While Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto isn’t exactly the most well-crafted narrative, I do think it offers some excellent shortcuts to crafting villains, in the character of Manfred, Prince of Otranto. Note: this article contains spoilers! ‘The next transition of his soul was to exquisite villainy.’ KIND CONTRAST Manfred’s villainy is in stark contrast… The post exquisite villainy appeared first on Lady Writer.| Lady Writer
Last week’s article on Towards Zero made me realise that one scene stood out in sharper contrast in my recollection of the book. I thought we could break down the visual impact of this scene and extrapolate some useful techniques for our own writing. The scene I’m thinking of is a relatively simple one. It… The post how to frame a scene appeared first on Lady Writer.| Lady Writer
As I was reading* Towards Zero recently, I became interested in the way Dame Agatha Christie so elegantly and effortlessly casts suspicion on (almost) every single character. What I noticed was that she not only takes turns with characters, but she also varies the “modality” through which the reader is informed, creating a rich and…| Lady Writer
THE APPROACH The Call to Adventure is the first sign that life will never be the same. It appears in myths, fairy tales, and modern novels alike. While the Call can often be a single event — such as the arrival of a stranger or a summons for the character to leave on a journey…| Lady Writer
SUPERNATURAL LANGUAGE The Moon card in the Tarot’s Major Arcana perfectly exemplifies the feeling of the Underworld of Adventure. Nothing seems real; the character finds themselves in a world where everything is possible, but only within the purview of a dream landscape that they (perhaps rightly) mistrust. Jane Eyre, following her acceptance of Mr. Rochester’s… The post the moon’s literary pull appeared first on Lady Writer.| Lady Writer
Rejecting the paths of others is all very well, but there’s still an art to feeling out your own path. It’s a very simple process, and the most successful heroines use it instinctively, all the time. Take, for example, Jane Eyre: And now I felt that it was not enough; I tired of the routine…| Lady Writer
Dear Main Character, Have you grown accustomed to following others? Do you believe that somewhere, somehow, someone has the answer, and that all you need do is imitate them? Perhaps that’s why you’re here? You’re hoping for the magical combination of ingredients and recipes to tell your story, to realise your dreams, to fulfil your… The post how to go your own way appeared first on Lady Writer.| Lady Writer
