The Chopping Blog

Every reader is a detective, searching for answers. The craft lies in making the search irresistible.

There are tricks for making your villains scarier and more memorable—but, as with most things writing-related, there are also some pitfalls to avoid.

When you jump out of your focal character’s perspective to fill readers in on what you think we ought to know, you risk pausing the scene and sabotaging our immersion.

Few romance novels are just about the romance.

The easiest way to think about POV is as a lens that you hand the reader and say, here, you will now be viewing the world through this slightly warped piece of glass.

Vito Corleone is a godfather of crime, but he is also a godfather of plot.

Whether they’re allies, enemies, mentors, or catalysts for change, minor characters serve to support or challenge the main character, highlight themes, and provide depth to the story world.

Voice isn’t just about verbal tics, slang, or quirks—it's the essence of how a character sees and interprets the world.

Your protagonist's strengths and the fallacies that shape their internal journey combine to create a character who is complex, dynamic, and capable of true transformation.

As two characters push and pull against each other, readers get to see them both more clearly.

To create characters that readers truly care about, it’s essential to understand what drives them.

Character backstory is more than just a list of childhood experiences or milestones; it's the emotional and psychological foundation for who they are today.