We often think of the antagonist as an external obstacle to our protagonist’s forward motion. The antagonist is usually a physical entity, something standing in the way of our protagonists’ ability to achieve their physical goals and perhaps even threatening our protagonists’ lives or their physical well-being. Consequently, it can be easy to forget that […]
May 29, 2013 by 6 Comments CharactersWhy Your Protagonist Might Not Always Be Your Hero
This week’s video uses the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty to help writers think outside the box when choosing protagonists. Video Transcript: We often use the word “protagonist” interchangeably with “hero” or “heroine.” And this tends to conjure images of ogre-slaying, cape-wearing, entirely-dazzling-why-can’t-I-look-that-good people. But this is a little misleading. Sometimes the requirements of certain plots are going to lead you […]
January 18, 2013 by 18 Comments Structuring Your Novel5 Elements of Story Structure
A few years ago, on the West Side of Manhattan, a rusting hulk of elevated railroad tracks metamorphosed into a promenade called High Line Park. Its transformation soon turned the Meatpacking District, through which it passes, into one of the hottest neighborhoods in New York. If you go visit the park, you’ll see a relatively new hotel called The Standard, […]
December 19, 2012 by 9 Comments CharactersWhat’s the Most Important Moment in Your Character Arc?
Character and change. This is what story is all about. You take a handful of people and you force them onto a journey that will change them forever, usually for the better. This is character arc. If your characters are following a Positive Change Arc, they will start out less-than-fulfilled, perhaps even personally stunted. They […]
June 3, 2012 by 9 Comments CharactersThe Two Conflict-Creating Needs of Every Character
In Frank Oz’s comedy What About Bob?, Bill Murray’s neurotic character sobs to his psychiatrist (who’s trying desperately to get rid of him), “Gimme, gimme, gimme! I need, I need, I need!” To some extent this is what every one of our characters should be internally screaming. We’re all familiar with the idea that the […]
April 29, 2012 by 31 Comments Structuring Your NovelThe Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 10: The Climax
And, now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for! The climax is the pièce de résistance of our gourmet meal of a novel. When we wheel out the climax and lift the serving dish’s gleaming silver lid, this is the bit that gets all the “oohs” and “aahs.” The climax of a story should have readers on the edges […]
January 11, 2012 by 19 Comments CharactersTwo Surefire Symptoms of Static Characters
When you think of good characters, what words come to mind? How about dynamic? Dynamic characters are the stuff of literary legend. But at the other end of the spectrum, we have static characters. Except in instances in which the author purposefully leaves the character unyielding and unchanged over the course of the book to […]
May 25, 2011 by 14 Comments CharactersHas Your Protagonist Changed? Prove It!
Personal transformations are always at the heart of strong character arcs. Our protagonists are faced with trials that force them to acknowledge their own inadequacies and then, usually, change their ways in a manner that allows them to overcome both their faults and, as a result, the bad guy. This moment of personal revelation and […]
February 20, 2011 by 51 Comments Narrative5 Ways to Write Character Thoughts Worth More Than a Penny
One of the key benefits of written fiction is also one of the most difficult techniques to master: the characters’ inner narrative. The inner narrative of the characters—their thoughts put on paper—is the essence of fiction. Mastery of that essence equals mastery, in large part, of the art form of fiction itself. No wonder it’s […]
December 8, 2010 by 9 Comments Novel EndingsExternal and Internal Conflict: The Killer Combination
A general writing rule of thumb states that every page of your story should contain conflict. But sometimes it can be difficult to think up enough conflict to fill the nooks and crannies. After all, your hero can’t be battling it out with the villain on every single page. So what to do? The secret […]
