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[clementired]

Screen Tests for Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

[6zeeees]

“You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your creative muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories – science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

— Ray Bradbury (via havingarockytime)

[6zeeees]

“Don’t get it right, get it written.”

— Ally Carter (via psliterary)

[mortisia]

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari) dir. Robert Wiene with Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, Friedrich Feher. (1920, Germany)

[bluecohosh]

saw a newly restored version of this at the cinema last night, accompanied by live piano. amazing !!

[6zeeees]

“Write even when the world is chaotic. You don’t need a cigarette, silence, music, a comfortable chair, or inner peace to write. You just need ten minutes and a writing implement.”

— Cory Doctorow (via maxkirin)

[maidmarians]

David Bowie in Labyrinth (1986)

[screen-craft-blog]

[6zeeees]

“When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”

— Desiderius Erasmus (via observando)

[inky-duchess]

Writing Theory: Writing Children

I for one do not like children. They're small and completely irrational at some times. But children are often a intregal part of stories, especially if they are the ones telling the story. So how can we write the little buggers?

Do's & Don'ts

Don't make child wise and omniscient. It's creepy and just plain stupid.

Don't try make the kids cute. Forced cuteness is sickening and will no doubt bring up some annoying memories for your older readers.

Don't treat child characters as if they're stupid. Kids can be pretty aware of things going on around them. They're not stupid.

For the Love of God, no baby talk.

Do give them a personality. They are still people. You have to give them characterization on par with that of those around them.

They should have their own goals, wants, tastes and opinions. Kids have a lot of opinions.

Treat them as people rather than objects. They are not there to be passed around and looked at. They are kids.

Children through the years

Children are dynamic, they are constantly changing as they age. They will begin to grow traits as they age, grow a personality and become people.

1-2 Years Old

Children are beginning to learn basic skills as walking and talking by age 1. At age 2, called the Terrible Twos, children are easily excitable, speaking coherent sentences (though they may need encouragement) and able to create chaos. They are able to begin learning to tools like forks and cups but they will not be coordinate just yet. As kids are still getting to grips with their emotions, they are likely to have mood swings, ranging from happy one minute to pulling out your hair the next.

3-4 Years Old

Kids at this age can start to take care of themselves. They are dress themselves, go to the bathroom by themselves and generally keep themselves together to a certain point. They will begin to understand and follow directions. They will be able to speak complete sentences and understand most words. They will ask a lot of questions. They can be very imaginative at this age, likely to exaggerate. They will try to copy friends and older siblings.

5-6 Years Old

Children at this stage are more active and sure on their feet. They can play more elaborate games, actively interested in hobbies. They can safely use things like scissors, are able to be left in charge lf their appearance and tie their own shoelaces.

7-8 Years Old

Children at this age will cease to exaggerate and embellish stories. They are better at making friendships but are likely to get into spats. They are beginning to understand the social world around them and are more interested it it before. They will have formed a distinct personality at this stage and will use it. They are more independent, able to look after themselves.

9-11 Years Old

Children at this stage will begin to edge into the horror known as being a teenager. They will begin to learn life skills, able to take care of themselves and will begin to think they know it all but they are still kids. They still need supervision even if they think they don't. At this age, they will begin to gain an independent view and opinion of things. The whole social imagine problem will begin to become important to them, they will consider friends and imagine as important factors in their lives.

Kids as Narrators

Though children can be a font of truth sometimes, they often have a way of muddling facts and being confused by certain aspects of the story they are not versed in. Using the age ranges above, you have a clear idea of what aspects kids aren't saavy in yet. Children narrators are often thought of as one of the kinds of unreliable narrator and they can be, depending on the age and maturity. But remember, most children do not intend to muddle things or elaborate and most certainly narrate what they think people want to hear. (though sometimes it can be true).

[inky-duchess]

Writer's Guide: Hand to Hand Combat

Your character is unarmed and all they have left to fight with is their bare hands. If they hope for the enemy to catch their hands, you will have to write an effective scene. So how can we write a good hand to hand combat scene?

Most Common Moves

Now, I'm not going to list 30+ martial arts moves. Most of your characters will not be masters of kung fu or mixed martial arts. Most people who get into fights are novices.

Punch: a punch is probably to go to strike. Try not punch anybody in the face because one, they will expect it and two, it will hurt your hand. If you can aim for the soft parts of an opponent, kidneys or gut.

Kick: Kicking isn't pretty but it is effective. A good swift kick to the back of somebody's knee will fold them like a lawnchair.

Go for the groin: Man or woman getting kicked in the nether regions is no picnic. A good swift kick with your foot or your knee can incapacitate your opponent. Its not the most honourable of moves but it works.

An Elbow strike is effective: The elbow is your strongest point of attack. Drive it in to a windpipe or a gut and you can but yourself valuable time to retreat or stall your opponent from answering back.

Eyes: they are weak points. Jab somebody in the eyes with a thumb and they will stop in their tracks.

Throat: You can end any fight by going straight for the throat either grasping it in a headlock or jabbing it with a fist which can collapse the windpipe.

Bite: If you are unable to snack your opponent, use your teeth. The human bite is perhaps not as strong as a hyena's but it is strong enough to shorten your opponent by a finger or two.

How to Escape from Grips and Holds

Pinned from behind with your arms pinned: You have to stop your opponent from getting to a headlock. Move your hips to one side and strike backwards toward the groin or gut. This should weaken the hold of your opponent. Once the grip is loosened, turn toward your opponent and snack them into the nose with the heel of your hand.

Held from behind: Bend forward as far as you can making it more difficult for your opponent to lift you. Jab with your elbows back into your opponent's chest or face. Turn toward your opponent once the grip loosens and strike at the face or the groin again to subdue your opponent.

Headlock: If your opponent has you in a headlock, DON'T STRUGGLE. You could break your own neck. Turn into your opponent's side as close as possible. With your hand that is furthest away, hit your opponent into the groin or gut.

Pinned down on the ground: Most likely your opponent is using their own hands and weight to keep you down. If you can move your knees, try to jab them in the side or the groin to unbalanced them.

Things to Remember

1. The whole 6-10 minute bout only happens in films or controlled sporting events. Fights are usually over within a few minutes. (when writing effective fights, keep the pace short.)

2. Girls are vicious. I've worked in nightclubs and broke up a fair few fights. Boys will knock the shit out of each other but girls will tear shreds out of each other. I have known grown men to break up fights between guys but nobody wants to break up a catfight.

3. One wants the fight to end quickly. If you keep slugging at each other, you'll get tired pretty fast. Have your character try end the fight as soon as possible.

4. Nobody emerges from fights unscathed. Even winners may come out with black eyes, broken noses or at very least a broken lip. If you punch someone, you will likely bruise your knuckles if not split them.

5. If your character is fighting to survive, they don't have to stick to etiquette. They will have to do anything to survive even if it means doing something unpleasant like fishhooking or hairpulling.

[klywrites]

guess what

even if you're writing for adults, it is okay to write simple, digestible prose and short chapters!

many adults are learning to read. many are tired and busy. many are reluctant readers but want to get into reading.

not everything needs to be ~fancy~ or advanced. sometimes things that are too fancy become inaccessible.

you can still write about adult topics. or you can NOT write about adult topics and still write adult characters.

even if you're writing for adults, you can make your story fun and silly! appeal to your inner child, to your nostalgia.

you can also change/adapt your style whenever you want to! if you normally write long and fancy things, but life is hard right now, take it easy. it's okay.

seriously, if your writing style is simple and straightforward, it's okay. it's yours. the words are there, the story is there. and someone will be so happy for it.

[surqrised]

“I’m not sure which is worse: intense feeling, or the absence of it.”

— Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

[languages-georg-blog]

An Actual Writing Tip From An Actual Author

Wow holy shit I’m gonna actually give you guys an actual writing tip, being a published and award winning author and all.

Anyways, a great way to work in TOTALLY UNRELATED little details about your setting or what have you that may or may not be relevant later on is through the use of metaphors, euphemisms, etc. in character dialogue.

“This cold is terrible! I’m wearing more layers than an Aenirian bride!”

Congratulations, you now know something about Aenirian marriage customs. You might not even know what exactly an Aenirian is, but you know that their brides wear lots of layers.

See where I’m going with this?

[thievesguilding]

also even though it seems like common sense little details add so much depth and flavour to a story even and maybe especially when those details aren’t plot relevant

not everything in the real world connects neatly and seamlessly with everything else; there are TONS of loose ends in real life because there’s an entire world that keeps going regardless of one particular person or group’s drama

having proof of a world outside of and utterly unconcerned with the main conflict is such a nice touch and a really quick way to breathe life into dialogue

[languages-georg-blog]

Excellent addition!

[kittydesade]

The trick is when you do this to a) write all this down and b) have a sounding board, even if its’ only your cat. Or your stuffed animal. Or your rubber duck, she said staring balefully at her inner computer programmer. Because if you have a sounding board you can go take a few minutes and add another few sentences about, say, an Aenirian bride wears lots of layers to show off her family’s wealth, whereas an Aenirian groom wears a fancy trouser and nothing else to show off his physical prowess and this goes back to when they were mountain basin nomads but nobody does that anymore really… 

Just make sure you DO go back to the core story and don’t get too distracted. Like, set an egg timer or something. 

[mazarinedrake]

And you never know when a line like this might provide the hook for a future installment! Maybe you get a bunch of cool ideas about Aeniria that wouldn’t fit into the book you’re currently writing, so you stick them in a file somewhere and a few years down the line, write another book that’s set there! Speaking as a lifelong lover of epic fantasies and worldbuilding, I can’t get enough of it when authors do that. 

[letswritesomenovels]

My current WIP is set in a place called “Frog Hollow.” I used to have a 10k subplot about saving the lucky frogs of Frog Hollow. It didn’t work in the story, so I cut the entire thing. I still wanted a nod to the town’s name in the book, so now, when my characters are about to do something risky, they listen for a frog croak as a sign of luck in their venture. It’s a wacky little custom that adds a unique flair to my characters and setting.

If you tend to overdo your world building, backstories, descriptions, etc., instead of cutting them completely, find small places to slip these sorts of details in. it’s a great way to enrich your setting without weighing down your pacing with paragraphs of tangential exposition (or chapters of subplot.) 

[isabellestone]

Giving Your Plot Depth

So far on my blog, I’ve covered the first two steps of writing a novel: developing realistic characters and coming up with a plot. Congratulations! You now have an A plot. 

An A plot is the surface level plot. It’s what your character is doing and what’s happening to them. This plot deals with questions like:

What is wrong with my character’s life at the beginning of the novel?

What do they think will fix their lives when—spoiler alert—it won’t?

Why haven’t they achieved this goal yet?

What catalyst (or inciting incident) will cause them to get off their butts and start chasing this goal for real? 

Now it’s time to move on to the B plot. The B plot is about your character’s development and changing who they are as a person. This is about working out not what your character wants but what they need.

Remember all those flaws we gave our characters? This is where we need to ask the questions:

How does this flaw affect the rest of my hero’s life?

Do my characters flaws get in the way of them achieving their goal? 

How is the plot going to help them realise this flaw and overcome it by the end of the novel after their breaking point?

How is overcoming this flaw really going to make their lives better?

This character development is what gives novels their sparkle. The A plot is what makes your plot interesting, but the B plot is what makes your characters interesting. 

[Please Credit @isabellestonebooks if reposting to instagram] 

[aesterea-archived]

ideas for interesting platonic dynamics:

older siblings trying to maintain a cool persona to impress younger siblings who idolize them 

character avoiding their landlord cause they’re late to pay rent 

neighbors who have grown weirdly accustomed to each other and don’t feel right if the other person isn’t home 

following the same idea… one of them finally moves out and the other neighbor deliberately scares away potential new inhabitants cause they can’t stand the idea of anyone else living next door 

alternatively, shenanigans between neighbors who cannot stand each other and are each trying very hard to get the other to move out 

adult characters bonding with their friends’ children 

characters who are just sick of each other for no particular reason, they’re just weirded out by how often they coincidentally end up in the same places 

character stalking another character, but solely to use their extensive knowledge about them to avoid them 

long-lost friends/relatives reunited after many years who now have to get to know each other all over again 

doctor/therapist/other health care specialist frustrated with a chaotic patient who keeps getting themselves into awful situations 

tension between characters of different religions, but not hateful!! there’s just a lot of confusion about each other’s beliefs as they get to know each other 

parents trying very hard not to play favorites with their children 

children trying very hard not to play favorites with their parents 

teachers trying very hard not to play favorites with their students 

business partners become business rivals 

business rivals become business partners 

friend groups where pets are also considered part of the group (thinking of scooby doo) 

bitter enemies teaming up against a bigger enemy 

mentor/apprentice, but the mentor doesn’t know what they’re doing at all, they’re just winging it 

mentor/apprentice where it turns out that the apprentice is actually more skilled/knowledgable than the mentor 

ex-villains slowly learning to trust their old enemies 

ex-villains trying so very hard to persuade their old enemies that they are not villainous anymore 

friends who’ve grown unhealthily attached to each other keep putting off an inevitable goodbye 

overachieving classmates who barely know each other and have no intention of furthering their relationship, but they enjoy working together because they make a great team 

adoration between villains and their henchpeople 

feel free to add on as many as you please

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Writing ship-able couples

Here are some tips for writing relationships your readers can get behind:

1. Give them reasons to click

The two characters must have things in common - a hobby, a philosophy, a background. There has to be some element that connects them.

Your readers will root for relationships in which the characters fit together better than they would with others.

Also, make their traits compatible. Have them share some characteristics or have their strengths and weaknesses be complementary. Is the one hotheaded? Maybe the other keeps their cool well in situations of conflict.

There are endless possibilities. Just make sure there’s a reason these two people like/love each other.

2. Have them be vulnerable in front of each other

Personally, this is the best way to get me to love a couple.

Have them share secrets, open up about their feelings and tell each other things they haven’t told anyone. Have them cry in front of each other and comfort each other.

This can be taken to a whole new level by having them understand the other’s emotions even without speaking and already offer comfort. Keep in mind that this will probably only be possible with long-established couples.

And having them open up is also a great way for them to discover all the things they have in common/love about each other.

3. Build up the tension

I cannot emphasise this enough: DO NOT MAKE YOUR COUPLES GET TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY.

One of the best elements of a romantic subplot (or even main plot) is the tension. Your readers want to see the pining! They want the build-up.

And no, I’m not saying that you should introduce endless, petty obstacles. That can become tedious and appear forced.

Just give your characters time to sort through their feelings. Make them fall in love slowly. Have them be unsure. Insert SOME obstacles/conflicts.

Have them almost kiss a few times. Not all the time. Too many almost-kisses can become frustrating. But you should throw a few in there.

And, if you feel comfortable with it, add some sexual tension. Have them notice each other’s bodies and imagine what they’d like to do to each other (that sounds more explicit than I intended :) )

4. Write a healthy relationship

This could just be me and my rejection of unhealthy romances, but I will not root for abusive relationships.

Have your characters be kind to each other, support each other and truly care for each other.

If your characters are constantly putting each other down, physically/emotionally abusing each other or going against the other’s wishes, they’re not in a healthy relationship.

A great way to write a healthy relationship whilst still maintaining the tension, is to have the conflict in the relationship be external. Instead of having the conflict be due to internal struggles between the two characters, have obstacles enter from outside.

Your readers should want them to be together and for that, they should be good for each other.

5. Have their friends/family see their chemistry

I find it beyond adorable when two characters are still figuring out their feelings for each other, but the fact that they’re perfect for each other is crystal clear to everyone around them.

Have their friends tease them about the relationship. Have family members ask after the them. Have their loved ones conspire to get them to admit their feelings.

If your other characters are rooting for them, your readers will probably do so as well.

Plus, this means that the chemistry between the two characters is so strong that it’s obvious, which is always good for an exciting romance.

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any further questions about writing OTPs or any other aspect of writing, feel free to message me or pop me an ask.

Reblog if you found any of this useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Writing Ship-able Couples (Part 2)

My post on writing a perfect OTP remains my most popular. So, I thought I'd expand on it. Here are 5 more tips on writing a couple your readers can't help but ship:

1. Shared struggles

Something that really strengthens readers' love of a couple is watching them get each other through difficult times.

It really shows how strong the relationship is

And it gives the characters shared experiences to reminisce about

Plus, it gives you the opportunity to show the characters being vulnerable in front of each other, as I recommend in Part 1

2. Little moments of fluff

A great way to strengthen your readers' connection with a couple is to show them small, cute interactions whilst other plot points are going on.

Just a character holding the other's hand, making them their favourite drink, laughing at an inside joke etc.

Whatever suits that couple, you can sprinkle into plot-driven scenes once or twice in your novel.

It's even better if it's something very specific to that couple that gets repeated throughout the story.

3. Overcoming conflict

In my first post, I mentioned creating a healthy relationship where most of the conflict is external.

However, this doesn't mean that your characters have to agree on everything.

Showing the couple having a disagreement and, respectfully, working through it can show the strength of the relationship.

Don't have the characters lash out too intensely or say unforgivable things. Don't let it get physical.

Just a normal, healthy disagreement

And don't make them argue ALL the time, since readers will probably be annoyed with this. (unless you're writing enemies/rivals to lovers)

4. Romantic moments after the get-together

In most books with a romantic plot/sub-plot, the characters getting together is the big moment

However, this doesn't mean that your work ends there.

Couples don't get together and then forget about each other immediately.

There's usually a honeymoon phase, where there'll be more romance/PDA.

Give your readers the beautiful relationship they've been waiting for.

5. Quirky details

You will make a lot of readers' hearts melt if your couple has a unique 'thing'

Something they do together. A joke they have. Weird nicknames. Shared oddities etc.

Choose something that would suit who they are as characters as weave it through the story.

This isn't a necessity, but it's a good tactic for getting readers to ship your characters.

So, those are my tips for writing ship-able couples. If you have any questions, feel free to leave me an ask.

Reblog if you found this post helpful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content