I love talking about character backstory ideas! Why are backstories for characters important in fiction and scripts? Because your character’s background helps you understand who they are and how they’re going to behave and make decisions in different circumstances. In some cases, you might know how you want a character to act in a given situation, but you’re not sure
Category: Writing Matters
You guys! It’s the last Work in Progress Wednesday of the year. I’ve been doing these for at least five years, I think…maybe longer! And a few of you have been around the whole time! I really appreciate getting to see what everyone’s up to! But if you’re brand new to this, on the first Wednesday of the month, I
Hey friends! It’s almost time for a brilliant new year of reading! And I’m looking ahead to January for anyone who’s curious about B&N, Kobo, and Amazon hot new releases and what’s new in paperback. Here in Chicago during the winter, there’s nothing nicer than curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee or tea (and in my
Hey friends! First of all, I hope my U.S. readers had a lovely Thanksgiving. Second of all, I have a secret that’s just for my international blog readers and newsletter subscribers! Officially, this contest is only for people in the U.S. and Canada, because I can’t afford to send paperbacks elsewhere. However, since you’re part of my inner circle, if
Hi, everyone! I’m getting this WIP Wednesday up a bit late, so feel free to make it WIP Thursday as well! And for the new followers, WIP Wednesday is when I share an excerpt of what I’m working on and invite you to do the same. The rules are: •500 words or less•it’s okay if it’s rough!•no explicit or graphic
Hey, amazing writers! Over the past several years, I’ve written three books for writers—5,000 Writing Prompts, Master Lists for Writers, and Blank Page to Final Draft. Now, just in time for National Novel Writing Month, I’ve put them out as an Essential Books on Writing ebook boxed set for only $9.99! (This is 1,129 total print pages, by the way…so
Hi, amazing writers! Since some of you may be asking, “What is a character arc?”, let’s kick this post off with a Character Arc Definition: A character arc is the way a character learns, grows, or changes over the course of the story. Makes sense, right? When you’re creating character arcs, you’re recognizing that the character at the end of