#plot development

[deception-united]

Writing Tips Master Post

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Creating Distinct Characters

Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Character Voices

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (More)

Transitions

Pacing

Dialogue Tips

Writing Cheating

Worldbuilding:

Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider

Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Writer resources:

Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs

Online Writing Resources

Outlining/Writing/Editing Software

Writer help:

Losing Passion/Burnout

Overcoming Writer's Block

Fantasy terms:

How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)

Naming Elemental Races

Naming Fire-Related Races

Ask games:

Character Ask Game #1

Character Ask Game #2

Miscellaneous:

1000 Follower Special

Writing Fantasy

[paranoia-art]

°•°Habits to Give Your Characters°•°

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Constantly crosses legs when sitting

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Doodles when zoned out (if there's no paper around they could trace doodles like little hearts on a table or even on the back of their hand)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Crucks knuckles

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Braids hair when their bored (or just generally plays with their hair)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Stands way to close to people when talking to them.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Avoids eyecontact when people talk to them.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Clutches on to other's sleeves.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Bites nails when nervous

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Raises their eyebrows when interested.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Offers food to others, before taking a bite themselves.

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Scratches top of nails (like when you're scratching the coat of nail polish off your nails.)

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ Whistles to ease nerves.

Follow @paranoia-art for more!

Do message me if you have anymore you would like to add!

[wordsnstuff]

This might sound strange... writing a romance I started to see romantic potential between my lead and a side character, rather than strictly between the two leads... I'm starting to swerve. How can I suit my writing/mindset to keep the relationship with the side character platonic?

When characters develop minds of their own...

Writing is one of those mediums where people tend to overlook the importance of experimentation. It's seen as a fairly linear process: brainstorm, map the plot, write the draft, edit the draft, publish. If any other type of creation was done this way, most would see the process as incomplete, because experimentation is imperative to creativity. Curiosity is the key to finding satisfaction, and no matter how brilliant you think an idea is at its conception, the best way to do it justice is to question it.

If you find yourself in a situation where your story begins to develop outside your control, don't strangle it back into the shape you imagined for it at first. See where it goes. Let it bleed outside the lines and see what you prefer. You can always return to the original plan. The beauty in fiction is that it has infinite possibility, and if you have the talent to write characters and worlds that determine their own trajectory, enjoy the reward.

In your case, you've designed a romance between two characters but the chemistry of a different pairing has become more compelling, so see what happens. There is a good chance you've simply written a secondary character that serves the story better in a leading role, and there's no harm in experimenting to see if that's correct. If it doesn't work and you're convinced the relationship is more suitable in the platonic category, you will find the reason along the way and that reason will speak for itself as you return to writing the original pairing. If anything, this might become an organic way for you to misdirect the reader in order to make the payoff of your original idea more substantial.

Writing should be an intuitive process. If you're swerving in another direction, satiate your curiosity and then make decisions with all of the information. Just like any other artistic medium, you will only know what's right once you've established what isn't.

Best of luck,

x Kate

[agronzky]

⠀⠀⠀𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 & 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐏. ♡

under the cut you'll find a list of 56 diverse outings and trips to use in starters or replies withing plots. this can be used to bring new cenarious to plots, starters and rps, helping to differ threads and put characters in new experiences.

Walking in nature

A bicycle ride

Visit to an art museum

Historical city tour

Boat trip on the river/lake

Mountain trail hike

Visit to a botanical garden

Picnic in the park

Bird watching

Gastronomic tour of the city

Hot air balloon ride

Cave exploration

Visit to a zoo or aquarium

Shopping itinerary in local stores

Winery tour

Panoramic train ride

Visit to historical sites

Trip to a neighboring city

Kayak/canoe trip

Tour of movie locations

Drive-in cinea

Walk on a beach

Visit local fairs and markets

Photo expedition

Horseback riding

Visit to an astronomical observatory

Urban art trail tour

Excursion to a theme park

Traditional cooking class

Helicopter ride

Camping trip

Visit to a cultural festival

Tour of haunted places

Surf lesson or other water sport

Motorcycle ride

Exploring historical ruins

Regional dance class

Treasure hunt tour

Tour of panoramic viewpoints

Rollerblading or skateboarding

Day at an amusement park

Visit to a nature reserve

Quad bike ride

Participation in a local marathon

Wildlife watching

Zip line ride

Tour of architectural monuments

Participation in a spiritual retreat

Sailing boat trip

Motorcycle ride

Visit to a contemporary art exhibition

[em-dash-press]

Catalysts for Your Rising Action

Someone close to your protagonist dies

Your protagonist loses a memento

A challenge makes your protagonist run away from their life

Your main character accomplishes a goal and feels unsatisfied

The goal your protagonist has always wanted becomes suddenly impossible to achieve

Your main character wants to change someone's life for the better

Revenge is the only thing on your protagonist's mind

Your main character sees a community need and strives to solve it

Something morally or ethically changes in your protagonist that makes them interact with the world in a fundamentally different way

[novlr]

How to create an effective plot?

How to Quickly Craft an Effective Plot

Crafting an effective plot is no easy task. It's a delicate balance of character development, dramatic tension, and narrative progression that, when done right, can turn your story into an unforgettable journey. It’s easy to get lost and overwhelmed with plot development, so here’s a quick guide to help you quickly and easily craft an effective plot that will hit all the main narrative beats.

1. Start with your protagonist

Start by creating a well-rounded protagonist. Consider their strengths, weaknesses, aspirations, fears, and quirks. Each of these characteristics can be woven into the plot and will shape how your story unfolds. The most fundamental part of any character development is determining their goal, motivation, and conflict. It’s the backbone of any good story.

Goal

Your protagonist should have a clear goal they want to achieve by the end of the novel. This goal can be tangibly external (like winning a competition) or internal (like overcoming a fear). In fact, a well-rounded character should have both an internal and external goal.

Motivation

Your protagonist’s motivation to reach their goal will be the driving force of your plot. While a clear goal gives your character a direction, their motivation is what fuels their journey. Their goal is what they want, and their motivation is why they want it.

Conflict

Conflict is what prevents your protagonist from easily achieving their goal. It increases the stakes and propels your story forward. This can come in many forms, from a physical adversary to a personal flaw or external circumstances. Whatever the conflict, it should challenge your protagonist in a way that pushes them towards growth.

2. Establish the Ordinary World

Establishing the ordinary world is an essential first step in crafting an effective plot. You sety the scene for your readers, providing a glimpse into your protagonist's daily life before the main plot takes off.

The Ordinary World is the comfortable, familiar environment your hero inhabits, acting as a baseline for their normality. Use this stage to introduce the protagonist's routine, their relationships, their hopes and frustrations, as well as any prevailing societal norms or conditions of their world.

3. The inciting incident

The inciting incident is a crucial event that sets the whole plot in motion. It disrupts the comfort of the protagonists' ordinary world, bringing a problem or situation that makes them take action.

The incident you choose will depend entirely on the kind of story you want to tell and could be anything from a personal catastrophe to an intriguing mystery or an unexpected opportunity. No matter your genre, however, the inciting incident’s critical function is to permanently disrupt the status quo and set your protagonist on their journey. It's the spark that ignites the story

4. Build your story

With your set-up complete, you enter the stage of your story where you have the most freedom and can explore your chosen genre. Your characters will grapple with the challenges and obstacles that your story presents and forms the bulk of your story, spanning from the inciting incident to the climax.

During this phase, you want to introduce conflict to raise the stakes, increase tension and keep readers engrossed. As your characters navigate their way through these trials, they grow and evolve, adding depth to their personalities. It's in this section that your characters' motivations are tested, and their true natures are revealed. It's also where plot twists and turns come into play, and you can start developing subplots.

5. The crisis

The crisis, often known as the climax, is the most intense point of your story and serves as the turning point in your plot. It's a crucial moment where the protagonist confronts the main conflict head-on, and the tension reaches its peak.

The stakes are highest at this point, and the outcome is uncertain. It often forces your protagonist to make a critical decision or take decisive action, which will ultimately determine their fate. Whether that's an epic battle, a heartfelt confrontation, or a shocking revelation, the crisis should be a moment of high drama that pushes your characters to their limits.

6. The resolution

The resolution is where all loose ends are tied up, and your characters’ journey concludes. By the time your plot resolves, all your character’s initial goals, motivations, and conflicts should be resolved despite, or perhaps because of, the conflict and obstacles faced.

The resolution should provide satisfaction to your readers, offering both a sense of closure and an insight into what the future holds for the characters. Whether it's a happy ending, a tragic one, or something ambiguous, it's crucial that the resolution ties in with the story's overarching narrative and themes, and marked the end of your character’s personal journey.

[acurtist]

Irritating Character Tropes:

1. Meddler: Had to share explosive commentary about everything and everyone.

2. Gossip-monger: Make up stories and spread them far and wide like a virus.

3. Riddler: Speaks in puzzles and keeps people on toes the hidden meanings in their tales.

4. Jester: Everything and everyone is a joke. Must crack a few ones to earn them wages.

5. Rat hole: Has to sneak in in nook and crannies like a rat to uncover secrets.

6. Interrogator: Wouldn't stop asking same questions with different angles.

7. Petty Thief: Kleptomaniac and pickpocket extraordinaire.

8. Quarreler: Need to pick a fight about everything and anything.

9. Idiot: Speaks out of turn, doesn't know what they are talking about.

10. Lame Poet: Make everyone suffer with their awful compositions.

11. Liar: Conjures up lies out of thin air without skipping a heartbeat.

12. Plotter: Manipulative, calculative, untrustworthy, and narcissistic.

13. Personality Divergent: Sucks living daylights and happiness from people around them.

14. Chaotic: Unorganized messy scatterbrain.

15. Peeping Tom: Needs jail time.

16. Impersonator: Either mentally disturbed or suffering from insecurities.

17. Man child: Regardless of gender acts like a child that needs supervision and extra attention.

18. Foul-mouthed: Starts and ends every sentence with one cursive word or the other.

19. Daydreamer: Always have head stuck in cloud and couldn't focus for more than 5 minutes.

20. Overzealous: Strict adherence to authority figures. Will not hesitate to commit crimes.

21. Righteous Prick: Nothing they do can be wrong or at fault.

22. Existentialist: Make others depressed with their annoying cynicism.

23. Overly-enthusiastic Schmuck: Out of touch with real world and impervious to any challenges. Thinks goodwill is enough resource and help.

24. Undoctor: Has a home remedy for every disease and ailment. Usually a chain-smoker with a protruding belly.

25. Know-it-all: Grammar Nazi, encyclopedia, general knowledge enthusiastic. Insufferable.

26. Geek: Lack of boundaries and respect for privacy.

27. Dare Devil: Needs to get hurt before setting anyone else on fire.

28. Psychoanalyst: Wouldn't shut up about what you actually think, need, and want.

29. Fortune-teller: Spew nonsense out their ass and present it as divine revelation.

30. Manufacturer: Breaks more things than repairs.

31. Conspiracy Theorist: Busy in organizing telepathic peace talks with president and alien civilization.

32. Over-committed Logician: Acts like a machine until an emotional explosions.

33. Otaku/Fic Connoisseur: Spoilers spoliers everywhere.

34. Drama Queen: Nonstop emotional blackmailer.

35. Fatphobic: Anorexic, suffering from health and psychological issues.

36. Glutton: Overweight, hates skinny people. Could use some exercise.

I mean the list doesn't ends. I can honestly think of just as many more of these.

Gotta add them all!

[rheas-chaos-motivation]

How to come up with a story based on vibes that (probably) doesn't suck aka how to come up with a plot

First, identify the vibes. Maybe you already know. If so, great! If not, well that's what I'm here for. What are books/movies/shows that have what you're trying to achieve? A song or an image? Come up with a list of as many things.

YAY now you know what vibes you want.  

Then you are going to make a list about the things (or your favorites if you have too many).  Look at themes, characters, genres, settings, style, etc.  If you have no idea where to start, pull up their wikipedia pages and read them.  Anything similar WRITE IT DOWN (you will forget, don’t lie).

Take that list and find your favorite/most common things.  These will be what gives you your vibe.  

Take this list and invent a little guy who lives in this list.  YAY now you have a character.  What does this guy want?

It wants to live.

Now look at me.  No.  Look at me in the eyes.  Stare into my soul.  

You’re gonna let him live.  

Use your vibe list to create a little world.  Do you mostly like horror/mystery?  BAM this guy lives in a horror/mystery.   Do you mostly like historical fiction? BAM this guy lives in the past.  Do you like dystopian things? BAM this guy lives in a dystopian world.  Do this with whatever genre you want.

Now what does this guy in this world want most?

And how are you going to do everything in your power to stop him?

[develop-your-villain]

Did your OC have any good life before they became a villain?

[wjforever]

Buy me a coffee

[doublerainbow-if]

Reading your synopsis, it seems like MC accidentally bumped into their soulmate in NYC and if they spent years searching (plus the basis of your story) I don’t think you’d make that encounter a one off which made me think they might be one of the ROs, BUT reading about the ROs and seeing how all of them do in fact have some type of relationship with MC (deep or superficial) without there being that “my grey world finally had color” moment how could that possibly be ? Hope this ask makes sense 😂

It was an one off meeting. Like a snap shot if that make sense. The MC is trying to get back that feeling of wholeness they felt for what felt like milliseconds, a sudden shift in their world which felt finally right.

But that isn't how their story truly ends. They won't find that person who started their journey no matter how hard they try. One of the main themes is finding happiness on your own terms that isn't preordained or given to you. Which is accomplished with the people they meet in Paris once they settled down. Whether they find romantic or platonic connections, they soon find that need to find their soulmate diminishes as they find what they truly want in this world.

If that make sense.

[deception-united]

Let's talk about transitions.

Transitioning between fast-paced and slow-paced scenes is essential for maintaining the flow of your narrative and keeping readers engaged throughout your story, allowing for moments of reflection, introspection, and character development.

Here are some strategies to smoothly transition between different pacing levels:

Use scene endings and beginnings: End a fast-paced scene with a cliffhanger or revelation that propels the story forward, then transition to a slower-paced scene that allows characters (and readers) to process the events. On the flip side, begin a slow-paced scene with a hook or question that intrigues readers and draws them deeper into the story.

Bridge paragraphs: Include bridge paragraphs between scenes to provide a smooth transition. These paragraphs can briefly summarize the previous scene's events, set the scene for the upcoming events, or transition between different settings, characters, or points of view.

Change in tone or focus: Shift the tone or focus of the narrative to signal a change in pacing. For example, transition from a tense action scene to a quieter moment of reflection by shifting the narrative focus from external events to internal thoughts and emotions.

Utilise pacing within scenes: Even within a single scene, you can vary the pacing to create transitions. Start with a fast-paced opening to grab the reader's attention, then gradually slow down the pacing as you delve deeper into character interactions, dialogue, or introspection. Conversely, speed up the pacing to inject energy and excitement into slower scenes.

Symbolic transitions: Use symbolic elements within the narrative to signal transitions between pacing levels. For example, transition from a fast-paced scene set during a stormy night to a slow-paced scene set in the calm aftermath of the storm, mirroring the shift in pacing.

Foreshadowing: Use subtle foreshadowing in fast-paced scenes to hint at upcoming events or conflicts that will be explored in slower-paced scenes. This creates anticipation and helps to smoothly transition between different pacing levels by maintaining continuity in the narrative arc.

Character reactions: Show how characters react to the events of fast-paced scenes in the subsequent slower-paced scenes. Use their thoughts, emotions, and actions to provide insight into the impact of these events on the story and its characters, helping to bridge the transition between pacing levels.

See my post on pacing for more! ❤

Previous | Next

[paranoia-art]

°•°More Character Quirks°•°

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

➸ Sleeps with whitenoise

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

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

➸ Twirls their rings on their fingers.

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

➸ Window shops ONLINE, BUT DOESNT BUY ANYTHING.

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

Follow @paranoia-art for more!

[wordsnstuff]

Sorry if this question has already been asked, but I haven’t seen anything similar anywhere. So I really love world building and characters, and I can spend hours figuring out their intricate details and visualizing them in my head. I would love to start turning them into stories, but that’s where I simply blank and have difficulty coming up with even a basic plot line. How would you recommend coming up with basic plots when you already have worlds and characters thought out?

Making a plot for your world and characters...

I often consider the outline of a story to surround the three pillars of events, environment, and characters. When you are struggling to develop any one of these elements, I find it helpful to examine how the other two are interacting. If you begin (in this instance) with a fairly developed environment and set of characters moving within it, you can analyze the interactions between the two and discern where there might be opportunities for conflict. Approaching plot development this way will primarily put your story in the character-driven category. 

A more detailed example might look something like this: 

You have an ensemble cast of characters who live in a dystopian society where death has been eradicated during their lifetime. They are all old enough to remember a world before immortality, and society has witnessed cultural conflict in response to this advancement in technology. This could be approached from many angles, such as dissent or advocacy from religious groups, cultural groups with practices related to death, social classes who have lesser access to the technology, political groups who manipulate the issue to their benefit, etc. Each character in your ensemble will have their own personal views and be affected individually by this factor of the environment you’ve put them in, so find the conflict in each of them. Perhaps one of the characters is inheriting a leadership position in a cultural group that advocates against the use of the technology to prolong life as it goes against their beliefs. Maybe another character is of a social class that has limited access to the technology and is going to great lengths to cure a sick family member. 

That is the thought process of development that will make it easier to create a central conflict and plot for your story. 

Identify unique factors of the environment 

Consider your characters’ established place within the environment

Anticipate conflicts between the two

Exploit those conflicts to create tension

Outline the development of all conflicts to find the through line plot of the story

I hope this helps, and as always you can feel free to reach out if you have further questions.

x Kate

–

Masterlist

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[temis-de-leon]

Writing tip:

If you have an idea but not the inspiration to describe the characters or the plot, make a map.

Close your eyes, draw a blob, then open your eyes and draw lines. Blob for the country/realm; lines for rivers. Do you want lakes? Great, more blobs. (Using different colors is great for this).

Unless you already decided the name, don't try to make one up. That'll just make things more difficult.

Where's the capital? Why? If it's in the coast, is it because there are threats across the sea? If situated on top of a mountain, does it have caves or mines? Are they profitable? Deep forests usually bring mountains and cold weather. Living in the coast means living with humidity.

Still don't think of names.

Are there any more cities? Same as the capital, where and why? Civilization starts where people thrive: water, fertile soil, precious metals, etc. The better the land, the richer the people (unless there's a third party involved, which would help with the plot, even indirectly).

Now to the characters: what are the vibes? Are they farmers or hunters? Do they belong in nobility? When you think of them do you picture them wearing furs or open chested silk shirts? Are they able to survive extreme heat or cold?

Do they feel incomplete? Did something recently happen in their life? Would a journey help? Which would they prefer, a similar land to their homeland or something different?

Of course, here's where the plot takes place. If the land where your story takes place is invaded, you have to take the enemies in consideration because they're probably stealing from the poor and collecting innecesary tolls or persecuting the original rulers. If, however, your land is at peace, there's probably something about to happen.

So:

Context (where).

Background (why).

Plot (what).

In the end, if you're lost, give your characters and your story a reason to exist.

[em-dash-press]

What Is an Inciting Incident? Learn How to Write a Great One

Inciting incidents hook readers. They take stories in an entirely new direction or get the plot moving faster.

It’s the moment when Lucy discovers Narnia in the wardrobe or Gandalf introduces the thirteen dwarves to Bilbo.

Every great story has a fascinating inciting incident. Here are a few tips to come up with your own.

What Is an Inciting Incident?

An inciting incident is an event that causes chaos or change in the protagonist’s life. It kickstarts the story’s plot by compelling the protagonist forward. This can happen in the first chapter of a novel or the first few pages of a short story.

There are also three types of inciting incidents:

Coincidental: an event that’s unexpected or accidental. (Someone finds gold in their backyard or crashes their car into another vehicle and finds out their best friend was the other driver.)

Causal: an action or event the protagonist chooses to do. (Your protagonist files for divorce or gives in to their lifelong urge to start a restaurant.)

Off-page: an event that happens before the story starts or outside of the protagonist’s experience. (A country drops a bomb on the protagonist’s hometown while they’re at work one day or the protagonist’s best friend goes missing ten years before your story starts.)

Tips for Writing Inciting Plot Points

Now that you know the three types of inciting incidents, use these tips to create plot-activating moments that make your audience buckle in for a long night of reading.

1. Make the Protagonist’s World Flip

A great inciting incident causes a significant imbalance in your protagonist’s life. They should start making decisions or changes they wouldn’t have before as they respond to the incident. 

Consider the almost-car-crash in Twilight. Sure, you could argue that moving to Forks is the inciting incident for Bella. It’s definitely the first incident that gets the plot going, but the story only shifts into vampire mode when Edward saves her from getting hit in the school’s parking lot. She notices his insane strength and speed, so she starts questioning who he is.

The inhuman features that intrigue Bella also hook the reader. You keep reading to find out how she discovers he’s a vampire and when/how the big reveal happens.

Her discovery that vampires exist also changes how she interacts with and understands her world. It radically alters her life path, well before she gets to know his family or the other supernatural beings in Forks.

2. Keep the Magnitude a Mystery

Sometimes major life moments happen and we don’t realize how significant they are. You could bump into a person at the grocery store, only to recognize them at a farmer’s market a week later and start a conversation. That person might be your future romantic partner who changes your life, but you don’t realize that while you’re standing between shelves of pasta and spaghetti sauce.

Don’t be afraid of leaving your inciting incident a mystery to your protagonist. Moments of excitement or terror can be great for starting your plot, but sometimes a hint of mystery intrigues readers too.

3. Align the Incident With Your Theme

You might know what your character is going to experience on their journey to the plot resolution but have no idea what your inciting incident should be.

If you can’t think of something, consider your theme. What event or circumstance would start your protagonist on a learning journey that exemplifies your theme?

Let’s imagine a scenario where you’re writing a coming-of-age story. Ultimately, you want your protagonist to recognize they have no control over their lives and find security in the community they build around themselves.

To make that initial loss of control happen, you could pick an inciting incident like someone breaking into their home. During the robbery, the criminal accidentally sets the house on fire. Your protagonist’s family loses everything and has to start over.

This event would align with your protagonist’s inner conflict. Focusing on inner conflict can be another perspective if you’re unsure what your theme is.

Let’s say your protagonist wants to go to college to provide for their family, but they get kicked off of their soccer team for cheating on a test. A soccer scholarship is the only way they could to college, but that chance disappears forever. They have to make a series of choices after that to find a new way to pay for college, which is the rest of your plot.

-----

Inciting incidents are important, so try thinking about yours apart from your stories. When they carry thematic weight or flip your protagonist’s world upside down, you’ll know you’ve created an incident that will hook your readers.