Tag: Evergreen

How To Write Likeable Characters

How To Write Likeable Characters

I’ve decided that the key to writing likeable characters is to make them complex and layered. Characters are what I – and I think most readers – connect to and come to love most in a book, so it’s important to write them well.

I will like pretty much any type of character – creepy psychopaths, classic villains, flirts, princesses, peasants, assassins, blacksmiths, con men – so long as they haven’t done anything utterly unforgivable… And so long as they’re deep and layered. Unless it’s a spoiled brat of a princess, in which case Continue reading “How To Write Likeable Characters”

The “Boxes” I Put My Characters In

The “Boxes” I Put My Characters In

People say it’s bad to put people in boxes, and the same applies to characters. I say that if you know they won’t fit neatly in the box it can help you get to know your character to put them in it. It can help you understand their values and flaws and strengths better. Here are the boxes I’m mostly talking about:

Harry Potter Houses: Yep. I’m a nerd. Although, not a Harry Potter nerd. I have yet to read it. (Long story short: It’s on my tablet and my tablet broke.) However, Continue reading “The “Boxes” I Put My Characters In”

Writing Resource Roundup

Writing Resource Roundup

Originally Published: Sep. 26, 2017

Updated: Feb. 17, 2025

I’m going to do something a little bit new and put together a roundup of online writing resources that I’ve found helpful, and hopefully you will too. All of the following are free unless marked.

Brandon Sanderson’s BYU Lectures

This is a link to the first of twelve YouTube videos. I’ve only watched the first three so far, but they were very good. He talks about the main aspects of writing – characters, setting, and plot – and what he calls “the box,” which I haven’t gotten to yet. Continue reading “Writing Resource Roundup”

Music and Writing

Music and Writing

To me, music and writing go hand-in-hand. I’m a very musical person, having grown up in a musical family and been part of choir for nine years now (going into my tenth), so I love listening to and making music. You could say a random word and it would probably start me singing some song I haven’t heard in years.

I don’t remember exactly when I started listening to music while I write. I think I read an article about it online and decided “Ooh. Writing. Music. Perfect!” and tried it out, but I’m not entirely certain, lol. This post will go over what music Continue reading “Music and Writing”

Writing Terms & Abbreviations

Writing Terms & Abbreviations

I use a lot of writing abbreviations, because they’re a lot faster than writing out whole phrases. I have abbreviations for a lot of my story titles, as well, because writing out a full title takes too long. Take, for instance, my recent short story Sea Glass & Pressed Flowers. That’s a mouthful, right? (Or fingerful?) So I shorten it to SG&PF. It’s not very pretty, but it gets the job done. But what do common writing terms and abbreviations mean? I hadn’t even heard of the majority of these shortened terms until Continue reading “Writing Terms & Abbreviations”