I Really Need To Stop Thinking, Cause Every Time I Do I Go Into A Previously Unexplored Section Of The

I really need to stop thinking, cause every time I do I go into a previously unexplored section of the world building and now I have even more things to worry about. Like just now, I was thinking about how normal people would behave if Lord Valthoraxe actually ruled an entire world. Obviously, mostly paranoia and fear, but there would also be idiots dumb enough to see it as a good thing and create cults worshipping him. Now Valthoraxe is undoubtedly evil, but he always fights fair. Honor is everything to him, and by that logic, he would be extremely offended by cultists murdering defenseless innocents in his name.

He would as first go after them himself, but realize they crave to be killed by “their master” and would need a better solution to the problem. He turns to bounty hunters, who are obviously skeptical at first, but he is willing to give anyone who can prove they’ve killed cult members that worship him one of his many relics that they can choose themselves.

Valthoraxe is one of the heavy sci-fi factions I told you about earlier, and so this created a lot of potential for some very interesting characters. My favorite so far is an autistic, bisexual half-elf named Meloï Dio, who is shunned by her people for her disability, sexuality, and race. (I’ll explain my take on elves in a later weekly update, but tldr, very racist culture) Feeling desperate, hated, and depressed, she successfully hunts down a cultist and reluctantly claims her reward at Lord Valthoraxe’s castle in the Lord’s Wastelands. She is welcomed in personally by Valthoraxe, who is behaving far politer than she expected, and he leads her to a large room full of magical and electrical tools, relics, and weapons.

One particular set of items catch her eye, a pair of boots, fingerless gloves, and headphones dancing with light and a faint rhythmic beat. Valthoraxe explains these are magic conduits basic on music, amplifying the wearers magical capabilities, but only for the duration and to the beat of the of a selected song. She tries on the headphones, and the music immediately makes her feel calm and safe, despite being in the most dangerous place on the planet. She happily takes the musical clothing and thanks Valthoraxe as she leave, his expression not having changed once during the entire encounter.

After a lot of practice and music, she regains her confidence and tries returning back to her Elven home. The Elves however, hate her even more now, calling her a traitor, slut, murderer, and many other thing too terrible to say. They even threaten to kill her if she didn’t leave, and so she did, not with sadness this time, but with new found purpose, and she never looked back.

Hating her Elvish name, she changed it to Melody, and became a bounty hunter full time. She fully embraced the musical aspects of her abilities. She now wears the Magic boots, gloves, and headphones, a pair of dark purple knee-socks, as well as a gray skirt and a lime and cyan crop top. She also dyes her hair the same colour, making it look like the bars of a visualizer. The openness of her clothes made her feel as free physically as the music did mentally, and her new found family of bounty hunters was all she needs now.

I’m not good at drawing humanoids, so feel free to draw this unique character in whatever style you like. Unfortunately this character is not planned to be in any full lengths books I am writing, but perhaps I could write a short story if you guys like her concept enough.

About the writing craft — Masterlist

Hello everyone! Since the followers on this tumblr have grown a little since I first started back in March, I've thought about doing a recap on the writing advice / craft posts I've done.

As you know, I am quite picky in calling in "writing advice", so these are much more meant to be like a "behind-the-scenes" "take-what-you-want" kind of posts.

[Disclaimer: the posts refer to a specific fanfiction, but they can be applied to anything—and I do apply them to original stories too)

PRE-PRODUCTION: Plotting, Inspiration, Ideas, Character design

About the fear before beginning to write a long story

Designing characters: The characters and the leitmotivs

On how I plot and divide the chapters

The foreshadowing series: How I introduced clues all along to foreshadow some events in the story (Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 coming soon.)

POST-PRODUCTION: Editing, rewriting

In killing your darlings when something doesn't work—and how necessary it is

On editing (from a real-life editor): The macro, the micro, an introduction to everyone

WRITING IN GENERAL

On why Nanowrimo doesn't work for me and what I do about it

On why I don't believe in "Writing advice"—and you should just read

On the difference between fiction and reality—and how people nowadays just confuse the tw

If this is of any need to you, don't hesitate to save it or reblog it! I'm still writing about writing, but I thought there was no harm in doing a master list if anyone can find it interesting.

Also, do not hesitate to hit the ask box!

—hera

(pd: taggin @writeblrsupport in case they want to reblog for other writers!)

Uncommon Microsoft Word Shortcuts

(I use word on my PC, so these commands might be slightly different on a mac/IOS/other!)

CTRL + 1

CTRL+E to change alignment from Left to Middle (Then CTRL+E again to move back, or use CTRL+L)

CTRL+A to select all text in a doc (I use this constantly!)

CTRL+I/U/B to italicize, underline, bold.

CTRL+N to create a new, blank doc

CTRL+F to find a word or phrase in your doc

CTRL+W to close the document (and CTRL+O to open an existing one)

CTRL+Y to repeat the last action (this one I find hard to get it to do what I want tbh)

CTRL+T to create a hanging indent (soo helpful for school citations)

CTRL + Shift

CTRL+Shift+>/< to change font size up and down

CTRL+Shift+F to change font and style

CTRL+Shift+E to start and stop tracking changes (great for editing!)

CTRL+Shift+Arrow Keys to select either the next or previous word

CTRL+Shift+N to turn to normal formatting

CTRL+Shift+W to underline words but not the spaces

CTRL + Other

CTRL+Return to create a page break (this is incredibly useful if you ever run into the problem of changing something earlier in the draft that then misaligns all your subsequent chapters. Using page breaks instead of repeatedly hitting enter prevents this)

Alt+CTRL+Space to read your selection or everything past your cursor out loud (check out my post Read It Out Loud!)

CTRL+Backspace to delete the last word

CTRL+Alt+M to insert a comment

Other Commands

F7 Opens spellcheck

Shift+Arrow keys to select the next or previous letter

Let me know if I missed any you find useful or use regularly!

David Tennant is the best doctor, hands down. Matt Smith was my first encounter with the doctor, but even nostalgia can’t block be from seeing the truth. I have learnt so many useful writing tips from this series of the show, and I love how somehow manages to almost feel like an Alien in every shot.

Doctor Who | The Next Doctor (2008)

Questions to ask your alpha/beta readers

I thought I would put together a master list of all the questions to ask your alpha and beta reader to help you improve your story.

You can choose to ask questions every chapter, every few chapters or after the whole book. This list of questions will be more generic and all encompassing for you to tailor to your needs.

Reminder: Beta readers typically receive a completed and polished version of your story. They give feedback on any last improvements based on the reader’s perspective. Alpha readers read your story or manuscript before it’s completed, usually a rough draft. Alpha readers are best if they also have some writing experience to give reader and writer feedback.

Choose some of the following questions to ask your readers:

Start:

When did you first feel the story was truly starting?

Do you like how the story started? If not, why?

Do you find characters were introduced slow enough to learn them all?

Did you find settings, different languages, and cultural differences were introduced slowly enough to not be confusing or overwhelming?

Were there any moments you found yourself going back over old exposition just to understand what was happening?

When, if at all, did you find yourself being pulled into the book?

Did the first sentence grab your attention?

Did the first few pages draw you into the story?

Did you find the opening paragraph/page interesting enough to continue reading?

Characters:

What do you like about the MC? What don’t you like? Can you name at least one relatable trait between yourself and the MC?

How did you feel about the character(s)’s growth from the start to finish of the story? Did you find there was enough? Was it believable?

Are the MC’s motivations and goals clear and strong enough?

Did you feel the MC’s fears, hopes, excitement, passions, etc.?

Did you get confused between the characters?

Were the characters believable?

Are there any characters you wish were more interesting? Why and how?

Do you feel each supporting character had their own motivations and contributed to the plot?

Are there any characters that seem cliché, underdeveloped, or stereotypical? If so, why?

Were the character relationships believable?

Did the romantic relationships build naturally, or did it feel forced?

Are there any character names that were too difficult to read or sounded too similar to others?

Were there any parts where the characters seemed to be acting out of character?

Who was your favorite character?

Which character, if any, did you wish was more present?

Which character do you care for the least?

What are your thoughts/feelings on the MC’s character arc?

Do you feel like the antagonists and/or villain is just as fleshed out and relatable as the MC?

If you had to remove one character, who would it be, and why?

Which character would you like to meet, and why?

Did you hope or dread any character relationships?

Are there any characters you found annoying and frustrating?

What are your general thoughts and feelings about the MC or supporting characters?

Which character did you find least developed?

Plot:

Which moments in the book did you find the most suspenseful?

Were there any moments in the book you found boring, lagging, or uneventful and unnecessary?

Did you find the pacing to suit the story well? Are there any areas you found moved too fast or too slow?

Was there ever a time you felt like you weren’t excited or intrigued enough to want to continue?

Did you find any plot holes? Any discrepancies in timeline, characters, descriptions, or other details?

Were there any scenes you found did not further the plot at all?

Are there any scenes or events you found to be too long or too short?

Did you find all explanations and revelations came out naturally and at appropriate times?

What was your favourite scene in the book? Why?

What was your least favourite scene in the book? Why?

Are there any chapters you found lacked conflict?

Did the action scenes make sense as you read them? Did you understand how they came to that action scene (or did they feel random)?

Where there any moments or scenes that made you feel emotional? Happy, sad, cringy and disgusted, etc.

Do you find the plot moved logically and naturally between scenes and chapters?

Are there any moments you felt detached or pulled out of the story? When and why?

Are there any events or scenes you found confusing? Either what was happening or how the characters came to that point?

Where you surprised by the plot twist?

Settings:

Which setting in the book was the clearest for you to visualize? Which do you remember the best?

Did you find the setting interesting, with vivid and real description?

Were there any scenes you thought lacked description?

Were there any moments you thought there was too much exposition, or not enough?

Did you find there were moments you didn’t know where the characters were unless stated?

Do you find the culture and historical events are realistic and add depth to the story?

Is there any exposition you found unnecessary? Are there any moments you wish you had more exposition?

Did all technology and science, or magic, make sense or seem believable?

Was there ever too much or too little description?

Dialogue:

Did you find that each character had their own personal voice when speaking?

Are there times where you couldn’t figure out who was talking solely based on how they spoke?

Is there any dialogue that sounded unnatural?

Could you see what the characters were doing and where they were while talking?

Was there any dialogue that seemed to not fit well with the story?

Was there any dialogue that you thought had too much exposition or explanation?

Did you find the dialogue kept your interest?

Ending:

Did you find the ending to be satisfying and emotionally fulfilling?

Are there any questions you had left after the story ended? (Mostly for stand-alone)

What did you hate most about the ending?

Did you find the ending believable?

Did you feel the tension building to the climax?

Was the climax worth the read, or did it feel weak?

Do you feel the ending came on naturally, or did it feel forced or rushed?

Did the book feel too short or too long?

General:

Were there parts where you found yourself skimming?

Which parts of the story did you find it easy to put the book down?

At what moment did you decide you wanted to finish the book? (If not DNF)

What are some of your favourite lines/quotes from the book?

Do you have any predictions for what you think will come next? (Good for chapters or end of book)

Is there something you hope will happen?

Is there anything you hoped would happen and was sad when it didn’t?

Did you find the map and glossary helpful? Is there anything you think would be beneficial to add, such as terms or names?

Are there any moments or scenes you found ethically and socially problematic and unacceptable.

Were there any moments in the story that made you stop and think?

Were you able to identify the story themes? Did you find the themes well developed throughout the story?

Did you think about the story when you weren’t reading it? If so, what were your thoughts?

Were there times during the story where you felt description was told instead of shown?

Does this book make you feel the same as other books in the genre when reading?

Is there anything you really enjoy from this genre that you found lacking in this story?

Did you find the story kept your attention with enough action, conflict, intrigue, and tension?

Do you find the story or writing style like other books you have read?

Are there any moments you found confusing, irritating, annoying or frustrating?

Are there any moments in the story you thought, “this could/would never happen”?

Did you have any questions after reading the book?

What are your general thoughts and feelings about the story?

Is there anything you wish there was more or less of?

What do you think were the best/ strongest aspects of this book?

What do you think were the worst/ weakest aspects of this books?

How would you describe this book to a friend?

Would you recommend this story to someone?

How likely/ eager are you to read the next book in the series?

Chapter specific

On a scale from 1-5, how much did you enjoy this chapter?

On a scale from 1-5, how eager are you to read the next chapter?

What predictions do you have for the next chapter?

What do you hope will happen next?

Please keeping in mind: Don't let another writer tell you what to change or how they would write it. You are the writer, and any changes are your decision. This feedback is only to give you an idea on which areas to improve.

*Alpha and Beta readers should be readers in the same genre that you write. People who mostly read mystery will not be good a/b readers for a romance novelist, or any mismatch. If you write romance, find a/b readers who love to read romance. Otherwise, any advice they give may not be as valuable or useful as you hope.*

If you have other questions you think would be useful to ask your readers, message me or add them in the comments so our list is comprehensive.

Happy Writing!