Everyone knows a story is supposed to end with “happily ever after.” And after putting your characters through some of the most traumatic events of their lives, it can be hard not to reward them. I mean, who doesn’t want a happy ending? But not all stories are fairy tales. And there can be dangers…
A few weeks back I wrote an article explaining how to include a good theme into your story to make it wholesome. This week, I’d like to show you how this can be a bad thing, if pushed to an extreme. Have you ever sat down to watch a movie, read a book, or just…
Character development can be so difficult to maintain. It is easy to highlight flaws and areas of growth in your characters throughout the first few pages. But after the action-packed plot takes over and an exciting series of events plunges your characters (and hopefully your readers) headlong into an amazing story, character development can get…
We’ve all seen the classic story. A brave individual is tasked to go on a quest that will determine the fate of the world. They have to pack supplies, maybe a weapon or two, and a few friends for support. Said friends (the people we writers call a side character) follow them wherever they go,…
The more I read, the more convinced I become that the single biggest factor for creating relatable characters is desire. More than having a fear or a goal or a fun personality, once you understand a character’s desire, every action becomes clear, and each plot point has a special meaning. It impacts the characters (and…
I think all of us can agree: the Marvel Cinematic Universe has declined recently. With every new movie (or TV series), the MCU seems to get worse and worse. The characters are no longer loveable, every topic discussed is incredibly preachy, and it doesn’t feel like the writers have a direction anymore. Marvel fans have…
Mysteries are some of my favorite forms of storytelling. From a web of connections to breathtaking intrigue and mysterious symbols, the best mysteries use suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats for hundreds of pages at a time. But not all mysteries do. Many follow the predictable who-dunnit routine, with several innocent…
All of us want to write those loveable yet quirky side characters like Sokka from The Last Airbender and Marcy from Amphibia. They add something so fresh and humorous to the story that they become impossible to replace. Yet there are some characters out there who just come off as a little too quirky. They…
Some of the best villains in fiction are those that are both ruthlessly evil while also being understandable. While the motivations of awesome villains like Umbridge remain a mystery, some of the most powerful villains can be those that we understand — that might even mirror our own motivations — while also being recognized as…
Cliches are the bane of every young writer’s story. We’ve all had moments while enthusiastically writing when we come to a screeching halt and realize that this character we’ve poured so much time and energy into is actually just the cliche everyone’s heard about a dozen times before. Combing through pages of story plans (if…