☛ GET INSIDE YOUR CHARACTER'S HEAD! Aka The Excessively Detailed Headcanon Meme

Tips and Advice For Aspiring Writers, Authors, and Poets

Inspiration

Take inspiration from your surroundings.

Don’t ignore the ordinary. The mundane can turn into something amazing if you shift your perspective.

Save all of your ideas. Store them on post it notes in a shoe box under your bed if you please, but save them. 

Be Open-Minded

Experiment with all aspects of writing. It’s art, after all. 

Don’t get stuck in the planning process. That’s the most common spot writers crash and burn on the journey to writing something meaningful.

Be open to changing the story you’re writing, or ditching it altogether in search of something better.

Learn

Get real experience. Try freelance writing gigs if you’re into that sort of thing.

Collaborate with other writers. 

Learn from successful writers. Read other people’s work and nitpick it to find the do’s and don’ts.

Be Realistic

Don’t write to be famous or to earn money (unless writing is your job, but in that case, I assume, it isn’t your first time doing this).

Practice writing, even when you’re not in a write-y mood.

Remember that writing is hard work, and that sometimes, it’s going to be difficult as hell to sit down and force yourself to work, but that’s part of the gig.

Chill Out

Try to enjoy it. Writing is fun, even if it’s your job

Don’t be discouraged by writer’s block. It happens to everyone, and it goes away eventually. You just have to try to work through it.

Reach out for help and advice when you need it. There are lots of people out there who want to help you.

Soft Sentence Starters

bc i need inspiration

“I’ll protect you.”

“You always duck away when you smile.”

“Like I expected, you’re much comfier than my pillow.”

“I’m nervous too.”

“Do you like it?”

“Let me hug you.”

“Piggy back ride?”

“I want to kiss all of the freckles on your cute face.”

“Can you keep holding my hand, please?”

“Wait, the tears are good tears?”

“I think you look cuter with me.”

“I won’t forget this moment.”

“This is where we first met isn’t it?”

“I’ve always wanted to thank you, but was never sure how.”

“If you’re happy then okay.”

“Let’s share.”

“It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“Everything ends up being about you somehow.”

“It tastes like…. You tried…. I’ll eat it. It’s a good attempt. Really.”

“Why are you hiding against me like this?”

“I heard you weren’t having that great of a day… These are your favorite candies, right?”

“Ah, the puppy dog face. Check mate, huh?”

“Quit poking my sides; you know I’m ticklish!”

“Your hair is sticking out everywhere. Cute.” 

“Wait, let me get a picture of you there.”

“If you need my shoulder, or my hand, or a hug-”

“Kiss me again.”

“I’m sorry, but it was too funny for me to intervene.”

“It doesn’t matter what they think, I just care about what you think.”

“You can ask me as much as you want, I’ll say I love you each time.”

“I’m glad you were here with me.” 

“That trip looked hilarious– but also kinda painful; you okay?”

“I called you because I can’t fall asleep.”

“I let you win.”

“You look good in it.”

“Don’t look away from me.”

“I’m not jealous, I’m just practicing my pout.”

“I just want to hug you.”

“You’ve kissed me like fifty times today.”

“You love me.”

“Can we be alone for a bit?”

“The stars wish they were as bright as you.”

“You make me cliche, but I love it I guess.”

“I’d feel better if you kissed me.”

“You’re overthinking– I’m yours. That’s all I want to be.”

“You’re my favorite.”

“You want to take another selfie?”

“I’d let you if you asked.”

“Since it’s you, I’m gonna let it go.”

“My only regret is not telling you I loved you sooner.”

send a sentence and a name!! x

idk if anyone will find this useful, but this is how i go about planning my stories. i mostly write fantasy, so that’s what this is most applicable to. but it could work with other genres too.

so there’s three major components to a story: the characters, the plot, and the world. creating them individually is the easy part, but they all connect and affect each other in different ways. (like you can’t have a character who loves peaches and eats them every day if they live a peasant in a region that doesn’t grow peaches, for example.)

so i created a cheat sheet to help connect all three components together.

1) the world creates the characters.

this is related to the peach example above. the characters should be a direct result of the environment they grew up in and the environment they currently live in.

2) the characters are limited by the world.

also related to the peaches. characters can’t do anything outside of what the rules of their surroundings and universe allow, such as eating peaches when they’re not available. this also applies for magic users. they can’t have unlimited magic, so keep in mind what you want out of both the characters and the world when creating magic systems.

3) the characters carry the plot.

we’ve all heard it before: “bad characters can’t carry a good plot. good characters can carry a bad plot.” but we all like a good plot anyway. try to make sure you’re not giving your characters too heavy or too light of a plot to carry.

4) the plot pushes the characters.

if nothing in the plot happens, your characters will remain static forever. if you struggle with plots, try starting with what character development you want to happen, then go from there.

5) the plot depends on the world.

you can’t overthrow the evil government if there isn’t one. think of what your world needs most and what your plot is centered around, and fit those two together.

6) the world is changed by the plot.

even if your plot is centered around something most of your world would call “insignificant”, the world will still experience some change from the plot. either the evil government will be gone, or maybe that one teacher is now way more careful about keeping an eye on the test key. either way, the world will be different from now on.

final note: usually people will be able to write one or two of the components with ease, but don’t know where to go from there. i personally can’t write plots, but thinking this way has really helped me actually make a story out of the world and characters because i looked at what i needed from what i had. i really hope this can help you too! happy writing!

tl;dr this is a cheat sheet to help anyone who struggles with writing one or two of what i consider the three major components to a story.

Writing Prompt #380: Hook, Line and Sinker

It was only noon and I had been shot twice and hit over the head with a flower vase. I’d hate to see what the rest of the day has in store for me.

Something's Wrong With You (senses)

Eyes

"Can you focus on me?"

"Hey... I'm over here?"

"What are you looking at?"

"Whoa, hey - sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm - I'm right in front of you."

"Can you... can you not see?"

"When did you lose your vision?"

"Hey, it's okay - it's okay. Let me take your hand and lead you."

"Don't be scared - it'll be okay. We'll fix it."

"Don't flinch - I'm going to touch you."

Ears

"Hello? Hellloooo?"

"Are you ignoring me?"

"God, you never pay attention -"

"I'm talking to you!"

"Why aren't you listening?"

"Pay attention!"

"Listen!"

"Can you not hear me or something?"

"Why are you looking at me like that..?"

"What - wait... you can't hear? Why am I saying this you can't hear it."

Mouth

"Why are you making that face? I spent ages cooking that."

"Why are you adding salt to that?"

"Whoa, you're drooling like crazy."

"Are you choking?"

"Bland? How can it be bland?"

"I can't taste anything."

"My mouth just tastes like blood."

"Everything tastes of nothing."

"My tongue's gone numb."

"Bleh."

Nose

"Eugh, can't you smell that?"

"Oh, that smells hideous."

"It reeks in here!"

"You stink."

"I think I broke my nose."

"I can't smell anything?"

"I think I've gone nose-blind."

"Should I... be able to smell anything?"

"I think I burnt my nostril hairs out."

"Everything just smells like smoke."

Feeling

"I think I just burnt my fingerprints off."

"My hands have gone numb."

"I can't - I can't feel anything. At all."

"Are you touching me? I can't tell -"

"Your hands are shaking."

"Okay - if you're going to keep dropping things you need to put them down."

"Can you feel this?"

"I'm going to run my fingers through your hair."

"I'm taking your hand."

"It's okay - it's okay. Just take a breath. The feeling will come back."

“This is your daily, friendly reminder to use commas instead of periods during the dialogue of your story,” she said with a smile.

Beyond this, consider how these professions might vary depending on who the customers are - nobles, or lower class. Are they good at their job or just scraping by? Do they work with lots of other people or on their own? City or village?

For younger characters:

Apprentice to any of the above

Messenger/runner

Page/squire

Pickpocket

Shop assistant

Student

Looks after younger siblings

(Images all from Wikimedia Commons)

Here’s a tip;

Write about the things that hurt you. The things that itch just beneath your skin. About the shit inside your head that you can’t get out of your mouth, words too fragile and broken to talk about. Write and write and write it out on paper, write it away, write it from deep inside you and get it out.

Worldbuilding: Food and Drink

When building a world, sometimes food and drink can be overlooked in the worldbuilding process.  It can sometimes just be assumed what the characters are eating.  But not all taverns and restaurants serve the same things, especially if they are different locations.  What different classes eat will vary as well.  So it is important to work out a menu for your culture.  Especially when trying to figure out what just made your character ill. In this post, I have compiled a list of questions pertaining to food and drink.  While it was exhausting to put together, the list itself is not exhaustive.  The intent of the questions is to get you thinking about your characters’ diets, and possibly the diet of all the other cultures you may have created.

Be as detailed as possible, answer questions not listed, and above all, have fun!

The questions compiled are inspired, taken, modified, or edited from three forums on the NaNoWriMo website: Respond, Answer, Ask 2016 Worldbuilding, Respond, Answer, Ask, 2016 Fantasy, and Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions.

What is the common breakfast meal?

What is the common lunch meal?

What is the common dinner meal?

Does it differ from class to class?

Are there any more meals in the day? Second breakfast?  Elevensies? Chocolate time?  Midnight snack?

What times do the meals take place?

Is there any take out form of meal? What restaurants sell fast food?  How do they package the food?  Do they charge more because of packaging?

What does the typical restaurant/tavern sell? What are some popular restaurants/taverns?  What is the favorite hang out place?

What can be found at a bar?

What kinds of alcoholic drinks are available?

What kind of drinks do they have with their meal? Just water?  Or perhaps a sip of wine?

What kind of drinks do they have without meals? Perhaps it is improper to have tea with breakfast.  Perhaps milk is best drunk alone.

What role does food and drink play? Are they for sustenance only?  Are they a status of wealth?

What are some popular dishes or recipes?

What are some favorite snacks? Jerky? Dried fruit?  Chocolate?  Some food not found on Earth?

What foods are seasonal?

What is considered dessert?

What kind of seasonings are used? Which ones are popular?  Which ones are coveted because it is hard to get them?

How is food and drink stored?

Do diets vary by place or species? Do elves and humans living together eat the same thing?  Or do they have a separate diet?  Why?

What food is common?

What food is consider a delicacy?

What foods have to be prepared in a certain way so they are not poisonous? Blowfish not cooked properly can poisonous.  The pits of apricots and apple seeds are lethal if too many are eaten.  What foods must be prepared or eaten with care?

What are some foods that would only be seen on a rich person’s table?

What are some foods that would only be seen on a poor person’s table?

What are some foods that would sold on the street? Corndogs?  Scorpion on a stick?  Fried frog?

Does the community hold potlucks?  What would be brought to a potluck?

What are some dining etiquettes? Burping at the table is a compliment to the chef.  It is impolite to not thank the host for the food before eating.  No elbows are allowed on the table.

Is it improper to eat with someone outside of their class?

What kind of dishes are used at the table?

What are some things no one should do at the table?

Are there foods for the road?

What are some common poisons? Everyone knows it’s poisonous.  And it can be found anywhere.

What are some lesser known poisons? Exotic poisons.  Poisons from different lands.  Poisons that assassins may use in the king’s cup.

Most effective poisons? What is consider most effective?  Poisons where the victim is clearly poisoned, with foam coming from the mouth?  Or poisons where the victim slips into a deep sleep and no one knows what happened until they discover the victim won’t wake up?

How is drinking water collected?

What are the most common crops?

Does magic play in a part in agriculture?

What is the most common animal to be hunted?

Is fishing an available option?

An aye-write guide to Showing vs. Telling

I’ll bet that if you’ve ever taken an English class or a creative writing class, you’ll have come across the phrase “Show, don’t tell.”  It’s pretty much a creative writing staple! Anton Chekov once said “ Don’t tell me the moon is shining. Show me the glint of light on broken glass.” In other words, showing should help you to create mental pictures in a reader’s head.

Showing helps readers bond with the characters, helps them experience the emotions and action more vividly, and helps immerse them in the world you have created. So “show, not tell” is definitely not bad advice - in certain circumstances. But it has its place. More on that later. 

So How do I Show? 

Dialogue

Thoughts/Feelings

Actions

Visual Details

So instead, of telling me “He was angry”, show me how his face face flushes red, how his throat tightens, how he slams his fist, how he raises his voice, how his jaw clenches, how he feels hot and prickly, how his breathing gets rapid, how his thoughts turn to static, etc.

Instead of telling me “The cafeteria was in chaos”, you could show me  someone covered in food and slowly turning crimson, children rampaging under the feet of helpless adults, frenzied shouting, etc. 

Handy Hint! Try to avoid phrases like “I heard”, “I felt”, “I smelled”, etc. These are still “telling words” (also known as filters) and may weaken your prose, as your readers could be taken out of the experience and you may lose their attention.

Is Showing Always The Right Thing to Do? 

No! Absolutely not! Showing is not always right and telling is not always wrong! It’s important to develop the skill and instinct to know when to use showing and when to use telling, as both can be appropriate in certain occasions. 

So, “Show, don’t tell” becomes “Show versus tell”. 

What is Showing and Telling? 

Showing is “The grass caressed his feet and a smile softened his eyes. A hot puff of air brushed past his wrinkled cheek as the sky paled yellow, then crimson, and within a breath, electric indigo”

Telling is “The old man stood in the grass and relaxed as the sun went down.”

Both of these excerpts are perfectly acceptable to use in your writing! But both do different things, although their meanings are pretty much the same. The first example is immersive, sweeping, visual, engaging. The second example is much more pared back and functional. But both have their places in prose! 

Telling is functional. Think about when you tell people things. You tell your children dinner is ready. The news reporter tells you there’s a drop in crime rates. Your best friend tells you she’ll be late because her car broke down on the way to yours. These are brief and mundane moments in everyday life. 

So, do these deserve multiple paragraphs with sensory detail and action/feeling/thought for every little thing? Do you need to spend an entire paragraph agonising over a minor detail when there’s a sword dangling (physically or metaphorically) over your MC’s head? No. And I’ll explain why. 

When To Use Telling

As before, telling is functional. It’s brief. It’s efficient. It gives a gist of a situation without getting bogged down in detail.

Showing is slow, rich, expansive, and most certainly not efficient! 

Here’s an example of some telling: 

“Years passed, and I thought of Emily less and less. I confined her to some dark dusty corner of my brain. I had to elbow my memories of her to the side. I was too busy with other things. Finishing school, then university a year later. Life was full and enjoyable. But then, one dark cold September night…”

You can’t show this example, unless you wanted to waste page after page of your MC waking up, going through everyday life, to get to the point your actual story started. If you do that, you will likely kill off any interest a reader would have in your novel and likely, your book itself.

Summing Up 

Showing: 

Should be used for anything dramatic

Uses thoughts, feelings, dialogue, action, and visual detail 

Will likely be used more than telling

Telling: 

Can be used for 

Delivering factual information

Glossing over unnecessary details 

Connecting scenes

Showing the passage of time 

Adding backstory (not all at once!)