#writespo

When characters develop minds of their own...

Writing is one of those mediums where people tend to overlook the importance of experimentation. It's seen as a fairly linear process: brainstorm, map the plot, write the draft, edit the draft, publish. If any other type of creation was done this way, most would see the process as incomplete, because experimentation is imperative to creativity. Curiosity is the key to finding satisfaction, and no matter how brilliant you think an idea is at its conception, the best way to do it justice is to question it.

If you find yourself in a situation where your story begins to develop outside your control, don't strangle it back into the shape you imagined for it at first. See where it goes. Let it bleed outside the lines and see what you prefer. You can always return to the original plan. The beauty in fiction is that it has infinite possibility, and if you have the talent to write characters and worlds that determine their own trajectory, enjoy the reward.

In your case, you've designed a romance between two characters but the chemistry of a different pairing has become more compelling, so see what happens. There is a good chance you've simply written a secondary character that serves the story better in a leading role, and there's no harm in experimenting to see if that's correct. If it doesn't work and you're convinced the relationship is more suitable in the platonic category, you will find the reason along the way and that reason will speak for itself as you return to writing the original pairing. If anything, this might become an organic way for you to misdirect the reader in order to make the payoff of your original idea more substantial.

Writing should be an intuitive process. If you're swerving in another direction, satiate your curiosity and then make decisions with all of the information. Just like any other artistic medium, you will only know what's right once you've established what isn't.

Best of luck,

I can write it however I want, because it's my writing.

I can write it badly, because it's my writing (and I can come back and edit it later).

I can write whatever part of the story I want in any order, because it's my writing (and I can put it together later).

My story can start out making as little sense as I want, because it's my writing (and I can make it make sense later).

Do you want to start journaling but don't know where to start? Looking for a way to help yourself find some mental clarity? I've got your back. 

This digital mental health and healing journal is available on my Etsy shop. It contains 100 prompts to help you on your healing journey!

Check out my shop 'Spilled Ink Workshop' for more writing resources and I wish you all the best with your healing, it will get better. 

spilledinkworkshop.etsy.com

If you get stuck in a difficult scene, put

[fill in]

Under it and skip to a bit you're excited about.

samples:

💌 completed physical work: one / two / three

🖌 fanart / art commission: my art tag / one / two / three

📓 fanfic / fic commission: my ao3 / one / two / three

notes:

all physical work would be shipped by me, free of charge. if this ends up winning i'll announce the details on the giveaway

all fic/art commissions will be DIGITAL ONLY but can be open to fanwork OR original work

fandoms tbd ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

depending on results i may hold another poll asking for more info, but for now pls feel free to vote and reblog!

For @arospecfanworksweek day two, pride in one's identity and loveless aro, an original story idea

On Allegra’s first day at the Conservatory of Witchcraft, at the beginning of her first class, the professor says, “Emotions are the source of our magic. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the magic, and the strongest emotion of all is love.”