sedonawritess

[sedonawritess]

A lot of you know I've been editing Storge recently and so I wanted to share the process I've been using to stay organized and make the prospect of tackling this 110k word monster into something slightly less intimidating. You also seemed to like the outline guide so I'm "pulling back the curtain" so to say, and sharing screenshots of my documents just like I did in that post.

It's a complete breakdown from the first read-through to betas to the final proofreads so I hope you all like this and find it useful!

[sedonawritess]

[sedonawritess]

DRAGONSONG: excerpt: chapter 13

to celebrate the fact that I now have 50,000 words of this book!

SB snorted. “I mean… I’m a mage, and not an entirely terrible person. Though I’m no saint. I’ve been a right dick to Robin, haven’t I?” 

“You have,” said Sierra, before Isi could answer. 

SB looked offended, then realised he’d said it first. Isi had to smile. 

“Excuse me?” said Cole. “I’m sure I taught you better than that.” 

Another silence fell as Cole seemed to realise what he’d just said. 

SB burst into teary laughter. The sound that came from Robin’s mouth was half-laugh, half-sob. Sierra giggled and Ebele covered her mouth with both hands. Cole’s laugh was deep and warm, even choked with tears. 

Laughter didn’t seem entirely appropriate… except Isi couldn’t stop herself. She laughed too, from deep within her. Her side ached, but she didn’t want to stop. 

It might not have been dragonsong, but Isi wished she could live in the feeling forever. Confused and messy and sad as it was, there was joy there, and it was beautiful. 

here is Cole coming through with some top-tier Dad Energy. it’s been a harrowing couple of days for the gang, but found family is a wonderful thing :D

TAGLIST (send me an ask to be added or removed) 

@isherwoodj @metanoiamorii @lilmissravingwriter @weekofwednesdays @the-unwrittenwriter @talesofsorrowandofruin @little-boats-on-a-lake @teriwrites @magicalwriting @magic-is-something-we-create @writingbyjillian @waysofink @perditism @thehellinsideyourhead @calicowrites @vellichor-virgo @google-plexed @therecouldbecolorsandlove @the-orangeauthor @ellatholmes @happyorogeny @ladywithalamp @ashen-crest @authortango @strangerays @moononherwings @nikkywrites @ambersky0319 @ambsthom @dirtybarkshark

#you’re so talented!! #others work

[sedonawritess]

Reblog this to let your followers know you appreciate them!!! I see all of you and I smile when regulars urls pop up!!!

[sedonawritess]

My writing projects: *screams at me* 

Me: *screams back*

[sedonawritess]

I wasn’t tagged but!! I did this for Aoife from Prince of Dawn.

OBSESSED :)) she’s pretty neato.

I tag @zmlorenz @akindofmagictoo @astridmayewrites @draculinawrites and whoever else!

So I saw this uquiz about what kind of fanbase your character would have and thought it sounded fun. And now I’m curious what results other people will get for their OCs, so feel free to take it for your character(s) and say what their results were! 

I did this for Roman from my wip Monsters & Men & Everything in Between, and the result I got was: “People will not shut up about how they deserved better. this character went though a lot and fans are BITTER they write a crazy amount of fix it fics and just generally talk about how the character deserves way better,” which honestly I can see happening. 

Tagging: @zmlorenz @cilly-the-writer @stories-by-rie @ohsugarfoot @blackcat1400 @authorlaurawinter @oh-no-another-idea (no pressure!) and anyone else who wants to do this (feel free to say I tagged you!)

#tag game #oc: Aoife

[sedonawritess]

“write a novel,” they said. “it’ll be fun,” they said.

now i’m crying over my wip at 2 am because i created six subplots accidentally and i don’t know how any of them are relevant to the story and i’m running on nothing but caffeine and spite

[sedonawritess]

Story Structures for your Next WIP

hello, hello. this post will be mostly for my notes. this is something I need in to be reminded of for my business, but it can also be very useful and beneficial for you guys as well.

everything in life has structure and storytelling is no different, so let’s dive right in :)

First off let’s just review what a story structure is :

a story is the backbone of the story, the skeleton if you will. It hold the entire story together.

the structure in which you choose your story will effectively determine how you create drama and depending on the structure you choose it should help you align your story and sequence it with the conflict, climax, and resolution.

1. Freytag's Pyramid

this first story structure i will be talking about was named after 19th century German novelist and playwright.

it is a five point structure that is based off classical Greek tragedies such as Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripedes.

Freytag's Pyramid structure consists of:

Introduction: the status quo has been established and an inciting incident occurs.

Rise or rising action: the protagonist will search and try to achieve their goal, heightening the stakes,

Climax: the protagonist can no longer go back, the point of no return if you will.

Return or fall: after the climax of the story, tension builds and the story inevitably heads towards...

Catastrophe: the main character has reached their lowest point and their greatest fears have come into fruition.

this structure is used less and less nowadays in modern storytelling mainly due to readers lack of appetite for tragic narratives.

2. The Hero's Journey

the hero's journey is a very well known and popular form of storytelling.

it is very popular in modern stories such as Star Wars, and movies in the MCU.

although the hero's journey was inspired by Joseph Campbell's concept, a Disney executive Christopher Vogler has created a simplified version:

The Ordinary World: The hero's everyday routine and life is established.

The Call of Adventure: the inciting incident.

Refusal of the Call: the hero / protagonist is hesitant or reluctant to take on the challenges.

Meeting the Mentor: the hero meets someone who will help them and prepare them for the dangers ahead.

Crossing the First Threshold: first steps out of the comfort zone are taken.

Tests, Allie, Enemies: new challenges occur, and maybe new friends or enemies.

Approach to the Inmost Cave: hero approaches goal.

The Ordeal: the hero faces their biggest challenge.

Reward (Seizing the Sword): the hero manages to get ahold of what they were after.

The Road Back: they realize that their goal was not the final hurdle, but may have actually caused a bigger problem than before.

Resurrection: a final challenge, testing them on everything they've learned.

Return with the Elixir: after succeeding they return to their old life.

the hero's journey can be applied to any genre of fiction.

3. Three Act Structure:

this structure splits the story into the 'beginning, middle and end' but with in-depth components for each act.

Act 1: Setup:

exposition: the status quo or the ordinary life is established.

inciting incident: an event sets the whole story into motion.

plot point one: the main character decided to take on the challenge head on and she crosses the threshold and the story is now progressing forward.

Act 2: Confrontation:

rising action: the stakes are clearer and the hero has started to become familiar with the new world and begins to encounter enemies, allies and tests.

midpoint: an event that derails the protagonists mission.

plot point two: the hero is tested and fails, and begins to doubt themselves.

Act 3: Resolution:

pre-climax: the hero must chose between acting or failing.

climax: they fights against the antagonist or danger one last time, but will they succeed?

Denouement: loose ends are tied up and the reader discovers the consequences of the climax, and return to ordinary life.

4. Dan Harmon's Story Circle

it surprised me to know the creator of Rick and Morty had their own variation of Campbell's hero's journey.

the benefit of Harmon's approach is that is focuses on the main character's arc.

it makes sense that he has such a successful structure, after all the show has multiple seasons, five or six seasons? i don't know not a fan of the show.

the character is in their comfort zone: also known as the status quo or ordinary life.

they want something: this is a longing and it can be brought forth by an inciting incident.

the character enters and unfamiliar situation: they must take action and do something new to pursue what they want.

adapt to it: of course there are challenges, there is struggle and begin to succeed.

they get what they want: often a false victory.

a heavy price is paid: a realization of what they wanted isn't what they needed.

back to the good old ways: they return to their familiar situation yet with a new truth.

having changed: was it for the better or worse?

i might actually make a operate post going more in depth about dan harmon's story circle.

5. Fichtean Curve:

the fichtean curve places the main character in a series of obstacles in order to achieve their goal.

this structure encourages writers to write a story packed with tension and mini-crises to keep the reader engaged.

The Rising Action

the story must start with an inciting indecent.

then a series of crisis arise.

there are often four crises.

2. The Climax:

3. Falling Action

this type of story telling structure goes very well with flash-back structured story as well as in theatre.

6. Save the Cat Beat Sheet:

this is another variation of a three act structure created by screenwriter Blake Snyder, and is praised widely by champion storytellers.

Structure for Save the Cat is as follows: (the numbers in the brackets are for the number of pages required, assuming you're writing a 110 page screenplay)

Opening Image [1]: The first shot of the film. If you’re starting a novel, this would be an opening paragraph or scene that sucks readers into the world of your story.

Set-up [1-10]. Establishing the ‘ordinary world’ of your protagonist. What does he want? What is he missing out on?

Theme Stated [5]. During the setup, hint at what your story is really about — the truth that your protagonist will discover by the end.

Catalyst [12]. The inciting incident!

Debate [12-25]. The hero refuses the call to adventure. He tries to avoid the conflict before they are forced into action.

Break into Two [25]. The protagonist makes an active choice and the journey begins in earnest.

B Story [30]. A subplot kicks in. Often romantic in nature, the protagonist’s subplot should serve to highlight the theme.

The Promise of the Premise [30-55]. Often called the ‘fun and games’ stage, this is usually a highly entertaining section where the writer delivers the goods. If you promised an exciting detective story, we’d see the detective in action. If you promised a goofy story of people falling in love, let’s go on some charmingly awkward dates.

Midpoint [55]. A plot twist occurs that ups the stakes and makes the hero’s goal harder to achieve — or makes them focus on a new, more important goal.

Bad Guys Close In [55-75]. The tension ratchets up. The hero’s obstacles become greater, his plan falls apart, and he is on the back foot.

All is Lost [75]. The hero hits rock bottom. He loses everything he’s gained so far, and things are looking bleak. The hero is overpowered by the villain; a mentor dies; our lovebirds have an argument and break up.

Dark Night of the Soul [75-85-ish]. Having just lost everything, the hero shambles around the city in a minor-key musical montage before discovering some “new information” that reveals exactly what he needs to do if he wants to take another crack at success. (This new information is often delivered through the B-Story)

Break into Three [85]. Armed with this new information, our protagonist decides to try once more!

Finale [85-110]. The hero confronts the antagonist or whatever the source of the primary conflict is. The truth that eluded him at the start of the story (established in step three and accentuated by the B Story) is now clear, allowing him to resolve their story.

Final Image [110]. A final moment or scene that crystallizes how the character has changed. It’s a reflection, in some way, of the opening image.

(all information regarding the save the cat beat sheet was copy and pasted directly from reedsy!)

7. Seven Point Story Structure:

this structure encourages writers to start with the at the end, with the resolution, and work their way back to the starting point.

this structure is about dramatic changes from beginning to end

The Hook. Draw readers in by explaining the protagonist’s current situation. Their state of being at the beginning of the novel should be in direct contrast to what it will be at the end of the novel.

Plot Point 1. Whether it’s a person, an idea, an inciting incident, or something else — there should be a "Call to Adventure" of sorts that sets the narrative and character development in motion.

Pinch Point 1. Things can’t be all sunshine and roses for your protagonist. Something should go wrong here that applies pressure to the main character, forcing them to step up and solve the problem.

Midpoint. A “Turning Point” wherein the main character changes from a passive force to an active force in the story. Whatever the narrative’s main conflict is, the protagonist decides to start meeting it head-on.

Pinch Point 2. The second pinch point involves another blow to the protagonist — things go even more awry than they did during the first pinch point. This might involve the passing of a mentor, the failure of a plan, the reveal of a traitor, etc.

Plot Point 2. After the calamity of Pinch Point 2, the protagonist learns that they’ve actually had the key to solving the conflict the whole time.

Resolution. The story’s primary conflict is resolved — and the character goes through the final bit of development necessary to transform them from who they were at the start of the novel.

(all information regarding the seven point story structure was copy and pasted directly from reedsy!)

i decided to fit all of them in one post instead of making it a two part post.

i hope you all enjoy this post and feel free to comment or reblog which structure you use the most, or if you have your own you prefer to use! please share with me!

if you find this useful feel free to reblog on instagram and tag me at perpetualstories

Follow my tumblr and instagram for more writing and grammar tips and more!

#writing resources

[sedonawritess]

writeblr (re-re)intro

As life is full of constant change, I am updating my writeblr intro to reflect this.

My name is nito, and I’ve been around the writeblr community since its inception. In the past I have been known by numerous names, but have happily settled on fleetingfictions this time around. I have a feeling this one will stick.

Currently, I’m studying writing, english, and environmental humanities at an eco-league school. It’s taken me a while to get to this point, and I didn’t know why until I was recently diagnosed with adhd. This is leading me to the point of graduation in ’23 — a point which has alluded me through four other universities. After my graduation I wish to become an explorer of humanity, creativity, and change through country-wide travel while possibly attending grad school online. Life is subject to change as swiftly as a woman with adhd is bound to change her mind — so this all may change, to which I am open to.

I write a great deal for my classes and have had a few non-fiction works published in newspapers and magazines in the last few months due to contacts at my school. Eventually, I wish to start submitting my more creative works of fiction to various lit mags, but lack the time to edit and revise the pieces to their full potential.

In terms of larger projects work on my current wip has spanned the past 11 years, although it wasn’t until 2017 that I began to put any serious work into it. Since returning to school, the story has shifted into something more compelling, deep, and lush, while simultaneously becoming less complicated. Although I originally made it to second drafts on the first idea, I plan to use summer break to re-write this entire re-imagining.

As for sharing my work, this is not something I plan on doing for a while. In the past I have had important work stolen from me and am nervous that may happen again. This even includes titles and names of my characters and locations.

I tend to overuse em-dashes and semi-colons. Tenses give me trouble; while I know how they work, and can usually spot its misuse in the writing of my peers, it’s hard for me to catch moments when I shift from past to present. I haven’t figured out a way to remedy this yet.

My genre preference is speculative fiction; mostly focusing on the realm of contemporary fantasy, low fantasy, and environmental fantasy. When it comes to short stories I am known to dabble in magical realism, fairy tales, paranormal, and monster stories.

I love a busy dash, so I follow a lot of people. Due to school work and personal writing work I won’t be participating in tag games right now, although I won’t get upset if you send me them.

Honestly, I’m just happy to be here, surrounded by so much talent, humor, and inspiration.

nito ✨

#hello!!

[sedonawritess]

Write because you love writing. Write because writing sets your soul on fire. Write because writing gives you a chance to express your imagination. Write because you want to create a story. Write because you’re an artist. Write because writing is like an inner purification. Write because your soul wants to shine. Write because the world needs more books, the world needs more writers, the world needs more words, the world needs you.

[sedonawritess]

A writer is like a semi-trusty lawnmower.

It’s an absolute pain to get started, with all the grunting and groaning and pushing and shoving to bring it to life.

Once it’s going, you’re good. Maybe you hit a stick or a rock here and there, but your semi-trusty lawnmower keeps trucking along until the whole yard looks much nicer.

And then you sit over by the shed with it still running because you’re afraid to turn it off. It took so long to get the thing going, what of you can’t turn it back on?

Eventually you turn it off, only to realize you’ve missed a piece lawn and have a 15-minute fit over whether you care enough to fight with the mower and finish the job. Maybe you just grab a pair of scissors and angrily chop at the grass like it’ll make a difference.

Then you walk away, confused as to how a 90% good job has left you 112% unsatisfied.

[sedonawritess]

good morning

[sedonawritess]

WORDS TO USE INSTEAD OF: CRY / CRIED / CRYING

Do you ever find yourself over-using the word “cry” (or “cried” or “crying”) in your writing? Try using these words instead:

sob / sobbed / sobbing

wail / wailed / wailing

weep / wept / weeping

bawl / bawled / bawling

whimper / whimpered / whimpering

howl / howled / howling

blubber / blubbered / blubbering

snivel / sniveled / sniveling

squall / squalled / squalling

yelp / yelped / yelping

whine / whined / whining

shed tears / shed tears / shedding tears

burst into tears / burst into tears / bursting into tears

tear up / teared up / tearing up

choke up / choked up / choking up

well up / welled up / welling up

break down / broke down / breaking down

let it out / let it out / letting it out

turn on the waterworks / turned on the waterworks / turning on the waterworks

open the floodgates / opened the floodgates / opening the floodgates

#writing resources

[sedonawritess]

I love the ambiguity of the term ‘WIP’. Is it a project in it’s third draft? A final draft being queried? An idea I came up with six months ago and haven’t written anything about yet? You don’t know. Nobody knows. 

[sedonawritess]

OK BUT WHO ALLOWED ME TO HAVE AN IDEA FOR ANOTHER WIP…. DISGUSTING.

#my words

[sedonawritess]

Constant Artist/Writer mood

[sedonawritess]

would you like a nice glass of