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this actually is rewiring my brain as we speak

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if we all work together we can make that italian bitch cry

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huh. something small but unexpected happened and it threw me off my rhythm. the whole day is ruined now. its gonna take me 3-5 business days to recover

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ITS MARCH YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS

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yeah we put your girl in the fandom and they villainized her beyond comprehension. yeah sorry they took out all the nuance and made the argument completely black and white. yeah my bad. we can’t reverse it. sorry.

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Here. Have kudos on that fanfic you wrote in your head while you were in the shower and never typed it out. When I recover from the brilliance of it, I’ll come back to leave a review.

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Daemyra + Incorrect Quotes

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book dedications are so tender here is this piece of art i made for an audience of thousands. but really every word is for you

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Creating Characters #1

“When writing a novel, a writer should create living people; people, not characters. A character is a caricature.” - Ernest Hemingway

Characters are vital. Without them, the story does not exist. But you knew that. Everyone has a favourite character - a villain, a hero, a random side character with four lines but who stole your heart anyway. The real question is: how do I make them good?

First, we need to define ‘good’. In order for your characters to elevate your story, they need to be the following things:

Believable

Goal-driven

Developed

Flawed

Figuring out a backstory for your major characters can go a long way in developing their personality and motivations. Whether they’re a good guy or a bad guy, you need clear reasons for what your characters do and who they’ve become - even if these reasons predate the start of the story. Ask yourself: what was their childhood like? What are they most afraid of? Who do they trust the most?

And why?

Why is always the most important question you can ask yourself when it comes to a character. Figure out their appearance, of course, but their personalities require a why. Why are they stubborn? Why are they quick to anger? Why are they kind? It might be as simple as their upbringing, good or bad, or something larger and more dramatic. If that part of their personality is key to the plot, particularly if it’s their fatal flaw, explaining why will help your characters feel real - and even relatable.

Speaking of, giving them that fatal flaw is essential. It should be detrimental to plot progress (“She’s too snarky for her own good” doesn’t cut it unless it leads to plot catastrophic miscommunication or gets her in even more trouble). It could also be something to overcome, but should still have an impact on the plot this way. Some good examples of fatal character flaws are:

Ned Stark in ASOIAF/Game of Thrones - he’s honourable and fair, but in the context of the world, this is what gets him killed.

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games, who is stubborn and uncooperative - she’s forced to work with Peeta, and other Victors later in the series, in order to achieve what she wants in the story.

Whether the flaw factors into this or not, your characters should also always have a goal. If they’re a greedy character, make them want money. If they’ve got a God complex, make them want to play God. If they’re selfless, make them set out to save their sibling. A character without a goal is merely a prop to the plot, and thus the plot drives the characters, rather than the characters driving the plot. Let things happen to them, of course, but remember that cause and effect should primarily be caused by the biased decisions of individual characters and their personalities.

Don’t be afraid to draw from people you know in real life. Obviously, if your mother is called Susan, don’t name your villain Susan and steal every negative aspect of her personality (or you know what, do, if she’s a piece of sh*t). But, moulding your characters off of friends, understanding what makes them friendly, or attractive, or annoying, can help you to fully flesh out your character’s personalities. After all, what is more realistic than an actual real person?

Characters can be hard. They’re often the most important piece of the puzzle and sometimes they just don’t fit. Don’t be afraid to cut one out, or join two together. No one is going to know them better than you, and it is important to flesh them out so that they can make your writing as good as you want it to be.

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This tweet totally describes me

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Welcome!

This is a home for those who love fiction: readers or writers! I want to have fun with blogging, and I want to provide a place where the two sides can come together to learn and love storytelling!

I will be posting twice a week to begin with - and I will always appreciate prompts and questions (just drop me a line in my askbox)!

Let’s roll 🌞😎

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We are travelers, constantly moving forward and looking back. Alone and as one.

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in case u didnt kno ,, stimming by rocking back n forth doesnt only happen under duress ,,, it's simply fun to wiggle ,,,, stop asking if im okay yes bro i am you should join me

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dragon age origins and da2 are like this is the most moving and meaningful depiction of the found family trope you’ve ever seen in your goddamn life. dragon age inquisition is like here’s your shitty coworkers

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Samara 1/?