World for the Broken by Elexis Bell - Book Tour + Giveaway
Dark Post-apocalyptic Romance
Date Published: 4/21/2020
Fading into unconsciousness, Christian watches psychotic thugs drag his sister-in-law and nephew away to suffer in the city they just escaped. Left for dead near his brother’s corpse, he has but one hope for survival, rely on the pretty stranger who stumbled across him. Not exactly smart after the apocalypse.
Encumbered by the lingering effects of her own violent past, Chloe struggles against her need for independence. Trusting a stranger found lying in the snow is risky, to say the least. Yet, she patches him up.
As they strive to rebuild their hearts, the harsh world they’ve been thrust into promises to tear them apart. Because Christian’s rescue attempt can’t wait. Every second in Chloe’s idyllic hometown means another second of pain for Christian’s family, leaving Chloe with a choice. Risk her life to help Christian save his family? Or condemn them all to a slow death?
Guest Post
My Best Tip for Character Development
Hi, guys! I’m Elexis Bell, author of dark high fantasy romance and a few
other genres. And today, we’re talking about character development.
One of my favorite things about books, whether I'm reading or writing,
is the characters. Of course, the story itself is interesting, as is the world.
But the characters, their lives and thoughts, their wants and struggles…
Those are the things that pull me in. And if they fall flat, it's pretty hard
to keep me interested, no matter how amazing the world is.
I want fully fleshed out characters. I want realistic decision making
and reactions.
I don't want a bunch of half-assed, exaggerated tropes thrown together
with no attempt made at realism.
And I KNOW I'm not the only one.
So today, I'm giving you my best tip for writing realistic characters.
Study psychology.
Gaining a better understanding of how the mind works (or malfunctions)
can lead to genuinely relatable characters.
Whether you're writing a character who's grieving the loss of a child, a
character who suffers from severe schizophrenia, or perhaps a jealous character
who winds up in shitty relationships, study psychology. It can help you truly
understand why they're doing what they're doing so you can keep their behavior
consistent with both their underlying motive and their personality.
Just don't beat your readers over the head with psychological
explanations unless you want to write a heavy, academic book.
Weighty explanations of personality types will slow your book down a
lot.
Just use what you learn to maintain consistent character behavior and thought
processes.
So, take a class on personality types. Order a psychology textbook
online. Maybe order a DSM-5 and go to town.
Your characters (and likely your readers) will thank you for it.
Thank you all for reading. I’ll be heading back to my own blog, now.
If you’re interested in more writing advice, I post to my own blog every
Sunday night/Monday morning. Check it out at: http://www.elexisbell.com/blog/
Subscribe to be notified
as soon as the blog posts and every time I have news about my books (including
giveaways).
If you want stories full
of fleshed out, realistic characters, all my books are here: https://www.amazon.com/Elexis-Bell/e/B07KJ3ZG2V?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1590449097&sr=8-1
About the Author
Elexis Bell is a quiet nerd with too many hobbies, including everything from gaming to shower-singing and even archery, weather permitting. She specializes in sarcasm and writing stories that make people feel. She's made a home for herself with her husband, their dog, and a small army of cats.
Contact Links
Twitter: @bell_elexis
Instagram: @elexis_bell
Purchase Links
Giveaway
1 Comments
Christian and Chloe sound like interesting protagonists.
ReplyDeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.