#this feels like an important contribution

[writingquestionsanswered]

Someone mentioned that main characters can get overdeveloped. I'm familiar with characters being underdeveloped, but how do you tell if they are overdeveloped?

5 Signs Your Character is Overdeveloped

#1 - You spend time illustrating personality traits that aren't important to the story. Your character's personality traits should have some bearing on how they move through the story. Don't take the time to illustrate your character's stubbornness if being stubborn won't have some impact on the story.

#2 - You excessively describe their physical appearance and what they're wearing. While it's a good idea to give the reader a sense of what the character looks like and to describe what they're wearing when it shows something important about the character, world, or situation, the reader doesn't need an in-depth physical description--or even reminders--every time the character appears on the page.

#3 - You spend a lot of time illustrating their interactions and relationships with minor characters even though they have no bearing on the story. We like our characters to feel real and three-dimensional, which means giving the reader a sense of who they are, what their normal life is like, and who is important to them. However, we don't want to spend a lot of time on characters/relationships that don't really do anything for the story. For example, it's nice that your character has a good relationship with their elderly neighbor, but if the relationship isn't necessary to show us who the character is, set up or execute a plot point, or fulfill a thematic/symbolic role, it probably shouldn't be there.

#4 - Your character is a "jack of all trades." It's great for your character to have hobbies, skills, and experience in various things, but we don't want our characters to look like a walking, talking, padded resume. For the most part, any hobby, skill, or experience highlighted should play an important role in the story. If being proficient at roller skating doesn't tell us something about the character we can't learn another way, allow for the setup or execution of a plot point, or fulfill a thematic/symbolic role, it's probably not important to highlight that hobby, skill, or experience--or any other that doesn't contribute to the story.

#5 - You spend a lot of time on unnecessary backstory - Backstory plays an important role in helping us to understand who the character is, how they got to where they are in life, what things led up to their internal conflict and emotional wound/s, etc. However, we don't want to spend time on things that aren't ultimately important to the story in some way. For example, there's no point in flashing back to your character's week at surfing camp if nothing happened that week that is important to who they are or anything else that happens in the story.

A good rule of thumb for really any detail in a story is to ask yourself, "What is lost if I remove this detail?" If the answer is "nothing," you can probably go ahead and remove it. :)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[tac-the-unseen]

Hannibal Lecter x Reader x Will Graham Headcannons

Fluff, Minor edits for formatting!

Involves: Cooking, sleeping, art, tattoos, piercings, dates, funny little ideas

•While Hannibal is mostly the one cooking when you, him, and will are in a kitchen together it get a bit chaotic.

•You're decent at cooking but Will is a hot mess compared to you and Hannibal (that doesn't mean he's a bad cook, just not as good as you guys are). But you and Hannibal have no problem guiding and teaching him. It's a great bonding experience for all of you.

•When Hannibal talks in the kitchen you and Will call him 'chef'. Hannibal loves it but will never admit to it.

•All of you share a bed but you also have separate bed in another room that is used when one of you really needs your sleep or space. None of you talk about but it has really saved your relationship...multiple times.

•Hannibal mostly uses it when he has an important event coming up and needs to get a full night's rest.

•Will mostly uses it when he feels like the world is caving in on him and needs to get away.

•You mostly use it when you're mad that them or need to work a late shift.

•Hannibal loves taking you and Will to museums and art galleries. He loves digging through the layers of the art to get to its over all meanings.

•Everyone knows Hannibal likes to play the 'sugar daddy' role but he appreciates when you or Will try and contribute with the costs.

•Will isn't a fan of pet names. He thinks it's weird and kind of degrading, but if you or Hannibal use one or two, he won't complain. Especially if it's to comfort him during an episode.

•That being said if you call him William he immediately thinks he's in trouble for something. If he's not in trouble he will pout about you using his full name.

•On the other hand Hannibal loves pet/nick names. If you call him darling or love he will internally swoon.

•Will doesn't like to be touched and you and Hannibal are not expections. He can deal with touch but he's not happy about it. If you touch him while he's having a break down he with scream, shout, and cry.

•You can get away with cuddling at night but just barely. Be careful about your hand placement.

•If Will is losing an argument he'll say 'nah huh' and Hannibal without a beat will say 'yeah huh' right back.

•You and Will have woken up after a nap to find Hannibal sketching you several times. If he finds either of you asleep he'll run to get his sketch book and maybe some tea and gets to work.

•Hannibal is 10,000% a bridezilla. If you could get married he would be a nightmare to deal with. He might call off the whole wedding if he doesn't get the flowers he wants. And the catering, dear god the catering. He got so upset he thought about just making the food himself...day of...

•If Hannibal ever gets sick he feel guilty because he feels like he should be the one taking care of you two, not that other way around.

•If you have tattoos or piercings Hannibal will just and stare that them. He wants to mesmerize every piece of you. In his spare time he finds him self drawing up concept art for more future tattoos. He doesn't show you any of them,but if you find one and end up getting it tattooed on you he might just have a heart attack.

•Very Interested in the tattoos/piercings healing process. Like he knows but he just likes to watch.

•Will likes to trace said tattoos and even considers getting a matching one with you!

•If Hannibal spots you and/or will getting overwhelmed overstimulated in public he hold your hand and whisper affirmations to you two.

Thanks for reading <3

#hannibal lecter #will graham #gn reader #hannigram #hannibal x reader #will graham x reader #Hannibal x reader x will #hannibal #nbc hannibal #slashers #boyfriends

[not-goldy]

I’m wondering if Jimin loves JK and I say this because all I ever see is him flirting with other members and rejecting Jk, flinging his arm off or suffering out of his hold and then he goes and rubs RMs thighs, or hugs Tae or Yoongi? It baffles me, and it’s so sad to see JKs dejected face. Bless him.

Hmmm🥲

Found: Jk not feeling that Kwenchana

Not gonna lie your insecurity is adorable 🤭🤭🤭🤭

But you don't have to wonder. you have to take Jimin's word for it. He says he loves Jungkook therefore he loves him. Right???

And since Jk keeps following him around I'd assume he feels that good good vibes off Jimin cos Jungkook is a no bs kinda guy and will dip fast if he the energy is off. Coughing in Tae Kook. Cough. Cough.

If you don't think it's Romantic love between them at least don't question that base love. Cos that would be weird af. After everything Jimin has done for him💀

By every thing I don't mean the constant cheering him on like he's his number one fan, speaking highly of him, supporting his career- listen, if a man can risk his hair follicles to dye his hair Golden to support another man's album release MARRY HIM. cuff him. Get the bands on him Jump the broom invoke the spirits of your ancestors and let them witness the I do.

But noo, I'm not talking about that kinda love.

I'm not talking about the absolute fear and panic in his eyes when he hears Jungkook has passed out on stage, or how quick he drops everything to go and see him.

I'm not talking about the concern in his voice when he says "Jungkook you need to pace yourself." When he feels JK is cutting it close.

I'm not talking about studying him so well that he knows just how to confort him when he's nervous

Or being confused as to whom to give the last bite of food to between staff and Jungkook- just so you know Jimin loves everyone but if it comes down to Saving you or Jungkook- do bid your loved ones farewell cos it will never be you💀

I'm not talking about him nurturing Jungkook and providing a safe space around him for Jungkook to share his vulnerability with.

I'm not talking about Jimin offering him his companionship and filling him with laughter to make his heart merry and ease his troubles

I'm not talking about Jimin protecting Jungkook from fans who body shame him but also looking out for him at the company and going out of the way to insist the members respect Jungkook's choices and hearing his voice when he makes contributions to conversations.

And while these days Jungkook has the audacity to insist on being heard at the table especially around cameras, when he needed to be heard at his most vulnerable years Jimin looked out for him.

But I'm not talking bout none of those.

I'm talking about the specific ways Jimin tailors his love to fit Jungkook's needs. Because at the end of the day that's what truly matters.

It's not about YOUR conception of love and YOUR notion of love. It's about WHAT JUNGKOOK UNDERSTANDS TO BE LOVE.

To that I think Jimin loves him when he allows him to be his own man first and foremost. He loves him when inspite of being two years his senior he allows Jungkook to feel just as important and equal.

I think he loves him when he respects him as a man a colleague and an artist.

I think he loves him when he stands by him and trust that he knows what he's doing no matter what.

I think he loves him when he holds his hands after a major scandal and stroll through the airports with him knowing the last thing his pr and solo stans want is for him to be caught in the cross fires.

I think he loves him when he puts in the effort to understand him so he doesn't feel misunderstood around him.

I think he loves him when he is transparent with him and let him in as much as he let's him in.

I think he loves him when he allows him to take care of him and not shut him out by constantly guarding his heart and secrets around him.

There's a mutually shared degree of vulnerability between them and I think that's love too.

Bye

[deeply-unserious-fellow]

The reason I think Alastor should be in the wrong(or at least mostly in the wrong) in his and Vox's falling out is that I don't think their relationship would be worth exploring as deeply as it sounds like it will be next season if Vox was the primary reason they started fighting, because it would do NOTHING for Alastor's arc.

Like- okay, Alastor's arc is very clearly going to be about learning that trusting people is Okay and not a sign of weakness, right? He's literally the only character in the show that is very clearly about the power of friendship who refuses to accept any sort of help, like even the VILLAINS are constantly hyping eachother up! If they fell apart because of something Vox did, and their relationship is going to be super important next season, wouldn't that not really do anything for Alastor's arc? Unless Vox pulling some weird shit is the ROOT CAUSE of Alastor's trust issues, but, given what we know about his past and how his ego seems to be the biggest contributor to said issues, I don't think it is. Alastor would HAVE to have contributed SIGNIFICANTLY to their falling out if their relationship is going to mean anything to his arc, because otherwise it just feels more like a weird aside then anything else? Like "oh yeah we used to be friends but then he did some weird shit and now we're not friends anymore". It adds nothing. There's nothing emotional for Alastor to confront in this scenario.

Which makes for a more interesting story, the relationship between the mc and someone from their past who, while they miss, isn't the kind of person they want to be around anymore so they don't really feel bad about cutting them off who ALSO doesn't pose any real Active Threat to the mc, or the mcs relationship with someone who they respected a lot but cut off because they felt the two of them were getting too close and we can't have THAT, now can we? It's the second one. It's the second one because the second one HAS HIGHER STAKES! The first one makes for a good one episode plotline, but for a season long arc? Takes where Vox is in the wrong actually make VOX a more interesting character to follow then Alastor, because that makes HIM the only one with an actual emotional stake in the conflict. But this isn't Vox's story. It's Alastor's story. Alastor is the main character. Which means, for their relationship to provide anything of value to the plot, Alastor needs to have emotional stakes in the situation too. The best villains are the ones that force your characters to grow and become better people(unless you're doing a silly little monster of the week type of show but THAT'S NOT WHAT HAZBIN IS-), and the only way Vox being the main antagonist next season is gonna cause any kind of growth is if Alastor is being forced to reconcile with his past.

Anyways uh, yeah that's it. I could do a tangent about how their relationship lowkey parallels Fizz & Blitzø(a comparison I made in this post but didn't actually go into depth on bcuz it wasn't relevant to the post beyond supporting my argument + didn't have much backing at the time), but I do NOT have the brain power to go in-depth comparing and contrasting that stuff rn, bcuz, despite the similarities, whatever the fuck Vox & Al have going on seems to be a LOT more Complicated and Sad then an accident and some dad-induced miscommunication. So I'm just gonna leave it at that :)

#hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #alastor hazbin hotel #hazbin vox #hazbin hotel vox #vox hazbin hotel #staticradio #radiostatic #alastor x vox #not rlly ship but Im not actively shitting on the pairing so I might as well tag the ship lol #late night ramblings #gal overanalyzes random shit

[thatoneluckybee]

Okay so this is interesting,

Found a study while looking something that suggests ADHD may contribute to lower cold and pain tolerance (I.e. suggesting if you have ADHD you may report more pain or cold than non-ADHD peers.) I've never considered this but it's a good read and is good to know!

(Feel free to add to or lmk if there's anything else you know about this topic or can find)

#Rambles #adhd #pain #pain tolerance #cold #cold tolerance #pain sensitivity #Cold sensitivity #peer review #Scientific journal #Idk what to tag this #disability #neurodivergent #neurodivergence

[cereal-bunny]

#this feels like an important contribution #anime #anime shitpost #kotaro tatsumi #zls #zlsr #zombie land saga #Kotaro is very Kenough #shitpost #i made another one where his shirt says ' I love your wife' because im a filthy oc x canon polyship shipper #lol

[non-plutonian-druid]

the concept for this is "what if voltron aliens were like, a little bit less humanoid." Galra (and alteans, not pictured) get to be the most humanoid because theyre main characters lol

[ID: various voltron aliens redesigned to remove many of their humanoid features. The Galra are largely unchanged; the only difference is that they have six limbs. Keith is demonstrating standing on four limbs; he looks not unlike a centaur, although the "horse" part is just a continuation of his body, not a horse (and is also the same color as his human skin, because it is human skin. sorry not sorry). Kolivan is demonstrating standing on two limbs, and towers over everyone else. Krolia is demonstrating standing on all six limbs, which looks uncomfortable but possible.

There is also an example of an Olkari; whose face is unchanged but now is built similar to a praying mantis; a Puigian, who retains the approximate locations of the face markings and horns but looks more like some kind of deer creature; an Arusian, which is built like a snail; and a mer alien, which now looks like a fish with hands and antennae. The Olkari is based on Ryner, and the mer alien is Plaxum. End ID.]

#vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #keith kogane #i feel like people use that tag more than #keith vld #even tho that is not his name lol #krolia #kolivan #galra #olkari #probably there is not a tag for arusians or puigians #there probably WOULD be a mer alien tag except they didnt fuckin give them a name lmao #keith should probably be wearing pants but it was important to me that you all know from the outset that he is not a cool centaur #thats human flesh just shaped wrong #with. admittedly. cool purple tattoos #my art #contributing to the voltron tag in a non-gravity falls au capacity for the first time in forever #primarily because these days every time i poke through the tag theres new anti activity i have to block #and i wanted to contribute something constructive to the tag #its been six years guys arent you tired yet

[lunar-years]

what's more painful... Roy sacrificing blankie, his Most Precious Item, to set a good example as captain, or Jamie sacrificing the boots from his mum to try and step up as part of the team only to immediately be removed from said team and sent back to City the next day.....

#like i guess at least Roy can feel like he was successfully contributing to something. with jamie its just like. #not only did he sacrifice an Important Object he also was seemingly Punished for it #im in deep pain #i am literally making myself so sad with this fic #that fucking bonfire yall #roy kent #jamie tartt #ted lasso #my writing

[sapphicnunnery]

entomology question!!

a while ago I was doing a bunch of research on mantids, and I was kinda fascinated my ghost mantids, and discovered that apparently we don’t really know what causes their coloration. But, like, really?? Because all of the information I could find was kinda old, and there was some speculation about it being environmental, like humidity or temperature or something, but has there been any new research???? Or does anyone have any anecdotal evidence from their own mantids??

Here’s some pictures of their color variation/range, just to show some examples

#entomology #bugblr #insects #mantis #questions #literally have been trying to figure this out for years #But apparently nobody is really researching this #I feel like this is very important research #Even though it wouldn’t contribute anything to science

[nomazee]

a month ago i said i would yell about misogyny and patriarchal themes in fanfiction and eventually i will but there are so many thoughts and feelings in my head that it will take me forever to type it down. But i will say this

Be critical of the things you read. i’m not saying you CANT read for enjoyment—you CAN and SHOULD read for fun. But i’m saying that sometimes you should take notice of the themes in writing and think “wow, i wonder why that’s written like that. Is this harmful or is this helpful?”

it’s a given that fanfiction is widely heteronormative because society and media blah blah blah We know all of this … but in my opinion i think it’s important to think about why women in hetero fics are portrayed the way they are sometimes. I think reader insert fics have gone a long way in being more inclusive and less harmful than they were years ago BUT. Do not let that stop you from recognizing themes in the works you read right now

like; Why are misogyny-affected people written a certain way?? Why are there often degrading themes in a lot of tropes and fics regarding women?? Why are there certain roles that misogyny affected people are expected to fulfill even in fiction?? why are women often the “default” for fics with male characters?? think about any of these questions for like longer than two minutes, read a bad fic, and you will probably see where i’m coming from

#this might be mindless nonsense #but i hope whoever is reading this can see where im coming from #there are a lot of harmful tropes in fanfiction #even those without a feminine leaning reader #and i think it's importnat to read for enjoyment while also thinking about the underlying meaning in writing #Everything is written the WAY it is written for a reason #whether the author realizes it or not #whether YOU as a reader realize it or not #i think very strongly of this #there’s a video i watched that re-ignited a lot of strong feelings for me about this #'booktok brainrot and why its okay to be a hater' by alisha not alihsha #very good points and that video mainly talks about like actual PUBLISHED books but that still very much applies to fics #all writing is important #i may maybe delete this later sigh #i really hope i do not come off as some elitist writer #the point is. read and write for fun. but sometimes its important to take the time to think about why things are the way they are #and if what youre writing/reading contributes or takes away from the harm #nora speaks

[aroandawkward]

When I was 16, my parents took me to the doctor because my periods hadn't started yet. And my mum told the doctor that I hadn't had a crush yet and asked if that could be connected. And the doctor didn't really say that my lack of attraction was a sign of something wrong, but he didn't say that it wasn't. I remember him using the word limerence and I didn't know what that meant. I remember him saying something about the age at which it's usually experienced and it was an age which I'd already passed. I remember him changing the subject without any real resolution to my mum's question.

At the time I didn't think much of it, but looking back now, I'm angry. I'm angry that my mum, with all her good intentions, thought that (what I now know to be) my orientation could be a medical problem. I'm angry that that possibility was raised to me before I learnt the words asexual and aromantic. I'm angry that my mum probably doesn't even remember this incident. I'm angry that the doctor didn't tell me that some people never experience attraction and there's nothing wrong with them. I'm angry that none of us - not me nor my mum nor the doctor nor anyone else I knew at that point in my life - knew that me never feeling attraction was a perfectly healthy possibility.

#tw aphobia #tw internalised aphobia #aromantic #asexual #I'm not going to be like 'imagine if this happened with other orientations' #because I know it has and it still does #but it's fucked up #And I know I'm lucky not to have been subject to any major medical discrimination #but this still makes me feel so uncomfortable to remember... #Honestly it probably contributed to how long I clung onto the idea that maybe I was just a late bloomer #And like I'm not even ruling out that my slightly fucked up hormones might be related to my aroace-ness #but even if they are what does it matter? #I just needed to be told that there was nothing wrong with me for not having had a crush #I just wish someone had told me that #Sorry this is kind of a vent but it feels like an important memory to me #Awkward aroposting

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

forever mad about how dirty they did aveline from act 2 onward

#thinking way too much abt it rn cus i just finished her quest today #she is important to liam and i enjoy their relationship a lot & also her character in general in the earlier acts #but MAN i hate what they did to her in acts 2 and 3 #laya plays dragon age #feels like there is such a disconnect from her attitude between acts 1 and 2? #or well. maybe not disconnect exactly but even so there is an important shift there and we never even get to see it OR question it #she could have been such a good contribution to the story and the themes by putting her at a crossroads of #do i keep following what i know and become another cog in the system or do i challenge them and break out of it #cus like. in act 1 she is not above going against laws when her own morals (or even just biases) go against them #but is generally still in favor of ''regular'' law and order (which does get challenged by characters sometimes which is nice!) #(sort of) blind loyalty is already a fault of hers and now her loyalty is understandably mostly towards her guards #but then her companion quest is not in fact about herself but about frickin. courting the guy she likes??????? #full on i thought this was a silly quest for levity in an act that has a lot of dark moments #but no it is Her Important Quest TM and not only does she not get with him if you dont do the quest #but her entire attitude and happiness going forward depends on it????? what the hell #also fun fact first time playing act 2 i thought that there was a lot going over my head and like #and some of it did yeah but i also just Assumed that bc the way aveline acted/ the guards actions were presented through her #didnt line up with what actually happened #(& her being so defensive and dismissive didnt line up with the impression i got of her before that) #sorry for the rant im just once again mad about cool characters being screwed over by the writing

[ladsofsorrow24]

can't i find something good about sasunaru without sakura or hinata-bashing...

kishimoto really done fucked up with the whole marriage thing, because these girls don't deserve this much hate, dude

#like i think if it wasn't for the whole marriage thing #people will hate sakura and hinata less #personally i just feel bad for them #they can be so much more but kishimoto fucked up real bad when writing them and their relationship to the main characters #like... they can exist as important characters without being a love interest you know? #and kishimoto actually have written pretty damn interesting female characters too #my favorite is kushina #she's got so much personality and her story #although pretty typical is totally understandable for a woman existing in turbulent times #but i might have to give credit to her wife rather than him #because he did say kushina's plot is her contribution so #yeah kishimoto is just... shit at writing female characters i guess #tmi tag

[fiapple]

repeat after me: if you are the descendent of colonizers living on stolen land, you do not get to judge the methods of decolonial resistance movements.

#this isn’t in relation to the last reblog itself it just reminded me of something #thoughts #sarahofmagdelene has some good shorts about this on insta though #like specifically abt how it relates to white feminism + patriarchal notions of (white) womanhood #the skinny of it being that white women tend to impose the standards of white womenhood laid out by white patriarchy onto those who they ar #*womanhood #(​sorry all over the place today) #complicit in the oppression of with the added specifically racialized view of violent resistance through the lens of various savage tropes #have to get a copy of her book after the strike tbh #but yeah i think a lot about this in congruence with how authoritarianism is such a deeply engrained aspect of whiteness & how that itself #contributes to the attitudes being discussed here being so prevalent even among my fellow white people who consider themselves leftist or #progressive (& how that relates to how many white people are liberals/neoliberals posing as being farther left than they are) #but if we were to relate this specifically to the last reblog i would like to point out that another part of that is the whiteness frames #good & bad as an immutable either/or binary & the way super fucked up notions of purity play into whiteness #which (not an excuse absolutely not acting like this is still 100000% white supremacist at its core) is what leads my fellow white people t #be so fearful of having current or past wrong doings pointed out as such & why so many are more concerned with being seen as racist than w #the actual racism they perpetuate/garner privilege from #because that means being horrible with no chance of change (thoug oppressed ppl do 100% hold the right to view their oppressors as such #the white guilt this often leads to when self imposed is what leads to attitudes like the article from the last post describes) #(& so the difference of perspective in the oppressed feeling that way & the oppressor using it to self flagellate is v important here) #& all of this is ultimately rooted in the carcerality inherent to whiteness as a social construct #both in terms of the far worse tangible violence imposed upon poc (particularly black people & fn ppl here in canada) & the carceral view o #morality white “culture” imposes upon those white people who are unwilling to fully do the work to divest from whiteness #hope this is coherent #also if any of this is out of line plz lmk #but basically to cut to the chase power (& as a result empowerment of the oppressed) viewed through the lens whiteness has set for it will #always be fucked up & lead to completely racist conclusions about liberation movements for poc #& the reason i mention this in relation to decolonial movements specifically is due to whiteness being an inherently colonial construct it’ #*itself #racism

[isfjmel-phleg]

🍽🍽🍽🍽

#random personal stuff #whining ahead feel free to ignore #Thursday nights used to be a lot of fun #somehow I feel like they've devolved into something stressful even though I don't think I'm doing anything different #I stress myself out making a full dinner for 3-4 people #try to convince the temperamental TV to stream our show #politely listen to conversations that are often hard to contribute to #wash a mountain of dishes after everyone goes #they always seem to have a good time! that's the important thing #not sure what MY problem is though #this should be a lot more fun than it has become #maybe I just have a bad attitude #the guests are happy and that's the point #it is my job to facilitate this get-together that we wouldn't be able to have otherwise and thereby provide social enrichment #it's successful it should feel more successful than it currently does #anyway enough of that good night everyone

[crowley-meratyn]

#malcom #rangersapprentice #ranger’s apprentice #i feel like this is an important contribution