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Creating villain motivations: Writing real adversaries
In fiction, villains come in all guises and disguises, from scheming rulers to domineering family members or peers. Learn how to write villain motivations that make sense. For a look detailing what makes a character a villain, an antagonist or an anti-hero, read our in-depth post. 1. Explain...
November 27th, 2017
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Good character flaws: Create complex antagonists
Good character flaws are key to a believable character. Flawed characters create suspense - we wonder whether their flaws will get the best of them. The imbalances in their natures may create weaknesses that give others the upper hand. Here are tips to create flaws for antagonists or villains (i...
March 22nd, 2018
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What Is a Protagonist? Protagonist Definition + 26 Examples
They say that everyone is the protagonist of their own story — but what actually is a protagonist? In this post, we’ll walk you through what a protagonist is, some of the most prominent categories they can fall into, and five examples of each.
February 5th, 2025
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Archetype examples: Write great characters from universals
Archetypes are useful for imagining diverse, interesting characters. Literature is full of jesters and jokers, lovers, warriors, wise sages, and fools. Some of these are literal (the fool is a literal court jester who entertains a king), others metaphorical (the 'class clown' who loves to entert...
March 29th, 2018
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6 Types of Antagonists in Storytelling (With Examples)
You can't have a story without someone (or something) opposing your main character. In this post, we'll dive into six types of antagonists, with examples from literature and film.
January 29th, 2025
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Character mannerisms: Describing character quirks and tics
Character mannerisms - the things people repeatedly do with their faces, hands, or voices without always realizing - help to create detailed characters. Sometimes we use mannerisms for humour, at other times to tell characters apart. Read tips for creating mannerisms, believable quirks and tics,...
August 16th, 2018
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Character description: 7 ways to avoid weak imagery
Strong character description is key to creating vivid and realistic characters. We may be tempted to reach first for obvious elements of physical description, such as eye and hair color. Yet strong imagery tells us more about a character's personality, quirks, strengths and flaws. To avoid weak ...
August 14th, 2018
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Character flaw list: 30 intriguing character flaws
Great, character-driven stories often have deeply flawed characters at their heart. Human flaws such as lust for power, greed and jealousy explain the errors many tragic figures from books make, from Mr Kurtz to Lord Voldemort. Let's briefly look at three types of character flaws. A minor ch...
August 20th, 2018
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Writing character backstory that feels real: 5 tips
Character backstory - the past events and formative experiences that shape who your characters are - is key to creating characters of breadth and depth. Here are tips to weave backstory into your story believably: First: What is a backstory? 'Backstory' is a literary device authors use to ...
October 18th, 2018
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Character voices: How to write persona using voice
Writing fiction, there are at least three ways we create character voices. The first is through viewpoint narration (narrative voice). The words a narrator uses create a distinct persona through elements such as style, subject matter and tone. The second way is written dialogue, showin...
October 11th, 2018
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Character motivations: 6 questions on what drives your characters
Character motivations make characters' paths credible. When a character's behavior reveals their deeper drives, urges and impulses, they feel fully human. Read 6 questions that will help you work out characters' motivations: 1. What is their history or backstory? Backstory is your characte...
September 20th, 2018
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5 ways to subvert character clichés and archetypes
This guest contribution by the team at Reedsy explores ways to subvert character clichés for a less predictable story. Creating the next Harry Potter or Holden Caulfield is no easy feat! When writing secondary characters in particular, it’s easy to fall back on clichéd archetypes and stock ch...
September 6th, 2018
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