How to Make the Characters You Write Credible and Believable

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

Believability—credibility—is one of the foundational principles of all good storytelling. The acid test of any successful story is, does it work? By “work,” I mean, does your audience buy it? Do they accept the situation and characters you’ve created as real? Do they believe what’s happening? And since the finest writing arcs or changes the inner nature of the character over the course of the telling, does your audience believe that your character is changing in a believable way?

Simply put, your audience needs to believe it. They need to be convinced that you are giving them an accurate depiction of who your character is, what they are like, and what they must accomplish over the course of the telling. Here are a few key tips to help writers enhance the credibility and believability of characters.

Five People You Might Meet at Your Next Writing Conference

By Lori Hatcher

If you’ve ever attended a writing conference, you’ve likely met one or all of these five people.

Fiction Writing Tips: What Is Your Hero Pursuing?

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

We’ve all heard story is about conflict and tension. And that is definitely true.

Stories about happy people living in Happy Valley don’t excite readers. Frankly, they can be boring. 

The story becomes a story when something disrupts the status quo. As John LeCarré once said, “The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the dog’s mat—now that’s a story.” 

Here’s another way to look at it: Stories are about the pursuit of happiness. It’s even in the Declaration of Independence. Happiness is unique to each individual. 

10 Ways to Know You Have Too Many Characters in Your Manuscript

by DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Writers enjoy creating a cast of characters. The process of developing distinct story players with unusual physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual traits fills us with satisfaction. But how do we know when we have too many?

The dilemma of too many characters often occurs on the first page when more than two story players struggle for the point of view. We want the reader to identify with one character and establish a sympathetic bond. The writer invites the reader to invest hours and energy to walk the same journey as a story player. Using more than two characters in the beginning often confuses the reader, and confusion leads to putting the story aside.

Tips for Writers to Keep Your Online Presence Safe and Accurate

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I’ve been in the writing industry for a while (about a quarter century *gulp*). And two small habits I developed early on have been absolutely invaluable to my career. These two things have kept me from missing opportunities, provided valuable contacts, and enabled me to head off some cloning and hacking situations. 

What are they?

The Characters We Write Must Have Traits, Habits, and Flaws

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I'm a people watcher. I'm sure most of you who are writers do the same. I pick up numerous character traits that way. I even read a cartoon the other day containing a terrific character trait, and I knew it would be perfect for one of my characters in my WIP. 

I keep a list of those I like—both good, bad, funny, and unusual traits. I've gathered these from people I know, things I've seen people do when I'm out and about. I've listed some but I have compiled an exhaustive list for me to choose my characters' traits. Here are a few of those.

Struggles of a Writer

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

I’m not sure where your mind is in regard to your writing at this point in the year, but I know many writers around me are struggling with the good enoughs. I know, that’s not a real word—but it sure is a real issue. I’ve heard too many times lately—I’m not good enough, I don’t know if I should be writing or who do I think I am calling myself a writer? I’m not excluding myself from this problem, either. Those words have flashed through my mind on occasion.