Character - Institute for Writers

Block Out Writer’s Block: Write Your Book to The End

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique November 17, 2022 Leave a comment

One of the biggest challenges to writing your book to the end is writer’s block. Jan Fields offers tips for getting past writer’s block and finishing your book.

Have a Heart: Writing a Satisfying End for the Character’s Journey

Writing for Adults BlogBy Kelli Panique May 18, 2022 2 Comments

Your ending needs something, but you can’t quite figure it out. Join Victoria Sherrow for tips on writing a satisfying ending to your character’s journey.

Using Complex Characters to Finish Your Book

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique May 4, 2022 Leave a comment

Are your characters keeping you from finishing your book? Develop your characters, retool them if needed, and finish your book with these tips from Jan Fields.

Where Do You Get Your Inspiration for Writing?

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique February 10, 2022 1 Comment

Writers are often asked where they get their inspiration. The key to getting inspiration for writing is less about finding it and more about recognizing it.

Series Books: The Trouble with Character Transformation

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique December 30, 2021 2 Comments

How do you handle character transformation in series books where readers fall in love with characters and expect to meet those same people, sometimes exactly the same people, book after book?

Planning a Book Series: The Premise

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique December 9, 2021 2 Comments

All series books have a basic premise, something that links the books through time. Today we talk about how a good premise is interesting but also has repeatability.

Planning a Book Series: Characters Who Can Go the Distance

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique December 1, 2021 6 Comments

When planning a book series, it’s important to create characters that can sustain a story and still be likable throughout many books. Let’s talk about characters that can go the distance.

Writing Great Middle Grade Dialogue

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique November 18, 2021 Leave a comment

Because dialogue is an essential element of any book, it’s worthwhile to take a specific look at writing great middle grade dialogue.

236: 3 Ways to Find Character Voice

PodcastBy Jacque Irizarry March 12, 2021 1 Comment

236: Finding Your Childlike Voice
March 12, 2021

Creating Science Fiction Characters: Don’t Let the Genre Upstage Them

Writing for Children BlogBy Kelli Panique March 11, 2021 1 Comment

Science fiction characters are accused of being one-dimensional. Here’s how to make our characters must be deeper and more engaging than the world around them.