by acackler | Aug 9, 2023 | General
If you had to guess what a religious/fantasy comedy, a classic regency romance, a space opera, and a teen vampire soap opera have in common, what would you say? Well if you’re smart, you’d say “trope” because I basically gave it away in the...
by acackler | Feb 2, 2022 | General
So my critique partner (and all time best internet friend) Cassie Swindon got a few beta comments on her latest draft saying a character lacked depth. This is an example of fantastic advice from a beta reader because it helps the author pinpoint where a little more...
by acackler | Jul 27, 2021 | General, Series: Writing Close
I promised to write this post months and months ago, and now I’m finally delivering! In this post I’ll go over one of my favorite methods for displaying closeness between two characters: making exceptions. It’s one of the easiest to explain:...
by acackler | Jul 1, 2021 | General
I read an article lately warning authors against contrivances in their stories. The exact quote was: General rule of thumb: If the contrivance hurts the protagonist, it’s usually okay. Contrivances that help the protagonist usually feel forced or overly...
