Stories are powerful. They can make someone cry, repent, laugh, and even skip for joy. So it’s a shame when a story doesn’t reach its full potential and neglects to make their reader feel anything. Even stories that have loveable characters and a varied plotline, or even have a strong, wholesome theme, can still fail…
A while ago, I wrote an article on positive anti-heroes that explored how some characters can start out in a morally gray area, but eventually transition to becoming a force for good. However, I also mentioned in that article that there’s another kind of anti-hero: the negative kind. Rather than taking a turn for the…
For the past few weeks, Mara and I have been writing about complexity. Especially when it comes to plot, it’s a useful tool that can elevate almost any story, but what if you don’t want to have a complex plot? What if you’re looking to tell a much simpler story, for a much younger audience?…
Imagine you just started a story, and everything is going perfectly. Your characters are cooperating, the plot is entertaining, and you can’t wait to continue writing. The only problem? The theme you chose to convey in your story is complicated, and you have a word limit. There are so many aspects of your theme you…
Mara has been doing a wonderful job at showing you how to create vibrant and loveable characters, but your characters will need a story to go with them, right? Though you may put a lot of effort and time into your characters, no one will even get the chance to meet them if your readers…
Some stories just stick. You know the ones I’m talking about. The kind of stories that take up a lot of space in your brain. The stories that spark a long, meaningful discussion with your parent or friend. The stories that are just complex enough to make you think. However, without complexity, most books simply…
Can you think of a book or movie that may have had a good plot and well-built characters, but ultimately didn’t capture your interest? Maybe there were too many cliches, or you were too burnt out on stories from that genre, or maybe, the writer just wasn’t doing a good job of holding your attention….
What’s the last story that made you laugh? And I don’t just mean a little chuckle. I mean a bursting, out loud laughter. What was the last story to give you that breathless feeling? It’s a writer’s dream to provoke laughter like that, but it can be difficult. Some humor doesn’t translate well to the…
Manipulating your reader’s emotions is one of the best ways to make an impact with your story. If any of your words have left someone feeling hopeful, joyful, or excited, you have done well as a writer. But some of the most powerful moments in storytelling are the dark moments. And often writers struggle to…
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an incredibly inspirational book (my favorite from the entire Hunger Games franchise actually), yet the recently-released movie earned some disappointing ratings. Why is that? Could it be because the screenwriters neglected to capture the protagonist’s internal dialogue again? That the acting was dry? That they changed too many…