Last week we looked at Agent Carter, and how that show absolutely nailed dealing with a character who faces discrimination. But that’s only one side of the coin. Necessarily, a character who faces discrimination must be discriminated against by someone, right? And writing characters who discriminate can be hard. Too many writers fall into the…
There’s been a lot of storytelling about characters who face discrimination lately. Some of this is a good thing. In a lot of ways, it shows a culture that is willing to recognize humanity’s capacity for evil, and the often needless and violent reactions that come when different kinds of people end up “othered.” Good…
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?…
Some climaxes have purpose, meaning and drive. We know exactly why each event must take place, and the shocking plot twists the writer throws in serve to heighten the tension. Whether action-adventure, fantasy, or slice-of-life, well-written climaxes provide purpose and meaning behind each event, even as we race through the final chapters of the story….
Okay, so you’re just about to write your climax. Or your writing the lead up to your shocking plot twist. Or you’re just pages away from the moment that your protagonist’s world will crash around him. But you can’t quite get there yet. It’s too soon after the last plot point, or you feel as…
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…
As Sophia pointed out in last week’s article, a little complexity goes a long way, especially as far as characters and relationships go. But how does complexity apply to plot? Plenty of mysteries feature confusing plots and connections, or, worse, complexity that is completely unnecessary. How can we balance complexity without making it overdone? How…
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…
As Sophia pointed out a few months ago, first impressions are a big deal — especially for readers. Readers categorize characters by their first few lines, often causing a reader to immediately decide whether they like a character, relate to them, or resent them. And that impression can last for the rest of your work. …
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….