Psychology and Polarizing: The Big Five

For longtime readers of this blog, you’ve probably guessed that creating compelling and challenging characters whose attitudes and personalities not only are different with each other, but clash in interesting ways is a chief focus in my attempts to improve my own writing. As far back as Story Toolkit Podcast’s episode on Out of Gas I’ve been fascinated with polarizing characters. …

3D- Character Dimensions

Not exactly Story Toolkit approved, but another take on character dimensions!- J. Ward Edited from Storyfix.com Somewhere along the writing road you’ve surely read a critic describe a protagonist in a story as one dimensional. But what are they? What’s that extra dimension about, anyhow? What does it even mean? The first dimension of character – surface traits, quirks and …

Dimension X

The Story Toolkit Podcast speaks about character dimension in several of their episodes. Dimensions provide depth and clear understanding as to how characters react in various scenes. So, what exactly IS character dimension? Dimensions take a character flaw and unveil the central conflict. I’m not speaking so much of the minor, major, or tragic flaws but rather the inherent conflicts …