Description is an important part of writing. It’s what allows the reader to see what you see. It enables them to imagine the setting and the characters. Done well, description will bring a narrative to life, making it a vivid and immersive experience. Done poorly, it can leave a good story to fall flat on … More Passive Vs. Active Descriptions
The relationships between your characters can be a powerful tool for reminding your readers what the core themes and objectives are in your story. They act as a reinforcement, getting into the subconscious of the reader and subtly guiding them down the right track. Without this link between relationships and themes it is possible for the … More Character Relationships and Themes
A series of four paintings of the Legati of Ducovi from my upcoming novel Imperator, book 1 in The Shifter Chronicles. The four Legati each lead a Gens (family) in the shifter organisation of Ducovi. Agents of Ducovi are assigned to one of these four Gens – Felidae, Canidae, Reptilia, and Aves – upon arrival and remain with … More The Legati
You’ve probably heard about tension and know it’s a big deal, maybe even the biggest deal in storytelling, but why? What is tension, and why is it so important to storytelling? The following was taken from How to Create Tension a great article that covers all the bases of this all-important narrative element. Why Is Tension … More Creating Tension
This is a template I use for designing my characters. It’s great for protagonists, but also for ancillary characters. If you can’t fill in any of the below sections for your sidekick, ask yourself why they need to be there? This template is not designed to tell you a character’s hair colour, eye colour, shoe … More Character Themes Template
Cliches come in many shapes and sizes – some small, some large. They can be character types, overused and often repetitive lines (if I read one more, “she let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding” I swear I will murder someone), full plot outlines and so many more I can’t even … More Cliches and Why You Should Avoid Them
Have you ever made it halfway through a book, only to be distracted by something and walk away, never to pick that book up again? One of the key causes of this is a straight, flat, plotline. A narrative that continues at a fixed pace, in a predictable manner, and whilst it may be enjoyable … More Rollercoaster Plotting
Step 1: Want to write a novel. Step 2: Write a novel. Granted that, for each person, the specifics of step 2 will vary slightly. Some are planners, some are pantsers, some are compulsive researchers, some are inspiration hoarders; this we know. But all of it is irrelevant if you don’t really want to sit … More How to Write a Novel
Thou shalt have conflict on every page Adding conflict to your story is just as important as tension and character development. It adds tension to a story by creating a level of uncertainty. The reader knows there are two opposing forces, and has no choice but to keep reading in order to find out who … More Creating Conflict
This article was created for NaNoPlotMo, a writers group on DeviantArt, aimed at helping writers prep for NaNoWriMo. The character arc is like the bridge that spans the river of your plot. The wider the river, the longer the bridge. And likewise, the longer the river, the more bridges there will likely be. But what … More Creating Character Arc
C. A. Harland 