Tag Archives: Protagonist

What Do You See in a Character?

Posted on April 6, 2026 by knlistman

How many times have you read posts in which people argue about the merits of fictional characters? I’ve read enough of these to assume many readers prefer imaginary people to real ones. Fictional characters are often created to be braver, … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Literary devices, Writer's resource, Writing trends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When characters collide

Posted on November 25, 2014 by knlistman

Consider the possible basic conflicts in fiction:  man against environment, man against man, man against society, and man against self.  In most plots the conflicts are between people.  Even in Robinson Caruso and Castaway, tales of man surviving in isolation, … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Literary devices, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The merits of fictional characters

Posted on September 19, 2013 by knlistman

Having seen discussion boards in which people spend time arguing about the merits of fictional characters, I would assume that a number of readers prefer these imaginary people to real ones. Fictional characters may be braver, more beautiful, or have … Continue reading →

Posted in Literary devices, Story structure, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What’s the problem?

Posted on August 17, 2013 by knlistman

When students embark on writing fiction, they can typically handle coming up with characters and settings. The element that causes the greatest problem for the students is the problem  (a.k.a. the conflict). Reading fiction may be a form of escape … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction in education, Story structure, Writer's resource | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment