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#story writing
xisadorapurlowx · 4 months
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dungeons-and-dictions · 6 months
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writerthreads · 3 months
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Super detailed character profile chart
Character Name:
First Name:
Last Name:
Nickname (if any):
Basic Information:
Age:
Gender:
Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:
Nationality:
Physical Appearance:
Height:
Weight:
Build:
Hair Color:
Eye Color:
Scars or distinguishing marks:
Personality Traits:
Positive Traits:
Negative Traits:
Background and History:
Family Background:
Parents:
Siblings (if any):
Childhood:
Education:
School/College/University:
Major/Area of Study:
Favorite Subjects:
Least Favorite Subjects:
Career/Profession:
Current Occupation:
Previous Jobs (if any):
Career Goals:
Hobbies and Interests:
Hobbies:
Interests:
Relationships:
Marital Status:
Romantic Relationships (if any):
Friendships:
Closest Friends:
Relationship dynamics:
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Goals and Ambitions:
Short-term Goals:
Long-term Goals:
Fears and Insecurities:
Common Fears:
Insecurities:
Quirks and Habits:
Quirks:
Habits:
Beliefs and Values:
Religious or Spiritual Beliefs:
Moral Code:
Political Views:
Favorites:
Favorite Foods:
Favorite Books:
Favorite Movies/TV Shows:
Favorite Music:
Favorite Color:
Dislikes:
Disliked Foods:
Disliked Activities:
Pet Peeves:
Miscellaneous:
Talents or Skills:
Secrets (if any):
Motivations:
What drives the character forward?
What are their ultimate aspirations?
Character Arc:
How does the character change or evolve throughout the story?
Feel free to adapt and expand upon this template!
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night-owl-writes1 · 4 months
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little-hermit-crab56 · 5 months
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I've been writing for a while so I thought I'd share some writing tips I've learned along the way.
1. Never sacrifice the flow for a quirky line.
That bit of dialogue or flowery paragraph you really like but it kinda disrupts the flow? Scrap it. I know it hurts, but you need to. If you really want to keep it, find somewhere else to put it where it actually fits in.
2. Dialogue is a dance.
Dialogue should go at the pace of an actual conversation, back and forth with little breaks and pauses. Add as little dialogue tags as possible while still making it clear who is speaking. You can also describe what is happening during a pause in the conversation rather than saying they paused, unless the pause is important.
3. Show don't tell is a guideline, not a rule.
Show don't tell is a very useful guideline, but if you're ALWAYS showing it can get exhausting to read. Skip the boring bits and just tell us what happened, then we can get to the good stuff.
4. If it's boring to write, it's probably boring to read.
If you can cut out a whole scene with little consequence to the story, you probably should. As I said before, you don't always have to show us, you can always tell us.
5. Everything needs to have a purpose.
I know there are probably lots of interesting or cute scenes where your characters are just fucking around, but if it doesn't develop character, relations, conflict, or plot, why should we care? Definitely still write them if they make you happy, but if you're gonna add it to your final draft, make sure it matters.
6. You don't need to explain everything all at once.
I know it feels tempting to put all the lore, and all the character's intentions, and reasonings into the first few chapters, but please refrain, you can reserve that for your character and worldbuilding sheets. Instead, take the time to let us get to know the characters, and the world, in the same way we'd get to know a real person. Make your exposition as seamless and natural as possible. It will take practice to know when to reveal information and when to let us wonder, but you'll get there.
7. Write in a way that comes naturally.
I know you probably have an author you wanna write just like, but that is unlikely to happen. Embrace your natural writing style and perfect it, rather than trying to be something you're not. Writing is an art, you need to find your own style and polish it as best you can.
8. Try to make us feel connected by cutting out certain words like "felt".
"Chad felt like a glass of water." Can be replaced with, "Chad was thirsty, so he reached for a glass of water." Both sentences tell us Chad wants a glass of water, but one makes us feel more connected to Chad than the other. Though both sentences have their time and place, you want to make your audience feel as close to their protagonist as possible. Make them feel like they're there, rather than just an onlooker.
9. We don't need to know every physical detail of your character.
I know you probably spent ages creating the perfect characters and you want to give us the perfect image of what they look like, but it can get monotonous and boring, why do we care that your character has brown eyes unless the colour has some sort of significance? Try to list off only the most notable features of your character and put focus only on the relevant details. Sometimes you can even not describe them at all and throw in little bits of information about their appearance for the audience to put together. We read to imagine, not to have a perfect image painted for us when we could be getting to the plot.
10. You're allowed to be vague.
Allow your audience to assume things, with some things you can just be lazy and let your audience's imagination do the work for you. Of course, don't do this with important things, but you can save so much time you might've spent researching an irrelevant topic when you can just be vague about it. You don't have to know everything you're writing about, so long as you know the bits that matter.
11. Writing is a skill that takes practice.
Don't be so hard on yourself if your writing is a bit cringe, we've all been there. The important part is that you research how to get better and keep writing those super cringe chapters. One day you'll reread something from a while ago and realize you're actually not as bad as you thought.
12. Leave your work to rest.
I know you wanna start editing right away, but once you've finished, leave it for at least a month. The longer you leave it the better, but that depends on your attention span. A month to six months is good if you're really impatient but want a good result. If you keep writing in that time your skills will continue to improve, then you'll be editing that draft with fresh eyes and fresh skills.
And if you're a fanfic author, I usually leave my chapters for a week before editing and posting.
Hope this helps anyone struggling, I thought this might be especially relevant now with nanowrimo.
I recently realized how much knowledge I've been accumulating over the years, I definitely have more but this is all I can think of for now.
I'm no writing guru, but if anyone has anything they're struggling with, I can do my best to help you out, so dont hesitate to ask questions.
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slayingfiction · 1 year
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Feelings Wheel
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This is the feelings wheel by Geoffrey Roberts, shown to me by my therapist. My initial thought was, "what amazing synonyms to use for diverse emotional vocabulary!"
More than that, this wheel is great for understanding your characters inner motivations and reactions to situations. For example, if a character constantly feels helpless, then their overarching characteristics will be that they are fearful.
Characters who are less emotionally aware may use words and act in the inner most circle. Those much more aware of their emotions may describe themselves or express and use words from the outer most circle.
Hopefully you guys find this as helpful as I did! Let me know down in the comments.
Happy Writing!
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lyralit · 2 years
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ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ <3
it's okay to stray from your story. go write that short fic you can't take your mind off of! give you—and your characters—a break.
you! won't! always! make! your! word! count! -- you don't need to keep stretching sentences because the scene you finally got right is a hundred words too short. sometimes it's better that way.
the "rules" and "tips" are just ~guidelines~ (especially for people who like to swear by them) -- writing has no laws. especially first drafts. scrap the grammar, scrap the emotional tips, write it because it feels right, not because someone else says so.
every writer procrastinates. it's not easy being a writer.
take time off for yourself. the only thing harder than writing a story is to keep pushing it when you need a break the most. come back to it later. I promise there will be no dumpster fires when you're gone.
all writing is "real" writing. I don't think there's an explanation here?? fiction writers are writers. nonfiction writers are writers. fanfic writers are writers. (like how all reading is real reading!! in every format, too!)
it doesn't need to be perfect. honestly, it might never be. but it can be really close to it. if you're not satisfied with it, move on and come back when you're ready.
you are just as skilled as any bestselling author. remember that everything you read has been heavily edited by teams of people! their first draft could not even be as good as yours is now.
not using clichés is cliché. you will find one in any story. no one can bring you down for liking a certain trope. just because it's common doesn't mean it's bad!
no writer is fully well-rounded. dialogue will be easier to write for some, and description for others.
and, finally, no one knows what they're doing. trust me. we're all stumbling around blind here.
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itsbansheebitch · 1 month
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"Character doesn't act traumatized"
The flaw with the criticism of "this character isn't acting traumatized, you need to show how this event changed them" is that a lot of people experience EXTREME traumatic events and think it's normal. Their behavior might change in subtle ways, but they mostly just continue with their life.
This is especially true in children/young characters. See example here:
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bravo4iscool · 3 months
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simon riley is the type of man to hold you when you cry. he holds you close, his hand on the back of your head, maybe even crying with you.
you punch him and hit him and you (almost) scream but he just lets it happen and has his arms around you.
he lets you scream it out, just whispers comforting words from time to time.
“i’m here, it’s okay.”
“let it out.”
“am sorry darling…”
he’s probably more quiet than any other person potentially comforting you but his presence alone already calms you down.
he will hold you till you’re too exhausted and fall asleep and he will hold you until you wake up again.
no matter how long you cry or how hard he will be there and he will hold you, no matter what.
REQUESTS/ASKS OPEN!!!
(masterlist)
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projecttreehouse · 2 years
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how to write convincing dialogue
did you know that show, not tell applies to dialogue, too? while dialogue can be used to further your narrative, it can also be used to showcase your characters. here's how:
-what is your character hiding? most people don't say things at face value. they hide what they mean within their words and tone, but in writing, you can't verbally hear the character's tone. ways to convey non-verbal tone include: contradictions between words and actions, context behind the words (ie. the scenario, character's actions and feelings), syntax (ie. fragments, repetition, awkward phrasing). also consider who the character is hiding information from: is it the reader? the characters? both?
-favorite words or phrases. does your character use a certain phrase or word a lot? do they often put their prepositions at the beginning or the end of the sentence? these are questions to ask when you're arranging the syntax of the dialogue. everyone has a specific way of talking. make sure you give each character a distinguishable voice.
-personality. this is how you can create a distinguishable voice. is your character confident? are they shy or hesitant? do they repeat the phases of others because they have nothing to add to the conversation? are they confrontational or do they beat around the bush? ask questions like these. if your character is confident, they may make bold statements and appear sure of themselves unlike shy characters who use words such as "maybe" or "should" or "think." to boil it down, think active wordage versus passive.
-observe others. don't look solely at television or other books. sit at your local coffee shop and listen in on conversations, then try and break it down. are they hiding anything? do they frequently use any words or phrases? how would you describe their personality? the better you get at breaking down conversations, the better you can create convincing ones, whether shallow, deep, or as a narrative device, because even if you use your dialogue to move your narrative along, it should still be compulsively convincing.
one way to tell if you've ticked all these boxes is if you can tell who is speaking without any tags.
happy writing! if you have any questions about how to implement any of these tips, our ask box is always open.
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xisadorapurlowx · 4 months
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call-me-jmd · 4 months
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You Know You're A Writer When You:
Start Writing
Check If The One Thing You Wrote About Is Real (For Example: A Flower, No I Will Not Tell You What One)
Get Distracted By Social Media Or Something (Totally Not Why This Post Has Been Written, What Are You Talking About)
70% Chance Of Losing The Writing Motivation, 20% Of Forgetting What You're Doing In The First Place, 10% Of Keeping The Writing Motivation.
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sunset-stellar · 2 months
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Tips for writers - How to not procrastinate for Beginners!
I’m not pro writer but I love storytelling and writing stories of my own. So here are some tips beginners (including myself) I think should know. Of course everyone is different and some tips may work while others don’t and that’s okay! These are just my personal thoughts.
1. Nervous Writers
I honestly get this a lot when writing something new for the first time. I get nervous and worried if the story will be any good. Which may result in putting aside your story or abandoning it altogether. In reality you have no idea if a story will be good if you never write and flesh out your story. Ask for tips and learning from other writers off and online can help if your stuck or unsure about the your idea. Don’t be afraid to take that leap!
2. Technologies Distractions
I think this is a common thing that everyone (including me) has, this can apply to working on any project (for school, full/part-time job, personal hobby, etc.) My advice is to sit in a room away from game consoles, TV and mobile devices or turn off and put mobile devices silent mode so the sounds of app notifications don’t cause you to lose focus on your work. If your worried about important calls you can always have your phone in the same room as you just not in front of you.
3. Setting deadlines
Setting a deadline for yourself all depends on your situation (work/school/etc.) but generally speaking deadline could be how pages you write that week or until you finish your chapter. Whatever you want. This is a great way to keep yourself busy and avoid slacking off. Just be sure to keep it realistic, you probably won’t be able to write a entire 40,000 word novel in a span of a week. (Trust me I know..)
4. TAKE BREAKS!
Always take breaks! Never overworking yourself to the max! It’s great to see you working hard to get your story complete however, if it’s starting to affect your health then it’s time to set breaks. If you have lots of time during the week then you can use the weekend to relax and do something else. Maybe take a lunch break so you can eat and relax for a little before diving back in your work. This could also help decrease burnout.
5. BACKGROUND MUSIC (optional)
This doesn’t really help me but you can always play calm relaxing music with no lyrics. Help keep you focused and calm. This depends if background music or sounds help you.
6. Have fun!
Don’t forget to have fun writing your story! The best part of doing something you love is to have fun and enjoy what your doing.
Hope these tips help you guys and let me know what personal helps you when focusing on a craft. 😊👍
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asharestupid · 6 months
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Hey uh apparently some ppl don't know how fun character writing can be soooo here are the amazing and enjoyable character writing things I do
- make playlists that oc would listen to
- make playlists that describe oc
- make a Pinterest board for oc (section ideas: home/lock screen, tattoos, memes oc likes, looks, etc)
- make memes from ocs p.o.v about things oc would make memes about
- draw oc on various days and in various moods (idc if you think you suck at art, it helps create oc)
- make lists of ocs favorite drinks, foods, colors, outfits, etc
- make mood boards for oc (not on Pinterest, create an actual like 6 square mood board)
- do person asks from ocs pov
- look through all the emojis and decide which one oc likes best (also decide if ocs really passionate abt this)
- create Amazon wishlists of things oc has and things oc really wants
- do those weird insta story game things from ocs pov
There are so many more but these are the only ones I can think of rn. Remember that writing is supposed to be Fun™ and if you're not enjoying it then you probably don't have to actually do it (or at least not rn).
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writerthreads · 6 months
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How to write lovers to enemies to lovers: a step by step guide
By Writerthreads on Instagram
Strong initial attraction
Begin by introducing two characters who are deeply attracted to each other. Show their chemistry and connection, giving readers a reason to root for their relationship. This makes the transition to enemies so much stronger.
Conflict or misunderstanding
Introduce a conflict, misunderstanding, or external factor that drives a wedge between the characters. This should be significant enough to make them enemies or at least create a strong rift in their relationship. Examples could be competing for the same job/role, being on opposing empires, and more!
Build emotional tension
As enemies, the characters should have strong emotions, whether it's anger, resentment, or hurt. Explore their emotional turmoil and how this affects their actions and decisions. Do the characters miss each other secretly, or do they fully hate one other?
Character development
Show how the characters grow and evolve during their time apart or in conflict. Each should have their own personal journey and realizations.
Forced proximity or new common goal
You could bring them back into each other's lives through a situation where they're forced to spend time together or work toward a common goal. This could be due to circumstances, work, or a shared interest.
Slow reconciliation
Let the characters slowly rebuild trust and friendship. Highlight the gradual thawing of their feelings and the rekindling of their initial attraction. Show open and honest communication between the characters, addressing the root of their conflict and misunderstandings.
Internal struggles
Show the characters' internal conflicts as they battle their lingering anger or resentment and the resurfacing of their romantic feelings.
Shared vulnerabilities
Reveal the vulnerabilities and insecurities of both characters. This can help readers sympathize with their struggles and hopes for reconciliation.
Love and reconciliation
Eventually, as they work through their issues, allow them to rekindle their love and passion for each other. This should be a satisfying and heartfelt moment.
Remember, it's essential to create well-developed, relatable characters and a strong plot to keep readers engaged throughout this emotional rollercoaster. The lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers arc is hard to tackle, but authentic character growth and compelling conflicts will make for a captivating romance story.
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slayingfiction · 1 year
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Writing about body pain
Body pain happens all the time in real life. When writing your story, you want to bring your characters to life. By creating characters and an environment that is immersive and realistic (as possible), it helps your readers relate to your characters. This is a quick guide to body pain, that is especially useful for all those adventures your characters will be going on. No one survives a dragon attack or war without some kind of injury. At the very least, some muscle soreness.
3 stages of healing:
1st stage: Acute This is the start of the process after getting hurt. Depending on the severity, often lasts up to a week. Characteristics: severe pain, inflammation/swelling, dark bruises (red, black and blue), muscle weakness, muscle spasms, reduced range of motion.
2nd stage: Sub-Acute This is when your body is starting to heal the tissue by creating scar tissue to replace or repair damage. Can last several weeks Characteristics: reduced swelling, bruises are clearing (yellow, green, brown), range of motion is starting to improve,less pain than before.
3rd stage: Chronic This is the final stage of the healing process. It can last months, if not years. Your body is finally adapting to the changes. Pain is no longer associated with the injury, but instead how the body healed. Characteristics: no bruising, little to no swelling, mature scar tissue (usually tough, and harder to move than other tissue), pain is more of an ache, not sharp. If not taking care of, mature scar tissue can cause muscle tension and reduced range of motion. Pain mostly comes on at the end range of a movement, or with stretching.
Visceral Pain:
Visceral pain is organ pain. When one of your organs are causing problems, or are in pain, it typically feels more like a dull pain, or a pressure. The pain is usually vague, so it’s hard to tell where it’s coming from. Thankfully, visceral pain usually follows typical pain patterns, and you can easily find charts online. Example: Lung and diaphragm pain is usually around your neck and shoulders.
Nerve pain:
Nerve pain happens when the nerve is being pinched, compressed or was directly injured. Characteristics: shooting, tingling, zaps, numbness, stabbing or burning. Numbness is not like an analgesic. It can be a reduced sensory feelings, meaning you may not feel it if someone touches that part, but it can be very painful. Nerve pain will follow the length of the nerve.
Bone and joint pain:
These pains are directly associated with a trauma. Pain is localized to the specific bone or joint. Characteristics: Usually described as a sharp pain, especially with movements involving the painful area.
Muscle Pain:
Muscle pain is extensive. Muscles work hard to protect your body while injured. Muscles will tense when the body is in pain, which usually results in more problems. This pain can be caused by overuse, injury, emotional and physical stress, or compensation for other injuries. Characteristics: deep steady aches, sharp, shooting pain, soreness, burning in muscles, spasms. Muscles will have two main problems if not injured: tension and trigger points. Trigger Points (aka knots) happen in very tense muscles. Trigger points follows specific patterns in each muscle. Example: a trigger point in the upper traps muscle is felt in the head, neck and shoulders. Pains and tensions like these can often be the cause of headaches.
Pain priority:
Your brain processes pain in a specific way. Most often, your brain is so busy running everything, when it comes to experiencing pain, it can’t do it all at once. Thankfully. This means, if you have pain in your neck, your back, and your feet, there will usually only be one as the most painful while the others are background pain. The worst pain will usually be associated with your activities, and which part of your body you’re using the most. When getting rid of one of these pains, the next most painful one will be most noticeable. Have you ever had pain on one side of your body, then had it fixed with physio or a massage, then all of a sudden you notice pain somewhere else? It may not be new, it’s just that your body wasn’t focusing on that problem.
Let me know if this was useful to you, or if you have any questions or comments. Please let me know if something I wrote is wrong.
Follow for more writing tips :)
Happy Writing!
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