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gaaneden · 1 day

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Thank you.

It's over and done. "Dear Penpal, Belgium 1980" earned $8000 and hit 2 stretch goals. Thank you everyone. So much. I appreciate each and every one of you.

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thewriteadviceforwriters · 5 months

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Character Development in Different Genres: Tailoring Personalities to Fit Your Story's Needs | Part I of Character Development Series

When it comes to writing, one of the most exciting and challenging aspects is creating compelling characters. Whether you're penning a thrilling mystery, a heartwarming romance, a gripping fantasy, or a thought-provoking literary novel, the characters you bring to life play a pivotal role in captivating your readers. However, not all characters are created equal, and tailoring their personalities to fit the specific requirements of your chosen genre is essential for a successful and engaging story.

So, how can you ensure that your characters shine in the context of their genre? Let's embark on an insightful journey into the art of character development across different literary landscapes.

The Foundation of Genre-Specific Characters

Before delving into the intricacies of character development, it's crucial to understand that each genre comes with its own set of expectations and conventions. While a hard-boiled detective might thrive in a gritty crime thriller, they might feel out of place in a whimsical fantasy world. Therefore, the first step in crafting genre-specific characters is immersing yourself in the nuances and tone of the genre itself.

For instance, in a fast-paced action-adventure novel, the protagonist is often characterized by their resourcefulness, courage, and determination in the face of danger. On the other hand, a character in a cozy mystery may possess a keen eye for detail, a sharp wit, and a knack for uncovering secrets amidst the charm of a small town. By understanding the core elements of the genre, you can lay a sturdy foundation for building characters that resonate with the expectations of your readers.

Investigating Character Traits Across Genres

Let's take a closer look at how character traits can be tailored to suit different genres:

1. Adventure/Thriller:

Courage and Resilience: Characters in this genre often face high-stakes challenges and adrenaline-pumping situations. Their ability to confront danger with courage and resilience is a defining trait.

Quick Thinking: Whether escaping a treacherous trap or outsmarting a cunning adversary, characters in adventure and thriller novels are often marked by their ability to think on their feet.

2. Romance:

Emotional Depth: Characters in romance novels thrive on emotional connections. Their vulnerabilities, hopes, and desires form the cornerstone of their personality.

Charm and Passion: A touch of charisma and passion can elevate romantic protagonists, making them irresistible to both their love interests and readers.

3. Fantasy:

Imagination and Wonder: In the realms of fantasy, characters embody boundless imagination and a sense of wonder. Their belief in the extraordinary and the magical defines their essence.

Epic Journeys and Destinies: From chosen heroes to enigmatic wanderers, characters in fantasy often carry the weight of epic destinies and monumental quests.

4. Mystery:

Curiosity and Intellect: Mystery protagonists are marked by their insatiable curiosity and sharp intellect. Their inquisitive nature drives them to uncover the truth hidden within the enigmatic plots of their stories.

Intrigue and Suspicion: Characters in mystery novels often harbor secrets of their own, adding layers of intrigue and suspicion to their personas.

Crafting Characters with Genre-Specific Flair

Now that we've glimpsed into the distinctive traits that define characters across genres, it's time to infuse our characters with that genre-specific flair. Here are some creative strategies to tailor your characters to fit the unique demands of different genres:

1. Know Your Readers:

Before sculpting your characters, get to know your intended audience. Understanding their expectations and preferences within a particular genre can guide your character development process.

2. Subverting Tropes:

While adhering to genre conventions is important, don't shy away from subverting tropes to inject fresh and unexpected elements into your characters. This can breathe new life into well-trodden genres.

3. Embracing Authenticity:

No matter the genre, authentic and relatable characters are the cornerstone of captivating storytelling. Infuse your characters with genuine emotions and experiences that resonate with your readers.

4. Reflecting the Setting:

Characters are not isolated entities; they are shaped by the worlds they inhabit. Reflect the essence of the genre's setting in your characters' mannerisms, speech, and worldview.

5. Dynamic Character Arcs:

Consider how your characters' arcs can align with the thematic essence of the genre. From personal growth in literary fiction to valiant heroism in fantasy, tailor their journeys to harmonize with the genre's spirit.

The Power of Balancing Familiarity and Innovation

While it's essential to cater to the expectations of your chosen genre, it's equally vital to infuse your characters with a spark of innovation. Readers are drawn to characters who feel both familiar and refreshingly unique. By blending genre-specific traits with innovative twists, you can create characters that stand out while remaining rooted in the essence of their genre.

Unleashing Genre-Defying Characters

In the ever-expanding universe of literature, the art of character development is a dynamic and thrilling endeavor. As you embark on the journey of crafting characters for different genres, remember to immerse yourself in the heart of each genre, cultivate characters with depth and resonance, and balance convention with innovation.

Ultimately, the characters you create have the potential to transcend genres, captivating readers across a diverse spectrum of storytelling. So, unleash your imagination, breathe life into your characters, and watch as they navigate the rich tapestries of diverse genres, leaving an indelible mark on the literary landscape.

So, fellow writers, as you embark on your next literary odyssey, may your characters be as diverse as the genres they inhabit, and may their stories resonate with readers far and wide.

Happy writing! Warm regards, Ren T.

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reverieparacosm · 7 months

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Me and My Writing Drafts: A Rollercoaster of Emotions

Me: stares at the screen Okay, time to write the next masterpiece!

Also Me: opens a new document Let's do this!

Brain: sends a million ideas at once Write about cats! No, wait, aliens! No, wait, a cat-alien invasion!

Me: creates multiple drafts simultaneously Why have one idea when you can have ten?

Me: scrolls through the drafts folder Ah, yes, my precious babies. So many possibilities, so little time.

Also Me: starts hyperventilating How can I choose just one? They're all my brainchildren!

Brain: mocking voice Remember that brilliant idea you had at 2 a.m.? Yeah, that one. Write about that!

Me: looks at the time It's 2 a.m. again. Of course, brain, why not torture me with more ideas when I should be sleeping?

Also Me: cries internally How can I ever finish anything when my brain is a chaotic writing factory?

Brain: whispers Hey, remember that unfinished draft from three years ago? Yeah, let's revive it!

Me: gasps The ghost of an unfinished draft haunting my writing career! Brilliant!

Also Me: clutches drafts tightly One day, my darlings, one day I'll conquer you all!

Me: sighs The struggle of a writer with too many drafts is real. But hey, at least I'll never run out of material!

#WritingLife #DraftsOverload #HelpMeImDrowningInIdeas #writing #writers on tumblr #creative writing #writer #writeblr #writerscommunity #writer things #writing community #drafts #neurodivergent #neurodiversity #neurodiverse stuff

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quenbyolson · 1 year

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So one of the biggest things I've learned as a parent and an author and just as a person in general is that I cannot tell myself or my children to just do a big, vague, hand-wavy thing and expect it to be accomplished. Write a book? Ahaha, no. Clean the house? Not going to happen. Practice self-care? Nope.

If I tell myself to "do the laundry" it's not going to be done. If I tell my kids to "clean up the living room" that's not going to occur either. So I have to scale it down, and I have to use specifics. Rather than tell myself "finish writing this book" it has to be "write 300 words towards this scene" or "outline the bit where they [redacted]" because telling myself to just sit and write means I'll scroll through social media off and on for two hours and do nothing. With laundry, I have to tell myself "throw the towels in the washing machine" or "sort the socks".

Same with my kids. Small and specific. "Clean your room?" Nuh-uh. Too daunting a task, so they end up not doing it, or give up after only a few minutes. But "pick up the trash in your room" or "put your shoes in the shoe bin" or "hang up any kind of sweatshirt or jacket that is currently on your floor." Plus, doing a lot of little things seems so easy. "Change the towels in the bathroom." "Take the recycling out to the garage." "Wipe off all computer/kindle screens." Each one takes just a minute or two, and each one gives you that burst of accomplishment when you're done.

And self-care? "Take better care of your health." "Relax." "Refill the creative well." Nope, nope, and nope. But "drink one more glass of water today" or "take a probiotic with your morning yogurt" or "sit your butt down and crochet or work on a puzzle while guzzling old seasons of Project Runway" are a big yes, yes, and yes. Little things, clearly drawn out things.

Because if you just say "clean the house" or "write the book" it's something that never feels finished (or takes so very, very long to get to that point). So small goals. Separate everything into easily achievable tasks. Because my kids and I feel so much better when we manage to accomplish a half dozen things rather than fail at one massive task we set for ourselves.

#writinglife #writing #homeschooling #parenting #cleaning #lazy #chores

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shamanarcher · 7 months

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We Live in a Monde Brut

I know I’m in debt with my followers for not writing lately. It’s been two months since I wrote something. This happens because I’m getting into a state of mind that doesn’t give me much anymore a reason to write. All my ideas and subjects are the same from what I wrote previously, and repeating it over and over again about the same meditations will only lead me to become a boring writer.There…

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#aesthetics #art #arte #bloggerlife #brutalism #brutalismo #escrevendovida #estetica #vidablogger #writinglife

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tuurverheydepoetryandprose · 8 months

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Fandom (or especially social media) culture has gotten so tiring, so insipid, so proudly ignorant and incurious, it’s made me doubt if I want to partake in it anymore.

Like, I am a writer in the process of finishing up a novel and I am honestly questioning if I want it to be published anymore, in this era of anti-canon, anti-complexity readerships & fandoms. I can’t stand the thought of people just draining all the depth out of the plot and the characters and making it just be about self-insert/ship-centric/moralist wish fulfilment.

Like, you put in all the effort to try and make it personal, genre-savvy, thematically rich, narratively fun, well-written, diverse and all the rest of it, and then you read a lot of the media/literature discussion on social media…

So many people fundamentally don’t respect the art of storytelling. They want you to give them action figures for them to use in their own endlessly self-centred narratives. They want everything to be about them, and about how they’re good and pure and destined for happiness. If you introduce any kind of tragedy or ambiguity they treat you like a monster or a war criminal. Anything subversive is wrong. Like what is even the point of making something idiosyncratic when people will strip it down to make it exactly like all the other media derivatives they consume. Some people just have a list of tropes they want to see endlessly recreated. And even if you don’t do that, but they like your work’s aesthetic, they will mutilate it to make it theirs. There’s people defending this kind of attitude calling anyone who wants more out of the narratives they create or enjoy elitist, exclusionary, gatekeeping etc.

Like Death of the Author is fine. Interpretation is in the hands of the reader and the text should be central. But some people are actually fully invested in the Death of the Text. Just take the aesthetics, the names and lore and gouge out any meaning that doesn’t correspond exactly to what you want. Like it’s fine to have headcanons and stuff. But if you’re willing to fully discard or ignore canon then something has gone wrong.

How are you a fan or a lover of literature, of media if this is how you engage with stuff? It’s like respecting the expression of someone doesn’t even come into it anymore, it’s just more fodder to rehash the same stale formulas, while insulting the spirit of the original work.

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kwesixnasele · 1 month

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I’ve discovered a passion for cooking On a string of lazy sunny Saturdays Or on needles of hearty cloudy Mondays How I got lost in the rhythm: The sounds of frying, bubbling and bursting oil Spontaneous routines of chopping, measuring and mixing I started out as a late person anxious for time Till the groove got on to me, and everything flowed It became feeling like intuition from exact measurements It used to be an overbearing mess It got neater and became simple groove I no longer think much during it I would come to the kitchen with storms of problems And I would experience peace stirring a birthing pot Looking into her delightful bosom The aroma tickling my nostrils with excitement for what is to come Dishing out slowly with care and admiration Painting my fulfilled joy on a plate or bowl My tongue could slip up and say I enjoy cooking And that I get filled with euphoria when people praise my cooking I want to cook for you And the thought of it springs with a grin I can see my love pleasing my love Nothing else matters when I’m cooking I’m simply just in the moment making something beautiful Just like when I’m hanging out with you For that moment, I lose consciousness of moving time Everything else fades in the background I have a passion for being with you I imagine an ecstasy of mixing my passions Me simply cooking for you It would be a special moment Seeing you having moments during bites Finally something to keep silent while you want to burst out with words I feel confident about my cooking But I have the zeal to better myself like an amateur Just like how I will never get enough of you

#writinglife #writers on tumblr #writers and poets #creative writing #writeblr #writing #artists on tumblr

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elleestbelleetellerit · 2 years

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Arranged for your studying pleasure, Charles Bernstein’s POEM PROFILER. Got a poem to study and it’s just too opaque? Found a poem you love and want to write something similar? Want to analyse your own work? The POEM PROFILER is for you!

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in-tenebris-et-in-solitudine · 2 days

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To My Followers

Hey everyone! I've got some exciting news to share. I'm currently working on a brand-new murder mystery novel that I can't wait to share with all of you. This story is going to be a real page-turner, filled with twists, turns, and enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I'm pouring my heart and soul into crafting a gripping tale that will have you guessing until the very end. From complex characters to intricate plot lines, this book is going to have everything that makes a great mystery truly unforgettable.

I know how much you all love a good whodunit, and I promise to deliver an experience that will leave you craving more. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the genre or simply looking for a thrilling read, this book is sure to captivate you.

I'll be sharing updates and teasers along the way, so make sure to stay tuned! I'd love to hear your thoughts, theories, and any burning questions you might have about the story. Let's dive into the mystery together and create an unforgettable journey.

If you're as excited as I am, don't hesitate to drop a comment below or give this post a like. Your enthusiasm fuels my creativity, and I can't wait to embark on this adventure with all of you. Get ready for a wild ride, because this murder mystery is going to be one for the books!

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rhokisb · 3 months

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High walls make the narrow streets of an unknown town. The homes of those who live here are more… compounds than actual homes. Divided neatly with iron gates to each entrance. The streets are clean, with prim flowers lining the entrance to every gate. Individuals in exquisite clothes wander about with the sway that only those with financial security do. Every home on the street was designed to be identical to the one next to it, the only differentiator is a metal plate at the entrance to each domicile reading the name of those who live there.

With a sickening pull, the vision shifts to the inside of one of the compounds. A single large room, dimly lit, with a long table at the center. Seven men surrounded by a smattering of corpses and a human male whom Orlogg recognized as Dodonpa, in the middle of combat. Dodonpa skins a golden-hued rapier from his belt and thrusts it forward, warping the very air as a dozen tears in reality explode into existence, and from each one a thin blade escapes, striking all present in the room.

Time speeds up as Orlogg watches Dodonpa fall, and the oldest of the seven men raises a hand with fingers splayed as he chants a short spell.

Time speeds ahead, the old Elf now holding a strange spherical stone covered in arcane runes and speaks a single phrase as the light dims to almost pure darkness. The floor, walls and ceiling begin to open slightly into thousands of tiny eyes which shift their gaze a thousand miles a second, trying to search for something.

Everyone, save the old Elf, falls to their knees, gasping for air as purple-colored strings reach out from them and attach to the artifact. The old Elf’s skin begins to tighten, lightening as time is erased. His hair grows back into long locks. His teeth straighten in his mouth, his jaw becoming more pronounced. He reverse-ages hundreds of years.

Bringing a slender hand to his jaw and moving it back and forth, the Elf thanks those dying who surround him. With a snap of his fingers, he disappears.

~Day 23 of Weyard snips~

#dnd #dungeons&dragons #weyard #writing #nanowrimo #writing community #am writing #writingcommunity #creative writing #writinglife #writblr #writeblr #fantasy fiction #wip #fantasywip #writingwip #fantasy writing

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thewriteadviceforwriters · 1 year

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5 Ways to Make Your Writing Sessions More Productive

Writing can be a truly daunting task, and sometimes it can be challenging to get into the right mindset to be productive. Whether you're a professional writer or just starting, there are certain techniques you can use to boost your productivity and make the most of your writing sessions. In this post, I'll be helping you add five beneficial ways to make your writing sessions more productive, so you can achieve your writing goals efficiently.

Section 1: Set Clear Goals

The first step to making your writing sessions more productive is to set clear goals. Without clear goals, it's challenging to measure your progress and stay motivated. Start by defining what you want to accomplish in your writing session. It could be completing a chapter, writing a specific number of words, or finishing a blog post draft, etc. Once you have defined your goals, break them down into smaller, achievable tasks. Create a to-do list and prioritize the tasks based on their importance. This will help you stay focused and on track during your writing sessions.

Focusing on one task at a time will also help you avoid distractions and increase your productivity. Take the time to plan your writing sessions, and you'll see a significant improvement in your output.

Section 2: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Creating a distraction-free environment is crucial for a productive writing session. Eliminate any potential distractions, such as social media notifications, phone calls, or emails. Turn off your phone or set it to airplane mode, so you're not tempted to check it during your writing session. If you're writing from home, let your family members know that you're working on a project and need some quiet time.

Choose a workspace that is comfortable and conducive to writing.

A cluttered or uncomfortable workspace can affect your concentration and reduce your productivity. Ensure that your workspace is well-lit and has good ventilation. You could also consider playing some soft background music to help you stay focused, but make sure it's not too distracting. Creating a distraction-free environment will help you stay focused and produce quality work in less time.

Section 3: Take Breaks

While it may seem counter-intuitive, taking breaks can actually increase your productivity. Sitting in front of your computer for extended periods can lead to burnout and reduce your creativity. Taking regular breaks can help you recharge and get back to work with renewed energy. Plan your breaks in advance and stick to them. It could be a short walk, a coffee break, or a reading session to one of those unfinished books sitting on your bookshelf. Whatever you choose, make sure it's something that helps you relax and recharge. Avoid checking your emails or social media during your breaks, as this can lead to distractions and reduce the effectiveness of your break. Remember, taking breaks is not a waste of time. It's an essential part of staying productive and achieving your writing goals.

Section 4: Write During Your Most Productive Time of Day

We all have a time of day when we're most productive. Some people are morning people, while others are night owls. Identify your most productive time of day and plan your writing sessions accordingly. During your most productive time of day, you'll be more focused, alert, and creative. You'll also be able to produce more quality work in less time. If you're not sure when your most productive time of day is, try experimenting with different times until you find the one that works best for you. Writing during your most productive time of day will help you stay on track and achieve your writing goals more efficiently.

Additionally, I am currently developing a writing session routine generator that is designed to be highly customizable and supportive. My aim is to deliver a tool that will be of great benefit to all of my followers and users.)

Section 5: Use Writing Prompts or Outlines

Using writing prompts or outlines can help you stay on track during your writing sessions. Writing prompts can help you get started if you're struggling with writer's block. They can also help you generate new ideas and perspectives. An outline is a structured plan that outlines the main points of your writing. It can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your writing is coherent and well-structured. An outline can also help you save time by reducing the need for extensive revisions. Using writing prompts or outlines is an effective way to stay productive and produce quality work in less time.

As a personal guideline, I make it a point to have an outline, particularly for my blog posts, unless I am engaging in freestyle writing.

Conclusion

Writing is a challenging task that requires focus, discipline, and creativity. By following these five techniques, you can make your writing sessions more productive and achieve your writing goals more efficiently. Start by setting clear goals, creating a distraction-free environment, taking breaks, writing during your most productive time of day, and using writing prompts or outlines. Remember, productivity is not about working harder, but about working smarter. By implementing these techniques, you'll be able to produce quality work in less time, and achieve your writing goals with ease.

TheWriteAdviceForWriters 2023

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moonsoulmama · 1 year

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This is whats healing the most damaged parts of me right now. I’ll publish a book by the end of the 2023. #recovery #AddictionIsHard #WarAgainstDrugs #writinglife #selfpublishing #authorinthemaking #poetry #healingjourney #writingishealing #writingistherapy #writingislife https://www.instagram.com/p/CoSdTpNJLIj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#recovery #addictionishard #waragainstdrugs #writinglife #selfpublishing #authorinthemaking #poetry #healingjourney #writingishealing #writingistherapy #writingislife

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e-thonrudwrites · 1 year

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