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How to introduce characters: 6 ways to be memorable
Knowing how to introduce characters so that they stick in readers' minds is a skill. Here are six techniques to create memorable first impressions: 6 ways to introduce your characters: Use backstory to reveal relevant character history Introduce a character through another POV Show typica...
March 27th, 2017
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Naming characters: 5 steps to find fictional character names
Naming characters for a novel or short story is sometimes tricky. Finding fictional character names that suit characters' personalities or carry apt connotations is rewarding, though. Here are 5 steps to choose a great character name: Step 1: Think about how each primary character's name rela...
February 16th, 2017
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Characterization examples: 5 ways to reveal characters
Characterization (or character development) – how you make a fictional character seem like a real, living, breathing person – is tricky. Besides giving a physical description of characters you need to convey their motivations, goals, personalities, character traits and flaws to make characters t...
March 20th, 2017
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Writing great characters: 5 lessons from modern novels
If you want readers to fall in love with your novels, writing great characters is crucial. Read 5 lessons modern novels give us in writing vivid characters: Lesson 1: Make characters surprise each other and the reader Great characters often emerge in stages rather than all at once. Allow c...
May 11th, 2017
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How to describe hands: 6 ways to make characters real
Describing hands is useful for showing characters' psychological traits and personality, age and more. Many amateur writers stop at describing eye colour or how characters say their dialogue. Yet there are many different physical details you can use to show a character's nature. Read exampl...
June 12th, 2017
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Character archetypes: How to enrich your novel's cast
The best-loved fiction for children, teens and adults shares characters who feel familiar. This is because effective characters often have strong archetypal qualities. They have combinations of fears and goals - character psychology - we've seen before. What are character archetypes, exactl...
April 24th, 2017
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Character profiles: 5 questions for a detailed cast
Character profile writing is a useful way to build a rounded idea of your characters. Knowing your characters' appearance and persona inside out makes scenes practically write themselves, sometimes, when you bring characters together. To create a character profile, ask these 5 questions and writ...
June 15th, 2017
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Novel characters: 15 top character creation tips
Great novel characters share common features: Distinct, authentic voices, character development, clear goals and motivations, strengths and flaws. Here are 15 of our top character creation tips gathered from some of the best writing blogs and websites: 15 character creation tips for...
November 2nd, 2017
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Character motivation examples: 7 tips for clear motives
Believable character motivations drive all of literature's most famous characters. Characters, like real people, have desires, wants and needs. They have motivations they're aware of and ones they aren't. These all impact the choices they make. Here are 7 tips for creating character motiva...
November 16th, 2017
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Inner monologue examples: Characters’ hidden lives
Internal or inner monologue is a useful literary device. Dialogue reveals character relationships, their converging or competing goals. Inner monologue gives readers more private feelings and dilemmas. Learn more on how to use inner monologue effectively. First, what is ‘inner monologue’? ...
August 17th, 2017
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Famous characters teach us about characterization
From Anna Karenina to Jon Snow, Don Quixote to Harry Potter, famous characters from fiction worm their way under our skin. Here are lessons from several memorable characters in classic and modern novels: 1. Give characters internal and external conflicts Most famous characters from books h...
August 21st, 2017
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How to write a character unlike you
In this guest contribution by ESL teacher Ethan Miller, Ethan shares ideas for creating characters who are completely different from yourself. Character creation is a key element of writing a novel. Authors, knowingly or unknowingly, often create characters that borrow heavily from their own...
October 5th, 2017
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