Category Archives: On Character

More on Dialogue Subtext

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Stavros Halvatzis

For our purposes, subtext in dialogue, as we’ve learnt from previous posts, is the layer of meaning hiding beneath the obvious. Subtext is what makes dialogue rich through hint and innuendo and is an indispensable part of accomplished writing. Although … Continue reading →

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How Paradoxes Deepen Character

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Stavros Halvatzis

Complexity is an indispensable ingredient of life, and so it ought to be with the characters we create in our stories. Why Paradoxes are Good Linda Seger, in her book, Creating Unforgettable Characters, wrote: “Paradoxes do not negate the consistencies, … Continue reading →

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How to Manage Your Story’s Characters

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Stavros Halvatzis

Much has been written about how to craft successful characters for your stories, including advice offered by this blog. In writing one’s story, however, one may wrongly allow the plot to force a character’s actions, making it appear trite or … Continue reading →

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How to Write Story Through Character

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

What comes first, character or story? Does story lay the character, or character lay the story? This perennial chicken-or-the-egg question has many supporters on either side of the fence, or, road, if you prefer. Despite the levity implicit in the … Continue reading →

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And the Secret to Writing a Good Story Is…

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

What does it take to write a good story? The facile answer is: many things – maturity, insight, observational skills, a good ear for dialogue, an understanding of story structure, and so on. But is there one element without which … Continue reading →

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How to Design Minor Characters

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

Most novels or screenplays contain a set of secondary, or minor characters. These are characters who serve the plot in some important way, but who do not warrant the time and space it would take to develop them to the … Continue reading →

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Understanding Character Flaws

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

What is a character flaw? One way to think of a flaw is as an imperfection in a character’s soul or psyche that helps shape the character’s personality. In seeking to hide, suppress, or remove this imperfection, the character engages … Continue reading →

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Understanding Archetypes IV

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

In this concluding post on the subject, we examine Christian Vogler’s Ally and Trickster archetypes. Ally The chief dramatic function of the Ally, also known as the Sidekick in more colloquial language, is to support the Hero on his or … Continue reading →

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Understanding Archetypes III

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

This is the third installment in our exploration of Christian Vogler’s archetypes. In previous posts we have looked at the Hero, Mentor, Threshold Guardian, and Herald archetypes. In this penultimate post on the subject, we examine two more archetypes: Shapeshifter … Continue reading →

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Understanding Archetypes II

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Stavros Halvatzis

In the previous post I began exploring Christian Vogler’s use of eight Archetypes extracted from his study of myths — specifically the archetypes of Hero and Mentor. In this post I look at two more — Threshold Guardian and Herald. … Continue reading →

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