characterization Archives | Page 2 of 2

If your contemporary fiction features teens and young adults, and you’re part of an older generation, you may benefit from insights into Gen Z. Here, we’ll define current generations (specifically in the U.S.), what makes each unique, and how that can relate to your characters. As with all generational insights, it’s important not to stereotype, or lump all people within a generation together. …

Although often attributed to Winston Churchill, the origin of the phrase “history is written by the victors” is unknown. Nonetheless, the sentiment is true and something to consider when writing about diversity, past and present. It is a fundamental tenant of the mindset one should have when diving into the scholarly record. I wish to take you into my philosophy of how I approach history, peopl…

It would be impossible to sit down and list every LGBTQ+ stereotype that might pop up in a work of fiction. For one thing, stereotypes change as society changes, and they can be hard to pin down, it’s more a feeling you get while reading than a specific image. A stereotype might only be noticeable to someone from the group being depicted, which means that authors writing outside their own exper…

In today’s fast-paced society, it’s extremely common to shorten or truncate language in order to get a message across quickly and efficiently. We can see this penchant for abbreviation in things like the 250-character tweet or text messages filled with linguistic acronyms meant to convey broad meanings with as few letters as possible. While code-switching can truncate language, it is much more …

As a writer you will know that the key to memorable, engaging fiction is believable characters that readers can relate to. But how can you dig deep into your characters to make sure that they are as real to your reader as they are to you? In this article I will take you through why developing an understanding of core values can help strengthen your characterisation and improve motivation and co…

If you want your story to connect with the reader and be memorable, it’s not enough to simply tell a story and explain the characters’ feelings. Instead, you need to immerse your reader in a myriad of emotions to experience the story and really make them really feel. So if you have ever received feedback such as: I didn’t connect with the characters or The story lacked emotional depth, or perha…