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Fiction Writing Tips

Ember’s Disappearing Clothes: Unnecessary Diversions in Fiction

October 30, 2023

aesthetics, art, creativity, fiction, literature, writing

I’m sure this is one of those post titles I really need to explain. I mean, “unnecessary diversions in fiction” gives you at least some idea what the post will be about, but who the heck is Ember? And what do her disappearing clothes have to do with all this?

Ember is a character in the comic series Storm, drawn by Don Lawrence. In the non-English-speaking world she’s also known as Redhair, from the original Dutch “Roodhaar”. Storm was among my favorite childhood comics – together with Donald Duck. Don Lawrence was an incredible artist, and to me his work still is the reference point for realistic, affectively impactful art.

As a child, I only had the first ten or so Storm books – there have been something like thirty-plus in total, together with some spinoffs. I recently decided to search the net for the books I hadn’t read, and I did find them. It was a nostalgic trip – nostalgia is a trap – but I couldn’t help but notice something interesting: The more the stories progressed, the less… covered Ember became.

diversions in fiction, Ember's disappearing clothes — At first, Ember was dressed in rather ordinary clothes. But after a few books, her style became more and more revealing. By the end of the series (bottom left), there is very little left to imagination (scanned images from original drawings by Don Lawrence).

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How to Name a Character in Fiction

July 31, 2023

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

characters, creativity, fiction, literature, writing

4 comments

What’s in a name, huh? Choosing how to name a character shouldn’t be too big a problem, right?

Well, not so fast.

Just as coming up with the perfect title for your novel is harder work than might initially appear, choosing a name for a character in fiction or even a video game contains significant complexity. The reason?

Names are symbolically powerful. Moreover, because – for better or worse – names form an integral part of our identity, naming a character assigns a huge weight on their shoulders. Allow me to use a short excerpt from Illiterary Fiction to make the point:

With a sigh, [Paul] turns around and begins to walk in the direction of the bar – amused by the fact that he still doesn’t know the bartender’s name, and probably never will. Names can be misleading, he thinks, because each name carries with it an entire ideology. What if the man’s name were Giuseppe or, heck, Hassan? What if it were Sabrina, what would then Paul think?

And so, in this post, I’ll offer you a few tips on how to name a character in your work. The right name can work wonders in terms of conceptual integrity, as well as relatability. Overall, naming your characters is a crucial part of the overall affective impact of your narrative and, as such, an author shouldn’t ignore the potential.

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How to Use Flashbacks: The Role of the Past in Writing Fiction

June 26, 2023

Fiction Writing Tips, Writing

creativity, fiction, literature, narrative, time, writing

4 comments

Humans are temporal beings: We live in the present (good luck defining that), but we also have a vastly complex understanding of the past. Moreover, we can anticipate future events, even those, as Schopenhauer put it, in times far ahead of our own. Inevitably then, when it comes to writing fiction, learning how to use flashbacks and understanding the role of the past is an integral element.

Narratives come in all forms and shapes, and the more experimental a narrative is, the less likely it will follow commonly found patterns. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of novels feature some sort of characters, some sort of narrative antagonist, and display some sort of structure.

They also display some sort of narrative progression. And, unless for some rather simplistic, point-A-to-point-B stories that are entirely linear, some sort of temporal back-and-forth is present.

In this post I’ll show you how to use flashbacks skillfully, that is, with a narrative intent. To use flashbacks well is to increase affective impact and narrative meanings, and overall, be in better control of your novel.

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