It’s Time to Die … Or Is It?

Death ... it's a staple of fiction and movies.  Dramatic deaths.  Casual deaths.  Murders.

It's a driving force to advance plot lines or to resolve a dramatic arc.

A Conversation Amongst Friends

Most writers like to write certain types of scenes more than others.  Some authors simply excel at action scenes.  Others are phenomenal at dramatic, soul-revealing dialog.

And when it comes to dialog, some authors prefer to write certain types of interactions more than authors.  Whether it's a conversation filled with snarky one-liners, or one in which the characters are professing their love for one another, sometimes the author just likes to write certain types of conversations more than others.

Minor Characters and Scene Stealing

Most stories have a score of minor characters, who shuffle in and out of the narrative.  Usually, they have their "screen time", convey any information they have, move the story forward, and leave.  Where do they go?  What do they do next?

Most readers don't care and, probably, most writers don't either.  After all, their minor characters.  If we cared about what happens in their life (beyond how it impacts the main characters), we'd be reading their story.

Protagonist. Antagonist. I’m the One With the Gun.

The basic structure of a story is a time tested formula.  Protagonist versus antagonist -- whether that antagonist be another person, a creature, or even the elements.

Just like parents, writers aren't really supposed to favor any one character over another.  But it happens.  Some of them are just plain fun to write.

Romance and Writing

Romance is not just a genre of fiction and movies.

One of the key ingredients to a dramatic story is romance.  Even light fare -- action movies or comedies for example -- almost always have some romantic element to them.  It may not be developed greatly, but it's there, adding depth and drama to the overall story.