Episode 47 - Get 'em off the couch! Goals motivation and passion as the driving forces for your characters

The Creative Writer's Toolbelt

Oct 15 2015 | 00:13:00

00:00 / 00:13:00

Show Notes

Jeanne Cavelos, the Director of the Odyssey Writing Workshop says that the number one piece of advice she gives to writers is this: give your character a goal. It's so easy for us to create pet characters who just sit on the couch, docile and useless in our story. We may love these creations but they slow the narrative, and bore the reader. So how do we get our characters engaged, and working with our story not against it? Simple, we follow Jeanne's advice and give them a goal (or goals), as well as some strong motivation, and a driving passion as part of who they are.

Other Episodes

Episode

March 17, 2016 • 00:21:55

Episode 59 - Character and characterisation: series wrapup

This episode is a summary of the issues we have covered in the last dozen or so installments of The Creative Writer's Toolbelt, from...

Episode

March 13, 2018 • 00:16:48

Episode 115 Keeping the god in the machine. Why 'Deus Ex Machina' endings suck and how to avoid them

Deus Ex Machina or 'god out of the machine' endings have a rich heritage going back to the Ancient Greek Theatre. But they are...

Episode

April 28, 2017 • 00:14:41

Episode 99 - Six simple principles for living well as a writer.

Continuing the theme of "the writer's life" this episode offers some evidence based advice and practical steps for looking after ourselves so that we...