Inventing characters and infusing them with the internal strength to become heroic is an art you can spend a lifetime trying to master. Not only must your characters grow throughout a story and evidence atrue arc, but they must also feel real and knowable—to make them believable. How can...
especially if those are relevant to how the characters behave and interact with others (e.g. they’re unusually tall / short / skinny / fat / hairy / bald …) but we don’t have long descriptions of exactly how they look.
(Carrying on from last week’s post on optimism and pessimism in characterslook here ) Remember this quote from J.K. Rowling,“It is our actions that make us who we are.” For this piece, I consider trauma to be anything from a broken fingernail to all-out pandemic (we are there are...
For Example:L.J. Shen often writes grittily about characters suffering the effects of trauma. InPlaying With Fire, both leads arc dramatically via their relationships with each other—one overcoming the shame of terrible scarring from a house fire and the other consumed with guilt for irresponsi...
Internal Conflict:Layer your fantasy quest with internal conflict. For example, a heroine must overcome self-doubt and trauma from her past to fulfill her destiny. These inner struggles make characters relatable. External and internal arcs should interweave seamlessly. ...
Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard? How do you write this essay? Three steps: Step 1: Brainstorm (all about you). ...
Cis authors tend to have a default answer to this question, as we can see in our introductions to the transness of two characters in N.K. Jemisin’sThe Fifth Season: One girl has sharp teeth because it is her race’s custom to file them; another boy has no penis, though he stuffs...
How to write magical realism What is Magical Realism? Magical realism is a genre that incorporates fantastical or mythical elements into an otherwise realistic setting. The magical elements are treated as though they are perfectly normal by both the narrator and the characters. ...
There are no gates to being a geek, nerd, or whatever our readers call their wonderful selves. At Nerdist, there is room for fans from all backgrounds and experiences. We aim to provide space and shine a light on creatives, characters, and fans from marginalized communities. This is a wel...
Internal Struggles:Protagonists often grapple with internal conflicts such as self-doubt, insecurity, fear, or a lack of self-identity. These inner struggles may stem from past trauma, societal pressures, or the challenges of self-discovery. ...