#character arc worksheets

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing References: Plot

Basics: Plot Structure & Narrative Arcs

Basics: Plot & Other Elements of Creative Writing

Plot Methods: Save the Cat! ⚜ The Story Circle

Plot Development: The Transformation Test

Plot-Driven Story ⚜ Plotting a Novel ⚜ Plot-Planning Worksheet

Plot Twists ⚜ Types of Plot Twists ⚜ Subplots

Ten Story Genres ⚜ Elements of the 10 Story Genres

The 3-Act Structure: History & Elements ��� A Guide

The Shape of Story ⚜ The Shapes of Stories by Kurt Vonnegut

Tips

From Margaret Atwood ⚜ From Rick Riordan

Before Writing your Novel ⚜ Burying Information

How to Get "Unstuck" when Writing your Novel

Editing

Chapter Maps ⚜ Editing your Own Novel

Plot Holes & Other Structural Issues ⚜ Structural Edit

Self-Editing ⚜ Novel Editing

For Inspiration

Archetypal Narrative Arcs ⚜ Character & Literary Tropes

Snowflake Method ⚜ Ways to Generate an Idea

Writing References: Character Development ⚜ World-building

[heywriters]

Rescued Writing Links!

When cleaning out the HEY, Writers! Pinterest I moved some links here. The internet has changed a LOT since I started collecting these, so some links may include outdated info. All were still active when I made this, but it's been in my drafts for a hot minute.

Protip! In Firefox, check to toggle reader view when reading these (mobile: the page icon in the url bar; desktop: same icon or hit F9). This removes popups, ads, screen clutter, and often has an audio option.

Survivors of Internet Decay Award!

These active sites featured most often in my collections so they get the top of the list.

Helping Writers Become Authors

Mythcreants

Bryn Donovan

Getting Started (Ideas & Intros)

How to Start Writing a Book: Learn One Writer’s Process | Marian Schembari

How to Start a Story: 30 Opening Scene Examples | Bryn Donovan

Don’t Panic! What to Do When You Have Too Many Story Ideas | Faye Kirwin

How to Write a Killer First Chapter | Rae Elliot

How To Write A Captivating Opening Sentence

Outlining

How to Create a Flexible Outline for Your Novel | Faye Kirwin

Protagonists

How to Write Believable Characters | Bridget McNulty

4 Ways to Write a Likable Protag at the Start of the Character Arc | KM Weiland

5 Tips for Writing a Likable "Righteous" Character | KM Weiland

I Hate Your Protagonist! Want to Know Why? | KM Weiland

The Secret to Writing Dynamic Characters: It's Always Their Fault | KM Weiland

A Protagonist’s Moment of Realisation

Antagonists

Blurring the Lines: What Are Anti-Heroes and Anti-Villains?

Antagonists: Inner & Outer Demons | Kristen Lamb

How to Write Multiple Antagonists | KM Weiland

Character Building

The Epic Guide to Character Creation, Part 1 | Kylie Day

Pick Up A Bad Habit | Maggie Maxwell

How To Write Characters from the Opposite Gender | Rachel Poli

Top 4 Tips for Using Backstory in Your Novel | Diana Anderson-Tyler

Depicting Background Characters | Chris Winkle

Scene Building

The 5 Elements Of A Good Scene | Amanda Patterson

A New Way to Think About Scene Structure | KM Weiland

2 Ways to Make the Most of Your Story’s Climactic Setting | KM Weiland

8 Things Writers Forget When Writing Fight Scenes | Lisa Voisin

Descriptions

Master List of Facial Expressions | Bryn Donovan

Master List of Words to Describe Voices | Bryn Donovan

Master List of Physical Description for Writers | Bryn Donovan

Writer’s Guide to Serious Injuries and Calamities | Bryn Donovan

How to Ground Your Reader (in the setting) | Rachel Craft

The Forgotten Fifth Sense | Writer's Relief

Never Name an Emotion in Your Story | KM Weiland

Show, Don't Tell: How to Write the Stages of Grief | Ruthanne Reid

100 Words for Facial Expressions

Dialogue

How To Write Good Dialogue: Ten Tips | Irving Weinman

Seven Dialogue Don’ts | Jason Bougger

10 Keys to Writing Dialogue in Fiction | Katherine Cowley

Points-Of-View (POV)

What Every Writer Ought to Know About the Omniscient POV | KM Weiland

Motivation & Support

What New Writers Need To Know About Fear | Bryan Collins

How to Discover Your Writing Process with Gabriela Pereira | Kirsten Oliphant

Editing & Revising

18 Overused Words to Replace When Writing | Oxford Tutoring

An Easy Way to Immediately Improve Your Character’s Action Beats | KM Weiland

Want More Depth to Your Writing? | Sacha Black

How Much is Too Much Backstory? | Ellen Brock

Why Your Writing Sounds Weird (And What You Can Do About It) | Joe Brock

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers | Jenny Bravo

Favorite Revision and Editing Tricks

Short Stories & Flashfic

How to Write a Story a Week: A Day-by-Day Guide | Emily Wenstrom

How Flash Fiction / Microfiction Can Help With Your Writing | Rhianne Williams

Worksheets & Downloads

Writing Worksheet Archive

If anyone out there loves making lists and wants to transport this to another site, you have every right to do so! Just let me know in a reblog so I can share it here again :)

---

HEY! Writers' Links

Tip Jar! If you enjoy my blog and advice, support me on Ko-fi!🤗

Follow me on AO3 for fanfiction

Visit my Pinterest & Unsplash for visual inspiration

[2soulscollide]

Write your book STEP BY STEP

hello hello, it's me again!

today i'm bringing you a step-by-step / checklist to finally get your book done. i know it can be a bit complicated to put everything together to make your idea come to life (you're definitely not alone!)

that's why i compiled some tips and made this post, in hopes to help some author out there :D

let's get started.

PREMISE

assuming you already have a good idea in mind, you should start by writing a premise. to help you with that, try to answer these questions:

who is the main character?

what are their goals?

which troubles will they face / what's stopping them from achieving their goals?

do they have an opponent? if so, who?

now that you know the answers to these questions, it's time to write the premise. the premise consists in a sentence that summarizes your whole idea.

PLOT OUTLINE

there are infinite ways to plot your story. you can do it by writing down ideas and linking them together, following a scheme, or any other method.

the most common plot outlines are these:

synopsis outline: one to two pages, where you hit all the major beats of the story

in-depth outline: outline each chapter/scene

snowflake method: develop the premise into a bigger paragraph, and that paragraph into a page (etc.) until you have the whole outline of your story

booken method: plot the start and end of the story, and the main characters

the novel factory created plot sheets for free, and you can choose from eight different templates. you might want to check it out!

KNOW YOUR CHARACTERS

having your outline defined, you should start developing your characters now. the main character's profile might be more detailed than the others, however, it's up to you. there are many character sheets out there on the internet that will help you create flawless characters.

i have a post with resources that might be helpful when creating a character, check it out!

and here you have some prompts and sheets to create a character:

Quick Character Creator - EA Deverell

Extremely detailed character sheet template - @hawkasss

The Best Character Template Ever - Dabble

Character Twenty Questions Worksheet - The Writers Circle

at this point, you should also define the narrator's voice, tone, etc, as well as the pace of your novel.

LOCATIONS

define the principal locations of your story, the settings, and where the story is taking place. it's important to know how the environment looks, and how your characters feel about it.

for this part, you might find it useful to do some research about some locations, if you're not familiar with them. find inspiration on Pinterest, Tumblr, or even on books, paintings, and art. everything is valid.

if your story takes place in a fantasy environment, you might need to fill out a template to create it or write down the way you imagine it to be. try to get as many details as possible, so there are no holes when developing the novel.

SUBPLOTS

you might want to give more depth to your novel by developing a subplot (or more than one). make sure it doesn't get too confusing or that doesn't take the focus away from the main action.

the subplot can be a romance, another character's relationship, a character's arc, a backstory, etc. this will make your story more real and 3D, more realistic.

develop it as a side story and mix it with the principal plot but don't make it as important as the main story, otherwise, none of the plots will make an impact.

SYNOPSIS

write a synopsis as long as you wish, covering every important part of the story. this will help you to really know your idea, and have a solid structure for it. it can range from 500 to 2,500 words, but you don't have to restrict yourself to a number.

things the synopsis should cover:

the status quo

the complication

initial challenges

midpoint

further challenges

the low point

the climax

the resolution

DRAFT

and we get to the best part which is writing! now that you know everything about your story, characters, locations, and scenes, all you have to do is to put all that together in words. don't feel pressured to make everything look perfect already, just write what comes to your mind. if you have a new idea for the plot, good, write it down! if this character doesn't make sense anymore, okay, get rid of them. just go with the flow, following the structure you've planned, and everything starts to come to life.

i know it's so tempting to go back, read what you wrote, and start editing and polishing, but trust me, don't do that! it's a waste of time, and you will take so much more time to finish your first draft. in fact, i've given up on so many stories because of that...

just when you finish the first draft, you will re-read everything and start editing, fixing plot holes, changing what doesn't fit well, etc. but for now, just write, get the first draft done. enjoy the process, don't rush.

thanks for reading!

i hope this post was helpful!

also, you might be interested in this free workbook with over 90 pages and many exercises! check it out here: THE WRITER'S WORKBOOK

resources for this post:

How to Choose a Plot Outline Method: 4 Techniques for Outlining Novels

How to Write a Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide

[fuckitupfelix]

hai… its me again BUT I HAVE ANOTHER SCENARIO IDEA ALSO IMMSORRY AHOUT MY OTHER ASK AUGHH IT WAS RIGHT IN UR RULES DUDE BUT BUT MY IDEA IS SCENARIO OF WHICHEVER HQ CHARACTER OF UR CHOOSING WITH AN S/O WHO HAS REALLY BAD MUSCLE STRAIN FROM PRACTISING VOLLEYBALL BUT REFUSE TO REST AND GAGAGAGA :3

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT BRO ITS ALL GOOD!!! IM GONNA COOK WITH THIS ONE TO MAKE UP FOR IT 🙏🙏 actually writing now hope this doesn't turn out bad..

hit it til it breaks...?

iwaizumi hajime x male reader

word count: 1k

iwaizumi's noticed that his boyfriend, seijoh's libero, hasn't been doing his best.

FEM ALIGNED DNI

iwaizumi has seen what pushing yourself past your limits can do to you. he's seen how oikawa always strived to be the best he could, sometimes pushing himself beyond exhaustion. it takes a huge toll on your body, so iwa promised himself he'd take care of himself, and it's not exactly a secret. he pushed everyone to do the same.

so it surprised iwaizumi when he noticed (name) acting different in the past few weeks. they were all very subtle changes; he would buy coffee in the morning more often, was a bit slower with receives, and a little more tired than he usually used to be.

he was pushing himself.

that's what iwaizumi thought initially. he's seen the signs in oikawa enough times to know the aftermath of straining yourself and making your body work overtime. he decides to wait a bit, see if (name) would mention anything by himself. he didn't.

"iwaaaa," (name) called, leaning over iwaizumi's desk. "can i borrow your homework answers?"

iwaizumi raised an eyebrow at that. "you didn't get time finish it last night?" he asked, pulling out the papers. he noticed his boyfriend's hesitation before he took the papers.

"nah, only got through half of it before i went to bed. my mom had me run errands after school. y'know, groceries 'n stuff." (name) said causally. he hunched over iwaizumi's desk to quickly write down the rest of his answers before passing the worksheets back to him. "thanks!"

"yeah, no problem. . . by the way—" but (name) had left before he could ask his question.

later that day, during practice, the team was doing a spiking drill. (name)'s receives were all flawless, but iwaizumi noticed the slight stiffness of his movements. how he grit his teeth for a spike that wasn't particularly hard to get. how his feet left the ground half a second too late. how his breathing grew ragged faster than usual.

'maybe im overthinking things,' and so he shook the thoughts away. he's used to having to deal with oikawa's bullshit. maybe its made him paranoid.

he went to spike, moving fluidly. the ball went a bit of a distance away from (name)'s direction— almost halfway across the court— but he still went for it. that's when it happened.

(name) reached, pushing himself to make contact with the ball, willing himself to. and he did. he sent it up nicely— a beautiful arc straight to the net. but his body had already exhausted itself. it was too much. his face contorted in pain as he felt his leg spasm. his body slammed against the floor, his shoulder connecting with the wood panels in an odd way. his body tumbled over itself like a ragdoll. (name) just laid there.

iwaizumi darted over to (name), eyes blown wide with panic. as gently as he could, he grabbed his shoulders, lifting him up. his grip was still tight.

"(name)? (name), are you okay?" he asked, sweat dripping from his forehead onto (name).

(name)'s eyes opened, face morphing into a frown. "yeah, shit. . . sorry," he mumbled. he tried to push himself to stand, but let out a sharp groan, falling back down to the floor.

the sound of shoes squeaking against the gym floors was faded as (name) and iwaizumi sat together in the club room. (name)'s leg was propped up on one of the chairs.

'how did this happen?'

sure, (name) was pushing himself more than usual, but that was because the inter-high preliminaries were right around the corner! he had to do his best so the team could go to nationals!

"hey." iwaizumi's voice drew (name) out of his thoughts. ". . . why didn't you stop?" he asked.

". . .what?"

"you were pushing yourself too hard, your body couldn't keep up, and now you can barely move your legs. why didn't you take a break?"

(name) tensed up at iwa's words. he frowned. "because i needed to do better. i needed more practice. i need to be better—"

"is this really better to you?" iwaizumi cut him off. (name) flinched at the volume. iwaizumi was pissed. "seriously, tell me. do you think pushing yourself this far helping anyone? we all need practice, but without breaks, you're doing more harm than good!"

"i know that!" (name) snaps. he glared down at the floor. his head was spinning and his legs were throbbing and he could feel his face grow hot, tears brimming in his eyes.

"i know it was stupid, i know i should have paid attention, i'm sorry. i just wanted us to do better! i wanted us to win." (name) managed. god, he knew he sounded pathetic, the way his throat closed up on him, making him sound all whiney. he rubbed the tears away with the back of his hands, his face scrunched up.

iwaizumi wasn't expecting that. he walks over, sitting next to his boyfriend. he wraps an arm around his shoulder, bringing (name) in to rest his head on his chest.

"hey, hey, it's okay," iwaizumi mumbled. he wasn't great at comforting people. he ran his hand along (name)'s back, rubbing circles. "c'mon. can you stand properly? i'm taking you home."

"what? come on, iwa, just give me a minute, i-i can make it for the rest of practice—"

"(name)." iwaizumi said sternly. "what you need is rest. you don't need to overexert your body anymore. and, you're banned from any type of practice until you get better." he adds.

"what?" (name) sputtered. "that's not fair!"

"of course it is, dumbass!" iwaizumi huffed, crossing his arms. "if you try to play volleyball injured, it'll get worse and take longer to heal. seriously. i don't like seeing you hurt," he adds, quieter that time.

a small smile grew on (name)'s face at that. "fine, but only cause i don't want you worrying," he chuckled. he leaned over to plant a small kiss on iwaizumi's cheek.

". . . okay, now help me up? please?"

AAAAJFHHH i hope that was okay (⁠>⁠▂⁠<⁠)!!! it was kind of angsty idk if you wanted that. . . lmk if i need to fix anything!!! requests are still open btw!!

divider by @/plutism !!

[hayatheauthor]

Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024

When I started this blog, one of the first posts I penned was "Websites Every Author Should Know in 2023." Now, as I return to breathe new life into this platform in 2024, it feels only fitting to offer an updated edition of that beloved post. 

Whether you're struggling with brainstorming ideas, organizing your plot, finding publishing opportunities, or simply seeking some writing motivation, here are 10 websites that every author should know in 2024. 

1. Artbreeder

If you're anything like me, you know the frustration of staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. Well, say goodbye to writer's block because Artbreeder is here to rescue you from the depths of creative stagnation.

At its core, Artbreeder is a brainstorming tool that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to help you generate ideas and explore new avenues of creativity. Whether you're crafting characters, creating scene locations, or conceptualizing entire worlds, Artbreeder's AI can help you create any image. 

But don't just take my word for it. Countless writers, from aspiring novices to seasoned pros, have sung the praises of Artbreeder for its role in fueling their creative fire.

2.  OneStopForWriters

If you've ever found yourself drowning in a sea of character arcs, struggling to untangle a convoluted plot, or simply searching for that elusive spark of inspiration, then OneStopForWriters is here to be your guiding light.

At OneStopForWriters, you'll find a treasure trove of resources designed to empower writers at every stage of their journey. One of the standout features is its unparalleled collection of writing tools and resources. From character development worksheets and plot structure guides to brainstorming prompts and writing exercises, this platform offers a wealth of resources to help you hone your craft and overcome any writing challenge that comes your way.

3.  Milanote

With Milanote, organizing your thoughts has never been easier. Whether you're plotting out your next novel, storyboarding a film, or brainstorming ideas for your next project, Milanote's intuitive interface and versatile features make it a breeze to bring your ideas to life.

But Milanote isn't just about organization – it's about inspiration, too. Dive into Milanote's vast collection of templates, images, and resources, curated to spark your creativity and fuel your passion for storytelling.

And let's not forget about collaboration. With Milanote, you can seamlessly collaborate with fellow writers, sharing ideas, giving feedback, and working together to bring your collective vision to life. Let me know if you'd like to collab! 

4. Inkarnate

Whether you're a fantasy author crafting intricate realms, a sci-fi writer mapping out distant galaxies, or a historical fiction enthusiast recreating the past, Inkarnate is your ultimate tool for world-building.

With Inkarnate's powerful mapping tools and customizable features, creating stunning and detailed maps has never been easier. From sprawling continents to intricate cityscapes, Inkarnate allows you to bring every aspect of your world to life with breathtaking detail and precision.

But Inkarnate isn't just about maps – it's about storytelling. Dive into Inkarnate's vast library of assets, from characters and creatures to landmarks and landscapes, and use them to enrich your world and enhance your storytelling.

5. World Anvil

With World Anvil's array of interactive tools and features, you can meticulously craft every detail of your world, from its geography and history to its cultures and languages. Whether you're creating a sprawling fantasy realm, a dystopian future, or an alternate historical timeline, World Anvil provides the tools you need to breathe life into your creations.

But World Anvil is more than just a repository for world-building information. It's a platform for storytelling, collaboration, and engagement. Share your world with readers, invite them to explore its intricacies, and immerse them in the rich tapestry of your imagination

6.  Scrivener

At its core, Scrivener is a comprehensive writing software designed to meet the unique needs of authors, screenwriters, academics, and more. With its flexible interface and robust features, Scrivener allows you to organize your thoughts, structure your writing, and bring your ideas to life with ease.

One of Scrivener's standout features is its ability to break down your writing into manageable chunks, or "scrivenings," making it easy to focus on individual scenes, chapters, or sections of your manuscript. With its intuitive corkboard and outlining tools, you can visualize your project's structure and rearrange it on the fly.

But Scrivener is more than just a writing tool – it's a creative hub where ideas flourish and projects take shape. With its built-in research capabilities, you can keep all your notes, references, and inspiration in one place, ensuring that nothing gets lost in the shuffle.

7. Dabble

One of Dabble's standout features is its seamless integration of plotting, outlining, and writing tools. Whether you're a die-hard plotter or a pantser at heart, Dabble has the flexibility to accommodate your preferred writing style, allowing you to create detailed outlines, jot down notes, and dive into writing whenever inspiration strikes.

But Dabble is more than just a writing tool – it's a community of writers united by their love of storytelling and their commitment to helping each other succeed. Here, you'll find support, encouragement, and invaluable feedback as you navigate the ups and downs of the writing process.

With Dabble's cloud-based platform, you can access your work from anywhere, on any device, ensuring that your novel is always at your fingertips, whether you're at home, at work, or on the go.

8. Literature Map 

Literature Map is a visual mapping tool that helps you discover new authors and books based on your literary preferences. Whether you're a fan of classic literature, contemporary fiction, or niche genres, Literature Map provides personalized recommendations to help you expand your reading horizons.

Using Literature Map is as easy as typing in the name of an author you love. Instantly, a constellation of related authors appears, each connected by their thematic, stylistic, or genre similarities. From there, you can explore new authors, discover hidden gems, and embark on new reading adventures with confidence.

But Literature Map is more than just a recommendation engine – it's a gateway to a world of literary exploration and discovery. Here, you'll find a community of fellow book lovers, eager to share their favorite authors, discuss their latest reads, and connect with like-minded readers from around the globe.

That concludes our exploration of the 10 essential websites every author should know in 2024. May these tools and resources empower you on your writing journey, from the spark of inspiration to the final flourish of your manuscript. Happy writing, and may your creativity know no bounds!

I hope this blog on Ten Websites Every Author Should Know In 2024 will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[redstringraven]

i mentioned previously that on/off through the past couple weeks i've been working on and rebuilding liáfsini's scrivener, so i can continue not only fleshing out the realm, culture, and magic system itself but also my 'continued canon' after '03 season four.

since i've been having a good time with one of the tools i've been using, i thought i'd throw it down here should anyone else want or need a thorough and unique worldbuilding worksheet!

this is the leviathan method, by kittyspace. while you don't need scrivener to use it, know that you WILL need a 'base outline' to act as the skeleton you'll be building upon. i'm using gwyn/ash's plot arc as my outline. there are fifty-two questions to consider, some of which you'll need to return to and repeat as you go. it's called a leviathan for a reason, and i've really enjoyed using it so far. i'm currently on part 11 and hope to have 12 wrapped up by sunday.

have fun if you think it'll be useful for your storytelling or worldbuilding for your characters, and godspeed! 🐢🌲

edit: if you're looking for a rebloggable version of this post so you can archive the link, here you go!

[airbendling]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

My thoughts during and after the first two episodes.

Spoilers, spoilers, spoilers!

Disclaimer: This is unedited. The story is still unfolding and this is just my opinion as a long time fan, recently graduated film major, and a storyteller.

I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre-Algebra Teacher

"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood." AAAA A A AA AAAAAA. I am so hype for this.

"Hey fellas, wanna come hear about the imaginary things I see? Not a thing you want to be saying. To anyone."

The doodles in his notebook! So sweet. And he plays Mythomagic... I'm reeling. Can't wait to meet Nico though I know it's years away.

Percy's very quiet without his narration and such. Wish we had more of it throughout the episode.

His signature and it not fitting in the name box on his worksheet is a nice touch.

Percy owns this emoji 🤨

His friendship with Grover is everything. Swapping sandwich fixings without a second thought, the genuine smiles. I'm loving it.

That Ms. Dodds transformation was clean though I wish she was more threatening.

The insistence of the line "I didn't touch Nancy" caught me off guard. Simply, "I didn't push her." Would've sounded more natural.

Love the Jackson sass in Sally, but I'd prefer more from Gabe. He wasn't angry and irrational enough, not gross enough, he conceded to Sally too quickly. If This guy got turned to stone by the severed head of Medusa I'd just feel kinda bad for him.

I was really hoping for the "Not a scratch on this car, brain boy." and Percy's "Like I'd be the one driving 🙄"

The word vomit from Sally was a little much but Percy's Jesus line was gold.

"You are singular." Just kinda took me out of the moment. Odd wording in such an emotional beat.

I hear all my film professors screaming in my head. Why did Percy stop running when his Mom was fighting the Minotaur? He started, then just stood there and watched. Run, Percy, run!

This moment would have a lot more impact if he was running to her when she disappeared.

His battle with the Minotaur, the lack of music until he rips off the horn, well done. Very well done.

Stunning end credits art!

I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom

I'm so happy they're keeping the chapter titles for the episodes.

Okay why was the "You drool when you sleep" so ominous and random. Like it was filmed and edited as an afterthought just to check the "Iconic Line" box without understanding why it's iconic. It's funny cause he's thinking she's gonna say how cool he is or whatever. Then she says "You drool when you sleep." and runs off. Real 12-year-old energy there.

Grover's nervous energy I know and love. Aryan is killing it!

"I think my dad must be around here somewhere. I don't know how to ask for him. I don't even know his name. But I think I should see him, I think I really need that right now. Can you help me?" ...What is this?

Dionysus trying to trick him into thinking he's his father was funny but Percy actually believing it...? Would've loved that inner commentary in this moment.

The Camp Half-Blood grounds looks so barren and underdeveloped to me. The cabin area is wonderful though.

I was so scared that tree nymph with Grover was Thalia. I think this only character design I'm not a fan of so far. Her eyes felt uncanny and too human. Maybe a bit more color variation in her face bark(?) or some kind of framing, textural detail.

Yes! They're including weird demigod dreams!

I'm loving the portrayal of Luke by Charles Bushnell. He's caring, understanding, laidback. The masterful cold delivery of "Hermes is my father," but brushing it off like the Cool Guy he is, "But that doesn't matter, we're all on the same team here."

His arc is going to be devastating.

Oh and Percy's message to his mom, so happy to report he's actually making friends but he's talking about Luke and Chris Rodriguez.

Devastating.

Percy: Hey guys! Can't sleep huh?

This line and the cutaway was utter perfection.

ANNABETH!! !! !!!!!!! My beloved.

Never thought "Sunshine" would be a nickname for Percy Jackson.

Aww Annabeth fixing his crooked armor.

Great Capture the Flag battle scene! Dynamic and interesting. Nice fight choreography.

Percy: No maiming. That's like, the one rule?

Clarisse: Yeah I guess I'll lose dessert privileges for a while. 😌😁I'll live.

Loving it.

Luke's utter shock after Percy getting claimed. Ooohhohoooo.

The Poseidon cabin was a jumpscare. The outside is a little... on the nose. Like, make it look Greek, paint it blue, slap a Trident symbol on there, done. And all the hanging bones and stuff? I mean, sure, I guess. The cabins were so fun and unique in the books.

More "singular" usage by important characters. Is there a reason for this?

Amazing Dionysus casting. Truly.

Final thoughts...

Let's start with some positives.

The set design, production design, and costume design are remarkable. With a handful of exceptions, overall, it looks gorgeous, especially with the A+ cinematography and lighting. Gorgeous!!

The porch of the Big House with the stained glass was an phenomenal choice. I love it so much.

The action is well-paced and dynamic, keeping the fight scenes interesting and believable.

And the acting is wonderful despite the writing.

Oh, the writing... Yeah, I don't like it.

It doesn't do justice to the actors or the characters.

Walker is naturally funny. Watch him in anything, any interview ever. The kid played alongside Ryan Reynolds as a younger version of him. Dare I say he outshined Ryan himself in The Adam Project.

Percy narrated everything, for five whole books. And them some. We know this kid. He's funny. He's observant, sarcastic, imaginative, impulsive, a bit clueless, but sweet.

I think regular or even occassional voiceover commentary from Percy would be gamechanging. I mean that with my whole heart and soul. If I could change one thing about the whole series it would be this.

Walker could really shine but I feel like his dialogue is lacking. And sometimes just a bit odd. Like, who talks like that? (There's my professors again). Sounds kinda AI-generated to me. (not speculating, I think it's just bad writing.)

There was a lot of great lines, don't get me wrong. But I think overall, everyone's dialogue is coming up short. The PJO we know is clever and fun and I don't think it reflects that well at all.

Percy Jackson is one of the most popular series ever with a very distinct style that makes it stand out from other YA fiction stories. I feel like more could've been done to preserve those vibes and translate them to the screen.

Movie/show adaptations of books are often hit-or-misses. I think the PJ fandom has always been so passionate about getting it right is because of that distinct style.

Rick is there. They have a phenomenal cast. It's good, but it could have been extraordinary. It could have been groundbreaking. But they settled.

There were many, many moments I saw could have been instantly improved but the smallest change. But they settled.

All this to say... I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised, and I'm not mad.

When the rest of the episodes come out, I think it'll come together to be a decent adaptation and a fun show. I'm staying positive.

[rebel-moon-obsessed]

current progress on my fanfic for Rebel Moon under the cut ❤︎

Research/ploting/brainstorming: cover art / ofcharacter art character worksheet -> Kai character worksheet -> ofc character development sheet -> Kai character development sheet -> ofc character background story -> Kai character background story -> ofc character research -> b### rough plotline arc-one t-c f## mapping (wip) s#d# mapping (wip) kai's r### mapping

important dates: -> ArtBook part one release -> April 2nd ✓ -> Songs of the rebellion release -> April 5th ✓ -> Part Two movie release -> April 19th ✓ -> Part Two novel release -> June 4th (my bf's birthday ❤︎) -> ArtBook part two release -> June 25th (my birthday 🥺) -> Director's cut release -> August 2024 -> Moon Child will be uploaded on both ao3 and wattpad, one chapter per week, starting in late April

References: fandom wiki companion guide novelization: Rebel Moon by V. Castro Rebel Moon, Part One: Child of Fire on Netflix Rebel Moon, Part Two: The Scargiver on Netflix ArtBook part one -> Rebel Moon: Wolf: Ex Nihilo: Cosmology & Technology

The actual writing of the fic... Premise

Summary: -> published

chapter one: -> published ✓

chapter two: -> first draft -> edited -> published

chapter three: -> first draft -> edited -> published

chapter four: -> first draft -> edited -> published

chapter five: -> first draft -> edited -> published

chapter six: -> first draft -> edited -> published

chapter seven: -> first draft -> edited -> published

[implausiblyjosh]

Been watching Superman & Lois recently, and with the 3rd season wrapping up, I wanted to talk about what I saw as "Drama Busywork" in this season.

One of the b-plots in this season is that Jordan, one of Clark & Lois's sons, is dealing with Teenage Issues. In episode S3 E12, he sees people make fun of his superhero alter ego right in front of him & he responds like most kid superheroes do in these types of shows, basically saying "so what if this new superhero is a kid and wears goggles? seems like this new superhero is kinda badass and saved some kids!"

That exchange makes his ex, Sarah, think that Jordan doesn't care about his secret and having a secret identity… despite the fact that she saw the entire conversation start to finish and saw him keep the secret, all he did was kinda go "whoa hold on peers, what if the kid hero is cool and awesome instead???" Sarah, going off of this wild interpretation of events laid out in front of her, tells her mom, Lana Lang.

But this game of telephone telephones-back? It starts as "heyyy what if the new kid superhero is cool haha", then Sarah sees this as "Jordan doesn't care about his secret, so I shouldn't have to care about keeping his powers a secret", which Lana Lang takes to Clark and Lois as "he cares too much about his alter ego", and finally Clark & Lois go to Jordan with "you don't think people knowing about your alter ego is bad". And this last point isn't in a "People should know Superman and Clark Kent are the same person" way, it's in a "People should know Superman exists" way.

So Jordan doesn't actually get to address the core problems here, which are:

1) he is a bit of a Teen Weirdo dealing with Teenage Adolescence on top of being a Teen Hero

2) His relationship with his ex, Sarah, is Bad

Watching the season finale right now, and we haven't gotten any meaningful closure on this Jordan arc. So, like, what's the point?

It really feels like meaningless drama that isn't really adding much to the story or the characters, it's just giving them something to do. Just a lot of characters handling things horribly, AND characters who aren't handling things poorly have the memories of goldfish.

One of the other characters, DOD Grandpa (cannot remember his character's name, but he's Lois Lane's dad) is the one who got Jordan on this whole alter ego track! But when everything comes to blows about Jordan wanting recognition as his alter ego, he gets to just kinda peace out of that whole conflict.

Another example from this same episode is a Clark and Kyle interaction, part of the C-Plot of Jonathan (Lois & Clark's other son) feeling kinda left out of the whole family because he doesn't have powers like his brother and he's not someone of worldwide importance like his mom.

Jonathan has been working as a firefighter in-training with Kyle, Lana Lang's ex. Recent developments have made it so Kyle knows Clark is Superman. This has had an impact on how Kyle treats Jonathan, since Kyle knows that not only is this Superman's son, but also Kyle used to be Clark's biggest bully. Clark goes to Kyle and asks to not treat Jonathan any different because Clark is Superman, and clearly and concisely states that this is about Jonathan not wanting special treatment and Jonathan wants to make it on his own merits.

Kyle would literally not be receptive to that idea from anyone other than Superman, he's still in "this man could kill me and coulda killed me in high school when I was his biggest bully" mode of thinking. So, how does Kyle take this new info to Jonathan? like Jonathan went and ratted to his dad! Even though Jonathan clearly states that's not what happened, Clark just overheard him talking about work! Jonathan's obviously comfortable talking to Kyle about these issues, or else he wouldn't expand on them and defend himself by basically saying "what, you expect me to never talk about work outside of work?"

This is the drama equivalent of worksheets. This is busywork. I don't feel like anything productive is happening here in these interactions, either as character work or as narrative. This doesn't get into the fact that a lot of underlying issues here are just… not really brought up again!

If we focus back on my two points with Jordan, there's one that's just normal High School Drama Stuff. The second is his relationship with Sarah, his ex. Despite this second point being a huge driving force in a lot of Jordan's B-Plot (I'd argue the reason he wants to be recognized as his alter ego is directly caused by this awful relationship) there isn't much movement on dealing with the relationship.

This angle is completely unresolved. The Sarah & Jordan angle starts going sour because Sarah cheats on Jordan over summer camp. They talk it out, and are still together despite it, until Sarah decides because of her own cheating she just wants to be friends. Jordan is (understandably!) heartbroken about this, and tries to continue to be friends with her and it bleeds into that first point. Now he's gotta deal with this heartbreak, on top of the usual High School Drama Stuff. It is the catalyst for all these other things in his life, and all his actions, but like… nothing satisfying is happening there!

(Additionally, this plot point hits really close to home for me! I've been on the cheated-on end of a situation, and watching all this knowing it comes from this unresolved issue that hits close to home makes watching Jordan's B-plot hard! However, that's a Josh-Issue not a Writing-Issue, but I felt it needed to be said so you can take that together with my criticisms)

Again, this all feels like busywork. I don't think any character development is happening, and I don't think the character work being done is good in these scenes. It's just… nothing. I know "Filler" gets thrown around a lot, but this feels like that! This feels like padding. It feels like taking up time to hit a word count.

Next season a lot of these characters are leaving the show. On the one hand, it sucks cause I think they're good on-screen! I don't necessarily dislike these characters! On the other, I think having a smaller cast with less of this writing baggage will likely be for the best, or at the very least we get a different type of bad writing.

[irbcallmefynn]

Cringetober 2023 #18: Old Art Redraw

So I don't really have much in the way of old art on here, so I've kinda altered the prompt a little.

This is Mr. Face, literally the oldest OC I have. I doodled him on worksheets all the time in middle school. I don't know how, but his little world of shitty doodles and printed lines boxes and words was very fleshed out, with legitimate character development and story arcs. I literally made a series to be hyperfixated on what is wrong with me. "Ninja Squid" was another one of my middle school OCs. It was literally just a minecraft squid with a headband and it was a ninja.

I don't know why I made him look like that. I guess my line of thinking was "It's been a long time, he's changed a lot and is probably creepy now". Also I don't know why I made him call me out on my memory issues.

I kinda wanted to go for a sort of sketchy look to the drawing, like it was actually drawn with pencil. I think it's pretty cool, even if this entire piece is a big deviation from my usual stuff.

Also I've decided he has a British accent now. idk why

[literaryvein-reblogs]

"Well-Rounded" Character Worksheet

Does the character have faults? List them:

Does the character have weaknesses? List them:

Is the character a hero in his/her own story? How?

Can the reader sympathize with the character? What are common human traits that the character portrays?

Does the character make mistakes in the story? List them:

What does the character care about? List them:

What motivates the character? Explain:

Does the character have a fully developed arc? Briefly describe it:

How has the character been shaped by the world you’ve created?

Have you chosen key details to reveal something symbolic about your character?

Does your character have vulnerabilities? List them:

Source Writing Notes: Flat & Round Characters

[scorchieart]

Hi Scorchie👋🏻💝

16. 18. 20. For the ask game🙈 or a random question of your choosing.

Mary Mary Mary Ellen 💝Let me indulge you in return for indulging me!

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Something tells me you're expecting a specific response here 😏 *drum rolllllll*

Chevalier and his desk!

.

.

.

(I guess if could only write 2nd POV fics for the rest of eternity, Clavis wouldn't be so bad)

18. Do you use any tools, like worksheets or outlines?

For longer fics, I do try to use at least a semblance of the 3-act story structure. As long as whoever the main character is learns something or changes perspectives by the end, for better or for worse, I'm happy.

20. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

Morning, preferably before anyone else is awake. Rising sun against the blue sky, it's warm enough to crack open the window. Little birdies chirping in time with the breeze. I'm wearing an oversized sweater not because it's cold, but to stuff my knees into when I'm thinking, like a hedgehog. A cold mug of tea sits forgotten on my desk because I became too engrossed in what I was writing.

And one more, since you gave me a wild card...

Describe your comfort zone—a typical you-fic.

Reading at the moment: anything that'll make me laugh, even just a chuckle. It can be fluffy or angsty. Comedic or tragic. If it's got that one perfectly-timed joke, it's worth it.

In the case of writing, I'm revving up for a multi-chaptered madness arc...

Got a fic-y inquiry?

[entamewitchlulu]

this is popping off a bit so here's some other things from my college writing degree that pissed me off

when I interviewed at the college and talked to the then-head of the writing department, I told him I had been writing since I was 9 years old and he wrinkled his nose at me and said something condescending about how "when people get started in this degree course we usually have to unteach you a lot of what you've learned". I do not know why I chose to go to that college after that.

there was a creative writing degree available but there were no classes on genre, and we weren't allowed to write anything bordering on genre in class at all. we were only allowed to write realistic fiction because "we don't have time to teach you the rules of genre, and all genre is formulaic".

which like. 1) sure there are formulas involved in genre, and a lot of mainstream publishing will follow certain general arcs, it's nowhere near as rigid as my teachers insisted it was. Like, as an example, the only real "rule" for the romance genre is that it should have a happy ending. anything else is like, whatever you want. This sort of thing would take about five minutes to show you a worksheet about story arcs.

2) why would setting a story in the future or another world "ruin" my ability to learn how to write "properly." It's not like we're learning fucking welding or something where if we don't learn the basics we take someone's eye out. Fiddling with genre tropes isn't physically dangerous. What is the worst that could happen, genuinely. What were they all so afraid of.

3) can you imagine being in an intro to art course and being told "you are ONLY allowed to use acrylics because we don't have time to teach you about watercolors. Mixed media is also not allowed and we won't do any pencil drawing.

Again, like. All they had were basic creative writing classes. They said they were teaching us the basics but then they didn't even give us the option to branch out.

In my attempt to write something I actually gave a shit about in this class I ended up making my main piece a story about a nonbinary kid dealing with the death of zir aunt who was the only one who had understood zir and respected zir identity. My teacher proceeded to tell me the story would have more weight if I misgendered my character until the end of the story so that ze would "earn" zir pronouns.

I cried on the college green for like twenty minutes after that workshop

No I did not know I was nonbinary at that point yet. wonder if that had something to do with it. anyway.

anyway. college writing fucking sucked and almost took away all of my love of writing in general as I struggled to squeeze out some lame ass story that fit the requirements but didn't mean anything to me personally.

On the topic of genre again like. My teachers all wanted us to make stories that "meant something" but in the course of trying to force meaning, especially in ways that I didn't enjoy, sapped all the joy out of writing. Since then I've read dozens of really fucking incredible spec fic short stories that used the trappings of genre to tell some really jaw dropping stories, and I think we should have learned about those alongside the other dry short stories we were forced to write and study. But for whatever reason, there's this deep-seated disgust of genre and genre-adjacent fiction in academic settings.

I truly think the fact that we're such a language-based species, we get all tight assed and weird about writing more than we do about other art forms.

And yea of course it's a skill that can be honed, but it's also an art, and more intro to creative writing classes should be devoted to playing around, experimenting, and making weird shit the way a basic intro art class would be. We need an injection of whimsy.

anyway. That's my two cents.

once i was in a creative writing class in college, and in a bit of humor i wrote the line:

"Um," I said, eloquently.

And my teacher was so adamant that I had to remove it because "um is not an eloquent word, so it makes no sense" and i was like my brother in christ it's called Irony

[lynximpact]

planning to rewatch stranger things and take notes for studying/tracking character arcs/beingreallymadatseason4/etc. here are the blank episode-by-episode worksheets i made for myself

[getindumdums]

Op I get what you mean. I thought 03 would be my favorite. But watching the 87 series and a dozen angst ideas later gave me SO MUCH BRAIN ROT.

They have such established characters, just emphasize certain character traits and have the perfect worksheet to write angsty character arcs. <3

I am going 2 be honest, i think 87 has my favorite versions of the turtles. Not my favorite iteration but something abt the turtles designs and voices and how they act is so endearing I dont know!!! They have like 0 character development so why do I like them so much? Who's to say...