Rob Parnell's Writing Academy Blog

While the best characters have elements of real people to make them believable, real people rarely make good fictional characters. They are often flat and full of minor contradictions that make them non-credible to a fiction reader. No, fictional characters need to be more than real. They are often essentially an amalgam of credible traits that are easily recognizable as human 'archetypes'. When constructing your stories, you should think not so much in terms of who your characters ARE but WHY they're in your story. You'll then be in a much better position to understand them and their purpose. Indeed, taking this notion on board will also help you describe them well and keep their actions and motivations in check. Because, as I've said many times, there is no story without characters - and when constructing story plots, characters come first. You should know your characters like your best friends - actually better than your best friends - BEFORE you use t...

There's really only one way to achieve success in writing and it's very simple to learn: to keep writing! I know this is my call sign - but I chose it for a reason.  It's based on my experience of watching thousands of writers over the years.  The truth of it is very basic. That is, the Universe favors those who do not give up. It's obvious really.  If you set out on a path and commit to it, many things in the world need to change for you to accomplish your goals. People around you need to think of you as a writer.  Publishers, agents and editors need to know that you are a writer.  They need to see you working and taking your craft seriously. You need to be building a catalog of work - articles, short stories, novels, non-fiction work, e-books, websites, blogs, anything that proves that you live your life through writing. The Universe needs to see you improving - and wanting to improve - so that it can then do its bit: creating unseen con...

There are so many dos and don'ts nowadays for writers to absorb that it's a wonder we don't all crack under the strain. How are we suppose to get inspired - and write from the heart - when at least 90% of what we might want to put down on paper is considered bad practice or dull, ineffectual writing? When starting a new story, for instance, and you find yourself describing the weather or including oodles of back story - or now apparently too much detail of any kind - what are we supposed to do? Stop and start again? Wait for a more inspired thought? Keep beating ourselves up until we're better writers? I would suggest none of the above. Because if you let all the constraints and possible criticisms get to you, you'll most likely end up blocked - and writing nothing. Show Don't Tell I had an email from an esteemed subscriber this week who asked me a question that seems pertinent to this issue. Here's the gist: "I've been read...