Certain stories bring with them an almost tangible brightness. It’s hard to describe, but something about them just seems unbeatably optimistic, even if the characters themselves face challenges, heartache, and even grief. These stories are heartwarming and often glorify adventure, romance, or friendship, using these elements to brighten the story. Despite the darker themes and…

Incorporating your character’s backstory into your novel can be difficult. On the one hand, you want your readers to understand the emotional depth behind your character’s actions, but on the other hand, you don’t want your readers drowning in exposition. Writing backstory requires a delicate balance, one that is often achieved by including flashbacks.  They…

Migration has almost everything you’d look for in a family-centered comedy: well-developed but humorous characters, hilarious gags, and its stunning visuals are truly unique, balancing the unique dynamic of classic 2D animation with three-dimensional depth. It highlights family themes, sibling relationships, and a call to adventure all within a refreshingly simple premise and plot. For…

There is a certain type of of characters out there who really annoy their readers. They try to be adorably awkward and quirky, but only end up coming across the page as cliche or just plain awkward. In other words, the writers try to contrast two personality traits (in this case, being both cute and…

When I first read a story where the protagonist switched goals, I was irritated.  The entire book had revolved around a certain goal. It had formed the central conflict of the entire story, the focal point of the protagonist’s development and internal conflict. And yet by the end the characters just… abandoned it. The story…

I think we can all acknowledge that no story is perfect. Even the very best fiction has some element that could be stronger, or at the very least a criticism that we can understand, even if we don’t agree with it.  As writers, our own work is no different. No matter how many books on…

Across many books, movies, and TV shows, writers often seem to include whole casts of characters who have very little reason to participate in the plot. They’re certainly interesting, often with complicated pasts, deep relationships, and meaningful dialogue, but they don’t have a clear reason to participate in the story. They might have a mild…

I used to struggle a lot with character deaths. I would have a wide cast of characters spread out before me, know it was unrealistic to have them all make it out of the story alive, and then force myself to kill one or two of them in the climax.  But I always second-guessed myself….

The more I think about it, the more I’m convinced that there aren’t enough sad moments in fiction, especially when a character has died and the rest of the cast is dealing with the grief. We might get a short glimpse of their funeral, or even a line or two of dialogue that shows the…

It’s hard to share things that are close to your heart. It can be even harder to write them. It’s difficult to write scenes when your characters cry or share their deepest fears, because it’s the most vulnerable moment in your entire book. If your readers relate to their most passionate thoughts and secrets, your…