A character’s backstory is where all the gold is buried in terms of their motivations and misbeliefs. Who we are in the present depends to a large extent on what has happened to us in the past. It’s critical for you to know your protagonist’s personal history—but that’s a pretty easy thing to work … [Read more...] about Behind the Scenes: How to Craft Compelling Backstory
Search Results for: internal
Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill
One worry that can plague writers is whether their characters are original enough or not. After all, readers meet a lot of characters over time, so how can writers make sure their characters are fresh and interesting? How can they make sure their story’s cast has that WOW factor that ensures they … [Read more...] about Differentiate Your Character with a Talent or Skill
Three Essentials for Engaging Reader Emotion in the Setup
As authors, we all know the importance of engaging our audience within a book’s first few pages. Grabbing the reader: captivating them in a way that makes them want to stick with the story to its end. But Michael Hauge prefers a different term for this phenomenon: No one likes to be grabbed. … [Read more...] about Three Essentials for Engaging Reader Emotion in the Setup
Does Your Scene Need More Tension? Add an Emotion Amplifier!
Emotion and tension often go hand in hand. If character emotion is low, story tension is also probably waning. On the flip side, tension is likely on the rise when emotion is high and it’s written effectively. Dramatic tension is the feeling of anticipation surrounding what happens next. It’s … [Read more...] about Does Your Scene Need More Tension? Add an Emotion Amplifier!
What is an Emotion Amplifier?
Since compiling our original Emotion Amplifier ebooklet in 2014, Angela and I have discovered so much about them. They're way more versatile than we first imagined, and we're stoked to share what we've learned with you in the 2nd edition of The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus. If you're a regular at … [Read more...] about What is an Emotion Amplifier?
Why Writers Should Use Psychology In Their Storytelling
A writer’s job is to do one thing well: pull the reader in. Our words should act like a tractor beam, sucking them into our story’s world. We tap into the reader's emotions, seize their attention, and suddenly they forget to mow the lawn, eat cereal for dinner, and postpone bedtime yet … [Read more...] about Why Writers Should Use Psychology In Their Storytelling
Write Like a Magician: Creating the Illusion of an Unseen Character
Whenever we write a protagonist who lost someone important within their backstory, we have some heavy lifting ahead of us. That “unseen” character—a character who has died or who is simply away for one reason or another—is going to need to be developed and brought to the page somehow to deepen the … [Read more...] about Write Like a Magician: Creating the Illusion of an Unseen Character
Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: Cognitive Bias
DESCRIPTION: Cognitive biases occur when a character processes new information based on their personal ideas, perceptions, and experiences rather than viewing it through an objective lens. While biases are natural inclinations (the brain’s way of simplifying and sorting through an overload of data) … [Read more...] about Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus: Cognitive Bias
The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
We're adding to our Thesaurus family! It's been a while since our last book as we needed to recalibrate our release schedule from fall to spring (resulting in a year gap), but now we're back in the thesaurus-making saddle. May 13th is coming fast, so it's time to dish some details about our … [Read more...] about The Emotion Amplifier Thesaurus (May 2024 Release)
Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
We’ve probably seen advice warning that any time our story revisits information, we risk the idea feeling repetitive or redundant to readers if we’re not careful. Not surprisingly, the same risk can apply even across books in a series. Yet when we write a book series, we usually need to repeat … [Read more...] about Continuing a Series: Is This Info Too Repetitive?
8 Steps from Amateur to Pro Writer
Every author starts out as a hobbyist. We write as kids, for fun. As we get older, we write when we have free time or the fit takes us. For many, that’s as far as it goes, and there’s value in that. But for others, over time, our writing passion grows. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, … [Read more...] about 8 Steps from Amateur to Pro Writer
Breathing Life into Characters
Picture a protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious artifact but shows no curiosity, or a group of friends who sit down separately at the summit of a hike under a breathtaking sunset, without a moment of communal awe. Keeping your characters engaged with the story keeps readers engaged with it, … [Read more...] about Breathing Life into Characters