OOOh, Hmm, I've Just Gotta Ask About "12.01"! How Mysterious, Not Even An Alphabet, Just Numbers!

OOOh, hmm, I've just gotta ask about "12.01"! How mysterious, not even an alphabet, just numbers! 👀

oh gosh, we're going back to one of my first wip's...

i think i started this about 4-5 years ago and left it unfinished?

the short version of it is: about a teen who has recurring nightmares about her father's death a minute after midnight, the time the accident happened

frankly, it was a very young me who wrote this, not even realizing that i could write characters who weren't white and could represent my culture instead. clearly, i've grown a lot from there, and while i have a fondness for this wip, i doubt i'll ever go back and finish it haha.

but thank you for the ask!

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)

Beyond this, consider how these professions might vary depending on who the customers are - nobles, or lower class. Are they good at their job or just scraping by? Do they work with lots of other people or on their own? City or village?

For younger characters:

Apprentice to any of the above

Messenger/runner

Page/squire

Pickpocket

Shop assistant

Student

Looks after younger siblings

(Images all from Wikimedia Commons)

what are writeblrs if not fanblogs of their own wips

why is it that I can think about my stories all day and plot in my head but as soon as i open a document the thoughts disappear

Hello, people of Tumblr! You can call me Rose, and welcome to my writeblr. I've been wanting to join the community for a long time and finally got to it.

About me:

I'm an Italian 18 year old

greyromantic & queer (she/her pronouns)

I have (undiagnosed) social anxiety

Italian is my first language, but I also speak English (as you can tell) and Spanish

I'm an intersectional feminist, aka do NOT interact if you are sexist, racist, queerphobic (yes, that includes exclusionists), ableist, fatphobic, antisemitic, islamophobic, pro-capitalism or pro-cops

my favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi, but I read almost anything--except horror, cause I'm a chicken

similarly, I write mostly fantasy & sci-fi

faves of mine include: found family, enemies to lovers, friendship, siblings dynamics, redemption arcs, retellings, mythology, experimental form, discussions on morality, fake dating, that one trope where character A dates character B for a revenge plan but ends up falling in love with them

Disclaimer: this is my original work. Do not copy, steal or repost in any form. If you like what I do, reblog.

Blue Below the Surface

NA, fantasy, tetralogy

In a secluded country where people control the thirteen elements of nature, a group of students at the military academy find themselves entangled in shady politics as they investigate a terrorist attack.

mystery / magic school / romance

Character intro #1 | Character intro #2 | Character intro #3

RWR

NA, sci-fi, trilogy

After her brother is captured by the aliens who conquered Earth, a girl embarks on a journey to save him with the reluctant help of a kidnapped alien.

enemies to lovers / siblings relationships / redemption arc

Character intro

Thank you for taking interest in my blog! See you soon.

-- Rose