Everybody Hates You: Using Empathy to Write Realistic Characters
If you want any chance of writing believable characters and stories worth reading, then being able to empathize with all of your characters must be your top priority.
Five Situations Horror Characters Get Themselves Into (and What Would Happen in Real Life)
Among the lessons you will learn: Karma's a bitch, don't piss off serial killers, and never under any circumstances enter a basement.
4 Things the Wild Success of 'Mr. Robot' Can Teach Us About Writing
By Cath Murphy
'Mr. Robot' has transformed its parent network USA from sad loser to crowing superstar. How? With superb writing. Here's what we can learn from its success.
6 Books That Would Make Great Reality TV Shows
These books could easily jump off the page and onto your screens.
The Problem with Rape's Portrayal in Fiction
Rape is a sensitive topic that deserve a complex portrayal, but major trends in media and fiction fail to reach that complexity—and often cause a lot of damage.
6 Ways to Save a Mary Sue
If you've realized that you accidentally wrote a Mary Sue, this article will help you change that overpowered lead into a relatable character.
5 Strategies for Enriching Your Character Arcs
In:
Character
Are your character arcs falling flat? This article teaches you five strategies for improving them.
'Orange Is The New Black' and the Downgraded Protagonist
There once was a show about a girl named Piper, but no more. And that might be the best thing going for Netflix's hit series.
Storyville: Writer’s Block—Where It Comes From, and How to Break Through
Information on where writer's block comes from, and how to fix it.
Advice From A Literary Character: Dean Moriarty
Your favorite literary characters answer life's big questions.
Storyville: Shifting Sympathies
Tips and suggestions on how to shift the sympathy of the reader from one character to another.
5 Problems with the Humble Protagonist
Unconventional protagonists make for great fiction—but beware the humble protagonist, who will hamstring your novel at every turn.
5 Reasons Why We Love Lannisters (and Other Morally Gray Characters)
A look at why morally gray characters are so compelling, using the Lannisters of Westeros as my primary examples. Beware: Spoilers abound!
Writing 'The Other'
When does writing about The Other stop being an exercise in understanding and become something exploitative?
5 Realty Listings That Could Be Your Character’s New Home
Sometimes, a house can read like a main character in itself.
Storyville: Making Relationships Feel Real in Your Fiction
Some tips on how to make your fictional relationship feel real.
8 Ways to Make Your Characters More Relatable
Relatability in your characters will help your work strike a chord with readers. This article explores ways that you can make your heroes, villains, and other characters more relatable.
Ursula K. Le Guin, Master of Realism
Ursula K. Le Guin is best known for her sci-fi and fantasy, but part of what makes her work so remarkable is the deeply realistic way it handles the nuanced intersections of character and culture.
An Abundance of Robin Hoods: How Social Bandits Defy Time and Culture
Whenever a source of authority grows too powerful and begins to usurp the common people, Robin Hood-like characters start to appear in film and literature.
Storyville: Writing a Novel Without Plotting it Out
Tips on how to write a novel without plotting it out.
Better With Age: Giving Elderly Characters the Spotlight
Every living person on the planet has experienced childhood, but the same can’t be said for old age. Older characters have more history, so creating such a person takes considerable imagination.
