#nownovel

[dabiconcordia]

“leave me a smile just warm enough... to spend a million golden afternoons in.” ― Sanober Khan

#sanober khan #quote #smile #afternoon #nownovel #via pinterest.com

[writerthreads]

How to write a gripping fight scene

By Writerthreads on Instagram

Context

Provide the readers with preliminary details about the basics:

When is the fight? Where is the fight? Who are the characters involved in it?

Before you write the scene, it would be helpful to pre-plan the events and know the basic "itinerary" of the fight. This could be how it was initiated, which characters fight each other and how, and the way the fight ends.

Identify the backstory

The key to how to write a fight scene or battle scene is Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC). 

Ask yourself:

Why is this fight or battle taking place? (This supplies motivations, what each fighter or army has to gain or lose)

What each party wants (the goals). Goals may differ for the same conflict. One soldier may want to prove themselves worthy of promotion, for example. Another may just want to survive to see family or a lover back home. In a battle scene, what does the unit want, versus the individual?

What are the potential conflicts in the scene? For example, an argument might break out within ranks, or a sadistic leader might find themselves without aid at the peak of battle because their troops secretly despise them. A single, larger conflict could have smaller, breakaway conflicts that add further, lesser tensions to an already dramatic scene.

(From NowNovel)

Use characterisation in action

A fight scene can seem long and boring. To spice things up, you can provide readers with a bit more insight to the character as they fight.

Why does the character make the choices that they make in the fight?

How does each choice reinforce their characterization?

How does each choice impact their internal and/ or external goals?

Is this conflict getting the character closer or further away from their goals? How?

What are the stakes for each character? What do they stand to win? What will they lose?

What type of fighter is the character? What are their physical or mental abilities? (Remember that not every protagonist will be a trained assassin, so they’re prone to make sloppy mistakes during a fight.)

Use the fight scene to reveal necessary information about the characters. Be sure to give the reader a glimpse into the character’s soul and not just into their fighting skills.

(From NYBookEditors)

Use all the senses

To make the scene truly gripping, you have to make it visceral. Hit the readers with all the senses other than just sight. Sounds and textiles are particularly helpful and make the scene much more memorable.

So, next time you want to write one person's sword hitting another, you can describe the clang of the two steel pieces hitting each other, the smell of fresh blood in the air, and how heavy the sword welder's arm feels after parrying for ages.

Know the limits of each weapon and magic (if applicable)

Before you start writing, do some research about the "code of conduct" fighters in your time period had and how the weapons work. If you're very dedicated, you could try some classes in martial arts or fencing to get a rough idea of what the specific fight scene should feel like.

The ending

Let the readers know what the results of the fight are. Did one side clearly win? Were the results unclear (not in the sense of bad writing but of a draw-like scenario), or was it a Pyrrhic victory that incurred so much loss that it wasn't worth it?

One pet peeve of mine is a fight that ends when a Super Boss Weapon is revealed and ends the fight immediately. It's a quick way to finish the scene with no hassle, but in my opinion, it seems lazy and makes me wonder why the Super Boss Weapon wasn't used in the beginning. Unless it's justified, eg. the Super Boss Weapon had to be charged up, I get very mad when it happens. (But this opinion is very personal and you can obviously ignore it!)

Conclusion and disclaimer

Hopefully these tips will help you pen the perfect fight scene! I have minimal experience in fight scenes and all the fighting I do in real life is fencing (badly).

And as always, our tips are just tips and not rules -- you obviously don't need to follow them since they're just a guide to make your writing better! Good luck in writing your fight scene! :)

Sources: NowNovel, NYBookEditors

#writers on tumblr #writing inspiration #writing prompt #writeblr #writersofinstagram #writers block #writers #writing community #creative writing #writerscommunity #writing #writersofig #writing tips #writers of tumblr #writing advice #writing process #writing ideas #writing fight scenes #fight scene #teen writer #writing help

[marsaumell]

This web is full of good advice and resources for authors, especially in terms of motivation and productivity tips! Who knows? Maybe it's the advice you need to finish NaNoWriMo, for example.

#writers #motivation #advice #wattpad #novel #read #author #nownovel #tips #tricks #nanowrimo #help #productivity

[nownovel]

#story premise #book ideas #writing inspiration #nownovel

[dear-indies]

Hi cat and mouse! i was wondering if you know any guides about how to write a fight scene? I'm writing one but I don't want it to sound repetitive. Thank you in advance!!!

How Do You Write a Fight Scene Without Becoming Repetitive?  by howtofightwrite

Five Simple Ways To Write Convincing Fight Sequences by howtofightwrite

How Can I Make My Action Scenes Come Truly Alive? by howtofightwrite

All About Writing Fight Scenes by brynwrites.

5 Tips for Writing Action-Packed Fight Scenes by cutsceneaddict

How to Write a Convincing Fight Scene by nybookeditors

Here’s How To Write A Damn Good Fight Scene by standoutbooks

How to Write Fight Scenes and Action That Grips Readers by nownovel

How to Write a Fight Scene by blog.reedsy

5 Essential Tips for Writing Killer Fight Scenes by writersdigest

How to Write an Effective Fight Scene? by clevergirlhelps

Fighting Words by clevergirlhelps

also:

@howtofightwrite​ - A third degree Black Belt and an Eagle Scout share their tips to help authors create realistic fight scenes and characters.

@referenceforwriters fight scene tag here.

-C

#writing guide #writing guides #writing help #rph #rpc #Anonymous

[livvywrites]

Do you have any advice on writing subplots that don't seem boring or out of place? Love your blog 💕

An excellent question! I’m sorry it took me so long to get to!Thank you so much for the question, and I’m very glad you enjoy my blog 😊

Subplots are… tricky. Hair-pullingly frustrating, really,much like anything else to do with plot. (I, personally, hold a particular grudgeagainst the middle bits. Which is generally where subplots are found!) Subplots,though, they’re a special breed of frustrating—the kind that’s a close neighborto herding cats, or trying to give one medicine when you haven’t trained it tolet you do so.

Luckily, though, crazy cat neighbor lives further down frustrating/crazystreet, and subplot neighbor is a little more put together.

Mostly because they live in the foundation of plot andcharacter. Like mice. Little mice that breed like crazy when you’re not looking.And you have to pick one or two, and you have to make sure you don’t get onethat decides to jump on a plot bunny’s back and ride off into the sunset. Andyou can’t have one that’s too fat, too skinny, the wrong color, or just a bittoo deranged. That just throws off the whole aesthetic of the little pettingzoo you’ve got going on here.

And…

Enough stalling with crazy metaphors, yeah?

I’m no expert on subplots. In fact, plot in general is prettymuch the bane of my existence. Especially the middle, as I mentioned above.HOWEVER, with a bit of critical thinking and some reading-like-a-writer, I’veput together a few tips you may or may not find helpful.

Riveting Subplots

First things first. What isa subplot?

Literarydevices.net gives this definition: Subplot is a secondary plot, or a strand of the main plot that runsparallel to it and supports it.

Wikipedia says: Infiction, a subplot is a secondary strand of the plot that is asupporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots mayconnect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematicsignificance. Subplots often involve supporting characters,those besides the protagonist or antagonist.

Now, I know you didn’t ask for advice on writing subplots ingeneral, but I think that revisiting the definition of a subplot—specifically,by remembering what a subplot is supposed to do—is helpful. Especially when you’reworried about a subplot seeming boring or out of place!

When crafting a subplot, I think some important things toask yourself about it are:

Does this subplotprovide support for your main plot?

I think for this, it’s important to look at the areas where theplot slows down or sags. A subplot can add some currents of tension or interestto a breathing moment for the characters (& the reader) or even some frivolity.

Does the subplot addto the overall theme?

Theme is a tricky beast to begin with, at least for me. (Ifanyone’s got it figured out or knows some good resources pls link me.) But Ithink if your theme is meant to ask a question, perhaps the subplot could showa negative answer to that question; or an example of a positive one.

Does subplot parallelor support character arcs?

This one is a favorite of mine in novels. Having twocharacters, particularly a hero and a villain, following a similar path—but oneof them taking the negative route, and the other the positive. That’s a goodsubplot! A subplot could also be the character arc of a minor/secondarycharacter.

Does your subplot answerquestions about the main conflict or plot?

Another thing I enjoy is when a narrative jumps between pastand present; with the past providing a parallel with the present. The past usuallyprovides insight on one or both of the characters and their motivations; orasks questions about how they went from their past self to their present self.

There are probably more questions to ask than just those, butI think those are a good start! Obviously, you don’t have to say yes to all of thosequestions, or even two of them! As long as you’ve got a yes to one of them orsimilar, you’re most likely good to go!

(You’ll notice I didn’t include anything on romanticsubplots. This is mostly because I’m still trying to figure out what makes agood romantic subplot myself!)

TL;DR

To make a subplot interesting and thematicallyrelevant, ask yourself: what does thisprovide to the overall plot? If the answer is furthering characterrelationships or arcs, answering questions about a character’s motivations, or supportingyour thematic statement, you’re good to go!

Further Reading

Some of my favorite articles on subplots:

5 Tips for Organizing Subplots – K.M. Weiland ofHelping Writers Become Authors

How to Skillfully Use Subplots - Jane Friedman

Subplot Ideas: 5 Tips for Writing Better Subplots - NowNovel

7 Ways to Add Subplots to Your Novel - Writer’s Digest

#writeblr #writelr #writing tips #writing advice #subplots #livvysdubiousadvice #coffehousecreations #asks and answers #coffeeandcommas

[writeanapocalae]

hello there! do you have that poast about how to write a horror story. I think you gave a list of tips but i can't find it anwyhere

oh I wrote one that was just off the top of my head. I’m sorry I’m so terrible at tagging on here. There’s this one which has a lot of specific situations for forest themed horror and in the reblogs there are some for abandoned buildings and stuff: https://writeanapocalae.tumblr.com/post/187903340247/writinginslowmotion-abalonetea-me-while here’s one by nownovel: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-horror-story-tips/ 

I think the one you’re looking for is this one: https://writeanapocalae.tumblr.com/post/179593260932/how-do-you-write-creepy-stories-over-describe which, again, is augmented beautifully in the reblogs!

#answer #Anonymous

[valeriebielbooks]

Building Suspense as a Writing Exercise: Use suspense techniques to strengthen your writing.

The modern world is one of immediate gratification and this phenomenon is reflected in entertainment and media sources. For example, in the genre of mystery writing, a murder almost always happens within the first few pages. In screenwriting, the main idea or theme should be delineated by the third page or the first few minutes. On a website, the “hero” message should be at the top of the site; otherwise, viewers will click elsewhere.

In September, I discussed the benefits of exercise as a support to one’s writing. This month, in honor of October, the spookiest of seasons, I offer ideas about suspense and how its techniques may boost one’s writing, no matter one’s preferred genre.

Suspense vs. mystery

Modern mysteries are formulaic. (Note: I make no observation about whether that is good or bad, it just is.) Writers, especially new writers, are directed to kill someone or offer a crime within the first pages lest readers become bored. Whereas, building suspense is old school: At its best, a likable character is introduced, emotional connections are built, and then tension is increased and the protagonist is dumped into an antagonist’s world of impossible dilemmas. The crime or major offense occurs well into the story. This structure requires artful writing in that emotional connections (rather than a horrific event) is the bridge between character and reader. Arguably, building that bridge requires stronger writing skills and a higher knowledge of craft.

I assert that suspense writing offers fantastic opportunities to improve one’s craft, no matter the preferred genre: First, suspense writing demands establishing an emotional connection with readers; second, it offers multiple points of view; and finally, it requires delicate weaving of backstory into the narrative.

Establishing an emotional connection

In an immediate-payoff mystery format, the “why” of a crime is less important than the action of solving the crime. Often, a murderer’s motive is revealed in the denouement. A few paragraphs or pages are offered about the criminal’s intent and then the focus of the story returns to the crime solvers rather than the criminal.

In suspense, a bridge must be established between reader and protagonist; a connection must be made with the hero; otherwise, readers won’t care what happens. Methods to create this connection include:

Create a character who is both likable and flawed, and put him (or her) in a world that fascinates. Create a protagonist who possesses something your target reader can identify with: An age, a job, a certain “look,” a sense of humor, a life perspective, or even a pet. Anything that will draw a reader in; remember, you’re not pursuing all readers, just those who enjoy books in your genre or sub-genre.

As an exercise, list the traits that would attract your target readers and create a character who has a few of them. After that, incorporate a fatal flaw that will be used to hamper your main character’s life. For certain, that flaw will impact the story. Your hero’s fear of water will definitely put him in a boat somewhere with bad guys threatening, right? Further, the world that your hero lives in should be somewhere where you want to be: What makes this world unique? Is it busy? Isolated? Beautiful? Think about it. Use this exercise to let your mind wander, then write a page about this character and the world he or she resides in.

Multiple Points of View

Suspense requires writing multiple points of view in that the reader must be connected to both the protagonist and antagonist. To maximize pressure on the good guy — which is what creates great suspense — it’s necessary to know the motivation of the bad guy. Further, the bad guy can’t be all bad as that would be a caricature and not believable. The bad guy has to have sympathetic traits to make him or her seem real.

As an exercise, free-write a page or two about each character’s history, considering both points of view. Remember, the purpose is to build an emotional connection with the reader.

Backstory Required

As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, weaving backstory into the narrative is a delicate process. Too much and the forward momentum lags; not enough and the reader is left with unanswered questions that can be frustrating or cause a disconnect. When writing suspense, the purpose is to build an emotional connection with the reader; thus, knowing the motivations of the protagonist and antagonist are vital. A brief history of character-affecting events should be included in the story. A good process in this regard is to write a history of each character and include bits and pieces of it only after the first draft has been completed. Write the story without asides, flashbacks, and comments or paragraphs about previous events — it takes practice! Just get the story on the page without them. After the first draft is complete, upon revision add only what is necessary to connect the dots to get to the why of the characters’ behaviors. (Weaving backstory is a process that may be easier if a second set of eyes reads the first draft and offers feedback about where the holes are.)

As an exercise, using the histories you composed about the protagonist and antagonist, circle five important events or traits that affect their behaviors. Rank them. Which of these does the reader absolutely need to know? Is it possible to drop one or two? If you can reduce the list to three, you’re on track. Anything more than that likely is unnecessary.

The suspense-writing techniques that establish an emotional connection with readers are worthy of consideration. The exercises described above shouldn’t take more than a few hours; it’s something to do on a rainy weekend. And, as always, I recommend contemplating these ideas while on a walk or a bike ride.

Next month, I’ll talk about why I’m thankful for being a writer.

Blog Shout Out: Now Novel

The Now Novel blog is refreshingly simple; the blog post titles are succinct and the website itself is easy to navigate. It’s worth a look if you’re searching for an all-inclusive site that offers a myriad of ideas. Happy writing!

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#nownovel #suspensewriting #writing exercise #elements of suspense #writing tips #writingtips #writing advice

[nicholasrossis]

3 Tips On Describing Eyes In A Story

3 Tips On Describing Eyes In A Story

NowNovel recently posted a great post on how to describe eyes in a story. As they point out, many beginning authors over-rely on eye color to create an impression of their characters, but this is merely a first step. Instead, you can follow these tips to create a memorable description:

1. Make a characters’ eyes a source of contrast

Drawing of an eye by Marigona Toma. Source:…

View On WordPress

#eye description #eyes #Now Novel #nownovel #tips #writing tips

[theticklishpear]

Do you have any methods or tips on planning a multiple POV novel? I was looking at your 10-step model and was wondering if you have anything similar for 2+ characters. Do each of them get 10 steps, or do the 10 steps have to cover all?

I didn’t create the 10-point plot model, only use it for my own writings, so I’m not sure of the creator’s intentions (I’m not even sure who created it at all, since it was a handout in school ages ago with no attribution). I tend to use it for overall plot of an entire book. It’s not meant to be all-inclusive for every single plot moment that will occur, but rather it’s meant as a general outline to then build up further. It’s a starting point.

That said, I have used simplified versions of it for shorter stories and character arcs as well, so take a look toward the middle/bottom of that article for a glimpse into that process. If the 10-point plot model appeals to you, there are ways to modify it to fit multiple POV narratives.

Start first by looking at each of the characters in turn and mapping out their stories, even if you don’t intend for all of it to get on-screen. This also includes mapping out plot events that are common to more than one character’s progression.

You could certainly do 10-points for each of them, but unless several of the more major events are going to cross over, then you might instead think about reducing it to five- or seven-point plots. Every arc is going to have a beginning, middle, and end, and within that, there will always be a climax of some kind. (Remember that climaxes don’t have to be BIG, like battles. Climaxes can be small and still be meaningful.)

Perhaps something like this:

Now, obviously these are subjective and you can tweak things for what the story needs, particularly in terms of pacing.

You might choose to have one for each character and each line runs parallel to the others, or you might choose to mesh them together into one larger 15- or 20-point model.

Remember: You can put as many or as few scenes in these boxes as you want. As much or as little time can pass between these blocks as you need. The boxes can be used for one character or three. They don’t have to be rigid.

There isn’t really a good way to lay out one definitive point model that any multiple-POV narrative could use because the pacing for those kinds of stories tends to vary widely. When it’s important to have a scene from one character versus another character is very dependent upon what each of those characters is going through, what’s important to the overall story you’re trying to tell, and how you want it to progress.

I have my 10-point plot model up on a wall with post-it notes that I move around a lot before deciding on an order of events for a story. For a multiple-POV narrative using these models, I imagine it would be much the same. Lots of mushing together and pulling apart, and mushing together again in a slightly different arrangement until you get the overall arc of the book and the beats of the individual character arcs to feel right when you’re telling yourself the story in your mind. 

I know that didn’t really answer your question much, but I hope you’re willing to cultivate some patience and try to figure out whether these work best for you, or if another model will be better. It takes time to figure out what works for the type of story you’re telling because nothing is a one-size-fits-all method.

Good luck!-Pear

How to Write a Novel with Multiple Points of View from NY Book EditorsWriting in Multiple Points of View from @wondrousworldbuildingWriting with Multiple POVs from @roselinproductions4 Things to Look For from @brynwrites8 tips for using multiple POVs expertly from nownovelMastering Multiple POV in 6 Steps from Mythic Scribes

#pear responds #point of view #writing #writing tips #10 point plot model #plot #posts by pear #anonymous

[felixkrause69]

So, I'm assuming she'd have at least some trust issues and would probably be a bit high edge and closed off at times, but her life never necessarily has to be an indication of her personality!! Develop her how you'd want to, don't be afraid to make mistakes, and just have fun!! Look up references by watching crime movies or cop movies, and maybe just watch some yt videos to do with oc's and backstories, here's some added help! check out nownovel's guide called 'talking backstories' gl dude!!!

aaa sorry i didnt post this earlier!! D: this is helpful though, if the anon still needs it!

[alounuitte]

poked at that nownovel site and it seems cool and useful if i had fucking $20 a month to spend on a website to help me write a book

#:/

[nownovel]

#storyarc #writingtips NowNovel

[stupendousrebelpuppy]

3 Tips On Describing Eyes In A Story — Writer’s Treasure Chest Originally posted on Nicholas C. Rossis: NowNovel recently posted a great post on how to describe eyes in a story.

[dear-indies]

hello people! sorry to bother you but I really need help on finding guides to describe expressions & everything related to when it comes to a character. is there a blog specifically meant for vocabulary as well? it would be of so much help, thank you so much!

A masterlist of categorized links on writing expressions! 

Research:

Reading facial expressions of emotion by apa,org

10 Common Facial Expressions Explained by listverse

Different Emotions by Mike Larremore

Writing / Guides:

Describing Characters: How to Describe Faces by nownovel

Margie’s Rule # 2: Write the Hard Stuff — Facial Expressions by writersinthestorm

Writing Emotions and Facial Expressions by mbtimetraveler

Describing People Part Three: Gestures, Expressions, and Mannerisms by carliemacullen

Expression masterlists:

A List of Facial Expressions That Convey a Range of Emotions by buzzle

Master list of Facial Expressions for Writers by bryndonovan 

Master list of Gestures and Body Languageby bryndonovan

To make a particular facial expression by macmillandictionary

Facial expressions | Quotes and descriptions to inspire by descriptionari

100 Words for Facial Expressions by dailywritingtips

12 Handy Positive Words to Describe Facial Expressions by dilyanakyoseva

A Resource for Writers: Facial Expressions–Anger by descriptivefaces

Facial Expressions–Contemptby descriptivefaces

Facial Expressions–Embarrassmentby descriptivefaces

Facial Expressions–Fear by descriptivefaces

Facial Expressions–Happiness by descriptivefaces

Smile (writing references) by luspea

9 different ways to say ‘smile’ by blog.oxforddictionaries

Reference For Writers, Alternatives for: “Smile” by referenceforwriters

Facial Expressions–Sadness by descriptivefaces 

Body Language: 

Lips body language by changingminds.org 

Translate Emotions into written Body Language Sheet by Amanda Patterson

41 Emotions as Expressed through Body Language by omnivoracious

Body Language Masterlist by daisybuchananrph

Body Language Reference Sheet by goknights

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers by Carolyn Kaufman

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers by quill-dribble

A List of Body Language Phrases by badassunicorn2016

Using Gesture by symbi0

Other:

Words to describe someone’s voice by ??

Master List of Words to Describe Voices by bryndonovan

55 Words To Describe Someone’s Voice by Sabrina Yeahia

Over 250 Ways to Describe Voices by Kathy Steinemann

Using an Emotions List to Help Label an Emotion by healingschemas

#writing help #writing research #writing #guide #rph #Anonymous

[bookmarketingjournal]

3 Tips On Describing Eyes In A Story

NowNovel recently posted a great post on how to describe eyes in a story. As they point out, many beginning authors over-rely on eye color to create an impression of their characters, but this is m…

https://plus.google.com/100994465271189374108/posts/Nq8tpwRDDKC