You Know, Just Because You’re Male Doesn’t Mean You Can Treat Women Like They Don’t Matter

You know, just because you’re straight doesn’t mean you can treat people who aren’t as sinners and hell-bound unnatural beings. 

10 Things I Hate About You (1999) dir. Gil Junger

obsessed with the idea of vampire snow white

TOM HIDDLESTON

    Art of Villainy - Jaguar

Jez believes in justice

Aureli believes in mercy

Scipio believes in what the situation calls for

does your oc believe in justice, or mercy?

#storychronology

"Start in the middle”

Story chronology: a few options

You might have heard about the advice “in medias res”: to begin your story at a point when the action has already begun.

I will illustrate this point with an example. It’s a simple story I made up for this post, but you get the picture. [Extensive image descriptions below the cut.]

In medias res (Latin for ‘in the middle of things’), will tell you that you shouldn’t begin this story with scene A, because there is little action in it. Scene B is also not particularly exciting, and both A and B are not very representative of the story that is to come. The most exciting scenes in this list are F and G.

There are a few versions of how you can start your story.

1. You could start your story with scene C, and tell your story chronologically from there, so you skip A and B:

2. You could start your story with scene F, and then go back to the beginning:

3. Or you can do the same with scene G first: how did she get into this mess?

4. You could start your story with scene F or G, and go back, but ditch A and B because they don’t fit in the theme of the story.

or

5. You could start with scene G or F and throw away the entire chronology. Maybe scene B is a flashback when she sits at the police station and waits to make her phonecall. She can imagine the conversation with her parents and wishes she was back in the orchard she used to play at when she was 8.

Personally, I don’t like option 2 and 3, because the less exciting scenes A and B feel even more boring after an exciting scene like F and G. But I’m just pointing out the options.

When you set out to outline a story, make it linear at first, make sure every causal relationship is sound, and then play around with the order of the scenes to make it more interesting.

I hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, and happy writing!

Follow me for more writing advice, or check out my other writing advice here. New topics to write advice about are also always welcome.

Tag list below, a few people I like and admire and of course, you can be too. If you like to be added to or removed from the list, let me know.

Extensive image descriptions also below the cut.

Keep reading

“Don't be ashamed to weep; 'tis right to grieve. Tears are only water, and flowers, trees, and fruit cannot grow without water” — Brian Jacques, Taggerung.

I’m tempted to say Ash but I don’t know. He’s supposed to be more soft but I love it when the soft one has repressed anger. Even though it’s a sort of over done trope.  But I digress.   The theme really makes it possible for all of them to have repressed anger. Though I think Ash would be the one who doesn’t realise it the most. 

tag the oc who has a lot of repressed anger and doesn’t realize it yet

Apps For Writers I Wish I Had

So, as a writer who’s more lazy than my cats, I spend many a sleepless night thinking up apps for me to use to make the process much easier. These are a few of those. 

One: A app where you can enter a name and click ‘search’ and it will tell you if it’s okay to use in a project. You can specify wether it’s a person name, an establishment name, a place name, etc. to refine your search.  A possible name would be ‘Name Check’ or some variant.  Two: a face claim app. You can specify the basics of your character and it will pull up pictures/face claims matching the description. Eg. ‘hazel eyes’ ‘black hair’ ‘male’ ‘freckles’ and so on getting more and more specific. 

Three: an app for job research. You type in the job you have for your character and it pulls up real life accounts of people with that job. It would explain what the basics are, day to day routine, schooling necessary, hazards, time, etc. Note that this only applies to real life jobs, not fantasy

Four: a music app. You give the browser the themes, feelings, etc. of your project and it pulls up music that fits that. Also can define by genre. Also applicable for characters. 

Five: kind of goes along with face claim. A scene reference app. You give the feeling, genre, what you know about it, etc. and it pulls up pictures that match that for you to reference. To see it in front of you. 

Six: This one is sort of like three. Need to write a scene you’ve never experienced? This gives you kind of like a guideline Do’s and Don’ts, if you will. Someone who’s experienced it explains(to the best of their abilities) what they were feeling. You have to know your character well enough to change those feelings to fit your character.  Not for fantasy.   Seven: Character name checking. It’s a fucking pain to have to figure out if this awesome name is available to use in a book or anything that’s going to be written by you. With this, all you have to do is type in the name and if it turns green, it’s safe to use.