Does every story need a villain? There is a big difference between a villain and an antagonist. A villain wants to impart physical or emotional pain to your story’s protagonist. An antagonist is simply at odds with your protag. Which means a villain is by definition an antagonist – but only some antagonists are villains. […]
As a language learner, things can get a little overwhelming at times. Having a conversation one-on-one in a second language can be hard enough, but being dropped into an on-going conversation takes everything to the next level. I still remember the first time I got into a car with a group of people who wanted […]
I’ve been binge-watching past episodes of Master Chef. In one challenge from a few seasons ago, the contestants were supposed to make a dozen doughnuts. Some of them went a bit nuts with it – one contestant did twelve different flavors. Some of them came up with elaborate fillings – but when the judges went […]
When you watch a gymnast doing a parallel bars routine, it is easy to get caught up in the grace and the power – coupled with an I-could-never-do-that kind of awe. Nothing ruins that experience – or the gymnast’s score – faster than failing to stick the landing. A double hop – or worse, falling […]
In real life, we resist change. But our characters get pushed to change by the plot. Some characters embrace change, and are more than ready to undertake a hero’s journey. Typically, though, protagonists don’t like change – especially difficult, painful change — any more than you do. But you have to ignore their protests and […]
We have Bud Humble as our guest speaker for Saturday Night Write on March 16, 2019. So I thought I’d invite him to stop by the blog. He will be discussing The Benefits of Hands-On Research. So here’s what I asked Bud: Hi Bud! Hey Amber! Thank you for chatting with me today! It’s my […]
Part of worldbuilding – whether you are writing an epic Sci-Fi story or a quiet romance – comes down to designing people. Everyone is shaped by their surroundings, be they a small town in Montana or the confines of a space station. Clothing, customs, economic structures – all of these were designed by people for […]
Blog Post – Poetic Technique for Prose Writers I love language. The sound of words. The way a pause can imply a character taking a breath. The way a strong image can stay with you for days. The fact that I as a writer can tell you how my character feels inside, and if I […]
I hope everyone survived NaNoWriMo. How’d you do? Even if you didn’t hit 50K, I hope you enjoyed the experience, especially if it was your first time. And you now have more words than you started the month with. The thing I love about NaNo is the need to meet a deadline, which forces you […]
Character agency refers to a character’s ability to make decisions that affect the outcome of a story. But it also refers to a character’s freedom to be themselves in the story world. They’re going to want to walk their own path, wherever that leads them. It’s possible for you as an author to violate a […]
