How to write a good description

Description is a vital part of every story, just like dialogue. It aids the reader in imagining the current situation and its meaning, which you are trying to convey through writing. For a reader to imagine the characters and the setting properly, you need to describe it properly. But how do you do that? Today, in this workshop, I’ll provide you with some tips and tricks that will hopefully help you in writing a better description.

Show, not tell

I know you’ve probably heard this a lot, but it’s actually really helpful. Read these two sentences:

The garden was beautifully decorated

The garden was festooned with eye-catching banners and lights, roses and sunflowers stretching as far as the eye could see.

Both these sentences are describing the same garden, but which one do you think gives you a clearer idea of what’s exactly there? The second one. It’s more detailed and helps you imagine the situation more better.

You can show, not tell by:

• limiting the use of adverbs. As useful as they are, it’s always better to describe body language instead of just saying happily.
• including the necessary key details. It’s important to give a clear idea of the things present at the location you’re trying to describe, or a character’s action. Go into detail, but not too much. The readers should be able to imagine the scenario, but don’t give everything away.

Jot down the details

To be able to describe something, you need to know what it’s like first. Of course, you can’t just think she was happy and expect yourself to be able to describe it properly.
So, pause for a minute, pull out a notebook and a pen (or you can do it in your head too), and imagine the scene. If a character is angry, why are they angry, and how do they express it?

Let me give you a situation.
Mary is sad because someone broke her favorite vase. When she is sad, she usually stops talking others or starts biting her nails and doesn’t speak much.
Now, how would you describe this situation? Now that you know this character, how do you think she will react when someone asks her about the vase?
Writing down the key pointers for every scene is a great way to know exactly what to write, but you can’t do it for every paragraph to write. But you can certainly stop for a second and imagine a situation.
If you’re writing about a garden and knows it’s beautiful, knowing how it’s beautiful and what makes it beautiful makes it much easier to write than just being vague and thinking that the garden is beautiful.
Having clarity of the situation and then writing makes it much more easier for the readers to understand than being unclear about the situation and giving only a vague description.

Word choice and knowing the theme and mood of the story

For any good description, the right words are needed. A better vocabulary attracts more readers. Think about it. What sounds better: cheerful or ebullient, tasty or scrumptious?
Think about what kind of words describe your story best. What is the theme of the description you are trying to write? For example, if it’s a formal essay, it’s obvious that using a more formal word choice would be better suited to your writing (and grammarly) than the kind of words you use for a kid’s diary entry.
Your word choice should mostly be based upon the kind of story you’re writing. It should be well suited to your character and their personality. If you were writing from the perspective of a middle-aged man and a young boy, the kind of words and descriptions you use for describing their surroundings, emotions and perspective on the things around them, will be very different.


Imagine you're alone in a building, and silence is all you can hear. Do you think your reaction to the given situation will be the same if you were an optimistic ten year old or a depressed 25-year old? Of course not.


To write a good description, you need to know the MOOD of the story. If it's a sad story, the way in which a character sees the same building would be entirely different than if it were happy.


Using advanced vocabulary is not what I'm trying to tell you to do. Use the words best suited to your characters and the setting, and yourself too.


Conclusion


Writing the perfect description is not an easy task to do, but as long as you know how to describe a situation by knowing what's it like, adding the necessary details, and use the proper words which highlight the essence of the story and the scene, you got this!!

I hope this workshop helped you in some way

Come in, take a seat! Welcome to Blue’s workshop on an introduction to poetry!

Poetry is an expression of emotion, ideas and imagery through writing. This is done using various literary devices such as similes, metaphors, personification and more specific to poetry; rhyme and rhythm.

Read your poem as you write it
One of the most important tips for writing poems - at least for me personally - is to read your poem out loud or in your head as you’re writing it. Make sure to read it as if you’re performing it as this helps with rhythm and rhyming.

Handwrite it
If you can, write your poem out on a piece of paper. This tip is mostly personal preference but I love writing out poems onto fancy paper with a fountain pen, there’s just something about it that makes it feel easier to convey emotion.

Pick a theme/subject
The theme or subject of the poem will be like an essay topic that you can base your poem around. For example, nature, love, change or a person. Alternatively, some forms of poetry may already have a common theme but you don’t have to stick to this. You can of course go completely freestyle with your poem but usually it’s easier to pick a theme or a subject beforehand.

Make it personal - but not too personal
Your poem should be personal and unique to you, for example you could write about your personal experience of an event or your emotions at a key point in your life.

Different types of poetry
Free verse
Free verse poetry has no rules! This allows you the freedom to be as creative as you like. It has no rhyming structure and doesn’t follow a particular rhythm or syllable pattern. Here’s an example by Janet Wong from A Suitcase Of Seaweed And Other Poems
You can see in this poem that it still has lines and two stanzas.

Sisters
She calls me tofu
Because I am so soft,
Easily falling apart

I wish I were tough
And full of fire like ginger –
Like her

Haiku
The haiku originated in thirteenth century Japan as the opening verse of the oral poetry; renga (which was usually hundreds of lines long). It follows an ABA line structure with the first and third line in a stanza having 5 syllables while the second line has 7 syllables. The themes of haikus are traditionally nature and change in the environment. However after the nineteenth century, haiku themes expanded to encompass almost anything!
Here is an example of a haiku from The Trials Of Apollo by Rick Riordan. In which, there is a haiku at the opening of each chapter.

A girl from nowhere
Completes my embarrassment
Stupid bananas

Acrostic poems
Acrostic poems are based on a word of your choosing written vertically across the page. The letters of this word will be the first letter of each line.
For example, if you chose the word LOVE, then the first line would start with L, the second line would start with O, and so on.

In Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this workshop that I made on an introduction to poetry and I hope this has inspired you to write something - even if it isn’t poetry.

How to write a satisfying ending for your novel
Idea from @CleverComment

To define an ending, it’s that part of a novel the readers end up reading last, so this- no matter what was written before- will always add to the lingering impression the reader had had from the novel as a whole. Even if the writing was stellar in previous chapters, if the last chapter was a flop- whatever existed previously could easily be disregarded in favour of the new stuff in the reader’s overall judgement, making endings a serious let-down to well-written novels if not done right. Therefore, here’s my tips on trying to avoid this. Here you go…

Firstly, what is satisfaction?

Google defines it as ‘fulfilment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this’; from this, for a novel, reader satisfaction is where the reader is pleased with not only the novel’s plot resolution, but also the structural techniques- form- and language techniques, all used in the concluding plot which leaves that lasting impression on the novel’s readers.

How do you do all that? Well, here’s all the tips, organised:

How to pleasurably resolve plots:

First things first, no cliffhangers, and no ambiguous endings. If this is the last book or media in the series- a cliffhanger is almost never the satisfying ending route. It must be ensured that the reader cannot be left with a craving for more content from the writer (unless they were impressed by the writer’s skill (you’re amazing in that scenario- congratulations!)) because that means you’ve left the plot unfinished- which is a hasty move. Ambiguous endings tend to give the impression that the writer doesn’t know how to satisfy every reader because an undefined conclusion is- the conclusion: a fluke on the writer’s part as it clearly shows the lack of organisation done in ensuring the moral of the story is achieved, as the writer didn't even know how to achieve it. Either that, or they've left it ambiguous on purpose because if they didn't, they wouldn't be able to finish the novel. That reason is never satisfying- but reasonable.

In a good novel, throughout every plot- subplot or not- the novel’s moral must be the overarching message received by the reader. An ambiguous ending, however, can be evidence that the moral is more unclear. This can be a writer’s intention that the reader must embark in their own lives to find the answer to the unfinished moral, but readers mostly want straight answers, so ambiguous endings cannot grant momentary, instant satisfaction, because the reader has to think to get them.

However, ambiguous endings can work in scenarios where the consequent events are certain. Take an example:

This is an excerpt from a romance angst oneshot I wrote between Aubrey and Sunny from the game OMORI (OMORI’s plot isn’t being spoiled here- this ship isn’t even canon!) which started off with Aubrey being really angry at Sunny, while Sunny is madly in love with her. The overarching plot goal is for the two of them to get together- showing the moral that no matter what flukes happen, true love will always prevail (God this sounds so cheesy).

“A-Although…” he whispered, “If you want to build from a friendship, we can start there, and work our way up. To become best of friends…”

He paused. He breathed.

“Yet…my affections and wishes are unchanged,” he mumbled, “I-If you do wish to reject me… again… say the word. One word from you will silence me on the subject for ever.”

His proposition was the last call. If Aubrey didn’t want to comply, she should say it now. That would pertain Sunny to a state in which he would never beckon her for her love again.

He looked up. His expression was empty. He prepared himself for whatever was about to befall, hitching his breath and staring into her eyes.

Her, however…

Aubrey had always been selfish, ever since she was a kid.

This has an ambiguous ending. Sunny basically asks Aubrey at the end to say nothing if she doesn’t want to be his girlfriend, long story short, and to speak if he wants her to remain friends with him. Therefore, since Aubrey coincidentally has no more dialogue lines after Sunny- it can be inferred that she accepted him- no matter what. The outcome is certain, see?

Yet, if I was to tweak the dialogue just a little:

Her, however…

“Okay, Sunny,” Aubrey snapped back.

This is an example of a terrible ambiguous ending. This basically implies Aubrey rejects Sunny, since she speaks up rather than stays silent. Why is this ending terrible? The moral is contradicted! ‘No matter what flukes happen, true love will always prevail’ is completely refuted, because true love- in this scenario- doesn’t prevail, because Aubrey wanted to remain friends with Sunny rather than enter a relationship with him. Therefore, the moral of the story hasn’t been reached yet, so the writer (me, really) would’ve had to write even more words to reach the story’s intended moral- as the story cannot end yet without being unsatisfactory. Furthermore, Sunny would be heartbroken, and since the protagonist (Sunny) isn't satisfied, why would the reader be? This is therefore an example of an ambiguous ending which suggests there is more to come, which cannot be used to create a satisfying ending. Hope that’s clear enough.

How to pleasurably maintain structure:

Structure is essentially the backbone of your novel. Although it’s always preferable to give a new idea in your ending- which adds to the moral and maintains reader interest- by adding a whole new structural device… you’ve messed up- because you’ve broken the backbone.

Let’s say, you’ve been writing in simple sentences throughout your whole novel (this is for example purposes… please don’t actually do this if English is your first language- it hurts to read). I’m going to use Aubrey and Sunny again to spread my ship propaganda- I-I mean, give useful examples:

Sunny was shuddering.

“Talk to reject me,” Sunny told her, “Don’t talk otherwise.”

Since I’ve been writing in simple sentences thus far, this should be concluded with a sentence which matches the already present structural style, of only using simple sentences. For example, ‘Aubrey was silent’ would suffice, in comparison to, ‘Aubrey’s heart was racing, eyes brimming, arms shaking, and her voice had fallen from her mouth; therefore, she made the decision to seal her lips and keep silent’, as this breaks the structure, being a complex sentence followed by a compound one- linked with a semicolon. As you can see, the moral is still attained, but the structure is broken, so satisfaction can be lacking in scenarios such as these.

(Although it isn't that satisfying for this example, it's good to do! Introducing something different and memorable into the last line is one of the best advices I could give. It's not entirely satisfying, but it's good writing advice. I elaborate on this below…)

In a good novel, the sentence structure used should vary throughout the whole text; for this hypothetical satisfactory ending, fragments and simple sentences can be used as they tend to pack a punch in comparison to complex and compound sentences, because shorter sentences are more memorable and easier to read, from a reader’s perspective.

How to pleasurably maintain form:

What is form? Essentially the style in which the text is written. Types include scripts, poetry (Did you know lyric is a form of poetry? A form within a form!) and ballads (if you’re thinking of SWC cabins, Science Fiction is a genre, and Poetry is a form); a novel is a form on its own. This one is pretty self explanatory. If your form was a poem- since you’d been possessed by the spirit of William Wordsworth- you don’t start writing a script at the end. It’s pretty simple, really.

With regards to a novel, however, the plot must be linear. Unlike short stories or oneshots, novels have many subplots on top of the main plot, so- if this is the last novel in a series- a distinct end (denouement) must be used to resolve all the plots in some way (to achieve satisfaction, that is the goal here, but cliffhangers can be used to unsatisfactorily introduce a sequel) as this maintains the form of a novel: an excerpt of writing which must include a distinct end.

With regards to finishing sub-plots, you should only finish the plots of the most important dynamics of your novel, and you know what these are. This is because readers are more inclined to be attached to these dynamics as they are most closely linked to the main characters. That stranger who stared the protag down in a hall in chapter 2, only to never show up again, doesn't need an ending. The protag's mom, however, who stayed with the protag until the very end, might as well be very important. You know who's important based on consumer feedback, anyway.

Miscellaneous tips for what to include in the end on top of this is at the end of the workshop- do not worry.

How to pleasurably maintain language:

Language is probably the most standoff feature aside from the plot; it is the grammar and vocabulary used in your writing. This is one of the main devices which gives your writing an author’s flair, therefore, it is almost always unsatisfactory for a verbose novel to end with less complex vocabulary and grammar.

Take another example. It’s from a particularly loquacious tangent I wrote in which a female character is destroying a swingset due to her anger at her male friend, with alterations for the sake of this workshop in the latter half.

It was cathartic to slam the swings with her bat, over and over like a discordant, off-key, uncontrolled heartbeat with an uneven melody strung into every single swing. It was relieving, lacklustre from any hubris she had maintained before this moment. It was freeing- she was done with him.

Her childhood best friend. The one she trusted the most to always be by her side…

When she needed help, he let her stay in his room. Then, they played with his plush animals, watched movies, read books, skipped in the garden, cooked together and played with each other’s hair all the time. He was her best friend.

See what I did there? The start is incredibly verbose, and the end is not. That, therefore, looks like the writer just got lazy, an overall bad impression to give to your novel.

…Although, it is recommended to use shorter sentences and less complex vocabulary in the last few lines of any writing whether it’s a novel or not, so bear that in mind! That's one of the techniques to make your writing memorable. Yet, if you’re a thousand words to the end and you start slacking the vocabulary and sentence form that early- that’s not pleasurable at all.

With regards to punctuation, if commas and full stops are all you’ve been using right until the end, it’s best not to bombard the end with semicolons, colons and parentheses even if they're good- because this breaks the style you had already pre-established. One or two of these techniques is fine, but using parentheses instead of commas all over the last chapter looks ridiculous, and breaks form, even though punctuation is a language technique.

Try to vary punctuation usage throughout the whole of your novel, much like sentence form.

Finally! Miscellaneous tips for the end of any novel at all! From yours truly:

Always include a Zoom-In to whatever you introduced first, somewhere:

When readers begin to read your novel- because the first thing they read in chapter 1 counts towards their 7-second first impression of the entire story, plot-wise, style-wise, structure-wise… anything at all- they are hooked to whatever they first read. If it’s a character, mention them again! If they’re dead or deadbeat, mention the person who was most affected by the loss, or the person who was closest to the first introduced individual, and give an insight into how this character views the fallen character after this character left their lives. If the first character isn’t dead, give an insight as to how their life is- now that the plot is almost finished. If they weren’t the main character, giving a side character a little riff is fine too- as long as it satisfies the reader’s first impressions. In other words, this approach takes elements of what is called ‘circular narrative’, where the start and the end repeat each other- one of the best techniques out there for stories.

Speaking of circular narratives, this is a very, very good way to end your writing! Never forget it, it makes you look proper smart.

Ensure the protagonist and antagonist are satisfied with the end:

If there are sequels to the novel, disregard all of this. If there aren’t, listen up…

First, the protag. If they aren’t satisfied, there’s no way the reader would be satisfied either, considering how they were led the whole novel to support the protagonist in whatever they did, and mount the same morals that the protagonist had themselves. If the protagonist isn’t satisfied with the end, why would the reader be?

Then, the villain/antagonist. If this character is still filled with invigoration- you know, this craving to want to do more, this leads to the ambiguous ending all over again. If you want to make your novel’s ending finite, without any future sequels, make the villain less inclined to repeat the stunts they had performed already, and make the villain content with everything that had happened to them. Therefore, they wouldn’t have any urges to want to further the plot after it finishes. Yet, if said antagonist is unwilling to change, in a hypothetical, get the protag as disconnected as possible, so it almost seems as if the antagonist cannot afflict them anymore, leaving with the message that these antagonists can never change, but the protagonist can always shut them out of their lives for the better.

If you’ve resolved all the conflicts before the end of the novel, what do you write in the ending?

Easiest route would be a slice of life, whatever ending it is- but ensure the protagonist receives the most focus.

If you’ve given the novel a good ending, show an excerpt with all the loved characters being happy and satisfied, and the unloved ones in misery. Please, please do not give a good ending an ambiguous ending- that is not satisfying at all. Although, if you don't want to cause drama and let the reader come up with their own ideas since they're so attached to the characters, go ahead…

The rest of the tips don’t really give entire satisfaction like a good ending does, but, alas, people still do them:

If you’ve used a bad ending, God forbid, only do a perspective on the character which caused the bad ending, because going into other characters can unnecessarily further the plot (this is one of the only times the ambiguous ending works…) and that’s not satisfying if you really want to end your story then and there. Bad endings aren’t ever satisfying, really, but this is the best you can do.

Neutral endings? Leave these ambiguous too. Try not to go into any perspectives which stray from the main character. I strongly encourage you don’t use this route for your novel at all because it’s very hard to attain the moral from the lack of direction (instability to whether the end is good or not, so the moral cannot be given a proper judgement to whether it’s good or not, either). Just don’t do this. Or, give me a text that does this effectively and prove me wrong- at least try to.

There you go! A full workshop on how to end your novels in a satisfying way… 2.6k words.

Every book needs a bit of angst. What's a story without an intense argument, after all? Here's a workshop on how to write good arguments. Sit down, this is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
Use actions
Actions play an important part in arguments, as anger is an emotion which is very expressive. They also shed a light on how calm the character is, how mad the character is, and how intense the argument is. The body language of one during an argument plays an important role in describing it. Phrases like: gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, threw something, tore her hands through her hair and good terms of one wishes to show the character to be very angry. However, terms like: tapped her foot, pinched the bridge of her nose, looked around, rolled her eyes, shows the character to be uninterested and calm.
Don't reveal everything at once
If your characters are having an argument, don't reveal the cause of the argument first. Instead, keep the suspense. Slowly reveal bit by bit of the information. Let the reader piece two and two together. This maintains the reader's interest in the argument. Here's an example:

“Why did you do it?” Jes asked, barging into the room, her hands balled into fists.
Fey flicked a piece of paper to the side. “I wanted to.”
“I told you to ask me before you did it!” Jes yelled, and Fey looked her in the eye.
“I never said I would. I made no such promise. Now, if you please,” She shuffled her papers.
Jes looked at her angrily. “Stop acting like this is so casual! You murdered him!”
“What's it to you? I thought you didn't care about him.” Fey said nonchalantly.
“I don't,” Jess sputtered. “My sister does. And if she does, then I do!” She said stubbornly.
“He's your sister's fiancé, right?” Fey asked, crumpling a paper and throwing it into the trash.
“No, he's his brother.” Fey laughed. “And you're fighting with me.. about him. A person you barely know the name of,”
“Agh! Forget it! Everything about you is so..so frustrating!” Jes yelled, and shoved the papers off her desk, barging out of the tent.

There is also another type of argument, where both the characters are debating. This type of argument is a great way to unleash some of your worldbuilding, if your story is set in a world you invent by yourself. An example of such an argument is the fight Umbridge and Harry had in the Order Of the Phoenix, written by J.K Rowling.

Keep in character:
Don't go out of character. Suppose you're writing an argument between two characters. One of them is a shy, kind character while the other is more notorious. They both would argue. But you can't write the shy, kind character to be extremely violent. Don't go out of character while writing arguments. While one can reveal unseen sides of the character, you need to make sure whatever the character is doing fits the character's personality. While one can expect the more notorious character to be violent, but one can't really think of them to be submissive.

And that's about it! Writing angst is one of my favourite things to do, but I don't think I really highlighted things well in this workshop, but I hope it was helpful nonetheless. Good luck for the weekly!

Idea Used: How not to make a story with too many tropes, suggested by @CleverComment

Introduction
Hey there, and welcome to Squeak’s workshop on how to make a story without too many tropes! In this workshop, we’re going to be focusing specifically on fantasy, where many of the tropes mentioned can be found.

Defining Tropes
A trope, in the context it’s being used in here, is defined as a cliche, or common/overused theme or device in a story. Some examples of tropes are as follows:
Power of Friendship
Chosen Ones
Saving the World
Fate Worse Than Death
It’s highly likely you’ve heard of all those tropes and know what they are without an explanation. This is what makes them tropes, the fact that they’re everywhere and almost impossible to find a fantasy story without.
Of course, tropes aren’t necessarily a bad thing. When used correctly, they can make for very interesting stories and add to the plot in a positive way. But when used incorrectly, they can make the story seem basic and boring. Tropes can be what make or break your writing, and you certainly don’t want the latter. So, how do we make a story without the overuse of tropes and the basic and predictable plotlines that can come from them?

How NOT to Make a Story Using Tropes
Alright, so now that we’ve gone over what a trope is and the ways in which you can use them, let’s look at an example of a story scene that uses too many tropes:

“Come on, Jackie, you need to get out of here! Everyone’s counting on you!” Exclaimed Nolan.
“I… can’t! My powers are gone! It must be something about this room…”
Suddenly, a voice came from somewhere else in the room. The voice was laughing, no, cackling. After the laughter ceased, the voice started speaking.
“You’ve fallen right into my trap, Jacqueline Jones. Nothing can get you out now! Since you’re trapped, I can finally go through with my plan. In precisely three hours, the entire outside world’s air will be sucked away from them and into my chambers. Once I control the very thing the people breathe, they will have no choice but to obey my orders!”
The cackling began again, this time with more voices joining in. The voice spoke again.
“And you, Jaqueline, you will watch your friends and family suffer!”
The previously black walls lit up with videos, presumably live, of what was going on inside my house and those of my friends.
“You know, Jaqueline, you could always join me, abandon that little useless friend of yours, and be an advisor of mine, with all the air you could ever need to breathe…”
When the voice called Nolan useless, I became filled with hatred for whoever was saying these words. I grabbed Nolan’s hand and said, “We’re getting out of here, and we’re stopping this plan.” As I spoke these words, a flash of light came from our hands and I felt my powers return.
It was time to save the world.

See how this could be a good story, but it’s not. The tropes are obvious and the story is basic. We’ve all heard it before, the hero is trapped in a situation they seemingly cannot escape while the villain monologues their evil plans without taking into consideration that the hero now knows everything they’re attempting. The villain offers the hero some position of power if they join them, and the hero refuses. Then something comes, in this case a deus ex machina in the form of the power of friendship, to get the hero out of this situation and back to saving the world. And in this scene, notice how only the main character is being addressed by the villain, and her friend is referred to as useless. This is a barely hidden Chosen One trope at work. And we also have a Pure Evil trope here, too, where the villain is threatening billions of lives just for power.

Rewriting The Scene
Now that we’ve seen an example of how not to write a scene using tropes, let’s look at how to write that same scene with less obvious tropes:

“Come on, Jackie, we need to get out of here,” Nolan said as he tried to get me up off the floor.
“I can’t… my powers are gone, it must be something about the room,” I replied, frustrated.
As we looked around for a way to get out, a voice came from somewhere we couldn’t identify. It started out laughing, a little chuckle, and then it began to speak.
“Jacqueline Jones and Nolan Peterson. I’ve got you right where I want you.”
“You’re not going to threaten the lives of the entire world just for power!” I shouted.
“Oh, no, not just for power. Wherever did you get that idea? It’s unfortunate, but if everyone is under the same rule, with the same goal of survival under that rule, maybe the world could finally be united. No more political tensions, no more wars or I’ll take their air away, just peace.”
“But a peace that’s been forced onto them. You can’t just solve all the world’s problems like this, it only creates more!”
“Listen, kid, I lost my wife and father to the war, and lots of other people can say the same about their spouses, children, parents, friends, anyone. This is the only way to make it all right.”
“And why trap us?” Nolan asked the voice.
“Oh, it’s only temporary. It’s just because you’re trying to stop me, and I can’t let anyone get in the way of making things right.”
“But you’re not making it right,” Nolan explained, “which is why we need to stop you.”
Nolan grabbed my hand, determined to defeat this person. I took it, and together, our determination was so strong I could feel my power returning. Still holding hands, we faced the wall, ready to save the world.

Now, the story is more interesting. The villain thinks they’re truly in the right and has a backstory that explains why they are trying to do this, and it’s easy to see how their losses could be a big part of the reason they think this way. Nolan is being acknowledged as more than just Some Guy™ and is important to the story just as much as the main character. The power of friendship still gets them out, but it isn’t as basic as before.

Conclusion
In summary, you can’t avoid tropes. You’ll always end up using them one way or another, it’s just how you use them that makes your story interesting. If you use them wrong, it comes out bland. If you use them right, it can be a compelling story that readers will take interest in. If you want to learn more about tropes and how to use them correctly, I highly recommend Overly Sarcastic Productions' Trope Talks on YouTube for more!

Workshop: 1147 words

incorporating emotion into narrative writing to bring it to life !!

the weekly is due in hours. i am writing quickly to try and get it submitted, but i feel as if i can't make it. i am afraid that i'm not going to make it in time, that i'm not going to get the two thousand points i would really, really like for my cabin.

that's an emotionally charged statement, especially since you can tell the narrator's experiencing a ton of fear – but what's it missing? it's a valid paragraph, yes, but us writers know it could use some imagery, some extra spice! we're looking for a way to add emotion, not just by telling but by making the emotion clear and relatable to the reader.

one of the best parts of reading – and writing – is that we can relate to what the characters are experiencing. we've experienced the fear, anger, sadness, elation that our beloved characters do, and seeing it or channeling it through them keeps a lot of us coming back to our books and notebooks, among other sentiments.

how can this be done, though? how can you make the reader feel almost as if they're experiencing what you've written themself? finding effective ways to build emotion in stories takes practice – and that's okay. your writing style can lead you to develop specific motifs for characters indicating that they're experiencing a particular recurring emotion. using your own emotions and knowledge can add reality to the character – if you're lost, maybe check some old journal/diary entries to see how you feel when you're experiencing what your characters do. which brings us to the next point…

body language and internal sensations are crucial to consider, in so many ways. it's important to remember showing, instead of telling. this'll help your narratives flow much more naturally, and will allow the reader to sense or imagine what you're describing, too. instead of just saying the character's , why not prove it to the reader? sometimes our senses know that we're experiencing something before we are.

someone whose head is held high is probably confident, triumphant, potentially even defiant! but when this is mixed with an overwhelming lightness in one's head or their stomach knotting, it's clear to the reader that the character is trying to overcome something else: fear. imagery does a lot to help readers picture a certain scene or sensation! using imagery to describe the character's surroundings can also show through what lens they're viewing the world – if the sky appears bloodred and your character is detecting a faint rustling in the background, the reader can tell they're on their guard in their potentially eerie setting.

finally, choosing words carefully is vital to expressing exactly what you'd like to! specific word choice does a lot to enhance a narrative, by making whatever you want stand out. if your character's in pain, is their condition painful? by definition, yep – but using a more specific word, like “burning” or “excruciating”, can provide imagery of what exactly they're experiencing, and make the language pop out a lot more!

sentence structure and choice of punctuation can assist a lot in conveying a specific emotion. when you include extra…
… sentence breaks, it conveys suspense to the reader and can help specific information stand out. similarly, exclamation points show a great deal of excitement!! maybe they're for suspense, as well. but ellipses can prove that the reader's a little bit frustrated… or waiting for something… hmm…

writing is, in words, an expression of what you, the writer, and your characters are feeling. sometimes these emotions don't exactly make sense, but writing is one of the tools that seeks to untangle the confusion – and writing something that a lot of people can relate to emotionally is something big. that's part of why we love our favorite book characters so much – because we can see ourselves in them.

sixty minutes.
i am writing to the point that my hands are cramping desperately in protest, knowing that i probably will not make it. my heart sinks every time i imagine the two thousand points on the line, and images flash through my mind of my cabin sinking down, down the leaderboard…

…hey, wait, i actually finished part one! that's a start!

712 words
by arli <3
suggested by @Hermione909Granger

How to Start a Story (587 words)
Thank you to ayid_7345 for suggesting!

Okay, so you've got all your story ready. The characters, the setting, the elements. Feeling excited, you put your pen on paper, then realize… what do you write about?

Starting a story can be the hardest part of writing, so in this writing workshop, I'll explain each component to you and hopefully help you.

Abrupt Statement
The first type of story starting is to make a statement that gives the reader a sense of curiosity. It gives you a hint about the novel, and is very out of the blue. For example, take J.K Rowling's classic: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

This statement immediately draws me in. The fact that the Dursleys were both “perfectly normal” is definitely suspicious, and we know that that is not the case. J.K Rowling goes on by giving background to the life of them and, on the next page, tells the reader about their darkest secret. Then, the events of the book start.

Another example of this is the book Six of Crows, by Leigh Bardugo.

Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.

The moon? And the mustache? How could they be related? The book continues with background of the book (setting, characters, etc), and explains the first sentence by the next page.

This type of starting a story starts off with a statement that draws the reader in, then providing background and context of the book. Then, we learn how the first statement works in the book, and the events of the story start.

Narrator
This method works only in first-person stories, and is a great way for the narrator to engage with the audience, whilst learning about their personality at the same time.

Take Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief.

Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood. If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close this book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.

Percy Jackson is your average teenage boy at first glance, but after reading this, we learn that he's a half-blood. That is something that draws our attention. We hear a bit of his witty personality and are eager to continue reading to find out.

What to Avoid
There are some methods of starting a story that are less captivating than others, BUT that doesn't mean that you shouldn't use them!

A common method of starting a book is something around this kind (you could tell I wrote this).

I ran through the muddy river, the soldiers racing behind me. I was almost there, but I couldn't anymore. The soldiers caught up with me, and I was finally caught. But, that's not the beginning of my story. It all started a few years ago…

Avoid this. We can tell a lot about a book and its style from its first sentence. From this excerpt, we do not learn anything about the narrator. The author might think that others want to finish the book to see how this scene connects to the story, but it can be a bit of a test of the readers' patience.

However, this style, when done well, can create a very beautiful story. Let's take Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird into consideration.

When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow… e was seldom self-conscious about his injury… He couldn’t have cared less, so long as he could pass and punt… e sometimes discussed the events leading to his accident. I maintain that the Ewells started it all, but Jem… said it began the summer Dill came to us, when Dill first gave us the idea of making Boo Radley come out.

Lee's introduction is flawless. We learn a lot about about Jem's personality from this snippet. The event of Jem breaking his elbow does not seem significant such that it will be a main event of the book, but Lee keeps the reader's attention by introducing another event (Boo Radley) early on in the book. This is a really good start to a book, if you can do it well (which I know you can).

Well, get started! I wish you luck, and good luck on your book. <3

Bibliography:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKXDUBqdrxE

How to write realistic characters and how to get readers to connect with them.

When writing a story it’s important to make relatable characters but ones that aren’t too plain. Often times writers make the main characters a little boring to make it easier for the readers to connect with them but that makes the characters flat and not very interesting to read.

Flaws

People in the real world aren’t perfect so when writing a character make sure to keep that in mind. A common way writers can display their characters' flaws is by using in it in a critical situation. For example, lets say you have a character who has a lot of hubris and in the climax of your story the character bets everything on that they will be able to win, that character's major flaw then comes out and they fail, losing everything. Think about it this way, there are three different kinds of flaws: Minor Flaws each character has a few of these (ex: clumsy, childish, etc.) Major Flaws characters have 2-3 of these (ex: arrogant, bitter, envious, etc.) The Fatal Flaws, characters usually have 1 maybe 2 and they cause the biggest problems (Paranoid, sadistic, negligent, etc.) These flaws don’t just exist and have to actually cause problems for the main character, the minor ones may just be inconveniences that create different personalities for different characters. The more major ones should be incorporated into the plot, they cause the characters to realize their fault and rise above them.

Motivation

To create realistic and not one dimensional characters another important thing is to give them specific goals and motivations. Let’s look at the plot of The Princess and the Frog, the story is about Tiana, who has hopes of opening a restaurant, things take a turn when she gets turned into a frog and has to find ways to become a human again, her original dream motivates her to keep pushing and overcoming her problems. While that might have been a strange example it still shows how her goals affect her character and the storyline.

Backstory

While not every character need to have a tragic backstory (cough Six of Crows cough) you should still think about how your character grew up and how it has affected them. A character who grew up spoiled and not having to worry about money would have a very different personality and different opinions then someone who grew up poor and might have of an open mind. Also come up with vital moments of your characters past, some specific memories that shaped them.

Putting it Together

When planning a story I like to have charts created for the main characters and some more important minor ones. With flaws I first write down all of them and then write something for each of them and some sort of scene where their flaws are displayed. I also write down the main personality traits for the characters and I lile to to take a personality test for each of them to try and make them more realistic.

Come up with specific things that the characters were involved and how it affected them and shaped them, this lets the character develop realistically. And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed reading this workshop!

Workshop on Historical Research

Introduction

Hello there, everyone! Welcome to my workshop on historical research. As someone who’s had a bit of experience with the topic, I thought it’ll be great to share all that experience with you all! Admittedly most of this came from my own head (kinda ironic for a workshop focused on research), some sections are incomplete or entirely missing, and my writing is painfully rushed, but I hope it’ll be helpful regardless. Let’s get started


Basic information

There are two main types of sources: primary and secondary sources. Primary sources are directly from the historical period: for example, the Declaration of Independence is one! Autobiographies and newspapers from the time period, as well as similar things, also count. Meanwhile, secondary sources are about the primary sources. They are not written in the time period, but rather after it, and they often use primary sources as sources.

Just as all roads lead to Rome, all secondary sources eventually lead back to primary sources. We'll be making use of this fact pretty often throughout this workshop!




Secondary Sources

A word on Wikipedia

How many times has your teacher told you to not use Wikipedia? Hopefully many times, because Wikipedia articles could be edited by everyone and thus could also be very untrustworthy sources of information.

However! Most Wikipedia articles do cite their sources – at the end of certain pieces of information, there are superscript that correspond to a source at the bottom of the page. While finding a link to a source of information does not necessarily denote that it's accurate, at least you now know where that information came from, and you can evaluate its accuracy with more clarity than you would have on just Wikipedia.


Books

Books are often more detailed than the other sources of information. A main type of historical nonfiction book are biographies, which chronicle the life of a certain historical figure (or simply a portion of their life). Aside from biographies, books often tell a story over a certain period of time, whether that be a year or twenty, and often from different perspectives.

Books can often be difficult to read through, especially when you're short on time, but if you have the time for more long-term research I highly recommend looking into the most relevant books for your story and reading them in full! That can be really helpful for you to catch small details that you normally wouldn't find in an article or video.

Books are also ripe sources for anecdotes when you're writing historical real-person fiction. These anecdotes, in turn, often come from memoirs, but having them all collected in one book is certainly pretty easy to keep track of.

However, biographies also often do their own interpretation of a certain historical figures's actions and intentions. If you'd like to make those decisions for yourself, I highly recommend reading through the memoirs by yourself. For example, the Rommel Papers is a collection of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's writings during the Second World War, and in addition to the usual military stuff (which I kinda skip through (do not tell anyone)) he also chronicles his thoughts towards the regime that he served under, some of which suggest that he was not involved in the July 20th Plot. Of course, people can lie in memoirs, especially when they're aware of the fact that they are about to be published – but expect some sort of honesty for the most part.



Tips and Advice
Quotes and Contemporaries

Now this mostly pertains to historical figures and is more helpful when you want to write historical real person fiction. But the people of the time often say many things about their contemporaries, bad or otherwise. Take this quote from General George S. Patton about Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, his longtime rival: (I kid you not, this is legit! xD)

“I know I can outfight that little fart anytime."

Well, second-grade insults aside, this proves my point: you can learn a lot about how a certain historical is perceived just from the words of those who knew them.


Researching Character Information

Now, what I've been talking about mostly applies to real-person fiction. But what if you want to make your own historical character, especially one that isn't as famous as many historical figures are, and want to research for their backstory? That's definitely a worthy pursuit as well, and I've got you covered!

So a good idea is to look for general sources about their time period. This can be especially helpful for firstly getting an idea about the general plot, as it’s a good idea to mold it around the central political, social, and technological changes of the era.

Then, you can move on to more specific sources! Are their parts of their identity that you want to bring a better look into? for example, if your character is LGBTQ+ in a time period and nation that's not very accepting of queer identities, you can do some research on that! And specific info on the experiences of minority communities when it applies to your character is a good idea as well.

In addtion, searching for memoirs similar to what your character has experienced is a good idea! Ordinary citizens of all eras write about their experiences, especially as you get closer and closer to today's age. If your character is, say, a nurse during a modern war, definitley consider reading up on the memoirs and stories of other nurses who had gone through similar experiences like they did!

And finally, reading general historical fiction is an amazing idea as well. Not only can you learn tidbits of historical info, you can see how another author applied these info to their story and how it works in the context of the novel. For example, If you're interested in the home front of Germany and all of the moral questions it entailed, The Book Thief is a great reference in regards to how the author applied the circumstances of the era to the plot and prose of the book. Overall, historical fiction certainly is not as strict and clear with citing information as nonfiction is, but it's an invaluable resource nonetheless.


Conclusion
This concludes my workshop on historical research! I really hope that this workshop has been helpful – feel free to reach out with any questions. If you write something using my workshop, I would absolutely love to see it if you feel comfortable sharing!

Thank you, happy writing, and good luck with your weekly!

<< Hey hey, hello there! >>


<< My name is Ember, here to bring you a workshop on how to write a fairly decent example of enemies to lovers. >>



If you’ve never heard of what ‘enemies to lovers’ means in writing, I’ll briefly explain it to you! Two characters part of a short story, novel, or other piece of media will have a sort of rivalry, or just hold a grudge against each other, and by the end, they’ll end up in a relationship together Now, the shift from enemies to lovers may progress in many different ways.

Just an example, Character A will gradually realize that they’re covering up their feelings for Character B by making fun of them, and Character A will either keep this act up or change for the better.


Now, you may also find other things about this trope. Such as the fact that when the two characters first met, they misunderstood each other and this started a rivalry. Over the course of the book (or movie), the two characters may recognize their mistake(s) and apologize, so this could actually count as enemies to friends to lovers.

Now, here are a few tips on writing enemies to lovers.


(Source for some of the question ideas; https://btleditorial.com/2021/02/16/enemies-to-lovers-trope/, in my own words !!)



Understand why exactly you’re making these characters enemies. Is it because of complications from their childhood, an introduction gone wrong, or more. And give the characters a personality that makes them unique, or a hobby that doesn’t seem to important to the storyline, but later becomes a major factor in it. These hobbies don’t have to go hand in hand together, but if you want them to be, then go ahead!


Why did the characters get into a relationship in the first place? Have Character A and Character B liked each other and they’re covering it up by deciding to be enemies, and one of them confesses? Or do they genuinely hate each other and one of them develops a crush on the other over time?


Is the crush one-sided or not? Well, to start your character’s progression to lovers, you need to decide whether or not both characters feel the same way when one confesses. Both characters will most likely wind up together together by the end, but we need to talk about the part where one of the characters is developing feelings for the other one. The middle of the storyline might want to include a confession if it’s one-sided, but try to foreshadow it with describing a few things about which character is confessing, whether this is the classic letter in the locker or an outright one in their face.


Let your character suspect OR expect it. There are do’s and don’t specifically for this part, though.

When your character SUSPECTS the fact that the other character likes them, have them think it over multiple times up until the point they decide to confess. Do NOT have them ask if they have a crush on them, it may ruin the whole story.

When your character EXPECTS the other character to confess, have them wait. They might be wrong, so it’s best to NOT ask or assume why they act weirdly in front of them.



<< And, that just about wraps up my workshop! Have an absolutely amazing day! >>

Writing Persuasive Essays

What is a persuasive essay?
A persuasive essay is an essay written for the purpose of persuading the audience. It can be commonly confused with an argumentative essay, due to their similar structure, but it's important to know the difference between the two. Argumentative essays are often more formally written and use a lot of research as evidence. Persuasive essays are informal and use emotional appeals supported by logic as evidence. You’re probably going to write an argumentative essay in school over a book, piece of text, or a debate. It's not something you’re really passionate about, that's not the point. The goal of argumentative writing is to inform the audience of your stance on something and why you think you’re correct.

Example of an argumentative writing prompt:
“After researching the problem of hunger in your community, write an essay that elaborates on the problem of hunger, how we can solve it, and why we are responsible for helping.”
-Springboard English Language Arts English II

So an argumentative essay is more about presenting your argument. Think of it as an Intelligence or Wisdom roll in DnD. With that in mind, what else makes a persuasive essay different? Persuasive writing is often about a topic you’re passionate about, something you care for. Your goal is to convince the reader to agree with your opinion on a subject. Persuasive essays usually have a logical argument with an emotional appeal: passion makes the essay more convincing.

Basic Structure of a Persuasive Essay
Every essay starts with an introduction, which can be pretty hard to write. It's good practice to start with a hook. A hook is the first sentence or two that captures the reader’s attention. Not gonna lie, hooks are really hard for me to write D’: But since this is a persuasive essay, maybe try to present the problem you’re giving your opinion on in a creative way.

Example of a hook:
They’re loyal friends, loving pets, fun playmates, and have unique personalities. There’s no wonder this is the best pet of all. That's right! Cats!

Okay, so this is a pretty cheesy hook, but the point is, it captures the reader’s attention. Most readers would probably assume I’m talking about dogs since I used words that people usually associate with dogs. Then, I presented the “argument” of sorts: what is the best pet. And I provide my opinion: cats. (not really guys I don't have an opinion it's just an example TwT)

Next you're probably going to need some background information in that intro. You have to tell the reader more about what you’re giving an opinion about. Think about what the big question is.

Example of background info:
The debate over cats vs dogs has existed since the dawn of time, and many arguments have been made for both sides. However, at the end of the day, only one pet can reign supreme.

So now I’ve told you more about the “debate”. This helps the reader know more about what you're giving your opinion on.

The final part of an intro is the thesis statement. The most important thing for this kind of writing is that your thesis has to be debatable. This means someone could argue over your statement. Your thesis also needs to be specific. You can’t just say, “Cats are the best pets.” You have to include the reasons you're going to delve deeper into in your main paragraphs.

Specific and debatable thesis:
Cats are the best pets because they are very loving and have unique personalities.

So now the reader knows that my first paragraph is about how loving cats are (debatable /j), and then about their personalities. (seriously don’t judge im making this up on the spot) I won't go to much into thesis statements because they depend on what you’re writing them for, but the basic structure is:
claim-because-reason 1, reason 2, (maybe a reason 3)

So that's the basic introduction. Just make sure not to make it too long and keep it concise.

Next: main paragraphs. In these you go into the reasons you listed in your thesis statement. Every main paragraph starts with its own topic sentence, you don’t just dive right into your examples and reasoning. But the most important part of the main paragraphs of a persuasive essay is that they’re where you’re doing all your persuading. So what can you use in your main paragraphs?

• Appeals
  

There are three appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. You should always keep them in mind whenever you’re writing anything persuasive, argumentative, or of that nature.

Ethos: Ethos appeals to a reader’s sense of ethics. It also has to do with a reader’s trust in an expert’s opinion. People are more likely to trust an expert in the field you’re talking about than a random person. You could use quotes from a credible expert as evidence. You also can establish yourself as a credible writer, and it makes readers more likely to trust you and be convinced.
Pathos: Pathos is all about emotion, and it's what you should use the most in a persuasive essay. You can really use your passion about a subject to appeal to the audience’s emotions, or tell a story. Oftentimes using an emotional approach is better met than just another fact.
Logos: Logos, as the name implies, appeals to the reader’s logic. A sound, logical argument is better met than one full of fallacies. Use clear reasoning and get to the point. Evidence always makes a logical conclusion more convincing.

• Audience
  

Knowing who your audience is makes it easier to pick evidence. So who would I be talking to in my cat essay? Kids, parents, the general pet owning world? What about dog lovers? Knowing who your audience is helps you focus your argument and get it to be as convincing as possible. Think of this common phrase: “who are you trying to convince?”

• Counterarguments (still not a word but whatever)
  

You need to include a counterargument paragraph along with your main body paragraphs. A counterargument can actually strengthen yours and make your essay more persuasive. Basically you acknowledge what the opposing side would argue and then prove why they’re wrong. So for a persuasive essay you would probably use more of an emotional approach to enforce your opinion. In our exemple, the counterargument paragraph would talk about the fact that some people think dogs are the best pet over cats. Then you would prove why your opinion is right over theirs.

• Personal experience
  

Experience can be really good evidence because it can explain to the audience why you’re so passionate about the subject, and give you proof as to why you’re correct

Note that on every main body paragraph, you should end with a sentence that closes the paragraph and/or transitions to the next.

So the last part of your essay is the conclusion. This is made up of a restatement of the thesis and a so what? or call to action. Restating the thesis is sort of just stating your opinion on the subjects and your reasons for it one last time. You should tie up the essay with a so what statement or a call to action. These are the last words you’re leaving the audience with, so make sure they pack a punch. So whats (literally what is grammar anymore) are closing sentences that tell the reader why they should care, or why your opinion matters. A call to action gets the reader excited about the subject and literally calls them to action. So if you write a persuasive essay on why people should clean litter, you could use a so what to tell them why what they do matters or a call to action to get them to go out and make a difference. Just really end your essay with something that gets the reader thinking.


Using emotion!!!
Recalling our past example, a persuasive essay is like a Charisma roll in DnD. You've gotta hit people in the feels! If I’m using my first reason, I’m going to emphasize how much love a cat can give someone who is lonely. I’ll make it feel like their cat saved their life! And it makes it more persuasive than just saying, “oh yeah, cats can be like a fun friend you know”. You have to find the spark of passion for the subject: that enables you to write convincingly. Because if the audience sees your spark, your belief in what you’re saying, they want to find out why, and that's where your reasoning comes in: to tell them why. Even if it takes a brain dump of writing on the page to find one good sentence, go for it! Getting everything out will help you think through your approach better.

1,470 words

Sources:
Masterclass
Purdue Owl: strong thesis statements
Emotional Appeals

~ Writing interesting, memorable characters ~

Introduction
When writing stories, interesting and memorable characters are vital. Characters make up the story, and they are just as important as the plot. When characters are written properly, they connect with the reader, and enhance the quality of the story. The plot of a story also involves the characters. The problems a character faces, the way they react, and the way they interact with the world are affected by their character traits.

Different types of characters
When writing stories, there are different character tropes that play different roles. The Protagonist, the main character/hero of the story, the antagonist, the villain/ main opponent of the main character, supporting characters, the characters who have a significant role in the plot, even though they are not the main focus of the story. They can be of good, bad or neutral alignment. When writing stories, and writing characters, knowing what type of character they are, and what kind of role they will play helps in giving them proper development, and character traits.

How to create a character:
Step One: When creating characters, first you need to start off with a character archetype. Character archetypes give you an idea of what kind of character you want. For example, if your character is the hero, you would give them characteristics like kindness, and charisma to be able to connect with the people they save. Or, if you were to make your character a villain, you would make them mean and rude, to make it obvious the kind of person they are.

Step Two: Characteristics
The characteristics of a character are the most important part. Characteristics are what makes the character unique. Without them, they would just be plain and boring, which would make it hard for readers to connect with them emotionally. When you have characteristics, the character seems more human. When making the characteristics, consider how you want the audience to feel about your character. For example, if you want a happy bubbly character, you may make them young and energetic. When forming characters, it is in your best interest to make them all unique, because, in reality, everyone is unique. No two people are the same. Some characteristics that can be used in stories are:
Quiet and thoughtful
Funny and charismatic
Daring and Reckless
Arrogant and rude
ETC

Step 3: Backstory
When developping characters, their backstory is just as important as their future. The backstory gives insight on how the character sees the world, and why they do the things they do. The backstory of a character can build them up to who they are in the book. A good backstory helps create an interesting story. Many past events like traumas, acheivments, past unressolved conflict (eg. Mother has been missing for years), broken relationships and many more build up a character, and make for an interesting backstory.

Step 4: Flaws
Humans are not perfect, neither should your characters be perfect. Character flaws and quirks make your character more realistic. Have you ever heard of the term Mary Sue or Gary Stu? No? A Mary Sue or a Gary Stu is a character without flaws or issues. They are also incredibly strong, to the point of being overpowered. Characters like that tend to be associated with poor, lazy writing. Trust me, you don't want a Mary Sue in your story. So, what are some character flaws you can implement in your writing? Maybe a bad self esteem, or over confidence, too trusting, or anger issues. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to flaws. The possibilities are endless.

Step 5: Character Arc
From the begining to the end of a story, characters tend to grow over time. The events of the story shape them. The changes from beginning to end should be evident. They can acheive their goals, overcome obstacles, or maybe learn new skills. For example, if a character starts off as bitter and selfish, maybe by the end, they can learn to have compassion, or be kinder to others.

There you have it! These are some ways you can make characters more memorable, and more interesting. Hope you enjoyed the workshop! Happy writing!

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(From @luna724:
“how to tie together a story when there is multiple points of view (kind of like if you've ever read alan gratz books how all the povs come into the same story in the end?? hh)”

Alright everyone, sit down and buckle up. There is one hour and ten minutes until the weekly is due and while my workshops are not usually this short, crazy, and incoherent, these are special circumstances and also this is likely to be one of the last workshops posted in the forum. We’re taking what we can get here.

So! I’m Sun, I’m in Steampunk, and this is Tie! Those! Point-of-Views! Where we take a look at stories split across different perspectives that eventually come together and go “gee, however did they do that?”

Audience, I have a secret for you: the author drops a lot of obvious hints. Like. A lot of obvious hints.

Now, there are quite a few different types of stories with split perspectives: there are generational stories, where we follow people through history (familially related or not), such as Echo and The Joy Luck Club kinda; there are consecutive stories, where two different characters live through different events at the same time such as The Prince and The Pauper; and then flashback stories, where there is a main plot and then a second, preceding history told in flashbacks like Holes and All the Light We Cannot See. (There’s also a fourth type where there’s a linear timeline and the narration of events is split between different characters like The Tale of Despereaux, but we’re not going to talk about those because the throughline there is usually just. The events happening in sequential order.)

How these stories can be tied together will differ slightly based on what type they are, but ultimately all of the methods below will work.

Part 1: Throughline Objects
The first, most common, and easiest connector is to just have an object either be at the center of the plot or be a Chekov’s Gxn (which is a whole other workshop in and of itself, christ) across all of the different perspectives. The protagonists of Pam Munoz Ryan’s Echo are very different people living in various places and times, but the magical harmonica remains at the center of all of their perspectives and thus the entire book.

Part 2: Line Repetition
In the next subcategory of obvious hints, we have line parallels. This is your run-of-the-mill, “wow, a character said a line that someone else had said in a different perspective before! The thematic depth is blowing my mind!” I cannot think of any examples off the top of my head sorry ah, but I promise you there are some out there. These tend to be more common in short stories and poems where it’s more likely the reader will remember the line, but they can also be used in longer novels— never as the only tie-in between viewpoints, however. The line parallel is not strong enough on its own to hold together an entire novel, and is usually used to support the stronger plot/macguffin/theme throughline.

Part 3: Recurring Symbols/Motifs
This is very similar to the Throughline Object, except instead of a real, tangible object the tie-in is more symbolic. A bit of a stretch here, but the moon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream as an eternal presence, timekeeper, and reminder that all is not as it seems can be taken as an example. Symbols are also usually used to support other connectors instead of being the main one, unless the author wants to be really heavy-handed with their motifs and make it the center of their story (this happens in short stories a lot).

Another thing worth noting is that macguffins (also could be a whole ‘nother workshop), due to their unreachable and idealized nature for most of the story, also often fall into this category of being symbols as well. Take the Sea of Flames in All the Light We Cannot See, for instance. Its presence in the World War II plot and its magical ability almost screams “hey!! Don’t strive for power at the expense of the people around you!!” which one could argue is the thematic connector.

Part 4: Narrative Parallels
Whoo, we’re almost there! Okay so the final section we have here is narrative parallels. Depending on how subtle you want to be, this can either require a lot of thinking from the audience or none at all, which will then also impact its strength as a perspective tie-in. If the different characters meet similar people, go through similar experiences, and ultimately come together at the end, it’s not going to be hard for the reader to go “huh, I wonder how these characters relate?” This can also take the form of setup and payoff, as in Holes where a lot of the explanation and context for the modern-day plot comes from things established in the flashbacks. How much the events of your different perspectives affect each other is again up to you. They don’t have to affect each other at all if you want, they can just parallel each other thematically; but then you’re going to have to make sure that thematic throughline is pretty dang obvious.

And that’s it! There you go, four different ways you can tether stories told across different perspectives. I wish you luck, out there in your writing endeavours, and I need to go post this so bye!

workshop idea by the marvelous moonlit ( @moonlitseas ) – “tell us about a mythology that isn't greek or roman + tips on writing with it”

so, without further ado, i bring you a workshop on writing egyptian mythology!!

on egyptian mythology.

I. what is mythology?
Mythology, in its essence, is a collection of stories and myths revolving around a particular shared culture or religion. Many prominent examples trace back to Greek and Roman mythology, including the stories of Hercules, Odysseus (the Epic fans out there ;D), and Orpheus and Eurydice (Hadestown)!

It really is a broad genre, with a lot of room to explore different systems of belief– it’s a great way to unlock a variety of unique perspectives and worldviews, and understand the foundation of how people see Earth’s existence.

II. an overview of writing mythology

Writing in a world of mythology is a bit like writing fanfiction – oftentimes, the stories you draw inspiration from have already been created, complete with an extensive amount of characters, worldbuilding, and lore to explore and play with. This is perhaps the most important part of writing in this genre: understanding the setting, the people, and how much you want to alter it in order to keep your writing feeling authentic, yet still interwoven with myth. The trick, it seems, is to find a balance that suits the needs of your story.

It’s important to make sure the way you incorporate the myths isn't the exact same as the original. By keeping things the same, you lose the individuality of your story; readers don’t discover anything new from re-reading the same old legends. Some strategies to set your tale apart include switching the perspective, blurring the lines of hero and villain (and in some cases switching roles entirely), and changing the setting (time and place), however one of the most effective ways to make it your own is to dive into the characters, the myth, or the world, and twist it into something special that still feels true to the original.

A good way to get a feel for the subtle ways in which you can change a myth is to delve deep into the story. Read lots of versions of the character you’re focusing on, the world you’re writing in, or the myth you’re hoping to recreate. First, focus on the “rules”: the norms of the myth; perhaps the characters’ motivation and personality, or the essential world building elements. Once you understand these “rules”, you’re better equipped to break them!

Now, use a bit of imagination and creativity to sort through these pieces. Pick out some of the underlying parts of characters, etc, and think about ways to alter them, creating new ideas out of the existing bits in a way that is special to you and your work.

Writing with mythology is a delicate balance of new and old, yet when done right, the result is something especially memorable.

III. egyptian mythology, an introduction and overview

Egyptian mythology is a collection of myths relating to the polytheistic religion of Ancient Egypt. It’s a religion with a heavy influence on balance– balance between humanity and gods, life and death, maat (order) and isfet (chaos).

Gods/goddesses and myths in Egyptian mythology can be varied across sources, much like religions and beliefs today. Deities were generally portrayed as human-like figures with the heads of animals, and what could be considered a principal association with a specific thing (for example, the sun or crocodiles). However, occasionally these overlapped, especially with major gods. In addition to this, there could be several forms of the same god or goddess, like Ra (more on him later) and Hathor/Sekhmet (who was switched between forms as the goddess of cows and the goddess of lions). Myths in general could be different depending on the sources, an example being the specifics of Nut’s birth to her children and Ra’s journey across the sky, as well as many others.

FUNDAMENTALS—
MA’AT & ISFET:
Ma’at was seen as the physical being or force of order and peace, while Isfet was chaos (Apophis being the embodiment of this chaos, and Set(h) being the god of it). The gods and King were supposed to maintain a balance of the two, primarily by keeping overwhelming chaos at bay.

THE DUAT:
The Duat was the Ancient Egyptian representation of an afterlife or underworld.

PARTS OF A SOUL:
Ancient Egyptians saw the soul as being divided into five parts– the ba, ren, sheut/shuyet, ib, and ka (some sources split these further, diving into 9 parts, or some lump them together into three, but the parts remain the same in essence, regardless).

BA – the soul (plural: bau)
One’s ba is seen as their soul, or more accurately, the effect, reputation, or personality in regards to the world around them. It’s anchored to one’s living form, but can be released in death, and possibly when sleeping, with the ability to travel between the world of the living, the Duat, and the heavens.

REN – the name
One’s ren is their name. The Egyptians believed in the concept of a secret, hidden name which exists only within one’s heart, as the essence of their identity and the embodiment of who they are.

SHUYET – the shadow
One’s sheut or shuyet is their shadow. The shadow requires protection, and in turn will protect the soul in the afterlife.

IB – the heart
One’s ib is their heart, which defines said person. It’s their measurement of good and evil, and is weighed against a Feather of Truth in the Hall of Judgement.

KA – the life force
One’s ka is their life force, different from their physical form. It’s the personality of a person, essentially a duplicate of their body that encompasses their essence.

The akh and khat are two other parts of a person or soul that are represented in Egyptian mythology.

AKH – the spirit
One’s akh is their spirit, the form of a merged ba and ka after a spirit passes the House of Judgement.

KHAT – the physical body
One’s khat is their physical body, the part of them that will be left in the living realm after they die, in the remains of a corpse.


DEITIES—
RA (also known as Re, Amun-Ra, Amun-Re, and various other names): the god of the sun; merges with other gods to create the morning, noon, and evening suns

SHU – the god of wind and air; tasked with keeping Nut and Geb apart for eternity; husband of Tefnut

TEFNUT – the goddess of rain; wife of Shu

NUT – the goddess of the sky; daughter of Shu and Tefnut, wife of Geb

GEB – the god of the earth; son of Shu and Tefnut, husband of Nut

OSIRIS – the god of the dead; eldest son of Nut and Geb, husband of Isis, father of Horus

ISIS – the goddess of motherhood, love, and healing; daughter of Nut and Geb, wife of Osiris, mother of Horus

SET – the god of chaos; son of Nut and Geb, husband of Nephthys

NEPHTHYS – portrayed with varying associations, including water, air, and night; protector of the dead; daughter of Nut and Geb, wife of Set

HORUS – the god of war & sky; protector of the pharaoh (pharaohs were considered human forms of Horus); son of Nut and Geb, son of Isis and Osiris

THOTH – the god of god of the moon, sacred texts, mathematics, science, magic, scribes, and knowledge; messenger and recorder of the deities; parentage is in some cases Ra and other cases is unknown

SEKHMET/HATHOR – the goddess of war and destruction (and when she becomes Hathor, of love and pleasure)

SOBEK – the lord of crocodiles; son of Set

ANUBIS – the god of death & funerals, tasked with helping those transitioning from life to death

NEITH – the goddess of creation, weaving, wisdom, and war

BES – protector of children; portrayed as a dwarf-like being

BASTET – goddess of cats, women, and children; daughter of Ra, wife of Ptah

PTAH – the god of craftspeople and architects; said to speak life to everything; husband of Bastet

KHONSU – the god of the moon

APOPHIS – the chaos snake

AMMIT – the devourer of the dead


MYTHS—
THE CREATION OF THE WORLD
It’s said that everything began with Ra (or in some versions, Atum, a deity similar to Ra with the power of creation), surrounded by nothing but an expanse of chaos and water, known as Nun. Ra was able to bring things into existence simply by speaking them, and as he was lonely, he brought forth the gods of wind and rain– Shu and Tefnut, who had two children, Nut and Geb. From there, gods were created, until the ultimate birth of humanity.

THE SUN’S JOURNEY
The solar cycle, the path and journey of the sun, was said to exist because of Ra. Every day, he traveled across the sky in his barge, and at night, he descended into the Duat, where he would sail the River of Night. Each night, he was attacked by Apophis, the chaos snake, and Ra and his companions (primarily consisting of other gods/goddesses protecting him) would fend it off.

CHILDREN OF NUT
Nut was to give birth to five children, but Ra forbade her from doing so on any day of the year. She went to Thoth for advice, and eventually from there to Khonsu, with whom she gambled for extra moonlight in order to create five days at the end of the year. Each of her children, Osiris, Isis, Nephthys, Set, and Horus, were born on one of these days.

RA’S SECRET NAME
From dust and Ra’s spittle, Isis is described as creating a snake, which she then placed in Ra’s path, where it bit him. The venom sunk into his body, and since it was created from part of him (his spittle), he was unable to purge the poison. He had no choice but to call upon Isis for help, and the only way for her to heal was for him to reveal his secret name, which would give her a somewhat dangerous level of power over him. She did cure Ra, however the knowledge of his secret name remained in her.

There are several variations of this particular myth: in many cases, Isis used this power to force him to step down from pharaoh, as he no longer was serving the people well, and they were getting restless and angry. By him stepping down, her husband, Osiris, took the throne, and the people began to flourish again. Her motive, however, depends on the retelling, whether it was her own interests or the interests of the people at heart.

BATTLES FOR PHARAOH
Osiris ruled fair and wisely for a time, bringing new knowledge to the world of man, including that of farming and agriculture. He kept harmony and ma’at, yet his brother, Set, grew envious of him.

Set hatched a plan to rid the land of Osiris, and crafted a chest to his exact size. Osiris was tricked into getting in the chest, and Set then slammed the lid and sent him down the river, getting rid of him and claiming the throne for himself.

Isis refused to believe he was dead, and went searching for him, so Set eventually collected him and cut him into 14 (some sources claim 42) pieces, which were scattered across Egypt.

After a time, all the pieces except one were found by Isis and Nephthys, who managed to give him new life: the ruler and judge of the underworld. Horus, the child of Isis and Osiris, in turn, fought against Set, and defeated him, avenging his father and claiming the throne of Egypt.

THE HALL OF JUDGEMENT
One of Osiris’ duties as judge of the afterlife was to preside over the Hall of Judgement. As people died, before being admitted into the Field of Reeds, the peaceful afterlife for Egyptians, they had to pass through the Hall of Judgement, where their ib – their heart – would be weighed against the Feather of Truth. If their heart was light and pure, they would pass. However, if it was heavier than the feather, it would fall to the ground and be devoured by Ammit.

WRAP UP—
Egyptian mythology is a fluid thing, with overlapping sources and some set entirely apart, and a wide variety of myth and deities. This isn’t the entire collection of legends by any stretch, but it can provide a basic understanding of the way Ancient Egyptians saw the world, and their perspective offers clarity into a world of gods, chaos, and balance.

iv. in conclusion
There’s a whole world of mythology out for the exploring, whether it be the complex history of Egyptian legends, Greek and Roman gods, Norse concepts, or an entirely different belief system. This workshop only scratches the surface of one, but hopefully it was able to offer insight into Ancient Egyptians and their complicated system of making sense of what the Earth had to offer.

Thank you for reading <33
(2237)

v. bibliography
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/the-new-greek-mythology-and-writing-retellings
https://www.britannica.com/topic/ancient-Egyptian-religion/The-world-of-the-dead
https://egyptianmuseum.org/deities-overview (and the subpages provided)
https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/soul/
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1023/the-soul-in-ancient-egypt/
https://ancientegyptonline.co.uk/isisra/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Osiris-Egyptian-god
Kane Chronicles/Kane Chronicles Survival Guide (both of which were written using factual evidence) by Rick Riordan for providing a basis of which I understood Egyptian mythology, so I therefore could connect ideas across sources easier ahaha (i would absolutely recommend this to anyone who wants to explore egyptian mythology is a fictional sense; it's a great example of writing in a mythology genre and adding your own twist to old myths <3)

Implementing Fantasy Magic Systems

Introduction
Helloooo, Wild here! Welcome to my first workshop! Soooo… magic. All fantasy stories have some element of magic in them- that’s what makes them fantasy, after all! Magic is a force that acts upon a story’s world in a way that is supernatural, impossible by the real-world laws of physics, or otherwise unexplained by science. Magic can come in many forms and expressions, from extremely subtle to the basis of all world-building. In this workshop, I will explain how to choose a type of magic system, develop all its unique details, and then portray it within your writing.

Choosing a Magic System
The first things to consider when coming up with your very own magic system are the overarching themes, plotlines, and moods of your story. What do you want your fantasy world to look like, to be like to live in, to allow your characters to experience? There are several different subgenres of fantasy, each based on their type of magic system. If you’re aiming for an adventure-driven quest in a wide-open world, then a wacky and expansive magic system might be just right for you. You could include all sorts of fantastical creatures or mysterious powers- there’s no limit other than your creativity! It could have its own rich and complex world-building with very little basis in the real world whatsoever. This is called high fantasy. If, however, you would prefer a deeper, more serious concept, then it would likely better suit your interests to have your story firmly grounded in a real-world-based setting. In this case, magic is used as more of a plot-driving element than an imaginative outlet. Maybe you’d like a paranormal tale set in a town much like your own- that’s called urban fantasy. Or perhaps you like the real world, but want to give it some magical elements to spice things up a little. If magic has been woven into the natural order of the real world, it is known as magical realism. If an otherwise-normal world is unexpectedly invaded by a magical event, it is called low fantasy. Then, of course, there are the realms of myths, fables, and fairy tales, which usually are based in folklore and have a simple message or storyline at their core. Finally, fantasy is often combined with other genres to create all sorts of interesting combinations: sci-fi fantasy, historical fantasy, contemporary fantasy, horror (or dark) fantasy, and many more! These are all created by taking another genre and adding elements of magic to them. Depending on what kind of fantasy story you want to write, there are plenty of categories to pick from.

Developing a Magic System
So, you’ve decided what the magic in your story is going to be like. You know how prominent a role it plays within your world-building and your plotline. But how do you make it specific to your story, personalized to your world? This is where your own brainstorming has to come into play. I like to start thinking about it from a world-building perspective: What is possible within the limits of the story I have in mind? What magic elements are essential to driving the plot along, and what else can I add to design an interesting setting? Are there rules for the magic? Is the magic’s power based in nature, in objects, in people, etc.? How does magic influence other aspects of the world (governments, ecosystems, social structures, etc.), and/or how do these aspects affect magic? However, if you’d rather think of things from a plot- or character-focused perspective, try asking yourself: What are my characters’ relationships with magic? How are they affected by it? How do they view magic- as something special, or just another normal part of their lives? Why is magic significant in advancing their character development, and/or the development of their storyline? How do characters utilize magic, and are there limitations or consequences to it? It can be difficult to decide on the specifics of your magic system at first, especially if you don’t yet have a solid idea of your story’s characters or plotline yet. But don’t worry! Since all the pieces of a story interact and overlap with each other, a magic system will eventually grow into place as you develop everything else about your story. It will become a natural part of your story’s universe.

Portraying a Magic System
If you’ve got a fairly strong idea of the detailed ways in which magic exists and plays a part within your story, then the only thing left to do is, you know, write it into your tale. Easier said than done, however. Depending on what type of magic your story has, and how your character has to deal with it throughout your plot, you can approach it in a variety of different ways. If you are creating a high fantasy world, you would do well to explain more of the background lore as you narrate and set up the tale, since your reader won’t be able to compare it to the real world as easily. However, if you are going for magical realism, you shouldn’t describe the magic in too much detail, as it is merely a subtle aspect of a mostly-normal world. Drawing too much attention to it would defeat the purpose of “realism.” It is also important to keep in mind the characters’ perspectives of magic. If a POV character thinks of magic as just an everyday thing, casually mentioning magical elements in passing makes sense, whereas a more mystical type of magic might need to be described in greater detail, as your character is astonished and therefore paying close attention to it. Describe the magic as they observe, feel, sense, or imagine it- lean into those descriptive, sensory words. Your characters’ individual voices should affect this a great deal. Also, as a final note: While it’s okay to have some magic simply for the sake of fun, it should also play a key role in your story, not just be there for “decoration.” Make sure it is at least somewhat relevant to the plot and themes as a whole.

Conclusion
Now that I’ve covered the basics of magic systems, from creating them to writing them, I hope you feel ready to go out and design some of your own. Set loose your inner fantasies, and make some magic!

developing character arcs
(requested by sophie - 3020 words)

You’ve just finished creating your character, and you’re incredibly pleased with what you’ve set up. The aesthetic, the backstory, the flaws – it’s all laid out in front of you, and you’re in complete control of the reins. But now, it’s time to take this beautifully woven character and separate them into hundreds of loose threads; pick at who they are and figure out how to tie their issues into your story and send them on the most epiphanic ride of their life.

But the question is – how do you even begin to figure that out? How can you make sure that your character changes without completely abandoning who they are, or accidentally turn them completely unrealistic?

If that’s your struggle – then buckle in, folks. Who’s to say we can’t have a blast while making our characters go through the depths of darkness and despair?

—

Before developing your character, you usually want to have a character to start with. I like to make sure that my character can be captured within a few words - that could range from being ‘the dreamy artist’ or the ‘bad boy’, whatever you’d like. What you don’t want to do is completely pound out every detail of your character, and then try to figure out how to make a character arc. By doing this, you’ve worked on your character so long that you’ve grown attached to who they are, and you’ll be reluctant to let them evolve. I like to think of it as origami - to make your character 3D, you have to start off more two-dimensional.

That’s not to say you can’t figure out the details of your character! Getting a general idea of their likes, dislikes, personality, flaws, maybe even backstory is always a good idea – but keep it loose, and try not to get too attached. It’s way easier to let a character flourish and grow when you aren’t being held down by shackles of details.

—

Now that you’ve gotten a solid starting point to kick off of, let’s dive into development! A key component to consider when mapping a character’s arc is time. What amount of time is your character’s arc going to span over – a few weeks, months, decades? A character’s development should be realistic to the timespan it covers - it makes sense for Harry Potter to need six to seven years to develop his wizarding powers, but it would make less sense for him to accomplish that within his first few months at Hogwarts. Without a relative sense of time, that’s often how characters fall prey to seeming overpowered.

A method I’ve grown to enjoy using is creating multiple character bios. As stated before, you’re not going to get very far with developing your character if you stay attached to one version of them – and making multiple character descriptions allows for you both to clearly figure out what changes from start to end, and gives you a reference point for when you work towards the middle of your character’s story.

For example, here are two character bios that my best friend and i wrote for the same guy at two separate points in his lifetime:

Drystan Tristan - Birthname: Drystan Aersec | 19 | Male, He/Him | Human, origins from Onderon | Orange Lightsaber | Newly Graduated Jedi Knight | Excels at lightsaber/armed fighting, negotiation, and improvisation. Works well with others, and struggles when not fighting in a group. Makes quick friends using common ground. Cannot handle close combat, Struggles to follow orders, and has severe air-sickness. Also, doesn't like thinking. | Black hair in a buzzcut he’s working on growing out (styled into mini Bantu knots), deep brown skin tone and chestnut brown eyes. When on duty, he wears typical Jedi garb, but off duty, he wears a tunic and robe combination. | Charismatic, Overly liberal and carefree, Surprisingly good at giving advice, Struggles to get along with serious people and those with superior attitudes, Reckless and Impulsive, Prideful, Chaotic Good, ESFJ

Strengths: Lightsaber combat, Negotiation, Improvisation, Working with others
Average: Agility (average/weakness), Physical strength
Weaknesses: Meditation, Obedience, Close Combat, Solo Fighting
Force Control - self connection to force, force speed/jumping, healing, thought shields, etc. - average
Force Alter - telekinesis, physical tricks, etc. - weakness
Force Scope - precognition, telepathy, etc. - average/strength

Character arcs:
~ The true meaning of freedom and the balance of it and order. Drystan learns to respect authority, in the process learning to swallow his pride in favor of seeking the guidance of the wiser.
~ Reining in impulse and recklessness in the face of danger. Drystan learns to control his emotions in favor of creating strategies to solve problems.
~ Oliver. Period.
~ I had the idea of him taking on his birth name to stay connected to the past
~ Taking things seriously

———

Drystan Aersec Tristan | 23 | Male, He/Him | Human, origins from Onderon | Orange Lightsaber | Jedi Knight, with Kaz Ekaris as his Padawan of two years | Excels at lightsaber/armed fighting, improvisation, and emotionally focused Force tricks. Can negotiate (sometimes ticks people off in the process), Can fight both in a group and alone, Still struggles with close combat, Has a tendency to dish out orders without explanation (bad communication skills), and has severe air-sickness. Strength-focused fighting style, with detriments to his agility, Connection to the Force is severely weakened, and continues to struggle with physical Force tricks. Still doesn't like thinking. | Dreadlocks of dread pulled into a ponytail, deep brown skin tone and chestnut brown eyes. When on duty, he wears typical Jedi garb, but off duty, he wears a tunic and robe combination. He always wears a necklace from Oliver bearing a rectangular charm with their initials and “Idiots in love” on the back. | Charismatic, Liberal-leaning, Excels at counseling others, Learns and teaches by experience (kinesthetically), Struggles to get along with narrow-minded people and those with superior attitudes, Reckless, Prideful, Overprotective, Impatient, Laidback, Neutral Good, ESFJ

Strengths: Physical strength, Lightsaber combat, Negotiation, Improvisation
Average: Meditation, Working with Others, Obedience, Close Combat (average/weakness), Solo Fighting
Weaknesses: Agility
Force Control - self connection to force, force speed/jumping, healing, thought shields, etc. - weakness
Force Alter - telekinesis, physical tricks, etc. - weakness
Force Scope - precognition, telepathy, etc. - strength

Character arcs:
~ With Kaz: Learning not to push boundaries, learning communication skills, learning to give up the spotlight
~ More Oliver…? :3
~ R u l e s
~ Change is slow, and you have to be patient

We covered all sorts of details, from personality and flaws, strengths and weaknesses, and even brainstormed some smaller character arcs to act as sub-plots for those time periods. You can see how Drystan changes over time too – while he increases at some skills, he loses adeptness in others; his appearance evolves, and his maturity improves - but he’s still a flawed human being. You can be as detailed or loose as you’d like, but as long as you can see some difference, you’re good!

Another useful method to map out a character arc is to use a timeline! I like to block out my character’s timespan into sections, often by year, and then pinpointing what happens between each point in their life. for example:

16 years old: Drystan finally realizes that he needs to get away from the Jedi Order and his Master, and ends up leaving altogether, Ahsoka style. He’s no longer afraid of having to conform to the norms; it’s because he’s no longer afraid that he leaves. This is also when he meets Oliver, and they essentially travel the galaxy as bounty hunters (in a sense) for a year. (otherwise known as the Wild Teenage Era)

17-18 years old: Drystan returns to the Order – which consists of reconciling his friendship with Aeshi, the best friend he abandoned, his Master, and convincing the Council to take him back. Oliver’s still prominent in his life, albeit as an illegal boyfriend - and he has to get Aeshi to stop grilling him too, haha. He’s a stronger person at this point, and his willing to hold his ground against his Master to aer face.

19 years old: Drystan becomes a Jedi Knight. This is when the official plotline starts, when he and Aeshi meet Althea, Brook, Eldira, and Everine. He’s separated for good from his Master, and doesn’t bother to keep in touch. Him and Aeshi (who’s also a Knight now) are closer than ever <3 (otherwise known as the Felrin Era)

20 years old: Drystan’s at a good point in his life…or so he thinks. This year is where Oliver finally faces his Trauma Problems ™, and Drystan learns a lot about both Oli and himself through that. He also develops a closer relationship with Liberty now that she’s been introduced into the storyline. (His development here isn’t quite determined yet, since we’re still exploring this era!)

21 years old: THE DDD ORIGIN ERA OHOHO :3 Drystan finally takes on a Padawan - the one and only Kaz Ekaris, who has the same amount of pettiness as Drystan with twice the sarcasm. While they get off to a rocky start at first, all Drystan wants is to be a good Master, the one that he never had. He learns both how to be a bigger person and how to communicate better.

22 years old: We haven’t developed this era yet - but it’s generally planned to consist of Drystan and Kaz developing a deeper relationship as Master and Padawan further, and Drystan developing a connection with Skyler as they grow to have a more prominent role in both his and Kaz’s life. Oliver is as Oliver as ever.

23 years old: PRIME TIME <3 Potentially the most developed/explored era in the timeline! The gang has been together long enough that Drystan, Oliver, Kaz, and Skyler all start acting like a family and it’s insanely wholesome, Drystan and Kaz have the father-son relationship that neither will admit to, and Drystan has his life put together and filled with people that he loves. But of course, there’s the fact that Kaz is 16, which is the same age Drystan was when he finally snapped to his senses and ran away… and it brings the DDD relationship into darker territory as he finally stops shielding Kaz and opens up to him. For good.

(Keep in mind that you don’t have to be linear when developing an arc! We went from 19 to 21, then forwards into 23, then backwards to age 16-18, and now we’re somewhere around 20 in developing right now. You don’t have to follow a specific method.)

Remember – unless your character is dying by the end of their character arc, they technically have a life beyond the story you tell! See Drystan’s character bios - even though he learned to come to terms with his past and improved with obedience, his skills dropped in other areas like using the Force and his agility; and he still has a lot of room to grow as a person. Characters are people, just like us – they should always have room to grow, even if it’s after the timeline your story covers. That’s what makes them real <3

—

But perhaps, rigid planning isn’t your cup of tea - and that’s perfectly alright too. As long as you have a general idea of where you're going with your character, you can spontaneously develop a character as you go rather than having a set-out, down to the detail plan before you write.

Ironically enough, for all our attention to detail, the best development ideas for Drystan came to us spontaneously. We often used roleplay - oftentimes in writing, as well as actually trying to act out scenes in-person as our characters. It’s a bit like method acting! Even if you’re not with someone else, you can still try to get into your character’s shoes and start messing with their lives.

If we weren’t roleplaying, we’d be making scenarios to stick characters in, and discuss how they’d react and why they’d react that way. And that’d often lead to more questions, more answers, and eventually a grand epiphany about the character. Take an excerpt from one of our old conversations that we’ve immortalized into our Notes app, back in the days when we’d stay up till 1AM to get to these epiphanies:

Drystan is messed up
He's burying issues he still has from the past
Issues like wanting nothing to do with his Master
Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of history
He wanted to be better than aem
To be an oasis in a desert
To be a role model Kaz could look up to
To be a ray of sunshine
So that's what he set out to do
He still is on this track of I need to be better
Which is a very kind way of saying I'm not good enough
Again, trauma
And in trying to be the perfect Master for Kaz, he went against the very values that made him who he was
He wasn't allowing himself to be authentic with Kaz
Because Drystan wanted to protect Kaz from what he used to have
He restricted love in the name of love

So he's basically keeping all of this locked up inside of him
All this emotion
In an effort to be the person he never had as a kid :'(
Because he's blinding himself
The ray of sunshine has blinded himself to what he really is and what he really needs
When you love someone, you don't leave them
You don't suck up a part of yourself

So this is real layered actually
Dude fights for humanity
But is willing to put aside his own
For other people's
Because he has this internalized need to get away from his problems
So it's not exactly selfish selflessness
But in a way he's running away from his problems by being overly selfless
And burying the stuff he doesn't want to admit he's still affected by

He doesn't want to admit he's still affected by Anaken, by his authority issues, because he doesn't want to admit to himself that he's…
That's he's…

“So the question is, why doesn't he grow up?
Why does he still behave as a child?
How can we help him get rid of these leftovers from childish behavior?”
- Winter of Our Youth, Bastille
That he hasn't gotten away from his past, after all this time. “I was still a child,” Alter ego quotes.

He doesn't want to admit that he hasn't been able to heal yet?
That he's still stunted from Anaken's words that he tried to shut out
OH
HE DIDN'T WANT TO ADMIT THAT THE AUTHORITY FIGURES WHO PUSHED HIM AROUND ALL HIS LIFE ACTUALLY GOT TO HIM
THERE IT IS
GOT IT

We reformatted it a bit when converting it into a note, but it made for a key reference point when delving into the core of his issues in his Age-23 Era! Though I don’t recommend staying up till 1AM to get your character development ideas. Have fun with it - be spontaneous, loose, and don’t plan with these methods. Improvise, and be surprised by where your characters take you.

—

I don’t think there’s an end to developing a character, not until they die. (And after that, there’s dealing with the aftermath of the people it effects…) But even if your character’s story cuts off in this chapter or novel, they still have a life beyond that for readers to imagine. While you’ll never truly be done, you’ll know you’ve done a good, right job when you have a character who feels human. Who you can wake up one day and wonder, “Hey, what do you think ___’s reaction would be like in the instance of ___ during this part of the story?” When they’re become such a vivid human being that you can just jump around, bounce hypotheticals and figure out the answers - you’ve got a three-dimensional character right there.

As always, remember the scope of what you write - keep yourself in check and don’t dive into the world of being ingenuine to your character or unrealistic. And have patience! Creating a good character takes time - maybe you’ve developed an entire character arc for a short story in 15 minutes! But don’t give up because you can’t do it in one sitting for your novel character. Drystan here isn’t even set in a novel, but rather an entire timeline - it’s taken my friend and I two years to bring him as far as he is today, and we’re still cranking out the details. We’ve spent the same time on his padawan, Kaz, and six months on his boyfriend, Oliver.

And above all – enjoy the process of developing your character. Enjoy taking the reins and figuring out what made your character from start to finish. It’s taken me and my friend a long time to bring these characters as deep as they are - and over the time of doing so have come some incredible moments inmy life. The process of roleplaying or inventing scenarios with her well into four in the morning have become core memories – and are part of the reason I love these characters to death and why i never get tired of them. If you want the reader to love your characters, you need to love them yourself, and love growing with them over time. <3

Thanks for bearing this far with me, folks - but that brings this workshop to a wrap! Before I end, i’d like to thank Rani, my best friend and fellow fellow partner-in-crime in the creation of all the character’s I’ve showcased/mentioned in this workshop, and also a writer of at least half of the things in these quote boxes. I hope I've been able to give you some long term tips for developing a character and their arc, and that you’ll grow to love your characters even more as you do so!