Characters
Writing
One of the challenges of writing strong dialogue is making each character sound unique. Without different speaking styles, it’s hard for readers to tell who’s speaking, and conversations become lackluster. Luckily, there’s a variety of options for distinguishing characters in dialogue. Read more »
Storytelling
Perfect characters kill tension with ruthless efficiency. It’s really hard to get interested in what they’re working through, because it’s obvious they’ll succeed. Characters that overcome obstacles despite a serious handicap seem stronger than ones who don’t. Read more »
Podcast
Mike, Oren, and Chris are confounded by all-encompassing definition of anti-heroes on TV Tropes. Oren shares his theory that all characters are either boring, anti-heroes, or Captain Picard. Chris asks why there aren’t female anti-heroes that aren’t also antagonists, and Mike describes anti-hero tricksters, templars, and … read more »
Podcast
Chris, Oren, and Mike discuss the great dilemma of whether or not to kill a character. They describe the storytelling problems created by this dilemma, and question the difference between good character deaths and bad ones. Read more »
Storytelling
Creating interesting characters with depth is hard. It doesn’t take long for your audience to discover everything there is to know about a shallow character; adding depth will keep your reader engaged and invested. Here are three tools you can use to make deeper characters. Read more »
Storytelling
Good roleplaying campaigns get the creative juices flowing for both GMs and players. So it’s no surprise that many people want to make written stories out of their best moments of tabletop. But roleplaying and writing are mediums with very important differences. If you’re looking … read more »
Storytelling
A couple weeks ago I broke down the components of a solid character arc. But hearing about them isn’t as fun as watching them in action. Whether you want to get a better feel for how character arcs work, or you just love character-centered stories, … read more »
Storytelling
If you like to plan your stories ahead, you’ve almost certainly sketched out your plot. But have you planned your character arcs? Every story needs a character arc for its protagonist, even if it’s simple or subtly conveyed. And while supporting characters don’t always need … read more »
Roleplaying
There are few things that make roleplaying games more enjoyable than playing a part. Even if the GM is railroading you through the Oregon Trail, fun character interactions can save the day. Unfortunately, getting into character can be an elusive target. If you have lots of … read more »
Storytelling
Whether you’re creating a pair of buddy cops for your latest novel or crafting a a whole team with your roleplaying group, getting the right character chemistry can turn a lackluster story into a great one. While there are many ways to create solid combos, … read more »
