#the poet is in progress

[vimcnight]

"There will come a ruler whose brow is laid in thorn, smeared with oil like David’s boy, oh lei, oh lai, oh Lord"

[writers-potion]

how do you write a liar?

How to Write Liars Believably

Language

The motive of every goal is the make the lie seem plausible while taking blame off the speaker, so liars will often project what they say to a third party: "Katie said that..."

Referring to third parties as "they" rather than he or she

In the case of a deliberate lie prepped beforehand, there will be an overuse of specific names (rather than pronouns) as the speaker tries to get the details right.

Overuse of non-committal words like "something may have happened"

Masking or obscuring facts like "to the best of my knowledge" and “it is extremely unlikely," etc.

Avoiding answers to specific, pressing questions

Voice

There's isn't a set tone/speed/style of speaking, but your character's speech patten will differ from his normal one.

People tend to speak faster when they're nervous and are not used to lying.

Body Language

Covering their mouth

Constantly touching their nose

fidgeting, squirming or breaking eye contact

turning away, blinking faster, or clutching a comfort object like a cushion as they speak

nostril flaring, rapid shallow breathing or slow deep breaths, lip biting, contracting, sitting on your hands, or drumming your fingers. 

Highly-trained liars have mastered the art of compensation by freezing their bodies and looking at you straight in the eye.

Trained liars can also be experts in the art of looking relaxed. They sit back, put their feet up on the table and hands behind their head.

For deliberate lies, the character may even carefully control his body language, as though his is actually putting on a show

The Four Types of Liars

Deceitful: those who lie to others about facts

2. Delusional: those who lie to themselves about facts

3. Duplicitious: those who lie to others about their values

Lying about values can be even more corrosive to relationships than lying about facts. 

4. Demoralized: those who lie to themselves about their values

Additional Notes

Genuine smiles or laughs are hard to fake

Exaggerations of words (that would normally not be emphasized) or exaggerated body language

Many savvy detectives ask suspects to tell the story in reverse or non-linear fashion to expose a lie. They often ask unexpected, or seemingly irrelevant questions to throw suspects off track. 

[inkwell-chronicles]

Three (ish) Words for story/WIP Inspiration:

Friends, lovers, death 

Travel, night-drives, rain

Illness, death, grief 

Forest, music, teen-in-love

End-of-world-feeling, drowning, chaos

Lovers, free-time, romance 

Boy, power-hungry, animosity 

Boy, grieving, pain

Turn-back-time, danger, travel 

Artist, financial-trouble, survival 

Friend-betrayal, danger, resolution 

Dark-academia, life-changes, romance 

Thunderstorm, enemies-to-lovers, dancing 

Books, small-shop-owner, romance 

Financial-trouble, girl-in-need, friend-finder

Sand-dunes, teleportation, action-packed 

High-school-drama, mental-health, romance 

Internal-struggle, finds-peace, hard work

Magical-object, strange-place, new-abilities 

Unlock-knowledge, new-world, dangerous 

Fire, girl-in-red, kill-or-be-killed

Past-trauma, mental-death, moving-forward 

Graveyard, sea-of-flowers, overwhelming-grief 

Lost-girl, wandering, meaning-of-life

Coffee-shop, forbidden-romance, love-at-first-sight

(I know I used dashes weirdly but shh... it makes sense lol)

[aenhanse]

DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989) dir. Peter Weir, writ. Tom Schulman

[neverbreakheart]

Franz Kafka

[philosophybits]

Poets, prophets, and reformers are all picture-makers — and this ability is the secret of their power and of their achievements. They see what ought to be by the reflection of what is, and endeavor to remove the contradiction.

Frederick Douglass, "Pictures and Progress (1864-65)"

[theplotmage]

Hi, I was wondering if you could so some sort of rule set for time travel? I'm finding it hard to describe, and what rules there are on the subject.

Thanks!

Hello, I'm also writing a time traveling sci-fi fiction with a fantasy blend to it and here are some things that I find that could help us out!

Rule Set for Creating Believable Time-Traveling Fiction

1. Time Travel Mechanics

Mechanism Description

- Clearly explain how time travel works in your story. Is it a machine, a natural phenomenon, a magical object, or an innate ability?

Scientific Basis

- Incorporate real scientific theories, such as Einstein’s theory of relativity, wormholes, or quantum mechanics, to ground your story in plausible science.

Limitations and Costs

- Define the limitations of time travel, such as distance in time, frequency, energy requirements, or physical toll on the traveler.

2. World-Building

Historical Accuracy

- Research and accurately depict the time periods your characters travel to. Include cultural norms, language, technology, and major events of those eras.

Parallel Worlds and Timelines

- Decide if time travel in your story creates alternate timelines or if it follows a single, mutable timeline. Consistency is key.

Temporal Organization

- Consider the existence of a governing body or organization that regulates time travel. Define its structure, rules, and purpose.

3. Language and Communication

Temporal Dialects

- Characters from different time periods should speak differently. Use historical dialects, slang, and accents appropriate to each era.

Temporal Jargon

- Create specific terms and jargon for time travelers and the technology they use, such as “temporal jump,” “chrononaut,” or “time anchor.”

Code of Conduct

- Develop a code of conduct or set of guidelines that time travelers must follow, including how they communicate with each other and with people from different eras.

4. Character Development

Motivations and Goals

- Clearly define why characters want to time travel. Is it for adventure, to change a personal event, or for scientific exploration?

Personal Growth

- Show how time travel affects characters emotionally and psychologically. Do they struggle with the ethics of their actions or the loneliness of being out of their time?

Conflict and Tension

- Use the potential for paradoxes, rival time travelers, and moral dilemmas to create conflict and tension.

5. Ethical and Moral Implications

Paradox Prevention

- Address how your story handles paradoxes, such as the grandfather paradox. Use concepts like self-healing timelines or fixed points in time to explain inconsistencies.

Ethical Dilemmas

- Explore the moral implications of time travel. Should characters intervene in historical events? What are the consequences of changing the past Responsibility

- Emphasize the responsibility that comes with the power to alter time. Characters should consider the broader implications of their actions.

6. Plot Structure

Non-Linear Narrative

- Use non-linear storytelling techniques to enhance complexity and intrigue. Flashbacks, flash-forwards, and parallel timelines can create a rich narrative.

Foreshadowing and Payoff

- Plant clues and foreshadowing that pay off later in the story. Ensure that all plot threads are resolved by the end.

Multiple Perspectives

- Consider telling the story from multiple viewpoints to show the impact of time travel from different angles.

7. Integrating Science Fiction and Fantasy Elements

Scientific Plausibility

- Ground your time travel mechanics in plausible science, even if you incorporate fantastical elements. Use pseudo-scientific explanations to bridge the gap.

Imaginative Enhancements

- Blend scientific theories with imaginative elements, such as ancient artifacts, alien technology, or supernatural forces.

Explanatory Dialogue

- Use character dialogue to explain complex concepts in an accessible way without overwhelming the reader with technical details.

8. World-Building Consistency

Timeline Integrity

- Map out key events in your story’s timeline to avoid inconsistencies and plot holes.

Cultural and Societal Impact

- Consider how time travel affects society. Is it a well-known and regulated practice, or a secret known only to a few?

Technological and Historical Changes

- Explore how changes in the past affect technology and history in the present and future. Ensure these changes are logically consistent.

9. Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Avoid Overcomplication

- Keep the rules of time travel simple enough for readers to follow without getting bogged down in excessive technical detail.

Plot Holes

- Be vigilant about potential plot holes and inconsistencies that can arise from complex time travel mechanics.

Exposition Balance

- Balance the need to explain time travel mechanics with maintaining the story’s pace and engagement. Avoid info-dumping.

Rules for Time Traveling

1. One-Way Trips Only

Restriction

- Time travelers can only move forward or backward in time once without the possibility of a return journey.

Explanation

- This rule ensures that the timeline remains linear and prevents paradoxes caused by multiple interactions with the same time period.

Effect

- Limits interference with historical events and reduces the chance of creating alternate realities.

2. The Observer Effect

Restriction

- Time travelers cannot interact with their past selves or directly influence their previous actions.

Explanation

- Direct interaction with one’s past self could create paradoxes, such as the “grandfather paradox,” where altering past events prevents the traveler’s existence.

Effect

- Maintains the integrity of the timeline and ensures personal history remains consistent.

3. Fixed Points in Time

Restriction

- Certain historical events, known as fixed points, cannot be changed or altered in any way.

Explanation

- These events are crucial for the stability of the timeline and the universe’s structure.

Effect

- Prevents catastrophic changes to reality, ensuring key moments in history remain intact.

4. Memory Corruption

Restriction

- Excessive time travel can lead to memory corruption, where the traveler starts forgetting crucial details of their original timeline.

Explanation

- The brain struggles to handle multiple versions of events, leading to cognitive dissonance and memory loss.

Effect

- Ensures travelers use time travel sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

5. Temporal Anchor

Restriction

- Time travelers must establish a temporal anchor, a fixed point in time to which they can return or stabilize themselves.

Explanation

- This anchor serves as a safeguard against getting lost in time or drifting uncontrollably through different periods.

Effect

- Provides a safety net for travelers, ensuring they have a way back to their original timeline or a stable reference point.

6. Butterfly Effect

Restriction

- Minor changes in the past can have significant, unforeseen consequences in the future.

Explanation

- The butterfly effect illustrates how small actions can ripple through time, drastically altering future events.

Effect

- Encourages travelers to be cautious and minimize their impact on past events to avoid unintended consequences.

7. Temporal Energy Consumption

Restriction

- Time travel requires a significant amount of energy, often depleting the traveler’s resources or affecting the environment.

Explanation

- The energy needed to manipulate time is immense, and its usage can lead to resource shortages or environmental damage.

Effect

- Ensures time travel is not undertaken lightly and that travelers consider the environmental and resource costs.

8. Chrono-Sickness

Restriction

- Prolonged exposure to different time periods can cause physical and mental ailments, known as chrono-sickness.

Explanation

- The human body and mind are not designed to handle the stress of moving through time, leading to disorientation, nausea, and psychological effects.

Effect

- Limits the duration and frequency of time travel, encouraging travelers to minimize their trips.

9. Temporal Interference

Restriction

- Time travelers must avoid interfering with major historical figures or events.

Explanation

- Interfering with significant events or individuals can drastically alter the course of history, leading to unpredictable outcomes.

Effect

- Preserves the natural flow of history and ensures major events occur as intended.

10. Temporal Paradoxes

Restriction

- Travelers must avoid creating paradoxes, situations where actions in the past contradict the present or future.

Explanation

- Paradoxes can destabilize the timeline, potentially leading to its collapse or the creation of alternate realities.

Effect

- Ensures travelers act responsibly and with caution, preventing actions that could lead to paradoxical situations.

***

Hello, I’m Kali The Plot Mage!

I am a STEM college student who's a writer at heart, I’ve found a unique way to support my creative journey and myself at the same time-- I create and sell writer templates on Etsy, designed to help fellow writers like you bring your stories to life.

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[jgmartin]

me writing villains: 100 pages of backstory, badass name, dope aesthetic, mysterious motives, every quote is a fckn mic drop

me writing heroes: nice guy, tries hard

[deadghostgirl12345]

Did you add a page+ to you writing? Gold star for you! ⭐️

Did you only add a paragraph or two? Well gold star for you too! ⭐️

Oh you only added a sentence or two? Well you also get a gold star! ⭐️

And you only added a word or two? Don’t great you also get a gold star! ⭐️

You just stared at your screen with your writing trying to think of something but didn’t end up writing anything? Well that’s okay, gold star for you too! ⭐️

Gold star for everyone!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Any progress is good progress! Wether you added a full chapter or one word that’s still progress! Even if you were just looking at what you’ve written and didn’t actually end up writing anything, you still made an effort!

Don’t be too hard on yourself!!

[bonnibellexox]

Writing: Things I Learnt the Hard Way #5

If you can’t seem to figure out your plot, you might be making it too easy for your characters. Make more people hate them, take away their resources and limit their initial knowledge. This will also help your exposition come naturally over the course of the story instead pouring everything out on page one.

Your characters have to want something.

[includedisco]

Self love as a writer is...

Being able to re-read your works, die of embarrassment when you find typos but remain strong enough to edit them yourself because this is your beloved story

When you have 12,000 WIPs and just embrace it because you don't need that overthinking and pressure ruining the fun in your writing process.

When you choose to learn, improve and grow as a writer because you want to take your own writing to the next level, and not because of external forces.

When you see yet another tip on writing but you're finally so comfortable in and happy with your writing and your stories that you ignore that tip.

When you receive a negative/hate comment on your writing/story and your response to the person is not, "what can I do to change your mind?", but, "I did my best. You're entitled to your own opinion." Then you proceed to continue enjoying writing like you already do.

When you fall in love with your own writing to the point that you can read your own stories and enjoy them as though you were reading another author's.

When you're finally done giving a fuck about people's opinion on the fact that you're a writer, your writing or the kind of writer you are. You've chosen your peace and happiness atp

[writers-potion]

Make Your Prose Rhythmic.

Rhythm in prose should be varied. As soon as the rhythm becomes predictable, the story grows boring and loses its hold on the reader.

Consider sentence length. Mix long, medium, and short sentences.

Avoid sections where every sentences has almost the same length.

For fast-paced action, use shorter sentences. Give more leisure in other parts with longer sentences.

In general, use long sentences with care as the reader may just get lost in the middle of a sentence as they feel tedius.

Vary the word length as well. Using one-syllable words vs. three/four-syllable words makes a huge difference when done consistently.

Other factors when adjusting sentence length:

the target audience: children vs. adults

the genre: sentences in literary fiction tend to be longer

writing voice: is the POV character highly educated? Are they impatient or observant?

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* . ───

💎If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 

💎Before you ask, check out my masterpost part 1 and part 2 

💎For early access to my content,  become a Writing Wizard 

[natt-writes]

~7 tips for stay focused while writing.~

1. Make sure to drink lots of water/tea and have a healthy meal shortly before. This will help to nourish your brain, which in turn will help you to write and stay focused.

2. Find a calm, comfortable location. Stay away from places with lots of sounds and distractions, instead try to find somewhere that you can relax and enjoy the writing process. It’s even better when the location has dim lights.

3. Exercise shorty before. just going on a walk down your street and back or going on the treadmill for five minutes can help to get rid of excess energy and make you less restless and distracted.

4. Set up a reward system. Maybe have a small piece of candy after every two sentences, watch an episode of tv every time you finish a paragraph, or do a fun activity after every chapter. This will help motivate you to finish up your work for the day.

5. Set a daily word count. Setting a daily word count can help you to feel like you’ve achieved your goals, even if they are small. Start with a couple hundred words each day and then work your way up to your desired amount. Checking how close you are to achieving your daily word count can help you to feel more more motivated and productive. (I use nanowrimo.org but you can use whatever work tracker you want!)

6. Listen to music. I like to listen to music that suits the tone of the chapter I’m writing, as it can help you to feel more immersed and focused. It’s best to listen to the music on a lower volume so that it doesn’t overwhelm you and just blends into the background.

7. Be gentle with yourself. Not every day is going to be amazingly productive. Everyone has days where they are distracted or don’t get much work done. Don’t beat yourself up about it and instead try to relax, have a nice day and get a good nights sleep. You’re doing really great, You deserve to take a self care day!

[fearandhatred]

saw forever so he smashed it up - my boy only breaks his favorite toys, taylor swift

part 1 // part 2 // part 3

[kafkasapartment]

…..What great births you have witnessed! The steam press, the steamship, the steel ship, the railroad, the perfected cotton-gin, the telegraph, the telephone, the phonograph, the photograph, photo-gravure, the electrotype, the gaslight, the electric light, the sewing machine, & the amazing, infinitely varied & innumerable products of coal tar, those latest & strangest marvels of a marvelous age. And you have seen even greater births than these; for you have seen the application of anæsthesia to surgery-practice, whereby the ancient dominion of pain, which began with the first created life, came to an end in this earth forever; you have seen the slave set free, you have seen monarchy banished from France, & reduced in England to a machine which makes an imposing show of diligence & attention to business, but isn't connected with the works. Yes, you have indeed seen much—but tarry yet a while, for the greatest is yet to come.

Letter from Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) to Walt Whitman, 24 May 1889 on the occasion of Whitman’s birthday. (The entire letter is 8 pages).

[neverbreakheart]

Hanif Abdurraqib, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance