Before we can create rich characters, we need to understand their wounds and potential for growth. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman suggests using the therapy couch to improve character development.

When John Peragine's son became sick, turning him into the hero of a children's novel became part of the family's journey to healing.

As publishing endeavors to address inclusion and diverse representation in fiction, an inevitable question arises: Can authors write characters whose experience is outside of their own?

From fast-paced action to intimate drama, third-person limited POV can be adapted to any scene or situation.

Writing your protagonist always requires deep thought and consideration, but crafting believable, realistic protagonists who are nothing like you presents unique challenges. Author Donna Levin offers four essential tips to help you work through these challenges.

Flawed characters and antiheroes make for fascinating protagonists—but their behavior can risk alienating readers. Follow this blueprint for flawed-yet-relatable heroes who can still provoke empathy.

These underhanded character development techniques are designed to relax your “thinky” brain and to draw instead on your curiosity, intuition and slightly devious sense of play in order to help your characters reveal their own inner workings.

The Incredibles 2, the sequel to Pixar's iconic superhero film, offers writers the oportunity to enhance our understanding of effective character development. Here are a few lessons from the movie that you can apply in your fiction.

In crafting fiction across genres, a perfect love interest is a tempting trap—and a trope. Writing flawed characters, even when your character is head over heels in love with them, is a must. Here's how to make the object of your character's affection believable and lovable while avoiding clichés.

Writing imitations of work that you admire is a great way to stretch your writing skills and improve your mastery of writing techniques. Here's an example of how it's done using Tana French's In the Woods.

Books with multiple points of view can yank readers out of the story or make readers feel detached from the main character. Here’s what you can do to keep readers turning the pages.

Richard Alther wrote his latest novel from the perspective of a woman. Here, he shares his observations on writing from the opposite gender's point of view.

We like to think and talk a great deal about protagonists and antagonists, and that’s not a bad way to look at things, exactly. But it’s vital to realize that those two terms are purely a matter of perspective.

Today’s female reader is pressed for time, demanding as hell, and both scared and excited about the future. If you want to craft a dynamic literary heroine, you must speak to that.

When a story isn't working, you may be able to save your character by stripping away everything else and rebuilding using sturdier, more developed bricks.

In order to write a complex, realistic hero you should get to know one. Luckily, they are all around us.

One of the most common challenges writers face in the character development process is conveying their personalities (even those of side characters) in a naturally complex and believable way. Here, Joan Dempsey dives into the heart of a critical element that can help you flesh out—no pun intended—your characters and enrich your novel.