Dear authors: you have to learn the difference between a bad boy and a bastard abuser.
Um, yes.
For those of you who are confused:
Bad boy: probably poor, doesn’t follow rules because he thinks they are harmful or stifling (”I can’t sit there all day when teachers don’t give a shit if I learn or not”), outbursts are at injustices, fights to defend (”leave them alone/you’re hurting this place leave!”)
Bastard abuser: probably middle class or higher, doesn’t follow rules because he think’s he’s above them (”school is a waste of time I can learn what I need to from books”), outbursts are about things not going the way he wants them, fights to prove superiority or lay claim (”stay off my turf/away from my girl!”)
Also, for their significant others, please learn the difference between being a nice, compromising S.O. and being a borderline or actually abused S.O.
Too many authors write the latter as though it’s supposed to be romantic. It isn’t.
This is awesome! Make sure to be careful with online translators, though-for example I just typed in “I am bored” into the latin translator and got back “i, cibi” which makes no sense at all.
I’M JUST GONNA BE THAT ASSHOLE WHO REBLOGS AGAIN BUT, PLEASE! don’t use use ancient greek/latin translators. if you just want simple words or verbs (for latin at least), use WHITAKER’S WORDS — it’s a secret classicists keep.
i wasn’t aware of this but YES DO AS THE TWO ABOVE SAY :)
We usually write royal families based on the modern or medieval ones of history. We almost always fall into the trap of Male to Male succession because… that’s usually what is done. We get confused over who is next when you kill off a cast of characters or have a strong female lead and we fall into a whole. But no longer. Here are some succession systems you can use in your fantasy setting.
Male to Male Primogeniture
This is when the firstborn son inherits everything outright from his dad. His son will inherit after him followed by his grandson and so on so forth. This is our main system of succession in real world history and fantasy. This can be an easy one to work off since there are so many examples. However, just as the real world is run by genetics, so will your fantasy land. There is a 50-50 chance of having a daughter or a son. You can’t always bank on having a son. And if you have a surplus of sons, it can lead to trouble down the road.
Female to Female Primogeniture
There are some cultures that are strictly matrilineal, with inheritance passing to mother to daughter to granddaughter and so on. This can be another easy line to follow as it is basically the system up above just gender reverse. Examples of this succession can be found in Africa such as the role of Rain Queen where only females are eligible to take the throne and the Undangs of Negeri Sembilan in Asia. There are the same kind of issues such as the possibility that a daughter may not be born.
Tanistry
This is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. The Tanist/ Tánaiste is the title bestowed upon the candidate chosen to inherit the throne who acts as a second in command. The eligible candidates would arrive at a chosen place and there would be a grand discussion on who gets to be named the heir. The candidates don’t have to be a blood relative or even an ally of the current ruler. This was practised in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Mann and was also sort of practised in the Holy Roman Empire. The Vatican uses this to some extent though they might forgo all the drink… OK probably they do. There is no real issue with this, the best candidate is chosen and everyone has a say. Of course in politics, some force might be used in order of specific favourites to succeed but hey its nothing more than what’s going on in modern politics.
Agnatic Seniority
This is another patrilineal inheritance system only this one is slightly more confusing. In this system, the succession goes from monarch to their younger brothers and then the monarch’s own sons. The monarchs children don’t inherit until the older generation have all died. Agnatic seniority bars all female descendants and their descendants from the throne.
The Ottoman Empire’s Version of the Hunger Games (or just what siblings are like)
The Ottoman Empire had a fun succession order. Oh, perhaps not order. You see when a Sultan dies, his sons fight over who gets to be the next Sultan. The Şehzades (the male issue of the Sultan) will turn on one another, often having all their brothers and half brothers massacred by guards armed with bowstrings. This fratricidal system did work in the Sultan’s favour as his throne was safe from claims of rivals. Yet if you get rid of all your heirs and you can’t sire one and you die… well bye bye dynasty. The Şehzade who usually comes out on top will be the one who is backed by the military. This practise became less awful as years went by and the brothers of the Sultan were imprisoned in the harem in chambers called the Golden Cage or kafes. Some went insane and some actually succeeded the Sultanate.
Roman Adoption
The Romans didn’t follow blood but rather the surname. Like the tanistry, a Roman noble/emperor would take stock of their relatives or even perhaps acquaintances and pick the best one. They would be given everything in the will including the right to inherit. Julius Caesar picked his great-nephew Octavian and in turn Octavian, now Augustus Caesar, chose his step-son Tiberius. If you go back through the Judo-Claudian dynasty you will see that most the heirs were adopted and not all came from the same bloodline.
When I was little I was taught to not start multiple projects at once because I’d get confused or mess them up or end up half-assing them.
I was taught when I start doing something, to finish it and then start up with something new.
It took me years to realize that while this is a good way to do things, it doesn’t work with creativity. There are so many stories that I never even thought to write down because I was scared that if I wrote two things at once I wouldn’t do a good job. I was terrified of writing more thing than one, despite having the inspiration and want to do it.
At the start of this year, I decided to take a break. Having written two stories in the last I just needed a break. And then I got inspired. I wrote 60k words and then I got inspired again but for a different story. I was still scared, but I realized something… I didn’t want to lose either of these stories.
So now, I’ve written 80k words on the first one and 20k words on the other. And both of them are so fuckinggood.
I really liked this Writers Write prompt. I couldn’t quite pull off the economy it calls for, so I wrote 50 words each for the beginning, middle, and end.
Title: ConcertinaWC: 150
It started in the facing seats situated in the bend of a bendy bus. A summer fling sparked the moment she caught him snooping the cover of this week’s doorstop library book. The bus creaked around a corner, swiveling…
Write the Year 2021—Week 52: As Long as You and I Are Here
Write the Year 2021—Week 52: As Long as You and I Are Here
Manicure: One of the prompts from Writers Write last week.
Title: As Long as You and I Are HereWC: 700
It is the least I can do. It’s also the most I can do. I am not built for these palaces of femininity. I am not made for gossip and surrender to the will of someone who indubitably knows better than I do. The shiver-inducing delights of being worked on are completely alien to me. I have no…
I liked this prompt from Writers Write, but I didn’t make much of it.
Title: DiscardWC: 500
Odds and ends of yarn. Partial skeins, for sure, but true odds and ends, barely as long as my palm. They conspire to form a hundred tangled, snarling beasts lurking the bottom of bags and the back of drawers. They swallow stitch markers and cable needles and barrel counters whole. Waste yarn they…
Dashed-off flash fiction in response to this prompt at Writers Write.
Title: PM/AMWC: 700
The big hand on the kitchen clock scoops its way toward midnight.
The minute hand, Vi reminds herself. The house is asleep. She needn’t think in terms of big and little, of now and next, of this or that or nothing at all.
The big hand is the one that counts the minutes. It shovels before itself all the…
Just a dashed-off memory in response to this prompt
Title: WailWC: 900
I must have been fourteen. It was summer and I’d gotten what was supposed to be a regular babysitting gig. The kids were a girl my little brother’s age—not quite seven that summer—and a baby, eight or nine months old. Amy and Allison, respectively.
They were half-sisters. It was their mom who hired me, their mom who had…
Got a very late start. Dashed something off to this prompt
Title: Lintel WC: 700
You don’t know that it’s a knock at first.
Nothing much catches your attention, and even when it does—three taps at the precise intervals denoting the polite knock of a persistent stranger—you figure it could be whatever summer insect it is, huge, hard-shelled, and hideous, that’s been hurling itself against the…
hey y'all! today’s post is about writing lovers turned enemies because i am kind of obsessed with this trope (especially if it ends in lovers again, given that it was never toxic). i hope this helps! as always, i am not a professional writer and this is all based entirely on my own experiences and preferences.
their past relationship
if they started at lovers, there is definitely something that they had in common. it could be a common cause, music taste, personalities, interests, or even a friend group. they’d also probably know a lot about the other person, and would keep pointing out things that they remembered - such as the way their mouth moves, hand movements they do, the way they walk, their tone of voice, etc. since they’re later enemies, this is also really important because it could lead to things like their fighting styles being predictable etc. but i’ll elaborate on this later.
the end of their relationship
the end of their relationship is also really important to keep in mind. what caused them to fall apart? was it mistrust or a misunderstanding or a betrayal? do they hate each other for it now, or was it forgiven?
is their breakup the reason that they are enemies, or is the fact that they’re enemies what caused them to break up? (chloe gong writes the latter really well in these violent delights!) fleshing out the reasons for their breakup and the events that led to and followed it will give you a solid starting point for the conflict during your story, as well as potential subplot ideas.
also, if this part is backstory, revealing it more slowly will increase the tension!
being enemies
there’s going to be a LOT of tension between the two when they’re enemies because of their history, and this is why it’s very important to establish their relationship right at the start.
as i said earlier, their fighting styles may be predictable to each other, as well as certain mannerisms and tactical moves. however, ensure that there is a part that is unpredictable, because they have likely changed after the relationship (depending on how long ago it was). this could also be a weakness - they assume that a character will do one thing, but they do something else.
it might also be interesting to see whether or not there is still any romantic or sexual tension between the two, in addition to other unresolved conflicts. let them remember why they broke up in the first place; let them go back and forth between trust/nostalgia/reminiscence and anger. increase the stakes as much as possible!
books with this trope
these violent delights, by chloe gong (roma and juliette)
shadow and bone trilogy, by leigh bardugo (alina and the darkling)
with nano coming up next month, a lot of people are likely starting new wips (myself included). this is just a list of what i personally do when i start a new wip, because the nano checklist is way too structured for my incredibly chaotic brain.
i’m also a plotter (with kind of plantser tendencies) and keep in mind this is just what works for me - it may not be up your street! i’m not a professional writer either, i just do it for fun :)
1. characters
your characters the the most important part of your wip. there are millions of character sheets and guides to writing characters, but the most important things that i focus on are:
strengths and weaknesses
motivation
backstory
relationships with other characters
how they speak
once you have these, it’s really easy to form the basis of your plot and to carry it through. (i also have a bunch more posts on my instagram about crating characters!)
especially if you’re a pantser, knowing your characters inside out is a lifesaver because characters kind of carry your plot. which brings me to my next point…
2. story
yes, i put story and plot as two different things. your story is essentially your main character’s story or your character arc. or to put it very simply, the way that your character changes over the course of their journey. how do you establish a story, you ask?
write down what your character wants more than anything
write down what they’re willing to sacrifice to get it
create obstacles
make them sacrifice as much as possible to finally get it
this would be the external story, or the outward plot (which i’ll elaborate on a little bit more later). to determine the internal story, or character development, this is what i do:
write down your character’s major flaws / things they need to overcome
write down obstacles to their overcoming it (these could be internal or external)
write down 3-5 events (or more) that could challenge these flaws
make them happen
3. plot
the plot is different from the story only because the plot has a structure. the nanowrimo website actually has a whole bunch of plot structures that you can use - i personally use Save the Cat! but any works! in essence, however, your plot usually has all of the following:
inciting incident: something that spins your character’s world out of control
accept of adventure + rising action: your character starts their journey and tensions rise constantly, with multiple obstacles that they must overcome
failure + “all is lost” moment: just as they’re overcoming everything, something is thrown at them that makes them feel hopeless
climax: the big battle where you character uses everything they’ve learnt to defeat the villain
falling action + resolution: a final obstacle is overcome and a resolution is reached
not all plots strictly follow this structure, but this is quite common and gives any story a backbone.
4. worldbuilding
even if you aren’t writing fantasy, you have to do some basic worldbuilding to set up your character’s life. it’s essentially the setting that your character lives in as well as the politics of that setting.
if you’re writing fantasy or a magic system, this needs to be much more in depth, but in essence, make sure you have:
multiple settings
existing power dynamics between people and organisations
education systems, healthcare, religions
structural or systemic or governmental restrictions that may or may not hinder your character’s progress
hi everyone! today’s post is about creating sympathetic villains, because let’s be honest, the antagonist is the best part of any story /hj. a sympathetic villain is essentially one whose intentions are understandable, but whose actions are not. i hope this post helps!
disclaimer: i am not a professional writer and everything here is based on personal experience and opinion. i am always open to respectful discourse and constructive criticism!
give them reasons
and i don’t necessarily mean a tragic past. give them genuinely sympathetic reasons. maybe they want to save the world by burning it down. maybe they want to wage war on the politicians that have denied them life. maybe they want to secure peace for the people in their country, if they’re a ruler. or maybe they’ve been denied and ignored their entire life and just want to be recognised.
whatever your character’s motivation, it should be something that the reader can sympathise with.
give them a past
yes, we all love characters with a tragic backstory, but don’t stop at ‘their parents were killed when they were young’ or 'their girlfriend betrayed them and now they’re a bad person’ (yes this is me attacking the shadow and bone tv show no im not sorry). any character’s backstory should have depth and reason to it.
take loki from the first avengers movie, for example. he’s a sympathetic villain because we have seen him before in thor movies and we know his relationship with his adoptive father and brother. he was constantly pushed aside and watched his mother die in front of him, neither of which could have been fun. and his relationship with thor is a really strong dynamic that makes the viewer want him to get something out of the conflict.
his past gives him context and reason and the depth of it makes him seem like a character rather than a symbol, which made it easier for the viewer to sympathise.
give them humanity
make your antagonists funny. make them awkward. make them bad at flirting. make them walk into a grocery store and not understand how the self check-out works. i understand the appeal of having an all-powerful fantastical being be the villain, but if your aim is to create a sympathetic one, it’s important that they are shown to be human because that’s what allows the reader to relate to them.
i know i’m using all marvel examples, but if you take hela from thor: ragnarok - she is undoubtedly the evil antagonist, but she’s funny, for goodness sake. also cate blanchett is gorgeous but that’s unrelated, i just had to point it out.
they are not morally gray
there is a very important difference between a morally gray character and a sympathetic villain. a sympathetic villain is one who is, undoubtedly, a Bad Character - they just have understandable motives. they do the wrong things for the (arguably) right reasons - or their reasons have been corrupted by events and/or people, causing the reader to sympathise with them.
a morally gray character, on the other hand, often has the wrong reasons and justifies them anyway. they do a combination and Good and Bad things, unlike the villain who does solely Bad things.
helene aquila from an ember in the ashes is morally gray because she makes hard decisions in the face of crises and is often on the opposite side from laia and elias. she’s arguably a good person with hard luck, and circumstance drives her to make questionable decisions that play on her mind.
the darkling, however, is a sympathetic villain, and i’m going to elaborate on this much more now.
case study: the darkling
okay before we get started: i am NOT a darkling apologist and i do not think any of his actions are excusable. but the fact that so many people on this hellsite think he’s a good person just proves how well leigh bardugo created a sympathetic villain, and i’m going to explain how i think it worked. and yes, this has shadow and bone spoilers.
the darkling is grisha, and through his lifetime he was hunted and therefore hiding and living in perpetual fear (his past). he wanted to create a safe place for the grisha to live and thought the only way they could be safe was if they were feared (his reasons). he also supposedly fell in love with alina (although his is arguable) and that could be seen as his humanity.
rule of wolves spoilers: the end of the rule of wolves where he agrees to make a sacrifice for the good of ravka also gives him some amount of humanity.
all of the above make the reader sympathise with his intentions and are probably smitten with ben barnes’ face which makes it easier. however, literally none of his actions are excusable. he manipulated teenage girls, kissed alina pretending to be mal, literally bound her to his power with an amplifier that completely eliminated her agency, created creatures that blinded his own mother and cut off one of his students’ arms, and attempted to expand a physical darkness to take over the entire world. excusable? i think not.
his initial desire for safety is what the reader sympathises with. but the darkling uses that as a jumping-off point to go completely off the rails and essentially lose any sense of boundaries or limits on even his own power, which undoubtedly makes him the villain. not a single one of his actions are excusable.
