Lizzie-C-Byrant

Crafting Tales, one word at a time

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Working on a new story is so fun, especially explaining it to people.

Them: Oh what are you working on?

Me: So, imagine Mystery Inc from Scooby doo, but they are all queer and in a relationship with each other. Oh, and one has gone missing.

[writing-prompt-s]

You're a Demon Hunter. A rather good one. Unfortunately, a demon has possessed your husband's body. You know it's your duty to kill the demon and free him. But he's way sweeter and kinder than your annoying pos of a husband. He loves cooking and he actually likes your hobbies. Don't fall in love!

[prophetic-writer]

Get (back) into writing with me!

Hello again!

After falling out of writing for about a month, I'm ready to try getting back into it again. I figured I would try to do it gradually and turn it into a daily/weekly style of posts where I go through my writing routine, review some daily writing tips, talk about my WIP, try different methods and just overall document my process! :)

Anyone is welcome to follow along and give their two cents about the different methods I try. If anyone has an idea for a unique tag I could use for this, I'd love some ideas!

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Unleash your inner wordsmith! ✍️ Join us for #WritersPromptFriday! This week's prompt: 'Imagine living in a superhero world, but lets focus on the story of an ordinary person.' Let's see what stories unfold! Share your creations using the hashtag. All writers welcome!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Character Development: 50 Questions

What does your character do when they think no one’s looking?

What’s the one thing your character would save in a fire (beyond the necessities)?

Who’s on speed dial?

Your character gets turned down for their dream job. What’s their second choice?

What would they tell their ten-year-old self?

Where would they want to go on a first date?

What’s the best advice they’ve ever received?

What’s the worst advice they’ve ever received?

What’s one physical detail they’d change about themselves?

When was the last time they were held? By who?

What’s their favorite thing about their favorite season?

Their wallet gets stolen. What do they do?

Prioritize: Love, money, power, knowledge?

What’s something nobody knows about them?

What’s in their fridge?

What (creature, object, substance) are they most disgusted by?

What’s their second worst habit?

What are the victory conditions for their life?

In the end, your character fails to save the day. Assuming they survive, what do they do?

Your character is charged with a crime they didn’t commit. What do they do?

Your character is charged with a crime they did commit. What was the crime?

How would you describe your character’s life in one sentence?

What important statistic would they want displayed above them?

What’s the first thing they would buy if they won the lottery?

What profession do they most respect?

What childhood injustice did they never get over?

How would they handle having a panic attack?

Your character is burdened with an inconvenient superpower. What is it?

If they died and could come back as any person, animal, or object, what would they be?

What’s the best meal they’ve ever had?

Where would they stand at a dinner party?

Who would they invite to the dinner party?

What makes a perfect day for your character?

If given the opportunity, would they want to know how and when they died?

What’s the one thing they’ve always wanted to do? Why haven’t they done it yet?

What do they tend to joke about?

What’s off limits?

Whose wedding would they cross the world to attend? Whose funeral?

What impossible choice did they make that turned out to be the right one? The wrong one?

Your character has someone to hype them up. What would they say to get everyone excited about your character?

What recurring dream does your character have?

What is the meaning of life to your character?

What book does your character pretend to have read?

Someone takes undeserved credit for your character’s work. What do they do?

What controversial belief or view does your character hold? Why? Do they hide it?

Your character is at a theme park. Where do they go first?

What’s your character’s favorite name?

What’s the biggest compliment they’d give themselves?

How does your character feel about bugs?

If your character could hit a reset button on their life, would they?

Source

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: The Story Circle

The Story Circle by Dan Harmon is a basic narrative structure that writers can use to structure and test their story ideas.

Telling stories is an inherently human thing, but how we structure the narrative separates a good story from a truly great one.

The Dan Harmon Story Circle describes the structure of a story in 3 acts and with 8 plot points, which are called steps.

When you have a protagonist who will progress through these, you have a basic character arc and the bare minimum of a story.

As a narrative structure, it is descriptive, not prescriptive, meaning it doesn’t tell you what to write, but how to tell the story.

The steps outline when the plot points occur and the order in which your hero completes their character development.

These 8 steps are:

You - A character is in their zone of comfort

Need - But they want something

Go! - So they enter an unfamiliar situation

Struggle - To which they have to adapt

Find - In order to get what they want

Suffer - Yet they have to make a sacrifice

Return - Before they return to their familiar situation

Change - Having changed fundamentally

The hero completes these steps in a circle in a clockwise direction, going from noon to midnight.

The top half of the circle and its two-quarters of the whole make up act one and act three, while the bottom half comprises the longer second act.

In their consecutive order, the Story Circle describes the 3 acts:

Act I: The order you know

Act II: Chaos (the upside-down)

Act III: The new order

Working with the Story Circle enables you to think about your main character and to plot from their emotional state.

The steps will automatically make your hero proactive as you focus on their motivation, their actions and the respective consequences.

Sources: 1 2 3 More On: Character Development, Plot Development

[writing-chats]

ultimate character development template

basics

name: meaning of name: nicknames/titles: age: gender: location: birthday: strengths + example where it's shown: weaknesses + example where it's shown: how it affects others:

emotional depth

attachment style + how it manifests in the story: physical fear: emotional/abstract fear: happy memory: sad memory: object of significance: philosophical outlook/belief: what characters are ignorant about themselves: how confident are they: goal: long-term dreams: what they're embarrassed/ashamed to tell others about: regrets: source of pride: source of misery: what they admire above all else: do they believe in fate:

personality

mbti: enneagram: big five: character archetype: star sign: who they pretend to be on the outside: who they actually are/how they feel towards the mask: mental health conditions: how it manifests for them: iq: eq: humour: reputation:

habits

bad habits: mannerisms when stressed: mannerisms when content: mannerisms when scared: mannerisms normally: verbal mannerisms/distinctive speaking style: how do they move across a room: what do they say and what remains unsaid: how they express love: hobbies:

appearance

defining features: eye shape + colour: hair texture + colour: skin texture + tone: vibe: height: build: clothing: any bodily disfigurement (scars, etc.): overall attractiveness: their opinion on their appearance: appeals to:

relationships

who they trust most: what they wish they could do for them: what's holding them back: who they hate most: what they wish they could do to them: what's holding them back: relationship with the protagonist: relationship with the antagonist: siblings: relationship with them: parents/step-parents: relationship with them: previous broken relationships: why did it break: what others expect of them: who believes in them: their mentor character/who they look up to: political/religious/other affiliations: what makes them different from every other character: non-human relationships + why: romantic "type" + why: relationship dynamics:

backstory/background

primary emotion towards their past: primary feelings while in their past: where did they grow up: defining incidents: earliest childhood memory: saddest memory: happiest memory: major accomplishments: their opinion on it: notable people in their backstory: effect on them today: trauma: what have they already lost: financial circumstance:

progression

why are they important (eg. why're they the only one able to do something?): what do they learn about themselves throughout the story: what do they learn about the world: how do they feel towards their newfound knowledge: character arc (positive, negative, neutral): how relationships change because of their actions: what mistakes do they make: what scene is their character highlighted: do they get what they want: why or why not: what happens to them after the story ends:

[lizzie-c-bryant]

"The hardest part isn't finding the treasure, it's letting it go."

In this poignant tale, a couple faces the ultimate goodbye, granted just two minutes to say their final words. 💔✨

Read "The Last Goodbye" now and experience the power of love that transcends even death.

The air shimmered with a bright flash of light as Emily and Anthony stood facing each other in the ethereal garden of goodbyes. Flowers bloomed and wilted around them, each petal a fleeting moment of beauty. The sky above swirled with colours never seen before, lavender clouds streaked with ribbons of gold and silver that danced across a canvas of deepest blue.

Anthony wondered why the gods had blessed them, to allow 2 minutes to say goodbye to the one they loved before they vanished.

Emily's form was translucent now, the edges of her being blurring and shifting like smoke in the wind. Her eyes, once a warm brown, now glowed with an inner light that seemed to contain all the wisdom of the universe. Anthony rushed towards his love, stopping an inch away from her.

"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking. "There must be a way. I can't lose you."

Emily's smile was gentle, tinged with a sadness that seemed to echo across the ages. "My love," she said, her voice a melody that reverberated through the garden and into Anthony's soul, "I’m sorry. i am so sorry."

She raised her hand, now shimmering with starlight, and cupped Anthony's face. Though he couldn't feel her touch physically, a warmth spread through his entire being, followed by pain, his chest, his eyes, stinging with the longing he would never touch her again, never kiss her again.

"I will always be with you," Emily continued, her form growing fainter with each passing moment. "In the whisper of the wind, in the glow of the sunrise, in the depths of your dreams. I will always be by your side."

Anthony's tears fell silently. He forced his eyes to remain open, trying to memorise every detail of Emily's fading form, the sound of her ethereal voice, the feeling of her otherworldly presence.

"I don't know how to let you go," Anthony murmured, his heart aching with a pain that seemed to stretch across eternity.

Emily's form flickered, becoming almost transparent. "You don't have to let go, my love. Hold on to our memories, to the love we shared. It will be your beacon in the darkest of nights, your compass when you feel lost."

As she spoke, the garden around them began to pulse with an intense, pulsating light. The flowers sang a haunting melody, their petals releasing glowing spores that danced in intricate patterns around the couple.

"It's time," Emily whispered, her voice now barely audible. Anthony shook his head, reaching out for her, but his fingers slipping through her like mist.

“No. No. Don’t go. Please. We should… There’s so much more to say…”

“I wish I could spent an eternity with you.” She breathed. “I would have spent eternity with you.”

“I love you.” Anthony choked out. Emily smiled brightly.

“I love you too, my love. I hope you find happiness, I hope you are okay.”

Anthony saw the pain on her face and took a deep breath, nodding. “I will be, in time. Don’t worry about me. Fly my treasure, I will never forget how precious our time together was, if only too short.”

Emily's smile radiated with a love that seemed to transcend the boundaries of existence. Her form began to dissolve into a swirling mist of stardust and light. As she faded, her final words echoed through the garden:

"Until we meet again, my love."

With a brilliant flash, Emily vanished, leaving behind a shower of luminescent particles that drifted gently to the ground. Anthony stood alone in the otherworldly garden, his heart both heavy with loss and buoyed by the profound love they had shared.

The flowers around him began to change, their petals transforming into pages from the story of their life together. Memories danced before his eyes - their first meeting, stolen kisses, shared laughter, and quiet moments of companionship. Each petal-page fluttered in an unseen breeze, carrying with it the essence of their journey.

Then Anthony was alone, alone with the shell of the love of his life.

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Unleash your inner wordsmith! ✍️ Join us for #WritersPromptFriday! This week's prompt: 'It isn't hard finding the treasure, it's letting it go.' Let's see what stories unfold! Share your creations using the hashtag. All writers welcome!

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Taking a leap of faith to take my writing more seriously and become a published author. It's been a journey filled with both triumphs and challenges. I'm proud of completing my novel and growing my following.

Looking ahead, I'm excited to continue developing my writing skills and reaching a wider audience. My goals for the coming year include publishing my novel, improving my craft, and connecting with more readers.

What are your writing goals for the year ahead? Let's share our aspirations and support each other on this journey!

[lizzie-c-bryant]

"So, I just finished Lessons in Chemistry and OMG, it's amazing! This book is hilarious, inspiring, and totally empowering. Elizabeth Zott is such a badass character, and I loved how she used her smarts to take on the patriarchy in the 1960s. It's the perfect blend of humor, heart, and science. Definitely a must-read!

[lizzie-c-bryant]

"So, I just finished Lessons in Chemistry and OMG, it's amazing! This book is hilarious, inspiring, and totally empowering. Elizabeth Zott is such a badass character, and I loved how she used her smarts to take on the patriarchy in the 1960s. It's the perfect blend of humor, heart, and science. Definitely a must-read!

[veryrealauthorthings]

[glassfrogforest]

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Writer's Prompt Friday ✏️

🍰🎂🧁 Who knew a bakery could be so full of drama? 🕵️‍♀️ Join me in unraveling the mystery of the missing buttercream in my latest short story, "The great baking heist"

The soft morning light filtered through the bakery windows, highlighting the shelves soon to be filled with delicious pastries. Oliver Baker, a kind-hearted man in his late thirties, unlocked the front door to his bakery, his assistant Milo coming in behind him.

"Morning, Ethan," Oliver greeted, his voice slightly sleepy. "We have the Petersons wedding cake to finish today.” He said. “Can you do the morning rush bakes? And I'll get cracking on that?”

Milo grinned and nodded. “You got it Boss.” The morning rush bakes consisted of fresh pastries, and we're very popular among The many offices that were 4 streets away. Most were prepped the night before, ready to be baked when they arrived at 5.30 in the morning.

Oliver entered the kitchen, heading over to the sink to begin his usual routine when he noticed something very unusual.

“Uh…. Mate? did you leave the fridge open when you locked up last night?” Oliver asked as he spotted the door wide open, the light not even on after the continuous door being open.

“No, I closed it. I triple check after I left it open my first shift and the custard went weird.” Milo said, heading over. He scanned the shelves. “Might need to throw some of this away. It feels a little warm.” He said checking the temperature.

“See if we can salvage the buttercream for the wedding cake at least we’re already behind…..” his eyes widened.

“Where's the buttercream?”

“I don't…. I saw it right here last night. I saw you put it in there.” Milo shook his head.

“I'll look for it, you focus on the pastries, we open in an hour.” Oliver instructed. It was hopeless anyway, if the buttercream had not been in the fridge, no way would it be ready for a cake today. It would be way to runny. It was more annoyance than anything. Where had it gone?

30 minutes later, he had turned the entire kitchen upside down, and had yet to find the bowl of buttercream, he had checked the cupboards, the mixer…everywhere.

“Boss, I know it's annoying, but you're going to have to cut your losses, we're opening soon, and you know how mad the morning rush is….”

“I found it! Well…. The bowl.” Oliver exclaimed from behind the bin, lifting up the bowl now empty of buttercream. “Why is it all the way back here? and where is it?” He asked, glancing at the back door beside the bin. “You don't think anyone could have gotten in last night?”

“And take buttercream?” Milo sounded sceptical. “Why would they do that?”

“I don't…. Wait, this is labeled the peterson wedding.” He said, pointing to the label. “Oh that…. That bitch!” He headed out to the front of the bakery, looking through the window at the shiny new la patisserie that had opened 6 months ago. “Miss Landley said that she had gone there first for a cake tasting, and she picked us. She must be annoyed about us getting a high end client.” The Petersons were very wealthy, and the wedding had over a 400 guests. Oliver had cried when his bakery was chosen, and had not so subtly bragged about it when he had seen the woman who owned la patisserie.

“Are you serious? You think Madame Dubois snuck into the bakery in the middle of the night? And stole your buttercream and left the bowl behind the bins?”

“Why not? She's evil. Plus, the word Sabotage is French.” Oliver muttered, glaring at the offending bakery.

“And I'm pretty sure she's from Birmingham mate. She slips up with the accent sometimes.” Milo pointed out. Oliver paid him no mind, glowering with his arms crossed.

“I know she did it. I know it.” He muttered. “I will prove it.”

“Look, if it was her…”

“Oh it was.” Oliver interjected.

“Fine. Then her plan has worked, you are distracted, and now even further behind because you've just spent the first 45 minutes of the day preoccupied instead of doing what you need to do. So put the sign over, get in the kitchen and make some more.” Milo encouraged. Oliver sighed.

“I guess you're right, a bigger payback would be to smash this cake out of the park. That will show her.” He agreed, turning the closed sign to open, and rushing back to the kitchen. The wedding cake was no where near finished, and the date off collection was looming.

“Oh that looks good.” Milo noted 6 hours later. Oliver had to take a couple of shortcuts to make up time, however the cake was almost complete, there was a few more sugar flowers and decorations to adorn the cake, but it was frosted and ready to go.

“It does. I can't wait to shove this right in Madam Dubios face.” Oliver smirked. “Oh, and the bride. She's going to love it.” He added.

“You know how much she loves instagram too, you are going to be famous.” Milo grinned. “I think this deserves a celebration. Pub?”

“Oh. No.” Oliver shook his head. “I'm staying right here. I'm not giving madam Dubois another chance of subterfuge. I'm sitting right here and not moving until this cake is safely out of this bakery.

Milo looked at him sceptically. “Uh…. Sure. If you say so.” He said. “If you need anything just give me a call.”

Oliver nodded, not taking his eyes off the cake. The sun soon set, leaving him in the darkness, his eyes began to droop….

Before he jolted awake. He wondered what had awoken him, a loud clatter coming from the cake. He rushed forward, a rolling pin in hand to apprehend The culprit.

Oh.

It wasn't madam dubois at all.

There, happily eating the sugar flowers, was a large, ginger cat. Oliver blinked, eyes darting to the window propped open behind the sink.

He coughed loudly to startle the creature. The cat looked up, seeing the man.

Then continued to eat.

[ghosthorse-tracks]

Lesser-known steps of the writing process:

Finding all the paragraphs where you used some hyper-specific word more than once

Rearranging paragraphs that you swear you wrote in the right order but turned out to be totally backwards

Going for a walk, coming up with the perfect line, and forgetting it as soon as you get home and open your laptop

Creating a separate document where you can dump all of those nice sentences that no longer fit in anywhere

Waking up in a cold sweat because so-and-so was supposed to be barefoot but never actually took his shoes off

[lizzie-c-bryant]

Writer's Block got you down? 😫 Need a spark of inspiration? Join our #WritersPromptFriday challenge! Every Friday, we'll drop a new Prompt to ignite your creativity. Let's build a writing community together! Share your work and let's inspire each other 💫

This week's prompt? 'Suspense at a Bakery'

Your story starts now.