The Creative Writing Blog

Writers working in every genre and for every age group will doubtless hear a lot about the importance of story conflict. After all, conflict drives the story forward, creates satisfying character...

Have you ever encountered a main character in a children’s book or YA fiction that sticks in the mind and refuses to budge long after you’ve closed the pages of the book? What about a...

‘Character agency’ in fiction is used to describe the ability a character has to take action to affect the events of the story. 

It’s often used in a negative sense....

So you’re writing a novel and you want to create compelling and believable characters. We’ve got just the thing! Here are three original and fun character development exercises created...

Nothing enlivens a story like a three-dimensional character, but creating one isn’t always easy. Dr Stephanie Carty, clinical psychologist and writer of fiction and non-fiction, joined us at...

Character development is essential to any great novel. In any genre of fiction – from action studded with high-speed chases to philosophical contemplations of the human condition –...

There’s nothing that brings fiction to life like complex characters. To read them is a joy. But to write them… That can be a little trickier. How do you make characters memorable,...

Character flaws are one of the most important ingredients for a gripping story and a memorable protagonist. Whether they’re honourable, ethical good guys, or down-and-out criminals with a...

How do you make the important decisions when it comes to casting your novel? And how can you write – and track – compelling and complex character relationships? Writing a realistic...

The villains in children’s books are often what make stories come alive. Good baddies (if you will) capture the imagination – especially of a child. They’re who kids most...

Obsessed with Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca? So are we. How did Daphne Du Maurier do it? A page-turner like the novel Rebecca doesn’t happen by accident. 

Described by Sarah...