#build-up

[clockworkbee]

Why are authors so good at building up a tragic backstory for characters and keeping it all a mystery and making it all seem so intense that you truly believe it would break your heart when you finally find out everything but then when it comes to delivering as hinted at, it's just “that it? what about what you said here? and what does that mean? is that really how explain it all?” because it's just, so disappointing...

[inthememetime]

Since you're back to writing horror, are you going to start doing the horror/scary writing tips again? Asking for a friend.

So, I did promise monthly updates...and then got distracted writing a romantic comedy of all things. I'm sorry!

Some things I end up using a lot are foreshadowing and Chekov's Gun, which are pretty closely linked with plot twists, so I'll go over how that relates to horror, audience engagement, and how to avoid punishing clever/invested audiences under the cut.

Let me know of anything you'd like to see next!

Foreshadowing and Chekov's Gun

There are a lot of blogs with GREAT tios and definitions of both of these terms, so l'll just use my short & sweet version.

Foreshadowing is any hint that the creator puts out or the audience picks up on. These hints can be unintentional or intentional, and can lead to something or nothing. Foreshadowing is a great way to keep audiences engaged and interested. After a certain amount of 'what's going to happen next? I can never tell!', there is an inevitable 'ugh, this thing is so random, nothing makes sense'.

Foreshadowing helps you avoid that by putting hints about something in Act 2 or 3 in Act 1, so things do make sense. It can still be a surprise, but just because an audience knows X is going to happen to character 1 doesn't mean they know the ramifications for the other characters- or the mcguffin they're always after.

Chekov's Gun, simply put, is the idea that if you bring special attention to item, it will be important to the plot (or a character) later. Who wants to read 3 pages about some dumb curtains or a dress? It's a pit I used to fall in frequently- I would get so invested in describing what I saw, sometimes on things that had nothing to do with the plot, that readers would get bored and leave.

Chekov's Gun helps avoid that. And it can be any item- not just a gun. Let's look at the paragraph below.

The room was lavishly decorated; carved wood moulding on the baseboards and ceilings covered in gold shone dimly in the light from stained glass reading lamp. The desk was beautiful mahogany, carved with fine panels depicting old fairy tales. That made the plain, unmarked case stand out further; a closer look revealed it contained a bottle labled 'Arsenic'.

So in that paragraph, we've set up a few things. One, our character is in a really fancy place. Two, they notice patterns well. And three- somebody has a bottle of arsenic!

If that arsenic serves a plot purpose, no matter how small, congratulations! You've used Chekov's gun. If it is never used, never referred to, then why bother mentioning it? And why give it the same amount of attention you did anything else?

That leads us to part 3: audience engagement and punishing the audience for being engaged. Do you remember the show Lost? If you don't, you aren't missing much. They'd set up a plot, work towards it, and as soon as a fan guessed it, change directions immediately. It was frustrating! I remember figuring it out- and then feeling like I'd been slapped because all the notes my friends and I took weren't worth anything; instead of moving the plot along, they switched it completely to something new.

Then, once we figured out season 2, guess what the writers did? That's right. I never bothered with season 3. It lost my engagement because it punished me for being engaged.

I'll use a comment on one of my own fics for example: "I KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN BUT I WASNT PREPARED!!!

That's good! You see, the real trick isn't shocking your audience with what happens. After the first twist or two, they'll start figuring out what you're doing. The trick is how you do it.

Is your character secretly a serial killer? Maybe they've figured that out- but they haven't figured out who the killer is going to go for next, or why, or what law enforcement is doing. There's lots of ways to surprise them without punishing them.

Hollywood tells us we have to have the twist ending or twist villain. Do we? Sometimes that's great! But sometimes, especially in horror, the build-up is where you have to put your emphasis. If you don't build up, or you build up to something disappointing, that punishes an audience.

[kitkatwinchester]

Happy Fanfic Writer Friday!!! Tell me your favourite thing about your latest story or WIP! Don’t be shy, give it the praise it deserves!!!

Happy Fanfic Writer Friday!! 

Okay! For this one, I’m gonna talk about Where Life Begins and Love Never Ends (’cause there’s a very similar question that I’m gonna use The Diamond Girl for). 

There are a lot of things I love about this story--how I jump backwards and forwards in time, how I parallel various relationships, and more--but I think my all time favorite thing about this story is how much backstory I’m building up. 

Admittedly, my amount of focus on the backstory makes me a little nervous, especially because so much of it centers around my OCs, because it makes me worry that people won’t feel as invested in the backstory as they will in the climax. However, I really do feel like the amount of backstory I’m giving is necessary to build up to what’s to come, and I feel like I’ve done a really good job of developing said backstory--especially for my original characters. I’ve tried really hard to make it as realistic as possible, and I think I’ve accomplished that, and when everything eventually comes to a head, I think it’ll make sense to all the readers why I showed what I showed, and it makes me proud to know that I’m connecting everything and building everything up in a way that will come full circle. 

At least, that’s what I hope. XD

But yeah! I’d say that’s what I love best about it! 

Thank you so much for asking! <3 

[vyllea]

I hate having formed a writing style because it's like I'm suffering from same face syndrome except in writing WHY ARE THEY ALL THE SAME

[psycho-linguist]

Dannek Annohen - Wilkes Wölfe

[captainkurosolaire]

Prompt #24 - Youth may Spring

“If you could come with me until this all went to hell... Then let me explain how it begun and where I fell.”  - Unknown

Many Summers Ago

(Narration)  A youngsters laugh heard ringing throughout a blank meadow as autumn leaves begun to slip from trees in nestling. The child was pep talking himself, “HIYAH! Take that!” As he used a wooden kendo stick to slice against a descending leaf. In the lands of the samurai and the ninja conflict brewed as the tyrannical Garlean Empire begun it’s ascension within this past scroll of time. So youth -- hope. At this time strove for resistance despite the overwhelmingly march treading upon them, they would soon learn that only crossing the seas would bring them salvation. As blossoms reigned down undertone a light-footed step as ever deft begun walking the same trail as the youth pausing noticing his posture was off. His voice was quiet but strong from the sternum. “Arch your back young one. Focus only on the rushing of winds. Feel your targets draw into your aura then unleash. Still the task seemed to be too difficult for the boy as he fumbled around and lost balancing the stranger swordsman capturing him before collapsing on his rear. Extending outward a calloused and battered up hand sought to aid the child in being uplifted to further give demonstrations. The wanderer, “Why is it you seek the sword?” Asking quizzically. The boy answered. “To slice through impossible odds! I want to defend my village, from the Empire! I’m not stopping until I’m the strongest, I can be! I’ll become great, because people who are know how to protect what is dear to them!” It was with this kid that it sparked a purpose for the elder roamer. He held little after being exiled to value. He held a blade but at no ambition, he slaughtered those worthy of quick pocket change for what reason? There was nothing that gave him a sense of gratification. The funny thing about the young is that they often exude more passion, as you see they have so much they wish to do when sprung to life’s wake. In troubling circumstances... The morality of a innocent kid held more meaning than most who gave war-shouts. Cause when age springs forward one begins to lose themselves and their goals that drove them to the pinnacle they stood upon. “Your voice booms with the light to shake the unshakable. I shall offer you a deal, yes? I will train you in this.” He’d pull off his sash and reveal his scabbard Uchigatana as reference. “Though we will learn together and learn to refrain from using it for malice for ourselves in personal desires or others corrupted with over-floated thoughts to possess all. For now, you must grow and we’ll turn your weapon into hardened steel. As currently neither you, or I. Or any can hold against the hell storm... But one day. A resistance will be called and we will provide our shared aid.” Bending downwards play on a kneel in an eastern way and holding out a red string. “You’ve my promise as this.” He’d knot both of their index fingers with the same string a thread of vow. Before cutting it down the middle with a casual mantra that manipulated the wind. Skeptical at first of an adult’s word but a child that saw someone of such presence easily idolized not to mention it furthered their goals to drive onward. He smiled shaking his head.... As time lapsed forward he was trained how to become a boulder that could skip over the ponds like a pebble. He became swifter than a coeurl. More deadly than the poison of the morbol’s breath. Brutally and relentlessly stressed to the test the child grew into becoming the shape of a swordsman that he saw because of the tutor, that was woven on this pact. Holding himself firmly with the same grasped blade... No a couple of them all strapped against him. He had mastered the blade or so thought.

The Present

But his Mentor could have never thought his pupil would become his very advisory or surpassing him. His amber eyes looked onward darted across. At the grown Rykashi of all those ages in the present. Trailing with his new visioned thoughts no longer was it to be great for he had claim over it. No longer was it to liberate Doma, for the Resistance held it covered. His life turned and instead turned to the way of the Samurai. One held by code and under it. A clear defeat to a Sensei was how in the way of the sword you graduate. “I helped your son, Master, he holds but the scroll to chart forward to his worldly devices be it survival or destruction. But now I wish to collect, in a battle... We will see who shall meet final rest. I must meet your real sword you’ve but bolstered about awhile back ago when we stood against another. You said no matter how many swords I acquired or harness that I’d never be a Master Swordsman? Despite my accolades or achievements, It was disrespectful to me and I wish to have your words cut from revealing true shame that you can’t accept me or that I have surpassed you.” - Rykashi Standing still in place each of them placing a hand on the hilt of their weaponry. Each of them holding a glower not out of aggression or anger but because respect for another it was apparent to hold seriousness when fighting another admirably in thoughts.

-To be continued - Part 1

(Epilogue)

Hoku Solaire - More depth Rykashi, Kuro, Hoku and the arrangement to how this battle is shaping up in the current Present! The final showdown of one of the Tiers.

[floating-on-but-with-you-blog]

(Sean Deeken) my song