Im Getting Back Into Fantasy Again (slowly But Surely) So If Anyone Has Some Good Book Recs Please Let

I’m getting back into fantasy again (slowly but surely) so if anyone has some good book recs please let me know! 💗

building your main character

Hello :) I recently bought save the cat writes a novel but didn't have the motivation to read it until I came up with this new fantasy idea.

As a pantser, I really want to learn how to plot, and I thought this book was a good idea to give me some structure as to what goes into plotting (like know the rules so you can break them after pftt).

I decided to take some notes along the way so I don't have to keep re-reading this thing later down the road. It might be helpful, it might not be, but I thought it'd be a nice writing resource to put out to the world. ♥️

I think it's safe to say that most of us don't want to read, nor write, a perfect character - one who's good at everything, and has no problems in their lives.

Creating a flawed character, one that later transforms and learns a "universal lesson" is probably much more interesting to both read & write about (as most authors [like me] like to dump their trauma on characters lmao).

But to do so, your character needs:

A problem that needs fixing.

A want or goal that the hero is pursuing.

A need for their lesson to be learned.

Basically, a character's flaw (though doesn't need to be a HUGE one) or issue should be affecting, at least in their thoughts and possibly others, their world, relationships, and life. This is essentially their "problem," and one they hope to fix. It may also be seen as the start of their journey.

Aside from that, it's important for a character to want something, and be trying to get it. This is essentially what they think will fix their issues, but may turn out not to be true later on. This want should be tangible or specific in some way. And the fact that someone or something is preventing them from getting is, is part of their journey!

Side note: wants can also change throughout the novel. An example used was how Frankenstein goes from wanting to create life to wanting to destroy the very life he created. Not all characters get what they want, either. Take a character who wants to see their mother, for instance, only to find out she died in the end of the novel (sorry for this sad example lmaoo). Though she never gets to see her mother, she learns a few lessons along the way, and her getting to see her mother is what the novel may focus on more.

Characters can also be mistaken on what they think will make them happy, which is another reason why they think they want something.

That leads to what the hero really needs. Delve into their backstory.

Why is your hero so flawed?

What happened to them to make them the way they are?

What do they really need?

Essentially, this internal transformation (character development) combined with the actual plot and external action will create a plot/novel.

In the end, there may be some universal lesson or overarching perception that your character gains. Here's 10:

Forgiveness (of self and others)

Love (self-love, family, romantic)

Acceptance (of themselves, of circumstances, etc.)

Faith (oneself, others, world, religion)

Fear (overcoming or finding courage)

Trust (oneself, unknown, others)

Survival (will to live)

Selflessness (sacrifice, altruism, heroism, etc.)

Responsibility (duty, accepting one's fate, standing up for a cause)

Redemption (atonement, accepting blame, remorse, salvation)

@orphicpoieses i'm so unbelievably sorry as to how long I took to get back to this.

... anyways. HI THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING THOUGH, seriously! 🤍 Ooh dark fantasy! I don't think I've ever read a novel in like that particular genre (I've always read lighthearted ones), but I do think it's an interesting type of fantasy, one that I would definitely want to read one day!

Honestly I'd check out Warriors of the Light 100%. If there's an English translation coming out soon, you'll have to let me know immediately.

That's awesome! [@mirrorthoughts also writes in German], so it's actually really interesting to see a large number of writers writing in their first language, which I think is amazing.

DANG. THIS TENSION FILLED SCENE. I was holding my breath as to what would happen, and definitely wondering what the cause was behind the fight. And I'd actually like to know what would happen next! (Honestly... if the bible somehow made it out I'd literally be in shock like WHAAAA)

me, desperate for some writer friends/mutuals

hi everyone!

this is just a post where writers get to know writers, and hopefully through reblogs/comments we can find more people who not only read/write our genre, but just people who have similarities with us.

it's kind of a simple "get to know me" post, and anyone can join <3

feel free to tag your mutuals and reblog !!

name: genres you like to write in: genres you like to read in + fav books/media: favorite line from your current wip:

name: ave

genres you like to write in: currently writing contemporary (ya/romcom/romance, give me them ALL), but I also like to dabble in fantasy!

genres you like to read in + fav books/media: i'll consume literally anything haha. Fantasy, mystery, historical fiction, romance, young adult, you name it. I'm awful with horror, though ;-;

percy jackson (MY CHILDHOOD), harry potter (OBVIOUSLY), Better Than the Movies, From Lukov with Love, The Love Hypothesis, These Violent Delights, the list goes on...

favorite or latest line from your current wip: [latest line, because what a mood- from Destination Seoul] Ha. Per usual, the universe hates me.

Happy STS! What's a smell that reminds your OC of home? Are these good or bad memories? @catharticallysarcastic

@catharticallysarcastic ahhh yes happy sts! c: sorry for the late replies, I'm catching up and trying to reply (slowly but surely) I REPLIED ON A SATURDAY, FINALLY

a smell that reminds Hyeri of home is the lavender scent that her grandma always uses. because the apartment where her grandparents live is pretty small (though, her grandmother never fails to invite the whole family still knowing this), the scent is the first thing that hits her when she usually walks in.

mostly associated with good memories, since she's been close with her grandparents! though, i don't know how she'll react to that smell knowing that her grandfather only has a few months to live now...

not enough scenes in books where characters kill someone and throw up afterwards. like something has to be done

to anyone that annotates their books... what do you do, like specifically, like what's going on, what do you write in the margins, what do you tab, what do you highlight/underline? like pls tell me as much as you can, because i want to try, but like i also don't know what to do, like i don't want there to be scarcely anything in there