Learn the secret to how great, compelling characters are created in modern fiction.
Author: Will Kitson
Character motivations
Get to grips with the role that character motivation plays in great fiction.
Shiloh | Bobbie Ann Mason
Shiloh by Bobbie Ann Mason is a masterpiece in economy when it comes to creative writing. From start to finish, it follows the ambitions and dreams of the characters, as they head toward an inevitable conclusion.
Chekhov’s Gun
Chekhov’s Gun is a literary device that states that everything in fiction needs to exist for a reason, whether it’s a prop, character or scene.
Character transformations in fiction
Understand the basics behind powerful character transformations in fiction
Interpreter of maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Interpreter of maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is elegant, beautifully written and there are plenty of literary tropes to discuss, including character arcs and the role of third-person narration.
Second-person POV
Let’s find out about the lesser-known POV narrative style, and how it’s used
How the best writers open their stories
Find out how the best writers open their novels and short fiction, with this toolbox article from fetish literature
Cathedral by Raymond Carver
Combining a mastery of structure and pace with a telling and uniquely strong voice and texture, ‘Cathedral’ has become a staple of creative writing and English literature syllabuses.
Rondine al nido by Claire Vaye Watkins
Rondine al nido is a chilling account of two young girls who find themselves in over their heads, and the ensuing aftermath