A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop on the Enneagram, a method for analyzing personalities. Although the Enneagram is intended to help you understand yourself and the people around you, it also makes a great character-building tool for writers. Here are a few steps to get started using it. 1. Determine your character’s primary…
Tag: characterization
What All Heroes Need
In the past, I’ve talked in depth about what villains need to bring your story to life. Today we’re gonna talk about the heroes, or protagonists, of your story. The people your reader should identify the most with. The people the story is really about. (Now before we begin, let me say I am not…
How to Write Authentic African-American Characters: The African-American Church
I went to my fifth Colorado Gold Conference this year and had an absolute blast. I taught two classes, as well. How to Write Compelling Villains was super fun to teach (I mean, as fun as an 8 a.m. class can be to teach on Sunday morning). The other class I taught was How to…
The Anatomy of Emotion
I attended a workshop called Words, Words, Words at the Colorado Gold Conference a few weeks ago. As Susan Mackay Smith and Carol Berg waxed poetic about the importance of vivid, precise word choice, I despaired. I have a few strengths as a writer, but vocabulary is not one of them. I find myself particularly…
Writing Great Villains, Part Two
A couple of weeks ago, I was cruising Netflix when I saw that Luke Cage Season 2 was out. Excited, I texted my wife at work to let her know what we would be watching in the immediate future. Now, I’m not big on binging TV shows. I am far too busy. Besides, if it’s a…