charlottes-writing-corner

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Just finished up a new fic! This one's a one-shot, but there's more on the horizon!

#my writing #sailor moon #sailor moon fic #hotaru tomoe #chibiusa tsukino #helios sailor moon #chibitaru #and also helios in there

[charlottes-writing-corner]

(I'm just gonna link to my Ao3 for new fics from here on since, yknow. AI shit.)

but I've got a new one up! Some drama in the story between my Warrior of Light and my friends' one!

#ffxiv #ffxiv fic

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Resources For Writing Deaf, Mute, or Blind Characters

Despite the fact that I am not deaf, mute, or blind myself, one of the most common questions I receive is how to portray characters with these disabilities in fiction.

As such, I’ve compiled the resources I’ve accumulated (from real life deaf, mute, or blind people) into a handy masterlist.

Deaf Characters:

Deaf characters masterpost

Deaf dialogue thread

Dialogue with signing characters (also applies to mute characters.)

A deaf author’s advice on deaf characters

Dialogue between deaf characters

Mute Characters

Life as a Mute

My Silent Summer:  Life as a Mute

What It’s Like Being Mute

21 People Reveal What It’s Really Like To Be Mute

I am a 20 year old Mute, ask me anything at all!

Blind Characters:

The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About Blind Characters.

@referenceforwriters masterpost of resources for writing/playing blind characters.

The youtube channel of the wonderful Tommy Edison, a man blind from birth with great insight into the depiction of blind people and their lives.

An Absolute Write thread on the depiction of blind characters, with lots of different viewpoints and some great tips.

And finally, this short, handy masterpost of resources for writing blind characters.

Characters Who Are Blind in One Eye

4 Ways Life Looks Shockingly Different With One Eye

Learning to Live With One Eye

Adapting to the Loss of an Eye

Adapting to Eye Loss and Monocular Vision

Monocular Depth Perception

Deaf-Blind Characters

What Is It Like To Be Deafblind?

Going Deaf and Blind in a City of Noise and Lights

Deaf and Blind by 30

Sarita is Blind, Deaf, and Employed (video)

Born Deaf and Blind, This Eritrean American Graduated Harvard Law School (video)

A Day of a Deaf Blind Person

Lesser Known Things About Being Deafblind

How the Deaf-Blind Communicate

Early Interactions With Children Who Are Deaf-Blind

Raising a DeafBlind Baby

If you have any more resources to add, let me know!  I’ll be adding to this post as I find more resources.

I hope this helps, and happy writing!  <3

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

I'm going to be taking my fics down from tumblr due to the AI stuff, I don't trust that that toggle will do anything at all. If you're a fan of my stuff, it will continue to be posted on Ao3, and I may end up posting it to the mirror blog to this one on Cohost as well.

[charlottes-writing-corner]

okay hey real question: what are good ways to describe fat characters?

I see a lot of 'have more fat characters' and I'm Here For It but as someone who is skinny and in a world where most existing literature makes characters fat only as a joke or an indication of some variety of moral badness, I'm not really sure how to describe them in a way that's not objectifying or insulting. like, I've grown up on poetic descriptions of thin characters ('long slim fingers' and 'willow figure' etc etc) but I haven't read flattering descriptions of fat characters and I don't know where to start. I've seen a lot of 'how to describe poc' or 'how to describe disabled characters' or whatever and I've seen art ref posts for drawing fat characters, but no posts about how to write them well. so. open call for advice or for examples you've found and like??

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

NO ONE knows how to use thou/thee/thy/thine and i need to see that change if ur going to keep making “talking like a medieval peasant” jokes. /lh

They play the same roles as I/me/my/mine. In modern english, we use “you” for both the subject and the direct object/object of preposition/etc, so it’s difficult to compare “thou” to “you”.

So the trick is this: if you are trying to turn something Olde, first turn every “you” into first-person and then replace it like so:

“I” →  “thou”

“Me” →  “thee”

“My” →  “thy”

“Mine” →  “thine”

Let’s suppose we had the sentences “You have a cow. He gave it to you. It is your cow. The cow is yours”.

We could first imagine it in the first person-

“I have a cow. He gave it to me. It is my cow. The cow is mine”.

And then replace it-

“Thou hast a cow. He gave it to thee. It is thy cow. The cow is thine.”

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

okay hey real question: what are good ways to describe fat characters?

I see a lot of 'have more fat characters' and I'm Here For It but as someone who is skinny and in a world where most existing literature makes characters fat only as a joke or an indication of some variety of moral badness, I'm not really sure how to describe them in a way that's not objectifying or insulting. like, I've grown up on poetic descriptions of thin characters ('long slim fingers' and 'willow figure' etc etc) but I haven't read flattering descriptions of fat characters and I don't know where to start. I've seen a lot of 'how to describe poc' or 'how to describe disabled characters' or whatever and I've seen art ref posts for drawing fat characters, but no posts about how to write them well. so. open call for advice or for examples you've found and like??

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

This is a friendly reminder to never, ever publish your book with a publishing company that charges you to publish with them. That is a vanity press, which makes money by preying on authors. They charge you for editing, formatting, cover art, and more. With most of these companies, you will never seen a cent of any royalties made from sale of your book. A legitimate publishing company only makes money when you make money, they will never charge you to publish with them. If a company approaches you and says "Hey, we'll publish your book, just pay us X amount of money," tell them to go fuck themself and block them.

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Ref Recs for Whump Writers

Violence: A Writer’s Guide:  This is not about writing technique. It is an introduction to the world of violence. To the parts that people don’t understand. The parts that books and movies get wrong. Not just the mechanics, but how people who live in a violent world think and feel about what they do and what they see done.

Hurting Your Characters: HURTING YOUR CHARACTERS discusses the immediate effect of trauma on the body, its physiologic response, including the types of nerve fibers and the sensations they convey, and how injuries feel to the character. This book also presents a simplified overview of the expected recovery times for the injuries discussed in young, otherwise healthy individuals.

Body Trauma: A writer’s guide to wounds and injuries. Body Trauma explains what happens to body organs and bones maimed by accident or intent and the small window of opportunity for emergency treatment. Research what happens in a hospital operating room and the personnel who initiate treatment. Use these facts to bring added realism to your stories and novels.

10 B.S. Medical Tropes that Need to Die TODAY…and What to Do Instead: Written by a paramedic and writer with a decade of experience, 10 BS Medical Tropes covers exactly that: clichéd and inaccurate tropes that not only ruin books, they have the potential to hurt real people in the real world. 

Maim Your Characters: How Injuries Work in Fiction: Increase Realism. Raise the Stakes. Tell Better Stories. Maim Your Characters is the definitive guide to using wounds and injuries to their greatest effect in your story. Learn not only the six critical parts of an injury plot, but more importantly, how to make sure that the injury you’re inflicting matters. 

Blood on the Page: This handy resource is a must-have guide for writers whose characters live on the edge of danger. If you like easy-to-follow tools, expert opinions from someone with firsthand knowledge, and you don’t mind a bit of fictional bodily harm, then you’ll love Samantha Keel’s invaluable handbook

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

If your plot feels flat, STUDY it! Your story might be lacking...

Stakes - What would happen if the protagonist failed? Would it really be such a bad thing if it happened?

Thematic relevance - Do the events of the story speak to a greater emotional or moral message? Is the conflict resolved in a way that befits the theme?

Urgency - How much time does the protagonist have to complete their goal? Are there multiple factors complicating the situation?

Drive - What motivates the protagonist? Are they an active player in the story, or are they repeatedly getting pushed around by external forces? Could you swap them out for a different character with no impact on the plot? On the flip side, do the other characters have sensible motivations of their own?

Yield - Is there foreshadowing? Do the protagonist's choices have unforeseen consequences down the road? Do they use knowledge or clues from the beginning, to help them in the end? Do they learn things about the other characters that weren't immediately obvious?

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Untethered

2. The Scent of Smoke on the Breeze

 Three and a half years before present day

Sora flopped onto the futon in her apartment, letting out a long, exasperated breath. Another concert opener, another meet and greet afterward with her small but loyal fanbase… and another night alone in this tiny apartment. Sure, she had a roof over her head and food in the fridge, she had a record label, she had a CD on the market and another in the works, she could get gigs… but everything seemed stalled out. She could still only afford this tiny place, she still had never put on a solo show… she was pretty sure she had met every one of her fans in the city she lived in multiple times. And it wasn't for lack of trying - she was working her illusory tail off! But she still came back exhausted to this tiny place. She still couldn’t squeeze real medical transition into the budget either… she just had to rely on her illusions and her voice. But she could still see the real shape of her body, her real face…

"I'm living as myself…" she murmured to the ceiling. "I'm officially an idol… Is this really it? Is this all I can muster? But…" She rolled over and buried her head in her pillow. "Even with my illusions, doesn't becoming more famous put me at a higher risk for someone from Laterano recognizing me? My agency can't protect me from that… Aughhh!” She rolled onto her back again, staring at the ceiling with a knot in her throat. “What am I supposed to do…?”

As if in answer, there was a knock at her door. She raised an eyebrow; it was almost one in the morning after the concert finally wrapped up. Who would be knocking now…? She got out of bed and crept over to the door, wary in case it was someone sketchy, and looked through the peephole… but there was no one there.

Someone pulling a prank? she thought. She cracked the door open and didn't immediately see anyone… until her gaze drifted downward.

“‘Sup,” the sunglass-wearing penguin at her doorstep greeted.

Even in Sora’s tired state, she didn’t need much time to recognize who was standing before her. “You’re… Emperor? The music producer?”

“I know,” he replied. “Mind if I come in?”

“O-oh, sure!” She stepped aside. “Sorry there’s not much space to sit…” Emperor shrugged and sat across from the futon. She blinked, wondering if she had actually just fallen asleep and was drifting into dreams right now. “S-so… What brings you here? Er, I-I don’t mean to sound rude or anything!”

“Easy, kid,” he said as she took a seat across from him. “I’m doin’ some scouting, y’see. Traveling around, hitting up concerts, trying to get the drop on new talent before anybody else does. Even just among MSR, competition’s fuckin’ steep. Things’ve been getting stale just focusing on my own music and the peeps that cross my desk on their own.”

“You’re kidding…” Sora breathed, her heart racing. “You’re saying you were at the concert tonight?”

“Sure was,” he said with a nod. “Now, realest possible talk: I don’t know shit when it comes to the idol scene. Is your music good, is it derivative? Fucked if I know. But what I do know is the other acts from tonight are already spoken for, I thought your set was pretty tight, and I know some other producers who actually know what they’re talking about. And I wouldn’t mind having one a’ them owe me a favor for bringing them a juicy new piece of talent.”

He offered her a flipper and continued: “I ain’t gonna make a promise that ain’t mine to keep, but I can offer this much: ride over to Lungmen with me, and I’ll make some introductions. From there, it’s up to you, but I’ll comp you a room in the meantime. Gotta be worth taking a chance to break from all this, right?”

Even though Sora wasn’t the one speaking, she still felt like she needed to catch her breath. This was almost a dream scenario, and Emperor had just… waltzed in and presented it like it was nothing. “Mister Emperor-”

“Please, just Emperor is fine. Or Big E, I’ve been called that before.”

“Eheh… Okay, Emperor. Are… are you really sure? You’re willing to take a chance on me?”

“You don’t get anywhere in life not taking chances. I don’t look for peeps who are already perfect - I look for potential. You got that in spades. So yeah, I’m sure.”

Sora’s face grew into a smile, and she almost worried her halo was glowing bright enough to be seen under her Lupo facade. She took his flipper in her hand.

***

The rest, one might say, was history. Her Yanese was a little rusty, but Sora met with one of Emperor’s fellow producers, gave her an impromptu performance, and seemed to catch her attention. This one had an odd methodology; since Sora already had a foothold in the industry, even if it wasn’t an especially stable one, she had her put on a few guerrilla performances in various points in Lungmen, low tech and not widely advertised, just to gauge her ability to sing, dance and command an audience on her own. And while Sora was nervous about performing this way… her producer seemed quite happy with the results. She was able to draw in interested onlookers each time, and a handful of them even recognized Sora’s music.

So after a few of those, the producer bought Sora’s contract from her old agency, shredded it, and signed her on for a brand new one with Monster Siren Records.

Sora exited the MSR headquarters with a skip in her step. It was hard to believe, but she was finally starting to make it. Broken out of the little leagues and into the real arena. And the first thing her agent had done after starting arrangements for her first album to be re-released was to schedule a true debut concert. Not having her just be the opening act for the person people really wanted to see - no, a concert just for her. But this was only the door finally opening; she had to keep pushing herself if she was going to walk through it and keep going.

But as she made her way back towards her apartment… something seemed off. A strange tingle on the back of her neck, as though she was being watched. She chanced a look behind her, but the streets were fairly busy; if someone was following her specifically for some reason, she couldn’t pick them out of the crowd. But the path ahead to get back home was less populated… maybe it wouldn’t hurt to linger in the crowd a little, grab a drink perhaps? Hopefully, if she really was being tailed, she could lose her follower in the crowd. And if she was just being paranoid, well… better safe than sorry.

She got an iced tea from a street stall and made herself as inconspicuous as she could, taking a moment to scan over the crowd. She didn’t see anyone who looked shady exactly, couldn’t see anyone looking right at her… but it was hard to pick anybody out of the crowd.

Finishing off her drink, she sighed to herself and stood. Nothing for it. She wasn’t far from home now, she would make it back just fine. She adjusted her jacket, pulled up the collar, and set off again.

“It is you, isn’t it?” a voice asked from behind her. Sora winced - so much for sneaking away. She considered quickening her pace, but her follower hurriedly caught up and got ahead of her, cutting her off. Cutting off her escape.

“Sora, right? I almost didn’t think it was you at first - I saw you when you were crossing the street a little way back - and I had to be sure… I saw you at a couple of your street concerts, do you remember? I shook your hand last time!”

This guy sure liked the sound of his own voice. “Maybe, I’ve shaken a lot of hands these past few days…”

“Ah, I just knew from the first time I heard you, there was something there…” He wasn’t really listening to her at all, was she? Just talking at her. “And now we bump into each other in the street, in a city this big? It’s fate!”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘bumping into each other,’” Sora murmured. She took a step back, but he matched step with her. He wasn’t right in her face, but if she had to run, would she be able to get enough distance…?

“Eh, minor detail! The point is, we’re together now, right where we were meant to be… You’re new to Lungmen anyway, right? You’d need a guide, a bodyguard maybe… I can picture it now~”

Sora took another nervous step back, but someone else stepped up from behind her, positioning their tall, strong frame between her and the stalker. Dark hair trailed a few inches past their shoulders, intercut with a little bit of red, and a fluffy Lupo tail hung still and controlled behind them. A still-sheathed katana rested in one hand, a second still at their belt.

“You’re done,” the figure said. Sora’s eyes widened a little bit more in interest. Her voice… Was she trans, too?

“The hell are you?” the guy asked, hand hovering worryingly near his pocket. “You trying to lure her somewhere?!”

“Look, I don’t want to make a mess here,” she calmly replied. “‘Specially not in front of her. Just get lost.”

“Sora, I don’t like the look of this guy-”

“She’s a girl, jerk!” Sora shot back. The Lupo’s tail flipped up in response to that, but she didn’t show any other reaction.

“Whatever! She’s dangerous!” The stalker pulled a knife. “Go on, draw that sword! I can take you! Watch, Sora, I’m up to the job of protecting you!”

“I don’t need to draw steel to deal with trash like you,” she dryly taunted, followed by what sounded like a Siracusan insult.

“All right, asshole!” He gripped his knife and rushed forward, but the Lupo didn’t flinch. As he drew closer, she gripped her sheathed sword and jabbed her attacker in the stomach, doubling him over immediately. She closed the distance, following up with an elbow to the ribs, and bringing up the butt of her sword to smash him in the chin. And if that weren’t enough, a tingle of electricity rippled through the air as she unleashed some sort of arts. Utterly stunned, the attacker flopped backwards onto the ground.

The Lupo straightened, and the utterly defeated stalker rose to his hands and knees shakily before scrambling away in fear. She gave him one last crack on the back with her sword as she went, just for good measure. Her hand moved to her pocket and pulled out a cigarette, but she seemed to think twice about lighting it up here, and she put it back. She turned very slightly back toward Sora but almost seemed… reluctant to look right at her.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Sora offered her a smile. “I am now. Thank you… Can I ask your name?”

“Oh, it’s…”

“Oh there you are, Texas!” another voice greeted. Sora turned and tried not to flinch as a red-haired Sankta strolled past with a smile, but seemingly no recognition. “You ran off on me!”

“Sorry,” the Lupo replied. She turned to Sora. She was beautiful… “Y-yeah, it’s Texas. And this is Exusiai, they’re a friend and coworker of mine.”

They? Sora noted. Another Sankta who wasn’t cis…? Just who were these two?

“Hey…” Exusiai started, looking at Sora with a curious flicker of the halo, “isn’t this…?”

“I wasn’t going to bring that up…” Texas grumbled. “I just got done chasing off an obsessive fan, she doesn’t need me fangirling over her next…”

Sora giggled and took a step closer. “Don’t worry, you’re not like him. I can tell… So you’re a fan, too?”

Her tail flipped back and forth a little. “Yeah, I am. I almost didn’t believe it was really you at first when I saw you from a distance… I’m just glad I was able to get over here in time.”

“Me too…” Sora replied with a warm smile. This girl, Texas… she could just roll up like that, bring down that stalker like it was nothing, and the idea of boasting about it or even making the slightest move that could come off as overbearing seemed to be the furthest thing from her mind. She just saved a life and seemed to have no desire for any kind of repayment, or even praise. And she really was so pretty… Sora could feel her heart racing.

“Oh! So, um, if you’re a fan, how about an exclusive bit of early info?” Texas’s ear twitched in interest. “I actually just switched talent agencies recently, been doing a few low-key shows to get my foot in the door here in Lungmen…”

“I heard rumors about that,” Texas said. “So it was true… Damn, can’t believe I missed those.”

“Oh, they’re nothing compared to what comes next! I’m actually doing a re-debut concert next month!”

Texas’s eyebrows raised. “Really?” She turned to Exusiai. “You think the boss would forward me the money for that? I mean, I’m still paying him off for… everything.”

“Oh, that won’t do!” Sora said. She reached into her bag for a little something her producer had given her earlier that evening. Finding what she was looking for, she handed them to Texas with a grin. Texas’s tail thrashed behind her as she realized what she was looking at.

“Front row seats?” She looked at Sora in disbelief. “Are you serious…?”

“Least I could do!” Sora was beaming, hopefully only metaphorically. “My manager gave me those to give to friends, but I don’t really know many other people in Lungmen yet… Can’t think of anyone who deserves them more!”

Texas turned to Exusiai hopefully. “You’re in, right?”

“Of course!” they replied with a cheery grin. “I’ll admit, miss Sora, I hadn’t listened to your music before I met Tex here, but I’m not gonna say no to a live show! She talks all the time about listening to your music on the way here.”

“Exu…” Texas murmured.

“Oh? Did you come here from far away?” Sora didn’t exactly want to end the conversation just yet… and it seemed like Texas didn’t really want that, either.

“A bit,” she admitted. “Siracusa. I… left home in a hurry, let’s leave it at that. Didn’t get to bring much, but I had some of your music on my phone. Not sure I would have made it all the way to Lungmen without that…”

“And she barely made it here as it stands,” Exusiai chimed in.

“Really…?” Sora asked, feeling her heart speed up even more. “It was the same for me…”

“Right!” Texas replied, showing a bit of excitement now. “Where The Road Ends, right?”

“That’s right! A song about following a voice away from a home that doesn’t feel like home anymore… I had to leave in a hurry, too. And I was given the courage to do it by an idol I like, too!” God, she was blushing so much. These two… Texas especially, she could barely take her eyes off of the tall, strong Lupo. Quickly re-gathering herself, she decided to push it just a little bit further: “Well keep an ear out; when I perform that song at the concert… this time, it’s for you~”

Texas’s tail thrashed again, her eyes wide. “I’ll be ready!” Was this flirting? Was it even a good idea to try and flirt? Idols weren’t supposed to do that… yet Sora couldn’t think of much else.

“Hate to break this up,” Exusiai said, a hand on their hip, “but I know me and Tex have to report back, and I’m sure you wanna get home too… do you need us to walk you home?”

“O-oh, no, that’s okay!” Sora replied. As nice as it would be… she didn’t really need to push her luck here. The professional part of her brain realized that if she was seen walking around with these two armed strangers, it might cause PR problems. Plus, would that come off as desperate…? “My place is just around the corner, I’ll be okay.”

“Mm,” Texas murmured. Sora could tell she was worried, but she didn’t try to argue. “Just… stay safe, okay? Call Penguin Logistics if you need anything, one of us will come running.”

“Okay!” Penguin Logistics… Wasn’t that one of Emperor’s side businesses? She tucked that information away for later as she and Texas regretfully parted ways, and she headed back on the path home.

Only when she walked away did her heart finally begin to calm, but the warmth was still there. Who was that girl, really…? And idly, she wondered if she should cook up another illusion appearance for walking around town, to avoid being recognized. She wasn’t that well known yet, but if things went well, she would only get more famous, and encounters like that would be more of a risk… Cautus, perhaps?

#arknights #arknights fic #my wrting #sora (arknights) #emperor (arknights) #texas (arknights) #Exusiai (ArKnights)

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Editing? Oh you mean fic patching.

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Writing Commission Info

(This post will stay updated as slots fill up and as information changes)

Slots:

1: Open 2: Open 3: Open 4: Open 5: Open

Prices:

$1 per hundred words. So, for example:

500 words: $5 1,000: $10 2,000: $20 4,000: $40

And so on. Word count will be rounded down to the next lowest hundred in case it ends up going a little over- for example, 4,090 words will still be $30. For reference, in Times New Roman 12-point double-spaced format, one page is about 300 words. 

What I Will Write:

Pretty much anything that isn’t illegal. Also not going to write fanfiction about real people. Most anything else is negotiable. I reserve the right to refuse if I don’t feel comfortable writing something, but I don’t see that coming up often. I am willing to do both original and fanfiction pieces. Keep in mind though, if you want a fanfic of a series I am not as familiar with, I will need some extra time to do the research to make it good.

How to Commission Me:

Just shoot me a PM explaining what you want written and the length you’d like to aim for and we can discuss. The word count, and by extension price, will be based mostly on how complex the idea you would like me to write is, and the amount of detail you’d like to see. Examples of my previous writing can be found below. If you would like to see examples of my NSFW writing, I will provide links through PM. Payment will be handled through PayPal.

Examples:

An original short story A fanfic short Another fanfic short, featuring an OC A super-short codex entry style piece

#updated info

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Character Development Questions: Hard Mode

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like?

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like?

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets?

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams?

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares?

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up?

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been?

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way?

Does your character remember names or faces easier?

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not?

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child?

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism?

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others?

What does your character like in other people?

What does your character dislike in other people?

How quick is your character to trust someone else?

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person?

How does your character behave around children?

How does your character normally deal with confrontation?

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation?

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable.

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method?

How does your character behave around people they like?

How does your character behave around people they dislike?

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat?

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)?

How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them?

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them?

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

#reference

[charlottes-writing-corner]

Great writing advice from a master. CHARACTER IS EVERYTHING

#commentary

[charlottes-writing-corner]

the creative writing process is just taking your aus grown from the petri dishes that are pre-existing works of fiction you like and appropriating them onto your own ocs then shuffling them between the multiple story prompts you have in your head and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

[charlottes-writing-corner]

How to Keep a Reader Interested During Slower Parts of the Story

A writing guide requested by galaxys–end

While the main plot is building, as a writer you still must keep the reader interested.

Expand your subplots.

Consider character relationships. Is your MC fighting with their best friend? Are the siblings having a break through?

Consider romantic relationships.

When achieving their goal becomes slow, does your character lose faith? Focus? Hope? What is their mental state like?

Does your character have a good support system? Are they lonely? Can your character motivate themselves, even when times get tough?

How is your character dealing with what’s going on in their life emotionally?

Are they happy? Grieving? Depressed? How are they coping? Do they have support from those in their life?

Is your character physically well?

Stress can have detrimental affects on health. Is your character run down? How is the character’s health in relation to their goal?

Consider reworking the plot. If the other aspects of your story can’t uphold a reader’s attention, maybe you should change how the plot works.

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