How to Set Realistic Writing Goals
Have you ever set writing goals for yourself? I hadn’t until this past year. This year my goals were to: Post frequently and consistently on my blog. ✅ Set aside time to finish writing my short story collection. ✅ Publish a work of fiction. (I published a poem instead.) ✅ Grow my blog following to […]
How to Create a Superhero (Part 2): Origin Stories
Welcome to part two of how to create a superhero (you can read part one here)! Last time, we talked about what a superhero is and their amazingly detailed history. Today, we’re looking at putting that history into action. Superheroes are still characters in a story, and like every other character type, they needed to […]
How to Write a Comic Strip Everyone Will Love
As we all know, the comic strip has been around for a while. We have chuckled over the funnies in the Sunday newspaper or giggled at their antics while browsing the web. But I don’t think many of us think about the work that goes into creating those panels each week. It’s for this very […]
How to Write the Perfect Mustache-Twirling Villain
An all-important truth has become clear to me recently. The hero of your story isn’t the most important character. Your villain is. Villains drive your plot forward, not the protagonist. Sure the protagonist has to accept the challenge that your villain issues, but without that push back from the villain, they have nothing to do. […]
How to Create the Worst Antagonists Around Town
Not many people like antagonists. They’re supposed to annoy the protagonists; to foil the plans of the heroes and create conflict. They are supposed to be a villain for our heroes to defeat. They create the conflict in our stories because they stand in the way of what we most want: money, power, for good […]
How to Create Protagonists that Readers Love
You can learn how to create lovable protagonists by focusing on what connects them with readers. And that boils down to a few things. The first being that you need to create round, dynamic characters that your readers relate to and sympathize with. That process starts with some character development. But because protagonists run the […]
How to Create Memorable Character Names
Names (character names or names for real people) are a big deal. Parents-to-be pore over baby name books for months looking for that “perfect” name. You want the name to mean something, to be unique. You want it to fit your character perfectly. It should hint at the story that will come as we journey […]
Why is Character Development so Important?
When you ask most people what they like about Harry Potter or Gone with the Wind, it isn’t the plot that gets gushed over. It’s the characters. Our plot would mean nothing without characters to move it forward, making character development a vital part of the planning process. And character development gets confusing fast. There […]
How to Write a Great Short Story
A great story has the power to captivate and move us. Some of my favorite tales have come in the form of a short story. They’re easy to read and often pack the biggest punch due to their simplicity. Short stories are also a highly respected form in the literary world. Many writers, like Sylvia […]
5 Essential Short Story Elements You’re Missing
By its definition, the short story is supposed to be, well, short. And because it is a concisely written tale, it’s less complex than a novel. Unlike novels, your tale will usually focus on only one incident, plot point, and setting. It will also feature a small cast of characters that are only present for […]
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