fuckyeahcharacterdevelopment
turtleoftheabyss
When you lose interest in a story that you’re writing but YOU HAVEN’T LOST INTEREST IN THE STORY, YOU’VE JUST LOST INTEREST IN THAT PARTICULAR PART THAT YOU’RE WRITING AND YOU WANT TO GET TO THE GOOD STUFF THAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN BUT YOU CAN’T DO THAT WITHOUT FINISHING THE BORING PARTS
SKIP IT
IT IS SO MUCH EASIER TO BUILD A BRIDGE WHEN THERE’S A FOUNDATION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER
Not always, but sometimes that’s an indication that that is a part that should be skipped or just briefly summarized. If you’re bored, the readers could be, too.
I’m all for Skip It, if you’re in the first draft and just need to get the story down (I use brackets like [sex scene goes here] or [the thing about the rabbit] to remind myself on the second draft what it was I was skipping.
Otherwise, if it feels boring to write, figure out what needs to happen and/or be said, and write those things as succinctly as possible, even if fits awkwardly into the flow of the story. Sometimes the “business” of a scene gets in the way of just accomplishing what needs doing; try writing JUST the dialogue, rapid-fire, or JUST a few sentences that sum up the action, and move on to the next thing. If it’s truly not enough, you can fill it out later.
This is good advice, and it took me a long time to actually start doing it. I find myself using brackets all the time now to mark off scenes that I don’t feel like writing in the moment, and continuing on with what I do feel like writing so I don’t lose my momentum. I’ve seen a marked improvement in my productivity since I started.
@brendaonao3 I feel like you might have something to say to this.
I DO!!! SO MANY THINGS!!!
Look, transitory or exposition-y scenes are the WORST, but if you skip too many of them, your story will be all jerky and not have any weight to it, so sometimes you need to buckle down and write them. But, if you’re not feeling that particular scene or part of a scene, then it’s TOTALLY okay to bracket it off and come back to it later. My first drafts are filled with [DESCRIBE PLACE/THING/PERSON HERE] or [MORE HERE LATER ON X’S THOUGHTS OR MOTIVATION OR PLOT POINT] or [DIALOGUE TALKING ABOUT Y AND Z HERE] - I skip around all over the place just trying to get the story out. Only then do I go back and start to shade in and add all the nuances and coloring the scenes with all the little details.
I promise, it will save your sanity and life if you do this. And sometimes, yes, you’ll come back to the brackets and realize you don’t NEED more, and that’s the best feeling in the world. :D
writingwithcolor
melodyfanatic03 asked:
There’s little avoiding this not being off-putting. I’m not talking about the way the Black character’s reaction is written. If one had the chance to completely avoid ridicule from peers, most would take it, plus school makes it that much harder to stand up for oneself to avoid making ripples and being isolated.
The racism she faces that makes her insecure enough to need to change her hair (and time itself) is the unpleasant, sad, and frustrating thing about this, and it’s as off-putting as many other racial micro-aggression might be. That doesn’t make it off-limits. Certain subject matter gets uncomfortable, but that just makes it real.
As a Black writer you’re equipped to write this perspective, especially as you’ve had the lived experience you’re touching on (and I have too, in middle school, probably not so coincidentally).
I can’t tell you how to write the experience. I can’t even suggest that you have her overcome the insecurity that makes her submit to these girls’ opinions about her Blackness (not everyone grows to break free, though you saying she goes natural at the end of the story gives me hope!). I do suggest that the narrative confront the problems with the girls’ behavior and it isn’t normalized or accepted. Even if the MC’s perspective brushes it under the rug, not everyone else would. More on that, with links to several other similar topics, included in the post: On Writing Racist Characters.
In short, the situation is off-putting by nature of the micro-aggression, but in my opinion, it’s still okay to confront, especially as a Black author with the experience to add nuance to the story’s subject matter.
~Mod Colette
writingwithcolor
jessrubinkowski asked:
he’s made jokes about her limited vocabulary compared to his “PhD four syllable one”. His log line is literally “ you can take the girl out of the ghetto but can you take the ghetto out of the girl” Ive brought up that he is telling her story through a lens. I’ve told him he is giving an extremely problematic portrayal and that it will hurt readers. He said I’m “too aggressive” for a girl and continues to work on it. What more can I do? I NEVER want this book to reach a soul.
We feel you should call him out.
As a young woman, we get that you’re at a disadvantage, but you’re also white, and this would be a good way of using your privilege to point out this is an issue. (Although we do sympathize–one of us had to leave a writing group for similar reasons.)
You could refer this blog and/or other sources as a reference for him to read and educate himself.
Though in the end, you can’t make people take you seriously, and can only try to get your point across. If he’s as sexist and racist as he seems to be, there really isn’t much you can do but call him out. Chances are (and fingers crossed) his crappy works never see a bookshelf, but there is always a chance. And hey, it won’t be your fault when he’s on folks’ did-not-finish lists on goodreads with tons of one star reviews.
Another thing; just because you’re “aggressive” (dude, how condescending and tone-policing) which probably is an exaggeration on his part anyhow, doesn’t mean you’re wrong.
Finally, if this group doesn’t take you seriously and no one in charge assists in curbing this guy’s behavior, it’s perfectly acceptable to leave the group for something more suitable. Based on the group deeming you a “troublesome hard ass”, it doesn’t sound like a safe or comfortable environment at all.
This behavior is not something you should have to put up with.
–WWC
sweetlittlevampire
sweetlittlevampire
Chance Encounter by SweetLittleVampire
(without a link to dA this time; apparently tumblr messes up posts with links to outside sources. My dA is linked on my blog though.)
So I thought it was time to send my poor neglected Layton OC on an adventure. Her name´s Charlotte Greaves. She is 14 years old, and her mother works at Gressenheller University. I posted her bio under the Read More in case you´re interested.
In this scene you can see her waiting for her mother outside of Gressenheller University. She had lost her beloved pendant, and was absolutely devastated that she could not find it after searching literally the whole building. The reason for this being that Luke had found it. As he and Layton were leaving the building, they found Charlotte, crying on a bench, so the Professoor and Luke walked up to her to see if they could be of any assistance. So she told them what happened, and Luke was able to return the pendant, while Layton finally got to know his colleague´s daughter.
Maybe I´ll type soething up for this; I´m not too sure yet.
Charlotte Greaves © @SweetLittleVampire (me)
Professor Layton / Luke Triton © Nintendo/Level 5
Charlotte´s bio under the Read More:
Reblogging because time zones!
alexreadsboooks
Day 21 of #grimdragon is “Donuts…is There anything they can’t do?” Books and sweets
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I went to the city centre just to get donuts for this picture. Because clearly I could only take it with donuts. The was last Tuesday and now I want donuts again. 😅 maybe I’ll go get some tomorrow… Because donuts
What’s your favourite pastry?
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#bookstagram #bookish #booklover #bookworm #booklr #books #bibliophile #maybookchallenge #bookstagrammer #booklove #booksofinstagram #instabook #read #reading #reader #buch #bücher #lesen #bookstagramfeature #bookphotography #leser #igbooks #bookishallure
sweetlittlevampire
Me? Bored during class? Nooo, look at my notes! 😏
(To be fair though, I did answer questions while doodling, so technically I did pay attention.)
redheadcooks
yourfavouritedoll