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alakmalakt · 11 months

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How to Fix WordPress Issues: Tips for Resolving Common Errors and Conflicts

Navigating the complexities of WordPress development can be a challenging task, especially when faced with persistent errors, unexplained bugs, or unforeseen conflicts. These wordpress issues, if unresolved, can impede the optimal performance of a website, potentially affecting user experience and your digital reputation.

Gaining a deep understanding of the problems, their causes, and effective resolution strategies can drastically reduce the amount of downtime your website experiences, enhance its performance, and result in a smoother user experience. Regardless of whether these issues originate from incompatible themes and plugins, or from intricate anomalies within the WordPress core itself, this guide will shed light on how to handle them confidently and efficiently.

So, prepare yourself for an insightful journey through the realm of WordPress development challenges. By the end of this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to turn these common hurdles into stepping stones on your path to becoming an accomplished WordPress developer.

How to Fix WordPress Development Issues

Before we delve into how to resolve WordPress development issues, it’s crucial to understand what these problems are, their causes, and the potential impacts they can have on your website.

By understanding these common issues, you’ll be able to spot potential pitfalls before they turn into significant problems, keeping your WordPress site running smoothly and effectively. So let’s take a closer look at these common WordPress development issues and understand their causes and implications for a better grasp on their resolution.

1. White Screen of Death

Let’s consider a scenario. Imagine you’ve just poured hours into crafting a beautiful and engaging post for your WordPress website. You hit ‘publish’ with a sense of accomplishment and excitement. But, instead of seeing your creative masterpiece come to life on the screen, you’re met with an entirely blank, white screen. This frustrating event is known in WordPress circles as the ‘White Screen of Death’ – a somewhat scary name for a problem that can indeed feel terrifying when it first occurs.

The Dark Curtain Falls

The White Screen of Death is like a sudden blackout during your favorite movie. One moment you’re fully engaged, the next, everything goes dark. It’s as if your hard work has been swallowed up by a digital void, leaving you feeling powerless and worried about what comes next.

Collecting Clues

But fear not! Like any good detective story, the solution starts with understanding the clues left behind. The White Screen of Death often happens due to a theme or plugin that isn’t playing nicely with the rest of your site, or when there’s a lack of memory space for your site to function correctly.

The Puzzle Pieces

Think of your website as a puzzle. Each piece – the themes, plugins, and content – needs to fit perfectly together. But if a piece is out of place, like a faulty theme or plugin, it can disrupt the entire picture. Similarly, consider your website a big art project that requires enough space to spread out and work effectively. If the workspace (or memory) is cramped, the project can’t progress smoothly.

Game Strategy

Now, imagine you’re playing a video game where the mission is to resolve the White Screen of Death. Your game strategy will be to first disable all plugins and themes, essentially removing the puzzle pieces that might be causing the problem. If the white screen disappears, you know one of those pieces was the culprit. Then, like the process of elimination, you reactivate each piece, one at a time, to identify the troublemaker.

Leveling Up

But if this strategy doesn’t solve the issue, the next level of the game would be to increase your website’s memory limit. This would be like moving your art project to a bigger table, giving it more room to work effectively.

Winning this game can bring back your website from the depths of the digital void, restoring it to its vibrant, engaging self. It may seem like a daunting mission at first, but with the right knowledge and tactics, the White Screen of Death is a foe you can confidently conquer.

2. Internal Server Error

Picture this: you’ve just spent the last few hours organizing an online treasure hunt for your blog readers on your WordPress site. You’re thrilled and can’t wait for your visitors to enjoy the exciting adventure you’ve prepared. But as soon as you announce the hunt and players rush to your site, they’re stopped by an ominous message: “500 Internal Server Error.” A chill runs down your spine. Your meticulously planned event is turning into a nightmare, and all because of this unforeseen error.

The Unexpected Storm

The ‘Internal Server Error message is a bit like a sudden thunderstorm during a picnic. Everyone was ready for fun under the sun, and now they were scrambling for shelter, unsure of what to do next. It’s like a big roadblock, bringing your digital journey to a halt and leaving you wondering how to navigate around it.

Uncovering the Faulty Power Cable

But don’t lose heart! Just like you’d check the weather forecast to plan your picnic better, or take a detour around a roadblock, there are ways to overcome the Internal Server Error.

This error usually happens when there’s a problem with the server or file system that powers your site. Imagine it like a power outage at a carnival. If there’s an issue with the electrical system, none of the games, lights, or rides can operate.

Your first task in fixing this error is to find the faulty ‘power cable.’ Start by checking for corrupt .htaccess files, which are like the rules that guide visitors around your site. If this file is damaged, it’s like having a map that leads your readers to a dead end instead of the treasure you’ve hidden.

Powering Up

Next, increase your PHP memory limit – this is like ensuring the carnival has enough power supply to keep all the rides running smoothly. If there’s not enough memory, parts of your site (the rides and games of your carnival) can’t function, and your visitors are left disappointed.

Unlocking the Rides

And if the problem still isn’t fixed, check the file permissions on your server. If they’re set incorrectly, it’s like having a strict security guard who won’t let any visitors onto the rides, even though they have the right tickets.

By understanding these steps and working through them methodically, you can clear away the ominous ‘Internal Server Error’ cloud hanging over your website, allowing your readers to enjoy the online treasure hunt as you originally planned. Remember, every problem comes with its own solution. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of detective work to find it.

3. Memory Limit Error

Imagine you’re at a grand concert. The band is on stage, ready to play your favorite song. The crowd is excited, the anticipation is palpable. And just as the first note is about to be played, the power goes out. The music dies, the lights go out, and the whole place is plunged into silence. The connection between the band and the audience has been suddenly and unexpectedly cut. In the world of WordPress, this is akin to the dreaded ‘Connection Timed Out Error’.

The Power Outage

The ‘Connection Timed Out Error’ is like a power outage during the best part of the concert. Your website is the band, your visitors are the audience, and when the power (or connection) is lost, the show can’t go on.

It’s an unfortunate scenario that can leave your visitors feeling disappointed and you, as the website owner, feeling frustrated and worried. You put so much effort into creating a fantastic website (or concert), only for it to be interrupted by a seemingly unexplainable error.

Identifying the Cause

But just like how the power can be restored at the concert, there’s a way to solve the ‘Connection Timed Out Error’. Usually, this error happens when your website is trying to do more than your server can handle. It’s like the band trying to play too many instruments at once and overloading the electrical system.

Step 1: Deactivating Plugins and Themes

To fix this, you can start by deactivating your plugins and themes. These are like the different instruments being used in the concert. If there are too many or if one is causing a problem, it’s better to stop all of them and then bring each one back gradually to identify which one is causing the overload.

Step 2: Increasing Memory Limit

Another step you can take is increasing your website’s memory limit. This is like upgrading the concert’s electrical system so it can handle all the instruments without getting overloaded.

Step 3: Adjusting Execution Time

Finally, if the problem still persists, you can try increasing the maximum execution time of your scripts. This would be like making sure the concert’s power system has enough time to cool down between each song.

By tackling the ‘Connection Timed Out Error’ in these ways, you can ensure that the ‘show’ on your website goes on, keeping your audience engaged and entertained. It may seem daunting at first, but with the right steps, you can bring the music back and keep the ‘concert’ alive on your website.

4. Error Establishing a Database Connection

Let’s imagine you’ve got a big school project due. You’ve spent weeks researching, gathering information, and carefully organizing it all in a special binder. You wake up on the day of submission, reach for your binder… and it’s nowhere to be found. Your heart drops. All that information, all your hard work, is inaccessible. This feeling is pretty much what you experience when your WordPress site shows ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection.’

The Missing Binder:

Your WordPress database is like your project binder. It holds all the important information that makes your site work – your posts, comments, settings, everything. If your website can’t access this database, it’s like losing that binder – you can’t present your project, and your site can’t display its content.

The Frustrating Moment:

This error is quite like misplacing a crucial item right when you need it the most. It’s disappointing, frustrating, and throws a wrench in your plans. But remember, just like you would retrace your steps to find your lost binder, there are steps you can follow to reconnect your website to its database.

Troubleshooting Steps:

The ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection’ usually means that your website is unable to connect to its database. Think of it like having a faulty telephone line. If the line is down, you can’t talk to your friend on the other end, no matter how much you try.

Step 1: Checking Database Credentials

To solve this, you first need to check your database credentials – these are the details that your website uses to access the database, just like you’d need the right number to dial your friend. These credentials are stored in a file called ‘wp-config.php’. If any of these details are incorrect – maybe there’s a typo or an outdated password – it’s like dialing the wrong number. You won’t be able to reach your friend, and your website won’t be able to connect to the database.

Step 2: Verifying Database Server Status

If the credentials are correct, then you might need to check if your database server is down. This is like checking if your friend’s telephone line is working. If it’s not, you’d need to contact your hosting company, just as you’d contact the telephone company to fix the line.

Step 3: Repairing a Corrupt Database

Finally, if these solutions don’t work, your database might be corrupt. This would be like your friend’s telephone being broken. In this case, you’d need to repair your database using a feature in WordPress.

In solving the ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection’, you’re essentially finding and fixing the issue that’s preventing your website from accessing the vital information it needs to run properly. It’s like finally finding that lost binder and being able to present your well-researched project. And just like that moment of relief and triumph when you find your binder, getting your website back up and running is a victory in itself.

5. Locked Out of Admin Page

Have you ever found yourself locked out of your house? Maybe you forgot your keys or the lock is jammed. It’s your house, your space, but you can’t get in. The frustration of being so close, yet so far from a space that is rightfully yours, can be quite overwhelming. This is quite similar to the ‘Locked Out of Admin Page’ issue in WordPress development.

The Digital House

Imagine your WordPress Admin Page as your digital house. It’s the place where you create and manage all your website content, like your personal space where you arrange everything just the way you like it. But what happens when you find yourself on the outside, unable to get in? This can happen due to several reasons, like a forgotten password, a plugin error, or even a hack.

The Keyless Frustration

This situation is much like standing outside your locked house, keyless and helpless. But don’t despair! Just as you’d call a locksmith or find a spare key to get back into your house, there are ways to regain access to your WordPress Admin Page.

Step 1: Resetting Your Password:

If you’ve forgotten your password, you can use the ‘Lost your password?’ link on the login page to reset it. This is akin to finding a spare key hidden under the doormat. You just have to enter your email address, and you’ll receive a link to create a new password.

Step 2: Troubleshooting Plugins:

What if it’s a plugin causing trouble? Sometimes, certain plugins can lock you out of your Admin Page. It’s like having a jammed lock that needs fixing. In such a case, you can access your website’s files via FTP and deactivate the plugins. Once you regain access, you can reactivate each plugin one by one to find out which one was causing the trouble.

Step 3: Addressing Hacking Incidents:

In the rare case of a hack, you may need to restore your site from a backup or hire professional help. It’s a bit like calling in a locksmith when all else fails.

Being locked out of your WordPress Admin Page can feel like an unexpected hurdle in your journey. But with these steps, you can be well-prepared to unlock the digital door and get back to creating and managing your website just the way you like it. The experience of overcoming such a challenge can be quite empowering, making you more confident in your ability to handle future obstacles. So remember, a lockout is just a temporary setback, not a permanent barrier.

6. WordPress is Stuck in Maintenance Mode

Picture this: you’re at your favorite amusement park, standing in line for the roller coaster you’ve been excited to ride all day. You’re almost at the front of the line when suddenly, a sign flashes on: “Ride Under Maintenance”. The roller coaster is temporarily unavailable while the team works on improving it. You’re disappointed, of course, but you understand the necessity of maintenance. Now imagine if that sign never switched off, keeping the roller coaster eternally out of reach. This is what it’s like when WordPress gets stuck in maintenance mode.

Understanding Maintenance Mode:

When you’re updating plugins, themes, or WordPress itself, your site briefly goes into maintenance mode. It’s like that amusement park ride getting a quick tune-up. The process is usually short, and your site should be back up quickly, just like the roller coaster ready to thrill again. But sometimes, WordPress can get stuck in this mode, and that’s when the frustration sets in.

The Endless Disappointment:

Being locked out of your own website’s exciting ride due to endless ‘maintenance’ is frustrating, especially when you’re not sure how to fix it. It’s like standing at the foot of the roller coaster, eager to get on, but the ‘under maintenance’ sign never switches off.

The Maintenance Crew’s Switchboard

Don’t worry, there’s a way to fix it! It’s as if you’ve found the maintenance crew’s switchboard and can turn off the sign yourself. The problem usually lies with a file called “.maintenance” that stays in your website’s main directory longer than it should.

The Stuck ‘Under Maintenance’ Sign:

This file is like the ‘under maintenance’ sign for your website. It gets created every time you update something, and it’s supposed to disappear once the update is finished. But if it doesn’t, your site remains in maintenance mode, just like the roller coaster that remains closed due to a stuck sign.

To fix the problem, you simply need to delete the “.maintenance” file. Think of it like manually switching off the ‘under maintenance’ sign. You can access your site’s files via a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client, find the “.maintenance” file in your site’s main directory, and delete it.

With that done, your site should be out of maintenance mode – the ‘under maintenance’ sign is off, and the roller coaster is ready to thrill once again. It’s a simple fix to a potentially frustrating problem, and knowing how to do it can make you feel more confident and in control of managing your website. Just like how understanding the workings of the amusement park can make your experience more enjoyable, understanding how to navigate WordPress can make your journey smoother and more empowering.

7. WordPress Media Errors (e.g., image upload)

Think back to a time when you were working on a school presentation. You’ve spent hours on it, carefully crafting your slides, and then you decide to add some pictures to make it more interesting. You try uploading an image… and it won’t load. You try again, but the same error message pops up. Frustrating, right? Well, that’s pretty much the situation when dealing with WordPress media errors, like issues with image upload.

The Disheartening Dilemma:

WordPress, much like your presentation, thrives on its content. Images, videos, and other media elements are a big part of that. They’re the vibrant colors to your site’s canvas, drawing in your visitors, and making them stay, explore, and engage. But, just like with your school presentation, sometimes you might run into issues while trying to upload these files.

The Missing Picture:

Seeing an error message instead of the image you’ve carefully chosen for your site can be quite disheartening. It’s like having a box of colorful crayons but being unable to add color to your drawing. But don’t worry! Just as there are ways to figure out why your picture isn’t loading in your presentation, there are ways to solve media upload issues in WordPress.

The Overwhelming Size:

One common issue could be the file size. Maybe the image you’re trying to upload is too large. This is similar to trying to fit a big picture on a small piece of paper. If this is the case, you could try reducing the image size using an image editing tool.

The Permission Predicament:

Another possible problem could be incorrect file permissions. This is like trying to paste an image into your presentation, but your computer settings won’t let you. You can change these permissions via File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to allow WordPress to upload media.

The Space Constraint:

Or perhaps the issue lies in not having enough storage space. This would be like having a folder so full of pictures that you can’t fit any more in. If that’s the case, you might need to upgrade your hosting plan to accommodate more data.

Solving media upload issues can be a bit of a puzzle, requiring patience and a bit of trial and error. But once you figure it out, you can successfully add life and color to your WordPress site. It’s that triumphant feeling when the image finally uploads into your presentation, making it shine just the way you envisioned. So don’t let media errors dampen your creativity. With these fixes, you’re more than capable of creating a vibrant, engaging WordPress site.

8. WordPress Not Sending Email Issue

Imagine that you’ve written a letter to a friend, pouring your thoughts onto the page, sealing it in an envelope, and dropping it into the mailbox. You wait for a response that never comes. Finally, you call your friend, only to find out they never received your letter. That feeling of confusion and frustration is quite similar to the ‘WordPress not sending email’ issue.

The Essential Role of Emails in WordPress

Emails are a crucial part of a WordPress website. They’re the letters you send to your site visitors and users, helping you communicate important information. You might use emails to confirm user registrations, send notifications, reset passwords, and so much more. But, sometimes, these emails don’t make it to their intended recipients.

The Missing Letter:

It’s like writing a letter, dropping it in the mailbox, and it never reaches your friend. You might be left wondering what went wrong and how you can fix it. Perhaps it was an issue with the mailing system, just like there can be issues with the way WordPress sends emails.

The Blocked Mailbox:

One common reason for this problem could be that your WordPress hosting server is not properly configured to use the PHP mail() function, which is the function WordPress uses to send emails. This is a bit like if your mailbox is blocked or broken – the mail can’t get out, even if you put it in.

The Reliable Mailman:

A way to solve this is by using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) to send emails. SMTP is a sort of mailman, taking the letters (or emails) from your site and delivering them to the recipient’s inboxes. By using an SMTP plugin, you can ensure that your WordPress emails are delivered correctly.

The Misplaced Letter:

Another reason could be email spam filters. Sometimes, emails from WordPress are marked as spam and don’t reach the recipient’s inbox. It’s like if your friend’s mailbox mistakenly tossed your letter into the junk pile. To avoid this, you can configure your emails to be more ‘trustworthy’ to spam filters, for example, by using a professional email address.

Finding out why your emails aren’t sending and figuring out how to fix it is like solving a mystery. It can be a bit challenging, but also exciting. And when your emails finally reach their destination, the relief and satisfaction you feel are well worth the effort. Just like how finally hearing back from your friend makes all the steps you took to ensure your letter’s delivery worthwhile. So, don’t be disheartened by email issues. With these tips, you’re on your way to becoming an expert WordPress communicator.

9. Parse/Syntax Error

Do you remember your English language class where your teacher talked about sentence structure, grammar rules, punctuation, and how they’re important in crafting meaningful sentences? Now, imagine you’re writing a story, but you make some errors in your sentences. The story doesn’t make sense anymore, right? The same thing can happen in the world of WordPress. They’re called Parse or Syntax errors.

The Foundation of WordPress:

WordPress is powered by a programming language called PHP. Just like we use sentences to make sense of our language, PHP uses code to build and manage WordPress. But when there are mistakes in this code, like a missing comma or a misplaced bracket, WordPress gets confused and doesn’t know what to do. It’s like having a sentence in your story that doesn’t follow grammar rules. The result? A Parse or Syntax error.

The Red Marks:

Seeing a Parse error on your website can be a little bit scary. It’s like getting a paperback from your teacher full of red marks. But don’t worry, it’s not as bad as it seems. Just as your teacher helps you correct your grammar mistakes, you can also fix these code mistakes.

Following the Clues:

The error message usually tells you exactly where the mistake is. It’s like your teacher underlining the exact word in a sentence that doesn’t make sense. This error message typically includes the path to the file and the line number where the error occurred. You can use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client to access this file.

Correcting the Sentence:

Once you’ve found the file, you need to correct the error. Maybe there’s a missing bracket, or perhaps a semicolon is out of place. Fixing the error is like correcting your sentence so it follows all the grammar rules.

Keeping a Copy:

Keep in mind, it’s important to have a backup of your site before you start editing the code. It’s just like keeping a copy of your original story before you start making corrections. That way, if something goes wrong, you still have the original version.

Dealing with Parse or Syntax errors might seem daunting, like writing your first essay. But once you know how to find the mistakes and correct them, it gets easier. It’s an incredible feeling, similar to the joy of seeing your story making perfect sense after making the necessary corrections. So, don’t let Parse or Syntax errors intimidate you. With patience and practice, you can conquer them and keep your WordPress site running smoothly.

10. 404 Error

Imagine this: You’re excitedly following a map to a treasure chest, only to arrive at the spot and find nothing. Disappointed and confused, you wonder, “What’s gone wrong?” This is the same feeling you get when you encounter a ‘404 Error’ on your WordPress website.

The Mysterious ‘404 Error’:

In the WordPress world, a ‘404 Error’ happens when you try to reach a webpage that doesn’t exist. It’s like that missing treasure chest on your map. The web page might have been there before but has been removed, or maybe the URL (the website’s address) was typed incorrectly.

The Frustration of a Roadblock:

Seeing a ‘404 Error’ on your site can be frustrating. It’s like a big “Road Closed” sign stopping you from finding your treasure. But don’t worry, there are ways to fix this error and get your journey back on track!

Step 1: Double-Check the URL:

The first step is like checking your map again. You want to make sure you’ve got the correct URL. Sometimes a small typo can lead to a 404 error. If the URL is correct, then the problem lies somewhere else.

Step 2: Page Deletion or Relocation:

Maybe the page was deleted or moved to a different location. It’s as if the treasure chest was dug up and relocated somewhere else. In this case, you can create a new page at that URL, or redirect the URL to another page. This can be done using various plugins available in WordPress.

Step 3: Set Up a Custom 404 Error Page:

One of the best ways to prevent ‘404 Errors’ is by setting up a custom 404 error page. Instead of showing a standard error message, you can guide your website visitors back to the main site. It’s like leaving a note on the empty spot saying, “The treasure has moved, but here’s how you can find it.”

In the end, dealing with a ‘404 Error’ is like an adventurous treasure hunt. It might be a bit challenging, but with the right steps, you can overcome this hurdle. The satisfaction of resolving the error and guiding your website visitors correctly feels like finally finding that elusive treasure chest. So, don’t let the ‘404 Error’ dampen your spirits. Treat it as a stepping stone on your WordPress journey, and keep moving forward!

11. SSL Errors

Let’s imagine you’re about to enter a secret club. But wait, there’s a security guard at the entrance asking for a special password. Only when you give the correct password, you’re allowed in. That’s exactly what an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate does to your WordPress website. It ensures only those with the right ‘password’ (data encryption) can access your site’s information.

The Dilemma of SSL Errors:

However, just like sometimes you might forget the secret password, there can be situations where SSL does not work correctly, leading to SSL errors. Seeing an SSL error on your website is like being stopped by the security guard, and not being allowed to enter the club. It might cause a moment of worry. But, fear not! Let’s figure out how to tackle this.

Step 1: Verify Proper SSL Installation:

First, make sure your SSL certificate is properly installed. Think of it like checking if you have the correct password. You can check this from your website hosting provider. If you haven’t installed an SSL certificate yet, then it’s high time to get one. Remember, not having SSL could leave your site vulnerable, just like a secret club would be without a security guard.

Step 2: Address Mixed Content Issues:

If the SSL certificate is installed but you’re still seeing the error, it could be due to mixed content issues. This is like having some club members who don’t know the password. It happens when your website is loading HTTPS (secured) and HTTP (non-secured) content at the same time. To fix this, you can install plugins like Really Simple SSL, which will ensure all your website content is loaded over HTTPS.

Step 3: Check SSL Certificate Expiry:

Another way SSL errors might crop up is if your SSL certificate is expired. Just like the password to the secret club changing after a certain time, SSL certificates also need to be renewed periodically. Check the expiry date of your certificate, and if it’s expired, you’ll need to renew it with your hosting provider.

Overcoming SSL errors might feel like a triumphant moment when you finally enter the secret club, and get past the security guard. It assures you and your website visitors that they’re in a secure place. So, when it comes to SSL errors, don’t panic. It’s just a matter of checking your ‘password’, making sure everyone uses it, and keeping it up to date. Do this, and you’re all set to enjoy the club, or in this case, a safe and secure WordPress website!

12. Corrupted Database

Imagine you’re playing your favorite video game, and you’ve painstakingly collected a trove of items and power-ups. But suddenly, the game crashes, and when you restart, all your saved progress is gone. That feeling of loss and frustration is akin to discovering a corrupted database in your WordPress website.

Understanding the Corrupted Database:

Your WordPress website’s database is like the game’s saved progress. It stores all your hard work – posts, pages, comments, and so on. When the database becomes corrupted, your website may not function correctly or, in the worst cases, become inaccessible.

The Importance of Regular Backups:

But don’t despair! Much like game data can often be recovered, there are ways to repair a corrupted WordPress database and get your website back in working order.

Firstly, it’s important to regularly back up your database. This is like saving your game progress frequently. There are several plugins available in WordPress, like UpdraftPlus and BackupBuddy, which can schedule automatic backups for you.

Using the WordPress Repair Tool:

If you encounter a corrupted database, WordPress has a built-in feature to repair it, like a magical in-game tool that restores your lost items. You can enable this feature by adding a line to your wp-config.php file via the file manager in your hosting account or an FTP client. The line is defined (‘WP_ALLOW_REPAIR’, true);.

Repairing the Database:

After adding this line, you can navigate to www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php (replace “yourwebsite.com” with your site’s URL). You’ll see the option to repair the database or repair and optimize it. Just click, and WordPress will do its magic!

Security Considerations:

It’s important to remember that once the database is repaired, you should remove the line you added to the wp-config.php file. This is a powerful tool, and leaving it accessible could be like leaving your game console out in a thunderstorm – a potential risk.

A corrupted database can feel like a major setback, but with the right tools and steps, it can be fixed, much like restoring a lost game save. And when your website is back to normal, it’s a triumphant moment, like reclaiming your game progress and soaring forward to even greater heights!

13. 403 Forbidden Error

Imagine you’re excitedly running to your favorite store, your mind filled with all the goodies you’re planning to buy. But as you reach the door, there’s a big sign saying “Access Forbidden”. How would you feel? Confused, disappointed, maybe a bit annoyed? That’s precisely the experience a visitor to your website may face if there’s a 403 Forbidden Error.

Understanding the 403 Forbidden Error:

This error means that the user’s request to access a particular page or resource on your website was understood, but it’s been denied by the server – like a storekeeper refusing to let you in. This can happen for several reasons and, quite like that locked store, leaves users frustrated.

Investigating File Permissions:

But, worry not! Let’s play the detective, find out why it’s happening, and unlock that door!

Often, a 403 error can be due to incorrect file permissions. Consider it like this: your website’s files and folders are like rooms and boxes in a house. If you’ve accidentally locked one of them, how can anyone get in? You can fix file permissions using an FTP client, or ask your hosting provider for help. Make sure that folders have the permission ‘755’ and files have ‘644’.

Examining Security Plugins:

Another common culprit is a poorly configured security plugin. These are like overzealous guards, blocking access to your website even when they shouldn’t. You can try disabling your security plugins temporarily to see if they are causing the problem. If yes, then adjusting their settings or swapping to a different plugin might be necessary.

Repairing the .htaccess File:

Sometimes, the .htaccess file, which is a critical configuration file in WordPress, may be corrupted and cause the issue. Think of it as the store’s opening hours sign is incorrect. You can try renaming the .htaccess file, effectively creating a new one. If that fixes the error, you can generate a fresh .htaccess file by visiting the permalinks settings in your WordPress dashboard.

Fixing a 403 Forbidden Error is like unlocking the door to your favorite store, letting all the excited visitors in. It’s a matter of finding the right key, and with these tips, you’ve got a pretty good bunch of keys to start with. So, turn those keys, swing the doors wide open, and let your website welcome its visitors warmly once again!

14. Destination Folder Already Exists

Imagine you’ve got a lovely new piece of furniture to add to your room, but as you start to place it, you realize there’s already something in its spot! Now, this may be a minor hassle in your room, but when you encounter a similar situation on your WordPress site, it can be more than just a nuisance. This is what happens when the ‘Destination Folder Already Exists’ error pops up.

The Occupied Spot

This error typically rears its head when you’re trying to install a WordPress plugin or theme that WordPress thinks is already installed. It’s like that spot in your room that’s already occupied by something else. Even though you know you’ve deleted the old one, the system, for some reason, disagrees!

So, how do you resolve this? First, let’s find out where this mysterious folder is.

Exploring the WordPress Directory

In your WordPress directory, there are two specific places where plugins and themes are stored – ‘wp-content/plugins’ for plugins and ‘wp-content/themes’ for themes. To access these, you can use a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client – a bit like a teleporter that can take you to the specific room where the item is stored.

Uncovering the Culprit

Once you’re there, look for the folder with the same name as the plugin or theme you’re trying to install. If you find it, this is likely your culprit. It’s as if the shadow of the old furniture is still lingering in your room, tricking you into thinking the space is occupied.

Clearing the Space

To fix this, you can delete the old folder. It’s like clearing out the old furniture from your room to make space for the new one. Be cautious, though! Ensure that this is the correct folder, and it’s not being used by another active plugin or theme.

Claiming the Empty Space

After you’ve removed the lingering folder, try installing your plugin or theme again. It should now have a clear space to occupy, and you should be free of the ‘Destination Folder Already Exists’ error.

In a nutshell, encountering a ‘Destination Folder Already Exists’ error might be frustrating at first, but with these steps, it’s like getting a free pass to rearrange your room, making space for something better!

15. WordPress Login Redirect Loop

Imagine you’re in a maze where every turn you take brings you back to the start, even when you’re certain you took the right path. Frustrating, right? Now, picture a similar situation on your WordPress site, where every attempt to log in only redirects you back to the login page. This is the ‘WordPress Login Redirect Loop’, a common and perplexing problem.

Understanding the Redirect Loop:

This issue occurs when your WordPress site’s setup gets confused about where you should go once you’ve entered your login details. It’s like that mischievous maze that forgets to show you the way out!

Checking Your WordPress URLs:

But don’t worry, this isn’t a never-ending loop, and there’s a way to break free.

Firstly, ensure your WordPress site’s URLs are correct. If they’re like mislabeled paths in a maze, they could be leading you in circles. To check this, you’ll need to access your WordPress site’s files through a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client – a tool that lets you peek into your website’s inner workings.

Navigate to the ‘wp-config.php’ file and ensure the ‘WP_HOME’ and ‘WP_SITEURL’ are correct. If they’re not, you can change them directly in this file. It’s a bit like placing correct signboards in your maze, directing you to the exit.

Troubleshooting Problematic Plugins:

Another reason could be problematic plugins. Like naughty little gremlins in your maze, they could be causing chaos without you knowing. Try disabling all your plugins temporarily. If this solves the problem, you can then re-enable them one by one to identify the culprit.

Delving Deeper into Solutions:

If neither of these methods works, it’s time to delve deeper. You may need to update your site’s .htaccess file or clear your browser cookies – kind of like resetting the maze or removing any misleading tracks.

In essence, the ‘WordPress Login Redirect Loop’ may seem like an unsolvable puzzle at first, but with a bit of patience and the right steps, you’ll soon find your way out of the maze and back into your WordPress site!

16. WordPress Failed to Auto-Update

Picture yourself eagerly unwrapping a new toy, only to find out it doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to. It’s a letdown, right? A similar feeling might wash over you when you encounter the ‘WordPress Failed to Auto-Update’ issue. It’s like having a shiny new toy, but the batteries are missing – something’s preventing it from working smoothly.

Understanding the Auto-Update Feature:

The auto-update feature in WordPress is a helpful tool designed to keep your site up-to-date and secure without you having to lift a finger. But, when this feature fails, it’s like your automatic toy car suddenly deciding not to budge. Don’t worry, though – we have the ‘batteries’ to get your site moving again!

Checking File Permissions:

One possible reason for this issue is incorrect file permissions. Think of these like the rules for who can play with which toys. If the rules are too strict, then WordPress can’t play with the files it needs to update. You can fix this by changing the file permissions in your website’s control panel or through an FTP client. Be careful, though, as too lax permissions can let the wrong people play with your toys!

Addressing Memory Limitations:

Another potential cause could be a lack of memory. It’s like trying to fit your huge toy car in a tiny toy garage – it’s just not going to work! Increasing your WordPress site’s memory limit might provide the extra room needed for the update.

Resolving Connection Issues:

Sometimes, the issue might be due to your website’s connection with the WordPress server. It’s akin to your remote-controlled toy car losing its signal. This could be due to your web host or a temporary glitch on the server. Contacting your web host might help solve this issue.

Remember, it’s always important to have a backup of your site before making any changes. It’s like having an extra set of batteries for your toy just in case anything goes wrong. That way, even if the ‘WordPress Failed to Auto-Update’ issue feels like a major roadblock, with these troubleshooting steps, you’ll be back on track in no time!

Conclusion:

In the world of WordPress, where things are continually changing and updating, encountering issues is as inevitable as bumps on a bicycle trail. But, just like learning how to pedal steadily over those bumps, understanding and managing these errors is part of your journey in mastering WordPress.

When in doubt, retrace your steps, go back to the basics, and take one thing at a time. Keep this guide as your handy tool for those times when things get a little bumpy. As you continue to learn and grow, these troubleshooting steps will become second nature, and you’ll soon be the one sharing your knowledge and experience with the rest of the WordPress community.

So, don’t let these common errors and conflicts intimidate you. Think of them as opportunities to learn and improve. After all, every great developer started somewhere. Your perseverance and can-do attitude will ensure your ride through the world of WordPress is an exciting and rewarding one.

Facing persistent WordPress development issues? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. We specialize in troubleshooting and resolving common errors and conflicts. Contact us today and let our team assist you. We’re committed to making your WordPress experience smooth and trouble-free. Your journey to a flawless WordPress site starts with just one message.

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glass-rose-paperweight · 4 years

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The Narrative Structure of Sherlock - And Why Season 4 Seems So Off

A lot has been said about why Season 4 just seems wrong (for a more complete list than I could ever hope to make, go here and here). And while all of those are great points that point to something strange going on, I want to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I propose that what’s wrong with Season 4, ignoring plot holes and inconsistencies and things that seemed to have just been done for shock factor, is that the narrative structure itself is just incorrect. We all know what big proponents of the 5 act structure Mofftiss is. Let’s take a moment to look at the five act structure for a moment, shall we?

The Five Act Structure

The five act structure has its basis in the narrative structure of the ancient Greeks, of telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end. However, it was really solidified starting with German playwright Gustav Freytag in 1863 and his mapping of a narrative structure. He identified the different parts of a story: the Exposition (which sets up the story, introduces characters, gives the audience the background needed to understand the story, and, most importantly, contains the inciting moment, the conflict that the story and the protagonists will revolve around), the Rising Action (which are the obstacles placed in the way of the protagonists resolving the conflict and any more information needed for the audience to understand the story narrative and the characters; often here is where you really start getting a good understanding of what characters are like and understanding their complexities), the Climax (the turning point of the story, the point with the highest tension; often the Big Showdown or big battle), the Falling Action (the end of the climax and the aftermath of whatever happened; things are starting to calm down and resolutions are being reached), and the Dénouement (the final resolution and tying up of lose ends. This is the moment of emotional release, when the characters you have been watching and hopefully grown attached to are reaching their happily ever after and you get to see what their life is like after going through the climax). This is a well known narrative structure that basically everyone learns in grade school. You’re probably familiar with the Story Triangle.

A lot of stories revolve around this narrative structure. Most of Shakespeare’s plays revolve around this narrative idea. The plot triangle is one of the most commonly used ways of telling a story. Supposedly, this is the model that Mofftiss are trying to shoot for with Sherlock. Lets take a look at how this structure generally fits within a typical 5 act play.

Well ... we already have a bit of a problem when it comes to Sherlock, don’t we? The climax is in the wrong spot. If we try and fit Sherlock into the Freytag narrative structure, the first episode really serves as the exposition while everything leading up the The Reichenbach Fall serves as the rising action. And then we get the fall itself as the climax. But, if we think of each season as being like an act, then the climax comes at the end of the second act. Which would leave all of season 3, 4, and 5 to act as falling action and dénouement, which generally leads to a slow, drawn out story. However, lets take a look at the Freytag narrative in a 3 act play, shall we?

The Three Act Structure

Now, a 3 act structure can really just be thought of as a condensed 5 act structure. The Exposition and Rising action are somewhat combined together to serve as an act 1 with a mini climax at the end of act 1. Then, in act 2, there’s more Rising Action, more obstacles to overcome, usually with some sort of midpoint in which a big twist happens. In Buddy Road Trip Movies, this is usually the annoying point at which they split up for some reason before coming back together for whatever the climax is, which falls at the end of Act 2. Act 3 is composed of the end of the climax, the falling action, the resolution, and the dénouement, the time of emotional release and seeing our characters ride off into the sunset.

Well, I’d say Sherlock fits much more securely in this narrative structure. You have the exposition of the fist episode, with the inciting incident coming at the Cabbie saying Moriarty’s name. The rest of the season is more buildup, with the end of The Great Game acting as the climax of act one (and one of the biggest fucking cliffhangers ever). Then we have the resolution of the climax of act one, more rising action, and the the big climax of act 2 with Sherlock jumping. The first two seasons of Sherlock fit much better into the 3 act narrative than into a 5 act narrative.

Sherlock’s Structure

That’s not to say the show doesn’t fit into the 5 act narrative at all. It isn’t uncommon for stories to have multiple ‘climaxes’, smaller ‘peaks’ in the narrative structure that add tension and draw audiences in to the story being told. Each peak just needs to be ‘higher’, with the stakes rising and the climax getting more and more tense each time (this is one of the reasons why big superhero movie franchises constantly feel the need to one up themselves when it comes to the size and scope of the final climax of the movie and why its often so hard to do that with later movies - once you create an ‘Avengers level threat’, where do you go with the story from there?) And, admittedly, the end of the��‘third act’, the end of season 3, does come with a pretty big climactic moment that ‘one ups’ the previous climaxes: Moriarty returning. There’s just one little problem: this is almost immediately resolved.

If we ignore The Abominable Bride for a moment and focus just on the ‘actual’ episodes of each season, act 3 ends with Sherlock shooting Magnessun and Moriarty returning and act 4 starts with both of those issues already resolved. It’s the gaming playthrough equivalent in Minecraft of ‘I did some mining offscreen’. Even though, technically, there wasn’t anything done ‘offscreen’ to resolve the conflict (except for editing a video of Sherlock shooting Magnessun), we never see anything done on screen to resolve the problems, especially not the problem of Moriarty. Sherlock simply dismisses it as not real and moves on. ‘Moriarty isn’t really alive, this is just some plan from beyond the grave that I can deal with easily because I am the great Sherlock Holmes.’ The climax wasn’t really a climax. It just kinda fizzled out, and then the story moves on to instead deal with Mary. Now, we later come to learn that Moriarty had, actually, returned ... in a round about sort of way. We learn of Euros and everything she had done behind the scenes, directing Moriarty, and how the climax at the end of act 3 is linked with her. Ignoring all the plot problems that come with her, the biggest problem with her is placement: her story is in the wrong spot. Her story, the part that finally gets around to explaining and resolving the ‘big climax at the end of act 3′ doesn’t happen until the end of act 4, when we’re supposed to be drawing to the end of the falling action and about to enter the dénouement. That’s not to say that ‘climaxes’ can’t happen in the falling action, because they can. The caveat is that they have to be smaller than whatever the ‘big’ climax of the story is (and that the big climax of the story needs to be resolved in a satisfying way). The climaxes in the 4th act have to simply be what happens while trying to tie up the lose ends of the story. The Final Problem acts as a resolution to the climax of act 3, but it happens almost an entire act after when it is supposed to, with no sort of rising action or narrative structure to fit the two stories, the two pieces of the narrative puzzle, together. Nothing in The Six Thatchers or in The Lying Detective really link Moriarty’s return at the end of act 3 with The Final Problem. The other issue with The Final Problem is that it attempts to fit all of the falling action and the dénouement into the end of the episode. Not even all into one episode, but to fit everything into, like, the last 5 minutes of the episode. The end montage with Mary’s voice over feels very much like a ‘riding into the sunset’ kind of moment, even if you believe there will be a fifth season. You just can’t resolve a story in 5 minutes. You can’t fit two whole acts into 5 minutes and it feel like a satisfying story. And if there is another season, the end sequence of The Final Problem just throws another wrench in the Freytag narrative structure.

Basically, what I’m getting at is, no matter which way you try to look at it, Sherlock doesn’t fit neatly into clearly established narrative structures. Which isn’t inherently a bad thing. Stories don’t have to fit into a 3 act or 5 act structure or even follow the Freytag narrative structure at all to be good stories. However, most of the stories we consume today, most of the books we read and movies we watch and, to a certain extent, the overarching plot of many TV shows we watch, fall into this narrative structure. While there are plenty of stories out there that don’t, in any way, fit into these structures, the point is that it is a narrative structure we are familiar with and that Sherlock attempts to fit into it. Sherlock makes it look like it’s going to fit into that narrative structure. And then it doesn’t. After growing up experiencing all these stories that very clearly follow the Freytag narrative structure, we expect stories that attempt to fall into that narrative structure to stay in that narrative structure. To follow it all the way through. It leaves audience members extremely unsatisfied if it doesn’t. This is why even if all the plot holes and inconsistencies and the characters being out of character were resolved, even if the Extended Mind Palace theory turns out to be true or John’s Bungalow theory or whatever other theory you could come up with to resolve season 4, the narrative structure of Sherlock will never be satisfying. It’s the reason why people have proposed different orders for watching the Star Wars movies or watching the Avengers movies. Because we understand how these stories are supposed to work and end up feeling unsatisfied when the curtain closes and the lights come back up. We want that familiar structure, that release of emotion that we have come to expect from clearly established narration that we are accustomed to. This is the problem inherent with Sherlock. Not the secret sister that seemed to come out of nowhere. Not the inconsistencies or characters knowing things they shouldn’t or doing things they shouldn’t. Not even Redbeard being a boy and not a dog, but the very foundation of the show itself. It’s narration. Because the ‘final’ climax is likely going to have to fit itself into the 5th season (especially if the Extended Mind Palace Theory is correct and we have a ‘it was all just a dream moment’), a resolution to the problem, all the falling action, AND the dénouement are all going to have to be shoved into the 5th act. Which is likely going to make for a story that feels very rushed.

That’s why I have a proposition: a restructuring of the story. This doesn’t resolve plot holes, but it does, I think, make the story more satisfying. It’s moving things around kind of a lot, so things might get a little messy.

Okay, everything is almost exactly the same through season 3, with the one change being that the clues pointing towards another sibling, the build up of it, happens over the course of season 3 instead of season 4. The Abominable Bride doesn’t really matter in this retelling, so take it or leave it as you wish (personally, I choose to take it). The first episode of the 4th season still has Rosie being born and the very beginning of the episode (with the footage of Sherlock shooting Magnussen being altered and Sherlock being dismissive of Moriarty’s return), but everything that happens in The Final Problem happens in this episode. So, discovery of a secret sister, Sherrinford, confrontation of a secret sister, murder games, all of it happens in the first episode of the 4th season. The climax with Moriarty’s return is resolved when it is supposed to be. However unsatisfying it is that he isn’t actually back, at least the narrative flows in this way. The second episode of season 4 is an entirely new story, something that starts the resolution of Sherlock having a secret sister and of obvious trauma from when he was a child. In The Final Problem, Mycroft mentions that he gave Eurus ‘gifts’ for her assistance in fixing problems, so perhaps a problem comes up that Mycroft and Sherlock can’t solve, and they have the moral dilemma of whether or not they should go to Eurus and whether or not her demands will be worth her help. IDK, I’m just spit balling here. The last episode of the season is also a new episode, something that emphasizes the Johnlock dilemma, something that brings into focus John’s feelings for Sherlock and Sherlock’s feelings for John. Something that explicitly shows their attraction for each other and the problems getting in the way of them being together (Mary, heternormativity, maybe John having internalized homophobia, idk), but they don’t actually get together. The first episode of the 5th season is The Six Thatchers, and Mary dies. That episode plays out basically exactly as it is. The episode still ends with John extremely mad at Sherlock and not wanting to be around him. The second episode is the Lying Detective, basically completely as it is. The final episode of the season and the show is them talking through everything, The Reichenbach Fall and why Sherlock left for two years (because that’s not something they seem to have discussed at any point), the pain John still feels over Mary being dead, the feelings both of them have towards each other, and some sort of case to show them that they are still the good friends of the first two acts, that things haven’t really changed. That regardless of whatever romantic attraction they may or may not have for each other, they still deeply care about each other and want to be in each other’s lives. Something to show us how their lives will play out in the future, that they’ll continue to solve cases together. Hell, you can still have the end montage with Mary’s voice over if you want. It’s certainly a lot more fitting there. In my personal opinion (though others can disagree with me if they like), the most fitting ‘resolution’ to John and Sherlock’s attraction towards each other isn’t actually a resolution, but a beginning. I say, after the end montage and Mary’s voice over, cut to the two of them on a nervous date with each other, obviously not knowing what the hell to do but excited about the possibilities of the future. It leaves things open to the imagination for the audience (which is always nice, especially for fanfiction potential) and it doesn’t try to cram too much into a short amount of time (I really feel like trying to show them long term dating or getting married or anything like that would just be pushing it as far as narrative flow).

I’m not saying my proposed solution solves everything. There’s still plenty of issues to either have to work through or ignore with my version of events. Plenty of plot holes and character inconsistencies. But at least my version of events makes sense, at least narratively speaking. It follows the five act structure Mofftiss say they are so fond of. (If you want to say that The Six Thatchers would work better as the end of act 4, serving as the last episode of season 4, and then have The Lying Detective serve as the first episode of season 5 with a completely new episode as the second episode and then another new episode as the final resolution of what life for our Baker Street boys will be like in the future, I would also accept that proposed version of events; it does allow for more evolution of John and Sherlock’s relationship as a couple, though it does leave things less open ended for the two of them. If you prefer that, that’s valid. If you would rather stick to a 3 act structure, then keep The Empty Hearse exactly as it is, have The Sign of Three as it is but with Sherlock and John getting married, and pretend like season 3 ends with the montage of John, Sherlock, and Rosie and just pretend like John and Sherlock adopted a little girl. If you would prefer that version of events, that is also valid.) Even with all the other issues that come with seasons 3 and 4, this version of events just feels more satisfying, at least to me.

(Something I wanted to point out but couldn’t find a good place to insert it, so I’m just adding it as a footnote now: that’s why The Hounds of Baskerville feels kinda out of place. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great episode, but it always seemed to stick out like a sore thumb to me. And that’s because it does, narratively speaking: it doesn’t contribute to the rising action. All the other episodes in the first 2 seasons contribute and lead back to Moriarty in some form or fashion; they act as an evolving narrative leading to the Reichenbach Fall. Except for The Hounds Of Baskerville. It is it’s own, separate narrative. It’s a good narrative. It’s one of the best narratives in the show, if I’m being honest. But it still is out of place. It would fit much better as the second episode of the first season, acting as a continued exposition of the first act before we get the first (not so) mini climax with The Great Game. Narratively speaking, it would make more sense to switch The Hounds of Baskerville with The Blind Banker.)

TL;DR first of all, understandable, this is a very long post. Second, the narrative structure of the show itself is fucky, and that’s why season 4 will never feel satisfying, no matter what happens in a possible season 5 to try and resolve the fuckery of season 4

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septembercfawkes · 5 years

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Story Structure Explained: Climax, Denouement, Epilogues, and Endings

Endings tend to be a bit easier to write, because you've already set everything up and now you're resolving conflict after conflict, but the story can still blow up in your face if you don't handle it right. Or maybe you are one of the more uncommon writers that really struggles with endings. In either case, this article will help you structure the last portion of your story right.

Here is the (hybrid) structure I'm following, with the pieces we've talked about over the last few weeks now filled in:

Beginning ("Orphan" State)

(Prologue)--primary function is to make promises to the reader Hook--draws the audience in by getting them to look forward (in openings, contrasts work well in particular) Setup--establishes the current sense of "normal" while introducing key story elements Plot Point 1 (or "Inciting Incident")--disrupts the normal and sends protagonist in a new direction.

Character arc and theme are introduced. Usually at this state, the protagonist believes in (or illustrates) a "false" thematic statement.

Middle ("Wanderer" State)

After Plot Point 1--the protagonist is reacting and responding to what's happening, while perhaps accumulating friends, mentors, love interests, etc. Pinch Point--The antagonist applies pressure to the protagonist and is shown to be a formidable foe Midpoint--Something new enters the story or the context shifts and the protagonist moves from reacting to acting. She becomes more proactive.

The theme is questioned, explored, and tested, usually through multiple characters. The character is confronted with and illustrates his weakness.

Costs and stakes escalate by either getting bigger or more personal or both.

Middle ("Warrior" State)

After the Midpoint--Now empowered, the character is more proactive in trying to defeat the antagonist Pinch Point 2--The antagonist applies pressure to the protagonist and is shown to be an even stronger, formidable foe Plot Point 2--Made up of two parts: "The Darkest Hour" and "The Final Puzzle Piece." Protagonist moves into a "martyr" state.

The characters struggle with their inner demons, testing the thematic statement.

Costs and stakes continue to escalate.

Ending ("Martyr" State)

Climax Denouement/Resolution (Epilogue)

These parts belong in the ending, which is what I'm talking about today.

Ending

We've grabbed the audience and setup the story in the beginning; disrupted the protagonist's sense of normal with the inciting incident; hiked up stakes and costs; questioned, explored, and tested the thematic threads; applied pressure through pinch points; and moved our hero from a warrior to a martyr as they experienced the "Darkest Hour" and put together the "Final Puzzle Piece."

To be fair, that last bit sometimes happens during the climax. During the final battle, the protagonist may experience the darkest hour and put together the final puzzle piece, completing their character arc, and finally reaching the "martyr" state.

Nothing in writing is purely black and white. And there are always variations and exceptions. And when it comes to story structure, some of it depends on how and where you decide to slice and dice it.

Climax

In the climax, the protagonist faces the antagonistic forces head-on, ready for the final battle that determines who (or what) wins the established conflicts.

Remember all those conflicts, stakes, costs, arcs, and themes you setup?

Now it's time to test, prove, and resolve them in the showdown.

It's hard to be exact on what needs to happen in the climax, because a lot of it will depend on what came before.

There might be a twist, surprise, or devastating cost.

But to be most effective and most successful, whatever is in there, needs to have been at least foreshadowed prior to this moment in some degree. It can be twisted. It can be shifted. It can be bigger or worse than expected. But it usually needs to be at least alluded to prior. If not, the audience may feel cheated; if it's something that helps the hero win, it's likely a deus ex machina.

Promises made (almost always) need to be kept. So if you promised a battle with a dragon, it better be there.

If promises aren't kept, whatever happens needs to be just as significant or more significant than what was promised. For example, maybe the monster is actually something worse, more terrifying, more formidable than the promised dragon.

In great climaxes, the story exceeds the expectations.

Stakes and costs will be escalated yet again. This is it. Everything is on the line.

Additionally, the climax is a great place to cross opposites--cross the broadest conflicts with the most personal conflicts for maximum impact. Character arcs are usually finished by the end of the climax, proving the thematic statement.

Often during the climax the protagonist will ultimately have to face the antagonistic force alone. The hero should ultimately be the savior, or in rare cases, if she can't literally, makes a final sacrifice that allows the others to deal the death blow.

For a more in depth look at some of these mentioned elements, see my article "How to Write Exceptional Endings."

In Spider-verse

The climax begins when the heroes confront the villains at the collider in the final fight. The heroes hope to return to their dimensions and Miles hopes to save Brooklyn. The antagonist, Kingpin, is set on seizing his wife and son from another dimension no matter the cost. He's willing to kill heroes, civilians, and destroy his own dimension. Those conflicts must now be resolved.

Stakes and costs are escalated. This is the moment where the protagonist could die, something he is reminded of when Kingpin taunts, "Not even the real Spider-man could defeat me. Why do you think you'd be any different?" The cost is the real deal.

The stakes are escalated in that multiple dimensions are coming into Miles's dimension.

Character arcs. Usually by the end of the climax, character arcs have been completed. The most personal, internal conflicts cross paths with the broadest conflicts. And the ugly inner demons may raise their heads one last time in the final fight. Peter B. Parker reveals he wants to stay in this dimension and die so that he doesn't have to go home to face his failures with Mary Jane. When attacking Kingpin alone, Miles gets brutally beaten and struggles to get up. Gwen comes to terms with making friends again.

Themes. After having been explored and questioned through the middle, the themes are finally tested and proven. Miles does get back up after getting knocked down. Peter B. Parker does return to his dimension to face his personal problems. Gwen Stacy does make friends with each of them. But the theme is also refined. Is there really any garantee that if you always want to get back up that everything will work out? Not necessarily. After all, the Peter Parker from the beginning, who was the epitome of the thematic statement, died despite having it all. Prowler, who at one point says, "You know me, sir. I never quit," didn't follow through when he realized the person he was trying to kill was his nephew, and Prowler died from that choice. Even Peter B. Parker remarks at one point, "Not everything works out." Which is why the sub themes of choice and faith come in.

Peter: How do I know I won't mess it up again?

Miles: You won't.

Peter: . . . It's a leap of faith.

So Peter chooses to go back and take that leap of faith.

However, as the ending continues it's shown that not quitting will get you further than you ever thought possible, as is exemplified when Miles says, "I'm doing all sorts of things I never thought I'd be able to. Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask," which finally extends the theme to the audience. YOU can do all sorts of things you never thought you could do, as long as you always get back up.

Everything in the final showdown is foreshadowed in some way prior.

Promises are kept. Miles and the other Spider people face off Kingpin and the villains in a battle over the collider that could destroy Brooklyn.

Expectations are Exceeded. In this story, other, seemingly insignificant elements are brought back in during the final battle to help exceed our expectations. That ridiculous shoulder touch thing Aaron teaches Miles? Miles uses it defeat Kingpin. The stupid cartoony stuff about the pig? He's literally using cartoon elements to fight, dropping anvils and pulling out items that are way to big to fit in his pockets. Everywhere during this fight scene, elements that have been present elsewhere are coming back into play for a stronger impact.

Protagonist faces antagonist alone. After sending everyone to their proper dimensions, Miles faces Kingpin alone for one final fight, where his character arc and newfound abilities are proven. Some of the best elements of this moment come from the writers playing the concept of the "orphan" state. Remember how most heroes start in a literal or figurative orphan state? This whole time, Kingpin has been trying to get his family back--he's in an "orphan" state too! What does he say in the final fight to Miles? "I'm going to make sure you never see your family again!" What does Miles say? "I'll always have my family." And to top it off, the person Miles was most "orphaned" from, his father, is there watching and now supporting him ("Get up Spider-man! Get up!"). Miles is no longer alone. He has friends and family. And he gets back up and defeats Kingpin.

Martyr State

During the ending of the story, the protagonist is in a "martyr" state, which I talked about last time. Like all the other states, it can be literal or figurative. But at this point in the story, the heroine has sacrificed or is willing to sacrifice her "life." In some cases, this is literal. Frodo in Lord of the Rings and Harry in Harry Potter, are literally willing to sacrifice their lives in order to defeat the antagonist. In many cases, it is figurative. Christopher Robin in Christopher Robin is willing to sacrifice his lifestyle. Hamilton is willing to sacrifice his most extreme characteristic: his resolve to never throw away his shot.

In the ending, we must see that the protagonist is truly ready to sacrifice or give up whatever has been holding him back from success.

This change will then be validated in the denouement.

In Spider-verse

Miles enters the marytr state when he truly commits to give up giving up. It turns out that's what has been holding him back this entire time, even in his personal life, and in school. He doesn't want to work hard. He doesn't want to be amazing. He doesn't want to deal with expectations. He wants to quit. Quitting is easy. Getting up over and over and over again is hard. But when he truly sacrifices his natural tendency, he starts being successful. And the ending proves that it works.

Denouement

The antagonist has been defeated, so now that means we need to hurry and end the story right? Wrong. Partially. Denouements are another element in storytelling that I feel are often misunderstood. It's not just about ending the story quickly. It about validating everything that has changed.

Remember all the crazy things we've just dragged the audience through? Well, we need to validate that all those things actually happened and that the sacrifices paid off (in some rare endings, you may be validating that those sacrifices didn't pay off, but let's stick with the general for today). In a romance, you need to validate that the couple are actually together and in a great relationship--this might be done with a marriage or marriage proposal. If anyone died, we need that validated--we may need to see the protagonist attend a funeral. If the antagonist has really been defeated, we need to see that their power is gone from this world.

What we do not want to do is end the story by undercutting the entire experience we just created. This is just another reason why a story that ends with "it was all a dream" is so horrific. It undermines everything. Another example of this is Lost, where audiences found out at the end that the characters had just been dead the entire time. This doesn't mean you can't ever have loose ends, but you should not undermine everything you just slaved so hard to make.

The denouement also complements and foils the setup. While the setup works to establish a current normal, the denouement works to establish a new normal. So often in a lot of stories (and this relates to the Hero's Journey story structure), you'll see direct similarities between the setup and the denouement. At the beginning and end of (almost) every Harry Potter book, Harry starts at his aunt and uncle's and ends there, and yet things have changed.

If there are any loose ends or unresolved conflicts, they will typically be addressed and handled in the denouement.

In a series, the denouement may function a little differently. You will be validating the major changes of the story, but may leave or suggest loose threads that will play a part in the next story.

Never forget Mickey Spillane's sound advice: "The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book."

This is true for any book, series or not. If it's a series, it sells the next installment. If it's not, it leaves people wanting to buy the next book you write.

In some stories, the denouement may actually be one of the most powerful parts, because you are validating one change after another after another in a short amount of space, so it has a profound emotional impact. (Almost) Never skimp out on it.

However, like the setup, you don't want it to be too long either. Remember, they complement each other. Just like you don't want to give a play by play of "normal" in the setup (super boring), you don't want to give a play by play of the new normal in the denouement. Validate and convey what you need to and then move on. Keep it short enough to stay interesting but long enough to cover the important parts.

In Spider-verse

The denouement succeeds in all these ways. It validates all the changes. Kingpin is officially caught (Miles shows him stuck in a web). The relationship between Miles's dad and himself (even as Spider-man) is repaired and at least tolerated. This is further validated by Miles saying, "I love you," when in the setup he refused to say it unless he had no choice. Now he means it and wants to say it.

Peni is shown safe in her own dimension repairing her robot. Spider-man noir is shown safe solving the Rubik's cube (one of his struggles). The pig is back in his dimension. Gwen Stacy is staring at a picture of her new friend. And Peter B. Parker, despite the fact he at one point would literally rather die, brings flowers to Mary Jane, in an attempt to repair their relationship.

Then we have the protagonist, Miles. What is he doing? He's attending school and applying himself. He's putting up his art with his dad. (See how these things directly complement the setup?) Which, in the process, validates the death of his uncle. He's being Spider-man. And he's no longer an orphan. "Whenever I feel alone, I remember my friends out there who get it." And best of all, he's overcome his internal weaknesses and embodied the true thematic statement: "I'm doing all sorts of things I never thought I'd be able to. Anyone can wear the mask. YOU can wear the mask."

All of us can do things we never thought we could do, as long as we get back up.

Do you see how powerful a properly crafted denouement can drive home the point?

Then at the very last second, we see that somehow Gwen Stacy is talking to Miles from her dimension. This creates a thread of a loose end. In other words, Spider-verse is one of those magic things that agents love to hear: a standalone story with series potential.

From another perspective, this moment simply shows the audience that all these characters may somehow be able to communicate with each other despite being in different dimensions. They aren't alone.

(Epilogue)

Like a prologue, your story may or may not need an epilogue, and some stories can work in either case. Epilogues function mainly in two different ways.

1. They offer additional needed closure. In some stories you may not be able to tie everything up in the denouement. You may need an epilogue to finish it out. This can be especially true if it seems "too soon" to close some unresolved components in the denouement.

2. They start more loose threads. If you have another installment planned after this one, an epilogue can promise that there is more to the story. This works well when you want a lot of closure for the current installment, but want to signal to the audience that there is more. You tie up everything in the denouement, but then start some new threads in an epilogue.

In a lot of ways, the epilogue complements the prologue in type and structure. It may be a bit theatrical. It may be a short teaser. It may close out the story in two different ways (one component is dealt with in the denouement and another is dealt with in the epilogue). It may provide an alternate viewpoint that didn't belong in the main story. It may be displaced in time. Or it may give additional information. Check out my article on the different types of prologues, and you'll see that it is so.

In Spider-verse

Whether or not the after credits scene functions as a true epilogue is debatable. In some ways it does, and in some ways it's just a fun after credit scene to make people laugh. I'm leaning more toward the latter. But let's talk about it.

Of the two purposes above, it mostly fits into the second. It starts something new. We're introduced to another spider character who now has the ability to intentionally travel to other dimensions, successfully. What does that mean? Perhaps it's similar to Gwen talking to Miles at the end. These spider characters will interact with each other again. There is more to the story.

But as the scene plays out, it ends more as another opportunity to get one last laugh out of the audience. That's fine, for a superhero movie.

Or maybe that ending is intentionally ambiguous. One interpretation works better for a series, and the other works better for a standalone. Maybe the writers intentionally wanted to have it fit for either, as they wait and see if they can get funding and support for another film to happen.

Whatever the case, you can watch or read other epilogues and see how they either add more closure or add more loose threads.

And that's story structure explained.

Now what? Do you need to follow all these components to write a good story? Not necessarily. Heaven knows there are plenty of writers who are successful without knowing about these things at all. However, I will argue that whether it's intentional or not, most writers who write successful stories will hit the majority of these components in some way, even if it's completely done subconsciously. We've seen and been fed this story structure so much, from such young ages, that if we don't follow it to some degree, something will feel off or wrong, even if we can't pinpoint or communicate what it is exactly. In fact, we may even misdiagnose the problem. But if this has been helpful to you, go ahead and use it. If you feel like it's paralyzing you, don't worry about it so much. This is meant to help, not hinder. Do what works for you. And there are other sliced and diced forms of story structure you can look into.

In the future I want to grab some other stories and break down how they fit these elements, briefly, so you guys have examples of how it works for vastly different narratives.

Resources:

This article series was influenced by Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, the Seven Point Story Structure, Million Dollar Outlines by David Farland, The Hero's Journey, and even the basics of Freytag's Pyramid.

#Writing tips #writing tips and tricks #spider-verse #writeblr #into the spider verse #story structure #writing help #fanfic #fanfiction #writing lesson #writing advice #creative writing #fiction writing #author #editor #camp nanowrimo #peter parker #miles morales #Gwen Stacy

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missjanjie · 4 years

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Branjie Fic | Take Me Back to the Start (1/?)

Title: Take Me Back to the Start Summary: Everyone remembers their first love. Not everyone carries those feelings from childhood to senior year. Yet Brock is starting his last year of high school while still longing for the relationship he lost five years ago. Meanwhile, José is at the top of the food chain and seems to have it all together. But maybe their story isn't over yet. Word Count: ~3.1k Relationship: Branjie (Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo) Rating: T (so far)

Read on AO3

“Sweetie, look what I found!”

Brock’s mother let herself into his room - the door had been left slightly ajar, enough for her to take it as permission to enter.

That, and Brock hadn’t been paying much attention in the first place. He was lazily sprawled out on his bed, only propped up by the pile of pillows behind him. His headphones were in and he was aimlessly scrolling through his phone. It wasn’t until his mom rolled over to him in his desk chair that he became aware of the company. His face scrunched up and his head tilted to the side as he turned off his music. “What’s up?”

She was unfazed, however - being the mother of a teenager meant that this was a common occurrence. “I found this in a box of old photo albums, I think this one’s from your ninth birthday. Or maybe it was your tenth, whichever one you had at the roller rink,” she shrugged off the minor details and handed him the envelope. “Anyway, I thought you might like to look through them. There are so many cute photos, especially of you and José,” as she got up to leave, she murmured offhandedly about ‘what a nice kid he was’ and ‘such a shame they fell out.’

Brock waited until the door shut behind her before he looked through the photos. It was from his ninth birthday, he observed. They were fond memories, or at least they ought to be. Nearly every picture had him smiling and laughing – they could have been stock photos for a child’s birthday with how idyllic they looked.

But he didn’t feel the same sense of whimsical nostalgia that his mother had. When he looked at these captured memories, he felt a melancholic sense of longing. He smiled wanly as he flipped through the stack – a picture of him helping José put his skates on, one of them holding hands as they wobbled around the rink, of them smashing cake onto each other’s faces. Maybe he just missed the beauty of childhood friendship.

Except it wasn’t just any friendship, not even a best-friendship. Brock had been convinced he found the love of his life before they even started middle school. What they had was special, it was theirs. It was probably why his coming out didn’t come as much of a surprise.

And when it came down to it, it was why those feelings never left. One would think time would erase the tender yearning that came with a first love, that was what he’d always hoped for, anyway. But seeing him from a distance at school every day didn’t make that any easier.

“They are good pictures,” Brock conceded to himself, setting all but the hand-holding picture aside. His gaze refocused on the picture and he sighed. “You guys have no idea how easy you have it,” he remarked to the still-frame of his younger self.

Eight Years Earlier…

It was the morning after his birthday, it was bright and sunny and Brock woke up to something poking into his face repeatedly. “Huh?”

“Finally,” José huffed in exasperation, moving his hand away to place on his hip instead. He looked at the blonde, his expression a mix of annoyance and amusement. “You sleep like a dang rock. Almost went to get water, splash you awake.”

Brock yawned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Thank you for not doing that,” he mumbled, sleepiness still weighing down his voice. He got to his feet as he adjusted to the waking world. “How long have you been up anyway?”

“I don’t got a watch,” he shrugged as they made their way into the kitchen for a pancake breakfast.

Joan was cutting up some fruit to finish the breakfast spread. “Morning, boys,” she chirped, turning to watch them sit down and help themselves. “Is your mom alright with you coming to the park with us, José?”

The child nodded, dousing his breakfast in syrup until the meal appeared to be equal parts syrup and food. “She said so yesterday at the party.” And he had no reason to lie about that – his mom was just as supportive of their relationship. That, and if she were suspicious, Joan would call to double check.

And the park wasn’t too far anyway. It was close enough that, once they were dressed and ready, they could walk to within a matter of minutes. They could probably do the trip in their sleep, and Brock was promised the freedom to go there by himself when he turned ten.

This visit, at least, came with the perfect weather for a day in the park. It was almost unseasonably warm for early March, but comfortable with clear skies and a gentle breeze. The park was occupied without being crowded, and the boys didn’t waste any time before they ran off to play.

“Look! I don’t even get dizzy when I do it anymore!” Brock boasted proudly as he hung upside down from the monkey bars. He hung like that until he was certain José was looking in approval before he flipped back around and jumped down.

“See? That’s why you gonna make a great ballerina,” José grinned. Other than his mom, José was the only one that had readily embraced his dreams and aspirations. Hell, he thought it was cool that Brock wanted to be different.

Brock beamed at the praise. “You’re the best. Hold on, I’m gonna go show my mom,” he turned and started to where she was, sitting at a table in the shade and reading a romance novel.

But he hadn’t even gotten halfway there when his attention was pulled back to the playground.

“‘Sup homo?” A couple of older boys – probably in middle school – had come up to José, both towering over him with malicious smirks.

José scowled and puffed up his chest. “Didn’t yo mamas tell you to leave me alone?”

“Our mamas’ ain’t here,” the other boy retorted in a mockingly whiny tone.

He huffed, face flushed red with anger, and tried to push past them to walk away, only to be blocked off by the pair, the taller of the two shoving him to the ground.

They laughed at the way the wind was knocked out of him. “Watch it, fag,” he snapped.

The next few moments were a bit of a blur, but the next thing they knew, Brock and José were fighting the tweens with all of their might until Joan and another concerned parent came to break up the mele.

“Yo, come at me again, I dare you!” José shouted, kicking and flailing in the woman’s grasp until she struggled to restrain him.

“Oh whatever, you and your boyfriend aren’t that tough,” the initial aggressor scoffed before he and his buddy left to lick their wounds.

José was finally released and he looked over to see Brock getting lectured on ‘conflict resolution’ and his stomach twisted with guilt. “It ain’t his fault,” he interrupted, “I was outnumbered, he was just tryna protect me.”

“There are non-violent solutions to bullies,” she pointed out. “But all things considered, I understand both of your actions, though I definitely do not encourage them.” And with that, she allowed the boys to continue playing.

The two boys sat on the swings, too exhausted to do anything more than sit and lightly sway.

“I’m sorry I got you sucked into that,” José mumbled, kicking at the dirt.

“You didn’t, I chose to,” he shrugged, staring up at the sky. “They’re just big jerks, so I’ll always have your back. Even if they think we’re boyfriends.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

Both of them had learned early on what ‘gay’ is, and it didn’t take long for them to figure out that the label fit them. It wasn’t weird, they’d insist, to have crushes on boys instead of girls. But they never told anyone but their mothers, and each other, of course. It wasn’t something they would announce, as even in third grade, they were well aware of the consequences that came with being different, as the targeted bullying proved.

“Well, I don’t think it’s bad,” Brock finally answered. “Do you?”

José shook his head. “I ain’t scared of it or nothin’, but what does being boyfriends even mean if we can’t even go to the movies by ourselves?”

Brock tilted his head. He wasn’t really sure what it meant to be someone’s boyfriend. Living in a single parent household didn’t give him much of a frame of reference, and the sister that he was closest to had a girlfriend, and that just wouldn’t be the same, right? “I dunno. I guess we just do what we want.”

“So, are we boyfriends now?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Not long after that, they were called to get ready and head back home, and they pushed themselves up off the swings. Brock looked over at the smaller boy and held out his hand to him.

José looked at his extended hand, then back up to him before taking it, smiling from ear to ear. Their hands fit together perfectly, it felt like two puzzle pieces connecting together and even if that was the only difference between friends and boyfriends, it was just the improvement they needed.

Present Day

The dinner table was painfully quiet, the only sounds coming from silverware clanking against plates. Except for Brock, who was just pushing his food around the plate with his fork.

“Are you feeling alright, honey? You’ve hardly eaten a bite.”

“Huh?” Brock looked up from his plate, only realizing then how much he had spaced out until he was yanked back into reality. It took him another moment to process the question. “Yeah, yeah I’m good. Just...nervous. First day of school and all.”

Joan was never much for pushing emotional conversations, for better or for worse, so she accepted that at face value. “Oh, but it’s senior year, you’ll be able to take it easy before you know it!”

He did smile at that, her unwavering optimism usually did the trick when it came to cheering him up. “I know, but until then, the pressure’s on.”

And even on an academic level that was true. The past year consisted primarily of Brock busting his ass to develop a portfolio to apply to the best dance programs in the country. It was all or nothing for him - he didn’t have a backup, no matter what his guidance counselor had advised. It would be insane if he didn’t have the skill to back it up, at least.

When dinner ended, Brock got up and started to clear the table.

“I’ve got it. I want you to go ahead and relax before tomorrow, alright?”

“Thanks, Mom,” instead of cleaning up, he leaned over to hug her and escaped to his room. He did want to relax, and he was sure he needed to, but he still felt like a tightly wound ticking time bomb. And it was in times like this that, even now, he wished he had José back in his life in any capacity beyond someone he could hardly stand to make eye contact when they passed each other in the halls.

Six Years Earlier…

“No. No, no, no, no. I can’t do it. I have to forfeit I-I-I--” Brock was pacing back and forth, shaking with nerves, all until José grabbed his arm with one hand and smacked him with the other. “Hey!”

José rolled his eyes, his grip on Brock’s arm remaining firm. “You being ridiculous as hell right now. You ain’t quittin’, you’re gonna get yo ass on stage and perform the hell out of that routine I seen you practice every day for months now. I don’t care if you got feet so cold they’re in Antarctica, you’re not chickening out.”

Brock whined and pouted and kicked his feet. On one hand, he hated how José left him without a leg to stand on in terms of their argument, but on the other, he knew there was nothing else that would’ve pulled him back into reality, no one else that would’ve been able to talk any sense into him. “But what if I blow it? Like, I trip, or I forget my moves, or I throw up?”

“Okay, ew. But if you do, it’s whatever. There’ll be the next one,” he said simply. “You the youngest one here, there’s gonna be more.”

“That’s the thing! I’m the only one here that’s under thirteen, if I blow it, it’ll be all ‘See? That’s why kids can’t do it’.”

He grabbed his shoulders and stood up on his tiptoes to look into his eyes. “But you can. And you gonna. Now get it together, yo ass is on in five.”

Almost immediately after that, José was ushered away so Brock could be redirected to wait in the wings. He listened to the upbeat pop music fade out, followed by reasonably enthusiastic applause. He watched a girl in a purple, sequined leotard take a dramatic bow before walking offstage, moving with the grace she must have danced with.

The next thing he knew, he was on the stage, immersed in his routine. It was almost an out-of-body experience, he swore he was watching himself perform instead of actually doing it, as if his body took over to give his mind a much needed rest.

And just like that, it was over. His chest rose and fell heavily while the crowd cheered for him. Even as he was leaving the stage, he still felt as if he were floating.

But then he saw José waiting for him and his entire being had something to focus on. With adrenaline still coursing through him, he sprinted towards the smaller boy and spun him around. “Did you see?” he asked breathlessly.

“Hell yeah I saw! That was amazing, I told ya you could do it,” José giggled, his broad smile hidden with his face resting against Brock’s shoulder until he was set back on his feet. “How many people are left?”

“Five, I think,” he shrugged, plopping himself on a couch and gulping down a bottle of water. “Might as well be a million, I don’t wanna know.”

José rolled his eyes and sat cross-legged next to him. “You know that ain’t true. You just gotta like, zone out for a little while, and you’ll be ready. I was right before, so now you gotta believe me. It’s, you know, science or whatever.”

Brock supposed there was merit in José’s logic, at least enough for him not to argue with him. Instead, he quietly rest his head in his lap - looking up at his face was a much better alternative to staring blankly into space until the emcee of the competition called the dancers back to the stage.

Third place went to a petite girl with box braids styled into a bun and a poised, confident posture that made Brock think a professional gymnast had wandered into a dance competition. And as far as he was concerned, her routine could perform circles around his, so there was no way he had placed.

“And in second place, we have… Brock Hayhoe!”

Wait, what? Surely he must’ve heard incorrectly, but the girl next to him nudged him forward, mouthing ‘congrats’ with a warm smile. It hardly even registered that a silver medal was being placed around his neck, and he hadn’t the slightest idea who had taken first. It wasn’t until the fanfare had died down and competitors were reuniting with their families that it hit him - he had placed in his first real dance competition, one that he was supposedly ‘underqualified’ for.

It was no surprise that as he bounded off the stage, still on cloud nine, his eyes focused right on José, and he picked up speed in a beeline towards him.

Brock hadn’t even realized what had happened next until a man cleared his throat and stared him down in disapproval. Then it hit him that his hands were cupping José’s face and he realized that not only had he won his first competition; he’d just had his first kiss.

They stood in awkward silence until they could be relatively isolated. “Wow,” José finally broke the tension. “Wonder what woulda happened if you got the gold.”

And like always, that humor of his put him right at ease. Brock exhaled and smiled gently. “You’re the one that says I overthink everything. Guess that’s what happens when I don’t think at all.”

José laughed and chastely pecked his cheek. “Just don’t think then. Been working for me.”

Present Day

It was in the middle of the night, and Brock had been tossing and turning for at least a couple hours now. Defeated by his inability to fall asleep, he threw the covers off of him and rose to his feet, aimlessly walking around his room in hopes of tiring himself out.

Not long after that, he’d stopped in front of the shelf at the far end of his room. His uncle had built it when he’d started running out of space on his dresser to display his awards. Lately, it had become a source of both affirmation and immense pressure. He had to live up to the reputation he had made for himself in the competition circuit.

His gaze drifted back to the pictures from his birthday party. It was nights like this that made him miss his exuberant cheerleader that much more. In the years since, no one had ever been able to have the same effect on him.

Eventually he concluded that being out of bed was doing nothing to tire him out, and gave up. He tucked himself back in, willing himself to sleep with a silent prayer that tomorrow wasn’t torture as a result.

And when Brock blearily shuffled into school the next day it became glaringly obvious that his prayer went unanswered. The fluorescent lights were far too bright and everyone yelling and laughing as they reunited after summer break was far too loud. It was like he was hungover without even getting the fun experience of being drunk.

Then he saw José stride through the halls in his freshly-cleaned cheerleading uniform, he found himself angry, almost irrationally so. His presence was mocking him, the irony was too literal. Even though he knew their paths would cross, he had hoped it wouldn’t be shoved in his face like that. He leaned against the locker, head tilted back and pressed against the metal as he groaned.

“Senior year and you’re still carrying a torch for him?”

Brock jumped, hitting his head against the locker and cursing under his breath. “Jesus Christ, Steve,” he hissed, then sighed. “What difference does it make?”

“The difference,” he smirked, “is that you’re going to do something about it.”

#branjie #branjie fic #rpdr rpf #rpdr fanfiction

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polandspringz · 5 years

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Make It As Right As Rain- Pokemon SWSH Fic

Bede discovers the truth about what Chairman Rose has been doing behind the scenes of the League, and his world comes crashing down around him. Luckily, he has friends to help him pick up the pieces.

This is based on this post I made about the game’s potential conflict! You can also read the fic & give kudos on AO3 here!

The muddy, red dirt splashed against Bede’s knees as he collapsed to the ground. Rain sloshed down the sides of his coat, easily running off the surface but dripping down into his sleeves and collar as he reached up to claw at his scalp. The water seeping into his leggings was so cold, shocking his body as hot flashes burned white light behind his eyelids as the world turned to a sickly dark gray.

It was like a hoard of Wheezing had passed through, the sky was so thick, the air turned to smog as he struggled to breathe. He had stumbled away from the city, from the League in a daze. When the argument had exploded in Chairman Rose’s office, when Gloria had burst in with Leon and Hop and began hurling accusations he first thought it was all a big joke. Gloria had just lost twice to the eighth gym in the League, Hop hadn’t been doing so well either, and there were always tabloids spouting lies about his father, and he had laughed at the lot of them for such a pitiful display. Bede had defended Rose by saying that Gloria and Hop were merely trying to blackmail their way through battles they couldn’t win due to their incompetence, but inside he knew that wasn’t true. Leon was standing there, and although he was Hop’s older brother, Bede knew deep down that he wouldn’t stake his position and title on something like this if it was all a lie. Same with Gloria, as Bede watched the girl’s mouth twist into a frown and her recoil behind Hop with hurt at his words, something inside told him things were very wrong.

“I’m sorry, Bede,” Leon had said as he produced a pile of evidence, setting the items on Rose’s desk. Copies of photographs and contracts with the man’s signature on it caused Bede to freeze. His eyes skimmed over only a few of the titles, but suddenly all of the puzzle pieces came together in his head.

“Fa- Chairman…” Bede corrected as he swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned towards the man beside him slowly, “None of it is true, is it?”

When the man had merely laughed and gestured for Oleana to put in a call, Bede was horrified as his sister’s lifeless eyes glazed over the intercom system as she phoned for security.

He was brushing past Gloria and Hop and shoving his way through Leon’s stupid cape as he sprinted for the door. Men in black suits got to him anyway, even as he was racing down the stairs to reach the glass doors underneath the blinking exit sign. They picked him up by the collar of his coat and began to toss him around as he struggled violently in their hold, but then there was the noise of a Pokeball opening and the roar of a familiar Obstagoon and the men were reeling back in pain, dropping him down the stairs and Bede was crawling, scrambling to his feet before his palm was smudging the crystal clean door as he burst through it and out into the rain.

The city was a blur as he charged through it, head tucked as he banged into people, tripped over Pokemon on deliveries, and knocked over displays as he tried to find somewhere, anywhere, away from all the noise and screaming around him. Cars honked as he flew in front of them as lights turned green, someone set their hands on him when he slammed into their back and he tried to move around them swiftly. It was probably a kind person, with nothing but the best intentions as she spoke to him calmly, but instead Bede flailed like a child and ended up slapping her as he broke away and back into the storm of the city.

Eventually, through a long tunnel and over a bridge, he broke through into the Wild Area, the whistling of the wind through all the greenery tumultuous and loud as thunder picked up and Bede sunk down into the path. He didn’t know what to believe. He had spent his entire journey defending his father, deflecting any sort of gossip he heard on the road with a resolute, crushing victory over some pathetic trainers, breaking into fits of word play with reporters when some sketchy magazine broke through to comment about a suspicious event. Shady deals done in a warehouse behind one of the gyms connected to the League, why Rose decided to sponsor him of all trainers, and what he planned to do once he became the next Champion.

He spent his entire life hiding in a big skyscraper, hiding what he was, where he was from, who he was from. When he was given his first Pokemon and showed his strengths to his father in a test Oleana had arranged for him, he felt pride when he was handed the “deal”, a contract and sponsorship that even though it was “strictly business” equalled acknowledgement, pride, love.

Now those hexagons on his back were burning holes through to his heart, scarring him as he inhaled smoke and fought to breathe. His hands fell from his head and instead reached for his throat. He was choking on nothing, his face was covered in sweat and everything was mixing with the rain and falling down into his mouth as he coughed and inhaled and inhaled again as he sucked up more and more but the tight feeling in his chest continue to constrict and bind him.

He felt like he was going to die.

Something dark shot across his vision and then there was a splash by his knees and a hand on his shoulder. Someone was kneeling in front of him and trying to get him to lift his head. The hand on his shoulder was hot, like everything else. Like the air that was swirling around him, the air that he kept shoveling down his throat but instead it piled up like gravel. He continued to pant and gasp and the hand disappeared. Darkness kept jumping in and out of his vision as he blinked the tears away, eyes opening wide in desperation as he continued to suffocate.

There was pain across his neck and then the fire was on his hands. The person was tugging his wrists down and away from his throat, pinning them into his lap as they leaned forward and brushed his hair back causing him to flinch, a caress turning into a strong grip as they jerked his chin up and settled their thumb harshly against his cheek.

Gloria’s warm brown eyes bore into him as she stared him down, mouth set into a thin line. She was never much for words, he was shocked when over an hour ago she had the voice to bite at his father with such an unwavering confidence-filled tone. Now, that he was locked on her, she let go of his face, and gestured.

Watch me. Follow me, or something in between. Either way, Bede watched her shut her eyes and open her mouth, sucking in a deep breath. She waited a second, then let it out. She opened her eyes and waited. Bede tried to do the same. When he exhaled, his gaze dropped to his hands, which were tangled together and pinned down by one of her own. He froze up, she loosened her grip, but forced him to look at her again. She breathed in and out again. He followed. She smiled and nodded, beaming as she continued. Slowly, it got easier and easier for Bede, and finally, the air around him became tolerable again.

She let go of his hands finally once he had settled, her forehead pressed against his as they finished their last exercise before she pulled away, fishing through her bag for something. Bede merely watched her curiously, wrapping his arms around himself as the chill of being rain-soaked began to settle in. Gloria’s warm hand came up to touch his again and suddenly he was being pulled to his feet, and her gentle voice-

(Where had that been when they had been in the office? The one that had always spoke in whispers when they were huddled in caves, been nothing but kind to him even when he brushed her off with curt words and harsh, brutish shoves to any of her meager offerings of food or a listening ear.)

-Her gentle voice told him they needed to get out of the rain, and she tugged him along, a strong hold on his rough skin, covered by a glove that had been streaked in blood from scratches along his neck.

Interestingly enough, the shelter she chose was one of twinkling stone and red rocky walls, an old mine cart resting by the entrance, a few lanterns flickering on the walls. They had fought in this specific cave before, a few times outside of when they ran into one another in the waiting rooms of the stadiums. He liked it better here, in the quietness of the outdoors, the echo of the cave deflecting only the noise of their commands and their Pokemons’ shouts and attacks instead of the voice of authority stumbling in to stop their quarrel, telling them to save it for the big stage. There were no eyes in here, and as Gloria led him away from where the wind and rain still reached inside the cave’s entrance, she sat him down beside a boulder and dug out what she had been holding inside the bag since she found him.

A first aid kit.

She helped him take off his jacket and pulled out a sweatshirt from within her bag, setting it on the ground next to them as she reached forward with a cotton pad dabbed with some antiseptic and reached towards him. She spoke to him quietly, explaining what she was doing, and Bede tilted his head back as she rolled down the collar of his turtleneck, skin tight and waterlogged and beyond constricting even when she lowered it. He stared down at his bloody nails, long but jagged in some places from roughing it a few times on his journey. He must have broke through the skin when he felt like he was choking, but even now his brain couldn’t find any rationale behind that. Was he trying to create new holes for air to pass through? He didn’t even register the pain during the entire event, so it was a stupid, subconscious decision, really, he scoffed.

“It’s not stupid,” Gloria said, as she finished pulling out some band aids from the kit, and Bede realized he had spoken all of that out loud, “I didn’t… I shouldn’t have done that in front of you. I didn’t know you were in there when we went in but we should have requested a private meeting but we had already come so far and… I’m sorry,” she deflated finally. Bede shook his head.

“I can’t say that- that I’m happy that you did such a thing, but,” he swallowed, looking down at where her hands fidgeted with the wrapping on the bandaid. Her clothes were soaked through too, and her cardigan made from Wooloo wool was beginning to smell, “I’m thankful that you did. I… I always pretended to not know, but I had a feeling and… well I frankly don’t know where to go from here but I’m hoping you might have a better solution to all this than just stopping here.”

He looked up from underneath his wet bangs and she was grinning, and so he smiled back. Granted, it was still more of a smirk than a smile, as she pointed out much to his embarrassment, causing his arms to come up and cover it up, but it continued to grow wider and wider with each giggle from her throat.

After a short while, her brother Victor arrived, looking much more prepared for the rain as he tipped the Corviknight taxi before he stepped inside, shrugging off a poncho and handing over a spare pair of dry clothes for Bede to change into from his bag.

Behind the boulder, he tugged off the layers of water from his body and slunk them onto the cave floor, their weight instantly seeping out into a puddle as he slipped into the warm, clean clothes that were a bit too big or him. Gloria and Victor’s voices mingled over the firelight that spilled orange over the rock and shimmered angst the jewels on the cave walls as he rounded the rock and hung his clothes up to dry on a line they had drawn up over the fire. Gloria was still hanging something on her side, dressed in her damp, smelly clothes still. The rainwater shimmered golden in the glow against her as she turned to him. She was trying to hang his coat up, but the weight of the packs on it kept flipping it over and causing it to tug almost the whole line down.

He stormed over towards her, and gruffly nudged her away.

“You seriously can’t figure out how to take these off? You could have at least emptied them. Or just thrown the whole thing away, I don’t really want to look at it anymore anyway.”

His hands fumbled for a moment before he got the first pack off, letting it fall to the floor roughly before he worked on the ones at the sides. Gloria folded her hands behind her back, and stood beside him.

“But it’s important to you. I couldn’t just do that.”

Bede blinked twice in astonishment, before he turned back as the other two packs fell off and hit the ground.

“Go get changed already, I can take care of this,” he managed to hide his face as a blush spread across it.

Gloria just stepped away and picked up the sweatshirt she had folded on the ground, extending it to him to wear. He took it from her as she scampered off, scooping up her bag before she dashed behind the rock. Bede finished up and managed to lay his coat evenly on the line and buttoned it up a bit to help hold it on. They didn’t have any clothes pins, so it would have to do. Victor gestured for him to sit down and handed him a bottle of water. Once Gloria rounded the rock in her clean, dry clothes too, they broke out the food and began to “feast”, as Victor put it.

There was much to do tomorrow, like Bede had said, they couldn’t just leave everything be now that they had brought it all forward. Throughout the night, when things got quiet, every so often the list of worries would come to the forefront of his mind and he would begin to get worked up again, but each time, Gloria, and sometimes Victor, was there to calm him down, bring him back with a smile or a corny joke or a giggle or some food to give to him or his Pokemon. With Victor’s Wooloo in his lap and Gloria’s Obstagoon guarding near the entrance, Bede watched the firelight crackle and dwindle as they all got ready to rest, and he wondered why for the longest time, he rejected this warmth.

When the cave at last had gone dark and the noise had faded, he pulled up the hood of the sweatshirt and stretched his legs out, careful not to disturb Gloria who was sleeping against his shoulder. Victor stretched a blanket over the three of them and sat down, crossing his arms as both siblings walled him in. Bede leaned his head back against the rock and breathed in the scent of wet earth as the ceiling of the cave disappeared when blackness crept into his vision. This time it was gentle, soothing, and natural as his muscles relaxed and he succumbed to slumber as well.

***

I just wanted to hurt Bede, there’s no excuse for this fic other than that. Sorry, lol.

#pokemon #pokemon swsh #pokemon sword and shield #bede pokemon #leon pokemon #gloria pokemon #victor pokemon #chairman rose pokemon #oleana pokemon #my writing #writing #fic

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artificialqueens · 4 years

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Take Me Back to the Start (Chapter 1) - Joley

(read on ao3)