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2,207 votes and 85 comments so far on Reddit

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194 votes and 20 comments so far on Reddit

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[mionewrites]

Ways to Get Inspired to Write That Character

1. Create a Mood Board

A mood board is a collage of images, text, colors, or materials. that are used to “to evoke or project a particular style or concept”. Basically, it helps set the “mood” for whatever you are working on. Mood boards are often used by interior decorators and artists but can also be used for writing. I love creating mood boards for each of my characters. It helps me get a a feel for the character I am writing. For example, one of my characters is an elven swordswoman. For her mood board I used images of trees, flowers, decorative swords, and artwork of elves. It really helps when I’m trying to write from her perspective. 

To create a mood board, simply find images or text that remind you of your OC. I use google images or even pinterest to find images. Its easy and fun. 

2. Take Quizzes for Your Characters

Okay, this may seem a little silly but it totally works. Take a quiz from your characters point of view. Select the answers you think your character would select. I personally like doing this with personality quizzes such as the Myers Briggs tests because I can use the results as a foundation for my characters personality. It’s fun, effective, and actually productive.

3. Create Playlists 

I listen to music a lot because it gets my creative juices flowing. So, if I find myself stuck on a particular character, I make a playlist of songs that remind me of that character. I actually like doing this before I start working on a character so I can listen to it while working on them. It sets the mood and gives you better results. Give it a try. 

4. Study Some of Your Favorite Characters

Sit down, take out a notebook, and start taking notes on some of your favorite characters from literature, TV, or movies. What made you attracted to this character? What made you hate this character? What is your favorite thing about this character? Answering these questions will help see why you feel that way towards your favorite or least favorite fictional characters. Use your notes as a guideline on how to make readers either hate or love your OCs. 

5. People Watch

Yeah, this sounds creepy but it is very effective. Go to the park, take a walk, or simply sit at the window and observe the people you see. Take notes on the little things that they do. Do they walk a certain way? Do they stand up straight or do they slouch? What quirks do they have? Do they drum their fingers while sitting? Do they tap their foot while waiting in line? Write down what you observe and you can apply the results to your characters. It will give your original characters a more realistic touch. 

Feel free to add to this list!  

[blackgirlmagicwrites-archived]

Physical features to add to any character

Dirty/chewed finger nails

Blemished skin

Chipped nail polish on fingers/toes

Chipped tooth/teeth

Errant curls/hairs that won’t stay down no matter what you do to them.

Unruly eyebrows

Sweats easily

Fidgets constantly/can never sit still

Blinks often

Grinds teeth

Gap in their teeth/Crooked teeth

Chapped lips

Dry skin

Skin is red/irritated

Acne on cheeks, forehead, chin

Dark under eye circles

Eyebrow scar

Uneven dimples

Hair birthmark

Long toes and/or short fingers

Patchy skin

Veiny hands/arms

Chin hairs

Large teeth/small teeth

Broken/crooked nose

Yellow teeth

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[justawritingaid]

Writing vs Storytelling Skills

When talking about story writing, “writing skill” typically refers to everything that entails the creation of a story from brainstorming to drafting to editing, and while it’s fine to have a catch-all term for that kind of thing, it can be a bit misleading.

There’s a point many newer writers reach where they can tell that something is generally wrong but they can’t figure out what. To most effectively work on a skill you need to be able to identify what the problem is, and a good place to start is to take a look at yourself and ask if your skills are better as a writer or a storyteller.

(Editing is like a 3rd category because doing it well requires a good critical eye and strong technical skills, but for the sake of non-professional, personal editing, it can fit under “writing”.)

Writing and storytelling skills aren’t mutually exclusive. For very specific skills they’re divisible, but in general they affect each other and working on one tends to see some form of improvement in the other. Like with all skills, you can easily reach a point where you’re good at both, but most people have a natural inclination toward one or the other and it’s always good to know where you fall. 

Writing skill is more technical. It’s concerned with elements like sentence flow, diction, structure, and other literary techniques. These writers usually work best with paper in front of them and practical application.

Storytelling skill is more conceptual. It’s concerned with plot, meaning, and entertainment. These writers usually work best in their mind and with theoretical ideas.

There are some signs that may help you discover where your natural strength lies, but remember that it’s possible to have a mix of skills and that some of the signs are situational and can be influenced by other factors. Mileage may vary on how rigidly these apply.

Signs of writing skills being more your strength:

Writer’s block may more frequently come from not knowing what to write or where to go, rather than not knowing how to write it.**

These writers tend to be good with essays or explaining ideas with the written word.

These writers tend to prefer planning stories before starting so they can focus on the writing rather than immediately making up where they have to go.

Editing brings out more issues with plot or story concepts rather than unclear writing or grammar. 

They tend to write more detailed descriptions, better exposition, and have a good understanding of technical literary techniques like diction.

More likely to understand exactly what tweaking a scene needs to convey a specific concept or idea, particularity when rereading for editing.

Signs of storytelling skills being more your strength:

Writer’s block may more frequently come from not knowing how to write something rather than what needs to happen.**

Coming up with the sequence of plot events is easier than finding the words to describe it.

These writers tend to not need as much planning because their mind is wired to connect plot points and concepts on the fly.

Editing tends to brings out issues with poorer clarity of explanations, skeleton writing (not enough description; too much plot), or simplistic wording. 

They tend to better understand plot cause-effect, tension and entertainment, and have a good understanding of thematic literary techniques like plot structure.

Ideas and plots are more naturally structured for the medium they’ll be used for, rather than frequently found to better off on TV or in another type of storytelling.

(**Writer’s block can be a complicated issue that, compared to the other points, has the highest level of variation for why it occurs.)

There’s no such thing as being too skilled in one area, but a severe imbalance can show up in ways like:

If writing skill is much higher than storytelling skill, the writing will be structurally sound and pleasant to read, but the plot may be full of holes and not that enthralling. 

If storytelling skill is much higher than writing skill, the premise of the story may be interesting and well thought-out but the writing may be dull and/or disconnecting to the audience.

The exact implications of the imbalance will vary per story and per degree of issue.

In the end, there’s no such thing as a perfect writer. A division of skillsets doesn’t mean you can’t have varying abilities in both, but knowing where you tend to fall as a writer can be a first step toward finding better resources for what you need to improve. So take a look at which side of the fence you tend to fall on; your future progress will thank you.

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked. Also taking donations via Venmo Username: JustAWritingAid

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7 Best Blogging Platforms For New Freelance Writers

We've collected some of the best blogging platforms to explore, whether you're diversifying your content reach or building your freelance wr

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[kaypier-deactivated20200518]

More often than not I’ll crack into a sprawling fantasy series and, while I appreciate the luscious descriptions of furniture, landscapes, and clothing, all I’m focused on is that I don’t actually know how this world works. I only know what it looks like.  

Including some functionality to your universe can add to immersion and give your reader a strong foundation on which to build their mental model of your universe. 

You certainly don’t need to use all of these questions! In fact, I recommend against that, as all of these certainly won’t make it into your final draft. I personally find that starting my worldbuilding off with 5 to 10 functional questions helps pave the way for glittery and elaborate aesthetic development later on.

How is the healthcare funded in your world?

How does healthcare functionally differ between the wealthy and the poor? (i.e. can only the wealthy go to hospitals? do poor families often have to rely on back-alley procedures?)

Where are health centers (i.e. hospitals, small clinics, etc.) organized in your cities?

Does it differ in smaller towns?

How does this affect people’s ability to get healthcare?

Is healthcare magical, and if it is, how does that affect the healthcare system? 

If healing is instantaneous, how does that affect people’s views on injury, illness, and chronic ailments?

If you have both magical and physical healthcare, which one is deemed superior and how does that affect society? 

What illnesses are common in your world? 

How does this affect daily life? 

What do the people in your world think illnesses are? 

Is it a miasma theory? 

Humor theory? 

Demons? 

Do they know about biological viruses and bacteria? 

How does this affect healthcare?

How do people get water? 

Is the water sanitary and if not, how do they sanitize it?

How does agriculture work? 

Is it large corporations or individual farms?

What sort of agricultural technology exists in your world and how does it affect food production?

Are farmers wealthy or poor?

What sort of natural resources does your world/country(ies) have and how are they obtained?

How does this affect the average wealth of the country?

How does this wealth affect the culture? 

What livestock or beasts of burden are most valued? Least valued? Why?

What is considered a luxury good vs. a regular good?

What forms of transportation does your world have?

What classes use what forms of transportation?

How far has the average citizen traveled, given your transportation limitations?

Which cities are the most accessible and which are the least? Why?

How do popular transportation methods change how cities/towns are laid out?

Does your world have public transportation? What is it?

Is there a coming-of-age aspect to travel?

Describe your world’s postal system or whatever equivalent there is. 

Who pays for it? 

How reliable is it? 

Are there emergency methods for transporting information?

How does your world keep time (i.e. watches, sundials, water clock, etc.)?

Does your world have a currency system, barter system, or something else? 

If you have multiple countries, do different currencies have different values across said countries?

How does this affect travel?

Do you have banks in your world and if so, how are they run?

Who owns the banks? Government? Wealthy? How does this affect the economy and/or class system?

How does credit operate in your universe?

Does your world operate more on big corporations or small business? Something in between?

How are workers/labourers treated in your world? 

Are there workers unions and if so, what are common views on unions? 

Describe your tax system. If you don’t have a tax system, explain why and how your world is affected by that. 

Can certain social classes not own property, certain livestock, certain businesses, etc.? Why?

How are business records kept? Are business records kept?

If your world has technology, does your world prioritize developing entertainment tech, communications tech, transportation tech or something else entirely?

What does this say about your world?

How does this affect your economy?

To the closest approximation, what type of government does your world have? 

How are rulers/presidents/nobles put in place? 

How much power does an individual ruler have? 

Is there a veto process? 

If you have multiple countries, do they have different types of rulers?

Describe any large-scale alliances (i.e. countries, factions, etc.) that are present in your world. 

How did they come about and how are they maintained? 

Are they strained or peaceful? 

How does it affect the greater politics of your world?

Describe how wars are fought both internationally and nationally. 

Do methods of war differ between countries/races? 

What about philosophies about war?

If there is a military, what is its hierarchy structure?

How does the military recruit?

Is the military looked upon favourably in your society?

What weapons are used by each country/type of people during warfare, and how does that affect war strategies?

Describe the sentencing system of your world. 

Is your accused innocent until proven guilty, or guilty until proven innocent?

How are lawbreakers punished? 

If you have prisons, describe how they are organized and run, and who owns them. 

Does differing ownership change how the prisons operate?

What are the major ways in which laws between countries vary? 

Do laws between cities vary? If so, how and why?

How does citizenship work in your world? What rights and privileges do citizens have that others do not? 

Can certain classes or races not become citizens?

Are there certain taboo subjects or opinions that artist/authors/musicians are not allowed to depict (i.e. portraying the official religion in a negative light, explicit sexual material, etc.)? What does this say about your society?

How do people get around these censorship laws?

What is the official hierarchy of duty in your world? (i.e. is family the most important, or patriotism? What about clan?)

How many languages are there in your world, and how many languages share a common origin? 

How many people are multilingual? 

Which language is the most common?

How is multilingualism viewed?

How are different languages viewed? (i.e. is one language ugly/barbaric while another is romantic and sensual?)

Feel free to add your own questions in reblogs or in comments!