Let’s talk about secrets. Okay, sure the whole point about secrets is that you’re not supposed to talk about them. But as authors, we are the gods of our made-up worlds, and we can break all the rules we want. For writers like us, secrets are one of the many “secret” weapons in our arsenal,…
Tag: Character Development
Brainstorming Characters that Leap Off the Pages
BlindSpot, my second book and first psychological suspense, releases in May, so before the whirlwind of marketing for that starts up in earnest, I’ve been spending time ruminating about the next one – my favorite part of the process. My first step is always to purchase a new Moleskine lined notebook where I can jot…
Strengths and Weaknesses: Two Sides of the Character Coin
You’ve heard the advice that characters should have both strengths and weaknesses to make them appear more “rounded” and multi-dimensional. It’s easy to think of those as very different aspects of a character’s personality. But what if their strength is also their weakness? Any strength can become a weakness, depending on the situation. That simple…
Packing to Perfection in Pompeii
Around lunchtime, in the year 79 of the Christian Era, on the coast of what is now modern-day Italy, a once-dormant volcano rumbled. Ash rained down on the first day as residents of the nearby city of Pompeii gathered their belongings and debated whether to leave or stay. A day later, Mount Vesuvius erupted in…
Using Poetry to Explore a Character’s Voice in Fiction
April is National Poetry Month, so in honor of that, I’m going to share one way that dabbling in poetry can help your fiction. Specifically, have you ever considered using poetry as a way to find distinct voices for your characters? Years ago, I attended a short workshop by Lance Larsen, poet laureate for Utah…