#character arc resources

[deception-united]

Let's talk about enemies to lovers tropes.

Indisputably one of the best tropes out there. And one of the most infuriating, to write and to read.

When writing an enemies-to-lovers romance, there are several elements to consider in order to create a compelling and engaging story.

Here are some things to avoid and include:

DO NOT:

Create one-dimensional, flat characters. Both characters should have depth, flaws, and virtues that make them relatable and interesting.

Force conflict. While conflict is essential in this trope, it should arise naturally from the characters' personalities, circumstances, and past interactions. Avoid contriving conflicts solely for the sake of drama.

Cause sudden, unrealistic transformations in character behavior. While characters can change and grow throughout the story, it should be gradual and believable.

Overuse tropes. Try to bring fresh perspectives and unique elements to your story to avoid clichés and predictability. Yes, readers will still read the story if they like the trope, notwithstanding the vast amount of nearly identical novels they've consumed. I know you're guilty. But unique elements will make it stand out amongst the sea of literature out there.

Rely on stereotypical traits for either character. Subvert expectations and give your characters complexity and nuance.

DO:

Develop rich backstories for both characters, including the reasons behind their animosity towards each other. This adds depth and understanding to their dynamic.

Ensure there's palpable chemistry between the enemies-turned-lovers. Their interactions should spark tension, passion, and intrigue, drawing readers into their evolving relationship.

Show gradual character development as they transition from enemies to lovers. Each should challenge the other's beliefs, leading to personal growth and introspection.

Build emotional tension through witty banter, charged encounters, and moments of vulnerability. Let the unresolved tension simmer beneath the surface, keeping readers invested in their relationship.

Introduce conflicts with high stakes that test the characters' newfound bond. This can come from internal struggles, external threats, or obstacles that force them to confront their feelings.

Allow the romance to develop gradually, building anticipation and suspense as the characters navigate their evolving feelings for each other.

Even as enemies, there should be moments of mutual respect or admiration between the characters. Highlight these moments to show the underlying potential for a deeper connection.

Stay true to the characters' personalities and motivations throughout the story. Authenticity breeds believability and emotional resonance.

Happy writing ❤

#writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #character arcs #enemies to lovers #slow burn #deception-united

[em-dash-press]

The 5 Most Essential Turning Points in a Character’s Arc

You spend so much time creating a character because you want them to feel real. You want to connect with them and use them to create an experience for your readers. Their character arc is how that happens.

Don’t miss out on these essential turning points that make an arc feel not only whole, but complete.

1. The Inciting Incident

Your inciting incident gets your plot moving. It isn’t going to be the first sentence of your story (also called your hook), although it could be if you crafted your first sentence for that purpose.

An inciting incident is a plot event that guides your character in a new direction. It’s the successful prison break, the meeting of instant rivals, or the moment your protagonist wins the lottery in your first chapter.

Without the inciting incident, your protagonist’s life would carry on as usual. They wouldn’t start the arc that makes them an interesting person for the reader to stick with throughout your story.

2. Introducing the Protagonist’s Main Flaw

Every protagonist needs a primary flaw. Ideally, they’ll have more than one. People aren’t perfect and they rarely get close enough to only have one negative characteristic. Protagonists need that same level of humanity for readers to connect with them.

There are many potential flaws you could consider, but the primarily flaw must be the foundation for your character’s arc. It might even be the catalyst for the story’s peak.

Imagine a hero archetype. They’re great and well-intended, but they have a problem with boasting. Their arc features scenes where they learn to overcome their need to brag about themselves, but they get drunk and boast in a bar right before the story’s peak. The antagonist’s best friend hears this because they’re at the same bar, so they report the hero’s comment to the main villain. It thwarts the hero’s efforts and makes the climax more dramatic.

Other potential flaws to consider:

Arrogance

Pride

Fear

Anxiety

Carelessness

Dishonesty

Immaturity

3. Their First Failure

Everyone will fail at a goal eventually. Your protagonist should too. Their first failure could be big or small, but it helps define them. They either choose to continue pursuing that goal, they change their goal, or their worldview shatters.

Readers like watching a protagonist reshape their identity when they lose sight of what they wnat. They also like watching characters double down and pursue something harder. Failure is a necessary catalyst for making this happen during a character’s arc.

4. Their Rock Bottom

Most stories have a protagonist that hits their rock bottom. It could be when their antagonist defeats them or lose what matters most. There are numerous ways to write a rock-bottom moment. Yours will depend on what your character wants and what your story’s theme is.

If you forget to include a rock-bottom moment, the reader might feel like the protagonist never faced any real stakes. They had nothing to lose so their arc feels less realistic.

Rock bottoms don’t always mean earth-shattering consequences either. It might be the moment when your protagonist feels hopeless while taking an exam or recognizes that they just don’t know what to do. Either way, they’ll come to grips with losing something (hope, direction, or otherwise) and the reader will connect with that.

5. What the Protagonist Accepts

Protagonists have to accept the end of their arc. They return home from their hero’s journey to live in a life they accept as better than before. They find peace with their new fate due to their new community they found or skills they aquired.

Your protagonist may also accept a call to action. They return home from their journey only to find out that their antagonist inspired a new villain and the protagonist has to find the strength to overcome a new adversary. This typically leads into a second installment or sequel.

Accepting the end of their arc helps close the story for the reader. A protagonist who decides their arc wasn’t worth it makes the reader disgruntled with the story overall. There has to be a resolution, which means accepting whatever the protagonist’s life ended up as—or the next goal/challenge they’ll chase.

-----

Hopefully these points make character arcs feel more manageable for you. Defining each point might feel like naming your instincts, but it makes character creation and plotting easier.

Want more creative writing tips and tricks? I have plenty of other fun stuff on my website, including posts like Traits Every Protagonist Needs and Tips for Writing Subplots.

#character arcs #creating characters #creating character arcs #character development #writing characters #character concept #plotting #how to plot #writing plot #creative writing #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writing tips #writing advice #writing resources #writing inspiration #writing community #writing help #writing

[novlr]

Types of Character Arcs

Just like there are various flavours of ice cream to satisfy our taste buds, there are different types of character arcs to captivate readers’ imaginations.

Transformational Arc: A character undergoes a profound transformation throughout the story. This transformational arc takes them on a journey of personal growth, where they evolve, learn from their experiences, and undergo significant change. Think Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings, who starts as an ordinary hobbit and becomes a heroic figure, or Cinderella, who goes from being a mistreated servant to a princess.

Flat or Static Arc: Not all character arcs involve drastic change or growth. In a flat or static arc, the character remains relatively unchanged throughout the story. Instead of personal transformation, these characters serve as a stabilizing force or a moral compass within the narrative. They maintain their core values, beliefs, or traits, providing stability and guidance for others. Sherlock Holmes is a prime example of a character with a flat arc. His brilliant deductive reasoning and logical nature remain consistent, while the world around him evolves.

Positive Change Arc: In a positive change arc, a character starts with flaws, struggles, or a particular mindset, but over the course of the story, they experience personal growth and positive transformation. They learn valuable lessons, overcome obstacles, and develop into a better version of themselves. This arc is often associated with themes of redemption, self-discovery, and the triumph of the human spirit. Characters like Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol or Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games exemplify positive change arcs.

Negative Change Arc: Contrasting the positive change arc, the negative change arc delves into the descent or downfall of a character. It explores the moral decline, corruption, or internal conflicts that lead the character astray. This arc can be dark and intense, showcasing the destructive power of choices or external influences. Characters like Macbeth from Shakespeare’s play or Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars demonstrate the negative change arc. 💻✨ Discover how the transformative journeys of character arcs breathe life into your stories, and captivate the hearts and minds of your readers. You can read the full post in the Reading Room at the link above.

#writers #creative writing #writing #writers of tumblr #writing community #creative writers #writing inspiration #writeblr #writerblr #writing tips #character arcs #character development #references for writers #writing references #writing reference #creative writing resources #writing resources #writer resources #helping writers #writing help #writing characters #writers corner #writers community #advice for writers #writing advice #writers block #creative inspiration

[ask-the-prose]

Building a Character Arc

Hi all! These past 8 months have been a busy time huh? I’m back and hoping to jumpstart this blog with a bit more organization. So let’s get started with our next guide!

We talk a lot about worldbuilding and plotting out stories, but there’s an important factor I haven’t seen much discussion around, and that is: character arcs.

We’ll be covering character building next week, as that will build off of this post. But building a character arc is just as important as knowing all the static facts about a character and how they react to the world you’ve built around them!

What is the character’s purpose?

We love to imagine our characters as people and real in our heads, but ultimately they are a tool to tell a story. So when building your character arc, you need to know what the purpose of this character is. How do they serve the story? How do they enhance the themes?

Characters can have tons of purposes, from the protagonist to the antagonist to cannon fodder. Characters can serve multiple purposes at one time, even. So what do you want your character to do for the story?

An example: in The Hunger Games, Gale Hawthorne serves a purpose far beyond just love interest #2. Gale helps propel the plotline in a number of ways. He spurs Katniss into action when he is whipped in the town square, he challenges Katniss’ worldviews both directly and indirectly by proposing ethical and complex questions that Katniss must later answer, and he’s symbolic of an answer to the main theme of the books. He isn’t relegated to just one of these purposes, but he does have to have one otherwise, he would be irrelevant words distracting from the actual story.

What changes within the character? What doesn’t?

Characters can be divided into two categories: static and dynamic. Static characters stay the same over the course of the story, whereas dynamic characters do not. So a good question to ask yourself when building a character arc is what, if anything, changes about the character over the course of the story?

One important factor to consider is the character’s attitude towards the world, the conflict, or the other characters. If that changes, how does it change? Why? What happens to cause that change? These questions can be applied to any number of factors you wish to include, like a character’s opinion of themselves or another concept, a character’s worldview, or a character’s feelings towards their circumstances.

If the character is a static character, why? Does it serve the story’s themes?

Is your character an active participant or reacting to plot events?

Naturally, a character reacts to events and responds to those reactions through action. But do those actions actually affect the plot? Does the plot happen to the character or does the character act and consequences follow?

These seem like plot building questions, and they are, but it’s critical to understanding your characters as well. Characters that always react to the plot and have little consequences for actual actions taken tend to be placed in the “reactive” category. While I can’t speak to every style and story structure, most traditional publishers and western audiences prefer active characters over reactive characters. They want the character to impact the plot, their actions have natural consequences that push the plot forward.

Reactive characters can absolutely be utilized to tell interesting and compelling stories, though, so don’t throw out the whole story if you find your character is more reactive than active.

Conclusion

So you’ve created the plot and the premise and you need to populate your world with characters! Remember these key points in building a character arc: purpose, change, and action. Hopefully this guide can help you get on the road towards creating a character arc that not only compels your reader, but enhances your themes and serves your story.

-- Indy

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #writing characters #character arcs #writing character arcs #amwriting #writers on tumblr #writing guide #writing resources

[try-set-me-on-fire]

Growing up Buck always got parental love and attention when he when he was injured, so when Bobby (in Buck’s eyes) rejects him after the blood clots it was yanking a rug nobody knew was there out from under him…

#buck your problems are fascinating to me #lawsuit arc you are fascinating to me #had this realization about how bucks reaction really ties into the rest of his character while i was stoned last night felt like a prophet #weed beaming information straight into my mind #anyway. #we saw him as a kid doing more and more dangerous and damaging things for that attention #like he always knew it was a finite resource #and this is the moment where he must have thought ah. its over. I’m not worth it anymore #Bobby use your words I’m begging this kid is too screwed up to interpret your behavior as care

[paranoia-art]

°•°More Character Quirks°•°

➸ Uses their arms, or others arms as a pillow when sleeping.

➸ Sleeps with whitenoise

➸ Responds to everything with "I think" (Idky but like probably because they don't want to be the reason why someones life is ruined after giving them advice. "I said I think! I didn't mean for you to actually do it")

➸ Has to read a block of text twice or three times because they didn't pick up the information on the first read.

➸ Twirls their rings on their fingers.

➸ Clutches on to their necklace when excited, scared, mad, sad, etc. (The necklace could be something someone important gave them)

➸ Window shops ONLINE, BUT DOESNT BUY ANYTHING.

➸ Over explains things (This can make their lies more believable since they when you lie you over explain lots of details.)

Follow @paranoia-art for more!

#writing blr #write #writeblr #writing prompt #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writing #advice #creative writing #writing community #writerscommunity #writer stuff #writing tips #writing resources #writing help #writing advice #character development #ask #plot development #character writing #character quirks #writing idea #writing ideas #Writing inspiration #worldbuilding #writer problems #character traits #chracter arcs #writer things #writer inspiration

[anulithots]

The Character creation masterpost, in which I shall hold your hand through every step of the process, complete with examples and Maslov's hierarchy of needs.

------

What concept are you trying to convey?

Because stories are, in essence, metaphysical explorations of this weird and wonderous thing called existence, and at the heart of stories... are characters.

But it can be quite difficult, to go from abstract concept to a character you are comfortable writing as, so here's a process that works for me. Although it's best to test and try and see who this character wants to be. (For example, I'll make a doll of most of my main characters, and that can influence how I write them, and when I was little, I used to figure out their personalities and backstory based on those dolls... so character creation can be whatever you want!)

Shameless doll plug:

So pick a phenomenon to explore, for this example, we'll pick: Labels. We take pride in them, yes. That's a good thing, but what about those who use labels to phenomenon people, who use our colorful identities to keep us separate and ranked?

------

Next up, let's pick a specific viewpoint, one specific way an individual could view this concept. For our 'labels' concept, let's pick a main character that centers around the idea of 'taking so much pride in your identity that you put others/groups of people down'. (so this would be a character that might be a bit bigoted, and hopefully they'll grow past that through the story.)

For other characters, you may pick other ideas, such as 'I take pride in my identity, and all other's identities, it makes us all colorful, and it makes life rich.' (This could be a character who showcases all their colors, and enjoys expressing themself, and encourages others to express themselves too), or 'Eh whatever, I don't adhere to any labels, and you should not judge others for their labels either' (The chill anarchist my beloved.)

-------

Alrighty, now you got a viewpoint and some of their personality, but this is still pretty vague right now, so let's get comfortable being this character. Do a bit of freewriting about what their mind is like. Perhaps how they view themselves and the world. This can be utter garbage writing. It doesn't even have to be legible. You're just doing a 'prose version' of your development so far. Play with different writing styles here and pick your favorite (it will keep getting better as you go on.)

------

Now for the 'best case scenario'. What's their dream? What life do they fantasize about? What situation, what moment makes their heart warm yet strained with longing? What would they have? What wouldn't they have? How would they feel? What wouldn't they feel?

-Basically: what do scenario do they think will give them happiness?

(Try writing this out in prose. For example, one of my characters keeps returning to this specific recollection of what their home used to be, when they were happy. Having this again is what they want more than anything else.)

------

Why do they want this dream so much? What does it mean to them? Why will this scenario give them happiness? What is this hidden that they are lacking?

For this, there's a handy little a pyramid. (Maslov's hierarchy of needs)

Do they want safety? Do they want love and belonging? Do they want to be respected and to boost their self-esteem? Do they want to feel fulfilled, with a purpose and meaning to their life? Do they want to be free from longing itself?

(Feel free to add to your practice prose, this is just to get a feel for how to write this character.)

----

Here's the thing, characters would've reached this goal already if there was nothing holding them back, which is that viewpoint from the beginning.

Using our 'labels' example, let's name this character.... Xavier (peak edginess).

Xavier believes that there is so much to be proud of for their identity (I would have specifics if I did practice prose, let's say this dude is the pinnacle of righteousness and is respected by everyone, and identifies strongly with their traits and quirks... perhaps their intelligence?) and other's are somehow 'lesser beings' because of it.

Okay, so what would be the worst outcome for Xavier based on this belief?

How about..... another who they deem as lesser outshining them.

And their best case scenario is being respected by all, loved for their accomplishments, perhaps the milestones too - they are successful, and are on a good path in life. They've always been the 'good child,' the 'gifted kid'. And they want to be the epitome of that as an adult.

Their underlying want is for respect and validation.

So Xavier would try desperately to flaunt the labels given to them, and prove they are more valuable than all they deem lesser. Constantly trying to outshine them.

Alrighty! Now that your character has internal conflict, write out some more practice prose. Feel free to create a random situation and play with their head, or just have a train of thought. It could be multiple separate paragraphs, or pages and pages of continuous prose.

----

Backstory time!

(This helps with giving a character depth, and it makes them easier to write if you've seen all their pivotal moments.)

First off, write a scene where the character went from being a child who thought everything was happy and everyone was loved and it would all be okay, to believing the viewpoint. What event made that seed of a viewpoint take root in their head?

Tip: when did their worst fear come true? And how did their brain build up a belief system to keep them safe from this scenario from ever happening again?

For our boi Xavier, perhaps they had a friend, and everyone else at school deemed them as lesser because of their community. This friend was bullied, and they were the best companion Xavier could ask for, even if it meant they got ostracized too.

But when this friend got an award for something... perhaps a competition that Xavier also wanted to win...they were more susceptible to the other's comments that this friend was greedy and took opportunities from everyone else, and that Xavier was ruining his self-esteem by being near another who would constantly do better than him.

Xavier stopped being friends with this person and left them all alone.

But at least Xavier wasn't bullied anymore, the crowd acknowledged their strengths (superficially). They didn't do that before, when Xavier was lumped with this other friend.

In a way, it was freeing.

---

Next up... have fun with this! Write a few scenes (they can be as short or as long as you want) where the character was close to getting that 'best case scenario' but a hint of their fear arose, and they decided to avoid their fear. The pain of their fear was greater than the pain for a lack of happiness.

For Xavier, they had the chance numerous times to connect with others of different backgrounds, and refused it each and every time this other person had a quality that was better than Xavier's. Eventually this chain of avoiding their fear, lead this viewpoint to be deeply rooted in their head. Prime for storytelling.

-----

.... then you can write the first chapter ;p

#character development #originalcharacter #character concept #original character #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #writing tools #writer tips #character creation #character arcs

[physalian]

A Case Against “Redemption = Death”

“Redemption = Death” is, in my opinion, one of the laziest “telling not showing” cop-outs you can write, and it happens over and over and over again. It’s manipulative, it’s cheap, it kneecaps the character’s development, it undermines the meaning of a true redemption, and it promotes a message that some people are so evil, the *only* redemption for them is the ultimate sacrifice.

**Taking an aside here to plainly ignore religious connotations and focus on the success or failure of a satisfying character arc**

I hate this trope. I have never seen a flawless execution of this trope in its basest form: Evil bad guy is evil for 99% of their story, and in the 11th hour has an out-of-character realization that they’ve done wrong and sacrifices themself for the heroes, whom they don’t actually care about, for ~drama~.

Today’s writing advice is pretty straightforward: Please stop doing this. It tends to happen in action movies like the superhero genre, but also in action-heavy sci-fi and fantasy where rich character development is sacrificed for spectacle and cool battles. I love action movies, even the stupid ones, and I firmly believe that they can do better.

1. It’s manipulative

A malignant evildoer who shows zero remorse for their entire story, commits heinous acts of violence and abuse, who murders, steals, beats, cheats, betrays, and uses other characters does not earn any shed tears over their ultimate sacrifice.

Time and time again, the big bad will do a 180 and leave the protagonist distraught over how to react to this, often with lines like “maybe he was a hero all along,” or “you know he really wasn’t that bad”. (a la Snape before we all woke up and realized he's a whiny Nice Guy)

Nope. He was actually that bad, and his final act of terror was convincing you to give a damn about him and regret not being able to save him (and it is always male characters. It’s always men. Find me a story where it’s a woman and I will gladly read it and complain about her, too).

This character has only themselves to blame for their Tragic Backstory. They were never a tragic hero, they didn’t fall from grace. There was never any hope or expectation that they could do better, the hero isn’t even trying to redeem them, it just happens in an attempt to engineer depth where there isn’t any.

2. It’s cheap

A hastily-written “redemption” tips the author’s hand, showing that they didn’t plan for or can’t conceptualize how to fix the mess they’ve made. Now, maybe the villain dies in the last chapter of the book and the story has no room for the aftermath anyway—that’s fine. It’s only a problem when the villain gets an unfounded “he wasn’t so bad” reflection by the survivors to scribble a deeper meaning and message for the story in the final lap.

If you’re planning from the start to have your villain be “not that bad,” provide any evidence other than them deciding maybe they don’t want the world to burn as the clock on the nuke counts down to zero.

This would be like if Gandalf told Pippin Denethor was actually a decent guy as the man flings himself off Gondor's tallest tower after nearly burning his son alive.

3. It kneecaps the character’s potential

Character deaths, whether they’re permanent or not, are generally treated by the other characters as permanent and final in the moment. There’s tears, there’s funerals, there’s grief and regret over what could have been, what might’ve been, what should have been.

And all of that development goes straight to the surviving characters, not the one that died.

Your dead evildoer can’t prove they’re trying to do better once they’re dead. They can’t show their remorse, they can’t show how they planned to fix all their mistakes, they can’t follow through with choosing the path of “good”. They’re dead.

You killed them to avoid the hard work of having to write them as a good guy.

4. It undermines the meaning of a true redemption

Self-sacrifice is a noble end, but self-sacrifice because a character can’t imagine actually committing to the long and bumpy road of fixing all their mistakes is cowardice. The people they hurt are still suffering, the wrongs they committed still need answering for, the damage they’ve done still needs rectifying and dying leaves all that work to those who survive them.

They’ve done nothing to prove they’re worthy of redemption except to stop digging their hole deeper and at that point they’re not “redeemed” they’re only marginally defined as a “tragic hero” by the skin of their teeth, depending on what catastrophe they prevent with their death.

5. It argues that some people aren’t worth redeeming

Ironically, “redemption = death” proves the exact opposite of the case you’re trying to make. They die because they’re convinced they must, because not a single other character could either talk them out of it, or cared enough to show them death wasn’t the only option.

“Redemption” is only for those who everyone thinks aren’t worth redeeming. But he’s irredeemable! Is he? Or do you just want to see him punished and have zero faith that he can’t at least try to right his wrongs?

This would be like if Zuko showed up at the Western Air Temple and instead of becoming Aang's fire bending teacher, he died fighting Combustion Man or Azula in a blaze of glory, all because Katara would not budge from her "he's evil and always will be" stance.

Or, if Zuko died in the last agni-kai, taking Azula down with him, as if the story said "yeahhhhh, we just gotta go clean slate here and expunge the whole Fire Family, but hey, Zuko did stop Azula in his blaze of glory".

—

But what happens when “redemption = death” is actually satisfying? Aka, not a redeemed villain, just a tragic hero. So let’s look at a famous example: Darth Vader.

This is a character that checks two boxes: He has one pillar of light determined to save him, and he’s shown before his moment of sacrifice to have some remorse. It doesn’t come out of nowhere.

He’s not redeemed, though, because his one act of murder-suicide may end the war (ignoring the sequel trilogy) but doesn’t undo all the damage and lives lost and planets destroyed. He’s just a tragic hero.

Sometimes, however, this character knows the only way all the evil ends is with their death. They know they’re doomed because by their continued existence, evil persists, and they literally cannot live on to fix things because things will never be fixable so long as they’re still breathing. Or, they’re terminally ill and incurable through their own machinations with the Big Bad and will die no matter what they do, might as well go out swinging.

Greed, from Fullmetal Alchemist fits here. He spent more time as a reluctant good guy occasionally doing bad and selfish things because his essence is chained to a good guy, but he cannot survive the story, because by his very nature, he’s a piece of the main villain.

But even then, Greed’s redemption comes *before* he dies, we all already love his character, this is just the tragic icing on the cake. His realization that, in his final act, he becomes the most selfless character in the show—the antithesis of his entire being.

Your mid-redemption character redeems themselves as much as they can while they still breathe. They help the other heroes, they teach the team everything they know, they show their plans for a better future and have even built tools to help the survivors thrive. They’ve dreamed about being a part of this future that’s barred from them. They’ve fully understood and accepted the consequences of their actions. They understand that their final punishment is never living to see the paradise they nearly destroyed.

Even if they can’t change the world with their actions, they’ve done all the emotional and personal labor they can manage with those that they’ve hurt. They’ve made friends, allies, even romantic endeavors.

And when they die and the heroes mourn, they mourn the hero that this redeemed villain became, not who they imagined this villain could be if they tried, if they'd made different choices. At that point, redemption didn’t even equal death for them, redemption was the short road to recovery before the consequences of their actions finally caught up with them.

#writing advice #writing resources #writing tips #writing tools #writing a book #writing #writeblr #character design #redemption arc #character arcs #last airbender #atla #zuko #fullmetal alchemist #greed fma

[qcomicsy]

Did lazrus pit made him older too?

It sure made him a bad bitch.

But seriously

Not really. Jason died pretty much at 16-17, the math is rough annoying and hard to do. But technically he got brought back around 17 (dead bodies don't get older and I will fight people on that) trained with the Ra's pretty much until his "early twenties". Made his crime empire and it's probably around 20-25 now.

If I'm not mistaken, and I think I am not, but again the math is hard and annoying. Dick was 16 when he was kicked out by Bats (or moved from college, or fired take your pick) and Jason was 12 when adopted. Jason died at 16-17 Dick was around 18 and around his early 20's when Tim was 13. Tim was 15 when Jason embarrassed himself beat his ass at the Titans Tower Tim is 17 now.

If we make the math,, Jason: 17 back. Probably 18-20 when he whooped Tim's ass (this is so fucking embarrassing). Tim was 15, he's 17 now.

Jason is probably a 21-23 year old.

Unfortunately cursed by DC artist to have a mid-life crises face, he should sue.

#I'm making this right now based fully on my (???) memory and questionable math skills #I bet someone gonna show up with better resources but I am really not going to push up comic lore/knowlegde on that one #but I'm pretty sure I'm right this time #(lying) #the point is they're forcefully aging my man #don't even get me started on Deadpool because I would get much more bitchier and violent about how they draw him #but yeah #'early twenties' bott text on the Jason panel carrying that dead men heads #JASON TODD BRUCE WAYNE DICK GRAYSON choose your character on your insane early twenties arc #q asks

[livi-the-writer]

Writing character arcs/character development

Guide to character arcs

Writing character development

Character arc ideas

Why character arcs don’t have to last forever or be linear

#writing resources #writerblr #character arcs #character development #writing #writer #author #writing tips #writing guides #writeblr

[queerbting]

rewatching nuwho and i'm rlly.... why is human nature / family of blood just racist hit after racist hit after racist hit against martha . followed by a heavy dose of classist (+ misogynistic!!!!) behavior directed against her afterwards where the humans of 1913 england treat her like a weird alien from another world (the doctor in human form included!!!).

also, why do they have the doctor a) be actively bigoted and b) fall in love with a racist nurse who specifically speaks down to martha (someone who the doctor cares for). they create this "unassuming" white woman character and then have her be awful to martha but we're supposed to believe that she is kind and sympathetic worthy of being the human doctor's love interest, more than martha being treated as a human being. (and then that we should cry over her lost love/future in the end)

like why. genuinely why. what is the point .

also objectively what function does the nurse serve that martha jones could not have. she's even a medical student like !!!!!! going undercover as a nurse would not be that far off!! and plus, i'm not even a tenmartha shipper but it would fit more for the emotional arc of martha's character to get what she wanted all season in human nature / family of blood (the doctor falling in love with her!!! wish fulfillment !!!!!! ) only to realize the cruelty of what this would be like in reality if she were never to open the watch (despite her finally having what she "wants"), and finally understanding and having to give john smith up. it could've been a really tragic, but human moment (like a lot of other things in dw!).

then 10 and martha's relationship could actually be on some sort of equal footing. bc martha had a taste of what it would be liked to be loved by him (or someone similar to him, at least), and chose in the end to let it go. it would give her emotional closure, etc. and would show her choosing the /actual/ doctor (not human) and the friendship she has with him, rather than a lifetime with a human that she fell in love with who happens to look like him.

could've been a really cool moment of both character development and then bonding between the doctor and martha afterwards in their newfound partnership, so half of martha's character is no longer swallowed up by her pining for him.

but no. instead they go and hide in racistville and martha is a servant who experiences racism/misogyny/classism and microaggressions from white people + aliens over two episodes for nearly no reason .

#like it's crazy #i think a lot of this went over my head as a kid because i did not know much about british history or nuwho's environmental contexts #so i didn't understand a lot of the unspoken dialogue and class-race implications coming from MULTIPLE CHARACTERS in these episodes....... #but coming back to martha's arc and hn / fob especially as an adult is just..... genuinely so awful #there's no narrative reason it's just racist #so so weird and uncomfortable to watch #it can't be too much to ask to treat her like a human being #martha jones #dw s3 #dw criticism #doctor who #dewpost #also her being written half the time this season as a love sick puppy who doesn't get it depends on the doctor for almost everything #instead of a resourceful and emotionally intelligent young black woman who is studying to be a medical professional !!!! drives me insane #sometimes they write her well but it feels few and fare between sometimes bc they want martha to be in love with 10 sooooo badly #rather than them being a kickass medical student (a doctor) plus The Doctor duo !!!! could've been so much fun #and instead we are left with this #human racist john smith with no narrative repercussions for viewing/treating a companion of his in a derogatory fashion #super cool bbc thank you very much #human nature #family of blood

[deception-united]

Let's talk about character arcs.

Character arcs refer to the transformation or development of a character over the course of a story. This typically involves changes in their beliefs, attitudes, or behavior in response to challenges and experiences and how the confrontation of their flaws leads to eventual personal growth.

Developing compelling character arcs is essential for engaging storytelling and characters that resonate with your readers. Here are some tips to help you craft effective character arcs:

Establish Clear Goals: Each character should have clear, specific goals they want to achieve. These goals can be external (e.g., defeating a villain, finding a lost treasure) or internal (e.g., overcoming fear, finding redemption). The arc will revolve around the character's journey towards these goals.

Create Flawed Characters: Characters should have flaws or weaknesses that they need to overcome throughout the story. These flaws make them relatable and provide opportunities for growth.

Initiate Change: A character arc involves change. Whether it's a positive transformation or a tragic downfall, the character should not remain static throughout the story. They should evolve in response to the challenges they face and the experiences they undergo.

Conflict is Key: Conflict is essential for driving character development. Characters must face obstacles, both internal and external, that challenge their beliefs, values, and abilities. These conflicts force them to confront their flaws and make choices that impact their arc.

Show Progression: As the story progresses, illustrate the character's growth and change through their actions, decisions, and relationships. Show how their experiences shape their perspective and behavior over time.

Foreshadowing and Setup: Lay the groundwork for the character arc early in the story through subtle hints, foreshadowing, and backstory. This helps create a sense of continuity and believability in the character's development.

Include Setbacks and Failures: Characters should not succeed at everything they attempt. Setbacks and failures are crucial for character growth, as they provide opportunities for reflection, learning, and resilience.

Internal and External Arcs: Characters should experience both internal and external arcs. While external arcs focus on tangible goals and obstacles, internal arcs delve into the character's emotions, beliefs, and personal growth.

Resolution and Transformation: By the end of the story, ensure that the character undergoes a significant transformation or resolution that reflects their arc. This conclusion should feel earned based on the challenges they've faced and the choices they've made.

Consistency and Authenticity: Maintain consistency in the character's development and ensure that their arc feels authentic to their personality, motivations, and experiences. Avoid sudden or unrealistic changes that don't align with the character's established traits.

Hope this was helpful! Happy writing ❤

#writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #character development #character arcs #deception-united

[em-dash-press]

7 Types of Internal Conflict for Your Protagonist

External conflict can always make readers more interested in a story. The fist fights, car chases, and fictional battles might make them hold their breath, but so can internal conflict. Check out the primary types of internal conflict your protagonist can experience to add more depth to your stories.

1. Morality Conflicts

Everyone eventually reaches a point where they question their morals. We have to believe in our morals as individuals to prioritize them. It’s not enough to have your parents or other leaders in your life tell you what’s right and wrong. You won’t hold the same morals until you choose them on your own.

Characters also reach these crucial points. It’s part of their character development like it’s part of our personal development. 

Your protagonist may only grapple with one question of morality in your story or they could encounter many. The morals will most likely align with your theme so they make sense within your plot.

Example: Your protagonist is a scientific researcher and leading a trial that could result in a cure for a new illness. They know they shouldn’t take bribes and wouldn’t compromise their career, but someone who nearly qualifies for their trial offers a life-changing amount of money to get included even though they’ve already been ruled out. The protagonist has to choose—do they stick with what they trust is morally correct or do they take the money and use it to help pay for a family member’s legal battle in criminal court? Do they view it as potentially saving two lives at once? Or do they reject the bribe and face whatever consequences could have possibly been avoided?

2. Self-Identity Conflicts

Your identity is something that morphs with time. People rarely settle on one version of themselves forever. Life makes us reconsider things from different perspectives as we go through periods of challenges and peace. Characters also grapple with their identities when faced with similar situations. It makes them take a stand, hold their ground, or chase new goals, which is much more interesting for readers.

Example: Your protagonist considers themselves an optimist because they’re a firefighter who has saved many lives. When they realize their chief has been starting all the fires their station ever fought, your protagonist begins to view people more pessimistically. It affects how quickly they’re willing to risk their life for others, which results in challenges and a character arc they wouldn’t have experienced without this fundamental change in their identity.

3. Religious Belief Conflicts

It’s much easier to stay firm in your religious beliefs if nothing challenges them. If a challenge or major question arises and your beliefs hold firm, that makes your identity stronger. It doesn’t always happen that way though.

When your protagonist faces this type of internal conflict and realizes their opinions or feelings contradict their religious beliefs, it can take them onto a path that shapes a new identity. These choices are hard but real. Readers who are going through the same experience or experienced the same questions before will get absorbed by your story because it’s relatable.

Example: Your protagonist attends a religious gathering every week. The group fundamentally believes their religion exists to help those in need. Prejudices begin to invade that group, so people start choosing their own well-being instead of helping others. Your protagonist watches their religious family pick sides and has to question if they really believe in helping others or if they choose the familiarity and safety that comes with the approval of their longtime religious family.

4. Societal Role Conflicts

Societies have predetermined roles or expectations for people based on factors like their gender, sex, and economic status (just to name a few). Sometimes these roles feel natural to people and other times they don’t. We all have to decide what feels best for us on an ongoing basis. Your protagonist may need to choose their societal role, reject it, or shape a new one to portray your theme in a relatable way.

Example: Your protagonist goes to a university for the first time. They’ve been encouraged by everyone they know to start forming a large friend group. That’s what people are supposed to do in college, their loved ones said. But your protagonist is an introvert and values only a few friendships at a time. They have to choose if they’ll push themselves to become a social butterfly or if they’re happier as the person they’ve always been.

5. Political Opinion Conflicts

Political opinions can create all types of internal conflict. You may believe in a certain candidate or party during one part of your life and support something completely different in another part. Those values change as we experience new things and meet new people. Characters can face the same internal struggles as they recognize changing values or reject opportunities for change.

Example: Your protagonist may have never formed strong political opinions. They meet a new person who becomes their best friend, but their government starts passing laws that make their best friend’s life much harder because they’re part of a marginalized community your protagonist hasn’t empathized with before. Your protagonist now cares for that community, so they have to decide if they’ll make different political choices that could ostracize them from the community they’ve been part of all their life. 

6. Love Conflicts

There are numerous types of love—self-love, your love for your family, and your love of a potential romantic interest or current partner. These come into conflicts in stories all the time because people experience them every day.

The conflicts result in choices—does your protagonist choose to continue loving a specific person or do they fall out of love? Do they fight for that love or realize it never actually existed? These are just a few ways this inner conflict can play out.

Example: Your protagonist has three siblings. They’d give their life for their siblings because they’ve lived in an emotional and physical home environment that’s been unsafe all of their lives. However, your protagonist is also the oldest child who has to leave home when they’re 18. They have to decide how to best love their siblings—do they leave them at home with a parent who is a threat to their safety so your protagonist can achieve an education or job that pays enough to create a new home for them? Do they get the legal system involved? Do they get their siblings and run away together since your protagonist is now old enough to lease an apartment, pay bills, etc?

7. Personal Journey Conflict

Existential crises make characters come to life by breaking their identity apart. These moments are unfortunately a real part of life, so readers want them in their books to help them cope, understand the changes, and generally feel not alone in their hardships.

This internal conflict happens when we question why we’re in this world or what we’re supposed to do with our lives. Sometimes there’s a clear answer after we start searching for it, but other times there isn’t. How your protagonist’s internal journey to a new purpose unfolds depends on your theme and plot.

Example: Your protagonist spent their life dreaming of becoming a politician. They wanted to help people and change the world, but they lost their first three attempts at running for local office. The third loss devastated them. If voters don’t want them as a leader, what’s their purpose? Who are they if they aren’t a leader who changes the world through effective policies? The answer may come through the plot events that follow. If they don’t get an answer, sometimes it means their purpose already exists in their life and they’re overlooking it.

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Reading through the basic types of internal conflict will help you shape your future protagonists. If you align your desired theme with an inner conflict, the external events in your plot will be much easier to choose. Your readers will also connect with your story better because they’ll see real problems reflected in your protagonist’s character arc.

#character development #writing characters #writing advice #character tropes #writing tips #character details #character creation #character arc #internal conflict #types of conflict #inner conflict #writeblr #writers of tumblr #writing inspiration #writing #creative writing #writing community #writing help #writing resources

[novlr]

#character development #writing characters #writblr #writing community #creative writing #writers #writing #writers of tumblr #creative writers #writing inspiration #writeblr #writerblr #writing tips #writers block #character arcs #character description #writing resources #writing reference #helping writers #help for writers #writing help #tips for writers #writing cheat sheet #let's write #know your characters #writer #writing advice #writers on tumblr #writers and poets #writing blog

[brittlebutch]

bill and ted and their efforts in education is something thats So Important to me - they really do want to learn and find new things soo interesting, its just that traditional teaching methods fail them. even stuff they love (music) took them so long to learn !!!! which is something i feel like ppl miss a lot. choosing to learn smthn that is difficult and has a steep learning curve is actually So Hard and frustrating and bill and ted actually put in so much effort to learn!! and ofc it works out (they win battle of the bands, become famous, save the world etc) but i feel like they wouldve worked at it even if they never met rufus and all that bc they approach life with such genuine earnestness. which is a trait i admire so much and they make me so happy :)

yes dude you absolutely hit the nail on the head!!! i love love love that Bill and Ted don't make it through any of the movies thanks to any kind of special skill or innate talent, they manage to make it through just because they're so affable and enthusiastic that people around them (even some who would have reason to actually dislike them) just can't seem to help but be taken with them and decide to help them out - no perpetuating the myth of independence anywhere!!

and you're so right about the time travel probably not being strictly Necessary in their development like, their audition at the beginning of Bogus Journey isn't very good but it's still technically way more musical than their garage jam sessions were in Excellent Adventure! (You could argue that's just the Princesses carrying the sound, which is probably true to an extent, BUT I don't think that's it entirely bc there's not any discordant distortion-noise like there was in EA and parts of the melody do seem to cut out when Bill and Ted pause playing to speak) So they were learning and improving between movies, it's just that they're naturally kind of slow at it AND they've also probably not been able to focus on learning all that well bc they're working full time and struggling financially - once they take like a year and a half outside of time to practice nothing but guitar they're able to show off some serious musical acumen, and THEN i love how Face the Music shows how even though they've both gotten pretty Technically skilled at a huge variety of instruments, they're still 'bad at it' bc they struggle to write music that other people enjoy/understand and they still aren't overly bothered by that at all!

Also love that the same applies to Billie and Thea - they seem to have a much easier time of things than their dads do wrt learning/innate skills BUT they're still 24 and haven't moved out or gone to college or gotten jobs or anything and no one (other than Chief Logan ofc) puts them down or admonishes them for this! They're both loved and supported wholeheartedly by their parents (who OFC understand it all completely) and they make it through the movie the same exact way Bill and Ted did! Even though Billie and Thea do rely on a more-than-solid grasp of musical history to navigate the circuits of time, their ability to sway the historical figures to their cause largely thanks to their enthusiasm for the topic and general affability and i love how that's always upheld by the movies as a Valued Trait i love it SO much

#i also lovve how bill and ted were originally thought of as like Complete outcasts in high school who were like Actively disliked #by more popular kids and the writers and director saw the energy that the actors brought to the characters and were like 'oh no way' #and cut the notion entirely bc they're just SO affable that they were like 'well maybe no one especially Likes them but no one probably #Dislikes them that much' and so it was scrapped; but i love them so much like you even get the sense that Mr. Ryan is Aware that #bill and ted are Trying to put genuine effort into school bc he doesn't talk at them like 'if you just applied yourselves' or like they're #fucking around in class on purpose he just tries to level with them and seems at least a Little upset that he'd have to flunk them #bc he just doesn't have the time/resources as a teacher to help them out like they'd need ; and like it's not even like in EA #they're ONLY piggybacking off the historical figures to carry the report - their voice over throughout the montage is proof that they were #actively paying attention and learning stuff about the dudes as they were hanging around throughout the movie - like finally learning #how to pronounce 'socrates' and identifying joan of arc as a military leader and stuff - it's just that they have like #learning/intellectual disabilities and struggle like hell in traditional learning environments; i love them SO much they're SO important 2m #bnt

[ask-the-prose]

Hi. I’m the anon who asked about subtle complexity in relationships. How would you go about depicting a love / hate relationship, if one character is trying to repress their more positive feelings towards the other because it’s easier to just hate them. I imagine the characters as either ex lovers or ex friends (undecided on which) if that makes a different

Howdy anon! Thanks for the extra question :) it does provide a little more guidance for what you're looking for. I can only give you my opinion, so feel free to take what you want and leave what you don't!

This is another one of those cases where contradictions can really bring a lot of depth to the characters and your story. Think about the contradictions in loving someone that you want to hate! Lots of complexity there, and having characters do things that contradict what they say can really put that complexity on display.

Romantic and platonic relationships like that are complicated, and when you're looking at it from an outside perspective, reading between the lines will tell you a lot. As a writer, you need to know what you want your readers to see between those lines.

A character suppressing positive feelings towards another character may say nasty things to the other character, but still make kind gestures or do things to help them. Attention to detail will help you as the writer.

Example: Character A may go on a long tirade about how irritating Character B is to Character C in line to get everyone coffee, but when Character C asks what they should get Character B, Character A has the correct answer.

Your reader will pick up on these clues! You don't need to worry about not being obvious enough.

Also, think about what exactly about the love interest/ex may attract the character. Is it the same as what repulses them? That could add complexity too. Maybe Character A thinks that Character B's kindness is fake, or even just irritating. But when B shows A that same kindness, it's endearing.

Your characters are likely going through changes throughout the plot of the story, so it would make sense that their opinions about each other shift as things change. Maybe Character A starts off disliking Character B for a trait they thought they disliked, and over the course of the trials of the plot, they begin to appreciate B's traits as attractive. Or, if you're looking for angst, vice versa.

This can get more complex with exes, maybe A and B had a falling out over something important at the time and it turned out to be unimportant later. That brings up extra baggage and pain. And if your characters are stubborn, it'll take more than just clarification to make the positive feelings outweigh the residual negative feelings.

Ultimately, you are the writer, and so your best tool is internal knowledge of all the characters. I like to experiment with perspective to utilize this tool. Character B may exhibit these behaviors, and Character A may interpret them differently, but you, as the writer, get to know all the motivations and intentions for everyone. Not only that, but you get to decide if your reader gets that internal knowledge as well! Play with perspective, play with dialogue, and play with contradictions, and see where that leads you. You may find a wealth of tension and complexity hidden right under your nose.

--Indy

#writing advice #writing tips #writing resources #writeblr #amwriting #writblr #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr #writing help #writing character relationships #writing character arcs #writing characters #character development