things to ask yourself when designing a female character:

how much blood is she covered in

are her eyes filled with madness

can she rip things to shreds with her fingernails

Are your characters too “perfect”? Struggling to give them negative traits?

I’ve definitely fallen into the trap of making my protagonists and side characters too “perfect” before. It’s an easy mistake to make, but it can lead to your characters feeling one-dimensional if you’re too afraid to make them seem morally grey.

Here’s a very simple method:

1. Take a character’s main positive trait. Let’s take Hermione Granger, for example - her intelligence is a defining aspect of her character.

2. Exaggerate it into a negative trait. In the instance of Hermione Granger, she can come across to the other characters as a know-it-all. She’s not always portrayed as perfect for her intelligence, which is what makes her character more interesting.

Using this method, we have a number of options for negative traits for an intelligent character - patronising, arrogant, smug - to name a few.

I use the Fatal Attraction theory for this, which suggests that we fall out of love with someone for the same reason we were initially attracted to them. So, if you grew to like someone because you liked how strong and dominant they are, you may become tired of that down the line when their behaviour is controlling.

I’ve illustrated a few examples for how to exaggerate common positive traits into negative ones in the image above, but I have a few more examples to share so you really get the idea:

1. Comic relief / funny - can’t be serious, humour as a coping mechanism

2. Dark and mysterious - emotionally distant

3. Creative - aloof

4. Loyal - neglects own needs, willing to hurt for those they love

5. Compassionate / empathetic - overstepping boundaries

6. Honesty - overly blunt

7. Responsible - too serious

8. Humility - lack of self-belief

9. Trusting - easy to manipulate, overshares personal information

10. Perceptive - rude

11. Flirtatious - inappropriate

12. Organised - controlling, “neat freak”

13. Easygoing - lack of care about serious matters

14. Flamboyant - can be too much for some

15. Spontaneous - puts self in danger

Of course, you don’t have to do this. You can just have a character be spiritual and creative without making them out-of-touch and aloof. It’s completely up to you!

Using a method such as this, even if you only apply it subtly, adds a touch of realism to your writing by making your characters feel more well-rounded. It means that their negative aspects are truly coming from a part of them, rather than selected at random and mashed together from a list online.

do you know we love you, laika? from a million miles away? though we did not treat you right i really wished you’d stayed

i hope you know they loved you before they sent you with no cause and now you’re free to wander with stars between your paws

i hope your body’s laced with stardust your mind, your fur, your heart i hope you know we loved you to the end, from the start

the universe is yours to roam the galaxy your turf i hope you play with the comets that i see from here on earth

does sirius keep you company? a dog-star of your own and does ursa guard you sleeping in space where you were thrown

it’s not fair how we treated you you didn’t ask to fly and i just hope you aren’t lonely way up there in the sky

and i hope you burnt out quickly that you weren’t in any fear but i know that it isn't true and i wish you were still here

does it help to know we love you they kept hope within a lie some thought we could bring you back but we sent you there to die

i know that you were scared then i know you were alone but i hope you saw the stars and thought they looked like home

and i know you didn’t make it you had no epilogue but i know i miss you laika no knowledge is worth a dog

Emotions in writing

The following examples have been taken from the book The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi - make sure to get the book!

Confidence

Definition: having faith in one’s own influence and ability

Physical signals: Strong posture (shoulders back, chest out, chin high) Walking with wide steps Strong hygiene and personal grooming Holding the hands loosely behind the back Touching one’s fingertips together (tapping, forming a steeple) A gleam in one’s eye, an inner light Smiling, a playful grin Winking or giving someone an easy nod Keeping one’s hands out of the pockets Appearing relaxed (drumming fingers against a leg, humming) Taking up space (legs spread wide, arms loose at the sides) Approaching people with ease Looking others directly in the eye Arms swinging while walking Choosing the middle, not the sides (be it a couch or a room) Using exaggerated movements to draw attention to oneself A booming laugh Showing comfort in the close proximity of others Initiating contact Telling jokes, adding to or steering a conversation Hosting events (getting the guys together for a football game) Openness when dealing with people Appearing unbothered by what others may think Leaning in to talk or listen Increased physical contact, becoming touchy-feely Running hands through one’s hair or flipping the hair back Assuming a pose that draws attention to one’s best attributes Wearing clothes that are flashy or dramatic

Internal sensations: Relaxed muscles Easy breaths Lightness in the chest

Cues of acute or long-term confidence: Doing or saying things outside of the norm without anxiety or concern Obsessively talking about an achievement or material object Reacting with anger or jealousy if one’s reputation is impugned Bragging, showing off

Cues of suppressed confidence: Minimizing compliments Modesty Changing the topic to bring others into the spotlight Downplaying one’s own comfort level to make others feel better Asking for opinions or advice

I wish I wrote as much as I fantasized about writing 

this is true tbh 😂

Not mine! credits to sfc movies on yt.

Sword-fighting tips, from a fencer

I've been fencing for only a few months, but in the time, I've noticed a few things that could help with writing in general.

You don't talk during a bout. This is both a rule and common sense - you get breathless, dancing back and forth, there's no time for a homoerotic back-and-forth. Save that for before, or after.

It's fast. Incredibly fast. Granted, this does depend on which sword you fight, but that's only because of the different rules - good fencers are fast and smooth and it happens so fast it's hard to see the blade move.

Speaking of which - good fencers are smooth! This goes into several areas.

Footwork - incredibly important. You can recover from sloppy swordwork, but footwork is foundational to victory. Fencing footwork looks a lil goofy, but it does genuinely help with balance and speed of movement.

Most of the weight is on the back leg, for launching off with, or, if retreating, the weight shifts to the front leg to launch you backwards.

Swordwork - sloppy swordwork is... alright, but not ideal. For most fights, you want to work on point control - where the tip of your blade is going. I struggle with this myself still, but common practice includes knotting some thick rope, dangling it from a branch or something similar, and letting the rope sway, then trying to hit the knot.

Additionally, any experienced fighter will be incredibly aware of distance - what's the closest they can be without getting hit? How far away can they be but still able to hit? These things determine duels.

How you hold the handle of the sword can actually help your chance of winning quite a lot - one of our instructors says he holds it like you'd hold a bird's body - firm enough so it won't fly away, but gentle enough to not hurt it. This means, that when you go to strike, you can squeeze your hand, and the blade will clear the distance much faster.

Good parries can determine your victory or loss. Often, a parry-riposte can get you the point, or win you the fight - where you get the opponent's blade away from you, then hit them quickly as they're vulnerable.

Depending on your intent in a fight, you may want to dodge instead of parry, though - launch yourself backwards when you expect them to strike to make them miss. In fencing, this would mean (in sabre and foil) that the priority (and ability to get a point) switches to you, whereas in a real match, this could just give you distance if you need to plan a new attack or get away.

Watch fencing matches! If your character is:

Slow and methodical, psyching their opponent out - watch epee

Fast and brutal, hitting hard and relentlessly - watch sabre

Flourished and dignified - watch foil

hey writeblr! what do you use to write?

my google docs is FAILING me (its losing my offline docs) and i don't have office (microsoft word) yet so im looking for alternatives

do yall know any good ones

I love wounds that run thru narratives, though. Something terrible happened and we won't acknowledge it; in fact we have already moved on, and it's perfectly fine now. Or maybe something happened but we have been thru so much worse and made it out fine and only a coward would crumble now, at something so small, so silly, and whatever we may be, we are not that. Something happened and it was so awful if I stop to acknowledge it I fear I will shatter into a thousand pieces and no one will be able to put me back together then. And yet still the wound runs through the story, like pulsing veins under the skin, it warps time, snags and strangles and bleeds, a black hole at the heart of everything the characters spin and spin around, unable to break free, even as they insist - they are just fine.

Don't Lie

• Part 2 > End >>

When Villain found the first signs of their lover's infidelity, it had sent them into a rage.

A silent rage.

It was the kind that left them cold and empty-handed, with a head full of curious imaginations of what could be going on.

But now, it was so much more evident than it had been before. Their eyes dashed back and forth at the mask on the desk. Their partner must've forgotten it here this morning, which was unusual for them, but that wasn't the primary concern.

It was Hero's mask.

The hero couldn't be dating their spouse. That seemed too absurd; still, it could be a possibility.

The keys to their front door unlocked, signalling their spouse's arrival; Villain dashed back into their office to keep a low profile; the last thing they needed was to start an argument.

"Did you have a good day at work again, too?" they wandered into their office a moment later.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in." Villain tossed them an unconcerned smile. How lovely, their hair was kept so neat again today too.

Villain flashed their eyes against the screen on their computer. It was an article this week about Hero. They switched the tabs on the computer just as their partner leaned down for a kiss.

Now that they thought about it, the timing was almost too perfect. How was it that the times Hero was out were the same schedule as their partner's?

Now, infidelity was one thing... but...

"I'm going to finish some work here for a while."

"Okay..."

They walked out of the room, leaving Villain alone again with their thoughts.

•

Part 2 >

End >>

~~~

MASTERLIST

plotting all my characters on these charts

Me: I don’t know what to call this character so I’ll give them a bullshit name for now and change it to something better later

Me, later: Goddammit! I’ve grown attached to the bullshit name I gave and now I can’t change it

.

Forgive me for what I am.

.

Colin Zabel losing HIS virginity to female reader and being the flustered clumsy insecure sweet precious babe we know he is?

Pretty please! I'd really appreciate it 💗

I have writers block. Nothing is good anymore, so soz about that, but I've tried, lol

The first time..

(smut, intercourse, losing virginity)

"Why hello there, gorgeous" You smiled as you opened the door to Colin, who was holding a large pizza box, "it does look gorgeous dosnt it" Colin laughed looking down at the pizza. You had been seeing Colin for a few weeks now. You both worked busy jobs but always found the time to see each other, you would go out to dinner, & he would often come to your apartment because he still lived at home with his mother. "It sure does, but you do too, I'd like to take a bite out of you both," you winked & laughed. You could see Colin go slightly red. He told you that he had never been with anybody before, so that must have been why he got so flustered by things so easily, but you found it adorable.

You both sat down to watch a movie. You both consumed your body weight in pizza and were engrossed in the film on the sofa, Colin jumped every time something scary happened, & you found it hilarious, "perhaps we should watch something family friendly babe" you joked, "I just have good reflexes that's all" he laughed playfully tickling you, you squirmed around to get out of his grip but in the commotion Colin ended up on top of you, you looked into eachother eyes and he planted a soft kiss on your lips, you separated your knees so he could lay between them, he swept the hair out of your face & kissed you more passionately, his tounge pressing against your lips begging for entrance, then your tounges were tangled in eachother, you could feel him getting hard through his trousers, pressing right against you, you couldnt help but grind softly against it, Colin let out a groan, "I want you baby" he whispered, "are you sure?" You asked, "definitely, " he began to undo his shirt as he kissed you, & you began to undress yourself. He watched as you slid down your trousers, he flushed red as he undone his belt, he slid his trousers & boxers down, his foot got stuck & he tripped over his trouser leg still distracted by your lack of clothes, you couldnt help but laugh, he looked embarrassed but burst out laughing too "not very sexy am I?", "Oh Colin, you have no idea how sexy you are. Now come over here." You push him down onto the sofa and straddle him. You see him look at your body. He was like a kid in a candy store, "we will take it nice & slow," you gently kissed his lips, & placed his hand on your breast, "fuck" he whispered, as you kissed him softly you felt him twitch between your legs & you knew you couldnt wait any longer. "Are you ready?" You reached down to place him against your entrance. You felt Colin nod through your kiss, so you began to gently lower yourself onto his stiffness. You both let out moans as he was nearly all the way in. You started to slip up & down him, "fuck that feels good baby" Colins words only made you want to work harder, so you picked up your pace, Colin put his hands on your hips so he could help lift you & slam you back down onto him, he was so deep, hitting all the right places, "does this feel ok?" Colin asked, "Oh definitely, i thought you hadn't done this before?" You giggled, "I now wish we hadn't waited so long, i love seeing you like this, " he said as he bit his lip. His words sent tingles through your body, You could feel his hips start pushing backwards and forwards. He watched as your eyes nearly rolled into the back of your head. You placed your hands on his thighs and leant back, taking in every thrust he made, "Ah fuck Colin, don't stop" you couldnt help but dig your fingers into his skin, the pleasure starting to take control of your body, "i-im going to cum" you managed to say as you tightened around Colins cock, you felt him start to pulse inside you, his grip tighted on your hips, knowing he had given you so much pleasure sent him over the edge, you watched, he looked so pretty consumed by pleasure, you both rode out your highs and you sat forward to plant a kiss on his lip, "that was amazing" you whispered, "I can't wait to do it again" Colin laughed.

Emotions in writing

The following examples have been taken from the book The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide To Character Expression by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi - make sure to get the book!

AMUSEMENT

DEFINITION: appealing to the sense of humour; to feel entertainment or delight

PHYSICAL SIGNALS:

A shiny or rosy face

Raised or wiggling eyebrows

Snorting, laughing

Chuckling or cackling

Displaying a wide grin

Exchanging knowing looks with others

Witty commentary

Making joking observations

Turning away and bursting out in laughter

A playful pinch, nudge, or shove

Eyes squinting, lit with an inner glow or twinkle of mischief

Smirking or offering a bemused smile

Clutching at another person for support

Gasping for air

Slapping one’s knees or thighs

Drumming feet against the floor

Falling against someone, shoulder to shoulder

“Drunken” behaviour (weaving, staggering)

Repeating the punch line or a select word to spur more laughter

Whimpers of mirth Spewing food or drink if laughter hits while eating or drinking

Falling to the ground, rolling on the floor

Nose running, sniffing

Crashing into things, being clumsy but not caring

A wide-eyed look that gets others dissolving into laughter again

A belly laugh

Holding onto a chair or wall for support

Giggling, making faces, winking

Plucking at clothes to cool down

INTERNAL SENSATIONS:

Pain in the ribs or stomach

Wheezy breath

Body temperature jumping up

Weakness in limbs, especially the knees

MENTAL RESPONSES:

A need to sit down

Replaying the humorous event

Embellishing the event in one’s mind, increasing the mirth

Wanting to keep the amusement going by adding to it with others

WRITER’S TIP: To create empathy for a character (including the antagonist), take the time to humanize them through their actions. Even the most unlikable person has a redeeming quality, so show it to the reader in a small, subtle way.