As A Writer, Allow Yourself The Headspace To Be Imperfect And Youll Realize How Liberating That Can Be

As a writer, allow yourself the headspace to be imperfect and you’ll realize how liberating that can be if you’re feeling pressured to get things *just right* all the time.

Each story is there to teach you something. At some point, by going over it again and again and again, you’re simply treading water. You’re not learning anything new. You’re not allowing yourself to advance to the next story that has something else to teach you - something that is vital to your growth and abilities as a writer.

So put THE END on your project and move on. 

“But…but….it’s not perfect yet!”

That’s okay. That’s the point of moving on to the next project. You can get a better view of the mistakes you’ve made in the past by learning new perspectives and skills in the future.

Consider this your permission slip to release a project you’ve been fiddling with for ages. Let it go. Stamp it with a big red DONE.

Then you’re free to explore your next adventure with a new project!

For the art request thing, perhaps an Etho?

he just like me fr (canadian)

+full under cut

for the requests you just opened, may I see a goodtimeswithscar in the snazziest outfit you can create?

ive been meaning to draw him in this pose for a while

+ full under cut

How To Develop Your Characters

1) Reveal your character slowly. If you info-dump too much about your protagonist straight away, there is no more wonder surrounding them. By slowly unraveling details about a character, the reader can understand them more fully and see their growth happen in real-time. When your character begins to open up naturally as the story progresses, they’ll reveal things about themselves through their actions or dialogue.

2) All protagonists should have a goal. When a character sets out to complete their goal, that is when the story is born as well as their character arc. The obstacles they have to overcome and the setbacks they face develop them as the story progresses. When you give your character a goal and make it hard for them to reach it, they begin to figure things out and grow as a person.

3) Create obstacles. And then more obstacles. The more conflict that you shove in your protagonist’s face, the more active they have to be in the story. It’s by actively making choices that someone begins to transform. Give your protagonist physical obstacles to overcome but also internal ones like doubt, regret, anger, confusion, lust, etc. 

4) Let them Fail. Overwhelm your character, push them to their limits, kick them when they’re low, make them feel like their heart will never heal… and then help them overcome the hardship. (Or not, if your story consists of a negative character arc). Regardless, failure is an important part of any story because no one is perfect and readers love seeing a protagonist overcome the impossible. Have your protagonist fail continuously throughout the story… big failures, little failures, half-failures… it all builds character.

5) Enhance their growth by having static characters in the story. Protagonists are typically dynamic characters which means they change throughout the story. It can be smart to contrast a dynamic character with a minor static/flat character who remains the same throughout the story. If two characters come from the same starting point but only one changes, the audience can see the growth that has really happened to them.

6) Give your character a past that they can overcome. A backstory, an origin, a past. We all start somewhere. The way we grew up undoubtedly shaped us into who we are today and it’s no different for a character. Whether your character comes from a backstory of hardships or privilege, you must know the reasons behind who they are at the start of your story. Then, you can start developing them… making them into a better or worse person.

For example, maybe your protagonist has a deathly fear of cars because of being in an accident as a child. Put them and a love interest in a car together or have them take walks by a highway late at night. Perhaps he even shows her what a car looks like under the hood and helps her to understand the safety features. This all develops your character into growing past their fear, which we understand because of their past.

7) Give your character’s flaws that are real. I don’t mean little flaws like being bad a math or extremely clumsy. While these are all aspects that are okay to give a character, your protagonist needs a more deep and intense obstacle to overcome. A werewolf who can’t control their anger and transforms sporadically. A cheerleader who shakes so badly from presentation anxiety that she risks dropping a teammate. These traits are realistic and relatable to the audience and can be overcome as the character develops, learns, and grows throughout the story.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

[0/70] Grian and Martyn - Take Me to War “I’ll be the sweetest thing to ever scare you”

[DTIYS, rules under the cut!]

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i need to remember this i love it so much

Check out my ongoing comic Crow Time. It has crows, and also neat pantheons of epic beasties.