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#writing tips
heywriters · 2 days
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This site looks wonderful? Copied their link list below for anyone who'd rather stay on Tumblr to preview what they offer.
Starting writing
Blank Page Blueprint
5-Minute Freewrite
More than a Muse
A Field Guide to Your Imagination
Write-alongs
Idea Help
100 Story Ideas
100 Flash Fiction Prompts
52 Romance Story Ideas
30 Scene Ideas for Plot Development
30 Scene Ideas for Character Development
30 Scene Ideas for World Development
Idea generator
Story Building Tarot Spread
Genre Help
Choosing a genre
Genre mindmaps
Plotting Help
How to use a Plot Formula
How to write a novella
One Page Novel Plot Formula
The Fool’s Journey
Escaping a tight spot
Plot hole worksheet
Plot twist worksheet
Ticking clock
Mini-quests
Try/fail cycles
Increasing conflict
Adding action
Creating suspense
Writing Help
How to finish your novel
Opening scenes
Creating mood
Creating metaphors and similes
Generating title ideas
Deciding point of view
Scene writing
Dialogue help
Writing a synopsis
Creative writing reading list
Blogging while writing
Novel in a month notebook
Google Docs for writers
Creative writing toolkit
How to export your Scrivener timeline
Character Help
Quick character creator
30 scene ideas for characters
Character quirks
Killing characters
Love your antagonist
Character motivation
Making trouble for characters
Couples worksheet
Naming characters
Choosing a narrator
Writing emotions
Expressing thoughts
Creating villains
Making decisions
Character occupations
Worldbuilding Help
City building
Technology worksheet
Creating magic systems
Politics
Rites and rituals
World history
World geography
Setting
Writer Help
Becoming a writer
Differentiating yourself
Creative writer worksheets
Creative writing syllabus
Writer’s self assessment
Getting unstuck
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writers-potion · 1 day
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Describing Food in Writing
I love food. And drinks.
When I think of the HP series, I recall the feasts. Treacle tarts and puddings. Butterbeer. Food trolley on the train and chocolate frogs in the Gryffindor common room.
Foods helps readers engage with the story, so it's good to know how to describe them.
Just one Adjective
There's really no need to go overboard with how a particular food tastes. If it's something that your readers are already familiar with, just add in a small detail.
Are the breakfast eggs yellow or white, clumpy or fluffy? Salty or bland? Grainy or silky?
Just one adjective/detail is enough.
Think of the Character
Take note of each character's palate while you describe. Especially if you're writing in 1st person POV.
Someone in your cast may be a culinary artist and another content with spray cheese.
Food descriptions can reveal a lot about character's personality and lifestyle.
Watch Food Shows
Master Chef. The Great British Baking Show. Aesthetic character baking channel on YouTube.
Food shows usually have a section where they assess/review the food made, which might be helpful.
Recently, I've noticed that 1-minute food reviewers on YT Shorts are pretty good at graphic yet succinct taste descriptions!
Ratatouille
I'm not kidding!
If you ever want to get into the mind of someone who is passionate about food, or need inspiration yourself - check this movie out.
Just watching Remy's passion and the magic of the culinary arts will boost your writer soul with inspiration (or something like it, anyway).
Experience Restaurants
The best research of all is probably experience, so the next time you eat a meal, challenge your palate.
Think about how it looks, tastes, and feels in you mouth.
If possible, try dishes your characters would eat and discern what they would detect. What elements of the disk would your character like?
Some Food Adjectives
Tangy Creamy Crispy Tender Juicy Exquisite Luscious Gourmet Wholesome Delectable Risk Zesty Succulent
Crunchy Greasy Gooey Tart Smoky Savory Marinated Meaty Moist Battered Dainty Homestyle Fudgy
If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸
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novlr · 1 day
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Clarity over flowery
Don’t rely too heavily on a thesaurus when trying to improve your writing.
Clarity is always better than complicated language, so if it doesn’t come naturally to you, don’t try to force flowery language into your work.
Word choice should always elevate, never dominate.
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tanaor · 3 days
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Tips on how to create hooking character arcs!!
(✨Dos and don'ts in character arc creation, part 1: don's✨)
Every writer knows that's a good character arc is something hard to achieve, and that there is usually a very fine line between making your characters evolve to the better and making them change completely... But don't worry! That's why today I wanted to share some of my tips to give your characters that something that will make their transformative journey unique, and also make your readers fall in love with them. So, let's get right to it!
DON'TS
1. Don't make your characters passive.
Your story needs someone strong to fight against whatever you are planning to put them trough! Making your characters strong doesn't necessary mean creating buff characters, but a good character will always have that *something* that can always push them to their try best. Could be a goal, a loved one, an ideology...
2. Don't give your characters some random disaster for no reason.
Of course, this things sometimes happen, but the best kind of disasters are the ones your character has put themselves into: they have no one else to blame (even if they tried). This are the disasters you should be pressuring for your characters, because they will teach your character something. Maybe your character was very egocentric during most of the story, and now they are alone. You can now either make them realize, or start a villain character arc were they believe the world has made them like that...
3. Don't make the decisions easy.
During the story, your character will have to take a lot of decisions, including many important ones, but here is the deal... Most of them shouldn't be easy. Make it hard for them to decide, make the decisions something that they feel guilty of, make them think that, maybe, "there really was a better alternative". Also remember that when taking hard decisions, characters usually decide what they think will make them suffer less: that's what we call pain vs pain.
4. Don't make everything terrible.
Remember: there's always calm before the storm. And, if you give your characters a false sense of victory, failure will always hurt more. (Even if you don't plan your characters to fail, it's a good technique to use before eventually everything comes down).
5. Don't be afraid of giving the character the ending they deserve.
When the story ends, you should be capable of naming at least three mayor changes in your character. But, of course, when the story ends you also want your readers to think "yes, that's what needed to happen". So, writers: don't be afraid. If the character deserves a bad ending, give it to them. If they deserve to succeed, let them win. Each story is different, but there will always be that ending that you feel is the right thing... Believe me, if a character deserves to fail, I'll want them to fail at the end, and there is not a feeling as good as someone getting what they deserve, what they have been earning since page one.
I wish this was helpful, and if you are interested keep tuned for the part 2: dos in writing character arcs. Happy writing everybody!!
Other tips for writers: previous
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zzzzzestforlife · 3 days
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✏️ what no one tells you about how to journal 📒
i was sick of all the "how to journal" content out there recycling the same advice that sounds great but doesn't always work in the reality of daily life. you're welcome 😏 (also low-key a shitpost, but there are nuggets of wisdom in here, i promise 😇)
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✍️ what to journal about ✍️
sure, you could journal about self development and treat your diary like your therapist, OR you could write about:
the pettiest grudge you're still holding onto from elementary school 😤
all the gossip about other people's lives that you have Strong Opinions™️ about, but you're a good person, so what goes in the journal, stays in the journal 🤫
all the witty comebacks you never say to people's faces because you're a sensible, non-confrontational person, but also you didn't think of it until later 🙃
the possibilities are endless, let your imagination run wild, and/or feel free to contact the blogger for more 🤭
🚫 when NOT to journal 🚫
this is just as, if not more, important as when to journal.
nothing to say — forget morning pages, i can barely string together a coherent greeting before lunch. also, a whole night's sleep is like a total memory wipe, so i have nothing to write about 🤷‍♀️ and don't listen to whoever says to just write "i have nothing to write about" because if you start enough entries with that, you're gonna begin to feel there's no point BUT THERE IS!! just not right now. and that's okay ☺️
too often — personally, i think it's important not to make journaling your one source of clarity 🔮 continue to think things through in your mind, confide in people you trust, and have moments (in nature, perhaps) that simply can't be transcribed to words 🌼
not feeling it — if you're too tired OR feel fulfilled and clear-headed enough about your day, don't make journaling a chore you have to do no matter what. if that means you don't journal everyday, then so be it 🌝
so when do you journal? in general, when doing so would add something to your day ☀️ whether that's peace, humor, gratitude, or something else.
🎁 materials 🎁
now for the fun part: let's go to the stationery store! 🛒
✒️ GET A PEN THAT WRITES SMOOTHLY! you are literally lowering the physical resistance that's keeping you from journaling, trust me it works. also pencils suck.
🔐 get a journal with a band, lock, clasp, button, etc. — just because it's fun, but it has the added benefit of securing your intellectual property(?)
have a separate journal for writing thoughts vs. schedules vs. todos vs. collections (TBR lists, recipes, etc.) — beats having to make and maintain a whole index to keep it all organized in just one (1) notebook 😵‍💫
🌸 stickers — are a pretty substitute for correction pens 😻 (in theory, but i have yet to use all the washi tape i bought 😅)
or just journal digitally, idgaf, do what works for you, okay? 😇
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howtofightwrite · 2 hours
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Is it possible for a character who is 18cm shorter and not as muscled as their opponent to pin said opponent to the ground in a few calculated moves? Both characters are fit and exercise regularly, but the shorter character has trained in various martial arts (with and without weapons) and the taller one is more proficient in sword duelling. My intent is to write a sparring scene where the shorter character humbles the (overconfident) taller one. Any specific martial arts I should look at?
So... being shorter doesn't matter. In fact, in this situation, it is an advantage.
I'm going to point out here that if you're not careful, your character that you want to have a badass moment is going to look like an complete asshole because they are humiliating another character who they actually are better than. If they haven't been trading off humiliations to build tension (safely so no one gets hurt) then you're going to have a lopsided “sparring” session. Or, you will, if you haven't been building up your narrative to support the humbling. (And there is a lot that goes into these scenes to make them work, which, if you're not familiar with how martial arts training works then you'll approach it from the wrong mindset and hit Starke's pet peeve.)
Let's hit the ground running with the high points:
Sparring is not dueling.
Sparring is not play fighting.
Sparring is not so you can humiliate your opponent.
Sparring is not about fighting anyone or anything.
Sparring is a training exercise so that both of you can work on improving specific techniques.
Do people in real life get carried away sparring? Yes, they do. Are they complete competitive idiots about it? Yes, they are. Do they get punished for it? Absolutely, they do. This is especially true where they'll be expected to put their lives on the line. Treating violence like a game is detrimental, and leaves the trainee ill-prepared for dealing with real danger when in the field. Make no mistake, that is exactly the mindset you are describing in this question. Your characters (at least your minor ones, the trainers in this situation if your leads are too young or too dumb to comprehend their reality) should care about stomping this attitude out. And you as the author should to. Why? Because if you don't take the violence in your narrative seriously neither will your audience.
There are rules, as a writer it's imperative you establish the rules (and there no rules means you haven't established them for violence in your setting and therefore won't be able to establish the baseline that can be built upon later) and one of the rules is that you're not going to spar someone with a weapon (wood or otherwise) unless you both have weapons. There's not a lot of value in having one character spar with a weapon and one spar without one unless it's a knife, and the point is learning the dangers of knife fighting. And knives make sense because they are in the same distance range as fists. Swords are in a completely separate distance category. They are mid-range weapons.
You don't practice disarms by sparring, you practice disarms by practicing disarms in a controlled setting where you're repeating the motion over and over. Can you humiliate a person by being good at practice disarms? Yes. You do it by being a complete dick. It also requires the character in question to be better at the moves in question than the other character performing them because they need to be able to confidently, or at least believe they can, counter the other person's growing anger while taking the move a step further or two than they're supposed to. It also means they can get away with it without arousing the suspicions of their instructor (or act with their instructors approval) and no one gets hurt. (We hope.) For a character to do this is a sign of overconfidence, FYI. As is trying to humiliate someone in a sparring session. The characters that are good enough? They don't do it.
In fiction, good sparring scenes serve one real purpose. They establish a baseline of skill in safe setting so the audience becomes comfortable only for that to be disrupted and thrown into chaos when the characters encounter real violence. There's two paths for this. Either the character is a big winner only to be brutally beaten later, or they get dumped on their ass to find that they're actually much better prepared than they thought later when it matters. That's why so many stories with these scenes dump their MC on their ass, especially in any Wuxia or Shounen manga. This is because the authors of these stories understand that sparring has no reflection on how well a person will do when they're allowed out of the training safe space. If your baseline is: my character is awesome. Then it's all downhill from that point on.
Say it with me, Losses Create Tension. If your character is winning all the time, you have no tension and your fight scenes will be boring. The goal when it comes to creating a character who is good at fighting is to make other characters look better. Or, from an antagonistic/mentor point they exist to establish the height our MCs must eventually reach/how much further they have to go in their journey. Kakashi's fight with Zabuza or the first fight between Itachi and Sasuke in Naruto are both great examples of how to do this well.
I'm not saying you can't write a sparring scene like the one you intend. I can't tell you to do anything, what I want to you to start doing is considering the implications of the scene, what it may say about your world and characters that you didn't intend, and it's overall impact on the whole of your narrative. Narrative gratification here is work you'll need to do to build back your tension later. Is it a win your MC can afford?
Now, you can look at any martial art that has a ground fighting component for what you want to do unless you're planning on having the duelist spar with their sword. If you want that, you're going to have to do a lot more work with a smaller pool. This will be doubly true if your characters are of European descent and you want to avoid the East Asian martial art styles.
Type: “how do you knock your opponent off balance?” into Google and you'll find a lot of variations.
The basic concept behind putting someone on the ground isn't strength, it's balance. The key is disrupting your opponent's balance. If you're skilled enough or your opponent's footwork is bad enough, it can be done in a single move. In fact, it can be done a variety of different ways from a variety of different moves from countless different martial arts. The question isn't can it be done, the question is how does your character want to do it? The fact they are short only helps them because their center of gravity will be lower than their opponent's, they don't have to work as hard to maintain their balance, their stance doesn't have to be as deep, and they will have an easier time knocking a taller person over. Most people who've never practiced martial arts have no idea how foundational the footwork is or how important the feet are to staying upright.
I personally like reviewing Silat for studying balance, not necessarily for techniques, but because I find their instruction on the concept easy to grasp/digest. They do the string on the top of the head and the balance triangle, which if you can wrap your mind around that you'll be able to conceptualize fight scenes where the character focuses on knocking an opponent off balance better. 
The above is a more advanced video, but if you have no martial arts background or even a sports background whatsoever then you want to aim for instructional videos that focus on concepts over techniques. The advice is always write what you know and if you don't know learn. Copying techniques onto the page won't create a great fight scene. Understanding the concept, philosophy, and basic body mechanics behind the techniques will get you much further. None of them are stand ins for real experience or doing it yourself. If you really want to be good at it, find a martial art you like, find a school nearby, and invest the time.
All of your characters' martial arts moves (whether they are dueling with a sword or fighting hand to hand) function around the body's center of gravity. Your center of gravity is slightly above your hips and in your core muscles i.e your abdominal muscles. They will be trained so maintaining their balance is second nature. When martial artists talk about overextending, they're talking about putting your weight past your balance point which puts you in danger of losing your balance/falling over or being grabbed, kicked, etc and getting thrown, tripped, or forced into a fall. This can happen when you're throwing a punch, doing a kick, lunging with your sword, or doing any other sort of movement. You end up in a position where your balance between your front and back leg is destabilized, which creates the opening for your opponent to throw you. Or when you fall over on the ice, because that happens too.
Some other martial arts to turn to:
Judo
Jiu Jutsu
Aikido
Baguazhang (Seen in Avatar the Last Airbender as the basis for Air Bending)
Tai Chi Chuan
Northern Shaolin
Taekwondo (if you want to do it via kicks, all kicking martial arts innately focus on balance)
Krav Maga
Ninjutsu
The list goes on.
I also recommend dipping your toes into live action martial arts flicks to start getting yourself accustomed to more complex choreography. This is getting yourself out of the animated space (like in anime) and into the space where you have to watch a live person perform the techniques. Asian cinema has a different choreography style than the US does, because there are different cultural expectations. Overall, the choreography is more intricate and they break the action down a lot more (as opposed to American media where they zoom out to cover for the stunt double.) It's easier to see how the bodies are working and they put a lot more focus on destabilizing balance as part of the fight sequences. Hollywood doesn't get into the weird martial arts shit unless it's an actual martial arts action film. You can also do an Avatar the Last Airbender/Legend of Korra deep dive because the action there is also usually on point, but I'm a proponent of going to the source when you want to learn something. So, you know watch Alchemy of Souls instead.
-Michi
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3hks · 3 days
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Substitutes For "Dead Parents"
Okay you guys! I mentioned this in a past post, but when it comes to family, some of ya'll are just... not creative. And don't get me wrong, having deceased parents is deep, dark, and hard, but at this point, a lot of readers simply overlook that because it's just that common. Not to mention, a lot of you guys aren't doing nearly enough with that information! So, for this post, I'll give some new examples relating to "family struggles!"
>> Neglect: Neglectful parents often don't give their child enough attention, time, or care. They don't always hate their kid; quite the opposite, really, they can still love their offspring and are simply unaware that they are being neglectful. This happens for a multitude of reasons: all their attention is focused on a different child, they're busy, or they're just uninterested in their kid's activities.
>> Abuse: Abuse is rather straightforward; it can be physical, mental, or even both. Even if it's only physical abuse, it can heavily damage the child's mental health and make them question their self-worth.
>> Fighting: I think that a lot of us have endured our parents fighting, and I'm fully confident that none of us enjoyed it. It's incredibly difficult for a kid to listen to their parents fight without knowing how to stop it, being stuck in the middle, and even worse, being the center of the argument. As it escalates, the child may even feel neglected, because their parents are only focused on each other.
>> Absence: Like neglect, these parents don't devote nearly enough attention and time to their child. However, this is because they are hardly present in the household to begin with. Normally, it's their career that keeps them away, leaving their kid to raise themselves.
>> Controlling: Oftentimes, controlling parents are found in, believe it or not, more successful households. Kids who have parents that own a successful business or are powerful in general are sometimes raised to follow those footsteps regardless if they want to or not. If they don't want to, as a result, they are kept on a tight leash. Controlling parents can also be found in stricter households.
>> Toxicity: Toxicity, a form of emotional abuse, can come in many forms, gaslighting, demeaning words, constant criticism, comparison, etc. Frequently, the child is unaware that their parents are being toxic until a third party points it out to them. This is because they've only known their parents acting in toxic manners; thus, it becomes their norm. However, it's also entirely possible for the parent to be oblivious to the fact that they're being toxic.
>> Distant: Being distant doesn't always have to be because of some crazy reason; they might've been a very happy and close family once, but as time passes on, they just simply start drifting in their separate ways. It's not the same as neglect or an absence; the child is usually able to adjust to it easier, and it might've even been their choice to be distanced from their parents.
>> Child Responsibility: This is a scenario where the kid acts more like a parental figure--they have to take care of both themselves and their family. In some situations, they also have to work in order to supply their family with enough money to be able to pay for life necessities. This normally happens when a/the parent(s) are out of commission and struggle to provide for their family. If the household is poor, the child might be working alongside their parents in an attempt to make their lives easier.
Did I miss anything? Let me know what you guys think about these substitutes!
Happy writing~
3hks :D
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anyreiart · 2 days
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A few quick tips on how to write a Summary and Visuals for Claim Sheets in Bangs
Participating in Bangs for years now, both as artist and writer, I've noticed a lot of fanfic writers struggle with what to put down for claims in Bangs.
The question I hear the most is: "Will this information work for an artist to be interested in my fic?"
As an artist, here are my quick tips on what information should be in a claim sheet:
Summary
Don’t write a summary that you would also use for your readers and ao3! The artist claiming your fic will be your partner in the project and doesn’t want to go in blind! So don’t use cliffhangers, or other stylistic choices to generate tension for the plot. Write an actual summary of your fic so the artist won’t have any bad surprises when the story takes a turn they aren’t comfortable with.
Give the Summary to a beta reader! A summary riddled with typos and grammar mistakes makes the artist think that your fic will also be badly written.
Don’t assume everyone has the same background knowledge that you have. If you use for example abbreviations or characters from other media, without referencing where this is from, artists might not understand your summary.
Give your summary to a person you trust and who doesn’t know your story and ask them if they understand what is going on. Use that feedback.
Visuals (examples)
Describe the world / setting! 
Is your world canon, or AU? Describe a scenery, or the atmosphere in your world setting. Is it a grey winter landscape, a barren apocalyptic world with three suns, is it a shabby dive bar with dirt stained floor?
Or Describe a scene that is pivotal in your story!
Example: The characters kissing under a cherry tree, it is windy and cherry blossoms falling around them. Character A wears a black and red plaid shirt and dark blue jeans, character B wears a tan trench coat with a blue tie, a white dress shirt and black dress pants. (Be descriptive!)
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I hope this will help someone the next time they struggle with that point in bangs! <3 Happy Writing!
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septembercfawkes · 15 hours
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Circling vs. Zigzagging Conflicts
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Nearly every writer understands that a story needs conflict. The protagonist sets off to fulfill a goal, runs into an antagonistic force, and their struggle creates conflict. This should happen in the story as a whole, this should happen in acts, and it should happen in almost every scene--the difference is that the smaller the structural unit, the smaller the antagonist and conflict (simplistically speaking).
Today I want to talk about a sneaky problem I sometimes see when editing manuscripts, one that relates to conflicts.
Sometimes the writer simply “circles” the conflict.
What I mean is that after a given conflict, nothing has actually changed in the story. We just completed a “circle.”
For example, say the protagonist is a favorite target of the schoolyard bully. They get into a verbal fight, but when it's over, nothing's different. The conflict didn't have any consequences.
It may not sound that bad.
And if it only happens once in a while, and there are enough other conflicts going on, it may not be.
But if this happens repeatedly or this is the main conflict, the plot isn't progressing. It just did a circle and the characters ended up in the same situation they were before the encounter. Essentially, no matter how exciting the scene may seem to be, you could still cut it and the story would be the same.
Let's look at an even less obvious example.
The protagonist needs to get Object X from Character B.
The protagonist finds a way to successfully steal it.
But then immediately afterward, Character B steals it back.
The scene ends, and the protagonist is back at square one.
It doesn't sound that bad, does it?
And if it only happens once in a while, and there are enough other conflicts going on, it may not be.
But if this sort of thing happens repeatedly--over and over and over--the plot isn't progressing. You're just going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. And if we just arc that path a bit, guess what? It creates a circle.
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Another example:
The protagonist has a problem.
But she's not taking action to solve the problem. 
Yes, she reacts emotionally to the problem.
She may even sometimes come up with a plan for how to try to solve the problem.
But she doesn't execute it. Or, some other problem comes up that keeps her from executing it.
And rather than come up with and execute a new plan to address that problem.
She just reacts emotionally to the problem.
Imagine this going on for multiple scenes.
The plot isn't progressing. She's just ruminating.
It still feels like the text is just circling the conflict.
Please know I'm not saying a story can never do these things. On rare occasions, circling conflicts can be useful, like when the point is to show the audience how some things don't change. My first example may arguably work near the beginning of the story, to show what the protagonist's day-to-day life is like. My second example can sometimes work as a frustrating irony. And my last example, well . . . don't do my last example. Okay, okay, maybe it could work to show off how the protagonist is incapable of or has the flaw of never moving forward (and chances are it'd probably be better to illustrate that through summary, rather than scene).
And some degree of circling can work, when the story needs to end with the characters and world in the same place they started, like in a serial, but note that usually through the installment, there isn't much circling.
And often, even if the external circumstances complete a circle, the journey changed the character internally in some significant way.
BUT if you are repeatedly writing examples like those above, where the situation at the end of a scene or act is essentially the same as it was at the beginning of the scene or act, then you aren't moving the story forward.
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Sure, conflict may show up on the page, but the text is just circling it.
Instead, it's much more effective to create a zigzag. 
If we wanted to keep this super simple, we might say the scene (or act) needs to move from a positive situation to a negative situation, or a negative situation to a positive situation. Or, a positive situation to a better situation, or a negative situation to a worse situation. Essentially:
+ --> -
- --> +
+ --> ++
- --> --
This is a good starting point, but I admit, it sometimes feels oversimplified to me.
In any case, the situation the character is in, has changed.
The story didn't do a circle. It did a zigzag (or zigzigger or zagzagger). 
The protagonist had a goal, encountered an antagonist, had a conflict, and the conflict came to a definitive outcome (if only on the small scale for that scene). It hit a climax or turning point.
And that outcome carries consequences.
The protagonist gets in an argument with the bully and gets suspended for his language. If he's suspended, his parents will ground him, and he won't get to go on an upcoming date with his crush. It's a setback.
Character B steals Object X back and in the process, mortally wounds the protagonist. Now the protagonist needs to get help before they die.
The protagonist takes action to solve the new problem, and not only succeeds, but manages to solve her original problem at the same time.
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But often just adding consequences isn't enough. We need to make sure the consequences aren't or can't be undone, at least not easily or coincidentally. We don't have the protagonist's dad have a serendipitous change of heart and simply allow the protagonist to go on the date.
Don't undo what you just did (generally speaking). 
If the protagonist ended with a bigger or new problem, make him put in the effort to try to solve it. (See the "No, and . . ." vs. "Yes, but . . . " rule under "Disaster.")
And don't forget my "acid test" for plot progression. At the end of the scene (or act), ask, did the protagonist's current goal and/or plan shift? If the answer is no, chances are you did a circle. (Or you at least left things stagnating). If the answer is yes, something changed.
As I mentioned above, sometimes the change is internal. 
Maybe Character B did simply steal Object X back, but maybe that leads to the protagonist realizing he doesn't want Object X as much as he wants revenge on Character B. He hatches a plan to exact that.
While that may not be as strong as the protagonist getting mortally wounded, it's better than nothing changing, and the experience does change the direction of the story.
Personally, I'd still be cautious of writing such a situation, though. In most types of stories, we want consequences to be both internal and external.
But that topic could be another post.
So in closing: zigzagging conflicts is better than circling them.
Adieu.
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bookishdiplodocus · 2 days
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A longread on writing comedy
This is what I do to research writing comedy:
What helped me most was analyzing a lot of jokes: "It's funny. Why is it funny? How does this joke work?" Usually it's something that subverses the expectations in a specific way or an unexpected collision of two things. (Like a pun is a collision of sound and meaning.) For my analysis, I wonder: "What is the expectation after the set-up? Why do I have this expectation? How does the pay-off subverse the expectation? Why does it still make sense in relation to the set-up?"
For example: I unleashed this kind of analysis on the movie George of the Jungle. It has a surprisingly high hit rate, I think around three jokes per minute in the first one third of the movie, and it still manages to get the story going and the characters introduced. I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t think I gave examples, and you know I’m all about the teaching.
I found at least 17 types. Heads up, this is going to be a longread.
Type 1: Puns
Narrator: “When they finally beheld the mighty Ape Mountain…” [They see a mountain shaped like a gorilla head.] Narrator, cont’d: “… they reacted with awe.” All: “Aww.” Narrator: “I said ‘awe”. A-W-E.” All: “Ooh!” Narrator: “That’s better.”
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Explanation:
The pun lies in the fact that “awe” and “aww” sound the same.
There is a visual type of comedy as well that we can’t effectively reproduce in writing: the mountain is shaped like a gorilla head.
BTW: the narrator defies genre expectations by interacting with the characters, and the characters defy genre expectations by being able to hear the narrator.
Type 2: Tone of voice
Narrator, about the main characters: “Scraped and boo-booed, they searched high and low.
Explanation:
“Boo-booed” is a children’s word, not the tone you would use for a hero. Compare “tummy” and “stomach”.
Type 3: Defying genre expectations
[The guide falls off a rope bridge into a deep chasm.] Narrator: “Don’t worry—nobody dies in this story. They just get really big boo-boos.”
Explanation:
The narrator is breaking the fourth wall.
Again: tone of voice with the “boo-boos”.
Contrast between the boo-boo and the injuries one usually suffers after falling into a deep chasm.
Type 4: Not defying genre expectations
[A lion appears from the bushes. A baby monkey makes a sound like “uh-oh”.] [The baby monkey does the Tarzan call and bangs its chest.] [The lion flees.] [The monkey giggles.] [The monkey gives George a thumbs up.] [From the bushes, the lion winks at George. George winks back.]
Explanation:
Expectation: the lion is a danger to the baby monkey and George will need to fight it to save the monkey.
Defying expectations: the monkey and the lion are in on the plan.
Not defying genre expectations: George of the Jungle is clearly based on Tarzan. George doesn’t refer to that fact, but the monkey does, by doing the Tarzan call and banging its chest.
Improbable: monkeys who giggle and give thumbs up.
Impossible: lions who wink.
Type 5: Contrast
Narrator: “Meanwhile, 43 vines away, George’s kingdom is being threatened by a terrifying intruder.” [We see the adorable Leslie Mann, who plays Ursula, smiling and talking to the camera.] Ursula: “Hi! It’s me again!”
Explanation:
Contrast between what the narrator says and what we see.
The narrator isn’t lying. He refers to Lyle and the poachers who will be introduced in this scene.
There’s also humor in the phrase “43 vines away”, because of the overt specificity and because a vine is not a measure of distance.
Type 6: Oblivious character
[Lyle takes a Polaroid picture of one of the guides.] Lyle: “Do you like it? Magic picture. Yet another gift from America. Here you go. You’re welcome.” [The guide replies in Swahili. There is no translation in the subtitles.] [All the guides laugh.] [The guide continues in Swahili. Only the last few words are in English: “35 mm.” The guide takes his own camera and snaps a picture of Lyle.] [All the guides and Ursula laugh.] Lyle, not amused: “Translation, please.” Other guide: “He says he likes your magic pictures, but he prefers the resolution of the Leica 35 mm transparencies.” [Everyone but Lyle laughs.] Other guide, cont'd: “He also says your lens is dirty, but he has the equipment to clean it for you.”
Explanation:
Lyle doesn’t understand Swahili, while the guides understand everything Lyle says to them in English.
The fact that Ursula, Lyle's fianceé, understands Swahili and laughs along with the guides, is adds contrast to his obliviousness.
Lyle is the butt of the joke. He humiliates the guides and now he’s humiliated on his own turf while the guides don’t stoop down to his level.
This joke is threefold: 1. The set-up: Lyle is the arrogant asshole who thinks he’ll show the locals about technological development. 2. The guide is not only not impressed, he knows Polaroid and has a camera of his own, and is knowledgeable. 3. And he demonstrates his superiority in a (more or less) polite way.
Type 7: Slapstick
[George is swinging on the vines.] Narrator: “He is swift. He is strong. He is sure. He is smart.” [George hits a tree and falls.] Narrator, deadpan: “He is unconscious.”
Explanation:
Slapstick is another type of humor that barely translates to written fiction, when the actors behave silly, for example by falling over, hurting themselves, or others. It's often over the top. Laurel & Hardy is a well-known example of slapstick.
Type 8: Alliteration
Narrator: “The tired trekkers trudged on feverish footsies over perilous paths.”
Explanation:
If several words in each other’s vicinity start with the same letter, it’s called alliteration.
Note that "footsies" is another example of a contrast in tone of voice—it’s another children’s word.
Type 9: Improbable things
[George spins a lion over his head.] George: “George not even trying hard.”
Explanation:
While not impossible, spinning an actual lion over one’s head is improbable and thus goes against real-world expectations.
Type 10: Impossible things
[A gorilla called Ape enters George’s tree house and scares Ursula.] Ursula: “What does it want? What does it want?” Ape: [points at a big book] “It wants its Physician’s Desk Reference, if you don’t mind, unless you’d rather die of dengue fever, of course.” [Ursula faints again.]
Explanation:
Gorillas can’t talk, can’t read, and aren’t usually well-versed in curing tropical diseases.
Type 11: Breaking social norms
[Ursula is unconscious. George licks her face, clearly meaning well.]
Explanation:
In our society, it is not only considered impolite but also gross to lick the face of a stranger. The fact that George does this anyway, clearly not realizing he does something wrong, is a subversion of what we’d expect of social norms and behavior.
Type 12 and 13: Hyperbole and understatement
[Earlier, Ursula fainted when she saw Ape talk and do human things.] [Ape is reading when he sees Ursula look at him. He panics, throws the book away, starts grunting, and bangs his chest.] [Ursula faints again.] Ape: “Eh.”
Explanation:
Ursula fainting again is a hyperbole: a reaction that is stronger than expected.
Ape saying “Eh.” is an understatement: a reaction less strong than expected.
Type 14: Obvious repetitions
Ursula: “… And I didn’t want my fianc—Um, this guy I was with, to worry.” Narrator, a few moments later: “George and Ursula set out on a desperate search to find her fianc—Uh, that guy she was with.”
Type 15: Stating the obvious
[We see the guide’s hand, pointing at a really big footprint in the mud.] Narrator: “Meanwhile, back at the really big footprint in the mud, (...)”
Explanation:
Stating the obvious can be funny because the audience doesn’t expect you to do or say this because it is so very obvious.
Type 16: Adult humor
[George watches Ursula sleep.] George: “George having stirrings of special feelings right now.” Ape, drily: “I see.” George: “Good thing she same species, huh?”
Explanation:
Ape’s reply, “I see”, could be an innuendo, but it doesn’t come across as a joke (to me at least). Maybe it’s downplayed because it’s a children’s movie.
If this is an innuendo, it’s a play on words. “I see”, figuratively, for “I understand”, or literally for “Yes, I can tell from your erection.”
“Good thing she same species” because George shouldn’t have stirrings of special feelings for animals.
Type 17: Rhyme
[George is swinging on a vine.] George: “Look, like this!” Song: “He flies through the air with the greatest ease.” Song, cont’d: “Our daring young man on the flying trapeze.” [George hangs upside down from a vine.] George: “Look, no hands.” Song, cont’d: “His movements so grateful, all girls he could please.” Song, cont’d: “And with love he is swinging away…” [On the ground, gorillas frantically run back and forth with a safety net.] Song, cont’d: “He flies through the air with the greatest of ease.” Ursula: “George, watch out for that—” Song, cont’d while George yelps: “Our daring young man on the—” [Song stops abruptly.] [Thud] [George grunts.] Ursula: “… tree.”
Explanation:
When words end in the same sounds, we call it rhyme.
It’s physically impossible to hang from a vine with no hands.
The gorillas with the safety net imply that they expect George to fall.
Also, it’s improbable that gorillas would do this.
Slapstick: George hitting the tree.
Comedic timing: Ursula being just too late to warn George about the tree.
Song + Ursula: “Our daring young man on the—tree.” Because by then he is literally stuck to the tree.
Or throw everything at the audience, whatever.
[George has a pet elephant, Shep, who behaves like a happy doggy.] [Shep is chewing a humongous bone.] Narrator: “Later, they rested, while the tired tusker teethed on a… Wait a second, the dog bone is too much. Lose it.” [The dog bone disappears.] Narrator: “That’s better.” [Shep whines.]
Explanation:
Improbable: Pet elephant who behaves like a doggy.
Alliteration: “tired tusker teethed”
Fourth wall: the narrator comments on the story while it is going on, and edits it.
*** Here are some other funny situations from the movie. Try to analyze what’s going on. Usually you can spot several types.
Situation 1
Narrator: “Meanwhile, at a very big and expensive waterfall set, Ursula was amazed that she was lost in the wilderness with a jungle man.” Ursula: “And here I am, lost in the wilderness with a jungle man.”
Situation 2
Narrator: “The guides came dangerously close—” Narrator: “That is, dangerously close to shove a coconut up in Kyle’s—” Narrator: “Sleeping bag.”
Situation 3
Lyle: “I am the richest, handsomest, smartest guy here, so I get to go first!” [Lyle pushes past everyone, trips over a tree stump and lands face first in a steaming pile of elephant poop.] Lyle: “There’s an elephant here.” Guide, while looking straight into the camera: “Bad guy falls into poop. Classical element of physical comedy.” Guide, cont’d: “Now comes the element where we throw our heads back and laugh.” Guide, cont’d: “Ready?” Other guides, while also looking straight into the camera: “Ready!” [All the guides throw their heads back and laugh.] [Monkey laughs and points at Lyle.] [Off-screen, other animals make laughing sounds.] Lyle, spitting out poop: “Those are nowhere near properly digested.” Lyle, cont’d: “In case anyone is wondering, I’m okay.”
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Situation 4
[Cliffhanger: it looks like Lyle has shot George from up close.] Narrator: “Whew! Okay kids, let’s settle down and review the important information. Lyle is a big doofus. Poor George was actually shot but can’t die because, let’s face it, he’s the hero. So, the naturally concerned and preternaturally wealthy Ursula Stanhope whisked George away on a private jet bound for the country of his birth—” [George has a tiny band-aid on his forehead.] Narrator, cont’d: “—where he’s gonna get the finest medical treatment available!” Ursula: “I’m gonna get you the finest medical treatment available.”
Situation 5
Narrator: “Well, Ursula […] could use a best friend now.” Best friend: “Hi!” Ursula: “He’s in the shower.” Best friend, distracted: “Not anymore.” George, naked: “Bad waterfall. First, water get hot—” [A sexy saxophone plays] George, cont’d: “Then George slips on this strange yellow rock.” [Perspective: the camera looks at the two women, seen from between George’s legs. They are clearly ogling his crotch.] [Ursula swoons.] George, noticing the friend: “Hi! George of jungle.” Friend, eager: “Charmed, I’m sure.” [Ursula hands George objects that barely cover his crotch. The camera switches back to a frontal view of George. The friend is still ogling George.] Best friend, mumbling appreciatively: “I see why they made him king of the jungle.” *** I hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, and happy writing!
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Hiii, I just dicovered your acc and i'm loving it 🥰 I have this lil problem where I have in mind and write scenes but without a plot. And I'm very fond to the characters so I can't put them into a plot because I don't want them to suffer or a think if they do suffer it'll we forced and too much. Any tips for that?
How to Plot A Novel If You Only Have Characters & Scenes
So, you have a great cast of characters and some exciting scenes in mind, but you're struggling to put them together into a cohesive plot. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many writers struggle with plotting their novels, especially when they have a strong focus on characters and scenes. I have also been facing difficulties with this recently. But fear not, in this article, I’ll help you explore how you can plot a novel even if you only have characters and scenes to work with.
Why Is Plotting Important?
Before we dive into the how, let's first understand why plotting is important. A well-crafted plot is the backbone of any successful novel. It keeps readers engaged, creates tension and conflict, and ultimately leads to a satisfying resolution. Without a strong plot, your novel may fall flat and fail to capture the attention of readers.
Types of Plots
There are many different types of plots, but they can generally be categorized into three main types: character-driven, plot-driven, and hybrid.
Character-driven plots focus on the internal struggles and growth of the main character. The plot is driven by the character's desires, flaws, and decisions.
Plot-driven plots focus on external events and conflicts that drive the story forward. The characters may still have their own arcs, but the main focus is on the events and how they affect the characters.
Hybrid plots combine elements of both character-driven and plot-driven plots. They have a balance of internal and external conflicts that drive the story forward.
Understanding the type of plot you want to create can help guide your plotting process.
How to Plot A Novel with Only Characters & Scenes
Now that we understand the importance of plotting and the different types of plots, let's explore how you can plot a novel with only characters and scenes.
Start with Your Characters
Since you already have a strong cast of characters, it makes sense to start with them. Take some time to fully develop your characters, including their personalities, motivations, and flaws. This will help you understand how they will react in different situations and what conflicts they may face.
Identify Your Main Conflict
Every novel needs a main conflict that drives the story forward. This could be a physical conflict, such as a battle or a chase, or an emotional conflict, such as a character's internal struggle. Identify what the main conflict in your novel will be and how it will affect your characters.
Create a Story Structure
A story structure is a framework that helps guide the flow of your novel. It typically includes the beginning, middle, and end, and can be broken down further into acts or chapters. Creating a story structure can help you see the bigger picture of your novel and how your characters and scenes fit into it.
Map Out Your Scenes (High Priority) 🚩
Now it's time to map out your scenes. Start by listing all the scenes you have in mind, even if they are not in chronological order. Then, arrange them in a logical order that makes sense for your story. This may require some rearranging and tweaking to ensure a smooth flow of events.
Connect Your Scenes with Conflict (High Priority) 🚩
Once you have your scenes in order, it's time to connect them with conflict. Every scene should have some form of conflict, whether it's internal or external. This will keep readers engaged and drive the story forward. Look at each scene and identify the conflict present, and how it connects to the main conflict of the novel.
Create a Character Arc for Each Character
As your characters go through different conflicts and events, they should also experience growth and change. This is where character arcs come in. A character arc is the journey a character goes through, from their initial state to their final state. Create a character arc for each of your main characters, and make sure their actions and decisions align with their arc.
Add Subplots
Subplots are smaller storylines that run parallel to the main plot. They add depth and complexity to your novel and can help develop your characters further. Look at your characters and see if there are any side stories or relationships that could be explored in a subplot. Just make sure they tie back to the main plot in some way.
Use Plotting Tools
If you're struggling to put all the pieces together, consider using some plotting tools to help you. There are many resources available, such as plot diagrams, beat sheets, and storyboards, that can help you visualize your plot and ensure all the elements are in place. If you need help with scene structure use my new scene workbook here.
Real-World Examples of Plotting with Characters & Scenes
One example of a novel that successfully uses characters and scenes to drive the plot is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. The main conflict is the trial of Tom Robinson, but it is the characters, particularly Scout and Atticus, and their reactions to the events that drive the story forward.
Another example is "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. The main conflict is the Hunger Games themselves, but it is Katniss' internal struggle and her relationships with other characters that keep readers engaged and invested in the story.
Final Thoughts
Plotting a novel with only characters and scenes may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be done successfully. Start by fully developing your characters, identifying the main conflict, and creating a story structure. Then, map out your scenes, connect them with conflict, and create character arcs. Don't be afraid to use plotting tools to help you along the way. With these tips, you'll be on your way to crafting a compelling plot that will keep readers hooked until the very end.
If you require assistance with developing your scene structure, you can access my Scene Workbook for Writers at no cost.
I am sorry to the individual who sent me this question. I have a lot of questions in my Tumblr inbox and have only recently come across this nice question. I apologize for the 4-month delay.
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writers-potion · 2 days
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Writing Toxic Parents
They are Manipulative.
Guilt and shame are their two most beloved tools here.
Because they are emotionally precarious, they know exactly how to put someone on the hook.
They hold time, money, friendships or other items as pawns and batter the child's self-esteem to submission.
They may try to gain control by being overly critical of the child's decisions, even as an adult.
They are Abusive.
Abuse doesn't have to be hitting, yelling, threats or something totally obvious.
More subtle forms of abuse like name-calling, shifting blame, silent treatment or gaslighting are equally damaging.
Many parenting strategies like grounding, restricting TV time, or having curfew can turn into abuse if applied excessively and forcefully; often with the intention of making the parent satisfied that they've "taught" the child something.
They Have No Boundaries.
This can manifest in various forms. It may be the parents pushing their child into a specific way of life for self-satisfaction.
It can be the parents projecting their inner insecurities onto their child, like how almond moms underfeed their children "for their own good".
The child in this case may tire from their intrusive tactics (which often continues into early adulthood) and simply give in out of frustration or exhaustion.
Here's a list of questions to determine whether your protagonist has a toxic parent(s):
Are they told they're constantly bad?
Are they forced to care for their parents at a young age?
Are they scared to show their anger or frustration to parents?
Do they keep secrets from their friends about what happens at home?
Do they just feel they will never live up to their parent's expectations?
If you like my blog, buy me a coffee! ☕
Reference: <Write Great Fiction: Plot and Structure (techniques and exercises for craftin a plot that grips readers from start to finish)> by James Scott Bell
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novlr · 14 hours
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hello, I’m a new writer here on tumblr. I’ve been posting my writing lately but that seems to attract not even a single person. And I want people to review my writings and post down their opinions on it..how do I get people to view my writing here?
Like any social media platform, you get out of Tumblr what you put in.
Tumblr is all about community, so it's important to make sure you engage, not just put out content. We've put together this article in the Reading Room that's all about how writers can get the most out of Tumblr.
But we also have some great resources for more general book marketing that have some transferrable information for any social media platform you might be using to promote your work.
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necroticintellect · 2 days
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do you have any specific techniques you like to use for prose? I've been struggling 🫠🔥
I do have a specific technique...but me telling it to you won't help your struggle. In fact, I think it'd make it worse. I'm going to take a guess that your struggle is stemming from not knowing where to start.
BUT. I will share one. The technique I'm going to share with you is going to be an important pillar.
Just write what you feel.
I know that can be an annoying piece of advice as it seems generic and non-informative. I've been down the "I DONT FEEL ANYTHING!!" road plenty of times. But trust me...you've got something in there. Use it for what it's worth. There's no specific rule for prose.
Sure, I have a specific way I like to do it...but that's my way. I'm not going to sit here and preach it to you like it's the only way.
Your way is however YOU LIKE to do it. Not how an audience wants you to do it...not how you think you should do it because you saw someone else's way receive more praise.
I'm sorry this got long winded...but I felt like I needed to tell you this. Never adopt someone else's way because you can't find yours. Just pull out a shovel and make a path!
Best of luck 🌹
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Conflict and Genre; Hurting Our Characters in Ways That Matter
If you've even only skimmed my blog, you may have noticed that I preach the importance of character and conflict above all other elements of narrative. The qualities of these dictate the qualities of the story, and by and large, every other narrative element will in part develop from these. I've written a bit about what makes strong characters here and on random other posts, but now it's time to talk conflict: what it is and how we write it.
You'll read everywhere that there are two types of conflict: internal and external. This is true but misaligned. That's kind of like saying the two types of planets are Earth and all the other planets. In reality, most conflicts are a mix of both with varying ratios of one to the other, and "internal" does a lot of heavy lifting in this dichotomy. Is it emotional? Mental? Religious? Interpersonal? A lot of stuff goes on in the human brain!
I've used conflict a bit already without defining it, so let's do so. Conflict is anything in a narrative that negatively affects a character and that character's reaction. It's a broad concept! A duel with a dragon and a tough breakup are equally valid conflicts. You might hear people advise to "hurt your MC." This is true albeit quirky and cliche. Hurt your characters, yes, but the other half of conflict, your character's reaction, is necessary to crafting a strong story. If the duel the dragon, win, and return home victorious, case closed, that's not a very interesting story; if your character goes through the breakup with healthy coping mechanisms and emotional maturity, who cares? What gives? Unless it's the end of the story, the reader doesn't want the conflict to resolve! (Or, they don't want every conflict to resolve. Some can, but always keep one fire lit.)
Your goal as a writer should be to lead your character's decisions deeper into their conflicts. Of course, this shouldn't be obvious--if characters make bad, stupid decisions, the reader will catch on. But you can use your character's flaws and vulnerabilities to make them make poor decisions or otherwise get them in binds without the reader noticing.
One example from my own work: In one of my novels, The Ghosts of Glass Lake, one character focuses on her acting career so she won't have to focus on her mother's suicide. The suicide affected the character negatively, and the focus on acting was her reaction. Obviously, this focus wasn't the healthy thing to do, which gives me as a writer room to play with and grow this conflict. While she's rehearsing, she sees her mother's ghost from time to time. When she does try to resolve this trauma, she goes about it wrong by attempting to speak with her mother via spirit box instead of, y'know, going to therapy. Other characters try to help her cope by dubiously legitimate methods. By the end of the novel, she hasn't reconciled her acting career with the effects of her mother's death, and this tension hurts the people around her.
One example from classic literature: In Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse, each character witnesses and thinks upon how other characters treat them and others. This novel has next to no external conflict. One character, Lily Briscoe, loves to paint and notices how the men around her talk about how women can't paint, and a second character mansplains some painting lingo to her. Most of her time in the novel is spent in these interactions or thinking about them and the greater societal shifts that caused them, and by the end of the novel, she accepts herself as a painter and completes the piece she'd been working on.
My and Woolf's examples have some commonalities and some differences. Woolf's is almost entirely internal where mine is almost entirely internal until late in the novel when it grows an external bent. In both cases, conflict is both something that negatively affects a character and that character's reaction to it. This reaction causes the conflict to deepen, which causes another reaction, and a cycle starts that will only resolve (if you want it to resolve) at the end of the narrative.
The type of conflict you write is a question of style, but certain genres historically lend themselves towards one or the other. You'll often hear "genre fiction" and "literary fiction" tossed around in literary discourse. These are two umbrella categories that if you ask me don't really exist anymore, but that's another topic for another time. So disclaimer, read below with a grain of salt, but not too big a grain, as there is truth here.
Genre fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, romance, mystery, thriller) trends towards external conflict: will they kill the dragon and save the princess? Will they win the space war? Find the culprit? Escape the killer? Literary fiction ("the classics," realistic fiction) trends towards internal conflict: how do we come of age? Recognize death? Understand love?
The dichotomy of genre/literary was created during a time when those labels weren't so liquid (here's a great article on the topic), but nowadays, great books blur these lines more than they ever had. Circe is a book with the popular conventions of Percy Jackson but is also a meditation on gender and family obligations. Station Eleven is a post-apocalyptic dystopia about how we find meaning in our everyday lives. American Gods has the trappings of any old adventure story but also questions past and present systems of belief.
And was this genre/literary conflict dichotomy ever real? I would argue no and that the strongest genre fiction also incorporates internal conflict. The Lord of the Rings is a story about Sauron and the Nazgul just as it is about the nature of power and responsibility, advancing technology, and the environment; The Left Hand of Darkness is an adventure across an ice planet but only through the lenses of gender and religion; Dune is about drugs and worms but also religious conflict, imperialism, indigenous culture, and much much more; Earthsea is an adventure through magical archipelagos and also a meditation on grief, gender norms, and reconciliation. You can say similar things as these to any great piece of genre fiction, but I don't personally think this works in reverse. Not every story needs external conflict, as Virginia Woolf shows, though even the most literary of stories will use some, even if only on accident. This is because the best stories always say something deeper about their characters than simply "they can kill the dragon"; the best stories get at what it means to kill a dragon.
So in anything you write, try adding this internal axis! If you're not used to it, try this exercise. Ask yourself what the external conflict is. Then ask yourself how your character feels about it. When you have even 5% of an answer, start writing it! Then when those feelings get that character into more or deeper trouble, ask how they feel about that, then write again. Conflict is what happens to your character as much as what your character's reaction says about them.
Asks are always open if you have any questions!
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deoidesign · 9 months
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A general cane guide for writers and artists (from a cane user, writer, and artist!)
Disclaimer: Though I have been using a cane for 6 years, I am not a doctor, nor am I by any means an expert. This guide is true to my experience, but there are as many ways to use a cane as there are cane users!
This guide will not include: White canes for blindness, crutches, walkers, or wheelchairs as I have no personal experience with these.
This is meant to be a general guide to get you started and avoid some common mishaps/misconceptions in your writing, but you absolutely should continue to do your own research outside of this guide!
This is NOT a medical resource!!! And never tell a real person you think they're using a cane wrong!
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The biggest recurring problem I've seen is using the cane on the wrong side. The cane goes on the opposite side of the pain! If your character has even-sided pain or needs it for balance/weakness, then use the cane in the non-dominant hand to keep the dominant hand free. Some cane users also switch sides to give their arm a rest!
A cane takes about 20% of your weight off the opposite leg. It should fit within your natural gait and become something of an extension of your body. If you need more weight off than 20%, then crutches, a walker, or a wheelchair is needed.
Putting more pressure on the cane, using it on the wrong side, or having it at the wrong height can make it less effective, and can cause long term damage to your body from improper pressure and posture. (Hugh Laurie genuinely hurt his body from years of using a cane wrong on House!)
(some people elect to use a cane wrong for their personal situation despite this, everyone is different!)
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(an animated GIF of a cane matching the natural walking gait. It turns red when pressure is placed on it.)
When going up and down stairs, there is an ideal standard: You want to use the handrail and the cane at the same time, or prioritize the handrail if it's only on one side. When going up stairs you lead with your good leg and follow with the cane and hurt leg together. When going down stairs you lead with the cane and the bad leg and follow with the good leg!
Realistically though, many people don't move out of the way for cane users to access the railing, many stairs don't have railings, and many are wet, rusty, or generally not ideal to grip.
In these cases, if you have a friend nearby, holding on to them is a good idea. Or, take it one step at a time carefully if you're alone.
Now we come to a very common mistake I see... Using fashion canes for medical use!
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(These are 4 broad shapes, but there is INCREDIBLE variation in cane handles. Research heavily what will be best for your character's specific needs!)
The handle is the contact point for all the weight you're putting on your cane, and that pressure is being put onto your hand, wrist, and shoulder. So the shape is very important for long term use!
Knob handles (and very decorative handles) are not used for medical use for this reason. It adds extra stress to the body and can damage your hand to put constant pressure onto these painful shapes.
The weight of a cane is also incredibly important, as a heavier cane will cause wear on your body much faster. When you're using it all day, it gets heavy fast! If your character struggles with weakness, then they won't want a heavy cane if they can help it!
This is also part of why sword canes aren't usually very viable for medical use (along with them usually being knob handles) is that swords are extra weight!
However, a small knife or perhaps a retractable blade hidden within the base might be viable even for weak characters.
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Bases have a lot of variability as well, and the modern standard is generally adjustable bases. Adjustable canes are very handy if your character regularly changes shoe height, for instance (gotta keep the height at your hip!)
Canes help on most terrain with their standard base and structure. But for some terrain, you might want a different base, or to forego the cane entirely! This article covers it pretty well.
Many cane users decorate their canes! Stickers are incredibly common, and painting canes is relatively common as well! You'll also see people replacing the standard wrist strap with a personalized one, or even adding a small charm to the ring the strap connects to. (nothing too large, or it gets annoying as the cane is swinging around everywhere)
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(my canes, for reference)
If your character uses a cane full time, then they might also have multiple canes that look different aesthetically to match their outfits!
When it comes to practical things outside of the cane, you reasonably only have one hand available while it's being used. Many people will hook their cane onto their arm or let it dangle on the strap (if they have one) while using their cane arm, but it's often significantly less convenient than 2 hands. But, if you need 2 hands, then it's either setting the cane down or letting it hang!
For this reason, optimizing one handed use is ideal! Keeping bags/items on the side of your free hand helps keep your items accessible.
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When sitting, the cane either leans against a wall or table, goes under the chair, or hooks onto the back of the chair. (It often falls when hanging off of a chair, in my experience)
When getting up, the user will either use their cane to help them balance/support as they stand, or get up and then grab their cane. This depends on what it's being used for (balance vs pain when walking, for instance!)
That's everything I can think of for now. Thank you for reading my long-but-absolutely-not-comprehensive list of things to keep in mind when writing or drawing a cane user!
Happy disability pride month! Go forth and make more characters use canes!!!
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