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writing tip #3775:

um. um. ummmm

metamorphesque

Shoreditch, Holly Warburton | Crush, Richard Siken

headspace-hotel

source

[image description: screenshot of highlighted text from an article that reads, “whenever I read a poem, I’m asking, “Does this save my life a little?” /end description]

writerthreads

How to write antagonist to love interest

By @writingquestionsanswered which you can read here, formatted by Writerthreads

There are a few things to consider when tackling this sort of thing.

First and foremost: you have to remember that physical/sexual attraction alone is not enough to turn an antagonist into a love interest. Your character (and your reader) will need to have a reason to look beyond the fact that this person was (or still is) the antagonist. If the love interest was the antagonist but isn’t anymore, you’ll want to put the former antagonist on a path of redemption and try to earn the character’s trust. If the love interest is still the antagonist and you want your character to fall in love with them anyway, you’ll need to make sure the antagonist is humanised, and that their motivation is clear and understandable. You’d essentially want to shake your character’s faith in their own side and make them unsure enough about which side is right that they’re able to walk the line between, allowing them to give in to romance with the antagonist while not entirely giving up their loyalty to their own side. It would be a delicate line to walk, but an interesting one. So, things to remember in either case:

1) You can start with some sort of physical/sexual attraction/chemistry, but that only opens the door.

2) Make sure the antagonist is humanised, that the character sees the softer/humanised side of the antagonist, and that the character can understand the motivation that led the antagonist to their antagonism, even if they don’t necessarily agree with it. So, for example, if you find yourself in a jail cell with a thief, you’re more likely to befriend them if they stole a loaf of bread to feed their starving children versus if they stole an old lady’s car to sell for drug money.

3) Give the characters something (or multiple things) in common that gives them that initial point of connection and creates opportunities for further bonding. For example, they might have once been loyal to the same king before ending up on different sides after rival heirs battled to inherit his throne. Alternatively, they could simply have a friend in common, a hobby, or even their place of birth. Anything that creates a point of connection and material for further bonding is good.

4) Create bonding opportunities and moments where chemistry and sexual tension come into play. Just as with any other romance, you’re starting with that first moment of connection, building up the foundation with moments of bonding over things shared in common, and letting their chemistry shine through as those moments play out. You still want to build in the normal elements of a blooming romance, like stolen glances, locked gazes, bashful touching, feelings of curiosity or interest, etc.

5) Whether the love interest is the former antagonist or is still the antagonist, it can help to create an enemy for your character and the antagonist to share. If they can unite against another foe in some way, that can help to blur some of the lines of them being on otherwise opposite sides. It also creates an opportunity for the antagonist to show concern for the character’s safety and even to illustrate protectiveness and sacrifice in a protection/rescue situation. Remember that your true goal is to convince the reader that your character and the antagonist would fall in love despite being–or having been–on opposite sides. If you can do that, you’re in great shape! :)

quotemadness

“Nothing haunts us like the things we don’t say.”

— Mitch Albom

quotemadness

“To whom do I owe the biggest apology? No one’s been crueller than I’ve been to me.”

— Alanis Morissette

thatwritergirlsblog

Tips for Writing a Difficult Scene

Every writer inevitably gets to that scene that just doesn't want to work. It doesn't flow, no matter how hard you try. Well, here are some things to try to get out of that rut:

1. Change the weather

I know this doesn't sound like it'll make much of a difference, but trust me when I say it does.

Every single time I've tried this, it worked and the scene flowed magically.

2. Change the POV

If your book has multiple POV characters, it might be a good idea to switch the scene to another character's perspective.

9/10 times, this will make the scene flow better.

3. Start the scene earlier/later

Oftentimes, a scene just doesn't work because you're not starting in the right place.

Perhaps you're starting too late and giving too little context. Perhaps some description or character introspection is needed before you dive in.

Alternatively, you may be taking too long to get to the actual point of the scene. Would it help to dive straight into the action without much ado?

4. Write only the dialogue

If your scene involves dialogue, it can help immensely to write only the spoken words the first time round.

It's even better if you highlight different characters' speech in different colors.

Then, later on, you can go back and fill in the dialogue tags, description etc.

5. Fuck it and use a placeholder

If nothing works, it's time to move on.

Rather than perpetually getting stuck on that one scene, use a placeholder. Something like: [they escape somehow] or [big emotional talk].

And then continue with the draft.

This'll help you keep momentum and, maybe, make the scene easier to write later on once you have a better grasp on the plot and characters.

Trust me, I do this all the time.

It can take some practice to get past your Type A brain screaming at you, but it's worth it.

So, those are some things to try when a scene is being difficult. I hope that these tips help :)

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

There’s so much history in his words it makes you wonder what really happened

~ Elizabeth

#songs to write to #writing #writers #write #writing inspiration #sabw

writing-and-nutmeg

#funny pics #funny #writing advice #writing #writers #write #sabw

callitgoodwriting-deactivated20

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

— Maya Angelou

#maya angelou #quotes #life advice #writing inspiration #writing #writers #write #sabw

write-it-motherfuckers

Person A: “Shit, you look exhausted.”

Person B: “It’s probably the exhaustion.”

#writing prompts #funny #funny prompts #writing #writers #write #sabw

brynwrites

All About Writing Fight Scenes

@galaxies-are-my-ink asked,

“Do you have any advice on writing fight scenes? The type of scene I’m writing is mostly hand to hand combat between two experts. I’m definitely not an expert so when I try to write it, the scene ends up sounding repetitive and dull.”

Fore note: This post is coauthored by myself and one of my amazing critique partners, Barik S. Smith, who both writes fantastic fight scenes and teaches mixed martial arts, various artistic martial arts, and weapons classes.

I (Bryn) will tell you a secret: I trained MMA for seven years, and when I write authentic hand to hand fight scenes, they sound dull too.

The problem with fight scenes in books is that trying to describe each punch and kick and movement (especially if it’s the only thing you’re describing) creates a fight that feels like it’s in slow motion.

I write…

Lowering her center of gravity, she held her right hand tight to her face and threw a jab towards his chin. He shifted his weight, ducking under her punch. His hair brushed against her fist, and he stepped forward, launching a shovel hook into her exposed side.

But your brain can only read so fast. In real life that series of events would take an instant, but I needed a full eight seconds to read and comprehend it, which gave it an inherent lethargic feel.

So, we have two primary problems:

How do we describe this fight in a way the reader can understand and keep track of?

How do we maintain a fast paced, interesting fight once we’ve broken down the fight far enough for readers to understand it?

(We will get back to these, I promise.) But for now, let’s look at…

Different types of “fight scenes:”

Keep reading

#writing advice #writing action #sabw #writing #writers #write