The Duck Answers! (: - Tumblr Posts

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.

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.

Happy STS!

Your story is over. Villains defeated. All loose ends/dangling plot threads are tied up. Happily ever after is achieved. What is the first thing your MC(s) do to relax, chill, and unwind?

Happy Storyteller Saturday! Thank you so much for the Ask, @clairelsonao3!

I'm terribly sorry for the long delay on this one, I was trying to figure out a way to answer this without spoiling too much of the end of my book series. To keep things simple and avoid spoilers, I won't talk about much of the MC's occupations, situations, or roles after they defeat the villains, but rather only their random hobbies!

Your story is over. Villains defeated. All loose ends/dangling plot threads are tied up. Happily ever after is achieved. What is the first thing your MC(s) do to relax, chill, and unwind?

Raelen would definitely spend a while just exploring the woods nearby and just being around nature in general, like she used to do before all the chaos of the book began. She'd likely take Vallerius with her for a romantic picnic trip to a meadow or a hidden forest after the battles are over.

Julyan would just relax. Literally, do nothing. He spent all his life toiling away in low paying jobs to keep him and his siblings alive for another day and then spent almost 2 years trying to escape the Secret Court after he was captured and experimented on. He deserves some time to just be himself and do nothing, just have fun, read a book, and sleep until late. Not having to worry about his powers or anything else. Some time to just be.

Quinn would enjoy his newfound freedom from the Morosyn Empire to dedicate himself to his artistic endeavors, which he couldn't do much before. Now, he'd spend hours just painting and drawing in his room, happy to know there aren't threats to worry about. He'd teach his ward to draw as well too.

Zephyr would take one long trip through the Free Realms to just enjoy the best festivals and historical spots available in their world. He always dreamt of traveling the continent - without being, you know, on the run - and now he gets to.

Tanwin and Darian would spend hours creating new potions together and overall being nerdy cinnamon rolls. When the war was over, Darian has a certain position that allows him access to all alchemist supplies in the kingdom he's in, and he is determined to make the most of this opportunity, as long as his boyfriend gets to have fun too. Tanwin likes making potions - it's a lot of fun - but mostly he's just glad he and Darian can do this together.

Innara takes Helios to one of the traditional festivals of her kingdom, where she and her cousins used to go as kids. Helios has no idea of what is going on but likes the celebration a lot. In normal days, they'd probably spend hours reading together in the Libraries and around her family's castle grounds.

Oryon goes swimming alone without worrying about drowning, for the first time in ages.

And so on!