Disney Parents: Dead Mothers and Absent Fathers
Amy Rose Davis
Quick, think of an animated Disney movie that features a hero or heroine with two parents who are alive and present in the main character’s life for the entire movie.…
characters
Avoiding the “Instabond”
Making Your Characters Fall In Love on the Page Last week, I got a little wordy talking about things to remember when creating compelling romantic relationships on the page, and…
Writing Fantasy Gender Stereotypes – Part Two: Writing the Opposite Gender
Faith M. Boughan
This is Part Two of a series on Writing Fantasy Gender Stereotypes. If you missed Part One you can read it here. This past July, I attended Polaris, a sci-fi…
Writer’s Den: What’s in a Name?
Thomas A. Knight
“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Or so wrote the great William Shakespeare. But would it really? Names are important in fiction. It’s hard to identify…
The Character Building of Peter V. Brett
Jesse Flohrs
Greetings, Fantasy-Faction readers! As one of the newest members of the team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank both the overlords of the site as well as…
Rhythm and Time – Part 4: Make Your Characters Sing
You can read the rest of this series here: Part 1: Give Your Writing a Beat of Its Own Part 2: Add a Little Harmony with Adjectives Part 3: Dialogue…
What’s in a Fantasy Name?
Lady Rosalie Skinner
Today I ask you to share some of your creative ideas. All authors have to give their characters names, whether they write romance, mystery, or fantasy. Fantasy authors have more…
Writer’s Den: Developing Supporting Characters
No matter what genre you write in, or what kind of book you’re planning, inevitably the story will touch more than just your protagonist and antagonist. These supporting characters are…
The “Villain” Spectrum: Creating a Layered Antagonist
I’m sure everyone remembers the scene in the first Shrek movie where Shrek tells Donkey that “ogres are like onions” because they have layers. Donkey wants to know why they…
Non-Human Antagonists
I’ve spent several weeks talking about heroes, antiheroes, and villains, and how to define them, so I think it’s time to apply the knowledge a little. But first, I want…
Killing Mary Sue
Sandra Norval
Back at the beginning of 2009, I made a momentous decision. I began to take my writing seriously. I’d spent the Christmas period having a complete break from all the…
Antihero vs. Villain
I was pleased to see so much discussion around my posts about heroes and the hero spectrum. After quite a bit more thought and research, I put together one more…