@karthmin
Active 8 months, 2 weeks ago-
Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, How to Recover the Harmony Between Men and Women in Fiction 9 months, 1 week ago
Male authors’ bungled characterizations of women (and vice versa) is a running joke in the writing industry. The examples are often hilarious—and equally frustrating. Even the most talented authors struggle to dep […]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, Create Stronger Themes through the Way Your Characters Access Magic 11 months, 3 weeks ago
I’m glad this proved helpful for you, Dixie! I actually have a character with a similar background – evil magic but doesn’t know it at first. It’s a fun knot to untie! Good luck with your project!
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, How Heroes (Don’t) Change the World 12 months ago
Thanks, E. C. ! Best wishes on your trilogy!
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Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, How Heroes (Don’t) Change the World 1 year ago
The final pages of an epic tale are often my favorite, holding bittersweetness that touches me deeply. The full impact of the hero’s choices are revealed, and layered beneath victory’s halo is a sense of los […]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 3 Ways You Can Use Mirroring to Craft a Resolution That Truly Resonates 1 year, 5 months ago
Thank you, Alena!
The Last Battle is a really incredible story, as Lewis takes us around the ring but also up, like a spiral that ends in the next level up. I think his effective use of a ring structure is definitely part of why that story has resonated for decades in even the youngest of readers. It’s one of those things that is a hallmark of…[Read more]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, How to Cultivate Powerful Moments of Wonder in Storytelling, Part 2 1 year, 5 months ago
Thank you, Karissa!
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Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, How to Cultivate Powerful Moments of Wonder in Storytelling, Part 2 1 year, 8 months ago
Have you ever set down a book, startled that the author turned your outlook upside down with tiny black marks on paper? Do you want to write stories that have the same effect on others?
A week ago, I delved […] -
Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, 4 Ways to Pull the Plot Back Out of Your Character’s Head 1 year, 11 months ago
As writers, we love exploring the internal struggles that shape our characters. During formative moments, emotional turmoil may need to take center stage, as with Thomas in Nadine Brandes’ Fawkes. Usually this s […]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 4 Lessons Christian Writers Can Glean from the Horror Genre 2 years, 5 months ago
Hey Andi!
It’s my hope that as more and more Christian writers simply set out to write impactful fiction that can change people’s lives, instead of trying to stick within the artificial constraints of a genre that exists for no other reason than marketing, that some of the issues you bring up in this comment will begin to lessen. There’s…[Read more]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 3 Truths to Remember When Crafting Child Characters 2 years, 5 months ago
Hey Sarah! I’ve always felt that shy children get the short end of the stick in fiction. I suppose they don’t lend themselves very well to riveting action and things of the like, but maybe that’s just an expectation that we can change, eh?
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 3 Truths to Remember When Crafting Child Characters 2 years, 5 months ago
Why, thank you!
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 3 Truths to Remember When Crafting Child Characters 2 years, 5 months ago
Absolutely! It was a fun idea to tackle.
You’re right – it’s so easy to just create an abstract idea of what people are (or should) be like, especially when we don’t have a close personal connection to their experience and point of view. It’s always a tremendous asset to look at the people right around us for inspiration on how to make our…[Read more]
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Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, 3 Truths to Remember When Crafting Child Characters 2 years, 5 months ago
Imagine that, for twenty-four hours, you’re limited to the use of half your vocabulary, your awareness of interpersonal subtext dims, and all your skills and strengths revert back to level one. On top of that, y […]
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THIS IS BRILLIANT THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
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Why, thank you!
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Absolutely! It was a fun idea to tackle.
You’re right – it’s so easy to just create an abstract idea of what people are (or should) be like, especially when we don’t have a close personal connection to their experience and point of view. It’s always a tremendous asset to look at the people right around us for inspiration on how to make our characters more relatable and unique.
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Hey Sarah! I’ve always felt that shy children get the short end of the stick in fiction. I suppose they don’t lend themselves very well to riveting action and things of the like, but maybe that’s just an expectation that we can change, eh?
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, A Simple Technique to Create Realistic Fictional Cultures 2 years, 5 months ago
Thank you, Abigail! Worldbuilding is also a weakness of mine, but in the other direction… once I get started, I can’t stop! And then I have to pare things down more and more until I get to the details that are relevant to the story.
So glad you found this helpful! May it be ever at the ready for quick deployment in you future endeavors.
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Martin Detwiler wrote a new post, A Simple Technique to Create Realistic Fictional Cultures 2 years, 6 months ago
God designed humans as intricate beings, and a single culture encompasses thousands (if not millions) of individuals interacting with each other in hundreds of different combinations and relationships. Reflect on […]
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Thank you, Abigail! Worldbuilding is also a weakness of mine, but in the other direction… once I get started, I can’t stop! And then I have to pare things down more and more until I get to the details that are relevant to the story.
So glad you found this helpful! May it be ever at the ready for quick deployment in you future endeavors.
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, Character Goals Can Help You Craft Descriptions Readers Will Love 2 years, 7 months ago
Really love this advice! The real tricks of the trade right here.
Also, side note: It’s fascinating to hear this from someone who experiences stories so viscerally. My imagination is not very vivid, oddly enough. I tend to identify with the emotional states of characters much more strongly than I have ever experienced/identified with their…[Read more]
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, How to Explain Your Story's Premise without Getting Tongue-Tied 2 years, 7 months ago
Nice work! This might be the best summary of what a log line is, and how to make it, that I’ve seen in – well, long enough that I can’t remember a better one. XD
Also, your writing style is so robust. It’s a pleasure to read. Compliments to the chef!
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Martin Detwiler posted a new activity comment 2 years, 7 months ago
Thanks! I feel this so deeply. Every time I see a beautiful landscape I am baffled how I could possibly cram all that goodness into words. They feel so inadequate! But it helps to remember that our readers have a bank full of memories of the same beautiful things, and all we have to do is trigger those memories to bring the beauty into their minds. 🙂
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 2 Ways to Grow as an Author without Actually Writing 2 years, 7 months ago
Thank you!
You’re absolutely right. Biblical meditation is about learning to align our mind with God’s. We have to still our own mental chatter to do this, but the goal is not to stay emptied, it is to be filled with the Spirit instead!
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Martin Detwiler commented on the post, 3 Mindsets for Surviving (and Thriving) at Your First Writer’s Conference 2 years, 7 months ago
I’m considering attending at least one writing conference in the upcoming year, so this is good stuff to be thinking about!
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