June 10, 2025
Writers Tip #51: Give Your Characters Their Head
When you read your story, does it sound off, maybe you can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know you’ve done something wrong? Sometimes–maybe even lots of times–there are simple fixes. These writer’s tips will come at you once a week, giving you plenty of time to go through your story and make the adjustments.
Today’s tip: Follow–don’t lead–your characters
When you feel your characters struggling against your pen, let them go. They’re like your children. If you’ve raised them well, they will be independent and yet follow your morals. Develop your characters well–show the reader their motivations, goals, purpose in the plot–and they will create the drama and conflict that is critical to a good novel.
Uncage them. Give them freedom. Revel in their lives, how they think, how they solve problems.
