Amy Shannon is an author, book reviewer (Amy's Bookshelf Reviews) and co-host of the podcast ""The After Show with McKensie Stewart & Amy Shannon."" Amy has written over 108 stories and still has more to come. Most of her stories are fictional dramas featuring strong, female characters, though two of her stories have a male protagonist and main character. Depths of Characters is meant to be a writer's workbook for character development. Inside, this book provides tips, shares experiences, and gives examples that fit the character categories. Categories include, but are not limited to character names, building character profiles, protagonists and antagonist. This book also contains pages for note-taking, and exercises after each section for the writer to complete. This book also includes examples from authors such as McKensie Stewart, Melanie Nowak, and Abdiel Leroy. There are also excerpts from classic literature authors, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Homer, and Dante Alighieri.

Captivate the hearts and minds of young adult readers! Writing for young adult (YA) and middle grade (MG) audiences isn't just "kid's stuff" anymore--it's kidlit! The YA and MG book markets are healthier and more robust than ever, and that means the competition is fiercer, too. In Writing Irresistible Kidlit, literary agent Mary Kole shares her expertise on writing novels for young adult and middle grade readers and teaches you how to: • Recognize the differences between middle grade and young adult audiences and how it impacts your writing. • Tailor your manuscript's tone, length, and content to your readership. • Avoid common mistakes and cliches that are prevalent in YA and MG fiction, in respect to characters, story ideas, plot structure and more. • Develop themes and ideas in your novel that will strike emotional chords. Mary Kole's candid commentary and insightful observations, as well as a collection of book excerpts and personal insights from bestselling authors and editors who specialize in the children's book market, are invaluable tools for your kidlit career. If you want the skills, techniques, and know-how you need to craft memorable stories for teens and tweens, Writing Irresistible Kidlit can give them to you.

Crafting likable, interesting characters is a balancing act, and finding that perfect mix of strengths and weaknesses can be difficult. Not only does a well-drawn protagonist need positive attributes to help him succeed, he must also have flaws that humanize him and give him something to overcome. The same is true of villains and the rest of the story’s supporting cast. So how can writers figure out which flaws best fit their characters? Which negative traits will create personality clashes and conflict while making success difficult? Nothing adds complexity like character flaws. Inside The Negative Trait Thesaurus you’ll find: * A vast collection of flaws to explore when building a character’s personality. Each entry includes possible causes, attitudes, behaviors, thoughts, and related emotions * Real examples from literature, film, or television to show how each flaw can create life challenges and relational friction * Advice on building layered and memorable characters from the ground up * An in-depth look at backstory, emotional wounds, and how pain twists a character’s view of himself and his world, influencing behavior and decision making * A flaw-centric exploration of character arc, relationships, motivation, and basic needs * Tips on how to best show a character’s flaws to readers while avoiding common pitfalls * Downloadable tools to aid writers in character creation The Negative Trait Thesaurus sheds light on your character’s dark side. Written in list format and fully indexed, this brainstorming resource is perfect for creating deep, flawed characters readers will relate to.

The Breakfast Club meets We Need to Talk About Kevin A lockdown catches five grade 12 students by surprise and throws them together in the only unlocked room on that empty third floor wing: the boys' washroom. They sit in silence, judging each other by what they see, by the stories they've heard over the years. Stuck here with them--could anything be worse? There's Alice: an introverted writer, trapped in the role of big sister to her older autistic brother, Noah. Isabelle: the popular, high-achieving, student council president, whose greatest performance is her everyday life. Hogan: an ex-football player with a troubled past and a hopeless future. Xander: that socially awkward guy hiding behind the camera, whose candid pictures of school life, especially those of Isabelle, have brought him more trouble than answers. Told in five unique voices through prose, poetry, text messages, journals, and homework assignments, each student reveals pieces of their true story as they wait for the drill to end. But this modern-day Breakfast Club takes a twist when Isabelle gets a text that changes everything: NOT A DRILL!! Shooter in the school! Suddenly, the bathroom doesn't seem so safe anymore. Especially when they learn that one of them knows more about the shooter than they realized...

In this book, Linda Seger shows how to create strong, multidimensional characters in fiction, covering everything from research to character block. Interviews with today's top writers complete this essential volume.

Depths of Characters: A writer's resource & workbook for character buildingAmy Shannon is an author, Book Reviewer (Amy's Bookshelf Reviews) and co-host of the podcast "The After Show with McKensie Stewart & Amy Shannon." Amy has written over 108 stories and still has more to come. Most of her stories are fictional dramas featuring strong, female characters, though two of her stories have a male protagonist and main character.Depths of Characters is meant to be a writer's workbook for character development. Inside, this book provides tips, shares experiences, and gives examples that fit the character categories. Categories include, but are not limited to character names, building character profiles, protagonists and antagonist. This book also contains pages for note-taking, and exercises after each section for the writer to complete. This book is intended to be a resource, workbook, and writing tool. The end of the book also has a Resource and Reference page. This book also includes examples from authors such as McKensie Stewart, Melanie Nowak, and Abdiel Leroy. There are also excerpts from classic literature authors, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Homer, and Dante Alighieri."Don't just write what you know, write what you want to know," -Amy Shannon

Theme Is What Your Story Is Really AboutTheme-the mysterious cousin of plot and character. Too often viewed as abstract rather than actionable, theme is frequently misunderstood and left to chance. Some writers even insist theme should not be purposefully implemented. This is unfortunate, because in many ways theme is story. Theme is the heart, the meaning, the point. Nothing that important should be overlooked. Powerful themes are never incidental. They emerge from the conjunction of strong plots and resonant character arcs. This means you can learn to plan and implement theme. In doing so, you will deepen your ability to write not only stories that entertain, but also stories that stay with readers long after the end.Writing Your Story's Theme will teach you:?How to create theme from plot and character.?Why every supporting character and subplot should enhance the theme.?How to prevent theme from seeming preachy or "on the nose."?What to consider in identifying the best theme for any given story.?And much more!Conscious mastery of theme will elevate every story you write and allow you to craft fiction of depth and meaning.Take Control of Your Story Via a Powerful Implementation of Theme