Nov 6, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
Today’s readers are more discerning than ever. They don’t want to see cookie-cutter villains who do evil for evil’s sake. They want to see deep...
#character development, #writing tips
read moreSep 25, 2026 | by Nimrod Cortés | Writing
Trauma in storytelling is a powerful force that can shape a character’s life and experiences. Depending on the type of story you’re telling, writing...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jul 27, 2026 | by Ravi Ahmed | Ask Novlr, Writing
A software developer and amateur sci-fi writer debugs why his platonic hugs kept reading as romantic and finds the real fix isn't the touch itself,...
#character development, #writing tips
read moreJul 20, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Robotic third person narration and boring scenes usually share one cause: information being stated instead of experienced. Here's how to close that...
#character development, #voice
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Jun 29, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hiii just a question do you have an advice on how to write a ‘mean girl’ without having like the hollywood stereotypes? I’m currently writing one of...
#character development, #tropes, #writing tips
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Jun 19, 2026 | by Arthur Franz IV | Writing
As writers, we like to think we’re in complete control of our characters. It can be tempting to think that, because your name is in the byline,...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jun 6, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How to write a mentor who is evil but genuinely cares about the main protagonist? And raised him since a young age. Also, the main protagonist is...
#character development, #writing tips
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May 29, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
The antihero has become an increasingly beloved figure in modern storytelling, for their morally ambiguous nature and complex personalities. Unlike...
#character development, #writing tips
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May 25, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do I know whether or not to put my book in multiple perspectives? I think it would make my story better but how do I know if it really needs it?...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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May 18, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do I make a calm and collected character in a very overwhelming situation?” Writing a character who remains composed when everything around them...
#character development, #writing tips
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May 11, 2026 | by Savannah Jackson | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m struggling to make my characters’ relationships feel real. They interact, but it feels flat. How do I give them chemistry?” So much of what...
#character development, #writing tips
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Apr 12, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m struggling with how I should write sci-fi future with human-like aliens. I don’t want to focus on differences but rather on similarities between...
#character development, #science fiction, #writing tips
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Apr 5, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m struggling to get into characters’ heads. The fandom I write for has many different characters and I’m trying to keep them as canonical as...
#character development, #writing tips
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Feb 23, 2026 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m trying to write a backstory for my main character. She’s supposed to have this really tragic past that explains why she’s so closed off and...
#character development, #writing tips
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Dec 8, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do I write a unique character backstory effectively?” Backstory can feel like quicksand. If you take one step in too deep, you’ll find yourself...
#character development, #writing tips
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Nov 30, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hello! 👋 What’s the difference between Anti-Villain and Anti-Hero??” Villains and heroes are two sides of the same coin. Every villain is the hero...
#character development, #writing tips
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Nov 28, 2025 | by Arthur Franz IV | Editing
I recently revised a story from almost a quarter century ago. As I dug through this monument to writers’ past, I was pleased with the quality of the...
#character development, #dialogue, #writing tips
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Nov 21, 2025 | by Char | Writing
If you’re a writer and you’ve had any type of online presence in the past few years, you may have come across the term “character archetypes.” The...
#character development, #writing tips
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Oct 27, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Editing, Writing
“I’m stuck on a scene. I know what needs to happen, but every time I try to write it, it stalls. What can I do to get unstuck?” Every time I get one...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Oct 24, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
The thrill of watching a character unfold and develop on the page is an experience like no other. But, it can be a challenge to truly understand and...
#character development, #writing exercises, #writing inspiration, #writing prompts
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Oct 13, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’ve been struggling with naming my characters for weeks now. I keep second-guessing every name I choose, worried it’s not meaningful or unique...
#character development, #writing inspiration, #writing tips
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Oct 5, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Books
“People always talk about different writing books but I’m not sure which ones would be worth my time. There are just too many! What books would you...
#book recommendations, #character development, #plotting, #writing inspiration
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Sep 22, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“What are the most basic steps needed to get to the point where you can start writing? I’ve finally got a solid enough idea for my first novel but...
#character development, #plotting, #productivity, #writing tips
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Sep 1, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“You may have already done this, but how would you write a character’s introduction?” The old adage, “Never judge a book by it’s cover” applies to...
#character development, #writing tips
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Aug 25, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m writing a story with multiple POVs, how should I balance the story out so every MC gets equal time? I want to make sure I’m being fair to all my...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Aug 18, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hello! I’m writing a group of characters and currently planning their dynamics with each other; I have one older character 40-50 yrs (A) one teen...
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Jul 28, 2025 | by Kimberley Long-Ewing | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How often should I describe a character’s “casual actions”? For example, when two of my characters are talking, I’ll add in little actions so the...
#character development, #dialogue, #writing tips
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Jul 25, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
If you’ve got an idea for a story, but are stuck on how to bring your characters to life, then there’s an easy formula to give you a head start. To...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jul 14, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hey sorry if this has been asked already but could you give any tips on how to write a character falling in love at first sight or i suppose...
#character development, #romance, #writing tips
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Jun 30, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do I know if a character I’ve set as a main character is going to be relevant to my story? I don’t want to make a whole character and get...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jun 23, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m not sure where the heart of my story is. How do I figure out the theme of the story so I can flesh out the details (without changing my mind...
#character development, #plotting, #theme, #writing tips
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Jun 9, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hi Novlr! Would you possibly have any ideas about how to make character backstories more interesting?” Trying to breathe life into a character’s...
#character development, #writing tips
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May 19, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Hi, I have a fairly easy time writing all the meat and potato bits of my story but it’s the normal everyday stuff I struggle with. A lot of my...
#character development, #writing tips
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Apr 28, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do you write an unreliable narrator in a way that actually feels clever and not just confusing or annoying? I want readers to realize...
#character development, #writing tips
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Apr 4, 2025 | by Crystal Kamm | Writing
Writing about love can be tricky. Love is universal. It’s something almost all of us can identify with, in one way or another, and that’s probably...
#character development, #writing tips
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Mar 24, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr
“How do you introduce side characters naturally? I have a lot of important secondary characters in my story, but every time I try to bring them in,...
#character development, #writing tips
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Mar 14, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Writing
Have you ever been completely engrossed in a book and found yourself desperately invested in its characters? Those characters more than likely had...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Feb 17, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Anyone have any advice on how to build and maintain tension? I just read through an old story, and my tension is… nonexistent at best” We’ve all...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Feb 10, 2025 | by Lindsay Sfara | Ask Novlr, Writing
“This may seem like a weird question, but any tips for writing an alcoholic character?She’s the queen of a rather unstable kingdom in a Graeco-Roman...
#character development, #sensitive topics, #writing tips
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Feb 3, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Weird question here: do I need to describe my character’s clothes? Obviously I need to if it’s important to the story or setting (if they’re wearing...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jan 20, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do I write characters that have awesome chemistry and make their relationships feel super real and interesting?“ Great character chemistry can...
#character development, #writing tips
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Jan 6, 2025 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
Hello! Do you have any advice for indecisiveness when creating characters? I don’t have much trouble with creating conflict, but figuring out my...
#character development, #writing tips
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Dec 30, 2024 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m currently writing a story where, in the beginning, I want to show something almost like a montage of my character doing the same thing day after...
#character development, #writing exercises, #writing tips
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Dec 16, 2024 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How would i politely describe body types without being vague?“ Characters are as diverse as the writers who write about them, but when it comes to...
#character development, #sensitive topics, #writing tips
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Dec 9, 2024 | by Pamela Koehne-Drube | Ask Novlr, Writing
“what are some uncommon tropes or ones that haven’t been done? what are some plot twists that are uncommon? i have a story where there are supposed...
#character development, #plotting, #writing tips
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Nov 25, 2024 | by Fija Callaghan | Ask Novlr, Writing
“I’m just starting out with writing, and I really want my characters to feel different from each other. How do I make sure they have their own unique...
#character development, #dialogue, #writing tips
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Nov 4, 2024 | by Lindsay Sfara | Ask Novlr, Writing
“Okay, this is complicated, but I’m trying to write a scene that features two characters that have the same gender but neither of their names are...
#character development, #writing inspiration, #writing tips
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Oct 28, 2024 | by S. K. Eleton | Ask Novlr
“Do you have any tips on how to write a villain that is a bad person, but is also likeable?” There are several options for writing villains that...
#character development, #writing tips
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Oct 14, 2024 | by Arthur Franz IV | Ask Novlr, Writing
“People always talk about anti-heroes as opposed to heroes. What is the difference and is one better than the other?” We often hear talk about the...
#character development, #writing tips
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Oct 7, 2024 | by Kimberley Long-Ewing | Ask Novlr, Writing
“How do you make readers see that the characters you are writing about have a platonic relationship and not a romantic one without someone asking the...
#character development, #writing tips
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