@ADGansky Write to please just one person. –Kurt Vonnegut Vonnegut is not alone in his call for laser-focused literature. Stephen King, in his book On Writing discusses a similar idea. He mentions that every writer has an ideal reader, and should hold that ideal reader in their mind as they’re…

@DiAnnMills Every character has a blind spot, an area where he/she is most vulnerable. Within that emotional darkness, he lacks understanding, ignores the situation, or is unaware of potential harm. Through a series of planned deception, the opposition successfully deceives and manipulates the character. The consequences are often devastating. The…

DiAnnMills Our characters are plunged into an unsteady world brimming with high stakes and a strong potential for failure. The character chooses to go after a goal or solve a problem and is determined to do whatever it takes to succeed. But does the character understand that determination and commitment…

@ADGansky Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they’re made of.–Kurt Vonnegut No one likes to betray a friend, but we sometimes feel that way when we make bad things happen to…

@ADGansky Start as close to the end as possible. –Kurt Vonnegut Some time ago, I had a student approach me to ask my opinion on something they were working on. The story opened inside a hospital with the birth of a child. I liked the idea immediately, and anticipated some…

@LindsBrac Last month, we discussed the Enneagram as a tool for building authentic (and flawed) characters. I am by no means a psychologist or an expert, but I have found that a general understanding of this ancient personality-typing tool helps me build better characters. When I wrote my first novel…