Andrew Michael Miller's Thought Backlog
Writer and working Agile professional. Author of Pancho's Fall.
Far to the south of the western coast of Caelon lies an archipelago of islands referred to by sailors as The Untamed Isles. Located directly to the west of the Cataclysmic Lands, the tropical climate remains roughly the same temperature year-round. While this may seem like a perfect equation for an island paradise, the isles have earned their name through word of mouth and legends associated with them.
One of the most effective and beloved ways to develop characters in storytelling comes in the form of the redemption arc. Suddenly, a switch gets flipped in an antagonist's mind, bringing them over to the side of the good guys just in the nick of time. Audiences eat it up every time, so much so that many people claim the redeemed character as their favorite. But why does the redemption arc resonate so well with people, and what are the best ways to include it in your work of fiction?
Approximately 120 miles upriver from Casa Buraca, past other small settlements of Esken and Cinoca, lies an unassuming little town called Colena. Nestled on a hill in the mountain valley, Colena traces its roots back to the expeditions out of the White Walled City. The history of exactly who the first settlers to the area were are not recorded locally, and the town's remote location between mountains too tall to traverse offers little evidence as well. Because of the geographical distance between it and any major hold on the peninsula, Colena's origins are vague in public records as well.
So, you're deep into your writing process. Maybe you have a completed early draft of your story and there's just something off about some of the characters that you can't figure out. You figure out that some of them just seem like they're in the story because you want them to be, not because they really should be there. They do the things you want them to do, but maybe it's uninspiring and they just don't seem like real people when all is said and done. Why does this happen and how do you fix it? Here are some things to think about that might help elevate your character writing to the next level.
Prior to the Inferno of Caelon in 938 A4 that permanently destroyed much of the lush forests that covered the land, the concept of poaching was not a major offense throughout the land. While specific sections of the forests near each keep were off-limits for commoners, poaching on the land was not considered a critical issue that required punishment. The Inferno changed all of that for centuries to come.