Character Names

How did you determine what to name your characters? Did the names just pop into your head? Did you change the names often? Did you look up their meanings? In my multidimensional novel, Norman in the Painting, I choose the first or second name that came to me. I decided to look up their meanings […]

Is Your Character Addicted to Being Right?

If any of your characters are addicted to being right, they would rather be right than happy. They have to have the last word in an argument and proving their point of view takes precedent over listening to others. Even after being shown they are wrong, they still search for ways to prove their point […]

What Kind of Apple Does Your Character Like?

What kind of apple does your character like? The preference might not seem important but it adds the sense of taste and personalizes your character. It’s a detail that can add  some depth. Another point to consider is the popularity of different apple varieties over the last few decades. Red Delicious was the top choice […]

Using the Sense of Taste in Writing

Using the five senses in writing helps the reader experience the scene. Sight, smell, sounds, and touch are easy to add. Taste is often forgotten unless there are several scenes with food in them. However, your character’s lover could be tasting her berry chapstick. At the beach, the character could lick her lips and taste […]

Your Characters’ Smiles

Can you tell the difference between a fake smile and a natural smile? A genuine smile includes wrinkles around the eyes, the mouth muscles move, the cheeks rise, and eyebrows dip slightly. Research has shown that an apology given with a smile in a courtroom, produces a lesser penalty than an apology without a smile. […]

Legends in your Story

One instructor of a writing class told the members to add a legend or myth to the story. One whose elements would reflect an aspect of the plot or character. In my novel, Norman in the Painting, I’ve tried to think of a myth that continues by word of mouth in the small town where […]

National Novel Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month, known as NaNoWriMo, has started on November 1st. The goal is to write a 50,000-word novel in one month. Writers turn off the inner editor and put other projects on hold to be able to meet the word count by the ending date of 11:59 PM on November 30th. The novel […]

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