Morning zephyr's writblr

"The purpose of literature is to turn blood into ink."

[lilliesandtea]

The three paths to reaching our deeper self:

The path of Knowledge

The path of self enquiry leads to knowledge of the higher consciousness ever present in us.It involves deep exploration into the true nature of one's being,where one systematically sets aside deep-seated false identifications with one's body,mind and intellect,distancing himself from every identity imposed upon him by society. The spiritual seeker,through a process of reflection and intense contemplation ultimately leads to intuitive direct experience of truth,which he recognises as his self within.This is self realisation.This path calls for a very sharp intellect and indomitable will.

The path of Devotion

One of the three principal paths to liberation ,the path of devotion is about developing and expressing endless faith for God or a higher consciousness. The seeker here is inspired by the power of love for God,whose glory is alone praised and recognised by him everywhere.He expresses his affection for God through prayer,meditation and chanting and helps him to connect with God.Bhakthi or Devotion gradually dissolves one's ego.This path appeals to those with an emotional temperament.

The path of Selfless Action

This is the path for individuals with a lot of energy,passion and an extroverted nature.The precept here is selfless service,which is to be undertaken without anxiety for the fruit of action.Such actions,when done with complete surrender to the higher,brings purity to the heart.Detachment from the outcome of action sublimated the ego,since the mind is yoked to the higher,even while we are working.There is no sense of 'I am doing.'

[badwriterpositivity]

I feel like my story is kind of boring and over-cliched. I'm looking at other writer's story blurbs, and they look a lot more interesting than mine. Any advice on how I make it more interesting?

While no story is truly "not interesting", I get where you're coming from. I tend to write realism, so my projects sound a lot less exciting than someone else's grand fantasy world.

Here's how I work through it:

Work with what you already have. Especially if you're already pretty far along with development, it's hard to add in a new and more interesting element. Find something that fits with your story.

Example: If your story is about a slow burn romance, maybe they have an argument and break up. If it's a murder mystery, maybe there's a piece of evidence missing, that needs to be found.

Twist your tropes. There's nothing wrong with using clichés, in fact they're hard to avoid, so develop them into something different and unique.

Example: If your horror story has a person who mysteriously knows everything about that universe, maybe they are untrustworthy, or lying.

Develop your more exciting moments. Don't overly stretch them out so they become boring, but consider other aspects of them, or the aftermath. Is there a lasting impact? Is there an element of this that can come back later?

Example: if there's a fight, maybe the protagonist gets harmed, or becomes more afraid of others because of it, or they make an enemy that eventually comes back.

Consider your side plots/characters. Could they be more relevant and interesting? Could they be tied closer to the main plot? Could they cause something to happen that affects the MC?

Example: A side character unknowingly becomes friends with the main characters enemy. The main character is conflicted about how to approach this.

And, a few miscellaneous Don'ts:

Don't throw in a last minute plot twist when it has no foreshadowing

Don't drag out dramatic moments

Don't throw in unnecessary tragic backstories

Don't force plots that don't feel organic

Don't add something that has no bearing on your overarching plot/theme

But, if its just your description of your plot that you feel is lacking, take a longer look at what you have written. Look deeper into your universe and think about what else it has to offer. You may find threads of a plot that even you don't remember sewing in.

Also, remember how completely subjective an "interesting" work is. There are so many amazing works out there, and a lot of them have the strangest or most boring sounding premises imaginable. Your work could be far more compelling than you expect!