demonlordkale

[demonlordkale]

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Video of Tama

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[demonlordkale]

The sound of the coqui ♥ 

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RIP my darling.

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my love language is the same as a crow. if you’re nice to me i’ll bring you useless little trinkets from my travels that made me think of you

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Character A tilting Character B’s chin up to get a better look at their face and the evidence of the fight. A delicately thumbs away the streak of blood by B’s mouth, saying nothing as they examine it. After a brief pause, B’s heart skips a nervous beat as A looks them dead in the eyes. Their voice is quiet and tense, their anger barely restrained.

“Who did this to you?”

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5 frustrating workshop rules that made me a better writer

Throughout the 15 workshops I joined in college and grad school, I encountered two types of writing rules.

First, there were the best-practice guidelines we’ve all heard, like “show don’t tell.” And then there were workshop rules, which the professor put in place not because they’re universal, but because they help you grow within the context of the workshop.

My college’s intro writing course had 5 such rules:

No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

No guns.

No characters crying.

No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

No deaths.

When I first saw the rules, I was baffled. They felt weirdly specific, and a bit unfair. But when our professor, Vinny, explained their purpose (and assured us he only wanted us to follow the rules during this intro workshop, not the others to come), I realized what I could learn from them.

1. No fantasy, supernatural, or sci-fi elements.

Writers need to be able to craft round characters, with clear arcs. While you can hone those skills writing any type of story, it can be more difficult when juggling fantastical elements, because it’s easy to get caught up in the world, or the magic, or the technology, and to make that the focus instead of the characters. So Vinny encouraged us to exclude such elements for the time being, to keep us fully focused on developing strong, dynamic characters.

2. No guns.

Weapons have a place in many stories, but when writers include a gun, they often use it to escalate the plot outside of the realm of personal experience and into what Vinny called “Hollywood experience.” He wanted us to learn how to draw from our own observations and perceptions of life, rather than the unrealistic action, violence, and drama we’d seen in movies, so he made this rule to keep us better grounded in our own experiences.

3. No characters crying.

When trying to depict sadness, writers often default to making characters cry. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, tears are just one way to show grief, and they aren’t always the most subtle or emotionally compelling. That’s why Vinny challenged us to find other ways to convey sadness — through little gestures, strained words, fragile interactions, and more. It was difficult, but opened us up to depicting whole new gradients of grief and pain.

4. No conflict resolution through deus ex machina.

This is the only one of the rules I’d say is generally universal. Meaning “God from the machine,” deus ex machina is a plot device where a character’s seemingly insurmountable problem is abruptly resolved by an outside force, rather than their own efforts. These endings are bad for various reasons, but Vinny discouraged them because he wanted us to understand how important it was for our characters to confront their struggle and its consequences.

5. No deaths.

Death is inherently dramatic and can be used to good effect, but many writers use death as a crutch to create drama and impact. Writers should be able to craft engaging, meaningful stories, even without killing off their characters, so this rule challenged us to find other methods of giving weight to our stories (such as through internal conflict).

How these rules helped me grow as a writer

First things first, I’ll say it again: apart from #4 (deus ex machina), these rules were never meant to be universally applied. Instead, their purpose was to create temporary barriers and challenges to help us develop key skills and write in new, unfamiliar ways.

For me, the experience was invaluable. I liked the way the rules challenged and stretched my abilities, driving me to write stories I’d have never otherwise attempted. They made me more flexible as a writer, and while I don’t follow the rules anymore (I LOVE me some fantasy), I’ll always be thankful for how they shaped my writing.

My recommendation to you?

Give some of these rules a shot! Follow them temporarily while writing 2-4 short stories — but remember to always keep their purpose in mind, because the rules themselves will only help if you understand what they’re trying to achieve.

Write with purpose, and you’ll always be growing.

— — —

For more tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

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me: i like this character

person: ok

me: no you dont understand

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Some days I can't even look at google docs knowing they'll be there staring accusingly with their i's

The characters of all my WIPs when I’m having a breakdown over writer’s block and lack of motivation and haven’t written in ages

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List of Questions to Ask Yourself When a Story Feels Stuck

Basic Human Needs

When was the last time you took a break?

Are you mentally/emotionally/physically exhausted?

Have you recently had anything substantial to eat/drink?

Basic Writer Needs

How are you feeling? Examine any negatives. Self-doubt, jealousy, anxiety, etc. Why are you feeling this way? Did something prompt it? Reach out to others if you can.

Have you been writing in the same place for too long? Using the same playlist? Try changing it up.

When was the last time you took in creative media from someone else? Books, podcasts, movies, tv? Seek out stories other than your own. 

Are you falling into the trap of expecting perfection when there is no such thing?

Focus on the trouble spot

Do you know where you want your characters to be after the part you’re stuck on? 

Can something new be introduced? A ticking time bomb, a surprise attack, a betrayal, a murder, a confession? 

Do you like the constraints you’ve set up for yourself? That is, the setting, the characters present, the ‘props’ at their disposal? Anything you can add, change, or take away?

Reread the last couple of scenes before your trouble spot. Is there a way you could rewrite/detour the trajectory in a new, not stuck direction? 

The bigger picture

Do you know how the story ends?

Does your outline need to change? Would it help you to make an outline?

How do you want the events of this ‘stuck scene’ to affect the rest of the plot? Is there a different way to create the same results?

Are the characters acting in a way that doesn’t work with the plot? Which are you willing to change, the characters or the plot?

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So the first time a comment said they had reread my work I was so genuinely confused. Not because I didn't know it happened-cuz I have some amazing faves that I keep DL'd so I can have them even without net-but because I had no honest idea why someone would want to reread my work like that. It took a minute, and some thought, before I was filled with all the warmest of fuzzies

People reread stories. Fics too.

I knew that intellectually but it never truly clicked until I opened an old favorite last night to get lost in for the thousandth time. But if you’re a fanfiction author, someone out there is reading and rereading your stories. Someone out there is loving your world and words not just once but over and over and over again.

That’s amazing.

So here’s a shoutout to the readers and rereaders. The commenters and kudosers and lurkers and everyone and anyone who has ever picked a fic up and loved it.

And here’s a shoutout to the writers, in case you need a pick me up or a slight bit of love. Somewhere, out there on a screen under a sky you’ve never seen, your story is coming to life.

Not just once. But again and again and again.

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Me: Yeah I can totally do one shots

Me later:

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It shouldn't be possible to obliterate someone who has done nothing wrong off Tumblr just because of a bizarre vendetta. Most creators faced with this level of laser-focused hate would have bailed and their awesome content lost.

Because of Tumblr’s complete lack of response to what has happened to me, I am starting a petition for them to change and/or update their policies on Bullying and Harassment. In the seven years I have used this platform, I have never once seen them side with the victim. They always side with the bully. 

As the users of this platform, the consumers of their content, it is our right to be protected. Why offer the opportunity to report abuse if you aren’t going to do anything about it?

It’s time to take action and tell Tumblr we want change.

[demonlordkale]

That feel when you wanna play a scary game, but it's too scary, but you wanna play it