How to Write Addictive Stories: Crafting Characters and Conflict with Holly Black

You’re lying in bed, wide awake, though you should have turned out the lights hours ago. You’d promised yourself, “Just one more chapter.” But here you are, still caught up in the pages, lost in another world. Every word pulls you deeper, driving you toward an ending you can’t quite see yet…

Sound familiar? Then you know what it’s like to read a really, really addictive story. Few authors can consistently create that kind of spellbinding quality quite like Holly Black. Known for her enthralling series and morally complex characters, Black has a way of weaving novels that readers can’t put down. How does she do it?

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Holly Black to discuss her creative process.

Compelling Characters Drive the Narrative

When asked how she crafts such addictive fantasy stories, Holly Black’s answer is deceptively simple: unforgettable characters. “It does come down to character and conflict,” she explains. “We read for characters, and you know, even though there have been studies done on what readers talk about as really coming to books for, it’s always character.”

For Black, character development goes hand in hand with conflict. The way a character’s internal desires clash with external obstacles shapes not only their path but also the reader’s level of emotional connection. It’s this tension that breathes life into her worlds. Nowhere is this more evident than in her Folk of the Air series, where the fraught relationship between Jude and Carden becomes the heart of the story.

“I think Jude is trying to find a place for herself in a world that’s not built for her, and yet she doesn’t want to leave,” Black says, digging into the core struggle of her protagonist. “The question of these books is, how much is she willing to give up for power? Is she willing to give up her humanity, love, or even Faerie itself?”

The Power of Mistakes and Surprises

One of the things that sets Holly Black’s stories apart is the way her characters are allowed to falter—sometimes spectacularly. They make big, even catastrophic, mistakes. Why? Because it’s human. It makes them feel real, tangible, and relatable. And it ramps up the tension in her plots, making you wonder if redemption is even possible.

“I really like characters that make big mistakes,” Black admits. “And I think it’s really helpful when whatever the character’s conflict is also part of the thematic conflict. When you can unite those things, it really makes a difference.”

She’s not just talking about flaws for the sake of drama, though. Every mistake ties back to the character’s inner turmoil, blending seamlessly into the broader themes of the story. But what keeps readers truly hooked are the surprises that come from those stumbles. Black believes that unpredictability is key to a compelling narrative. “Sometimes I think that mistakes can yield surprises,” she says thoughtfully. “I don’t always mean a twist, but even small surprises—when you expect a character to behave one way and they behave another—all of those things add up to something that’s unpredictable.”

It’s not just about shocking readers—it’s about creating those moments when the story veers off the expected path. When a character you think you’ve figured out suddenly shows a new side. Those are the moments that stick with you long after you’ve closed the book.

Writing Process: Controlled Chaos

If you’re an aspiring writer, Holly Black’s approach to crafting a story might feel both reassuring and a little daunting. Even for a master storyteller, her first drafts are often messy and full of uncertainty. Characters “wander around,” and the plot? Well, it tends to unravel. But here’s where it gets interesting: she doesn’t fight it. She lets the chaos breathe.

“I often have a story, and part of the drafting process is creating the story itself, and part of the revision process is having the characters come in and fight the story. And once they fight the story, the story falls apart,” Black confesses.

And that’s okay. It’s part of the journey. Characters, she finds, don’t always reveal themselves right away. They can be stubborn, even lazy. “They don’t surprise me initially. In fact, they are quite lazy. They mostly wander around in the first draft being like, ‘Huh, whoa.’ And then only in revision are they like, ‘Hey, wait!’”

This battle between plot and character might sound chaotic, but Black says it's where the magic happens. Yes, it’s time-consuming. Yes, it can feel frustrating. But it’s also what turns a story from something static and predictable into a living, breathing world where characters act and react with startling authenticity. So when your draft feels like it's falling apart? Black says lean into it. It’s all part of the process.

Advice for Aspiring Writers: Write for Your Reader Self

If there’s one thing Holly Black wants aspiring writers to remember, it’s this: don’t lose sight of why you fell in love with stories in the first place. “Write for your reader self, not for your writer self,” she urges. It’s easy to get tangled up in the technical details—worrying about what’s considered “good” writing or following conventional advice to fit your story into a tidy box. But that’s not where the power is. The real power lies in what makes you turn the page.

“We have a lot of received wisdom about what writing should be like and what’s considered good,” Black acknowledges. “But as readers, we know what we love, and sometimes it’s not that stuff. We should go for the stuff we love and not for whatever ‘good’ is.”

So forget chasing perfection. Instead, chase the things that light you up as a reader. Whether it’s characters that clash and stumble, plots that take unexpected turns, or themes that linger long after the last sentence, write what you love. That passion will resonate with readers in ways a technically “perfect” story never could.

Black’s entire body of work is proof that when characters fight back against the story and make those beautifully disastrous mistakes, it creates something real. If you’re looking to write a novel that’s impossible to put down, take a page from Holly Black’s book: start with characters that feel alive, let them break the rules, and don’t be afraid to let your plot unravel.