on Jane Friedman:

Writers always seek to produce a unique story, hoping readers will choose their book from the increasing pool of what’s available. But this can lead to creating a character or story that is “different” sheerly for the sake of, well, being different.

I’ve found three dangerous pitfalls for writers struggling to stand out:

1. “Strong” female characters
2. Enemies-to-lovers story lines
3. Leading characters who are damaging, not damaged

Luckily for anyone struggling with one of these tempting story blackholes, there are ways out of all three.

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