Dramatic character development can be one of the most difficult things to pull off, but if done well, it could become the most interesting aspect of a story. Although there are many ways to go about this, one of the most compelling is with a corruption arc.

When a noble and just character loses their conviction, and they corrupt and distort under the pressure of their desperation; when their desire to achieve a goal takes precedence over the means by which they must achieve it; when they get a taste of how much safer, easier, or prosperous their life would be if they just crossed the line a little… then a little more… until they’re in over their head; THAT is a story worth reading. 

The best part is, corruption can happen to anyone—even the most virtuous of characters. 

What is a Corruption Arc?

Much like its cousin, redemption arcs, corruption arcs take a character through a plot arc that ultimately leads to dramatic character development, though the two are inverted from one another.

A redemption arc sees a villain grow and evolve to the point where they can move on from their past and work towards being a better person. A corruption arc takes an upstanding character and corrupts their point of view, twisting their morals until they inevitably fall into villainy. 

To put it simply… 

A redemption arc takes a bad character and makes them good. 

A corruption arc takes a good character and makes them bad.

Every villain has an implied corruption arc, or something that turned them into the villain they are in the story—it just happens behind the scenes or before the story actually begins. In that instance, it is referred to as a villain origin story, but the principle is the same. 

Villains are complex characters to write, so if you want to explore this idea more or get some tips on writing a complex and interesting villain for your story, be sure to check out my other article: How to Write Good Villains in Fiction. 

Of course, a character doesn’t have to be a virtuous little angel before their corruption arc. You could have a lot of success with a character who teeters on the edge between good and evil, before finally giving in one way or the other. If this idea sounds like a good fit for your story, be sure to check out What is an Antihero? (And How to Write One!)

Making a Character for a Corruption Arc

Any character can experience a corruption arc, but there are a few things you should pay extra attention to if you want to make the job of writing it easier. Although these are not strict rules, here are a few tips for making a character that will fit well into the structure of a corruption arc.

(Psst! I’m not going to talk about the basics of developing a character for a story here. For that, you’ll need to check out How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique!)

Start with a Noble Character

I know you’re thinking about how I just told you that characters don’t need to be morally perfect before a corruption arc. I said it alongside a shameless plug for my antiheroes article, but I do stand by the statement! But… starting with a character who is objectively a good (or at least halfway decent) person makes your job a lot easier. It makes the corruption a lot more obvious and creates the perception that the character experienced a real corruption rather than the assumption that they were secretly hiding a dark part of themself the entire time. 

Corruption arcs are all about contrast, so the stronger and more admirable a character’s morals are in the beginning, the more dramatic their inevitable corruption is destined to be. And of course, more drama means more intrigue. 

Their Guiding Principle

A guiding principle is the centerpiece of a character’s moral code. It is the fundamental belief that influences a character’s decisions, and it will be the main ideal that is manipulated to drag the character toward corruption. 

Guiding principles are generally broad and vague, and can thus be interpreted differently over time as circumstances, motives, and goals shift. This is why they play a pivotal role in corruption arcs. As the character’s position changes, they can find ways of twisting their guiding principle to justify what they are doing. 

Here are some examples of guiding principles you can give your characters:

• Nothing is more important than family
• Justice is absolute
• The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few
• The environment should come before the economy
• Everyone should live free
• Equality is more important than anything else
• It is more important to listen than to speak
• Honesty is the best policy
• Respect should be inherent, not earned
• It is better to give than to have
• Traditions and culture must be preserved
• Survive at all costs

While none of these principles are explicitly toxic, all of them can be twisted in a way to justify bad behavior. A person who believes nothing is more important than family would surely be willing to commit heinous acts to protect the members of their family. Someone who believes the greater good should take precedence over individual needs may be able to use that to justify sacrificing individuals’ peace or safety. Someone who believes that justice is absolute may take matters into their own hands if the law fails to convict someone, and take up the role of a vigilante—for better or for worse. 

When selecting a guiding principle for your character, make sure you keep that dynamic in mind. The guiding principle must sound good in theory, but be vulnerable to manipulation.

Their Fatal Flaw

A fatal flaw is a negative personality trait that will inevitably lead to a character’s downfall. It may not be their biggest flaw, but in a corruption arc, it is the hinge on which the character pivots to the dark side. A fatal flaw is what is ultimately responsible for the character’s corruption.

In most stories, a fatal flaw can look like any ordinary flaw, such as greed, pride, selfishness, or impulsivity. In a corruption arc, however, the fatal flaw is often a lot less straightforward, and can even be presented as a good thing in the beginning of the story. Virtues of trust, curiosity, and bravery can be vulnerable to exploitation, and if pushed to the extreme, can become flaws in themselves. Trust is a valuable positive trait, but when a character is too trusting, they can place their trust in the wrong people. Being too curious for their own good can lead a character to learn forbidden knowledge, which could put them in danger or even shatter their perception of reality. Being overly brave could cause a character to overestimate themself, and end up at someone else’s mercy.

Be sure you establish the character’s fatal flaw before the corruption takes root. You don’t have to foreshadow that the character’s mindset could be dangerous, but you need to at least present it as an important aspect of their personality. 

Flaws are fickle things. If you need a little bit more help on how to craft the perfect flaw for your character, you can look at How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters to get a more dedicated explanation. 

Their Motive

Motives, or more appropriately, character motivations, explain why a character behaves a certain way. If a character is charitable and kind at the beginning, but at the end of their arc they are greedy and selfish, you have to be able to justify why they changed—this is where motives come in.

There are three types of motives that are particularly relevant to corruption arcs: desperation, delusion, or temptation.

Desperation: Desperate motives are the things that are tied to a character’s needs of food, shelter, medicine, and safety. The character may be unable to afford food or a necessary medicine. They may be threatened or manipulated by someone else. Perhaps they have a loved one in a dangerous position, and they have to act out in order to protect them. They may feel afraid, cornered, and like they have no choice but to engage in corrupting behaviors. 

Delusion: Delusional motives are based on misunderstanding. Usually that results from a misunderstanding about a situation or process, but it can also extend to a misunderstanding about reality itself. These motives usually look like a character who has a (seemingly) noble goal, but a destructive method of trying to achieve it. These kinds of characters may see sacrifice as a necessary evil to benefit the greater good, and they may see themselves as scapegoats for that ultimate goal.

Temptation: Temptation is the most common type of motive in a corruption arc, and they are based on wants rather than needs. These are the motives that lead characters to seek wealth, power, respect, dominance, or anything else they desire. Characters faced with an easy way of getting whatever they want don’t always make the righteous choice.

Of course, characters can have more complicated motives that blur the lines between these categories. A character may start out doing something illegal to pay off a debt, but once they realize how much money they could make, they decide to keep engaging with it after the debt is paid. That’s a motive that starts out as desperate, then turns into temptation.

If you aren’t totally clear on what character motives are or the role they play in a story, pause here for a minute and take the time to read Character Motivations: The Key to Crafting Believable Characters. 

The Timeline of a Corruption Arc

As with anything, there isn’t a perfect formula for writing a corruption arc.

For my timeline, I’ll be referencing a 12-step story structure adapted from Joseph Campbell’s monomyth structure. However, you might feel like your particular story doesn’t need all the steps, or you want to alter the order of events, or add other steps. The point of this timeline is to break down the major ideas and illustrate how character development happens slowly over time. This timeline is not a strict framework.

Keep in mind that corruption arcs can be playing out alongside other arcs in the story, and could be strengthened by other scenes that break it up and slow it down. The corruption will feel much more integrated with the story if it is laced around other arcs that push characters to solve a mystery, fall in love, go on a quest, or whatever else is appropriate for your story. Those arcs can also draw readers’ attention away from the corruption so the foreshadowing is only obvious in hindsight. 

1. Ordinary World

The first step in the arc is to establish what the character is like before the corruption begins. 

This is the point where you show the kind of life this character lives, and the kind of person that they are. Highlight what is normal to them, what is important to them, and what they want in life. Be sure to highlight any of their struggles, too. Take the time to introduce them like any normal character, and give them a little time to develop before you start any of the corruption.

Be patient. If you rush this stage, readers won’t be as invested in the arc, and they won’t feel the proper impact from the character’s changing behavior. You can’t expect them to care about a character they just met, after all.

2. Call to Action

The call to action is the point where the character first encounters what will drive their corruption arc later. Think of this like planting a seed that, if nurtured, will start to grow uncontrollably later on.

In this part, the character must be faced with the possibility of solving one (or all) of their problems—but with some strings attached. Their troubles could be genuine and severe, such as financial burden, health problems, threats to their safety, or things along that line; they could be superficial, such as believing they deserve fame and wealth; or they could be purely psychological, such as desiring revenge for something someone else did to them. They may even learn about a new problem for the first time—that may not even involve them—and feel empowered to fix it themself. Regardless, at this point, they encounter something that could potentially fix their problems, and all they have to do is compromise their morals just a teensy little bit. 

This solution will depend on what the character’s troubles are. A character struggling financially may encounter a job offer that seems too good to be true, from a company that doesn’t have the best reputation. A character who believes they deserve fame may be told about the possibility of eliminating their competition. A character who is emotionally unstable and feels abandoned by their loved ones may be swayed by some new friends who claim they actually care, regardless of their affiliations. 

3. Refusal of the Call

The character must resist the temptation after they first encounter it. Their morals are too strong to be so easily swayed. But remember, the seed has been planted—it just hasn’t sprouted yet. 

From the examples above, the poor character may assume the letter is a scam and discard the job offer, throwing it into the trash. The character who craves fame may think they don’t have to rely on dirty tricks to succeed, since they believe it’s only a matter of time before everyone else recognizes their talent. The character that feels neglected by their loved ones may still feel a sense of loyalty to them, and wouldn’t want to betray them. 

This initial refusal is important, because it reinforces the strength of the character’s morals, while also foreshadowing the events yet to come. If the character gives in too easily, the corruption would lose some of its impact.

4. Meeting the Mentor

This is the section in which the character encounters something that reinforces their temptation. Think of this like watering the seed that was planted before. 

In the traditional hero’s journey, this would be the point in which the hero meets a mentor who is able to say all the right things to convince the hero to finally embark on their mission, while also arming them with information and tools that may be helpful later. In a corruption arc, however, it is more appropriate to consider this person a manipulator rather than a mentor. 

This manipulator could be someone who is deliberately trying to lead the character astray, or someone who accidentally expresses a sentiment similar to the character’s temptation. They could be in the same situation, or they could have given in to the same kind of temptation and show the character that it did, in fact, fix all of their problems. Or, they could be a victim of a terribly unjust system, and the only way the character can help them is by engaging in the corrupt solution.

Returning to the examples, the poor character could meet someone else who took the job offer and is now living comfortably. The character who craves fame could meet someone they look up to who insists that sabotage is the only way to succeed in the industry. The character who feels neglected could turn to online forums, where the entire user base acts as their manipulator by reinforcing the idea that their friends are terrible and the character deserves better friends. 

Though the section is named for a mentor, this encounter doesn’t have to be with a person at all. The character can encounter anything at this point that reinforces the original temptation. The only requirement is that it builds off of the call to action, and makes it seem more reasonable and rewarding. 

5. Crossing the Threshold

This is where the character makes the first decision in favor of corruption. 

There are many ways this step can play out. Maybe the character gets an opportunity that they’ve always waited for, and it is worth whatever compromise they must make to achieve it. Maybe a character’s desperation reaches a breaking point and they decide to steal a fancy watch from a friend and pawn it off behind their back. Another character could resell a prescription medication. Someone else may indulge in an illicit substance for the first time. 

If we return to the examples from before, the poor character could be faced with losing their house, and they decide to dig that job offer out of the trash and set up an interview. The character seeking fame could face a brutal defeat from a competitor, and vow to make sure they never go through that again. The character who feels abandoned by their friends might hang out with the wrong crowd… just once… just to see what they’re like. 

Though the character may not know it yet, this is the point where they start to turn their back on what they know in favor of something new. Once they get away with this first choice, they will feel emboldened to continue seeking the benefits of that behavior, whatever those may be.

6. Conflict

Now, right as it seems like the character is on the precipice of change, have them pause. Give the character a moment of clarity, and an opportunity to question if what they are doing is really acceptable. Up until now, they may not have even realized just how bad they had gotten.

This is often where other characters in the story also take notice and get involved. You could have different groups trying to influence the character one way or another. Some would try to keep the character on the right path, while others would encourage indulging in corruption. Both should seem like convincing points of view in the way they are presented, complicating the character’s internal struggle. Keep in mind that the character’s original morals are still relevant, and if someone’s argument plays off of those ideas, the character will have a harder time defending their actions—both to their peers and within their own psyche. 

Internal conflict is your secret weapon in a corruption arc, and you should use it generously. Showing the character’s attempts to justify their actions despite knowing deep down that they are wrong not only gives readers necessary context for understanding how this development can happen, it also makes the character seem more pitiful and relatable. The spiraling thoughts of a person on the brink of desperation makes for good entertainment, too. 

Let’s look again at the long-standing examples.

The poor character has gotten hired by the company and received their first paycheck. They are able to pay rent and feed their family comfortably, with money left over. They always had a sense that the company’s dealings were shady, but when they discover explicitly illegal business practices taking place, they begin to question if the money is really worth it. 

The character seeking fame and power has sabotaged their competitor, and cannot shake the deep sense of guilt that follows their own success. They feel undeserving, and perhaps fearful that someone will find out what they have done. Maybe they even swear to never do something like that again. 

The character who feels neglected may get approached by their old friends who express concern over the new people the character has been hanging out with. The character lashes out at them and accuses them of being the root of the problem. Later, however, they cannot stop mulling over the words exchanged in the argument, and they wonder if their old friends are truly right about the situation. 

For more insight regarding conflict in stories, you can check out my other article: The 4 Main Types of Conflict in Stories (And Variations!)

7. Approaching the Ordeal

Ultimately, the character must reach a decision and emerge from this conflict with renewed conviction. This can come after a period of trying to return to their old life only to be reminded again and again that things are not working out, or they could encounter information that confirms the doubts and biases they have been clinging to. They may fall for lies and honeyed promises, or be dazzled by what they can achieve. They may encounter information that proves to them that their original morals were apparently flawed. Regardless of how it happens, the character must pledge to commit to their new way of life. 

The character will not reach this decision without a lot of justification. Be sure that you consider how the character rationalizes their choices, even if you never show their thoughts explicitly to readers. The character may also fail to realize just how far they have fallen at this point, and still assume they are more of a victim than a perpetrator. 

8. The Ordeal

The ordeal marks the point of no return. This is a big event in which the character is faced with an ultimatum. They are forced to choose between their old commitments and their new ones. Think of this like a dramatic scene in which a character is forced to choose between saving their old friend or leaving them to die in order to clear the way for their own success. The ordeal in your story doesn’t have to be quite that dramatic, but the stakes should be similar. The character must face a choice with enormous repercussions—and make the wrong decision. 

This choice has to create or involve some kind of obstacle that officially obstructs their path back to redemption. Regardless of what the character even wants, the circumstances they have created for themself—whether that be legal implications, obligations, tethers, or backlash—leave only one way forward. They must feel as if they have no other choice. 

Prior to this point, the character may have believed they could have everything at the same time (you know, like that old idiom of having your cake and eating it too). Now, however, they understand that nothing can be gained without some kind of sacrifice, and their new ideals must take precedence over all other things. They must be willing to give up anything—family, friends, morality, respect, or whatever else—in the name of what they believe is more important.

The means by which they must achieve their goal no longer matter. As long as the goal succeeds, nothing else is important. 

9. The Reward

At this point, the character can fully reap the benefits of their new lifestyle. If they were seeking wealth, this is the point where they can cash in. If they wanted power, this is where you would show their rise through the ranks of whatever organization they admired. If all they wanted was peace and safety, then they should have it. Reward the character for believing they can have anything they want as long as they are willing to compromise their integrity to get it. 

10. The Road to Change

The character’s success is maybe not as sweet as they were hoping. At this point, you should show how their reward falls slightly short of their expectations, leaving them unsatisfied. Feed their growing obsession, and have them strive for more to make up for this disappointment. A desperate attempt to realize a goal that was flawed from the start will slowly degrade whatever is left of the character’s guiding moral principle. 

Additionally, have the character face off directly with the consequences of their way of life. Show how their rewards come with strings attached, and they now have to deal with some things they didn’t actually want, such as added responsibility, regret, or other challenges. The honeyed promises that swayed them in the beginning fall apart when the reality of consequence catches up to them. 

11. The Transformation

This is the point at which the character reaches acceptance. They understand and accept the consequences, the drawbacks, the obligations, and everything else that comes with their new lifestyle. There is no more uncertainty—they fully understand the implications of their deeds, and they accept all the conditions. 

12. The New Beginning

In the traditional story structure, this part would mark the end of the story and the point where the hero returns to life as usual. In a corruption arc, however, this is more of a new beginning than a return to the old life.

Here, you will want to draw parallels between who they are at this point and who they were at the beginning of their arc. Many things would be in conflict with their former life, but some things would remain the same. Routines, habits, preferences, and many other aspects of a person’s character would resist change, even if the circumstances or environment change drastically. Sure, the character may have different goals and morals than they used to, but they still may want the cup of chamomile tea they’ve had every night before bed for years. A character isn’t going to forget their favorite book, the way they make their oatmeal, or how to sing the intro song to their favorite television show word-for-word from memory.

Remind readers of who this character used to be, and who they still are to some extent. Contrast is always fantastic, but it’s the similarities that make a corruption arc feel genuine. Deep down, this character should still fundamentally be the same person they were before—even if every other aspect of their life is different now.

The Path Back to Redemption

In some stories, corruption is only half the battle. Just as someone can experience a fall from grace, they can also pick themself up again and start down the path of redemption. 

You can read up on redemption arcs in my other article Writing Redemption Arcs: What You Need to Know, but there’s something else you’ll need to consider if this is your ultimate goal after the character experiences a corruption arc: The character will never again be the person they were before their corruption. 

Even if the character is able to make amends, change their behavior, and work to undo any harm they had inflicted, they cannot go back to being exactly the way they were before. They would have seen and experienced too much, and they would forevermore carry the guilt from their previous way of life.

Few things are as satisfying as a redemption arc. The simple pleasure of watching a despicable character turn from their vices, question their behaviors, and express remorse for their actions is unparalleled. Villains are often already fan favorites, and who doesn’t like seeing their favorite character become a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled version of themself by the end of the story?

Redemption arcs are all about healing. A villain who is misled, suffering, or simply upholding a status quo without question, can break away from it all. Despite their past, they may find community, kindness, and above all, forgiveness. When readers see stories where even the most atrocious people can learn to do better and be welcomed back by their communities, it can leave them with a feeling of hope. Anything is possible, and no one is too far gone to come back.

Heads up: this article has been seriously overhauled! All the original information is still here, just organized better, and there’s some new info to provide you with more context and guidance!

What is a Redemption Arc?

Very basically, a redemption arc describes the process by which a character overcomes their flaws to become a better person. In many cases, that involves switching sides and joining or otherwise aiding the heroes of the story, though not always. 

A villain becoming a hero is not the only formula that works for redemption arcs. An antihero can experience a redemption arc too, and any character that has a fatal flaw can overcome it and redeem themself–either in their own eyes or the eyes of the public. This can include things beyond just violent or criminal behavior too, such as addiction, manipulative tendencies, simple biases, or dismal mental health. Sometimes, a character can even start out as a good guy, fall prey to some kind of corruption, and then redeem themself again by the end of the story.

I won’t get into antiheroes in this article, but if you want to learn more about them, be sure to check out my other article What is an Antihero? (And How to Write One!)

What Makes a Redemption Arc Good?

Although there is no perfect formula for writing a redemption arc that will work every time, there are a few things you can pay extra attention to in order to give your arc the best chance of success. 

Pacing

A redemption arc needs to be a full plot arc. Too many stories skip the lengthy arc and rush into a redemption that doesn’t feel deserved or realistic. This kind of arc needs to be dramatic and significant if you want readers to actually care, and to pull that off, you need to give it the time and space to build suspense. 

When writing a redemption arc, you need to have patience. Give the character time to be toxic before you start their redemption. Even after their wake-up call, they will need time to process what they learned before they can figure out how to feel about it. Their feelings of doubt, insecurity, anger, confusion, and more all have to build up over time before they can reach a point where the character will want to act on them. After acting on those feelings, they will need time to break their bad habits, alter their plans, and make all the other necessary personal changes–AND you need to account for the time they spend relapsing or dealing with unexpected obstacles to their growth.

After the character has managed to change their bad habits or evil plans or whatever caused them to need redemption in the first place, they will still need to confront society and the people most affected by them. Remember, it is not just about the character improving themself, but also making up for the damage they have caused. Earning forgiveness takes time, and building trust takes even longer. Don’t make it feel superficial by speeding through all the scenes.

If your entire redemption arc takes only a single chapter, episode, session, or whatever, then you need to rethink your approach.

Contrast

Any time you are writing an arc that centers on drastic character development, you need to be prepared to rely heavily on contrast. Draw comparisons between the way the character is at the beginning of the story with who they used to be, who they want to be, or who the people around them are.

How are they different from who they used to be? What is different about their mindset? Their behavior? Their circumstances? Did they get hurt or taken advantage of when they were younger and lose their optimism or hope? Did they internalize the things they witnessed and experienced and lash out to prevent something like that from happening again? Use this type of contrast to build pity for the character, which will be an important step in getting readers to accept them.

How are they different from others in their inner circle? Are they more empathetic? Are they unhappy? Do they struggle with committing certain deeds that their peers don’t? Utilize this kind of contrast to inform readers of the character’s inner turmoil and foreshadow their coming redemption story.

How are they different from the people they want to be more like? Are they too traumatized or jaded? Have they experienced an aspect of life that none of the people they look up to would understand? Have they committed deeds those people would look down upon? Are they shackled by guilt and shame, while they strive to be like those who have never known suffering or desperation? Utilize this kind of contrast to highlight the barriers the character perceives to be in the way of their improvement and to show readers why the character has not tried to redeem themself in the past. 

Of course, you’ll need to be cautious about how you present this information. Be subtle, and weave these comparisons throughout the narrative rather than dumping everything on readers all at once. If you’re too obvious about it, readers may feel as if the setup is forced or disingenuous. 

Conflict

Conflict is the heart and soul of a redemption arc. Often, it is conflict that drives a person to change, but it also complicates that effort. It adds intrigue, drama, and a relatable struggle to the character’s actions. Without it, everything would be too easy, and the story would be over too soon.

There are many options for the kinds of conflict you can use to spice up your redemption arc. The character may have to face pressure from both the forces of good, who want to see them do better, and the forces of evil, who don’t want to see the character lose sight of their old goals. Old friends will conflict with new friends, and the character could find themself at the center of many arguments and fights. Beyond that, they may face distrust or fear from the people they want to join or help, or be subjected to ongoing harassment from the people who were impacted by their former deeds. 

Internally, the character could struggle with feelings of guilt and shame, or they may feel as if they are entitled to forgiveness now that they are trying to do better. Their old habits may be at odds with their new morality, and falling back into old patterns of behavior could be a source of deep shame or frustration for them. Even before they begin their redemption, they may be forced to do things in pursuit of their goals that simply don’t sit right with them, or they could be confused and unhappy with their life as it is. 

Regardless of the type of story you are writing, you need to saturate the redemption arc with conflict. Making peace with a terrible past and accepting accountability for faults or misdeeds shouldn’t be easy. You should take every opportunity to test the character’s resolution.

If you ever need ideas for conflict in your story, you may find some inspiration in The 4 Main Types of Conflict in Stories (And Variations!). 

Making a Character for a Redemption Arc

If you’re going to include a redemption arc in your story, first you need to have a character that needs redemption. 

Depth and complexity are important for all characters, but they’re especially important for a character who will need to explore their psyche and confront their own insecurities and flaws. You need to be able to justify the character’s desire to go against everything they have known up to that point in the story, and if you haven’t taken the time to really build out their identity, then that desire may not seem genuine.

If you don’t do everything right, your readers may not even care about the character, may see them as unredeemable, or believe that their redemption doesn’t make sense. 

My other article How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique may help you understand how to approach this, but I’ll outline some of the most important points below.

Backstory

The character’s backstory is an invaluable tool for you as the writer, even if you never end up sharing most of it with your readers. Keeping notes about a character and making a solid timeline for their early life will help you keep them consistent and better able to justify their reactions to what they encounter.

Beyond that, a solid backstory is important in a redemption arc because it helps you establish pity for the character, and that is extremely important. It is a lot easier for readers to forgive a character if they feel bad for them first!

The easiest way to build sympathy for a character is by giving readers hints about their backstory–but to do that, you have to know what that entails. My article How to Create Compelling Character Backstories can help you out here.

Now, a character who needs redemption could be a victim in their own right. They could have been raised in an environment that set them up to fail, or they could have been fed lies throughout their life to steer them toward a particular path. They may have struggled to be good at first and faced ridicule for it, or they could have had a childhood full of strife and abuse that forced them into a life of crime as they grew up. They could have witnessed an act of cruelty, lost their entire family, suffered a horrific accident, or any number of other things that would leave them traumatized and without proper guidance. You can think of this as being similar to a villain origin story!

Although a pitiful life is not necessary for a character to get a redemption arc, it is important to keep in mind that people are not often cruel for no reason. Rarely does anyone act out when all their needs are met. So consider: which needs are unmet for your character, and how are their actions an effort to address that?

Motives

Motives are a direct result of the character’s backstory. How has their past shaped the way they interpret the present? How have their experiences trained them to believe in certain ideals? Using their backstory as context, consider how they ended up doing evil, committing crimes, or falling into self-sabotaging habits. What motivates them to perpetuate those behaviors once they start? 

A character can have all sorts of motives that set them up for a future redemption arc. They could be:

• Seeking revenge for something they endured
• Seeking the approval of someone important to them
• Desperate for companionship and involved with the wrong people
• Hurting, and taking that out on people who don’t deserve it
• Hurting, and taking that out on people they do believe deserve it
• Misled or manipulated, while someone else is truly pulling the strings
• Seeking to pay off a debt, or make enough money to cover expenses for medical care, housing, etc
• Trying to solve a problem in society, or acting “for the greater good”
• Stuck in a cycle of abuse and merely repeating the mistakes of past generations

These are all empathetic motivations. They come from a place of misunderstanding or desperation, and all of them can evolve into something more productive once a character is able to question their circumstances. Keep in mind, however, that your character’s sins cannot be unforgivable. There are some actions for which it is impossible to build genuine empathy for the perpetrator, even with the most convincing and pitiful motives. 

I strongly, strongly recommend you check this article out as well: Character Motivations: The Key to Crafting Believable Characters. A character’s motives will be the driving force behind their redemption arc, so taking care to make them realistic, complex, and relatable can seriously help you out later down the line. 

Vice and Virtue

With all that said, you want readers to be able to feel more than just pity for a character—they have to actually like them too. Although there are a ton of different factors that go into a character’s likability, there is a trick that can help you steer a character towards readers’ favor: relatability. Readers are far more likely to feel fondness for a character if they can relate to them in some way, whether that be to their backstory, motives, flaws, or the way they think. 

A good rule for establishing relatability is to give the character a balance of positive and negative traits. For each fault you give them, you should also consider a good quality. The flaws will help readers relate to the character’s struggles, while their positive traits will make the flaws seem more acceptable.

For example, a character who is cold and unsociable has a clear flaw, but that isn’t enough to make them likable. However, if that stony character also has a sense of stoicism, suddenly their behavior is a lot more endearing. Similarly, a character who is outwardly selfish isn’t going to be very likeable if that’s all they have going for them, but if they are particularly funny on top of that, then readers will allow them to get away with more while still counting them among their favorites.

Many people can relate to flaws such as unsociability or selfishness, and by presenting them in tandem with what makes the character lovable, readers can form deep attachments to the characters in which they can see aspects of themselves.

You could also check out How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters for even more guidance on how to craft suitable flaws and why that is important.

The Timeline of a Redemption Arc

Of course, there is no perfect formula for writing a redemption arc, but you can find a lot of common themes among any arc that centers around major character development.

This timeline is based on a 12 stage story structure adapted from Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth, or “Hero’s Journey,” but you don’t have to use all 12 steps nor use them in this exact order. The idea behind breaking it up like this is to emphasize how important pacing is in an arc like this, and to highlight certain ideas that will strengthen the credibility of the character’s development. 

1) Ordinary World

When you first introduce this character, you need to make sure you give readers a good sense of just how bad they are. Don’t rush into making them seem sympathetic, and don’t give any early indications of the character’s coming redemption. At this stage, they are simply an antagonist, and you should show them off as such. Be prepared to show off the worst of what this character is capable of. A character who is almost too far gone to be saved is more fun to root for anyway.

2) Call to Action

Once you have definitively established who this character is and what their daily life looks like, you can move on to the “call to action.” This is an event, big or small, that has the power to transform the way the character sees the world or their role within it. Think of this like tipping over the first domino in a row—it might seem inconsequential now, but it will set off a chain reaction, with each subsequent event or choice leading the character closer to their inevitable redemption. 

What this event looks like will depend on the character and their situation, but it can take a few forms. The most traditional call to action in a redemption arc is when the character, who is ordinarily removed from the impacts of their crimes, comes face to face with the suffering they have directly caused. Other options involve the character receiving an ultimatum, losing someone they care about, having a near-death experience, getting a message from some spiritual or divine force, or receiving ridicule from the people they strive to impress with their misdeeds. They could find evidence that they are being lied to or used as a pawn, or that the plan they are working toward is not what it seems. 

Whatever shape this event takes, make sure you give it enough attention and emphasis. The situation has to be impactful enough to change the entire course of the character’s life, so you should take care not to gloss over it.

3) Refusal of the Call

The call to action plants a seed of doubt in the mind of the character, but seeds don’t take root overnight. The character will need time to process what they witnessed or experienced, and people are, by nature, resistant to change. No one is quick to drop their closely held ideals or their personal moral code, and even when confronted with information that suggests they aren’t on the right path, it may still feel safer to them to stick with the life they have always known.

Still, even if the character initially refuses to act on it, doubt should creep into every facet of their life. Have them question the meaning behind everything that has become habit to them, and ponder the implications of everything they do—even if they ultimately remain stubborn or double down on their misdeeds. 

4) Meeting the Mentor

In this step, the character typically meets another person who understands what they are going through and is able to say all the right things to convince them to initiate or progress the plot.

In a redemption arc, this could be someone who believes there is good inside of everyone, who convinces the main character to find that within themself. Or, it could be a person whose life has been directly altered as a result of the character’s failures or misdeeds, who represents the kind of suffering the character wants to prevent moving forward. It could be an old friend who remembers how kind they used to be, or an old enemy who expresses remorse and serves as an example of someone who has overcome their own flaws and become a better person.

Technically, this doesn’t have to involve an actual character if that doesn’t work in your particular story. All that needs to happen here is that the character encounters something that reinforces the doubts that they have been having since the call to action. 

5) Crossing the Threshold

This is the point at which the character decides to attempt to change for the better. Conviction stems from the seed of doubt that was planted earlier, and though the character may not believe they can succeed, they now believe that it is worth it to try. 

This represents the end of the “known world” in the traditional monomyth, since this is the point at which the character turns their back on everything that is familiar to them in order to venture into the unknown. 

6) Conflict

There are two main types of conflict that are important in a redemption arc, but they are inextricably woven together: interpersonal conflict, and internal conflict.

The moment a character begins to act contrary to what is expected of them, other characters on both sides will take notice and get involved, creating tension between the subject of the arc and the people around them. However, the personal opinions of others can force a character to reevaluate what they believe is true, question their own ethics, or agonize over what others think of them. 

In this way, supporting characters play a pivotal role in shaping a redemption arc. They can be the voice of reason that can snap the character out of a spiral, or they can be an antagonizing force that the character will want to prove wrong. They may draw the character’s attention to the good that is coming from their efforts for redemption, or accuse them of never being able to make up for what they have done. 

Never underestimate the power of a well-timed compliment or a new accusation in the face of already unbearable stress. Comments from supporting characters, whether offhand or in earnest, can influence the character’s behavior moving forward. This can be further complicated by disagreements between different characters. Some are bound to forgive the character before others, and they may openly argue amongst themselves–witnessing which would also leave an impression on the character in question. 

Remember, however, that each type of character is going to respond to these comments differently, and even positive comments can result in inner turmoil or conflicts. One person may get inspired by encouraging words, but withdraw or relapse under the weight of too many accusations or negative comments. A different character may be driven by spite, and double down on their efforts to improve in the face of skepticism or cruelty, but regard praise with distrust.

7) Setbacks and Relapse

In the face of so much conflict, it’s only reasonable to assume a character could crack under the pressure and attempt to retreat to the way things used to be. 

No one is perfect, and even the most determined character can experience some sort of setback, or relapse to their previous actions or behaviors. Changing habits and altering the way a person thinks is already challenging, but doing so while also forcing them to face the suffering they have caused and the backlash they receive from people can utterly crush their morale. That character is bound to stumble, have second thoughts, or make mistakes along the way. 

In the most extreme examples, a character may even give up on their redemption to return to their old life, only to be reminded of why they turned against it in the first place. Maybe the system they are used to has become hostile to them, or they have more context to understand its faults. Ultimately, however, returning to their past life should only remind them of their former grievances, and solidify their conviction to change for the better.

Even if a character does not give up or fully relapse, they may still do or say things that don’t necessarily reflect their new morals, simply out of habit. Whenever these mistakes happen, take care to show how the character reflects on it. They may regret it immediately, or not realize they did or said anything wrong until someone else points it out. Even if their behavior is determined to be unacceptable, they may still feel somewhat conflicted—and that’s okay! Let them have these feelings, question their situation, feel that they are being needlessly criticized, or doubt themself. Those feelings are human, and they reflect a genuine desire to be understood.

Showing the character struggling to adjust to their new life can humanize them. Lots of people have struggled with doing the right thing at one point in their lives, and they’ll be more likely to relate to a character who struggles similarly. 

8) The Ordeal

The ordeal is the part of the arc that is considered the point of no return. This is where the character fully commits to their redemption, often in dramatic fashion.

One of the most straightforward ways this is achieved is through having the character sacrifice something important to them in their quest to better themself. This could be wealth, security, status, the love of their family and friends, or anything else. It could even be the superficial pleasure of a vice, such as substance use or a harmful habit. You don’t want them to have nothing to lose one way or another, after all! 

When a character is willing to sacrifice something, that highlights both their determination to change and the sincerity of their penitence. It shows that the character is committed to righting their wrongs and taking responsibility for their actions. It can even make them seem a bit pitiful, which as we’ve established above, can have a huge influence on a reader’s willingness to support them. 

Forcing the character to confront the fact that they must choose between doing the right thing or maintaining all the luxuries they are used to can be a source of anguish for them. They may question if they are doing what is best for themself, or feel like they are being punished for trying to do the right thing. Ultimately, they will have to learn that they cannot continue to benefit from their crimes or the systems of oppression they upheld at the same time they are trying to make things right.

9) The Reward

No one is going to truly change for the better if they believe their efforts aren’t appreciated, or that they are wasting their time and not making a real difference. Once the character starts to feel this way, or they start to buckle under the weight of the stress or pressure, it is time to employ a new tactic: positive change. 

As the character suffers through the painful process of self-improvement, battling their old habits, vices, and mindset, you need to show that their efforts are worth it somehow. Depending on your story, you could show how much healthier they are, or how they now have friends who are willing to lend their support through anything. Show how the town is better off, the people are happier, or how nature blossoms where it had previously withered. The main characters could be making progress in their quest to stop a major villain, improve their society, pursue their dreams, or any number of other things—all because of the good that comes from the character who chose to not give up on themself, even when it got hard. 

However, just because the positive change is happening doesn’t mean the character will necessarily see it without help. They may hold themself to higher expectations, or be too caught up in how difficult this process is to notice anything around them. A simple remark from a friend or stranger could help them realize their true impact. Once they have the realization that they have the power to change things for the better, not just for themself but for the people around them, that should ignite the motivation they need to see this redemption arc to its conclusion. 

10) The Road to Change

Turning one’s life around is not as simple as just working on personal habits or thought patterns–especially if the character in question was a particularly heinous villain. Beyond working on themself, the character will also need to decide what they want their new life to look like and what steps need to be taken to achieve that. In most cases, that comes with the obstacle of atoning for their past misdeeds before they are able to settle down. 

Ultimately, a character seeking redemption will look for approval from the people who were most affected by their past misdeeds. This can be a single person, such as a sibling or love interest, a whole community, like a small town, ship, or academy, or even the character themself. Redemption can take the form of personal growth and self-forgiveness too. 

In many cases, however, the people who were hurt the most by the character are likely to be the last ones to forgive them. A small town made to suffer under a tyrannical government won’t be all that quick to forgive those who perpetrated it. Someone who was injured by the character likely still bears scars from the encounter with them—both physically and emotionally—that would be hard to move past. Someone who has witnessed the character at their worst could even assume that they aren’t capable of doing good, or that their new behaviors are some kind of trick. 

Earning the trust of the person or people they wronged should be a large part of the redemption arc. Simply doing good is not enough if the hurt from their past deeds still pervades. This idea can be a source of recurring conflict in the story and can push the character to try increasingly desperate things to atone for their past. 

A redemption arc can also lead into another beloved trope you can read about here: Writing From Enemies to Lovers: Creating Dynamic Relationships. 

11) The Transformation

Like the “crossing the threshold” stage, this part is all about the transition from one point of their life to the next. While that stage was about heading into challenge and conflict with a noble goal, this part is about leaving that conflict behind and moving on to the peace they have worked so hard for.

The character knows that they still have work to do, and that things will not be easy for them, but their faith in themself and the belief that the struggle is worth it keeps them going. 

12) The New Beginning

With their redemption arc behind them, the character is free to build a new life from the ground up. They can settle down how they like, pick up old hobbies or start new ones, and find a new routine that suits the kind of lifestyle they want to have.

However, when you compare your character at the beginning of their arc to who they are at the end, they should still seem like the same character. Regardless of the type or degree of growth the character has had to experience, they should still be fundamentally the same person by the end of their arc. It doesn’t matter if they have had to completely alter their morals, their habits, their social circle, the way they speak, or anything else–they still need to be recognizable as the person they used to be. The point is that they had the potential for redemption this whole time, not that they would have to change everything about themself to be forgiven. 

That doesn’t mean they have to act exactly the same as before, but you need to rationalize any changes. If the character becomes timid after their redemption arc, you need a justifiable explanation for that. Is it because they are prone to hurting others when they get angry, and the fear of what they could do subdues that anger? Are they nervous about how others perceive them? Are they still learning to trust others? Were they naturally timid this whole time, and merely had to act differently to uphold appearances?

Consider the character that you have and where you want them to end up. Decide in advance how you want them to behave at the end of their redemption, and make sure enough of their core personality traits remain. You can also continue their character growth after their major redemption arc is over! Have them continue to struggle with their old biases, repeat old sentiments, or even develop new coping mechanisms as a result of their guilt, unmet desires, or grief. And of course, keep in mind that not all of a person’s problematic behaviors will disappear after they get their redemption! A character who struggles with anger will likely still experience some version of that struggle forever, and the same is true for a lot of other behaviors. 

The Last Second Redemption

Sometimes, a character is too far gone for traditional redemption, and the only way they can be forgiven is through a radical act of self-sacrifice. Some sins are too unforgivable, and even if the character can completely come around, they can never make up for what they have done. Only through a willingness to give their own life to atone for their mistakes can they ever truly be redeemed. Killing off a character is not a decision you should make lightly, and it’s something to approach with care and consideration for how it will impact your entire story. For information on how to do this, be sure to read my other article A Guide to Killing Your Characters.

Villains are often fan favorites in fiction. Their dubious morals and lovable flaws solidify their place in readers’ hearts. But… what happens when the hero walks the line between good and evil? 

Antiheroes combine all the best qualities of traditional heroes and villains. Their surplus of flaws gives them charm and relatability, while their strong commitment to achieving their goals makes them easy to root for. Some of the most successful protagonists are the ones that drift into antihero territory. 

If you want to craft your own antihero that readers will love to hate (or love with their whole heart), then read on to learn some of the most important aspects of working with this trope. 

What is an Antihero? 

An Antihero is a leading character who lacks the expected qualities of a hero. 

Antiheroes may be aggressive, cowardly, or even downright morally corrupt. Often, they advance the plot by pursuing selfish motives, rather than following some righteous calling or duty. They may still end up rescuing the princess, slaying the beast, or saving the world, but they won’t do it just because it’s the right thing to do. They act because it’s in their best interests to do so. They rescue the princess because they were paid, slay the beast out of vengeance, and save the world because… well, they have to live there too. In other words, antiheroes can do the right thing, but for the wrong reasons.

Are Antiheroes Villains?

Antiheroes are not inherently villains, but the answer isn’t quite that simple.

Antiheroes walk the line between hero and villain and could easily tip one way or the other depending on how the story plays out. By definition, antiheroes have more flaws than traditional heroes and are motivated by their own needs or desires, rather than some higher purpose. However, unlike traditional villains, their flaws tend to be more forgivable, and there are lines that they do not cross. Part of the fun lies in seeing whether the character can be shaken, and if they will fall victim to the consequences of their actions or start down the path of redemption. 

In some stories, the only reason a character can be considered an antihero instead of a villain is the presence of a much more ruthless and formidable villain to compare them to. Readers can find themselves rooting for a bad guy, as long as he is fighting to stop an even worse person. This is just one way the framing of the story can influence how the character is perceived.

Antihero vs Anti-Villain

An anti-villain is a villain who lacks the typical qualities readers would expect a villain to have. 

Anti-villains may be righteous, kind, patient, and forgiving, or they may have a noble goal that they wish to achieve (by any means necessary). They are easy to sympathize with and relate to, and their reasoning for doing the things that they do may resonate with readers. They take the role of sympathetic villain to a whole new level—often one that makes readers question if their hero is the one doing the right thing. 

Ultimately, however, an anti-villain is still a villain. Even with a noble goal, they must still be willing to do unmistakably evil things to achieve it, and even if their heart is in the right place, readers should still want them to be stopped. With this kind of villain, vanquishing them is often a tragic event, not one worth celebrating. 

To put it another way: Antiheroes do the right thing for the wrong reasons, while anti-villains do the wrong thing for the right reasons. 

If you want a bit more help crafting the perfect villain for your story, be sure to check out my other article How to Write Good Villains in Fiction next!

How to Write an Antihero 

If you want to create an antihero for your next story, there are many things you will need to consider. First, you need to make sure you are following the standard framework for creating a good character foundation.

For an introduction to the basics, check out my other article How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique.

However, an antihero isn’t just like every other character. There’s a lot more you will need to keep in mind as you are creating them. 

Give Them a Motive

Like any good character, an antihero needs a motive.

A character motive is like the character’s wants and needs, and it is the driving force behind the character’s behavior. 

Don’t just think about what the character wants. You need to know why they want it. A character fights off an evil beast because they want to impress the girl. Another character may want to do so because they believe it is right. Another does so because it sounds like fun. The motive in these scenarios is whatever follows the “because.” 

In the case of antiheroes, these motives tend to be dubious, selfish, misleading, or extreme. They still end up doing the right thing (most of the time), but they do so for pretty untrustworthy reasons. Let’s take a look at the examples from a previous section. 

• An antihero rescues the princess because they were paid to rescue her.
• An antihero slays an evil beast because they want vengeance for the loved ones they lost to the beast.
• An antihero saves the world because that’s their home too.

In each of those examples, the motive is self-serving, but it still encourages the character to go out and do potentially heroic things. 

Antihero motives can also be things like:

• Ruling the world
• Getting revenge
• Becoming famous
• Overcoming their past
• Finding love
• Achieving perfection
• Surviving
• Escaping confinement
• Becoming wealthy
• Winning (anything)

There’s a lot more to creating compelling character motives–so much more that I had to dedicate an entire article to it. Check out Character Motivations: The Key to Crafting Believable Characters if you want to read more! 

Antihero Traits

Antiheroes, by definition, cannot be flawless characters. I would argue that no character should be completely without flaws, but that is especially true for antiheroes. Flaws are the foundation of a character’s status as an antihero, and they help inform and uphold the character’s motives. 

There are thousands upon thousands of character flaws that you can apply to your antihero, but here are just a few ideas. They could be:

• Angry
• Solitary
• Uncommunicative
• Selfish
• Relentless
• Remorseless 
• Humorless
• Cruel
• Biased
• Greedy
• Arrogant
• Harsh
• Sarcastic
• Alcoholic
• Fearful
• Mentally unstable
• Apathetic
• Jealous
• Overly emotional
• Emotionless
• Pretentious 
• Nervous
• Impulsive
• Narcissistic
• Spiteful
• Overconfident 
• And many… many other things.

I really recommend taking a look at my other article How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters since flaws are such a hugely important part of writing an antihero character. Just giving them a superficial label without doing the work to consider how these flaws developed, how the character views their own flaws, and how those flaws inform (or conflict with) the character’s motives can make a character feel inauthentic and stale. Remember that flaws are the backbone of an antihero!

An Antihero’s Heroic Traits

With that out of the way, you need to start considering what redeeming qualities the antihero character should have. They can’t be nothing but a clump of unlikable traits mashed up into the shape of a person, after all. No one would read your story if they hate the main character’s guts. (Unless you have really, really good supporting characters…)

The positive traits you give your character shouldn’t be enough to make their negative traits seem justified. All these positive traits have to do is make readers like the character, in spite of their less-than-admirable qualities. As a bonus, a good balance of positive and negative traits can make a character more relatable, and readers will be more likely to stick with your story if they can see a little of themself in the main character. It may even make readers more hopeful that the antihero will get their own redemption arc at some point in the future.

Like with flaws, there are countless positive traits you can apply to your character. Here are just a few! They could be:

• Funny
• Attractive
• Dedicated
• Passionate
• Loyal
• Empathetic
• Intelligent
• Generous
• Charismatic 
• Disciplined
• Resilient
• Witty
• Courageous
• Kind
• Humble
• Gentle
• Righteous
• Patient
• Honest
• And any more!

Make sure that the positive qualities don’t conflict with the flaws you’ve already given them unless you have a good way of justifying that. And remember, the character’s flaws should be much more pronounced than their good qualities–at least at the beginning of the story!

Antihero Origin Story

By now, you should have a pretty good scaffold for the character’s personality and the role they will play in the story. What you need now is a justification for their behaviors and ideals. That’s right, just like with villains, antiheroes need an origin story!

Now obviously, there’s a ton of work that goes into giving a character a fully fleshed-out backstory, and I can’t cover all of that here. However, you should consider how the character’s upbringing and experiences shaped their motives and led to the development of their flaws. The things we experience in our pasts steer us towards becoming who we are today, and the same is true for characters. What are the defining moments of the antihero’s past? What happened to them to make them turn out this way? How did their past lead them to this particular point in their life?

If you want a good breakdown of the different elements of a character’s backstory, be sure to read my other article How to Create Compelling Character Backstories, and give extra consideration to the section titled “The Defining Moments.”

Let Them Make Mistakes

One of the most important strategies you should use when writing about an antihero is having them make decisions that a traditional hero (or even any reasonable person) would not make. These can be mistakes, or they can be deliberate poor choices. Although an antihero’s heart might ultimately be in the right place, that doesn’t always mean they are the best suited to the job. 

A good example of this is an antihero turning their back on others to save themself or otherwise benefit. A true hero would put themself at risk to protect the lives and safety of other people, but an antihero might not be rushing to put everything on the line for people they don’t know or care about. 

In a more extreme example, an antihero could end up doing something straight-up immoral, such as failing to show mercy, falling into their vices, or deliberately harassing someone else, like an ex or former partner. They might be rude, sinister, or downright cruel, and do things that look more like the actions of a villain than a hero.

Alternatively, they might just not be very bright, and prone to making mistakes despite their best efforts. 

The point of all this is to create conflict in the narrative. Conflict is the lifeblood of a story, and it is the very thing that will make your antihero so lovable–or abhorrent. Creating conflict, making it worse, or failing to navigate it effectively are characteristics of an antihero, so don’t neglect this idea!

Keep the End in Mind

This is good advice in general, but when you’re writing a story with a morally dubious or ambivalent character, you need to have a clear understanding of what the end looks like for them. Are they doomed to die at the end of the story? Will they descend into villainy or madness? Do they get a long and difficult redemption arc? Do they get what they ultimately deserve? 

If you keep the ending in mind from the beginning, then all of your plot arcs can contain little hints that help build up to the most impactful delivery of the finale. If you can do this well, then you could even incentivize readers to read through your story again to search for this foreshadowing. 

Give Them a Deeper Meaning

Antiheroes call into question what it means to be good or evil. They show that the hero of a story can be an ordinary person–one who has their own problems that they’re dealing with outside of the confines of the plot. They may have personal struggles or flaws, and they aren’t going to perfectly handle every situation they find themself in. The character’s struggles don’t make them “evil,” even if it makes them behave in ways that aren’t necessarily heroic. Even characters who are ultimately bad people can still do the right thing when the situation calls for it. Rarely, if ever, is anyone fully good or fully evil. 

Antiheroes can also create a hidden commentary on notions of fairness, justice, and what it means to be human. Consider how your character’s mindset and behaviors explore ideas of morality and guilt, and how their actions build up to a larger message you want readers to take away from your story. 

Although it isn’t strictly necessary to have your antihero play into some deeper meaning, it’s never a bad idea to add some profundity to your story. Just make sure you keep it implied and don’t spoon-feed the moral of the story to your readers like kindergarteners–unless you’re writing a story for children, I guess. 

Why are Antiheroes so Popular?

Time and time again, antiheroes find themselves among readers’ favorite characters, and it’s with good reason.

There are many reasons why antiheroes will never go out of style. For one thing, their flaws make them more realistic and relatable than a hero who can always make the perfect, selfless choice every time. Readers like to see their own characteristics in the characters in a story, especially if those characters find acceptance or support regarding their flaws, or show that growth is possible. Antiheroes who find themselves on the path to redemption can be particularly cherished for that reason. 

Alternatively, it can also be satisfying to watch a character who deserves to fail… fail. Sometimes, that’s the hook that keeps readers engaged until the end–will he make it, or will his poorly executed plan actually fall apart as readers expect it to?

Will the character face redemption? Will the underdog succeed? Will the selfish character who refuses to change get a satisfying reality check? Will the character find love and support despite their flaws, or will they reach an unfair, tragic fate? All of these scenarios can end up being impactful finales, and those are the moments that keep readers looking forward to the end.

In the midst of writing a pirate-themed D&D campaign, it occurred to me that I should share some of the research I was doing. After all, pirate stories have captivated audiences since the dawn of piracy, and there are many different ways pirates can fit into fantasy and science fiction stories. From gritty historical realism to fantastical stories about air pirates in flying ships, there’s something for everyone to love. 

Pirate Time Periods

Pirates have existed for almost as long as ships have existed—proving that, as long as something can be plundered, someone will come along and plunder it. 

The first pirates emerged sometime between 1400-1200 BCE. However, when you think of the classic European pirates, with their cutlasses and jolly rogers, you’re envisioning a time known as the “Golden Age of Piracy.” 

The Golden Age of Piracy began in the mid-1600s, but the lead-up to it started nearly a century before. The increase in overseas trade, coupled with the widespread inequality, colonialism, and conflict affecting the people of Europe at the time, led to many people falling into the less-than-respectable occupation. During the golden age, it’s estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 pirates were out sailing the seas. However, all things must come to an end. 

The golden age of piracy began to decline in the early to mid-1700s, but piracy continued to a lesser extent into the early to mid-1800s. Colonial port cities became more developed, and governments started taking more of a stand against piracy. In addition to that, many pirates were offered pardons in exchange for ending their pirate careers, letting them return to life on land while facing no consequences for their crimes. 

Much of what makes pirates recognizable is a product of the time period in which they lived. Your pirate story doesn’t have to be set in a historical period, but it can be helpful to keep their original context in mind. When you’re writing about pirates in space, deep-sea submarines, or hot air balloons, consider how the world they live in contributes to how these pirates look and behave. 

What is a Privateer?

The age of piracy really took off when governments started commissioning privately owned ships to attack the merchant ships of nations they were warring with. The crews on these ships were essentially pardoned from any of their behaviors while out to sea, and they were able to plunder and capture ships without fear of being charged with piracy—as long as they were attacking the right ships, of course. These became known as “privateers,” and they functioned essentially like state-sponsored pirates. 

Privateering being made illegal in the mid-1800s was the final blow to piracy in Europe, leading to its unceremonious end. 

Pirate Terminology

One of the most important elements of writing convincing pirates is to know, and accurately use, pirate terminology and slang. You might think you know how pirates spoke, but if you actually spoke like a pirate on everyone’s (least) favorite corporate holiday, no one would know what the hell you’re talking about. 

Naturally, being out to sea for years at a time with the same crew meant that many pirates developed ship-specific slang and inside jokes. No two crews would communicate exactly the same. Add to that the fact that pirates originated from all across Europe, or were former slaves or crew from captured vessels from around the world, and you’ve got a rather mixed bag of languages. English was far from the dominant language spoken on pirate ships—however, I’m assuming your story will be written in English anyway, so this section will discuss only the appropriate English terms.  

I was going to make this section a long list of pirate terms and their definitions, but, unsurprisingly, a much better resource than what I could make already exists. 

Check out the Glossary of Pirate Terms and Phrases by the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum. 

If you’re looking for a glossary of slang terms instead, be sure to check out An A to Z of Pirate & Seafaring Expressions by World History Encyclopedia. 

And of course, if you’re writing a pirate story that bears little resemblance to real historical events, you can have your pirates talk any way you’d like. Do keep in mind how people often develop their own slang when trapped aboard a small vessel with only the same few people to interact with for long periods of time. If you do include unique slang in your story, however, make sure to include enough context for readers to understand what it means! 

Pirate Ship Roles

As you can imagine, pirate ships had many jobs that needed to be done in order to maintain some level of functioning. On larger ships, each of these roles was likely to be filled by different individuals, but on ships with limited crew, some individuals would have to take up multiple jobs. The first mate was often also the quartermaster and the navigator, while the captain often piloted and the carpenter did medicine. 

Captain

The ship’s captain was responsible for leading the crew in battle, maintaining order, and making important decisions. Often, they were the person to purchase the ship initially, but that did not guarantee their position. Captains maintained their roles with their skill and charisma, rather than by force. If a crew largely disagreed with their captain, they could mutiny, and the captain would have little authority to control the uprising. Naturally, a group of heavily armed, ruthless pirates, who value freedom above all else, wouldn’t tolerate an oppressive leader. If a crew did overthrow their captain, they would often democratically elect a new captain, who would then be expected to take up all the associated responsibilities.

For a pirate captain, the respect of their crew was the most important factor for their success, but success was often the best way to gain respect. Because of this, pirate captains would capitalize heavily on their victories, pay their crew extremely well, and maintain impressive and threatening appearances to instill awe in their crew and fear in their enemies. This is why some of the most memorable pirate captains are the ones with bombastic appearances and theatrical tendencies—such as wearing huge, brightly-colored coats and accessories, growing large beards, and, in the case of the notorious “Black Beard,” even lighting slow-burning fuses in their hats so a dark plume of smoke would follow them wherever they go. 

Quartermaster

The Quartermaster of a pirate ship was the captain’s second-in-command, however, they would be elected by the crew democratically, rather than being assigned that role by the captain. The quartermaster’s job was myriad: to divide the power on the ship to ensure the captain did not have too much power, to maintain and fairly distribute the resources and loot on the ship, and to enforce the captain’s rules and dish out punishment when necessary. In many ways, they had the same amount of power as the captain, and would similarly benefit from garnering respect and keeping the crew happy. They would even get the same wages as the captain, which was (usually) double the wage of the regular crewmates.

If a crew managed to capture a second ship, and the captain decided to expand their command to a fleet instead of a single ship, the quartermaster was often the one selected to captain the second ship. 

A quartermaster on a pirate ship is comparable to a first mate on naval ships and other seafaring vessels. However, the first mate of a pirate ship is different. It’s confusing, I know. 

First Mate

The first mate on a pirate ship is the captain’s successor. They are often assigned this role by the captain, rather than being elected by the crew like the quartermaster. The first mate ranks below the captain and quartermaster, but would still have authority to enact the captain’s rules. If the captain is rendered incapable of continuing their duties, the first mate will take over as captain. It was not at all uncommon, however, for the roles of first mate and quartermaster to fall on the same individual—especially on smaller ships. 

Pirate ships would also often have a longer chain of command, including a second mate, third mate, and so on.

Navigator

Both the captain and the quartermaster of a pirate ship were expected to have navigational skills, but a dedicated navigator was a rare and extremely beneficial addition to a ship. Navigators were some of the most highly skilled seamen, with the knowledge to chart the stars, create maps, predict weather and ocean conditions, and navigate through shallow and dangerous waters. The ability to arrive exactly where they need to be, as well as avoid storms, effectively ambush merchant ships, and make a risky escape when necessary, could make or break a successful pirate crew. 

Often, these skills would earn a pirate some place in the chain of command, such as first or second mate. Additionally, because of the extremely technical and artistic nature of their duties, the navigator of a ship was often referred to as “the artist.” 

Helmsman

The helmsman was the pilot of the ship, but they did much more than simply control the ship’s trajectory. It was the helmsman’s duty to fully understand the ship, what it was capable of, and how to maximize its potential. They would need to understand how deep the ship sat in the water at a given time, how much the ship could hold, how large the ship was, what conditions it could withstand, how fast it could move, and more—as well as how those factors would influence how the ship handles. The helmsman would also have the authority to command the “deck crew” (the crewmates that make sailing possible).   

Additionally, expertly controlling a ship in battle was extremely important and high-stakes, especially if the opposing ship was equipped with cannons. Having complete control over a ship could make the difference between life and death for a crew. 

Needless to say, the helmsman’s position was one of high regard, and it often necessitated working closely with both the captain and the navigator. 

Boatswain

The boatswain was responsible for keeping the ship seaworthy—a position that granted them a rather high ranking. They reported directly to the quartermaster and personally oversaw the duties of several crewmates (including the cook and carpenter), and as such, were often ranked third or fourth in command. It was also common for the boatswain to be able to freely command the deck crew and have their own mate to assist them in their tasks.

The tasks of the boatswain included maintaining the ship and its parts, ensuring the sails and anchors were in proper working order, enforcing the quartermaster’s orders, maintaining the stores of food, munitions, and supplies, and reporting misconduct to the quartermaster. Without a boatswain to ensure all the parts of the ship remain in working order, the crew would certainly be doomed to a grave at the bottom of the sea. In many ways, the boatswain was the metaphorical glue that held a ship together (and also because they literally were in charge of ensuring the ship was properly tarred and watertight). 

Seamen

Many of the members of a pirate crew were little more than common laborers. The bulk of the crew was comprised of former navel or merchant men, fishermen, captives from plundered ships, or simply individuals bored of structured life on shore.

Some seamen were relatively unskilled, but those with commendable abilities and more experience were given a higher rank and other mates to supervise. These pirates were often referred to as “masters” of their given craft, such as “master carpenter” or “master gunner,” and in addition to their normal duties, were expected to mentor their mates on their craft. A master carpenter could have one mate (or multiple) to supervise, and would have the authority to give them orders or discipline them as they saw fit—however, the master themself would have to report to the quartermaster or captain.

Carpenter

Carpenters were an invaluable part of any successful pirate ship. Naturally, a ship constantly out to sea would require frequent repairs—either due to weather, normal wear, or cannon fire. Other times, modifications would be made to the ship on the fly, such as removing large structures to make more room for loot or supplies, carving new holes in the hull for new cannons, and altering spaces to suit different purposes. It was also common for a carpenter’s duties to include modifying captured merchant vessels to convert them into ships for the pirate fleet. 

Carpenters reported to the boatswain, and were given more wages than a typical seamen (roughly 1.5x). 

Cook

Ensuring everyone on a pirate crew was well-fed was no small task, and as such, ships often employed one or many cooks. Generally, these cooks were nothing special, and they prepared food that was filling, but not necessarily tasty. One of the reasons for this was that ships rarely hired cooks. Instead, crewmates who lost a limb or were otherwise gravely injured in their normal line of work (or those who were simply old) were offered continued employment as cooks, which was both less dangerous and less labor-intensive. Otherwise, cooking duties fell on normal seamen, who might take shifts working in the kitchen. However, this meant that most cooks on pirate ships had no actual experience with cooking food.

Cooks were supervised by the boatswain, and often worked closely with them and the quartermaster to maintain the food supplies—whether that meant simply keeping inventory or maintaining livestock kept aboard the ship. 

Gunner

Gunners were the crewmates in charge of handling the cannons during battle. Each cannon required multiple people to operate, so master gunners often had many mates and apprentices working under them. The master gunner would personally report to the boatswain. 

Operating a cannon on a pirate ship had many obvious challenges, from aiming at a moving target while bobbing on the waves, to not damaging the target ship so badly that it sinks before the treasures on board can be retrieved. Distance and weather had to be accounted for, and many decisions had to be made in the heat of the moment. Add to that the fact that gunpowder was hazardous to work with and difficult to store (it would be rendered useless if wet), and the job of gunners starts to seem rather complicated. In fact, gunners had to apprentice for many years before they would become good enough to take up the position. 

Assisting the gunners were groups of young boys and new recruits, dubbed “powder monkeys.” Although these boys were often treated (and paid) very poorly, they could find themselves moving up the ranks on the ship (if they managed to live long enough). 

Sailmaker

Like the carpenter, the sailmaker was an essential part of keeping the ship in proper working order—and they did exactly what it sounds like. They would make or repair the vessel’s sails when necessary, ensuring that the ship could continue its voyage no matter what it faced.

When weather or conflict ripped up a sail, a ship wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. Damage to sails, however, was a natural consequence of almost any fight. Not only were they large and likely to face collateral damage from cannon fire, but they were also often targets themselves. Shredding an opponent’s sails ensured they wouldn’t be able to retreat, and many weapons and munitions (such as grapeshot) were designed specifically to damage sails. 

Like carpenters, the sailmaker would likely be supervised by the boatswain.

Surgeon

Many pirate vessels had surgeons on board to help treat injuries sustained in battle by performing emergency amputations, stitching up wounds, and preventing and treating illness aboard the ship—but many others didn’t see this as an essential role. 

Ships that did have surgeons likely didn’t start their voyage with one. It was more likely that the surgeon was captured from another vessel and forced to work. Interestingly, despite being kidnapped and forced into service, they could have still been paid just like any normal crewmate—though that would depend on the crew they ended up with.

For ships that didn’t have surgeons, that role would be filled by other crewmates when necessary. The carpenter was usually the first choice for amputations, while a sailmaker would be selected for suturing since they would already be good at stitching. Other times, cooks or basic seamen would take up the role, to predictably mixed results. 

Musician

Sometimes, captives from other vessels would be kept aboard a ship for little more than entertainment. Musicians were almost always present on pirate ships to stir up morale and provide some amusement for the inevitable downtime associated with traversing long distances. 

However, under the right circumstances, musicians could do much more than provide a fun little tune whenever someone got bored. During battle, musicians could contribute to the noise, alongside shouts and cannon fire, that made a pirate attack so terrifying. Harsh drumbeats and screeching fiddles were components of horror long before movie soundtracks existed.

In addition to adding musical scores to murderous attacks, musicians could contribute to rigging and other tasks that required coordination between multiple crewmates by providing a rhythm for them to time their actions. 

Cabin Boy

The cabin boy on a pirate vessel acted much like one on any other kind of ship. He was often a young boy apprenticing under the captain to learn the trade, and often had to be at the beck and call for all the captain’s wishes—whether that be to learn about star charts or to simply fetch his trousers. More often than not, however, the cabin boy would be running errands aboard the ship, such as relaying information between crewmates, fetching meals, and cleaning.

Like the powder monkeys on gun crews, a cabin boy would end up working long hours for very little pay—if any pay at all. 

Writing Pirate Characters

Pirates in reality were rough and rugged criminals with a strong sense of individualism and freedom. Pirates in fiction, however, can be any number of things—goofy, evil, romantic, glamorous, alien, or undead. Don’t feel too constrained by what is realistic for your pirates, and write them in whatever way will serve the story you’re telling. 

Crafting pirate characters is fundamentally similar to building any other character, but with some specific personality and backstory that needs to be considered. If you aren’t sure how to get started, you can check out these articles before continuing:

How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique

How to Create Compelling Character Backstories

Now, the most important things to consider when creating pirate characters are: where they are in the hierarchy on the ship, how they got there, and what they want. 

Pirate ships have a hierarchy with the captain and quartermaster at the top. Beneath them is the first mate, second mate, and so on, and then the boatswain. Beneath the boatswain, there are officers and tradesmen, such as carpenters, gunners, and navigators, who command a team of specialized seamen and apprentices. Then there are nonspecialized seamen, and finally, at the bottom, there are the cabin boys and powder monkeys. Where a person fell in this crew hierarchy would determine not only the respect and power they commanded but also the pay that they received. 

Consider what position you want a given character to be in, and how that will influence the things they will be able to get away with. Additionally, you’ll need to consider why they are in that position. If they are a helmsman’s apprentice, how did they end up in that role instead of that of a menial laborer? Did they have connections in the right circles? Pirate relatives? An unusual skill for sailing? If they are a lowly powder monkey, how did they get on the ship? Were they born at sea? Captured and forced to come aboard? Orphaned with nowhere else to go? If they are a lowly seaman, what led them to this occupation? Poverty? Boredom? A simple urge to commit violent acts? All of these considerations are important for giving your characters a solid backstory and a direction for further development. 

Finally, you will need to make sure your pirate character has goals. Do they plan to sail around for a few years, amass a fortune, and then retire on the beach? Do they want to become a captain of their own ship someday? Do they want to become a famous and widely feared pirate talked about in history books for generations? Do they want to blindly chase after a whale for some deluded sense of retribution? Or something else? 

Here are some other questions you can use to consider more elements of your character’s personality:

• What job do they do on the ship? If they are a normal laborer or part of the deck crew, what do they do most often and why?
• Are they good at what they do?
• Do they enjoy being a pirate? Do they like their role on the ship?
• What is their attitude towards other pirates? Other sailers? What about people on land?
• What crimes are they willing to commit? What lines will they not cross?
• Do they have any traumas related to life at sea? What about traumas they may be running away from by sailing out to sea?
• Do they have anything they are afraid of, whether related to piracy or not?
• Do they feel bad about what they do sometimes? Why? How do they justify their continued behavior?
• Are they jealous of other crewmates? Why?
• What is their favorite part of being a pirate? What is their least favorite?
• What kinds of weapons do they prefer to use?
• Do they have a retirement plan? What is it?

What Did Pirates Eat?

Naturally, being out to sea meant that pirates didn’t have a lot of access to a variety of food. Long voyages would often leave crew members malnourished and sick, with many of them suffering from “scurvy” (a condition now known to be caused by a vitamin C deficiency). With that said, a crew’s diet could vary wildly depending on many factors, including how long they had been out to sea, the size of the ship, and when they last plundered a merchant ship. 

At the start of a voyage, a pirate vessel would be stocked not only with nonperishable provisions but also whatever perishable food could be consumed in two weeks’ time. Those first weeks of an expedition were often treated like a celebration, with pirates feasting on roast meats, cheese, bread, fresh fruit, and vegetables. 

As a voyage progressed, a pirate could expect their meals to look more like hardtack, beans or rice, and shelf-stable staples like jerky and dried fruits—although those last two options often spoiled anyway due to the high-moisture environment. Some larger ships also kept livestock like goats or chickens on board, opting to feed them their grain in exchange for the fresh eggs and milk—and eventually meat—that they would produce. 

Although pirates were out to sea, and surrounded by a vast resource of fresh fish, they actually ate a lot less fish than you might expect. Fishing was time-consuming, and it often didn’t produce enough food to justify the time required. One exception to this is with sea turtles. Pirates would go out of their way to hunt sea turtles to eat since they were large and nutritious, and could stay alive for weeks at a time on board the ship, thus staying fresh. 

Pirates didn’t often go too long without a good meal, however. Since their primary targets were merchant ships, which would embark on much shorter voyages than pirate ships, they would often be able to plunder much fresher foods from their victims. When pirates would celebrate a victory against a merchant ship, their victory feast would include the stolen rations that had been brought aboard. 

What is Scurvy?

Pirates were no strangers to diseases, but no affliction was more feared than the dreaded “scurvy.” At the time, no one understood what caused it. They only knew that it affected almost exclusively sailers. Nowadays, we understand that scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet, so it made sense that sailors who didn’t have a lot of fresh fruit on hand would be the most impacted. 

The first signs that a pirate had come down with scurvy would be fatigue, joint pain, and irritability, although these signs probably got overlooked frequently since the nature of a pirate’s daily life would likely make them irritable and sore anyway. As the disease progressed, however, it would become very difficult to ignore. 

Over time, the disease would result in rough, scaly patches on the skin, bleeding gums, swollen legs, and poor wound healing (or a complete inability to heal). From then on, the symptoms would become debilitating, with teeth falling out, frequent bleeding under the skin leaving dark, reddish-purple blotches across the body, and, most horrifying, years-old scars opening up again like fresh wounds. Naturally, for pirates that lead dangerous lives fighting at sea, old scars opening up again could kill a man outright. 

The cure for scurvy—eating more fresh fruits and vegetables—was not formally discovered until after the golden age of piracy came to an end.

Although scurvy was feared on pirate ships across the sea, pirates were significantly less affected by it compared to other sailors—particularly those on navy ships. Pirates would plunder fresh foods off of merchant ships, and would often make stops at tropical islands on which they could acquire more fresh fruit and thus, unknowingly, stave off the disease. 

Pirate Weaponry

Although stories abound about successful pirates returning to shore with mountains of plundered gold, the reality was that most pirates were not remotely wealthy. When it came time to arm themselves for a fight, a lot of their weapons looked a lot like… well, sticks. 

Pirate Melee Weapons

Sticks and clubs were a common choice for arming large groups of pirates, especially for new crews, and they could still make pretty effective weapons. Other common choices were halberds (long polearms with an axe blade near the end), axes, spears, pikes, machetes, throwing knives, and long knives. Most iconic of the pirate melee weapons, however, was the notorious cutlass—a short curved saber with an ornate hand guard. The cutlass was so iconic that depictions of a classic pirate wouldn’t seem complete until the weapon was included at their side. 

Aside from melee weapons, pirates used a variety of projectiles to kill their enemies from a distance, including handguns, grenades, and cannons. 

Pirate Handguns

Handguns were far from being elegant technology at this point, and although they weren’t exactly reliable, they saw a lot of use throughout the Golden Age of Piracy. One of the more popular choices for firearms was a flintlock musket, with part of the barrel sawed off to make it a shorter and more close-range weapon.

These weapons could only be fired once before they had to be manually, and laboriously, reloaded. In addition to that, these weapons were prone to misfiring, exploding, and malfunctioning. To combat some of these shortcomings, some pirates strapped multiple loaded guns to their bodies, so they could afford to fire off multiple shots in a single battle. 

Pirate Grenades

Pirate grenades bore little resemblance to the grenades used in modern warfare, but they were still quite devastating weapons. These grenades (also sometimes called “fireballs”) were made using a glass bottle that was filled with gunpowder and lead shot (or whatever random metal shrapnel would fit in the bottle). A fuse could be fed into the neck of the bottle, allowing it to be lit, thrown, and detonated.

Sometimes improvised containers—such as coconuts—were used, though they were markedly less deadly than glass and lead grenades.

Pirate Cannons

Cannons were a hallmark of any successful pirate vessel, but they were able to shoot much more than just cannonballs. Despite their shortcomings of being unreliable, difficult to aim, and dangerous to use, cannons were remarkably versatile. Different kinds of ammunition could be loaded into the cannons depending on the situation.

Regular cannonballs were the best choice for long-range fights and wanton destruction, since a solid 30-pound sphere of iron could fly far and destroy anything in its path. However, if the pirates wanted to board the ship to steal whatever it had on board, then sinking it was not ideal.

In that case, bar-shot (two cannonballs connected with an iron bar in the middle) or chain-shot (two cannonballs connected with a chain) were selected. These types of ammunition would spin upon exiting the cannon and were used to destroy the masts and sails of the opposing ship to prevent retreat. This way, the ship’s hull would not be damaged, allowing the pirates on board. However, if the pirates needed the ship intact to turn it into a pirate vessel for their fleet, then destroying the masts and sails was also not ideal. 

Grapeshot was the ammunition of choice for pirates who wanted a swift end to a fight without compromising much of the ship’s integrity. Grapeshot comprised of many smaller iron spheres packed tightly together in a canvas bag. Once fired, the bag would burn away, letting the small projectiles spread out and cover a wider area. These small projectiles were naturally devastating to human bodies but resulted in only small holes in the ship that would be easy to plug and repair. In this way, the other humans on the opposing ship could be cleared away, and their ship could remain in seafaring condition. 

How to Write a Pirate Sword Fight

Swordfights are an iconic part of any good pirate story, yet writing a swordfight (or any fight, for that matter) is notoriously difficult. 

The thing to keep in mind when writing a swordfight is that research has to be your first step. Understanding the kinds of weapons your characters are using and how they are used is essential in not only keeping the fight realistic but also conveying what is going on. Learn the terminology to describe the specific moves you want the characters to make (lunge, fade, parry, pivot, deflect, etc), and make sure that the moves don’t conflict with the kinds of weapons the characters are wielding. A cutlass is a slashing weapon that doesn’t work well for stabbing, whereas a rapier is used for thrusting and stabbing and wouldn’t do much damage at all if used to slash. 

Making the fight mean something is an important element in keeping readers engaged. Are the characters merely fighting for the sake of treasure, or is there something else on the line? Is a character trying to prove themself or overcome something? Are they facing off against someone important, or someone who scares them? Are they using a weapon they’ve never handled before? Are they defending someone else? These motivations can give you dialogue or thoughts to work with to weave between actions and slow the pacing down. 

Pacing is extremely important in a fight scene. You don’t want it to be over too fast, but you also don’t want it to drag on. If several paragraphs in a row are consistently high-energy, it will be tiring to read, but the opposite can be equally fatiguing. You’ll need to alternate between fast-paced descriptions of action and slowed-down moments of analysis, observation, or reflection. You need to give your characters time in between attacks to adjust their footing, analyze their opponent, catch their breath, and contend with their own emotions. Take a moment to describe the sweat gliding down their skin, the feeling of their heartbeat as they wait anxiously to react to the next attack, or the character’s thoughts and anxieties. Draw the readers into the scene by adding details like a character being able to see their breath in the cold weather, feel their clothes whip around in the wind, or hear the crashing of the waves against the side of the ship—then interrupt this imagery with a stark and sudden reminder that the character’s life is presently in danger. 

It’s also important to balance physical realism with excitement and drama. Realistically, a person who takes a saber slash to the chest would be so incapacitated that staying conscious would be a struggle, and continuing to fight would be impossible. However, in fiction, a fight isn’t as satisfying to readers if there isn’t a little drama, and a character having the resolve and stamina to continue a fight (and even win) after enduring a devastating wound is much more exciting. Too strict of an adherence to realism could be boring, but too much drama and disregard for physical limitations could actually make readers care less about the characters involved. Balance this carefully, and be sure to properly address and describe the characters’ wounds after the fight.

For some help in describing wounds like those sustained in a swordfight, you might want to check out another article: Writing About Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruises.

How to Keep the Setting Interesting In a Pirate Story 

Pirate stories often run into an issue that most other stories don’t, which is that their setting is rather stagnant. A lot of the story has the potential to take place on a ship in the middle of the ocean, and after a while, that can get a little dull. Here are some suggestions for keeping the story from being held back by this.

Include multiple locations the ship can stop at. There are many options for different settings in a pirate story, such as other ships that are being invaded, port cities, islands, and, depending on your story, even the bottom of the sea. Make sure there are intermissions throughout your story where the characters can move around and experience a change of scene. If that isn’t possible, you can create a similar effect through the use of flashbacks, memories, dreams, or even temporarily switching perspective to a relevant character somewhere else. 

If you take the flashback route, make sure you read this article to avoid making common mistakes: How to Write a Flashback in Your Story.

Focus on conflict between crewmates, interpersonal struggles, and day-to-day mistakes. Even in restricted settings, stories that heavily feature characters’ emotions and relationships can still be really successful. Show how the characters interact, highlight any tensions between them, and bring attention to different crewmates’ behaviors—especially if their behavior could foreshadow a future event. In addition to foreshadowing and keeping interest, this strategy also often makes characters feel more alive and relatable, which can keep readers more invested long-term.

Finally, don’t be afraid to skip over long periods of travel. Don’t feel pressured to show readers everything in every scene. Sometimes it is better to cut a scene short and move on, or risk leaving readers behind on a maritime road trip. 

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Avast ye! It’s time to set sail. May ye have fair winds ever and always, mateys.

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but creating a character for a roleplay (be that text-based, tabletop, LARP, or anything else) requires a different set of rules than other characters. The reason for this is that you have an obligation to make your character a cohesive part of a collaborative story, and if you don’t keep that in mind, you can end up with a character that stalls the plot, creates unnecessary conflict, or even upsets your roleplay partners (perhaps to the degree that they stop playing). 

Of course, you will also need to make sure you have the foundations of a character—backstory, appearance, personality, etc. Be sure to check out How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique if you aren’t sure how to get started.

 Aside from that, however, you also need to keep these other points in mind. 

Give Them a Balance of Positive and Negative Traits

Okay, I know I just said that you need to use different rules for creating RP characters, and this is the quintessential rule of writing any character. Bear with me. 

You should give all of your characters flaws. I have another article that talks about why, so I won’t get into it here. (How to Create Complex Flaws for Characters.) However, when creating a character for a roleplay, it’s really important to make sure your character has a balance of good and bad behaviors. 

Positive traits give your RP partner’s character opportunities to connect with your character, which is often necessary to further the plot. It can also lead to important relationship developments, interesting conversations, and more. 

Negative traits create necessary conflict and interest, while also providing opportunities for the character’s personal growth and development. Often, negative traits or mindsets can be the driving force behind a plot, such as a desire for revenge, fleeing from one’s past, or the pursuit of wealth. 

Make Them Possible to Get Along With

This should go without saying, but I have been part of many roleplays where the other person’s character was impossible to get along with, and I had to warp my character’s personality substantially in order to accommodate them. Making your character possible to get along with in some way is absolutely instrumental, and it should be at the front of your mind the entire time you are designing your character. 

Even if your character is supposed to be the cold, calculating asshole archetype, you need to have some sort of obvious way of allowing other characters to interact with them—otherwise, it will be hard to justify having the other characters stick around. Give them a clear soft spot for something, an indication of where their negativity stems from, a common goal with other characters, or some other sense of being a decent (or at least okay) person to be around. If your partner’s character just can’t get along with your character no matter what they try, that isn’t going to be any fun, and having fun is the whole point. 

Give Them a Goal that Aligns with the Main Plot

Even if your character is hard to get along with, they should have a goal that aligns with the goals of the other character (or characters). Even if that goal is simply “escape alive” or “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Keeping the main plot in mind can make it easier to craft common goals for different characters in a roleplay. If you have a structured plot laid out already, like the characters rising up against a dystopian regime, then you can build your character around their motivations to rebel. If everyone abides by this, then all the characters will be more inclined to work together, even if they don’t like each other (yet). 

However, characters can have different goals that lead them to the same place. Three different characters can all arrive at a historical site for different reasons—one wants to rob the place, another wants to gain insight into their family’s past, and another simply visits as a tourist. Even though they arrive with different objectives, they could all end up getting dragged into the same shenanigans. 

Give Them Secrets

Secrets are so often tragically overlooked in roleplays. Giving other players the opportunity to discover things along the way, instead of telling them everything upfront, can help keep everyone intrigued and inspired to continue the story. 

Having your character keep secrets from other characters is also more realistic. Most people don’t spill their deepest regrets or traumas to strangers they just met, nor do people generally share their hopes and aspirations with people they have to work begrudgingly alongside. 

If the character is keeping something secret, and it is not essential for your RP partners to know right away, then you should keep it a secret from them until you can reveal it in a more meaningful way. 

Don’t Make Them Overpowered

One of the main things that makes roleplay fun is the problem-solving aspect of it. Characters will often have to figure out how to survive a fight, investigate something, or escape various different situations—and you, as the writer, have to determine what reaction would most accurately reflect what your character would do, even if that isn’t the obvious best choice. The characters’ varied limitations and capabilities often result in unique solutions (or additional problems) that can highlight a lot of things about the characters as individuals, their relationship to one another, and what matters to each of them. 

However, there exists a problem in the roleplaying community known as “god modding,” in which one player tries to exert complete control over a scene by allowing their character to act without logical limitations or boundaries—essentially operating with “godlike” powers. Naturally, it’s no fun for other players if your character solves all problems with their mega super-powered black magic. Be courteous, and apply limits to what your character is capable of. 

Communicate With Your Roleplay Partner(s)

No matter what, the most important part of creating a character for a roleplay is communicating with your RP partner/s. You may set certain rules and expectations, communicate about triggering topics, or even share ideas. You could also use this opportunity to establish existing relationships or converse about what the characters already know about one another.

You absolutely never want to give characters backstory that contains triggering topics for your partner. You should also never give your character magical abilities without that being discussed beforehand. You should never make your character a species that hasn’t been confirmed to even exist in the context in which the story takes place. 

With all that said, as long as you and your partner/s agree on what should and shouldn’t be included in the story, nothing is off the table. If you want to have alien superhero characters that hate each other, and you both understand what that entails, then absolutely go for it. 

Sarcasm can be an essential part of giving a character distinct personality and speech patterns, but it’s not exactly the easiest thing to convey in writing. After all, much of what makes sarcasm recognizable is the tone of voice a person uses. Without that, a character’s dialogue can come across as confused, aggressive, or just downright mean, when the character is supposed to sound playful instead. 

Thankfully, you don’t need to turn your story into an audiobook just so readers can pick up on a character’s sarcasm. There are several tricks you can employ to give readers all the information they need to understand how characters communicate beyond the words they say. 

Dialogue Tags

Dialogue tags are a quick and easy way to give readers an indication of how a character is speaking without drawing a lot of attention to it. You don’t always need to saturate your work with flowery descriptive language—in fact, in fast-paced scenes, it’s better to get the information out there and move on so you don’t ruin the scene’s momentum. In an action scene, it’s better to simply state the character said something sarcastically than to make readers play a convoluted guessing game about the character’s tone when it probably isn’t instrumental to the plot. 

With that said, don’t go overboard. If your story has too many dialogue tags, it’ll read more like a script, and you’ll have a harder time keeping readers’ attention. Relying too heavily on adverbs all the time is also generally seen as lazy writing.

Body language

Body language is one of the key ways you can tip readers off to a character’s sarcasm. By simply having a character roll their eyes or gesture exaggeratedly, you can tell readers that the character isn’t being genuine without wasting a whole lot of space on the page. 

Using body language also allows you to “show, not tell” how the character is feeling. Rather than telling readers that the character is being sarcastic, you can illustrate that through their movements. If you’ve done this well, it’ll end up being a much more authentic experience for readers.

For tips on writing body language well, you can check out another one of my articles: Writing Body Language: Bringing Your Characters to Life.

For information on “Show, Don’t Tell,” be sure to check out: Show, Don’t Tell: What It Is and How to Use It (With Examples).

Action Beats

Action beats are by far my favorite technique when writing dialogue for any situation, but it is especially helpful when writing sarcasm. Action beats combine the ideas of dialogue tags and body language, allowing you to get the benefits of both simultaneously. 

Rather than using the tag “Mark said sarcastically,” you can instead use an action beat: “Mark rolled his eyes.” You still indicate who is speaking, and you show how he is emoting. Additionally, the action beat doesn’t take up any more space than the traditional dialogue tag.

If you intend to use action beats in your story, make sure you know how to format them properly. My article Action Beats: What They Are and How to Use Them can help. 

Emphasis

Another way you can indicate a sarcastic tone in dialogue is by changing the way you write it. People naturally emphasize certain words as they are speaking, but when people are being sarcastic, their tone generally shifts, and they will emphasize different words. You can indicate emphasis using italics in writing.

Here are some examples of what it looks like to indicate sarcasm with italics:

• “Oh, I definitely won’t do that.” 
• “I am being so careful.”
• “Well, aren’t you smart?”
• “Yup. That’s me, the athlete.”
• “Yeah, give me a sec. I’ll just run to the nearest island.”

Other Characters

Other characters can also be a tool that you utilize to control readers’ perception of a scene. The way other characters respond to a sarcastic comment will clue readers in to the words’ true meaning. If characters respond to a comment genuinely, readers will take the words at face value. If other characters get offended, snap back, or make their own sarcastic comment in response, then readers will be more likely to pick up on the sarcasm in what the first character says. 

In other words, you can use the reactions of other characters to give readers the context that they are missing. Oftentimes, a well-placed “smartass” can be all that needs to be said for readers to understand. 

Some Parting Tips

Of course, there are times when it is not a good idea to have characters being sarcastic. Sure, everyone loves a snarky protagonist, but sometimes it’s better to be clear even if you have to sacrifice a little bit of personal flair. Making sure your story flows well and readers can follow what is going on is more important than a little comedic relief. 

It’s also important to keep in mind that most people are not completely sarcastic all the time. Characters that do behave like this will give readers the impression that they have something to hide—whether that’s their true self, a dark secret, or simply more vulnerable emotions. Of course, you can use this to your advantage. Also, if a consistently sarcastic character suddenly gets serious, that can add a lot of suspense to whatever situation elicits this reaction from them. 

Finally, regardless of how you decide to handle writing sarcasm, be sure you get beta readers. Getting the opinions of other people before your story gets officially released to the public can really help you iron out any misunderstandings in the sarcastic character’s dialogue.

Good luck!

Many professional writers and editors love to hate narrative summaries—dubbing it “info dumping.” There’s good reason to be wary of the overuse of narrative summary, but people tend to overlook its applications. As with any writing technique, a thorough understanding of how and when to utilize narrative summaries can help you add depth to your stories.

Tread carefully, however. Misusing narrative summaries can have the opposite effect, leaving your story dull and lifeless. 

What Is Narrative Summary?

In fiction, “narrative summary” describes the process of providing a lot of information in as few words as possible. In order to achieve this, certain things such as dialogue, emotions, and overly flowery descriptions are cut out, leaving only a synopsis of the information the reader needs to know.

Narrative summary operates like the opposite of the principle of “show, don’t tell,” since the entire point is to summarize what you need to explain briefly and efficiently. 

Aren’t Narrative Summaries Boring?

Narrative summaries are often criticized for being dull, and that can certainly happen. However, there’s a (not so) secret trick you can employ to make your narrative summaries feel more like an integrated part of the story. 

What’s the trick? Narrative summaries need details. 

Spending a line or two to ground readers in a scene can help them imagine what is happening, and keep them engaged for longer. Even if a detail doesn’t seem important (such as a bird singing outside the window, the pattern of sunlight on the floor, or the smell of a musky cologne) including the right one can help establish the mood of the scene without stating it explicitly, and highlight the things that characters within the scene notice and/or care about. In this way, your narrative summary can achieve something beyond what you see at face value—namely adding characterization and humanity to the characters in the scene. 

Keep in mind that, although details are important, adding too many can slow the story’s momentum down too much and make the summary drag on. You want to make sure you include enough details to support the summary, but not so many that it ruins the pacing. This is where beta readers can really come in handy since it can be hard to grasp how well your story is paced when you spend hours and hours writing a scene that someone will read in ten minutes. 

How to Write a Narrative Summary

At its core, narrative summaries are straightforward descriptions. You should start with an objective account of what you want to summarize first, and build off of that. If you want to summarize a scene in which a person is followed home from their nightshift job, for example, then you should start by writing the essential points out.

I left work at 3:24 a.m., even though my shift was supposed to end at 3. When I left to go home, I noticed the only other car on the road following me home. 

In the example above, you have the bare skeleton of a narrative summary. You know what you want to happen, but there isn’t enough information here to make it interesting. At this point, you would start including details to make the summary more fun to read.

My shift got out at 3 a.m., but I didn’t leave until 3:24. A customer had spilled their soda across a display of single-serving chip bags, and I told my coworker I would stay behind to clean it up. The sticky beverage proved difficult to clean off the rack, so by the time I left, the roads were empty and quiet. Even the Taco Bell across the street had closed its drive-through. It wasn’t until I was almost home that I noticed the car coasting behind me with its headlights off, completely shrouded in darkness. 

Writing this same situation out as a scene instead of a summary could take several pages or even an entire chapter. As a narrative summary, however, it works to not only summarize the information quickly but also build suspense by reading more like a personal account of the character’s experiences. 

When to Use Narrative Summaries

Narrative summary is a vital part of writing fiction, and it is especially important in fantasy and science fiction genres. However, a story that consists of only narrative summaries tends to be a bit dry and uninteresting. Without emotional scenes and gripping dialogue, characters tend to be a lot harder to relate to, after all. As such, much of the challenge of writing narrative summaries comes from knowing when to use them, and when to utilize other techniques. 

Every story needs a balance of narration and scenic storytelling. The balance may be different depending on the story and the genre, but both are required for creating comprehensive and engaging stories. If there’s too much summary, the story will be boring and hard to relate to, but if there isn’t enough summary, the story could end up stalling and being pretty exhausting to read.

Although there is no perfect formula, there are several situations in which it makes more sense to utilize narrative summary than any other strategy. Remember that exceptions exist for all of these points. These situations are:

• Major transitions. When you transition between major scenes, you don’t generally need to draw attention to every little detail in the environment. You don’t need to focus on the characters’ emotions, the decor, or the mood of a scene that is coming to a close—you just need to end the scene and establish what readers need to know about the next one. 
• Prologues. Prologues provide information about a story before it begins, usually in relation to characters, world history, lore, or recurring plot points. As you can imagine, they are generally objective and informative, necessitating the use of narrative summaries. 
• History. When characters (or narrators) provide information about the past, it is generally told in a straightforward way. Only the information that is necessary to understand is shared, so characters (and readers alike) can get on with the story in the present. 
• Explanations. Whether you’re describing a character’s job duties or going over the properties of a specific herb, it’s usually best to do so quickly. 
• A complex setting. When it is important for readers to know specific things about a location’s layout or features, establishing the setting with a narrative summary can help. There will be fewer distractions to interfere with readers’ ability to understand and remember important details. 
• The “boring parts.” Every story has them. You can utilize narrative summaries to skip through parts that are important for context but not very interesting to read at length. 

When NOT to Use Narrative Summaries 

With that said, there are several situations in which it is generally ill-advised to use narrative summaries. Scenes that are intended to be meaningful or emotional should never be told in an objective, informative way. In these situations, it is better to utilize the idea of “show, don’t tell.” 

These situations are:

• Flashbacks
• Character introductions
• Character interactions and conversations
• Meaningful settings, objects, and actions
• Big events
• Emotional scenes
• Action scenes
• And more

Any time you feel inclined to tell readers how to feel about a situation, you should probably show them instead. With narrative summary and “show, don’t tell” being functional opposites, it can help to have a thorough understanding of how the latter works as well. Be sure to check out Show, Don’t Tell: What It Is and How to Use It (With Examples) next!

ADHD is one of the most prevalent mental disorders in the world, but despite this, storytellers only seem to rely on inaccurate stereotypes when crafting characters with ADHD. If you want to write a character with ADHD, taking the time to understand the disorder is the first step towards writing about it authentically. 

Like the article about Autism, this topic is personal to me since I have this disorder myself. Seeing offensive portrayals of ADHD in mainstream media is unfortunately commonplace, but if you’ve made it to this article, you’re already a step ahead of those stories.

What is ADHD?

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences in communication, behavior, and experiences. “Neurodevelopmental” means this is a disorder present from birth. It cannot be cured, nor can it be acquired later in life. It is not a disorder that only affects children.

Individuals with ADHD can be categorized as having Inattentive Type, Hyperactive Type, or Combined Type ADHD, however, this is debated a lot in ADHD communities for being generally inaccurate and unhelpful categorization. 

What Causes ADHD?

ADHD is thought to be caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters and receptors in the brain, resulting in deficiencies of dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.

• Dopamine controls the reward center of the brain. This is what makes people feel a sense of accomplishment for finishing a task, which in turn motivates someone to start, stay focused on, and actually finish things. 
• Serotonin regulates internal processes, such as sleep and digestion, but it also plays a large role in controlling emotions and creating a sense of relaxation or pleasure. 
• Norepinephrine regulates cognitive function and stress reactions. It works closely with Epinephrine, another kind of neurotransmitter that triggers the stress response commonly referred to as “fight or flight.” 

Although this might sound a bit convoluted for an article about writing ADHD characters, this explanation is important for understanding how ADHD affects a person’s brain. Knowing a list of symptoms and behaviors is not going to help you if you don’t understand the processes behind them.

As you can probably guess from the explanation above, ADHD is much more complicated than just being inattentive and hyperactive. 

What is ADD?

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is an outdated term to refer to the idea of “Inattentive ADHD.” It is no longer used in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM 5).

The label is no longer used because researchers learned more about ADHD over time, and have come to discover that ADD and ADHD are the same exact condition. ADHD, like all complex disorders, affects people differently, and having a different diagnostic label to refer to individuals with a different presentation of the same disorder is not necessary or helpful. 

What is Neurodivergence?

If you’ve done any research about ADHD, you have probably already come across the terms “neurodiversity” and “neurodivergent.” 

“Neurodiversity” describes the idea of disorders like ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) being part of natural human biodiversity.  The neurodiversity movement promotes acceptance of these differences since differing perspectives and ways of thinking can help create a more intelligent, creative, and overall empathetic society. Additionally, the movement highlights the inherent worth of individuals regardless of their abilities, and aims to encourage the development of a more accommodating and respectful world. 

“Neurodivergent” is a term used to describe a person whose brain differs from the structure or function of a “typical” brain. This is generally understood to include neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and ASD, but many others are welcomed under the umbrella term, including those with PTSD, Dyslexia, OCD, and more. 

Some may be inclined to argue about which conditions should or should not be included, but since the movement is about acceptance and celebrating differences, it is against the spirit of the movement to single out or exclude specific mental or neurological conditions. 

Symptoms and behaviors

ADHD is not simply being “bad at listening” and “energetic.” This is a complicated neurodevelopmental disorder, and the list of behaviors and experiences it encompasses is lengthy. In addition to that, it affects people differently, and what is true for one person with ADHD might not apply to another. 

Keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list, nor is there an expectation for your character to have all of these traits. Go through and pick out the behaviors that make sense for your character—don’t just apply the whole list. 

Social

There are quite a few communication differences between Neurotypical (NT) people and those with ADHD. As you can imagine, it is not always easy for NT people and ADHD people to communicate effectively with one another—oftentimes, it results in frustration for both parties.  With that said, those with ADHD are much more likely to connect and get along with other people who share their condition. 

People with ADHD are likely to:

• Talk fast
• Talk loud
• Ramble
• Overshare
• Have trouble knowing when it is their turn to speak
• Rapidly change topics of conversation
• Have many seemingly unrelated thoughts happening in quick succession or simultaneously
• Be socially anxious

There’s one other trait that merits a bit more explanation: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). RSD is defined as a condition in which a person has intense emotional reactions to perceived rejection. Rejection causes the person severe emotional pain, and almost always results in them developing methods of avoiding rejection at all costs—often at the expense of their own quality of life. People with ADHD have a much higher risk of experiencing RSD as a result of ADHD’s impact on emotional regulation.

Emotional

Some people with ADHD experience what is known as “emotional dysregulation,” which is just a more clinical way of saying they aren’t able to process their emotions well, leading to intense emotional outbursts.

Here are some examples of what emotional dysregulation looks like in ADHD:

• Mood swings
• Excitability
• Anger issues
• Low tolerance for frustration
• Low tolerance for boredom
• Difficulty coping with stress
• Crying easily
• Agitation

Another aspect of emotional dysregulation is delayed emotional processing. This means that a person may not know how to feel about a situation they experience until they have had time to think about it—even if a situation is inherently traumatic. They may appear good under pressure or apathetic to what is happening, when in reality, the emotional weight of the situation has not set in yet. This can be good and bad since it makes someone more capable of acting in the moment, but it can also delay healing in situations dealing with grief and emotional pain. 

Mental

As mentioned above, ADHD encompasses a myriad of complex psychological symptoms—aside from hyperactivity and inattention.

Here are some examples of the psychological symptoms a person with ADHD may experience:

• Constant internal dialogue, chatter, music, etc (like constantly having a song stuck in your head)
• Poor working memory
• Brain fog
• Spacing out 
• Impulsiveness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Maladaptive Daydreaming 

With that said, not all psychological differences are negative! In general, people with ADHD also tend to be creative problem-solvers and passionate people. 

Physical

Although ADHD is a mental disorder, it has its fair share of physical symptoms as well. The mind and the body are inextricably linked, and when a person feels mentally unwell, their physical health is certain to follow. 

Here are some examples of what the physical symptoms of ADHD can look like:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Clumsiness
• Fatigue
• Restlessness
• Headaches
• Achiness

Behavioral 

When most people think of ADHD, they tend to think of the behaviors associated with it. Using these behaviors for your character will be the most obvious way to indicate that they have ADHD, but don’t neglect the other sections of this article. A comprehensive understanding of the condition is required to portray it authentically. 

A lot of the behaviors associated with ADHD are dictated by a need for stimulation—generally meaning sensory information. Here’s what that looks like:

• Difficulty in waiting for things
• Fidgeting
• Inability to stay seated or sit normally
• Lack of organization
• Picky eating
• Extreme attention to detail
• Perfectionism
• Inclination to multitask

And finally…

• Stimming. “Stimming” is shorthand for “self-stimulating behaviors,” and it references any behavior that a person utilizes to increase their overall level of stimulation. This is most often stereotyped as the hand flapping associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but the list of behaviors that qualify as stims is endless. Stimming can look like bouncing a leg, swaying back and forth, humming, twirling, pacing, touching something textured, staring at music visualizers, chewing on things, and so so much more.

Other ADHD behaviors are dictated by a need for immediate gratification, since, remember, the condition is characterized by a deficit in the neurotransmitters that induce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. Here’s what that looks like:

• Novelty-seeking or thrill-seeking behaviors 
• Procrastination
• Overeating
• Promiscuity
• Impulse spending
• Extreme lack of attention to detail
• Starting and abandoning hobbies suddenly
• Substance abuse and addiction

Notice that some of the points in each list are opposites. This is because the condition not only affects people differently but also presents differently depending on the context. A person may approach stocking grocery store shelves at work with perfection in mind, but keep their desk at home a cluttered disaster. Similarly, a person may be a picky eater, but when faced with one of their favorite foods, will eat in excess. Keep this nuance in mind. 

Sensory

As you can probably guess from reading through the sections above, ADHD has a lot to do with managing sensory stimuli. In general, understimulation is the default for people with ADHD, and their behaviors reflect an effort to take in more stimuli.

However, to complicate things, many people with ADHD also have something called “Sensory Processing Disorder” (SPD), which makes a person much more sensitive to stimuli that a normal person would not be bothered by. This can result in a person swinging rapidly from understimulation to overstimulation. Additionally, SPD can interfere with a person’s ability to decipher stimuli that they take in. Here are some examples of what this looks like:

• Inability to understand words spoken aloud, despite having no hearing loss
• Tendency to hear sounds other people cannot
• Inability to ignore or dismiss background noise
• Inability to focus when multiple people are talking at once (such as in a public space like a grocery store or stadium) 
• Extreme reactions to loud sounds, bad smells, unpleasant taste, certain textures, and bright lights
• Inability to tolerate things like tags in shirts, hair in their face, or substances on their hands/skin
• Heightened appreciation for pleasant sensations, like swimming, petting a soft cat, or listening to music
• Difficulty in recognizing bodily cues, such as when to get up and stretch, when to use the restroom, and when they are hungry
• Delayed processing, such as requiring more time to think about something they see or hear in order to understand it

Executive Functioning

The phrase “executive function” refers to the skills associated with the completion of tasks—both mundane and significant. These skills are things such as planning, organizing, managing time and expectations, scheduling, self-motivation, memory, and self-control.

People with ADHD have impaired executive functioning because, as mentioned above, the condition results in part from a deficit of dopamine—the neurotransmitter responsible for satisfaction and accomplishment. People feel incentivized to complete tasks because of the sense of accomplishment that follows, but in a dopamine-deficient brain (like those with ADHD), that sense of accomplishment never comes. The person with ADHD must endure an unpleasant task with none of the neurochemical reward that NT people expect. Doing something as simple as unloading a dishwasher can feel comparable to voluntarily placing one’s hand on a hot stove burner—as in, the activity is unpleasant and there is no inherent biological point to it. 

Executive dysfunction in ADHD looks like:

• Disorganization
• Trouble multitasking (or, inability to focus without multitasking)
• Trouble focusing
• Poor Time management skills
• Poor memory
• Being easily distracted
• No attention to detail
• Frequently losing things
• Poor planning
• Trouble starting tasks
• Trouble prioritizing tasks
• Trouble following through with tasks 
• Procrastination
• Starting many tasks but not finishing most of them
• Working well under pressure
• Time anxiety
• Work momentum (difficulty getting started and difficulty disengaging)]
• Losing all ability to continue working if attention is broken (such as a coworker approaching with a question) 

And finally… 

• “Waiting mode.” Waiting mode is at the intersection of anxiety, time blindness, and executive dysfunction. It describes the phenomenon of a single scheduled activity (such as a phone call, appointment, party, etc) stopping any and all productivity prior to the event. Rather than doing other things in the meantime, people with ADHD can find it nearly impossible to start something else, even if their appointment isn’t for another 5 hours, which results in them simply waiting… for the entire 5 hours. Naturally, this is one of the most frustrating parts of ADHD, since, as mentioned above, waiting is very taxing for people with the condition. 

Hyperfocus

One of the reasons why “waiting mode” happens is because of a behavior known as hyperfocus.

When a person with ADHD engages in a task that is particularly interesting and stimulating, they can slip into a state of focus that completely tunes out all thoughts not relating to the task in question. This includes bodily cues of pain, discomfort, hunger, tiredness, and more. A person may not have any awareness of the passage of time, even if the room gets dark around them with the setting sun (as long as the change in light doesn’t interfere with their activity, like ones that involve screens). The instant their focus is broken, they will become suddenly aware of all the bodily cues they missed while absorbed in the activity. 

A person’s awareness of their tendency to hyperfocus on things can trigger anxiety about losing track of time, which helps explain why they avoid engaging in activities if they have a scheduled event later in the day. Hyperfocus also explains why people with ADHD are so prone to forgetting things and burning their food when cooking.

Additionally, people with ADHD often have hyperfixations similar to Autistic special interests. Unlike special interests, however, fixations are often short-lived, with new interests being picked up and abandoned according to a person’s whims. For the brief (or not so brief) period of time a person engages with a fixation, it will be their entire world. It will seem like the only thing the person can talk about, and it will be the only thing they want to engage with in their free time (or even when they are supposed to be working. Like… on an article for their website, for example…).

Hyperfixations can be vague or broad, and just about anything you can think of qualifies—such as learning an instrument or language, creating some new kind of art, learning to skateboard, collecting something, playing a game, obsessing over a specific character or actor, and more. In fact, it’s pretty common for a person with ADHD to purchase all the equipment they need for a new fixation only to lose interest in it after a little while. (I haven’t opened my guitar case in years…)

If you are making a character with ADHD for your story, you need to consider what their current hyperfixations are, and what kinds of things can trigger hyperfocus. For some people, they may get sucked into scrolling social media easily, whereas someone else may easily slip into hyperfocus when reading articles about history. Another person could zone out often and hyperfocus on their own thoughts or imagination. Likewise, a person’s current fixations are a large part of their life, so neglecting to consider what a character is fixated on would be like neglecting an entire aspect of their personality.

Masking

“Masking” is the behavior of hiding one’s true self in order to appear more socially acceptable. For people with neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and ASD, this usually means hiding their symptoms and unusual behaviors, often to a detrimental extent. People have a variety of reasons for masking, but the most prevalent reasons are to avoid stigma and feel more accepted within peer groups. 

There are many different strategies people employ when masking. Even if a person is unaware of their disorder, they will often instinctively utilize these strategies based on the reactions of people around them.

Here’s a brief explanation of some of the different masking strategies:

• Mirroring describes the behavior of mimicking other people’s mannerisms in conversation in an effort to “fit in.” A person can use a “mirror” in the same way an actor plays a character, and they will likely develop different ones for different people they interact with. This can, of course, get rather messy when a person is faced with many people in a group. A type of mirroring can also occur when a person adopts the personality or traits of a person or character they resonate with from tv. 
• Scripting is the process of developing go-to phrases to use in conversation, or practiced answers to common questions like “how are you?” and “what did you do today?” If a person has something they want to share with someone else, they may also practice saying what they want to say—usually while looking at their own reflection. 
• Overcompensating is fairly self-descriptive. A person with a neurodevelopmental disorder may have to work twice as hard as someone else to achieve the same outcome, and then lie about what they suffered to achieve that. 

Aside from those strategies, there are thousands of tiny ways a person may police their behavior in order to be seen as “normal.” They can repress stims, make assumptions about things they didn’t hear or understand someone saying, lie about how they feel, and gaslight themself by invalidating their emotions.

To be clear, masking is not the same as learning emotional regulation strategies or communication skills. Masking is self-sabotaging behavior stemming from shame and stigma, all because harmful expectations are projected onto someone whose brain works differently from the majority.

Comorbid Conditions 

Like with many neurodevelopmental disorders, ADHD commonly occurs alongside other conditions. In fact, roughly half of all people with ADHD also have another co-occurring condition, and when you consider diagnostic bias and missed diagnoses, that percentage can be presumed to be even higher. 

Although the reason for this isn’t entirely clear, it is theorized that many neurological conditions share a common genetic cause, thus increasing the likelihood of two or more similar disorders co-occurring. Additionally, living with ADHD can make a person more susceptible to traumatic experiences like bullying, ostracization, and abuse, which can lead to the development of further mental health issues. 

Commonly comorbid conditions include:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Learning Disabilities
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
• Anxiety (including Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Panic Disorders, and more)
• Depression
• Anger Disorders (such as Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED))
• Bipolar Disorder
• Tourette Syndrome (TS)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
• Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (cPTSD)
• Eating Disorders (Such as Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) and Binge Eating Disorder)

If you choose to give your character one of these other conditions (or something else not listed here), make sure you do the appropriate research to portray both/all conditions appropriately. 

Tips for Writing a Character with ADHD

Writing a character with any complex disorder (even one that you have yourself) can be daunting. However, if you do the research and just keep a few things in mind while you’re drafting the story, your ADHD character will end up being vibrant and authentic.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• ADHD has positive and negative aspects. A person with ADHD isn’t necessarily going to suffer every day of their life through every situation they encounter. Many of the things that can be bad about the disorder can also be reframed as positive for a different setting or character. A lot of extra energy might make one character restless, but it may give a different character extra spunk and enthusiasm. Hyperfocus could make someone anxious in one setting, or incredibly helpful to the protagonist or story progression. Thrill-seeking behavior could also be a powerful asset in any kind of adventure story.
• Stating the character’s disorder isn’t necessarily…necessary. Although I believe in proudly naming characters’ disorders for the sake of representation, I’ll admit it isn’t always important to bring attention to. If you do everything right, readers who understand the condition should immediately be able to pick up on the character’s distinctly ADHD behaviors—or at least be able to resonate with the character on a personal level. 
• Give the character a sense of self-awareness. Generally, people with ADHD are aware of the behaviors they exhibit, but that doesn’t mean they will be able to change them. They’ll know when they’ve upset someone, interrupted someone, or failed to follow instructions, and generally, they will feel bad about it—and then probably do it again. It’s not something they can help, but I promise you, it bothers them as much as it bothers other people. 
• Have the character subtly fidget frequently. Any time there’s a pause in dialogue, utilize an action beat to draw attention to how the character is moving. Whenever the character is idle, thinking, focusing, or otherwise present in a scene, casually bring attention to their stimming behaviors. You can also use these fidgets to help show how a character is truly feeling beneath a “mask,” since they may rely on specific, comforting stims when upset or frustrated. 
• Exaggerate the character’s reactions to things. Remember that people with ADHD often experience heightened sensations, and their boundless energy often translates to bombastic personalities. Use this to your advantage to create contrast between characters and add emotional depth to scenes. Remember that masking may play a role in how a character projects their emotions, making them exhibit an emotion (or a degree of emotion) that is different from what they truly feel. 
• Don’t be afraid of showing the realities of living with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Ultimately, it is hard to live with something like ADHD. On top of all the stigma, it also simply makes every aspect of life more difficult. It’s okay to show your character getting frustrated with themself, or experiencing hardship as a result of their disorder. Just be sure to give the character positive traits and don’t make them seem like a burden to the other characters. Also, be cautious about not telling a story that is only about ADHD suffering—leave that to someone with personal experience. 
• Center the story around connections between characters. This might sound a little cheesy, but ADHD people function best with a strong and stable support network of people who understand them. Many executive functioning struggles are lessened with the presence of other people since a group creates a sense of community, accountability, and support. ADHD characters will be much more motivated to achieve things on behalf of the group, rather than themself alone. 

Shared Traumas and Experiences for People With ADHD

ADHD is a complex disorder with many different ways it can manifest. With that said, there are a lot of things that many people with ADHD can relate to, and those are important for you to understand in order to highlight your character’s experiences as a person with this condition. 

One of the things everyone with ADHD is (unfortunately) aware of is the presence of diagnostic bias in clinical settings. Like with ASD, ADHD is much more commonly diagnosed in boys as opposed to girls, and much more likely to be diagnosed in children as opposed to adults. Marginalized identities, such as being Black or Queer, can further complicate the pursuit of official diagnosis. 

In addition to that, many people with ADHD have shared experiences in the ways they were raised and treated by peers. Individuals with ADHD are often accused of being lazy, when what they are really experiencing is “ADHD Paralysis” as a result of executive dysfunction. When a person is relentlessly accused of being worthless and lazy (especially during formative years), they can develop incredibly toxic self-image and esteem issues. 

Finally, people with ADHD are taught from a young age that their behaviors are seen as unpleasant, unwanted, and inconvenient for other people. They are taught to change or hide their behaviors, even those that are harmless. Even if the intention behind the words isn’t bad, being told to “sit on your hands” or “stop disrupting others” will inevitably contribute to internalized shame. 

However, not all shared experiences are traumatic. There are many behaviors that ADHD people experience independently that are better described as funny or silly (albeit sometimes only in hindsight). These are things like:

• Pacing around while reading or talking on the phone
• Watching the same movie or playing the same game regularly (usually referred to as a “comfort movie/show/game/etc”)
• Placing an item in a place they couldn’t possibly forget it and then forgetting where it is
• Literally constantly listening to music, leaving the TV on, or otherwise having some distraction playing (even while sleeping)
• Checking the time and still not knowing what time it is
• Burning food while cooking because there are so many things to get distracted by in the few minutes it takes for something to cook
• Never replacing the toilet paper because the moment they start washing their hands, the thought leaves
• Relating to others’ experiences by telling similar personal stories (usually to the dismay of the conversation partner)
• Frequently changing up clothing styles or haircuts 
• Having way too many tabs open at once
• “Out of sight, out of mind” applying to all the fresh produce in the fridge
• Buying something at the store, only to come home and realize there’s already a bottle in the pantry—and then doing the same thing again next time
• Putting things away in the wrong place (like making coffee and then putting the milk in the pantry and the sugar in the fridge)
• Feeling the absolutely irresistible urge to finish other people’s sentences (especially when the topic is exciting!)

And so on and so forth. For more ideas like this, you can check out forums like r/ADHD and other related Reddit forums. 

Avoid Stereotyping Your Character with ADHD

Really this whole section exists to simply say: Don’t use the “ooh look, a squirrel” joke in your story. That’s it. Just don’t do it. 

In all seriousness, it is important to keep in mind that people with ADHD are complex individuals with diverse experiences and personalities. If you’re creating a character with ADHD, you need to approach it the same way you would approach making any other kind of character. They need flaws, history, experiences, culture, passions, goals, and depth. They are so much more than a disorder or a diagnostic label.

For tips on character creation, you can check out some of my other articles!

How to Make Characters Interesting, Complex, and Unique

How to Create Compelling Character Backstories

Character Motivations: The Key to Crafting Believable Characters

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you found this useful. 

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(As an aside… The fact that this article took me 2 years and 3 months to complete is a testament to how Executive Function works. There is nothing I am more passionate about than this blog, and nothing I am more knowledgeable about than my own experiences. AND YET… it still took me THIS LONG to finish this particular article.)

Conflict is the heart and soul of all stories! It drives the plot forward, provides more context to the overall setting, can contribute to complex character development, and, most important of all, it’s what makes a story interesting. 

Generally, when people think of conflict, their minds go to fight scenes, intense arguments, or a deep emotional struggle. These are all fine examples, but there are many many different ways to add conflict to a story. If you want to practice writing a variety of different conflict scenes, then these writing prompts are just what you need!

If you want a more detailed explanation of these different types of conflict, make sure you check out The 4 Main Types of Conflict in Stories (And Variations!)

Person vs Person

• Two characters are going head-to-head in a competition (racing, singing, playing chess, etc), but rather than win honestly, both intend to try to sabotage the other in some way. 
• Two characters are planning their wedding, but they just can’t agree on the details. The points in their argument are relatively trivial, such as what color flowers to get or what kinds of cheese to serve during the after-party, but tensions are high! Is this argument really just about the flowers, or does it foreshadow some bigger disagreements for the lovebirds in the future?
• An assassin has been hired to kill another character, but they didn’t count on the job being this difficult. 
• Two grandparents are arguing about their adult grandchild’s less-than-traditional lifestyle choices. These can be things like getting tattoos, having more than one romantic partner, dressing immodestly, or anything like that. The grandchild can be present for this conversation, or they can be absent—it’s up to you. 
• A character is being mugged at knifepoint by a mugger that looks far younger and more nervous than the character would have expected. 
• Two characters who hate each other have to get along for only one day, so that they can be there to support a mutual friend on their big day (like a birthday, wedding, competition, etc.). 
• A prank that was supposed to be funny goes very, very wrong. 
• A celebrity character barely survives a particularly violent encounter with the paparazzi—or at least, they had thought it was the paparazzi…
• A character is sick and tired of their best friend’s toxic habits. They decide to stage an intervention with the rest of their friend group. What are the terms of the intervention, and more importantly, how does the encounter go? 
• A character has been hired to babysit for a family’s four kids, but as soon as the parents leave, it becomes clear that the children are not as innocent as they pretend to be.
  Kids can be challenging to write, so if you need some tips, be sure to check out A Guide to Writing Child Characters Authentically. 

Person vs Self

• A character decides they need to clean up their space and get rid of their clutter. However, once they start going through the piles, they struggle to part with some of the old trinkets and the sentiments they hold. 
• Write a villain’s origin story, and focus on how the villain tries to justify their thoughts and actions. Do they sometimes struggle with the choices they make, or are they steadfast in their misguided principles? 
• A character is coming to terms with the fact that their gender or sexuality is different from what they thought initially. How do they come to this realization? Are they worried about the reactions of their friends and family? How do they feel about this personal development? 
• A character has to face their phobia. What is it, and how does this go?
  Remember that a phobia is generally irrational and relates to things that are actually harmless. If you want more information on writing about phobias, you can look into Writing About Fears and Phobias.
• A character has to tell a lie, but they feel really bad about it. Even with the intended outcome, they still can’t help but feel guilty about deceiving someone. 
• A character struggling with their mental health tries to come up with new ways to motivate themself to take care of necessities, like getting out of bed, showering, and making dinner. What are some of these strategies, (pretending their life is a simulation game, awarding points for doing chores, talking to a friend while they do stuff, etc), and how well do they work for the character? 
• A character has accidentally killed someone and now has to make a decision about what to do next. Do they report the accident to the authorities, or try to keep it a secret? Do they implicate someone else? Try to hide the body? Do they tell a friend in a desperate bid for help, or do they not trust anyone well enough? Explore their thoughts and how they ultimately come to a decision. 
• A character has lost a large portion of their memory, and it’s likely they’ll never get it back. Now they have to come to terms with their new life, but it isn’t easy to look at old photos and not recognize anything, or have to be introduced to friends they’ve had since childhood all over again.
  Writing about memory loss can be hard, but if you need help, you can reference this other article: How to Write a Character with Amnesia.

Person vs Nature

• An unending snowstorm has swept across most of the globe, blanketing the world with ice. Native wildlife has started dying out everywhere, and society’s regular food sources have been severely impacted. With government rations tapering off and no food to be found foraging, people begin to die out. With no end in sight, only the most daring and innovative individuals have a chance at long-term survival. 
• A group of best friends managed to scrape together enough money for them to go on a cruise ship. However, their perfect vacation turns into a nightmare when the ship sinks (the specifics are up to you, whether it is caused by catastrophic malfunction, striking an object at sea, getting attacked, poor weather conditions, etc). Now, they must survive floating out on the ocean in a raft or lifeboat with only what they managed to grab from their rooms. 
• When the volcano erupted on a small island, everyone expected the initial explosion and subsequent lava spilling into the streets to be the worst part. However, for the survivors, the worst was yet to come. Smoke blacked out the sky and all drinking water was contaminated. Animals died out over time, and the people who stayed in the area had to deal with the health effects of the volcanic gas and ash. Since all boats on the island had been burned up or taken by others during the initial eruption, the survivors have no way to escape. Instead, they must try to find food and clean water, while many of them are dealing with burns and smoke-related illnesses—all while protecting their eyes and lungs from further damage from the toxic compounds in the air.  
• A sinkhole opens up beneath a corporate office, trapping many employees underground. The characters find themselves in a cave, however, and spend some time exploring while they wait for a rescue team to arrive. While underground, they encounter something unexpected. 
• A character decides to go hiking—alone, of course. However, they didn’t plan to encounter an angry bear along the path, and they now have to choose their next moves very carefully. 
• Recently, a bizarre new illness has been spreading across the world. Despite countries’ best efforts to contain the disease, it soon becomes a global emergency. What is this illness like? What are the symptoms, and what about it makes it unique? Try to be as creative as possible, and be sure to reference “How to Create a Fictional Illness for Your Story” if you need help. 

Person vs Society 

• A group of children band together to oppose the oppressive rule of their nanny. In reality, these rules are things such as a reasonable bedtime, no sweets before dinner, and other things of that nature, but the children take their mission very seriously.
• A character is on the run from the law. They claim to have been falsely accused, but are they telling the truth? How do they try to prove their innocence without getting apprehended? 
• A character has recently moved to a new neighborhood, and at first, everything was better than they could have imagined. Their house was a good price, their neighbors are nice, and the area is clean and well-maintained. However, after a few mysterious disappearances go uninvestigated, it becomes clear that the town is hiding a dark secret. 
• In a world where everyone over the age of 60 gets executed, two young characters become increasingly desperate to save their aging parents. They begin to stir a revolution, intent on completely overthrowing their government. 
• One character believes themself to be the ultimate judge of right and wrong, and routinely breaks laws that they disagree with. Explain their reasoning behind the crimes they commit, and why they think they are morally right in their choices. 

Person vs God

• A character discovers they are a prophet—but there’s a problem. They don’t want to have any connections to the divine. They merely want to live a normal life, but they keep getting plagued by prophetic visions. Soon, angels start appearing to them in disguise, urging them to spread the word—but the character remains stubbornly steadfast in their resistance. 
• A group of characters must prevent the awakening of an old god. 
• A group of characters decides to flee from their god to escape the harmful rules and regular sacrifices the god demands. However, escaping from a divine being is far from a simple task. 
• A character gains godly powers for the purpose of overthrowing an unjust deity, only to become the very thing they swore to destroy. 
• A character’s very existence seems to anger their god, despite them not doing anything wrong. Maybe they were conceived in a way that goes against the god’s rules, their parents were sinners, or they’re only half human (and half elf/demon/etc). How do they go about life while incurring divine wrath for simply existing? 
• The gods are sheltered and misguided. They are oblivious to the ways their people suffer. One character embarks on a quest to try to reach these gods, to share the truth with them, and plead for their help. 

It’s hard to write about gods without fully understanding the context these gods exist in. Be sure to check out Creating a Fictional Religion for Your Story if you need help with this part!

Person vs Fate

• A character is able to get a glimpse into the future, but what they see is tragic. Armed with this knowledge, the character must now do everything in their power to change their fate—but it’s futile. It ends up becoming reality anyway, but unexpectedly, the character learns that they had misinterpreted the real meaning of what they saw. 
• A person travels back in time to prevent something from happening. However, they botch it the first time, and the outcome ends up being the same. They travel back in time to try again, but despite doing everything differently this time, the outcome is the same again. No matter how many different things they try, they cannot alter the ultimate end result. 
• A character is told that they are fated to do something, but they are determined not to. However, by trying to prevent this from coming true, they end up accidentally fulfilling it. If they had never known about this fate, they would have acted differently and therefore avoided it. The character’s knowledge of their fate made it inevitable. This is known as a self-fulfilling prophecy. 
• A character visits a psychic to ask about their love life. However, they are shocked to learn that their soul mate is supposedly the one person they despise more than anyone. Over the course of the story, however, the character finds themself overthinking everything they dislike about the other person, and they begin to find those elements kind of… endearing. (As a bonus, the concept of fate could be completely bogus, and the character was just tricked into seeing the good in someone that they hadn’t previously taken the time to understand.)
• A character was always intended to be the “chosen one” (to save the world, embark on a specific quest, etc). What is it about them that makes them special? Is it their lineage or special abilities, or was it simply foretold in a prophecy? How do they end up dealing with all the pressure of these expectations? Do they inevitably become the hero everyone expects them to be, or do they twist the trope and become the villain instead? 

Person vs Supernatural

• A character witnesses a faerie switching their baby out with a changeling. They then embark on a quest to find the faerie and get their real baby back—all the while toting around the magical faerie child they didn’t have the heart to leave behind. 
• In a comedic turn of events, a character ends up accidentally bonding themself to a demon. Now, they must go everywhere together—which can sometimes be hard to explain. 
• Scientists discover bizarre supernatural creatures and keep them locked away in a laboratory, hidden from society. However, at some point, the creatures escape their restraints and spread out through the building. The scientists must subdue the threat or escape alive, facing off against rightfully vengeful creatures that are much stronger than they are. 
• Zombies ended up being a much bigger threat than most people expected. Instead of being slow, shambling, mindless creatures, they’re incredibly fast and agile, and no matter how much they are shot at or injured, it never really seems to stop them. On the plus side, they generally end up mauling their victims far too much for them to become functional threats too, but there is still enough of them to cause widespread mayhem.
  (Psst! If you’ve never tried to write a zombie story before, I highly recommend it! Check out my other article Zombie Writing Prompts and Story Ideas for more!)
• An unknown beast has been ravaging a nearby town. A character has been commissioned by the townspeople (or governor) to track down and kill the beast—but things don’t go exactly according to plan. 
• Aliens have recently decided that humans make the cutest pets, and have started abducting people at alarming rates. 
• A character has always been able to see ghosts. Surprisingly, however, they aren’t a very common sight since most people move on without issue. When they do encounter the dead, it’s usually in a place that makes sense, like a hospital, graveyard, or the site of a past tragedy. Naturally, this makes it all the more unusual when they encounter a spirit in an unexpected place, such as a playground or an amusement park.
  For more ideas like this, check out Writing Prompts About Ghosts.

Person vs Technology

• Characters have to deal with some mundane piece of technology malfunctioning, such as an elevator getting stuck right when the building is supposed to close. 
• A character has always believed that the rise in robot servants would backfire eventually, so they always made sure to treat the robots with respect—a behavior that got them teased by nearly everyone. When the robot uprising does begin, the main character teams up with their robot companion to quell the uprising.
• As technology evolves, companies and governments alike are able to harvest more and more information about their users. Now, no one can get away with anything. Every single thing they do, in public and private, is monitored and recorded. Even their very thoughts can be spectated if they have opted in to using implanted chips that connect their brains to the internet. Your character is part of a guild that lives completely underground without technology. The guild’s ultimate goal is to dismantle the technological dystopia their world has evolved into. 
• A character has to learn how to use a complicated machine under pressure, like making an emergency landing in a plane or disarming a bomb.
• A character is driving across the country on a solo road trip when their car stalls. They can’t get their car running normally again, and they are in a completely unfamiliar city. What do they do when no one seems willing to help them?
• The power goes out right as a student is trying to submit their paper at the last minute. Now they have to rush to the library in the hopes of being able to submit the paper before midnight, but everything seems to be going wrong and slowing them down. They manage to get to the library just before midnight—only to realize they’ve left the flash drive with their paper on it on their desk at home. 
• A character has always been alone and never had any luck with dating or making friends. One day, they stumble upon an AI chatbot and decide to vent their feelings to it. Surprisingly, they receive a thoughtful and sympathetic reply from the AI, and soon, they find themself coming back to chat with it often. Over time, they end up falling in love with this AI, and further isolating themself from society. 

Some Parting Advice

Good stories have more than one kind of conflict occurring at different points in the plot—or at the same time. If you really want a challenge, try combining more than one of these prompts into the same story. It’ll make the story harder to write, but it will create a sense of complexity and depth that will make it much more interesting to read.

Good luck!

Like vampires, werewolves have a special place in the hearts of writers and readers alike. If you want to write about werewolves, but you’re not sure of how to get started, look no further! This list of prompts can help you stir up inspiration for your next story, or you could use them as writing warmups, roleplay inspiration, and more! 

Writing Prompts About Werewolves

• The local werewolf pack has recently stepped up its outreach program. Now, it’s almost impossible to go to any store without running into a werewolf trying to recruit new members. Ads for becoming a werewolf are now more common than military recruitment ads, and solicitors knocking on doors are more likely to be werewolves than not. Your character is just trying to get through their day while dodging these various annoyances. 
• Local police departments and independent detective agencies alike have started hiring werewolves to join their investigations. Your character is a werewolf who just got a new job as a rookie investigator, but they end up in over their head when a simple investigation turns into a much more complicated and dangerous situation.  
• Your character is someone who never knew what it was like to struggle. As the child of a wealthy conglomerate owner, they are on track to inherit not only a huge sum of money, but also one of the most profitable business entities in the world. Life could not have been better. However, one night, while out on the full moon, they are attacked by a werewolf and turned. Now, they have to find a way to keep their perfect life while hiding their new, dark secret. 
• After a night of prowling around, a werewolf hides somewhere safe to change back into their human form. They thought they were alone here, but another person rounds the corner just in time to witness the werewolf character in all their naked glory. What happens next? 
• Your character encounters a werewolf and can’t resist asking questions about alphas and omegas, and whatever else they can think of. Rather than get the answers they were hoping for, however, they get a lecture on stereotypes and the importance of cultural sensitivity. 
• A run-in with a stray cat leaves your character feeling a bit… odd. As it turns out, wolves are not the only creatures people can turn into on the full moon—there are werecats, werebears, and all manner of other werecreatures!
• Werewolves can have many forms depending on the story they appear in. Some are simply humans who can become wolves, indistinguishable from regular wolves. Others become monstrous hairy beasts that resemble something between a wolf and a gorilla. Some even have in-between states in which they look mostly human, but have the ears and tail of a wolf! Some can shapeshift voluntarily, while others can only change forcibly during the night of a full moon. Try to come up with your own variety of werewolves. Give them unique traits, abilities, and limitations, and don’t forget to consider how a person becomes this type of werewolf in the first place!
• A jaded old werewolf recently started adopting orphaned and abandoned kids. Only some of these kids are werewolves too, while others are humans, vampires, or any number of other creatures, but it doesn’t matter—once they’re part of the pack, they’re family. Write a scene that shows a regular hectic day in their lives, showcasing the diverse cast of rag-tag kids and how the pack handles their various needs and habits. 
• A werewolf character is just starting out in college, but their lycanthropy makes it a little difficult to juggle all their responsibilities and a social life at the same time. They have to keep turning down invitations to parties that happen too close to the full moon, and the course workload is hard to keep up with since they’re always worn out from turning into a wolf every month. Add to that the fact that they have to keep it all a secret from everyone, and graduation starts to seem like an impossible goal. 
• Explore the difference in customs and culture between werewolves and humans living in the same area. Would they treat their family, friends, and peers differently? How would their habits and behavior differ from those who aren’t werewolves? How is this different between those who were born a werewolf and those who are forcibly turned later in life? 
• Your character has always been a loner. They’ve never really made any friends, and they always struggle to fit in no matter where they are. However, everything changed after they became a werewolf. Now, they’ve been invited to join a pack, and their new friends always make a point to include them in all the cool stuff they do. For the first time in their life, they feel like they truly belong somewhere—but are things as perfect as they seem on the surface? 
• Your character is a “lone wolf” werewolf who thought they knew everything there was to know about lycanthropy, but when they encounter another werewolf, they discover that things can differ substantially across different werewolf species. Write a scene in which these two werewolves discuss how their experiences differ, and how they bond (or argue) over these differences. 
• Your character is a human who just really really wants to become a werewolf for some reason. Write a story about their various attempts at getting turned into a werewolf, and how each one fails comically. 

Angsty Werewolf Writing Prompts

• Werewolves are the result of corrupt human experimentation. However, the project was poorly managed, and the test subjects were able to escape. Now, these werewolves must run for their lives to escape the scientists who want to put them back in a laboratory—a feat that is made much more difficult by their uncontrollable transformations during the full moon. 
• Werewolf “dogfighting” has been creeping up as a popular underground pastime recently. Sometimes, these werewolves fight to make money off betting spectators, while others compete to be the “top dog.” However, contestants are not always willing participants, and some are kept as prisoners and forced to fight to preserve their lives. 
• Your character is vengefully tracking down the werewolf who turned them—but there’s a problem. They still haven’t actually decided what they want to do once they find their attacker. Will they give in to their anger and get revenge for what happened to them, or do they just want some kind of closure? Will they find what they need along the way, or will they lose themself in the process? 
• Everyone knows not to be outside once the sun goes down if they want to avoid the werewolves that prowl the streets at night. Your character has always been so afraid of the werewolves that they make sure to give themself more than an hour to get home after work. One evening, however, their car stalls, and they are forced to try to make it home on foot. They end up outside after dark for the first time in their life—but that’s when they learn the truth. Werewolves are not the thing people should be afraid of. People should be afraid of what the werewolves are protecting them from. 
• Werewolves have a shorter lifespan than humans. Write a story in which a werewolf has to explain this fact to their human fiancé. 
• A werewolf follows the scent of another werewolf and finds them locked away, held captive by a “private collector” of werewolves. After a daring rescue, the first werewolf decides to help the victim recover and get accustomed to their freedom once again.
• The government has decided that there is a serious werewolf problem, so they start offering huge cash rewards in exchange for proof of a werewolf who’s been killed. This results in not just a large number of armed and dangerous amateur werewolf hunters, but also an increase in scam artists intent on taking advantage of this system.  
• Lycanthropy began as a curse that was inflicted on a single person, who then passed that curse down through their children, grandchildren, and so on. Write the story of the very first werewolf, and what exactly happened to get them cursed. What did they do? Who cursed them? Did the punishment fit the crime, or is there an element of injustice to this story?
  If you want to write about curses, you could always check out my other article, Curse Your Characters! (Writing About Magical Curses).

Romantic Werewolf Writing Prompts

• A character hires a werewolf to be their bodyguard. Since the two often go everywhere together, they end up growing close, and it isn’t long before their relationship evolves away from its original transactional nature. Keeping the human character safe from harm suddenly has much higher personal stakes for the werewolf. 
• A werewolf and a vampire fall in love with each other—but neither one is aware of the other’s supernatural nature. Both characters try to keep it secret from each other, to comedic effect. 
• One character loves how much their werewolf partner’s behaviors remind them of a puppy. Maybe they growl when grumpy, spring up when excited, or stick their tongue out when they’re thinking. Write a story about this character admiring their partner and thinking about all the little things they love about them. 
• A character who was born a werewolf encounters someone who was recently turned, and decides to teach them everything they need to know about lycanthropy. Through this mentorship, the two grow close, and the new werewolf is invited to join the other’s pack—and meet their parents. 
• A monster hunter ends up falling in love, but unbeknownst to them, their new sweetheart is a werewolf like the ones they are regularly tasked with slaying. 
• A character’s childhood crush who moved away recently returned to the neighborhood. The character decides to check in on them, hoping to catch up and see what they’ve been up to. However, their old crush shuns them, and refuses to talk to them. Little do they know, their crush has always felt the same about them, but now that they’re a werewolf, they’re afraid of getting close to anyone lest their secret slip out. 
• One day, a human character encounters someone they hate (a rival, an annoying neighbor, etc) bloodied in an alleyway, shambling around after a full moon. Overcome with pity, the character takes them in to treat their wounds, only to find out… they’re just as insufferable as always, and don’t even act appreciative of their kind gesture. The characters part ways, only for the same thing to happen again a month later. Soon, the characters fall into a routine where the human character looks after the werewolf character during the full moon. Along the way, they have to begrudgingly accept their growing feelings for one another.
  This prompt is inspired by the infamous “enemies to lovers” trope. If you want some additional tips for writing that kind of romance, I suggest checking out my article Writing From Enemies to Lovers: Creating Dynamic Relationships.

Some Parting Thoughts on Writing About Werewolves

Werewolves are a hugely popular trope in fiction, and they have been for a long time. The first story with a werewolf (arguably) appears in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” in roughly 2100 BCE, which means that humans have had an interest in werewolves for over 4000 years! With a history like that, it’s pretty evident that werewolf stories will continue to be a hit well into the future, too. 

Good luck, and have fun with these!