I may be peppering my blog with quotes from this book, because really and truly, there are some gems in here.
Most people ARE likeable, or go through the world with some construct of character that they hope is likeable. That's how you get through life. [...] The key with characters is to be HONEST. If a character's actions are believable, then that character will work. Notions of like or not-like become irrelevant.Russell T. Davies, Doctor Who: A Writer's Tale
Why Should I Care?
Recently I’ve been having difficulty finishing books. Of course, when you read as much as I do, there’s no point in finishing books you don’t like (because there are so many more I should be reading), but in this instance, I don’t think it’s because I don’t like the book–it’s because I can’t muster up [...]
The Problem of Too Much Rarity
First, I wrote a piece for Publishr about ebooks, print books, and experiential reading! Go read and then tell me I’m off my rocker. Today on Twitter I complained about the ubiquity of redheads in fiction. Look, I get it. Red hair is gorgeous. And pretty. I’m partial to gingers myself; I happen to have [...]
Characters in Love
So previously this week I’ve discussed real characters with real flaws and convincing antagonists. I thought I’d tackle the subject of romance and characters falling in love. Now, romance is a little tricky because what floats my boat might sink your ship, but I think we could all agree that a really well-executed romance between [...]
Heroes and Villains
Day 3 of me blogging about character development this week! A question that came up on Twitter was how to write a good villain or a good antagonist. I’m always interested in villains; I generally love them more than I like the protagonist, but this is probably because I have a not-so-secret desire to be [...]
Real People Have Real Flaws
This weekend I read my face off, both for work and pleasure. When I first started working in publishing, my friends would ask “How can you possibly read outside work?” Certainly it’s a lot of reading to tackle (and I read a lot anyway), but these days, I find it crucial to read published books [...]
Character Development
Last week I eavesdropped on a Scribechat discussion on Twitter about developing and creating real and believable characters. It got me thinking about characters I’ve known and loved and what attracts me to a character in the books I read and the submissions I receive. It’s a pretty broad topic, but I hope to spend [...]
A Pesky Pixie Problem
In a completely unrelated note to what I’m about to discuss: Happy 25th birthday to my darling Teddy Bear! White-Harp wishes him a happy berfday too. *\(^.^)/* Lately I’ve come across something in all my work reading that has become common enough to warrant a blog post. Her name Quirky McSprite and she is a [...]
Show Me Some Love
