that’s me. Poor NYC if anything ever happens to them as depicted in movies! Back to “The Avengers”. Besides Ironman, Thor, Hulk and Captain …
Moments in Time-Bringing Characters to Life
by Ann H. Gabhart Not long ago I got to thinking about the odd moments that can rise from the murky depths of my memory, nudged out to my consciousness by a chance word, an image or even a sniff of some aroma. Of course, we all have those moments of tragedy or world changing events so intense we remember …
Lessons From Sherlock
by Tessa Afshar The British love their Sherlock Holmes. They love him so much that they have built a flat on Baker Street that supposedly once belonged to this fictional character. So it’s not such a shock that they would come up with another Sherlock Holmes television production. Personally, I can’t get enough of it. There are several reasons for …
Creating Characters Who Breathe
by Robin Lee Hatcher I love discovering the inner workings of my characters. I love it when they come to life and begin telling me their stories. I love it when they become my companions and my friends. Writers often fall into two camps: those who develop their stories around plots and those who develop their stories around characters. But …
Creating Careers for our Characters
by Lisa Jordan Last week I requested career options for the hero in my next book on my Facebook author page. While reading through my fans’ posts, I was amazed by the diverse occupations they suggested-boat builder, hospital administrator, youth pastor, zoo manager, etc. Meeting someone for the first time, one of the first questions you may ask is, “What …