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Forgive me for making yet another post about the French Revolution but one small detail that makes me laugh is when, as things started to go seriously wrong, one of Louis XVI's advisers tried to persuade him & Marie-Antoinette to get away from Paris and wait for things to calm down (the idea was "if you lay low and wait, the newly-created National Assembly will vote something stupid and lose popular support" which was a solid plan honestly.) But he was also like "whatever you do, DO NOT go East or South or people will think you'll get help from other monarchies to restore your power and that won't calm things down"
So the King was advised to flee to Normandy, which... is just a short ferry ride away from another monarchy. But that's completely different since it's England. To be fair to the English, the French monarchy had basically bankrupted itself a few years back to send millions in support of the American revolutionaries because it would be a shame not to take advantage of "perhaps the best opportunity for centuries to come to put England in its place" (actual quote by France's minister of Foreign Affairs in 1777)
âstill I love the realistic approach of the King's adviser telling him, Sire you can't go near any of our borders rn, it'll escalate the situation, Parisians will know you're trying to get another country to help. Obviously you can go set up camp right across the sea from England though, that's fine since everyone knows the English wouldn't piss on us if we were on fireš
š Perfidious Albion was like "aw no France is in turmoil and possibly weakened :) a shame :)" exactly like France re: them at the start of the US independence war
² they also thought well these backward french are finally following our glorious example and entering civilisation (parliamentary monarchy)
Âł and only when the Girondins started being like "let's spread the French Revolution to the whole universe!!! or at least Belgium" did England finally decide "it's been a while since we last declared war on France actually" (but it was too late for Louis XVI)
â´ That's not how footnotes work sorry. Trying to make my post look fancier
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Man-eating sirens have plagued these waters for as long anyone can remember. Now, as you sail across the ocean with your crew, siren songs begin to entrance everyone on board. In a desperate move to save the others, you try something no one else has tried before; you sing along with them.
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your entire life youve had a guardian angel who kills or severely injures anyone it considers to have wronged you. However, this causes you to be highly suspected of committing these murders. Youâre currently an interrogation room and have to explain your innocence.
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Your chief administrator is a spy and a traitor. You have known this for years. Youâd also hate to get rid of him. To rise in the ranks and work his way closer to you, he has proven to be the most effective administrator youâve ever had. A vast improvement on the loyal idiot he replaced.
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Youâre an oath-keeper, your god will whisper you the names of those paladins who have broken their oaths, and you slay them. But you awoke at night to an incomprehensibly long list of names, after an hour it said â fuck it, all the paladins have broken their oath, slay them allâ
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Ever since your dog was supposed to pass, youâve bartered with Death to trade one year off of your lifespan to give to your dog. Today, you realize youâve used them all up.
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How to show emotions
Part VI
How to show bitterness
tightness around their eyes
pinched mouth
sour expression on their face
crossed arms
snorting angrily
turning their eyes upward
shaking their head
How to show hysteria
fast breathing
chest heaving
trembling of their hands
weak knees, giving in
tears flowing down their face uncontrollably
laughing while crying
not being able to stand still
How to show awe
tension leaving their body
shoulders dropping
standing still
opening mouth
slack jaw
not being able to speak correctly
slowed down breathing
wide eyes open
softening their gaze
staring unabashingly
How to show shame
vacant stare
looking down
turning their head away
cannot look at another person
putting their head into their hands
shaking their head
How to show being flustered
blushing
looking down
nervous smile
sharp intake of breath
quickening of breath
blinking rapidly
breaking eye contact
trying to busy their hands
playing with their hair
fidgeting with their fingers
opening mouth without speaking
Part I + Part IIÂ +Â Part III
If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! đĽ°
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She-Who-Fights-And-Writes FAQ: A Complete List of Writing Resources
Please refer to this page before sending any asks, please!
I will answer questions about:
Characters
Plotting
POV
Setting
Tropes
Fanfiction
Genres
Getting Started
And more!!!!
I will NOT answer questions about:
Things that are already on this listÂ
The publishing/editing industry (primarily because Iâm unqualified)
Childrenâs fiction and Nonfiction (Same reason as above)
Hyper-specific details of your WIP; I canât tell you how to write your own story.Â
âDoes ____ sound like a good idea?âÂ
Anything that can be figured out with a quick Google search (i.e. how fast can cheetahs run, how long does it take to get a license, etc.)
Asking me to reblog your post, give you a shout-out, etc. This blog is just for writing content only and will remain ad-free.Â
Asking me to read/edit your story for free. Iâm a college student with a very busy life who also has her own writing projects to worry about, and cannot put time aside to edit someoneâs work for no cost at all. Refer to my commissions page, please!
Sorry, but I am quite rigid about these rules!
This is just a compilation of the questions I get a lot or I think I answered pretty well, so if you need anything else feel free to check out my #answering asks tag!
Iâve also included some posts from other blogs/sources as well because I feel as though they can explain it much better than I ever could!
About Me!
Once Upon A Time (Starting, Improving, and Keeping Momentum)
How to Get Inspired to Write and Regain Creativity
How to Write a First Draft
How to Outline
Plotting for Pansters and Pantsing for Plotters
How to Overcome Writerâs Block
How to Write Consistently
How to Improve Your Writing
How to Expand Your Vocabulary and Utilize English Idioms/Figures of Speech
How to Get Into Writing Fiction
Is Your Story Better as a Fanfic or an Original Work?
Structuring
How to Write a Scene (Source: Jerry Jenkins)
How to Write a Sub-Plot
How to Write In Certain Tenses
How to Write a Flashback
How to Make Your Story Longer (Feat. a helpful reblog from @romancingthebook)
How to Write a Final Draft
How to End Your Story (Source: Now Novel)
Substance, Filler, and Pacing
How to Fix Your Filler Scenes
How to Cut back Filler Words (For People Looking to Reduce Their Word Count!)
How to Balance Description and Dialogue
How to Write a Smooth, Rhythmic Narrative
Prologues and Info Dumping
How to Avoid Purple Prose (Source: WikiHow)
POV Tips
How to Choose Which POV to Use (Source @evans-writing)
How to Write First Person POV
How to Write Switching POVs
Genres + Setting
How to Write About Medieval Europe
How to Write About Mid-Nineteenth/Early Twentieth Century America
How to Write About School
How to Write an Apocalypse
How to Write Gangster/Mafia Fiction
How to Write Humor
How to Make Your Story Less Sad
How to Make Your Story Scarier
Plot Points
How to Write Character Death
How to Fake a Characterâs Death
How to Write Characterâs Planning/An Explanation of an In-Story Plan
How to Write a Fight Scene
How to Write Magic
How to Write Missing Personâs Reports
How to Write Pain
How to Write Regret
Subverting Common Fanfiction AUs and Plot Ideas
Fantasy AU Ideas
Dialogue
How to Write Arguments
How to Write Dialogue
How to Write Humor
Master List of Speech Tags
Characters
Popular Character Tropes and Prompts to Subvert Them
When to Change Your Characterâs Name
Ways To Tell if Your Characters are Too Similar (How To Cut Characters)
How to Describe Bodies
How to Describe Clothing
How to Write Characters Who Are Different From You
How to Write Close Platonic Relationships
How to Write Complex Characters
How to Write (Good) Female Characters
How to Write a Good Monarch/Ruler
How to Write a Villain
How to Write a Villain Redemption Arc
Villain Motivations
How to Write Young Children and Babies
How to Write Siblings
How to Write a Drunk Character (For people who canât/prefer not to drink)
Love Stuff
How to Write Romance
How to Write Falling In Love
How to Write a Love Triangle
How to Write Enemies to Friends to Lovers
How to Write Healthy Relationships
How to Write Long Distance Relationships
How to Write Non-Explicit Sex Scenes
How to Write Teasing in a Romantic Relationship
How to Write Toxic Relationships
Reasons for Divorce
Fantastic Beasts (And How to Write Them)
How to Write Shape-shifters
How to Write Characters With Wings
How to Write Angels (A History of Angelic Lore)
How to Write Characters with Tails
How to Write Zombies
How to Write Gods, Goddesses, and Deities
How to Write Animals in Battle
How to Write a Hive Mind
Diversity
I am a white, neurotypical, cisgender woman and shouldnât give you any advice but to DEFINITELY include diversity! Here are some great blogs for you to follow!
@writingwithcolor
@yourbookcouldbegayer
@scriptautistic
@actuallyblind
@cripplecharacters
Writing Deaf of Hard of Hearing Characters
Miscellaneous
MASTER LIST OF INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLISTS FOR WRITING (OR FOR STUDYING, MAKING ART, ETC.)
How to Become a Writing Advice Blog
How to Write Constructive Criticism
Books You Should Get As a Writer
check out my #writing memes tag, too!
My Book
Iâm currently working on a novel titled Wings of Faith, and often post content such as art, aesthetics, and writing updates!
Summary:
Humans are nothing if not imaginative creatures. They tell tales of being watched over by invisible guardians, of bearing witness to divine messengers descending from the sky in a blaze of fire. Snowy wings, flaming swords, haloes and harpsâŚyou know, all the classic bullshit.
âBe not afraid!â they write these creatures saying, since humans like to comfort themselves with the notion that their celestial shepherds are merciful. But mercy, even for such âangelsâ that are so often painted and prayed about, is a luxury that only those with enough life left in them can afford.
(OR a jaded one-winged angel must team up with a ragtag band of demons to escape from Hell)
Wings of Faith Masterpost
My Art Blog
Hereâs the blog that I post all of my art on, including Wings of Faith content, art wips, fandom content, and original work! Feel free to check it out here!
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MASTER LIST OF INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLISTS FOR WRITING (OR FOR STUDYING, MAKING ART, ETC.)
I find that the perfect writing playlist can GREATLY enhance the writing experience. Even if it doesn't make your writing "better" (which it can, since it helps writers with visualization, tone, and mood), it can definitely make your writing flow easier!
Personally, words distract me when I'm writing, either by breaking my train of thought or by getting me too into the music so that I'm jamming out to my favorite tunes instead of writing.
Therefore, I've amassed a vast knowledge of instrumental music across a variety of media over a course of many years. Now here I am, deciding to share all of them with you!
Maddyâs Favorite Instrumental Songs
Just like the title says. All of the best pieces of instrumental music I've ever heard, compiled together with no regard for genre. It can be a bit of a whiplash playlist, but some amazing recs in there that I just like listening to in my free time, not just for writing.
Maddyâs Ultimate Instrumental Playlist
A mega compilation of 550+ fantastic instrumental music from a variety of media and genres. Kind of a whiplash playlist if you put it on shuffle, but is a great start for anyone looking to find what kind of instrumental music they like!
Playlist Groupings in Order: Independent instrumental songs, live action movies, animated movies, animated tv shows, live action tv shows, video games.
Maddy's Instrumental for Sleep
Some more chill vibe instrumental for people who either A) want to sleep or B) want a relaxed playlist that won't distract you with loud volume and sudden changes in tempo or melody.
MISC PLAYLISTS:
you're a haggard adventurer discovering worlds beyond your wildest dreams
Music to inspire wonder and wanderlust, the kind of feeling you get when you finally reach the end of a mountain hike and see the world stretching out before you.
you're a hero who's just lost everything
Basically the most sad instrumental music I could find. A playlist for grief and revenge.
more beneath the cut :)
you're a cowboy in the great American West
Cowboy instrumental for all of your ambient and writing needs. Or if you just really want to feel like a cowboy.
you're a divine witness
Epic choir music (no English). Most religious, some not, but all kind of have that eerie sacred vibe. I listen to this while writing my book about angels and demons.
youâre a scholar uncovering the secrets of the universe
Great chill study playlist! Has the kind of same exploratory/discovery type feel as the haggard adventurer playlist, but more dark academia.
youâre a villain plotting to take over the world
Villain-coded instrumental! Sinister, dark, and/or unsettling.
you're an academic weapon
HIGH BPM STUDY PLAYLIST! Keeps me focused, hyped, and helps me work faster!
you're an ancient god
Playlist that gives an ancient/eerie vibe. But some ancient gods are merciful- so there are some upbeat songs for wonder and awe!
you're falling in love
Music that encapsulates what I think falling in love feels like. Very beautiful, tender, and uplifting instrumental.
you're fighting the final battle
Intense and epic battle music for all of your fight-scene-writing needs! Good for getting shit done, but isn't necessarily restricted to high BPM like the academic weapon playlist.
you're having a tea party
Refined instrumental for a tea party, including classical, big band, and some miscellaneous goodies.
you're in a chase scene
Music for writing chase scenes. Pretty good hype music, too. Includes soundtracks from classic chase scenes in popular media!
you're in the medieval times
Medieval-sounding music for all of your ambient and/or writing needs.
youâre in your childhood room. the door is open a crack. people talk softly downstairs.
A playlist dedicated to nostalgia, to the feeling of lying in bed with your nightlight on after being too tired to stay awake at your family get-together. Could either make your day or break your heart lmao
you're the happiest you've ever been
Lighthearted instrumental meant to lift your spirits! A playlist dedicated to the joys of the little things.
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How do you recommend writing a brother relationship. Itâs pretty crucial to my story. The older one is serious, and strict while his brother is dreamy and gentle
How to Write Siblings
A lot of people struggle when it comes to writing siblings.They make their relationship too stilted and forced, to the point where theyârealmost glorified acquaintances.
A sibling relationship isnât just about quipsand annoying each other, though those things may be a big part of it, so if youwant to write a believable pair of siblings(with a good relationship with oneanother), here are some tips.
1. They Donât Love Each Other THAT Much
Unless youâre writing about something thatâs very not good, siblingsshouldnât be too touchy-feely. When theyâre older and arenât living in the samehouse, siblings kiss each other on the cheek hello and goodbye, but teenagedsiblings rarely do that, if at all.
An older sibling may kiss a much younger sibling on thecheek, and there may be a lot of hugging involved, but in my experience,siblings who are close in age only kiss on the cheek if theyâre older and donâtsee each other often. If youâve had a sibling, you know that they DO NOT kisseach other on the lips. Thatâs just weird. (Yuck!)
2. They Have to Do Sibling Stuff Together
A good sibling relationship isnât cultivated by ignoringeach other, though many siblings spend a lot of time doing just that. Even ifthey are annoyed by each other, they canât justâŚnot interact for the wholestory.
Sibling affection can be conveyed through various acts thatmay seem weird but to siblings are perfectly normal.
 Jumping on each other/playful fighting
Real Fighting over weird things (My personal favoriteargument that Iâve had with my brother is which Smash Ultimate character is thethiccest)
Scaring each other
Playing video games together
Playing pranks on each other
Inside jokes
Weird rituals (Whenever we encounter each otheron opposite sides of a hallway, my brother and I just strike the do it to emâpose until one of us yields and thus proves their inferiority)
Staring contests
Violent footsie under the table
Spilling tea about bfs/gfs/friends/school drama
Watching Netflix together
Listening to music together
Simply sitting in the same room and enjoying eachotherâs presence
Nicknames (Ever since I read A Gentlemanâs Guideto Vice and Virtue Iâve referred to my brother exclusively as Goblin)
Contests/rivalry (who can run the fastest, whocan climb the highest, who can fit the most marshmallows into their mouthwithout choking, etc. Usually prefaced with ârace yaâ or the anxiety-inducing âreadyset goâ)
3. They Have to Be Supportive
Siblings stick up for each other. They comfort each other.Sometimes, when theyâre feeling petty, they snitch on or berate each other ruthlessly.
They might get mad for a while and ignore each other, but eventually itâll allbe okay because itâs really hard to stay mad at a fellow quasi-human who livesin the same house as you.
If a sibling is getting bullied at school, the vengeance inthe others will burn white hot for a person they havenât even met; they mightlove embarrassing the sibling, but theyâre the only one whoâs allowed to bullythem. No one else. âPenalty for bullying a sibling is death.â
4. Some Movie/TV/Book Siblings to Reference
The Lightwoods (The Mortal Instruments)
Nani and Lilo (Lilo and Stitch)
Kenai, Koda, Sitka, and Denahi (Brother Bear)
TâChalla and Shuri (Black Panther)
Dash and Violet (Incredibles)
Hiro and Tadashi (Big Hero 6)
Felicity, Monty, and The Goblin (A Gentlemanâs Guide to Vice and Virtue)
Sam and Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
Klaus, Luther, Vanya, Allison, Diego, Number Five, and Ben (Umbrella Academy)
Carter and Sadie (Kane Chronicles)
Scout and Jem (To Kill a Mockingbird)
The Weasleys (Harry Potter)
The Starks (Game of Thrones)
Hope this helped, and other people with siblings should feelfree to add stuff!
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Hey! Do you have any advice for writing about really young children and babies?
TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE YOUNG CHILDREN AND BABIES
Babies (Ages 0-1)
Babies usually learn how to sit up at 4 to 7 months, to crawl at about 7 to 10 months, to stand up at 9 to 10 months, and to walk at 9 to 12 months. Babies can learn to talk as early as 6 months, though they only start to form two to four word sentences from 18 months to 2 years old.
Babies are cute little bundles of joy that lighten up the entire household, though they do have their moments.
My biggest pet peeve about people who write babies into their stories is that they only concentrate on the cons. The baby is always crying and annoying the characters, who make snide remarks about how they wish it would shut up.
The writers set it up so that the baby sounds like more of a burden than anything else, and unless your other characters donât want the baby and feel like it is a burden, then I highly suggest you switch it up and describe the happy moments that the characters have with their babies, too.
They donât just cry because theyâre hungry or need to have their diaper changed.
Contrary to popular belief, whenever a baby cries it does not mean that it needs to be fed or that it has pooped itself. Babies cry over all sorts of things because they literally have no other way to communicate when theyâre unhappy.
They cry when theyâre tired.
They cry when theyâre left alone. (Separation anxiety is very prevalent in babies, who feel afraid and unsafe whenever their guardians are not with them
They cry when theyâre frustrated and canât do the things that their parents and siblings can do.
They cry when theyâre scared.
They cry when they are left with the parent that isnât their favorite. (This usually happens to dads when the babies are left in their care)
This may sound annoying, but babies are just trying to make it known that theyâre unhappy. They canât say âHey, Iâm upset, can you help me?â so their only other option is to cry. Since theyâre young, these things that are happening to them are the WORST things theyâve ever experienced. When a baby throws a fit over a broken toy or separation anxiety, thatâs probably because itâs the scariest and most heartbreaking thing that has ever happened to them!
They need constant love, care, and attention.
This is literally a young human person. Theyâre just as aware and alert as you and I, and they need constant stimulation to keep happy. Parents really have it cut out for them; they have to raise this little human larva into a fully grown homo sapien that will function well in society, and in order to do that they have to provide a lot of TLC to make sure the babyâs mind develops correctly.
A lot of parents in stories donât do this; they only give their baby attention when itâs crying and I canât help but think: thatâs not??? How it works????
Things that parents do for their children to help them develop:
Read books
Sing songs
Play with toys with them
Play games like peek-a-boo and patty cake
Put on music
Put on educational TV and movies (Though they shouldnât do this too often!)
Simply be around them
Parents should not leave the baby alone for extended periods of time.
This is a given. Babies can get themselves into a lot of trouble: They can roll of couches, touch hot or sharp objects, and eat things that they shouldnât. Babies have to be under constant supervision, and it gets me really annoyed when characters in stories leave their child unattended for a long time.
Babies need a lot of equipment, which can include:
- Crib
- Bib
- Pacifier/Binky
- Bottle and formula (If parents donât breastfeed)
**FYI babies on formula or breast milk need to be burped after theyâre fed because they swallow air and can have gas buildup within their stomach and intestines. Some babies need to be burped a lot, while others donât; it all depends on the baby, though bottle fed babies tend to swallow more air than breastfed ones.**
- Blankets and mats to lie on
- Toys (LOTS of them!)
- High chair
- Baby friendly food (for older babies that are off formula, which occurs after the sixth month mark), which can include actual baby food, Cheerios, fruit that is cut into small pieces, animal crackers, and anything that can be eaten with fingers that canât be choked on.
The parents, if theyâre caring ones, are always thinking about the baby.
This is especially if theyâre first time parents. Babies are a BIG DEAL, and they become the most important things in their parentsâ lives. Theyâre always thinking about the baby and can tend to worry a LOT when theyâre separated from them. They take many precautions, such as baby-proofing the house, to keep their little ones safe, and most parents would take a bullet for their baby.
If the parents in your story donât fret over their baby at least once, then youâre writing baby parents wrong.
Toddlers (Ages 2-5)
Many important milestones in a humanâs life happen during these critical years. They start forming complete sentences and developing social skills. They learn that to get what they want they donât just have to cry; they can communicate in other ways, though sometimes they take to crying if they donât get their way.
Toddlers can be marginally more worrisome than babies; theyâre mobile now, so they can now reach higher and move around faster than their younger counterparts. Their crying no longer is cute, but rather more annoying now that theyâre older and are starting to develop their personalities, and thereâs a reason why theyâre called âThe terrible twosâ
Toddlers are just like upgraded babies that need most of the things babies do but can now communicate, walk, and eat real food.
However, the most important thing writers should know: TODDLERS ARE NOT SAGES
They should not be spouting deep, philosophical life lessons at every turn; that aspect of children thatâs been developed in books, about how they âknow thingsâ just because theyâre young and innocent, is completely false. One or two meaningful lines should be fine, but remember that theyâre still kids; they like talking about dinosaurs, superheroes, princesses, animals, and trucks, and 98% of their dialogue should merely be them being a kid.
Hope this helped!
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How do you write a well-written female character? I'm having a hard time with this.
3 Tips on How to Write a (Good) Female Character
For some odd reason, many writers,including women, have an incredibly difficult time writing female characters.This may be because women are inherently more complicated than men or becauseof hundreds of years of improper representation within works of literature hasleft society with absolutely no clue on how to write believable femalecharacters, but whatever the case, people are messing up, and theyâre messingup bad.
Thatâs why Iâve formulated these three tips to help you get on track to creating a wickedly cool femaleprotagonist.
1. Tone Down the Sexualization
This happens a lot with malewriters; the male characters in the story are just like âyep Iâm a dudeâ at thebeginning exposition and thatâs the end of it, but for some reason with femalecharacters the readers constantly need to be reminded that the characters are,indeed, female.
Theyâre constantly over-exaggeratingfeminine qualities (despite it not being a part of the character) and wavingred flags in the air every single moment sheâs around like âSHEâS A GIRL! LOOK,A GIRL!â
You do not need to repeatedly usethe words âfeminineâ or âgirlyâ to describe any aspect of your female characterthroughout the story.
And please, for the love of God andall that is holy, do not describe her boobs in her initial introduction. Justdonât. You donât need to. Please. Donât. A little joke by her to her friend abouther bra size is fine, but do us all a favor and donât describe her boobs in anarea that isnât dialogue.
Yes, she is a girl and there arecertain things that girls can do that you can insert, which I will describe,but donât go over the top about it.
2. You Guys Do Realize that Sheâs Allowed to Do Girly Things,Right?
Here, have some comics by Carly Monardo,Meredith Gran, and Kate Beaton
As you can see, this is quite ridiculous,but this is just an exaggerated version of what authors do; they think that itâsanti-feminist or demeaning to give female charactersâŚactual feelings, so theymake this cardboard cutout âstrong female characterâ that weâve seen a thousandtimes before. Sheâs strong, sheâs invincible, she doesnât care about whatanyone thinks, sheâs hot but will never admit it, and she HATES BOYS.
Writing women like this is justâŚno.
Women are allowed to have feelings.Theyâre allowed to cry and be scared and have crushes, and I feel that acharacter who has all these emotions and has to overcome them is a way strongercharacter than one that doesnât have these emotions at all.
Youâre also allowed to have girlswho like doing girl things. She doesnât have to be a tomboy whoâs ânot likeother girlsâ and acts as âstrongâ as possible. Let her get her nails done anddo her makeup. Let her wear dresses and blouses and pink things if she wants.Donât force her into a more masculine state because thatâs what you think is âstrong.â
(Note: Masculine female charactersare great! But just because theyâre masculine doesnât mean that they donât haveany emotions.)
3. Treat Her Like You Would Treat Any Other Character
Seriously, itâs not that hard.
You donât have to differentiatebetween male and female in every single moment of the story; just write her asa human!
She is a person who does things andinfluences the plot, so if youâre having so much trouble with her gender,ignore it! Gender is a construct, and if youâre having trouble writing yourcharacter as a female, just do a little description and establishing stuff andthen just write a human person!
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How to Write Characters That Are Complex
So this was an ask I received from @costangeles, and I thought that it deserved one of my Long Posts⢠to properly answer it.
Complex characters are super, super important to any fictional work, whether it be an OC in your personal short story/novel/etc. or an OC in a fanfiction. If the characters in your work arenât complex, the readers wonât care much about the characters and therefore wonât care much about the story itself.
Complex characters arenât a suggestion, they are a necessity if you want your story to be successful and well-liked by your readers.
Since theyâre so important, I decided to make a post on how to write them instead of just answering it on the ask.
1. Know the definition of a complex character
People take a look at the phrase âcomplex characterâ and think, âOh, I know what that is! Itâs a character thatâs complex!â
They are right, in a sense, but there is so much more to complex characters than it states in the name.
According to this document (which comes up when you Google âcomplex characterâ)
âA Complex character, also known as a Dynamic character or a Round character displays the following characteristics:
1. He or she undergoes an important change as the plot unfolds.
2. The changes he or she experiences occur because of his or her actions or experiences in the story.
3. Changes in the character may be good or bad.
4. The character is highly developed and complex, meaning they have a variety of traits and different sides to their personality.
5. Some of their character traits may create conflict in the character.
6. He or she displays strengths, weaknesses, and a full range of emotions.
7. He or she has significant interactions with other characters.
8. He or she advances the plot or develops a major theme in the text.â
Now that you know the definition of a complex character, itâll probably be easier to write them. Technically, I could just end it here and have the document give you all the tips, but I felt like I should elaborate on the few of the points just to emphasize how important they are.
2. Your Characterâs Gotta Change
Your story/novel/fanfiction is outlining a gigantic event, right? One thatâs harrowing and draining and tough on the body and the mind?
Just a note: ANY NORMAL HUMAN BEING WOULD CHANGE AFTER EVENTS SUCH AS THESE.
Itâs not feasible for a character NOT to change after something like this happens.
Iâm going to use my book as an example:
Andrew, the main character and the narrator of the story, is an angel stuck in Hell.
Do you know what happens in Hell? Demons torture people.
Do you know what happens to Andrew? He gets tortured.
Now, who wouldnât change in this environment? Andrew had to adapt in order to endure the least amount of suffering as possible. At the beginning of the story, he is quiet and reserved, and easily spooked. Wary of new people.
But as the plot progresses and heâs rescued by the other characters in the story, he comes out of his shell and realizes that thereâs no one to fear.
Your characters have to change like that. They may not have to go through literal hell, but they sure have to change after the event happens.
Some of you might be panicking right now because you donât want to change your character, or canât see a way that your character can change.
Donât worry, Iâve made a list of traits that can be changed during the course of your story. All of these things can either go up or down as the plot progresses.
-Ambition
-Apathy
-Assertiveness
-Capability
-Compassion
-Confidence
-Consideration
-Courage
-Cowardice
-Dependability
-Determination
-Generosity
-Honesty
-Ignorance
-Impulsiveness
-Individuality
-Independence
-Insecurity
-Literally any bad trait
-Protectiveness
-Spirituality
-Tolerance
-And many more
3. They Gotta Have a Personality
This one is necessary for any character, but like with the phrase âcomplex characterâ, many people just put it into generic terms.
Think of any character from any book, movie, TV show, etc.Â
Now, think about their personality traits.
Notice how, if theyâre a good, well-developed character, they have a lot of them.
A personality doesnât just mean âOh, I like pizzaâ.
Liking something unimportant doesnât make a person who they are.
Liking something is not a personality trait unless that thing is super important to them like sports or school or their family. (Athletic, bookish, family-oriented)
People are incredibly complex creatures that have a whole fuckton of things that are good and bad about them. You canât just go online to one of those âcharacter traitsâ charts and pick and choose like five of them. Your character should have a whole load of traits, otherwise theyâre not a complex character.
Traits should be diverse. There should be both good and bad traits. Major and minor traits.
Take a moment and write down all of your characterâs traits. They canât be physical traits, and they canât be minor things that they only âlikeâ and can live without.
If there arenât a lot of them or you canât think of that many, then your character is not complex.
This is okay for side characters, but for your main protagonist itâs a big no-no.Â
4. Your character has to be an active participant in the plot
THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT STAR THIS, HIGHLIGHT IT, UNDERLINE 100 TIMES
Here is the big question: Is your character moving the plot, or is the plot just happening to your character?
If you answered the latter, then you have a big problem.
Iâm not even going to sugarcoat it; if your protagonist, the one you love with all of your heart and couldnât bear to live without, is not advancing the plot, then they shouldnât exist in the story.
Your characterâs choices have to make the plot move forward. Their choices have to impact the story an cause consequences, whether they be good or bad in the long run for the whole cast of characters.
Unless your character is forced to be a passenger (whether itâs because of lack of physical/mental/magical ability compared to the supporting cast, or because they are actually forced), they should be the one in the driver;âs seat, not the one that was dragged along for the ride.Â
If you still canât grasp what Iâm talking about, you should watch this video, which explains it perfectly.
HOPE THIS HELPED!
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Hello! Iâm writing a buddy movie type script where I want two main characters (aged within two years of each other) to develop a close bond with each other, but I also want to make it very clear that they are more like sisters than lovers. How do I write a deep, close platonic relationship like that without it sounding romantic?
How to Write a Close Platonic RelationshipÂ
Writing romantic relationships are tough, but do you know whatâs even tougher? Writing close friendships.Â
Friendships can run deeper than any romance ever could, and vary widely from person to person; this variation can sometimes make it difficult to pin down how exactly to write a close friendship, but hopefully this post will clear things up a bit.Â
1. Accept that there are going to be people who ship them no matter what
Itâs just the way things are. People who are fans of your work are going to ship whichever characters they feel have a connection, and close friendship does count as a connection.
If fans can ship two characters whoâve never even met or exchanged more than three words to each other, then they most definitely can ship people whoâve forged strong bonds like your characters have.Â
Putting in too much effort into emphasizing how much they platonically love each other in an attempt to make sure NO ONE ships them is just going to be a waste of your time.Â
The sooner you accept that with close friendships comes readers/watchers who will interpret such a friendship in a romantic way, the better.
2. Give them history
A majority of todayâs extremely close platonic relationships were either forged under stressful extenuating circumstances (i.e. comrades in arms, apocalypse survivors, etc.) or have taken a lot of time to build.Â
You donât just meet someone and automatically become best friends with them. Thereâs a slow progression from strangers to acquaintances to friends to best friends that may take weeks, months, or years.Â
How did they meet? Why did they first make a connection? Have they had their ups and downs throughout their friendship or were they always pretty good at sorting out their differences?
One way to tell your audience how close your characters are references to past events that theyâve gone through/struggles theyâve faced together, and you canât do that without showing that they have a deep intertwined history with one another.
3. Show their bond instead of talking about their bond
Instead of reiterating over and over about how they spend every moment of every day together and would trust each other with their lives, show it!Â
If you have them hanging out in every scene and doing everything together, then you donât really have to tell everyone how close they are because theyâll be able to figure it out for themselves.Â
Things that close friends can do together:
Spa days
Netflix binges
Fast food/coffee runs
Long drives to nowhere
Hanging out at the park/taking walks around town
Celebrating holidays together (Friendsgiving, secret santa, etc.)
Sleepovers
Deep, philosophical conversations at 3am
FaceTiming/Texting each other any time something remotely interesting happens
Hiking
Going to the mall
Video games
Sticking together at parties
Board games
Bike rides/skateboarding
Going to the beach
Talking about their shared interests (TV shows that they got each other into, books theyâve both read, movies theyâve watched, etc.)
But itâs not just hanging out that can show their bond, itâs also the little things, too:
Sending each other memes/things online that pertain to their interests
Knowing the password to their phone/garage/computer/etc.
Being close with each othersâ families
Knowing exactly what theyâd order at a fast food/coffee place
Comforting them when theyâre upset
Sending answers to homework/always finding a way to be paired up on group projects
Having funny names for each other on their phones and a plethora of ugly photos of the both of them
Thereâs a whole lot more to this, but I think I covered most of it!
Hope this helped, and happy writing!
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Before my ask I wanted to say your blog is awesome and all your posts are always really useful, so thanks for all your amazing work.
As for my ask, I was wondering how you got into the mindset of different characters? Personally I'm a very logical person and I always think about things rationally, which means I often find it difficult writing characters who aren't of a similar disposition because I really struggle putting myself in their shoes. Instead I just end up getting bogged down in how I would solve their problems rather than how they would. This is especially noticeable when writing irrational, impulsive or villainous characters because they're so far removed from my mindset. Is this something you have struggled with at all?
Thanks
Donât worry, youâre not alone! This something Iâve struggled with a lot! My MC is basically a complete opposite of me, and it doesnât help that my novel is in first person.Â
The easiest way to write a character thatâs different from you is to take references and study other characters like yours from popular media! Research is key!
I take a very good look at characters from shows, books, or movies that I like and pick out the similarities to my character that I can use for my own writing. The decisions they make, the way they carry themselves, or the way they talk.Â
While it may be easy to write a character thatâs a lot like you (where you can just snatch the thoughts from your brain and put it on the page), you have to think of other characters as a patchwork of things youâve picked from other places.
 Since you canât have any experience in these charactersâ shoes, you have to do a bit of research to fully flesh them out!
If you need somewhere to start, I highly suggest taking a look at The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus , which have helped me so much to write characters with different traits than me by giving a list of behaviors that people with that trait may have!
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Puki will you leave tumblr because everyoneâs acting like itâs dead now :(
oh yeah its SO dead.
1000 notes this post. Now
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kinda adorable how it takes the moon almost exactly a month to blink
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