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graceshouldwrite · 10 months
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How to Write Devastating Betrayals (Pt. 1)
Here are some elements + tips on satisfying betrayals that will destroy both your characters AND your readers!
1. Relationship Between Trust and Betrayal 
The #1 Betrayal Rule:
MORE TRUST = WORSE BETRAYAL
This is because TRUST implies 2 main things:
The traitor has probably PROVEN their trustworthiness, and now has a shared history + bond with the character they’re betraying 
The traitor probably has access to a LOT OF INFORMATION about the character, whether it’s career-wise or personal. Probably at least some information the character considers STRICTLY confidential 
An act of betrayal undermines Point 1 by manipulating Point 2 to their advantage.
So, if you want your betrayal to DESTROY, have the traitor be CLOSE with the character they’re about to betray. Lets compare examples: 
you are a gang boss. You hire a new recruit who doesn’t really know anything except one insignificant operation, like “today we buy groceries at 2PM”
your recruit tells the rival gang about the grocery trip   
→ betrayal doesn’t really matter that much
you probably didn’t place much trust in a new recruit 
the implications of information leak are insignificant 
→ not much plot weight 
On the other hand:
you find out that the entire time, your RIGHT HAND MAN (also your childhood friend!) has been feeding information to the rival gang and sabotaging your operations 
→ HURTS a lot more emotionally
might ruin everything you’ve built, career-wise, for good 
→ LOTS of plot weight
From a completely SECULAR PLOT STANDPOINT (please don’t come for me, theologians), Judas’ betrayal of Jesus is a good example because:
Judas was one of Jesus’ disciples, a.k.a. the people considered closest to him, and who followed Jesus throughout all of his preaching years
Judas’ information about Jesus’ identity and whereabouts led to Jesus’ crucifixion → LOTS of plot weight (the entire Bible from a Christian standpoint foreshadows this moment, and every point after is spreading word of this moment. Talk about plot implications!)  
ONCE AGAIN, I know all the “Jesus knew and allowed it to happen” “it was the will of God” stuff but this is purely used as a good plot example!!!!
2. Reason for Betrayal
“’Cause it’s super edgy/evil/cool” is DEFINITELY not a valid option. 
All the plot points in a book build towards achieving a goal, and all the characters do things they think will get them closer to what they want. Likewise, the traitor must want a specific thing that ONLY betrayal can get them, or that betrayal can get them more efficiently. 
People generally portray typical traitors as: 
completely selfish with no personality trait aside from infinite ambition and ruthless pragmatism
a hero whose had enough
someone who sees the person they betrayed as a “worthless disposable” or something 
Traitors don’t have to be morally bankrupt, even though betrayal is typically seen as something inherently bad, or just a bad means to a good end at best. 
They can be conflicted about the betrayal (like Macbeth delaying his murder of King Duncan), remorseful about it (like Discord from MLP feeling super guilty after he hands the main protagonists over to the villain), or even do it for the “greater good.”
e.g. Brutus thought Caesar was becoming too power hungry, and would destroy the republic by becoming a dictator, so Brutus betrayed him to preserve the republic 
→ example of a betrayal that was NOT self-serving
However, building on the MLP Discord example, a traitor can also have been manipulated into it themselves. 
(For context, the villain basically promised Discord lots of power if he handed over the protagonists, but then the villain also sucked away Discord’s powers afterwards—won’t bother explaining MLP magic mechanics LOL) 
3. Foreshadow It 
A satisfying betrayal is usually a subtle, looming shadow that creeps over your plot before it makes its grand entrance during the scene when the character realizes the traitor sold them out. 
A good example is in Shakespeare’s dramatization of Brutus’ betrayal: 
Brutus’ loyalty to the REPUBLIC is made super clear throughout. When Caesar starts deviating, seeming more dictatorial, Brutus remains firm.
Their values are CLEARLY conflicting, so SOMETHING has to be done. Either:
they reconcile by both agreeing on either dictatorship or democracy
they turn on each other...and that’s what happens
Basically, planting the possibility in your reader’s mind is a great way to foreshadow a betrayal. 
Other ideas could be: 
traitor begins suddenly acting a lot warmer to the unsuspecting character, or even colder right BEFORE the betrayal
traitor is always TOO obedient and/or sycophantic 
traitor acts suspicious, e.g. caught in lies, using inconsistent body language (ex. pretending to cry when talking about something really bad), caught talking to people they shouldn’t be talking to (e.g. rival gang)
∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘
instagram: @ grace_should_write
stay tuned for part 2!
Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated <3333
Happy writing, and have a great day!
- grace <3
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sprinklesdonut15 · 5 months
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Upset Stims
hit hit hit
force shoes off
c l a w s
rocking but loud
rocking in general
making fist but nails dig into skin
scraping against the edge of desk/whatever
straining i will fucking pull and pull even though it's not gonna move
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the-modern-typewriter · 9 months
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Would you talk about your process of writing short stories, if you don't mind? Do you outline it before hand? do you make it up as you go? is it the same w the prompts you get vs stories like The Blue Key or The Art of Turning 30?
It's different for stories that are prompted on here and stories like The Blue Key, The Gallery of Broken Things or the Art of Turning 30 which I have come up with entirely independently and unprompted.
It's also sometimes different for stories that are prompted on here, and other stories I've written based on a prompt from a friend, such as Escapology, Half Sick of Shadows and My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose - but these are more similar because they are still varying degrees of prompt based.
The first question, when I have an idea/prompt, is how big do I want the story to be. Some ideas require novels, some are perfect for short stories. Figuring out which is which comes with practice.
Writing from a prompt
Stories that are triggered by a prompt come (to a point, some prompts are more specific/detailed than others) with a certain amount of inbuilt scaffolding or clues as to what the story must be about.
I talk about different sources of ideas, including writing from a prompt, in this post. The prompt bit gives a sense of my general process when writing tumblr stories with more specific prompts.
For a non specific prompt...
The next tumblr inbox prompt I think I'm going to write when I have a sufficient moment is:
ah, could you write something about a vampire x mortal who always reincarnates
It's a tumblr drabble, I'm thinking 2000 words max, so fairly simple without an elaborate planned plot. It's just for fun. I don't go into the story assuming I am going to continue it. I also don't assume someone on tumblr is going to read loads of backstory and set-up, so I just skip to the most interesting scene that comes to mind with as little set-up as possible.
So, I know I have a vampire character and a reincarnating mortal character. The 'x' implies that the story is going to have, to some level or another, a romance thread.
However, the prompt otherwise immediately raises a lot of questions; the decisions/answers I make to these questions shape the story. Examples of questions that pop to mind.
Am I writing in the POV of the human or the vampire?
Does the mortal remember that they reincarnate or do they start from scratch every time?
When the story starts, does the vampire know that the love of their life reincarnates, or is this the first time that they are seeing their love after thinking they were going to live the rest of their immortal life alone?
How did the mortal die the first time? Was it happy or traumatic?
If it's not the first time they are seeing each other post reincarnation, how did the previous lives go? This will colour the relationship dynamic.
Why is the mortal reincarnating?
Why are the two of them seeing each other in the present of the story? What does each character want out of the scene?
I love an antagonistic dynamic and conflict is brilliant for short stories, so I might go one step further and immediately decide that I want the vampire and the mortal to be opposed/in conflict in some way.
If conflict, what conflict should I pick?
After a certain amount of this, it's just pick whichever answer I am in the mood for on any given day and go.
Writing without a clear prompt
This is more difficult, but I also tend to love these stories more when I do get inspiration for them. There also isn't one process that works for all of these as it tends to change a bit with every story.
(Although I don't tend to outline short stories.)
More often than not, when these stories happen it is because a very clear idea or nugget pops into my head or a strong urge to write about something in particular, and I tend to write the whole thing in a matter of days or hours. They have a lot of iceberg time in my head where I'm sort of thinking about them, then there's a click.
As an example:
I wrote The Blue Key because I love fairytales, the mythos of Bluebeard and haunted houses. I knew I wanted to write something inspired by Bluebeard in this instance, so I knew that I needed a house, a couple, a key and a locked door that must not/should not be opened.
Because I love these stories, I had them on my mind so I wanted them to play into the story. What does it mean to have so many stories about curiosity and its consequence, about having a love that you are not allowed to look at? I re-read some of my favourites and I came across this quote about Bluebeard by Margaret Atwood. I read people talking about how they would be smarter than the wife, or how they just wouldn't look, as if it's always that easy.
What would happen if you didn't know which story you were in? What would happen if the Bluebeard character was also trapped in a story that he didn't want to play out, where there was love as well as horror? What happens if you are in a story where you have the fairytale rules where you must give your wife a key and you must not tell her what is behind the door.
What happens then?
The Blue Key was my answer to that general brain mulch.
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archangelbelletti · 2 years
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How to write a Short Story
Short stories are an excellent way to sharpen your writer abilities! Why? Because in a small space with limited words you have to fit every word neatly with the others, you don't have a lot of time to build up your premise and worldbuilding, and you need to convey a character's personality quickly to make the reader care and understand.
So, how do we do this?
Understand your concept
What's the thing you'd like your reader to take from your story?
For example: "a day in the life of a gay person", "good in evil and evil in good", "the last conversation between two people."
2. Make a rough outline
... and then make a neat one if you need it!
For smaller works (and depending if you're not a hard outliner like me), you can also use a less disciplined outline.
I use one that goes pretty much like a numbered list and then I fill in the blanks.
3. Write write write
I normally try to finish the first draft of my short story all in one sitting (unless it's longer than 3-4k words).
At this point, you can start your second draft, which for me looks a lot like re-reading your work with a critic eye, looking out for specific things I will mention at the bonus section [here].
4. Final edits
Edit with a magazine editor in mind. What would they like to read? Is it understandable for someone who has just been introduced to the story?
5. Format
I format all my work in Times New Roman, 12, double spaced, with indentations. I start the first page halfway through, and on the top I put my name, word count, email, Instagram and Twitter handles (plus any requirements of the magazine/editor/agent).
Make sure to number your pages, and remember to avoid colors and strange fonts that make your writing hard to read.
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l-michalska-writer · 10 months
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Random bookolots pt.1
Maybe loving me is the reason you cant love yourself.
I always said I love you too soon.
So it seems I broke your heart…
So it seems you broke my heart.
The monsters have their own disguise.
I know loving me was easier in your head.
Would you like to fuck off?
Some tears just dont dry.
If I cant have you no one should.
Monsters wont have power over you if you’ll become one of them.
Why can’t I say that you’re the reason I’m still awake?
Was that a metaphor for something more?
It’s like I can’t get close to you.
What makes me so emotional?
I never saw it coming.
You know you saw it coming.
You know where to find me.
Loving her seems tiring.
Haunted by your love…
You know you’re the reason you’re alone.
Moje serce… moje serce ma dość.
I should have bet on us.
I would have loved you…
And if you finally had enough… you know where to find me.
Sorry for your loss.
I heard what happened.
I really thought I lost you.
What a privilege it was to matter to you.
Break my heart again, I don’t wanna heal anyway.
She always comes first.
I mean the best but sometimes I’m wrong.
I’m just really grateful that I had you.
I would have loved you if you only gave me a chance.
You got one chance to make it worth my wait.
And I’ll tell you what the worst is. It’s the way it doesn’t hurt when I wish it did.
I don’t wanna go until you see everything you lost when you backstabbed me.
You give me much to say.
I killed him for you.
And if I had to break you… I wouldn't hesitate.
I think I could love you, but I’m not sure.
Hearts don’t only beat, they break.
But she always comes first.
You don’t see me.
I hate that I want you.
Take me back to the night we met.
You can think that you’re in love when you’re just in pain.
If you met my family, you would understand.
If I could only make my heart your home.
You don’t remember, do you? Or do you just not care?
If you wanna talk, I’m gonna listen.
I’m not as evil as you think.
You get what you deserve.
I’m a nightmare when you’re fast asleep.
Revenge has never felt so sweet.
I’ll be your worst and darkest dream.
You won’t see it coming.
What about us?
I’m still holding on to everything we had.
I would have bet on us too.
Do you love my daughter?
Look me in the eyes and repeat every word you said.
Huh?
I shouldn’t have come.
Just say it already.
Now look her in the eyes and tell her what you told me. Are you capable of that?
You’re the only thing I can’t live without.
You let me down and I’m used to it.
We were untouchable, you and I.
What started so perfect ended too fast.
Finally ending all alone.
You miss the old me, but she’s not coming back.
I’m tired of it.
You call yourself a man?
You knew your time would come.
You know the words you weren’t supposed to say.
See the satisfaction on my face.
I knew they would call me to end you.
You changed and so have I.
I could kiss you a little bit harder so you’d know how much I care.
You nearly gave me a heart attack when you said you’re doing fine.
Isn’t it obvious you’re all I have?
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prettiuniversellc · 1 year
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Pretti Reminders 💎
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prompts-cemetery · 11 months
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Villain prompt 03
After years of plotting revenge, the villain finally confronts their former childhood friend, who they discover has become a celebrated hero. As they begin to enact their plan for revenge, the villain realizes that the hero had betrayed someone else and was trying to protect them from their fury.
Too late for explanations.
The hero is dead, Supervillain cradles Villain's trembling shape in their arms.
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sstrangeprompts · 1 year
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You're a typical Tumblr user going about your day.
Suddenly, you receive a message, only to realize it's from yet another one of those pesky spam bots. The username gives away the account's nature, and its profile picture is that of a beautiful, smiling woman sitting on the roadside. You block the account and move on.
Not much later, you receive another message. Again, it's a spam bot trying to get you to sign up for a scam. The woman in the profile picture is winking at the camera as she sits on the stairs to a home; you think nothing of it and block the account.
Some time goes by before, once again, you receive a message. You go and block the account without even bothering to read the message; the profile picture, this time, catches your attention for a little bit. It's another woman, this time leaning against a door that looks oddly familiar to you. Nevertheless, you block it and continue scrolling through your dashboard.
Less than 5 minutes go by when you receive another message. Irritated, you immediately fetch for the block button, except this time you can't help but feel a chill as you notice the profile picture. A smiling woman sits at the edge of a windowsill, the window behind her shows a glimpse of your bedroom.
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chordsykat · 11 days
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youtube
I had a chat on Discord last night, covering my full process of creating comics (and high concept stories in general). Come give the video a look if you weren't able to make it. :)
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curlysgirl0202 · 3 months
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the-wizard-writes · 1 year
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Urban Fantasy Worldbuilding Long Post: Caring for Werewolf children [A step-by-step guide]
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Werewolves are a strange yet interesting species. Lycanthropy is a difficult situation that some people don’t understand. If you or a love one is in a relationship with a werewolf or are considering adopting a child with lycanthropy there are a few things to know before you decide to jump into the wonderful world of parenthood! 1. Werewolf pups are not the same as puppies from dogs. A very common mistake that non-lycan folk is that they assume that werewolf puppies are just as easy to train as puppies from dogs. PLEASE don’t take your werewolf children to the vet. They are not just wolves. They are people too. Werewolf children are just as bright and happy as most regular children are. The only difference is that they have small fangs and abnormal colored eyes. Puberty however...is well...more hairy. 2. Baby/Werewolf Proof your home Once you have your little bundle of joy, you must be mindful of the furniture around you. A werewolf child starts teething at around two years old so, your precious vintage wooden table becomes a chew toy to your little one. To combat this, I suggest pool noodles to be a perfect solution to keeping table and chair legs safe from your little ankle bitter [Please teach them not to bite people’s ankles it’s rude.] Lemon and other citrusy concoctions have also worked from keeping your child from biting. DO NOT use any household sprays or over the counter items that is for dogs, that stuff is toxic to not only humans but, to werewolves as well. Also, having toys to help with teething also helps. Warm firm toys will do and baby teething rings are very helpful for werewolves to learn not to bite things.  3. Support during the full moon Transforming for the first time is a very intimate and scary for young werewolves. This step is mostly for the parent who isn’t a werewolf themselves, support during this time is very important. Your child might have concerns about their changing body and how it makes them feel. You should reassure your child that their transformation is natural.  Once your child has gone through their first transformation make sure you sit down to talk to them about how they feel about the situation. Make sure they know that they are loved and that they’re transformation isn’t a bad thing. Some parents even give their child a safe space within their home to transform where there’s comfort items for them.  4. Hair! Hair everywhere! Hair is obviously going to be a bit part of your life now. Werewolves have a ton of hair and shed...A LOT. Different werewolves have different coat types that need to be taken care of. Talk to your doctor and or dermatologist about fur treatments for your child. Talking to other werewolves would also be helpful as well if you are a single parent who isn’t a werewolf. Getting a powerful vacuum is advised heavily but, if you are already living with a werewolf partner you should already know that, but getting another one wouldn’t hurt. Children are a wonderful gift to most parents, even when both parents are different species. As a human with a werewolf partner or a single human raising a human child on their own it’s important to learn the ins and outs of how werewolves are and how to be a great parent to a wonderful child.  
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comicallybadwriter · 11 months
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Mayday 2023
Day Nine- Prompt; Forgiveness
“I forgive you.” Crowley whispered to the skies as he stood atop his flat in Mayfair. It was only right he had a rooftop garden, fit for wallowing and pitying himself, but today was different. Today marked an anniversary.
The day Armageddon fell through.
The day Aziraphale first visited the demons’ flat.
And he’d told the angel just how much he meant to him.
“So for someone’s sake, can you let him know it’s okay?” The demon stared still, watching the clouds grey as they’d done- albeit not so harshly- during the first rain. “He’s terrified. Of disappointing you. And that makes it so much worse because you’re supposed to love unconditionally. S’pose to love all of us equally. I don’t care anymore... about my mistakes. But let him live.” Crowley breathed out, feeling a light drop of rain dust his skin.
“Please. Let us live.”
...
I decided to do something a little different to the other prompts since I was in a silly goofy mood
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ichverdurstehier · 3 months
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What are some ableist slurs against autistics? I'm writing a whump fic
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greenmoons · 3 months
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When you are creating a world you need to build it first and then make it a full story.
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avesssswrote · 5 months
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USELESS WRITING TIPS #1
remember people its easier to write smut, horror, and thriller with your safe search turned off.
Or just go on Incognito, you don't wanna remember that search again.
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puckingfabulous · 8 months
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As writers, we always need to read over our dialogue and punch it up where needed. Take a critical eye to your work and as you re-read ask where dialogue might just feel like a placeholder or treading water. Cut anything that’s not really useful—the casual greetings, the one line words of agreement. But also look for places where your dialogue might be sharper or wittier or smarter. Where you can dig deeper to reveal or convey more. All these things make for more dynamic dialogue.
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