Character

Shortly after turning 30, I realized “temporary is a mirage, we should only invest in what lasts!” Temporary emotions, people, titles, or wins can spark fast and burn faster. They demand our energy, hijack our focus, and sometimes even dictate our decisions. But they’re not built to last. Don’t invest permanent energy into passing storms. Instead, invest in what endures: Character. The foundation of who you are remains long after the applause fades. ...

Most stories treat setting as backdrop—a stage where characters perform. The action happens; the world just… is. But some stories do something different. The setting doesn’t just sit there. It acts. It has personality, desires, resistance. It shapes events as much as any character. This is setting as character, and when done well, it transforms worldbuilding from description into dramatic force. What Does “Setting as Character” Actually Mean? A setting becomes a character when it possesses these qualities: ...

In genre fiction, plot is external: solve the murder, defeat the villain, fall in love, escape the threat. In literary fiction, plot is often internal: realize you’ve been lying to yourself, understand your mother’s choices, recognize you can’t go home again, see beauty in what you once took for granted. Nothing explodes. Nobody dies (usually). No crimes are solved. But everything changes. This is the art of the quiet epiphany—the moment when internal transformation becomes story. ...