#life and style blog

[majestq]

[vanessas-bookereport]

one thing that so many students forget is that, a win is a win. if you planned on doing english homework but instead you finished your history essay, celebrate that, don’t be upset that you didn’t sick to your plan, at least you got SOMETHING DONE. a win is a fucking win and don’t let anyone tell you different.

[tahbhie]

How Plot Progression Works—Myths and Facts.

Let me start with a myth.

Last week, a writer approached me with their half-finished draft, unsure how to continue. Apparently, they got writer's block in the middle of the work. For about thirty minutes, we discussed the book freely as if it were a finished and published work.

Then I realized the issue.

☞ The problem?

From the conversation, I noticed that the writer's thoughts and ideas, which they voiced for the book, totally contradicted what they had written.

Their book followed a sequence of events. It was well-calculated, and the plot progression was on point but only to a certain level. I noticed robotic recurrences.

Something like this:

Scene 1— a sudden revelation

Scene 2— an unexpected fight

Scene 3— introduction of a new character

Scene 4— a conflict

Scene 5— another sudden revelation

Scene 6— an unexpected fight

Scene 7— introduction of a new character

Scene 8— a conflict

Meanwhile, all these elements didn't tie to each other in the story. They just performed different roles in each scene and were rendered useless in the next and every other scene that followed.

☞ Why did this happen?

Among other reasons, being extremely rigid with writing advice is a main factor.

Writing advice is great, but don't bend your style to suit the rules; bend the rules to suit your style.

Here's a clearer example of what I'm talking about.

Writing advice often says to keep readers on the edge of their seats within the first five pages, but this doesn't mean introducing unrealistic problems that don't fit your story. For example, introducing a sudden and improbable conflict just to add excitement can disrupt the flow and believability of your plot

During our session, I already understood how to assist, and we were setting our comfortable hours when the writer suddenly said, "I was told to include conflict in the middle of the book, then I ran out of ideas when I got there. I could have added one just a few pages in because I believe it would do well there, but again, I was unsure if that would make sense."

Now, who said conflict can't start a book? When you start your book with a conflict, you just have to ensure that you build towards 'the reason' behind the conflict so your readers can understand.

☞ Should I follow every writing advice with a closed mind?

No, you shouldn't. Remember that you are writing that book because you want to, and your idea was great enough to convince you to actually write. You need to enjoy the process and create what you truly want to create. Follow instructions flexibly.

Now that the myth is out of the way, let's talk about things that make a plot.

➜ Basic plot elements.

Initially, your plot should have the following:

✧ Protagonist ✧

Who are readers following in the story? Make that clear in the first few chapters. If you're writing from a first-person point of view and plan on switching between characters, aim for a maximum of two characters. It becomes clear that those two characters are an important part of the story; hence, they get the privilege to narrate the story from their respective views.

✧ Goals and objectives ✧

What is your protagonist after? Here's one thing you should know: your character doesn't have to know what they want at the beginning of the story. They may be as confused about their life as anyone reading, but as the story unfolds, they find a goal worth reaching and discover the needed strength to reach the goal.

✧ Antagonist ✧

What/Who is standing as a threat? A threat is hell-bent on ruining your protagonist and stopping them from achieving their goals. An antagonist could be an object or a human. It all depends on the concept you aim for. Funny enough, the antagonist could be a lie that starts out seemingly small but ends up being harmful. The rom-com movie "Upgraded" is an example of this concept. The lie the art enthusiast told was the greatest trouble she faced.

✧ Conflict ✧

What are the problems the protagonist faces? Problems can start from anywhere over anything, and you can choose to make them mild and solvable at first while building up to something larger.

✧ Resulting consequences ✧

What happens after the protagonist faces the trouble and tries to solve it? Did they lose anything? Hurt someone? Earn support from people they least expect?

✧ Character arc ✧

How has the journey shaped your protagonist? After going through something they probably never saw coming, how has it changed them? For a timid main character at the beginning of the story, do they finally become brave and display a different side of themselves?

All these are important for a well-rounded story as a whole.

Join the Writers' Universe and connect with like-minded writers.

➜ Secondary plot elements

These elements help you shape the above category.

● Setbacks

Let's use movies to illustrate this. There are certain points where we lose hope for the main character, almost convinced they've lost. We see them at their weakest points, hurt that the antagonist got them good. These moments are the setbacks. The protagonist is made vulnerable.

● Loss

What did the setback cost them? The reason I intentionally labeled this as loss is because to move a plot forward, some things need repairing. Since most loose ends were already from the beginning of the story, adding a fresh loss piques the reader's interest. It doesn't have to be the death of someone. It could be the brutal end of an alliance formed on an emotional scale.

● Break of a new dawn

I just wanted to get creative with the title. This point marks the pivotal change of events, and once again, there's hope for the protagonist as they find solutions to their problems. In this stage, they discover hidden abilities within themselves (this isn't limited to fantasy).

And there you have the important sections of plot progression. But keep these few things in mind. To ensure you're not leaving a huge gap in your plot, try to:

┗→ Introduce elements that work for your story:

It's common to believe something works well simply because it did in your favorite book. You might want to reconsider that with a different mindset.

┗→ Tie elements together:

Of course, this doesn't apply to all, but try to create a link between events in your story. If a fight occurred in a scene, link it to a cause in a few scenes ahead. This can lead to another conflict, this time on a larger scale, without having to introduce something entirely different.

And back to the question that birthed this post:

ᴥ Should conflict come early or not?

It depends on your work, but it can come early. That's not taboo.

There was a movie I watched featuring a female lawyer as the protagonist. The movie started with the kidnap of her only child, and the rest of the scenes drove us to the 'cause,’ then more conflicts, setbacks, and finally resolution. We were also able to explore the character’s personality based on the decisions she took in different emotional scenes.

She tried to keep her calm in some scenes while she just flat-out threw a tantrum in others, but overall, she was a strong woman who was broken by the incidents occurring and then rebuilt. I read a book with the same premise: the main character was a tween who misplaced something precious and decided to go on an adventure to search for it, and that was what the story was built upon.

I always tell writers one thing—own your book. The first draft seems to be the toughest one of its pair, but if you don't allow yourself to freely express your thoughts, there will be no first draft or story at all.

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Struggling with any stages of writing? Send me a message, and let's sort it out for a suitable fee.

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Do you want to create characters readers are compelled to start a fandom for?

Check out "My Characters and I" extensive coaching session. Understand the secret behind every attractive character. The slots are limited, and this opportunity closes once capacity is reached. Don't miss it; you never know when you’ll stumble upon these golden gates again.

[animeglitch]

[sherrymagic]

I was acting stupid so he doesn't get suspicious of me.

Dunk Natachai as STYLE SATTAWAT THE HEART KILLERS | EP. 3

[honeytonedhottie]

incorporating chic-ness and elegance into ur lifetsyle⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🍨

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CHIC ;

what does it mean to be chic? the word chic is used a lot in conversation but it actually has two meanings. chic (adjective) means to be elegantly and stylishly fashionable. but the meaning of chic that we are going to focus on in todays post is the noun.

CHIC (noun) : stylishness and elegance, typically of a specified kind…💬🎀

when i think of chic people like audrey hepburn and coco chanel. who do you think of when u think of the word chic? once you've thought of people who pop up in ur mind when u think of chic, think about what makes them chic? is it their clothes? the way that they carry and present themselves? is it their influence etc.

THE LITTLE LUXURIES ADD UP TO A CHIC LIFE ;

everyday is a reason to celebrate. you opening ur eyes this morning is a reason to celebrate. which is why i dont understand why people like to "save the beautiful things for celebrations". celebrate urself everyday. use the expensive perfume that u like, use ur best candles, have cake. dont save the little luxuries of life for when theres something to celebrate. celebrate everyday.

additionally the little things that u do everyday can add up to a more chic lifestyle and are not that difficult to implement into ur life. some examples of this include

drinking herbal teas with honey

starting a collection of something that u love

starting a collection specifically is a great way to spark the feeling of luxury or abundance…💬🎀

practicing self care

upgrading ur vocabulary

reading books and novels that are enriching

doing what YOU wanna do

fresh flowers

when you romanticize and make ur life seem more chic and elegant even if its with little things that u do, those things will add up and ultimately you'll formulate the chic and elegant life that u want.

GET READY EVERYDAY ;

when u present urself in the best possible way you'll FEEL it. when u put time into ur appearance every single day and get ready everyday your confidence will sky rocket because as we know, when we look good we FEEL good.

for me, when i get ready everyday i'll get more done in the day because i feel put together and posh etc. allocate time for urself everyday to do your makeup and keep up with ur appearance because it'll make u feel more chic.

THINGS THAT I THINK ARE CHIC ;

hand held mirrors

fluffy lashes

a little black dress

french tips

little baguette bags (tiny little purses in general)

fluffy powder puffs

cursive

THE STYLISH ASPECT OF BEING CHIC ;

the chic style is all about not doing too much and letting the outfit speak for itself. not wearing too many colors at once and choosing colors that complement each other. the outfit is more in the details then in the outfit itself which is why the little black dress is such a timeless fashion staple. some details to focus on when being chic are using nudish colors on ur nails or just go for french tips.

[fintrafeatherfall]

petra. thank you for coming to my ted talk

[alazarrr]

So Much Love for Tems.

[whoisellaq]

𝐭𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐬𝐬

[cozy-farmhouse-home-decor]

Welcoming farmhouse porch idea...love it!

[liefllilit]

я не буду скрывать, я могу забрать, не отдать — утащить опять твоё сердце

[majestq]

[blueprint-9376]

26.01.2025 [🤨]

🗒: 1학기 시간표 짠 날/ Planning my next semester's schedule in advance

[eclaires-world]

💴💵

Anything for money

[animeglitch]

[miss-major]

my take on the Luigi case.