by Jill Williamson | Sep 13, 2023 | Antagonists, Characters, Compelling Character Series
Last month I shared how I begin creating characters for a new story by starting with assigning them each an Enneagram personality type. The reason I like doing this is because the Enneagram offers a wealth of information about the nine different types, and once I know...
by Jill Williamson | Aug 16, 2023 | Brainstorming, Characters, Writing
Jill here! It’s so exciting to be back for another year of blogging. At the top of my To Do list is a short novel for Sunrise Publishing that will kick off the Blood of Kings Legends series. Each time I write a new book, I experiment with the process and try to...
by Stephanie Morrill | Sep 7, 2022 | Characters, Mailbag
A while back, I asked our community, “If you had a writing mentor, what kinds of questions would you ask them?” In today’s post, I’ve culled a selection of your questions about characters to answer: “What are some good ways to develop...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jan 26, 2022 | Characters, Compelling Character Series
A couple weeks ago, I posted the first installment of this series, which was about how characters are created as you write. I shared how it can be useful to do character exercises before you write your novel, but that most of the time I find it more beneficial to...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jan 5, 2022 | Antagonists, Characters, Compelling Character Series, First Drafts, The Craft of Writing
Hi, writers! I hope you enjoyed your holiday season and have come out on the other side feeling rested and energized. Holidays can also be uniquely draining times, especially if you’re the sort of person who thrives with routine and structure. That’s me! I...
by Jill Williamson | Sep 30, 2020 | Characters, First Drafts, Writing
Have you ever noticed how there are many side characters who are cooler than the hero? I don’t know why this is. Perhaps it’s because the hero is meant to portray the “everyday man,” and we’re all flawed. Let me give you some examples....
by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 24, 2020 | Writing
For Part 1, click here! Last time I was on here, I talked a bit about my journey to writing what I call “soul-deep” characters—characters that readers feel like they know inside out, who challenge them and with whom they can identify. We covered my first two tips for...
by Jill Williamson | Jul 17, 2020 | Characters, Guest Posts, Learning from Other Authors
Paul’s spinal cord was damaged in a car accident, so now he uses a wheelchair for mobility. Timothy has intermittent muscle spasms and weakness after the magical attack that nearly killed him. Alison’s acute synesthesia leads to panic attacks when her senses are...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jun 26, 2020 | Characters, Guest Posts
Stephanie here! We are so thrilled to have Roseanna with us today! Roseanna and I have been friends since 2007 when we met at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference. We both had baby bumps, the same red briefcase, and were much younger than most attendees...
by Stephanie Morrill | Apr 6, 2020 | Beginning Writer's Guide To Finishing A Novel, Characters
One story element that often feels mushy in the middle of our books is our cast of characters. We sometimes are so focused on getting our main character down the river, we forget about the lives of all those side characters we set up in act one. Or we can have the...
