honey & star

multifandom • i reblog a lot • read my stories under hashtag #snippet

[nchant6dkitty]

Enemies to lovers prompts!

Ew, don't smile at me, I might like you .

Ha! Jealous? Why would I be jealous of that idiot going out with someone else? Just looking at them makes me want to puke!

Nobody gets to be an asshole to B except me. You got that ?

The only kiss you're gonna get is a kiss from my fist!

Date A?! Ha!, I'd rather drown in acid than end up with that pain in the ass!

Wow, you finally said something sensible.

For once, though it pains me to say this... - I agree with B.

My eyes are up here , sweetheart.

Shut up and kiss me.

Do you hear that? It's the sound of me not caring.

Just so you know, I still hate you. This doesn't change anything.

Love, if I ever slept with you, those pretty legs of yours wouldn't be able to stand.

Oh please. You and I both know that I am your type.

I can't decide if I want to punch you or kiss you right now.

Are you blushing? Gross.

Shut up! Just...shut up!!

I love you. You enormously stubborn pain in the ass.

You're nothing! Do you hear me? You mean nothing to me.

Tell me one good reason why I should trust you.

Say it one more time. I dare you.

Do I look like someone who seems interested in a thing like you?

Are you happy now huh? Are you happy you've finally got your revenge?!

You finally ruined me. I hope you're happy now.

Just as I was starting to see you in a different light, you open that filthy mouth of yours.

You ruined everything! And you destroyed my heart along with it!

Look me in the eyes. Look me in the eyes and tell me you never loved me. Tell me I never meant anything to you. Go on. Break my heart again. Tell me this was all a lie.

Go on. Leave. Like everyone else.

Did you ever feel sorry for what you did to them? To me?

I've lost count of how many times I've fantasied about you.

I bet you would look even better without your clothes on.

You promised me. You promised you wouldn't kill them... - Then why?! Why did you kill them?!

Betray me again and I will kill you.

Did I stutter? Take it off.

Beg me first.

You know you're a pain in the neck, but... You're alright.

...why did you defend me?

Aww, that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me. " It wasn't a compliment! "

So it was all a lie?! Even your so-called feelings for me?! Were you ever sincere to me at all?!

Unfortunately, I don't have enough middle fingers to let you know how I feel.

Why do I still like you, knowing you tried to kill me?

Remind me to kill you. Please.

I can't help it, you're fun to mess with.

Don't touch me! I don't need your sympathy!

I'm afraid I am incapable of love.

Touch me...please...

I'm a fool for believing someone like you could change.

How did you get those scars? I never did those to you.

Please don't push me away. Not you too.

...did you just compliment me? Oh my God, this must be a nightmare.

You are being abused, aren't you? Do you think I haven't noticed the bruises and scars you always try to hide?!

Why do you care? I thought you hated me.

You. Are. Mine. Do you understand?

I don't think you want to know the kind of things I'm thinking about right now.

* whispers in ear* did that turn you on?

That was the saddest attempt of flirting I've ever seen.

Are you that oblivious or are you trying to turn me on?

Look me in the eyes and say it. Say that you don't love me. I dare you.

Do you think I don't catch staring at me all the time? I see the way you look at me when you think I don't notice.

Ugh,open the windows. I don't wanna get infected with all this stupidity/ sweetness.

Why don't you go ahead and try?

I hate that I don't hate you anymore.

For some reason, I'm attracted to you. And I'm disgusted with myself.

The first person to make a sound loses.

Nothing brightens up my day than seeing you suffer.

Ew, don't compliment me. I might puke out my organs. ( lunch/ dinner )/ I might cringe out all my organs. / someone might think we're friends.

I hate the way you make me feel. I hate that you make me desire things. Things... a person like me would never dream about. You give me hope and it terrifies me.

It's better this way. Whatever was going between us was never destined to last.

That kiss/ that night never happened between us.

So... What are we? Enemies with benefits? Is that even a thing?

I'm going to break your jaw if you keep talking.

The only gift I would ever want to give is piercing a knife through your heart.

Why are you being so nice to me? It's disgusting.

C-can you hold me? / C-can you hug me? I know you hate me but I just want to be held right now.

I wouldn't sleep with you even if I was paid all the money in the world!

I- I have nowhere else to go...

I... I think I'm in love with them and I'm terrified.

Don't make this harder than it already is.

Touch a hair on their head and I will. Kill. You.

I'm gonna harvest your balls ( /organs) if you ever hurt B, you hear me?!

What do I have to do for you to trust me? ! What do you want me to do for you to stop shutting me out?!

I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. But I at least want you to know that what we had was real. There was never a moment with you where I faked my feelings. I... I truly loved you.

I can't lose you. Not you too.

I thought you died! Don't you ever scare me like that again.

Don't talk to A, they're going to infect you with their venom.

Wait- are you jealous?

Ew, don't hug me! I might get infected with your filthy germs.

Me? Like you? Ha! That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Fake dating? With you? Let me go home and laugh at that idea.

Just so to remind you, we're supposed to be a fake couple. I don't want you falling for me. Don't even think about falling in love with me you got that?

If you wanted to see me naked you could have just asked, you know?

[eddysocs]

Angst Dialogue Prompts

You may mix and match these prompts with ones on the same or different prompt lists you find on my blog when making requests. Context for the prompt(s) is always welcomed and encouraged, but not required.

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

"The world is not ready for us."

"What kind of sick dream is this?"

"Did you ever get my letters?"

"I'm real. I’m here."

"Is it so hard to love me?"

"I don't like violence, angel. Please don't make me do this."

"You're my wife. That gives me every right."

"You can hurt me if you want. Hit me, stab me, yell at me. You can do anything, as long as you just stay with me."

"I know I should leave, but I can't stay away from you."

"I know I shouldn't love you, but I do. And that terrifies me more than anything."

"I can't help the way I feel about you, even though I know it's wrong."

"You’ve always loved her/him, haven’t you?"

"I know that there’s still good in you."

"Stop it. You’re in pain. Let me help you."

"I’m/you’re bleeding."

"I don’t know where I am. Help me."

“Never scare me like that again!” 

“You think I wanted this to happen?!”

“You actually came back.”

“Kinda sucks that I can only have you like this.” 

"No one will hurt you again, I promise."

"Hold onto me, okay? I'll get us out of here."

“You might break my heart, but I’m willing to take that risk.”

“One last time with you. I’m not asking for anything else.”

"One second. Can’t you just listen to me for one second?"

"If you can't figure it out by now, then I don't have anything else to tell you."

“Is this what we do now? Make out and then never talk about it? Great!”

“I can’t admit it. I don’t want to.”

"Oh, honey…"

"I don’t deserve you."

"I won't let you do this."

"Do what you want. I’m not going to babysit you."

"You will cut all ties with him/her."

"I thought you might never wake up."

"Please, let me in."

"If I asked you to kiss me in front of all these people, would you do it?"

"People like us don’t get to decide that we’re done."

“I should’ve been there. This shouldn’t have happened to you.”

"As I’ve told you before, that’s in the past now."

"I wish I wasn’t like this."

"Blood. There’s too much blood."

"Everyone I’ve loved has gotten hurt. I can’t let that happen to you."

"Nightmares again?"

"You don’t need to earn my affection, not now and not ever."

"Stop fussing over me! I’m not a baby!"

"I’ll kill that bastard. I’ll kill him for what he did to you."

"I don’t want you to leave. I don’t know if I’ll be okay without you."

"My poor baby, I’m so sorry."

"Did you miss me?"

"Squeeze my hand."

[eddysocs]

Fluff Dialogue Prompts

You may mix and match these prompts with ones on the same or different prompt lists you find on my blog when making requests. Context for the prompt(s) is always welcomed and encouraged, but not required.

🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

"I can't smile at you, I'm mad."

"Can you sing to me?"

"How do you always know exactly what I need?" "I pay attention."

"I could listen to you all day."

"For me, being happy fortunately coincides with making you happy."

"I don't think I have ever felt safer than in your arms."

"I can hardly wait to put a ring on that finger."

"Stop that broody look and come over here."

"You're very lucky I love you."

"Move in with me."

"You should know that I have asthma, just in case you intend on taking my breath away on a regular basis."

"Want to go to a museum with me and make all the paintings jealous with your beauty?"

"I might be an organ donor, but you really shouldn’t take my heart so soon."

"Have I told you I love you yet today?"

"Thank you for everything you do for me."

"You hugged me like your personal pillow."

"Have your eyes always been that dark?"

"Your body feels like home to me."

"If the Gods choose to only give us daughters, then I will gladly have as many as you are willing to give me."

"I will be happy wherever as long as it is by your side."

"What did I do to deserve such a sweet wife?"

"You're the only one who gets to call me that, you know."

"You need to know that I have grown to care for you. Deeply."

"You're always so flirty." "Just with you."

"How long have you had this planned?" "Since the moment I fell in love with you."

"Nothing makes me happier than making you smile."

"I would marry you again in a heartbeat."

"You asked if I have regrets. The answer is no, because somehow, everything I did led me to you."

"I do love you, you know. Even if I'm shit at showing it."

"See, I can play nice sometimes."

"I’ve been in love with you since the day we met."

"Did you just call me (pet name)?"

"Oh, for the love of— come over here and let me fix that."

"I honestly didn’t take you for such a gentleman."

"Your eyes…I get lost in them sometimes."

"He's/She's so pretty I think I’m going to faint."

"You should play with my hair some more."

"Well, hello, sleeping beauty. You fell asleep on me."

"Just say the word. You know I’d do anything for you."

"I heard you liked (thing), so I bought you this."

“You’ve got to go home.” “You are my home.”

"You just have this glow about you."

"I love your laugh."

"You look your cutest like this." "No I don’t, I just woke up." "I know what I said."

"You are constantly finding new ways to surprise me."

"I can keep you company until you fall asleep."

"Can I try some of your food?" "Of course. Open wide."

"This isn’t just a(n) [object], it’s a promise."

"Come back to bed."

"I think my family/friends really liked you. Maybe more than they like me."

"I can’t stop thinking about you."

"Shut up, you love me. Why else would you be here, taking care of me while I hurl into a toilet?"

"Please, never apologise for wanting to be loved."

"Aww, you remembered." "Of course I did."

"This is my boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé(e)/husband/wife everyone!"

"If you don’t want to spend the night in an empty house, you could always come over to mine."

"One date, that’s all I’m asking for. One night to let me show you how good we could be together.”

"I'll always make time for you."

"Laundry day doesn’t mean walking around in your underwear, but for you, I’ll make an exception."

"How about a kiss before I go?"

[catgirl-catboy]

"RPF is only okay if the people its about consent to it!!!!"

No. No.

You. Are the fucking problem.

The FIRST rule of RPF fandom is to not talk about it to anyone outside the fandom.

By going up to people and saying "hey, people are writing you boning someone.", you are erasing the divide between fandoms and their creators, and ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

Creators should not publically acknowledge fanfiction and fandom. Its better for everyone that way, unless you've forgotten how shit used to be.

[shrimpmandan]

I think at this point anyone who calls themselves a proshipper but is like, staunchly aggressively no-matter-what anti-RPF is either deluding themselves or thinks that the concept of "real people being reimagined as fictional characters" hasn't existed for decades at this point.

Everyone was fucking raving about Hamilton and Clone High barely a few years ago. A lot of extremely famous, influential movies are based off of real people, such as The Wolf of Wall Street. Every single fucking cartoon you've seen that references a real life historical figure like Cleopatra or Napoleon is technically doing RPF to some degree. THE MAGIC FUCKING TREEHOUSE IS RPF.

All this is ignoring how much we WORSHIP AO3, but-- but but, the founder of AO3 very much supports RPF. And by supports I mean they actively WRITE RPF. Tons of American Idol stuff that's all obscenely popular!

Now of course, there's gonna be some people who have a kneejerk rebuttal about how it's "different" with historical figures, that it doesn't matter because they're all dead, or that movies and books are different from fanfiction that may or may not be sexual. Except all of those arguments make absolutely zero sense when you think about them for more than two seconds.

Shouldn't the subjects being dead make it... more disrespectful, on a base level? You could made a valid case that with historical figures, nobody is left alive to mourn them. In comparison, people who have died relatively recently still have loved ones alive to mourn their deaths, and who would very likely be negatively mentally impacted by stumbling across an RPF fic. Understandably so--

but wasn't our whole argument that other people's feelings are their own to deal with, and not our responsibility?

You can make a similar case for serial killers, too. The victims of Jeffrey Dahmer still have friends and family that are alive. I would imagine they wouldn't want to see posts sexualizing or glorifying him-- but I doubt they're seeking out anything related to him /at all/, frankly. And then we're back to point one about how all that matters is that shit is consistently tagged and that people simply don't read what they don't like.

In my opinion, the sole, sound argument against RPF would be sexual RPF of minors. Even if no contact or even grooming is happening: that is still sexual content of a living minor. That is CSEM. That is a completely valid thing to be against. I honestly fail to see why sexual drawings of real minors are illegal, but not writings. Still, writings and drawings do not involve the same amount of /direct/ abuse as 'regular' CSEM and CSA, but making the argument of psychological harm is fair, especially when this is a case of a child being directly sexualized against their will.

But then we're still back to square one.

Don't like don't read.

Honestly, I'm neutral on RPF. I'm against anything that involves a sexualized depiction of a real child, and I'm generally not super interested in or comfortable with reading fics about real people, but it's also not a topic I can just disassociate myself from and say that it's somehow disconnected from proshipping. It isn't. Proship communities are built off of the backs of RPF shippers, like it or not. And honestly, I couldn't care less so long as the shipper in question is still respectful of the privacy of the subject(s) they're writing about. The version of the person they're writing is fundamentally not real, and that's a weird thing to wrap your head around. One could even argue my own reasons for singling out child sexual RPF is hypocritical or contradictory, and I wouldn't disagree. I think having mixed feelings on the subject is understandable. But being completely, over-archingly against it due to knee-jerk discomfort? It just seems a bit silly to me.

[fandom-hoarder]

The notes in that rpf poll are literally making me sick. Oh, you're a "reformed real person shipper"? Oh you were only a silly teen? STFU. Like actually, grow up more. There's nothing wrong with RPF. Movies are often RPF, because people will write it with certain actors in mind. Historical fiction is RPF. SNL is RPF. Some centuries-old plays are RPF!

The only problem would be if it's being sent to the celebrity unsolicited, or people are harassing the real people to be in a real relationship. But that's not a normal part of writing RPF! Thats a PARASOCIAL problem; a HARRASSMENT problem; not a writing problem. That's more like what antis do to "out" people, or what people who can't tell fiction from reality do.

Genuinely hope all the people judging RPF purely on existing grow out of their ridiculousness. You don't have to like reading it. But judging a FRIEND because they start WRITING it??? What the actual fuck y'all.

[deity-prompts]

Fluff Prompts Masterlist

50 ways to say I love you

50 MORE ways to say I love you

Reasons for characters to fall in love

Fluff oneliners [1/2]

Fluff oneliners [2/2]

30 day fluff challenge

First kiss prompts (stoic x cheerful) prompts and oneliners

First kiss prompts and oneliners

Accidental kiss prompts and oneliners

Meet cute ideas

More meet cute ideas

First date prompts and oneliners

First date headcanon meme

Coffee shop date prompts and oneliners

Valentines Day prompts and oneliners

A flustering B prompts and oneliners

Carried bridal style prompts and oneliners

Oblivious pining prompts and oneliners

Soulmate AUs

Heartstopper inspired prompts

First date generator

 How to hint at a crush

Also see:

Prompts masterlist

[deity-prompts]

50 Ways To Say “I Love You”

“Be safe”

“Make sure to come back to me, okay?”

“I got these because I know they’re your favourite”

“I saw this earlier and I thought of you”

“Give me a hug please”

“I’d really love it if you came”

“Please stay”

“Just- uh . . . try not to die. I’m really not bothered to replace you”

“You’re leaving already? Nooooo~”

“[insert very specific insult]”

“Well maybe I like having you alive, ever thought about that?”

“You’re the only one I really want to be there”

“You’re my everything”

“I’d rather be hurt and be with you than be okay without you”

“I think in every reality, I still find you”

“I want to make something for you”

“There are people who love you, you know”

“Dedicated to [character name]”

“I did this for you”

“I would give all of this up for you”

“Stop worrying about you? Stop worrying about you?! I can barely stop thinking of you!”

“I wish I could stay here forever. Just me and you”

“Thankgodyou’reokay-”

“I won’t admit that I missed you”

“I made it the way you like it”

“I can’t stand not talking to you”

“I didn’t ask you to do that” “You didn’t have to”

“Don’t move - I’ll get it for you”

“Tell me all about [thing/person their partner is interested in]”

“You won’t take care of yourself so I will”

“[talks dreamily about their future with their partner]”

“When am I going to see you next?”

“I was thinking of you”

“You’re worth it”

“I’d rather just hang out with you, if I’m honest”

“I really like your hands”

“You’re the only reason I’m coming back”

“I am not leaving you”

“I knew you weren’t dead. I refused to believe it- I knew it couldn’t be true”

“Shut up and kiss me”

“I’ll take care of you as long as you need me”

“You’re not alone anymore”

“It’s okay it’s okay is got you”

“You don’t have to pretend with me”

“Whenever I’m with you I am real”

“Just you and me; that’s all I want”

“You’ve finally rendered me speechless”

“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen”

“If only you could see yourself as I see you”

“I love you”

[part 2]

[50 ways to say I hate you]

Leave requests for other oneliners / prompts!

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Fic Titles: German Song Edition

Part III

Wishing for eternity (Wünscht man sich Unendlichkeit) - An Tagen wie diesen, Die Toten Hosen

I only feel what you want (Ich fühl' nur was du willst) - Nur ein Wort, Wir sind Helden

Where thoughts drift away in the wind (Wo Gedanken im Wind verwehen) - Hinterland, Casper

Cried far too much to forgive in the end (Viel zu viel geweint, um am Ende zu verzeihen) - Unendlichkeit, JBS + MilleniumKid

Hold on to me (because that is all that remains) (Halt dich an mir fest (weil das alles ist was bleibt)) - Halt dich an mir fest, Revolverheld

I want to love you one last time (Ich will dich einmal noch lieben) - Eiserner Steg, Philipp Poisel

Going to war, but no one follows (Ich ziehe in den Krieg, aber keiner zieht mit) - Schüsse in die Luft, Kraftklub

Effectiveness determines action (Effektivität bestimmt das Handeln) - Major Tom, Peter Schilling

Giving away moments of infinity (Momente der Unendlichkeit verschenkt) - Unendlichkeit, JBS + MilleniumKid

I think that the two of us are the most beautiful together (Ich denk', dass wir beide am schönsten zu zweit sind) - Daheim, Blumengarten

Use these lyrics as your next title and tell me about your favourite song in your native language!

More titles!

[cfserkgk]

I had a thought --- You know how Conan and Haibara are also the "same age" as Anya and the Eden kids in spy x family? So hence here's Conan and Haibara in the Eden uniforms since I can allow myself to fantasise.

I don't know if this has been done before, but I like coai a very lot, they're my childhood. There's just something about their camaraderie and mutual trust that makes me so happy.

[villainsmemes-deactivated202503]

GENERAL

“Can you walk?”

“How did this happen?”

“What the hell happened?”

“I hit my head.”

“Did you hit your head?”

“Can you hear me?”

“Don’t close your eyes, stay awake!”

“Come on, stay with me!”

“No no no no no!”

“You shot me!”

“I didn’t mean to shoot you!”

“You stabbed me!”

“I didn’t mean to stab you!”

“Take the knife out!”

“Don’t take the knife out!”

“It was an accident!”

“That/this wasn’t an accident!”

“That looks broken.”

“I think my leg/arm is broken.”

“That doesn’t look good.”

“Am I going to die?”

“You’re not going to die!”

“Calm down!”

“Don’t panic!”

“I can’t help you if you don’t let me!”

BLOOD

“Are you bleeding?”

“Don’t move, you’re bleeding.”

“Is that blood?”

“Whose blood is that?”

“That’s a lot of blood.”

“Do you know how to get bloodstains out?”

“Why do you know how to get bloodstains out?”

“Damn, I got blood on my shirt.”

“Don’t move, you’re losing blood!”

“I won’t let you bleed out!”

“You have blood on your face.”

“I swear to god, if you get blood on me…”

“What’s your blood type?”

“Why in the hell would you need to know my blood type?”

WOUNDS

“That cut is nasty.”

“You have a massive gash in your arm/leg!’

“Don’t touch it!”

“Don’t move, you’ll only make it worse!”

“I’ll get some bandages.”

“You’re going to need stitches.”

“That looks infected…”

“Did you get bit by something?”

“There’s no exit wound, the bullet is still in you.”

“There’s an exit wound, the bullet went through you.”

AFTERCARE

“How are you feeling?”

“How does it feel?”

“It’s still not healed, but it’s getting there.”

“Let’s go home.”

“I just want to go home.”

“Let’s get you into the bathtub.”

“We need to change your bandages soon.”

“Get some sleep, okay?”

“You need to eat something, you’ve been through a lot today.”

“I’ll check up on you in a bit.”

“You’re going to be fine. I promise.”

[secondhandsorrows]

Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists

Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~

Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.

What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 

Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.

Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 

What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 

Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 

Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 

Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.

We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.

[ahb-writes]

Writing Problem: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Problem: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Solution: Character growth and story arcs don’t occur in isolation. Conflict-guided scenes and conflict-guided storytelling, more broadly, open the narrative to moments in which the characters are continuously tested to validate their knowledge, skills, or relationships.

To drive the story forward with measured purpose, focus on building, developing, and testing a character’s desires. If necessary, implement story or relational dynamics to economically assess, judge, and curate a character’s failure (and the consequences thereof). Conflict needn’t be grandiose; writers must be in tune with the different levels, types, and intensities of conflict that drive their story. Conflict should be multifaceted.

Writing Resources:

A Few Words About Conflict (Glimmer Train Press)

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense (Writer’s Digest)

Emotions in Writing: How to Make Your Readers Feel (Jericho Writers)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences (September C. Fawkes)

How to Master Conflict in Young Adult Fiction (Writer’s Edit)

Failure, Conflict, and Character Arc (Writers in the Storm)

❯ ❯ Adapted from the writing masterpost series: 19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

[secondhandsorrows]

Some Vital Scenes to Include in a Romantic Subplot, pt. 1

I’ve been in the plotting stages of a novel I’ve been working on for some time now. It’s not a romance novel, per se, but the romantic aspect is very prevalent… dare I say important. Anyway, so as I was working on my scenes and character arcs, I began to realize that I didn’t have enough fleshed-out about romantic arc, nor deepened the protagonist’s love interest or their connection, for that matter. This led me to devise up some scenes that I felt were crucial to the story if I wanted to keep this romantic angle to it, and now that I’ve most of them arranged, I find now that I’m way more excited about my characters’ love story. 

These tips will be unnumbered because, obviously, the sequence of these events and how they will fall into your storyline will probably be different. Also, you don’t have to use only one scene for every suggestion that will be mentioned, as you can have multiple scenes of flirtations or deep conversations, for example. They usually blend all together into the narrative at this point. Just remember that there should be some relevance to the plot at hand in some of these scenes as to not derail completely from the main narrative or other conflicts.

I was going to post this all at once, but decided it was too long and wanted to split it into two parts to go more in-depth and for easy reading. /-\ Enjoy ~

- The meet-cute, or the meet-ugly:

Ah, yes, the first encounter. Or, as we sometimes like to call it: the meet-cute, or the meet-ugly if you’re feeling a little unconventional or perhaps mischievous. Though we may enjoy setting up our star-crossed characters in a whole range of moments from awkward to swoon-worthy, the initial meeting is what’s important (if your characters haven't already met before the beginning of the story, ofc, but this is useful to have in mind). Let us quickly define the two:

Meet-Cute: A charming and serendipitous first encounter between the characters in question that sets a positive, memorable, and oftentimes romantic tone.

Meet-Ugly: An unconventional, awkward, or disastrous initial meeting that adds a unique twist to the start of the romantic connection, often leading to unexpected chemistry and an added intrigue on whether or not they’ll get together.

You don’t have to nail your characters’ first encounter into a label or bubble such as these two examples, but I like bringing these up for a general idea. 

- Bouts of flirting and/or banter:

Just as the title suggests, these are scenes containing the flirtaious communication between the two characters. These kinds of interactions will, of course, develop over time and deepen the bond or relationship. Playful interactions, gazes, and witty exchanges between the characters can create a lighthearted and flirtatious atmosphere that hints at their growing attraction.

The way they might flirt or tease can reveal their personalities. For example, one character might be more sarcastic, while the other responds with quick wit, or quiet bashfulness. There’s an element of subtlety, as flirting lets the characters express their romantic interest without explicitly stating it (unless one of your characters lacks subtlety in general and prefers to shout their undying love from the rooftops, which would make for an interesting dynamic, but I’m only spit-balling). 

Banter, teasing, and romantic tension underscoring heated debates or loathsome gazes suit just as nicely, especially if you’re writing with enemies-to-lovers or rivalry tropes in mind. But be careful! A little goes a long way: too much all at once can repel any growth for the characters or narrative.

- Initial conflict or struggle:

Depending on your story’s big-picture conflict, the introduction of challenges or obstacles can create tension between the characters, adding depth to their relationship and making their eventual connection all the more satisfying. This might include cultural or class differences, opposing goals or values, history of past heartbreak, personality weaknesses such as stubbornness, or external pressures that threaten to keep the characters apart. Even a nosy family or a disapproving mother can be considered. How the characters navigate and resolve these conflicts contributes significantly to the overall emotional impact of the romance subplot, as well as allowing for some exploration of each character's strengths, weaknesses, and resilience. 

- Shared vulnerability:

This kind of scene involves the characters opening up to each other about their innermost fears, insecurities, past trauma, or personal struggles. Shared vulnerability goes beyond surface-level interactions. It involves characters revealing their authentic selves, exposing their emotional vulnerabilities, and allowing the other person to see them in an honest — and sometimes new — light.

This is a symbolic gesture of commitment we’re talking about, here… something that requires trust. As characters share their fears or past traumas, they are entrusting the other person with sensitive information, fostering a sense of trust and emotional intimacy. It might be scary, it could be out from left field, but they will end up learning something new about themselves, their situation, or about the other person, and thus deepen their connection, little by little.

[em-dash-press-deactivated202410]

I am going to take a deep breath and just remind you:

Writing is messy, even for the best authors. It's supposed to feel a little uncomfortable, exhilarating, freeing, natural, and terrifying.

It's supposed to inspire you and feel like a too-heavy backpack.

Sometimes, you're going to love being a writer and sometimes, you'll feel so disconnected, you'll wonder if you were ever a writer to begin with.

Give yourself room to make mistakes and hate your work and return to it with renewed confidence that yes, you will get 1% better next time.

It's what we're all going through. Let's speed up the growing process a little by accepting the entirety of it.

[selpuku]

rnis officially dating

[ceallachs]

hello i recently got into blue lock (I binged the anime with a friend and read through the entire manga and now I’m caught up) please expect blue lock art from me from time to time aha :”)

I also have a blue lock-only twt account @usagisprouts if you’re interested in following me there!

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