Book Alchemy

Book Alchemy

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Book Alchemy
Book Alchemy
Chapter 4: Character
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Chapter 4: Character

Caroline Donahue's avatar
Caroline Donahue
Mar 28, 2023
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Book Alchemy
Book Alchemy
Chapter 4: Character
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A marble statue of a woman comes to life as her male sculptor climbs the stand to kiss her inside his art studio, filled with other paintings and statues.
Pygmalion and Galatea, Jean-Léon Gérôme, The Metropolitain Museum of Art

We all fall in love with our characters, but this is dangerous.

One of the difficult things about writing fiction is the need to create characters who feel alive and then put them into hideous situations.

In this chapter, we will look at ways to create believable characters, but first you need to understand the big picture: know that many of these characters will have to suffer for the sake of the story.

If you’ve done a good job, your characters will feel as real as Galatea brought to life by her sculptor Pygmalion and Aphrodite together. But just imagine this miracle occurring and then having to toss her off a cliff, break her heart, or smash her dreams. As a novelist, this is your job.

Let’s look at how to do this without going nuts.

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