Here’s a hard truth: most minor characters in fiction are cardboard cutouts. Walk-ons. Bodies in the room. They often exist only to hand over a clue, get stabbed in an alley or die screaming at the ...

Everyday writing tools are quietly deciding which characters lead, which serve, and which never appear at all. In hundreds of thousands of AI-generated stories, those choices consistently favored ...

Good novelists create characters who are complex. unique, and have relatable human needs and feelings. Joyce Carol Oates is one of our best contemporary novelists, and has created a host of memorable ...

Encountering characters who look, speak, and behave in familiar ways can help readers feel seen, heard, and, most of all, included. As writers, we want to create diverse and representative characters, ...

After 35 years of teaching fiction writing, the prize-winning author shares her wisdom. First tip? Don’t write what you know… I don’t think it’s a bad thing to want to write a first sentence so ...

Sebastian has been passionate about anime and gaming, he's dedicated to researching and knowing about both mediums. Zanpakutou is a power system that's all about character writing. Let's explore how ...

Final Fantasy VII stood out among its contemporary JRPGs for its setting. As opposed to previous high fantasy games, it took place in a very modern-looking city with skyscrapers and more advanced ...

At a studio in central China's Hunan province, a teacher grips an ink brush, gently writing characters of a secret script created by women centuries ago and now being embraced by a new generation.