Magical girls and Well, Just girls

she’s the reason i fell in love with anime and manga. her work is phenomenal and i hope she knew the impact it made on so many people! Mia Ikumi will always be remembered. thank you for everything legend 🐾

happy birthday, ichigo

Part 2! How To Write #EnemiesToFriends with #PersonOfInterest Remember to read part 1! #WritingTip #WritingCommunity

Sometimes, characters don’t get on. Sometimes, these characters grow closer. Let me tell you – I freaking love that. That’s character development at its finest. And none does it better than the hit crime show Person Of Interest. This is PART TWO of a four part series on writing dynamic friendships, and working with the Enemies To Friends trope. In this post, I’ll show you how Person Of Interest…

Because there are more continents on the planet than Europe. And sometimes we need to escape from such imperialism. Disclaimer: There are missing types from this list. I haven’t found all of them. If you wish to share some you know, I will give you credit. These are just a handful I’ve stumbled across by reading and consuming as widely as possible. I’d love to collect them all.

So. You’ve got a story. You’ve been hard at work writing it/planning it, when suddenly, you hit a block. You don’t know what to add next in your story. 

Now what?

Don’t worry - I am here to help give you some ways to come up with that juicy new content.

1) Think through your story when you’re relaxed.

There’s a reason we get all of our best ideas when we’re driving home from work/school, or just about to fall asleep, or in a shower. It’s because, usually, we’re pretty relaxed. When that happens, your brain decides it’s got permission to explore, since it’s not actively trying to keep you from getting eaten by tigers or whatever analogy people use to talk about modern-day stress responses.

Pretty much, find a way to relax. Then think through aspects of your story surrounding the content gap. What might need to happen in order to bridge that gap? The best part about this method is that it’s surprisingly effective - so long as you’re actively thinking about your story - and you also get to practice some self care at the same time. So for all you folks who feel guilty about taking care of yourself (please, please take care of yourself), here’s your workaround.

(This is a sort of medium-long post, so i’ve put the rest of the tips below the cut)

Pretty much everything I’ve written about shipping relates to the shounen genre, since it is very rare for me to read stories where the main plot is the romance in and of itself. I don’t think romance stories are bad by any means, they just aren’t my typical reading/viewing material.

That said, the “rules” are obviously very different. If you’re writing a romance, then it just makes sense that the primary conflicts and tensions in your story would revolve almost entirely around that romance, and the major interactions between the romantic leads would be primarily about their relationship itself, with not too much focus given to non-romantic plot elements. If the readers are going into your story expecting the main plot to be purely about “Will they fall in love or not?” then you’re not leading anyone astray or letting them down if the major character development and conflict in your story is strictly related to the romantic plot line. We’d probably be a little annoyed if it wasn’t, actually–if your readers go into the story expecting it to be about two characters falling in love and instead it’s about giant robots beating each other up, you might hear some complaints. Writing a romance, focus almost entirely on the romantic interactions. Just logical.

The problem with poorly written romances typically occurs in stories where romance is not the main focus; the actual “story” is about something else, and a romance gets shoehorned in on the side because sex sells or just because some writers seem convinced every piece of media needs a romance plot to be complete. That second situation you mention (“or the main drive in the characters interactions are based on a romantic connection”) is the one more likely to cause you trouble, I think. If you’re writing a story where romance is not the #1 focus, and you have two (or more) characters whose interactions are primarily based on a romantic connection, you are at risk for falling into the pitfall I outlined in that long shipping essay.

Some questions I would ask myself, as the author of such a story, are:

If my story has a plot other than a romance going on, why do I need this romance subplot here? Am I investing my time–and the readers’ time!–in this romance because I believe it really is central to the story or these characters? If it’s not central, how do I make it central but not overwhelm my original plot idea? What is this romance adding to the story that will make it worthwhile and fun for readers?

Why are these two characters primarily focused on falling in love? Is there not anything more serious and immediate for them to be worried about? Does my non-romance plot have enough going on in it? (If romance isn’t your main plot AND your romance doesn’t directly impact the main plot, that’s a problem. You should never put a high-stakes main plot on hold to deal with drama that doesn’t feel urgent to the readers.)

Even if you REALLY want the romantic subplot to be the focus of some characters’ interactions, that’s fine, but you should still probably be asking yourself “What do they have going on outside of the romance?” If your characters have no similar interests, habits, lifestyle choices, goals, plot events, etc. to relate to each other outside of just a romantic context, then you probably have a case of either shallow characters or a mis-aimed romance. These people need to exist outside of their relationship with each other. Unless you’re like… writing about a creepy incel whose only fixation in life is getting a girlfriend, most people don’t spend every single moment thinking about romance. Even two people who like each other eventually have to do and think about other things while interacting with each other. If two characters interactions in a (non-romance) story relate entirely (or even almost entirely) to their romance, eventually they’re going to stop feeling like living, breathing human beings, and start feeling like robots built specifically to act out a mandatory romance subplot.

Long story longer… If you’re not writing a story where romance is the main plot, please give your romantic leads something else to do and think about. Please give them meaningful interactions that aren’t related to their relationship. Give them interests, personal goals, conflicts, quirks, and challenges that don’t revolve around the other person. Or, at the very least, let the two (or more) characters do things with each other that aren’t just geared toward getting together or having relationship drama.

Think about real life. I feel like many of us have experienced a friend who is WAY too obsessed with their significant other. The person who drops their normal friends to spend all their time with the boyfriend/girlfriend. The person who gets together with others and does nothing but talk about their relationship. Think about how annoying that person is. That’s what you will do your characters if all their interactions relate back to their relationship.

Some things to think about for this situation:

Why did I want these characters to be together in the first place? Do they have commonalities? Interesting differences? Did I explore those commonalities or differences enough before jumping into the fluff romance scenes?

Do these two characters have anything to teach each other, as people? Can they help each other grow in any way? Is every interaction based strictly on romance, or are some of their interactions based on overcoming personal challenges, learning something new, changing their minds about old prejudices, overcoming past hurts?

Are these romantic interactions contributing anything to the main plot? If the answer is no, why not?

Have I given these characters enough behaviors, thoughts, actions, and plot events that separate from each other for them to feel like three-dimensional, “real” people outside of their romance?

If I took their romance away for a second, would these characters even have anything to say to each other?

How to Write A Sub Plot

If you look back on every single bestselling book ever printed, the chances are that most, if not all of them, contain sub-plots.

A sub-plot is part of a book that develops separately from the main story, and it can serve as a tool that extends the word count and adds interest and depth into the narrative.

Sub-plots are key to making your novel a success, and, although they aren’t necessary for shorter works, are an essential aspect of story writing in general.

However, sub-plots can be difficult to weave into the main plot, so here are a few tips on how to incorporate sub-plots into your writing.

1. Know Your Kinds of Sub-Plots and Figure Out Which is Best For Your Story

Sub-plots are more common than you think, and not all of them extend for many chapters at a time.

A sub-plot doesn’t have to be one of the side characters completely venturing off from the main group to struggle with their own demons or a side quest that takes up a quarter of the book. Small things can make a big difference, and there are many of these small things that exist in literature that we completely skip over when it comes to searching for sub-plots.

Character Arcs

Character arcs are the most common sub-plot.

They show a change in a dynamic character’s physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual outlook, and this evolution is a subtle thing that should definitely be incorporated so that the readers can watch their favorite characters grow and develop as people.

For example, let’s say that this guy named Bob doesn’t like his partner Jerry, but the two of them had to team up to defeat the big bad.

While the main plot involves the two of them brainstorming and executing their plans to take the big bad down, the sub-plot could involve the two getting to know each other and becoming friends, perhaps even something more than that.

This brings me to the second most common sub-plot:

Romance

Romance can bolster the reader’s interest; not only do they want to know if the hero beats the big bad guy, they also want to know if she ends up with her love interest in the end or if the warfare and strife will keep them apart.

How to Write Falling in Love

How to Write a Healthy Relationship

How to Write a Romance

Like character arcs, romance occurs simultaneously with the main plot and sometimes even influences it.

Side-Quests

There are two types of side-quest sub-plots, the hurtles and the detours.

Hurdle Sub-Plots

Hurdle sub-plots are usually complex and can take a few chapters to resolve. Their main purpose is to put a barrier, or hurdle, between the hero and the resolution of the main plot. They boost word count, so be careful when using hurdle sub-plots in excess.

Think of it like a video game.

You have to get into the tower of a fortress to defeat the boss monster.

However, there’s no direct way to get there; the main door is locked and needs to have three power sources to open it, so you have to travel through a monster-infested maze and complete all of these puzzles to get each power source and unlock the main door.

Only, when you open the main door, you realize that the bridge is up and you have to find a way to lower it down and so forth.

Detour Sub-Plot

Detour sub-plots are a complete break away from the main plot. They involve characters steering away from their main goal to do something else, and they, too, boost word count, so be careful not too use these too much.

Taking the video game example again.

You have to get to that previously mentioned fortress and are on your way when you realize there is an old woman who has lost her cattle and doesn’t know what to do. 

Deciding the fortress can wait, you spend harrowing hours rounding up all of the cows and steering them back into their pen for the woman.

Overjoyed, the woman reveals herself to be a witch and gives you a magical potion that will help you win the fight against the big bad later.

**ONLY USE DETOUR SUB-PLOTS IF THE OUTCOME HELPS AID THE PROTAGONISTS IN THE MAIN PLOT**

If they’d just herded all of the cows for no reason and nothing in return, sure it would be nice of them but it would be a complete waste of their and the readers’ time!

2. Make Sure Not to Introduce or Resolve Your Sub-Plots Too Abruptly

This goes for all sub-plots. Just like main plots, they can’t be introduced and resolved with a snap of your fingers; they’re a tool that can easily be misused if placed into inexperienced hands.

Each sub-plot needs their own arc and should be outlined just like how you outlined your main plot.

How to Outline Your Plot

You could use my methods suggested in the linked post, or you could use the classic witch’s hat model if you feel that’s easier for something that’s less important than your main storyline.

3. Don’t Push It

If you don’t think your story needs a sub-plot, don’t add a sub-plot! Unneeded sub-plots can clutter up your narrative and make it unnecessarily winding and long.

You don’t have to take what I’m saying to heart ever!

It’s your story, you write it how you think it should be written, and no one can tell you otherwise!

In my d&d games, I use a simple, three step system to maintain a cohesive plot structure. If you as a dm have been having problems with keeping your party on task or on track with your story, I would suggest giving it a try. It is most helpful when you are in the planning stages of the campaign, but you can implement it at any time to try to steer your party back on course.

Step One: The Archplot

The Archplot is your overall story. Decide what themes you want the game to explore. For instance, my game includes themes like patriotism v. idealism, war, democracy, and technological advancement. The archplot helps inform your major villains, the beats of the overall story, and what values you would like your players to hold to make a narratively satisfying game. My steps are usually: decide on a few themes that fit together along with related motifs, create major villains that fit with those themes and motifs, and decide the basic shape of the story including how the party will eventually meet each villain.

Step Two: The Arc

The arc is the next step smaller. This is the current problem that the party is attempting to solve over a series of sessions. The component parts of an arc are: a conflict of some kind, a clear goal, and some form of time limit. For example, let's set up an arc where a region is being overtaxed by corrupt government officials. The conflict is between the people and the officials who are robbing them, the goal for the party is to remove the officials in one way or another or to convince them to stop taxing the citizens so highly, and the time limit could be the law-keepers closing in on the small resistance group the party is working with. This creates a story that will capture the attention of the party (if they are open to your efforts) and give them a clear sense of direction. Usually, at the end of an arc you will give clues to the Archplot, usually in the form of hints towards the major villains.

Step Three: The Session

This is the smallest unit of measurement in the story of a d&d campaign. The session refers to each individual meeting of the party, and is set up similarly to an arc. A good session should inform the arc and be moving towards solving the conflict presented in it, while having its own conflict and problem to solve. Let's build a session in the arc we just used as an example! For the first session in the arc about the corrupt officials, let's say the party arrives at a town and witness law-keepers extorting from a man who appears to be sleeping on the street. This can be resolved by combat or by watching it happen. This will intrigue your players and they will most likely investigate further. Upon investigation, they learn about the corrupt nobles and meet an operative of the resistance. The rebel tells them about a plan they have to break into the castle and capture the noble family to give them a trial in the town, but before that can happen they need to create a major distraction for the guards at the castle so they won't be caught. They ask you to go and give out aid to the poorest citizens of the town in the meantime.

The first session should act mainly as exposition (or lore dumping) and introduces you to the arc's important NPCs and the party's goal. This will hopefully hook the party into a sense of obligation to help the people of the town. To make it feel less like lore dumping, throw in some minor combat and some fun minor NPCs to keep the party entertained.

FAQ:

My party just ignored my plot hook!

If the party ignores your plot hook, move to the next arc in the archplot, but there have to be consequences. For my previous example, if they remain unstopped, the noble family could return as a threat with now inflated wealth and influence. Perhaps gaining a coveted seat on a royal council and proposing anti-adventurer measures.

I didn't do this planning before my game, how do I weave it in?

I find the best way to weave this planning into a game is to introduce a villain with goals dependent on the players' failure. This will, in itself, create an arc where the players feel that they need to defeat the villain, and then you can plan the shape of it. Alternatively, I would also recommend using a "Gandalf" archetype NPC who can inform the party of an arc. Just be careful to make the NPC trustworthy if the integrity of your story depends on it.

How do I start off with this early in the game?

Act 1

- Inciting incident

Kinda self-explanatory?

- characterization

How the mc reacts to the inciting incident should give your reader a sense of who they are and a reason to care about them.

- the plot thickens

Something changes, bringing the inciting incident into a new light.

Act 2

- 2nd characterization

This part originally had a different name/purpose, but I usually use it to do another react/sympathize cycle with the characters.

- connect the dots

Characters begin to find out the connection between the events they've found themselves in.

- negative plot twist

Villian shows up (usually), or something else happens that is Not Good.

Act 3

- circumstances worsen

Again. Self-explanatory.

- realization

MC realizes how to win by remembering something they learned, gained, or were shown to have during the characterization and connect the dots scenes.

- conclusion

Just wrapping everything up and making sure all your arcs and loose strings come to a satisfying end.

Act I

Opening scene - Introduce your characters in their natural habitat. Show them in a situation that they are comfortable with/used to being in. (Try not to pack too many characters in all at once, two is plenty for the first scene.) Often, the opening scene/chapter ends with the inciting event or leads into it.

Inciting event - The event (or injection of information) that sets the stage for the rest of the story. This one thing makes everything that comes next possible. But the main character is not personally invested in the story yet.

Introduce antagonist - If your conflict involves a big reveal later in the story, it needs to at least be foreshadowed early on. We either need to know that something is wrong or be introduced to the character who will end up being the antagonist later on (and show that something is off about them.)

In the first Harry Potter book, we are introduced to Quirrel early in the book and he is a questionable character but we don't question it because Harry suspects Snape, so when it is revealed at the end, we are surprised but it still makes sense.

Key event - This is the event that changes things. It gives the main character a reason. They are now personally invested in the story, which leads to the next point...

First doorway of no return - If the key event is the reason, the first doorway of no return is the action that it causes. They make a decision and in doing so, allow a change to happen that they cannot undo. (In traditional fantasy, this is the moment that the character literally takes a step into a new world or reality and leave their home behind.)

In The Lord of the Rings: Frodo must leave the Shire

In Star Wars: Luke leaves Tatooine

In other types of fiction, however, it might look different.

In a relationship-driven story or romance: a character kisses their friend and in doing so cannot return to how their relationship was before, etc.

Act II

Intro to new world - Introduce the world that your characters have just entered into through the first doorway of no return.

The plan (1) - What is the current goal and what is their plan to achieve it?

Reminder of antagonistic force - Sometimes referred to as the first pinch point. Put your characters in danger, show that there is a threat. Even if not everything is revealed about the antagonist yet, the readers need to know that there are stakes.

Midpoint - Big juicy plot twist that changes everything. (Sometimes called the Mirror Moment because it often causes the main character to reflect on themself.) Change our perspective on the story.

The plan (2) - Reaction to the midpoint. What is the new plan now that they have had their revelation? Sometimes the midpoint changes the goal, if they have a new goal now, what is it?

Second reminder of antagonistic force - (Second pinch point) Up the stakes, the villain is still around, there is still something wrong and now they have to fix it faster. (They still don't have everything they need to win.)

Second doorway of no return - The event that pushes the characters into the final act. The step forward that ensures they will see the story to the end. Show their resolve.

Act III

The Plan (3) - The final plan. How do they intend to finish the story. (The plan is more for you, you don't need to list it in your story or anything, you just need to make the character have intentions)

Also, a rule I like to use whenever characters are plotting something (at any point in the story): if the plan is going to succeed, you shouldn't explain it. If it's going to go exactly the way they want it will feel repetitive to the reader.

Final battle - Storm the castle. The climax. Confront the antagonist. From this point on everything is going to happen fast.

Black moment - The 'all is lost' moment. It seems like there is no way for the story to be resolved.

Moment of hope - Something or someone provides the final push, either coming to the rescue or providing the character with the last piece of information that they need conclude the story.

In Star Wars: Han Solo appears at the moment that it seems that they will fail.

Resolution - Tie everything together. Make sure all your conflicts and subplots are resolved and that the ending is satisfying (and sends the message you want.)

If you intend to write a sequel you can introduce a new conflict at the very end (and you can leave subplots partially unresolved to carry on into the next story, just make sure it doesn't feel too unsatisfying)

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Understand The Structure

Episodic plot structure is more of a rounded story structure than others there are to choose from. Especially because some of the storylines are a lot more self contained. Subplots are generally either much longer and detailed than you would find in other structures, or they’re much shorter, contained in just a small amount of time. It’s important that if you’re attempting this structure, you determine which subplots and conflicts are deserving of a rounded, slower payoff, versus a short, snippy lifespan that is more for the sake of entertainment than developing the conflict and characters. 

Is This Structure Right For Your Story?

A lot of writers choose this structure for their stories thinking that it’s a lot easier to come up with a solid path from point A to point B in the story, simply because the format is seemingly stricter and more uniform. However, this can be tricky because you must create a tree-branch like map of events and consequences because as the overarching plot is slowly developing behind them, the characters’ immediate concerns and conflicts must be more entertaining and of consistent quality. 

Make The Main Character(s) Proactive, Not Reactive

When you have a quick-moving plot with a self-sustainable conflict, there’s more room to let the characters simply react to what’s happening to them and still produce a dynamic and compelling storyline. However, when you have several self-contained plot points within an overarching story, you need to make sure a good chunk of the plot occurs because of the characters’ actions, not the other way around. If you’re struggling to come up with ideas for the episodes themselves, it’s worth examining how much of what the characters are doing is reactionary, rather than in pursuit of something. 

Have A Strong Connecting Factor

The episodes and converging plots within them must be connected by more than just the people they happen to. The episodes should each be a domino falling in a larger process. The characters are obviously the most easily identifiable connection, but you must also make them cohesive with one another in the grander scheme of the story you’re ultimately trying to tell and the way you’ve chosen to do so. 

Give The Episodes A Larger End-Place

Unlike the overarching plot, the episodes do not need a complete resolution. In fact, most of them should have some small open window to allow for revisitation or development in the future of the story. Take advantage of what the reader may overlook or what consequences of the episode may mean for their future. Yes, they should end tied up in a neat fashion by nature of the plot structure, but they do not need to be contained absolutely. 

Common Struggles

~ What’s a good way to leave off without doing too many cliffhangers or awkward endings?… As I said in the last point, the containment of each episode doesn’t need to be complete. I don’t mean that every episode should end in a cliffhanger, but there should be one or two aspects within each episode that could be revisited in the future. The reason there exist “filler episodes” in many stories is because readers can sense there’s nothing more to note about those installments. There’s no “but what about this” or “I bet that’s gonna come up again”. Leave off with those moments and you’ll be golden. 

~ How do you do overarching plots in episodic stories?… With great strategy and subtlety. Always write with a bigger purpose, always keep tabs on your loose ends, and always track the development of plot and characters. You may have an end goal in mind, you may not, but you must allow your characters and story to evolve organically and when changes occur that you do not expect, work with them, not against them.

~ How do you maintain a good flow?… Pacing and tone are key. Flow is really just a way of measuring how efficiently you’re using the text to tell the story and progress the plot. Be intentional with which events receive a lot of attention and which events are summarized or inferred, and make sure that you transition tones with great care. 

~ How do you make each episode consistently important and engaging?… Focus on quality, not quantity. Again, filler episodes are a symptom of redundancy and an inability to evolve with your story. If you set out to write 10 parts and you write a fantastic story in 8, you haven’t failed and it’s not too rushed. Concise writing is an underrated talent. Focus on how effectively you engage the reader, not for how long. 

Other Resources…

Useful Writing Resources | Part II

31 Days of Character Development : May 2018 Writing Challenge

31 Days of World Building : August 2018 Writing Challenge

31 Days of Plot Development : January 2019 Writing Challenge

Resources For Plot Development

Guide To Plot Development

How To Write A Good Plot Twist

How To Foreshadow

Writing Long Stories Without Filler

Tackling Subplots

Things A Reader Needs From A Story

How To Turn A Good Idea Into A Good Story

Planning A Scene

When To Stop Planning

Tips on Mapping Out A Series

Character Driven vs. Plot Driven Stories

Plot Structures

How To Write A Story Timeline

Tips on Planning A Series

Coming Up With Scene Ideas

How To Engage The Reader

Building Upon A Good Premise

–

Masterlist | WIP Blog

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.

I would LOVE to answer this one!

In english, the word no dates back to Middle English and means "not in any degree, not at all, not ever." Even though its only two letters, its actually formed from two elements, the first being PIE (proto Indo European) root ne- meaning "not", and the second from PIE root aiw- meaning "vital"

The definition of no has about three definitions according to Merriam Webster.

An act or instance of refusing or denying by the use of the word no: denial received a firm no in reply.

A negative vote or decision.

Noes or nos, plural: person voting in the negative. No. Abbreviation.

Getting back to the topic of this blog, the word no can be used in several different types of spells such as:

Banishing spells.

Curses or hexes

Communicating with spirits (example: "no casper i will not let you eat all of my waffle fries.")

Communicating with deities (example; "no loki i will not give you all of my waffle fries")

Communicating with humans. (Example: "no Becky i will not give you all of my waffle fries.")

As you can see, the word no is a simple, one word spell; and objectivly the most powerful of them all.