#no crucial character insights here

[swan2swan]

Making a little gifset about grief here.

No reason. Nothing coming up this week whatsoever. Don't worry about it.

[esotericalchemist]

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐙𝐨𝐧𝐞 - 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 ☆

TikTok - Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

The Character Zone in the Matrix of Destiny represents the core traits and behaviors that shape an individual’s personality. It reveals inherent strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies that influence how a person interacts with the world. Each energy in the Character Zone defines distinct qualities, such as courage, empathy, creativity, or spontaneity, providing insight into personal growth and life lessons. Understanding these energies helps one align with their true nature and navigate life more purposefully.

Calculate your Matrix of Destiny here:

Matrix of Destiny calculator

( if that one does not work, use the following link: alternative calculator)

! --- LOOK AT THE NUMBER IN THE MIDDLE --!

< image source: here! >

3. The Empress

The Third Arcanum in the Character Zone represents the core energy of femininity, beauty, and nurturing. This energy shapes the individual’s personality by emphasizing a deep connection to the feminine qualities of care, sensitivity, and creation. People with this energy in their Character Zone are often strongly influenced by their relationship with their mother or the maternal figures in their family.

The Third Arcanum fosters a desire to nurture and protect, whether that means raising children, taking care of loved ones, or nurturing creative projects. For women, it highlights the importance of embracing their femininity and taking care of their appearance and overall well-being. For men, it may manifest as gentleness, flexibility, and a nurturing personality, often leading them to prioritize family and relationships.

This arcanum encourages an individual to find fulfillment in the act of caring and creating beauty in the world around them, with a strong emphasis on maternal energy and nurturing instincts. The Third Energy pushes them to live in harmony with their feminine side and to use it to foster relationships and personal growth.

4. The Emperor

The Fourth Arcanum in the Character Zone represents the core energy of leadership, strength, and responsibility. People with this energy embody traditional masculine qualities, including being protective, decisive, and strong-willed. Their sense of duty and the need to control their surroundings are central to their personality, driving them to take charge in life, family, and work.

These individuals often see themselves as leaders and heads of their household, naturally assuming responsibility for others. They are pragmatic, self-sufficient, and focused on achieving their goals. However, if this energy isn't harnessed positively, it can lead to issues such as over-aggression, an inability to accept help, or a tendency to dominate others in unhealthy ways.

The Fourth Energy pushes individuals to be the anchor in their family or community, taking on the role of protector and provider. Success and self-actualization for them come from accepting responsibility, being independent, and using their strength wisely.

5. The Hierophant

The fifth arcanum represents the core traits of learning, teaching, and passing on wisdom. People with this energy at the heart of their Destiny Code are naturally inclined to seek out knowledge, traditions, and truths, and they often feel compelled to share what they learn with others. They may be seen as teachers or guides in their communities, embodying the role of those who preserve and pass on the wisdom of the past while creating new traditions.

This energy pushes them to continually grow in knowledge, ensuring that their learning is not just for themselves but also for the benefit of others. They are often driven by a need to make sense of the world, and this intellectual pursuit becomes a defining feature of their character. For those with Knowledge in their Character Zone, faith in something greater, whether it be in God, the universe, or simply in their purpose, is crucial to their personal growth and fulfillment.

6. The Lovers

The sixth arcanum in the Character Zone represents a core energy that revolves around love, communication, and making choices. People with this energy are driven by a deep desire to love and be loved, and this energy shapes their personality, making them charming, graceful, and often very attractive to others. They are naturally inclined towards socializing and forming connections, which they value highly in their lives.

One of the main lessons for individuals with this energy is to learn how to love themselves. The sixth arcanum requires them to focus on self-acceptance, as their ability to love others and attract love from others stems from their capacity to embrace their true selves. When this energy is well-balanced, it radiates beauty, emotional maturity, and honesty, allowing these individuals to build harmonious relationships with those around them.

In the Character Zone, this energy often presents challenges with decision-making, as people with this arcanum may struggle with choices in life, both big and small. However, once they learn to confidently make decisions and love themselves without constantly seeking validation from others, they unlock the full potential of this energy.

7. The Chariot

The seventh arcanum represents a driving force of action, speed, and achievement. People with this energy in their Destiny Code Matrix are natural achievers, constantly striving to move forward and hit their goals. They thrive on action and momentum, always feeling the need to progress, and can be frustrated by anything they perceive as slowing them down.

This energy provides immense stamina and drive, pushing them to act swiftly and decisively. However, Sevens must ensure they have clear goals, as aimlessness can lead to chaos and restlessness in their lives. When they have a target in mind, they excel at focusing all their energy toward reaching it.

In the Character Zone, this energy shapes a person who is always on the move, both mentally and physically, and motivates others around them to take action as well. Their strength lies in their ability to inspire movement and create momentum, but they must also learn to balance their speed with thoughtfulness, ensuring they don’t rush blindly without considering the consequences.

8. Justice

Arcanum 8, known as Justice, represents responsibility, law, and karma. Those with the energy of the Eighth Arcanum in the Character Zone are guided by a strong internal code of honor and an innate sense of fairness. They have a deep connection to karma, understanding that every action carries consequences, and they strive to act in alignment with the laws of both the physical and spiritual world.

People with this energy are often seen as reliable and responsible, setting high standards for themselves and those around them. Their sense of justice drives them to take responsibility seriously, whether in relationships, work, or personal matters. They thrive in situations where there is structure, law, and clarity, and they often pursue roles that require a strong ethical foundation, such as in legal or official capacities.

However, the energy of Justice can also become rigid if not balanced. These individuals may struggle with flexibility and may become overly principled or stubborn. Their focus on responsibility can lead them to overwork or become emotionally disconnected from others. It is important for them to find balance, allowing room for emotional expression and adaptability while maintaining their strong sense of justice and duty.

9. The Hermit

Arcanum 9, known as The Hermit, represents self-sufficiency, wisdom, and depth. Those with the energy of the Ninth Arcanum in the Character Zone are introspective and often prefer solitude. They are deep thinkers, constantly seeking knowledge and understanding of the world. Their inner world is rich, and they spend much of their time contemplating life's truths and complexities.

People with this energy are self-reliant and do not depend on others for validation or support. They value independence and may appear distant, but this is due to their focus on inner growth and wisdom. They are driven by a desire to uncover deeper meanings in life and often engage in intellectual or philosophical pursuits.

However, the energy of The Hermit can sometimes lead to isolation. These individuals may struggle to connect with others, believing that their depth of thought sets them apart. It is important for them to strike a balance between solitude and social interaction, allowing themselves to share their wisdom without becoming entirely withdrawn.

10. The Wheel of Fortune

Arcanum 10, known as The Wheel of Fortune, represents cycles, luck, and fate. Those with the energy of the Tenth Arcanum in the Character Zone are deeply connected to the flow of life and destiny. They are often seen as adaptable and open to change, understanding that life is full of ups and downs, and they are meant to ride these waves with ease.

People with this energy tend to go with the flow, trusting that life will take them where they need to be. They are often lucky and find themselves in favorable circumstances, seemingly by chance. However, they must learn to trust in this process and not resist the natural cycles of life. Their path is one of surrender to the greater forces at play, allowing fate to guide them.

At times, the energy of The Wheel of Destiny can lead to unpredictability. These individuals may struggle with control, wanting to direct their lives but needing to accept that much is beyond their influence. Finding peace in the uncertainty and embracing the cyclical nature of life is essential for their growth.

11. Strength

Arcanum 11, known as Strength, represents labor, energy, and effort. Those with the energy of the Eleventh Arcanum in the Character Zone are endowed with immense potential and power. They possess an extraordinary capacity for hard work and can achieve anything they set their mind to with dedication and effort. This strength is both their gift and their challenge, as it requires self-control and direction to prevent it from becoming overwhelming or destructive.

People with this energy are driven by a need to succeed through effort and hard work. They often face more demanding life tasks than others and are compelled to take on challenges that push them to their limits. Their strength manifests both physically and mentally, giving them the endurance to persist where others might give up. Elevens often thrive in roles that require leadership, responsibility, and the ability to motivate others.

However, the energy of Strength can become problematic if not channeled properly. When left unchecked, it can lead to aggression, domineering behavior, or even burnout. Elevens must learn to balance their energy by finding productive outlets for it, ensuring that their strength serves to uplift rather than oppress. This balance is crucial for their personal growth and fulfillment.

12. The Hanged Man

Arcanum 12 represents service, altruism, and creativity. Those with the energy of the Twelfth Arcanum in the Character Zone often find themselves drawn to helping others, sometimes at the expense of their own needs. They have a natural tendency toward self-sacrifice, often taking on the role of the giver or caretaker in relationships and life situations.

People with this energy feel a deep need to be of service, motivated by their strong sense of empathy and compassion. They may devote themselves to causes, volunteer work, or helping others in various ways. Their altruism is genuine, as they are often more focused on the well-being of others than their own personal gain.

However, the energy of Sacrifice can become complicated. In its negative expression, Twelves may adopt a "victim" mentality, feeling powerless or overly dependent on others. They might also become trapped in self-pity or martyrdom, struggling to balance their own needs with those of others. It is crucial for them to recognize their own worth and learn to say "no" when necessary, to avoid falling into patterns of self-neglect.

13. Death

Arcanum 13, known as Death, represents transformation, the end of the old, and the beginning of the new. Those with the energy of the Thirteenth Arcanum in the Character Zone are driven by constant change and the need to let go of the past to make way for new growth. They often experience several phases of transformation in their lives, embracing the idea of renewal and starting fresh.

People with this energy are natural transformers, capable of shedding their old ways, thoughts, and relationships to become something new. They thrive on change, and for them, it’s essential to release what no longer serves them to open up to new opportunities. This can make them appear mysterious and unique, as they are not afraid to embrace the unknown or move forward when others might hold back.

However, the energy of Death can also bring challenges. When out of balance, Thirteens may struggle with letting go, holding onto the past or clinging to material possessions and old memories. Their fear of change or attachment to the familiar can block their natural energy flow, leading to stagnation. Learning to accept endings as a necessary part of life and embracing the cycles of transformation is crucial for their growth.

14. Temperance

Arcanum 14 represents balance, harmony, and patience. Those with the energy of the Fourteenth Arcanum in the Character Zone are characterized by their calm demeanor, refined manners, and ability to find the middle ground in any situation. They are patient, tactful, and always strive for peace, preferring to take a measured approach to life.

People with this energy have an innate ability to stay grounded and avoid extremes. They value quality over quantity and prefer simplicity, whether in material possessions or relationships. Their life path often requires them to seek balance and compromise, patiently working through challenges rather than rushing or forcing solutions.

However, if out of balance, Fourteens may struggle with impatience, becoming argumentative or stubborn. They may lose their usual calm and find themselves overwhelmed by indecision or mood swings. To thrive, they must embrace their natural inclination toward harmony, learning to act with patience and moderation in all areas of life.

16. The Tower

Arcanum 16, known as The Tower, represents destruction, growth, and reconstruction. Those with the energy of the Sixteenth Arcanum in the Character Zone are destined for intense experiences, often facing abrupt changes or sudden upheavals. They live eventful lives, filled with challenges that force them to rebuild and adapt, whether in their careers, relationships, or personal endeavors.

People with this energy are natural builders and planners, always striving to create something substantial. However, they must also learn to accept that the structures they build, whether literal or metaphorical, may collapse unexpectedly. This constant need to rebuild teaches them resilience and the ability to grow from their trials. The Sixteenth Arcanum pushes individuals to embrace change, accept failure, and start anew with greater strength and insight.

However, if this energy is not balanced, Sixteens may struggle with fear of failure, avoid taking risks, or experience recurring losses. They might find themselves in a cycle of building only to see their efforts crumble. To thrive, they must embrace the process of growth, understanding that destruction is a necessary part of their path toward creating something stronger and more resilient.

18. The Moon

Arcanum 18, known as The Moon, represents genius, magic, and insanity. Those with the energy of the Eighteenth Arcanum in the Character Zone possess an extraordinary ability to manifest their thoughts into reality, for better or worse. This energy is deeply connected to mystery and illusion, as the Moon reveals hidden truths, unspoken fears, and subconscious desires.

People with this energy are often introverted and live in their own world of imagination and intuition. They are gifted with powerful creative and psychic abilities, but must be careful, as their fears and negative thoughts can also materialize. The key challenge for Eighteens is to gain mastery over their inner world and harness their magical abilities in a positive and constructive way.

If this energy is not controlled, it can lead to self-deception, illusions, or even destructive behavior. These individuals may struggle with mental instability or difficulty distinguishing between reality and their fears. However, when balanced, the energy of The Moon allows them to tap into profound wisdom, creativity, and spiritual insight, making them true visionaries in the world.

20. Judgement

Judgement symbolizes family, patriotism, and vocation. Those with the Energy of the Twentieth Arcanum in their Destiny Code Matrix are called to uphold honor, dignity, and family values. This energy is deeply connected to resolving ancestral karma, mending family ties, and restoring the bond between relatives. The ultimate goal for Twenties is to elevate their family line and fulfill a higher purpose tied to their lineage.

The Twentieth Arcanum is about purification and renewal, urging individuals to restore justice, preserve their homeland’s traditions, and remain devoted to their family and country. People with this energy must guard their family’s honor and never speak ill of their kin or homeland. Doing so weakens their energy, blocking their path in life and bringing harsh karmic trials.

Those with Judgement energy often find themselves as protectors and advocates for their family, standing firm in their principles. Their duty is to defend what is right, ensure justice is served, and bring unity to their family. They thrive when they devote themselves to a cause larger than themselves, making significant contributions to their family, community, or nation.

22. The Fool

The Fool represents freedom, spontaneity, and living in the present. People with this energy are often open-hearted, optimistic, and full of childlike wonder. They are unbound by societal expectations, living their lives in the "here and now" without overthinking consequences. Their approach to life is often light-hearted, and they tend to see the world through the lens of innocence and joy, preferring simplicity over complexity.

The Fool, however, can struggle with responsibility, making them vulnerable to being easily manipulated or caught in negative situations like addiction or recklessness. Their love for freedom and thrill can sometimes lead them astray, causing financial and personal instability. Despite these challenges, Fools can live incredibly fulfilling lives when they learn to balance their free spirit with some form of structure or grounding.

In relationships, they value independence and are often drawn to partners who allow them to roam freely without heavy obligations. They seek playful, light, and passionate relationships but can easily walk away if they feel restricted. Their karmic lesson is to learn to enjoy freedom without hurting others, remain grounded in reality while maintaining their joyful nature, and embrace responsibility when necessary.

TikTok - Masterlist - YouTube (subliminals)

[niceonet]

TRAİLERDB - DEVASA+ (3)

As we eagerly anticipate upcoming releases, the right trailer can set the tone and build our enthusiasm for what’s to come. In this blog post, we will explore the freshest trailers, giving you a sneak peek into the films and TV series that are about to hit screens near you. From highly anticipated films to captivating TV series trailers, we’ve got you covered with all the essentials. 

Latest Trailers

When it comes to keeping up with the ever-evolving world of entertainment, latest trailers play a significant role in generating buzz and excitement among fans. Every week, we are treated to a flurry of new previews that showcase the hottest upcoming films and series. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated releases that you should keep an eye on.

One of the most talked-about latest trailers features the action-packed return of a beloved franchise. With stunning visuals and gripping storytelling, this trailer leaves us eager for the release date. The combination of stellar performances and a captivating soundtrack promises an exhilarating cinematic experience.

In the realm of animation, the latest offerings are equally impressive. The trailers highlight vibrant animation styles and heartwarming narratives that are sure to attract audiences of all ages. From family-friendly adventures to more mature themes, the latest trailers in animation showcase the diversity and creativity in storytelling.

Furthermore, the world of streaming platforms is overflowing with exciting latest trailers. With platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime constantly releasing fresh content, viewers are treated to an array of genres, from gripping thrillers to heartfelt dramas. These trailers give a sneak peek into the rich storytelling and character development that we can look forward to.

Don’t forget that latest trailers also provide insights into upcoming TV series. Whether it’s a highly-anticipated season continuation or a brand-new concept, these previews are designed to engage fans and keep them coming back for more. Expect to see dramatic cliffhangers and intriguing character arcs that will undoubtedly spark discussions among viewers.

In conclusion, latest trailers serve as a window into the captivating stories that lie ahead. They not only excite fans but also shape our expectations of what’s to come in theaters and on screen. Stay tuned for more updates, as there are always more incredible trailers on the horizon!

Tv Series Trailer

In the world of entertainment, the TV series trailer serves as a pivotal tool for enticing audiences and generating excitement. With the rise of streaming platforms, the competition for viewers' attention has intensified, making trailers more crucial than ever.

One of the primary functions of a TV series trailer is to provide a glimpse into the show's storyline, characters, and overall tone. A well-crafted trailer can evoke emotions, build suspense, and leave viewers eager for more. For instance, trailers for popular series often highlight key moments, thrilling action sequences, and dramatic cliffhangers that captivate audiences.

Moreover, the editing style of a TV series trailer significantly influences its impact. Fast cuts, captivating visuals, and a powerful soundtrack can enhance the excitement and engagement level. As a result, viewers are more likely to share these trailers on social media, amplifying their reach and generating buzz.

In recent years, we've seen a shift in how trailers are released. Many production companies now opt for teaser trailers, followed by full-length versions. This strategy keeps fans engaged over a longer period, as each release builds anticipation for the show's premiere.

As viewers have become more discerning, trailers have evolved to include more diverse storytelling elements. Today’s trailers often reflect the complexity of characters and intertwine various plotlines. This trend allows audiences to connect more deeply with the series before they even watch an episode.

An important aspect to consider is the impact of TV series trailers on the show's marketing strategy. They often serve as a crucial element in the overall promotional mix, alongside posters, interviews, and social media campaigns. A strong trailer can significantly boost a series' visibility and attract a broader audience.

In conclusion, TV series trailers are not just promotional tools; they are artistic creations that encapsulate the essence of a show. As the landscape of television continues to evolve, the role of trailers in shaping viewers' perceptions will undoubtedly remain significant.

Trailer DB

Welcome to the your ultimate source for all things related to movie and TV trailers. In today’s digital age, where visual content reigns supreme, trailers play a crucial role in building excitement and anticipation for upcoming entertainment releases. This is where the Trailer DB comes into play, providing you with a comprehensive database of the latest trailers.

The Trailer DB is designed to cater to the needs of film enthusiasts and TV series fans alike. Here, you can discover latest trailers from various genres, ranging from action-packed blockbusters to heartwarming dramas. Whether you’re on the hunt for the upcoming superhero films or the hottest new TV series, the Trailer DB ensures you stay updated on the most recent releases.

One of the standout features of the Trailer DB is its user-friendly interface, which allows easy navigation to find trailers by categories, release dates, or popularity. With an extensive collection of trailers, you can quickly access both local and international titles, ensuring you never miss out on any cinematic gems or trending shows.

Moreover, the Trailer DB is continuously updated with the latest content, offering sneak peeks of highly anticipated films and series. From thrilling horror releases to delightful romantic comedies, there’s something for everyone. Each trailer is accompanied by essential information including release dates, cast details, and directorial credits, allowing viewers to dive deeper into the projects that catch their eye.

Join the community of film buffs and series aficionados today by exploring the Trailer DB. Embrace the excitement of new releases and share your thoughts on the latest trailers with fellow enthusiasts. With our extensive database at your fingertips, you’ll always be in the know about the best upcoming entertainment!

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Mastering the Art of Plotting a Well-Paced Novel

In this post, I'll delve into the essential skill of pacing, and explore how pacing can make or break your novel. By understanding the impact of pacing on your story's flow and tension, you will be able to create a well-paced narrative that keeps readers engaged and turning the pages. I'll be unlocking the secrets of pacing and learn how to master the art of plotting a well-paced novel.

Pacing is a critical element in storytelling that determines the speed and rhythm at which events unfold in your novel. It encompasses the tempo, timing, and sequencing of scenes, dialogue, and action. Proper pacing ensures that your story moves along smoothly, building suspense and maintaining readers' interest.

Imagine

Imagine reading a book where everything happens at a breakneck pace, with no time to pause and absorb the crucial moments. Alternatively, consider a book where the plot drags on, leaving readers disengaged and tempted to put the book down. Both scenarios highlight the importance of pacing.

For aspiring writers and authors, mastering the art of pacing is key to creating a captivating story that resonates with readers. It involves skillfully balancing action scenes with quieter moments, strategically revealing information, and strategically varying the pace to maintain tension and anticipation.

Throughout this blog post, I'll help you explore various techniques, tips, and strategies to help you unlock the secrets of pacing and plot a well-paced novel. Whether you're just starting your writing journey or looking to refine your storytelling skills, this guide will provide you with valuable insights and practical advice to help you develop a story that keeps readers hooked from beginning to end. So, let's dive in and uncover the mysteries of pacing.

Setting the Stage: The Power of Pacing

Pacing is the rhythm and tempo at which your story unfolds. It's like music for your reader's mind, setting the tone and guiding their emotions. It determines the speed at which events occur and plays a crucial role in maintaining reader interest. Think of pacing as the heartbeat of your novel, keeping your audience eagerly turning the pages.

But why is pacing so important in storytelling? Well, imagine reading a book where nothing exciting ever happens, or one where everything is rushed and there's no time to breathe. It's like having a roller coaster with no thrilling drops or a movie without any suspenseful moments. Pacing is what keeps your readers engaged and invested in your story.

One of the key aspects of pacing is its ability to increase tension. By carefully controlling the speed at which events unfold, you can build anticipation and leave your readers on the edge of their seats. Whether it's a nail-biting chase scene or a climactic confrontation, pacing can make these moments all the more exhilarating.

Pacing also allows for crucial moments to be savored. It gives your readers the chance to fully immerse themselves in the emotions and details that matter. By slowing down during these pivotal scenes, you can create a deeper connection between your characters and your audience, making the experience more impactful.

Additionally, pacing can be used to maintain tension throughout your story, even during quieter moments. By varying the speed of your narrative, you can keep your readers engaged and curious about what's to come. This ebb and flow of tension will keep them hooked from start to finish.

So, by understanding the power of pacing, you will be equipped to create a well-paced novel that captivates your readers. Stay tuned as we dive deeper into specific techniques for creating suspense and savoring crucial moments in the upcoming sections. Your journey to mastering the art of plotting a well-paced novel starts here!

Speeding Things Up: Techniques for Creating Suspense

Suspense is a powerful tool for keeping readers on the edge of their seats. As a writer, you have the ability to control the pace of your novel and create nail-biting suspense that will captivate your readers. In this section, we will explore techniques for speeding up the pace of your story and intensifying the suspense.

One effective technique is to use short, snappy sentences. By keeping your sentences concise and to the point, you can create a sense of urgency and make the action feel more immediate. This will keep your readers engaged and eager to find out what happens next.

Another technique to consider is the use of cliffhangers. Ending a chapter or section with a cliffhanger leaves your readers hanging and desperate to know what happens next. This can be achieved by introducing a sudden twist, revealing a shocking secret, or leaving a crucial question unanswered. The suspense created by these cliffhangers will keep your readers turning the pages.

Plot twists are also a great way to speed up the pace and create suspense. By introducing unexpected turns of events, you can keep your readers guessing and on the edge of their seats. These twists can be major revelations or small surprises that add intrigue to your story.

Lastly, foreshadowing is a technique that can heighten anticipation and create suspense. By dropping subtle hints or clues about future events, you can build tension and make your readers eager to uncover the truth. Foreshadowing can be done through dialogue, descriptions, or even symbolic elements in your story.

By mastering these techniques, you will be able to weave a thrilling narrative that keeps readers hooked from the first page to the last. So, grab your pen and get ready to speed up the pace of your novel, creating suspense that will leave your readers breathless.

Slowing Down: Savoring Crucial Moments

While it's important to maintain a fast pace in your novel, it's equally crucial to slow down and allow readers to savor crucial moments. These are the scenes that make your story come alive, the moments that leave a lasting impact on your readers. By creating breathing room in your narrative, you give readers the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in poignant scenes and important character development.

One effective way to slow down the pace is through the use of vivid descriptions. Paint a picture with your words, allowing readers to see, hear, smell, and feel the world you've created. By providing rich sensory details, you transport your readers into the heart of the scene, making it more memorable and engaging.

Internal monologues are another powerful tool for slowing down the pace. These moments of introspection allow readers to delve deeper into your characters' thoughts and emotions. By revealing their innermost desires, fears, and conflicts, you add depth and complexity to your story.

Reflective moments also play a crucial role in savoring crucial moments. These are the pauses in the action where characters contemplate their choices, reflect on their past, or ponder the future. These moments of introspection not only add depth and texture to your story but also give readers a chance to connect with your characters on a deeper level.

By finding the right balance between fast-paced action and slower, introspective scenes, you will create a well-rounded narrative that captivates readers on multiple levels. So, take the time to slow down and savor those crucial moments in your novel. Your readers will thank you for it.

The Art of Variation: Maintaining Tension Through Pacing

In this section, we will dive deeper into the art of variation in pacing and how it can maintain tension throughout your novel. As a writer, it's crucial to understand that pacing is not just about maintaining a consistent speed throughout your story. It's about strategically alternating between faster and slower-paced scenes to create a rollercoaster effect that keeps readers engaged and guessing.

By varying the pace of your narrative, you can effectively build and release tension, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Faster-paced scenes filled with action, suspense, and conflict propel the story forward, while slower-paced scenes allow for character development, introspection, and reflection. This ebb and flow of pacing creates a dynamic reading experience that captivates your audience.

Strategic placement of high-intensity scenes is also key to maintaining tension. These scenes should be strategically scattered throughout your novel, serving as climactic moments that heighten the stakes and keep readers invested. However, it's equally important to provide moments of respite, where the pace slows down, allowing readers to catch their breath and process the events unfolding.

By mastering the art of variation in pacing, you can create a well-paced novel that holds readers' attention from start to finish. So, as you plot your story, remember to carefully consider the pacing of each scene, alternating between faster and slower moments, strategically placing high-intensity scenes, and providing moments of respite. This will ensure that your readers are taken on a thrilling and immersive journey through your narrative.

Beyond Words: Enhancing Mood and Atmosphere

Pacing is not just about the words on the page; it has the power to enhance the mood and atmosphere of your narrative. By understanding how the speed of pacing can influence the reader's emotional experience, you can take your storytelling to the next level.

One technique for using pacing to set the tone is to vary the speed of your narrative. By slowing down during introspective moments or important scenes, you can create a sense of depth and allow readers to fully immerse themselves in the atmosphere you're trying to convey. On the other hand, speeding up the pacing during action-packed sequences can generate excitement and keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Pacing can also be used to create tension. By gradually increasing the speed of your narrative, you can build anticipation and make readers feel a sense of urgency. Conversely, slowing down the pacing can create a sense of unease or suspense, leaving readers hanging on every word.

Furthermore, pacing can evoke specific emotions. By carefully choosing the speed at which events unfold, you can elicit feelings of joy, sadness, fear, or even nostalgia. Experimenting with pacing as a tool to guide readers through important plot points and evoke desired emotional responses will add depth and richness to your storytelling.

Remember, pacing goes beyond words. By mastering the art of pacing, you can enhance the mood and atmosphere of your novel, captivating readers and keeping them engaged from beginning to end.

Plotting with Purpose: Pacing and Story Structure

Pacing is not just about speed; it's also about structuring your story in a way that keeps readers hooked. In this section, we will delve into how pacing works hand in hand with story structure. We will explore how to strategically escalate and release tension, ramping up the pace during pivotal moments and allowing for quieter moments of reflection. By aligning your story structure with the pacing of your novel, you will create a cohesive and engaging reading experience that leaves a lasting impact on your audience.

To plot with purpose, it's important to understand the relationship between pacing and story structure. Your story structure provides the framework for your plot, while pacing determines the rhythm and tempo of your narrative. By carefully crafting your story structure, you can strategically place high-tension moments and slower-paced scenes to create a dynamic reading experience.

Consider the rising action, climax, and resolution of your story. These key plot points should align with the pacing of your novel. As you approach the climax, the pace should quicken, building tension and excitement. This is the moment where readers are on the edge of their seats, eagerly turning pages to find out what happens next. After the climax, the pace can gradually slow down, allowing for reflection and resolution.

By understanding the relationship between pacing and story structure, you can create a well-paced novel that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. So, as you plot your own story, remember to consider the purpose behind each scene and how it contributes to the overall pacing of your narrative.

Conclusion

Mastering the art of pacing is a journey that requires practice and experimentation. As a writer, you have the power to control the ebb and flow of your story, guiding readers through a rollercoaster of emotions and keeping them engaged until the very end.

By understanding the impact of pacing on your story's flow, tension, and emotional resonance, you will be able to create a well-paced novel that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Whether you choose to speed things up to create suspense or slow down to savor crucial moments, pacing is a tool that can enhance the overall reading experience.

Remember, pacing is not just about the speed of your story. It's about finding the right balance, the perfect rhythm that suits your narrative. Experiment with different techniques, play with the pacing of your scenes, and pay attention to how it affects the overall structure and tension of your novel.

So go ahead and unlock the secrets of pacing, and embark on the exhilarating adventure of plotting a well-paced novel that captivates readers and leaves a lasting impression. Happy writing!

[nellywrisource]

A writer’s guide to the historical method: how historians work with sources

In this post, I provide a brief overview of how historians engage with different types of sources, with a focus on the mindset of a historian. This insight could be valuable for anyone crafting a character whose profession revolves around history research. It may also prove useful for authors conducting research for their book.

Concept of historical source

The concept of historical source evolves over time. 

Initially, the focus was mainly on written sources due to their obvious availability. However, as time has progressed, historians now consider a wide range of sources beyond just written records. These include material artifacts, intangible cultural elements, and even virtual data.

While "armchair historians" may rely on existing studies and secondary sources, true professional historians distinguish themselves by delving directly into primary sources. They engage in a nuanced examination of various sources, weaving together diverse perspectives. It's crucial to recognize the distinction between personal recollection or memory and the rigorous discipline of historical inquiry. A historical source provides information, but the truth must be carefully discerned through critical analysis and corroboration.

Here's a concise list of the types of sources historians utilize:

Notarial source

Epistolary source

Accountancy source

Epigraphic source

Chronicle source

Oratory and oral source

Iconographic source

Diary source

Electronic source

Example: a notarial source

These are documents drafted by a notary, a public official entrusted with providing legal certainty to facts and legal transactions. These documents can take various forms, such as deeds, lawsuits, wills, contracts, powers of attorney, inventories, and many others.

Here we are specifically discussing a lawsuit document from 1211 in Italy.

A medieval lawsuit document is highly valuable for understanding various aspects of daily life because in a dispute, one must argue a position. From lawsuits, we also understand how institutions truly operated.

Furthermore, in the Middle Ages, lawsuits mostly relied on witnesses as evidence, so we can access a direct and popular source of certain specific social situations.

Some insight into the methodology of analysis:

Formal examination: historians scrutinize the document's form, verifying its authenticity and integrity. Elements such as structure, writing style, language, signatures, and seals are analyzed. Indeed, a professional historian will rarely conduct research on a source published in a volume but will instead go directly to the archive to study its origin, to avoid transcription errors.

Content analysis: historians proceed to analyze the document's content, extracting useful information for their research. This may include data on individuals, places, events, economic activities, social relations, and much more. It's crucial to compile a list of witnesses in a case and identify them to understand why they speak or why they speak in a certain manner.

Cross-referencing with other sources: information derived from the notarial source is compared with that of other historical sources to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate view of the period under examination.

Documents of the episcopal archive of Ivrea

Let's take the example of a specific legal case, stemming from the documents of the episcopal archive of Ivrea. It's a case from 1211 in Italy involving the bishop of Ivrea in dispute with Bongiovanni d'Albiano over feudal obligations.

This case is significant because it allows us to understand how feudal society operated and how social status was determined.

The bishop's representative argues that Bongiovanni should provide a horse as a feudal service. Bongiovanni denies it, claiming to be a noble, not a serf. Both parties present witnesses and documents supporting their arguments.

Witnesses are asked whether the serf obligations had been endured for a long time. This helps us understand that in a society where "law" was based on customs, it was important to ascertain if an obligation had been endured for a long time because at that point it would no longer be contestable (it would have become customary).

The responses are confused and inconsistent, so witnesses are directly asked whether they consider Bongiovanni a serf or a noble. This is because (and it allows us to understand that) the division into "social classes" wasn't definable within concrete boundaries; it was more about the appearance of one's way of life. If a serf refused to fulfill his serf duties, he would easily be considered a noble by bystanders because he lived like one.

Ultimately, the analysis of the case leads us to determine that medieval justice wasn't conceived with the logic of our modern system, but was measured in oaths and witnesses as evidentiary means. And emerging from it with honor was much more important than fairly distributing blame and reason.

Other sources

Accounting source: it is very useful for measuring consumption and its variety in a particular historical period. To reconstruct past consumption, inventories post mortem are often used, which are lists of goods found in households, described and valued by notaries to facilitate distribution among heirs. Alternatively, the recording of daily expenses, which in modern times were often very detailed, can lead to insights into complex family histories and their internal inequalities - for example, more money might be spent on one child than another corresponding to their planned future role in society.

Oral source: in relation to the political sphere, it is useful for representing that part of politics composed of direct sources, that is, where politics speaks of itself and how it presents itself to the public, such as a politician's public speech. However, working with this type of source, a historian cannot avoid hermeneutic work, as through the speech, the politician aims to present himself to a certain audience, justify, persuade, construct his own image, and achieve results. This is the hidden agenda that also exists in the most obvious part of politics.

Iconographic source: it concerns art or other forms of "artistic" expression, such as in the case of an advertising poster. They become historical sources when it is the historian who, through analysis, confers upon them the status of a historical source. Essentially, the historian uses the source to understand aspects of the past otherwise inaccessible. The first step in this direction is to recontextualize the source, returning it to its original context. Examining the history of the source represents the fundamental first step for historical analysis.

Diary source: diaries are a "subjective" source, a representation of one's self, often influenced by the thoughts of "others," who can be close or distant readers, interested or distracted, visible or invisible, whom every diary author can imagine and hope to see, sooner or later, reflected on the pages of their writing. Furthermore, they are often subject to subsequent manipulations, and therefore should be treated by historians only in their critical edition; all other versions, whether old or new, foreign or not, are useful only as evidence of the changes and manipulations undergone over time by the original manuscripts.

Electronic source: historians use Wikipedia even if they often don't admit it out loud.

This blog is supported through tips here on Tumblr. If you’d like to support me, please consider giving a tip.

[plottwiststudios]

Furina Deserved More Empathy

Most of you are here because you dig my writing for "Women of Xal", but please bear with me on this: Furina is a worthy character to study, respect, and love. To me, she is Genshin Impact's best character, and certainly my favorite from the game.

But although her characterization was top tier, the characters and writing around Furina were just... so ugly to her in a few areas that I believe are worth talking about. Even if you think the Fontaine arc was perfect and beyond reproach with how Furina was handled at the end, please at least hear me out. I promise I do come with not only my empathetic insight, but a writer's with a keen eye for the unfair, as well. Everyone, strap in and click that spoiler line for more~

"But Furina is only human, isn't she? Even though she has had a long life, her mind is no stronger than that of any other ordinary human being. I cannot begin to fathom what she has had to endure. It must have been torture for her." - Neuvillette

This quote comes immediately after Neuvillette realizes that his partner in crime, Furina, has been playing a role of a god far outside of her true personality every (perceived) second of every day for 500 years without end. Fooling the world, and keeping the secret that she was a mere human was crucial. If she didn't, her nation would have met oblivion via drowning, according to an increasingly real prophecy. If you don't know the story/why, it's complicated, here's the cutscene. Collaborating with her divine 'half', she commits to this agonizingly long performance willingly by weighing her own happiness with the lives of the people. And does that take a toll on her?

Yes! It got bad enough to where she started crying without realizing she was -- in front of a citizen she of course had to deceive. She had to use her vast experience to play it off, and, well, you see how easily that citizen bought it, and you can see how Furina is handling that situation, even if you're not used to Genshin's models. What I'm trying to get at here is, Furina carried Fontaine's salvation on her back for 500 years. In complete secret and isolation. And as we are playing a video game, we naturally see to the finale of her 500 year performance...

By putting her on trial as a fraud god!

Now, although I felt grimy from the jump about the whole "Trick Furina into her own public trial", the plan itself is legitimately justified from the player / accusing party. She played her role too well, and now her own nation and allies think she's not taking the threat of her nation seriously. (The threat? Ironically the flooding she's trying to prevent) Her peers do know she's hiding something. So in a desperate gambit to get her to talk and hopefully give them something to stop the incoming flood, they trick her into arriving at her own trial. And, I believe my necessity, she is given more trauma for her troubles before this trial ends. You can watch it all here.

Even for players who didn't figure out Furina's big secret, this trial was BRUTAL to watch, and the fact the player character initiated it by trying promising Furina that her secret can be safe with the player -- WHILE the player was actively and secretly transporting Furina to her trial is just... cutthroat. Necessary given the lack of context (mostly), but cutthroat. I'm glad Furina considered her options with entrusting the player, but ultimately would have decided not to. Because we didn't deserve Furina's trust.

Long miserable story short? Furina is judged guilty and sentenced to death, but she doesn't care, because to her, she spent 500 years, only to think she "failed" and now everyone will drown and die. So she's left essentially dissociating with only tears to show consciousness. Longer story short? She didn't fail! Her trial was all part of the plan her divine half cooked up without telling her about the trial! To save the nation. (Prophecies, am I right?) And the nation is saved! All because Furina kept up the act for 500 years -- well past her emotional breaking point. Like, well, well, well past her breaking point.

Most importantly: Furina is free to be a regular human that no longer has to perform. She no longer has to rule as a god. So what's the first thing she hears from us? (Link for the conversation)

tldr: "We sure Kathryn gave us the right address we obtained without permission? Wow, Furina's living situation got a whole lot worse different after she stepped down from ruler."

If you're wondering if I skipped a few cutscenes covering how Furina got there and how she's doing, don't worry! Same here: After the story's climax, Neuvillette tells us that Furina steps down and numbly packed her bags and hecked off for peace and quiet. Did we ever VISIT this woman after asking her to trust us before destroying that request for trust? Did ANYONE besides Neuvillette give her an apology, or go out of their way to check in on her besides Clorinde? Am I supposed to assume that the same writers who keep doing insensitive things, has a staggering fear of dark skin, and seldom have enough courage to trust the audience, are expecting us to fill in the gaps of time with the most positive outcome that Furina was apologized to and supported off-screen? And hey, if you're on team "We had no choice, given the circumstance; no apologies needed", then look at it like a human, not (just) an apologist! If YOU underwent 500 years of never being you, but an exaggerated trope for the world, and at the end, that world temporarily rejects you in public, cutthroat fashion, is this how you would like to be treated?

An organization gave out your address to help the player

The player only visits you to help NPCs

Pressure you to perform yet again, this time for fun!!!

Express how your boundaries for no-acting actively hurt the NPCs

No noted thanks or conversation about your sacrifices

The writer to your life railroads you into feeling bad for boundaries

Someone dryly states, for her own reasons, that you were inactive

Made fun of for your lifestyle decisions post-freedom from acting

The writer of your life railroads you into singing for the NPCs

Some more I am probably going to regret not remembering

Even people who haven't played the game, but read this will note that something went amiss. One or two of these bullet points can be seen as fine or not-horrible when isolated, but literally all of this happened to Furina. Even if you want to say that all of these are properly addressed offscreen and not mentioned in the game, then what about the writer's desire to resonate with the audience?

To the writers of this game who obviously do not take words to heart: We resonate with Furina just fine. She's a beautifully written character and I have nothing but the fiercest of respect for her. But we don't resonate with how she was treated after her 500 years of torture ended. Not by the characters or writers. As writers, how did you WANT us to react to these insensitive scenes? Why? Did you think the lines of dialogue through from a humane angle, or were you stuck in the immediate present of writing a "funny"? Did you think about the cost of not letting the most tortured character in the country have any scenes after her trial until we're looking for her to help people we've never met before? Was the tonal whiplash wise in your eyes? Could you find no better way to get Furina comfortable to sing and get her vision? Why do I get the feeling that even an author with no experience might have known better than to do some of the things you decided to do to Furina? As writers, do you think everything I've stated is what she deserves, or even the natural course of events for a character as important and as good as Furina? Is that the extent of your writing prowess and creativity?

This is a story about a nation of justice. So where's Furina's justice?

[saintsenara]

Hi, I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely love your metas! You’re not only clearly a very talented writer but also blessed with such great insight into these characters that my dopamine levels always jump to absolute heights with every new post. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and being a real gem in this fandom ❤️

Also, because I couldn’t find any post (or did I miss it?) about specifically Harry/Snape (without a third person added to the mix) I would love to read your thoughts on it. Either romantically or gen, after the war, where Snape lives. Thank you so much for indulging me :)

thank you very much for the [exceptionally lovely] ask, anon!

snarry is definitely a popular request...

... so let's get into it!

[and let's also get out of the way that i do not back snamione as a pairing. you can find out why here.]

while they're by no means my otp - and while i'll admit to preferring both snape and harry paired up with lord voldemort - i have long dabbled in a bit of snarry, particularly because it's a ship which attracts astonishingly talented writers. and - in particular - astonishingly talented writers who think really subtly, intelligently, and creatively about life and love and all the questions therein. i'm always really struck by the nuance with which both snape and harry are treated in so many snarry fics, and i much prefer that to the more one-note treatment each character gets elsewhere in the fandom.

and - of course - why snarry works so well as a ship is because it has such a solid justification in both harry and snape's canon characterisation - and because this compatibility is made all the more interesting by the layer of conflict caused by snape and harry's mutually antagonistic relationship. harry adores the half-blood prince - looks up to him so much, in fact, that he genuinely wonders if the man was his father - because they're intellectually compatible, have similar senses of humour, have similarly self-serving aspects to their moral codes, and have a shared reactivity and emotional volatility. the text emphasises this frequently, most explicitly when hermione tells harry in half-blood prince that he doth protest too much:

"He tried to jinx me, in case you didn’t notice!" fumed Harry. "I had enough of that during those Occlumency lessons! Why doesn’t he use another guinea pig for a change? What’s Dumbledore playing at, anyway, letting him teach Defence? Did you hear him talking about the Dark Arts? He loves them! All that unfixed, indestructible stuff - " "Well," said Hermione, "I thought he sounded a bit like you."

harry is also willing to acknowledge these similarities himself, sometimes. he empathises with - and even, occasionally, respects - snape well before the conclusion of deathly hallows, and - crucially - does this on his own terms. him refusing to dismiss his disgust at his father's treatment of snape in snape's worst memory in order not to make sirius or lupin feel awkward is incredibly impressive - and is something i don't think he gets enough credit for.

and since one of the things which makes me a member of both tomarrymort and snapemort nation is harry's instinctive understanding of how voldemort's childhood affected him and voldemort's understanding of how snape's childhood affected him, this is something i think provides a fascinating seam for authors to mine when writing about snape and harry together.

similarly, post-war, i think snarry is one of the best pairings for exploring how both harry and snape come to terms with the realisation that - no matter how well it all worked out in the end - they were both pawns in a larger game. i think that snape is, really, the only person in harry's life who could ever come close to appreciating what it means to have dumbledore send you out to [nearly] die - and i also think, because the man is always at the forefront of my mind, that snape is one of the few people in harry's life who can appreciate the fact that harry, as much as he also hated and feared him, was impressed by, sympathised with, and wanted to help voldemort.

snarry is also an incredibly compelling ship for thinking about power, and how both harry and snape understand it. i wouldn't care about the age difference, or the fact that snape and harry's acquaintance is established while harry is a child and snape is his teacher, even if the dynamic between them could only ever be heavily unbalanced in snape's favour, because these are fictional people. but i'm often struck by how interestingly snarry writers deal with snape being someone who views himself, inherently, as a supplicant - and who therefore ends up offering harry the upper hand in their dynamic [whether this is platonic or otherwise] despite the fact that he is the younger partner. snape's capacity for destructive devotion and self-subordination is one of his most fascinating canon characteristics - and snarry is one of the best vehicles for exploring this.

indeed, the canonical snape clearly regards harry as someone who possesses power over him. his complaints about harry being rich, spoiled, and arrogant make clear that he considers harry to be the second coming of the dynamic he had with james [with it never seeming to occur to him that this is an absurd thing for an adult teacher to think about their pupil], while his complaints about harry's fame are because he views harry as an inherent insider [someone with a pureblood surname and the money to prove it] to the wizarding world while he himself is an outcast. this can cause some exquisite toxicity - especially when snape, who tends to view every interaction he has though a win-lose lens and who becomes incredibly nasty in both victory and defeat, is proven right, having insisted to harry that the wizarding world won't like its golden hero getting railed by a tenuously-acquitted death eater.

but it can also result in something surprisingly beautiful. harry likes to save people, after all, and snape would - deep down - very much to be saved.

and one way he can do this is by offering snape the forgiveness for his role in lily's death which it's clear the canonical snape refuses to accept he might be entitled to. and, in doing this, the pairing draws out a theme which i am obsessed with - that there is a lost generation, whose ghosts haunt the characters alive in the canon timeline. no matter how negative his opinion on james and sirius and so on is, by virtue of knowing them, snape provides harry with a connection to a world he would be a stranger to otherwise, while harry provides snape with a mooring in the present which makes dealing with the weight of the past - and processing the fact that he's virtually the only person he knew as a teenager who's still alive - easier.

i also think that fucking your enemy's nephew is iconic, and snape and petunia meeting again in a scenario in which he's harry's boyfriend is a concept that sustains me.

[thewulf]

In the Arms of Fate || Aragorn

Summary: Request - During the war with Sauron, she gets kidnapped and tortured badly by Saruman. Aragorn and the others immediately get on a mission to rescue her and eventually find her barely alive... Read Rest Here

A/N: This was tough to write but I really like how it turned out. Thank you for the amazing requests anon, hope you all enjoy!

Pairing: Aragorn x Female Reader

Word Count: 4,600 +

TW: talks of torture, pain, reader gets taken, general LOTR triggers

In the middle of the raging war against Sauron you found yourself drawn to the Fellowship not only by fate but by your own unique blend of skills and qualities that made you an indispensable member of the group. Aragorn quickly recognized your unwavering loyalty and the depth of your courage. He insisted on your inclusion in the Fellowship. He saw in you a kindred spirit as someone who shared his determination to see the quest through to the end.

Your skills were varied and essential to the success of the Fellowship. As a seasoned fighter you were proficient in various forms of combat. You sported weapons with precision and grace. But it wasn't just your prowess on the battlefield that set you apart. It was also your keen intellect and quick thinking that made you invaluable to the group. You possessed a sharp mind and a strategic approach to problem-solving, often providing crucial insights and solutions during moments of peril. Even Legolas looked to you for guidance from time to time.

Gimli was initially skeptical of your presence in the Fellowship. But even he soon came to appreciate the depth of your skills and the strength of your character. Your friendship with him grew as you shared stories of battles fought and victories won. You formed a bond that transcended the differences between your races. Together you and Gimli formed a formidable duo. Your strengths complementing each other in ways that made the Fellowship stronger as a whole.

With Legolas, your relationship was characterized by playful banter and teasing exchanges. From the moment you met there was a natural rapport between you. It was like a shared understanding that lent itself to lighthearted jests and witty banter. Legolas never missed an opportunity to tease you. His playful remarks eliciting laughter and smiles even in the darkest of times. Despite the teasing there was a deep form of friendship between you. Formed through shared experiences and mutual respect. He loved to tease you, especially about a certain ranger that had captured your heart with ease. It was on one particular eve that Legolas had let you know that he knew too. He wasn’t blind. He caught your longing looks. But he too caught Aragorn staring right back at you.

The evening was alive with the crackling of the campfire and the soft rustle of the forest around you. As you sat beside the fire completely lost in thought, Legolas approached with his characteristic grace, a playful glint in his eyes.

"Ah, Y/N, lost in thought again?" he remarked. A teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips as if he knew exactly what you were thinking. And he likely did.

You chuckled softly turning to face him. "Just contemplating our next move," you replied, though your thoughts were anything but focused on strategy. Instead, they drifted to a certain ranger sitting across the way who occupied far too much space in your mind.

Legolas arched an eyebrow, his keen gaze fixing on you with knowing amusement. "Or perhaps," he suggested with a knowing smirk, "you're pondering a particular king’s pining for you?"

Your cheeks flushed crimson at his words, and you sputtered in protest. "Wha—no, Legolas, you're imagining things," you stammered. It was a terrible attempt to brush off his teasing with a nervous laugh.

But Legolas only chuckled. His soft laughter mingling with the gentle crackle of the fire. "Oh, come now, Y/N,” he teased, his tone light and playful. "Even the trees can see the way he looks at you. And you him. It's as clear as the stars in the night sky."

You rolled your eyes. Though a part of you couldn't help but wonder if there was a kernel of truth to Legolas's jests. Aragorn's lingering glances and subtle gestures had not gone unnoticed by you. Though you had dismissed them as mere figments of your imagination. "He's just... concerned for my well-being, that's all," you insisted, though doubt lingered in the back of your mind. "We're friends, nothing more."

Legolas's smile widened as his eyes sparkled with mischief. "Of course, Y/N," he replied. His tone dripping with elvish sarcasm. "Just friends."

As he walked away quiet as ever leaving you to figure out you conflicting emotions, you couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was more truth to Legolas's teasing than you dared to admit. But for now, you pushed aside your doubts instead focusing on the task at hand and the challenges that lay ahead. You couldn’t let that distract you of all things. You had Hobbits to find after all.

As for Aragorn, the dynamics of your relationship were markedly different. From the moment he laid eyes on you Aragorn was captivated by your strength, courage, and insane determination. He found himself drawn to you in a way he couldn't fully explain. His heart skipping a beat whenever you were near. Despite his stoic demeanor Aragorn found himself unable to hide his feelings for you. His affection and admiration shining through in subtle gestures and meaningful glances. Whether it was a reassuring touch on the shoulder or a lingering gaze across the campfire Aragorn's love for you was evident to all who knew him. Maybe except for you.

And though you tried to hide it, the effect he had on you was undeniable. Your cheeks would flush with color whenever he spoke. Your heart deciding to skip a beat at the mere sound of his voice. Despite your best efforts to maintain a facade of composure Aragorn had a way of unraveling your defenses. His presence stirring emotions within you that you struggled to contain.

The Battle of Helm's Deep raged on with unrelenting ferocity. The clash of steel and the roar of orcs echoing through the valley. As darkness descended upon the fortress you stood shoulder to shoulder with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Your heart was pounding with adrenaline, determination, and a touch of fear.

Together, you fought valiantly against the relentless tide of enemies. Your blades flashing in the dim light as you defended the walls of Helm's Deep with all your strength. But as the battle wore on fatigue began to set in and the odds seemed increasingly insurmountable. In the chaos of the fray the enemy's forces surged forward with renewed fury. You were overwhelmed. The defenders of Helm's Deep were overwhelmed with their sheer numbers. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli fought with unmatched skill and valor. Their resolve unbroken even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

In the middle the chaos and confusion tragedy struck for you. As the defenders of Helm's Deep rallied for one final stand you found yourself separated from your companions. Unfortunately surrounded by a horde of wargs and orcs. With grim determination you fought with all your might. Every strike of your blade a desperate attempt to fend off the encroaching darkness.

But it was not enough.

As the enemy closed in around you completely overwhelming you with their sheer numbers, you felt a surge of despair wash over you. Your strength faltered and your movements began growing sluggish as exhaustion threatened to consume you whole. And then in a moment of cruel fate you were seized by the snarling jaws of a warg. You were dragged away from the safety of the fortress just as the offenders began to retreat. You were a prize.

Aragorn's heart constricted with dread as he watched helplessly from afar. His voice lost amidst the din of battle as he called out your name in desperation. His pleas were a cruel reminder of how quickly things could change. With every fiber of his being he longed to rush to your aid. To fight tooth and nail to rescue you from the clutches of the enemy. But the tide of battle had turned, and he had no time to rush after you for he would likely die in the cause.

And so, as Helm's Deep fell silent in the wake of the enemy's retreat. Aragorn's heart weighed heavy with grief and guilt. For though the battle had been won. The cost had been immeasurable. And the fate of his beloved remained uncertain, lost amidst the darkness that lurked beyond the walls of Helm's Deep.

In the grim depths of Saruman's fortress, you endured unspeakable torment at the hands of your captors. From the moment they laid hands on you their cruelty knew no bounds. Their twisted minds delighting in the suffering they inflicted upon you. They reveled in your screams of agony. Their laughter echoing off the cold stone walls as they subjected you to unimaginable pain and suffering. Every blow, every cut, every moment of pain was a sickening game to them. A twisted form of entertainment that they relished with sadistic glee.

But despite their best efforts to break your spirit you refused to fold. With every fiber of your being you clung to life with a tenacity that defied comprehension. You endured their tortures with a steely resolve. Your will to survive burning bright even in the darkest of moments. They tried their best to break you. To strip away your humanity and reduce you to nothing more than a shell of your former self. But still you fought on. Your spirit unbroken even as your body bore the scars of their cruelty.

In the depths of despair, you found a flicker of hope—a tiny ember of defiance that refused to be extinguished. And though they tried to snuff it out. To drown it in a sea of pain and despair, still it burned bright within you. It was Aragorn. He was your salvation. Your thoughts that brought light within your darkness. You couldn’t break. Not when you knew was alive and fighting to see you again.

And so, as the minutes turned into days and the days turned into weeks, you clung to life with a determination that seemed to defy reason. For though they sought to destroy you. To crush your spirit beneath their heel. Still, you refused to surrender, your will to survive burning bright even in the face of unspeakable evil. You began to worry they may tire of you. That they may get bored and kill you despite your efforts to survive.

In the grim confines of Saruman's fortress sustenance was a meager and scarce commodity, doled out sparingly by your captors. Each day you received barely enough to sustain your frail body. The meager rations serving as a cruel reminder of your dire circumstances. The food was tasteless. The water stagnant and foul. Yet you choked it down with grim determination. You did it in hopes of seeing Aragorn again. Maybe just maybe you could confess your love to him for this journey made you finally realize your feelings for him.

You couldn't bear the thought of leaving this world laying bare the depths of your heart and soul to him. And so, even as your body grew weak and your spirit faltered, you held fast to the hope that one day, somehow, you would find your way back to him.

As the news of Saruman's demise spread throughout Middle earth a small bit of hope rose within the hearts of those who had suffered under his tyranny. For you, however, trapped within the depths of Orthanc's dungeons, the passing of the once-great wizard brought no relief from your torment.

Barely clinging to life as your body was ravaged by weeks of unspeakable suffering. You lay in darkness your breaths shallow and labored. Each passing moment felt like an eternity as you teetered on the brink of oblivion. Your spirit beginning to falter by the weight of despair.

But in the cruelty of the shadows that engulfed you a faint whisper of hope stirred within your soul—a feeling, a sensation that you couldn't quite explain. It was as if a part of you knew deep down that your salvation was at hand. That somehow, someway, your beloved Aragorn was close and would come for you.

And come for you he did.

Driven by a gnawing sense of unease. A feeling that he couldn't shake, Aragorn ventured into the depths of Orthanc. His heart weighed heavy with dread and determination. Guided by instinct and a love that knew no bounds he searched tirelessly for any sign of your presence. His footsteps echoing through the cold stone corridors as it laid eerily quiet at Saruman’s demise.

And then, at long last, he found you.

Tucked away in the darkest recesses of the dungeons, barely visible amidst the shadows, lay your frail form. Your breaths barely there, faint. Aragorn's heart constricted with anguish at the sight of you, his beloved, so close to the brink of death.

With trembling hands and a voice choked with emotion. Aragorn gathered you into his arms. He cradled you against his chest as if he could shield you from the darkness that threatened to take you from him. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he whispered words of love and reassurance. His voice was a soothing balm to your battered soul.

As he held you in his arms as gently as he could he broke down. "Gandalf! Legolas! Gimli! Anyone, help!" His cries reverberated through the silent halls of Orthanc. Each plea in desperation for your salvation. He cried for someone to come to your aid.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he cradled you against his chest, his heart breaking at the sight of you—so frail, so vulnerable, so close to slipping away from him forever. He whispered for you to hold on. His voice raw with emotion as he begged you to stay with him just a little while longer. But you remained unconscious. Your breaths shallow and labored, your life hanging by the slimmest of threads.

As Aragorn's desperate calls for help echoed through the halls of Orthanc. His heart broke with fear and anguish. Though finally his cries were answered. Gandalf, Legolas, and Gimli came running, drawn by the urgency and desperation in Aragorn's voice. Their faces paled at the sight that greeted them. Your frail form cradled in Aragorn's arms, barely clinging to life.

Gimli, his usually stoic demeanor crumbling in the face of such tragedy, sank to his knees beside you. His heart heavy with sorrow. "By the beard of Durin," he murmured, his voice choked with emotion. "What have they done to you, lass?"

Legolas with eyes wide of shock and horror, approached tentatively. His usual grace replaced by a raw vulnerability as tears welled in his eyes. "Nay, this cannot be," he whispered. His voice trembling with grief. "Not Y/N... not like this."

Gandalf had a grave expression on his face as he stepped forward. His gaze piercing as he took in the extent of your injuries. "We must act swiftly," he declared. His voice commanding. "There is still hope, but time is of the essence."

With a sense of urgency, they rallied together. Their hearts heavy with grief but their resolve unyielding. With shaking hands Aragorn carried you from the depths of Orthanc, his footsteps echoing heavy through the silent halls as they emerged into the light of day.

As time grew short and the urgency of the situation became increasingly apparent, Gandalf knew that swift action was needed to save you. With a wave of his staff and a word of command he called forth one of the Great Eagles. Ancient creatures who served as allies to the free peoples of middle earth.

As Gandalf summons the Great Eagle to take you to Lothlórien Aragorn's determination to stay by your side remained unyielding. With a glance at the rest of the Fellowship he knew that their journey will be swift on horseback as the Great Eagle could not carry them all.

"Aragorn," Gandalf begins, his voice carrying a sense of urgency, "time is of the essence. We must act swiftly to save Y/N."

Aragorn nods solemnly, his gaze unwavering as he turns to Gandalf. "I will take her on the eagle to ensure she receives the care she needs. The rest of you must ride with haste to Lothlórien. I will meet you there." Gandalf and the others exchange a knowing look. Understanding the weight of Aragorn's decision. With a nod of agreement Gandalf turned to the rest of the Fellowship.

"We ride for Lothlórien," Gandalf declares, his voice echoing with authority. "May the Valar watch over us all."

As Aragorn carries you in his arms and mounts the Great Eagle the rest of the Fellowship saddles their horses and sets off towards Lothlórien knowing it would delay their plans to get to Mordor. But for you they knew they had to. With a sense of urgency driving them forward they rode with haste. Their hearts heavy with worry yet filled with hope that you will receive the care and healing you so desperately need.

After what felt like a lifetime to Aragon Great Eagle descended upon the lush treetops of Lothlórien. Aragorn's urgent pleas for help echo through the elven realm. Celeborn alerted by the urgency in Aragorn's voice, rushed forward from the heart of Lothlórien.

With swift steps, Celeborn reaches Aragorn's side just as the eagle touched down. He sees the urgency in Aragorn's eyes and the battered state of your body and without a moment's hesitation he takes you from Aragorn's arms. His expression a mix of concern and determination.

"Bring her to me," Celeborn commands. His voice carrying an air of authority.

Aragorn watches with a mixture of relief and apprehension as Celeborn rushes towards the healing chambers of Lothlórien. His skilled hands cradling you gently. With each step Aragorn's heart pounds with worry, but he knows that you are in good hands.

As Celeborn disappears into the depths of Lothlórien Aragorn's thoughts turn to the rest of the Fellowship who are still traveling on horseback. He knows that they will arrive soon with their hearts heavy with concern for you. He worried for you. For Frodo and Sam who were continuing their journey ahead. For the delay all of this brought. But he couldn’t seem to care about that all knowing the woman he loved was on the brink of death. The woman who was always so full of life may be taken from him far too soon. Before he could confess his true feelings.

With a silent prayer on his lips, he followed Celeborn into the healing chambers. His determination to see you healed burning brighter than ever. And as he stands vigil by your side surrounded by the gentle beauty of Lothlórien, he knows that though the road ahead may be long and fraught with peril. But together you will face whatever challenges come your way

As hours pass in Lothlórien, Celeborn's efforts to heal you are met with frustratingly little progress. Despite his skill and knowledge your condition remains unchanged. Leaving both him and Aragorn filled with growing despair. Realizing that more drastic measures are needed, Celeborn calls upon his wife, Galadriel, for assistance. Together they work tirelessly through the and night. Their combined powers focused on bringing you back from the darkness of unconsciousness.

Aragorn watched with a heavy heart as Galadriel joins Celeborn in the healing chambers. Her presence a glimmer of hope amidst the peril that threatened to consume him. He knows that if anyone can help you it is the Lady of the Wood, with all her wisdom and grace.

Days turn into nights and still you remain unresponsive. You were lost in a realm of unconsciousness from which you seem unable to awaken. Aragorn's faith began to waver. His heart heavy with doubt and fear as he watches Galadriel and Celeborn work tirelessly to save you. But just when all seems lost, a miracle occurred. After a few days of ceaseless effort, Galadriel kneels beside your bedside and offers a rare prayer to the Valar. Her voice is soft but filled with conviction as she calls upon their aid. Her plea echoing through the halls of Lothlórien.

And then as if in response to her prayer, you stir from your slumber. Your eyes fluttering open for the first time in what felt like an eternity. Aragorn's heart leapt with joy as he watches you awaken. His faith restored in the power of love.

With tears of relief streaming down his cheeks, Aragorn gathers you into his arms. Holding you close as he whispers words of gratitude and love. As you lay there finally awake but still weak and fragile, Aragorn's emotions overwhelm him. Tears stream down his face as he gathers you into his arms holding you close with a fierce, desperate grip but gentle so not to hurt you further.

"I love you," he whispers, his voice choked with emotion. "I love you more than words can express, my love. You cannot leave me again. Please, never leave me again. Please."

His words are a plea. A prayer whispered into the stillness of the healing chambers. His heart ached with the fear of losing you. The fear of facing a world without the light of your presence beside him. And as he holds you close, his tears mingling with yours. He knew that he would give anything to keep you safe. To protect you from harm. As he pours out his heart to you, he realizes just how much you mean to him—how much he needs you by his side, now and always.

"You love me?" you whisper. Your voice barely above a breath as you look up at him, your eyes searching his for confirmation.

Aragorn's laughter fills the air. A warm and comforting sound that washes over you like sunlight breaking through the clouds. He brushes a strand of hair from your face, his touch gentle and reassuring.

"Did I not make it so obvious my wayward love?" he replies, his voice teasing yet tender as he meets your gaze with a smile.

Your cheeks flush with embarrassment at his words. You can't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your chest. Galadriel and Celeborn who have been observing the exchange with amusement, share a knowing look, their eyes twinkling with mirth of the love unfolding before them.

But in that moment as you gaze into Aragorn's eyes and share a laugh together all your worries and fears seem to melt away. For in his arms surrounded by the love and support of your companion, you know that no matter what challenges lie ahead you will face them with him. Your beloved.

And as the laughter fades into a comfortable silence, you rest your head against Aragorn's chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your ear. With his arms wrapped around you, you know that you are home.

As Celeborn and Galadriel summon the rest of the Fellowship, the healing chambers soon fill with the familiar faces of your companions. Their expressions a mix of relief and joy at the sight of you awake, alive and with that smile adorning your soft features.

Gimli with his gruff exterior softened by the depth of his concern, rushes forward to your side. His eyes were brimming with tears. "By Durin's beard, lass! I thought I'd never see you awake again," he exclaims, his voice trembling with emotion as he clasps your hand tightly in his own.

Gandalf had his wise eyes shining with warmth, approaches with a gentle smile. "It is good to see you awake, my dear friend," he spoke. His voice filled with genuine relief. "You have faced darkness and emerged victorious. You are stronger than you will ever know."

Legolas, his fair face radiant with joy, stepped forward with a soft smile. "I am glad to see you awake, mellon nin," he smiled to you. His voice gentle and sincere. "The world is a brighter place with you in it."

Merry and Pippin, their youthful exuberance infectious as always rush to your side with wide smiles on their faces. "You had us worried there for a moment," Merry says, his voice filled with relief. "But you're back with us now and that's all that matters."

Pippin nods eagerly as his eyes shining with unshed tears. "We thought we'd lost you," he admits, his voice wavering with emotion. "But you're a fighter, just like Aragorn said. You'll always come back to us."

As the Fellowship gathers around you with their voices filled with laughter and tears. You felt a profound sense of gratitude wash over you. As you were surrounded by the love and support of your friends you know that no matter what trials may come your way you will always have each other.

As the night descended upon Lothlórien after you woke, Aragorn remained by your side as the rest of the Fellowship retired. His love and devotion unwavering as he tends to your every need.

With gentle hands he washes away the grime and dirt of your ordeal away. His touch tender and reassuring against your skin. He cleanses away the scars of battle as his fingers trace each line and mark with care, as if trying to erase the memories of pain that linger there.

As he helps you change into fresh clothes his gaze never strays from yours. His eyes were filled with an intensity of emotion that took your breath away. He spoke softly. His voice a soothing melody that fills the silence of the healing chambers.

"You are my light in the dark," he whispered softly to you. His words a declaration of love that echoes in the stillness of the night. "You are the reason I fight, the reason I endure. Without you I am lost my love."

Tears fill your eyes at his words. The depth of his love overwhelming in its intensity. "And you are mine," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper as you reach out to touch his face. "You are the reason I am alive, the reason I kept going. Even in the worst of times."

As the soft glow of moonlight filters through the canopy of leaves above Aragorn's adoration for you seems to shine even brighter. With every touch, every whispered word, he worships you as if you were a goddess descended from the heavens themselves.

He kneels before you, his eyes alight with reverence. He places gentle kisses upon your hands, your cheeks, your forehead, as if each kiss is a silent prayer to the gods, thanking them for blessing him with your presence. Thanking them for letting you live.

"I am unworthy of your love," he murmurs. His voice filled with sincerity as he gazes up at you with awe. "But I swear to you, I will spend every moment of my life trying to prove myself worthy of you."

His words melt your heart. Filling you with a warmth that spreads from the tips of your fingers to the depths of your soul. You reach out to cup his face in your hands, tracing the lines of his jaw with your fingers. Feeling the roughness of his stubble beneath your touch.

"You are more than worthy," you whisper, your voice barely a breath as you gaze into his eyes, seeing the depth of his love reflected back at you. "You are my everything, Aragorn. Without you I am nothing."

As you hold each other close surrounded by the quiet beauty of the elven realm. You know that nothing in this world could ever tear you apart. For in each other's arms, you have found a love that transcends time and space. A love that is as boundless as the stars themselves and as enduring as the ages to come.

Taglist Sign Up): @loving-and-dreaming @kmc1989 @memeorydotcom @matisse556 @buckylov3r @taygrls @ah-blossom @hardballoonlove @rosiahills22 @djs8891 @guacam011y @illisea @il0vebeingdelulu @hiireadstuff @kenn-spencerswifey @avada-kedavra-bitch-187

[hayatheauthor]

Crafting Character Voices And Distinct Dialogue

A well-crafted character voice can breathe life into your narrative, making readers feel as if they're eavesdropping on real people. Each character's dialogue should be as distinctive as their fingerprints, reflecting their personality, background, and motivations. 

Creating distinctive character voices is one of the first things I learned in my creative writing lessons. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting, understanding how to create authentic and unique character voices is a crucial skill. So, here’s my guide on how to personalise your dialogue. 

Understanding Your Characters

To craft dialogue that resonates, you must first get to know your characters inside and out. Dive deep into their psyche, exploring their backgrounds, beliefs, values, and desires. What drives them? What keeps them up at night? Understanding these intricacies is the foundation upon which you'll build their unique voices.

Additionally, consider their primary language or dialect. A character from Italy, for example, might have a different vocabulary and speech patterns than someone from India. For instance, an Italian character may use phrases or expressions unique to their culture, adding depth and authenticity to their voice. This not only provides cultural richness but also enhances the character's individuality.

Creating Distinctive Speech Patterns

Once you've delved into your characters' backgrounds and cultural influences, it's time to work on their speech patterns. Think of this as giving each character their own linguistic fingerprint. Here are some key elements to consider:

Unique Vocabulary: Each character should have a vocabulary that reflects their education, interests, and experiences. A well-read character might use more complex words, while a simpler character may prefer everyday language.

Sentence Structures: Pay attention to how characters structure their sentences. Some may favor long, flowing sentences, while others opt for brevity. This reflects their thought processes and personality.

Idioms and Colloquialisms: Characters from specific regions or backgrounds might use regional idioms or colloquial expressions. For example, a Texan character might say, "fixin' to" instead of "intending to."

Influences from Native Language: If your character speaks more than one language, consider how their native language influences their speech in another language. They might occasionally switch to their native language for emphasis or use idiomatic expressions from that language.

Accents and Pronunciation: If your character has a distinct accent, consider how this affects their pronunciation of words. You can subtly convey accents through dialogue without overdoing it, using phonetic spelling sparingly.

Tone Tags: Incorporating tone tags (e.g., nervously, confidently, sarcastically) can convey the character's emotions and attitudes during a conversation. These tags help readers understand the subtext of the dialogue.

Imagine a character named Maria, who hails from Mexico. She might use Spanish phrases when speaking English to emphasize her cultural background. Her speech could be peppered with warmth and expressions of hospitality, reflecting her upbringing.

Dialogue Tags and Character Expressions

Dialogue tags and character expressions are invaluable tools for conveying the nuances of character voices. They add layers to your characters' speech, giving readers insight into their emotions, intentions, and personalities.

While "said" is often your best friend because it's unobtrusive, don't hesitate to mix in other tags to convey mood and tone. For instance, instead of always using "said," consider alternatives like "whispered," "shouted," "murmured," or "replied." Choose tags that align with the character's demeanor and the context of the conversation.

Character expressions and actions:

Non-Verbal Communication

Beyond dialogue tags, describe how characters express themselves physically while speaking. Actions, gestures, and facial expressions can reveal a lot about a character's emotional state or their intentions. If a character nervously tugs at their collar while speaking, it conveys anxiety. If another character smirks while delivering a line, it hints at their amusement or mischief.

Using tone tags:

Incorporate tone tags like "nervously," "confidently," "sarcastically," or "gently" to clarify the character's tone of voice. These adverbs provide crucial context to the dialogue, helping readers understand the character's emotional state.

Social Influence

Remember that a character's social background can significantly influence their speech. For instance, a character from a wealthy background might use more formal language and have a refined way of speaking. They might avoid slang or contractions. In contrast, a character from a less privileged background might use colloquialisms, contractions, and have a more relaxed speech style.

Balancing character expressions and tags can breathe life into your dialogues, making them engaging and memorable for readers. Use them strategically to punctuate and emphasize key moments in your characters' conversations.

Balancing Consistency and Evolution

As you craft your characters' dialogue, it's crucial to strike a balance between consistency and evolution. Characters should maintain their unique voices throughout the story, but they can also grow and change. 

Consistency is key to character integrity. Readers should be able to recognize a character's voice from the beginning to the end of your story.

To achieve this create a character profile that includes detailed notes on their speech patterns, vocabulary, and idiosyncrasies. Refer back to your character profile whenever writing dialogue to ensure you stay true to their voice.

However, characters, like real people, can evolve and change over time. Events, experiences, and personal growth can influence how they speak. To reflect this evolution gradually introduce changes in their speech as they undergo character development. You can also use dialogue to convey their changing perspectives, priorities, or emotions.

For example, a shy character might start using more assertive language as they gain confidence throughout the story. Their evolution should feel natural and in line with their character arc.

By maintaining consistency while allowing for evolution, you can create dynamic and believable character voices that resonate with your readers.

Dialogue Exercises and Practice

First things first, get to know your characters like you're catching up with an old friend. Dive into their quirks, fears, what makes them tick, and what ticks them off. Once you've got a handle on that, it's time to let them speak their minds. Ever heard of character monologues? It's like giving your characters a stage to shine. Let them ramble, vent, or reminisce—it's like therapy for both you and your character.

Now, let's talk duets. Imagine pairing up two characters from different walks of life for a conversation. It's like a linguistic showdown, and you're the ringmaster. See how they bounce off each other, and you'll bring out their unique voices like a pro.

Last but not least, voice journals. Think of it as a diary for your characters. Let them jot down their innermost thoughts and feelings. It's like having a backstage pass to their minds.

Remember, mastering character dialogue is a journey, not a sprint. Your characters will evolve, and so will your knack for making their voices stand out.

Avoiding Stereotypes and Clichés

When creating character voices it's important to avoid those clichéd, overused character stereotypes. We've all seen them: the tough-as-nails detective with a whiskey habit, or the ditzy cheerleader who cares more about lipstick than world affairs.

As writers, our mission is to create characters that feel fresh, real, and relatable. So, let's steer clear of the tired old tropes and explore the vast spectrum of humanity.

Instead of falling into the trap of predictable character traits, dig deeper. Ask yourself: What makes your character tick? What are their quirks and passions? Sure, your character might be a brilliant scientist, but what sets them apart from every other lab coat-wearing genius out there?

Diversity is your friend here. Embrace the rich tapestry of human experiences and backgrounds. Give your characters unique voices that reflect their individuality, and you'll create characters that resonate with readers on a whole new level.

I hope this blog on Crafting Character Voices 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! 

[requinoesis]

How did Roberto, Selena, and (I forgot the bull shark's name, oops) meet? Did one pull the other two or did they all pull one another, or something like that? Also I love Selena's design, the jacket is very slay <3 :D

Their relationship is something that I am still slowly developing and making small adjustments to.

I still don't know when and how things happened, but Roberto first met Selena at a time when he was looking for someone like him to connect with, since there weren't many families of hammerhead sharks in the Reeftown.

But then, after a very delicate moment in Selena's life that left her deeply sad, Roberto found himself forced to distance himself because he didn't know how to deal with and support her, partly because of a particular problem of Roberto's that he hasn't yet explained. (I should explain this in the future, it's related to an interesting ability that the Ampoules of Lorenzini give him, which he doesn't yet understand). And also that here he is still learning about empathy.

Some time later, Roberto met Paolo after protecting him from bullying. At this time Roberto was more self-confident, so he didn't limit himself to just looking for others of his own species and this encouraged him to get closer to Paolo.

It was going well, but once again, Paolo began to suffer from things related to his past that Roberto didn't know how to deal with and, to avoid further frustration for both of them, he distanced himself. In both cases, Roberto distanced himself at times when Selena and Paolo needed him the most, which is quite painful.

Time will pass and Roberto is almost giving up on seeking new relationships and living alone, blaming himself for his mysterious ability that for him is a curse, but it is something special that he will still understand.

He even tried a long-distance relationship on the 'Oceanet', but Roberto is not very good with computers and so he gave up. It is at this time that he meets Tiago and Aria and the interest in creating a band is a distraction for his head. And it is in music that he also expresses his frustrations on this topic.

Until the moment when Selena and Paolo, still having feelings for Roberto, got together to try to understand his reactions and when they found out, they were understanding. But Selena and Paolo ended up getting closer to each other and when it came time to talk to Roberto about it, they were both happy to be by his side, so in the end the three of them ended up together and happy!

I imagine that Roberto is needy, probably because his parents didn't pay attention to him at some crucial stage in his childhood, or he just likes to always be in the company of others. I'm not sure.

Sorry for writing so much! At least this helps me understand storytelling better. All of this is an insight from an asexual person who has never dated in my life, so creating characters that relate to each other is a big challenge for me hehe I would be happy with suggestions!

I hope I'm doing something convincing and fun in addition to talking about interesting topics. My goal is to create shark characters that are deep and memorable, something that practically doesn't exist anywhere, I think.

[novlr]

How do you write a flashback? When a character remembers something they’ve forgotten?

How to write flashbacks

Flashbacks are a powerful tool to deepen character development, create tension, and unveil hidden truths. They have the unique ability to transport readers to pivotal moments from the past, adding layers of richness to your story

Why are flashbacks useful?

Flashbacks serve various purposes in storytelling, each contributing to the overall narrative in its unique way. Here are some of the most common ways flashbacks are used:

1. Deepen character development and provide backstory:

Flashbacks allow you to delve into a character's past, unveiling formative experiences that shaped their personality. By revealing childhood memories, past relationships, and significant events, you can provide readers with a deeper understanding of the character's motivations, internal conflicts, and complexities.

2. Create tension, suspense, or surprise:

Flashbacks offer a powerful tool for building tension and suspense. You can strategically use them to foreshadow future events, creating anticipation and keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Additionally, flashbacks can introduce surprising revelations, challenge readers' assumptions, and add unexpected twists to the plot.

3. Reveal hidden motivations or secrets:

With flashbacks, you can peel back the layers of your characters and expose their hidden motivations and secrets. By delving into the past, you can uncover buried secrets that impact their present actions, unveil the true nature of supporting characters or antagonists, and provide readers with a deeper understanding of the characters' complexities.

4. Highlight character growth or transformation:

Flashbacks are excellent tools for showcasing character growth and transformation. By contrasting past and present versions of your characters, you can illustrate their development over time. These glimpses into their past can reveal pivotal moments that trigger significant changes in behaviour, allowing readers to witness their journey of self-discovery and personal evolution.

5. Provide historical or contextual information:

Flashbacks offer an opportunity to provide historical or contextual information that enriches your story. By exploring past events, you can offer insights into the historical backdrop or cultural context of your narrative. This enhances the authenticity of your world-building and provides a deeper understanding of the setting in which your story unfolds.

6. Surface a forgotten memory:

One fascinating aspect of flashbacks is their ability to surface forgotten memories. By resurrecting your characters’ buried experiences, you can explore the impact of past traumas or significant events in their lives. This allows for emotional depth and character growth as they confront unresolved issues and find closure.

What makes a good flashback?

A good flashback is relevant to the main narrative, providing crucial insights into the character's motivations and conflicts. It evokes strong emotions and utilizes vivid descriptions to immerse readers in the past. A well-executed flashback contributes to character development and maintains a balanced narrative flow, seamlessly transitioning back to the present story.

Choosing a strategic moment that adds depth or context to the story.

Using sensory triggers from the present moment to initiate a transition to the past.

Having a clear transition in and out of the flashback.

Ensuring the flashback doesn't disrupt the overall pacing and narrative, and that it serves a functional purpose.

Connecting to the present with an object or a sensory experience that triggers the flashback.

Bringing flashbacks to life

To make your flashbacks come alive and immerse readers in the memory, effective descriptions are crucial. Consider these six quick tips for engaging descriptions within flashbacks:

Use vivid language to paint a picture of the scene.

Incorporate sensory details like sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures to immerse readers in the memory.

Focus on details that are relevant to the plot, character development, or thematic elements of the story, avoiding excessive tangents or unnecessary descriptions.

Choose words and phrases that reflect the intensity of emotions experienced during the flashback.

Instead of relying on exposition, use action, dialogue, and interactions for characters to reveal information.

Highlight specific moments or key aspects of the flashback that contribute to the overall narrative.

Emphasise body language and gestures to draw attention to the emotions and reactions of the event.

Demonstrate character development by highlighting changes in behaviour, belief, or attitudes.

Showcase conflicts and resolutions, allowing readers to witness how they were resolved or left unresolved.

How to fit flashbacks into your story

There is no hard and fast rule for the best way to incorporate a flashback. But here are some interesting ways you can work it into your narrative, each with a different feel depending on the type of story you’re telling.

Consider shifting the narrative perspective when transitioning to a flashback. For instance, if the main story is told from a third-person limited perspective, you could switch to a first-person perspective during the flashback to immerse readers in the character's direct experience.

Switch between past and present-moment reflections to create a sense of urgency. This can be done by having the character contemplate the significance of the memory or showing immediate connections to a character’s present situation.

Adapt the voice of the flashback to match the character’s age, knowledge, and emotional state during the flashback. This helps differentiate the narrative style and adds depth to the character's past experiences.

Blend flashbacks seamlessly into the main narrative by incorporating them into the character's thoughts, dialogue, or actions, rather than separating a flashback out into its own scene.

Use clear markers, such as chapter breaks, section headers, or formatting changes, to signal the beginning and end of a flashback to keep it contained within a scene.

[juniperhillpatient]

Genuinely sooo much of Regina’s long-standing status as a fandom icon & so many peoples favorite character really does go to Lana Parilla & that’s not to diminish the script just to praise some truly phenomenal acting.

You can see SO much in Lana’s facial expressions & emotions & just the look in her eyes & that is CRUCIAL in maintaining Regina’s nuance & sympathy especially in season 1 before we fully understand just how absolutely devastating her backstory is.

Here is a woman who is undeniably the antagonist. She has just admitted to sentencing multiple children to death, her own son hates & fears her, & she’s borderline gleeful about sending 2 children to foster care to be separated & that’s just in this episode.

Regina isn’t just evil for the aesthetic she does genuinely reprehensible things to characters we care about time & time again. Yet when Michael says that line about family & she responds softly - tearfully - with a soft “no” the audience STILL feels for her. It goes back to the emotion Lana poured into the scene when Regina carves out her own father’s heart for her own powerful gain. This is a character who continuously makes the wrong choices & hurts others including those she cares about but also hurts herself in the process to the point you can’t help but feel bad for her while also feeling horrible for the many many people she victimizes.

And then this is sort of going off script from my original point of praising Lana Parillas acting & it’s also getting ahead of myself because I’m only on season 1 of my rewatch & Regina is still 100% absolutely no question the villain where I’m at in the rewatch but I also want to praise Regina’s slowburn redemption arc.

There were a lot of early hints like this about Regina’s tragic backstory but at the same time the show never once uses anything she’s gone through as a chance for the narrative to “forgive” her. It takes a LONG time & a lot of work on her part before the people she’s hurt start to forgive her & not all of them do. Those that do, it takes time for the relationships to build trust & even longer to build friendship.

Regina has to start making choices to be better & it’s always very clear it’s for both herself AND others once she begins to work on herself. For all my qualms with this show it got redemption arcs so incredibly right & assuming I don’t get distracted I’m so excited to experience her arc all over again in this rewatch.

Also, to the original point of what turned into a rant about Regina Mills - Lana Parilla is a God of acting HOW does she genuinely seem to BECOME her character feeling what Regina is feeling & allowing us to get so much insight into this character who - as of season 1 - is shrouded in mystery to the audience 😭

[jizter]

Persona 5 Royal: A Masterclass in Storytelling And Soundtracks

Diaz, Juliane Cyruz

BSIT - 1A

OVERVIEW:

Ref: TechRaptor - Persona 5 Royal logo

Persona 5 Royal isn't just a game, but its also an experience with a storytelling that captivates the audience and unexpected character developments, and an engaging storyline along with polished gameplay of turn-based strategy. I really appreciate the art style of the game and the animations, along with its really good soundtrack composed by Shoji Meguro himself. The game also packs a rich gaming experience that combines the turn-based combat, intriguing narrative, and the immersive social simulation. In the game time is also crucial, because players have to carefully allocate their days. Basically almost everything in the game requires strategic decision making that enhances the gameplay, because different choices lead to different outcomes, especially the ending variations, time being part of the strategy mechanic adds another layer of intensity to the game, making every moment of the game meaningful.

STORYLINE AND THE PROTAGONIST

The game follows the story of Ren Amamiya (Joker), a high school student who was forced transfer to another school after being falsely accused of illegal acts. Upon his arrival, he discovered something weird, he stumbled upon a hidden realm called the "Metaverse", where the protagonist and his companions face the distorted desires of the corrupted individuals. After discovering the dark truth inside the realm Ren formed a group called "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, their goal is to make a change on the hearts of those who opposed to exploit others.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT IT'S FINEST

Well for me one of the best aspects of this game is the character development. Each character from the group has their own personal struggles and backstories, exploring the depth of their characters through confidant interactions, and these quests are no ordinary side quests but it provides insights on the characters and their growths.

UNFORGETTABLE SOUNDTRACKS

Of course the iconic soundtracks of the game can never be forgotten, almost every player find the tracks really cool, some content creators even use the tracks for their background music, composed by the infamous Shoji Meguro, mixing rock, pop, jazz, and funk genre's, making players hyped during combat encounters, and enhancing the emotional beats and energetic moments within the game. I also saved soundtracks from this game and play it when I'm studying, that's how good the soundtracks from this game is.

Here are some of the iconic soundtracks from the game:

For someone who's addicted with the Persona game series, with the game's enriched narrative, character development, beautiful animations, iconic soundtracks, and smooth and polished gameplay mechanics, this game stands as a benchmark within the RPG genre. I can definitely say that this is hands down a masterclass of a game.

[ultraericthered]

One Villainous Scene: Cage Of Expectations

A brief one, but it gives so much insight and explains so much about the inner world of a character who, up to this point, was kept shrouded in mystery even though we all knew he was the villain, and also perfectly sets him up to make the decisions he ends up making.

While the later retcon tells us that Ken became a prodigious, genius boy due to a "Dark Spore" inplanted in him by accident that only "went off" when he visited the Dark Ocean, the whys and hows aren't really crucial to understanding Ken's story at this point: he's a star student, star athlete, and even something of a young celebrity within the world of science and computers. Because he is so well known and renowned, he's given plenty of filmed interviews like we see him doing here. After the interview is done, the headmaster of Ken's school comes over to him to offer congragulatory words...and then in a very shady move, whispers to Ken the offer to tutor his daughter in her studies over at his place so that she can excell in her grades at his school, saying he'd reward Ken handsomely for it. Ken plays the "I'm just a kid, I ain't THAT good" card, which makes the principal start to back off...but then he turns back around and asks the disgruntled Ken for an autograph. Turns out that beyond mere corruption and nepotism practices, the headmaster was pestering Ken about these things because his daughter's a fangirl of Ken. This does not please Ken. Who do some plain, unexceptional, low IQ girl and her plain, unexceptional, low IQ father think they are asking him for favors like this? Such matters are far below his time and efforts.

(In the English dub, this interaction is changed to some nonsense about the headmaster wanting Ken over to help him win at a video game called "Donkey Madness" prior to getting the autograph. The effect on Ken is the same, but I think it takes a lot out of the scene.)

Ken is then seen at dinner with his parents, who are acting all congragulatory and gushing over their son's interview and how smart he is and how maturely he presents himself. Yeah, they're really shitty parents. Much as they do love their son and loved his late brother, their love for the idea of being the parents of a special genius child enraptures them so much that they lose sight of what's really best for their child and his needs as a human being, and they coast off the achievements and reputation of their child without really giving back to him in any substantial way. Ken isn't really pleased with the way they interact with him either, so he gets up and leaves the table.

Then comes the big moment. An image that says so much even when so little is said (again, in the original. The dub butchered it by having Ken internally ramble the whole way, which not even Derek Stephen Prince can really save.) Ken's on the roof of his apartment building, standing in front of a barred fence. He can see the entire city from here, a city filled with mediocre people who he considers to be completely beneath him, but who will always look to exploit his gifts and use whatever he accomplishes for their own benefit, and will feel alright about themselves for doing nothing, being nothing. Ken would love nothing more than to abuse, bully, enslave, torture, or even kill the whole lot of them...but he's far too intelligent to not know better. He knows that the rules of civil society prohibit him from acting freely upon those cruel urges, making him have to conform and comply with the regulations set by lesser people. He, a Chosen One, a "perfect human", has to just sit there and take it like a good little boy, to not werewolf and go wild on these people. He's trapped. Caged like a rare breed of animal rather than the god he believes himself to be. The bars he grabs onto represents this cage, and all he can do here is snarl and shout out to city below him "INSECTS!"

But of course we know that there's a place Ken goes to where he can actually live his wildest fantasies, and act as he would naturally prefer to act towards lesser beings completely free of repercussions. The world he believes is one large MMORPG that exists for his pleasure. The Digital World, where he asserts himself as the Digimon Kaiser. And it's at this point where he starts to call that place home.

[blakbonnet]

HAPPY FOX DAY TO ALL THOSE WHO CELEBRATE! Today's a special special AOTW because our featured author this week is best beloved @asneakyfox 🦊

Fox, I genuinely think you're one of the greatest fandom philosophers of our times, and what you write is so much more than regular old meta. Because we're all playing in the sandbox here and while a lot of us lose sight of canon sometimes, you have all four feet firmly planted in the lovely source material we've been provided with. And you don't stop there, you try to actively engage with the community, especially making sure you are keeping an eye on all the differing opinions. I feel like this is why your thesis resonates so thoroughly with different people--it's not trying to prove a point, it's very 'holmes saw a dead body and ejaculated'. You are just so smart that you make the rest of us smarter, but it's never intimidating to talk to you, and I love love love that I get to read your stories and your thoughts because of this show and this fandom.

Fox, brilliant as ever, agreed to answer a few questions for me:

What's your meta writing process like? Do you think in disparate strings about scenes and then write them down as they come to you OR is it usually a conversation or a thought that eats at you until you sit down and untangle it?

generally i'll be thinking about something, usually because i saw another post (or had a conversation about the show on discord; special shoutout to the crew on @figmentof and @scarrletmoon's servers, and especially to @glamaphonic, anything i've ever said you thought was really insightful probably came out of a dm conversation with glam) and some part of a post about it will start writing itself in my head, and unfortunately once that process starts the only way to stop it is to write it down.

even more unfortunately i never know whether it's all going to flow out easily into a coherent essay right away, or if it'll be one of those things where i write two really good paragraphs that ought to go in the middle section of a post that takes a while to figure out how to structure; i just have to start and see where it goes. some meta i've written that got lots of notes was written all at once the moment the thought struck me and posted as soon as it was done, but there's also a few that have been sitting in drafts for months as i keep rewriting the same section without being sure where it goes next.

Favourite themes or characterisations you like to explore while meta writing? (things like Ed's fisherman era and what led to it, etc)

i guess if there's a big theme i keep coming back to it's ed's character arc over the course of the show, his relationship with violence and how it affects his perception of himself and how he has to grow through that to be ready to commit to his relationship with stede. one of the very first things i ever said about the show on tumblr, way back in summer 2022, was that ed's absolute deepest fear was that he is fundamentally unlovable, so it was really a delight to see s2 dive so hard into addressing the exact issues i'd been looking at so explicitly. and of course there's also a lot of fandom racism that plays into some takes that go around about ed, and i think it's really important to call that out and push back against those takes.

i feel like it would be kind of silly to not call out izzy here too. izzy plays an absolutely crucial role in highlighting those exact issues in ed's arc, and i honestly just think the way their whole relationship develops in canon is deliciously meaty and a lot of fandom takes seem determined to flatten it out into something much more boring. so it's important to me to try to highlight the ways you don't have to pretend izzy was a secret good guy all along to appreciate the role he plays in the story.

finally i guess this has only developed over the last several months but i guess one of my trademarks now is speculation about what got deleted from s2. i've always been good at the game of watching a movie and guessing at scenes that were cut or changed, and my spider-sense for that was going off like crazy as i watched s2, and i didn't want to get too speculative at first, but as information has actually come out from samba and vico and other sources, a lot of it's lined up with what i thought. and i'm really interested in how the ofmd writers' room approached storybreaking, so it's worth it to me to try to understand this.

Whose head is it easier to get into - Ed or Stede? Why?

i guess i already answered this! i love them both a lot, and i'd been writing meta for a good while before i consciously realized i'd written a LOT more about ed than about stede, and the ed posts tend to be individually longer than the stede ones too. i think some of this is because ed's arc reads super clearly to me while stede, despite being the main character, gets an arc that's a lot more subtle and internal in some ways (and also i do think suffered significantly from the cuts to the second half of s2). and some of it's because people can be Wrong On The Internet about ed in ways i feel the need to push back against more than about stede. but some of it's just, you know, vibe.

it's always interesting to me that nearly all prolific fic authors in this fandom have a clear very strong preference for which POV they prefer - i don't think all fandoms are like that - but i guess my own alignment is obvious.

Your personal favourite thing you've written that you'd like more people to read

the obvious answer here is the one actual fic i have written for this fandom, "Nothing Could Touch It" which came out of thinking about how there's some post-s2 fic about ed reckoning with this relationship with izzy that i really like but none of it quite got at how i feel like canon's framing it. (don't worry it's not all about izzy! stede's there and there's a bunch of cuddling!)

as far as meta goes though i would call out this as the one i'm probably proudest of, this is the one where i most completely tried to lay out how i saw the show framing ed's relationship with violence during the s1 hiatus, and i think after s2 it holds up pretty well. but also since i was just talking about how i don't say enough about stede, this is the post where i tried to lay out the stuff i really admire in stede as a character.

What is the one word that you think you use a lot?

i've got a bunch of verbal tics i overuse but the one i'm self-conscious about in meta lately is "reading against the text," which sounds so pretentious and lit-crit i really wish there were another good phrase for it. but i think it's really useful as a way to clarify that sometimes i'm saying a particular take is clearly not how the narrative of ofmd is framing something but that doesn't mean you need to stop interpreting it that way. reading against the text is really fun and i recommend it sometimes! but you'll have more fun if you're aware that's what you're doing!

If you were writing his arc, keeping in mind that he stays largely antagonistic in line with the show, how would you have resolved the Izzy problem: would you have made the same decisions the writers made and written a redemption by death OR do you think that the spirit of the show specifically demands Izzy get a good guy (or not as bad a guy) ending where we see his muppetification

one of the predictions i was most confident of before s2 was that if izzy were redeemed, he wouldn't be able to remain in the cast as a good-guy crew muppet afterward. (for this reason i thought the likeliest possibility was a slower redemption arc that wouldn't fully complete till the end of s3.) several times i tried to game out what role a fully redeemed izzy could possibly continue to play within this story, or what personality traits that he showed in s1 he could even hang onto after a full redemption, and i couldn't come up with anything that felt plausible. not "loyalty to your captain," because his devotion to blackbeard was clearly toxic at the root and would need to be purged entirely before it could be replaced by anything healthier; not yelling at people to stop having so much fun and work harder, because that could work in a different story but would run directly counter to the core themes of ofmd - so what's left? i went looking at popular izzy redemption fic that tried to address that question, and some of it came up with answers that worked in the context of a fic focused mostly on izzy, but it was never anything that could possibly work in a tv show that already had established themes and would continue to focus primarily on other characters. and izzy wouldn't be able to just fade into the background with the other muppets after all the focus on him a believable redemption arc would require. so i knew once he was redeemed he'd be done as a character one way or another.

and s2 i think bore that out, honestly in a much more obvious way than i expected - over the course of izzy's s2 arc he's basically divested of all his s1 personality traits until all that's really left by the end is saying twat all the time, and Guy Who Says Twat is not a role the story's going to particularly need going forward. to keep him around after that you'd need to give him enough new traits that he'd be for all practical purposes a new character anyway.

i do sometimes wonder about a world where izzy's s2 arc saw him be offered a clear chance at redemption and choose to reject it and get worse instead. i kind of missed antagonist izzy by the end, and i wonder if a lot of people who'd originally wanted a redemption for him wouldn't have been happier with that even if they didn't realize it - a descent into full villainy would have kept izzy and his relationships with both ed and stede more central to the plot right up till the end, and in particular the sexual aspect of his feelings for ed could have stayed very directly relevant, where the redemption arc necessitated resolving that very firmly to clear it out of the way as early as possible in s2. i never agreed that ofmd's themes necessarily meant redemption for izzy was inevitable - ted lasso was much more overtly a show about redemption than ofmd right from the start, and even ted lasso let at least one of its antagonists make it all the way to the end as an unrepentant scumbag. if there's anything that meant izzy really had to be redeemed imo it wasn't the overall spirit of the show so much as izzy's role in ed's arc - before anything else izzy's narrative role was always to be a walking symbol of the part of ed that fears vulnerability and holds him back from committing himself to love, and for ed and stede to be happily together by the end of s2, ed had to get to a place where he could see that part of himself as something he no longer needs in his life but also doesn't hate anymore. nothing could have symbolized that like having ed embrace izzy as he dies granting ed permission to just be himself.

Why OFMD 🥹

you know, i could say a lot here about how i think ofmd is genuinely incredibly well-written in some ways that are really unusual on american tv. season 1 in particular is just incredibly tight and elegantly plotted, and s2 is messier but that just makes it all the more interesting to look at the constraints they were under that led to that. my day job's in narrative and i really do professionally admire ofmd a lot, which is one of the reasons i tend to think about creator intent more than some people do when i'm writing meta - death of the author is a super valid perspective but personally i'm really interested in trying to figure out why the writers made the choices they made and what i can learn from that for when i'm in their position.

so all of that's true. but also we all know it's kind of beside the point here, this is a hyperfixation, it's not rational. i can tell you i watched the first nine episodes of our flag means death and liked it a lot but in what i would describe as a basically normal kind of way, and then i watched the tenth and at some point during that episode a rat inside my brain hit the dopamine spigot with a wrench and now it won't turn off so here we are.

aaaand if you've made it to this point, please join us in evil ganging up on fox with love by sending a lovely letter to them over on @ofmdlovelyletters who was also kind enough to make this header <3

[yuseirra]

**alien stage final round spoilers**

I really enjoy looking at the feelings and relationship dynamics between characters when I see a work. I feel I got a better grasp of/understood that aspect after seeing that most recent alien stage video, so I'd enjoy talking about it. Before I begin, I respect all the canon interactions and appreciate what they give us. The major "ships" for this, I am aware of, they are all very valid and I find all of them intriguing and interesting to see!

This particular stage, I feel, shows a really good insight of how Ivan and Till's love's are conveyed in contrast to each other.

Ivan appears to be very mannerly and he's very kind towards the fans, giving a lot of fanservice, he's the "good boy" of the group (excluding Luka who's simply "made for the stage") while Till tends to be the rebel. He swears towards the aliens, tries to run away, and does the unexpected on stage, he's a loose cannon as they say, but when it comes to "love", their attitudes tend to be the complete opposite.

It appears that Ivan's feelings towards Till is very complex for it to be defined simply as "love"(although I believe it is) although he's reserved on the outside, I feel he's the one has the hardest time dealing with his own emotions, since it does exist, but even he himself can't actually make out what they are. Idk how it's been translated but I saw him defining what he had towards Till as "shallow(얄팍한)" and apologizing to him as being his victim of it, I think it's the contrary. It's way too muddled and complicated, the artbook also mentions that he'd be the only one who can know what that feeling he has towards Till is. And I'm not even sure if he himself does in a complete sense. What I can see is that he does care. However, it seems like Ivan doesn't know how to care for Till in a way that'd come across to Till in a way that he'd like. In turn, he keeps acting in a way that'd provoke him to make the guy look back at him. He ruins the flowers Till treasures that he's received from Mizi, punches him, follows him around, nudges him, and acts pretty imposing and unpredictable when it comes to Till, he does things that Till doesn't want. It's out of his interest and fondness but it just can't come across to Till as a good thing. He doesn't hate him (he's still pretty fond of Ivan when I read the artbook) but finds him annoying. The artbook defines Ivan's feeling as one-sided, and sadly, it is very much that way. Ivan is the one that looks most mature out of the 4 kids that grew up together (Sua, Mizi, Till and Ivan himself) but they phrase Ivan as someone who's grown in terms of body but has never matured from being a child (P 208, 211 in the artbook) The problem here is that he never learned how to express his feeling properly. It always... ends up in a way that hurts Till. Till fails to comprehend or make out just what's happened as he sees Ivan dead in the final moments of stage 6. While Ivan manages to achieve his desired results of having Till finally look back at him, that's also all he gets. It was predictable, though. I feel like they'd have had a much friendlier relationship if they grew up in a normal, humane environment. In the end, Ivan does realize he's being selfish. I personally believe it's both selfish and selfless, a bit similar to how Sua was towards Mizi. They do things for the other but also, they do realize it's what the other party wouldn't enjoy/fully comprehend while they do it. But they can't help it since they want the other to survive.

Till's feelings for Mizi has been always there, I kind of feel it could get overshadowed a lot from how immensely big and impactful Ivan's actions have been portrayed throughout the series, but I really appreciate how they acknowledged Till's feelings for her's also something that's very genuine and what's gave him light. I read that the idea that Till had a crush on Mizi was there from the very early stages of development from the artbook. That's a crucial part of his character. And unlike how the usual "reserved and gentle" Ivan can get pretty aggressive to get a reaction out of Till (nothing against Ivan, just analyzing) Till's love is also pretty much unrequited, but he acts very selfless and gentle towards Mizi, he never does anything that'd.. affect her in a strong sense except for trying to express his feelings through music. While Ivan pokes, punches, grabs, kisses his love to get his attention, Till tends to blush and run away. This guy is very aware of what his feelings towards Mizi is, yet I think he understood his position and how much Mizi loves Sua so he keeps at a distance. His commentary about Mizi is that he believes "she's the most beautiful being in the entire universe and he felt reborn when she smiled at him." Oh wait?? he's an INFP??? REALLY??? Looking at the artbook and..;;hshshg to imagine an INFP acting like him.. oh, he must have suffered A LOT;; I guess he was always on edge in those harsh conditions then. His feelings towards Mizi didn't really come across so much either, as it is said she thought Till was evading her, she wanted to be more friendly with him being the jolly and sweet person she is though.

The outcome for these two are very similar but different. When I watched Till's fate..(yeah, I was shocked he almost NEVER stood a chance against Luka despite how good he is too;;) I think I felt sad, but I was.. also happy for him that he realized Mizi does genuinely care for him. What Ivan got wasn't mutual, Till didn't understand.. and he was engraved, but as a source of trauma (I find this inevitable though seeing how that stage played out). Mizi smiled at Till and he was so happy to see her again he immediately lit up and tried to reach out to her while the stage was still going on, their eyes meet, the way Ivan and Till did on the previous stage, but it was welcoming and out of glee. Of course the one Mizi loves is Sua, but it was sweet to see Mizi really caring for Till as a friend. He's also what she's wanted to save, and Till was suffering after he thought Mizi was gone, but he got that sense of relief in his last moments. There was a comment I found that I found was quite insightful about this situation. He doesn't ask much in return, he always was that person that'd accept and appreciate what she gave him. Was that really enough for Till? I'm not sure but, he was still happy from everything Mizi had given him. I do see Ivan having a harder time being the same way because Till would have been so focused on Mizi to look back at him if he was as passive and accepting as Till was to her, and besides, I think the type of "love" they have may not exactly be the same although it can be categorized as "love". "Love" comes in many different forms and it grew in ways that were affected by their environment and personalities. I appreciate how that was depicted. I feel Till's love towards Mizi is just as powerful as Ivan's love towards Till was, it displays the different types of one-sided love.

I can talk about Sua and Mizi's dynamic too, with that I'd be talking about all the four major ships (I talked about Hyuna and Luka in another post earlier!) but maybe I'll do that another time.

However, I'd still like to mention what I found interesting in the artbook! They say that Sua wanted to protect Mizi's naivety and shield her from reality, because she found salvation in it. It was a place of escape for her, they say (p44) she gave Mizi hope that there would be a good ending, and that's how Mizi completely broke down the moment Sua was gone. Mizi really didn't see it coming while Sua actually did as she sang. Sua wanted to remain in that moment forever with Mizi, they say (p39) she depended on Mizi as much as Mizi did for her. The artbook gives out a really good insight in terms of about how the characters feel about things and it's very colorful and thick and great to see in general, so I recommend you to buy it if you are interested in the series. I'm not a hardcore fan of this piece (yet) but it was still worth every penny to me so, I bet it'd be a gem for those who really care for it~