Angela Heiser

Poet, musician, and teaching artist Dasan Ahanu took the time to answer Ink & Oak’s questions via email. He is a talented spoken word poet and integral to the local Durham poetry community. Let’s get into the influences behind his inspiring work and the vision he has for continuing that work in 2026.

This week, we’re looking at how to craft characters so vivid and believable that your readers can’t wait to find out what they do next. Follow along for key takeaways on the essentials of writing powerful characters in fiction. 

Fiction is full of vivid examples of painstakingly crafted worlds that immerse the reader in a new place, time, and way of life. While worldbuilding is often viewed as part of sci-fi and fantasy, it’s hardly exclusive to those genres.