Explanation Time: I Agree With The Majority Of What You Said But I'm Just Going To Be Here In Order To

Explanation time: I agree with the majority of what you said but I'm just going to be here in order to defend my legacy and try to explain what I was trying to say in my original post.

Sometimes I have to cut down on things in order to boost the clarity and that's unforunate.

Basically, when I wrote that "Insecurity Isn't A Good Trait", I wasn't saying that being insecure is a moral failing nor was I saying that having insecure characters is bad.

What I was trying to say was the fact that insecurity tends to be romanticized in media as a good desirable trait for teenagers and adults like to be since insecurity is often conflated with humbleness and other good qualities.

What I meant by "Insecurity Is Not Good" was just "Insecurity Is Not A Desirable Trait Despite How People Tend To Write It".

Because Insecurity is a flaw. When people are insecure about themselves that's a bad thing, a human thing, but a bad harmful thing nonetheless. It causes them suffering. There is no benefit to being insecure. BECAUSE INSECURITY IS NOT BEING HUMBLE!

Obviously, write whatever types of characters you want. I consider that my writing philosophy and the philosophy of this entire Tumblr account. I just want to help people complicate archetypes, snaz all the tropes up, and have fun while doing it!

P.S: I'm sorry if this came across as aggressive or argumentative! I was just trying to use your reblog as a way of giving someone some advice while also trying to engage with you since you engaged with me!

I really appreciate people who have an emotional response to my advice and my takes! Don't worry! I'll obviously follow you after this!

Writing Advice: Insecurity

Remember: Insecurity Is Not A Good Trait!

What makes people hate so many insecure characters is because their insecurities are never given proper weight in the story!

At best, it's "humble bragging". At worst, it's annoying and an obvious ploy to get superficial relatability!

Insecurity isn't being humble nor is insecurity the mark of a good person!

Insecurity Makes People Hurt Others To Rise In Life!

Insecurity Can Cause You To Abandon Accountability!

Insecurity Can Lead Towards Being Self-Absorbed!

Insecurity Can Lead To A Mental Health Crisis!

Being insecure shouldn't be treated as the equivalent of being humble nor should it be treated as necessary to being a good person!

In fact, insecurity, as a negative character trait, often leads people in real life to act out in spoiled, selfish, immature, and horrible ways

CONFIDENCE DOES NOT EQUAL EVIL

INSECURITY DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD/SYMPATHETIC

Writing Advice: Too Many Characters

A common advice when writing stories is "don't write too many characters". But, like with everything creative and good, there is no definitive answer to how many characters should be in a book!

So I will be discussing numerous variables in storytelling which impacts how many characters you should have and what makes something in a book "pointless".

Themes! Themes! Themes! (Omori Spoilers, Not Too Much)

The most important question that a writer has to ask themself is "what is this scene/book/media trying to do?". If your story is based on the relationships we have with others and the impact they can have on our psyche then having a close-knitted community of people will drive the message of intimate connection better then just having more people in there. If your story is focused primarily on introspection, looking inward, individuality, and other spiritual activities then the protagonist is more likely to spend longer durations of the media by themselves.

An example of these to forces is the popular game of Omori.

(SPOILERS ABOUT OMORI<3)

Omori is a game that focuses on acceptance first and foremost. Self-acceptance to be more specific. Due to the fact that the game is a piece of introspection both for Sunny and for the player, the most important moments in the game such as the "reveal" sequence of pictures and Black Space are ones that are done on your own.

However, the game also prioritizes the relationships Sunny has between his friends as this serves as motivation for the final duet. The final duet was an act of bonding as Mari and Sunny just wanted to spend time together, doing something they liked.

The introspection moments are pushed towards the end of the game because it's only when Sunny has that support and belief in his friends, can he rise above his doubt and shame and fear.

2. What Is The Purpose Of This Character?

All characters need to have a purpose in the narrative. Both within the context of the world and in the context of the book.

Within the context of the world, they need a goal that is going to impact the protagonist either positively or negatively.

Within the context of the book, what is this character giving to the audience that wouldn't otherwise be there?

Pro tip: All the characters you have need to have more then one purpose! Characters that give exposition can't JUST give exposition.

If you have a love interest that can be cut out without taking away a vital part of the story either from a thematic(theme) standpoint or a narrative(plot) standpoint, just replace them with an object and move it along!

If you have an ally character that only shows up twice and can be changed into "I went down to the store to buy these items", give that "ally" tag to someone more story relevant"!

3. Priorites?

Ask yourself this: "Do I have the book length to dedicate time to this person?"

If the answer is no, follow my next steps. If the answer is yes, here is how to make them better.

When I say "prioritize", I mean you need to figure out what type of character this character is. Are they a main character? A side character? Cannon fodder? A symbol? WHAT ARE THEY?

Also, can you give these character responsibilities to someone else? This simultaneously gives those characters deeper complexity and eliminates more characters

Example: Love Interest, after being trapped by the villain, uses their intelligence in order to provide information about the villain to the hero. (Love Interest + Ally + Informant)

Example: Friend is revealed to be a double agent on the side of the Villain. However, it's revealed that Friend was secretly a triple agent who is finally redeemed from their original believed betrayal. They're back to being an ally. (Friend + Betrayer + Ally + Enemy)

Sad Version Of "'Found Family" Trope

I have used the "found family" trope numerous times as all of my characters inevitably make friends. However, I also enjoy the sad/realistic versions of the "Found Family" trope which I will talk about.

Found Family Seperated

Myroslava Kyrylenko was just an ordinary control-freak of a business woman who became trapped in a isekai-styled world based off her favorite fantasy story.

True to cliche, Myroslava decideds to raise the protagonist and antagonist in order to prevent the bad ending of the novel from taking place.

Despite her inexperience and self-aware inability to hand children, she finally starts finding her confidence in parenting as she becomes more and more aware of how Yijun(antagonist) and Cai(protagonist) aren't just words on a page but actual children who definitely don't deserve their cruel fates.

Eventually, this fun slice of life adventure through the fantasy world is revealed to be anything but as her repeated travellings between our world and the fantasy world are revealed to be causing a rift through space which will become so large that an interdimensional God may travel through the rift and onto Earth.

The story ends with Myroslava and her children being seperated as the rift between worlds is permanently closed with their only memories and proof of each other's existences being the drawings Cai and Yijun gifted her and her list of advice for the still-aging children.

2. Found Family Estranged

When Yuuma Mochizuki was discovered by a child vigilante who was desperately looking for a parental figure, they knew they weren't up to the task.

They tried to ignore the child as much as possible although they eventually relented in giving the child advice on how to survive as a vigilante.

However, this developing parent-child bond was broken once the child's aunt was found and contacted by social services.

Yuuma Mochizuki gave the child a tearful goodbye as they were both aware of the fact that they would probably never see each other again.

3. Found Family Imperfect

Unlike in other stories where the characters have little bickerings and always patched up arguments the superheroes/virtuous community including Verne Lawless are anything but perfect

No one has been truly honest about themselves or their pasts. They hide their emotions. They hide their problems. They lie to each other most days. But they love each other. They let each other have alone time whenever one of their fellows have died. They scream how much they hate each other, suffer that pain for the next few weeks, and let their relationships never be the same again.

They are dysfunctional and barely scraping past the veneer between insanity and sanity. But they love each other. They care about each other so much. It's real love.

qegmfcen rwhanermcg,j.

the notes are broken 😂

🛑Urgent appeal🛑🛑

My children live under the bombing in the war😭

What is their fault that they live this suffering?😢

Please consider them as your children and help them🙏😔

Stand by me to save and protect my children🙏😢😔

Donate to save my children's lives🍉🙏🇵🇸

https://gofund.me/15b93af5

Check to see if it's a scam. Donate if you can. Reblog always. Share always.

Writing Prompt: Reluctant Chosen One

The only problem with this trope is the expectations we as the audience have for the "Chosen One" trope. We, as the audience, know we are reading a story about a protagonist who is going to defeat Big Bad without any issues. It also just seems kinda surface level and less "actual concern" and more "superficial relatability".

So I am going to add more genuine story behind this plot and less "superficial annoyance for the sake of faux relatability"

Hates Being The Chosen One

So why is this character not following the plot?

My answer: Has several answers :)

The writer needs to demonstrate how dangerous being the "Chosen One" actually is! Set the stakes!

Give the protagonist a highly understandable reason for why they don't want to fight the Big Bad personally. Ex: They personally support Big Bad and now they have to hide their forced double agent status from both Big Bad's allies and Hero's allies

Protagonist knows personally that the Big Bad is personally favored by the Gods and the "Chosen One' position only exists to provide entertainment for the Gods!

The "Chosen One" Protagonist has literally everything they could ever want at the beginning of the story. Riches, fame, adoration, and an arranged marriage on the way! Why would they risk their life to get more of what they already have?

The "Chosen One" misanthropic cynic who desperately hates humanity! Why did the Gods chose them to be on Team Humanity!?

To be the "Chosen One" means that you must be cursed(with something, you decide) by the Gods in order to properly "earn your title". Everyone in the world is pressure you to agree to a deal you never even wanted

These aren't all of my ideas. I honestly could keep going forever but i'm going to stop it here.

Feel free to share your own idea for how to spruce up some boring and overdone story/character cliches!