background preloader

Help

Facebook Twitter

8 Ways to Write Better Characters. The very first novel I, aged 20-something, wrote, is unpublished and will stay that way. An ensemble coming-of-age story of four teenagers, its weaknesses are legion: tame story line, thin action, unimaginatively rendered settings, hackneyed themes (though I will say the dialogue wasn’t bad). Having now published seven novels, I look back on that manuscript and realize that underlying the shortcomings I just mentioned lies its principal flaw: poor character development.

The kids just don’t pop. So I’ve been pleased to read reviews of my latest novels (the Rita Farmer mysteries) that praise the characterization—and I’ve been struck by the number of them that cite the realism of my characters’ relationships. While plot is important, good characters can make or break your book. And the best characters are those who relate convincingly not just to their world, but to one another. Let’s consider, to start, the categories of relationships we might write in our fiction: … and so many more. 1. 2.

Four-Philosophy Ensemble. This is a trope applying to the dynamics of groups of four. While the Four-Temperament Ensemble seeks to classify members by their personality, this trope classifies members by their outlook, or life philosophy, especially as demonstrated when the Group is faced by a problem or challenge. Keep in mind that this trope crops up in more character-driven works and will probably be absent from a work where the group of heroes are more cohesive or single-minded. That is to say, if there isn't much argument within the group, then they never have much chance to demonstrate the differing traits making up this trope. A Four-Philosophy Ensemble intro: Occasionally the group will be joined by a fifth, called The Conflicted, or The Conflicted will replace The Apathetic.

Example of this Trope in Action Situation: Our group is on an Adventure IN SPACE! Compare Cast Calculus, Morality Kitchen Sink, Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism, Four-Temperament Ensemble, Three Plus Two, Five-Man Band. Comics. Four-Element Ensemble. A Sub-Trope of Elemental Powers, but more specific or "classic" form. Despite the idea of the "four elements" being obsolete, writers love to play with the idea in fiction. Sometimes, a writer will merely use the idea of the "four elements" for an Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors system. Other times, however, writers will base not a character, but an entire ensemble on the classical elements. This can sometimes be used literally by giving each member of the ensemble power over the particular element. Other times, however, it can be used on a more symbolic level, by giving each person personalities associated with the element in question or by using Theme Naming to assign each person an element.

The classical Western set is commonly used in the band. Open/close all folders Anime and Manga God's Right Seat from A Certain Magical Index follows this trope with Vento of the Front, Terra of the Left, Acqua of the Back, and Fiamma of the Right. Comic Books Fan Works Film Literature Live Action TV Music. Personality Blood Types. I'm such an optimist that my doctor told me my blood type was B Positive. In much of Asia, especially well known in Japan, blood types are seen to determine personalities. Wikipedia summarizes this belief as follows : Type A Best Traits: Earnest, sensible, reserved, patient, responsible, quiet, mature, loyal, calm, strict, reliable. Worst Traits: Fastidious, unsocial, stubborn, tense, perfectionist, skeptical. Open/close all folders Anime and Manga Ouran High School Host Club has an absolutely hilarious scene where the Creepy Twins convince the lead girl that the resident moe boy is actually evil to the core by pointing out that he has the same blood type (AB) as The Chessmaster of the club.

Music Averted in South Korean girl group f(x)'s nu song NU ABO, where it describes a completely different personality symbolized by a nonexistent blood type called ABO. Literature In Kevin J. Live Action TV House is type AB ("Universal Receiver"); Wilson is type O ("Universal Donor"). Video Games. 25 Things You Should Know About Writing Fantasy. I don’t write fantasy. Not really. I’ve written it from time to time (my short story collection, Irregular Creatures, has some). And Blackbirds apparently counts as “urban fantasy.”

Just the same, I am woefully underqualified to write this list. But by golly, that’s never stopped me before. . – and shaky, unproven opinions, at that. Accept. Do as thou wilt. 1. Fantasy is a bullseye painted on a horse’s rump just before someone fired a magical spell up under the nag’s tail and set her to stampeding. 2. Fantasy is vivisected into various gobbets, limbs and organs — sword-and-sorcery does battle with epic or high fantasy, horror-tinged fantasy used to be “dark fantasy” but now it’s “urban fantasy” or maybe “paranormal fantasy” or maybe “fantasy with vampires and werewolves looking sexy while clad in genital-crushing leathers.” 3. Reality is fantasy’s best friend. 4. Reality also offers up awesomeness in the form of data. 5. 6. The power of fantasy is that you can do anything. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. Main/What You Are in the Dark. Sometimes, you surprise yourself. "Character is what you are in the dark. " — Attr. to Dwight L. Moody (American Evangelist, 1837–1899) The Hero is alone, except, perhaps, for the villain.

No one whose opinion he cares about - possibly no one at all - will ever need to know what he does next, and he knows it. Open/close all folders Anime & Manga Used during the collective Mind Rape scene in the Cyborg 009 2001 series. Comic Books In Sonic the Comic Tails was given a chance to shoot Robotnik from a building, looking down on Robotnik's parade. Fan Works The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fanfic The Best Night Ever has Prince Blueblood, stuck in a "Groundhog Day" Loop on the day of the Grand Galloping Gala, work very hard at shedding his Prince Charmless qualities and go full-out to make the Gala as good as it can be in order to escape. Films — Animated The Rescuers has Bernard singing the RAS anthem by himself just outside the meeting hall. Films — Live-Action Literature. 7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story.

Mention the word outline in a room full of writers, and you’re sure to ignite a firestorm of passionate debate. Writers either love outlines, or they hate them. We either find them liberating, or we can’t stand how confining they are. My experience has been that more often than not, those who swear they dislike outlines are thinking of them in the wrong ways. Outlines are not meant to trap you into preset ideas or sap your creativity before you start the first draft. Outlines are also definitely not meant to be lifeless Roman-numeral lists. This guest post is by K.M. Weiland. To imbue your writing with the full power of outlining, you need to approach the process from a mindset of flexibility and discovery. At their best, outlines can help you flesh out your most promising story ideas, avoid dead-end plot twists and pursue proper structure.

[Learn important writing lessons from these first-time novelists.] 1. Your premise is the basic idea for your story. . • Who is the protagonist? 2. 3. Easy Novel Outline – Free Writing Lessons and Worksheets. Here you'll find easy novel outline techniques to plan your book step by step, along with worksheets for planning characters and scenes. This is just one of many pages on this website with creative writing worksheets and advice. At the bottom, you'll find links to related pages on how to write a novel.

An outline for your novel A novel outline is a plan for a novel. If you are doing this for yourself and not for an editor, then the good news is there are no rights or wrongs. You can type up your outline with Roman numerals, or you can paint it on the carpet in lipstick if that works for you. Why outline your novel? It can make it less intimidating to start writing. Advertisement: Dangers of a novel outline A reason some writers prefer not to work with a detailed outline is that they feel that the outline stifles their creativity and makes them less spontaneous. Top tips for your novel outline Know yourself, and figure out the method that works best for you. A simple way to outline Examples: Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps.

By Glen C. Strathy How would you like to create a plot outline for your novel in less than an hour that is emotionally compelling and dramatically sound? It's easier than you think. The secret is to incorporate the 8 Basic Plot Elements. Starting with your story idea, you only need to make eight choices to ensure the plot of your future novel hangs together in a meaningful way. Sound intriguing? I'll describe each of the eight elements in turn. On the other hand, if you already have a draft for a novel, that you're looking to revise, then ask yourself, as we go through these elements, whether you have included them in your story. 1. 15K+Save The first element to include in your plot outline is the Story Goal, which we covered in detail in the previous article, The Key to a Solid Plot: Choosing a Story Goal.

There are many ways we could involve other characters in this goal. ... a mother who wants her to be happier. ... a jealous ex-boyfriend who tries to sabotage her love life. 2. 3. 4. 6. How to Write a Plot Outline: 3 Steps. List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom. This is a list of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom. In Canada and Australia, some of the American terms listed are widespread; however, in some cases, another usage is preferred.

Words with specific American meanings that have different meanings in British English and/or additional meanings common to both dialects (e.g., pants, crib) are to be found at List of words having different meanings in British and American English. When such words are herein used or referenced, they are marked with the flag [DM] (different meaning).Asterisks (*) denote words and meanings having appreciable (that is, not occasional) currency in British English, but nonetheless distinctive of American English for their relatively greater frequency in American speech and writing. 0–9[edit] (pronounced 'one o one') used to indicate basic knowledge; e.g., "Didn't you learn to sweep the floor in housework 101?

" A[edit] acclimate (verb) (UK usually: acclimatise)[12][13] acetaminophen (or Tylenol) amtrac. List of British words not widely used in the United States. Wikipedia glossary This is a list of British words not widely used in the United States. In Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, and Australia, some of the British terms listed are used, although another usage is often preferred. Words with specific British English meanings that have different meanings in American and/or additional meanings common to both languages (e.g. pants, cot) are to be found at List of words having different meanings in American and British English. When such words are herein used or referenced, they are marked with the flag [DM] (different meaning).Asterisks (*) denote words and meanings having appreciable (that is, not occasional) currency in American English, but are nonetheless notable for their relatively greater frequency in British speech and writing.British English spelling is consistently used throughout the article, except when explicitly referencing American terms. 0–9[edit] Pronounced "nine nine nine", the UK Emergency phone number[1] (US:911)[2] bap.

80 + Barriers to Love: A List of Ideas to Keep Romantic Tension High | Colleen Houck. June 24, 2014 Welcome to the third session of I love taking a little time out of my busy life to expand my knowledge, enlighten my soul and develop my talents. Creative writing is not one I have the fortune of spending much time on, but I love reading the works of others. Whether its reading Shakespeare, Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables, J.K. The art of the written word has the ability to illuminate the heart, mind and soul of the composer. I encourage you to take time to read something new, something different from your norm.

By Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. By J.R.R. Periodic Table of Storytelling. The Madwoman’s Outlining Technique | alive (to the tips of her fingers) Since my WIP, Illuminate, is also the thesis project for my graduate program, I don’t have as much time as I’m used to for fiddling around and rewriting stuff. The logical response?

Go absolutely crazy. The Interwebs contain lots of great information about character arcs, so in brief: In the course of a story, characters will respond to conflict on an external and internal level, and by the conclusion characters will undergo some sort of change. This creates story arcs. Every book has at least one major arc. I personally like Doug Tennapel’s advice to split stories into three acts, each with their own arc. Here’s how I did it. Write one sentence summaries for each character for each act. I took my four major characters and wrote out a one line summary of what they would be learning/going through in each act. Example:Elizabeth Bennet Act 1: She indulges in prejudice to come across as more witty. Write full character conflict sheets. Turn your sheets into a timeline. Sample: And voila! Like this: Im punk rock now. Jacobofrp; I'm Jay and my skills include extreme twerking and laughing at my own jokes.

So recently I’ve been putting together a character who’s a drug addict and I found a fair amount of resources while doing this so I thought I’d make masterlist of them. So here’s a MASTERLIST GUIDES/INFO/RESOURCES ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH DRUGS AND ADDICTION. How to play a drug addict How to play a druggie How to write a drug addict Personality traits of addiction Overdose basics Guide on Heroin Addiction Drug Combination Chart; what’s safe and what can kill you Tips on playing a drug addict How To: Play A Character Under the Influence of Marijuana Characters On Heroin How To: Play A Character High on Cocaine How To: Play A Character High on Amphetamines Erowid.org (database about all types of drugs) Drug Reference Guide: Magic Mushrooms Drug Reference Guide: Opiates Research: LSD Drug Disorientation ask FYCD Resources: Writing About Drug DealersTips On Writing A Drug Dealer Character Type: The Drug Dealer Drugs Masterlist.

The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script: David Trottier: 9781935247029: Amazon.com. Crafty TV Writing: Thinking Inside the Box: Alex Epstein: 9780805080285: Amazon.com. Top 10 Screenwriting Lessons from the ATX Television Festival. What does it take to get an idea to the small screen? Great writing, the right connections, and the patience of a saint, according to the ATX Television Festival. This past weekend, masterminds behind some of television’s hottest shows converged in Austin, Tex., to hash out how the medium has evolved and where it’s headed in the future. Both on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent including actors, writers, music supervisors, showrunners and executive producers, as well as reps from select web series, discussed their rise to the top and what makes a show successful. Here are the highlights.

Supplement Your Education While many speakers at the ATX Television Festival had undergrad degrees in their field, nearly all stated that they added to their formal education by dissecting media on their own. There Are Many Ways Up You don’t have to be born into the biz or have crazy connections to make it in entertainment. Set Yourself Apart Aim For Empathy Get Ready to Collaborate Ignore the Critics. Breaking into Television Writing. High School and College Students. Film and TV internships for college students. Screenwriting Links. Story Structure, Script Outlines, Screenplay Writing | Scribe Meets World. Periodic Table of Storytelling. Self-Medication: How do you treat a bullet wound by yourself. Fandamned. How to Format a TV Script. Alternative Words for Said. Guide for Writers: Plot and Story. Creative Writing Prompts.