Protagonists are at the center of a story. Their conflicts are the motivation driving things. No matter if you're writing in third-person or first-person , in past tense or in present , your readers will be alongside them for the journey, so it's important to foster a connection between them. This has plenty to do with likeability. Readers want characters they can root for. We want to celebrate their wins and lament their losses just as they do. Even when they are far from

As of this past Thursday, I'm 27. You know what that means! I'm twenty-seven years old, I've no money and no prospects. I'm already a burden to my parents and I'm frightened. Charlotte Lucas memes aside, I'm excited to see what this next year of existence has in store for me. And as in years past, we're celebrating the occasion on the blog with a Q&A. For Q&As, I usually pull topics from comments on my social media posts. This time marks an exception, as it is inspired by a q

No genre is as known for its feel-good nature as romance. The promise of a happy ending has made readers fall in love with stories of characters falling for each other. The variety of subgenres presents options for every reader out there, no matter if they yearn for swashbuckling adventures on the high seas, mingling among the ton , settling in for some small-town coziness, or blazing through the unknown lawlessness of the west. In recent years especially, romance has become

One of the best parts of the writing process is building up the relationships between characters. Whether it’s platonic, antagonistic, awkward, or romantic, the way they evolve over the course of the story is one of the things that keeps readers interested. Relationships are important in any genre, but establishing a strong sense of chemistry between characters is highly important in romance. For your protagonist and your reader, a love interest needs to be someone to fall fo

No hobby of mine catches people off-guard like fantasy football. I am one of the least athletic people I know. Apart from the Olympics, during which my mother and I would be glued to the TV screen, I scarcely tuned in to watch any sports. I've been to one baseball game as part of a fundraiser and one hockey game since my high school choir was invited to perform "God Bless America" out on the ice before the match. When it comes to football specifically, I knew absolutely nothi

The second-chance romance is a trope I have a peculiar relationship with. I'm not head-over-heels for it the way I am with elopements and...