In preparation for the 2020 RMFW anthology, I’m doing a series of blog posts on elements of short story craft. Last month I covered the basics of plotting your short story. Now, let’s talk about your characters. If plot is the skeleton of a short story, characters are the muscle. They move the plot forward….
Tag: characterization
Why in the world did you give your character that name?
I’m learning names can be tricky. I created a protagonist with the surname of Lawley because he lives by the letter of the law. (However, in order to survive he must bend a few rules.) Character names are often self-explanatory. Think Sleeping Beauty; Bugs Bunny; Old Yeller; Prince Valiant; and Superman, the Man of Steel….
People Watchin’
I just returned from a great trip which included New Year’s Eve on a cruise ship. But that’s not what I’m writing about, at least not exactly. I’m a people watcher everywhere I go. It fascinates me to see how people interact with their families and with strangers, and the very strange things they do….
Adding Color to Fictional Characters
Yes. I am referring to skin color. For just a few minutes, I ask you to tuck all discomfort of the subject of race safely into your pocket. This is a safe place of learning, and today the lesson is on diversity and how the omission of racial diversity among characters is whitewashing literature. Are…
DEEP POV Lesson 5 – Using Internalization on Purpose
DEEP POV uses internalization purposefully. As you’re studying DEEP POV, you may think there’s an awful lot of internalization. You may be right. And as writers, we need to make sure our internalization – our DEEP POV – is not all over the place. Every thought the POV character has in a scene should be…