#sideplot

the #rustynation subplot:

The decorations are half-torn, streamers drooping sadly from the ceiling. Bits of confetti and smashed cake still litter the floor. Husk, in his Caterpillar costume (half shed now, with the headpiece discarded), is quietly sweeping up the remains of what was supposed to be a joyful day. The place feels... hollow.

Most of the other guests have either left or retreated to their rooms. A few soft murmurs drift through the hotel, but the usual energy is gone.

Angel Dust strides in, still in his White Rabbit outfit—though the ears are askew and one glove missing. Cherri Bomb, Vaggie, and Charlie hover a little ways behind, looking uncertain.

Angel: Hey, Husky~ *saunters over, trying for a casual grin* We’re thinkin’ of hittin’ a club tonight. Blow off some steam, y’know? You should come with. Me, Cherri, Vaggie, Charlie—make a night of it.

Husk: *Still sweeping, voice low and tired* Nah. I’m good. Besides I’m a bit busy.

Angel: Aw c’mon, ya old man! Why you actin’ like such a prick again? Ain’t like you got a hot date with that broom!

He laughs, but there’s a frustrated edge.

Husk pauses, leaning on the broom. A hand instinctively goes to his stomach—tight, queasy. The room spins just slightly.

Husk: I... don’t feel good, alright? Not just busy. Don’t want go out, don’t want drink, don’t want deal with a damn club.

He rubs his temple, clearly worn thin.

Angel: *Eyes narrowing, voice sharpening* Bullshit." *Crosses his arms* You’re just pushin’ everyone away again, like always. Fine! If ya wanna rot here alone, be my guest. But don’t expect me to sit around waitin’ for some lousy old man who can’t get his head outta his ass.

He spins on his heel, heels clicking sharply against the floor. Cherri glances back at Husk with an eye roll, but follows. The others hesitate, but trail after Angel.

Husk stands there a moment longer, gripping the broom, chest tight. The queasiness grows worse — he breathes slow, trying to will it down.

Husk: *mutters under his breath* Ya got no idea what’s goin’ on, Angel… no damn idea.

Flashes Of The Past...

Old Memories float by on whisps of bitter, earthy smoke. Elysius, drawing another looong, slow, inhale. eyes rolling back as they reminisced on their travels, their many lives through the minds of so many who came before. a shade within memory, a prisoner of the present. locked within the denial of being so incapable he simply cannot change the past.

"Run, Run and you'll never feel how hard guilt hits."

" R I G hT- ! "

coughing, Elysius returns to the odd feeling that is the present moment...lost in a haze of smoke and faint memory...who was that voice again? desperate to eliminate the question Elysius allowed his body to reawaken from its hours-long siesta, clad in colors of illuminated banisters draping the passageways of Amnoons colorful city. smoke curling off his glittering petals, mirroring the night sky above. Paper lanterns and giddy laughter arose as the Casino blitz was announced.

Elysius began to return home, something settling in his deeply unrooted mind.

Who Was That Voice, Again?

To premise my ask, I am finding difficulty making my two male characters go from friends to dating subtly. Like in a way that makes the reader go ‘OH’ when it comes out. I'm mostly struggling because these are teenage boys who make gay jokes(nonoffensive, just basic stuff I see people do all the time like “that was a little fruity bro” or “if you like me like that just say it” also if that is offense let me know, I'm straight and struggling a bit😭) in friendly banter.

If that was hard to read let me attempt to summarize:

How to write two non main characters subtly start dating?

Idk. Im also new to romance so anything is helpful!

Thank you for reading my nonsense ramblings!!!!

Hey there! Disclaimer: this blog is fairly inactive now, sorry-- most of the mods got busy and and I lost the energy to run it.

However, this is primarily a writing question, and I like talking about writing, so I'll give my advice:

There are 2 questions here: 1 is if their gay jokes are okay, 2 is how to have a background romance.

1: The problem I see here is, if these characters are not out as queer to the reader (like if the reader knows they're queer but not that they're dating), this could definitely read offensive. I don't like hearing about straight people making jokes about us-- the reason gay people might call each other fruity or other terms is mainly ironic or to reclaim those terms. If I'm in a room of straight people making those jokes it makes me uncomfortable bc they're punching OUT, while amongst other queer people, the jokes are made funny because everyone there knows the others ARE queer. Context is important.

That said, there's definitely times where things like that seem to set up a ship (that we have a history of thinking will never be true, but is more and more common). For this I think the joking flirting is perfect. So I think joking flirting is fine.

"Fruity" and other terms, even queerr and gay-- or jokingly homophobic jokes (like, I say to my partner all the time, "that was gay, we don't do that here" and it's completely a joke), may come off wrong. Some things I just do not want to see as a joke period, no matter who says them, how out they are, even if the speaker is queer. Some things I find fine to joke about irl but don't think should be in books because it does reach a wider audience (there's nuance there, no hard and fast rules, but there definitely are things I wouldn't mind jokes about but wouldn't want repeated in books). And then there's plenty of lighthearted stuff that is perfectly fine for queer characters to joke about just like people do irl. I think "Fruity" as yourr example is probably okay when it's from queeer characters but might cause some discomfort if I think the people saying it are straight. (That said, fruity is usually used for gay men, I am not one, and will ultimately differ to those who have more experience with the term).

That said, I think your best move is: let it slip to the reader, or make it kind of obvious, that ONE of them might be into the others, or is queer. Some comment nearly in, some special focus on that character, flattering descriptions of men, or jokes about themselves being queer (or if you're up to it, they come right out and say it).

2. How to write a romance behind the scenes:

My advice? Write it.

I've seen a lot of advice that writeers first needed a warm-up. Before you geet into writing your main story, spend like 15 minutes writing the two of them interact. Have them flirt, have them confess, have them cuddle or do things for each other. Look up fluff and ship prompts, even AUs.

Then, or at the same time if it jives with you, plot out their romance alongside your regular plot. A few points to decide when they happened: when they each started to like each other, when they admitted it, when they went on a first date, when they had sex for the first time (or if, this is optional), other points in the world relationship-- using your fluff scenes as inspiration.

Then you know where they stand. You can add little moments into the main story now. You can have them have an inside joke that they reference because you actually know what happened! (Though, tell us later, after revealing it, even if it's quick). You can have them spending time together that the MC doesn't think that much of.

This romance will not be in the main story, so you don't have to be good at romance. It can be dumb and cringe, or lack real chemistry, bc no one will see it.

The way I describe this sounds like a lot, but my advice with sketching the beats out and writing small scenes can apply to any sub/background plot you have. Really you may only spend like 4-6 sessions doing a warm up with them, then switch to different characters or background scenes or just rewriting smth from a different character's POV, and then plot out the beats once before moving on to another background thing.

If anyone else has any ideas about writing a suble/background romance, feel free to chime in!

Oh, I know I’ve reblogged several posts this month on sideplots. Maybe they’re still in my queue, but do look out for them.

My tips for sideplots,

side characters have lives too, and they can affect the main plot

big problems make plot, but a dozen little problems are just life

most people have multiple life goals and one big one, so should your characters

what may start out as a world-building sideplot (“disease breaks out in China”) may overwhelm the main plot (“global pandemic disrupts daily life”)

sometimes characters are dumb and ignore important details (“honey, the car’s making an odd sound. I’m taking it to a mechanic”) and get hit with sideplot later at a crucial moment (“i told you twice that the mechanic is still waiting for the part to come in, and also he’s a better listener than you so goodbye!”)

if the protagonist has a job, goes to school, or is even moderately involved in some social or community event/program, this is a good source of sideplot if it is not part of the main plot

Truly most aspects of storytelling can branch off into sideplots. You’ve just got to keep an eye out for any scenarios that might develop in your fictional world. They’re always there, and as fans we usually call them “headcanons.” So just think “what if?” with whatever’s going on in your story, and sideplots may gradually take shape.

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