Gaslighting is good ... when you need to write a villain

Posted on 07/12/2019 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We recently reminded you of the importance of making your villains complex, rather than pure evil.   Writer’s...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

What makes a great villain? Creating an antagonist for your story

Posted on 07/10/2019 at 09:48 AM by Guest Author

View post titled What makes a great villain? Creating an antagonist for your story

Discover what makes a great villain so you can create a well-developed antagonist for your story. Table of Contents Why...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writing advice

Let your story stand out in a good way

Posted on 07/03/2019 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Novelist and ghostwriter Justin Attas understands the writerly urge to produce something distinct, something that will s...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Jane Friedman, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

On connecting with characters versus creating them

Posted on 06/16/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

John B. Jamison isn’t being coy when he says that he doesn’t create his characters — he becomes acquai...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

Character study: How Vlad the Impaler became a romantic lead

Posted on 05/29/2019 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

View post titled Character study: How Vlad the Impaler became a romantic lead

As Tudor geeks, we’re no strangers to historical fiction starring monarchs with dark sides. But we still found our...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Author interview, Characters, Historical fiction, Romance

The doctor is in ... inside of you, that is

Posted on 05/23/2019 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Pretending that your characters — heroes and villains alike — are on a therapist’s couch, with you as...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

Who's the pivotal character in a mystery novel?

Posted on 05/05/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Zara Altair makes a keen observation about the mystery novel: While the detective/sleuth is generally the hero, the vict...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Mystery, Writing advice

Watch your characters grow!

Posted on 04/21/2019 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

In honor of spring and the yard work we’re doing, here’s a post on growth ... character growth, that is. C.S...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: C.S. Lakin / Live Write Thrive, Characters, Writing advice

Developing characters for a story: How to bring them to life

Posted on 04/17/2019 at 09:30 AM by Guest Author

Developing characters for a story can prove to be a challenging task. Find out what questions can help shape each charac...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writing advice, Characters

Bestselling authors share tips on writing about other faiths

Posted on 04/16/2019 at 09:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

You’re told not to limit yourself to writing what you know.  And then you see another book pulled from public...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Diversity, Writing advice