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@shroudandsaga
"Fire would have been kinder."
A stolen necklace. A monster in the dark. A man who isn’t a man at all. And a fire that changes everything.
Teaser for Singed - My Demon, find it already on #Wattpad!
https://www.wattpad.com/story/389029241-singed-my-demon
Roll for Plot - Themes
Less of a 'plot' here and more so what the themes of your story might be. There's a few ones here you could utilize! From adventure to romance!
Genre-Based Themes
Dystopian Adventure (Dark, futuristic survival stories)
Cozy Stories (Wholesome, slice-of-life tales)
Sci-Fi Plot (Galactic conflicts, AI revolutions, alien worlds)
Horror Story (Ghosts, monsters, psychological terror)
Mystery & Crime (Detectives, conspiracies, heists)
Historical Fiction (Epic past-set adventures)
Cyberpunk Story (Neon-lit dystopias, hackers, megacities)
Steampunk Adventure (Victorian tech, airships, clockwork creatures)
Superhero Origin (Powers, weaknesses, arch-nemeses)
Fairytale Retelling (Twisted myths and classic folklore)
Mythic Fantasy (Legends, divine trials, and ancient prophecies)
Urban Fantasy (Magic in the modern world, hidden supernatural societies)
Adventure & Exploration Themes
Time Travel Plot (Past, future, alternate timelines)
Pirate Adventure (Treasure maps, ghost ships, naval battles)
Lost Civilization (Ancient ruins, hidden kingdoms, secret societies)
Desert Adventure (Oasis mysteries, cursed artifacts, sandstorms)
Deep Sea Exploration (Mermaids, forgotten cities, sea monsters)
Space Exploration (Uncharted planets, cosmic horrors, alien wars)
Arctic/Antarctic Survival (Frozen wastelands, ice creatures, isolation)
Expedition Gone Wrong (Trapped, lost, or betrayed in the wild)
Mythical Quest (Sacred relics, divine trials, ancient curses)
Underground World (Caverns, hidden societies, bioluminescent forests)
Forbidden Temple (Dangerous deities, hidden traps, ancient prophecies)
Survival Challenge (Harsh environments, testing limits, forced alliances)
Magical & Supernatural Themes
Witchcraft & Wizardry (Magical academies, forbidden spells)
Haunted House Story (Ghosts, cursed objects, eerie history)
Werewolf & Vampire Tale (Dark romance, supernatural politics)
Demon Pact Story (Deals with the devil, contracts, consequences)
Gods & Legends (Modern-day deities, divine trials, mythic battles)
Ghost Story (Lost souls, haunted places, paranormal mysteries)
Cursed Town (Mysterious disappearances, strange happenings)
Portal Fantasy (Entering another realm, fantasy vs reality)
Necromancy Tale (Raising the dead, moral dilemmas, undead armies)
Magical Artifact Quest (Powerful relics, rival hunters)
Forbidden Magic (A power too dangerous to wield, but impossible to resist)
Eldritch Horror (Cosmic beings, mind-breaking realities, and forbidden knowledge)
Unusual & Unique Concepts
Sentient AI Story (Machines gaining emotions, ethical dilemmas)
Apocalypse Story (End-of-the-world survival scenarios)
A Day in the Life of a Villain (What’s their routine?)
Comedy Adventure (Absurd quests, unlikely heroes)
"What If" Scenario (History rewritten, alternative timelines)
"Stranded" Story (Marooned in space, time, or somewhere else)
Dream or Nightmare World (Lucid dreams, shifting realities)
Secret Society Story (Hidden groups, secret knowledge, infiltration)
Body Swap Plot (Trapped in another’s body—what now?)
Animal POV Story (Sentient animals, animal-led rebellion)
Endless Time Loop (A single day, lived over and over, with no escape)
Reality Bending (Characters slowly realizing the world isn't real)
Relationship & Drama-Based Themes
Forbidden Romance (Love against the odds, tragic consequences)
Enemies-to-Lovers (Hate turns into passion—how?)
Found Family Story (Unlikely bonds, survival, emotional growth)
Revenge Tale (Who’s seeking revenge, and why?)
Royal Court Drama (Betrayals, politics, hidden agendas)
Road Trip Story (Traveling characters, unexpected detours)
Small Town Secrets (Gossip, hidden pasts, unexpected twists)
Fake Relationship Story (What’s the reason? What could go wrong?)
Rivalry Story (From bitter competition to unexpected outcomes)
Reunion Story (Long-lost friends, lovers, or family members)
Doomed Soulmates (A love that is destined to end in tragedy)
Slow Burn Romance (Years of tension before love finally ignites)
Writers: Your Skills May Need Time to Catch Up to Your Vision
Are you endlessly frustrated with most things you write? Do you find writing difficult, nay, impossible? Do you get the most fabulous ideas, only to find that executing them is incredibly challenging? That’s actually a good sign.
If you’re a new writer, and you have good taste, ambition, and originality, it’s going to take a while for your skill set to catch up to your vision.
If your story is difficult to write, it’s not a sign that you should quit or change your idea. Keep writing, keep reading, keep practicing, keep studying, keep learning, keep writing, keep writing, keep writing.
I repeat: If writing is hard for you, it does NOT mean you are a bad writer. If your story is difficult to write, it does NOT mean your idea is bad.
It means you have a complex vision and you haven’t developed the skills you need to pull it off yet.
Many times, you’ll gain those skills in the very process of writing your story. Other times, you’ll have to put down that story for a few weeks, months, or even years until your skills catch up.
The process can be slow, but your abilities will catch up with your ambition if you keep writing. So keep going forward. It’s cool if you get discouraged: That’s part of the process, too. But please don’t quit.
One more thing: Don’t throw away or delete anything. Keep all your writing, including ideas and first drafts that went nowhere. I have stories I started five years ago that I’m just now able to carry out as I had originally intended. If you get that you didn’t have a bad idea, just a skill you haven’t developed yet, then you’ll be less tempted to throw away your writing in frustration or shame. And in the future when you develop the skills you need, you’ll be really glad you have them to go back to.
Roll for Plot
Need to get out of a slump? Get writing? Need inspiration for a short story? Why not try the "Roll for Plot" and see what you land on. This series explores a "Roll for Plot" guide. Starting off with Fantasy! Later we'll explore:
Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery, Romance, General Fiction, Romantasy, Sci-Fi Romance, Monster Romance, Trope Subversion and of course Character Creation.
Setting
A mystical forest with glowing trees.
A kingdom built atop floating islands.
A bustling city where magic is forbidden.
An ancient, crumbling castle cursed by a forgotten spell.
A hidden underground realm of strange creatures.
A village that appears only during a full moon.
A massive library filled with living books.
A sacred temple guarded by elemental spirits.
A dangerous wasteland where dragons roam freely.
A market where anything—even time—can be bought.
A war-torn land on the brink of destruction.
A celestial realm where mortals are unwelcome.
Protagonist
A runaway prince or princess with a stolen relic.
A sorcerer whose magic is slowly consuming them.
A knight betrayed by their own kingdom.
A rogue with a map to a legendary treasure.
A bard whose songs can alter reality.
A half-human, half-mythical creature struggling to fit in.
A cursed warrior seeking redemption.
A scholar obsessed with forbidden knowledge.
A young farmhand destined to awaken an ancient power.
A shapeshifter who has lost their true form.
A healer who can mend anything—except their own wounds.
A ghost bound to complete an unfinished quest.
Plot
The protagonist must retrieve a stolen artifact before it falls into the wrong hands.
A prophecy predicts their rise or downfall, and now everyone wants them dead.
A secret guild offers them a mission they can’t refuse.
They must unite warring factions against a common enemy.
A portal opens, bringing forth creatures from another world.
The protagonist wakes up with no memory—and a bounty on their head.
An ancient dragon chooses them as its rider.
They accidentally unleash an ancient evil and must set things right.
A magical plague is spreading, and they may be the key to stopping it.
They must win a dangerous tournament to claim their birthright.
They uncover a long-lost kingdom hidden from the world.
The world is ending, and only a forgotten legend holds the answer.
Twist
The villain is actually their long-lost sibling.
The protagonist is not who they think they are.
Magic is slowly fading from the world, and they must restore it.
The real enemy has been manipulating them from the start.
A prophecy was misinterpreted—they are the villain.
A friend or ally betrays them at a crucial moment.
The story takes place in a dream—or an illusion.
The villain was trying to save the world.
The protagonist must sacrifice something dear to them to succeed.
The protagonist and villain are two halves of the same soul.
A powerful deity has been guiding (or deceiving) them all along.
The entire world is a construct.
Writing Notes: Plotting Your Novel
Plotting your novel is a multi-step process.
There are a few different approaches and mindsets when it comes to plotting a novel.
The following is a step-by-step guide to plotting a novel.
Generate ideas.
The first step in writing a novel is generating story ideas.
Some writers like to freewrite and brainstorm.
Others prefer working with writing prompts.
Whichever approach you take, it’s important to spend time coming up with a variety of ideas and choosing a strong premise that lends itself to an effective plot.
Start with a simple, compelling premise.
Once you have a basic idea, it’s time to develop a story premise.
One way to develop a small idea into a basic story is called the snowflake method.
The snowflake method involves starting with a core premise or theme upon which you build every other aspect of narrative and character as you flesh out the big picture.
Have a clear central conflict.
Creating a clear central conflict will anchor your plot and give your narrative focus.
If you’re a first-time novelist or new writer, look to thrillers, fantasy or adventure stories for examples of clear good guy vs. bad guy conflict.
Choose your structure.
There are many different models upon which you can base your plot structure. The most common is a three act structure.
Learning the basics of how a three-act story structure can help you start to piece together your plot and structure your narrative.
Trace out general story arcs.
Start to lay out a storyline.
You don’t have to worry about building the whole thing at once.
Rather you can focus on an act length story arc or even scene descriptions and piece these together as you build out a full-length narrative.
Build subplots.
Once you have a good sense for your main plot it’s time to layer in subplots.
Subplots can often be character specific, so this is a good time to think a bit about the characters you’ve populated your world with and how each individual backstory might come into play.
Good subplots will weave seamlessly through your main arc and help advance your action rather than distract from it.
Think about cause and effect.
Good stories involve a logical series of events that progress one into the next.
Make sure that your scenes are each motivated by something that preceded them.
A good driving narrative should feel dynamic.
A plot should progress forward because of tangible story elements like a character’s motivation or actions that propel your narrative.
If you look at your story arc as a sequence of events, there should be a logical progression where one scene triggers the next and pushes the action forward.
Write a detailed outline.
Before you start writing, you should have a detailed plot outline.
This should catalog the main story and individual plot points.
It should be comprehensive enough that someone who has no knowledge of your story could look at the outline and piece together the narrative of events, identifying your inciting incident, rising action, and climax.
Tie up loose ends.
Once you have a detailed outline, tie up loose ends and fill any plot holes.
Editing is a very important part of creative writing.
One misconception about writing is that editing comes at the end of the process.
Editing is something you should return to throughout your writing process and it’s important to edit your plot and outline before you start writing in earnest.
Don’t neglect character development.
Character is an incredibly important part of a story and helps to balance out plot-based narratives.
Before you start writing you should make sure that you have detailed character arcs and main characters with clear motivations and backstories.
Part of building a good character is building a strong and nuanced point of view.
Balance out the plot portion of your writing process by taking some time to analyze your characters and make sure they are strong, realistic, and nuanced.
Source ⚜ Writing Notes & References Writing References: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding
There are many ways to write. Many paths to take and many things to look at upon your journey. This however is a wonderful guide. Remember your steps, you just don't have to do them all at the same time, or in order!
When your Character...
Gets into: A Fight ⚜ ...Another Fight ⚜ ...Yet Another Fight
Hates Someone ⚜ Kisses Someone ⚜ Falls in Love
Calls Someone they Love ⚜ Dies / Cheats Death ⚜ Drowns
is...
A Ballerina ⚜ A Child ⚜ Interacting with a Child ⚜ A Cheerleader
A Cowboy ⚜ A Genius ⚜ A Lawyer ⚜ A Pirate ⚜ A Spy
A Wheelchair User ⚜ A Zombie ⚜ Beautiful ⚜ Dangerous ⚜ Drunk
Funny ⚜ In a Coma ⚜ In a Secret Society ⚜ Injured ⚜ Shy
needs...
A Magical Item ⚜ An Aphrodisiac ⚜ A Fictional Poison
A Coping Strategy ⚜ A Drink ⚜ A Medicinal Herb ⚜ A Mentor
Money ⚜ A Persuasion Tactic ⚜ A Quirk ⚜ To be Killed Off
To Become Likable ⚜ To Clean a Wound ⚜ To Self-Reflect
To Find the Right Word, but Can't ⚜ To Say No ⚜ To Swear
loves...
Astronomy ⚜ Baking ⚜ Cooking ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Food ⚜ Oils
Dancing ⚜ Fashion ⚜ Gems ⚜ Herbal Remedies ⚜ Honey
Mushrooms ⚜ Mythology ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Perfumes
Roses ⚜ Sweets ⚜ To Argue ⚜ To Insult ⚜ To Kiss
To Make False Claims ⚜ Wine ⚜ Wine-Tasting ⚜ Yoga
has/experiences...
Allergies ⚜ Amnesia ⚜ Bereavement ⚜ Bites & Stings
Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ CO Poisoning ⚜ Color Blindness
Facial Hair ⚜ Fainting ⚜ Fevers ⚜ Food Allergies
Food Poisoning ⚜ Fractures ⚜ Frostbite ⚜ Hypothermia
Injuries ⚜ Jet Lag ⚜ Kidnapping ⚜ Manipulation ⚜ Mutism
Pain ⚜ Paranoia ⚜ Poisoning ⚜ More Pain & Violence
Scars ⚜ Trauma ⚜ Viruses ⚜ Wounds
[these are just quick references. more research may be needed to write your story...]
Writing Resources PDFs
There's something to be said about a great resource. Well, then—we ask coquettishly—how about a mind-boggling agglomeration of resources?
sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four
Said is dead and so are the usuals! Variety is the spice of life.
Writing Notes: Literary & Character Tropes
The word trope comes from the Greek word tropos, meaning a turn or change of direction.
Tropes
Figures involving substitutions of predictable words with terms that deliver nuanced meanings serving an argument.
Now used in cultural studies in a much broader sense as a recurring cultural signifier.
Traditionally the four ‘master tropes’ are regarded as being: metaphor, metonymy, synecdoche, and irony.
Modern Definition: Themes, motifs, plot devices, plot points, and storylines that have become familiar genre conventions.
PURPOSE: All writers manipulate language to create certain effects. At the level of individual phrases and sentences, the skillful use of tropes is key to creating writing that’s fresh, memorable, and persuasive. Poets might spend hours trying to find just the right metaphor (i.e., a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them, as in "drowning in money") to capture a mood or sensation, while marketers might use antanaclasis (i.e., the repetition of a word within a phrase or sentence in which the second occurrence utilizes a different and sometimes contrary meaning from the first; often found in slogans) to create a punchy catchphrase for a new product.
5 Examples of Literary/Character Tropes
1. all lowercase letters - a stylistic choice in which all text is in lowercase letters. it can be thought of as the opposite of writing in all caps when emphasizing a point, in which case it can be used to give a melancholic feel to whatever you're writing. it is not generally thought of as orthographically correct, giving it (if only in the eyes of advertisers) a casual, hip feel, as if to say you can't be bothered to use the shift key. also used in a visual narrative sense to indicate childishness or, in some cases, idiocy. on a darker note, however, this trope also has a tendency to show up in many an apocalyptic log where it usually is used to denote the point where the unfortunate author has gone insane or otherwise given up all hope.
2. Anti-hero - A character who lacks a handful of the traditional attributes of a hero but is ultimately heroic. They may be bewildered, ineffectual, deluded, or merely apathetic. More often an anti-hero is just an amoral misfit. While heroes are typically conventional, anti-heroes, depending on the circumstances, may be preconventional (in a "good" society), postconventional (if the government is "evil") or even unconventional. Tony Soprano, Walter White, Don Draper, and the grittier versions of Batman are all prime examples of modern antiheroes.
3. Byronic Hero - A character notable for being sullen, withdrawn, hard to like and hard to know, but usually possessing a rich inner life and a softer side accessible only to a special few.
4. Chekhov's Gun - Anton Chekhov, master of the short story, gave this advice: If it's not essential, don't include it in the story. The term has come to mean an insignificant object that later turns out to be important.
5. Unreliable Narrator - In most narratives, there's an element of trust that the person telling you the story is telling the truth, at least as far as they know it. This trope occurs when that convention is discarded. The narrator's facts contradict each other. If you ask them to go back a bit and retell it, the events come out a little differently. Example: Franz Kafka. Due to his famous style, he's able to directly contradict himself within the same sentence, AND make it so subtle that a casual or superficial reader will scarcely notice. The Metamorphosis and The Judgment stand out in this respect.
Sources: 1 2 3 4
If these writing notes helped with your poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!
More: Literary & Character Tropes
What if your narrator wasn't who you think they were?
