Writing Tips: How Character Flaws Shape Story With Will Storr

How can you create characters with unique and interesting flaws that lead into plots that will enliven your stories? In today's interview, Will Storr explains the science of storytelling.

In the intro, German booksellers and the challenges of re-opening [The Bookseller], Facebook launches Shops meaning more opportunities for direct sales [The Verge], Facebook Live replay on writing and publishing QA, plus the most useful tools for authors.

Today's show is sponsored by IngramSpark, who I use to print and distribute my print-on-demand books to 39,000 retailers including independent bookstores, schools and universities, libraries and more. It's your content – do more with it through IngramSpark.com.

Will Storr is an award-winning writer, the author of five critically acclaimed novels, a prize-winning journalist, an in-demand ghostwriter of bestselling books, and an international speaker on storytelling. Today, we're talking about his fantastic book, The Science of Storytelling.

You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and full transcript below.

Show Notes

* The hard work that storytelling is for most writers

* How we can use cause and effect in storytelling

* Giving characters depth and flaws without being cliched

* On creating original characters

* Why gossip is fundamental to storytelling

* The importance of linking character and plot together

* Dealing with character flaws in a series

* How TV has changed readers’ expectations of books

* Writing without fear of judgment

You can find Will Storr at WillStorr.com and on Twitter @wstorr. You can also check out videos from Will on storytelling here.

Transcript of Interview with Will Storr

Joanna: Will Storr is an award-winning writer, the author of five critically acclaimed novels, a prize-winning journalist, an in-demand ghostwriter of bestselling books, and an international speaker on storytelling. Today, we're talking about his fantastic book, The Science of Storytelling. Welcome, Will.

Will: Thanks for having me.

Joanna: It's great. And I have your book here in hardback on my desk. I also have the audiobook, it's that good.

Will: Amazing, double, fantastic.

Joanna: First off, tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing.

Will: I always wanted to be a writer, I don't ever really know where it came from in my family, but even when I was a kid,