if you're trying to get into the head of your story's antagonist, try writing an "Am I the Asshole" reddit post from their perspective, explaining their problems and their plans for solving them. Let the voice and logic come through.

We had a lot of fun with this one on the discord so reblogging it here as well!

character pairing prompts

Welcome!

I'm going to update this list as I post more. So make sure to check periodically!

Anon Office Hours: Wed 12:30pm - Friday 6:30pm.

PLEASE CAPITALIZE THE IDENTITY OF "BLACK" IN YOUR ASKS TO ME ☺️

Feedback Rules

Please note my addition about asks ☺️

Unique vintage male names, companion to this post:

There are less of them because people seemed to be less creative with naming their sons. Not sure why.

Here are my beloved sons Hazard, Tempest, Melancthon, Waitstill, Powers, Sturdy, Avarice, Xenophone, Swan and Hilary

Average costal Massachusetts family tree.

Writing Blind and Visually Impaired Characters: Tropes

Hmm, I decided to work on part three before I got to part two. Forgive me.

This is part three of a multi-step series I’m writing on how to write a good visually impaired or blind character. The master post with links is here: https://mimzy-writing-online.tumblr.com/post/185122795699/writing-a-blind-or-visually-impaired-character

The Master Post will include links to all parts. All posts of this multi-step guide and all guides I make in the future about blind characters will be tagged blindcharacter on my blog.

Disclaimer: I am a visually impaired writer and blogger who has written two blind characters thus far. I have been living with vision loss for two years, have had my cane for almost as long, and every day I strive to learn all there is to know about writing and living my life blind.

Part Three: Tropes and Cliches to Avoid, and Other Things You Should Avoid

Keep reading

“Living weapon” covers a lot and all of it is hot

Some tips for using a few words to describe voices:

1. Tone Words: Use tone words to convey the emotional quality of a voice. For example, you can describe a voice as "melodic," "soothing," "sharp," "gentle," or "commanding" to give readers a sense of the tone.

2. Pitch and Range: Mention the pitch and range of the voice. Is it "deep," "high-pitched," "raspy," or "full-bodied"? This can provide insight into the character's age, gender, or emotional state.

3. Accent and Diction: Describe the character's accent or diction briefly to give a sense of their background or cultural influences. For instance, "British-accented," "Southern drawl," or "formal."

4. Volume: Mention the volume of the voice, whether it's "whispering," "booming," "murmuring," or "hushed."

5. Quality: Use terms like "velvet," "silken," "gravelly," "honeyed," or "crisp" to convey the texture or quality of the voice.

6. Rate of Speech: Describe how fast or slow the character speaks, using words like "rapid," "slurred," "measured," or "rambling."

7. Mood or Emotion: Indicate the mood or emotion carried by the voice. For example, a "quivering" voice may convey fear or anxiety, while a "warm" voice may express comfort and reassurance.

8. Resonance: Describe the resonance of the voice, such as "echoing," "nasal," "booming," or "tinny."

9. Timbre: Mention the timbre of the voice, using words like "rich," "thin," "clear," or "smoky."

10. Cadence: Highlight the rhythm or cadence of speech with descriptors like "staccato," "lilting," "rhythmic," or "halting."

11. Intonation: Convey the character's intonation by saying their voice is "sarcastic," "apologetic," "confident," or "questioning."

12. Vocal Characteristics: If applicable, mention unique vocal characteristics, like a "lisp," "stutter," "drawl," or "accented 'r'."

Cuz ik i have at least 4 writers that im mutuals with

Have dis incase you need it ♡

Expanding a thought from a conversation this morning:

In general, I think "Is X out-of-character?" is not a terribly useful question for a writer. It shuts down possibility, and interesting directions you could take a character.

A better question, I believe, is "What would it take for Character to do X?" What extremity would she find herself in, where X starts to look like a good idea? What loyalties or fears leave him with X as his only option? THAT'S where a potentially interesting story lies.

In practice, I find that you can often justify much more from a character than you initially dreamed you could: some of my best stories come from "What might drive Character to do [thing he would never do]?" As long as you make it clear to the reader what the hell pushed your character to this point, you've got the seed of a compelling story on your hands.

this connects to some REALLY good writing advice i remember from @batshaped

Characters are contradictory, just like people are. What would it take for them to do the thing they've told themselves they'd never do, and how would they try to justify it?

So what I'm hearing is, "Under what circumstances would he fucking do that?"

Good Traits Gone Bad

Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:

1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.

2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.

3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.

4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.

5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.

6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.

7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.

8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.

9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.

10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.

These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.

Happy writing!

I hate that no one talks about just how distressing memory loss from adhd actually is. I always see memes that are like “haha I forgot my phone, I don’t remember where my laptop is, etc”, but no one seems to talk about how it can really fuck you up long term to just, not remember things that are completely mundane to non-adhd’ers. The memory loss is, however, so frustrating to us. I cannot physically count how many meltdowns I have had over the sheer mental frustration and torture of not being able to remember seemingly simple things

The Lady of the Lake by Dominik Mayer

masks and helmets that hides someone's face in such a way that they become the face themselves my beloved

these are all creatures to me

Angel of War, angular and strange, gleaming silver and gold, Angel of Wonder, pure and one-eyed, looking to stars new and old, Angel of Harvest, simple and hidden, bring nature's sweetness to all, Angel of Health, mysterious and fine, beacon when life starts to fall, Angel of the Deep, crooked and cage-like, guide us across the sea, Angel of Solace, protect us from evil, lead us to where we are free.

The Emotion Thesaurus: Adoration

Hello, everyone! I will be starting a new series that will help you the writers describe emotions.

This guide will be a writer’s tool to characters expression.

This section comes from The Emotional Thesaurus by Ackerman and Puglisi.

Adoration

Definition: the act of worship; to view as divine.

Note: the subject of adoration can be a person or thing

Physical Signs:

Internal Sensations

Mental Responses

Cues of Acute or Long-Term Adoration

May Escalate To:

Cues of Suppressed Adoration:

Writer’s Tip:

Please like, follow and reblog if you find this helpful!

Physical characterizations that can make your characters more human

aerarius_metalworks