chocochick-creations

[chocochick-creations]

I made Another Thing. Enjoy, is you’d like. Idk. I’m not your parent.

#svsss art #scumbag system #scumbag villain #svsss #svsss fanart #svsss meme #mxtx svsss #scum villian self saving system #scum villain #meme

[chocochick-creations]

So my problem with most ‘get to know your character’ questioneers is that they’re full of questions that just aren’t that important (what color eyes do they have) too hard to answer right away (what is their greatest fear) or are just impossible to answer (what is their favorite movie.)  Like no one has one single favorite movie. And even if they do the answer changes.

If I’m doing this exercise, I want 7-10 questions to get the character feeling real in my head. So I thought I’d share the ones that get me (and my students) good results: 

What is the character’s go-to drink order? (this one gets into how do they like to be publicly perceived, because there is always some level of theatricality to ordering drinks at a bar/resturant)

What is their grooming routine? (how do they treat themselves in private)

What was their most expensive purchase/where does their disposable income go? (Gets you thinking about socio-economic class, values, and how they spend their leisure time)

Do they have any scars or tattoos? (good way to get into literal backstory) 

What was the last time they cried, and under what circumstances? (Good way to get some *emotional* backstory in.) 

Are they an oldest, middle, youngest or only child? (This one might be a me thing, because I LOVE writing/reading about family dynamics, but knowing what kinds of things were ‘normal’ for them growing up is important.)

Describe the shoes they’re wearing. (This is a big catch all, gets into money, taste, practicality, level of wear, level of repair, literally what kind of shoes they require to live their life.)

Describe the place where they sleep. (ie what does their safe space look like. How much (or how little) care / decoration / personal touch goes into it.)

What is their favorite holiday? (How do they relate to their culture/outside world. Also fun is least favorite holiday.) 

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

#reblog for Meridian notes lol #hmhm thinking time

[chocochick-creations]

Pls reblog to spread and tell what specific word count in the tags!

#253.300 #dang #ao3 #archive of our own #fanfiction #fanfic authors #fanfics #writing

[chocochick-creations]

I made A Thing today.

Ignore my typo

#scum villian self saving system #svsss #scumbag villain #scumbag system #mu qingfang #luo binghe #liu qingge #mobei jun #yue qingyuan #mxtx svsss #svsss fanart #digital art #svsss meme

[chocochick-creations]

Pssst! I’ve released the first arc of my original fantasy story on Tapas!

#romance novels #original novel #fantasy novel #tapas novel #my dudes #choco’s shenanigans

[chocochick-creations]

Prompt idea maybe?

Wei Ying dies in the Burial Mounds after the First Siege, but the Burial Mounds love him so much that they protect his body after he died, hiding it from both his many enemies and his one remaining lover, working to revive him.

And after 13 years, the spirits and the ghosts and the resentment succeed.

Wei Ying is back. Somehow. Somewhat. Wrong.

But he's alive again, that's all that matters.

Right?

#*cracks open a fresh writing doc* #let’s do this. #*proceeds to stare at the blank screen for an indeterminate amount of time*

[chocochick-creations]

My fiancee and I made soap for date night

[chocochick-creations]

Another art post so I can harvest the link lol

[chocochick-creations]

Not dead& posting this for a link source lol

Also, DOGP is updating again if anyone is still here to care lol

#and probably back into the void I go

[chocochick-creations]

story outlining methods, pt. 1:

take off your pants!! (“take off your pants!: outline your books for faster, better writing” by libbie hawker)

this outline starts with a character — specifically their biggest flaw — and leads to five points that will make up the core of your story. it’s best for plots and subplots that focus on overcoming the flaw!

this outline doesn’t just have to be used for coming of age novels. it is just as important in your dystopian, fantasy, or thriller novels that the main character learns something or has changed by the end.

STEP ONE: think about your character

your main character — what is their name, and what are their important features?

what are your character’s flaws? what about their FATAL flaw? ex: hubris, overconfidence, stubbornness, etc.

STEP TWO: think about the end of the story

the story (whether the main plot, a subplot, or a facet of the main plot) is the journey lead to overcome the flaw. now that you know the character’s flaw, you know what lesson they need to learn.

the end of the story = the flaw mastered, the lesson learned.

STEP THREE: think about the external goal

the external goal is the plot, the outer motivation to push the character to the end of the story where the goal is mastered. if you remember my post on quests, you know that a quest has two reasons to be there: the external factor (shrek saving fiona for his swamp), and the real reason (the lesson learned)

the external goal should provide a chance for the character to recognize their flaw and begin to change. how does your plot tie into their character development?

STEP FOUR: think about the antagonist

thinking about the external goal should reveal who the antagonist is. the antagonist should want to achieve the same goal or a goal that impedes with the protagonist’s goal. the antagonist should be the biggest obstacle to the character.

STEP FIVE: think about the ally/allies

the character(s) that is capable of forcing the protagonist down the correct path. where your protagonist most likely will resist changing and confronting their flaw, the ally will help force them to do so anyway.

STEP SIX: think about the theme

so what’s the point of your book? if you are struggling to boil it down to one sentence, you might want to think about it a little longer. this is what keeps the story feeling coherent. what are you trying to tell us?

STEP SEVEN: think about the plot

each main plot element should somehow relate to the core of the book, aka the character’s development in overcoming their flaw

OPENING SCENE - set the stage. address the flaw or the theme

INCITING EVENT - what forces the character out of their everyday life and into the story?

REALIZING EXTERNAL GOAL - what makes the character begin seeking their goal?

DISPLAY OF FLAW - if the character’s flaw hasn’t been made blatantly clear, now is the time. make it known to the reader.

DRIVE FOR GOAL - what is your character’s first attempt to reach their goal?

ANTAGONIST REVEAL - how do you first show your antagonist’s opposition to your character?

FIRST THWART - what happens to your character that keeps them from reaching their goal?

REVISIT FLAW - show the character’s flaw again, even if they themselves aren’t aware of it yet.

ANTAGONIST ATTACKS - what does the antagonist do that makes things worse?

SECOND THWART - where your character fails most likely due to the attack

CHANGED GOAL - the character finds a new goal or focuses on the external goal in a different way

ALLY ATTACKS - what does the ally do to force the character to see the flaw?

AWAKENING - the character knows what they must do to reach the external goal. how will you show that the character has also awakened to their flaw? how will you show them changing?

BATTLE - the final showdown with the antagonist!

DEATH - the character’s flaw dies here. how will you show that the character truly is different now?

OUTCOME - show whether the character won or lost the external goal, reveal the theme of the story.

naturally, you don’t have to follow that outline exactly, but it can be a good place to start ;)

[chocochick-creations]

This week, we have a little DTIYS challenge for you!

We invite you to take this piece by @curiosity-killed and “Draw This In Your Style.” Send us your art by reblogging this post and tagging us. We can’t wait to see your art!

And don’t forget to participate in our giveaway!

[chocochick-creations]

FLASH COMMISSIONS!!

Hello, O Great Void of Tumblr!

I'm doing a flash commission sale, due to some unfortunate circumstances with my day job resulting in me being short for September's bills. 🙃

How much? TEN BUCKS!

What do you get? One full body drawing (includes basic color and plain background) OR 1k words of a flash fic.

Anything off limits? I will do literally almost anything. If there's a problem, I'll let you know, but I doubt it'll come up.

EXAMPLE ART:

(Ooo so spooky!)

Example of my writing style HERE.

So if you (or someone you know) likes art or writing, maybe consider helping a gal out. 🙏🏻

#commisions open #someone plz I'm TRAGICALLY POOR #(that was dramatic humor) #artists on tumblr #artistic #art #digital art #choco’s shenanigans #my art #my artwork

[chocochick-creations]

“There’s a legend about a Chinese painter who was asked by the emperor to paint a landscape so pristine that the emperor can enter it. He didn’t do a good job, so the emperor was preparing to assassinate him. But because it was his painting, legend goes, he stepped inside and vanished, saving himself. I always loved that little allegory as an artist. Even when it is not enough for others, if it is enough for you, you can live inside it.”

— Ocean Vuong, from an interview with Zoë Hitzig in Prac Crit

[chocochick-creations]

girl help i’m having creation ideas above my skill level

[chocochick-creations]

Getting started on some alterations for a costume I'm hoping to wear to my state's big convention this fall!

#work in progress

[chocochick-creations]

send an ask: get to know your author

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

2) what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

4) favorite character you’ve written

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

8) favorite genre to write

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

11) what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

12) your weaknesses as an author

13) your strengths as an author

14) do you make playlists for your current wips?

15) why did you start writing?

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

17) if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

19) when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

20) do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

22) are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

23) any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

24) have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

[chocochick-creations]

I finally, FINALLY, sit down to get back to work on All Other Lights... And my computer is on the Fritz. I can't even write a whole sentence before it stalls out.

#WHY YOU GOTTA BE LIKE THIS??? #writer problems #choco’s shenanigans #All Other Lights- ffxv