literature

Per my Rules andConsiderations, I’m not here to give “creative ideas” because that would be aform of writing for you, but I can tell you more about your setup and how toget ideas from it.

Working with the Appearancesvs Personality trope set always has a lot to consider because people chooseappearances for a reason. If this character loves books, art, etc. then youneed to ask yourself why he’s choosing to show himself to the world the way hedoes. If he has a naturally “mean” face or something he can’t really fix thenthat doesn’t count— I’m referring to dress style, the way he holds himself, theway he speaks, etc. All of those things have partial root in personality, so ifhe looks nothing like he really is then you need to be able to justify why it’ssuch a severe difference. Even if he just thinks a thuggish look is “cool” (orany other adjective), there’s a reason that he’s chosen it.

Reasons can be varied and crossoverwith each other, but they typically fall under one (or a few) of these categories:

Practicality: Clothing is more than just self-expression; it’s useful. Forexample, leather—it’s a part of biker look because of function of windblocking, tough extra layer if you fall, a sturdy material, etc. Even a moredemure person who rides may choose to wear leather, a typically “tough” look, just because it fits their needs.

Upbringing/Environment: Someone may be wearing something not really their style, or have a closet full of stuff like that, because they’re hand-me-downs or just generally not truly chosen by the wearer. A parent or partner can be influencing the look. Amount of care about showing off personal style can vary per how someone was raised. 

Defiance: Someone doesn’t like a look so the character is being a little immature and doing it just to bother that other person. (Degree of immaturity varies, at the very least it’s petty, but generally this kind of thing comes from an teenage-like mindset.) 

Insecurity: Can be morepressing than it seems, and remember that reactions to insecurities aredifferent for every person. Some may opt for an “uncaring” look because they’reafraid of being looked at if they “dress up”. Some may dress differently than apersonality to use the clothes as a mask. Certain style clothes hide a bodywell. Others use a “rough” visual deterrent so the wearer avoids being approached. 

Aesthetics: It’s easy to just say “he chose this because he likes it”, but that’s a very shallow reason when a theme of the story is about appearances being wrong. Even aesthetic choices have a reason. They’re influenced by family, friends, (social) media, role models, current fast fashion styles, etc. If this character is looking thuggish for aesthetics, the, you want to pinpoint two things: the source(s) of style inspiration and why it’s so influential to them personally.

There’s a differencebetween someone having depth beyond looks vs being the complete opposite of theirphysical appearance. Because a good part of physical appearance is chosen by the individual, the Appearances vs Personality trope set can easily turn cheap if it plays too hard to stereotypical looks (without reasonable backup). To come up with good ways to show the true side of this character, you want to find the degree to which the outer appearance holds true. If it’s truly just appearances that are thuggish, then the moment the characters spoke it could be pretty clear that the guy isn’t a thug. You wouldn’t need to drop hints because outside of physical description it would be pretty damn obvious that something was up. The only time a true “complete opposite” works is when the person being judged is never really interacted with, because behavior during interaction should show personality– or else that interaction is extremely shallow. 

If this character is interacted with and is still seen as thuggish, then this is more likely a “mask” situation (where the thuggishness is being used as protection) or a “well rounded individual” situation (where there are some genuinely thuggish things about them, but also some not). This is about more than just having a few books sitting around to drop hints because if this character were comfortable with who they were then the true personality would come out in social interaction. Yes, you can use physical items to show personality, but it’s going to come off as weirdly hidden and the guy as insecure (unless that’s the point) if his behavior isn’t showing his true interest.

Why have none of those things been brought up in conversation before? Conversation is a two-way street, not just the MC asking questions to this guy. Did the love interest never start a conversation about anything he personally had interest in? Did he never respond genuinely if asked? Did all conversation perfectly circumvent any form of personal information? Hobbies and interests can even be seen in small jokes, though humor varies with type and frequency. Why does the MC see this person as dumb if they’ve had any sort of meaningful interaction– unless they’re not so smart themselves? 

All that said, judgement of looks falls heavily on the person doing the judging. It’s very possible for one person to consider something thuggish that another does not, so your narrator (assumed MC here) will naturally be seeing minor things to be thug-like once they make that initial assumption. Is that a classical book? Must have been left by someone else. Looking about a window? That’s some bad RBF, I bet he’s sizing up the guy across the street. Did he just laugh at something that girl said about (intellectual subject)? Was there toilet paper on her shoe or something? Look at how little things about character behavior can be skewed to be assumed one way when in reality it’s another. Then, be very careful about taking that so far that the narrator looks like they’re way too biased. Readers should be able to understand why something was taken the wrong way, but they should also be able to look back and have the truth be clear in hindsight.

Objects are one way to show character hints, but if the narrator already has a set idea of someone then it can seem forced if this sudden one thing breaks the illusion. They can suggest, but they need good reasons to be conveniently placed, especially if this character is making any effort to hide that part of themselves. Remember that people naturally justify the world to fit into what they think they see, so one little thing isn’t necessarily going to be seen for what it is. (Is that a classical book? Must have been left by someone else.) If you want to use objects as personality suggestion, then either have them create conversation (”Hey, did someone leave that there?” “No, it’s mine”) or make sure that it fits into the scene/story context for it to realistically suspend the previous character judgement.

Behavior and/ conversation is always useful and available for judgement, but find that balance of bias vs fact. If these guys are on their way to becoming any sort of friends before the romance then they’re naturally going to learn about each other. Hell, any sort of interaction should have them learning about each other– you don’t have to be doing calculus equations to not look dumb. Be careful here not to work too hard into the “poor communication in romance”cliche and just let your characters talk about things that actually matter to each other. This seems tricky because you’re trying to break a looks-like-a-stereotype, but it’s really no different than learning small surprises about any other kind of person.

Good luck! 

Romance as Conflict

It sounds like what you’re asking is if a romance, on its own, is enough to serve as the conflict, and the answer to that is “no.” And, to answer your question specifically, no–emotion and action aren’t enough to create personal stakes. All stories have emotion and action. You still need to have conflict and stakes to make the story interesting.

So, these two characters obviously have a goal: to be together. Now you need a conflict: what force threatens to keep them from uniting or drive them apart once they’re together? The stakes (the worst that can happen) would be not being together, but often there’s more to it than that. What else is at risk if they can’t be together? What obstacles must they overcome in order to make sure they end up together? What’s at stake if they don’t overcome those obstacles?

It doesn’t have to be a dragon, aliens, or war. It can be as simple as one character’s job suddenly transfers them to another state, and when the other character tries to transfer their job, they come up against roadblocks. Then, they finally say “screw it” and prepare to move anyway, just to find out that their parent is ailing and needs them to nurse them through a long recovery. Then maybe Character B says they should break up, so they do–and then they change their mind only to find out that Character A is dating someone. And then they start dating someone themselves only to find out that Character A is single again because they can’t stop thinking about Character B, but now Character B is stuck in a relationship and they don’t want to hurt this person… see how that works? There’s all kinds of conflict there even though there are no dragons, wars, or aliens. Stories are just about a person with a goal having to overcome obstacles so they can reach that goal. The conflict is the struggle. The stakes are all the undesired outcomes if they don’t overcome each obstacle and if they don’t reach their goal.

[ 200 notes on my first one of these, and nearly 170 on the second. i’d say y'all liked them ]

which one asks weird questions all hours of the night

which one is better at sports

which one is a “sore loser”

which one sings in the shower

which one makes better jokes

which one is the bad influence

which one is clumsier

I was asked about my writing process. Which first of all, thank you and second of all, it’s a mess, but I do find myself gravitating to two different processes that I use.

Before you begin remember, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT GRAMMAR. You will have plenty of time to worry about grammar and spelling at the end.

Process One: The Skeleton:  Make it human, make a Frankenstein’s monster, create it. Make a story out of different parts, build it up in layers. Layer examples can be:

1. Bones/outline

You have an idea, a basic frame of what you want but its very vague and you have no clue how to start, so pick up one bone (idea) and build your skeleton (outline). Just write out what is happening, don’t worry about feelings or thoughts at this time.

EX: Character A speaks to Character B and here is what they said.

2. Nerves/emotions and thoughts

Now you go back, you write in what your character was feeling, and thinking at that moment. Now is the time to make me feel what that character is feeling.

EX: Character A felt her stomach drop, the dread she felt at speaking to Character B once more rears its head and she nervously crosses her arms. She speaks in a monotone hoping that Character B won’t notice how much this conversation is effecting her. Character A speaks to Character B and here is what they said. The entire time, she can’t help but recall their previous fight.

3. Muscles/actions

Add the action, the movement, make them dance to your tune. Whatever you do, do not let your character stand and think for two chapters, if you feel your story isn’t moving forward then go and look back, when was the last time they moved? I mean this also for when was the last time they actually did something rather then having something happen to them? Making your character react to stuff without actually doing anything or moving to do something and take action or control of the situation or their decisions is one way you might feel your writing has reached a stalemate. So go back, look at them, are the moving forward? With their thoughts? Their actions?

EX:  Character A felt her stomach drop, the dread she felt at speaking to Character B once more rears its head and she nervously crosses her arms. She speaks in a monotone hoping that Character B won’t notice how much this conversation is effecting her. Character A speaks to Character B and here is what they said. The entire time, she can’t help but recall their previous fight. Character B listens to Character A, their own misgivings about having to confront Character A on this issue are confirmed. Character B speaks their own thoughts, Character B cannot forgive Character A, Character B comes to a decision, Character B leaves, swearing never to speak to Character A again. etc

4. Skin/descriptions

This is all about descriptions, let me know what everything, and I mean everything looks like. Paint the picture in my mind, describe how these things not only look but how they feel to your characters.

EX:  Character A felt her stomach drop, the dread she felt at speaking to Character B once more rears its head and she nervously crosses her arms. Character A looks away, focusing her gaze on a small potted plant in Character B’s living room, it sat in a white vase, the green leaves stark against the pale color. The plant drooped as though Character B hadn’t been giving it enough water. The sight makes her sad, how could Character B forget to give it water, some sunlight? Maybe Character B just doesn’t care about that plant. Character A looks back at Character B, noticing the way her friend’s hair seemed messed, when was the last time Character B had brushed it out? Taken a Shower? Their clothes seemed neat enough but then again maybe Character A was looking to much into this. She speaks in a monotone hoping that Character B won’t notice how much this conversation is effecting her. Character A speaks to Character B and here is what they said. The entire time, she can’t help but recall their previous fight. Character B listens to Character A, their own misgivings about having to confront Character A on this issue are confirmed. Character B speaks their own thoughts, Character B cannot forgive Character A, Character B comes to a decision, Character B leaves, swearing never to speak to Character A again.

And there you have a chapter and just keep going, keep adding more layers!

Process Two: Don’t forget the kitchen sink!

My second process is just throw in everything and the kitchen sink. Just sit down and write every single thought that comes into your mind.

It doesn’t it fit the story? Who cares. Write it down. 

Does it make sense? No, but I like the way the words sound in my head. 

Will this have anything to do with happened before? Oh man, my buddy I have no clue. I just want to write out this scene that will probably never make it to the final draft.

Just let it all out. Don’t stop and don’t look back.

Finally:

1. “You can’t be mean, because I cook the food…and I could technically poison you.”

2. “DON’T FLUSH THE TOILET WHEN I’M IN THE SHOWER!”

3. “Pick your underwear up off the floor.” “Why? You’re the one that threw them there…last night…remember?”

4. “Sharing a single strand of spaghetti is not romantic. Stop asking.”

5. “You set the fire alarm off making mac and cheese!!”

6. “You just called my mom, Mom. That’s, like, better than when you said you loved me for the first time.”

7. “Potato stix. Not potato chips. Not french fries. Sticks. S-T-I-X.”

8. “Connect-four my ass. You fucking cheater.”

9. “You’re seriously going to make me sleep on the couch because I BEAT YOU IN MONOPOLY!”

Anonymous said: Hey there. Not sure what kind of questions you accept but…here goes. Do you have any tips for writing kiss scenes? Not fluffy kiss scenes but really passionate ones. Thanks!

I was hoping to post this on Valentine’s Day, but I got a little busy so it got pushed back. Happy (late) Valentine’s Day, and enjoy!

|| 1 || Detail. Remember that describing a kiss means including more detail than just what is happening and when. Be sure to include description of how the protagonist’s five senses are being affected, as well as some other elements such as:

What the protagonist smells

What the protagonist tastes

What the protagonist hears

What the protagonist sees

The inner monologue of the protagonist, if the point of view in your story allows it.

|| 2 || Make the kiss(es) realistic. Situational details are a key factor in making the scene more satisfying and memorable. Pay attention to details like the character’s physical characteristics, such as glasses, braces, messy hair, etc. and incorporate those tiny details into the scene.

She turned her head to the left, leaning in to brush her lips against her partner’s, but was interrupted when their noses bumped together, making them both giggle, and the awkwardness fade away.

I mean, sure, that’s not the best example, but at least it’s better than:

Their lips collided, and they made out flawlessly, as if they were in a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Little details like bumping noses, giggling, grinning like an idiot, stumbling, hesitating, etc. can make the scene so much better.

|| 3 || It doesn’t always have to be a full on make out session every time two characters kiss. A lot of the time, kisses are short and sweet and that can be enough to send a substantial spark to the fingers and toes, and send the reader out smiling. Pecks, if only on the cheek, can be more than enough and are extremely underrated.

|| 4 || Pay attention to what your characters do with the rest of their bodies. Kissing is in no way just about the mouth. Keep in mind that most of the time, people don’t just lean forward and mush their faces together. Grab the face, caress the lower back, hold their hand, hell, sweep them off their feet and carry them into the sunset! Don’t just stand there!

|| 5 || Lastly, but not least..ly.. VOCABULARY. Using the right wordage can improve your kiss scene-no, scratch that- ANY SCENE a million times better. I’ve made an entire post on vocabulary and synonyms to use for your sex/kiss scenes {shameless plug} and you can find it: 

HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE

|| 6 || Read kiss scenes as a writer would. Read kiss scenes that you’ve enjoyed and nitpick them to find what you do and don’t like about them, adding the good things to your own scene and being wary of the bad. 

And now, here are some extra tips to get you going:

 I. Practice - If you’re in a relationship or have a really great friend {;)}, practice the act and take notes on how it actually feels! A lot of people who read these kiss scenes take it as the reality because some have never kissed anyone, so teach them how it’s done!

II. Know your characters - Would they actually bite their partner’s lip like that? Would they actually go as far as caressing the majestical inner thigh? Think about it.

III. Add elements of the setting - Are your characters standing in the middle of a crowd? In a high school hallway? Elevator? Include details like sounds and smells and lighting to give the reader a more full-sensory experience.

IV. Dialogue can be fun to play with - Kissing doesn’t always have to be silent. Maybe they break for a second to say “You’re so beautiful” or “Did you pop a mint when I wasn’t looking, oh sneaky one?”. Include those little mutterings or comments because they are some of the best parts.

Well, that’s kind of a loaded question. Different strokes for different folks. What works for one person may not work for everyone. When you read smut scenes, they don’t all affect you the same way, right? 

So you’ve got your characters, but you’re still attempting to figure out how to make sure they don’t come off as emotionless robots? You’ve come to the right place!

The best strategy I’ve found for making sure your characters don’t come across as completely apathetic without it breaking the veil of the story you’ve created is by telling the characters emotions without explicitly saying the emotion. Your readers are smart, I can promise you they’ll figure it out. 

Do NOT say things like; “He smiled happily.” 

If he’s smiling, the readers will know he’s probably happy. Your best bet would be to either leave it as “He smiled” or if you want to be more descriptive talk about how he’s feeling other than happy. Is pride welling in his chest? Are there butterflies in his stomach? Can he feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes? Those were very different types of situations that you just thought of, wasn’t it? It also paints a better picture than happy. On average, the more your reader can picture something, the better attached they can get to the story.

Examples;

His stomach dropped to somewhere beneath his toes, and he felt an instant urge to vomit. (Describes; Dread)

She dragged her feet the whole way, lips pressed into a fine line. (Describes; Reluctance)

They could not quite manage to stifle their yawn, wiping at their eyes languidly. (Describes; Tiredness)

He could feel his cheeks flush as he averted his eyes towards the floor, taking a sudden interest in his shoes. (Describes; Embarrassment)

General tip: you can probably end your scene or chapter a line or two earlier than you think you can. 

I do this a lot myself, and I see a lot of other writers do this, where we try to put a nice, neat cap on the end of the scene or chapter. We over-explain the end of the scene. But most of the time, that is not necessary and it dulls down the emotional impact of the end or transition.

Don’t be afraid to end a scene or chapter on rising action, or on dialogue. Don’t feel like you have to hold a reader’s hand and walk them through every little piece of movement or feeling. 

Think you might be doing this in your own writing? Don’t worry. It’s a super easy editing fix. To check, go to the end of a chapter. Delete the last line or two. How does it read? Better? Cool! You fixed it! 

Here’s an example, from a draft of one of my wip’s. This is the ending of a chapter, complete with the weak final line:

Amira glanced at him and then back at Davenport, although Davenport didn’t take his eyes off Will. A hint of hesitation in her voice, she explained, “This is not a definite plan. We couldn’t let you go in alone.” “Oh, that’s not a problem,” Davenport said as he stared at Will. The slight smile on his mouth lifted into something cruel, something with teeth and bite. Will flushed, his breath quickening, but did not break eye contact. “I’ll bring a date.” Will nodded. But he had an undeniable sense in the back of his mind that this was going to wreck him.

That last bit is super unnecessary, right? Zoomed in way too close, too self-aware, too hand-holding. I was trying to end this scene on a little bit of a cliff hanger, but I punctured that tension because instead of just letting the character/reader hang from that cliff for a second, I shoved an air mattress under them. So I cut those last two sentences. And now it reads:

Amira glanced at him and then back at Davenport, although Davenport didn’t take his eyes off Will. A hint of hesitation in her voice, she explained, “This is not a definite plan. We couldn’t let you go in alone.” “Oh, that’s not a problem,” Davenport said as he stared at Will. The slight smile on his mouth lifted into something cruel, something with teeth and bite. Will flushed, his breath quickening, but did not break eye contact. “I’ll bring a date.”

Oooooh, okay! Yaaas. Fun. Good. Wanna keep reading now. Now, it actually does end on a little, mini emotional cliff hanger that makes you want to turn the page. 

See what I mean? 

I haven’t mentioned this before, but I’m close to graduating with a psychology degree. As I was organizing things to move back in at university, I came across some notes from my Developmental Psych class. Psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner presented an ecological systems model of child development, which represents a dynamic model of how people develop psychologically depending on their environment. I realized this may be an interesting reference for writers as we consider worldbuilding.

The individual is at the center. Each level interacts with the others and may affect them in different ways and to different degrees at different times. The individual is at the center of the model and has inherent traits which are the result of genetics. The microsystem is the individual’s most immediate surroundings. These are the places and people they come into close contact with on a daily basis, including the home and peer groups. The way microsystems treat the individual influence them, but the behavior of the individual also influences how the microsystems react to them. The mesosystem is essentially comprised of links between microsystems - between home and school, between home and church, between family and peers. Active involvement between microsystems promotes harmony and a sense of like-mindedness. The exosystem consists of linkages between systems that do not directly influence the individual, but do so indirectly by influencing a microsystem. For instance, the parents’ workplaces influences the parents’ behavior in the presence of the individual. The macrosystem consists of more distant influences that still have a significant impact on the individual. These elements often include beliefs, values, and other aspects of culture. For instance, life in a country at war will influence an individual differently than life in a country at peace. The chronosystem simply incorporates the meaningful passage of time. What is in each system, how much it affects an individual, and how can all shift in time.

What does this have to do with worldbuilding?

One can relate Bronfenbrenner’s model to creating a fictional sense of place however one likes, but I’ve drawn some parallels between each level and a corresponding element in worldbuilding. The model looks something like this.

The Protagonist:

The main character (or characters) lies at the center of your worldbuilding. It is through their eyes, or over their shoulder, that the reader experiences the world in which your story is set. A strong sense of place is vital to telling a satisfying tale, and a great deal of it comes down to your protagonists. Like in the original model, the protagonist has certain inborn traits that are a result of nature, but are also influenced by nurture - the other systems, in this case. The world is reflected in the hearts, minds, and behaviors of the people who live in it, and the people are reflected in the world they populate.

The Supporting Cast:

These are the people the protagonists interacts with most, and it’s a two-way street of influence. Their behavior influences the protagonist, but the protagonist affects them as well. You can present a great deal of information about the world through the interactions between characters. The way your protagonist interacts with parents and siblings can reveal family structure and dynamics, and interactions with friends or coworkers can shine light on social classes, pastimes, or employment. What your characters do, how they do it, and how they speak or feel about it will reveal what is normal or not.

The Immediate Surroundings:

Where are all these interactions taking place? The actual physical locales in seen in your story have an impact on the way people behave, but don’t forget the direct effect of setting the scene. One behaves differently at school, as opposed to the mall - how can you use differences like this to portray societal norms and mores in your story? Additionally, the events and values of a world leave physical reminders, which may be as simple as smog over a city unconcerned by or incapable of controlling pollution. Perhaps there is graffiti in the streets leftover from social or political unrest. The remnants of a torn-down shrine or monument may reflect changing values, war, or persecution of certain religions or other groups. Living conditions can portray class differences. Possibilities are endless.

The Social Structure and Culture:

Social structure has ramifications on who can interact with whom and what’s considered appropriate. These rules may be very strict or much more informal. If there are rigorous separations in place according to class, an interaction between members of different status will be shocking to your characters. Speaking out against an elder coworker may have severe consequences, or employees may be under forced retirement deadlines - these differences reveal if old age is revered or looked down upon. What holidays do people celebrate, and how? What manners of speech or behavior are unique to the setting? Social norms will be reflected in the behavior of your characters, but the population is capable of changing those norms.

The Physical Setting: 

The setting at large still has far-reaching influence on your story. The geography itself will determine a number of things about the setting, including the landscape, weather, physical resources available, methods of transportation and more. All of these things trickle down into each of the layers beneath it and leave their fingerprints. If transportation is unfavorable, how does this affect information and cultural exchange? How about the economy? The physical setting is an umbrella of elements which may change everything under it, even in small or indirect ways.

The Genre:

The genre determines, amongst a few other things, how much of each of the above is needed. In essence, genre can be your guide to where you should place your focus in worldbuilding. Fantasy and science fiction often call for a greater emphasis on the physical setting and cultures, while realistic fiction set in real-life places readers are likely to be familiar with is likely to need emphasis on the protagonist and supporting cast. Some genres, such as historical fiction, may need a more evenly balanced blend of each system. The plot structure itself will also have an influence. For instance, in a ‘pursuit’ plot, the ticking clock and pursuit itself are typically considered of more import than the characters, while 'forbidden love’ plots are all about the people and culture.

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Yes, and it takes some clever (fun) writing to do it too. I answered an ask like this before here about a character who’s a liar, but there are many other ways to make someone untrustworthy to the reader. 

they spread gossip

they can’t keep a secret

they steal, perhaps blatantly and with a smile

they’re incredibly charming and smarmy

there’s often an ulterior motive to their actions

they get up to no-good behind closed doors

they pit different characters against each other

…and on, and on. For all these characteristics, write it so that only the reader sees them doing it. Whether you’re in a POV where you can describe their mindset and inner thoughts, or in 1st Person POV, you can show that a character is not trustworthy. 

In 1st POV, your MC can always dismiss, overlook, or excuse certain “shifty” behavior because that’s what we do constantly in real life. The reader, however, if they’re observant, will see that the MC is being played or is blind to the actions of the untrustworthy character. As long as they can understand the MC’s reasons for missing these cues, they can forgive the MC.

Avoiding “creepy/shifty” and the giggling trickster archetype is primarily up to your own finesse as a writer. Leave in just enough shiftiness in their behavior, but not in their personality. Outwardly, they can seem to be an upright gentleperson, an apologetic klutz, or really any personality you want to give them. But when the reader’s the only one to see them, their less endearing side will be on display. 

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I have a few go-to resources for that right here:

How to Find and Fix Your Story’s Plot Holes

Vital Tips For Escaping Plot Holes

Ten Steps to Fill Plot Holes

How to Find and Fill All Your Plot Holes

Do You Know the Five Different Types of Plot Holes?