Character Through Line
Sean Astin as Sam Gamgee. Can you describe your character’s essence or their raison d’etre, in a short phrase? How about Sam Gamgee’s...
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KAY KENYON
Dec 17, 2013
Sleeping Hedgehog interview
This week Camille Alexa reviewed A Thousand Perfect Things for Sleeping Hedgehog: A Journal of An Untraditional Nature, the sister...
Nov 27, 2012
The contradition in character
In writing the novel, there is a difference between characterization and character. Characterization is a list of attributes that...
Sep 24, 2012
Vicarious life
Why do we read fiction? I think this is an excellent question because the way we answer it for ourselves can inform how we create...
May 15, 2012
Writing past cliche
I hope you’re following the new BBC Sherlock Holmes series. There is so much to learn from this marvelous mash-up of the Arthur Conan...
Feb 19, 2012
Doubt and desire
We hear a lot about making clear what the main character of a story wants. Desire leads to motive and thence to action. It’s a powerful...
Nov 21, 2011
Inner demons
You know that your major character is going to make or break your novel, so you’ve studied up. You’ve got a list of strengths and...
Nov 14, 2011
The mistaken desire
Sometimes in stories what the major character wants is a big mistake. Not a mistake in storytelling terms, but in terms of what the...
Oct 17, 2011
Even chimps can change
Today I’m thinking about how the major character of a novel changes through the story. In other words, his or her character arc. Having...
May 7, 2011
Subtext in Dialog
Dialog in fiction is a proving ground for a writer. Here is where your ear for truth, your understanding of your characters, and your...
Feb 14, 2011
Get Wild
Think of your favorite characters from recent books and film. Were they self-effacing and dependable? Did they wear beige and hate to...
Nov 21, 2010
The Heart of Your Story
Today I’m putting down yet another book that I hoped would grip me in a dramatic embrace. Nope, it didn’t. I’m quitting on page 80. If...
Oct 14, 2010
Deep Character
Believable, empathetic characters are central to a novel. Oddly, though, they can get short-changed by writers. We know that readers look...
Jul 27, 2010
Connecting Characters
You’ve got your novel’s cast of characters, let’s say. You’ve carefully considered the central conflict between two characters.You’ve...
Apr 16, 2010
Characters: Stereotype or Stellar?
I think we need a new definition of the stereotyped character. The old one: round vs. flat just isn’t working anymore. It’s not about...
Jan 14, 2010
Characters With Appeal
I have three stories in mind today, mulling over why two of them fail for me, and one succeeds. Bottom line, character appeal. One of the...
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