Creating Great Characters: How you SHOULD use character profiles
One of the most common exercises writers are told to do is creating a character profile. Many places even offer free templates to help you build these profiles easily. They have sections for all kinds of information: gender, sexuality (if you're lucky – many assume heteronormative casts), appearance, job, hobbies, etc. At first glance these exercises seem extremely useful; character profiles can be powerful tools if they are done well. Unfortunately, most writers don't use th
Income Diversification for Authors: Freelance Writing
A few weeks ago we talked about what income diversification is and why it's so important to authors. Over the next few months, I'm going to walk you through some of the best ways to diversify your income and create financial security so that you can live your best life. A note about full-time jobs Many writers get most of their income from full-time jobs. Working full-time is a great way for some people to maintain multiple income streams, but we're not going to talk about th
Creating Great Characters: Developing their relationship with the world around them
Over the past few months I've shown you how to take your character development beyond the superficial. We've focused entirely on your character's internal world, tackling the importance of formative memories and your character's self perception. Today I'd like to zoom out a bit and focus on your character's relationship with their external world. Why your character's relationship with the world matters Your character's relationship with the world around them influences everyt