By Chelsea HindleEvery reader has that villain they like just a bit too much.From Zuko, and Loki, to Frankenstein’s...
Theme Articles
What Anakin Skywalker Can Teach Us About Writing Fallen Heroes
By Sandrina de KlerkYou may love them, you may hate them. Fallen heroes. Perhaps you love reading them, but...
3 Easy Steps to Developing a Villain Redemption Arc
By Grace A. JohnsonI don’t know about you, but I’m one of those writers who has to have a happy ending. I love to see...
How to Craft Bittersweet Endings that Don’t Turn Off Readers
Fairy-tale happily-ever-afters are fun. Contrary to popular belief, they can even be deep, meaningful, and effective....
Three Reasons to Make Your Villain Sympathetic (and Two Dangers to Avoid)
A villain rounds out your story’s conflict by opposing the hero’s every move. But, like heroes, villains are busy...
Five Ways to Create Nail-Biting Internal Conflict
By Brandon MillerWhat do character, theme, and tension have in common? They are...
Why Most Modern Christian Allegories Fail (and How to Prevent This)
As of this Saturday, I’ve been reviewing submissions at Kingdom Pen for four...
How Symbolism Benefits Character Arcs
By Gabrielle PollackCharacter arcs are bothersome.Let me clarify: creating...
Three Ways Exceptional Sci-Fi Authors Develop Themes
My favorite sci-fi stories always seem to be tight. The sci-fi elements, the...
The Sheer Awfulness of Christianity
By Daeus LambAs much as I appreciate saying “you” instead of “thou,” I can't...
How Villains and Side Characters Can Deepen Your Protagonist’s Character Arc
By Gabrielle PollackThe core of story is conflict. If your story contains no struggle, it’s just a tale about nobody...
Beyond the Evil Overlord: Three Dynamic Character Arcs for Villains
By Sierra Ret“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a hero in possession of reasonable talents and good looks...