Your character’s life begins before the story does. They were a person before you even wrote that first chapter, and they’ll probably still exist after your story is over. Your character’s past is called character backstory in the literary world. I believe many of you are familiar with that concept and even have written a character backstory before. However, writing backstory is only the easy part; writing a natural backstory…
One thing many writers struggle with is revealing character backstory, which I completely understand. It’s a delicate matter. It’s important because it explains why the character is who they are. Nevertheless, you have to reveal the character’s backstory without giving out too much information and ending up boring the readers. I know, it’s always more complicated than it needs to be. However, I won’t let you struggle alone. In this…
Writing believable male characters is no easy task. Many writers worry that their male characters are stereotypical or flat. It is ordinary to worry about such issues because they are indeed common in the writing community. Furthermore, writing a believable male character sometimes feels unattainable. You might sometimes, while writing, think about whether you’re making the male characters a cliche or just a male version of a female character. We’re…
All we ever talk about is the protagonist. You know, the hero, the main character, the center of the universe in their story, but side characters need love, too. In most stories, I fall in love with the side characters. Most of the time, the side characters are just as, if not more, interesting than the protagonist. Side characters are as much a part of the story as your protagonist.…
Have you ever begun a story full of excitement and with big plans, only for everything to slow down in the middle? Then you become a victim of a saggy middle. This is the point where you lose momentum and wonder why you are still writing that story. Don’t worry, slow middles are one of the most common struggles writers stumble upon, regardless of their level. The middle of the…
You have written the perfect story with the perfect characters who have the perfect flaws with the perfect ending, just for readers to open your book and hate the dialogue. Maybe it is ineffective or unnatural, but without a doubt, it is killing your story. Dialogue is intimidating, especially for writers who lack experience. Dialogue can feel unrealistic and ineffective. Every line you write may feel like it is just…
