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Weekly Words - a quote, a tool, and a tip for writers

"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 :

  1. An internal desire

  2. An internal misbelief standing in the way of their achieving that desire

  3. 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.

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