Alight Writing Academy

Inventing characters from scratch. ✍️

Where do your characters come from?

Complete the sentence:
“A great character needs…” 👇

Share your answer in the comments and inspire other writers.

Now the dialogue and action both belong to Daniel, so they can remain in the same paragraph.
This may seem like a small detail, but clear dialogue paragraphing helps readers follow who is speaking and can also shape the pace of a scene.
Remember: new person – new line

ut, readers don't need that kind of intro. They arrive ready for the story to begin.
When you've finished your first draft, try deleting the first paragraph and see what happens.
Sometimes you'll decide the paragraph is essential and put it back. But very often, you'll discover your story actually starts a little later than you first thought.
The opening is one of the most important parts of your story. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find where it really starts.
ut, readers don't need that kind of intro. They arrive ready for the story to begin.
When you've finished your first draft, try deleting the first paragraph and see what happens.
Sometimes you'll decide the paragraph is essential and put it back. But very often, you'll discover your story actually starts a little later than you first thought.
The opening is one of the most important parts of your story. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find where it really starts.
ut, readers don't need that kind of intro. They arrive ready for the story to begin.
When you've finished your first draft, try deleting the first paragraph and see what happens.
Sometimes you'll decide the paragraph is essential and put it back. But very often, you'll discover your story actually starts a little later than you first thought.
The opening is one of the most important parts of your story. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find where it really starts.

What would be your fifth reason?? Tell us in the comments. 👀

When the weather’s this lovely, it can be difficult to stay in the office and write! Of course, that’s a lovely ‘problem’ to have. The main benefit of being an author in summer is having the freedom to wander around outside and stroke ponies! 🐴❤️

Writing dialogue? Write numbers the way people say them.
Your character is saying the number, not reading it from a screen. Writing it as words helps the dialogue sound more natural and keeps the reader immersed in the scene.

Does your child spend hours imagining fantasy worlds, creatures or adventures?
We’re looking for a small group of young writers aged 12–15 to help us beta test our brand new online Worldbuilder’s Handbook course.
During the course they’ll learn how to create believable fantasy worlds, develop memorable characters, design magical creatures, build cultures and history, and bring their ideas to life through creative writing.
The course is completely free for beta testers. In return, we’re asking participants to work through the course and provide feedback to help us improve it before its public launch.
• Online and self-paced
• Personalised tutor feedback throughout
• Limited beta places available
If your child loves stories, fantasy or inventing their own worlds, we’d love to hear from you. (Link in comments)
Created by award-winning author and creative writing lecturer Dr Christina Clover and co-developed with Project Manager Tamsin Clover.