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secondhandsorrows · 18 days

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how to go from daydream to draft:

begin by daydreaming as you normally do, or just after you've finished doing so. write down every thought you have. one after another. do not reread. do not stop for spelling mistakes. just dump out every thought. this is called stream of consciousness writing. you can do this for every scene you need a first draft for.

struggling to draft the scene? try to daydream about it. start thinking about how it would look, feel, what the characters would say, act it out in your head and then write out the stream of your thoughts as they arrive.

by now you have a few scene dumps. you may be tempted to go back and edit. do not do this expect for obvious spelling mistakes. do not read closely and start thinking "i need to rework this sentence." that is for later. now you're in the zone. draft more scenes. or work out what the next scene needs to be, scaffold it with a few comments. this will be the inspiration for your next deliberate thought stream that you will write out. repeat this process until you have the whole draft.

now that you have a draft or part of a draft you get to do this very fun thing called revise until you're happy. sweep through your draft with specific goals each time. one sweep to fix spelling/grammar. another for character voice. another for plot. repeat until you're happy with it.

leave it alone. just leave it for a bit. at least a few hours or days or even weeks. forget it exists. this will allow you come back with fresh eyes. then you can do your revisions with an eagle eye. now you may realize you need to add/remove scenes. you know how to get the first version down. close your eyes and daydream at your desk if that's what takes!

remember that fiction writing is persuasive writing. you are trying to persuade the reader to care about what happens next, the character's, the world, the feelings. as you're revising, consider whether you are persuaded. is the feeling/thoughts you wanted to provoke being felt by you when you read it? when working with beta readers, be sure to communicate what you're trying to convey so they can tell you if you've been successful or not.

this got a bit beyond getting the first draft done. hope you found it helpful.

bonus tip: check the spellings of names and places and other nouns that are not typically used, like the name of a magic tool!

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secondhandsorrows · 21 days

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Can you please share some words to use instead of "Look", I really struggle with that, it's always "She looked at him in shock" or "He looked at her with a smile". I know there's "Gazed" and "Glanced" but I wanted some advice to use "Look" less

Words To Use Instead of "Look"

Words Closest in Meaning (w diff connotations!):

stare

eye

study

behold

glimpse

peek

glance

notice

observe

inspect

regarding

view

review

look-see

get an eyeful

peer

give the eye

eyeball

size up

check out

examine

contemplate

scan

recognize

sweep

once-over

judge

watch

glare

consider

spot

scrunitize

gaze

gander

ogle

yawp

Other (more fancy) words:

glimmer

sntach

zero in

take stock of

poke into

mope

glaze

grope

rummage

frisk

probe

rivet

distinguish

witness

explore

gloat

scowl

have a gander

comb

detect

surveillance

squint

keeping watch

rubberneck

pout

bore

slant

ignore

audit

pipe

note

speculation

simper

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secondhandsorrows · 22 days

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on worldbuilding, and what people think is going on

there is one facet of fantasy worldbuilding that is, to me, the most interesting and essential but i don't see it come up in worldbuilding guides or writing prompts or anything, and that is the question of:

what do the inhabitants of your world believe about how the world works, and how are they wrong? a lot of fantasy media will set up their cosmology, gods, magic systems, planar systems, concepts of the afterlife, &c., and proceed as though the inhabitants of the world know and understand them.

from someone whose entire academic career is focused on studying human culture in various regions and time periods, with a focus on belief systems (religion, occultism, mythology, folklore): that sort of worldbuilding is unrealistic and missing out on so much fun.

people are always seeking new understanding about how the world works, and they are mostly wrong. how many models of the solar system were proposed before we reached our current one? look at the long, turbulent history of medicine and our various bizarre models for understanding the human body and how to fix it. so many religions and occult/magical traditions arise from people disagreeing with or adapting various models of the world based on new ideas, methods, technologies. many of them are wrong, but all of them are interesting and reflect a lot about the culture, beliefs, values, and fears of the people creating/practising them.

there is so much more to the story of what people believe about the world than just what is true.

to be clear: i think it's fine and important for the author to have a coherent explanation for where magic comes from or who the gods are, so they can maintain consistency in their story. but they should also be asking what people in the world (especially different people, in different regions/nations and different times) think is happening when they do magic, or say a prayer, or practise medicine, or grieve their dead. it is a rich vein for conflict between individuals and nations alike when two models of the world disagree. it is fascinating how different magic systems might develop according to different underlying beliefs.

personally, i think it is the most fun to spawn many diverse models of the world, but give none of them the 'right' answer.

(bonus points if you also have a thriving academic system in the world with its own theory, research, and discourse between factions! as an academic, it is very fun to imagine fictional academic debate over the topics i'm worldbuilding. sometimes i will be working out details for some underlying mechanic of the world and start imagining the papers being written by scholars researching it)

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secondhandsorrows · 23 days

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Writing Resources: WORDS ARE HARD

60 Synonyms for “Walk”

A list of sounds/onomatopoeias for writers

American vs British terms

Descriptionary

Insult names to use instead of "idiot”

Looking for a word you can’t remember

OneLook Reverse Dictionary

One look thesaurus

Power Thesaurus

Researching for WIPs : A Collection

Reverse Dictionary

Synonyms for Very

Using the appropriate vocabulary in your novel

Wild vs feral

Words to use instead of: cry/cried/crying

Writing websites

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secondhandsorrows · 23 days

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Writing Morally Gray Characters

Morally gray antagonists and heroes can bring up many interesting questions about your story's theme and plot. Yes, your hero does want to save the world, but resorts to cruel ways of bringing peace?

Being morally gray can also mean that the character is highly goal- oriented and values efficiency and success over anything.

Deceiving Appearances

As is true in real life, a person's intentions aren't always obvious. A character, their title, background or really just how they look might at first indicate they're the hero type but surprise - they're not.

By hiding ulterior motives behind more apparent ones, you can add depth to your morally gray characters. Appearances can be deceiving, and that makes for a juicy read.

Morally Gray vs. Villains

Morally gray characters and villains are not strictly one and the same. Yes, there is overlap-they can be villains-but the distinctions are there nonetheless.

I don't think having a dark past to provide motivations for morally gray characters is too effective. They do intend to harm others, and sometimes, that's just the way they are.

Recognition

Your morally gray character should recognize that their choices can cause harm, intentionally or otherwise.

Although he's willing to risk the chance in his pursuit of knowledge, he does actively recognize that his actions can result in negative consequences. He sometimes acknowledges this before he does something, and sometimes only in hindsight.

Remorse

They must understand and experience remorse. When the consequences of their actions wreck and story world and kills people around her, she would certainly have regrets and even struggle to undo what she did.

The point here is, she won't regret until she has already caused the wreckage.

Redemption

Finally, when even they feel things have gone too far, your morally gray character must seek redemption however that manifests itself in your story.

For all their logic and reasoning, they are not without feeling. They can grow to care for other characters and go out of their way to help them at times, even save their life.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

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secondhandsorrows · 23 days

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Master List of Superpowers

power themes: light, dark, earth, water, electricity, air, life, psychic, energy, fire +

Light ✨

Dark light manipulation: create the darkes light in existence

White light manipulation: create sacred light

Photokinesis

Force-field generation: create rpotective shield of solid photons

Invisibiity: be unseen

Laser emission: bend light wavelengths to create lasers

Light absorbtion: absorb the light around you

Light generation: emit blinding light or glow in the dark

Light mimicry: take on the traits of light

Photoportation: teleport by using photons

Projectie insibility: turn other things invisible

Evil banish: rid and banish all spirits of evil and black magic

Dark 🖤

Umbrakinesis - can manipulate and control darkness or shadows.

Animated Shadow - Animate one's shadow.

Light Absorption - block out light in an area

Night Vision - see in the dark.

Sacred Darkness - create holy darkness.

Shadow Mimicry - become a shadow.

Umbraportation - teleport via the shadows and darkness.

Water 💧

Hydrokinesis - manipulate and control liquid water and mold it into any desired shape or form

Aquatic Respiration - breathe underwater.

Atmokinesis - control and manipulate the various aspects of the weather by mixing water, ice, fire, earth, air, and lightning/electricity.

Dehydration - absorb water.

Hydroportation - teleport across short or long distances through liquid water.

Water Mimicry - turn into liquid water.

Water Generation - generate water.

Holy Water Manipulation - create, manipulate and control graceful waters.

Dark Water Manipulation - create, manipulate and control evil and dangerous waters.

Electricity ⚡

Quintessence Force - generates whitish-blue lightning that also contains pure life energy.

Electrokinesis - control, generate or absorb electric fields and shoot lightning bolts.

Activation & Deactivation - turn stuff on and off.

Positron Manipulation - control positrons, the antimatter counterpart to electrons.

Electrical Absorption: absorb electric energy

Electric Mimicry - transform entire body into a lightning-like being of pure electrical energy.

Electroportation - teleport with lightning/electricity

Divine Lightning Manipulation - create and control the brightest lightning.

Black Lightning Manipulation - create and control the darkest lightning.

Air 💨

Air Embodiment - Become the embodiment/personification of the element of air.

Aeroscience - Have absolute knowledge about air.

Aerokinetic Combat - Combine air-related abilities with combat.

Aerokinetic Constructs -Create/Construct anything using air.

Aerokinetic Regeneration - Heal/Regenerate using air.

Aero-Telekinesis - Use telekinesis using air

Aeromancy - Gain divination via air

Air Mimicry - transform into a cloud of gas, fog, or mist.

Atmokinesis - manipulate the weather by mixing water, ice, fire, earth, air, and lightning/electricity.

Deoxygenation - suck up all the oxygen from a place.

Lung Adaptation - breathe anywhere.

Wind Generation - create blasts of wind.

Air Generation - create or generate blasts of air.

Pure Wind/Air Manipulation - create and control pure winds.

Dark Wind/Air Manipulation - create and control corrupted winds.

Levitation - the ability to make anything rise up in the air and move around under your control.

Life 🌱

Enhanced healing

Necromancy

Telepathy

Being able to mutate others

Change blood types at will

Blood Cloning: To create clones of themselves by using blood.

Blood Mimicry: To mimic the properties of blood. Blood Pressure: To manipulate the pressure and flow of blood inside bodies.

Blood Propulsion: To propel one's self using blood.

Blood Teleportation: To teleport through blood.

Blood Transformation: To transform matter into blood.

Haemokinetic Combat: To infuse blood in physical combat.

Haemopotent Regeneration: To regenerate oneself using blood.

Haemopotent Replication: To replicate powers with blood as a medium.

Thermovariance: To boil targets blood.

Fire 🔥

Holy Fire Manipulation - Generate and control flames of Heaven.

Inflammation - burn things.

Melting - heat molecules to melt things without touching or using fire

Plasmakinesis - control plasma.

Pyromancy- Divination via fire.

Pyrotechnics - create fireworks.

Self-Detonation - explode self and reform.

Stellar Manipulation - manipulate and control stars.

Thermokinesis - create, control and manipulate heat.

Pyroportation - teleport or move though fire.

Stellar Manipulation - manipulate and control stars.

Psychic 🌟

Astral Projection: the ability to have out of body experiences and separate the astral body from the physical body at will.

Aura Reading: the ability to perceive the energy surrounding a living being.

Auto-Writing: Writing without conscious thought. An act performed often by mediums.

Bilocation: Being in many places at once.

Channeling: Communicating with a spirit.

Clairalience: Having a smell perception outside the human senses.

Clairaudience: Having an auditory perception outside the human senses.

Claircognizence: Having a thought perception outside the human senses.

Clairgustance: Having a taste perception outside the human senses.

Clairsentience: Having a physical perception outside the human senses. Related to psychometry.

Clairvoyance: Having a visual perception outside the human senses.

Divination: Gaining insight into a situation by use of tools or ritual.

Dowsing: Ability to locate an object.

Energy Healing: The ability to mend physical, emotional, energetie and mental wounds with energy.

Levitation: Flying or floating.

Earth ⛰︎

Geokinesis - control, manipulate, create, generate and reshape or shape earth/rocks/stones

Earth Mimicry - have a body made up of earth or earthen substance

Atmokinesis - control and manipulate the weather by mixing water, ice, fire, earth, air, and lightning/electricity.

Crystallokinesis - manipulate minerals and crystals.

Ferrokinesis - manipulate metal at will.

Fraxikinesis - manipulate burnt matter.

Geo-Thermokinesis - manipulate, control, and create lava, magma and volcanoes.

Golem Creation - make golems out of inanimate materials like rocks, wood, plants, magma, etc.

Granulation - can turn things into sand.

Halokinesis - control and manipulate salt.

Hyalokinesis - control and manipulate glass.

Koniokinesis - manipulate and control dust particles.

Plassikinesis - manipulate and control all forms ofplastic.

Psammokinesis - can control and manipulate sand.

Terrakinesis - control, manipulate and alter/reshape the surrounding terrain and landscape at will.

Terraportation - teleport via the earth and earth- based materials.

Pure Earth Manipulation - Create, manipulate and control pure and good earth minerals.

Black Earth Manipulation - Create, manipulate and control corrupted and evil earth minerals.

Ice 🧊

Atmokinesis - control and manipulate the weather by mixing water, ice, fire, earth, air, and lightning/electricity.

Cryokinesis - control ice, snow and other forms of frozen water.

Freeze Breath - freeze things in solid ice.

Freezing - lower the temperature in kinetic atoms to freezing temperatures.

Frigokinesis - control snow either as precipitation or already on the ground.

Energy 💥

Dynamokinesis - manipulate existing energy.

Energy Blast - create blasts of energy.

Energy Emission - release energy.

Quintessence Force - create and manipulate unique form of electrical and life energy.

Mana Manipulation - manipulate magical energies.

Chi Manipulation - manipulate metaphysical life energies.

Omnikinesis - manipulate absolutely any form of energy and matter.

Gyrokinesis - manipulate gravity.

Sonokinesis - manipulate sound.

Maanetokinesis - manipulate magneuc energy.

Other

Aether Manipulation - manipulate the fifth, holiest element.

Cosmic Manipulation - manipulate the aspects of space.

Gravity Manipulation - manipulate gravity and gravitational forces.

Nether Manipulation - manipulate the final, unholiest element.

Space-Time Manipulation - manipulate either space or the concept of time.

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

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secondhandsorrows · 28 days

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If a scene feels flat and you can't figure it out, ask yourself:

• What can MC smell? Is there an ocean breeze, sweat, a cinnamon roll fresh out the oven?

• What can MC hear, besides the dialogue? Is a bird singing, river flowing, a car speeding, clock ticking?

• Can they taste something, even if they're not eating? Previously drunk alcohol or juice, aftertaste of a cigarette, smog, too instense perfume?

• Can they feel something on their skin? Rough clothes or delicate material, blowing wind, an allergy or a rash, grass that theyre laying on?

• What does the character see, besides other characters? Is the room dark or is sunlight coming in nicely? Are the colours vibrant or dull? Are there any plants?

• What's the weather? Is it snowing and the cold is making goosebumps appear on their arms? Is it hot and sweaty and clothes are clinging to their body?

• HOW DOES IT MAKE THEM FEEL? To any of the above.

Do they like the smell of cinnamon rolls or are they weirdos (I'm a weirdo, I don't fit in).

Does the clock ticking calm them down or annoy them?

Do they enjoy the aftertaste of a cig and like how dirty it makes them feel?

Are they sensitive to touch and how their clothing feels on their skin or are they indifferent?

Would they enjoy the scenery more if it was more sunny out, because they're afraid of the darkness?

Do they like it snowy or are they always cold and hate winter?

Come on, give them persoanlity, likes and dislikes, don't be scared to make them people and not only likeable characters.

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secondhandsorrows · 1 month

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Good Traits Gone Bad

Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:

1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.

2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.

3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.

4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.

5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.

6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.

7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.

8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.

9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.

10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.

These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.

Happy writing!

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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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Keys to Crafting Characters Readers Will Root For (w/ some examples)

As a writer and while making up this blog, I’m quite adamant that characters are just as important (if not more) as plot. In the grand scheme of things, an active, relatable, and engaging main character is crucial for a novel's success. But how exactly do we make a character all these things? There’s many ways, in fact. It is up to us as authors to keep track and manage the developmental arc of our protagonist: primarily, who they are on the inside, and how they grow or change / adapt to the situations or people around them.

Here are some examples and tips to help you develop a compelling protagonist (or all kinds of characters). Keep in mind these tips are at their most basic, essential level (there’s just so much that can be explored in each one), so I hope to go further into each point sometime in the future.

~`* They have clear goals and motivations.

First things first: you’d want to clearly define your character's goals and motivations — and the sooner, the better. Proper and well-set goals and motivations provide a sense of direction to the narrative. They should be specific, measurable, and achievable — or perhaps, not achievable, at least to its fullest extent. This would ultimately depend on the type of arc or ending you intend to write for your story, but there should at least be some main goal the character is vying for, and a motivation that dictates how much they want or need it.

For example: An aspiring actress hoping to make it to the stage and audition for the lead role in her favorite play. —> Why does she want to be an actress so badly? What does it mean to her to act in her favorite performance? What does she have to prove, to herself or others?

~`* They are flawed, yet relatable:

I’m sure you’ve all heard this before… but I’m still going to reiterate:

Your character should have relatable flaws that readers can sympathize with. It’s no secret that flaws make characters human and relatable. Flawed characters help us remember that nobody’s perfect, and that we’re not alone in our struggles and in our plights (stay back, Mary Sues!). These flaws can be anything, from fears, limitations, biases, misbeliefs, quirks, shortcomings, or behaviors. It’s useful two have at least two: a minor flaw and a major flaw, where the former affects only the only character and nothing else, and the latter hinders the character and affects the plot.

For example: A highly-knowledgeable yet socially awkward and oblivious professor who can hold a bar of soap better than a conversation. —> Does this flaw make him out to be charming or weird to others? How can his social-awkwardness affect the plot… does it hinder him from connecting to his students or colleagues?

~`* They have unique talents or interests.

Sometimes I read a story, and personally I have a hard time connecting with a character if all they care about from beginning to end is what’s happening in the plot. It’s like they exist for the sole purpose of the plot, and are nothing but a shell to see through the events or its challenges. This is understandable, especially when it’s an action-packed story or thriller.

Personally, I can’t help but wonder what its main character does for fun. What they’re like before the events of the novel.

I think it can be useful your character skills or interests that set them apart. This not only makes them interesting, but can drive the plot in unexpected ways. *Bonus points if they have a particular skill or hobby that conflicts with the way they present themselves to others, or if they hide it well if they are embarrassed by it or afraid of getting judged. Essentially, this is all to clue-in on the reader to the character’s backstory, their personality. It helps them seem more individualistic, like humans with their own sets of interests or ideas that give them more complexity and uniqueness. This can also be useful in creating parallels or connections to your story’s themes or your character’s arc.

For example: A brave warrior with an aptitude for gardening and flower arranging. —> Seems random, right? But what if this warrior had workin in their relative’s flower shop, and has kept the skill alive in their days of battle to see pieces of beauty around them, hope from fear and danger? They might dig graves of their fallen friends and leave behind flowers in remembrance. Just an obscure example, but see all the possibilities something like this can open up?

~`* They have deep, complex relationships.

Sometimes we can get a better idea of a character when we see them interact with the people around them. It’s like showing vs. telling, where we get a firsthand look at how the main character treats his family members, how he accepts or refuses help from those he’s close with, what he appreciates most about his significant other, how he feels about the annoying neighbor next door. Who’s the one person they most admire and never want to let down? Who’s the one person they despise with all their body and soul? Whether it's friends, family, enemies, or romantic entanglements, complex interactions and relationships add layers to your character and in how they showcase themselves to the world.

For example: An excellent, compassionate therapist with a strained relationship with his own family member. —> How does this character feel about this kind of relationship? Does it stem out of shared family troubles, or something deeper? Is there a glimmer of possibility the therapist might reconcile with this relative, or are they dashed because of mutual pride or distrust?

~`* They often face moral dilemmas.

It’s time to get philosophical. Human nature is full of paradoxes and tough moral questions, and so characters with conflicting qualities can be intriguing and relatable. Introduce moral dilemmas and conflicting values that force your character to make tough choices and confront their conflicting values. Do they have a friend with conflicting beliefs that challenge their own? Are they forced to act a certain way because of external pressures? Are they forced to choose between saving one person while destroying another?

No matter how serious this dilemma is, you can also add a moment of clarity or self-awareness for your character. This can be a turning point where they acknowledge and confront the conflict within themselves, thus becoming face-to-face with their internal crisis and how they decide to go from there. Do they weigh the pros and cons considerably, do they fumble because they’re hesitant, or do they embrace the new changes?

Despite conflicting values, make sure your character's behavior is consistent with their established personality. Consistency helps maintain authenticity and keeps the character grounded.

For example: A scientist torn between protecting humanity and the pressure of making a groundbreaking discovery. —> How does making this discovery very important to this character? What do they stand to lose… what do they stand to gain? Are they at the risk of becoming something completely opposite of who they were at the beginning of the story, losing their sense of morality or forced to choose a side?

~`* They show their quirks and habits.

Introduce quirks or habits that make your character memorable. These little details can make the character more relatable and interesting, because just like talents or hobbies, this can also give a clearer sense to the reader of what kind of personality the character has and what they’re like. Not to forget, it also helps them to stand out from other characters on the page, giving them a unique voice with their kind of dialogue, their behaviors, style, and mannerisms.

For example: A scholar who can focus only if she’s chewing gum or wearing her lucky ring. —> How might’ve this character started this habit or tradition? Does it actually work? Does it not work, but they still do it anyways because it’s comforting for them? Also, where did they get this quirk from?

~`* They have a backstory.

Most of what we’ve been discussing in this post already leaves some framework for the character’s backstory. It’s important to have a meaningful backstory in mind that influences the character's present actions and explains why they are they way that they are. This adds depth and helps readers understand their fears, desires, and motivations better; not shallow and two-dimensional as cardboard cut-outs.

Sometimes we don’t get a backstory for our character right away. Backstories takes time to brainstorm and shape — let alone into a complex or compelling one — but its helpful to trust the process. What you can do if you’re still looking for the right one, is to ask yourself questions on things that matter to you most. This pertains to your story’s themes and other main ideas you may like writing about, such as grief or family matters. It all boils down to who your character is (the present), and where it stemmed from (the past). If we take this a step further: does this backstory guide them or force them to make changes within themselves, thus leading to their changed self at the end of the novel/series (the future)?

For example: A woman with a fear of marriage because she’s seen firsthand its faults, including her own parents’. —> Is her parents’ divorce still something she’s struggling to come to terms with? Is her misbelief equating marriage to constant conflict? Does she have a secret desire to get married, yet it put off by its pressures? Does she make up for this fear by focusing on other matters? Will this fear later be disproven?

~`* They are often vulnerable.

Every hero needs vulnerabilities. Imperfections. Weaknesses. We’ve talked about strengths and flaws before, but giving them that dent in their armor, any little opening someone or something might get through, leaves a reminder that no one, especially our hero, is invincible. Nobody’s perfect, after all (side-eyeing you, Mary Sues…). Make your characters messy: adding vulnerabilities helps makes them more authentic and genuine, opening up chances for them to learn and evolve as the story moves along.

It can also add a layer of suspense to the story, especially in conflict and tension. How will the character handle someone breaking their walls down, or a bad experience threatening to make them crumble and fall back to old habits? How do they handle their insecurities? How well do they hide their fears, and will they ever admit them?

For example: An old woman with bad eyesight and lives alone can’t tell that the reluctant robber breaking into her home is not her grandson. —> This is a fun little example that opens up many possibilities. Her bad eyesight is a physical vulnerability, and so is her soft spot for her supposed grandson. The robber notices this, and he too may have a soft spot for any old woman who treats him kindly. Does he use this to his advantage to rob the house, or does he humor her for a while?

I’d definitely like to expand on these tips sometime. If there’s anything you’d like to share or add, please do so! I’d love to hear y’alls thoughts. Hope this helped!

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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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It's Okay Your Writing Isn't Like So-and-So's

Here's five reasons why:

1. Published work has teams of people behind it

Traditional (and even lots of indie) published work has not just the writer’s drafts behind it, but drafts that have been through professional editors, agents, beta readers, etc. etc. etc. They say writing is a solitary career, but there are tons of people behind every published work to make it better.

2. Every style is different and valid

Yours might not look exactly like other people’s work. That’s because everyone has their own voice in writing, and that’s what makes every writer individual, and every story worth reading.

3. You’re the only person who can write your story

Style, your ideas, your characters, and every other detail in your story is built off your all your little life experiences and interests. It will look different for every person even if you all tried writing the same idea.

4. Everyone has different skills and experience levels

You may be really great at dialogue, while someone else may be really good at action. Everyone has different skills and areas they’re better or worse at. It’s okay.

5. People will love it anyway

You’ve probably heard of the cake saying? Someone else makes a beautiful cake, you make a just okay cake, but the person that comes along to eat them is just excited there’s two cakes.

People just want more content. They will read the same content over and over again. They will love it anyway.

Anyone have anything to add?

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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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It's Okay Your Writing Isn't Like So-and-So's

Here's five reasons why:

1. Published work has teams of people behind it

2. Every style is different and valid

Yours might not look exactly like other people’s work. That’s because everyone has their own voice in writing, and that’s what makes every writer individual, and every story worth reading.

3. You’re the only person who can write your story

4. Everyone has different skills and experience levels

You may be really great at dialogue, while someone else may be really good at action. Everyone has different skills and areas they’re better or worse at. It’s okay.

5. People will love it anyway

You’ve probably heard of the cake saying? Someone else makes a beautiful cake, you make a just okay cake, but the person that comes along to eat them is just excited there’s two cakes.

People just want more content. They will read the same content over and over again. They will love it anyway.

Anyone have anything to add?

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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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secondhandsorrows · 2 months

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I need everyone’s best character advice. STAT.

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secondhandsorrows · 3 months

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secondhandsorrows · 3 months

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write weird shit. Write indulgent au fanfiction and self insert fics. Write creepy horror scenes and random character crossover dialogue. Write in a different genre. Write that sex scene that you know won’t make the cut. Write about sentient furniture turning into werewolves that try to date your MC. Write whump or hero/villain fic. Write your kink. Write your worst nightmare. Write your delusions of power and fantasies of control. Write whatever the fuck you feel like. Write whatever comes to mind. You don’t have to share it with anyone (but you can). Your writing impulses don’t define your morality anymore than your reading preferences, and actually going outside your comfort zone will improve your writing skills (making a horrifying villain sympathetic requires good characterization). Even if it doesn’t improve your skills, that’s still something you created out of nothing. It’s still valuable. Don’t let purity culture kill your creativity. That’s how culture stagnates. That’s how writing stops being fun.

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secondhandsorrows · 3 months

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Basic Tips to Improve Your Writing

I used to read a lot of unprofessional writing online, and through that endeavor, I started mentally compiling different qualities that turned me off to people's work right away. I'm sharing some of my thoughts about ways to improve your writing so others don't click off your work right away!

-Change paragraphs when different characters are speaking.

-In that same thread, remember to make new paragraphs and not have one giant block of text. This isn't only discouraging for some readers, but actually physically impossible to read for those who are visually impaired.

-Learn grammar. Sorry, but there is no way around this one. For example, commas aren't just for aesthetic appeal or your personal choice, and it will turn some readers away if your writing is littered with grammatical errors. You can't break the rules for creative purposes if you don't even know them, and the difference is generally apparent.

-Remember the narration style you've chosen. For example, if you're writing in third person limited, you can't think outside the mind of your main character. Don't jump suddenly to the thoughts of other characters or an all-knowing, omniscient voice.

-Slow down. Each word matters, so try not to think of writing as "I must get from Point A to Point B," but "I must get from Point A to Point B beautifully."

-Avoid repeating the same word or phrase too much, especially within the same paragraph. There are exceptions in dialogue, of course. (It's sweet when writers acquire their own personalized phrasings that mark their voice, but I have turned away from works where the exact same line just kept coming up again and again).

-Don't forget about setting. You might be able to imagine where your characters are, but no one else can if you don't let them know.

-Use a consistent verb tense.

-Your characters are not you and generally shouldn't always be mouthpieces for you to share your own values and thoughts.

-Your characters should sound distinctly different from each other, including their talking styles.

-Don't bog the reader down with too much description, and make sure the description you do have is realistic. Think about it. In the morning, do you wake up, go to the mirror, and think to yourself, "I looked at my shaggy dark hair and emerald green eyes"? Nobody thinks that way about their own appearance, and it feels like a forced way to let the reader know what the main character looks like.

-There's no need to start tossing out every character trait if it's not relevant to the story.

-Last, show some passion and excitement for your own work. Make sure the language embodies that passion because if you don't even care about your writing, who will?

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secondhandsorrows · 3 months

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Needed this!

Warm-Ups for Writers

I discovered a little while ago, trying to launch back into my writing, that the words just wouldn’t flow. It had been a while since I’d written in this project, and even though I had read the previous chapter to catch up and reviewed my outline, something was missing.

A warm-up is extremely important for writers because it gets the words flowing again before they have to mean anything.

Here is a quick list of warm-ups for writers to use!

Write a short scene (3-4 paragraphs) using only visual description. No sounds, no smells, no touches, only what you see is happening.

Write a short scene like the exercise above using any of the other senses. (Also a great way to practice writing imagery!)

Put your favorite playlist on shuffle and write a bit of flash fiction based on the first three songs that pop up. (Use the duration of these songs as well, so you don’t get too caught up.)

Introduce a new character from the PoV of three different characters.

Write a one-page letter from one character to another, from yourself to a character, etc.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and write a story from a single sentence prompt. (Here’s a website of 99 to start you off.)

Write a monologue from any antagonist describing their plans, motivations, etc.

Create the most ridiculous character you can think of.

Write an interview of your characters reacting to what just happened in your story.

Write a quick AU about how different the story would be if one decision was different.

Create a character from a song.

Imagine your favorite character from your story acting in your favorite movie or TV show.

Write a short scene in three different emotions of your choice.

Imagine three of your characters living in the real world and build a little bit of life within this universe. Think of jobs, favorite food, favorite music genre, dream vacation, etc.

Re-write a short scene (that already exists) but now, it takes place within and follows a specific decade aesthetic.

These are some of the ones that I’ve done before that have worked for me! I have two big pieces of advice when it comes to warm-ups:

Try not to let yourself get caught up in the warm-up. Anything longer than 15 minutes is likely a little superfluous.

Once a warm-up is done, let it be. Don’t edit it or try to build off of it for another warm-up; you want these ideas and words to be new ones every time.

And that’s it! Happy writing!

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