creating complex characters

i’m currently plotting a novel using a (slightly altered) version of the Snowflake Method. so far, it’s been relatively hardship-free.

i’m about to switch from fleshing out the plot to fleshing out characters, however, so i returned to this video—another great one from Shaelin Bishop—on creating complex characters.

i’m particularly drawn to this concept of “the dark room,” which is basically a key aspect of the character that is never made explicit in the story, but a reader could infer what it is based on other elements present. now my homework is to find the Alice Munro essay where the term originated…

watch the whole video below!

short story vs. novel

today i attended Reedsy’s “Writing a Short Story” online workshop hosted by writer Shaelin Bishop.

i’ve been a big fan of Shaelin’s youtube channel since last fall and love her perspective on fiction writing. (and her short story “Cherry and Jane in the Garden of Eden” is one of the most beautiful and evocative pieces i’ve read in a while—check it out here in The Puritan.)

this workshop was such a great round-up of her advice and reminded me of something i jotted in my notebook last September while watching another one of her videos:

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i recommend starting with “15 Tips for Writing Better Short Stories!” and then working through the entire “Short Stories” playlist on the ShaelinWrites channel.