what is, in your opinion, the best way to world build? how can you avoid writing a bland, archetypal universe or copying an already existing one? sorry if I’m not being clear, haha, and thanks so much!
Hey there, thanks so much for your ask! I honestly love talking about the world-building process, so I’m really glad you sent this; let’s dive right in!
Best Way to World-Build?
In my opinion, there isn’t a best way to world-build. The “best” process depends on what is needed and what you’ll actually need to know for your writing. What follows isn’t necessarily what I would call the best way, but it’s a good way to cover your bases and opens up a lot of options for going in-depth with details. (It’ll be a bit of a long list, but definitely worth it in the long run.)
For each country you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
Name
Capital and major cities, and locations
Border shape
3 most common landforms
Historical sites or places that mean a great deal to the people living there
General economic scheme (ex. capitalist, Communist, Socialist, etc)
Most important laws
Major differences from the character’s homeland
Military setup (different branches, enlistment age, etc)
Climate
Relations with surrounding countries
Societal norms (gender roles, public & professional behavior, etc)
Stance on LGBT+ rights, and treatment of LGBT+ people
Most and least respected professions
Common religions
Stereotypes about this country (any and all)
Common pastimes and hobbies
Popularity of sports, movies, and other forms of entertainment
Genres of music (and possibly stereotypes of people who listen to them)
Language(s) spoken
Beauty standards and the commercialization of them
Commercialization that feeds off of the peoples’ insecurities
For each city you’re going to include or mention in your story, think about:
The “aesthetic” (think of it the way NYC’s aesthetic is taxis, skyscrapers, and nightlife)
Public opinion of street performers
Any recreational centers and common activities
Popularity of a town counsel or the idea of opening to the public for improvement ideas
How well-known the city is by everyone around it, or how much of a tourist attraction it might be
State of educational buildings
Percentage of unemployment versus those who are actively searching for jobs, and how this affects the city’s reputation
3+ popular businesses, maybe food or clothing stores
The way business is generally conducted
Opportunities for nightlife (etc. bars, night clubs, etc)
Usual daytime attire, usual nighttime attire
Any sort of tradition (ex. sharing dreams in the morning, praying before meals, etc)
Stance on more advanced technology
Treatment of different age groups
Again, cliches and stereotypes that might exist of people who live there
Most common architectural style (ex. modern, Victorian, etc)
Commonly seen colors
Any inflation that might exist, local economic troubles
People’s opinion on the government as a whole (then in-depth, if you want)
As you can see, these two lists are very open-ended. I can’t go too far in-depth with world-building ideas and explaining, because it’s all up to you to create this world. Every single item on this list here can be expanded into tons of different things, but if your goal is just to cover your bases and explore needed details then I think this would be a good place to start.
Making Your World Distinct
This can be pretty tough, honestly. There’s (almost) always a world themed around something out there that’s probably more well-known, famous even. Let’s start with everyone’s favorite wizarding world, that of the Harry Potter books. Your world can be as interesting and different as it gets but because it includes wizards, someone out there is always going to relate it to Harry Potter. So how can we avoid this?
There’s one proven way to this this, especially if you don’t want to change your world. Accentuate any and all differences that would set your story apart from a more well-known world. Maybe our wizards’ spells depend on a material transaction, or they won’t work. Maybe there’s some sort of wizarding god who must be pleased to cast a successful spell. Not so much like HP anymore, huh?
Just remember, there’s a huge difference between world-building through details and world-building through exposition. Both are acceptable, but both have their own appropriate time to be utilized. Take a break from telling the reader flat-out how this thing works, and instead reveal it through the world’s details. Not only does this help treat your readers like the competent individuals they are, it also immerses them so much in the world that there isn’t much of a chance to compare your world to others.
Tl;dr—World-building isn’t really something that can be explained for you by someone else. There are certainly questions that exist to help you, but following a guide that works for someone else might not work for you. Explore the details! (And let the reader explore them, too!)
Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. –C.S. Lewis
I found this great piece of writing advice from C.S. Lewis on twitter today.(courtesy of @thatboycanteach)
I know the phrase “show don’t tell” confuses a lot of people who are new to critiquing/workshops, because all writing is telling… isn’t it?
But this is exactly what writers are talking about when they use that phrase.
This is also why, when critiquing your work, writers might tell you to remove adjectives and adverbs, or why you might hear that those two types of words are “bad writing.” It’s not that you’re neverallowed to use an adjective or an adverb, but that–like Lewis says–it’s much more preferable to beterrified, than to be told something is terrifying.
Whenever you tell your reader what the characters in a story are experiencing, instead of letting your reader have an experience alongside your characters, you miss an opportunity to invite your reader into the story. If you miss too many, eventually your reader will stop waiting for their invitation and simply leave.
Try to describe the character in a wider setting and gradually narrow to a specific location. Go from a description of the country/state/region, then move to the town, then neighborhood of the town.
You may also want to go from physical setting to the population by describing the type of people who live in the town. This is a common way to transition from inanimate objects to living beings that think, feel, and care. This starts to give the story meaning.
3. Keep The 5 senses Involved
Think about what the room smells like. What does the sand feel like under the characters feet? Is the edge of mountain cutting into the character’s hands? Describe the way the character’s favorite meal tastes.
For example: She entered the front parlor. Lady MacDougall sat enthroned like Queen Victoria on a blue chintz-covered settee and motioned Elizabeth to take the matching armchair opposite. The salmon-painted walls made the duchess’ white hair glow pink. Elizabeth flinched when a log shifted in the blazing fire in the enormous fireplace surrounded by the marble the previous Lord MacDougall had brought back from Egypt himself.
4. Don’t Let The Description Get In The Way Of The Story
The setting should enhance the story, not block it. This can happen if you stop in the middle of the scene to provide a lengthy description of the world around the characters. Instead of providing separate setting description in the middle of a scene, describe the setting through the characters’ actions. The setting should be integrated along with what the characters are doing.
For example, if the character is running from a vampire in the woods, don’t stop and describe how scary the woods are. Have the character notice how dark it is and the lack of sound. Have the character trip over an exposed root and get a cut on her cheek from a branch. Focus on how the character can’t see anything, but can hear the footsteps behind her. This incorporates the setting with the action so it doesn’t block the story.
5. Show, Don’t Tell
“Don’t say the old lady screamed, bring her on and let her scream.”
- Mark Twain
To do this, use vivid language. Choose nouns and descriptive adjectives to describe the setting. Use concrete action verbs.
Telling: The girls were excited.
Showing: Giggles and screams filled the arena. The soft curls were now damp with perspiration and the anticipation of the event. They held tight to each other in a mock effort to contain themselves. Arms flailed upward, and voices echoed in varying tones. The moment was here.
6. Focus Only On The Important Details
Choosing The Setting
1. Begin With Location
Start by choosing a country, state, region, city, or town. You can be more specific, such as describing a neighborhood or a street. Decide if your location is an urban city, a farm, islands, or mountains.
2. Describe The Room
When you do this, setting helps give meaning to your story.
For example: The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Empty benches rose on either side of him, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures. They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind Harry an ominous silence fell.
3. Time Setting Is Key
Time of day. Does your story happen in the morning, the middle of the day, or at night? Each time of day has a specific association with it. Also keep in mind the different ways that characters may act at various times in the day.
Time of year. Is your story set in the summer, the winter, or the spring? Is it centered around a holiday, like Christmas or Halloween? Time of year can also include the anniversary of a significant historical or personal event.
Elapsed time. Think about the transition of time in your story. This includes hours and even months. You have to describe the passing of time through the setting. This can be time progressing as the story unfolds, or situating the reader within a flashback.
4. Weather
If your story is set in a harsh climate, you need to describe this for your reader. Describe the difficulties of living in the desert or arctic temperatures. Or explain the ease with which someone lives in their beach house.
For example: And after all the weather was ideal. They could not have had a more perfect day for a garden-party if they had ordered it. Windless, warm, the sky without a cloud. Only the blue was veiled with a haze of light gold, as it is sometimes in early summer. The gardener had been up since dawn, mowing the lawns and sweeping them, until the grass and the dark flat rosettes where the daisy plants had been seemed to shine.
5. Geography
Think about geographical formations, like mountains, rivers, lakes, or forests. The character should interact with these things and they should be important to the story. Otherwise, ask yourself why you are setting the story there in the first place.
6. Historical, Social, and Cultural Settings
Think about social and political settings. This is important for a modern or historical story. These things influence the values and actions of the characters.
Cultural settings can include religion, traditions, and community interaction. Population of your location can play into this. Is the place densely populated, or is it remote?
Use Character To Describe Setting
1. Action
Have the character react to the setting. This can provide important character and plot development.
2. Experience
A native New Yorker would describe the subway very differently than someone from a southern, rural farm. Decide whose point of view you want to describe the scene from and why it’s important to get that character’s perspective.
3. Mood
Think about how a high school freshman and senior would view a school dance. The freshman might be excited because it’s her first dance, while a senior may groan and complain about being there. A kid who has been bullied may be afraid of going to the dance in case the people who bully him are there, while the popular president of the student council is excited to see all her friends at the dance.
Plot events can also affect the mood of the character. A forest stroll in the afternoon may be a relaxing event for one character, while another character may be lost in the woods and be scared.
This graph is based on Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
Basically “The Hero’s Journey ‘W Graph’.
I made the top picture by hand and scanned it. I’m sorry about the messy writing as I tried my best to make it as neat as possible, but my penmanship is not the best.
THE FICTION WRITER’S CHEAT SHEET PICTURE DOESNOT BELONG TO ME.
So anyway, I got a few questions about planning stories and honestly I don’t plan them. I just do it from the top of my head–which is very bad, I know. But I am now starting to plan my stories and it does make it a bit more manageable and organized. Soooooo I went researching for tips and found something called Fiction Writer’s Cheat Sheet. I liked the idea of the “W Graph” so I decided to make it by hand in different colors. Then scanned it to have a digital copy to work on it through my computer in a pdf file or if I want to do it by hand I can just print one out. Always make sure to “save as” a different document.
I am not sure if something like this is already out there, but I thought it would be easier to have something printable out there and just plan it out, not having to struggle with the format.
There have been many famous, infamous, and secretive groups within fiction. If you’re trying to create clubs, factions, gangs, sects, guilds, brotherhoods, or any sort of organized group within your story but need a little boost getting the depth and nuances fleshed out, then I’m here to help.
Where did they begin?
Start with an idea. A person or a group of people came up with an idea, a philosophy, a passion. Who were they?
They began recruiting, rallying others (a few other people, or large groups) around their idea. How difficult was this? How receptive were those who heard? How open about their new idea were they?
They formed an official organization. What mission statement did they write? How was a leader or group of leaders selected? How much disagreement was there in the earlier states? How did they find and/or claim a headquarters? What rules did they start out with, if any?
How did they adapt to growth over time? Was the growth fast or slow, if it happened at all? How did rules or structure need to be adjusted as the numbers grew?
If the primary goal or mission was met, how did they adjust and redefine their purpose?
How do they function, once established?
How has their origin shaped who they are as an organization today?
How do they interact with the world at large?
Are they a secret society?
Are they at odds with the law?
Do they run their town/village/country, whether directly or indirectly?
Who can join? What does joining require? Is there a “probationary” period? How are new recruits treated?
Is there any training or education that proceeds (or precedes) initiation?
How are they funded?
Through illegal means
Through the government
Through private donations
Through the church
Through the (legal) work of their members
Do they have an official or unofficial religious affiliation?
Do they have an emblem or a sigil, some symbol of their loyalty. How is that mark treated? How commonly recognized is that symbol?
How free to live one’s own life is a member once they’ve joined? How much of a day-to-day impact does the membership have?
Can they still work their old job?
Have their old friends?
Stay with their families? Or perhaps the families join as a unit?
Keep their home? Perhaps they still live in it, but it becomes property of the guild?
How ubiquitous is the mission statement? Is it quoted frequently?
What is the consequence for leaving the group? Or for disloyalty?
I’m currently writing several of my characters through their own grieving processes- some of whom, due to the nature of their community, have never experienced loss before. Despite having lost close people myself, it surprised me how hard it is to do. The mistake, I realized, was that I was following the five stages of grief for each of them, and what an easy mistake it is to make. Here is what I’ve learned from this:
Firstly, two important things to remember:
There is no such thing as grief being “done right”
Everyone is different: different psychological makeup, different nature, different nurture, different levels of emotional development, different states of mental health. Some know grief, some don’t; some, despite knowing grief well, are beaten down by it every time. Pain is relative, and this means that there is no way to write grief that is strictly correct. The point of this post is to show you how different people react in different ways, and give you pointers on how you might write that, depending on your character. At the end of the day, you know your characters- who they are and where they came from- and so you can take away the skills from this to apply to them.
Grief is not linear, compact, or constrained by time
Someone might not start the grieving processright away, or rocket through the “steps” that we consider today. The five stages of grief we know and use as a model were intially constructed for application to patients who recieved news of terminal cancer; it was then applied to the relatives who recieved news of the death, and finally on to grief in the way we use it today. Although a good place to start, it’s too general and too structured; too focused on five ideals that actually change, depending on the person, or in this case, the character. Grief can lie dormant, for ages, and jump out five years later; your character could have lost their dad two years prior to the plot, and only start to experience the grieving process due to a move of house or some other life change.
Secondly, dismantle their characterization
This is mainly instinctive, especially when you go through revisions and redrafts, and by that point your character is like a close co-worker or business friend, just with a more intimate twist. Personality, however, is important- but not always the most accurate measure of reaction.
Grief is a game-changer
A fierce, proud character could be brought low by the grieving process, or they could rely of bad coping methods. A little denial is healthy, but this character, who has always taken everything in their stride, might suddenly be unable to cope and so burrow inside themself entirely.
In the same way, a character with poor mental healthy might not necessarily break. That is an assumption I come across a lot, and as someone who has had shitty mental health for years, it’s so wrong. Yes, I have anxiety, depression, disorganized thoughts, intrusive thoughts, I dissociate- but did that mean I broke down over a family friend dying earlier this year? No. I coped with it becuase the grieving process is seperate from mental health, and mental health is seperate from personality.
Grief can strengthen the weak, or break the weak. Weaken the strong, and in weakening, teach valuable lessons. Proud characters may not ask for help and so struggle, but they might also realize they have to swallow their pride and get help to process their loss.
Look at the core, fundemetnal characteristics that define how your character acts and consider whether grief will exacerbate these fundementals, or alter them. However, remember that your character’s personality is only the surface consideration.
Finally, Consider the aspects around your character, not justof
This means more than looking at their personality. You also need to consider:
Culture and Religiosity
What are the cultural or religious views around death? Does your character believe them? Is death considered the end, or does reincarnation- or belief in something similar- help bring comfort? Is grief considered a weakness, or death a curse that sticks to everyone affected? Are there sacrificial rites? What rights are afforded to a dead person, if any at all? Life expectancy, mortality rates? Young or ageing population?
Community and attitudes
Is it supportive? Do they all band together around the grieving person? Is the loss shared? Or do they shun people who are struggling with grief? How experienced is this community with loss and greif? Is the community close-knit, or made up of insular families/people? How common is death? (old Cults, new cults, small islands, travelling communities, new communities- they will all have different experiences and attitudes, whether your story is set in a fantasy world, ours, or anything else).
Character roots
Early experience with grief? If yes, has this given them resilience, or was it too much? Supported childhood, or neglected? Good social upbringing? If not, this might make it harder for them to find help or understand that they need support. Stable childhood, or unstable? Accostomed to hardship, or not?
Who was the lost one to your character?
In the grand scheme of things, you’ll be surprised how little this impacts in some ways, and how massively it impacts in others. Your character might mourn a beloved teacher deeply and manage the death of an uncle.
Were they close? Distant family? How much regret is attatched to their death? How often did they see eachother? What part did the lost one take in the character’s formative years? How did they influence your character’s life choices? How long have they known one another? How close did they become in that time? How old was the person? How does your character feel about dying young- unfair, tragic but inevitable?
Antagonists are tricky. Too little work, and the antagonist comes across flat. A flat antagonist is easy and boring, because he or she won’t push the protagonist hard enough. Plus there’s that practice of making fleshed out characters and having interesting three-dimensional people, blah blah.
We all know the saying: Every villain is his own hero. Though I wrote these questions and prompts with famous antagonists in mind, you could actually pose them to your protagonist or other characters (just switch out the protagonist-themed questions for antagonist-themed) and it will still work.
I’ve always found it most helpful to answer questionnaires in my character’s voice, so I have written this addressing your antagonist directly. Try to answer in the way he or she would. You’ll uncover hidden backstory, depth, and softness in your antagonist.
But remember – even something “soft” (like empathy) can be a terrible motivator.
Your Antagonist’s Backstory
Hurting people hurt others. What hurt you?
When was the first time you were frightened by something you did?
When was the first time you experienced pain?
What is the most painful thing you have ever gone through?
Do you have a mentor, or someone you’ve modeled yourself after? Who is it, and why are they so compelling?
Have you killed anyone? Who was the first person you killed? (Alternatively: Who is the person you’ve hurt most?)
When did you feel the most humiliated by someone else?
Tell me about a time you faced rejection.
Is there something you’ve said or done you wish you could take back?
Who (or what) do you miss?
What’s one thing you can never forgive? (Could be an event in the past, or a character trait like lying.)
When did you feel the most accomplished or successful?
When have you felt helpless?
What was the first lie you told? What do you lie about most often?
Your Antagonist’s Habits
What do you do to relax?
Where do you go when you want to feel like you belong? If you can’t get there, where would you like to go?
What do you like to read? What shows do you watch?
What do you daydream about?
What is your weapon of choice? How did you learn to use it?
When you feel uncomfortable, what do you do to cover it up?
What sort of clothes do you wear? Would you make changes to your wardrobe if you could?
Do you have any unusual or advanced skills?
How do you like to approach a problem?
Your Antagonist’s Personal Life
Who are your parents? Do you have any siblings? Are they still alive?
Who (or what) is one person (or thing/ideal) you would never harm?
Who (or what) do you love? Would you call it love?
What is one secret you’ve never told anyone? Would you consider revealing it to another character? If so, who?
What lie do you tell yourself?
What is one silly thing you’re afraid of?
Tell me about your dream vacation.
What is one fault in others you just can’t stand?
What type of people do you like to be around (if any)?
What about you do you feel other people misunderstand?
1.QUEST - the plot involves the Protagonist’s search for a person, place or thing, tangible or intangible (but must be quantifiable, so think of this as a noun; i.e., immortality).
2.ADVENTURE - this plot involves the Protagonist going in search of their fortune, and since fortune is never found at home, the Protagonist goes to search for it somewhere over the rainbow.
3.PURSUIT - this plot literally involves hide-and-seek, one person chasing another.
4.RESCUE - this plot involves the Protagonist searching for someone or something, usually consisting of three main characters - the Protagonist, the Victim & the Antagonist.
5.ESCAPE - plot involves a Protagonist confined against their will who wants to escape (does not include some one trying to escape their personal demons).
6.REVENGE - retaliation by Protagonist or Antagonist against the other for real or imagined injury.
7.THE RIDDLE - plot involves the Protagonist’s search for clues to find the hidden meaning of something in question that is deliberately enigmatic or ambiguous.
8.RIVALRY - plot involves Protagonist competing for same object or goal as another person (their rival).
9.UNDERDOG - plot involves a Protagonist competing for an object or goal that is at a great disadvantage and is faced with overwhelming odds.
10.TEMPTATION - plot involves a Protagonist that for one reason or another is induced or persuaded to do something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.
11.METAMORPHOSIS - this plot involves the physical characteristics of the Protagonist actually changing from one form to another (reflecting their inner psychological identity).
12.TRANSFORMATION - plot involves the process of change in the Protagonist as they journey through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.
13.MATURATION - plot involves the Protagonist facing a problem that is part of growing up, and from dealing with it, emerging into a state of adulthood (going from innocence to experience).
14.LOVE - plot involves the Protagonist overcoming the obstacles to love that keeps them from consummating (engaging in) true love.
15.FORBIDDEN LOVE - plot involves Protagonist(s) overcoming obstacles created by social mores and taboos to consummate their relationship (and sometimes finding it at too high a price to live with).
16.SACRIFICE - plot involves the Protagonist taking action(s) that is motivated by a higher purpose (concept) such as love, honor, charity or for the sake of humanity.
17.DISCOVERY - plot that is the most character-centered of all, involves the Protagonist having to overcome an upheavel(s) in their life, and thereby discovering something important (and buried) within them a better understanding of life (i.e., better appreciation of their life, a clearer purpose in their life, etc.)
18.WRETCHED EXCESS - plot involves a Protagonist who, either by choice or by accident, pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences (generally deals with the psychological decline of the character).
19.ASCENSION - rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise (success) of Protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.
20.DECISION - riches-to-rags plot deals with the fall (destruction) of Protagonist due to dominating character trait that eventually destroys their success.
One of those mandatory reblog. Because, Leslie Jones. Enuf said
Never fear failure, because bad writing is still writing. Take your rejection letters and negative reviews and stack them up in a pile. As that heap of failures rises, climb to the top of it and see how much closer you are to your goals.
Prompt from 11/8/20 - And like the raging ocean, my heart could not be contained.
TW: blood, violence, death
Your skin as fair as summer’s breath, those eyes like dew drops; fresh, bright. The shadow you cast in my doorway at night, as you wake me, drag me into the garden to watch the stars fall. Sundresses, secret smiles, the way you punctuate your sentences with your airy laugh.
Every aspect of you was intoxicating.
Being with you was like walking on air, like flying. You understood me. When we touched, it was electric. But being with you wasn’t enough. It was like an addiction, a craving. You always left me wanting more.
I remember that night, as we lay in the grass watching the tumbling stars streak the sky with light. Your lips, soft as anything, brushed my ear as you whispered. You told me about space, of stars and astrophysics, and all the possibilities that lay out in the void above us.
Each word was a sonnet, your voice a symphony, for me and only me. Only me.
But, then, the stars stilled. You yawned, stretched, and made your leave.
And I was left alone, laying in grass that was now cold without your heat. And once again, I was left wanting more. Needing more.
So the next day, when you visited clutching your wicker basket of muffins, I invited you inside for tea. We sat at the table, across from each other. You wore a strawberry-patterned dress, your hair was carelessly tied back. Beautiful. I couldn’t stop myself from gazing at you, seeing you as only I could.
Sunlight glazed your skin as you spoke, golden rays that shone for you.
It was in that moment I knew that I couldn’t be without you.
So I stood, excusing myself to get a drink from the fridge while you continued to talk, your voice a melody I could hear forever. I turned my back on you, reaching for the cutlery drawer. Silver blades glinted at me, as though daring me, taunting me.
The knife was cold in my hand, but your blood was warm.
In the moments when you drew your final breaths I stared down at the knife, at the scarlet slowly staining your strawberry dress.
A pang of regret, sharp and sour.
What had I done…How could I ruin something so pure, and beautiful? For fear you would leave me?
And now you’ll never leave me. Your skin as fair as summer’s breath, and your eyes of dew will haunt me. Your sundresses, and smiles, and airy laugh will forever torment me.
The silence of your absence will be deafening.
Hey guys check out my latest writing project that I’m doing for my university portfolio X
I’ve read all kinds of posts both from writers and readers lamenting about comments on fic. Authors are upset when they don’t get any, readers don’t know what kinds of comments to leave, etc. And it finally clicked in my brain why I think a lot of people don’t bother writing comments.
And this is what it boils down to:
Writers do not want praise. We just want to talk about our story.
I can’t speak for everyone obviously - but I think the majority of writers don’t care so much for the “omg you’re a brilliant writer!!” comments as much as we just want to hear your thoughts on the story. Even if it’s just your thoughts as you’re reading of “oooh x happened! I can’t believe y said this! What’s going to happen now that z has happened?!” We literally just want to talk about what we’ve written like you would with a friend about a tv show. We’re not out here demanding praise like some entitled narcissist.
While praising our writing skills or writing style is appreciated, it doesn’t need to be said on every fic and every chapter that you read. If you regularly comment on someone’s work that’s telling enough that you like our technique. Readers shouldn’t feel pressured to have to praise a writer’s abilities every time they want to comment.
In the grand scheme of things, talking about the fic/chapter is actually more helpful to us writers instead of spewing praise. It’s the same with artwork. As nice as it is that people tell me “wow your art is so pretty!” it’s a LOT more useful to me to get comments like “I love their expressions!” or “the lighting on this is gorgeous!” because then I know WHAT people are liking about it. If no one ever comments on my backgrounds, I now know what to improve. If most people comment on liking the expressions, I now know the strong points of my art and can use it to my advantage to make even better art in the future.
The same goes for fic. If multiple people tell me they liked a certain part of the story I now know that things similar to that are a hit. It’s feedback I can use to improve the story and give my readers more of what they want. Without that I have no idea what they like about the fic.
Talking with a writer about their story also gives them inspiration!! Nothing gets us more in the mood to work on a fic than to have people wanting to talk about it. A lot of times just talking about one of my fics with someone will give me that push to continue working on it. Getting a comment that just says “great chapter” or “you’re a great writer” doesn’t do much to motivate us to continue that particular fic. But if you talk about the story and the characters it gives us motivation to continue working on it, may even give us ideas for future chapters. I would hope that those of you with “comment anxiety” find this approach so much easier than trying to praise the writer every time you read.
So that fic the author hasn’t updated in forever that you’re dying to read? Talk to them about the fic and the elements of the story! It will make the writer want to talk to you about it and will get their mind thinking about it, hopefully inspiring them to continue where they left off. Fics that are left in silence are more likely to be abandoned or even deleted because nothing feels worse than putting your heart into a story to have no one say anything about it.
TLDR; Writers do not want praise, we just want to talk with our readers about the story itself, and these are the kinds of comments that inspire us to keep writing more.
I recently watched this video posted by @criticalhitstory, about the three-act story structure. If you’re at all interested in writing films, or writing any kind of story really, I recommend you watch at least the first half of this video essay.
I’m not going to hash out everything in this video – I just want to call attention to the first point, which is something that’s fascinated me about storytelling for a while, but I’ve never heard someone else put into words before.
The three-act story structure is not something that was created. It’s something we’ve observed. It is not prescriptive; it’s descriptive. It’s not how a story shouldbe told; rather, it’s how stories aretold.
“The three act story structure is not something that was created. It’s something we’ve observed. It is not prescriptive; it is descriptive. It’s not how a story should be told; rather how stories are told”
This. This is what I’ve tried to convey to people so many times. The three act structure isn’t some marketing scheme designed to shoehorn your story into a cookie cutter mold, it’s the product of a millennia of human psychology. Learning how and why it is the way it is will enhance your stories rather than restrict them.
I went a big adventure this last weekend and I’ve been spending the last couple days recovering. And we’re also moving out of the country next week, so I’m kinda working on getting everything sorted to get packed and so on. Not very hard, mind, because we still have to exist in this space until we move. So.
BUT. I wanted to respond to @enchanted-lightning-aes and @papercutsunset when they tagged me in Word Finds. Even though one of them was almost a month ago. (I actually just forgot that one because of all the things we’re doing to get ready for departure.)
Anyway, here you go!
act, stumble, warning, pay, rake,beef, proof, and rise
act
Tristan found himself between the much smaller girl and the dangerous Scorpio, arms outstretched. The man returned to his hissing and snarling. Tristan jerked back from a strike of the tail, the actunbalancing him and causing him to fall. Isolde yelped behind him. As the tail drew back for another strike, Tristan spun around on the stair and scooped up the girl, an easy task for his large, muscular form, and bolted up to the main floor of the house.
stumble
Hestumbledupon a page with a sketch of a girl, not much older than the young Taurus. Splotches covered the page, the charcoal smeared unintentionally, a name scribbled along the bottom. His nose stung, eyes wet, and he slammed the journal shut. He remembered her. He remembered her.
warning
Tristan had the morning lecture to agonize over what to tell Jorgus. He settled on warning him of the possible vast cost of horn powder, something that he did not expect the Jones family to have. The bull seemed to accept that and thanked him – thanked him! – for telling him. Isolde joined him for lunch to ask what the spell entailed and if he knew of a way to make some sort of item, a totem that might perform a similar function. In all the excitement of the last several weeks, he had all but forgotten about his father’s suggestion that they locate his mother’s spellbooks to find the spell that recharged the wards.
pay
A sharp inhalation brought him to consciousness, startled out of sleep by the bustle of activity around him. The Wives had just started to get up and pack away their bedrolls, Miss Sherla assigned the task of cooking breakfast. She made sure to cook an extra set for each of the boys. Tristan offered to open one of his jams. Orla advised against it, but Miss Sherla promised she’d payfor it if the others didn’t sell well. The jam made its way around the foggy morning campfire and even Mrs. McTiernan sputtered out an admittance of deliciousness.
rake I feel like I could have this one in a scene, which makes me want to add it.
beef There are a people in this setting with Cattle-like appearances, so we’ve removed cow from the setting. Which means beef wouldn’t be a meat, in-universe.
proof
“So, would you be willing to hunt down whatever is in the woods, Alden?” A smile found her features, a mask that Tristan understood.
The scorpion nodded absently.
“Excellent!” She looked to Tristan. “And when he comes back with proofof the beast’s existence, will you be nicer to him?”
rise
Impact again, this time from a fist, connected with his shoulder. He yowled and spun toward the source of the pain and threw out his own fist. He must’ve dropped his hammer in the initial fall. The moon might rise, give him some semblance of visibility. The heard the crunch of dirt underfoot and held up his arms to block an attack.
There ya go, folks! I’ll leave this as open tag to anyone that wants to participate, seeing as how I’m surprisingly busy. Your words, should you choose to accept the challenge, are: redeem, disappointment, thrust,andinject.
Not sure why I got tagged recently, but @ellierenae knocked on my coffin lid, so here I am. The words I’m meant to find I’ll be pulling from my original WIP, Book 1 of the Zodiac Chronicles, Mystery in Tauri (title subject to change). (I’ve been overworking my chapter 1 because people were paying attention to it. I’m not used to that.)
Thank you for the tag! Let’s get started.
consume
He lingered, letting the Taurus meander slowly. Something about that familiar stranger demanded his attention. He crouched by the porch, anticipating a much longer wait, but before the large Taurus could be completely consumed by the darkness, a lantern emerged from the house. He watched the lantern moved with cold confidence down the steps and several feet away from the structure. The familiar stranger paused and dug into his bag. He removed an item, allowed it to unroll, and muttered a single command word. Hunks of serrated metal along a chain came together and stiffened into a something resembling a cane. The figure adjusted his bag and lantern and continued into the darkness, compensating for a limp with the magical item. Confusion filled the Scorpio at the item, not as familiar to him as the stranger.
(This is in one of the chapters I was banging out near the end of NaNo, so uh… quality bad.)
love
Eli smiled. “Well. Do you mind staying for dinner, Isolde? Did you tell your father you’d be late?”
Silence filled the kitchen, only broken by the sound of gently sizzling meats and boiling potatoes. Tristan furrowed his brow, startled at the sudden tension.
“I’d love to stay for dinner.” Her voice had lost a bit of her excitement, though she had plenty to spare.
The old bull hummed. Something lay beneath the surface of her statement, one that both men recognized. A silent agreement formed between them; they would not ask and she would not tell. Tristan’s curiosity piqued with tales of mundanity from the other children, but he understood the precious need for secrecy from time to time.
(I have the word ‘love’ in my WIP often because Tristan and his father say “I love you” a lot. So I chose an instance that wasn’t… that.)
together
Eli lifted his head. “I thought we had a hunter in the village.”
Isolde nodded. “Oh, uh. Yeah. But Mister Eamon said he hasn’t been able to track the creatures movements for a while now and I… I don’t know if we’d even be able to afford it.”
Tristan sighed and returned to his meal. His father’s brow furrowed. “Isolde, you should let your father worry about these sorts of things.”
Her eyes fell, her spoon tapping against the plate. “He’s… He can’t.”
Eli’s voice softened. “He can’t?”
“He’s… been ill for a while now.” The rest of the table fell quiet, the gentle scrape of metal against treated clay silenced. She continued, nervous. “The… the Doctor has been treating him almost since he arrived and… some days are better than others, naturally, but most days are bad.”
A collection of isolated events came together in Tristan’s mind. Isolde’s melancholy about his father’s blindness, her sudden desire to become leader of the community and prepare herself for being mayor, her puffy eyes that one day at school, her excitement at the prospect of opening the village’s borders. He regarded her, her hands quivering, her nose red, eyes glassy. An epiphany began to crystallize in his heart: every person led a life that he could barely imagine, haunted by just as many issues as he.
And, unfortunately, I don’t have the word obsess in my WIP, though confronted with this knowledge, I may want to use it now. There are plenty of characters that might have an obsession, or appear to be obsessed with something or someone.
I don’t know that many people to tag, but uh… lessee…
