Back on Bad Lit Friends!
I joined my favorite podcast for another round of writing discussion!
A.E. Wells
6/25/20261 min read
I recently joined the Bad Lit Friends Podcast again—always one of my favorite places to talk writing.
This time, we dove into emotional craft in fiction: what makes readers genuinely connect with characters and why some stories stay with us long after we’ve finished the last page.
We talked about flawed characters, emotional layering, trauma done well, tension, interiority, and how to create emotional journeys that feel earned rather than manufactured. We also wandered into fantasy, horror, villains, and the challenge of writing characters who feel like real people instead of plot devices.
If you’re interested in character-driven storytelling—or you’ve ever wondered why some fictional characters completely wreck you while others leave you feeling nothing—I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.
Bad Lit Friends was created and hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.
Thanks again for having me. It was a blast talking shop!
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https://open.spotify.com/episode/14iGIGwP7j2gx182QuMJmK