under the juniper tree

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Hmm… This is a really hard question, mind you.

In no particular order,

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

It was inevitable that I’d pick it. It’s one of my all-time favourite books and one that has shaped me as a person, perhaps more than one would think. I couldn’t live without it.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

A book that keeps on giving; this book is so complex and yet so simple that every time you look at it, you notice something new. Quite literally, it’s a book that you can’t read twice, because by the time you’re finished with the second read-through, the book has changed and so have you.

Romanticism: An Anthology edited by Duncan Wu 

Is this cheating? Probably, but technically it’s only one book though. It has my favourite Romantics and their lives and work and I couldn’t live without it, I don’t think. I need Romanticism in my life and this book provides it.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Again, technically it’s only one book. Hamlet is one of my all-time favourite plays and generally, I love Shakespeare. Another book that keeps on giving.

An Anthology of Greek Drama

Technically one book again. I could never live without Greek myth stuff and this one has my favourite authors in it so really, no surprise here.

Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

This is a marvellous book and it’s an interesting take on the whole ‘The Devil is a thing that’s happening’ angle. Quite a bit different from, say, Paradise Lost, and other biblical myth based stories, but perhaps a lot more fun than most.

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz

I would take a bullet for this book. It’s so sweet and sad and it hurts me in all the right ways. Never let that pain stop.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Oh man. Another book that keeps on giving. Again, this is biblical myth based, but it’s really different from Master and Margarita. I love it loads and in a way, it was the gateway book to the sort of literature I prefer to read nowadays.

Crush by Richard Siken

I don’t really even have words to describe this book. How can I describe something that fundamentally changed my heart and the way I view the world? I can’t, not really. 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

One of my first favourite books. I read it when I was 9 or 10; I really really loved it and I haven’t stopped loving it yet. I probably never will.

10 Writing Resources: Characters

From the basics to the very in-depth, these are some of the resources I go to when I’m developing new characters. Have a look at my favorites, and add your own!

1. 25 Things About Creating Characters

As a writer, creating characters is probably the most important thing you do. Get it wrong, and the story will be wrong no matter how well plotted.

2. Lessons From James Scott Bell: Characters That Jump Off The Page  

Readers are engaged by characters who do not always act in a predictable way. Think of how to have your character make decisions or respond in ways the reader won’t see coming.

3. Crafting Memorable Characters  

Successful main characters are the agents of their own destiny, they are someone we root for, and they grow or change during the course of the novel.

4. 6 Must-Know Tricks for Getting to Know Your Characters    

Most of us don’t start writing until we’ve come up with a character we just adore. But how can we make sure this character will also be adored by our readers?

5. Creating Your Hero’s Fatal Flaw

The most intriguing conflicts are the ones that come from within people’s own personalities.

6. Five Unrealistic Character Traits    

These characters have traits that are so unrealistic, the audience starts thinking about the author’s intention rather than the story at hand.

7. 100 Character Development Questions for Writers  

Answer these in character, but only in a situation where your character would be 100% honest with themselves and with the person asking the question.

8. Writing Crutches: Gestures  

What are gesture crutches, and why should we avoid them?

9. The Path to Deepening Your Protagonist

 Protagonists don’t write themselves. No character does. So why leave trait-choice up to the character?

10. Nine Kick-Ass Excercises to Find Your Character’s Voice  

Creating unique voices for each viewpoint character is essential in creating fiction readers want to read over and over.

What about you? What are your favorite blog posts about creating characters?