Im Willing To Write It. Ill Reblog It With A Link When Im Done.

I’m willing to write it. I’ll reblog it with a link when I’m done.

I want a fic of if Scar killed Grian instead in the cactus ring… if scar remembered and not Grian… and how that’d affect them.

show don't tell (and how to apply it)

I know I write about this a lot, and maybe I should elaborate a little. "show, don't tell"—use description in your writing, rather than saying it outright. and I think the difference is, really, for the reader: whether they are in the story, or outside of it.

you know what we read for: to escape, to find a new world. but would you rather truly live the adventure, or skim through texts about it?

here it is, simply.

showing - describing, telling things to the reader without saying them outright.

telling - showing something to the reader without any fancy words.

and doing this, it makes the characters more real. tangible, not a fantasy.

but they don't need to be all the time. so when do you use it? an easy way could be to write it all out, the way you intend it to be. do you see the world felt, or a variation of it, scattered throughout the writing? try swapping out how they feel with description that shows the reader it. do you use adjectives such as "pretty", or "big"? they're variable in different situations. use metaphors, similes, to show us that's its' pretty.

and then send your writing to someone. to a friend, to a relative, for anyone but yourself to read it. you want them to think "oh, that's pretty", rather than you tell them, because how would they know? if they understand you intention, and if they feel something, you know you must be doing something right.

*though with all writing advice, I should say this doesn't apply to everyone! writing advice is advice, and that's all it is. excellent writers get by without applying this, and they get by with using this.

IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST

OR ‘PEAKED’

BUT PIQUED

‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’

THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA

DOUBLE LIFE DUOS!!!!!

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.

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The prettiest of them all