character development Archives

Inspirational Indie Author Interview: Annie Fox. Former Educator Writes Fiction That Helps Young Readers Find Themselves

My ALLi author guest this episode is Annie Fox, an educator and author who writes for young adults. She talks about how her background in human development shapes her fiction, why she chose to go indie, and what it really takes to reach readers in a crowded market. Her work explores identity, belonging, and what it means to find your people.

Six Questions Every Author Should Ask: The Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast Featuring Matty Dalrymple

Matty Dalrymple talks with Howard Lovy, a developmental editor and ALLi’s content and communications manager, about six questions every author should ask to improve their craft. They discuss maintaining narrative immersion, balancing detail with engagement, and ensuring characters drive the story. Howard shares practical tips on avoiding common pitfalls, keeping scenes purposeful, and writing from the characters' perspectives to keep readers engrossed in the narrative.

Is it Characterisation or Cultural Stereotyping?

As authors, it's important that we're free to write the things we feel most strongly about. Whether that's the travel and cultures we've experienced or the made-up fantasy worlds of our imaginations. But we also need to be sensitive to the nuanced differences between our own culture and the ones we write about. Virginia King discusses the boundary between characterisation and cultural stereotype.