Mysticstarlightduck - ✨majestic✨

happy sts!! what are your favorite/least favorite parts of plot structure? like what's your favorite part of a wip (the beginning, rising action, climax, etc.)? & are you a fan of the 3 act structure or similar plot organizing devices or do you just wing it

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you for the ask @cabbojage!

What are your favorite/least favorite parts of the plot structure?

Oh, this is a good one! And a complicated one at that lol. I really do love many parts of the writing process as long as I am having fun writing it, but, if I had to choose which ones are my favorites and which ones are my least favorites then:

Favorites: The Inciting Incident (I guess I just love seeing the protagonists' life turning into chaos and then writing their following decisions/reactions. Plus, it is literally the event that really gets the story going, and the one event that creates a "point of no return" for the MC) and the Rising Action (especially around the middle! I just love seeing the plot come together, the character's plans start to fall into place, new friendships being formed, enemies being made, etc lol). The Climax/Final Battle is always incredibly compelling to write, especially if it includes some form of a face-off against the villains or an unexpected turn of events/reveal of some sort! It is always great.

Least Favorites: I don't actually hate these but, um, the Beginning, Falling Action, and the little bits and moments between plot points that exist to connect them but when not much happens (not the Build Up or Set up, which I adore, but those oddly calm moments where usually things have already fallen into place and things are going slow). While those moments are necessary, and I do like writing them, I feel that this is the point where the plot meanders and where it feels like it takes forever to get to the "good stuff", you know? Especially if those slow scenes are needed in full and I can't just skip them or shorten them.

Are you a fan of the 3 act structure or similar plot organizing devices or do you just wing it?

I am a fan of the 3 act structure, as well as a few other ones, such as the 7-act structure, but I only use it as a guideline to help me establish the "Core Scenes", which are the bones on which the plot will then be built upon. Then, once it is done, it is a matter of populating that fictional world with additional cast members, minor plot points, and subplots until the plot is all done! There is always a lot of brainstorming (more of just picking a document and braindumping the ideas and stringing them together like a crochet piece), daydreaming (with music to set the vibe and inspire me, I always make character or WIP playlists for this reason, and pretty much every character of mine has a "signature song", which helped me figure out who they are), and creation of character profiles/moodboards, as the plot slowly thickens into one cohesive thing in the end.

I feel like writeblr people aren't sending asks to each other as much after that kerfuffle over whether asks need to be individual to a person's projects to count as "supporting" writeblr. Please reblog if you are happy to receive ANY asks, even if it's the same question other people get! I KNOW I AM!

Welcome back to the eve's weird question time circles. Now with the most weird one. What would your oc make an apology video about?

Thank you for the Ask, @repressed-and-depressed!

What would your oc make an apology video about?

Fabian Anynth: Would make an apology video to his sister for having joined the Morosyn Empire as a Radiant Hunter, and for leaving her behind.

Peregrine Duskeblom: Would make an apology video for making a dreadful mistake that ended up having dire consequences for the Order of Knights that trained him. He'd be entirely honest about it because his mistake literally haunts him.

Kerwin Illythe: Would make a joke apology video kinda boasting the fact that he was the one poisoning his nephew, Maeryn Renfelli, with dark magic, and for taking his place at the Council of Houses. (It would go like: "I am so sorry (*coughs* not really) for poisoning you with dark magic for the past few years, banishing your daughter, and taking your place as Regent. It's not like I'm proud of it, though, now that I think about it, I really am. By the way, ever wonder why your wife died so suddenly all those years ago? That was me, sorry, she was in the way of my glorious rise. Best of luck, nephew!")

Morwan Destrin: Would be convinced by Nadinne Ahmirah to make an apology video for all the people she killed in battle, but would unironically say "You people should've been faster, I'm sorry my axe caught you first"

Happy STS! What are your go-to/preferred writing tools? Favorite pen types, notebooks, keyboards, etc, but it doesn't have to be limited to just those things. Writing programs, favorite reference books, thesauruses, dictionaries, TTS software, whiteboards, corkboards, flash cards, encyclopedias, anything goes!

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you for the Ask, @writernopal!

What are your go-to/preferred writing tools?

I pretty much only write on my computer/laptop. Due to my eyesight issues, it is difficult to write on my phone/tablet (too small lol) or small notebooks, plus writing on the computer helps me stay focused (and listen to my playlists while I do it)! I also have a travel journal/paper notebook which I use to write on when I'm not with my laptop, not at home or the internet isn't working, but its mostly reserved for these situations.

+ Writing Programs = I'm still using Google Docs, namely because it saves the work automatically, but I am working on moving all my WIPs and notes to Scrivener.

Eve's weird question time: I wanna fight people. I am bringing Lila the op sorceress and Beatrix, who will probably bite. Which two ocs are you bringing to the fight?

Thank you for the Ask, Eve! (@your-absent-father)

If our OCs were to have a fight, I would absolutely bring Julyan Ashiren and Vallerius Zyndrosar.

Because here's the thing:

Julyan is not only a fire mage, no, he is a literal sun mage (a Sunscryer, in technical Agrannorian terms) - he carries the full power of the sun in his blood at all times, and not in the stereotypical sense of "Oh pretty boy with delicate light powers, how cool is that he controls the light" no no no (though he is very pretty, his powers aren't) - I mean it in the most dangerous, uncontrollable and unpredictable way possible, capable of great destruction if he decides to use his power's full potential. An ancient might older than the lands, coursing through every fiber of his very being, the power of the most vital and ruthless celestial body held at his fingertips. That is dangerous. Incredibly so. He can burn someone to a crisp with a flick of his pinky finger - (he chooses not to, because he is good and kind, and does not want to cause harm to anyone. But still, he has the ability to do so, at any given moment by the end of the books, after he learns to master and control his powers - because in the beginning, it was a very unstable and rocky road to learn.)

NOT ONLY THIS BUT... Julyan's parents were war heroes, which means this boy knows sword fighting and the general use of weaponry like a pro. Also, after his family died, he had to defend himself and his siblings alone, which means he knows some very dangerous street fighting and will beat someone up if they try anything threatening - even without his powers.

As for Vallerius, though he hates his magical affinity and rarely uses it, trying to keep it contained at all times, he is a Nightshaper Mage - which literally means, he holds the power of the night (the moon, the darkness, the stars, the cold, everything) in every way possible. Not only that, but this boy is the son of a Fallen One (for context, Fallen Ones are mages who are already born with dark magic, powers twisted by the corruption of the magic sources their blood is connected to. Literal dark mages by nature, though many are actually good people who choose to try and use their powers for good). This means he is unaffected - to some limited extent - by dark magic and most importantly, though at a great physical cost, he can and will use dark magic for combat purposes should he ever need to (though it does make him hate himself even more than he already does, but that is a whole different issue).

All I can say is, good luck to anyone that tries to threaten or challenge these two!