How to Describe Characters
So readers are asking what your characters look like. Here's what to do.
Latest in Characters 101
How to Make Your Character Novel
Novelty isn't easy, but it's the quickest way to make an impression.
How to Make Your Character Selfless
It requires more than showing your hero rescuing a cat from a tree.
How to Make Your Character Sympathetic
A character with genuine hardships will get audiences emotionally invested in the story.
The Best Characters Eat Their Spinach — and Their Candy
This silly-sounding spectrum has a huge impact on how we respond to characters.
How to Keep Your Favorite Character From Ruining Your Story
The first step to fixing a candied character is recognizing them.
Does Your Villain Twirl Their Mustache?
Let's tackle the #1 problem with villains in manuscripts.
Do Characters Need to Be Likable?
It's complicated, but yes.
Planning Character Arcs
How to develop the emotional side of your plot.
Character Agency: It’s What That Sexy Lamp Is Missing
If a character's choices don't affect anything, they might as well be furniture.
Reconciling Character Choices With Your Plot
Getting into your character's head can help you judge emotional choices.
Understanding Character Representation
We need to fix inequality, but the process can be intimidating.
The Why & How of Character Motivation
Why motivation is so essential to quality characters—and how you can build it for them.
How to Make Your Villain Threatening
How to make your big bad send shivers down readers' spines.
Five Steps for Adding Character Complexity
How you can deepen your story's stars.
Five Ways to Make Your Character Stand Out
How your story's stars can stick in readers' minds.
The Six Traits of Strong Characters
Why some characters stick in readers' minds—and what we can learn from them.
Oren Ashkenazi