#author tricks

I was thinking the other day about the whole “let boys cry” expression. It’s an important part of today’s feminism, it’s no longer only about woman, it’s also about the way gender roles and stereotypes affect men. 

And this made me think of a specific scene from my second book, I’m not going to go too far into detail because it’s not out, but basically there’s a scene that drives the female lead to tears, while not having the same affect on the male lead until they reach a safe space. 

I was thinking about whether this scene was problematic, although my male lead did cry, he did it later. And I decided after a little while it wasn’t, partly because the female lead is shown to be very open with her emotions very early on, and she gets this from her father who teaches her to be open with her emotions and not feel guilty about them. 

The male lead on the other hand is shown in the first book to be very distant with his emotions. He puts on a mask most of the time and keeps most of his loved one’s at arms length, there’s a good reason for this and it’s something he works on throughout the books. 

So, how do you write the emotions of someone who is emotionally distant? 

Well, for starters you have to know their limits. It’s not like throughout the scene the character is okay, he’s not, he’s just internalising that pain. That’s why he cries when he’s home. Which is the second thing, what is their safe space? Nobody can keep their emotions locked up forever, so when and where does he releases those emotions? Who are the people close enough to him that they’re allowed to see him cry? 

Going back to their limits, how long could he have remained in that situation before breaking down? 

They key to writing an emotionally distant character well, is remembering that they’re acting. They DO have emotions, those emotions are at play even if the reader isn’t seeing them, once you know that, you can see how they get closer to their limits and how those emotions drip through the mask. 

As usual,  check out my socials and book here.

You’ve probably heard authors tell you that subplots are the perfect thing to add interest to your novel, but what exactly does that mean? Where do you add them? What should they do for the story?

It’s important to know that your story should have at least two subplots to keep it moving.There are mainly three different types of subplots, and each have their own purposes. After reading this, you’ll know which subplots your story needs!

1)  Complicating Subplots - These subplots make the main goal harder to achieve. These types of subplots help with lengthening your story, developing your characters, and more. For example: In Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, the group is unable to fly to their destination, meaning they would lose precious time and possibly fail. This is actually a big subplot, because the book wouldn’t be the same if they had simply flown there.

2) Clarifying Subplots - These help give your readers insight on the main problem. It’s useful when your plot contains a lot of worldbuilding, politics, or other information that the reader would not otherwise see. An example of this are the many tests the assassin Selena Sardothien must go through to prove herself in The Throne of Glass Novellas by Sarah J. Maas. The tests show us the mechanics of their world, and how that will affect the main goal. 

3) Contradicting Subplots - This type of subplot works against the main issue, and in turn shows how important/valuable solving the issue is. This is, in my opinion, the most important subplot, because it shows your reader the gravity of the situation and why the character needs to solve the conflict. In the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss’ morals are directly contradicting that of the Capitol’s. This forces her to change drastically, moving the story, developing her as a character, and showing how terrible the situation really is. This is sort of not a subplot, but I’m trying to use well-known books to help visualize this for you! 

You can see that books almost always have more than two subplots, all revolving around the three types, just varying in size. Subplots can give your reader a break from where they are at, or completely change the direction of the story. So you better take a look at your novel and add in some subplots if you haven’t already! Happy writing!

I tried to include things that can be done by both established couples as well as eventually to be couples. 

1.- Show interest in each others hobbies. Whether they’re just sitting on the side watching, asking questions or actively trying to learn and be involved. Being interested in each other should mean being interested in the parts of their life that bring them joy. 

2.- Trying to talk to family. I love when character’s meet the other’s parents, if they’re together or wanting to be together, the careful attempts to make a good impression are so cute! I also love when there are younger siblings they get along with just great. It’s a trope, but remember tropes only got there for being widely popularised and thereby enjoyed. 

3.- Reminiscing. This usually works best later on in the series when a lot had happened, coming back to a location that once meant a lot to them. But this can also be early on in the series as a way of getting new readers up to date! 

4.- Getting dressed or otherwise prepared together. I love when character’s ask other characters how they look. I especially like this when they’re not yet together, forcing the other character to look at them more closely and chose words to describe them. 

5.- Tucking the other one in. This can be after a really long day. Or it can just be that one character is far faster at falling asleep than the other. Both are adorable. 

6.- Going on walks together, chatting about inconsequential stuff. This can be great for world building, showing off bits of your world. It can also be great for character envelopment, showing of interests and reactions. But most important, it’s great for establishing they work together as a couple. 

7.- Waking the other person up. Kind of the opposite to tucking them in. But I love this, different character’s will act different, some are soft and gentle. Other’s are brutal in their delivery. It also depends on the situation, I love when there is an emergency and a usually gentle character has to move fast, they are apologetic all the while but safety comes first and I love it. 

And that’s it for this post. Can you think of any more? There are loads more! I might do a part two but right now I’m a bit hazy so I’m trying not to push myself too much. 

As usual,  check out my socials and book here. I have a TikTok where I sometimes speak out my experience being an author, ups and downs. I have a wattpad where you can find some of my more casual writing. And Instagram where I don’t post much but you can browse some of my old art if you’d like. 

I find this is probably one of my favourite parts of all YA fantasy novels. It’s not the highest form of humour but I just love characters, I love their interactions and I love when those interactions are funny. 

I also tend to be quite bantery in real life. And yes, I do know bantery is definitely not a word but do you have a better way to describe it? Then great, tell me, because I like learning new things, thanks. 

Yet, despite the fact I include this kind of dialogue in my books, I don’t have a specific method, probably because I do it irl and it’s kind of natural to me. So I started paying more attention to my own real life conversations and here are some tricks I’ve figured out: 

1.- Taking expression literally or purposefully misunderstanding. Example: “It’s so hot out there, it’s like hell.” “Oh, I mean... well all figured you were going to hell but it’s a little early, you’re only like twenty!” 

2.- Using somebody else’s words against them.  Example: “I’m going to be the leader.” “Wait, wait, wait, are you sure?” “Why would I be unsure?” “Two months ago, in your mother’s house, you said to me, in front of a dead plant to never let you in charge of anything.” 

3.- Messing with expectation. Example: A roommate joked the other day about how the house needed to be clean to make her sister who was visiting think she has a good life. I responded with, “you do have a good life, cool flat, amazing roommates, adorable cats and a then there’s your boyfriend but you can’t have everything.” 

4.- Exaggeration, plus agreeing with that exaggeration. Example: “I am the worst human being on the entire planet,” says my protagonist after spilling a cup of her favourite tea. “Glad we agree,” responds my male lead while sipping his coffee. 

5.- Jokes in high tense moments. Example: “We’re going to do this, and we’re going to do this right. You know why? Because the world is at stake.” “The world?” Character B pretends to be shocked, “I wasn’t briefed correctly and would like to ask for for three time the pay!” “I accept because we’re not being paid.” “I am an amazing negotiator.” 

 There’s probably more, but this are the five I knew how to put into words and could think of examples for. As usual, questions are open, doesn’t have to be about writing advice, you can check out my book and other social medias  here.

I hope you’re enjoying whatever book you’re on at the moment! 

It’s actually quite simple. Obvious once you think about it. 

Is the cliffhanger a new or recurring question? 

If it’s new. It’s a likely good cliffhanger. 

If it’s recurring, there’s a good chance it’s going to be frustrating. 

If I read a book, there’s a plot. For the book to leave me feeling content, that plot needs to be resolved. If you chose to not resolve that plot at the last minute and instead leave it as a cliffhanger where I need to buy the next book to get the answer... I’m not going to be happy. 

But if you resolve the main plot, and because of that resolution a new question emerges. That’s a good cliffhanger. That new question I had no idea I should be asking. That question that is often so much more endearing than the previous one. That’s a good cliffhanger. 

A lot of people argue that cliffhangers are bad writing and people should want to come back to your book just because... and they’re not entirely wrong. But it’s a trope, cliffhangers are a trope, and like so many others I love them. Tropes only exist because people like them. I love a good cliffhanger, I love taking a deep breath as I close the book and silently swearing at the author. I love the expectation and the wait. The excitement. 

But if a book doesn’t resolve the plot to make a cliffhanger, I will close it with frustration and curse the author in a far different tone. If the next book is out I will ask myself if I trust them to actually resolve it this time? If the books not out I’ll probably try my best to forget about it. Because I feel betrayed, tricked, I don’t feel good. 

Right now I can’t actually think of many books with cliffhangers, other than the second book of the Winner’s trilogy (I could go into that but that’s a whole post on it’s own), but for good examples of cliffhangers I think it’d best to look to media these days! An episode that resolves everything and then ends on a new question. 

It’s just good. It just works. 

What’s your favourite cliffhangers? 

Not during your first draft. 

Maybe not even during your second. 

But at some point, you’ve got to slow down and check out what’s going on and more relevant, when? I forgot about this for a little while in my first book. Not sure what draft I was on when I stared at the sentence: “It had been a few months...” and went, “That feels nowhere near accurate.” 

So the next draft I chose a specific colour highlighter and post-it and marked every instance time was mentioned. Whether the exact amount of time spent was specified or not. I then wrote that all down on a piece of paper with a quick line and the number of days, big events and ta-dah! I had a very basic timeline (the first book in my series takes place in a small amount of time). With that I then checked everything I’d written was okay/corrected it where it wasn’t. 

Ideally, I recommend you do this as you write your second draft, or when you edit your third. Depending on your writing style. 

As usual,  check out my socials and book here.

Okay, you know when you give us some random piece of information with the intent of coming back to it? 

For example, using my own book because it’s easier, my female lead goes to a café with our male lead early on and orders roiboos (a type of tea), this comes up two more times in the book, halfway through more or less when the male lead gives her a coffee and apologices saying: “I know you prefer roiboos but the caffeine will do you good”; and at the very end when a third character decides the’ll go for a coffee and the male lead says, “I think she’ll have a roiboos”. Obviously not the exact words or context but spoiler free! 

Two simple little throwbacks. They’re not important to the plot, it’s just a simple beverage preference from the main character and the small detail of the male lead remembering that preference. Funnily enough though, several of my beta readers for this book remembered this, enough that they commented on it in a fond manner. 

Why? 

Well, because it’s a random detail of unimportance, but it’s bought up with enough time in between that, it’s forgotten but when you hear it you remember. You’re reminded of it. 

So, I’ve been beta reading a bit recently (it’s a good way to relax in between classes as someone who loves editing), and I notice a lot of authors will bring something up and then mention it again before the chapter even changes. And it’s just excessive. It feels repetitive. And don’t worry, I do this all the time in my early drafts, it’s something I too have had to learnt to pick up on. 

But trust me, if you give the information time to settle and then remind you’re reader of it. It’s going to have far more of an impact. 

So, what’s you’re favourite tea? I’m currently in love with this Chai tea they sell in my local supermarket that has cinnamon and pepper. (If you don’t like tea, any hot beverage is also a valid answer). 

As usual,  check out my socials and book here.