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...

This week Camille Alexa reviewed A Thousand Perfect Things for Sleeping Hedgehog: A Journal of An Untraditional Nature, the sister...

In writing the novel, there is a difference between characterization and character. Characterization is a list of attributes that...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Sometimes in stories what the major character wants is a big mistake. Not a mistake in storytelling terms, but in terms of what the...

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...

Dialog in fiction is a proving ground for a writer. Here is where your ear for truth, your understanding of your characters, and your...

Think of your favorite characters from recent books and film. Were they self-effacing and dependable? Did they wear beige and hate to...

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...

Believable, empathetic characters are central to a novel. Oddly, though, they can get short-changed by writers. We know that readers look...

You’ve got your novel’s cast of characters, let’s say. You’ve carefully considered the central conflict between two characters.You’ve...

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...

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...