Nicole Bianchi

Writing, Copywriting, & Marketing Strategies

5 Writing Exercises for Creating Compelling Characters

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When you think of unforgettable characters from books you’ve read, who comes to mind?

For me, I might think of Bilbo Baggins heading off on an adventure in Middle Earth or Ebenezer Scrooge being whisked away by the Christmas spirits or Jane Eyre trying to forge her own path in Victorian England.

What makes characters like these so unforgettable? What makes them feel as if they were real people rather than just creations of the author?

These characters come to life because they have complex personalities. They’re not stereotypes. Each one has dreams and desires, flaws and foibles. This makes them compelling and relatable to readers who come to those books even hundreds of years after they’ve been published.

Ernest Hemingway once observed, 

When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.

In today’s blog post, I’m sharing five character development writing exercises that will help you create living people for your stories. These exercises will guide you to examine your characters on a deeper level so you write memorable characters and thought-provoking stories that delight your readers.

(Please note that links to the books are affiliate links which means I’ll earn a small commission if you buy through the link with no extra cost to you. Thank you!)

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5 Essential Marketing Strategies From Legendary Copywriter Claude C. Hopkins

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When you think of the word “copywriter”, you might picture advertising executives like those from the show Mad Men. Copy generally refers to the text in an advertisement: those words that persuade the customer to buy a product or service.

But in today’s Internet age we’re all writing copy even if we’re not selling a product for a company. We might be trying to persuade someone to click a link to read an article or leave a comment on a social media post or sign up to our email list or buy our book and write a review.

No matter whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you can learn invaluable marketing and writing strategies from copywriting books. These strategies will help you write more persuasively and market more effectively so you get your message out to the world.

One of the copywriting classics is a book called My Life in Advertising by legendary copywriter Claude C. Hopkins. It was published way back in 1927 but still contains many copywriting lessons that we can learn from in 2021. 

In today’s post, I’ve written up my top five takeaways. Let’s dive in.

(Please note that links to books are affiliate links which means I’ll earn a small commission if you buy through the link with no extra cost to you. Thank you!)

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How to Start A Story: “The Ordinary World” Technique

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I’m excited to share a new video with you today! 

How can you write a compelling opening that captivates readers? In this video, I dive into how to hook readers with the concept of “The Ordinary World” from Joseph Campbell’s story structure “The Hero’s Journey”. Discover five ingredients for powerful openings whether you’re writing a fiction or nonfiction book, a screenplay, or a short story.

I hope you enjoy the video! It would be awesome if you could give it a thumbs up and leave a comment. Do you have any other story opening tips to add to my list?

Also make sure to subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already!

I’ve just started making YouTube videos and really appreciate your support. I hope the video inspires you with your writing. Thanks for watching! 

**RECOMMENDED RESOURCES**:

Some of the above links might be affiliate links. Thank you for helping to support the blog!

4 Copywriting Templates That Will Help You Beat Writer’s Block

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You’ve poured your heart and soul into creating something new to share with your audience. Maybe it’s a helpful blog post or an entertaining short story or even a product like an online course.

At last, you’re ready to send an email, publish a social media post, or write up a sales page to promote what you’ve created.

But your fingers hover over your keyboard as you struggle to figure out what to write. How can you grab your audience’s attention? How can you communicate the value of what you’ve created and make them eager to check it out?

You don’t want all of your time and effort to go to waste. You don’t want to lose this chance to impact your audience’s lives just because your promotional post wasn’t as compelling as it could be.

Not to worry.

In today’s article, I’m sharing four powerful copywriting templates that will help you structure a piece of writing that captivates your audience.

Whenever I face writer’s block when typing up an email, a social media post, a sales page, or even a blog post introduction, I love turning to these fantastic templates for guidance.

Let’s dive in.

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How to Find Your Writing Voice: 5 Methods from Famous Writers

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When a reader says they love the way an author writes, they usually are talking about much more than the author’s style. For example, a fan of Ernest Hemingway might love Hemingway’s economy with words, but also the way he brings characters and places to life and how he views the world.

A distinct voice makes your writing resonate with readers. Even if you’re writing about a topic that has been discussed by others a hundred times before, your unique voice and perspective bring something new to the topic.

Readers who fall in love with your writing voice become your truest fans impatiently awaiting your next article or story. And once you find your unique voice, your writing becomes a truer representation of yourself.

Novelist Meg Rosoff observes,

Your writing voice is the deepest possible reflection of who you are. The job of your voice is not to seduce or flatter or make well-shaped sentences. In your voice, your readers should be able to hear the contents of your mind, your heart, your soul.

In today’s blog post, I’m sharing five methods you can use to find your writing voice. Let’s dive in.

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A Flock of One Hundred Birds (Short Story)

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I have something a little different to share with you today: a new short story! When the spring weather arrives here in North Carolina, I always feel more creatively inspired. So here’s a spring gift for you:

A Flock of One Hundred Birds (A Short Story)

“If it hadn’t been for the war, he might never have met her. It happened on one of those nightmarish evenings when above ground the city rocked with bombs while below ground crowds of people huddled together in subway stations converted into air raid shelters. He stood alone in the wavering electric light and scanned the surrounding faces. His eyes searched for a friendly one that would allow him to exchange a few words and forget the worry that his apartment building might soon be replaced by a giant crater. Then he saw her…”

I hope you enjoy the story!

How To Use “The Hero’s Journey” in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing (video)

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I’m excited to share a new video with you today! 

It’s all about the fantastic story template called the Hero’s Journey. In this video, I look at how you can use this template for both fiction and nonfiction to make your writing more compelling and captivate your readers.

I hope you enjoy the video! It would be awesome if you could give it a thumbs up and leave a comment. Have you used the hero’s journey before or will you use it in a future piece of writing? Also make sure to subscribe to my channel if you haven’t already!

I’ve just started making YouTube videos and really appreciate your support. I hope the video inspires you with your writing. Thanks for watching! 

**RECOMMENDED RESOURCES**:

Some of the above links might be affiliate links. Thank you for helping to support the blog!

3 Powerful Writing Exercises from Ursula K. Le Guin’s “Steering the Craft”

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Last year, I compiled two articles sharing writing exercises from famous authors. Writing exercises give you a fantastic way to strengthen specific skills through deliberate practice. They can also help you spark new ideas for stories or memoir essays or blog posts (very helpful if you’re struggling with writer’s block!).

In response to the articles, a reader asked if I had ever read Ursula K. Le Guin’s book Steering the Craft, saying it was filled with a powerful set of writing exercises too.

Well, of course, I immediately put it on my to-read list. This past month I found a copy at my local library, and I dove in.

Le Guin was a sci-fi and fantasy author, but her book Steering the Craft is a useful guide for both fiction and nonfiction writers.

It deals with the nuts and bolts of the craft of writing and the subtle stylistic choices that will help you take your writing to the next level. For example, there’s a chapter on how to select the best point of view for your piece. Each chapter ends with several writing exercises so you can put into practice what you learned.

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