Thoughts and Debates

Welcome to a place for reading debate or philosophy or just random thoughts on occassion. I'm a Creative Writing major and figured I could share some of my learnings here be it writing tips or tossing out things I've learned in reading stories and poems. Age:20 Pronouns: Anything respectful Asexual and Genderfluid

[engnerddebates]

Random Thought

This world is a hellscape that thrives on peoples misery. Descartes said “I think therefore I am” but what happens if I just stop thinking? Does that mean I no longer must live on this desolate hellscape that thrives on only feeding me scraps of happiness? Like, can I just no longer exist? No responsibilities, No expectations. Just the void of darkness. Can it come swallow me because I have stared into this void of existence for far too long and it refuses to eat me. I just stare into it miserably and laugh as a shadow smacks into the wall. Just, someone come shove me into the void please.

[engnerddebates]

Writing Tip

Story Structure is an important part of creating your story. Having a template or idea of where one is going is a good idea and it will help keep your story going in a cohesive, understandable way.

Now, something that I know some of us in America might remember are these things called plot diagrams. In elementary/primary school, we would read stories and then use this diagram to pick out the important parts and we also used it to help structure our writing since it is a very basic and simplistic foundation. Its vaguely shaped like a triangle and maps out a story. It starts with the beginning/exposition, transitions to the rising action, then to the climax, the falling action comes next, and finally our story reaches its end/resolution.

It’s a very simplistic and easy way to figure out how our story might be structured and what our plot points are.

Though, some of you may be wondering, but eng, what about our more complicated stories? What about those of us that need something more?

In that case, I have another story structure to rely on and check with. These are the things I usually think about when I’m plotting out my larger stories. Though it is important to remember that sometimes these things may go together and overlap with each other or they may fall a bit differently. There’s no particular way to go about it. So, take off or add on whatever you might need to, this is just a basic outline that might help in the long run...or the short run.

1) The beginning of the story. Like I’ve said before, start this in the middle of something. The most effective story is one that feels like its already going as opposed to one that just started and the reader can tell they’re beginning with you. This is also a good time to think about character background because it can be introduced her as well. This is where we introduce the main character(s) and get a feel for them. An example of this might be if the character is the main protagonist of a romance novel but they have issues with their parents, rather than telling me those facts, they can be shown by beginning the story with an argument between the protagonist and their parents.

2) The catalyst/big event is the thing that makes your character move. This sets your character off to begin the story. It is their change or motivation and can come in any form you wish, from an argument, a tragedy, an accident, the ringing of a bell, tripping, a lightning strike, etc. It can be whatever you make it to be. This simply sets the character into motion and allows the story to continue. Though, this doesn’t have to be separate from other steps in this process. Your beginning may include this and it could be the introduction of the argument between protagonist and parents that sets it in motion. That part is up to you and it is your choice.

3) This is what could be called the Midpoint. It happens in the middle of the rising action from the plot diagram up there. At this point there is no coming back anymore. This is the thing that really gets your character moving even more so than before or it is the action/decision that a character must make and whatever they choose they have to go through with it. Remember that romance novel I made up with the arguing parents, well at this point this could be her taking off with her love interest, leaving that love interest behind to do their own thing that’s best for them, or even becoming pregnant and having to decide to pursue that or not. This is that next step forward where your character has to decide what they’re doing and they can’t go back. What happens here is going to stick.

4) The Crisis is the low point because c’mon, not everything can be sunshine and rainbows. Your characters will doubt or something will happen to make them doubt what they’re doing. Even the most devoted of worshippers question their faith sometimes. This is where something happens to bring your characters down. It drags them down and makes wonder. But when they get back up again, it’ll be stronger. They’ll be re-motivated and know they want what they want. This is the point of change, of growth for your character. Or it may be their wake up call. Remember the Avengers movie? This is the Phil Coulson moment where he dies, the team is scattered, and they don’t know if they can go on. That is what this point of the story is meant to do.

5) Then, we reach the climax. The point where the tension is at its highest and things are at its make it or break it point. Most action movies, think the Avengers, have this as the final battle. This is your Battle of New York. What is at stake here? What will your character do? What are the consequences of making the right choice or the wrong choice? Will your character win against the opposition or lose a smashing defeat? You have to decide what happens when your character(s) collide with their opposition or opposing force.

6) The resolution/end which isn’t as clean cut as we make it sound. Good stories, the ones we all love to read, are still alive even once we finish reading because this is not the end of the character(s)’ lives but simply the point in which we stop following them. This is where your character can sit back and realize how much they’ve grown and changed. How they can see that everything around them has changed. You get to decide, is that good? Is that bad? Is it tragedy or is it triumph? Is this the happy ending with the wedding or with two people who love each other cherishing how far they’ve come to be able to sit here and inanely watch reality TV while their significant other complains? What do your characters see when they look around now that everything is said and done?

[bluebxlle-writer]

Writing fight scenes

masterlist. main navigation.

@bluebxlle_writer on Instagram

1. Pacing

A fight scene should be fast-paced and intense. Unless it's a final battle with numerous parties, a fight scene that's too long tends to take away suspense. To speed up your pacing, use active voice to describe movement and don't overdescribe your characters' thoughts. Excessive inner monologue will be unrealistic, as people usually have no room to think during intense combats.

2. Character mannerisms

Here's a point that people often overlook, but is actually super important. Through fight scenes, you should be able to reveal your characters' contrasting mannerisms and personality. A cunning character would play dirty - fighting less and making use of their opponent's weakness more. A violent character would aim to kill. A softer one would only target to disarm their enemies, using weakened attacks. A short-minded character would only rely on force and attack without thinking. This will help readers understand your characters more and decide who to root for.

3. Making use of surroundings

Not only the characters, you also need to consider the setting of your fight scene and use it to your advantage. Is it suitable for fighting, or are there dangerous slopes that make it risky? Are there scattered items that can help your characters fight (e.g. nails, shards of glass, ropes, wooden boards, or cutlery)? Is it a public place where people can easily spot the fight and call the authorities, or is it a private spot where they can fight to the death?

4. Description

The main things that you need to describe in a fight scene are :

• Characters involved in the fight

• How they initiate and dodge attacks

• Fighting styles and any weapons used

• The injuries caused

Be careful to not drag out the description for too long, because it slows down the pace.

5. Raise the stakes

By raising the stakes of the fight, your readers will be more invested in it. Just when they think it's over, introduce another worse conflict that will keep the scene going. Think of your characters' goals and motivations as well. Maybe if the MC didn't win, the world would end! Or maybe, one person in the fight is going all-out, while the other is going easy because they used to be close :"D

6. Injuries

Fights are bound to be dirty and resulting in injuries, so don't let your character walk away unscathed - show the effect of their injuries. For example, someone who had been punched in the jaw has a good chance of passing out, and someone who had been stabbed won't just remove the knife and walk away without any problem. To portray realistic injuries, research well.

7. Drive the plot forward

You don't write fight scenes only to make your characters look cool - every fight needs to have a purpose and drive the plot forward. Maybe they have to fight to improve their fighting skills or escape from somewhere alive. Maybe they need to defeat the enemy in order to obtain an object or retrieve someone who had been kidnapped. The point is, every single fight scene should bring the characters one step closer (or further :D) to the climax.

8. Words to use

• Hand to hand combat :

Crush, smash, lunge, beat, punch, leap, slap, scratch, batter, pummel, whack, slam, dodge, clobber, box, shove, bruise, knock, flick, push, choke, charge, impact

• With weapon :

Swing, slice, brandish, stab, shoot, whip, parry, cut, bump, poke, drive, shock, strap, pelt, plunge, impale, lash, bleed, sting, penetrate

[willofthequill]

As someone who struggles to write fight scenes, this is absolutely amazing!!

[engnerddebates]

Writing Tip

Something I have noticed as I write and read is the timing on paragraph breaks. With creative writing, your stories are going to break more often, as opposed to the traditional style of five sentences a paragraph learned in elementary school. So, some times that a new paragraph should or might appear are during the following:

The scene/place changes. If your character moves into a new place or out of a room. Make a new paragraph.

The time changes. If I skip from, my character has spent an hour in the library to getting in their car and beginning to blast music, hit the enter button and indent because now the time has changed and it makes it easier to see that time has passed.

If the perspective changes. If Character A is describing something and now it's a bit more important to hear from Chracter B, make a new paragraph. It'll make it easier to see the change in view and keep track of who is looking at what.

During dialogue. If someone else speaks, make a new paragraph because it's easier to track who is speaking and doing what as characters interact with each other and talk.

These are things that I have noticed while writing and they're pretty important because no one wants to read a giant block of text in a story. Plus paragraph breaks can help the story flow and makes it easier for both writer and reader to see who is talking or what might be going on since a paragraph indicates a change in something during the story.

So main point overall is if you have something change: perspective, speaker, character, time, place, scene, etc. Make it a new paragraph.

[engnerddebates]

Random Thought

Sometimes parents don't understand that you can be a non-sexual being in a sexual world. Like I'm sorry Mom that I can swing a branch in the county and hit someone you have had sex with but thats not my life.

[engnerddebates]

Random Thought

I have spent my entire life pleasing people who only wished to see my betterment for their own gain. I have given them everything I had until I had nothing left for them nor myself. Do you know what those people did? They left. I had no use for them anymore. They thought my shine had gone and so had I. I had based everything on them. But now. Now it is a lesson I hold: to do for myself and work to make myself in the image I wish. I have found life is much more pleasing that way and I’ve never felt freer than before. Because caring for myself was the one thing I could do that I found no one else would. It is not selfish or awful of me to do so. I am simply better and as I gain back my shine, I know to watch who I share it with.

[daily-prompts]

Prompt 1797

Describe an object and then tie its significance to your character. Start small, and then get big!

[engnerddebates]

She held a hair stick in her hands. The metal glinting in the light as she turned it, running her thumb over the stylized head in the shape of a phoenix. It had been a gift, one end razor sharp to serve as protection while keeping the demure of it being a pretty accessory. One last gift, from the person who raised her. Who explained that she would be like the hair pin. Pretty, unassuming, but hiding something deadly.

“My flower-” she had whispered, “-I give this gift to you. A keepsake and a reminder. You are strong and will grow to do many things, but remember to keep that strength hidden. You will use deception and manipulation first and foremost before you rise like a phoenix to claim your prize. This is my gift to you.” She had kissed her head, the accessory secured in her hair, holding a bun together before the woman walked away, never to see the little girl again.

But this little girl had held on and grown into a talented young woman. She smiled as she finally slotted the hair piece into place, securing a bun on the back of her head. These were the teachings she thought of as she moved through the crowd of elites. A pretty thing, unassuming, innocent. She was shy smiles and giggles as the man, head of a human trafficking ring, took her in.

He lead her to the back of the venue where he got a private room and she looked at him with doe eyed innocence as he led her to a couch. Blood red lips smiled shyly as she pulled that hair pin, letting her hair fall down her back. And that smile changed to a deadly grimace as she stabbed him.

Silence rang as she looked at the last gift from her caretaker, silver metal painted with blood. She wiped it clean on his suit jacket before smiling and redoing her hair. The last whispers of advice from a woman lost ringing in her ears. Yes, that little girl went on to do many things. A snake in the grass disguised as a songbird. She could only smile as she walked away, the phoenix glinting brightly as she swayed away.

[engnerddebates]

Writing Tip

Start your writing in the middle of something. It helps get the attention of your reader because you’re not starting with a boring description. On that note, stories don’t have to jump to catch your readers up in the beginning either. Add information in as you go and it becomes important. Otherwise, let readers learn as the story progresses. So, when beginning a story, jump right in to what’s going on.

For example: “That is final!” Was punctuated by the slamming of the door. I slowly let out a breath, trying to control my raging emotions as my head swims. Marriage. Hah! They’ve arranged my marriage to a lord of the court. It’s a despairing thought as I breath and stare at the door, the shout and slam still ringing in my ears.

Something just happened. Here is the catalyst to begin my story which jumps straight in. An argument just happened and our main character has had a marriage arranged for her which is upsetting. Now, I can continue my story and introduce another character or maybe what this character plans to do at this point. This may be a much more compelling beginning as opposed to if I had simply info dropped.

As such: Maeve was the princess of a large kingdom and her step-mother, Ciri, had just come in to inform her that she would be marrying the Duke Miser, a miserable young man within the court who believed he was owed everything. Maeve disliked him immensely, but Ciri has demanded she would marry him. Storming out of the room, leaving Maeve to stew in her thoughts.

While this second example works for introducing the story, the first one is a bit more compelling and shows more rather than simply telling what is going on. This would be the difference in glossing over what is going on and showing it, allowing readers to see and better understand what is going on.

Which one do you prefer? Which one puts you in the story? Let me know!