starry-eyed-simss

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi all!!

I know I said the next post would be announcing when Iorie returns, but unfortunately that’s not this post. I do have news, though.

As of today, 7 hours ago, I officially became a homeowner.

I’m going to be living on my own for the first time, in a place I own!!

Well, technically I’m only a condo owner, but still an owner of something!! I’m going to be moving out for the next few weeks and getting everything all situated, so Iorie’s expected return is being shifted to mid/late fall instead.

I do not plan on it being any later than that, I just wanted to give myself some time to adjust before I hop on back into her world and blow your socks off (hopefully 😅)

I miss you all, and this time I promise: this is the last post I’ll post before the announcement of Iorie’s glorious return

Thank you all so much for understanding!! ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi all!!

I just wanted to pop on and update you all. I am not back yet, but I’m getting more and more prepared to come back as soon as I can. I’ve slowly been getting back into writing and I no longer feel burned out. Instead I’m excited to start on the story again!

My health is also doing pretty decent now, I think I’ve managed to hit a stable treatment plan that’s working more often than not and I actually have energy and motivation to write ☺️

Next time I post, it’ll be to announce the story’s return. I’m estimating it’ll be closer to the end of summer than not, if not then very early fall assuming all goes according to plan.

Thank you all for sticking with me this far!!! I’m so excited to return, I miss you all and I’ll see you soon ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi!

I’m still not back yet, but I wanted to pop on to reiterate that I am coming back! My health is still iffy at the moment (and getting better each day) but I promise I have not forgotten you and I will be back posting the story ASAP. Thank you all for understanding ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Happy New Year!!! ☺️

With the new year rolling in, I promise I’ll return to simblr and the story. I have a few health concerns I want to get sorted first before I do so, but please know I miss you all terribly and I’m excited to get back into it.

Until then, happy new year!! Stay safe ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi all I’m still on hiatus but I did just wanna post this to say I haven’t abandoned this blog or the story but it’s gonna be a tad bit longer till I return. Alright that’s all I love you ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi all,

I love you and I miss you, but to be honest I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I do plan on returning, but everything is so busy and different now that it’s going to take me a while to adjust to. Once I have my ducks in a row I’ll be ready to work on the next scene

Thank you all for being so patient with me. Hopefully the next time I post it’ll be to tell you all the next scene is done and just needs to be edited- I don’t plan on posting again until then. Thank you all again for understanding ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

If you write a strong character, let them fail.

If you write a selfless hero, let them get mad at people.

If you write a cold-heated villain, let them cry.

If you write a brokenhearted victim, let them smile again.

If you write a bold leader, let them seek guidance.

If you write a confident genius, let them be wrong, or get stumped once in a while.

If you write a fighter or a warrior, let them lose a battle, but let them win the war.

If you write a character who loses everything, let them find something.

If you write a reluctant hero, give them a reason to join the fight.

If you write a gentle-hearted character who never stops smiling, let that smile fade and tears fall in shadows.

If you write a no one, make them a someone.

If you write a sibling, let them fight and bicker, but know that at the end of the day they’ll always have each other’s back.

If you write a character, make them more than just a character; give them depth, give them flaws and secrets, and give them life.

[starry-eyed-simss]

Just wanted you all to know I love you ♥️

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi guys, it’s taking me a bit longer to get to the next part of Iorie’s story than I thought it would.

I’ve been super crazy busy lately and I hope it’ll settle down soon so I can get back to it! I thank you for your patience and ask you to hold on just a tiny bit longer ♥️♥️ this next part will be well worth the wait!! I promise ☺️

[starry-eyed-simss]

How to write a character-driven plot

The Character-Driven Plot Wheel

1. Emotions drive actions.

Make your hero act on their deepfelt emotions. This not only adds meaning to their actions, but also helps communicate to readers your hero’s core emotional struggle.

2. Actions trigger consequences.

When your hero acts, give their actions consequences that affect the plot, themselves, and/or the surrounding characters. For example, driven by curiosity, maybe your hero opens Pandora’s box; maybe they act recklessly and someone dies; or maybe they stand up for what they believe in, but at great personal cost. Consequences raise the stakes and empower your hero with agency.

3. Consequences compel change.

Use the consequences of your hero’s actions to create a crucible of growth — challenges and situations that force them to take the next step on their character journey. That step may be forward, or backward, and it may be large or small; but something inside them changes.

4. Change influences emotions.

When a character goes through a change, even a small one, allow it to affect them emotionally. Maybe they feel increasingly frustrated or guilty. Maybe they’re afraid, having just taken another step closer to abandoning their old way of seeing the world. Or maybe they finally feel peace.

Regardless of the form it takes, remember to reflect your hero’s change in their emotions. Then let their emotions drive action, to trigger consequences, which will compel further change.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

And there you have it! That’s how you write a character-driven plot.

So what do you say?

Give the wheel a spin.

— — —

Your stories are worth telling. For tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

[starry-eyed-simss]

[starry-eyed-simss]

Hi everyone! This past month has been quite a mess for me. I managed to get my bills paid but I still need $30 to get my Lupus medicine and some food.

https://www.paypal.me/burntgrilledcheese

Cashapp : $brntgrilledcheese

Even just a reblog would help me!

[starry-eyed-simss]

For the first time in a long, long time I’m just....living in the moment and it’s so nice ☺️

[starry-eyed-simss]

What do you advise writers do when they're struggling to come up with ideas for a novel, feel they've got too many scattered ideas, or ideas that work only as short stories but need more development to become novels? Basically, when they're blocked?

There are a few writerly questions that I felt ill-equipped to answer, so please enjoy the genius of Guest Author Martha Brockenbrough’s answers instead!

GUEST AUTHOR MARTHA says:

Let me give you advice here from the great Elana K. Arnold. When you’re stuck, you need to do more research. I’ve seen her do this in action. She was working on her forthcoming MG, THE HOUSE THAT WASN’T THERE. She got stuck. She started researching cat anatomy, something that relates to her story in the most wonderful way. She discovered a feature on a cat’s ear called a Henry’s Pocket, and that made its way into her manuscript and helped her get unstuck. 

That, of course, is one kind of research. There are many. 

Like, are you writing something set in a different time? Have you looked at headlines, advertisements, popular music and other forms of pop culture? How is all of that stuff affecting your character? What is the ding-dang weather? For my novel THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH, I researched all of this plus moon phases, so every time I mentioned the moon in the book, it corresponded with the moon on those actual dates in history. This forced my characters to respond to something real. And I could have used fake moon phases, but to me, it’s a whole lot cooler when fiction lines up with reality. I dream of someday meeting the little nerd who double-checks my work on the NASA site; that definitely would have been me as a reader, and I would have been beside myself with glee. (Remember what I said earlier about keeping your manuscripts fresh and worthy; sometimes, the details that do this are tiny.)

One of my great frustrations is how stubborn my characters are when I am deciding to tell their stories. Those jerks really make me earn it, and I’ve often written tens of thousands of words before the characters emerge. So I am thinking about ways of getting to research my characters. Spy on them. Make them squeal. Persuade them to spill. Whatever it takes. 

And as far as reducing the scatter goes, here’s wisdom from Christa Desir. Imagine the world only gets five books from you. It does not need more. What five would they be? What is the most important story that you can tell right now? And I don’t mean capital I important, because that so often excludes humor. An important story is one that resonates with a reader. Joy is a vital emotion. Choose your stories boldly and completely and you will find the less important stuff falls away.

Get to it!

[starry-eyed-simss]

“does it really suck that much or did i just post it at the wrong time of day” a novel by me

[starry-eyed-simss]

I’ve been seeing a lot of people talking about how dead simblr is. I haven’t been super active myself lately, so I’m curious: do y’all find that statement to be true?