Joe Bunting's Character Test

Terence Lester is best known as an activist and author of I See You, tells the story of how he overcame poverty and homeless to get two masters degrees and create Love Beyond Walls, an organization that has gotten 300+ people off the streets. This is an interview about finding strength in unexpected places. If you've ever made a poor choice and wondered if you could come back from it, this interview is for you. We also examine "You," the protagonist of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, and talk about how to find a mentor. Did I mention there's a free prize? Character Test is brought to you by The Write Practice Pro, a premium critiquing community for creative writers. You can learn more about The Write Practice Pro and join the community here.

Shawn Coyne is best known as the author of Story Grid and the editor of Steven Pressfield's The War of Art, one of my favorite books about the writing process. In this episode, he tells the story of how he became an editor, learned his craft, and then made the difficult decision to leave New York publishing and start his own thing. This is an interview about how to make hard decisions. If you've ever faced a risky choice (or if you're facing one right now, you'll want to listen to this). We also examine Ender Wiggin, the protagonist of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Did I mention there's a free prize? Character Test is brought to you by The Write Practice Pro, a premium critiquing community for creative writers. You can learn more about The Write Practice Pro and join the community here.

Jason Redman is a retired Navy SEAL and NY Times bestselling author of The Trident and the upcoming book Overcome: Crush Adversity with the Leadership Techniques of America's Toughest Warriors. In this interview Jason tells his story of surviving being horrifically wounded in Iraq, how he overcame life ambushes, and the biggest piece of advice he gives to wounded warriors and anyone experiencing tough times (which is all of us, at some point). We also examine Alice Quinn, a character from The Magicians and ask whether she is actually a good character. Also, there's a free prize. Character Test is brought to you by The Write Practice Pro, a premium critiquing community for creative writers. You can learn more about The Write Practice Pro and join the community here.

Welcome to the very FIRST episode of Character Test, my show about good characters and the lessons we can learn from them to make our stories, the stories we're telling with our lives, better. In this episode, my editor Alice Sudlow and I talk about the 4 things that actually make a good character. Then, Alice interviews me about my story, and we discuss whether I am a good character (spoiler: I pass the test, barely). Finally, we give practical advice on things you can do to improve the story you're telling with your own life, based on the interview. Oh, and there's a free prize. Character Test is brought to you by The Write Practice Pro, a premium critiquing community for creative writers. You can learn more about The Write Practice Pro and join the community here.