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What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

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On Episode 495 we discuss...→ Weird Baby Form→ "He's British"→ Dumblestore→ Disney discussion galore→ Harry's dreams underwhelm→ Tropical bird delivery→ Unsubtle expositionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/alohomora-the-original-harry-potter-book-club--5016402/support.

Grab a butterbeer and sing with us: Snape, Snape, Severus Snape! Join Sam, Taavi, Irvin, and our guest Luke, in discussion of Harry's first week at school in Chapter 8 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! Join the discussion on our website In this episode: Are there Fitting Charms on Mrs. Weasley's sweaters? Madam Malkin's clever marketing ploy! Hermione's parents would be appalled at Quirrellmort's dental hygiene Did Dumbledore know that Voldemort was possessing Quirrell? Can you make a map of Hogwarts for the first years? The Victorian language of flowers Can Snape's behavior be excused or just explained? House point inflation Does Hagrid save his favorite newspapers? A wizard is never late, except to class Pub's Jukebox: Potions with Neville by Seamus and the Finnigans Seamus and the Finnigans on Facebook Contact: Website: https://threebroomstickspod.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threebroomstickspod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threebroomstickspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threebroompod Email: 3broomstickspod@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/3broomsticks 

On this week's episode, unless you have a bezoar (and a bit of cheek) handy, we highly recommend you brush up on on all of Golpalott's laws! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for a show full of alchemy, apparition and plenty of teenage angst! News: Warner Bros. Discovery has a new home in Paramount; plus several dozen young actors have been cast as various Hogwarts students Chapter-by-Chapter continues with Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 18: Birthday Surprises We analyze Golpalott's Third Law: could this Potions class teach Harry something about how to ultimately destroy Voldemort? Does the creation of a Horcrux have an alchemical element to it? How does alchemy present in other book series, such as The Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel? Can we expect to learn more about Dumbledore and Flamel's partnership in the new Harry Potter TV Show? Apparition: Just put your mind to it! Does this class pass our sniff test? Bezoar! Hermione is upset (again) with Harry's success in Potions. Does Harry's cheek make him a bit to overconfident when trying to acquire Slughorn's unredacted memory? When Harry can't locate Malfoy on the Marauder's Map, why does overlook the Room of Requirement? MVP: Destination. Determination. Deliberation. Which is the of the Three D's? Lynx Line: Name a time in school where you found yourself totally out of your depth subject-wise. Did you overcome your knowledge gap? If so, was it due to hard work and determination? A good teacher or tutor? Or did you merely squeak by in class and never take up the subject again? Quizzitch: In this chapter, a bezoar from the stomach of a goat is used as a cure for poison. In reality, bezoars can appear in humans as ailments. What popular soft drink brand is used to treat bezoars in humans? Answer next week's question via the Quizzitch Form! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auch der Stein der Auferstehung ist eins der Heiligtümer des Todes - aber eigentlich einge ganz schöne Mogelpackung. Wieso es nicht funktionieren kann, Tote wieder zum Leben zurück zu holen und wieso es bei Harry aber am Ende so gut klappt, besprechen wir in dieser Folge. Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

When we think about heroes, the names that come to mind are often male. Yes, in history books, but also in everyday pop culture. From Neo in The Matrix to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars to Harry Potter himself, many of our most celebrated hero narratives center on a single “chosen one”. But when we look more closely at those stories, we often discover something important: heroes rarely stand alone. In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, in Women's History Month, we revisit the wizarding world of Harry Potter and shine a light on the women whose courage, intelligence, leadership, and moral conviction helped save the wizarding world. From Lily Potter's sacrificial love to Hermione Granger's strategic brilliance, from Molly Weasley's fierce protection to Minerva McGonagall's steadfast leadership, the women of Hogwarts repeatedly demonstrate that heroism takes many forms. We also explore the courage of Ginny Weasley, who grows into her voice and leadership, the quiet wisdom and authenticity of Luna Lovegood, and the surprising role of Narcissa Malfoy, whose love for her son leads her to defy Voldemort at a pivotal moment. Together, these characters remind us that the most powerful acts of courage are not always the most visible. Sometimes heroism looks like sacrifice. Sometimes it looks like preparation. Sometimes it looks like standing your ground. Sometimes it looks like finding your voice. And sometimes, it looks like simply refusing to stop being yourself. In the end, the wizarding world may have been saved by the “chosen one”… but he was never the only hero. Key Takeaway: There are different kinds of courage. Different kinds of leadership. Different kinds of heroism. And when we start to recognize them, we begin to see the extraordinary women who may have been saving the world all along. Listen if you enjoy: • Harry Potter analysis • Women's leadership stories • Feminist perspectives on popular culture • Character-driven storytelling • Women's History Month reflections #HarryPotter #WomenInLeadership #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenWhoLead #advancingwomenpodcst Let's Connect: ·        Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast  ·        Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast  ·        LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone 

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App 10 Minutos com Jesus. Disponível em: App Store - https://tinyurl.com/10mcj-ios Google Play - https://tinyurl.com/10mcj-android Subscreve aqui: https://youtube.com/channel/UC9RN5vG3C0qlq4pZFx-k9-w?feature=shared ️ Segue-nos no teu serviço habitual de podcast: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3bb5Edp Google Podcast: https://bit.ly/2Ny0S1r Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3aqxYt6 iVoox: https://bit.ly/2ZmpA7t Recebe uma mensagem com a Meditação via: WhatsApp: http://dozz.es/10mjp Telegram: https://t.me/dezmincomjesus +Info: http://10minutoscomjesus.org

Bevor wir zu einer sehr aufregenden FanFiction am Ende kommen, besprechen wir nochmal 6 Liebestränke, unter anderem von Mr. und Mrs. Weasley, Filch und Moody. Es wird eklig bis süß, versprochen!Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

Potter Revisited Episode #104 His Family Tree is a Circle AKA Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 6 "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" Molly tries to send the kids to bed and put a stop to them talking about the Voldemort info dump they just got  Shay thinks the portraits in the bedrooms that can speak and see you are creepy The twins apparating on Ron's knees is such a funny image  Fred thinking the weapon Sirius mention would be kept at Hogwarts is a strong theory  Love that George recognizes how powerful Ginny is - we are really starting to develop her character  Is Harry's odd dream about weapons as creatures PTSD from the skrewts?  Sirius is keeping Buckbeak in his mother's old room- we love a petty king  There is some forced politeness between Molly and Sirius after their confrontation from last night - makes it a bit awkward  Molly is using Gilderoy Lockhart's book for getting rid of the doxies - does she know he was a fraud?  Fred and George fill Harry in on their joke shop plans which have taken off quite a bit since the end of GoF George fits a lot of stuff in his pockets - how are we still battling small pockets for women in 2026? Tori thinks back to 2016 skinny jeans and little has changed  Mundugus tries to stash stolen goods at Grimmauld Place - not on Molly's watch  We are introduced to Kreacher the House Elf - who is a lot different than Dobby  Sirius does not treat Kreacher well - could it be he is the last living reminder of the trauma he faced living at Grimmauld Place?  Sirius shows Harry the family tapestry and how he was disowned at 16  Shay notes how Sirius' family tree is basically a circle with all the inbreeding  Does Sirius running away at 16 have anything to do with the "prank" he played on Snape around the same age?  Sirius is obviously not doing well emotionally and mentally being back at Grimmauld Place  We learn about Sirius' brother Regulus - lots of foreshadowing   Harry forgot he still needs to attend the hearing at the Ministry  Why does Harry not have an advocate or a lawyer for this hearing?  Would Dumbledore actually allow Harry to stay at Grimmauld Place with Sirius if he was expelled?  The locket horcrux is mentioned so casually within a number of items they find in the drawing room  McGonagall in muggle clothing is unnatural  Despite being with friends and his support system, Harry is still not confiding in anyone  Dumbledore comes to Grimmauld Place but doesn't see Harry at all Snape Sucks count for Chapter 6: 0 Email any thoughts, questions, FEELINGS or feedback to  potterrevisitedpodcast@gmail.com Music: Shelter Song by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Follow Us:  Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/potterrevisited Twitter https://twitter.com/potterevisited Instagram https://www.instagram.com/potterrevisited_/ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v2Xt0OIQ8_LCVYhKf2S5A TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@potterrevisited    

Beginn: 5. Schuljahr - Harry findet heraus, dass ein Teil seiner Familie noch immer lebt, erfährt jedoch weiterhin nur Abneigung und schleppt sich eher beiläufig durch das restliche Schuljahr. In den Sommerferien, die noch schlimmer sind, als in den Jahren davor, ändert sich schließlich alles und als letzten Ausweg sucht Harry die sofortige Konfrontation mit Voldemort. (Severitus + leicht Drarry)

This week, Andrew, Micah and Laura enter a new era of MuggleCast, as we kick off the first in a series of monthly episodes focused on the new Harry Potter TV Show. The Trio talk about the latest news, lay down some predictions and play some new games! Set photos of the TV Show's Hogwarts Courtyard have leaked: will these new House Sigil Hedges come to life? Laura and Micah react to Ravenclaw's sigil finally being an eagle! How much are the show's creators taking inspiration from Hogwarts Legacy? Beyond The Books: Lox Pratt, the actor playing Young Draco, says we'll be seeing Draco at Malfoy Manor in the first season! Nick Frost manifested getting the role of Hagrid by writing Hagrid 7,000 times while watching the movies. He also took up knitting! MAX That: Can we expect to see more Vampires in this version of the Wizarding World? The hosts test their Harry Potter knowledge: Was This Line in the Sorcerer's Stone Book AND Movie? Our Lynx Line asked our patrons: Who will be the first character to appear on screen? When can we expect our first trailer? In Bonus MuggleCast, available exclusively on Patreon: We make our official predictions for the new TV show and even throw down a few knuts to keep things interesting! Will we see Voldemort on screen in Episode 1? Will the Sorting Hat sing the full song? Over the series, will we ever get a full episode without Harry present? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wir sprechen endlich über den Verbotenen Wald und die Gefahren, die in ihm lauern. Außerdem überlegen wir, wie groß der Wald ist, ob er ausreichend geschützt ist und ob es Fluffy gut geht. Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

There are a few things that stress Jordan out: to-do lists, unread messages, a missing dressing gown belt. But you'll never guess the reason that made Jordan FAINT! The boys also cover their big plans for Jordan's birthday and why Producer Ben is the Voldemort of Help I Sexted My Boss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp – Sign up and get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/SUPER  Today J dives into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to discuss one of the most fun questions in the fandom: Who's worse: Voldemort or Umbridge?  It feels like there should be an obvious answer and yet Umbridge certainly makes a case for herself. From stripping all happiness and joy from Hogwarts and Harry, stripping freedom after freedom, and rationalizing torture - is Umbridges brand of evil more relatable and scary than the Dark Lord himself?

Even if Harry can't understand it right now, he is getting some of his father back by seeing that there were real living people -- full-fledged people -- who knew the whole James and demonstrate that they knew all of him and they loved him, and that complexity is restoring some of Harry's feelings. You can't really blame Voldemort for being dead of jealousy that Harry gets this. For full show notes, transcripts, ways to contact the hosts or support the show, and more, visit hpafter2020.com.

Was für ein Modell ist das Auto der Weasleys? Aus welchem Material ist eigentlich der tote Aragog im 6. Film gemacht? Und was hat es mit Marlene McKinnon auf sich? So viele Fragen stellen wir uns bei einer neuen Runde Trivial Pursuit! Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

Send a textIn this episode, we begin the second season of our version of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      1:54 Let's set some goals. 1) Explore Hogwarts. We haven't seen the whole grounds by now, and there is so much more history to explore. 2) Develop relationships. Especially for arcs like Snape and Harry, beginning to see their relationship take form will lead to a huge payoff later on. 3) Begin Voldemort's arc. Tom Riddle is the main villain of this book, and we can use his past and memories to understand a little more about Voldemort. This Tom Riddle feels almost closer to the Goblet of Fire Voldemort than the back-of-the-head thing from last book.·      10:33 We begin in the days of old. That's what I wrote in my notebook. We should begin with the founders of Hogwarts and their dynamics. Salazar Slytherin wanted to keep Hogwarts for pure-blood students and that's why he was cast out, leading to the creation of the Chamber. ·      18:15 Moving forward through time. As the founders fall into the legend, the Chamber falls into legend with it. We lose a little bit of the gravitas if we snap forward in time and skip over the thousand years in the middle. We should end this section with Hagrid and Tom Riddle's time at Hogwarts, and seeing the Chamber open for the first time.·      25:24 Now we move into the present day. But not with Harry. The diary Riddle was the driving force in the Chamber, but something had to have worked in the background for that to happen. It would make sense for Voldemort himself to have given Lucius the diary and sent him off to get the gears turning.Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

The darkest chapter in the Harry Potter saga brings political intrigue, teenage angst, and the rise of Voldemort out into the open. But despite its importance, Order of the Phoenix often feels rushed and uneven. With a new director at the helm and the longest book trimmed into the shortest film, it's a turning point that doesn't always hit the emotional highs it aims for. It's the Season Nine finale.___Please consider joining our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wwibofficialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whywasntitbetterLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/wwibpodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wwib_officialX: https://x.com/WWIBpodcastSubscribe! Rate! Review! Tell a friend!

Matt Spiegel and Laurence Holmes listened and reacted to Bears chairman George McCaskey's recent comments in an interview with WGN.

Wir besprechen in dieser EBEF-Folge Albus Dumbledore im 4. Teil. Es gibt wieder viel Spekulatius, denn natürlich wollen wir herausfinden, wie viel Dumbledore dies Mal wirklich wusste - oder wie oft er auf dem Schlauch stand... Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

In Chapter 1, Voldemort's taken a brief vacation from the Dark Arts to take the New Death Eaters on an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii, but Mr. Charger's feeling like being friends with Voldemort isn't all it's cracked up to be.Hey! I'm all over the internet doing dumb stuff that I think is cool.Go find me somewhere!!!▶️ Youtube Channel: ⁠youtube.com/radiomike⁠✍️ Read my Blog: ⁠radiomike.substack.com⁠

Vi er nået til det - der er ingen vej uden om... Dumbledore dør! Lyt med når vi går i dybden med Dumbledores sidste minutter, og vender både Malfoys og Snapes rolle i det. Der er giga action i disse to kapitler, hvor både dødsgardister og ordensmedlemmer kæmper, mens Harry jagter Malfoy og Snape. Og så går vi også i dybden med R.A.B, der har efterladt en besked til Voldemort i medaljonen. Hvem var R.A.B, og hvad var hans rolle i fortællingen? Det viser sig at være ret så spændende.

Plus DCU Batman Brave and the Bold writer & director, Cillian Murphy as Voldemort, Taika Watiti Star Wars still a go, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Wonder Man non spoiler reactions & more! Socials:  @whysosidiouspod    X  -  Instagram  -  TikTok  -  YouTube  Subscribe, Like, or Comment to interact & request topics! Business Email:whysosidious@yahoo.comWebsite: https://codepen.io/whysosidiouspod/pen/KwdOWBdThis video is not affiliated with or endorsed by Marvel, DC, or Disney/Lucasfilm. All characters and images are the property of Marvel, DC, or Disney/Lucasfilm and are used under fair use for commentary/review purposes.

Chapter 5 - Fallen Warrior, covered by Abby!Harry wakes up at the Burrow bruised and traumatized. Moody is dead. George is missing an ear. There's firewhiskey, tears, trust issues, and Harry once again refuses to kill anyone because he's the emotional support hero of the war. Voldemort is furious about wand problems and Hermione is furious at Harry for knowing this.⚡️

Wir haben diesmal wieder wilde Theorien mitgebracht, diesmal dreht es sich um Slughorn, einen reichen Hagrid, einen weiteren Auserwählten und Poltergeister. Außerdem gibt es einen kurzen VIP Auftritt und viel zu lachen! Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

In this episode, the Pottership trio are excited to discuss one of their collective favorite characters, Neville Longbottom and the somewhat complicated relationship he had with his paternal grandmother, Augusta. Why was she so strict and hard on Neville? Did he feel loved by her? Did she adjust her parenting style because of what happened to Neville's father Frank? Did she ever figure out how close Neville came to being the “chosen one?? Listen and decide!  Don't forget to visit our social medias to answer this episode's Show Host Question: “It's post war, and New Year's Eve... and Harry has just celebrated his first Christmas in years without any worry about Voldemort. What do you think his 1999 New Year's Resolution be?  *** Spoilers, Adult Language, Adult Themes Music note: All music are excerpts of the Pottership Shanty (Copyright: Darwin Ray and the Pottership Podcast.)  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeart Radio podcasts! Or send us a message at PottershipPodcast@gmail.com

The golden trio is finally reunited by the silver doe: Join Ev, Sophia, Taavi and our guest Stephanie Bailey as we discuss chapter 19 in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Silver Doe.  Join the discussion on our website In this episode: Not your average stick! Assassin's Creed crossover Harry failing upwards Hermione needs a book club badly Voldemort is lazy and evil Unicorn's revenge arc The Mirror of Erised and spiritual alchemy Between bravery and fear Ron apologists unite! Freudian angle For more from our guest Stephanie: @bystephaniejoyce on Instagram Expecto Podronum – A podcast for all things Patronuses! @expectopod on Twitter @expectopodtronum on Instagram Expecto Podronum on Facebook expectopodronum on TikTok Expecto Podronum: Season 1, Episode 15 - Deer Resources: Christmas in the Forest of Dean (Part 1) by Beatrice Groves Christmas in the Forest of Dean (Part 2) by Beatrice Groves Pub's Jukebox: The Locket by Split Seven Ways Contact: Website: https://threebroomstickspod.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/threebroomstickspod/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/threebroomstickspodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/threebroompod Email: 3broomstickspod@gmail.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/3broomsticks 

On today's episode of The Kristian Harloff Show, the conversation kicks off with Marvel's Wonder Man, as the Disney+ series' audience score is revealed along with a full look at the official Wonder Man costume. Is this shaping up to be a win for Marvel Television, or are there warning signs already? We also break down some major TV and movie news making waves across Hollywood. Apple TV+ comedy hit Shrinking has officially been renewed for a fourth season — what does that mean for the future of the show and its characters? On the DC side, Jason Momoa weighs in on the uncertain future of Lobo and whether the fan-favorite antihero will actually land in James Gunn's DCU. Plus, Ralph Fiennes drops intriguing comments that could hint at who might take on Voldemort in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot. And finally, we take a look at the first official photos from Ted Lasso Season 4 — what do they reveal about where the series is heading next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, hit that like button, and subscribe for more movie and TV news every week.

An nou, episod nou, format nou! Începem o serie despre Arthur Schopenhauer, singurul filosof (sper) care a împins pe cineva pe scări. Și da, vom vorbi despre asta. Singurul filosof (sper) care a fost abandonat de părinți nu o dată ci de două ori. Și da, vom vorbi și despre asta. Lăsați-mi în comentarii ce credeți despre noul format și dați-i un "hype" dacă vă place. În acest episod, vorbim despre principiul rațiunii suficiente, despre ce înseamnă să EXPLICI ceva, și care este limita acestui proces purces porcesc. Dar ne va tenta și să ne uităm dincolo de aceste garduri transcendentale și să-l pomenim pentru prima dată pe Cel-Ce-Nu-Trebuie-Pomenit - nu Voldemort, ci numenul (în eng. noumenon).Dacă vreți să susțineți acest podcast, puteți dona aici: https://www.patreon.com/octavpopa - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastuldefilosofie - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podcastuldefilosofie- Aveți link-urile de Spotify, Apple Podcasts etc. aici: https://podcastfilosofie.buzzsprout.comSupport the showhttps://www.patreon.com/octavpopa

Chapter 4 - The Seven Potters, covered by Sarah!Harry says goodbye to the cupboard under the stairs, only to be ambushed by seven versions of himself and a very risky travel plan. Everyone polyjuices, roasts Harry's body, and flies off. Pure chaos in the sky, Hedwig dies, curses are flying, and Voldemort shows up literally flying like a horror movie extra. Childhood: officially over.⚡️

Justin Finch-Fletchley ist großer Lockhart-Fanboy und muggelgeboren - das perfekte Pendant zu Hermine. Sind Justin, Hannah und Ernie dann also das goldene Huffelpuff-Trio? Und wieso hat er eigentlich so einen ikonischen Nachnamen? Es gibt neuen Merch: https://www.seedshirt.de/shop/schokofroescheshopIhr wollt uns FanArt schicken oder Sticker von uns bekommen?Schreibt uns an:Postfach 71053281455 München

LIFELINE ✨LUXURY✨ is available at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/lifelineluxury⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Extra episodes every month, no advice, all for $5. Our Patreon is also the exclusive home to all the live podcasts which we film and upload!

How to walk away from the tension of light & dark, and calling it like it is. We also discuss the merits of Senators Schatz and Crapo. And Jim Carafano is here to discuss Greenland.

**** We are so sorry for the delayed posting of this episode. Truly just that life got in the way. We hope you enjoy!! ****  In this episode, our friend and 2nd favorite Slytherin, Jeremy suggested that we discuss the tumultuous relationship between the brothers Black – Sirius and Regulus. Was there ever a time when they were friends? Did they experience peer pressure at school about their sibling being in a rival house? Was there any way things could have been different between them? Listen and decide!  Don't forget to visit our social medias to answer this episode's Show Host Question: “What would these characters bring to the White Elephant gift exchange party: Minerva, Hagrid, Trelawney and Molly?”  *** Spoilers, Adult Language, Adult Themes Music note: All music are excerpts of the Pottership Shanty (Copyright: Darwin Ray and the Pottership Podcast.)  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeart Radio podcasts! Or send us a message at PottershipPodcast@gmail.com

Send us a textIn this episode, we discuss the finale to season one in our version of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      Listen to Tea Leaves S1 E7 here!·      1:40 Quick recap and Harry waking up in the hospital wing. Dumbledore comes to see him and explains what went down. I like that they discussed Harry's family and why Quirrell was turned to dust when he touches Harry. However, it would be super beneficial for the story to discuss Voldemort's journey and Flamel's choices more.·      14:14 Harry heads down to the feast. All exams have been cancelled, and Dumbledore gives his speech. It should be lighthearted, but I want to get some hints of the darkness to come. Neville gets his ten point that gives Gryffindor the house cup, beginning a wonderful arc.·      20:05 Packing up. This is the quiet peace of the episode because it's been so crazy for so long. Hogwarts is a huge place, but it is also incredibly personal. I want a few minutes to walk the grounds one last time and live in this world.·      24:45 Leaving Hogwarts. We aren't going to end the season at Hogsmeade station, but Hagrid's goodbye should still mean something. The trio bords the train and watches as Hogwarts fades away. When they get off in London, they say their goodbyes to each other and the cameras pan out to see everyone having their same conversations, and we fade out.Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

This week, Casper and Vanessa explore the theme of Sympathy in Chapter 35 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! They discuss whether the Voldemort baby could be helped, Dumbledore's failings as a mentor, and Harry's return to battle. Throughout the episode we consider the question: is sympathy an action or a feeling? Thank you to Taylor for this week's voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 36, The Flaw in the Plan, through the theme of Legacy.Harry Potter and the Sacred Text is a Not Sorry ProductionFind us at our website | Follow us on Instagram--It's two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only five dollars to join our Patreon for extra content every week! Please consider helping us fill our Gringotts vault so we can continue to make this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to http://betterhelp.com/super for 10% off your first month. Go to http://factormeals.com/super50off and use code super50off to get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year. How does Voldemort fly without a broom? It's one of the most shocking moments in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—and it's never explained. In this video, we uncover how unsupported flight works, why it horrified the Order of the Phoenix, and how it connects directly to Occlumency, emotional detachment, and Voldemort's inability to love. By comparing Voldemort, Snape, and Harry, we reveal why only two wizards ever achieve this ability—and why it's not a power Harry should want.

Jeffrey Epstein's reach into academia was not an accident—it was a deliberate campaign of influence, and the institutions that took his money were not naïve. From Harvard University to MIT, prestigious institutions shamelessly accepted millions from Epstein, even after his 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor. He was paraded through campuses, granted offices, and allowed to rub elbows with some of the most powerful intellectuals in the world. Harvard, for example, gave him a personal office and continued to associate with him long after his reputation had been shredded. MIT Media Lab staff referred to him as “Voldemort”—he who must not be named—while simultaneously courting his funding in secret, proving the hypocrisy wasn't subtle, it was baked into the institution.What's more damning is the moral contortionism these institutions employed to justify their partnerships. Academia, which claims to be a beacon of ethics and enlightenment, became a laundromat for Epstein's blood money. Professors, researchers, and administrators who should have known better either stayed silent or openly defended the transactions, rationalizing them with talk of “advancing science” or “unrestricted gifts.” In truth, they weren't advancing anything but their own ambitions and budgets. By embracing a convicted predator with open arms, these institutions exposed a rot within academia—where prestige and funding outweighed integrity, and the doors swung open for a monster who knew how to play the game.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Jeffrey Epstein Donated Millions To These Scientists And InstitutesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Send us a textIn this episode, we discuss the trio's journey through the trap door in our version of the Harry Potter TV show. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      Listen to episode 315, QuizMaster: Trap Door Edition here!·      1:19 Challenge question and recap of Tea Leaves S1 E6.·      7:56 The first shots of the episode show us the quiet stillness of the castle at night. The moon is shining, and there is an eerie air about the corridors. The trio approaches the door and goes through to Fluffy's chamber. There should be a harp playing and a flute, and they jump through. Fluffy shouldn't wake up like he does in the films to preserve this eerie air.·      12:50 The devil snare. It should remain largely the same because a lot of important details in terms of character dynamics are revealed. But when they all escape there should be a more magical escape. Perhaps all the devil snare recedes in a flash and they are left in a room with a door to the key room.·      18:05 The flying keys. They should stay pretty much the same. The balance of this whole trapdoor sequence is struck already, and we shouldn't mess with that too much.·      19:51 The chess match. This is one of the most intense parts of the trap door adventure. The pieces are smashed to pieces when they are taken, and the trio are standing in the face of these blocks of rock are slowly moving towards them to find their next victim. Ron sees the moves and sacrifices himself so Harry and Hermione might go on. Perhaps a sacrifice like that is required by the room for them to move on.·      24:52 The potions riddle. Hermione is an absolute boss in this scene because she shows us all how critically she can think. Those skills come in handy for sure later on in the story.·      28:21 The final scene. Quirrell turns around and Harry is shocked that it isn't Snape. Most of this scene should stay the same, but there's one moment I want to see. When Voldemort offers Harry power, immortality, and his family back, I want to see Harry's reaction. The fact that Harry doesn't react to power and immortality, but he considers his family back for just a moment is super important. That one moment shows us more about Harry than we've learned in the rest of the book for that.Having anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

On Episode 486 we discuss...→ Understanding Voldemort's Cruelty→ Dumbledore's Underestimation of Youth→ The Tragic Legacy of Voldemort's Mother→ Magic and Memory: The Power of Persuasion→ The Cave: A Site of Horror or Magic?→ Harry's theories often clash with his friends' perspectivesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/alohomora-the-original-harry-potter-book-club--5016402/support.

This week, Casper and Vanessa explore the theme of Impossibility in Chapter 34 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! They discuss Voldemort's understanding of Harry, the Resurrection Stone, and Neville! Throughout the episode we consider the question: when do we resign ourselves to perceived impossibility and when do we decide to fight it?Thank you to Emma for this week's voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 35, Kings Cross, through the theme of Sympathy.Harry Potter and the Sacred Text is a Not Sorry ProductionFind us at our website | Follow us on Instagram--It's two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only five dollars to join our Patreon for extra content every week! Please consider helping us fill our Gringotts vault so we can continue to make this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the first episode of Critical Magic Theory in 2026, Professor Julian Wamble steps away from the six-part Albus Dumbledore arc for a rant/rave on Ariana and Aberforth Dumbledore—two characters whose stories expose the wizarding world's obsession with secrecy. Prof revisits Ariana's childhood attack by Muggle boys and argues it reveals how ignorance fuels entitlement and violence, while the Ministry of Magic prioritizes concealment over care, pushing families toward isolation instead of healing.The episode then turns to Aberforth: the sibling who stayed, the caretaker who absorbed the fallout, and a cautionary tale of what happens when grief and resentment fester in silence—yet who still chooses to protect Harry and resist Voldemort's world. Finally, the episode complicates what it means to be a “good” half-blood, showing how the Dumbledores don't fit neat categories of supremacy or bridge-building when their relationship to Muggles is shaped by trauma, passing, and retreat.

Send us a textIn this episode, we test our knowledge on the trio's journey through the trap door. Enjoy!Topics/Summary:·      2:04 Warm Up Round·      4:03 Question #1: How do the trio get around Fluffy? What instrument do they play?·      10:10 Question #2: What spell does Hermione use to get past the devil snare?·      14:50 Question #3: What position does Ron play in the chess game?·      18:26 Question #4: How many potions does Snape leave? How many are poison?·      23:54 Question #5: What does Voldemort ask Harry?·      28:22 Question #6: Why does Harry, not Quirrell, get the stone?·      30:05 Question #7: True or false; the whole thing was a complete secret and none of the students found out.·      32:07 Challenge QuestionHaving anything you want to hear or say? Click here for a voice submission or here for text. ThePotterDiscussion@gmail.comthepotterdiscussion.comNox

This week we make a few end-of-year predictions for what 2026 will hold in store for Harry Potter fans, and open up the MuggleMail bag further than ever, as we read recent comments from YouTube and Spotify in addition to Discord, voicemails and e-mail! Join Andrew, Eric, Micah and Laura for our final episode of 2025! Looking ahead: what news will we get about a Hogwarts Legacy sequel? How about the HBO TV series? Will more series be green lit? Andrew leads the group in making unhinged predictions including genderbent books and a line of adults-only official merchandise. Our own 2026 plans for MuggleCast include content that looks ahead as well as back, including more talks on the TV show and classic components of HP fandom history. Voicemails sent in include a Hermione Granger impression, and ask the question, "how do children learn Voldemort's name?" Was Arthur Weasley's originally-planned death hinted at in the text of Book 5 and before? Spotify listeners want to know: is Snape projecting? What is the general skill level of your average every day wizard? And will Micah tell more dad jokes? Is Severus Snape a good teacher? What about his old Potions book? Why doesn't Dumbledore ever tell Harry exactly how to destroy the Horcruxes? And, does Hermione belong in Ravenclaw? Additionally, folks tell us their feelings on the Full Cast Harry Potter Audiobooks as well as the Tonks and Lupin romantic subplot. Our Lynx Line segment asks our most dedicated listeners for recommendations of books they've read this year and enjoyed. See the full list of suggestions here! Bonus MuggleCast, available over on our Patreon, will have the hosts discussing their behind-the-scenes stories of contributing to MuggleNet.com MuggleCast will return January 12, 2026! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 483 we discuss...→ The Politics of Power: Slughorn and Riddle's Relationship→ The Political Undercurrents of Voldemort's Choices→ Unpacking the Magic and Philosophy of Soul Splitting→ The Prophecy and Its Impact→ Felix Felicia→ Fuzzy At Best→ Inaction can be seen as complicityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/alohomora-the-original-harry-potter-book-club--5016402/support.

Hi everyone! In today's episode we talk about some Stranger Things 5 theories on how the crew will possibly time travel to fix everything but also how Will and Vecna may be exactly like Harry Potter and Voldemort! We also discuss the brand new Supergirl trailer and what could be coming in the future!

This week, Casper and Vanessa explore the theme of Imagination in Chapter 33 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! They discuss Petunia's childhood, Snape & Lily, and Harry's connection to Voldemort! Throughout the episode we consider the question: under what types of conditions are we able to image best?Thank you to Sam for this week's voicemail! Next week we're reading Chapter 34, The Forest Again, through the theme of Impossibility.Harry Potter and the Sacred Text is a Not Sorry ProductionFind us at our website | Follow us on Instagram--It's two sickles to join S.P.E.W., and only five dollars to join our Patreon for extra content every week! Please consider helping us fill our Gringotts vault so we can continue to make this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Go to http://shopify.com/scb to sign up for your $1-per-month trial period. Today Ben dives into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to unveil the secret identities of Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin and what they had to do with the creation of the Deathly Hallows.  Plus did their falling out start at the 1000-year war between wizards that Harry and Voldemort at still playing out? #HarryPotter #SuperCarlinBrothers  Written by: J & Ben Carlin Edited by: Ethan Edghill