Brilliant

DiAnn Direct

Deepening Characterization

Last month, we discussed the foundation for developing memorable characters. We learned how a character sketch can help the writer assign physical attributes and explore basic motivation. This month, we’re going to dig deeper into the inner landscape of characterization and increase our understanding of motivation. The inner qualities of characterization take time and patience to develop.

For Writers

She Makes It Look Easy?

Have you ever looked at another writer and thought, “I wish ___.” (You fill in the blank.) I wish I had her talent. I wish I had her idea. I wish I had her schedule. I wish I had her resources. I wish I had her office. The list can go on and on if you let it. I think I’ve probably thought all of the above at one point or another. This kind of thinking can be dangerous, and will take us down a road that ends up in an ugly, desolate place.

Making A Scene

Personalizing Your Characters - Part II

Last month we began a look at my process for characterization I call Personalizing. This month we take up the discussion with Level C: Personalizing the Character. At this level the character becomes a unique person, with inner values and a resulting set of traits and mannerisms.

Author By Night

I practiced law for twenty-five years before retiring to put all my efforts into writing. I don’t have a nine-to-five job, but work long hard hours in bursts of six-minute segments. Structured time and fixation on words and questions are the tools of a lawyer’s trade...

Genre Happenings

Children’s Fantasy: More Real Than Realism

When I first dreamed of being a writer, at about age eleven, I wanted to write stories. I read fiction, and I assumed it’s what I would write. What other kind of writing was there? However, I became a Christian at twenty-eight, and suddenly fiction faded into the background.