Brewed Words is a one-stop hub for creative minds seeking inspiration and growth. Discover our engaging articles on writing, self-improvement, and personal development. Our community of passionate individuals is waiting to connect and support you on your journey to unleashing your potential.

website banner for brewedwords.com

Tag: fiction writing

How to Create Compelling Characters in Your Writing

By

On April 14, 2023

In Writing

Writing a story is not just about crafting a plot and a setting; it’s about creating characters that will capture your reader’s hearts and minds. Compelling characters are the heart and soul of any good story, and as a newbie writer, it’s essential to learn how to create them. In this article, we’ll go through some tips and techniques to help you create compelling characters in your writing.

Photo by Windows on Unsplash

Understand Your Characters
The first step in creating compelling characters is to understand them. You need to know who they are, what they want, and what motivates them. Take the time to develop their backstory, their likes, dislikes, and quirks. The more you know about your characters, the more depth and dimension you can give them.

One way to get to know your characters is to write a character biography. This is a document that outlines everything about your character, from their physical appearance to their personality, to their background. You can include things like their favorite food, their childhood dreams, and even their fears. The more detail you include, the more real your character will feel.

Another way to get to know your characters is to create a character sketch. This is a visual representation of your character that includes their physical appearance, clothing style, and any accessories they may have. You can even include pictures of people who resemble your character. This will help you visualize your character and make them more tangible.

Create a Character Arc
A character arc is the emotional journey your character takes throughout your story. A compelling character arc is essential because it makes your character feel more human and relatable. Without an arc, your character may come off as one-dimensional and boring.

To create a character arc, you need to think about what your character wants at the beginning of the story and what they need at the end. These two things should be different. For example, your character may want to win a competition at the beginning of the story, but what they really need is to learn to value the relationships they have with their friends and family. Their journey to this realization is their character arc.

Give Your Characters Flaws
Flaws are what make characters interesting. They humanize your characters and make them relatable to your readers. Flaws can be anything from a bad temper to a fear of spiders. The important thing is that your character’s flaws impact the story in some way.

When creating your characters, think about what their flaws might be. Do they have trouble trusting others? Are they impulsive? Do they have a hard time forgiving? Once you know what their flaws are, think about how those flaws might impact the story. Do they cause conflict with other characters? Do they cause the character to make bad decisions? Use their flaws to drive the story forward.

Make Your Characters Unique
Your characters need to stand out from the crowd. They need to be unique and memorable. To do this, you can give them distinctive traits, such as a unique way of speaking or a specific talent. You can also give them a distinct backstory that sets them apart from other characters in your story.

When creating your characters, try to think outside the box. Don’t rely on stereotypes or cliches. Instead, create characters that are surprising and unexpected. This will make your story more engaging and keep your readers invested in your characters.

Use Dialogue to Develop Your Characters
Dialogue is an excellent way to develop your characters. It allows your characters to reveal their personalities and motivations through their words and actions. When writing dialogue, think about how your characters would speak. Do they have an accent? Are they verbose or do they speak in short, simple sentences?

Dialogue can also be used to show the relationships between characters. The way characters interact with each other can reveal a lot about their personalities and their history together. Use dialogue to create tension and conflict between characters, or to show their support and affection for one another.

Another tip for using dialogue to develop your characters is to show their individual voices. Each character should have their unique way of speaking, with their distinct vocabulary and sentence structure. This can help to differentiate them and make them more memorable.

Show, Don’t Tell
One of the golden rules of writing is to show, not tell. This means that instead of telling the reader what your character is feeling or thinking, you should show it through their actions and dialogue. This is a powerful way to develop your characters because it allows your readers to draw their conclusions and engage with your characters on a deeper level.

For example, instead of saying, “Samantha was sad,” you could show her crying or withdrawing from her friends. This will allow the reader to infer that she is sad without you having to tell them. This technique also helps to avoid the dreaded “info-dump” and keeps your story moving forward.

Give Your Characters Agency
Agency refers to the ability of your characters to make their own decisions and take action. Characters with agency are more engaging because they are actively driving the story forward. They have goals and motivations that they are pursuing, and they are taking steps to achieve them.

To give your characters agency, make sure they have clear goals and motivations. These should be things that they are actively pursuing throughout the story. Your characters should also face obstacles that they must overcome to achieve their goals. This will make their journey more compelling and keep your readers invested in their story.

Creating compelling characters is an essential part of writing a great story. By understanding your characters, creating a character arc, giving them flaws, making them unique, using dialogue to develop them, showing instead of telling, and giving them agency, you can create characters that your readers will love and remember.

Remember, it takes time and effort to create compelling characters. Don’t be afraid to revise and edit your characters until they feel fully fleshed out. By putting in the work, you’ll create characters that your readers will root for and invest in, making your story all the more satisfying to read.

Writing Styles and Genres

By

On February 23, 2023

In Writing

Writing styles and genres refer to the different ways in which authors choose to communicate their message to readers. A writing style is the distinctive manner in which a writer uses language, whereas a writing genre is the type of content that a writer produces. Understanding the differences between these two concepts is essential for both new and experienced writers.

(If you wish to add unique graphics like this to you writing, send me a messge.)

Writing Styles:

Writing styles are the unique ways in which writers use language to convey their ideas to readers. Some of the most common writing styles include descriptive, persuasive, narrative, and expository.

Descriptive writing is a style in which writers use language to paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. This style is often used in creative writing, such as poetry, fiction, and memoirs. In descriptive writing, writers use sensory language to create an immersive experience for the reader.

Persuasive writing, as the name suggests, is a style of writing that aims to convince the reader of a particular point of view. This style is commonly used in advertising, editorials, and political speeches. Persuasive writing often uses strong language and rhetorical devices to persuade the reader.

Narrative writing is a style in which writers tell a story. This style is often used in fiction and non-fiction, such as biographies, autobiographies, and historical accounts. Narrative writing uses elements such as plot, character development, and dialogue to engage the reader.

Expository writing is a style in which writers explain or inform the reader about a particular topic. This style is often used in academic writing, such as research papers, essays, and reports. Expository writing uses facts, statistics, and examples to support the writer’s point of view.

Writing Genres:

Writing genres refer to the different categories or types of writing that exist. Some of the most common writing genres include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and journalism.

Fiction is a genre of writing that involves imagined or invented stories. Fiction can include genres such as romance, science fiction, mystery, horror, and fantasy. Fiction writers use elements such as plot, character development, and setting to create a compelling story.

Non-fiction is a genre of writing that is based on real-life events or experiences. Non-fiction can include genres such as biographies, memoirs, essays, and journalism. Non-fiction writers use elements such as research, interviews, and personal experience to inform and educate the reader.

Poetry is a genre of writing that uses language in a rhythmic and expressive way to convey emotions and ideas. Poets use devices such as rhyme, meter, and imagery to create a unique and powerful experience for the reader.

Drama is a genre of writing that is intended to be performed on stage or screen. Dramatic writing can include genres such as tragedy, comedy, and romance. Drama writers use elements such as dialogue, stage directions, and characterization to create a compelling and entertaining experience for the audience.

Journalism is a genre of writing that involves reporting on current events and issues. Journalists use elements such as interviews, research, and investigation to provide accurate and timely information to the public.

In summary, understanding the differences between writing styles and genres is essential for both new and experienced writers.

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén