#I'm imagining they each have different knowledge and skills to bring to the table

[daisywords]

something I've always kind of wanted to write is two unlikely allies on the run together (maybe escaping from a war zone or a disaster?) but they don't speak the same language

but describing body language is hard enough lol I feel like it would work better as a movie or tv series or something, especially with the more neutral perspective of film. I'm never going to make that but it's a concept I would love to see

[6okuto]

Hi love! Do you open req? I just want to req main 3 last legacy (if you want to include rime idm) with assassin mc?

M3 WITH AN ASSASSIN!MC

gn!mc | meoww. will probs not be doing much more LL in the future unless it's. modern au? didn't realize how much my brain would struggle. woah. i forgot most of the plot ..lol.. if my characterization is awful Don't Look At Me. 😁🫥

anisa

this a Morally Complex Situation.

i imagine this pair would have the most to work through. like it'd have the most tension at the reveal of mc's job because of anisa's job, seeing herself in them, etc. etc. especially if they've built some sort of relationship/trust at this point .

^ because well now there's questions of why did they choose to stick with her rather than the others. what do they think of her, do they have ulterior motives, etc etc. and i'm Sure this will come up with the other two, but i see it the most emotionally hard-hitting in anisa's case :')

though as anisa's route continues and she's thrown into a position of really questioning loyalty, rules, etc. mc is probably one of the best people who can offer a thoughtful nuanced take.

Something Something, finding out the LoS is her father, choosing to believe in and support her, anisa opening up. something something joke about going after him for her while both knowing it'll be anisa's choice what happens something something

wow sorry but in a world where LL. was here. and anisa had the time to develop and accept(?) mc's career properly (Sorry.) i think she'd want to know more about it. maybe when she's looking for help and mc would be able to share not just advice but the story behind it

on a lighter note :) again,, in the Good timeline where we've gotten canon development for both of them,, i do think anisa doesn't let the whole "i'm / i was an assassin, i'm fine" thing slide if mc tries to brush off her concern. like sorry, are you not victim to basic needs and exhaustion be serious

also ! think of the strategies they could come up with ! both of these people bring knowledge and so many skills to the table. I'd trust them with an important mission🤷🏻‍♀️!

she knows they're perfectly capable of taking care of themself and vice versa, so it's heartwarming when both check on the other. so real

sage

under the assumption that mc would hide their career, the M3 treat them as an average person. but sage is perceptive, and would probably pick up on minute details that'd tip him off that mc is more skilled than they let on

externally internally says i knew it when he inevitably finds out. maybe not that they were an assassin, but someone definitely trained

just to make sure there's a little angst(??) for all three! sage is a smart guy! he is!! he'd be suspicious of mc if the m3 find out early on and they haven't developed a strong relationship.

mc and sage not trusting each other, not sharing info either to break that ice, sage wondering why they'd choose to stick with him, etc. he manages to make some kind of flirty joke the first... meeting? after the reveal, but they both know they're watching each other LOL.

anyways. hey guys. at some point when that trust is built,, no amount of deadly energy will stop this man from flirting. "are you my assassination target? because i really want to take you out." sage my brother in christ you would be the target

sage asks where they learned everything, why, when, etc. but he understands if they try to evade his questions. if/when mc does open up about it, he listens intently and tells them that hey,, it's not like he's going to just Hate/stop caring about them

there's always a base level of concern since sage, evidently, hates the idea of anything bad happening/losing them, but he's still aware and grateful that he can trust mc to take care of themelf !

god. assassin!mc giving sage a look when he tries his whole isolation, working alone thing. you and i are Both experienced with this so try again.

felix

being an assassin is a very different career path than a barista like lets be fr.

mc so easily lies about working and making coffee and awful customer experiences when they first meet that when they show they're capable of taking down an enemy,, felix is like ? have i greatly misunderstood the job expectations of a barista ?

being both trained as an assassin and in magic by felix is a stacked deck (theoretically if things go well.) and while the skill set isn't really the same, mc's ability to pick up on things, focus, etc. is definitely applicable in their lessons

necromancy and assassination go two opposing ways tbh if u think about it. but both end up with Complicated (nonexistent?) Relationships With Others, so he can sympathize in that way

but also it's still. different. felix does find himself wondering what kind of people they've been assigned, whether asking would be rude, whether that should Really Be His Main Concern considering his company, etc.

if they've spent enough time together, he trusts that they have no ill intentions toward him at least. and a guy's got to appreciate promised protection

and does he want to know the kinds of people they've assassinated ? maybe. yes. intrigue. he shares magic and stories from astraea for tidbits of mc's career. depending on who exactly their targets were, felix is about to become very knowledgeable on some of earth's politics and figures

also would mc's stealth and stratagem come in handy for ...pranks and evasion... Who's to say? felix might,, if the opportunity arises. probably after they use it against him. smth smth you and stella teaming up against me smth smth

[pens-swords-stuff]

Hi Undine! I really love your advice on static vs. dynamic descriptions, and I was wondering if you might be able to elaborate on it further, especially in regards to navigating dynamic physical description (i.e. hair/eye color, clothing) for several characters at once? Every time I try describe my characters' appearances, the details either feel too dispersed/jumbled, or it sounds like I'm writing a 'My Immortal' sequel. Thank you for your help!

In response to this post: Static vs Dynamic Description.

Thank you so much!

In my personal opinion, I think that static and dynamic descriptions have two very different strengths when it comes to physical descriptions of a character.

STATIC PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

I believe that static physical description is a wonderful way to establish something for the first time, or to bring attention to something that is remarkable.

Static description tends to be more on the ‘tell’ side of the show and tell spectrum. You mentioned My Immortal, so let’s use that as an example.

I was wearing a black corset with matching lace around it and a black leather miniskirt, pink fishnets and black combat boots. I was wearing black lipstick, white foundation, black eyeliner and red eye shadow.

— My Immortal: Chapter One

My Immortal gets a lot of criticism for good reason, but this particular excerpt is actually a decent example of static description. It’s straight to the point, it gives the reader an idea of what the character is wearing, and it’s doing a lot of telling.

Could it be a little more dynamic? It could be, yes. But does it have to be? Not necessarily.

Say you saw Ebony (the speaking character in the My Immortal example) for the first time in a suburban cookie-cutter neighborhood. You would take notice of a person wearing black lipstick and pink fishnets because it’s different and not something you’d expect to see. You might stop and stare for a little bit, it might leave some sort of impression on you.

This is a really good time to break out the static description in writing. Your character has a reason to notice someone’s physical description because it’s not what they expect to see — thus, you can get away with a little info dump of physical description.

Other times that static physical description might be effective is when your character meets someone for the first time. When you meet someone for the first time, you might not know their name, so all you have to identify them is with their physical appearance. Have you ever referred to someone by the color of their shirt, or the color of their hair because you didn’t know what else to call them? It’s the same thing here. There is someone new, and when it’s someone new, people tend to examine them a little bit more. 

And another good time to use static physical description that I’ll talk about here, is when a character looks different from how they normally do. If a character who always wears jeans and a T-shirt suddenly shows up wearing a ball gown, that’s remarkable. That’s something noteworthy for your character. Static physical description would be great here to describe the dress, how their hair is styled, etc.

DYNAMIC PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

On the other hand, I think one of the strengths of dynamic physical description is to subtly and smoothly slide in physical description without making a big deal about it because it’s interwoven with something else.

Some examples of simple dynamic physical description might be:

She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear.

Their band-aid covered hand slammed into the table.

This is dynamic physical description because there’s movement involved. It’s not describing someone’s appearance; it’s describing an action with an aspect of appearance.

In my opinion, this is also a fantastic way to drop little hints about the appearance of several characters in a scene because it doesn’t overwhelm the reader with too many details. Think about how you notice a group of strangers for example. Do you look at all of them in detail, or are there are few select details that jump out at you per person? If someone I meet has bright, piercing blue eyes, I’m probably going to notice and remember that specific detail, rather than the fact that they were wearing a red shirt. Physical description doesn’t have to be done all at once; they can be done gradually throughout the story.

I think that dynamic physical description really shines in small doses. One of the most amazing things and the most frustrating things about being a writer is that we don’t need to hold our readers’ hands the entire way. Readers can and will fill in their own details, like how a character looks. As writers, we don’t need to spoon-feed them that information for the most part; we just need to leave little hints to guide their imagination. Dynamic physical description is fantastic at that.

Another useful application of this is that it is possible to mix in a character voice in a physical description.

So here is an example of a static physical description:

There were dark circles underneath her eyes. Her hair was tied up in a lifeless ponytail, haphazardly bunched up on the top of her head. The grey sweats hung baggily around her legs.

Here is how I might rewrite it as dynamic physical description and mix some character voice in.

There were dark circles underneath her eyes — did she not get any sleep last night? Were the nightmares still keeping her awake? Her hair was tied up in a lifeless ponytail, even though I knew that she loved spending time doing her hair in the morning. The grey sweats that she was wearing, she referred to them once as her comfort pants because they were as comfortable as they were ugly; She only wore them when she felt terrible. She was hurting, and I had no idea what to say.

Dynamic physical description can also be a lot more personal than static, because it’s interactive, it’s mobile, and it’s not passively describing something. There are thoughts and knowledge and voice intertwined to convey more than just the character’s appearance. 

You could also add some character actions in there if you want, so it feels even less listy.

There were dark circles underneath her eyes — did she not get any sleep last night? Were the nightmares still keeping her awake? Her hair was tied up in a lifeless ponytail, even though I knew that she loved spending time doing her hair in the morning. 

“You’re wearing your comfy pants,” I said, pinching some of the fabric of her baggy grey sweatpants. It looked lumpy, but was surprisingly soft under my fingertips. “I haven’t seen you wear them in a long time.”

None of these three examples of description are bad in any way (besides for my terrible writing skills, sorry about that!!!). They all convey something different though, and each of them gives information in their own unique way. 

And to close this post off, I’m going to end with a reminder: Neither type or description is inherently better or worse than the other. If used effectively, they can both be amazing and appropriate for a scene. If used ineffectively, they can both really hinder a scene as well. They’re both valid! There is no wrong answer with what type of description to use, and I think it’s worth exploring and experimenting with both.

Remember that all writing advice is subjective, and there are no hard rules! 

If you’d like to ask me for advice on writing or running a writeblr, please check out my Ask Guidelines and FAQ first.

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[jackiegaytona]

I absolutely love your fics! Any advice for someone who wants to start writing a lengthy wwdits fic for archive? I have so many ideas but I'm so nervous about writing and posting this. I haven't written a fic in years now. The most charactet and story writing I've done is for d&d.

Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoy my work! I’m more than happy to share a little of my own current experiences within the fandom. Believe it or not, I only saw the movie around a month ago, and then binged the TV show after. So I’m very much a WWDITS noob. But I am HOOKED.

My recent foray into wwdits fanfiction has been amazing, I’ve been getting so much writing done - more than I have in probably a decade! This fandom is the first I’ve written for in around 15 years, but the reception has been so encouraging. The comments I’ve been receiving have been a shining light in what is obviously a difficult time right now.

So with that said, my advice would be: Just start writing! Pathetic advice, I know, but beginning is the hardest part, and it gets easier after. Here are some pointers I hope will help (feel free to follow or ignore them):

·         Before you begin, change the background of your word processor to a darker colour – I recommend a mid-range grey. If using Word, you can change both the interface colours and the page’s background colour. I write on a dark-ish grey page. So basically, my Word interface is all grey. This helps my eyes, and also doesn’t look nearly as intimidating as a glaring white page!

·         Make a bullet list of your notes and use them as a guide, but don’t get too hung up on the planning stage if that’s not what you like doing. I’m not a plotter. I can’t write unless I give myself free rein. When I start a story, I might have a vague idea of how it ends but I have no idea what will happen until I start writing. A lot of writers say this is bad practice, and yes it sometimes results in your story hitting dead ends. BUT – and I say this for both art and writing – there are no solid rules. Creating is a very individual process, and you need to find what works best for you.

·         Begin somewhere – doesn’t have to be the beginning. Start with a scene that interests you or that you want to get written out. Once you’re over that initial hump of “blank page jitters”, it gets much easier.

·         As for multi-chapter fics, I approach them the same way I approach smaller fics. I don’t give myself a set word-count. I don’t do much planning, just a few dot points of ideas. The beautiful thing about fanfiction is that your reader has background knowledge of the show and characters, so you can literally start anywhere, at any point in time, and although your story should have some kind of resolution at the end, it doesn’t necessarily have to follow the traditional layout of a novel.

 If you’re nervous about writing fanfiction in particular, and the reception/comments you’ll receive (believe me, I was up until I posted my first fic. I’m not a confident writer), keep in mind:

·         Fanfiction is great because some of the work is already done for you! The characters, places and themes already exist and thus give you loads to work from. But you can also add your own little twists in, and that’s where things get really creative. I have read a lot of fics that follow the timeline of WWDITS, for example, and although the events in these fics are very similar (because they happen in the show, or are likely to happen) – the writing styles and outcomes are all so different that it’s like reading a new story each time. Each writer brings their own imagination to the table, yet we all have a shared interest. Which usually involves vampire-familiar sex.

·         Remember, you’re posting your work to a bunch of frenzied fans who want any tiny scrap of content they can get – ME INCLUDED. GIVE US CONTENT. So yeah, people will love your work, regardless of your skill level. Someone will read it and someone will love it (usually multiple people). I haven’t read a fic I haven’t loved.

·         Fanfic writing is very self-indulgent. Eg. we can write our favourite ships, or bend the show/fandom to suit us, which is a very enjoyable experience. Even a little addictive.

·         In terms of WWDITS, the fandom is freaking AWESOME. Everyone is so friendly and it’s so active, there are some incredibly creative people and I’ve made a lot of new friends. So don’t ever be afraid to share your work, or try something new, like a multi-chapter fic. We WILL read it and enjoy it! For what it’s worth, I personally love long fics. The agonising slow-burns are my faves…so frustrating. So delicious.

 I’ll stop there since this is already very long, but I hope that helps! If anyone ever wants me to play editor for their fics or beta read, I’m more than happy to help out as best as I can!