petme wrote:

Hahgoot wrote:

petme wrote:

I'm going to wright a nice story about a bully I meet on animal jam. -snip-

Okay um I'm just confused, which cat is the bully? And which is the one with the wrong spelling? I keep rereading it and not understand, I'm probably just missing something.

the one with bad spelling ( me ) is not the bully it’s the one ☝

Okay, so… the blue cat was bullied by the black cat, and the blue cat was actually 15, and she pretended to be happy but was sad? Or did I get it wrong again XP

petme wrote:

Hahgoot wrote:

petme wrote:

I'm going to wright a nice story about a bully I meet on animal jam. -snip-

Okay um I'm just confused, which cat is the bully? And which is the one with the wrong spelling? I keep rereading it and not understand, I'm probably just missing something.

the one with bad spelling ( me ) is not the bully it’s the one ☝

Oops

Challenge of the day
Find a YouTube video where someone is describing a funny/creepy/etc thing that happened to them- write the story they describe in your own words in any tense or perspective of your choice.

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Challenge of the day
Find a YouTube video where someone is describing a funny/creepy/etc thing that happened to them- write the story they describe in your own words in any tense or perspective of your choice.

that will not be hard for me I love

Tip of the day
(decided to do this since it's world mental health day)
This might seem like an odd thing to bring up, but people don't tend to be ok when something traumatic happens to them, and yet many stories just tend to brush off horrific occurrences with no more than a line.
This is often done for two reasons. The first is that the writer feels they cannot work the consequences of these events into the story, whether that's because of the tone or flow of the narrative. The second (and worse) reason is that the writer wants to show how tough and cool the characters are by having them completely unaffected by any trauma they face; this narrative choice is not only poor from a literary standpoint but it's also dangerous in the real world due to it's promotion of the very damaging ‘macho’ ideal that proper strong, manly people don't cry or get upset and, in reverse, that anyone who gets affected by traumatic experiences is ‘weak’- I don't think I need to explain what kind of problems this causes.
The one thing that people seem to forget is that actually showing this struggle can make for a more interesting and relatable read. It creates drama and adds a satisfying mini plot to your story. Also, if it's your kind of thing, it can be used for some fitting and well written angst from a narrative perspective: it's more interesting to have your character grappling with the consequences of their actions or the reality of things they've faced than to have them power through those only to angst over some dead relative they shouldn't even remember.
Also, remember that different people react to things differently. It's important that you research what kind of issues the situation you've created might cause and how these issues actually work in real life- using these issues also requires you to use them properly and respectfully.

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
(decided to do this since it's world mental health day)
This might seem like an odd thing to bring up, but people don't tend to be ok when something traumatic happens to them, and yet many stories just tend to brush off horrific occurrences with no more than a line.
This is often done for two reasons. The first is that the writer feels they cannot work the consequences of these events into the story, whether that's because of the tone or flow of the narrative. The second (and worse) reason is that the writer wants to show how tough and cool the characters are by having them completely unaffected by any trauma they face; this narrative choice is not only poor from a literary standpoint but it's also dangerous in the real world due to it's promotion of the very damaging ‘macho’ ideal that proper strong, manly people don't cry or get upset and, in reverse, that anyone who gets affected by traumatic experiences is ‘weak’- I don't think I need to explain what kind of problems this causes.
The one thing that people seem to forget is that actually showing this struggle can make for a more interesting and relatable read. It creates drama and adds a satisfying mini plot to your story. Also, if it's your kind of thing, it can be used for some fitting and well written angst from a narrative perspective: it's more interesting to have your character grappling with the consequences of their actions or the reality of things they've faced than to have them power through those only to angst over some dead relative they shouldn't even remember.
Also, remember that different people react to things differently. It's important that you research what kind of issues the situation you've created might cause and how these issues actually work in real life- using these issues also requires you to use them properly and respectfully.

Great advice. I could go to any collection of amateur literature and there'd probably be countless stories with Mary Sues that have had traumatic backstories like abusive parents and yet it doesn't affect the character (and they're still Mary Sues that have no struggles whatsoever).

--_Nova_-- wrote:

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
(decided to do this since it's world mental health day)
This might seem like an odd thing to bring up, but people don't tend to be ok when something traumatic happens to them, and yet many stories just tend to brush off horrific occurrences with no more than a line.
-snip-

Great advice. I could go to any collection of amateur literature and there'd probably be countless stories with Mary Sues that have had traumatic backstories like abusive parents and yet it doesn't affect the character (and they're still Mary Sues that have no struggles whatsoever).

Yep. That along with dead parents.
It's mostly an excuse for the writer to get the parents out of the picture while adding a layer of interest to the narrative- writing a good or interesting familial relationship is too much effort for them, and the appeal of giving their character something ‘tragic’ in their past seems like a much easier and angstier choice. It's part of why I brought up the point of how actually writing the consequences of these actions can make for better and more interesting angst, since a lot of this stuff is done for angst purposes.

y'all writing panic attacks is 2RealForMe. but anyways anyone got tips bcs i don't know if my personal experience is enough/accurate

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

--_Nova_-- wrote:

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
(decided to do this since it's world mental health day)
This might seem like an odd thing to bring up, but people don't tend to be ok when something traumatic happens to them, and yet many stories just tend to brush off horrific occurrences with no more than a line.
-snip-

Great advice. I could go to any collection of amateur literature and there'd probably be countless stories with Mary Sues that have had traumatic backstories like abusive parents and yet it doesn't affect the character (and they're still Mary Sues that have no struggles whatsoever).

Yep. That along with dead parents.
It's mostly an excuse for the writer to get the parents out of the picture while adding a layer of interest to the narrative- writing a good or interesting familial relationship is too much effort for them, and the appeal of giving their character something ‘tragic’ in their past seems like a much easier and angstier choice. It's part of why I brought up the point of how actually writing the consequences of these actions can make for better and more interesting angst, since a lot of this stuff is done for angst purposes.

ah the dead parents cliche
I wrote a character whose father died, but said father died about midway through the book and not before, any tips on pulling that off ok?
idk what my motivation for it was, but it seems like it was an angst thing
but also said death caused said character to be more willing to give up his own life
hmm

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
(decided to do this since it's world mental health day)
This might seem like an odd thing to bring up, but people don't tend to be ok when something traumatic happens to them, and yet many stories just tend to brush off horrific occurrences with no more than a line.
This is often done for two reasons. The first is that the writer feels they cannot work the consequences of these events into the story, whether that's because of the tone or flow of the narrative. The second (and worse) reason is that the writer wants to show how tough and cool the characters are by having them completely unaffected by any trauma they face; this narrative choice is not only poor from a literary standpoint but it's also dangerous in the real world due to it's promotion of the very damaging ‘macho’ ideal that proper strong, manly people don't cry or get upset and, in reverse, that anyone who gets affected by traumatic experiences is ‘weak’- I don't think I need to explain what kind of problems this causes.
The one thing that people seem to forget is that actually showing this struggle can make for a more interesting and relatable read. It creates drama and adds a satisfying mini plot to your story. Also, if it's your kind of thing, it can be used for some fitting and well written angst from a narrative perspective: it's more interesting to have your character grappling with the consequences of their actions or the reality of things they've faced than to have them power through those only to angst over some dead relative they shouldn't even remember.
Also, remember that different people react to things differently. It's important that you research what kind of issues the situation you've created might cause and how these issues actually work in real life- using these issues also requires you to use them properly and respectfully.

It's only slightly related to the angst topic but I hate it when the main character is beautiful, smart and kind - and still somehow bullied? It makes no sense whatsoever!

mistywaves wrote:

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

-snip-

It's only slightly related to the angst topic but I hate it when the main character is beautiful, smart and kind - and still somehow bullied? It makes no sense whatsoever!

I think it can make sense in some cases- there are a lot of reasons why people bully, and some of those are things like race, sexuality, gender identity and disability which don't stop someone from being smart, kind and beautiful- however, most of the time when this cliche is used this is not the case. I feel that this trope is often used as the writer wants the character to be relatable but still aspirational, and because a lot of people don't like the idea of negative traits, they decide to approach this by making an amazing person who others don't like. This often ends up not working as there is no (or minimal) given reason in story for people to not like the character as the writer doesn't want the character to be unlikable.

Tip of the day
If you have to make your character act in an unrealistic or out-of-character way in order for a plot point or detail to work, you need to change things until you don't. Doing this tends to create little plot holes and inconsistencies that over time will impact the quality of the piece the more the reader notices them. Basically, these situations can potentially be excused if they're very infrequent and not major plot points, but if you have multiple moments like this throughout then quite a portion of your readers are going to wonder why they aren't reading a book that can actually stick to it's own concepts.
To avoid these, you have to change one or both of these two aspects: the character or the plot point. To elaborate, let's create the character of Dave, a reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself. Let's say you want Dave to find a weird portal in the woods and travel to a new world. This raises the obvious question of “Why would Dave, a reserved and logical office worker who keeps to himself, go use a mysterious and unusual portal far away from where he typically frequents?” and the answer to that question isn't in the narrative.
There are many different ways you could change the scenario with Dave and the portal to avoid this, however. For example, perhaps Dave likes to go on walks in the forest to clear his mind and is also clumsy, leading him to fall into the portal before even being able to make a conscious decision of whether or not he should enter it- a situation like this, if explained in the narrative, wouldn't really raise any eyebrows at all

Challenge of the day
Come up with another solution to the Dave/portal concept. Remember, you can change anything about Dave and/or the portal but it still needs to be the same story here- making Dave a swashbuckling adventurer who hunts down mysterious portals would solve this conundrum but it would make for a completely different story to the rough idea initially suggested.

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
If you have to make your character act in an unrealistic or out-of-character way in order for a plot point or detail to work, you need to change things until you don't. Doing this tends to create little plot holes and inconsistencies that over time will impact the quality of the piece the more the reader notices them. Basically, these situations can potentially be excused if they're very infrequent and not major plot points, but if you have multiple moments like this throughout then quite a portion of your readers are going to wonder why they aren't reading a book that can actually stick to it's own concepts.
To avoid these, you have to change one or both of these two aspects: the character or the plot point. To elaborate, let's create the character of Dave, a reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself. Let's say you want Dave to find a weird portal in the woods and travel to a new world. This raises the obvious question of “Why would Dave, a reserved and logical office worker who keeps to himself, go use a mysterious and unusual portal far away from where he typically frequents?” and the answer to that question isn't in the narrative.
There are many different ways you could change the scenario with Dave and the portal to avoid this, however. For example, perhaps Dave likes to go on walks in the forest to clear his mind and is also clumsy, leading him to fall into the portal before even being able to make a conscious decision of whether or not he should enter it- a situation like this, if explained in the narrative, wouldn't really raise any eyebrows at all

Challenge of the day
Come up with another solution to the Dave/portal concept. Remember, you can change anything about Dave and/or the portal but it still needs to be the same story here- making Dave a swashbuckling adventurer who hunts down mysterious portals would solve this conundrum but it would make for a completely different story to the rough idea initially suggested.

Ok, this isn't the best but this is what first jumped into my head.

Dave, a married reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself, is given a letter from a mysterious source. The letter is a plea for help asking for a rescue from deep in the woods nearby. As a part-time volunteer fire-fighter, Dave feels compelled to help this unknown person. At the end of the workday, he walks into the woods to help. Soon he comes across a glowing light. As he steps closer he realizes it is coming from a portal. Faintly he hears the cries of help. The voice sounds like one of a child's and seems desperate. With children of his own, the cries pierce Dave's heart. He wants to help. Without considering how he will even get back to his own family, Dave goes through the portal.

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
If you have to make your character act in an unrealistic or out-of-character way in order for a plot point or detail to work, you need to change things until you don't. Doing this tends to create little plot holes and inconsistencies that over time will impact the quality of the piece the more the reader notices them. Basically, these situations can potentially be excused if they're very infrequent and not major plot points, but if you have multiple moments like this throughout then quite a portion of your readers are going to wonder why they aren't reading a book that can actually stick to it's own concepts.
To avoid these, you have to change one or both of these two aspects: the character or the plot point. To elaborate, let's create the character of Dave, a reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself. Let's say you want Dave to find a weird portal in the woods and travel to a new world. This raises the obvious question of “Why would Dave, a reserved and logical office worker who keeps to himself, go use a mysterious and unusual portal far away from where he typically frequents?” and the answer to that question isn't in the narrative.
There are many different ways you could change the scenario with Dave and the portal to avoid this, however. For example, perhaps Dave likes to go on walks in the forest to clear his mind and is also clumsy, leading him to fall into the portal before even being able to make a conscious decision of whether or not he should enter it- a situation like this, if explained in the narrative, wouldn't really raise any eyebrows at all

Challenge of the day
Come up with another solution to the Dave/portal concept. Remember, you can change anything about Dave and/or the portal but it still needs to be the same story here- making Dave a swashbuckling adventurer who hunts down mysterious portals would solve this conundrum but it would make for a completely different story to the rough idea initially suggested.

One day a strange portal appears in Dave's office

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Tip of the day
If you have to make your character act in an unrealistic or out-of-character way in order for a plot point or detail to work, you need to change things until you don't. Doing this tends to create little plot holes and inconsistencies that over time will impact the quality of the piece the more the reader notices them. Basically, these situations can potentially be excused if they're very infrequent and not major plot points, but if you have multiple moments like this throughout then quite a portion of your readers are going to wonder why they aren't reading a book that can actually stick to it's own concepts.
To avoid these, you have to change one or both of these two aspects: the character or the plot point. To elaborate, let's create the character of Dave, a reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself. Let's say you want Dave to find a weird portal in the woods and travel to a new world. This raises the obvious question of “Why would Dave, a reserved and logical office worker who keeps to himself, go use a mysterious and unusual portal far away from where he typically frequents?” and the answer to that question isn't in the narrative.
There are many different ways you could change the scenario with Dave and the portal to avoid this, however. For example, perhaps Dave likes to go on walks in the forest to clear his mind and is also clumsy, leading him to fall into the portal before even being able to make a conscious decision of whether or not he should enter it- a situation like this, if explained in the narrative, wouldn't really raise any eyebrows at all

Challenge of the day
Come up with another solution to the Dave/portal concept. Remember, you can change anything about Dave and/or the portal but it still needs to be the same story here- making Dave a swashbuckling adventurer who hunts down mysterious portals would solve this conundrum but it would make for a completely different story to the rough idea initially suggested.

It's not very good but…
Dave is a reserved, logical office worker who keeps to himself. Aside from this, he is also a member of a wildlife conservation group which regularly meets in the woods to discuss the safety of endangered wildlife species. After one of these meetings, as he is walking through the woods to where he left his bicycle, he spots a mysterious looking hole in the ground. He, thinking it to be a form of fox burrow, leans in with his smartphone to take a photo and is sucked into the portal.

ah these dave portal stories are really good. i think I'll write one of my own tomorrow when I get home and have time.

Challenge of the day
Continuing from yesterday, actually write the first chapter for your Dave/portal scenario and then post it for critiques. I'll be participating in this with my example Dave/portal scenario from the previous post.

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Challenge of the day
Continuing from yesterday, actually write the first chapter for your Dave/portal scenario and then post it for critiques. I'll be participating in this with my example Dave/portal scenario from the previous post.

(Not finished)

Dave, a married reserved and logical office worker living in a city who keeps to himself, is given a letter from a mysterious source. The letter is a plea for help asking for a rescue from deep in the woods nearby. As a part-time volunteer fire-fighter, Dave feels compelled to help this unknown person. At the end of the workday, he walks into the woods to help. Soon he comes across a glowing light. As he steps closer he realizes it is coming from a portal. Faintly he hears the cries of help. The voice sounds like one of a child's and seems desperate. With children of his own, the cries pierce Dave's heart. He wants to help. Without considering how he will even get back to his own family, Dave goes through the portal.

Chapter 1
“Hello? Is anyone out there?” Dave called, his voice reverberating through the woods.
He stepped closer to the purple hue coming from the clearing. As the trees parted he found himself standing in front of a glowing perrywinkle portal.
“Help!” a faint child's voice floated through the portal.
“Who are you?” Dave asked
“Help me! Get it away! Ahh!” the voice screamed, sending a shiver down Dave's spine.

The-Book-Worm wrote:

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Challenge of the day
Continuing from yesterday, actually write the first chapter for your Dave/portal scenario and then post it for critiques. I'll be participating in this with my example Dave/portal scenario from the previous post.

(Not finished)

-snip-

This seems like more of a paragraph than a chapter, but I still think it's headed in the right direction.

apgonscratch wrote:

The-Book-Worm wrote:

TheRealNetherBefore wrote:

Challenge of the day
Continuing from yesterday, actually write the first chapter for your Dave/portal scenario and then post it for critiques. I'll be participating in this with my example Dave/portal scenario from the previous post.

(Not finished)

-snip-

This seems like more of a paragraph than a chapter, but I still think it's headed in the right direction.

It's not finished. I had to go and just posted it so I could edit it later