When did you realize that you’re alone,

That we’re all alone,

And that we’re all gonna be alone forever?

Cause sometimes in the night when it’s still cold from winter,

It rolls in with the wind and cuts right between my lungs.

I fall to my knees right there on the pavement and the blood that rolls down the street smells like iron

And alone-ness.

Beside a waterfall with my eyes closed I picture:

That there is no one else on Earth.

That the hills roll with joy and the mountains rise untouched.

Briefly, all things stop moving as time turns round its arrow;

There is a ceasefire of the electrons in their spins,

And then I feel it all move through me in reverse.

I taste the mist from the geyser and I feel it on my skin and I see shades of green reclaim the land for miles in every direction;

My vision disconnects and rides on the heels of the backwards-growing forest, until it kneels at the edge of the great plains.

I let go of its hand and it nudges me into the tall prairie grasses that are bending and swaying like waves,

And the roar of the waterfall is in the ears of the body that I left on the East coast, and the rough touch of the field is in the mind that I brought with me to this point–

In a snap it is gone and I walk back to the car.

While researching this topic, one piece of advice kept showing up:

Your antagonist needs to be affecting the story as soon as possible (even if they’re not physically shown yet). Introduce them as close to the start as possible, whether it’s physically, by name, rumors or an action they have done off-page.

• Consider introducing them passively before they physically enter the story.

If your antagonist doesn’t enter the story until later, introduce them in passive ways. This could be word of mouth, rumors, visions, dreams… something that builds up the idea of the villain before they walk into the plot. A little appetizer before the meal. Another way to do this is by having something the antagonist does off the page affect your protagonist directly. 

Example: In a murder mystery, the antagonist typically isn’t revealed until the end. However, he may be stealing evidence off-page, burning down houses, sabotaging the investigators, creating red herrings, planting traps, etc.

You could also give your antagonist henchmen who carry out their evil deeds for them until the antagonist steps in themselves. In Star Wars, the main antagonist is Darth Vader, who rules The Empire. The people who work for The Empire are always chasing Luke, giving him a constant struggle and conflict.

Examples:

Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Air Bender doesn’t enter the story until the final season. However, his atrocities are made known throughout the show and directly affect Aang and his friends.

Voldemort’s character from the Harry Potter series receives a similar treatment. He is shown in flashbacks, brief scenes and through rumors/word of mouth before he and Harry clash wands later on.

• Have your antagonist crush an influential authority figure.

Establish a character whom your protagonist idolizes, trusts or views as unbeatable. This could be a trusted mentor, a minor antagonist, an idolized father/mother figure, etc. Then, have your antagonist crush them.

When the antagonist easily defeats this powerful authority figure, it shows the protagonist (and readers) an unfathomable strength.

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Typically, your first chapter(s) are going to be introducing your protagonist. These chapters will be your protagonist in their “status quo” or normal life, just before the inciting incident occurs (which launches your character into the story/adventure).

Here’s a guide on how to introduce your character in a strong, memorable way.

1) Place your protagonist in a place and time, ASAP. 

Make sure to ground your protagonist to a location as quick as possible. Even if it’s just a sentence describing their surroundings. You don’t want them floating aimlessly in the reader’s mind.

•Whereyour protagonist chooses to spend their time can reveal a lot about them in just the first chapter.

Example: A princess who is in disguise. She’s enjoying drinks in a bar downtown. This reveals a need to get away from her duties and to just be a normal civilian. 

•Whatyour protagonist is doing in this setting will also help in showing who they are.

Example:At the bar, she’s the best dart player, always hitting bullseyes despite being drunk. This might hint at a hidden skillset of being a great marksman.

2) Build suspense by withholding information. 

“He walked with a limp and a permanent scowl, the pain always reminding him of that fateful day.”

Instead of telling the readers right away how he got the limp, withhold that information and let the audience wonder a little bit. Reveal it later on for a satisfying connection of the dots.

3) Give your protagonist a goal.

Don’t confuse your readers by not defining a clear goal for your protagonist. Make sure your characters main motivation is declared early on.

Suzanne Collins does this by reiterating through the first chapters just how much Katniss does for Prim. Protecting Prim and feeding her is Katniss’s priority— so much so, that she refuses to run away with Gale.

Therefore, when she volunteers as Tribute in her place, we understand why. We know what her goal is: protecting Prim. We understand why she won’t give up during the Games.

4) Introduce them while they’re doing an Action. 

Is a starving girl hunting for her impoverished family? Does a cocky pilot try showing off, only to nearly crash and get kicked out of flight school?

Introduce them doing something within their daily routine. Reveal their personality through their actions. You only have so many pages to really sell the reader on why they should follow your character’s story… so make it count! Don’t have them wandering aimlessly or doing something super mundane that doesn’t tie into the story.

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PART 2 — SOON TO COME!

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1) Be deliberate where you place backstory.

Going into a character’s past and revealing information can slow down a scene. If you’re in the middle of a very tense scene, revealing too much backstory might pull the reader out of the moment. On the contrary, if you reveal a pivotal piece of a characters backstory during a critical moment of the story, it could be the peak of the tension!

2) Make the reader emotionally involved.

If they care about the characters, it’ll mean more to them when they get into a dangerous situation. This can build more tension and have the reader on the edge of their seat regarding the safety of the cared-for character.

3) Make a conflict even worse.

Turn a bad situation into a terrible one. Just when the characters think they’ve defeated a boss, reveal an even bigger bad guy behind him. When you give the reader a “calm” after the storm, make the readers feel like something bad could happen at any moment with your descriptive word choice. Make sure to balance the tension with some smaller, relaxed scenes.

4) Use the mood of your scene to your advantage.

Mood is the atmosphere/feelings that your story makes the reader feel. Using descriptive writing is prime for setting the mood. Be deliberate in the details that you tell the audience. “There was a whisper of wind that slithered past my ear as we entered the abandoned manor. The floors creaked and shifted as if the place was being lived in at this very moment.”

5) Pick the correct pace.

Readers grow tense when they don’t know what will happen next. You can drag the tension out in a slow scene (watching the villain grow closer through a crack in a door), or make the reader’s heart pound in a fast-paced, high-stakes scene (a character’s wound won’t stop bleeding in the middle of a battle). 

6) Don’t reveal the answer right away.

Tension doesn’t just come from dangerous situations or stressful scenes. You can keep your readers engaged by raising intriguing questions and not revealing the answer until a later time. This keeps the audience interested in what will happen next, and depending on the intensity of the question, also keeps them on the edge of their seat.

Ex. Throughout multiple scenes, the villain has had multiple chances to kill the protagonist. Each time, he falters and physically cannot hurt the protagonist. Many chapters later, it’s revealed that the villain is bound by life to the protagonist, despite having an extreme hatred for them.

All the while, the reader might’ve been wondering with growing tension: “why can’t he hurt the protagonist? Does he care for them? Is it a curse? Maybe he’s a good guy? Are they related, maybe?” 

7) Secrets, backstory, twists, and cliffhangers.

Is a character keeping a secret? Does the reader know about it, but not the other characters? Is there pivotal backstory information about your protagonist that could shock the reader or upset the plot? Can you end a chapter or scene with a big question that leaves the readers dying to know the answer?

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So you have your idea but you’re struggling to piece your plot together? You have the vision but you’re not sure how to execute it? Here’s my advice:

1) Pick your Story Structure 

My first recommendation would be (if you haven’t already) find the story structure you’d like to use! There are tons of different outlines/layouts you can follow to make sure your story has all the major scenes/key points that make a story…. well, a story! Turn to Google to research some Story Structures (there’s the Three Act Structure, The Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, etc.)

Let me show you a small glimpse into how a book might follow a story structure. We’ll take The Hunger Games as an example, which uses the Three Act Structure. 

Act One (The Set Up) - Introduce your protagonist in their normal world.

1) Introduction/Beginning - chapter one shows us Katniss in her ordinary world, taking care of her family, meeting Gale in the woods and navigating through the dystopian society of District 12. We’re also introduced to the dreaded Reaping.

2) Inciting Incident - in chapter two Katniss Volunteers as Tribute, effectively launching her into the real story of her needing to survive The Hunger Games.

3) Resolution (reaction/second thoughts) - Katniss gets to say goodbye to Gale and her family, feeling doubt and anxiety on what’s to come.

These structures don’t have to be followed strictly, but if you can take your plot and scene ideas and place them into a template like above, it will help piece your story together immensely! Find one on Google and see how it helps!

2) Focus on Your Characters and Their Goals

The protagonist’s goal or want should be one of the major factors in driving them through the plot. Therefore, if you’re not totally sure on what it is that they want, it can cause big holes in your story. The plot can begin to wander and dilly dally as you’re not sure where your characters want to go!

Katniss has one major and clear goal. Without this goal, the story would never take place. Her goal is to protect her sister Prim and in order to do that, she must win The Hunger Games.

Of course, throughout the story, she gains smaller goals like protecting Peeta and Rue— but her overall goal never changes.

3) Clarify your Main Idea and Add Subplots around it

When brainstorming, things can get muddy. Make sure your main, central plot idea stays solid. Bring your major secondary ideas into subplots around the main idea that might involve other characters or locations in your story.

The main plot in The Hunger Games is Katniss surviving the Games. Other subplots include her increasing romance with Peeta, and her complicated friendship/relationship with Gale. Rue’s struggle as a young girl who must survive the games is another Subplot, especially with how Katniss befriends her, refusing to think about how only one of them can survive.

4) Consider adding in some Character Archetypes 

Maybe you have too many characters, or not enough. Have you checked to make sure every character is serving some kind of purpose? Character Archetypes can be a good way to assign a role to important characters. Head to Google to find lists of Character Archetypes! 

InThe Hunger Games, Katniss is the Hero, Haymitch is The Mentor, Rue is The Innocent, Peeta is the Lover, etc.

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What is the inciting incident? 

You’ll hear it described in numerous different ways. 

It’s the event that launches the plot into motion. It’s what shakes up the protagonist’s life (in a positive or negative way) and shoves them into an adventure. It’s the event that upsets the protagonist’s normal life or status quo. It’s the beginning of the narrative’s movement and can be either positive or negative as it pummels us down the story and to the climax.

A strong inciting incident will make use of the protagonist’s internal struggles, fatal flaws, and false beliefs. 

When does the inciting incident happen? 

The inciting incident happens within the first act. 

A common misconception is that the inciting incident is the hook of your story. This is not typically the case. The hook is an opening tactic used to capture your reader and keep their interest, typically the first sentence, paragraph, or page of a story. 

As a good rule of thumb, the sooner your inciting incident occurs, the better. If you wait too long, your readers could lose interest— after all, it’s the event that launches your characters into the real story. 

Some sources say it should happen around the 12% mark of your story. Between the first 20-30 pages of your novel, or the first couple chapters of your story.

How do you write an inciting incident?

1) Your inciting incident should begin your story’s main plot and change your protagonist’s life forever.

What happens before the inciting incident is your protagonist’s status quo or normal life. The inciting incident will force your protagonist to leave this world behind, thus beginning the plot. Nothing will be the same for your character after this event. The choice they made is irreversible and has consequences (good or bad).

2) Your inciting incident should set the tone and touch on your story’s theme(s).

If the inciting incident launches your protagonist into a new world, this event should reflect the tone and overall theme of the story you’ll be telling. For example, we’ll use “betrayal” as one of our story’s main themes. Maybe the inciting incident could be something like:

“Alice comes home early to find her boyfriend cheating on her with her bestfriend. These two people were her only friends/family left in this small town, so she packs up her bags and leaves for a fresh start somewhere else.“

3) Typically, the inciting incident is out of your protagonist’s control and happens to them. 

4) Convince the readers that your protagonist had no other option but to leave their normal life behind.

Your protagonist has to make a choice to either stay in their status quo or to risk everything and go out on a dangerous adventure. You should structure your inciting incident in a way that convinces readers that your protagonist had no other choice but to take on the adventure. Otherwise, your readers might say, “oh well they could’ve just stayed home. They didn’t need to go on this adventure.”

If Katniss doesn’t volunteer, her sister dies in the Games.

5) Use your protagonist’s misbelief/fatal flaw.

If you want to make your inciting incident stronger, think about how your protagonist would really react to the event given their fatal flaw. When the inciting incident happens, your protagonist responds based on their current misbeliefs of the world.

Examples of inciting incidents

The Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers as tribute for her sister Prim in the beginning pages of chapter 2. From this moment forward, Katniss’s life is thrown off course in a negative manner as she must fight in the Games.

Pride and Prejudice. The arrival of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy into town is seen as the inciting incident as the course of the story changes from here. When Elizabeth overhears Mr. Darcy talking negatively of her at the Ball, their string of conflict begins, preventing them from admitting their love for one another.

A Court of Thorns and Roses. Feyre kills a fae that she believed to be a wolf. This sparks Tamlin coming to town to capture her for breaking the treaty.

The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy is literally ripped away from her status quo by a tornado and launched into a new world.

Romeo and Juliet. The two lovers meet each other at a Ball, sparking their love at first sight and dramatic romance.

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How do you find the right pacing for a scene? First, figure out if you’re writing a fast scene or a slow scene. An action scene would be fast-paced and intense, while a first kiss might be slow and passionate.

Fewer details quicken a scene. 
More details slow a scene down.

Action scenes thrive off fewer details. When a punch is flying toward your character, they’re not going to notice all the fine details of the setting or their attacker. They’re also not going to have that much time to time to think. The more details you explain or the longer you’re inside your characters thoughts, the slower the action becomes.

A slow, sensual scene will thrive off lots of sensory details. Your character has time to think and feel. Let them hear, touch, see, smell and taste to make the scene as detailed as you want it to be. A good, intimate scene will have lots of heart-racing details that places the reader in the seat of the protagonist.

Your scene can include both fast and slow pacing by changing up how you treat your details and dialogue. 

Dialogue is a great tool for changing the pacing of your scene. 

Quick, short dialogue exchanges with no action tags will speed up your scene and also leave white space on the page. That emptiness gives the reader a sense of movement and progression. 

“Where are you going!” 
“Anywhere but here.” 
“Please, just wait a minute.” 
“No. You had your chance.”

You can slow dialogue down by adding in monologues and inner thoughts, placing in action descriptions, and also adding in longer speeches. 

“Where are you going!” My lips cracked and my legs buckled as I pleaded. Why did he have to be like this? If he would just listen to me…

If you keep your characters moving and physically doing something during dialogue, it can help with pacing, rather than having them halt their actions just to talk.

Lastly, choosing when to reveal information can be dire in your ability to control the pace of your plot. 

We all know that info-dumping is frowned upon, so to avoid this we slowly feed the reader information as the story progresses. By creating questions that your reader wants to know the answers to, you effectively keep them turning pages.

Where you place those questions and their answers change your pacing. Do you want to answer the question within the same scene or chapter? Or leave the question to sauté in your reader’s mind for a big, mind-blowing reveal a few chapters later?

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It’s a very debated topic amongst writers: does every scene I write need meaning behind it? Can I just write one or two scenes that exist solely for entertainment purposes?

Every answer you get will be different. Here is my answer:

Every scene should serve a purpose, no matter how small, to the overall story.

Not every scene needs conflict, action, or a big push forward… but the scene itself should exist for a reason. Little steps and quiet scenes can be just as powerful as huge plot pushes and major conflicts… if they hold some kind of importance to the characters or plot. 

Even your silly, comedic relief scenes or your smutty, sexy scenes. You could reveal a secret, show character development through internal thoughts or actions, create or fix a conflict, develop a relationship between two characters, have your protagonist get a step closer to solving a problem/completing their goal, or a step backward.

Not every scene needs to push the big plot forward, but can instead be tiny stepping stones in progressing character development or subplots.

The Lion King has many scenes that you might see as just silly or fun, but even those colorful, musical scenes serve a purpose to the story. The playfulness of “Just Can’t Wait to Be King” brings a joyous contrast to the darker scenes, and also lets the audience know what Simba thinks about being king.

Let’s take the Tracker Jacker scene from The Hunger Games as a very well-rounded example. Even though it’s not your traditional fist-to-fist action scene, it holds a lot of suspense as Katniss is put into a situation of wits. 

This scene where Katniss drops a hive of Tracker Jackers onto other contestants moves the plot forward in so many ways:

1) Rue and Katniss begin a friendship as Rue helps her. 

2) Katniss is stung herself, furthering the stakes. 

3) Some of the contestants are taken out, putting Katniss one step further to possibly winning the Games. This also challenges Katniss’s morals as she willkill to survive, but she never wantsto take a life.

4) Katniss manages to get a bow and arrow which is a huge turning point in her probability of winning the Games. 

5) The intrigue behind what the Tracker Jacker’s are further the worldbuilding.

6) Whether it’s a hallucination or Peeta himself telling Katniss to run, the audience and Katniss herself sees that Peeta may not actually be against her after all— which is a misconception Katniss develops after seeing him partner with the Careers.

In just one scene, Suzanne Collin’s progresses subplots and the main plot, furthers her worldbuilding, creates conflict, raises the stakes, and also sets up the next scene flawlessly as Rue will end up taking care of Katniss and her injuries.

It’s like every scene she writes, she tries to get the most out of it that she can. 

And I think we all can take some inspiration from that!

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Whether you’re mentally or physically in the dumps or your story itself is just in an unmovable place— here are some tips on how to get unstuck and progress your story!

1) Add more obstacles for your protagonist or intensify their problems. 

If your story is feeling slow or stuck, it might be because there’s not enough happening. Experiment with this. Do you have enough conflict? A really solid, well-thought-of character goal? Can you worsen your character’s problems or make their path to the end much more difficult? 

You don’t have to use any of these ideas you end up brainstorming— but rather just explore different pathways of doubling down on the drama. You might just find a path that really resonates with your theme and story.

So, here’s a conflict. Let’s intensify it and make it worse: 

Jake’s crazy ex comes to town. 

She just got out of prison for trying to kill him. 

Actually, escaped prison. 

… And brought four of the town’s more notorious inmates with her.

When she tries to sabotage Jake’s life, the inmates protect Jake.

Because unbeknownst to him, his father was a huge crime lord.

The inmates now expect him to take over as a crime lord.

Depending on how slowly and naturally you unravel these problems, it can become a super intriguing, suspenseful story with one mystery after another revealing itself!

2) Explore deeper into other characters. 

Think about what it would be like to give a side character more screen time. Consider what the story would be like if they were the main character, or if they were the main character’s best friend, the villain, etc. You might find out that one character might fit better a different role.

Can the actions and reactions of a side character affect the story or your protagonist more intensely? Do you have too many characters? Can you merge any of them together? Debatably, two really interesting side characters are better than five basic ones.

3) Don’t stop writing because your novel is straying from your initial idea/outline.

If your story feels like it’s taking control of itself and ending up down pathways you weren’t intending… keep writing. Freely, recklessly, sporadically. It’s better than writing nothing at all, isn’t it? Stick to your outline and plans as much as you can, but don’t let it stop you from writing because you’re not following it enough. You won’t know for sure if you dislike a pathway until you explore down it. You could write a dozen chapters that you don’t like… but out of all those scenes, you might have written your favorite one that you can keep!

4) Begin writing your most anticipated scenes!

If you’re a linear writer like me… this can be hard. I like to write in order, and in a way, it feels exciting to “finally get to write that one scene I’ve been dying to explore!” But on the other hand… it can be dreadful and boring to slosh through smaller scenes before getting to the real heart of the story.

So, treat yourself every now and then. Don’t wait to write those smutty scenes, those action-packed scenes, those juicy secrets reveals. Write them and enjoy it! Let the passion back into writing.

5) Count your subplots. 

Do you have too many? Or maybe not enough? Are you getting as much as you can out of them? Do they add to your theme(s)? Are your side character interweaved throughout these subplots? Here are some ways that subplots can help your story:

• Subplots can balance the pacing of your story by slowing it down or speeding it up (a slow-burn romance might slow things down, while a thrilling mystery might speed it up). 

• Provide twists and turns, create suspense and mystery. 

• Can solve plot holes or problems in your main plot. 

• Intensify or mirror your theme. If the theme of your story is betrayal, you could have minor or major lessons of betrayal laced into your subplots. 

• Balance and add different moods to your story. If your story is really dark and eerie, some comedic relief, romance, hope, etc. could be added through subplots.

6) Go back to the source.

Why did you begin this story in the first place? Was it a dream you had? Did you see something out in nature that sparked a huge idea? Does it come from a personal experience? Think about how your story has evolved since then. Do you like the direction it’s going in now? Is the primary theme you wanted to tell still intact?

Going back to the seed that started it all can be a great way to figure out where the problem came from. Has your story strayed too much from your idea? Maybe your character has naturally developed in ways that contradict how you wanted them to be. Either way, once you figure out where it went wrong, you can begin to backtrack and fix things!

7) Create a Deadline. 

Start with small goals: one paragraph a day, for example. 

A deadline will force you to write— no matter how little. One sentence could lead to a paragraph, which might turn into a page. Starting is always the hardest part, but you have to start somewhere in order to enter the “flow” of things.

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You hear a lot of advice on what you needto do as a writer… but what about things you shouldn’t do? These are all subjective tips I’ve found online— take as much info as you want from them, and disregard the things you don’t agree with! 

1) Never disregard story structure. Even if you’re a pantser or love creative writing without constraints, always keep a basic structure in mind. This doesn’t mean to follow it religiously, but instead… keep it in the back of your brain so that your story can build towards important plot points, the climax and properly develop your characters. Write freely, but never forget the foundation of what makes a successful story.

2) Never abandon your first novel. To become an experienced and proficient writer, it takes time and practice. If your first novel isn’t working out, never trash it completely. After all, first-time projects usually are never going to be as good as later pieces.

Either set it aside for a later time, or use it to practice on. It’s in the editing and rewriting where you can fix it, or decide that it’s not as strong as you’d hoped. In that case, you can take bits and pieces of it and transform it into an entirely new story. 

3) Never worry about how you “should” be writing. Not only does this take the fun out of the process, but it can make your writing choppy and unnatural. Everyone writes differently, there is no “one size fits all”. Take time to learn the rules of the craft, the structures, the patterns— but when it comes to the act of writing, don’t restrict yourself.

4) Don’t edit alone. Do the first rounds of editing on your own, but when it comes to a point where you can’t find anything else to fix— consider handing your draft over to trusted friends and family, beta readers and even professional editors if you have the money to do so! 

5) Don’t be on the computer too long/neglect exercise. When you work out the body, you’re also working out the mind. If you feel sluggish or sore from sitting all day, your writing will most likely suffer as well! No matter how little, try to fit some kind of physical movement into your days.

6) Never skip the fundamentals. Grammar, good sentence structure, strong vocabulary… don’t ever forget the small, simple things that build healthy stories. You could have an amazing plot, but if your fundamentals suffer, it could drag everything down with it!

7) Never try to write like your idols. If you’re trying hard to copy a certain writing style, you aren’t in the “flow” of things. It’s when we try too hard that we lose the sheer joy of the process. Read and study your favorite authors and naturally you’ll pick up certain habits from them— but never try to force your writing to be similar to theirs. Your own style and voice will come within time.

8) Never write something because the market says so. If horror is the best-selling category but you hate it— don’t feel like you have to write that specific genre to be successful. There are niches and fanbases for every genre and if you truly love what you are writing, it will show in the work that you do!

9) Never let others determine your story’s worth. Not everyone will like your story, but that doesn’t determine if it’s good or not. Harry Potter was rejected 12 times… but look at it now. Never falter because someone might not like your story and never let their opinion dictate if you should be writing or not. At the end of the day, we write because we love to.

10) Never follow the rules too strictly. Yes, that includes this post, haha! In writing, rules are guidelines, and when you pave your own path— that’s when your style and creativity begin to bubble. You still need to learn the rules of course— but if every writer stuck to the same formula… all the novels in the world would be predictable and lacking uniqueness. 

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Here is some fictional writing tips to reignite your passions and help you experiment with your writing! Keep in mind, advice is subjective and as writers— we all have different preferences when it comes to writing! Take a few or take none at all, here are a handful of tips!

1) Don’t limit yourself into one genre. When reading and writing, consider branching out into different genres. You’ll never know if you’ll enjoy that genre unless you give it a try. Experimenting with adding new genres to your story can make it more dynamic. However, if you don’tenjoy a genre, don’twrite in it. Write what you love to read.

2) "It’s doubtful that anyone with an internet connection at his workplace is writing good fiction.“ — Jonathan Franzen. Don’t let your precious writing time be wilted by social media, notifications and distractions. But what about research you might ask? Allot a specific time for that, or make a note to research it later.

3) Don’t listen to the market. Write the story you want to tell, not the story that publishers want to sell. 

4) Take inspiration from real life. Even if you’re writing a fantasy or sci-fi, we are humansthat are reading the story! Take core functionalities from our real world and twist them to fit your story. Consider crafting your characters from the worst and best people you’ve observed in real life. 

5) Read it aloud. If a paragraph or dialogue line is feeling stiff, read it aloud or listen to your story back with a text-to-speech. Listen for the rhythm and naturality of your writing. Sometimes we can only catch rigidness by hearing it. 

6) Know your audience. Do not try to appeal to everyone… this can make your story too broad. It will stretch your story in too many directions and it will end up in a mess. A story that appeals to a teenaged high schooler probably won’t be enjoyed by a 50 year old father of three. Figure out who your readers will be and focus on making it the best for them,not for everyone. 

7) Let your readers use their imagination. Don’t spoon feed them every single little detail. Instead, give them key details that are needed for them to fill in the blanks and imagine the world as they see it in their head. 

8) Even if you’re not using the Three Act Structure, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with it. Every good story needs some kind of back bone— a beginning, middle and end. Discover different kinds of structures and once you have a firm grip on them, pick and pull from them, break them, follow them or just use them as loose guidelines. Even if you’re free writing without structure, I think it’s important to knowthe structures.

9) Do not send out your rough draft. Make sure to revise it as many times as it takes to make it the best that it can be. The better quality that it is when you send it to editors or beta readers, the more concrete their advice can be. (ex. you don’t want them focusing on minor spelling errors or very thin, detail lacking paragraphs that you know you would’ve fixed in the first or second revision. Instead, you want all that stuff to be as wrapped up as possible so that they can focus on critiquing the best version of your writing.)

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None of these are required, but if you’re still debating the purpose of a character or want to add a new one— here are some archetypes to consider that can strength your theme and the story you are trying to tell! There will be a part two as the list continues!

It can also be a really neat exercise to dissect your favorite books to see which archetypes appear in there! The Hero might be easy to pinpoint, but a character archetype like The Guardian might be harder to find.

1) The Hero

The main protagonist, the focus of the story. The person we follow as they adventure out into the unknown and learn new things, meet new people. It’s vital that this character develops on their journey and the audience should want the hero to achieve their goals. 

This is Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, Neo from the Matrix.

2) The Mentor

The mentor teaches the hero important skills that they will need to survive on their adventure and in the new world they’re emerging into. Typically, the mentor is very prominent in the early stages of the book, but will fade away as the plot progresses and the hero becomes adept and ready to take on their own obstacles. 

There can be multiple mentors for different stages of the characters journey, but I would put a limit on it. For example, Hagrid leads Harry into the wizarding world and introduces him to the basics of being a wizard, but Dumbledore is the one who mainly councils Harry throughout the story.

This is Haymitch and Cena, Dumbledore and Hagrid, Morpheus. 

3) The Ally

The trustful friend of the hero, one who listens and supports them. They can be used as an outlet for your character to share plans, thoughts and secrets to— thus revealing them to the audience at the same time.

The ally can be really strong as an opposite of your hero. If your hero is impulsive, the ally could be cautious and tentative. Or if your hero is reserved, the ally could be bold and loud. This can be great for balancing the story as both characters make up for the others shortcomings. There can be more than one ally.

This is Peeta and Rue, Ron and Hermione, Trinity.

4) The Innocent

Typically the innocent is a child, but regardless of their age, they see the world as rainbow and sunshine. Something occurs that will change their perspective and as they go throughout the story, they learn lessons and are forced to do some growing up.

This is Hermione, this is Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.

5) The Herald 

This one is really interesting that I just discovered by reading the source article for this post. The Herald is the person who brings the invitation into the new world or the threat that rockets the hero out of their everyday live and into the adventure.

The Herald doesn’t have to be a character, but can be a physical letter or form of message. If the herald is a character, they usually never appear in the story again— UNLESS, they fill one of the other rolls.

This is Effie Trinkett who officially brings the Reaping to District 12 and pulls the names from the bowl, this is Hagrid who tells Harry Potter that he is a wizard and Trinity who introduces the Matrix to Neo.

6) The Rebel

The character who will not settle for how things are, who wants a change and will make it happen. They have an immense sense for justice but this doesn’t make them a hero/good guy all the time, sometimes they can be an anti-hero and do bad things in order to achieve justice.

This is Han Solo in Star Wars, this is Katniss, this is Robin Hood.

7) The Trickster

The trickster can bring comedic value to the story and lighten the mood, while at the same time bringing light to serious issues. They will make you laugh but also raise very significant and important questions.

This is Haymitch who makes us laugh but also shows us a dark side of winning the Hunger Games. This is Hagrid who represents the prejudice against half-bloods, while also offering comedic relief along the story.

8) The Shapeshifter

The shapeshifter has a few different routes you can take. But ultimately, they betray the hero at one point or another. 

• An ally who is revealed to be a secret betrayer— but wait! In the hero’s time of need, this shapeshifter ends up helping the hero— sometimes resulting in their own downfall or death.

• An ally who outright betrays the hero.

• An antagonistic force who helps the hero in the end.

This is Seneca Crane who is an antagonistic force against Katniss but also allows for her and Peeta to win the games— resulting in his death. This is professor Snape who is falsely portrayed as a villain, but has secretly been aiding Harry through the story. This is Cypher who outright betrays Neo and the group, having pretended to be an ally for the majority of the movie.

9) The Guardian 

Not the main antagonist, but a huge obstacle in the way of the hero’s goal. The hero must get past the guardian in order to get closer their goal. The guardian does not have to be a character, but can be creatures or physical obstacles.

This is the modified beasts who Katniss most overcome before her interaction with Cato, this is Harry Potter’s uncle who is always trying to sabotage Harry’s connecting to the wizarding world. 

10) The Shadow

The main opponent of the hero, the antagonist. The Shadow tries stopping the hero from achieving their goals in many different ways. The antagonistic force typically does not lighten up or give mercy to the hero.

This is Snow, this is Voldemort, this is Agent Smith.

Part 2 with more character archetypes — Coming Soon.

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This is the source used while writing this little article! Very helpful and provides more examples than I listed above. :)

Does your character start the story in the midst of rock bottom? Or does the plot itself bend and break them? Here are some tips on how to write a convincingly broken character, because it can be hard to nail that emotion.

1. If your character begins the story already broken from a past event— don’t infodump it onto the reader. You want to slowly reveal the trauma bit by bit to the reader. This will not only keep them guessing and intrigued by the characters reasoning for being the way they are, but it’s a more natural way of opening up.

2. Research mental illnesses and disorders. Your character is broken, but do you know if they have a condition from the trauma they suffered? PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc. How does your character act because of said condition? Are they actively fighting against it, seeking help, or just living with it? Maybe they don’t even know that they have it themselves.

3. Relatability. You’ve heard it a thousand times. In order for a character to receive sympathy from the audience, they have to be relatable in some way. Everyone has been broken one time or another in their life, no matter how big or small it may have been. Figure out how you can relate your characters brokenness to the readers. 

4. Hope. Hope is one thing that can really tug on the heart strings of a reader. Some broken characters may be extremely hopeful, only to be let down time and time again. Others might refuse to hope all together— or may accidentally let a tiny sliver shine in. Either way, as the author you can use hope to make a broken character more relatable.

5. How do they react to being broken? Some people become bitter and mean after hitting rock bottom while others turn to drugs. Some people become very shy and reclusive while others might just throw themselves into parties in hopes to distract from the pain. Heavy trauma can totally change a person’s personality. Is who they are now a result of the event that broken them? Do they hate themselves or has the trauma actually made them a better person?

6. Emotion. A face full of tears can be just as strong as a lip twitch. Everyone reacts differently to situations and you can use this to your advantage when writing a damaged character. Figure out how your character would react to hard times as a result of being broken.  

7. Consider making them sympathetic despite their situation. They have lost everything and anything yet they still give to others. 

8. Give them a side character that contrasts them. If your character is very unstable, gloomy or broken— it could be helpful to have a stable, happy or put-together character to balance the mood. When writing a broken character, sometimes your story can begin to feel very melancholy. This might not be your intent though, so consider lightening the mood with other characters.

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☕Official Blog: www.byzoemay.com

If you find yourself lacking in inspiration or motivation, create a scrapbook! This can be so good because whenever you’re feeling drained, you can flip back through it and be refueled. Debatably, this can be better than a Pinterest board because it’s a physical journal and you’re not limited to a screen. Not to mention, once you finish the scrapbook, it will be much more meaningful for you.

You don’t have to be good at drawing to scrapbook, nor is it only for females and artistic people. All you have to do is get a sketchbook and begin writing, doodling or pasting in things that remind you of your WIP. Seeing our ideas in a physical manner can help immensely with inspiration and the understanding of our work. 

Step 1) Buy any kind of notebook, big or small, cheap or expensive. 

Keep your WIP in mind. Are you writing a dark fantasy? Maybe get an all black sketchbook. Are you writing a magical fantasy? There are old, frayed leather journals you can buy. Or maybe you’re just getting started and don’t know the direction of your novel— just buy any kind of notebook that you can start pasting in! I would recommend blank pages over lined, but ultimately it’s whatever you want or can get your hands on.

Step 2) The Supplies

You honestly don’t need anything to begin your scrapbook aside from the book itself and a pencil. However, here are some supplies— all the way from your basic ones to the more flowery kinds— you can consider getting.

1. Glue or tape
2. Scissors and a ruler
3. Colored construction paper 
4. Washi tapes or stickers that match the vibe of your WIP
5. Old magazines (to cut and paste in)
6. Textured and decorative items such as ribbons and yarn, faux fur, fabric and leathers, glitter or sparkles, thin plexiglass and plastics, etc.
7. Colored pens, paints, pencils, markers or crayons (be wary of pens/markers bleeding through the paper)
8. Tabs and dividers if you want your scrapbook to have sections/organization

Step 3) The Beginning Pages

It’s time to begin. You can jump right in and start with whatever you want! Maybe there is a dialogue conversation eating away at your brain— write it down and dedicate the page to match that conversation’s mood. Or maybe you want to start off creating character profiles for your main cast.

Either way, jump in. You can plan out the order of your pages chronologically or design them freely as you please. Don’t let organization and neatness hold you back. The great thing about scrapbooking is that you can go back to the page and fill it out more whenever you please. 

Step 4) What To Scrapbook

1. Textures. What textures remind you of your WIP? Does your story take place during the heart of winter? Maybe faux fur, ripped up cotton balls for snow, twine, wood bark, etc. 

2. Your overall setting and specific places that your characters visit. Find interior and exterior photographs online that capture the mood and essence of your setting(s). Or take your own photography. 

3. Dialogue / important character quotes. Consider doodling the characters expression or designing the page around the mood of the conversation. Are two characters injured and arguing as they storm the dark castle? I’m imaging the dialogue text centered on the page— and photos all around it of a dark castle. A close up of a broken window, a running pair of boots, lips that are yelling. Maybe red marker or paint smeared across the page. 

4. Characters. Create character profiles or dedicate a page to the aesthetic of your character. Anything that reminds you of your character, paste it in there!

5. Creatures and items. Does your story have unique jewelry, weapons or armor? Interesting creatures or animals? Find images online or doodle your own rendition of them. 

6. Nature. Take real nature and press it into your scrapbook (flowers, petals, leaves, bark, dried mud) or take photos of the weather, sky, sun, moon, etc. that remind you of certain scenes. 

7. Abstract photography/art. Instead of scrapbooking specific, realistic items or things— paste in some unique, abstract shapes or patterns. Nothing realistic, just purely colors and shapes that remind you of your story’s mood.

8. A map of your land. This could look really cool in the opening pages of your scrapbook. There are free online generators or really simple beginner YouTube tutorials on map creation. 

9. Your magic system. You could design a scrapbook page like an actual scroll of laws or rules. Or for example, if your magic system is like Avatar: The Last Airbender’s, you might have doodles of fire, water, air and earth around the page. 

10. Quotes from authors and outside inspiration. You can also step away from the actual content of your WIP and instead paste in quotes from famous authors and also screenshots of movie scenes or book pages from your favorite media for inspiration.

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I’ll give my two cents / research some good answers for you guys regarding writing. Ask about your WIP issues, structure/plot problems, scene questions, character arcs, etc. Or just ask some writing questions in general if you struggle with something specific. ☕

A loose cannon is a type of character— one who can typically be seen as unstable, emotional and ready to blow at any moment. When their breakdown occurs it screws up the plans of your characters.

Why could adding in a loose cannon help your story?

A loose cannon can add a ton of suspense,stakesandconflictto your story.  If you effectively drop small details here and there about the characters instability, unreliability or fear, the readers will sense that something bad may occur because of them. This increases tensionsurrounding them and their occurrence in the plot.

Who can be my loose cannon?

A loose cannon can be anyone from a minor character to a side character and even someone as major as the antagonist themselves. Pretty much anyone. Your loose cannon can be a highly loved character or a side character no one cares to think twice about. Your loose cannon should make the characters (and reader) a bit nervous until they eventually break and screw everythingup.

Your loose cannon can be nervous, jittery and cowardly. Or, they can be an average person with doubts and fear. They can even be very intelligent and diabolical— like The Joker. The Joker classifies as a loose cannon. He has intentional plans, but is spontaneous and brings abrupt chaos wherever he goes. He doesn’t care who he inconveniences or hurts. 

Depending on what you want/need in your story, some loose cannons don’t have to offer anything except a breakdown that intensifies the conflict of the story.

A loose cannon example:

Your characters are storming a dark castle when your loose cannon gets their foot stuck in a sand pit. He begins to freak out… after all, he’s been telling the group for days that this was a terrible idea and that something was going to go wrong. When a beloved character tries to help him out of the pit, he pulls them in out of desperation. Both begin to sink and before their demise, the loose canon screams— effectively letting the whole castle know where the group is.

Well, shit… that’s rough, but also juicy as hell.

But, do you NEED a loose cannon?

Nope! But adding in one (or taking an existing character and making them into a loose canon) can be extremely fun to write. They can also offer great tension, suspense, conflict and higher stakes. 

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☕Official Blog: www.byzoemay.com

Some magic systems become more realistic if there is a consequence brought onto it’s user. Sometimes this can be as simple as balance— if you heal a life, another life must be given. Here are some ideas to get your mind churning on what consequences your magic could cause to its user.

1) Pain. If the magic is brute and aggressive (fire, lightning, mind control in a negative manner) the user feels all of that same pain they exerted onto someone else.

2) Emotional disconnection. The more the user plays with their power, the less emotion they can feel. Eventually, this could lead to complete disconnection from everyone they love and a decay into pure evilness.

3) Headaches. If the user has a mind-related power, giving them headaches could be a simple yet effective consequence. The headaches could make their power unstable, chaotic and truly dangerous. 

4) Years off their life. Every time they use their ability, it slowly takes days, months and years away from their life. If they’re immortal, they risk mortality. 

5) Slip into madness. The power either gets to their head or it has an evil origin thus causing them to become mad and insane overtime.

6) Freedom. The power is actually an entity of its own and while the user thinks they have control over this awesome ability— it’s really controlling them. Over time, it forces them into doing things or hurting people and one day they just become a soulless puppet. (Makes me think of a parasite ) 

7) Increased aging. The speed at which you age is increased, but the user doesn’t realize it until they start seeing grey hairs or wrinkles. 

8) Blood loss. The magic draws upon the users blood and they have to wait for it to restore before using their abilities— if they don’t, or use a large surge of their ability, it can drain them of blood.

9) Memory loss. The wear and tear on the users mind causes them to slowly forget their lives until they have nothing left to remember. Alternatively, maybe the power needs to use these memories as source of energy.

10) Decay. The users body slowly begins to wither. Nails rotting, skin peeling, eyes drooping, knees weak… mama’s spaghetti. 

11) Extreme exhaustion or tiredness. The power keeps them up at night and takes a ton of energy to use. This renders the user constantly exhausted which can lead to death either from exhaustion, or from making fatal mistakes because they’re so tired.

12) Sacrifices. The power requires some sort of sacrifice to the gods or else they take their power back. An animal, a conjuring of different herbs and items, blood… a life. 

13) Addiction. Similar to foods or drugs, magic can become addictive and deadly at high dosages. 

14) Bad luck. The magic brings upon bad luck. The more magic you use, the worse luck you’ll receive.

Some interesting power + consequence combinations (from the top of my head and from literature/movies): 

• The healer who is constantly bleeding internally.
  
  
• The rebelled servant who has finally gained his freedom but becomes slave to the magic itself.
  
  
• A magical ring that brings someone back from the dead. Every time this person comes back from the dead, they lose their compassion and humanity bit by bit. (The Vampire Diaries)
  
  
• A witch brings someone back from the dead and as a consequence, the person begins to see dead people and can interact with them. (The Vampire Diaries)
  
  
• The power induces OCD— after using their power they feel a compulsion to do something. Sometimes it’s as small as drinking a beer and other times it’s as intense as breaking their own bones. (Darker than Black)
  
  
• Magic gained from a celestial source (the moon, a star, etc) causes earth to become painful to the magic users. In extreme cases, they are pulledtowards that celestial body and need to weigh themselves down/tether themselves to something or else they will drift upwards. (The Anubis Gates)

Pt. 2 — Coming Soon! Because it’s really fun to just sit here and brainstorm and research magical consequences! I feel like the possibilities are endless!

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☕ Official Blog: www.byzoemay.com

i-wrotethisforme:

The most attractive thing you could show someone is effort & the most important thing you could give someone is time.

asparklerwhowrites:

Signs you need to rewrite your WIP

#1. You hate working on it

You’re constantly forcing yourself to write it, and you excessively check your wordcount tracker to make sure you’ve hit your daily goal. Its a chore for you to work on it, and you feel guilty thinking about it abandoning it after working on it for so long.

#2. Something feels…off

Whether it’s the characters, the setting, or the plot, there’s something that doesn’t seem quite right, and it keeps bothering you. You want to change it, but changing it means you have to start from scratch, and you don’t want to.

#3. You keep making plot holes

Some amount of plot holes are normal—but the narrative in your story makes no sense. You keep coming up with half-developed ideas and writing them in without knowing the entire context, just to make your wip more interesting.

#4. You feel disappointed in your writing

Your writing quality seems to have degraded, even though you know you can write much better. Its upsetting and demotivating because you don’t put in as much effort or care as much about writing your wip, and you question whether or not you’re actually good at writing at all.

#5. You have many ideas, but you’re afraid to implement them

You have ideas to change your wip completely, but once again you feel too afraid to do it. You don’t know if you’ll be able to stick with the wip for long enough, so you keep procrastinating on it.