Tips on Writing Heartbreak and Break-ups

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Tips on Writing Heartbreak and Break-ups

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I cannot stress this enough, write it poorly. Write the shittiest draft you possibly can, stick 'ah fuck something happens here and now they're fighting' to get over
Write the worst fucking version you possibly can and stick it in a folder and forget it for a month or two before you look at it again. You know what you have now?
A first draft. And with enough time to think some new thoughts about it, you'll soon end up with a better, second draft! And eventually, you'll end up with something you'd be perfectly okay with letting other people read!
You'll never believe this process works no matter how many times you do it, but it totally does. You just have to drag your brain kicking and screaming to that blank page and get the bones down first.
Write the shit out of that shit.
97 character motivations
Hereâs our masterlist of 97 character motivations that you can use in your novel to spark an idea for a character arc!
Saving a family member from capture
Saving a sibling from disease
Saving a pet from danger
Saving the world from ruin
Saving a friend from heartbreak
Saving the town from financial ruin
Saving friends from dangerous deadly situations
Saving a love interest from dying
Saving themselves in a dangerous world
Saving a community from falling apart
Saving a child from a potentially dangerous circumstance
Saving a place or location from evil forces
Saving a ghost from limbo
Overcoming a phobia
Overcoming an addiction
Overcoming marital struggles
Moving on from loss
Finding a significant other
Finding a new family (not blood-related)
Finding true biological family
Finding out an old secret
Finding a way home
Reconnecting with long-lost friends
Getting out of a dark state of mind
Finding peace in life
Beating a disease
Beating an arch nemesis
Forming a peaceful community
Transforming a location
Bringing someone back to life
Winning a competition
Going on an adventure
Getting a dream job
Keeping a secret
Escaping a location of capture
Proving a moral point
Proving a political point
Winning a political campaign
Betray someone
Ruin someoneâs life
Find a suspect or killer
Find the answer to a mystery
Discover ancient sites & secret histories
Perform a successful ritual
Summon the dead
Save a country from dictatorship
Become the most powerful in a community
Outshine a family member in business success
Prove someone wrong
Win prize money to help someone in need
Get revenge on someone who wronged them
Find the person who wronged them
Develop significant scientific progress
Gain respect from family
Get over an ex-lover
Move on from a painful death
Keep their community alive
Lead their community
Heal people in need
Preserve a species (animal, alien, plantâŚ)
Discover new world
Get recognition for hard work
Become famous
Get rich to prove themselves to people who doubted them
Break a long tradition
Challenge the status quo of a community
Defeat a magical nemesis
Take over a location to rule
Find out truth behind old legends
Help someone get over their struggles
Prove their moral values
Prove their worth to an external party
Become a supernatural creature
Keep something from falling into the wrong hands
Protect the only person they care about
Start a revolution
Invent new technology
Invent a new weapon
Win a war
Fit in with a community
Atone for past sins
Give top-secret information to an enemy as revenge
Kill an ex-lovers current partner
Reinvent themselves
Raise a strong child
Make it to a location in a strict time period
Find faith
Find enlightenment
Find out more about the afterlife
Confess love to a friend
Solve a moral dilemma
Have a child of their own
Avoid being alone
Run away from past struggles
Reinvent themselves as a new person
Impress a colleague or boss
Avoid a fight or war breaking out
If you need a hand getting started on your novel, we have 3 coaches at The Plottery who can work with you intensively for 4 month to skill up your writing and help you finish your first draft.
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How to Write Envy: A Quick Guide for Writers
If someone has something, either an object or an attribute, that your character covets, they may show signs of envy. You can show envy through associated emotions and yoďťżur characters' behaviours and expressions.
How do they behave?
Compare themselves to others
A dismissive attitude
Downplay the achievements of others
Frustration or disbelief at othersâ success
Show signs of longing or desire
Show grudging admiration
Exhibit copycat behaviour
Show signs of low self-esteem
Be excessively competitive
How do they interact?
Mock and belittle the person they envy
Be overly critical
Be passive aggressive
Be insincerely complimentary
Use sarcasm when talking about the achievements of others
Be obsessive or hyperfocused
Use manipulation to get what they want
Forget about personal boundaries
Rude or short in conversation
Describe their body language
Closed off and arms crossed
Frequently roll their eyes
Avoid direct eye contact
Tensed muscles
Biting lips or pouting
Disapproving facial expression
Red cheeks through anger or embarrassment
Leaning closer to the object of their desire
False smiles
Genuine joy when theyâre in the presence of what they desire
Positive outcomes
Envious characters can become motivated to improve themselves to make them worthy of what they desire. If their envy becomes uncontrollable, they may also find personal growth in removing themselves from the situation and finding a new direction in life. It also allows characters the chance to develop empathy toward the person whom they envy or who possesses something that they covet, letting them finally appreciate what they already have.
Negative Outcomes
Long-term envy can lead to lots of negative emotions like resentment, anger, and low self-esteem. This will affect relationships with those around them, leading them to break down or require conflict resolution in order to overcome.
Useful Synonyms
Jealous
Covetous
Resentful
Grudging
Begrudging
Green-eyed
Yearning
Desirous
Longing
Grasping
Greedy
Hungering
Thirsting
Avaricious
Craving
Malcontent
Dissatisfied
Lustful
Wistful
Discontent
Rewatching Bee and Puppycat made me realize something. This show is all about failure, specifically in the workplace.
Bee begins the show fired from her job, in a studio apartment, unsure what she wants to do in her life, taking temp jobs
Puppycat is scolded as a child that if he doesnât learn to do *something* heâll end up as a candy collector. Which he does, and fails to do that too when his relationship wrecks his life.
Violet was pulled down along with him. She canât even live, sheâs in a coma!
Deckard is flunking out of cooking school because he canât bake (yet).
Cas was at the bottom of her boxing league, then forces herself to do software coding, which she doesnât enjoy.
Toast has now been degraded to the bottom of the league, due to Cas leaving.
Crispin ran away to the circus, and it looks like heâs trying to make art now?
Howell canât cook like Deckard, so he struggles to keep the cat cafĂŠ in business.
When Tim was flipping through his notebook, itâs revealed that Merlin did not graduate from medical school after all!
I think this show is trying to explain that failure is ok. Taking time for yourself is ok. Pursuing your passions doesnât guarantee success. Sometimes we have to work jobs weâre good at, but donât really like to pay the bills. Like Casâs clock constantly reminds her, WORK OR STARVE! But we never despair for these characters. They find joy with each other. I also like that the show allows time between the chaos to showcase beautiful scenery, characters relaxing, eating yummy food. Iâm excited to see more of the series, and where these characters failures take them next!

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BOOK TROPES (TO GIVE YOU IDEAS)
some book tropes to choose from so you can have inspiration for the plot of your story !!
ROMANCE:
amnesia/forgetting your actual lover and remembering another person
stuck together: elevator/locked together in a room
forbidden love
housemates/roommates
immortal x mortal
the older brother gets the girl
the villain gets the girl
bodyguard crush x stubborn (or not) girl
love triangle turned into a reverse harem instead
time travel/lover from the past
supernatural creature x human
MYSTERY/THRILLER/HORROR:
cannibalism
main character is the actual killer
accidentally summoning evil
infection/apocalypse
villains that do not die
secret government facilities/secrets you weren't supposed to know
creepy children
cosmic horror/fear of the unknown
psychological/hallucinations/delusions/brainwashing/"am i going crazy?"
stalker that can follow you ANYWHERE
red herring (fooling/tricking the audience to dislike/feel suspicious about a certain character as a distraction)
final girl
failed human experiments/mad scientist
kidnapped by a cult
nobody actually killed anyone, the victim killed (or accidentally) killed their self
clever serial killer
FANTASY/SCI-FI:
acquiring superpowers from a successful experiment or other ways
parallel/multi-universe
humans are the actual aliens
dystopian/post-apocalyptic
higher celestial power
a portal to another/magical world
badass female main characters
being a descendant of a powerful clan
discovering hidden supernatural powers
villain and hero teaming up to defeat a bigger threat
misunderstood prophecy
reblog to spread inspiration for writers !!
How to Develop a Memorable Antagonist
Antagonists are one of the most important characters in your book. Without an antagonist, writers wouldnât have a story to write in the first place. They bring the action, drama, trauma and many other factors that are often the reason for a bookâs success. However, their pivotal role in the book is often why antagonists can come across as poorly-written one-dimensional characters.Â
From stereotypical backstories to a lack of humanisation, authors often make simple mistakes that can result in a cliche or boring antagonist. Are you struggling to create a compelling antagonist for your WIP? Here are some tips to help you get started.Â
Give Your Antagonist A Clear MotiveÂ
People donât just wake up one day and decide they want to fundamentally alter society and possibly end the world. Or, maybe they do, but their idealogy starts somewhere. Voldemort wanted to change the wizarding world because he loathed muggles due to his parents, Hannibalâs tragic past triggered his cannibalistic tendencies.Â
Every antagonist has a reason for their crimes, and it's important to understand your antagonistâs motives and goals in order to create a compelling villain. Start with your antagonistâs backstory.Â
Did they have a tragic childhood? Did they desperately want to achieve a certain goal but failed and were driven insane? Are they following someone? Are they being manipulated? There is an endless list of possible reasons you can choose from in order to create a compelling motive for your antagonist.Â
Make Your Antagonist Multi-DimensionalÂ
Once you have established their initial reasoning itâs time to go into more detail. I would start by taking their dynamic with the other characters into consideration. Why do they despise the protagonist? Do they want to simply remove the obstacles in their way or do they have a personal vendetta?Â
Itâs also important to consider the other characters. Is there a mentor figure in your book who the antagonist has a personal vendetta against? What about their allies and henchmen? How did they meet them? Did the antagonist start off alone or have they worked with the same group of people since the start?Â
Your readers donât necessarily need to know every single detail of your antagonistâs past, but having a clear understanding of their motives and dynamics can help you create a clear image of the antagonist. For example, they could be particularly spiteful towards the protagonistâs best friend because she is the daughter of the antagonistâs ex-ally. This could make for an easy subplot or come in handy if you need to distract the antagonist in a fight scene.Â
Make Your Readers Empathise With ThemÂ
When developing a motive authors should always look for a way to make their readers empathise with the antagonist. Show us why we should feel sorry for them, tell us they could have had a promising future if it werenât for an unjust moment in their lives. When you make your readers feel conflicted about your antagonist they become more than just a character on the page.Â
Your readers begin to question whether their tragic past justifies their actions, some might root for them, others might dislike them more and regard them as apathetic. However, the goal is to make your readers view your antagonist as more than just the person causing issues for your protagonist.Â
Give Them Strengths And WeaknessesÂ
Everyone hates a Mary Sue protagonist, but the same can be said for an antagonist. Think of it this wayâif your antagonist is an all-powerful flawless villain who could destroy the world if they wanted to, then why havenât they already won? Why do they have to fight the protagonist?Â
The good vs bad, protagonist vs antagonist dynamic only entices readers if they canât tell who is going to come on top at the end of it all. This is why itâs essential to give your antagonist appropriate strengths and weaknesses.Â
Hereâs an example of an antagonist with appropriate strengths and weaknesses: a main antagonist is an all-powerful witch who wants to destroy the protagonistâs home country but she lost most of her power in a fight against the mentor and canât gain them back without a special artefact.Â
This example shows your readers how big of a threat the antagonist is while also providing her with appropriate strengths and shortcomings. This can look a little different depending on the genre you write for. Maybe the antagonist in a romcom wants to get the love interest married off to a side character and has the leverage to do so but the main character is introduced to the love interestâs family to try and sway the antagonistâs plans. Â
You donât need to create a comprehensive list of all of your antagonistâs strengths and weaknesses, but itâs important to have a proper understanding of what puts them in a position to easily combat your protagonist and what stops them from outright winning.Â
Showcase Their (Negative) Impact On The StoryÂ
An antagonist can only be labelled as such if they actively do things to hinder or harm the protagonist. Simply saying your antagonist is a bad person isnât enough, you need to show your readers this too.Â
When you start reading Harry Potter it is made clear that Voldemort was an all-powerful wizard who severely damaged the wizarding world during the first war, however, his bad deeds arenât only reserved for the past. He was also just as evil in the present and was out to harm Harry from the first book itself.Â
From small confrontations with the protagonists to entire fights, itâs important to create a range of situations and chapters that can showcase your antagonistâs âtrue coloursâ.Â
Keep Their Personality ConsistentÂ
Just like every other character, it is important to ensure you have a consistent personality type for your antagonist. An antagonist regularly spotted in a suit known for their professional and calculative plans wouldnât casually joke around with the protagonists during a showdown. The way they contradict the protagonist should also be reflective of their personality.Â
You should also take their personal history into consideration and how that could impact their dynamics with certain characters. For example, a character like Tom Riddle who despised both of his parents would likely be spiteful whenever they see the protagonist with their mentor figure and could even target the mentor out of spite.Â
The only time an antagonistâs personality should change is during a pivotal point in the bookâs plot. Maybe the put-together antagonist shows off their frustrated side when the protagonist outwits them, maybe they let out maniacal laughter when the protagonist asks them about their motives.Â
Itâs important to treat your antagonists like humans and consider how a person with that personality would realistically react to the situations they are in.Â
Avoid Creating A Stereotypical AntagonistÂ
Nobody likes an overdone cliche. When writing your antagonist try to avoid creating stereotypical villains. Here are a few examples of stereotypical antagonists and how to avoid them:Â
The Evil Mastermind: Instead of making the antagonist an all-powerful villain with no weaknesses, give them flaws and limitations that can be exploited by the protagonist. Make the antagonist's motives more complex than just wanting to take over the world, and consider giving them a personal connection to the protagonist or a sympathetic backstory.
The Brainwashed Henchman: Rather than having the antagonist control their minions through brainwashing or mind control, make the henchman have agency and free will. Consider making the henchman conflicted about their role, or have them question the antagonist's motives and methods.
The Vengeful Ex-Lover: Instead of making the antagonist a scorned lover seeking revenge, consider giving them a different motivation for their actions. For example, the antagonist might be seeking revenge for a perceived betrayal, or they might be trying to protect someone they care about.
The Unfeeling Machine: Rather than making the antagonist a cold, calculating machine with no emotions, consider giving them a personal stake in the conflict. The antagonist might be acting out of fear or desperation, or they might be struggling with moral dilemmas related to their actions.
The Crazy Cult Leader: Instead of making the antagonist a stereotypical cult leader with a group of brainwashed followers, consider giving them a more nuanced personality. The antagonist might genuinely believe in their cause and be able to convince others to follow them, or they might be struggling with doubts and conflicts within their own ideology.
Avoid âOne Man ArmiesâÂ
Letâs be honest, one evil wizard cannot destroy your protagonistâs entire world by themselves. Just like protagonists have mentors, allies, coworkers, friends and sidekicks your antagonists need to have allies too. Voldemort didnât conquer the entire wizarding world by himself right after graduating from Hogwarts, he instead built his troops and only fought Dumbledore once he was ready.Â
When worldbuilding for your novel itâs important to create some semblance of character development for background antagonists as well as the lead antagonists.Â
I hope this blog on how to develop a memorable antagonist will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday. Â
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?Â
Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Hayaâs book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday
Plotting by J.L. Bell
So you want to make an OC?: A Masterpost of Ways to Create, Develop, and Make Good OCs!
i made this masterpost in hopes that it helps you in making your own OCs ah;; it can also apply to developing RP characters i suppose! if youâd like to add more resources then go for it sugar pea (´ăŽ`)!
How to Write Better OCs:
basic tips on how to make your oc even better
tragic backstory? learn how to write one/make yours great
writing specific characters
a wordier, great guide on how to develop your character
kick out those vague descriptions and make them AWESOME
Character Development:
how to actually make an OC
Q&AÂ (to develop characters)
more Q&As
giving your character a backstory
how to write an attractive character
Diversity
adding more racial diversity
avoiding tokenism, AKA, how to add diversity to your cast not just because you âneedâ it
writing sexuality and gender expression (doesnt include non binary, if you have a good ref to that, please add on!)
masterpost on writing more diversity into your story
cultures of the world
guides to drawing different ethnicities (not just a great art reference, but also really helpful in appearance descriptions!)
Villains
villain generator
need an evil sounding name for your evil character? bam
villain archetypes
whatâs your villainâs motive for being a villain?
Relationships
character perceptions (What your character thinks of themselves and what others think of them)
how to write strong relationships between two characters
8 ways to write better characters and develop their relationships with others
OCxLove Interest HandbookÂ
develop your couple with good olâ Q&A!
how to write realistic relationships
how to write relatives for your characters (this is more OC related to a canon character, but will help in writing family members in general)
ARCHETYPES
12 common archetypes
8 archetypes for male/female characters
female archetypes (goes pretty indepth from two main categories)
a list of archetypes
NAMES
how to name your character
random name generator
most common surnames
surnames by ethnicity
APPEARANCE
tips for better design
basic appearance generator
pinterest board for character design (includes NSFW and images of skeletons/exposed muscle (?) so tread carefully!)
clothing ref masterpost
DETAILS
give your character better powers
a list of professions
proactive vs reactive characters
positive and negative traits
interest generator
skills generator
motivation generator
123 ideas for character flaws
list of phobias
again, this is to help inspire you or help establish your OCs! i hope you get a lot of info and help from this ahh ( ´ â˝ ` )ďž
How to structure a chapter
Writing a chapter for the first time can be overwhelming, because well⌠what actually makes a chapter?
Really, itâs entirely up to you. But I know thatâs useless advice, so here are some steps I personally use to help you structure your chapter effectively
đ Step 1 - Determine the main point of your chapter What is a singular plot point, event, character arc point, or relationship progression/regression that you would like to dedicate this chapter to?
đ Step 2 - Determine the change What changes in this chapter? Whatever event you decided to tackle, it should show a different situation at the beginning of your chapter from the end. What happened that changed that initial situation you opened with?
đ Step 3 - Determine the scenes Now that youâve got the main idea of your chapter down, and you know it showcases a change, you can get a bit more detailed with it. Separate it into scenes by thinking of the locations where this change takes place. Each new location = a new scene.
đ Step 4 - Determine the beats Beats are an even smaller story structure element than scenes. Itâs anything important that happens within a scene, itâs anything worth noting down. Here's an example of a simple chapter breakdown â
Chapter 1 Annieâs first day at school after a car accident she was involved in the previous week. She goes from accepting help to proving she doesnât need it.
Scene 1 (bus)
Annie is hesitant to get on the bus
With the help of her best friend, she manages the trip to school
Scene 2 (class)
teacher is shocked to see Annie back so quickly
Annie feels annoyed by the extra attention on her
Scene 3 (lunch)
Annieâs friends treat her as if sheâs going to break
the drama teacher comes by to announce a new play, but tells Annie sheâs excused under the circumstances
Scene 4 (hallway)
Annie signs up for the lead of the project to prove sheâs fine
By the way...
Plotterâs Almanac is dropping in just 4 days! This book will guide you in outlining your project from beginning to end, and shine light on the things you should focus on when you actually start to write!

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Terms every writer should know
Hereâs a quick cheat-sheet to some common terms you may run into during your writing career!
Alpha reader: A person that reads the manuscript with the knowledge it is unfinished and provides content feedback & support (like a coach, mentor or friend).
Beta reader: A person that reads the manuscript for the purpose of finding plot holes, sensitivity issues, and provide feedback, pre-publication.
Back matter or End matter: Additional content at the end of a book, such as acknowledgements, author bio, afterword, etc.
Front matter: Content preceeding the beginning of a book, such as publication information, dedication, title page, table of contents etc.
House: A publishing house.
Developmental editing: Editing that helps develop the content of a book, point out logic, inconsistencies, and focus the idea.
Line editing: Editing that helps the consistency and concision of the authorâs style, finds redundancies, and fixes grammar.
Copy editing: Editing that focuses on grammar, punctuation, spelling and vocabulary.
Passive voice: In passive voice, the subject is the person or thing being acted upon.
Active voice: In active voice, the person or thing performing the action serves as the subject of the sentence.
Flash fiction: Extremely short stories, usually of up to 1,000 words.
In medias res: Starting the narrative from the middle of the story.
Deus ex machina: Term for a common trope where all issues are resolved by a god-like force, typically when one writes themselves into a corner and cannot resolve the conflict in any other way.
Head hopping: A common error in narrative perspective, where the writer gives access to internal thoughts of two or more characters within a scene.
Dialogue tags: Sentences that frame dialogue to let the reader know whoâs speaking.
Story beat: A structural element of narrative that signals a shift in tone, plot, or character. Can be used for chapters, scenes, and outlines.
Pacing: The rate at which a story progresses.
Pinch point: An event in the plot that adds pressure to the characters.
Plot point: A major turning point in a story structure.
Logline: The story summary in one single sentence, much like a premise or an elevator pitch.
Synopsis: A detailed description of a storyâs plot, for the purpose of sharing with literary agents.
R&R: Revise & resend: A changed or revised manuscript requested by agents or editors.
Manuscript: The main body of an unpublished book.
Shelf time: The time during which you set aside your project to come back to it with a fresh perspective.
Zero draft or vomit draft: A draft written by the author solely for themselves, used to get the story out on the page without external pressure.
Exposition: Where background explanation about the story, world, or characters is provided.
Subtext: The meaning behind the text, the dialogue, the plot, or the characters.
MC: Main character.
Motif: An image, phrase, or symbol repeated throughout the book for thematic significance.
Theme: The moral statement, argument, or question at the heart of a story.
Trope: A cliched story element, particular to certain genres.
Save the post so you can find them easily đ
10 ideas for character personalities
Creating unique and interesting characters is essential to any good story. Here are some ideas for character personalities to help you develop your own characters:
The Rebel: A character who defies authority and rules, often causing conflict but also inspiring change. Stubborn, working for a greater cause, but often ignores those closest to them.
The Optimist: A character who always sees the bright side of things, even in the darkest of situations. They might be the comic relief, and theyâll tend to be naive in dangerous situations and often put themselves at risk of heartbreak because they see the best in people.
The Pessimist: A character who always expects the worst, often bringing down the mood of those around them. They might be very sarcastic, witty, and grumpy, and they can only be handled well by certain characters - they match well with softer, laidback personalities.
The Perfectionist: A character who strives for perfection in everything they do, often to the point of obsession. Theyâll never really be satisfied with anything they achieve, no matter how good it is, and they have trouble with friendships and relationships.
The Joker: A character who uses humor to cope with difficult situations, but may also use it to mask their true feelings. They often feel a lot worse than they let on, and they put others ahead of themselves.
The Loner: A quiet character who prefers solitude and may struggle with forming connections with others, though they tend to be quite emotionally smart and observant.
The Leader: A character who takes charge and inspires others to follow them, but they can get carried away with the power in their hands. Theyâre confident and they know it, and they often end up hurting people with their behavior.
The Follower: A character who prefers to take direction from others and may struggle with making decisions on their own. These are often very passive characters who rely on help from others - typically from one specific protector.
The Nurturer: A character who is caring and compassionate, often putting others' needs before their own, and making sure that everybody else is happy. They have people-pleasing tendencies and will hide their own opinions if they find it might upset others.
The Adventurer: A character who is always seeking out new experiences and challenges. They may be impulsive and thrill-seeking, but also courageous and resourceful.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Remember, the key to creating memorable characters is to make them unique and multi-dimensional, beyond the archetype of personality that they fit into!
The Character Bible and my two other Writerâs Toolboox are dropping in just 8 days! Theyâll have masses of resources, materials, character theory and even customizable character sheets.
This is why you struggle to sit down and write
Struggling to sit down and write? You're not alone! Embrace the messiness of your first draft and focus on making sense of it in the second. Letâs dedicate ourselves to healing our writer mindsets this year! It's all about finding your own little methods of getting the words out.
Writing is a daunting task! It is easy to put off writing because it can be a time-consuming and challenging task. Accept the simple fact that WRITING IS HARD.
You may be worrying that your writing won't be good enough, which can be a paralyzing fear that keeps you from even starting. It is natural to want your writing to be the best it can be, but striving for perfection can lead to procrastination and self-doubt.
Embrace the fact that your first draft is going to be sh*t.
The second draft is where you actually want to aim for your story to start making sense and clicking together, NOT the first.
So what do I recommend?
Dedicate yourself to heal your mindset as a writer by:
Blocking in time to write and respect it as a plan
Treating off-page work & prewriting as productive work on your novel
Eliminating distractions while youâre writing
When you run into a wall, figure out why (go back to your off-page work and figure out what isnât working!)
Accepting that the first draft can be a mess (it will be!)
Keeping notes of changes you want to make for your second draft
Finding a method of writing that keeps the words flowing (by hand, typewriter, freewriter, screen off, etc.)
Despite the plethora of advice that tells us our first draft doesnât have to be perfect, we still fall into that trap because we think - well, that doesnât apply to me, right? Iâm capable, so it has to work first time.
It doesnât. It wonât.
Even multiple-times published authors struggle with their first drafts, but theyâve all got their own little methods of getting the words out!
Go and find yours.
Characters Contradict Themselves (w/ examples!)
People contradict themselvesâand so do characters. In fact, in the last alternative character creation I shared with you all, a prime step to creating your character is to come up with their contradiction. What could cause them to completely go back on their core characteristic?
This is an important step to creating any character because itâs a super easy way to create depth in characters. The fact is, people are never truly just what they seem on the surface, people contradict themselves. The super nice person gets touchy around mention of their family, the outgoing person never talks about their secret insecurity. Itâs in-line with creating a secret for every character, but think of something that seems nothing like themâand yet still makes sense.
When contradictions come to me, they come as additional character traits. Itâs an of course! Moment. Donât try to force it. When I was younger I intentionally added lots of different contradictions, but all it did was create the sense of a wish-washy character that couldnât really be known. So a contradictionâcontradicts... but it still makes sense, you should feel it lines up with your character, it just adds a bit of layering.
Some examples:
1. A socially anxious character speaks up for their best friend.
2. A confident character breaks when people dislike them
3. A mean character is really kind and fun with their younger nieces and nephews
4. An isolated character loves thrills
5. Two characters directly contradict each other and yet get along perfectly
And alwaysâif itâs not working, just change it! Thereâs no consequences to trying different things and seeing what works. Good luck!
there's something so compelling about stories where a character's virtues intensify into flaws that lead to their downfall. loyalty and love becoming so all-consuming that compassion outside of them ceases to exist. duty overwhelming any moral compass until order becomes more important than justice. selflessness so intense it becomes self-destruction. let me watch while whatever saved the hero in the beginning destroys them. let me see them fall to their own worst impulses disguised as what once made them good.

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How do you make a character's backstory? Not what it needs but if you need to write it very detailed, simple or complexed for example
Guide: Character Back Stories
What is a Character Back Story?
From the day youâre born, you begin racking up experiences that are a result of your environment, the people around you, and the things that happen to you. These experiences, and how they affected you, play a huge role in who you are at every stage of your life by influencing things like: personality, likes and dislikes, hopes and dreams, pet peeves and fears, wants and needs, skills and career, hobbies and interests, knowledge and the choices you make are all affected by your previous experiences. All of those things can be transformed over and over again throughout life, especially when we go through âlife-changingâ experiences.
We want our characters to feel as real as possible to our reader, so a part of creating a realistic character is understanding their personal history and the effect their past experiences have had on who they are when the story begins. In fact, part of the point of stories about people (both fiction and non-fiction) is to examine how their experiences (or, more importantly, a life-changing event) changes who they are. Thatâs what we call a âcharacter arcâ in fiction.
How Do You Figure Out a Characterâs Back Story?
Different writers have different processes for figuring out a characterâs back story. Some writers like to create a fully fleshed out character and then figure out how that back story affects how they move through the plot. Other writers like to plot out how the character will move through the plot, then figure out what experiences might have led to those beliefs, desires, experiences, etc. And some people (like me) do a combination of the two, creating a basic framework for the back story, but tweaking and adding things as they become necessary throughout the story.
Cause and Effect: Experiences and Impact on Choices
Since your characterâs experiences affect who they become and the choices they make, itâs important to consider the cause and effect relationship between experiences and choices. First, letâs look at a possible experience and see if we can brainstorm some possibilities for how it might affect the characterâs traits:
Letâs say your character survived a bad flood as a child. How might that experience impact the following traits?
Personality - they might be a little high strung and panicky because they never feel truly safe in their environment.
Likes and Dislikes - they might like things that feel safe and secure. They probably dislike things that involve being on or near water.
Hopes and Dreams - they may dream of living someplace inland where there arenât a lot of lakes and rivers. Or, maybe they dream of a career where they can prevent future floods.
Pet Peeves and Fears - they might be annoyed by people who enjoy water-related activities like fishing and boating. They might be afraid of big bodies of water and avoid being near it at all cost.
Wants and Needs - they might want or even need things that keep them away from bodies of water, like if they have to visit a place normally accessed by boat, they might need to find an alternate route, like flying or taking the long way by road.
Skills and Career - they may have acquired any number of survival skills during the flood, such as performing first aid and CPR. They may have enjoyed administering first aid during the flood, so they might choose a career as a first responder or medical personnel.
Hobbies and Interests - probably none of their interests and hobbies involve being on or near water. But maybe they have a strange fascination with painting bodies of water, or with reading about shipwrecks.
Knowledge and Choices - they may have a lot of knowledge about floods, why they happen, how things go wrong, what to do and not to do in a flood, laws and regulations meant to prevent flooding, knowing how water impacts the body, etc. And they may make choices that lead them to any of the above or away from them, as necessary.
These are all things you can brainstorm with a little thought, imagination, and research. But, if you can get a hold of The Positive Trait Thesaurus and The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, do it⌠because these handy writing reference books not only walk you through potential causes of various traits, they also provide the behaviors and attitudes that commonly result from them. Knowing that helps you understand how your characterâs cynicism affects their choices and moves them through the story.
How to Implement Back Story as You Write
Since you have fleshed out the cause and effect of your characterâs experiences, you can start to look at things that happen in the story, then figure out how that resulting trait impacts any particular thing they have to say or do. You can do this systematically during the planning process, or you can do it as you write, always keeping in mind how these traits impact their choices.
How to Flesh Out/Organize Back Story Details
Your characterâs back story should be a part of the overall character development you do when you create your character, so how you flesh out and organize those details will depend on your planning process. You may want to include back story details in an overall character summary, or you might include them in a character profile. You can find templates for these all over online, just be cautious of templates that are too detailed. No one cares what your characterâs favorite gum flavor is, or whether they prefer glue or tape. Try to stick to fleshing out details that matter in the story, and the same is true of back story details.
Good luck with your story!
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