Personal Interpretations And Preferences Aside, There's No Limit To What You Can Make A Character Say/do

Reasons Why 80% of Romantic Plots Fall Through.

Haven't you wondered why a romantic story you have so much hope for suddenly flops? Whether it's yours or not, let's see what could be the problem.

• Relying Too Much on the Outcome

Unfortunately, no romance is complete without an arc. In other words, it is more than just the intimacy. When writers don't allow the relationship to develop naturally, it feels forced. Rushing to the final romance without building a solid foundation will make the story feel shallow and unconvincing. Take your time, flesh out the idea, and follow the plot gradually.

• Creating Unnecessary Victimization

I often see writers make the mistake of portraying one character as too weak or pitiful only for the sake of it. This unnecessary victimization can undermine the character's depth and make the story less compelling. Your readers won't cry along with a female character whose decisions are pretty sour compared to a five-year-old. It's just simply annoying.

Instead, both characters should have strengths and weaknesses, make realistic decisions, making them more relatable and balanced.

• Cringy Conflict.

Realistic conflict is essential for a compelling romance. Over-the-top or contrived conflicts can make the story feel forced and cringy. Conflict should come naturally and blend perfectly into the plot. It's not advisable to pop a challenge that's definitely not necessary in the name of 'keeping the stakes high.'

Rather, focus on creating believable challenges that the characters must overcome, adding depth and authenticity to the plot.

• Neglecting Other Emotions Outside Romance.

It's not only about love, or roses, or dinner nights, or lucky dates with the billionaire. Show the other emotions fighting for dominance: the hurts, pains, joy, frustration, desperation, anger, sadness, jealousy, anxiety, or even moments when a character falls out of love with the other and can't understand their feelings.

Focusing solely on love can lead to a one-dimensional story. For a well-rounded narrative, explore these emotions to create a richer and more immersive experience for the readers.

• Underdeveloped Characters.

What's a story without a fully-fledged character, especially if they are the main character in a story?

You might have heard people talk about the importance of backstories and others saying too much of it tires them out, but here's the thing—balance. It's what people fail to incorporate. I'll try to cover this in any of my upcoming blog posts. Follow to keep up.

To better understand why we should cry for, laugh with, pity, admire, adore, scold, yell at, advocate for, and smile with your character, we need to know why they are what they are, who they are, and why they make the choices they make.

It's important to create characters with distinct personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. When readers care about the characters, they become more invested in the story and its outcome.

And that's my Christmas gift from me to you 🎁. Merry Christmas 🎄

hey jana, what could be some reasons that may hold the main character back from confessing to the person they've harbored feelings for? thank you :)

Hi :)

Here are your reasons:

Reasons for holding back from a confession

believing the feelings are not reciprocated

fearing that this would change their relationship negatively

not being ready to be in a relationship

fearing that they would not work out as a couple despite their attraction to and love for each other

fearing negative outside consequences

the other being in a relationship and not wanting to interfere with that

knowing that their friend is also interested in that person

knowing that they are an ex-partner of a friend

not being able to really express their feelings well in general, especially with actual words

Have fun with them!

- Jana

How to Make Your Characters Almost Cry

Tears are powerful, but do you know what's more impactful? The struggle to hold them back. This post is for all your hard-hearted stoic characters who'd never shed a tear before another, and aims to help you make them breakdown realistically.

The Physical Signs of Holding Back Tears

Heavy Eyelids, Heavy Heart Your character's eyelids feel weighted, as if the tears themselves are dragging them down. Their vision blurs—not quite enough to spill over, but enough to remind them of the dam threatening to break.

The Involuntary Sniffle They sniffle, not because their nose is running, but because their body is desperately trying to regulate itself, to suppress the wave of emotion threatening to take over.

Burning Eyes Their eyes sting from the effort of restraint, from the battle between pride and vulnerability. If they try too hard to hold back, the whites of their eyes start turning red, a telltale sign of the tears they've refused to let go.

The Trembling Lips Like a child struggling not to cry, their lips quiver. The shame of it fuels their determination to stay composed, leading them to clench their fists, grip their sleeves, or dig their nails into the nearest surface—anything to regain control.

The Fear of Blinking Closing their eyes means surrender. The second their lashes meet, the memories, the pain, the heartbreak will surge forward, and the tears will follow. So they force themselves to keep staring—at the floor, at a blank wall, at anything that won’t remind them of why they’re breaking.

The Coping Mechanisms: Pretending It’s Fine

A Steady Gaze & A Deep Breath To mask the turmoil, they focus on a neutral object, inhale slowly, and steel themselves. If they can get through this one breath, they can get through the next.

Turning Away to Swipe at Their Eyes When they do need to wipe their eyes, they do it quickly, casually, as if brushing off a speck of dust rather than wiping away the proof of their emotions.

Masking the Pain with a Different Emotion Anger, sarcasm, even laughter—any strong emotion can serve as a shield. A snappy response, a bitter chuckle, a sharp inhale—each is a carefully chosen defence against vulnerability.

Why This Matters

Letting your character fight their tears instead of immediately breaking down makes the scene hit harder. It shows their internal struggle, their resistance, and their need to stay composed even when they’re crumbling.

This is written based off of personal experience as someone who goes through this cycle a lot (emotional vulnerability who?) and some inspo from other books/articles

Nothing like a halfway decent incomplete fanfic to crawl into my brain and lay eggs. At some point between now and when I die, I will be writing some sort of paranormal situation, forever peeved that I didn’t come up with this world building first and can’t just rip it off because morals.

So I always write from third person, largely because I tend to write multiple POVs. Only, for my new wip, I’m trying to use first person. I don’t switch POVs. I also want the story to feel like the character is telling it to the reader. But I keep switching to second person. And a part of me is like, fuck it, just write in second person, but I know a lot of people hate it. Anyways, this draft is about to be me switching back and forth constantly.

The most terrifying monster isn’t the one under the bed—it’s the one the protagonist becomes to survive. Let them stare into the mirror and flinch at what stares back.

nondelphic writing tips: writing while battling mental or physical health problems

hi lovelies! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ today’s post is something close to my heart, a gentle reminder for anyone out there writing while navigating mental or physical health struggles.

first of all, let me just say this: you are doing enough. whether you wrote a single sentence today, edited a paragraph, or just thought about your story while lying in bed, it counts. storytelling isn’t a race, and it’s okay if your pace doesn’t match the picture-perfect productivity you see online. writing isn’t linear. sometimes it’s messy, slow, or downright impossible—and that’s okay.

♡ your health comes first

writing is important, but it’s not more important than you. if you’re having a bad day, take a step back. rest. hydrate. stretch. it’s not 'wasting time'; it’s giving yourself the space to heal so you can come back stronger when you’re ready. stories can wait. your well-being can’t.

♡ the problem with “maximum productivity”

look, i get it. those productivity blogs and #grindset🔥🔥 posts can be so motivating on good days. but when you’re not at 100%, they can feel like a big flashing neon sign that says, “you’re not doing enough.” the truth? those posts aren’t made with your unique circumstances in mind. it’s not about meeting someone else’s standards. it’s about doing what you can with the energy you have.

writing isn’t about grinding 24/7. it’s about showing up when you can, even if 'showing up' just means opening your document and staring at it for five minutes. don’t let the pressure to constantly produce steal the joy of creating from you.

♡ small steps are still progress

on days when writing feels impossible, focus on the smallest step. write one line. brainstorm an idea. imagine a scene in your head. none of it is wasted effort, because all those tiny actions add up over time. remember, even the slowest progress is still progress.

♡ redefine success

success doesn’t have to mean finishing a chapter or hitting a word count. sometimes, success is choosing to rest when your body or mind needs it. sometimes, it’s acknowledging that you tried, even if all you could do was think about your story. give yourself credit for the effort, not just the outcome.

♡ a story in your heart is still a story

even if you’re not writing actively right now, your story still exists. it’s alive in your thoughts, your daydreams, and the little notes you scribble down. it’s okay if it takes you weeks, months, or even years to finish. storytelling is a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s no deadline on creativity.

♡ be kind to yourself

writing while battling health issues—whether physical or mental—isn’t just hard; it’s an act of resilience and i'm so proud of you! every word you write is a victory, no matter how small it feels. so please, be gentle with yourself. celebrate the little wins. forgive yourself for the tough days. your story is worth telling, but so are you.

remember: you don’t need to be perfect to be a writer. you just need to show up when you can, in whatever way you can. take care of yourself, okay? ♡(´꒳`)

happy writing (or resting, or dreaming, or just existing). all of it matters. ✿

First draft: "I’ll fix this later."

Editing phase: "WHO WROTE THIS TRASH AND WHY DID THEY THINK THEY WERE A WRITER?"

You will not use AI to get ideas for your story. You will lie on the floor and have wretched visions like god intended

Small fantasy worldbuilding elements you might want to think about:

A currency that isn’t gold-standard/having gold be as valuable as tin

A currency that runs entirely on a perishable resource, like cocoa beans

A clock that isn’t 24-hours

More or less than four seasons/seasons other than the ones we know

Fantastical weather patterns like irregular cloud formations, iridescent rain

Multiple moons/no moon

Planetary rings

A northern lights effect, but near the equator

Roads that aren’t brown or grey/black, like San Juan’s blue bricks

Jewelry beyond precious gems and metals

Marriage signifiers other than wedding bands

The husband taking the wife's name / newlyweds inventing a new surname upon marriage

No concept of virginity or bastardry

More than 2 genders/no concept of gender

Monotheism, but not creationism

Gods that don’t look like people

Domesticated pets that aren’t re-skinned dogs and cats

Some normalized supernatural element that has nothing to do with the plot

Magical communication that isn’t Fantasy Zoom

“Books” that aren’t bound or scrolls

A nonverbal means of communicating, like sign language

A race of people who are obligate carnivores/ vegetarians/ vegans/ pescatarians (not religious, biological imperative)

I’ve done about half of these myself in one WIP or another and a little detail here or there goes a long way in reminding the audience that this isn’t Kansas anymore.