How to Write (and Edit) a Book

How to Write (and Edit) a Book

How to Write Characters, Not Puppets

Less string-pulling, more rounded characters

Abigail Fenton's avatar
Abigail Fenton
Jul 01, 2025
∙ Paid

It’s time to talk about characters! You can have the best plot in the world teamed with the most beautiful writing, but if your characters feel like cardboard cut-outs walking through the story then your book will still fall flat.

What we’re aiming for is characters who feel like real people – so much so that as you are writing you know when something is…

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