If Instagram captured what writing looks like, rather than how it feels when it’s going good, we’d be treated to a series of writers sorting through laundry, looking mildly perplexed.

Full-time employee by day, aspiring novelist by night? Then you’ve come to the right article, my friend!

There’s a myth that novelists possess some kind of inky alchemy. The truth is, novels start developing either one of two ways. They’re either driven by plot, or characterization.

For all the most original, fascinating plot twists, without a strong reaction to indelible characters, would we really care to turn (or scroll) the pages alongside them?

It’s a technique filmmakers use all the time to amplify effect, and a way in which writers can almost instantly switch concentration back to the terrain of their narratives.