I really want to make writer friends so Iāve recently decided to involve myself more in the online space! Feel free to interact with the post if youāre a writing/writing craft blog so I can give you a follow!
About my writing / favourite genres to read
- Fairytales and folklore are very central in both my own writing and what I enjoy to read.
- Literary fiction with morally grey or even morally reprehensible characters.
- Mythology incorporated into the story.
- Classic and gothic literature are also some of my favourites to read!
- Fantasy (usually classics) and sci-fi, though I donāt write a lot of sci-fi myself.
- Not much of a romance reader, but I enjoy a good romance subplot and period pieces, as well as queer themes!
- Steampunk settings :)
About myself
Iām a huge book lover and folklore enthusiast, to the point where Iām currently studying it in university. Iām also an artist in my spare time, and have an interest in philosophy, psychology and typology! Iām game tag friendly and more than happy to talk about writing craft and personal projects. Hopefully Iāll be able to make posts about my WIPs one day, but Iām hoping to make some friends on here regardless!
Updated with WIPs list!
Matryoshka Doll & Wooden Soldiers (WIP)
A fairytale retelling of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King! Tag: #md&ws
Animal Arbiter (WIP)
A gothic folk-horror novella! Tag: #animal arbiter
The Alchemists (WIP)
A dark historical fantasy set in 15th century Europe! Tag: #alchemists
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There are going to be days (or weeks, or months) where you sit down to write and feel... disconnected. From your voice, from your characters, from your ideas. Like the person who used to write your stories just packed up and left.
They didn't. They're just tired. Here's how to keep writing anyway:
Lower the bar (Until it's on the floor)
You are not here to write something brilliant. You are here to write something. A paragraph. A sentence. A single line of dialogue. Movement matters way more than quality.
Write around the story
Don't force it. If you can't write the scene, try:
ā A character ramble / journal entry
ā A conversation that won't be included in the final draft
ā A list of things the character would never admit out loud
ā A messy summary of what should happen
Engage with the story from a different angle.
Borrow a voice until yours comes back
No, not with AI. Read something that feels close to what you want to write, or watch a scene that captures the tone, then write immediately after. Not to copy, to reignite your instincts.
Write the emotion, not the plot.
What is your character feeling in this moment? What are they afraid of? What do they want but won't say? What's being kept from them? The emotion leads, the plot catches up later.
Stop trying to "feel like a writer" first.
You don't write when you feel like a writer. You feel like a writer because you write.
You are still a writer, even on the days it feels distant. Especially then.
I'm not really a fan of overly holistic writing advice (beyond what is reasonable), but I do think that if there is one skill that will aid you in writing more than anything else, it's being able to self-analyse and assess what type of writing advice, techniques, etc., work for you.
The outliners/plotters and discovery writers/pantsers spectrum is probably the most popular example of this. Just from my own experience, it took me a long time to realise that outlining pretty much automatically killed my joy in writing (even though I got into writing by unknowingly pantsing stories!!), so because I was implementing a lot of outlining-oriented writing advice into my repertoire, those techniques would wind up feeling unintuitive and clunky for me. I felt that these techniques didn't do for me what they did for a lot of other people, so I assumed I simply wasn't skilled enough of a writer to implement them correctly; only to realise that my entire writing process didn't really align with what drew me to writing in the first place.
However, I think this concept extends to a lot of other parts of being a writer. For another example, word count goals never really work for me. I end up elongating sentences that don't need to be that long or adding in unnecessary details just to reach the word count goal, and then I don't really like the words that I've put on the page in the end. So, I just don't have word count goals when I write! I keep my word count hidden from myself most of the time :,) For yet another example, I can't fast draft for the life of me. I know line editing as they go can be detrimental for some writers, but for me, I reread what I've written previously to get back into the zone, voice and flow of writing, so if I haven't edited the past few lines, it takes me a lot longer to find my footing in my draft. If I overall don't like what I've written previously on a line level, I have a difficult time assessing if I can feasibly reach the vision I'm trying to achieve.
But all this is to say; these are things I know work or don't work for me. And that's not to say I deny myself techniques that don't normally work for me when they do occasionally work for me, but I think if you're able to pinpoint your general writing tendencies and preferences, you'll also have an easier time searching for advice that suits your writing style in a way that doesn't feel combative!
have confidence in your book. talk about your worldbuilding like you have readers who study it. talk about your characters like people know who they are. get hyped about your projects because excitement is contagious. if you're excited about them, other people will be, too.
I'm really curious about this aspect; how do most writers go about figuring out the endings to their story? :o I'm especially curious about other pantsers who don't know what the ending was going to be like when they began writing their first draft! I always find that the first 2/3 of the story is very clear to me, or comes about very organically as I discovery write, but then the final third/ending is such a blur to me, even when I know what "needs" to happen for the conflict to resolve :,)
I'm afraid my advice will be mostly useless since I'm arguably a "ending first writer." I figure out what I want the ending to be and then I work my way backward, aiming for a good starting point for this end point that I do know. (To be clear I write it start->finish, but my brain works backwards when I plan.)
That said, there are a few questions I like to ask myself to clarify endings that may be useful.
First question: What does the character Want. What motivates them to do what they do through the endeavors you heap on them.
Second Question: Why can they not get what they Want? If the story starts with a character wanting something and ends with them getting it, that's not very exciting or memorable, and the character doesn't have to change. I do not have many definitive normative writing rules, but I think that a character should change, unless they're some kind of Christopher Reeve 1978 Superman and it is the world around them that needs to change.
So, apart from that Doylist reason, why does the character not achieve their Want? Is it because it turns out their Want isn't their Need? Is it because a secondary concern rises to prominence? Is it because the character changes so much in their effort to get their Want that they no longer actually Want it?
Third Question: Not having achieved their Want, what does the protagonist Get instead? See above, how does the protagonist(s) change based on the culmination of their quest. Optionally if you have the time and it's that kind of story, what kind of changes does the protagonist(s) make in the world/status quo?
I mostly pantsed my first serial novel Thereafter: The City After The End, so let's have a look at the questions that I applied as I went
Question 1: Michael wants to save the troubled city of Thereafter, built after an interdimensional catastrophe shatttered countless fantasy worlds, from its many woes. Michael dares not share this, but parts of him hopes it will go as well as when he, as a child, ousted the slaver tyrant The Lightlord from the lands (and burrows) of the molemen.
Question 2: Turns out that being A Good Person or a Hero is dificult when the problems presented are more complicated than pure heroism allows for. Our heroes gets lied to and does some, to the outside observer, pretty shady shit, does it matter that they did them based on faulty premises? Opinions are split.
Question 3:: Michael strikes out on his own on a path that he believes will enable him to do some "dirty but neccesary" work for the future of Thereaftter. It is quite possible he's doing this as a roundabout act of self-flagelation due to his aforementioned shady shit actions.
Now I think this worked out pretty well. Being a structure-head, I also couldn't help but notice these questions fit the three act structure pretty well, with each question coming into focus in the respective acts... kinda, if you squint at it.
Thank you so much for your input!! I definitely find myself using a lot of similar questions to push myself towards the end, interestingly enough, it's just that I normally do that as I start nearing the end, since I sculpt out the ending as I go! I think I more so struggle to find tangible solutions that satisfy the more "meta" aspects of the story. Finding solutions that thematically resolve the story comes to me relatively easily (I often know what needs to happen thematically to both the story and the characters), but then I struggle to come up with concrete and actionable solutions that convey that story. I hope this makes sense, haha.
Just from the way you wrote out your own experiences with Thereafter, I think you managed to find a really nice way to make what I perceive to be the "meta" story (what actions are justifiable if they're for a good cause, does the betterment of the future outweigh the possibly moral lapses of the present, what really makes a hero, etc.), into something concrete that the protagonist can do (doing dirty but necessary work, as you've put it). I'd love to hear if you have any input on this, especially since you're a more endings-first type of writer :,)
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At first glance, you can't even tell there's a shop there. From the outside it looks almost abandoned. The dark brick facade bears the remains of spray-paint someone tried to wash off and the single large window is dark and almost opaque. But the window trim and door have been freshly painted a deep green and the brass knob - why is it shaped like a hand? - opens easily beneath your touch. The inside of the shop is warmly lit, the long and narrow room positively packed with shelves that sag beneath the weight of countless books. On a low shelf a tortoiseshell cat cracks one eye open as you pass, giving you a look that makes it clear your presence is not appreciated, but will be tolerated. For now.
Near the cat's perch you find the following books~
contemporary urban fantasy - action/mystery
A rottweiler shifter named Kerr McKay must clear his name after a thief frames him for a series of break-ins in a series of events that threaten to reveal secrets he never expected to face again.
[First in a planned series]
contemporary urban fantasy - romance [aka paranormal romance]
What's the worst that could happen when hotheaded werefox Temperance Maddox moves in next to overprotective single father (and coyote shifter) Dean Matthews? The two men - complete opposites in every way - could fall in love, of course.
I'm really curious about this aspect; how do most writers go about figuring out the endings to their story? :o I'm especially curious about other pantsers who don't know what the ending was going to be like when they began writing their first draft! I always find that the first 2/3 of the story is very clear to me, or comes about very organically as I discovery write, but then the final third/ending is such a blur to me, even when I know what "needs" to happen for the conflict to resolve :,)
I don't know what most other writers do, but what I tend to focus on, which helps me write what's next, is a mix of thematic identity, consistent characterization, and working through ideas in a lower-stakes space. These help me know what I want the book to be like overall, so I can measure each scene that I may or may not elect to write up to the work as a whole and see if it fits.
Thematic identity is one of the most significant elements of writing a book to me. I never used to think about it much, but for the last number of years, knowing the theme of a book as I write helps me understand what I want out of it. When I understand what I want out of it, the direction the ending is going in is more clear. For example, in Medium Morrows and the Cameo Knight, a theme of the book involves how grief can affect people and how the grieving can connect with each other to heal. The climax was really hard to figure out how to write, and I worried about writing myself into a corner. At some points, I was sentence-by-sentence trying to figure out how to help the protagonist, Myrna, survive and protect her ghost cousin's urn, with no idea of how she would get out of the situation. (I wasn't just pantsing this part... I was underwearing it. ) But thinking on the theme helped me figure it out. Firstly, I knew Myrna couldn't kill the antagonist, because then she'd be causing someone else grief, which would be thematically inappropriate. Also, I knew that connections between the grieving was important in the book. So, I decided other grieving allies could help Myrna. And the scene became a lot easier to write because of that, and upheld the main ideas of the book overall. By keeping the thematic spirit (...pun maybe or maybe not intended) of the book in mind, writing the scenes toward the ending became easier.
Knowing your characters very well can narrow your options too, which is beneficial. If you get stuck, what would each character likely do based on their personality, values, position in life, and aspirations? I've gotten a lot of scenes out of following characters' specific wants. In Priestess of the Seventh Magpie, a character Leigh loves folklore and wants it to be more significant in her life. She is a curious person who is enchanted by folkloric tales and is intrigued by a local cult with an interest in material culture. Though she knows they are dangerous, she wants to be part of the cult. So, toward the end, her subplots are likely going to revolve around trying to become closer to the cult, maybe connecting with and seeking legitimacy from them, and following her heart more than her head about the situations she should be entering. Her character traits informed the sort of scenes that I wrote with her in the end of the book; her potential scenes are much different from those of a character who dislikes the cult, wants to escape, and tries to follow reason (like her coworker Margareta). By the ending third of your story, you will probably know your characters well enough to know what they value and want and how they behave, and letting them follow that can help achieve clarity with figuring out scenes in the story's ending.
Sometimes, the high-stakes feeling of figuring out the ending in a writing document inhibits figuring the ending out. When this happens, I like to take my ideas somewhere else. Sometimes this is to someone I know, sometimes this is in my own thoughts on a bus ride, and sometimes this is even on Tumblr. I did not know, when writing the end of Priestess of the Seventh Magpie, what I wanted to happen to the antagonist, Wilfrid. From my Tumblr drafts:
My two usual methods of dealing with a story villain seem to be "[ran] off somewhere" and "killed dead" and I don't think this story will be the one to let me try out "the heroes hightail it out of there" and I'm really trying to be creative but I'm just leaning toward "killed dead" again. No I'm not redeeming him nothing in his arc gives even the slightest hint of a suggestion that he won't just double down on his [nonsense] if he keeps going. UNLESS. unless. UNLESS. oh you know what
Leaving the writing document for the chapter, where I expected quality prose and serious thought of myself, for the casual nature of the Tumblr post box allowed me to think and realise that there was something in the story after all, which I had been neglecting, that would make Wilfrid believably stop doubling down on his convictions. (It does mean he owes his continued fictional life to a Tumblr post I didn't even post.) Because of this, I figured out how I could write the ending in a way that I wanted to, instead of a way I had done before a lot and didn't really want to do that time too. If trying to properly write your scenes is leaving you against a wall, rambling them out in an informal manner might help you notice key information about your story that can shape the direction the ending goes in.
Between sticking with a thematic identity to inform what will happen, following character traits and goals to their likely end-points, and easing the pressure of figuring it out by working through what you do or don't want from ideas in an informal manner, these methods may be helpful in crafting an ending that was not planned at the beginning of the draft. And I think some of those endings are the most exciting, because they have that element of figuring it out as it goes, that spontaneity, that really helps set the vibe. As long as your ending you come up with is consistent thematically and character-wise with the rest, it can be initially unplanned and still feel like it entirely belongs in the rest of the work.
This was such a thorough and well articulated post, thank you so much for responding! You touched on some things that seem to be common for a lot of us (using themes as the "fuel" so to speak) but I really appreciate this practical advise. I'll definitely try the "informal" method sometime, because I think I have a tendency to overthink and "over-intellectualise" a solution ^^; Even when I have a theme in mind and know what needs to happen to satisfy that theme thematically, I find that putting that thematic resolution into a practical and tangible action is always a challenge. But it's been very insightful to read yours and everyone's methods :,)
I'm really curious about this aspect; how do most writers go about figuring out the endings to their story? :o I'm especially curious about other pantsers who don't know what the ending was going to be like when they began writing their first draft! I always find that the first 2/3 of the story is very clear to me, or comes about very organically as I discovery write, but then the final third/ending is such a blur to me, even when I know what "needs" to happen for the conflict to resolve :,)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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Tucked in between two buildings illuminates a warm and welcoming light to draw in any passing traveler who seeks rest from their journey. One who steps inside is greeted by the faint scent of oak wood and vanilla. The inside is surprisingly dim, only lit up by stray candles and lights that twinkle like starlight in the dark ceiling. The walls are lined up with shelves upon shelves of books with the occasional stray piece of ink stained parchment that sticks out in between.
Setting: Wintery, early 19th century German and Russian inspired fantasy setting with a touch of steampunk.
This story is a gaslamp fantasy retelling of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King! It explores themes of selfhood, identity and self worth, with a vague nature vs machine theme in the background. It has a romance subplot, but it is honestly very secondary to the larger themes.
Summary
Clara Stahlbaum is forced to prematurely shelf her ballet career after a severe injury. Feeling lost and alone, the former ballerina leaves the comfort of her home in the countryside to help her godfather run his toy shop in the city while she recovers from her mental and physical strife. After an encounter with Hans Peter, a peculiar stranger with wooden hands who speaks of a fairy that can undo all injuries and ailments, Clara is pulled into a plot of curses, tragedy and lost personhood.
Story Tag; #md&ws
The Alchemists (WIP title)
Genre: Historical dark fantasy, adult fiction, dark academia.
Setting: A fictional city inspired by early 15th century medieval Europe, with a hard magic system fuelled by alchemy and humorism.
This universe is essentially fuelled by the principles that medieval alchemists believed to be real, and its magic system borrows from medieval alchemy and humorism. The heart of the story is about processing grief and loss, as well as an exploration of death as a concept. Wendelin and Hamlin have a complicated relationship that serves as a driving force to the story.
Summary
A young and recently orphaned girl, Wendelin is taken under the wing of the eccentric alchemist Nicholaus Hamlin after he hears whispers of Wendelin's accidental and temporary revival of her parents shortly after they had succumbed to a plague that has spread from the outer regions. While Hamlin seeks to teach her everything he knows to unlock all of her potential as an alchemist, Wendelin seeks to learn all that she can to perform a proper resurrection of her parents. Together the pair embark on a quest to create an elixir of life and defy death.
Story Tag; #alchemists
Animal Arbiter
Genre: Gothic folk horror with a pinch of mystery.
Setting: Mid 1970s in the Scandinavian countryside.
Originally a short story that later expanded into a novella.
Summary
In hopes of escaping her burdens at home and earn some money, the twenty-year old Nora Gaarder decides to spend her summer out in the countryside to babysit fourteen-year old Anette Due, a rich man's daughter. During her stay, Nora begins to uncover the history that haunts the local community, and her desperation to find the truth whilst ignoring her own past soon develops into an obsession.
The theme is Bookshops! Large sprawling spaces, basement shops, corner stores, stalls at the market, every variation you can think of, including magical and disappearing.
Hope you're ready to peruse the stands, peek in on every hole-in-the-wall treasure nook, and find some new stories to take home with you! Here's the itinerary, feel free to participate as much or as little as you'd like in the festivities.
This post will be updated for each week, starting with:
Week 1 - the first week of Octoblrfest is all about introducing our vendors, seeking out corner business deals, and decorating for the season!
Wednesday, October 1st: The event opens! feel free to share your own wares with the crowd. Please describe your own book space and the stories you've got to share. (graphics are optional, and you can make it easy on yourself by doing a c/v from an existing post)
Thursday, October 2nd: Get to know a bookshop owner! Check in with another person participating in the event, or simply another writer you've seen around the community that you've never approached before!
Friday, October 3rd: It's October 3rd! Time to click in for the autumn days. Share a moodboard for your feature book(wip) that you've got displayed front and center in your shops.
Saturday, October 4th: Time to relax with some games! Check for the post with event-themed tag games on this day.
Sunday, October 5th: We'll have a hot drinks bar (ask game) where you (and/or your characters) can mingle and find friends(again)!
Monday, October 6th: Let's rep some amazing books. Post a rec list of some of your favorites, and practice writing summaries while we're at it!
Tuesday, October 7th: Dialogue Tuesday! That's a thing, right? The way characters converse can make a or break a reader, so share some of your favorite dialogue snippets from a current book(draft)!
please tag your posts with #the write collective share and #octoblrfest 2025 so I can track and reblog!
(I was late getting the info out due to amorphously seen circumstances, so this may be a slow, small collective of bookshops, but I look forward to seeing your offers nonetheless!)
I've been on a very long hiatus, hence why my feed has slowly been dwindling over time sadly, so I'm looking for some more active blogs that I can follow! I want to see people ramble about their stories and writing craft and characters, so feel free to interact with this post if your blog mostly contains these things so I can give you a follow :,)
Genre: Historical dark fantasy, adult fiction, dark academia.
Setting: A fictional city inspired by early 15th century medieval Europe, with a hard magic system fuelled by alchemy and humorism.
Summary: A young and recently orphaned girl, Wendelin is taken under the wing of an eccentric alchemist named Hamlin after he hears whispers of Wendelin's accidental and temporary revival of her parents shortly after they succumbed to a plague that has spread from the outer regions. While Hamlin seeks to teach her everything he knows to unlock all of her potential as an alchemist, Wendelin seeks to learn all that she can to perform a proper revival of her parents. Together the pair embark on a quest to create the elixir of eternal life and defy death.
Themes: The power of knowledge, scholarly madness and obsessions, defying the laws of reality, processing grief, found family.
Introduction & Context
I've been working on this project on and off during my hiatus, particularly during the non-winter seasons, where working on my main project has always felt a little bit awkward given its wintery atmosphere. I'm also not immune to the dark academia craze, but I felt very compelled to explore the themes of the genre in a historically older setting, even if this is a historical fantasy. I also really wanted to draw from medieval theoretical and philosophical frameworks as the underpinning for the magic system within this story, and I've been having a blast researching all of it! The WIP title is very much a WIP title, as there is already a very famous novel that shares the same name in singular form :,)
Inspirations & Vibes
Old scrolls and and ink stained parchment papers, brewing bubbling potions, ancient and forbidden texts, stargazing, bells tolling in the distance, melting metals and pulverising herbs, gothic architecture, festivals, folk medicine, smell of smoke and blood, dried herbs hung along the walls, worn and torn playing cards, the sunlight peering through stained glass windows, ceremonial magic, hearty warm stew, chalk and blackboards, birth charts, imposing stone walls, performing magical rituals, occult knowledge, divine madness, cobblestone roads, esoteric and archaic text, haunting melodies on the lute, bustling town squares.
Main Characters
Wendelin (18) she/her
A former herbalist and an aspiring alchemist under Hamlin's mentorship. Overly curious and too nosy for her own good, but also deeply empathetic. She's eager to learn, but not so eager to confront the whole dead parents thing.
Nicholaus Hamlin (53) he/him
An eccentric alchemist on a journey to create the elixir of eternal life. Hamlin is a bumbling man with far too many ideas for potions and elixirs he wants to make and too little hours in the day to make them. He's not very forthcoming with his own motivations for doing things.
Though I think it's unlikely that I'll be putting many excerpts of it here, please be warned that this story will involve body and medical horror, dabs of cosmic horror, and depictions of mental strife!
ā¦ If youād like to be added to a tag list for future writing updates/excerpts, please let me know!Ā
Back with yet another lengthy post! Iāve been writing this post bit by bit over the course of many months now due to my sickness, so sorry if itās just the tiniest bit disjointed. But! Iām hoping to gradually ease back into writing longer posts about writing :,)Ā
This post will be covering how to integrate themes and motifs into characters. As with all things, not all the advice below may be applicable to every writing project out there, but Iām hoping this will be a helpful stepping stone to those that are unsure of how to approach something thatās so intrinsically abstract. As always, additional tips and advice are always welcomed and encouraged! Letās all help each other become better writers!
What are Character Themes?
A character theme is typically a more abstract concept that is linked to a particular character. Exactly how abstract this concept is can vary, but these concepts can be big or small, broad or specific, timeless and time-bound, and so on. A character can convey themes of familial love, themes of growing up and finding oneself, themes of growing up surrounded by war and conflict, and so on. Of course, we often want our themes to be a little bit more specific than this, but Iāll be touching on that aspect further down! For now, just remember that themes are usually abstract and conceptual.
What are Character Motifs?
A motif can technically just mean subject matter, but when weāre talking about character motif, we are typically talking about something tangible that represents and/or is associated with the character. Think leitmotif and symbols. If I show you images of mice, clocks and a glass slipper, youād be likely to imagine Cinderella. Not all motifs are necessarily done on purpose, sometimes they are imageries that outsiders have simply clung to in association with a particular character!
However, effective motifs can also be used to convey character themes, and that is what this post will now go on to tackle!
My process for developing Character Themes
No matter how you may want to tackle themes and ideas, a character theme should ideally intermingle and interact with each other, and also interact with the story in a way that is meaningful. As I briefly mentioned above, themes that are too general, vague and donāt interact with the narrative, run the risk of coming off as superficial and something that has been tacked on top of the character, rather than something that is actually intrinsic to them. Because of this, I highly recommend mapping out your charactersā themes and how they relate to the theme of the story. Then, figure out how one characterās theme may clash with other characters within the story.
When developing a theme for my characters, I first look at the general topics that the character covers. I do this by going through their character arcs, their designs, their outlooks and story beats that they go through. After Iāve identified central topics in a more general sense, I begin sorting out specifics. Instead of just sayingĀ āthis character deals with themes of deathā, I sort out exactly how this character explores that theme. The more specific, the better. To do this, I try to think about how each characterās theme relates to the larger theme of the story, and my approach is to tackle it like Iām writing an essay. Bear with me.
If the theme of the story is death and loss, then that is the overall topic of discussion within the essay. Each character represents a thesis to that topic. Character A believes loss and death are intrinsic to life, you canāt enjoy the present and its pleasantries and joys if life is infinite. The fact that this joy is finite is intrinsic to its value, and therefore, death is not something to be feared or mourned. As a result, this character might come off as very cold and apathetic, and not particularly sentimental about objects or people. They accept that everything in life is fleeting and temporary, so this extends to how they deal with relationships. Character A doesnāt ever have to state this theme directly either! When done well, readers can pick up on what Character A is meant to represent through their behaviour and outlooks as they come up within the narrative.
Letās contrast this with Character B. If Character A is a thesis, Character B is their anti-thesis. They believe that death is terrifying, it represent an end to all things good and happy. It serves as a constant reminder that they need to cling to the present, so perhaps they seem overindulgent, or resistant to change, or hesitant to let go of sentimental objects and people, even when holding onto it does them no good or actively harms them.
As Character A and B interact, their ideas will clash and interact. Perhaps they each learn from each other in small ways; Character A learns to find meaning in the present even if they acknowledge that itās temporary and fleeting, while Character B learns to find comfort in temporary joys and letting go of things that donāt contribute to that joy. We could consider this middle ground of themes/ideas to be some sort of synthesis, but some stories might not want such a clean ending. You can also have one ideaĀ ādefeatā the other. Perhaps Character Aās outlook is detrimental to them, perhaps the story is a cautionary tale of being too apathetic to life. Perhaps Character Bās sentimentality is their fatal flaw, maybe it creates a toxic cycle that they cannot escape.
Iām sure there are pitfalls with this method, and if it doesnāt work for you, then thatās perfectly fine! But what I personally really enjoy about this method is that I find it to be very versatile. I can use this when Iām brainstorming a character (or story) for the very first time, I can use this when Iām refining a character, doing developmental edits, etc.
My process for developing Character Motifs
So now that weāve established some character themes for our hypothetical characters, letās look at how we can develop motifs. To do this, I try to distill character themes into keywords that I can hone in on, like this;
Character A Themes: Apathy towards the future, dispassion, moving on quickly, fleeting connections.
Character B Themes: Sentimentality, hedonism, fear of death, fear of the future, clinging to the present.
From there, I normally thought-dump a bunch of things that I associate with those thematic keywords, like this;
Apathy towards the future/dispassion: Cold winters, ice, rusted objects that havenāt been cared for, rot, decay, dark and muted blues.
Moving on quickly/fleeting connections: Empty picture frames, glass hearts, feathers, photographs where the faces are obstructed, fades greys and whites.
Sentimentality/fear of death: Bedrooms with lots of childhood items, fixing broken items, hoarding, warm yellows, retro fashion.
Hedonism/clinging to the present: Grapes, wine, vibrant purples and reds, wearing on-trend clothes.
And then, I take these associations and try to build up aĀ āvisual safeā of sorts for each respective character.
Character A Motifs:Ā Cold winters, ice, rusted objects that havenāt been cared for, rot, decay, dark and muted blues, empty picture frames, glass hearts, feathers, photographs where the faces are obstructed, fades greys and whites.
Character B Motifs:Ā Bedrooms with lots of childhood items, fixing broken items, hoarding, warm yellows, retro fashion, grapes, wine, vibrant purples and reds, wearing on-trend clothes.
The fun part here is that I now have an overview of various imagery and visuals I can borrow from whenever Iām writing for that specific character, but also, I can now scrutinise these associations to figure out how they may intermingle.
Examples of how to further Develop Motifs
One thing that stood out to me immediately is that Character B is associated with both retro fashion and on-trend clothes, which, to me, makes me think of when modern trends revive vintage trends. Maybe this can be represented by the character only wearing thrifted, vintage clothes, yet somehow never seeming out-dated in their styling. I also noticed that Character B carries a handful of associations to Dionysus with their hedonistic motifs, such as grapes and wine, so perhaps I can lean into that and borrow from other motifs associated with Dionysus, such as having a love for theatre. Perhaps their name could be a character name from a classical play to reinforce this, thereās many options!
Since Character Aās motifs include feathers, perhaps I can look into specific types of birds to associate with the character, maybe one that is specifically more solitary, or one that is mainly blue, white and /or grey to suit the colors that are associated with their themes. Perhaps they really donāt like to have their pictures taken, or perhaps the distinctly donāt have any pictures of their friends or family in their home, indicative of their very fleeting relationships and connections.
I also keep an eye out for ways both of the charactersā motifs can interact with each other. For example, I wrote that Character A is associated with rusted objects, rot and decay, while Character B is associated with fixing broken items, because they donāt like to let go of sentimental objects. Perhaps this can be conveyed whenever I describe their respective homes, maybe one is surrounded by decaying and dying objects, maybe they forget to clean out their fridge, while the other is surrounded by well-loved objects that are held together by tape and glue and tinkered to outlive their shelf life. Maybe Character B at some point tries to repair and preserve all the aged objects in Character Aās home; what does this say about their themes and how they intermingle? What does this say about their relationship, what does their relationship represent thematically? What does it mean that both characters are surrounded with beaten down objects, one from neglect and the other from over-cherishing? If you have a good grasp of what motifs and themes each character is linked to, it becomes so much easier to figure out all the little thematic intricacies that your characters interact with in the story!
Using Established Symbolism to your advantage
So, where does symbolism fit into all of this? Motifs and symbolism can oftentimes overlap, and while this post will not be going into the nitty gritty of symbolism, I thought it was worth mentioning that symbolism can be used as a shortcut for motifs. In the example above, I mentioned how I could possibly borrow from symbolism and motifs associated with Dionysus to further flesh out Character B; this is an example of me using established symbolism as a shortcut. If I surround this character with wine and grapes, constant partying and theatre, then a reader familiar with Dionysus is going to be able to pick up on the theme of hedonism and overindulgence relatively quickly without the character having to explicitly ever state such a theme. However, there are two common pitfalls to this method that I want to point out!Ā
1) You run the risk of using symbolism mindlessly and too vaguely.
By this, I mean that you pick symbolism without really understanding why this particular symbolism is associated with that particular theme, which makes it more difficult to really flesh it out in a way that doesnāt seem generic and cliche. This, in turn, makes it easy to accidentally make a theme very vague. Think of hearts, for example which are used to represent love. If you have a character associated with imagery of hearts, and their theme is having a big heart, wearing their heart on their sleeve, etc., then you have a pretty cohesive theme and motif, but itās also very generic. The motif doesnāt contribute to the characterās theme in any meaningful way here.
2) You forget to actually show the characterās theme in any other way.
To add to the point above, when you use established and somewhat āuniversalā symbolism as a shortcut to convey theme, you might forget to actually convey the theme through that character in any other way. Simply having a character surrounded by hearts shouldnāt be a stand-in for showing that the character is overly self sacrificial; you want to make sure that motifs and symbolism is there to contribute to the theme, not to replace it!
To remedy these pitfalls, I have three pieces of advice that have helped myself!;
1) Use established symbols sparingly.
The more general and universal a theme/motif is, the more difficult it is to make it impactful.Ā I find that avoiding overuse of any particular piece of symbolism (whether itās original or a more generic one) to be a really simple way of avoiding this! Symbolism sticks out most when it is used sparingly, because it signals to the reader that this is something to pay attention to. If you want to use imagery and symbolism associated with crows to foreshadow character death flags, then minimising any use of crow imagery outside of that specific purpose will help convey this symbolic connection. Plus, it can be incredibly harrowing when done well; when a reader trusts that the author doesnāt overuse or misuse motifs and symbolism, the reader is also more likely to pay attention to the smaller details and find even the smallest of connections that can pay homage to the themes that those motifs represent. What happens when a reader suddenly reads that Character B, who is so afraid of death, meets Character C, whose motifs include crows?
2) Develop and establish your own symbolism
This is particularly common in world building. We typically associate love with colors like red and pink, but what if love is associated with the color blue in a particular universe? Having a character embellished in various hues of blue to symbolise their associations with love would be a moreĀ āin-universeā motif, but it also makes it stand out a little more to readers. This doesnāt have to be limited to unique universes/speculative fiction either; you can also do this by using motifs strategically in your writing. If youāre writing a literary fiction set in modern day, but you constantly write blue-oriented prose for the thematically love related character, you are creating a subconscious associated between love and the color blue in this specific story. Of course, this is a very simplistic example, but I hope Iām getting my point across :,)
And if you really want to borrow from established motifs and symbolism, try and see if you can develop them further and add onto them, instead of relying on the symbol alone to carry your theme.
3) Interrogate your associations
The truth of the matter is that youāre most likely going to borrow from established symbolisms and motifs, whether you do it consciously or subconsciously, so I always recommend turning inward and trying to interrogate where you have these specific associations from! Even original motifs and symbolisms arenāt created in a vacuum, especially because we pick up on these associations subconsciously bit by bit over time. Interrogating the origins of your associationsĀ is also such a productive way to flesh out your motifs in an organic way, because it could very well inspire other motifs and themes that you want to incorporate into your character!
Random stray pieces of advice
Just pick something to associate with your character and work from that
This post has mostly tackled theme and motif from aĀ ātheme first, then motifā perspective, but this wonāt work for every writer or story, nor does this method always work for me. Sometimes I have a very vivid set of imagery and motifs that I associate with a character from the get-go, and in cases like that, I more or less do the same method as above but reversed. I interrogate what themes and topics I associate with a particular motif and imagery!
Try giving characters a Motif that is opposite to their Theme
I do this especially whenever I feel like my motifs are too generic and basic. Iāll just try and think of what motifs Iād associate with the opposite themes of theirs, and then link that together, and see where it takes me! Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesnāt, but itās a great way to practice thinking outside of the box! I think the paintingĀ āDeathā by Janis RozentÄls is a great example of this, where instead of depicting the grim reaper as an imposing figure dressed in black fabrics that obscure its face and carrying a large scythe, it is instead depicted as a woman dressed in white and carrying a sickle, as she gently inspects a child.
Try giving characters with different themes the same motif
This is a personal favourite of mine. Characters who have different themes but share motifs is an excellent way to figure out how you can stretch and contort similar imagery in different ways depending on which character said imagery is being associated with in the moment. What about a noble family that all share the motif of butterflies, but each individual family member has a slightly different species of butterfly? What does the overall motif of butterflies say about the family as a collective, and what does each individual butterfly species say about the individual family member? Or what about a pair of friends that share the motif of the ocean, but one is cold and murky with violent waves, while the other is a vibrant turquoise with calm tides? What about siblings that share the motif of glass and windows, but those objects only crack after coming in contact with one of the siblings?
- Outro
And thatās that! This post has been sitting in my drafts for an embarrassingly long time (since 2023, actually), and, truthfully, I donāt know how active the writeblr community is anymore, but I was very determined to finish this post, because themes and motifs are some of my favourite topics to think about in writing and character creation!
If you have any questions or additional tips and advice, feel free to add to this!! This is just how I tackle this particular subject, but I know it may not be for everyone, so I always appreciate more input :,) Itās also a great way for me to learn more!
Additionally, if there's any other writing topics you would like me to tackle, feel free to send in an Ask! Although Iām not as active as I used to be, I do still check in every now and again, so I will be trying to get back to people as soon as I can.
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So full disclosure this is about a self indulgent fanfic with a self insert oc lol but anyway I still want it to be goodā¢
The characters of the actual show have super tragic backstories and my oc is just a regular ol girl, but she's still like.. an emotional/sad character, do I need to give her a tragic backstory for it to make sense & for her to be able to connect with the other characters?
Hello hello!! Upfront, sorry for the super late reply; I began answering this almost immediately when it came in, but then I fell ill again shortly afterwards and struggled to get myself to write anything, and I didnāt want to give you anything that was half baked, hence the delay :,) Aside from that, Iāve been good! And been looking forward to tackling your question!
Firstly, my short answer here is no, you donāt need a tragic backstory for a character to be tragic, nor does your character need to be tragic to connect with tragic characters! But I figure youād like something more in-depth, so Iāll try my best to provide something more concrete.
I think itās actually a very good exercise to practice making characters connect despite not having anything specific in common backstory wise. The reason I say this is because I often find that this can be something of a crutch for writers, and thereās a risk of this connection coming off as somewhat superficial. Donāt get me wrong; there are incredibly well written character relationships where part of their bond is shaped by their shared tragedies, but this should never feel like a component that their connection depends on. If removing their equally tragic backstories suddenly breaks their bond completely, then thereās likely something else missing there (the notable exceptions here would be more dysfunctional/codependent/complex relationships). Try and see if you can find some other components than tragedy (such as shared themes, opportunities for narrative foils, opposing or shared ideologies, etc.) that your characters can connect over!
I also think that writers (myself included) can sometimes overemphasise backstories as a "function" for why a character is a certain way. Sometimes, characters can just be a certain way without there being a blatant cause-and-effect in play! Some people are just naturally more emotional and sensitive than others, and have an easier time connecting to other people as a result of that.
There is also an inherent sadness to such characteristics which you might be able to play around with. A character who is very emotional and has an easy time connecting with other characters, but maybe has a difficult time allowing others to connect with her in that same manner. There's a lot of vulnerability that comes with putting in so much emotional labour into other people, which somewhat generates a certain tragedy to her own arc without having to explicitly give her a tragic backstory to justify the way she acts. That in and of itself could be something for your character to connect with other characters (I'm speaking a bit vaguely here, since I don't know what media this is for. Hopefully that's ok!)
A very longwinded answer to what basically amounts to just a "no", but I hope I was able to help you churn some ideas and get the gears going :,) Thank you for trusting me with your question! And again, very sorry about the delay in my answer. If there's any follow-up questions or anything you'd like me to explain more thoroughly, don't hesitate to send in another ask, and I'll do my best to help out!
Hello Lunette! I saw your post about needing advice on how to reconnect with your writing after an absence due to chronic illness, and while I donāt have a chronic illness, I do have chronic depression. Here are 5 tips Iāve learned over the years that have helped me when it comes to feeling disconnected from your writing. Hopefully they help!
Read a book or watch a movie that is similar to what youāre trying to write. Pay attention to how you feel as you read/watch, how the story draws you in, and what kind of imagery/language is used. In what ways is your writing similar to these stories? In what ways is it different?
Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Donāt even look at the old scene- just rewrite it from memory. See if anything changes in tone or verbiage.
Bounce ideas off of friends. Sometimes we just need somebody to sort through the weeds with us. Ask for their honest (but kind and constructive) feedback, and see if they have any insights that can help.
Take a notebook with you everywhere you go and jot down your ideas. Whether itās snippets of prose or dialogue, words that evoke feeling or even journaling! Any writing is better than no writing! Plus keeping all of your thoughts in one spot will help you connect your ideas.
Get excited!!! Make writing fun! Make playlists for your story and/or characters! Make niche memes about your story only a you will understand! Be your own number one fan! Sometimes you just have to let yourself get funky with it!
I hope this helps! If you ever want to talk about your writing or get feedback on something your stuck with my messages are always open! š
Thank you so much for the advice!! I saw this ask when it first arrived into my inbox, but didn't get around to answering it until now; I figured other people might also be able to take something useful away from this ask so I wanted to share it :,) Luckily, I have gotten back into the swing of writing, although I'm (evidently) very far behind on tumblr. With some more experience being a chronically ill writer under my belt, these tips have been very helpful for me, particularly the 4th one. Being chronically ill (physically in my case, but this applies to other forms as well!) means you pretty much never know what your physical/mental state is going to be on any given day, so I've given up on planning my writing sessions and embraced writing more sporadically in my notes whenever I feel up for it, and then assemble it into a doc later.
I really appreciate you and everyone else who's reached out ever since I've spoken up about my health problems. Needless to say, it's been a rough (and lonely!) past year as I'm not really surrounded by other people who have any experience with chronic illness. It's a very alienating experience, but that's what makes online spaces like these very helpful; even if I mostly just lurk nowadays until I can manage to be consistent again. I hope you (and anyone else reading this) have a good writing year in 2024! :D <3
