"Remember that you don't write a story because you have an idea but because you have a believable character." Flannery O'Connor
A Writing Tool
When you are writing characters, a light hand with foreign and regional accents goes a long way. Additionally, if you are writing characters who incorporate another language or particular sayings into their English, be careful not to overuse italics. Non-English words only merit italics if they are emphasized - not because they are foreign. A great explanation of this is given by Daniel José Older in this Twitter post.
Craft Tip
Characters need three things before the novel begins :
An internal desire
An internal misbelief standing in the way of their achieving that desire
Stakes - something to lose
Romeo desired love, was thwarted by a belief in family traditions, and lost his life.
There's a Story Here: Chile 1996
What story would you write about this photo?
Next Step Book Coach - If you're ready to start your novel, are stuck in the middle, or have finished and need to know what to do next - we can help.