Noble Pidgey

There is a lot more effort that goes into game design than you might think.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day: 24 GELF Arena. ===

Back to sci-fi settings! its not finished yet, (hopefully I’ll get it done by tomorrow or Friday depending...)

What I was aiming for was an abandoned subway station that has been decaying for years if not decades. The tunnel itself was inspired by the tram ways in Denver International Airport, as well as the subway found in Pokemon Colosseum.

[fictionwritingtips]

How to Write an Engaging First Chapter

I probably get this question every day, so I think it’s about time I did a post on it. Many writers are concerned with writing their first chapters and they have trouble figuring out what they should include and what they should leave out until later.

When you’re submitting a manuscript in order to get an agent or find a publisher, it’s important that you hook them from the opening paragraph. A lot of agents have admitted that sometimes they ONLY read the first few sentences and if they’re not intrigued, they won’t read the rest of it. That might sound cruel, but why should they continue to read something that they think is boring when there are so many other stories in their “slush pile” to read? You need to engage the reader right from the beginning if you want them to care about your novel.

I learned this the hard way. The first few stories I wrote lacked an engaging opening. I think the best way to learn is to revisit some of your favorite books. Most of the time, they had something that caught your attention right away. There was something to it that made you keep reading. You need to make sure you have “that thing” in your own novel.

Here are the dos and don’ts of writing an engaging opening hook:

Do:

Construct a scene that best represents your character

I’m not going to tell you there’s a wrong and right way to open your novel, because it really all depends on your novel. You need to know your character before you can begin writing your story, so only you will know how you should start it off. The best advice I can give is to construct a scene that helps us best understand your character. If they’re on the run, show us that they’re being chased. If they’re sad and lonely, construct a scene that lets us feel their isolation. You don’t necessarily need to open your book with action, but you do need to introduce the conflict. Think about what your character wants and go from there.

Help set the scene

The first chapter is a good time to explore the setting of your novel. You’re not going to use this chapter to completely describe your world, but you need to give your readers a taste of it. Use all your senses to present the setting to us. What does your character feel? Are they afraid? Are they happy? Are they cautious? Putting emotion into your scenes from the beginning will not only help set the tone, but we’ll get an immediate understanding of your world.

Introduce only important information

The first chapter is not the time to give us a long, drawn-out explanation of your world and characters. You need to find the simplest and most exciting way to get information across to your readers, so that they’ll be hooked from the beginning. Get your audience to care about your story. Don’t drag it down with details that don’t matter yet. Think of your first chapter as an introduction to an essay. You don’t go right into the points immediately, but you set us up for something good.

Don’t:

Describe your main character in detail

We don’t need to know everything about your main character in the first chapter. We don’t need to know everything about what they look like, their best friends, how they would describe themselves in the mirror, etc. If you want to do these things, they’re best left for later chapters. Your readers do not need to know everything from the beginning to get into your story. Give them a taste and draw them in.

Give long explanations

When writing a scene, it’s easy to get caught up in everything that you want to talk about all at once. You have to remember that you’ll have time to explain things later and it will probably be much more interesting if your readers have to wait. You don’t need to mention everything that’s happening and why it’s important. Present the information in the most engaging way possible and avoid these long explanations. We don’t need you main character to make a page long speech in the first chapter of your novel.

Fill your readers with unnecessary back story

Again, too much back story in your first chapter will kill your momentum. Anything that’s unnecessary to know from the beginning can be put off until later. I know it’s exciting to get into the meat of your novel, but your readers have to care about your world and characters before you keep talking about it. Don’t be afraid to cut something or push something back to later chapters. You’ll also improve the pacing of your novel if you keep these things in mind.

It’s super important to remember that all of these things won’t apply to every novel. There are times when the opening of your novel will break all these rules and there will be exceptions to every single one of them. However, if you keep getting feedback that people “can’t get into your novel”; it might be because your first chapter is weak. Also, if you’re having trouble with your first chapter and can’t seem to get it right, leave it for later. You can always go back and change something if you don’t love it.

[desertskie]

I saw your comment on the wof confession post and I was so happy to see that I wasn't the only one who noticed how insensitive it was. I was so sickened by the amount of people that had no problem with it. Why is anon calling you a Nazi? Same thing happened to me from the same wof blog. Then again this is Tumblr.

Yeah, I’ve had a bone to pick with her for awhile now. It really is amazing how close-minded and bigoted a lot of these people who claim to be “progressive” are.

However, I’m not going to call her out on the Nazi question since there’s no way to prove that it was her.

Anyway, thanks for the support and hope you have a good day. Thanks for stopping by!

[90377]

Willamette National Forest by Cheryl

[desertskie]

This places looks simply breathtaking. I would love to take a hike through here someday. But check out the full album in the link if you get a chance.

[desertskie]

Sorry about the lack of Inktober updates for this week, there was a lot of stuff going on, but I’m hoping that next week allows for some more free time.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day 11: Pumpkin’s Patch ===

I forgot how bitter sweet Part 3 was. (I also completely forgot about unsibs.) But it did spark a few ideas for when I get around to coming up with a short biography for Pumpkin.

As for the picture itself, I am actually impressed how the pumpkin patch came out, the orange pen really paid off. The mound however, I think I could have done a bit better. What I was aiming for was a mound that was dotted by pumpkins and tangled in vines. But... something didn’t come out right. Hopefully I’ll be able to fix it up by the deadline.

[erkhyan]

[desertskie]

Inktober Day:...10? Pumpkin’s Patch ===

This one is a bit of an interesting case where this is technically for a OTA(?) OC adopt contest hosted by @pandamorphic (Rules and deadlines found here.)

When I started this Monday, my green pen was starting to die, and then I got sick so... no progress was made since that morning. I also found out that drawing pumpkins doesn’t work so well with only black and green to work with. I’m planning of grabbing an orange pen when I replace my green one tomorrow.

This map in particular is also going to be interesting because I feel like I should go back and read the end of Book 1 to get a refresher on what Mudwing society is like.

[desertskie]

Your "if you fight fascism you must be the real fascist" argument is old and tired and stupid. Just stop. Everything.

It sounds like you’ve already heard this before many times…

Also, another thing that I notice about Anons like this; youcan tell they’re just looking for a fight. Even when I outright said that we’veopposed them for more than three-quarters of a century, Anon still isn’t satisfiedwith that.

They want to incite violence and are more than willing tocommit assault, slander, or discriminate so long as they feel like the victimdeserves it. You NEVER make the first move when it comes to punishing peoplefor things that they MIGHT do. Hell, you NEVER take the law into your own hands,with the exception of self defense.

[desertskie]

On a more positive note: I’ve been under the weather these past few days, which is why I haven’t been posting any Inktober stuff lately. But I feel better now so I’ll most likely post something tonight.

[desertskie]

Nazi sympathizer are literal shit. Like you.

I don’t even know what prompted this. If you’re trying to tell the world that Nazis are bad, then you’re 78 years late to the party.

One thing I do know is that people like Anon never cease to amaze me. They know theydon’t have any kind of moral high ground to stand on, they don’t have any factsor evidence to back up their arguments, and they certainly don’t have the brainpower for proper grammar and punctuation. All that leaves them with areinsults, accusations, and buzzwords.

And I have to say Anon, if you feel like you have to purge society of those who you deemed“unacceptable” without giving them any form of due process, then you risk becoming the one thing you hate most.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day 4: Anarth Wetlands (finished) ===

It may have taken a day longer than expected, but I am really happy with how this came out! While I am willing to draw more of this area, I’m not sure if I should do a full drawing like this for tomorrow, or do just a random assortment of smaller areas that need to be drawn out. Such as houses, mini-dungeons, or other one off areas.

All I know for sure is that Its late and I just want to get this out tonight, as oppose to the morning.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day 3: Massive disappointment. ===

While I did get some progress done on my previous drawing, due to time constraints I wasn’t able to add enough detail to the point where I felt like I can upload it without it looking too samey.

Hopefully tonight I’ll have the full drawing done.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day 2: Anarth Wetlands. ===

Not much to say about this one, what you are seeing is only around half way done, hence all the white. The wetlands themselves is a setting that’s been in the back of my mind for awhile now. The original area I had laid out is about four times this size, (this is the SE corner of it.) Though I doubt I’ll get around to the other 3.

So except to see the final product tomorrow. If you notice anything that catches your eye, let me know.

[desertskie]

Day 1: G.F.S. Sagittarius ===

For those of you who may not have heard of it, Inktober is a challenge for artist to make a drawing a day for the month of October. I figured that this would be the best way to get back into drawing and revive this blog somewhat. While there is an official list of prompts and rules; mine are going to be a bit more lenient.

First off if I don’t finish a drawing by the end of the day, I’ll still try to post it that evening or first thing in the morning. Second, I don’t know how much I’ll get over the weekend so don’t expect to see much on Saturday or Sunday. And third, I am open for suggestions for what to draw a layout for, but only if its a place that I know of.

[desertskie]

Inktober Day 1: G.F.S. Sagittarius ===

For those of you who may not have heard of of it, Inktober is a artist challenge that encourages you to make one drawing a day for the month of October. There is an official prompt guide and rules, but since I’m not that good, I’m just sticking to a drawing a day.

While technically drew this yesterday, (10-2-17) but I didn’t get a chance to scan it until this morning. In which case I’ll most likely be uploading something tonight as well. If for some reason I don’t finish a drawing, I’ll still upload what I got done that day and then work on it more of finish it the next day as that day’s contribution. The only days I’m worried about are the weekends since I don’t know if I’ll get a chance to draw or work on anything or not.

Either way, this seems like a good way of reviving this blog so let me know what you think. Or if you want to see certain locations laid out, let me know to. (Just make sure is a place that I’ve heard of first.)

[roselinbooks-deactivated2021032]

Applying Mickey’s Ten Commandments to Your Writing

It’s no secret that Disney is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. I admire Walt, his vision, his drive, and the creations of his company. And I adore Disneyland.

Recently I came across One Little Spark! Mickey’s Ten Commandments and the Road to Imagineering. In it, former Imagineer Marty Skylar a truly remarkable man with whom I am proud to share a birthday) details “Mickey’s Ten Commandments.” While these commandments were written to apply to hospitality and theme park design, I see no reason why they can’t also be applied to writing.

1. Know Your Audience

What is the primary demographic for your writing? Fans of a certain TV series, middle-aged parents, teenagers? This can not only inform how you write something and what you write about, but will also be crucial to figuring out what you can get away with–especially if you want to go through a traditional publishing house. There are certain things you can do in YA that you can’t do in Children’s Lit and vice versa. This will also help you determine which kinds of books you should be reading to get a feel for what that audience wants to see (and you should definitely be reading!)

2. Wear your Guest’s shoes

This may be one of the hardest parts of editing, and is where beta readers come in handy. You must experience your work the way your readers will. You know things that they don’t, which can make this difficult, but when you are rereading your manuscript you must open yourself to what questions the readers will have and decide whether those are good or bad questions.

Some questions will push your reader forward (“Why is s/he acting that way? What’s going to happen next? How will the hero get out of this mess?”) while others will make them want to put the book down, (“Where are we right now? Who are these characters? Why did the assassin just eat the candy that was left out and could be poisoned?”). You must consider these questions as a reader before you can evaluate them and make editing decisions as a writer.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas

This is a writing tip all on its own and doesn’t need much elaboration. Your writing should flow, guiding the reader from one idea to the next. Even if you are writing an anthology of short stories or poems, you can place thematically/tonally similar pieces next to each other, or link them through common elements/words. This, again, will help push the reader forward and make them want to keep reading.

4. Create a ‘wienie’ (visual magnet).

The story behind this commandment is that whenever Walt visited an amusement park, the first thing he saw was a wiener cart, and he was drawn to it; the Disney parks use the same idea with the castles, creating a visual focal point. In writing, we can emulate this by giving the reader something to focus on throughout the story–a ticking clock, a motif, a foregone conclusion–to ground the reader into the plot by always having this focal point in the back of their minds while they read. One might also say that a central theme can act as this focal point.

5. Communicate with visual literacy

Description! Detail! While Disney uses the ‘visual’ part literally in terms of size, shape, and color, writers can do this too by describing these things to help set the tone and atmosphere. I could say “The house,” or even, “The old house,” and the reader will know what I’m talking about, but I can go much further than that and say, “The window shutters hung askew from their rusty hinges and creaked whenever the shrieking wind blew through the broken panes of glass.” Now, without even using the word, “house,” the reader has a much clearer picture of the setting.

6. Avoid overload - create turn-ons

Just like ride designers shouldn’t overdo it on eye-catching gadgets and gizmos, writers shouldn’t overdo it on exposition or gimmicks. This goes back to creating flow and focal points as well–let the information that the reader needs unfold naturally throughout the story. This will prevent exposition dumps, which create pacing issues and can draw attention away from the story you’re actually trying to tell.

7. Tell one story at a time

Or, in other words, remain focused. I have loads of secondary/minor characters that I love and would enjoy writing about, and maybe I will someday, but I have to stay focused on the story I’m working on and resist the urge to detour away from it. There are some genres and writing techniques that can tell multiple stories at once effectively (see: Love Actually), but this will require an even stronger central theme and focal point to pull off successfully.

8. Avoid contradictions - maintain identity.

This principle mirrors what I call, “Show And Tell.” This is a problem that I see a lot when characters act counter to how they’ve been described. While this could be a good use of juxtaposition and show that a character’s innermost self does not match their outward persona… it is very rarely done on purpose.

Take, for example, Anastasia Steele from Fifty Shades. We are told that she is highly intelligent and loves classic literature, yet throughout the series this love of classic literature barely plays a role in her character, and while I’m willing to acknowledge that there are different types of intelligence I would not expect someone with a 4.0 college GPA to make some of the utterly foolish decisions she does. Her actions call into question her described identity.

Maintain your characters’ identities. If you are writing about a character who has a passion for cooking, show that. If they are gentle and kind, don’t have them fly off the handle at someone unless pushed to do so. If the characters stay in-character, then the story should maintain its identity as a matter of course (and if it doesn’t, find out why!).

9. For every ounce of treatment, provide a ton of treat

It’s fine to have a central theme guiding your story. You can even discuss it outright in the text! But don’t hit your reader over the head with it and start preaching your morals to them. It’s much more fun–and effective–for people to discover meaning on their own.

10. Keep it up!

Care and attention needs to be paid to all aspects of your writing, and all of it should be as fine-tuned as possible before you publish or present it to the traditional publishing market. Of course, you will have to employ a cut-off date or other process to avoid rewriting and editing forever, but it’s always a good idea to give your story one more look through before releasing it.

And, to take this one literally, keep writing!

Roselin Productions Official Site Roselin Productions Patreon