Tag: characters

Agency: The Critical Component of ALL Great Stories

Agency is when a character is involved in the story, forced to make decisions and take the consequences good or bad. It propels story action.

Gaslighting: Narcissists & Tampering with Reality

Gaslighting is also referred to as ambient abuse, and is a form of intimidation/psychological abuse that makes a victim doubt their sanity.

Characters: The Emotional Touchstone Readers Crave

All stories are human stories, whether in space or in a magical realm. Characters (should) endure the same trauma and challenges that audiences do in life. This mirroring gives us (readers) a safe place to feel and process our emotions.

Characters: Audiences Read Stories, but Great Stories Read the Audience

Characters are critical for stories that resonate. Why? Because characters are the conduit that connects the reader, that vests them in the events. We can’t empathize with technology, spaceships, magic, or nuclear submarines. Humans can’t bond emotionally to a place (without the characters as the connection). For instance, we CARE about Lord of the Rings’ …

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Inner Demons: Soap Opera Drama vs. Story Drama

One key thing to remember about inner demons is they hide really, really well. If they didn’t, then shrinks would starve and be treated like writers.