I think one of the biggest and most overlooked things to keep in mind when writing is: is how/what I am writing accomplishing what I am trying to accomplish?
Part of why so many writing "rules" don't work for everyone is that they're assuming you're trying to accomplish things that you're not trying to accomplish.
This way of thinking is applicable at every level and every step of your writing process.
Is this plot structure telling the story I want to be telling?
Does this scene evoke the emotion I am hoping to evoke?
Does this sentence mean what I intend it to mean, in a way that is likely to be read with that meaning by most readers?
If something in a story is jarring, for example, it's probably because that piece isn't accomplishing what you're otherwise trying to accomplish in the story.
When I talked about finding epithets jarring in a close third person POV, it's because what epithets do (provide distance from the character) inherently conflicts with what the point of view was intending (intimacy with the POV character).
If a scene or moment is jarring or just feels wrong in a book, it may be because it doesn't match the tone you are otherwise trying to cultivate, it breaks or escalates the tension in a way that you aren't intending, or it has a different narrative feeling than you are intending with the book.
Even down to the grammatical level, you can get away with breaking a lot of grammar rules if you can accomplish what you want to accomplish with the sentence. Is it coherent? Does it have the meaning you intend? Does it have the clarity or ambiguity that you are intending? Does it fit the tone that you are going for?
The same idea holds for the message/implication level. If you are implying or stating something in your story, is it what you mean to be implying or stating? If you are mimicking or subverting stereotypes, is it in a way that accomplishes what you are trying to accomplish?
to try to include in your next poem/story
Accollé - in heraldry: entwined about the neck; also: collared, gorged
Bacciferous - bearing berries
Commorient - one of two or a number of persons perishing at the same time by the same calamity
Dreikanter - a three-faced pebble faceted by wind-blown sand
Estaminet - a small café
Frondescence - the condition or period of unfolding of leaves; foliage
Graveolent - having a rank smell
Hwyl - fervor, excitement
Ichnite - a fossil footprint
Jardiniere - an ornamental stand for plants or flowers
Knop - a usually ornamental knob
Lacustrine - of, relating to, formed in, living in, or growing in lakes
Mucedinous - having the nature of or resembling mold or mildew
Nomistic - based on or conforming to moral law
Oblivescence - an act or the process of forgetting
Pabulum - intellectual sustenance
Quodlibet - a whimsical combination of familiar melodies or texts
Risorgimento - a time of renewal or renaissance; revival
Saeculum - a period of long duration
Trouvaille - a lucky find
More: Lists of Beautiful Words ⚜ Word Lists ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
When I first posted "Flaws to Add to Characters," it gained a lot more popularity than I thought it would! And since you all loved it so much, here's another one!
>>> Selfishness - When one becomes too focused on themselves, they start to ignore those around them who've helped along the way.
>>> Indecisiveness - When one can't make a decision, ultimately, they are stuck and unable to progress.
>>> Self-Centered - Self-centered people are often too consumed with themselves to worry about anything else. Sometimes it's similar to selfishness, and other times it's not. They may be too vain or too busy victimizing themselves to care about others.
>>> Gullibility - A seriously gullible person is easy to trick, manipulate, and hurt.
>>> Skepticality - People that are just too skeptical can be difficult to deal with because they seemingly have to question every action. There's always a motive behind kindness, right..?
>>> Bluntness - Though honesty is the best policy, bluntness is something else. Being too honest can be quite hurtful depending on the situation.
>>> Pushover - Not being able to say "no" when one wants to makes it difficult to be able to advocate for themselves. Additionally, they can get taken advantage of and used.
>>> Easily Offended - This person will absolutely take EVERYTHING personally. Those around them have to be careful about their words, actions, or even behavior because they will look too deep into the most non-meaningful actions. This is usually a result of insecurity.
>>> Overthinking - We all have our moments with this one. Overthinking can often lead to indecisiveness, ensuring that a decision won't be made in the future.
>>> Impulsivity - Sometimes it's better to just think things through. Being too impulsive can lead to unideal situations, events, and outcomes.
Whaddya think? Were these helpful? I'm thinking about continuing these series, but what do you think? (Not gonna lie, these posts help me get my ideas and thoughts in order too.)
Happy writing~
3hks <3
¹⁾ “your shoulder’s acting up again, isn’t it?”
²⁾ “sit, and rest your damn hip before it gives out altogether.”
³⁾ “you’re doing that little frowny thing you always do when a migraine’s about to come on.”
⁴⁾ “i think i coughed wrong and tweaked my back.”
⁵⁾ “christ, how much tiger balm have you got on?”
⁶⁾ “here, can you help me wrap my knee?”
⁷⁾ “i can tell, so don’t bother lying. your gait always gets fucked up when you haven’t been doing your physical therapy.”
⁸⁾ “ran you a bath. might help loosen things up, yeah?”
⁹⁾ “i saw how you were limping this morning- figured picking up your prescription ahead of time might’ve been the move.”
¹⁰⁾ “the heat pack’s in the top left dra- “ “nah, you’re a much better comfort.”
¹¹⁾ “of course i’d manage to break my fall with my bad wrist.”
¹²⁾ “think i pulled a muscle.” “which one?” “all of them.”
¹³⁾ “if you won’t go to the doctor, at least just take it easy for a day or two.”
¹⁴⁾ “i’ll believe your back isn’t at you if you can get up off the floor to tell me it.”
¹⁵⁾ “please tell me that creaking is coming from the stairs and not you.”
¹⁶⁾ “you don’t need to take care of me. i wouldn’t ask that of anyone.”
¹⁷⁾ “i need some ibuprofen, a whiskey and a bath. maybe in that order.”
¹⁸⁾ “you’re good at hiding it, but i can tell you’re in pain.”
¹⁹⁾ “i’m gonna stay the night. i don’t wanna leave you like this alone.”
²⁰⁾ “it’s just a bad day. it’ll pass- it always does.”
AM radio is like literal magic. There is music all around us that we can't hear, and to hear it you just have to tap a crystal (diode) to the earth and listen to it with another magic rock (magnet) and a tin can. You dont even need electricity to make it work because this music around us is literally all the power you need. Oh and at night when the sun has set, the light of the day gets replaced by MORE music because the signals can travel further at night. This is magic. If you even care.
(📝Note: character voice is the way you convey your character's personality though their pov or dialogue when you write. No two characters speak the same📝)
I speak from experience when I say character voice is hard to get right. Characters, like people, have lots of layers that affect the way they see the world around them and how they interact with other characters. That's why character voice is so important in stories, and why if you write it in a compelling and effective way it will hook people into your story. I hope you learn something new in this post!!
When writing character voice, there's a list of things that you should take into account:
Where are they from? Their past and what they've lived plays a huge part in character voice. Maybe your character grew by the ocean, and so they compare things from the present to the beach, the rocks or the sea itself. You will rarely read about a sailor that is an expert in pants and compares scents to flowers. They might, instead, talk about how a house smells like the wet wood of a ship.
Think about how their personality shapes their language. If they are insecure, they might end most of their sentences with "isn't it?" or "right?" and ask a lot of questions, whereas if you have a confident character, you might find them saying things like "we should do this" or "that will be fun" instead.
What their "lense" is. This is more of an ethic aspect of the character. What have they learn it's okay, and what do they find uncomfortable? Would they find it gross if their friend left laundry on the floor?
Give them special traits (both for dialogue and narration). Maybe character A quotes a lot when they narrate and uses long paragraphs, or maybe B speaks about their past a lot and uses popular sayings. Personally, one character of mine has the tendency to repeat himself when he speaks, as in "yeah, yeah, I'll do it" or "no, no, no. Never" because he is really enthusiastic, and it fits really well with his character.
Pay attention to how they would talk about themselves. Maybe your character doesn't like people to know they're sad because it makes them feel vulnerable, so they will just say they feel annoyed or don't want to talk in that moment. This also means that they will not tell the reader something they are not comfortable saying in the first place.
How is their education? Education is also very important in this context. Did they went to university and have a rich vocabulary and structured sentences, or where they rised in a little farm far from town? You can also play with both a bit: maybe your character did go to university, but maybe they also came from a low income family, and characteristic of both things merge when they talk. Example: long, structured, sentences but a simple and sight forward vocabulary.
That's all for now and happy writing!!
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