Fiction
5 Ways to Love Your Villain
A common criticism that comes up in writing workshops is that a particular character isn’t “sympathetic.” I once had a student who seemed pleased with this response. “You’re not supposed to like him,” she said. Her character was the stereotypical bad husband; Tucker cheated on his wife, Gina, and to make matters worse, had initiated… »
Revealing Character Through Body Language
The human body is the best picture of the human soul. ~ Ludwig Wittgenstein It’s a scientific fact: body language speaks volumes about what’s truly in our hearts and minds. Postures, facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, movements, the way someone holds his arms, what his eyes focus on — all these things, no matter how subtle,… »
Memoir: Turning Yourself into a Character
Memoir is character-based non-fiction. As obvious as this might sound, what’s often missing in an early draft of memoir is the narrator’s engagement with his or her own story. Observers by nature, writers sometimes tell their story as witness rather than participant. To write compelling memoir, you need to turn yourself into a character. This… »
Losing the Plot
Recently I stumbled across an article offering advice about how to go from initial idea to story. This author’s prescription for creating compelling fiction? First, outline. Know your beginning, middle, and end. Create character sketches with a list of physical features and personality traits. Next, map out the story’s events. Think of your story as… »
