There’s an innate disconnect in the way we approach our memories that may affect our ability to tell our impactful stories in a way that best connects with readers: Who we are today is not who we were when these events happened, but both voices have equal claim to the narrative. How do we reconcile your pre- and post-enlightenment perspective when writing your memoir?
You’ve got a heart-pounding plot and a rich world…but something’s still not right, and you think it might have to do with your main character. Your beta readers have said they “can’t connect” with her, or that they’re having a hard time caring what happens to her. You’ve deepened her backstory, given her some great side characters to bounce off of, but you’re still hearing the same feedback. What’s going wrong? You may have a case of “Passive Protagonist.”
As you grow, you see the world differently, and so do your characters. Use metaphors effectively by tailoring them to demonstrate your characters’ motivations, personality, and growth.