Some stories involve us so deeply that they can no longer be enjoyed passively: a character or setting grabs a reader in a way that only creation can satisfy. For these readers, writing fan fiction stories featuring pre-existing aspects of other works is a fantastic outlet for their creativity and their love of a particular story. Fan fiction …
Make Sure Your Fan Fiction Is Legal (Or Regret It Later) Read More »
The conventional wisdom about flashbacks goes something like this: use them sparingly, if at all. It’s good advice, because a mishandled flashback can stunt the flow of your narrative, lose a reader’s interest, harm suspension of disbelief, create confusion, or cause any number of other problems. But, don’t be discouraged, flashbacks can work, and they’re worth …
Writing Flashbacks: How To Make Them Work In Fiction Read More »
Despite being a necessary and enjoyable part of most narratives, backstory is a bit of a storytelling anomaly. The more complex or involving a story the author is telling, the more time they’re forced to spend outside it. Readers want to know where fascinating characters came from, and that means exploring events you may never …
Nail Your Character’s Backstory With This One Simple Tip Read More »
Creating a worthy antagonist is just as important to an unput-downable story as the heroic protagonist. I know it’s easy, even as a writer, to fall victim to the charms of your protagonist and focus most of your attention on him or her. But imagine Sherlock Holmes without Moriarty, Mowgli without Shere Khan. These antagonists …
Here’s How To Give Your Antagonist A Little Oomph Read More »
