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#writing about writing
burntoutdaydreamer · 4 months
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To Write Better Antagonists, Have Them Embody the Protagonist's Struggles
(Spoilers for The Devil Wears Prada, Avatar the Last Airbender, Kung Fu Panda 2, and The Hunger Games triology).
Writing antagonists and villains can be hard, especially if you don't know how to do so.
I think a lot of writers' first impulse is to start off with a placeholder antagonist, only to find that this character ends up falling flat. They finish their story only for readers to find the antagonist is not scary or threatening at all.
Often the default reaction to this is to focus on making the antagonist meaner, badder, or scarier in whatever way they can- or alternatively they introduce a Tragic Backstory to make them seem broken and sympathetic. Often, this ends up having the exact opposite effect. Instead of a compelling and genuinely terrifying villain, the writer ends up with a Big Bad Edge Lord who the reader just straight up does not care about, or actively rolls their eyes at (I'm looking at you, Marvel).
What makes an antagonist or villain intimidating is not the sheer power they hold, but the personal or existential threat they pose to the protagonist. Meaning, their strength as a character comes from how they tie into the themes of the story.
To show what I mean, here's four examples of the thematic roles an antagonist can serve:
1. A Dark Reflection of the Protagonist
The Devil Wears Prada
Miranda Priestly is initially presented as a terrible boss- which she is- but as the movie goes on, we get to see her in a new light. We see her as an bonafide expert in her field, and a professional woman who’s incredible at what she does. We even begin to see her personal struggles behind the scenes, where it’s clear her success has come at a huge personal cost. Her marriages fall apart, she spends every waking moment working, and because she’s a woman in the corporate world, people are constantly trying to tear her down.
The climax of the movie, and the moment that leaves the viewer most disturbed, does not feature Miranda abusing Andy worse than ever before, but praising her. Specifically, she praises her by saying “I see a great deal of myself in you.” Here, we realize that, like Miranda, Andy has put her job and her career before everything else that she cares about, and has been slowly sacrificing everything about herself just to keep it. While Andy's actions are still a far cry from Miranda's sadistic and abusive managerial style, it's similar enough to recognize that if she continues down her path, she will likely end up turning into Miranda.
In the movie's resolution, Andy does not defeat Miranda by impressing her or proving her wrong (she already did that around the half way mark). Instead, she rejects the values and ideals that her toxic workplace has been forcing on her, and chooses to leave it all behind.
2. An Obstacle to the Protagonist's Ideals
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Fire Lord Ozai is a Big Bad Baddie without much depth or redemptive qualities. Normally this makes for a bad antagonist (and it's probably the reason Ozai has very little screen time compared to his children), but in Avatar: The Last Airbender, it works.
Why?
Because his very existence is a threat to Aang's values of nonviolence and forgiveness.
Fire Lord Ozai cannot be reasoned with. He plans to conquer and burn down the world, and for most of the story, it seems that the only way to stop him is to kill him, which goes against everything Aang stands for. Whether or not Aang could beat the Fire Lord was never really in question, at least for any adults watching the show. The real tension of the final season came from whether Aang could defeat the Fire Lord without sacrificing the ideals he inherited from the nomads; i.e. whether he could fulfill the role of the Avatar while remaining true to himself and his culture.
In the end, he manages to find a way: he defeats the Fire Lord not by killing him, but by stripping him of his powers.
3. A Symbol of the Protagonist's Inner Struggle
Kung Fu Panda 2
Kung Fu Panda 2 is about Po's quest for inner peace, and the villain, Lord Shen, symbolizes everything that's standing in his way.
Po and Lord Shen have very different stories that share one thing in common: they both cannot let go of the past. Lord Shen is obsessed with proving his parents wrong and getting vengeance by conquering all of China. Po is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he is adopted and is desperate to figure out who he is and why he ended up left in a box of radishes as a baby.
Lord Shen symbolizes Po's inner struggle in two main ways: one, he was the source of the tragedy that separated him from his parents, and two, he reinforces Po's negative assumptions about himself. When Po realizes that Lord Shen knows about his past and confronts him, Lord Shen immediately tells Po exactly what he's afraid of hearing: that his parents abandoned him because they didn't love him. Po and the Furious Five struggle to beat Shen not because he's powerful, but because Po can't let go of the past, and this causes him to repeatedly freeze up in battle, which Shen uses to his advantage.
Po overcomes Shen when he does the one thing Shen is incapable of: he lets go of the past and finds inner peace. Po comes to terms with his tragic past and recognizes that it does not define him, while Shen holds on to his obsession of defying his fate, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
4. A Representative of a Harsh Reality or a Bigger System
The Hunger Games
We don't really see President Snow do all that much on his own. Most of the direct conflict that Katniss faces is not against him, but against his underlings and the larger Capitol government. The few interactions we see between her and President Snow are mainly the two of them talking, and this is where we see the kind of threat he poses.
President Snow never lies to Katniss, not even once, and this is the true genius behind his character. He doesn't have to lie to or deceive Katniss, because the truth is enough to keep her complicit.
Katniss knows that fighting Snow and the Capital will lead to total war and destruction- the kind where there are survivors, but no winners. Snow tells her to imagine thousands upon thousands of her people dead, and that's exactly what happens. The entirety of District 12 gets bombed to ashes, Peeta gets brainwashed and turned into a human weapon, and her sister Prim, the very person she set out to protect at the beginning of the story, dies just before the Capitol's surrender. The districts won, but at a devastating cost.
Even after President Snow is captured and put up for execution, he continues to hurt Katniss by telling her the truth. He tells her that the bombs that killed her sister Prim were not sent by him, but by the people on her side. He brings to her attention that the rebellion she's been fighting for might just implement a regime just as oppressive and brutal as the one they overthrew and he's right.
In the end, Katniss is not the one to kill President Snow. She passes up her one chance to kill him to take down President Coin instead.
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pillsburysoyboy · 3 months
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Hey you! Yeah, you!
The person about to leave a critical comment on someone else’s creation!
I have a question for you: Have you checked your MAPS?
“What’s MAPS you ask? Well it’s a simple little way to remember if the criticism you’re giving is worth posting! It’s as easy as M-A-P-S!
First, does it come from a place of Mutual Respect?
Do you know the author or artist? Do you know them outside of their work? Would you want to hear their opinion on your work? Do you have any work to compare?
Is it the Appropriate Forum?
Are you cold-messaging them via the comments section on AO3? Is this during another conversation you were already having? Will they get a notification and get all excited only to see it’s you picking apart their art?
Do you have Permission?
Did they ask you for input? Did you ask them if they wanted input? Remember, kids, there’s a word for people who give unwanted negative input: asshole!
Is it Specific?
Are you focusing on one or two aspects, or are you criticizing the entire vibe? If you dislike the piece as a whole, maybe it just isn’t for you!
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, put down the keyboard and do something else! Your criticism is probably bad!
And remember, criticism that doesn’t follow the MAPS is just SPAM!
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blot-squisher · 8 months
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There’s a reason I don’t tell my family I write or that my goal is to get published someday 😅
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the-ellia-west · 8 days
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How to make your Readers Feel Emotions for Dummies
(AWWWWW :]]]] Edition)
So... Do you have any cute animals or children in your story?
No?
Then I can't help you go away
Kidding, kidding, you can make AWW moments in your story no matter who or what your characters are.
First
You have to have at least semi-Likable characters (Pets, adorable animals, or children make this wayyyyyy easier)
Likable characters make your readers want the characters to be happy! You can't really get AWWWW moments if you want the characters to suffer
Most AWWW moments come from Shipping or cute baby moments
Second
Decide what Type
whether you want it to be an AWWWW Romance moment, or an AWWWWW Baby moment
There's also #3 I forgot to mention: AWWWWW comfort/sentimental moment
Third
Decide which character the AWWW moment will happen between
Couple, Father/child, mother/child, friends, siblings, doesn't matter - Well... it obviously matters Which AWWW moment you're going for but... yeah
Fourth
What's Gonna happen?
For romance it's usually cute fluff moments - Want examples? Too bad, look it up on Pinterest! No, no, Joking. Here's a list:
Small cheek/hand kisses
A small, 'I love you so much.'
Wearing other's clothes
Forehead touch
Cuddling
Holding BOTH of each other's hands
FACE TOUCHES - Cheek/jawbone is best
Leaning into touch
Careful dancing
For parental figure and Child it's usually a comforting trust moment, a protecting the child moment, or a 'make me proud' moments
I fucking love these and I'm gonna go on a rant Addict, Tired, bitter mentors are so fucking great. There's so much you can do with them Mostly there's 'make me proud moments' The first 'I approve' moment There's 'you've made me proud' moments There's also 'Fine, you're my kid' moments And comforting trust moments hit so much harder when the mentor rarely shows affection.
It's just so... :D
For Friends, You should do with comforting moments, or a 'you don't know how much I care about you moments
Fifth
Soft Phrasing = soft emotions
Use long, calm sentences. No exclamation points or question marks unless it's dialogue. Keep everything smooth and fluid.
Tears are a powerful tool so use them sparingly
Use short words, and use cuter, softer words, metaphors, and adjectives.
Sixth
Have a visible result
Smiles, cute thoughts, cute dialogue, different feelings or actions towards other characters
Stuff like that
AWWWWW moments can be very powerful to characters as they can for real people, they can change so much with little words.
They can be turning points, displays of affection to the audience, turning points of affection, showcases of change, strengthening of relationships, a final goodbye, they can be so much in just so little.
Good Evening and Good Luck with your Writing My loveable Writing friends! you can do this! <3
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operationroots · 2 months
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It’s getting kinda awkward to say that I’m a writer in my spare time, especially when I get comments from people I know like “oh, what do you write? Have I read it before? Can I read something?”
Like no…Denise. I’m pretty sure you haven’t read, nor would you want to read, a smutty fanfic about a clown from a popular anime/Netflix show
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flowerandblood · 8 days
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Writing the Long Series
How I manage to do this for @troublesomesnitch
I often get questions about how I write and how I structure my work. If you are a perfectionist and like to have everything organized and tidy, this guide is not for you, because most of my work is chaos. However, I know that there are people like me who are tired of having to make lists, think about beta-readers, etc., so for all those who don't like to plan, here's how I write long series.
1. Never assume that your series will be long
When I write a oneshot or the first chapter of my story, I never assume how many chapters it will have − I do this very rarely when I have a specific plot in mind for a mini-series, but I often change my mind anyway, adding or shortening the series as I see fit. It's usually only when I've written the first two chapters that I have a sense of whether or not the story itself for me is asking to be longer.
With The Impossible Choice I thought I would close it in 20 chapters, and ended up with 55 chapters and 3 Alternate Universes. I had no idea when I wrote the first chapter that this would happen. Putting the pressure on yourself "okay, this is my moment, it's time for a long series, I want to make it 30 chapters" will make you shy away from writing at the thought of how much work lies ahead. Don't think about it, just write.
2. You don't have to have an ending
In none of my long series I knew what the ending would be. I usually know what's going to happen a maximum of 2/3 chapters in advance. I believe, but this is just my personal opinion, that writers pay too much attention to the ending, and if we are not writing a crime story, or the ending itself is not supposed to be a big breakthrough, it doesn't really matter. Even whether everything ends well or badly. Sometimes what's more important is the journey and what's in between.
I come up with the ending at the very end, when I have all the chapters. Then I know exactly what happened and what ending to the story will make sense in the context of what has happened so far. What's the point of coming up with a super-thought-out ending if it doesn't seem to fit the whole? This is starting from the wrong side. We are supposed to feel emotions throughout the story, not just at the end.
3. Don't predetermine how each chapter will end
This is suicide. Because what if you have a couple of scenes at the beginning, an end scene and a blank of what to write in between? It makes no sense!
When I write a chapter, I just go scene by scene and look at the number of words. Once it's over 2'500, I'm already thinking about slowly closing the chapter and I usually end it with some kind of breakthrough sentence or a character's thought. That's enough.
You don't always have to come up with a cliffhanger at the end. It's more important that the story reads smoothly and with breath, not to have someone gasp in surprise at the end but feel that what they were reading was just a bunch of scenes that weren't necessary.
4. Accept the fact that you won't use all the scenes you've imagined
I know we often think we have fantastic ideas, that this and that could happen, but sometimes we find that when we write, they just don't fit anywhere. There's no need to get upset then. If it's not a key scene for the whole story, it should be omitted or modified completely. Having said that, I'm against planning scenes ahead, except for the ones that matter most and push everything forward. It then makes such a pattern with holes that aren't there when you write everything in sequence.
Some people say − don't know how to do it? Leave it, move on to the next scene! I say no here! Don't keep writing until you know which way you want to go! And even if you do know, if you can't make it happen with a scene or dialogue, ask yourself if that way is good. Maybe just because you came up with it doesn't mean it makes sense in the context of the whole story you've created so far?
Maybe it's worth taking a different course, surprising yourself, choosing a different solution? Don't be a prisoner of your own decisions, let the creation of the story be fluid and changeable according to what you feel will be most viable for the development of your character!
5. Write other stories between chapters
Write oneshots or other mini-series in between chapters of your big project. Allow yourself to take a breather and not think about it all the time. I always intersperse my long series with my other work and it has helped me a lot. Sometimes, you just lose the verve for that concritical story and feel like writing something else − you should do exactly that. Don't think 'oh no, I'm starting a new story and I haven't finished that one'.
Even if you don't finish that one, nothing will happen. By controlling yourself in this way you are killing the fun you should be having with it. When you feel like it, read your long series again, or at least the last chapters to get the mood and then try to sit down to write a new chapter. I've found that when I take breaks and come back to stories like this after a few days, good new ideas come to me which keep me engaged in creating this story.
6. Play with characters, not scenes
Sometimes we come up with a scene that doesn't resonate at all as well in the story as it did in our mind when we wrote it. The reason I knock such scenes out is usually because they don't fit the character I'm writing about.
In my series The Fall from The Heavens originally when Lady Strong and Aemond are sitting in the library years later and Aemond tells her about having his first intimate experience with a whore, I wanted him to have tears in his eyes, get up from the table and walk over to the bookcase, Lady Strong was going to approach him and try to draw out of him what had happened.
However, as I wrote this, I felt somewhere in the back of my mind that something was wrong. I realised that while the scene itself was interesting and poignant, it didn't fit completely with my Aemond in this series. He would never allow himself to show weakness in this aspect, he would never have tears in his eyes at the thought, at most he would feel disgust, discomfort and anger.
I thought I would change this to a scene where her question reminds him of what happened and he tries to put it out of his mind and pretend he was content, drawing sastifaction from her jealousy. This, in my opinion, was definitely better suited to his spiteful, sullen character.
7. Do not ignore the thoughts of the protagonists
Some authors forget that only they know what is in the characters' heads − readers do not. Putting everything in dialogues makes no sense, because ordinary people don't say everything they think about.
Each of us thinks about something constantly, even when we just look at someone, when we sit alone or when we don't say anything. The characters' thoughts, so often overlooked, are a gateway to entering various scenes and events without the need for dialogue or additional events.
In The Knight & The Judge, readers would hate my Aemond if it weren't for the fact that they know his thoughts, how he regrets his actions, what he goes through, why he does certain things. Events do not happen by themselves, but are the result of what is happening in his head, even if he does not say much to other characters.
8. Don't be afraid to use side characters to show your couple's perspective
I often swap perspectives, once showing the perspective of a female character and once of a male character, but I also often use the eyes of side characters like Aegon, Daemon or Alys to show what their relationship looks like from the side.
Although some people dread this (like being afraid to write a chapter without smut because no one will read it because there won't be spicy scenes − that's nonsense) such a pov often gives a much wider view of how our characters are perceived from the side, what others think of their behaviour, what their decisions lead to, how they affect other characters.
If these side characters are an important part of our story, we can use such an extra chapter to build up what they will do in the future, engaging with our couple's story.
9. Confrontation does not always mean violence
I notice that often when there is a conversation between the main characters, many authors do their best to make both characters as sassy as possible, throwing fanciful insults at each other, threatening each other, considering it a good prelude to sexual tension. Of course, in one or two scenes this will work, even more so when, in fact, the two parties are very much at odds and practically hate each other.
However, it can't be that even though the characters are getting closer, they act as if they haven't gone through any development, haven't had any thoughts. It amazes me when someone writes an elaboration on the appearance of a gown or a room, on how someone raises a hand or performs an action, but does not lean into the fact that their character's behaviour is unnatural.
People say unpleasant things to each other in anger, but usually, forced to be in each other's company, they also have calmer discussions. Sometimes one word or sentence can make someone's perspective change, make them understand something that was unclear to them and new feelings emerge that can push the plot further − compassion, grief, longing or even understanding.
Creating templates out of our characters who have specific characteristics and always behave identically makes the whole story unbelievable.
10. Be kind to yourself
At the moment, there are no series from my first months of writing here written by me that I would consider good and I edit most of them, or I just left them as is and will never come back to them. I just know they are bad. But that's the way it is, in order to develop we have to make mistakes and not always be satisfied with ourselves (although at that moment I thought I had created my life's work).
Be understanding and kind to yourself. I managed to create so much work, not always good, mainly because I did it with passion and joy. I am very proud of many of my stories now and I like them even when I come back to them after a long time, I feel my progress and I know that it was worth it. Give yourself a chance and don't block yourself.
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the-obnoxious-sibling · 4 months
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Do you have aby more shuggy ship headcanons?
Do you to prefer to ship them as having childhood crush or to become involved after meeting again in the future?
i think if there’s anything this last month has taught me, it’s that i am not running out of shuggy headcanons any time soon. 🙃 every single day for the last thirty-three days i have written about these two, either meta posted here or fic written a/o posted elsewhere.
actually, here. pick a file from my shuggy wips folder, and i’ll share a few fun facts or an excerpt, your choice! (this offer is open to anyone, btw, not just this anon in particular)
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as to your second question: i vacillate on that, honestly!
on one hand: i like it when two characters are very, very close in a way they have no reason to think is anything but platonic—until abruptly they aren’t anymore. years pass. they make other friends, have lovers, and then, unexpectedly reunited, suddenly have context for the way they felt. looking at someone you last saw when you were fifteen and realizing, oh, the feelings i had for you back then were not friendly—i go absolutely nuts for this. emotional constipation, oblivious pining, whatever you want to call it… especially when they realize those feelings never really went away? and now they have to deal with them?? *chef’s kiss*
on the other hand: kid shanks seems to be fairly emotionally competent? i don’t think he always understands other people super well (especially when, like buggy, they’re trying to hide their feelings from him), but i think he understands himself alright. in which case he absolutely knows he’s got a crush. he’s so affectionate, so clingy… i think he’s got that “i don’t want to ruin our friendship” mindset, though, so he doesn’t pursue buggy. he’s content to just always be at his side.
meanwhile kid buggy’s too caught up in his inferiority complex to recognize any other possible source for his feelings. like, yeah, of course shanks is this bright shining person blinding everyone around him with his brilliance! obviously!! it's very rude of him to do that, i’m trying to shine over here too! what do you mean other people don't see him like that?!
on the mutant third hand: there’s something very funny about taking the complex relationship shanks and buggy have as kids → teens, saying, “okay, that dynamic was weird, not gonna lie, but 100% platonic” and then throwing an “oh no, he got hot” wrench into the works when they reunite as adults.
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kestalsblog · 2 years
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Writing Multidimensional Characters
Recently, I was reading a post about how writers often struggle to make multifaceted, dynamic characters - characters who aren't flat. Characters who aren't either purely good or purely bad.
And I get that tendency because when we're writing a story, we get caught up in getting from point A to point B and we make characters do what we need them to do in the moment. Sometimes that results in Villain always being Villainous and Hero always being Heroic.
I've found one of the best ways to combat this tendency is to think of real people you know. I don't mean basing your characters off of them directly. I mean just thinking about them and their behaviors.
For example, I used to care for a man who was . . . just a bad person in a lot of ways. Mean, narcissistic, "merciless," by his own words. He was very ambitious in his career and everyone knew him because he could rise through the ranks like crazy. Very sharp and intelligent and handsome and eloquent. I was so fascinated with him.
Behind people's backs, he was relentlessly vicious. When a coworker's father died and we had to go to the funeral, he admitted to me he'd never really cared when other people died. People die and it made no difference to him, he said. Some of the things he said will never leave my mind. People who wanted to talk to him often came to me and asked me first because they were too afraid of him to approach directly.
One day, we went to his office together and someone had taped a note with one word on it to his door: AIDS.
That's all it said. AIDS.
He was openly gay and everyone knew. The paper didn't need to say anything else because we both understood it was a direct insult and attack against him.
We were completely alone, and I watched as almost instantly he turned from a tyrant into a small child. He started sobbing and literally hid behind me like a cornered animal even though I was smaller than him, crying and crying to me, "Protect me. Protect me." He didn't even sound like himself.
Imagine this big, mean man like that.
I'm not saying any of that detracted from what a bully he was, how violent and terrible he could be. But in that moment, I saw a piece of a human being I hadn't seen before.
Real people never fail to surprise us. Think about those surprising moments, and think about yourself and your own surprising behaviors and motives too. To this day, I think about what it was in me that made me so interested in a person like that. I always considered myself a kind and gentle person, so what did that say about me? Did I think I could change him? Was I just too young and naive to see the big picture?
Your characters should be like that too. Surprising and complicated and nuanced. Their behaviors and motives and actions won’t always make sense, and that’s how it should be.
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writingwithhana · 2 months
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HOW TO BREAK YOUR READER: EP 2
✩°。⋆⸜ 🎧✮ EPISODE 2:HOW TO BREAK YOUR READER BY A PLOT
TAGS: @chocobeese @reyna-obsessed @periwinkle-the-11th @loife1m @mxnkeydo @auttumnsayshi @summersblooms @aylin-hijabi @yourtwistedlies (if you want to be added, plz dm me or send an ask. if you want to be removed, dm me or send an ask.)
*taps mic* Hello, writer friends! Thanks for being here today <33 welcome to the second episode of HOW TO BREAK A READER. ignore how I haven't been regular at all Today, we will be exploring a plot process which is guaranteed to make your reader cry. This only works for some types of characters, but it’s alright–I can help you adjust it.
The best way to explain is to break it down into pointers:
1-> YOUR CHARACTER’S MORALS
Your character’s morals.I have only one question, does your character accept help easily, or does it not? And other than that, what are the morals of the character, the things that matter the most to them? To demonstrate, let me pick up some random character and assign some morals:
My character’s name is Alessia. Her morals are that she should never settle for something less, she should be able to have a control over her decisions/
I am guessing your character has even more morals, but I’m just going to come up with two to set the stage. 
Got your morals in your hand? Superb. We can move on to the next step.
2-> SOMETHING THAT THE CHARACTER DESPERATELY WANTS
So, I’ll cover emotions in a book in another time in the ‘PROSE PERFECTION’ series (episode 1 of prose perfection is released here.)But here is a rough rundown: it has to be something that connects with the character, that could solve all their problems or grant all their wishes. It could be both as well. To create something like that, you should think of 3 things:
WHY DOES MY CHARACTER HAVE ___ PROBLEMS?
HOW CAN I SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?
WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC THING THAT COULD SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?
 Here are my answers, Alessia wants to leave her native homeland since she hates it.
BECAUSE SHE NEVER SETTLES FOR SOMETHING LESS
SHE CAN MOVE TO A FOREIGN LAND
A VISA, A PASSPORT, AND MONEY.
Of course, your character could have something more philosophical, but the same questions apply there.
3-> AN EVENT THAT CONFLICTS WITH THE MORALS
This is the absolute breaker. Your character wants something really badly. Good news: they can have it. Bad news: they have to let go of their morals or beliefs. This event has to seem small or insignificant to other people, but to this character, this is like breaking them.
For Alessia, this would be her parents deciding for her to get married to a foreign man who wants a housewife, and she does want to leave her country, but the man isn’t her choice. The man is also reported to be quite controlling and is expecting someone obedient (idk bro, just trust me), and she’s giving away her morals.
4-> THE CHARACTER GIVES UP HER MORALS
The character gives up their morals, and agrees to do the event because the want that thing that badly. No one gives the character a second glance, but you want them to be warring inside, and trying to tell themselves, “it’s okay, we’re getting what we want…right?”
5-> WHAT THE CHARACTER WANTED IS SCRAPPED OUT OF THE EVENT
MUAHAHAHA.  we are done. What the character wanted out of the conflict–what they gave up their morals for is scrapped out. Now, they’re stuck. This is so, so amazing, and so, so great. Give me a second while I laugh at the character’s depression.
MAUAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
So, yeah. This is the smallest of plot serieses that you can do to add some drama and tears into the story, but I wouldn’t tell this is as a main plot, more of a side plot, to be honest. Alright–see you all in the next episode <33 
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see-arcane · 8 days
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Do you have any writing tips that work for you?
I acknowledge that the first draft's probably going to suck.
There are probably holes in it and the same sentence repeated ten times and enough typos to make the dictionary gain enough sentience to cry in despair. That's fine. That's how first drafts are supposed to be. Future drafts exist to fix that. me @ me: Do Not Worry About the First Draft.
If I don't have to write in cold blood, I do not do it.
Unless I'm writing something on the clock for a job, I am writing for me, me, me. Scribbling is my hobby. My beloved terrible sandbox to play in. If I am not having fun building X Sandcastle, I pivot to Y Sandcastle. Because sometimes it's not always a matter of, 'Oh, you just want to get through the boring part to get to this neat scene!' Sometimes a story just loses its flavor in the moment. And if I'm not having a good time with it, oftentimes I'm writing garbage I'll end up deleting anyway. Not worth throwing that time away. No Fun? No Write.
I get inspired! (positive)
Reading or watching something with the Vibes I want for my current project gets my brain battery going. Sometimes I'll even catch myself going into 'parrot mode' to break through a writer's block by going, "Well, if it was happening in X Universe and using X Style of storytelling, what would it sound like?' And then I'm off.
I get inspired. (spite. loathing. hatred and bile unending.)
Being inspired to make something new in the footsteps of your most beloved storytellers: uwu🌸
Being inspired to make literally anything without inhibition, be it a story or a bowel movement, because either one would be a step up from the flaming legacy of horseshit inflicted on you by a Particular Piece of Media: owo 🔪
I can't stop. I can't stop.
I have two Word documents open right now. I have ten notebooks in use. I cannot go one (1) day without writing unless I am physically paralyzed with illness or pain, and even then I am thinking of Things I Will Write once I'm upright. My Muse is the most giving one around, but said giving is hitting like a waterfall and I am perpetually flattened into the Earth's crust by the sheer abundance of WRITE WRITE WRITE blasting into my head at all hours.
But on that note, one of the best things for my writing?
Forcing myself not to write.
Seriously.
Taking a break that involves Absolutely No Creation of Text is vital. Reading. Drawing. Watching a new movie. Making a meal that takes more effort than 'dumping some Cheerios and an apple in a bowl to eat next to the computer/notebook.' It all helps me unplug and not go insane with making scene after scene after scene. Writer Brain needs to cool off with Non-Writing things or it'll catch on fire*.
*Read: Lead to full burnout on a story that I genuinely wanted to work on. What a waste.
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willowiswriting · 9 days
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How to Find Your Character's Flaws
Character flaws are so, so important to pushing your story forward and keeping your characters from being too static. But what if you can't figure out your main character's big flaw? You have everything you need to start writing, but your character just feels flat throughout the story.
This is when you need to start thinking about the plot itself. Essentially, whatever makes it hard for your characters to achieve their goals makes for a good flaw and results in a fundamental shift in character across their character arc.
Therefore, consider what your character needs to do in order for the story to go off without a hitch. Imagine if your character were the absolute perfect person to complete this task. (Hint: they're not. But let's pretend for a second.) What traits would they need to have to easily accomlish the tasks you've set them out to do? I like to make a literal list of positive traits. For example, in my low-fantasy mystery novel:
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Now that we have this list, we can take one (or more) of these traits and reverse them! For the above list, I know Elaine is NOT a calm and even-tempered person, so that's one major flaw that, when keeping in mind as I write the story, will naturally create conflict between what is "supposed" to happen and what the main character is doing.
I like this method better than just throwing a dart at the board to see what sticks because it naturally creates a character arc. By the end of the story, Elaine will need to work against her naturally bombastic nature to succeed in the finale.
You can also reverse-engineer this method to determine the ending of your story. If your main character's flaw is that they are extremely resistant to change, for instance, the finale will require your character to face and accept a HUGE change for them.
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angelosearch · 1 month
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I've been writing fanfiction like a maniac (sorry!) Part of that is my love of writing as a crafr, part is my adoration for the subject material, and a third part is the dopamine spike that accompanies the comments, but another part still is getting the opportunity to talk about writing.
I forgot how much I loved talking about process and characrer motivations and future plans and such. It was a part of my college experience that I had no idea I was so attached to. Reading fanfiction and commenting is similarly wonderful. Collectively speculating is fun! It is just so invigorating to talk to other writers about writing!!
So much media depicts a writer as a lonely, inebriated, suffering artist, but writing can and should be about community! After all, you are giving your words to someone else!
Aghhh I am enjoying this all so much! I am so excited to keep writing and reading and discussing. I wish I had been doing this for the last 20 years... gotta make up for lost time!
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pillsburysoyboy · 6 months
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The single worst aspect of "good rep/bad rep" as a method of media criticism is that it's perfectly tailored to dovetail with the popular conception of "death of the author" in the absolute worst way.
A trans woman villain written by a trans woman is no longer a way of the author exploring morality and the human condition through a familiar lens, it's "bad rep" and therefore can be discarded out-of-hand without any critical examination.
Meanwhile, a trans woman written by a cis person, who is ancillary to the plot, but without agency, such as a shopkeeper or a bystander, can be considered "good rep" simply by not doing anything. If "representation" is all that matters, then the most moral inclusion of a marginalized identity is one in which that character functions, not as an actual character, but as a prop, an object that exists solely to make the author and the audience feel better about the story being told.
I don't want to write stories with cishet villains and vaguely trans minor characters. I want to write stories about queer people. I don't write every character with the intention of them being trans, but every character I write could be, and when that is the baseline for a story, sometimes characters who are part of my in-group are going to do things which are morally repugnant.
I get it, it's uncomfortable to think of your in-group as containing anything other than "good people", but the world isn't cleanly separated into the morally pure marginalized blorbos and the evil 100% privileged evildoers. But I'm just so tired of every queer character having to be a paragon of pure incorruptible pureness. It's boring, and worse, it's a terrible way to tell a story.
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generic-whumperz · 8 months
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To every person who has made a master-list of resources, you the real MVP 🫶
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deadinside123452 · 1 month
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Writers and editors! (And whoever else might know the answer!) I have a question!
Can you mention brands in an original book? Or like characters from another series?
Like not using the characters but having them be mentioned? And like as the made up character, not real.
Or like would you need permission to mention a brand/character?
Example: McDonald’s, Coca Cola, Spider-Man, Batman, etc. 
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operationroots · 23 days
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Not me getting all flustered writing this Sanji x FemReader one-shot where he gives a massage for readers' birthday...
I need some water for all this thirst
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