Ok Universe, Imready To Feel Good Things. Make Me Feel Good Things.

ok universe, i’m ready to feel good things. make me feel good things.

"Anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

- Ginny Weasley

weird things that help me write even though they make no sense

1. switch from keyboard to pen– this one is recommended often

2. change your font– I find changing from ariel to a font that looks like its in a published book helps my flow. I’ve also tried typing in unorthodox fonts like impact and found it gave my thought process and interesting vibe

3. adjust your margins– I stumbled upon this the other day, looking at the same 8.5x11 word document gets tedious, and if I move in the left boarder 1 ½ inches in, I feel like I’m typing on a whole new platform

4. listen to your favorite music without the lyrics– I, personally, can not concentrate with my songs playing while I write, but I’ve discovered without the lyrics, I feel mostly the same vibe from the music and can concentrate enough to accurately put it down on paper. Did that make sense?

5. write in ALL CAPS OR with no capitalization/punctuation– this exercise bugs people and i can see how it doesnt work with everyone because you can get frustrated. the idea is you get yourself too focused on the details and forget what writing is all about. the words. the only exception to the no capitals/punctuation rule is you are allowed to use period. ALL CAPS IS FUN TOO.

6. drawing out my idea before I write it– you don’t have to be an artist to to do this. Out of all things, it helps if you are not. Take a blank page and draw what you are about to write about. It can be as technical or as abstract as you want, as long as something is going on the page. Now, attempt to write. In a strange way I found this helpful because it bends my mind to think in a different way than usual. I get a different perspective on my work, and sometimes, a visual or feeling I want to portray.

Fictional Kiss Prompts

So I borrowed a bunch of these fictional kisses from this post and made it up into a prompt list. Feel free to reblog of course!

breaking the kiss to say something, staying so close that you’re murmuring into each other’s mouths

moving around while kissing, stumbling over things, pushing each other back against the wall/onto the bed

kissing so desperately that their whole body curves into the other person’s 

throwing their arms around the other person, holding them close while they kiss

hands on the other person’s back, fingertips pressing under their top, drawing gentle circles against that small strip of bare skin that make them break the kiss with a gasp

lazy morning kisses before they’ve even opened their eyes, still mumbling half-incoherently, not wanting to wake up

routine kisses where the other person presents their cheek/forehead for the hello/goodbye kiss without even looking up from what they’re doing

being unable to open their eyes for a few moments afterward

one small kiss, pulling away for an instant, then devouring each other

staring at the other’s lips, trying not to kiss them, before giving in

when one stops the kiss to whisper “I’m sorry, are you sure you-” and they answer by kissing them more

a hoarse whisper “kiss me”

following the kiss with a series of kisses down the neck

starting with a kiss meant to be gentle, ending up in passion

a gentle “i love you” whispered after a soft kiss, followed immediately by a stronger kiss

when one person’s face is scrunched up, and the other one kisses their lips/nose/forehead

height difference kisses where one person has to bend do wn and the other is on their tippy toes

kisses where one person is sitting in the other’s lap

kisses meant to distract the other person from whatever they were intently doing

top of head kisses

A Basic Guide to Three-Act Story Structure

These sections are broken down for a 120 page (2-hour) screenplay only as an example.

ACT I

SET UP (page 1-15) We begin with our Hook - the opening scene, which grabs the audience’s attention and sets the tone of the story. We may begin with some prologue or backstory, or a framing device, but in this section we are mostly introduced to the Main Character (MC) in their normal, everyday life. We see their dreams and desires, their inherent problems or unhappiness – things which will justify their actions through the story. Somewhere in here is the Theme Statement, where a character states the central message/theme of the story.

CALL TO ACTION (page 15-30) Following this is a Catalyst-Debate-Decision sequence. An inciting incident occurs which throws the MC’s life off its planned course, presenting them with the opportunity to get what they’ve always wanted. Initially they may refuse the call, or cautiously debate it. But eventually the MC finally decides to go on their journey, stepping into the unknown for the first time (sometimes called “Crossing the Threshold”).

ACT II-I

SUBPLOTS AND ROAD OF TRIALS (page 30-45) Now that the story’s main plot has begun, we can begin our subplots. They can be romantic subplots, mini-stories with our villains or secondary characters, or additional stories told through flashbacks and flashforwards. Subplots need to add to the plot itself, either by deepening character’s relationships with one another, foreshadowing things to come, or giving the audience context for a character’s actions. Meanwhile, the MC is exploring this new world, training and overcoming small conflicts in the initial phase of their journey.

MIDPOINT (page 45-60)  Halfway through your story, we have a major plot point. It can be a victory, a defeat, a breakthrough, or an unforeseen obstacle. Maybe your MC gains allies, or the team gets separated from one another, thrown off course by a shocking revelation, or maybe they achieve a milestone they’ve been working toward so far. Romantic pairs fall in love, kiss, or have sex for the first time. These kinds of big, exciting moments keep the story from dragging in the middle and losing the audience’s interest.

ACT II-II

DOWNTURN (page 60-75) Things suddenly get worse for the MC. Major characters die, the mentor character is gone, the romance is broken up. The antagonist gains power and succeeds in doing what they’ve been threatening to do, upping the stakes and resolving the main tension of the story’s conflict. All hope is lost. They failed, and are tempted to abandon their journey and go back home. (Cue sad montage.)

UPSWING (page 75-90) The MC gets advice or encouragement from someone who cares about them. Despite how beaten down they are, all the remaining characters manage to band together to formulate a plan. Ultimately, they decide they’ve come too far to turn back now, and need to come back swinging.

ACT III

FINALE (page 90-105) This is where the main plot and all the subplots comes together in the action-packed climax of the story. It’s a battle sequence, chasing after the love of their life so they an profess their love, defeating the monster, or catching the murderer. But since the main tension of the story was resolved in the Downturn, a new source of high-stakes conflict needs to be introduced. With the Twist In The Third Act, a ticking time bomb is set up, and we are afraid that a character might die, or something important might be lost or destroyed.

RESOLUTION (page 105-120) After the highest point of action in the climax, we have the final lag of our journey. Your MC should be a changed person, the opposite of what they were at the beginning of the story. They no longer wish to return to their original life, having achieved some inner peace and defeated the fears that initially held them back. There are a lot of ways to end a story, but whether you want go resolved, unresolved, happy, tragic, plot twist, or segue into the next book, it has to be emotionally satisfying for the audience. The story concludes with the final scene (a reflection of the opening scene), reinforcing how the events at the beginning of the story tie into the end, making everything feel whole and complete.