15 5 / 2013
Fuck Yeah Character Development!: Writing Tips #74: Basic Tips To Write Healthy Relationships
Romance is a popular genre, but it’s often handled quite badly. Relationships that would be unhealthy - even abusive - are frequently treated as normal, even desirable. So, here’s a list to help you avoid some common pitfalls.
Make sure the characters have…
(Source: springhole.net)
10 5 / 2013
How to end your novel
The Dos and Don’ts By James V. Smith Jr.
Don’ts
- Don’t introduce any new characters or subplots. Any appearances within the last 50 pages should have been foreshadowed earlier, even if mysteriously.
- Don’t describe, muse, explain or philosophize. Keep description to a minimum, but maximize action and conflict. You have placed all your charges. Now, light the fuse and run.
- Don’t change voice, tone or attitude. An ending will feel tacked on if the voice of the narrator suddenly sounds alien to the voice that’s been consistent for the previous 80,000 words.
- Don’t resort to gimmicks. No quirky twists or trick endings. The final impression you want to create is a positive one. Don’t leave your reader feeling tricked or cheated.
Dos
- Do create that sense of Oh, wow! Your best novelties and biggest surprises should go here. Readers love it when some early, trivial detail plays a part in the finale.
- Do enmesh your reader deeply in the outcome. Get her so involved that she cannot put down your novel to go to bed, to work or even to the bathroom until she sees how it turns out.
- Do resolve the central conflict. You don’t have to provide a happily-ever-after ending, but do try to uplift. Readers want to be uplifted, and editors try to give readers what they want.
- Do afford redemption to your heroic character. No matter how many mistakes she has made along the way, allow the reader—and the character—to realize that, in the end, she has done the right thing.
- Do tie up loose ends of significance. Every question you planted in a reader’s mind should be addressed, even if the answer is to say that a character will address that issue later, after the book ends.
- Do mirror your final words to events in your opener. When you reach the ending, go back to ensure some element in each of your complications will point to the beginning. It’s the tie-back tactic. Merely create a feeling that the final words hearken to an earlier moment in the story.
By James V. Smith Jr.
Source for Dos and Don’ts. Visit Writers Digest for more.
(via worddocs)
10 5 / 2013
A ‘strong female character’
DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN
- a character who is physically strong
- a character who is mentally strong
- a character who is emotionally strong
ABSOLUTELY MEANS
- a character who makes her own choices, even if they’re mistakes
- a character whose point of view is explored at least briefly
- a character who is the hero of her own story whether she knows it or not
And that’s just a strong character, really.
(via thewritershelpers)
18 4 / 2013
prose is architecture: Writing Tips#50: Writing Action. Part 1.
1.) ONE ACT AT A TIME
If you’re writing in a popular genre, you have to be good at action. We live in an action world, though movies and TV, and you want those dramatic visual effects. But sentences don’t work like images, and a writer can’t just make like a…
(Source: writingtips.com.au)
26 3 / 2013
terribleminds: Fuck Money? A Bit More On Being A Paid (And Happy) Writer
In today’s post about being a happy writer I put an admittedly provocative header on #16: “Fuck Money.” Now, I like to think the post explains itself okay, but maybe it doesn’t — and further, the graphic that accompanies the blog post is in some cases going around separate from the text of…
12 3 / 2013
COUNSELLING BLOG: 10 Types of Emotional Manipulators
1. The Constant Victim - This kind of individual will always finds a way to end up as a victim in their relationships.
2. One-Upmanship Expert – This person uses put downs, snide remarks and criticisms, to show that they’re superior, and know much more than you.
3. Powerful…
good for life, good for writing reference
12 3 / 2013
How to Recover from a Bad Day
1. Go to bed early. Some days are just bad days – and there’s nothing you can do to change circumstances and turn the day around. Remind yourself that there are better days as well, and tomorrow is a new day and a chance to start again.
2. Do something you enjoy. You may not be able to control what happens to you, but you can takes steps to improve the way you feel. When you’re having a bad day you need to make that extra effort to treat yourself well, and try and bolster yourself up.
3. Make a list of things you need to do. Planning what you’ll do to try and make things a bit better can give you a strong sense of being in control again. It may not sound like fun, but it can change the way you feel - so you’re less at the mercy of events, or other people.
4. Talk to someone who cares about your feelings. It often makes a difference to unburden on a friend. At least you’ll feel supported, and less stressed and overwhelmed.
5. Distract yourself. Try doing something that will take your mind off things. Often doing something practical can bring a sense of calm.
6. Try extra hard to be nice to other people. It will help to take your mind off your problems, and yourself. Plus, we tend to get back what we give out to other people (such as kindness, understanding, concern and empathy).
(Source: onlinecounsellingcollege, via misspixnmix)
04 3 / 2013
I’ve been reading up on body language and stuff trying to make my comics less stiff. I put my notes into reference sheet form so other people can use them. I actually took a while making this, so I hope you guys find it interesting!
Also, this font didn’t have apostrophes or quotes so a lot of things seem awkward!? Sorry about that.
(via andrewteapotts)
03 3 / 2013
THIS IS A LITERAL GODSEND
BACKS AND SHOULDERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HELL
GOD BLESS
FUCK YES THANK YOU DEAR GOD
(Source: martin-van-gurren, via starline)
