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how to use three act structure in your writing

Ah, three act structure! While I learned about this in a screenwriting workshop as a method for constructing screenplays, the model has worked wonders for every fiction piece I’ve written and just about any modern story is constructed in this way. If you’re struggling in finding the arch of a story, this outlines it very well!

First of all, let’s cover the structure itself: i. status quo: how things are at the beginning of the story, before things change. Doesn’t have to be included in the novel/screenplay/etc explicitly, but is the ‘before’ circumstances. ii. inciting incident: this is where your story really starts! It’s the thing that makes things change, like your protagonist finding out they have super powers or that their best friend is in love with them. iii. plot point one: this is where the story transitions from the beginning to the middle section. After the inciting incident, the character reacts to that change, and this is the reaction. It’s usually a decision made by the main character and their final goal is introduced. iv. complications: fairly straightforward. When a goal is set, there are complications that come along the way. A good model to follow is three main complications, though it isn’t so strict. v. midpoint: the midpoint is usually the most emotional point in the story, aside from the climax. It can be either an extreme high or an extreme low, dependent on the ending; a story with a happy ending has an extreme high in the middle, but a bad ending has a very low point. For example, a superhero story where the protagonist changes the world’s midpoint might be a montage of the hero rescuing civilians, while a more disappointing superhero story would show our hero in a funk where he’s unable to save anyone. In modern film, a lot of midpoints are montages, but that’s not a set rule. vi. more complications: don’t think our characters are getting a break just yet! Generally, three more complications will happen post-midpoint– usually either continuations of earlier complications, or problems that happen as a result of solving those. vii. plot point 2: circumstances change yet again! This time, a big decision is made to resolve complications. It can be thought of as the inciting incident of the climax. Transition from middle to end. viii. climax: the most intense part of your story. This is where every complication, including the main complication, comes to a point and either gets resolved all at once.  ix. new status quo: same as the status quo, it isn’t always directly shown. It’s the way things are now, how things settle down after the journey our characters went on earlier. Should be different from the original status quo.

As three acts this is:

Act One: Before plot point one. It’s the beginning of the story, when things are beginning to change but haven’t yet. Act Two: Between the first and second plot points. The middle of a story, where action is happening and the story is in rapid progression. Act Three: Post-plot point two. The end. Things are settling down into how they’ll be in the new status quo.

For an example, here is a basic love story told through three act structure:

i. status quo: character A and character B are best friends. ii. inciting incident: character A accidentally discovers character B is in love with them. iii. PP1: character A decides they have to make character B stop loving them. iv. complications: 1— character A doesn’t want to lose their friendship. 2— character B doesn’t know why A is being distant. 3— A isn’t completely sure of their own feelings, and is feeling intense jealousy in their attempts to set B up with someone else. v. midpoint: character A realizes they have a crush on character B, shown via a montage of closeness and internal panic of character A. vi. more complications: 1— character A doesn’t want to ruin their friendship, now for different reasons. 2— character B doesn’t know why A is acting so weird. 3— A struggles to hide their crush well, even though character B is completely oblivious. vii. PP2: character A has enough of this, and decides to just tell B everything they know. viii. climax: character A arrives and character B’s house and confesses everything; they kiss. ix: new status quo: characters A and B are happily together.

OR

Act One: Character A and B are best friends, but A knows B’s secret. Act Two: Character A decides how to deal with B’s secret. In the process of dealing with this, A discovers a secret of his own. Act Three: A confesses to B, and B’s reaction is positive.

A few things to note:

Status quo and new status quo’s difference.

How the inciting incident leads into PP1, same with PP2 into the climax— I’ve heard it described as the inciting incident/PP2 being the pulling back of the slingshot and PP1/the climax being the releasing of it.

PP1 and PP2 are both decisions being made by our protagonist.

The similarities between the first and second set of complications. Essentially: 1– character A doesn’t want to lose B. 2— B is confused. 3— A is also confused.

If you set up your story with this structure, there will be drama and change. The main problem I find in the structure of new writers’ works is that either there is insufficient conflict, the conflict is too short compared to the story, or, after the solving the conflict, everything is completely normal again. With this method, it’ll be very easy to prevent that; if your story doesn’t fit this, it likely needs altering. The structure can honestly be difficult to understand, but watch a few films or reference previous things you’ve watched/read and find the structure— eventually, you’ll be doing it subconsciously every time you consume any media it applies to!

On implementing it effectively:

All three acts shouldn’t be given equal screen time. Generally, the ratio of Act One:Act Two:Act Three should be about 1:2:1 (aka, in a 100k word novel, 25k Act One, 50k Act Two, 25k Act Three), but that could altered (like in the case I stated— 25k of intro? No thank you). All the time, though, Act Two should be at least as long as the first and third act combined. All three acts are necessary, but I’ve seen some films with less than ten minutes of Act One where it helps the story.

When your story’s introduction requires much explanation or backstory, such as building a fantasy world or even a vital relationship between characters, it might be on the longer side, while a love story between two characters who are only just meeting might take shorter— it’s extremely dependent on the narrative itself and requires you, as the author, to gauge the situation and decide how it should be. Even with a structure as formulaic as this, writing is still an art that can never have any general rules applied to fit all situations. 

Good luck in your writing! My DMs and ask box are both open!

tried writing, ran out of ideas, please have this snippet until I conjure up motivation to finish it

Temples are built for gods. Knowing this a farmer builds a small temple to see what kind of god turns up.

Be warned, I now have a powerful tool for translating that even translates my subordinate clauses over subordinate clauses correctly. From now on it is over with simplified sentences and you will get the full dose of my way of writing. I am curious what you say to it and how it will be received. And thanks @cirianne for reminding me there is DeepL. 

Give yourself freedom to create something different.

2 Tips for Adding Emotional Weight to Your Story

As writers, we want our work to hold weight — for our characters’ actions, emotions, and desires to resonate with and impact our readers. But how do we make that happen?

The most helpful advice, in my experience, has been to:

Make the internal become external, and

Make the external become internal.

Let’s talk about what that means and how these tips can help you add emotional weight to your story.

1. Make the internal become external

To “make the internal become external” is to take the interior aspects of your character (their fears, desires, pains, and epiphanies) and find ways to express them with external actions. For example:

If Marcos realizes his girlfriend doesn’t truly love him, don’t just make him mope; have him throw the engagement ring he purchased into the river.

If Amelia feels overworked and stressed at her new job, don’t just show her exhausted in bed; show her bailing on plans with the people she cares about or giving up her favorite pastimes.

If Kara is afraid to get onstage and perform as Lady Macbeth, don’t just have her wait in fear; make her run out on the show on opening night.

By expressing your character’s emotions and realizations through clear external actions, you add weight to what they’re going through.

2. Make the external become internal

The goal here is similar, but reversed. Where before you were taking an internal emotion and accentuating it with action, now you’re taking the external elements of your story (plot, character actions, external conflicts, etc.) and making them have internal ramifications for your characters. For example:

If Thomas gets slapped by his older sister during a disagreement, don’t just move on like it never happened; make it change the dynamic of their relationship for the rest of the story.

If Davy’s new boyfriend excessively dotes upon him, don’t just have him awkwardly brush him off; make Davy tentative and uncertain because he’s never been in a healthy relationship before.

If Anna loses the championship match of a tennis tournament, don’t just have her grudgingly accept defeat; make her feel crushed because of her impossibly high expectations for herself.

By taking external actions or events and tying them to your character’s deepfelt emotions and, when possible, their core struggle, you add weight to what happens in your story. Everything starts to matter, and that makes for captivating storytelling.

A Final Word

I want to clarify that I’m not telling you to make your characters act and react in ways that don’t make sense for them. Always stay true to your characters. 

But I do encourage you to always look for opportunities to merge the internal and external aspects of your story — because that’s the key to telling stories with true emotional weight.

Good luck, and good writing, everybody. :)

— — —

Everyone has stories worth telling, including you. For helpful writing tips and advice, check out the rest of my blog.

How I make book covers + tips for you!

Hey people of Earth!

Around this time last year, I mentioned I would have a video up on how I make book covers/cover making tips, and to summarize: I did not do the thing, and this year old script is still sitting in my drafts.

SO, I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and post a written version of these tips! Going to get straight into this because I imagine this will be rather long!

This post will be divided into 6 parts: finding inspiration, concept art, incorporating elements of design, composition, tools and software, and resources. Feel free to skip around to whatever section interests you most!

***Before we get started, really quick disclaimer. I am in no way a professional cover designer. Cover design is merely something I picked up on my own, and I don’t have any formal education/credentials in graphic design. So of course take my advice with that in mind. These are also just my personal thoughts and opinions. So take everything with a grain of salt!

1. Finding Inspiration

What’s the deal?

A really great way to start out in design

Finding cover designs or designers you admire may help you see what works technically

Helps nail down a style you like

In turn, can help you find your cover design style

What should you do?

Look at covers in your genre!

Whenever I design a cover, I take a scroll through Goodreads to pick up some inspiration in designs I personally love

I also love walking around my bookstore and taking a look at physical copies

Find a cover design you like, and point out the specific reasons you like it

Example:

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was actually not an inspo cover for this edition of I’M DISAPPOINTED, but as you can see, things I liked from it spilled over into my own design. By pointing out aspects of graphic design you like, you’ll better be able to understand your style as a cover artist. 

Some personal thoughts:

I like covers that include a textured backgrounds, as seen in the collage below: 

So for the I’M DISAPPOINTED cover above, I included a textured background. I also love handwritten fonts/lettering, which I include in almost all of my book covers.

What I did:

Off-white colour from A List of Cages and Holding Up The Universe

Silhouette from Painless and previous cover design of I’m Disappointed

Speech bubble from Simon VS the Homo Sapiens Agenda and Say What You Will

Marker texture from A List of Cages

Obviously my thought process wasn’t to put 4 covers in a blender and thus create my product, ha, this is just an example for the ease of understanding!  

2. Concept art

What’s the deal?

Coming up with concept art is a super important part of designing a successful book cover. 

Acts as the skeleton of your book cover

Your book cover’s roadmap

Saves time/effort

Similar to an outline for a novel. 

Can be a very quick sketch, or full fledged design

I like keeping my concept art quick, but if this is your first cover, making a more detailed mockup can help. 

What should you do?

Sketch out book cover ideas once you get them/take notes of concepts you’d like to explore

If you can’t come up with concepts, take a look at your inspiration folder and pull concepts/ideas from covers you love

This does not mean copying another book cover (this is notttt a good idea!). BUT, pulling inspiration from elements you like on a cover can be helpful in generating your own concepts

You don’t have to come up with concept art (sometimes winging it works!) but I do recommend jotting notes down, and drawing out loose sketches when applicable!

Keep a list of ideas for book covers as you accumulate them (almost like a little vault of concepts lol) and reference them in the future!

Take a look at as many book covers as you can and make a list of elements you like and don’t like

This is one of the easiest ways to accumulate ideas/concepts!

Example:

^^^ Concept art for two book covers 

Likes and dislikes in book covers:

Of course this list is not my be all and end all (nor should it be), and obviously, I still use these things (besides clunky composition I hope!) in some designs!

3. Incorporating the elements of design

What’s the deal?

There are 7 elements of design: line, shape, texture, form, space, value, and colour. 

These sometimes vary depending on where you look, but this is what I was taught, so I’m going to be working off that!

Examples:

I’m going to go through them really quickly via an assignment I did for my comm tech class

Keep in mind this assignment is 2 years old and is only meant to give you an idea of what these elements are 

1. Line

Line is probably the most important element of design as every piece of art starts with one. 

There are various types of lines. You can have curved lines, straight lines, vertical lines, horizontal lines and so on.

2. Shape 

You can have more mathematical, geometric shapes, or more abstract, free form shapes. 

3. Texture

Texture is the feel of a particular surface. 

Texture in my opinion is one of the most important elements when it comes to graphic design, especially book covers. 

My favourite thing to see in book covers is texture, whether that be paper textures like construction paper, crumpled paper, wallpaper, lace, wall textures, paint textures, or marker textures

Texture adds depth to designs, and if there’s any element of design you focus on in this post, I’d highly recommend it be this one. 

(i’m biased but still)

4. Form

Form is almost like shape, except instead of flat objects, we’re dealing with 3-dimensional objects. 

I don’t often use it in my covers since I like drawings and flat shapes in my designs, but if you want to include objects on your cover, or any sort of 3D shape, this would be form. 

5. Space

The distance around an object, to put it simply

Space in covers can help emphasize what’s important, and what is less important, or can draw attention to a particular piece of your design. 

Examples of space:

Colour coding: yellow = space, teal = focal point/movement of viewer’s eye

In Twilight, the black space helps emphasize the main image, the hands holding the apple. 

This also occurs in the Red Queen book covers. The empty space around the crown draws attention immediately to the focal point

You can also lack space. In The Duff, the girl’s face is the only thing you can see on the cover. 

6. Value 

Is determined by how much light or dark is incorporated into design. 

Example of value:

A great example of value in book covers is on Alexandra Bracken’s Passenger. As you can see, the green at the top fades down in a gradient as more white is added to the centre. 

7. Colour

Light reflecting off objects

Can make certain elements of your design stand out

Why should you incorporate the elements of design into your designs?

Adds layers of depth to your work

Thus can take your cover-making skills to another level

Can help in producing ideas

4. Composition:

What’s the deal?

In my opinion, can make or break a design

Can mean clutter of things, OR too much or too little space between elements

Title placement  

Composition is sometimes subjective from design to design

What you can do:

Pay close attention to detail and spacing

Look out for natural shapes in your design you can fit elements into

Watch the linked video from Mango Street (one of my favourite photography channels) on composition

While photography and design are two different things, the tips in this video can also be applied to various ideas in design such as headroom and leading lines

Examples:

*Before I get into this, I want to make it clear that these examples are exaggerations for the purpose of showing you good and bad composition. If you make these mistakes, that doesn’t mean your design is bad, and again, I’m no professional. This comes from what I believe could be considered bad composition, but trust your gut. 

Example 1: Stick People

doesn’t effectively use space

no headroom for text

text is covering 200 element (looks very clunky)

text is cut off

No focal point

Can’t read the title

Textual elements are better spread out

Title is now focal point

Slightly imbalanced

200 element is distracting 

Addition of stick figures balances out cover  

Text follows natural shape of photograph

Removed 200 element makes cover look less clunky

Example 2: Sixteen Cents

Half the title is on a dark background

Lacks readability

Last name is cut off by window

Uninteresting composition (everything is on one line)

No movement

Title placement is better

Better readability

‘A novel’ fits under windowsill

Last name is smaller to avoid cutting it off

Still slightly boring

Uses free space of wall wisely

Title is easy to read

Text is shaped around photo elements

Gives the cover some movement

Example 3: Fostered

Title is covering the focal point (the girl)

Title doesn’t seem to be incorporated into the design

By moving title down, we’ve made space for the subject

Title placement makes cover look less clunky

Same composition as prior but image is colour-graded

Embossed title adds texture/depth

I’ve mentioned this a few times in this post: focal point. What is it?

FOCAL POINT:

Is defined as the main attraction of your book cover

This is where you want your readers’ eyes to focus

Focal points can sometimes define themselves in areas where more contrast happens to be

Doesn’t have to be the centre of the page. 

Keep focal point in mind for composition because if you put it in the wrong spot, you could end up drawing your readers’ attention to the wrong area of the cover. 

The point of most interest in a cover is the focal point, so if you want a particular subject of your book cover, such as a person, to stand out make sure you don’t make the other areas of the cover too high contrast or busy.

Framing subjects also helps, so be creative!  

The human eye tends to focus on areas with increased contrast so keep this in mind

Examples:

The Host

The camera has focused on the eye of the model, with the nose bridge and forehead shadowing each corner of the cover

Helps lead eye to focal point (the eye)

The Girls

Blue around the edges encircles the focal point (the girl), leading the viewer’s eye directly to her

Girl is also scarlet in colour, contrasting the background

The Hunger Games

Grey outlines on the cover lead straight to the mockingjay

Mockingjay is bright gold in comparison to the black background

Creates contrast, thus viewer’s eye is lead there

The Female of the Species

‘Straight’ composition

No particular focal point, viewer’s eye instead moves horizontally across the design

What should you do?

Use the natural shapes and outlines in your design/photo to fill your cover

Use your space wisely (see examples above)

Use leading lines to draw attention to your focal point

Manipulate text to fill empty spaces

5. Tools and software 

You do not need Photoshop to make a good book cover

I made my first book covers in GIMP, a free image manipulation program (kinda like Photoshop’s little brother)

This is the stick people cover I made in photoshop, and the same cover made in GIMP. 

Other tools you may want to use are CreateSpace’s cover templates. 

You can find these through CreateSpace OR Bookow (my personal fave)

OPTIONAL (what I use):

Graphics tablet

I use the Huion H610 which I really enjoy! 

I use this to hand letter, draw silhouettes, create concept art, and so on

Paper and my Faber Castell India Ink Artist Pens. 

These are fine tip markers, and are what I used to create the text on I’m Disappointed 

Thin sharpies and pens will also do the job, and you can always clean any mistakes up in photoshop or gimp.

A scanner so I can transfer what I’ve hand drawn onto my computer

If you don’t have a scanner you can take a clear photograph on a camera or phone 

I also use a few custom marker brushes that now come with the 2018 version of Photoshop

The main one I use is Kyle’s AM - Watercolour Paper from the art markers set (you have to load these into Photoshop, but if you have PS 2018, you should have access to ‘em). 

(I’ve lettered everything in this post with that brush)

6. Resources

Here’s a list of amazing resources you might need when making your own book covers!

1. Stock image websites

Check out THIS post for a master list of my favourite stock photo websites!

Stocksnap.io

Unsplash.com

Pixabay.com 

2. Dafont

Is my main source for finding fonts

3. Goodreads

A huge resource I use to find cover inspiration

I’ll often browse the new releases section to look at new covers and so on

Easy way to narrow down the genre of cover you’re looking for, as well as the age category

4. Keyboard shortcuts 

Check out a masterlist for Photoshop HERE

GIMP masterlist HERE

Makes workflow super efficient

My fave I highly recommend in Photoshop is ctrl > shift > alt > e (merge all layers into new layer) 

I’ve made TWO custom shortcuts: ctrl > shift > o is now open as layer, and ctrl > shift > alt > r is now rasterize layer (these save so much time!)

So to conclude this post, I’m going to list out some of my favourite tips when it comes to cover making (sort of a reiteration of this post)

Add texture!

Texture is a super easy way to add dimension to your book cover

Try lettering with a paper and marker when starting out

I find this a lot easier than digital lettering!

Google is your friendddd

If you can’t figure out how to do something in Photoshop or GIMP, the internet is a vast depository of information!

Pay attention to detail

Cover design is alllll about the small details. Making sure you’ve centred something properly can seriously help in making your cover go from amateur to whoaaa who made thatttt

Get a second opinion

Been looking at your screen for 8 hours straight? Ask someone you know what they think of your design! I find this has sparked a lot of secondhand ideas!

If it doesn’t work out, doesn’t mean it was a fail

If a particular concept just doesn’t work, don’t worry! As you practice you’ll get better, and you can always revisit the concept for another novel!

EDIT: a really great suggestion from @sarahkelsiwrites: print out your design if you need a fresh perspective! You’d be surprised by what you notice on screen VS off!

So that’s it for this post! I hope this was helpful for some of you guys, I know it was looooong overdue. If it helped you out, let me know, and if you have any questions, feel free to send ‘em my way! :))

–Rachel

I may have messed up. I may have, perhaps, created another WIP just a bit late for Camp Nano. But never fear! Introducing…

When Stars Die

The empty clutches of deep space have been their home for years. The abandoned planets that have lain in beautiful destruction for centuries have been their refuge. The nights of the creatures that stalk them with every breath have been their fuel. But something has changed - and Avery is the catalyst. The galaxy that has ignored them for so long has awakened, sending battle carriers and soldiers into Avery’s territory, putting out notices for their capture or confirmed kill. Aliens and humans alike are whipped into a frenzy as entire solar systems are crushed, and time is running out as Avery must face one question above all others - What do you do when stars die?

This is very early in the works and I have not yet fleshed out the characters or plot fully. This will probably be a side project to The DELTA Archives, and I’ll work on it a bit slower than usual. I also plan to make this a duology. But what I can tell you is that there will be a huge amount of world-building, a non-binary protag, and lots of found-family feels! 

WIP: Godlings

Genre: Sci-fi

Synopsis: The five survivors of a medical experiment gone wrong wake up from their commas to find that they now possess incredible powers. They use these new powers to escape and exact revenge on the people who did this to them. But one of them, Xavier, doesn’t just want revenge. He plans to take over the world and nothing will stand in his way. Not even his fellow survivors.

Character Introduction:

Name: Victor Romanov

Wip: The Hunters

Alignment: Lawful evil

Occupation: Former scientist and weapons expert.

Physical Appearance: White. Tall and lean. Chaotic eyes that people have trouble meeting. Mischievous smile.

Summary: Currently an outlaw on the run. Created a weapon of mass destruction secretly. It accidentally went off the damage was minimal but could’ve been catastrophic. The government and criminals alike saw the potential the weapon had. Fearing the destruction the weapon could cause he threatened that if anyone came for him he’d destroy everyone. The government painted him as a bomb crazed power hungry lunatic. The government finally caught him took the weapon and used it to stop a revolt killing millions in the process. Now that he’s escaped from prison he wants to get revenge on the people who stole from him. Wants to hold the government accountable for their actions. Often seen as crazy, chaotic and unstable. Intelligent, analytical, quiet and reserved. Short temper. Cares about the truth. Observant. Very closed off. Prefers to stay in the shadows. Does things just to see what will happen. Likes to collect machines, tools, and weapons.

Quote: “You used to be a complete no one!”

“I did,” the Victor admitted, sounding oddly wistful. “I wish I still was, most days.”

“Then why did you start showing off the weapon? Threaten everyone?”

“Because I didn’t have a choice. When the world found out what I could do, when the government found out what the weapon could do…” He sighed. “It was control the destruction or be powerless to it. So I made my choice.”

WIP: The Hunters

Genre: Futuristic Sci-fi

Themes: Good vs Evil, Right vs. Wrong, Abuse of power, Corrupt government, Guilt, Revenge

Synopsis: At the edge of the universe all hell is about to break loose. Victor Romanov, the man responsible for The Attacks, has escaped maximum security prison and is out for revenge. Captain William Marlow and his team of bounty hunters plan to bring him in and collect their biggest award yet. However, Marlow’s past catches up to him in the form of Eve, a defective AI, and he soon begins to question who the real villain is. Maybe Victor Romanov should get his revenge.

Excerpt: Before him kneeled a young woman. Her big blue wondrous eyes were skyward. It annoyed him that she wasn’t focused on the gun in his hand that was pointed at her face. It angered him that he was annoyed. But above all else this was not the face his gun should be pointed at. But he had orders. And the law came before everything else. Order before everything. And yet this felt… wrong. Sweat rolled down his temple. Don’t pull the trigger. He screamed inside himself. His body didn’t listen. He squeezed the trigger. Before the body could hit the floor Marlow woke up.

Eve was sitting on his bed looking down on him with those big blue eyes. “What is this noise?” she asked over the music which was still playing. Marlow sighed “They call it music if you can believe.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Oh, I don’t like it.” She stated matter of factly. “Music off” he commanded and the ship obeyed. Now in silence, Marlow sat up and found his face mere inches away from Eve’s. This close he could smell her. She smelled warm with an underlying sweetness. She lean forward, her sweetness was a little overwhelming and brought unease to his stomach. That’s when it dawned on him that he was only wearing boxer shorts and nothing else. He pulled the covers closer and leaned away from her. Her eyes searched his face. He wondered what she was looking for. He wondered if she would find it. He tried to remember what her kind were capable of. All of the destruction he witnessed. But being face to face with her… well he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea of her being capable of any kind of carnage. But that’s the point isn’t it? Look non threatening then rip their throat out. He resisted the urge to cover his throat. “You talk in your sleep.” was all she said. He realized that he was holding his breath. “Did I say anything interesting?”

“You said no a lot. No to what?”

He swallowed hard. How the hell was he supposed to deal with this. His eyes landed on the mark on her face. This time he didn’t hesitate. He brought his hand up and cupped her cheek running his thumb over the black cross. To his surprise she leaned into his touch. “Do you remember Aquaria?” he asked. She answered with barely a whisper. “Yes.” Just then the door hissed open and Marlow jerked his hand away. Doc stepped in. “We’re … uh almost there.” He said as his eyes bounced back and forth between Marlow and Eve. Doc, now blushing, turned and left. Marlow scooted around Eve and got out of bed. “Where are we going” Marlow pulled on his black pants and buckled his belt. “Hiemal” he answered as he strapped on his thigh holster. “It’s a hellhole filled with bad people.” He pulled on an old grey Henley. Then he grabbed his boots and sat down next to Eve. He began lacing up his boots. “If we go there does that make us bad people?”

“Depends on who you ask”

“Well I don’t think you’re bad.”

Marlow straightened up and chuckled. “Thank you” He noticed she wasn’t wearing her shoes and saw an opportunity to get rid of her. “Now go put on your shoes and meet up in the control room.” She hopped off the bed and left the room. The tension Marlow didn’t realize he was holding left him. He run his hand through his buzzcut. What the hell just happened? Marlow had seen a lot and been through a lot but this was taking the cake as the weirdest. He grabbed his gun from underneath his pillow, checked that it was loaded, and holstered it. He pulled on his coat and left his room.

Hey everyone reblog (no likes, only reblogs pls) if you want to be tagged in writeblr tag games

Flash Fiction Friday: Alien Sunsets

@flashfictionfridayofficial​ When there was something that made the job worthwhile then it were these moments: Standing on the mountain top of a new planet and watching the sun set over it. These alien sunsets were the most magical thing to every planet pioneer. Sometimes they were rose with a hue of purple when the sun set. Another time there was green, blue and white as the last rays of light. The classic sunsets with orange, pink and yellow weren’t that common as most people in the colonies thought. A lot of pioneers got bored by these sunsets soon and yearn to find those with the most colorful appearance. There are rumors about a sunset only in different purple hues the old pioneers tell the recruits. The purple sunsets became the holy grail of the planet pioneer squads. Everyone wanted to find them. People outside the planet pioneer squads thought it is just some kind of game among them but the truth about it was horrible. Standing on top of a mountain on a new planet and watching the sunset in its unusual colors let the pioneers feel a little peace and stay sane during these weeks and months on inhabitable stones that flew through the universe while they terra-formed them. Flying stones that got turned into colonies by the pioneers and got drenched in the blood of those who lose their lives during it, so the colonists had a comfortable place to make their home. In the end, the alien sunsets where the only medicine for the pioneers’ woe.

“could love really be that transcribable?” 

musings about love at 5am………. 

the bestest of babes!! @sundaynightnovels @vandorens @laketrials @unnagi @babyreeds @haleliwia @paracomas @ncwrites @ashesconstellation @luciellesgarden @heyabella @poeticparchment @silver-wields-a-pen @semblanche @stuffaboutwriting

"I am sharp edges and shattered glass. Yet, when I'm with you, I am soft."

– write-away-from-here

Wanderlust

I never wanted to leave

I've only ever know here

It's all I dreamt of

And now you want me to go with you,

Sweep me far away from the only life I know

The only life I ever wanted to know

And the scary part is

I want to go with you

— write-away-from-here

An Excerpt

Lessons in Humanity from a Future Physicist, Morgan S.

Taglist: @aelenko​, @keen2meecha​, @magic-is-something-we-create​, @emdrabbles​, @yourwriters​, @lordfenric​, & @quenvicky​

blooming blossom: lockdown

@flashfictionfridayofficial

the world is silenced by a virus it is scarily quiet in my town even the station is calm because of the lockdown on the road I see only an empty bus   my whole world is turned upside down captured between these walls I feel lifeless how do you stay all right in such a crisis? so alone and so scared of this new crown   but through my window I see the blossoms of my cherry tree even now not everything is wrong I take a picture to remember nature is still growing normally   I send it to my sister, who works in a hospital all day long I send it to my grandma, who I now cannot visit safely I send it to you, I hope you stay safe and fine and strong

I already love him

Character Intro: Zach “Zamsel” Amsel

Neutral Good // INFP // Ravenclaw // Aquarius // Bi // Jewish-American // Playlist // Pinterest

If there’s a character who I would award with the “Most Relatable” award, it’s Zamsel. He’s been through a lot. A hopeful romantic with a competitive streak and a massive fear of failure, Zamsel puts a lot of pressure on himself. 

Backstory

Zamsel’s grown up being mostly raised by his mother, as his father has spent a lot of Zamsel’s childhood in the Air Force. Mama Amsel is a sweet, understated woman who passed a lot of her softness onto Zamsel. 

Halfway through high school, Zamsel began dating his long-term girlfriend, Chai Watson. Though their relationship was initially happy, it’s deteriorated into something really toxic and draining. Nevertheless, he graduated as co-valedictorian with Kam Suzuki.

Present

Zamsel’s entering his first year of college with Kam. They’re both sort of adjusting to the freedom that comes with living several states from their families, but Zamsel is adjusting to it far better than Kam is. He’s a fan of his new life.

Playlist

Zamsel’s playlist is huge. It’s full of jams from New Medicine and The Front Bottoms, which I use to more or less build up his aesthetic and general mood.

Twin Size Mattress - The Front Bottoms

Heart With Your Name On It - New Medicine

Boy Like Me - New Medicine

Bad At Love - Halsey

Flannel - The Cardboard Swords

Called You Twice (feat. K.Flay) - FIDLAR, K.Flay

Peaches (Text Voter XX to 40649) - grandson, K.Flay

Self Esteem - The Offspring

Excerpt

Zach closes his eyes. His face is wet from crying, raw from rubbing at it, red all over. Even then, even after what’s happened, he still looks almost beautiful. There’s something about the lighting in an art museum that makes everything look like art, even raw emotion. It rounds out the patheticness of breaking down in public into something artful. Zach doesn’t look anything like a model, but he does look like art.

Aesthetic

Lying on the ground when you’re overwhelmed with emotions, mumbling the lyrics to your favorite songs under your breath to the radio, duct taping all your things together because you don’t want to buy something new, buying new sweaters from Goodwill, when a cat lays on your chest,  wearing sweaters that are too big so you can ball your hands in the fabric, people with small voices, leaning your head on someone’s shoulder while you’re talking, the feeling of slowly falling in love.

Taglist

@aelenko​, @keen2meecha​, @magic-is-something-we-create​, @emdrabbles​, & @yourwriters​

(You can always ask to be added to or subtracted from the taglist!)

This sounds so interesting! Could I be added to the tag list please?

WIP Intro: Lessons in Humanity from a Future Physicist

Genre: Adult literary fiction // Status: Drafted Several Times Over // Themes: Relationships, healing, mental health, self-image // Word Count: 101,476 // Pinterest Board // Playlist // WIP Page 

When I was 12, I thought something along the lines of “yeah, I can write a novel”, made a bunch of cringey characters, and slapped the name We’re All Dead After All on it. Oh boy, was that a ride. Now, six years later, I’m still working with these characters, but I have changed literally everything about WADAA, including the name. 

Lessons in Humanity from a Future Physicist is my oldest and most loved work. It’s grown as I have, in complexity and quality. It can be an absolute disaster, at times, but I still love it dearly.

What is this?

Lessons in Humanity from a Future Physicist is an adult novel that follows Kam Suzuki, a physics major and a NASA enthusiast, as he deals with the traumatic aftereffects of his brother Vic’s mental health issues, his repressed emotions, and other problems related to mental health, all while supporting Zach Amsel, his best friend and fellow NASA enthusiast, as they begin their first year at their prestigious university.

In short: Lessons in Humanity is a novel about relationships and healing.

It’s probably my favorite work (don’t tell any of the others because they’ll be jealous) just because I’ve had it the longest. I know these characters better than I know myself some days. I’m constantly thinking about this work in particular, because I’m so attached to it.

Who are these people?

I’ll do some proper character introductions later on, but here are some rapid-fire mini intros!

Kam Suzuki (Lawful Good, ISTJ, Hufflepuff, Libra) is the protagonist, a NASA-obsessed science nerd who loves Star Trek and loves to repress his emotions. 

Zach Amsel (Neutral Good, ISFJ, Ravenclaw, Aquarius) is Kam’s best friend, a high-achieving, neurotic young man who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. 

Nikki Espinosa-Jasso (Lawful Neutral, INFP Gryffindor, Capricorn) is the Mom Friend of the group. She’s more than done with the boys’ bullshit, but she loves them regardless.

Kevin Espinosa (Chaotic Neutral, ESFP Slytherin, Gemini) is a fun-loving guy who really only cares about living a hedonistic lifestyle in the now.

Vic Suzuki (Neutral Good, ISTJ, Ravenclaw, Libra) is Kam’s twin brother. He’s dealing with his mental health issues and learning how to take care of himself.

Gerard Shimmish (Chaotic Good, ESFP, Gryffindor, Leo) is Vic’s long-term boyfriend and one of Kam’s closest friends. Despite his childish habits, Gerard is profound and loves caring for others.

Ruth Spencer (Lawful Good, ESFJ, Ravenclaw, Virgo) is a brilliant young woman who loves to read and always gives out good advice.

Jessica McClain (Chaotic Good, ENFP, Gryffindor, Cancer) is a naive goofball who wants to be nice to everyone.

Chai Watson (Chaotic Neutral, ESFP, Slytherin, Aries) is someone who’s been through some hard times and is slowly becoming what she hates most- her mother.

What are the jams?

My playlist for Lessons in Humanity has a lot of awesome songs on it! It’s got some decent space-themed vibes. The songs I listen to the most are:

Twin Size Mattress - The Front Bottoms

Saturn - Sleeping at Last

Hurt - Oliver Tree

Venus - Sleeping at Last

3rd Planet - Modest Mouse

Meteor Showers - Andy Kong

Morning in America - Jon Bellion

Neptune - Sleeping at Last

Stressed Out - Twenty One Pilots

Excerpt

“Xenon.” Kam straightens himself, pulling his shirt and hoodie from his chest and fixing his glasses. He doesn’t say we are noble gasses. He doesn’t say we’re both lonely, but I think that’s why we get along. He doesn’t say I wish I understood people like you do. 

“Xenon,” Zach repeats, sounding like Kam. He almost reaches out to touch Kam’s face, run the backs of his fingers over Kam’s jaw. Almost. He holds himself back from the inappropriate touch that Kam won’t appreciate and clears his throat. “Did you like your ramen?” 

Kam nods wordlessly. 

“Good.” Zach nods. “Good.” He chews on the inside of his mouth and rubs the back of his neck. “Good,” he repeats, then shuts himself up. 

Kam sits, self-contained as always. He is his own universe, detached from everything and everyone else. Maybe he isn’t krypton, but helium, unable to form any bonds, floating alone in the vast nothingness of the universe. Helium is the loneliest element.

Who’s interested?

You can always ask to be added or subtracted from the tag list!

Brief summary of my wips

(inspired by @titaniaen) 

Bloodlines: what if you meet your soulmate during a war between your people and have to deal with the unexplainable emotional consequences while also realizing that your family has been lying to you about your heritage for the past twenty years

Solene’s verse: local gang of queer orphan street kids feat. a narcissistic wizard and a cowardly wallflower work together to rescue their friend from the authorities before everything goes to hell

Star White: ageless dark cosmic entity abducts a man’s boyfriend, so he gets a dog and finds a ship that turns him into Nicholas Flamel to search for him across the entire universe the longway round

The Wasteland / the waste wip: area man goes on the world’s worst walking roadtrip with a light necromancer after his girlfriend blows up their entire village and herself with it. the world is horrible and on fire and all we know but somewhere else there might be green things and mud and a pseudo-goblin king

Revenant wip: a war machine woman who can come back from the dead and her snarky crossbow-slinging longtime best friend turned boyfriend are your token straight couple, leading the equivalent of a medieval biker gang to tear the castle down

Tips on Writing a Great Short Story

Weeks ago I was asked to do an article on short stories, specifically. What makes a short story great? And how is it different from writing a novel?

To be honest, writing a novel and writing a short story are very similar in many ways, and most of the techniques I’ve written about on my blog apply: creating complex characters, writing great dialogue, utilizing subtext, including hooks . . .

Sure, there are some exceptions, as always. You can find famous short stories that don’t really have complex characters, for example, but often such stories are really short stories–maybe by today’s standard, considered flash fiction. Here is a famous flash fiction story:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

Does that really tell us much about the complexity of the characters? Not really. But it does still have great subtext.

So keep in mind that there are always exceptions when it comes to writing, but they are just that, exceptions.

So let’s got started.

Focus

One of the most important things about writing a short story is to keep it focused. Technically, novels should be focused too, but their focus has a broader range whereas short stories need to be narrower, like a flashlight beam compared to a laser beam. A common problem I’ve seen with newer writers is that they try to fit a novel-length concept into 50 pages. Problematic. Here are some ways to avoid that.

Limit Plotlines–In a novel, you will need a lot of plotlines to carry the story; if you don’t have that, a novel will start to feel repetitious since it lacks variety for so many pages. But in a short story, you need to limit your plotlines.  Many short stories really have one plotline, with two components working closely together: the outer journey and the inner journey. Think about the premise or main concept of your short story, and keep a laser-beam focus on that. Aim to go deep into the concept, not broad on the topic.

Limit Your Characters–In a short story, you’ll usually focus largely on one main character and that character’s arc. The more focal characters you include, the more length you typically add. Sure, you can write a story with more than one focal character–you might be able to get away with maybe two. If you have more than that though, usually the focal characters–while individuals–have the same goals and function as a unit. As opposed to most novels, where each focal (or viewpoint) character may have somewhat different goals and more of their own, individualized journeys. (Again, keep in mind that everything in this post is generally speaking).

A good word of advice that gets pushed around in the industry, related to character and plot, is that in a short story, you should specifically write about the most important event that happened in that character’s life. I don’t know that I agree with this 100%, but it’s a good thing to keep in mind when evaluating plot and character. Capture the most important event, which naturally means that it will be an event that changed the character.

Laser-Beam the Theme–Unfortunately, people still talk and treat theme like it’s this elusive animal–something wild and beautiful, but dangerous if caged. In reality, the more you understand about theme, the more intentional you can be about it. It’s only dangerous when you try to tame it improperly, because you don’t understand it. For a recap on how theme actually works, check out this post, “How to Write Your Story’s Theme”

Themes are fantastic for focusing stories (and especially in short stories that may seem to lack a feeling of … cohesion). And because a lot of people don’t understand how to do them, you can really stand out if you master the theme in your story. Theme is what makes a story feel timeless. It sticks with us after we are done, so we aren’t left closing the book and thinking, Well that was entertaining, time to get back to normal life! If you read five excellent stories, but only one of them has a powerful theme that changed you, guess which one you will think about long, long after you’ve finished it?

In a novel, you have room to explore a theme topic rather broadly. Consider all the ways the theme topics of mercy and justice are illustrated and explored in Les Mis. In a novel, you can also explore how the theme topic interacts with other theme topics, societies, and ideologies. In a short story, you are going to be more laser-focused. Take the classic fable of The Tortoise and The Hare–it stays laser-focused on really one illustration of the theme. It doesn’t go into, say how in some situations in the real world, getting a head start can have benefits. So focus in on a particular rendition or two (but probably no more than three) of your thematic statement.

Often the most famous and powerful short stories are so great because they say something profound in a small amount of space. In a way, it’s similar to poetry. Professional poetry isn’t actually about using beautiful words (which is what a lot of people who have never legit studied it seem to think)–it’s about capturing specific, significant ideas, concepts, and images, in a brief space, for maximum impact. Great short stories function in similar ways, except you have more room to develop a powerful thematic thread. It can be hard to impact a reader in such a short space with the characters and plot, but you can really hit them in the feels with the theme.

Keep reading

the only real thing

you loved me like it was routine the kisses felt like chores you held me out of necessity and you touched me in familar steps

the i love yous were repetitive and the good nights felt compelled your eyes no longer looked at me whenever we collided and your skin no longer electrified at my touch the smiles you’ve been giving me were calculated and the days when you loved me were on schedule

the only real thing that was out of the plan and the only real thing that broke our little pattern was the only real thing that i never thought twice on it was deciding that i had to leave right then and there

Mysterious Masquerade: a fairy tale

@flashfictionfridayofficial

The Princess had reached the right age to marry. Her father picked some young noblemen and noblewomen from families that he had an allyship with as marriage candidates. However, when he presented his daughter the options she rejected all of them. "Father, I'm in love with my best friend. I will marry her or no one at all."

The King was not satisfied with that answer because he was in conflict with that family. "I don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it. Next week I host a masquerade ball in celebration of my birthday. Show me you still recognise that girl when her face is hidden under a mask." 

The Princess agreed. 

A week later the masked Princess entered the ball room. It was crowded with guests from all over the country. A few of them dared to ask the princess for a dance but she declined them all. Soon she spotted her friend in her heavenly blue dress. She was masked but the Princess could still see how her smile lightened up her whole face when their eyes met. "Will you dance with me?" 

"I saw you dancing with her the whole night, how did you recognize her?" the King asked the Princess the next day. 

"That was easy, father," she answered. "She wore the dress we sewed together last year and a necklace I gave to her."

"That's not fair," he said. "I still don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it again. Next week I host a party in celebration of the anniversary of my reign. Show me you still recognise that girl if you go there with a blindfold on." 

The Princess agreed. 

A week later the blindfolded Princess entered the assembly room. She bumped into a few acquaintances but she left them alone as soon as possible. She went to the terrace, one of her friend's favourite places. "Hi?"

"There you are, I was already waiting for you!"

"I saw you talking with her the whole time, how did you recognize her?" the King asked the Princess the next day. 

"That was easy, father," she answered. "She wore the same perfume as always and I can recognize her voice everywhere."

"That's not fair," he said. "I still don't believe you're really so in love with her. You'll have to prove it again. Next week I will have dinner with the noble families of this city to celebrate my successfulness. Show me you still recognise that girl if you can't see, hear or smell her." 

The Princess agreed bitterly. 

A week later the Princess entered the dining hall, her eyes, ears and nose covered. She sat the whole evening quitely besides the King. 

"You did not recognize her this time, did you?" the King asked the Princess after the guests had left. 

"No, but neither did you," she answered.  "Look, I am not your daughter. The Princess left this morning, with her girlfriend." 

"But why?" the King cried. 

"You proved her you don't really love her."

first of all: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 500 FOLLOWERS !! this is a milestone i dont think i have ever hit on any other platform with anything else i’ve ever done? so i just want to say thank you that you all are here and have been involved with me and my work, completed or not. with my thank yous out of the way ( even though there’s not enough thank yous to give ), let’s get to the celebration !!

so i wanna do something a bit different from my 200 follower celebration by making this a raffle ( is that the word? ) ! basically, follow the rules before and you could win a couple prizes !!

how to enter …

reblog this post by march 28th ( about a week from when this is posted ) ! this way i can keep up with who will be in the randomization to be chosen as winners. ( likes will be counted as bookmarks )

every person gets one entry to make it fair! meaning multiple reblogs won’t count

be following me ( new followers are always welcome ! ) — and if you’re a sideblog and you aren’t sure i know what your main blog is, please dm me so i can keep track ! ( if you don’t tell me and i don’t know it’s you, you might not win :( )

what to win …

FIRST (1ST) PLACE : a character edit of a character from one of your wips; a film edit from a scene in your wip; and a poem based on a word ( or emotion ) of your choice

SECOND (2ND) PLACE : a character edit of a character from one of your wips and a poem based on a word ( or emotion ) of your choice

THIRD (3RD) PLACE : a film edit from a scene in your wip and 5 writeblr recommendations

i’ll try to post character edits between the time this is posted, but i already have some film edits on my blog under #film edit ! when it comes time that i announce the winners, i will provide more information on how to give me me the information i need for the edits !!

again, thank you all SO much for being so supportive and i hope you all are having the best time you can and are staying safe and healthy !! if you have any questions about this celebration, please come send me an ask or a dm and i’ll answer when i can !! ♡

Take the pyramids in Egypt. Those are works of art, but they are based on stones. Those stones are the autobiography of a mountain thirty kilometers away. Those stones are cut from that mountain. They were then put together artificially. That is a work of art. Art without autobiography does not exist, whatever you describe, it is autobiographical, but you put it together in such a way that you turn it into art. It transcends reality. And then you give your own reality. Those stones have been given a new identity, by the makers, by the kings buried underneath, the slaves who gave their lives for it.

Kader Abdolah

I love that excerpt!

cocaine, a car wreck, and an apple pie recipe. 

a modern retelling of sophocles’ ajax, wintersong is 18-year-old and terribly wayward hollis knox’s aching love letter to all the good in the world: grocery store aisles’ uneven green-and-white flecked tiles, shared secrets behind calloused hands, and little brothers’ sunday morning swim meets. all the good that atrophies too fast. 

goal words: 50,000

current words: 21,000

weheartit board

here’s an excerpt from the first chapter:

let me know what you think!

p.s. i follow from studylikeathena. 

Thanks to @inkingfireplace for tagging me!

1.     Name: Anthea

2.     Nickname: Ann

3.     Star Sign: scorpio

4.     Prefered pronouns: she/her

5.     Sexuality: lesbian

6.     Favourite Color: blue

7.     Time Right Now:  14:59

8.     Average Hours of Sleep: seven hours

9.     Lucky Number(s): nine

10.  Last Thing I Googled: corona universities

11.  Number of Blankets: one

12.  Favourite Fictional Character: Luna Lovegood

13.  What are you wearing: green jeans and a grey sweater

14.  Favorite Book: Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz

15.  Favorite Musician(s): Coldplay, Muse, Racoon, U2

16.  Dream Job: astrophysicist or writer

17.  Number of Followers: 33

18.  When Did You Create Your Blog: a few months ago

19.  What Do You Mostly Post: things about my wips or about writing in general

20.  What Made You Decide to Get a Tumblr: I thought it would be fun

21.  When Did Your Blog Reach Its Peak: not yet I guess

22.  Do You Get Asks on a Daily Basis: no

23.  Why Did You Choose Your URL: I wanted a username related to writing and this one wasn’t taken yet.

Tagging: @dowings, @myhusbandsasemni, @poeticparchment, @inklingsoflaura, @epicpoetry

writeblr introduction!

about me

li/lou whatever nickname is fine

i’m also @studylikeathena (i follow from there)

about my writing

i’ve previously written a novel. i will not be posting about it here

what i will be posting is my current wip novel, wintersong

i like first person and unreliable narrators and summer nostalgia

i used to write it’s always sunny in philadelphia fanfiction and if you’ve read it i’m sorry

what i’ll post

excerpts from wintersong

inspiration pictures/text for the novel

please rb if you’re a writeblr! i really want to get involved in the community :)

Hello, Writeblr!

I’m new and very socially awkward but I made this blog to collect character/story inspiration and writing advice, and I’d love to make some connections with fellow writers and hear about the cool stories you’re all working on. Maybe even share some writing positivity and snippets of my own work.

A litte bit about me: I’m Laura, I’m from Wales, I’m fast becoming a ‘tumblr old’ (if I’m not there already), and I’ve been writing since I was about twelve or so. Up until now though I’ve mostly concentrated on play-by-post roleplay on various message boards. I’ve never actually written anything particularly lengthy and I’d like to branch out a little bit and try my hand at plotting out a whole story.

I love to read fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction, children’s literature, and anything based on folklore, myths or fairy tales. Those are the kind of genres I’m primarily interested in trying to write too. Outside of reading and writing I’m primarily a history nerd, a (partial) dog-owner, a student, and a folk music junkie.

I’ve only got the one WIP at the moment, a Harry Potter fanfic featuring an older Charlie Weasley as he tries to unravel a mystery at a dragon sanctuary in Wales. I’m more of pantser than a planner so it’s all still very vague at the moment but I’m hoping it’ll have a little bit of adventure, some original-ish worldbuilding, and a lot of cool dragons. Everyone loves dragons, right? A lot of OCs will be involved too so I ever get close to finishing it I might try to turn it into an original NaNoWriMo project or something. (Hey, if Stephenie Meyer and E.L. James can do it… )

Anyway, if you think our interests might overlap in any way please do like or reblog this and I’ll most likely follow you (as @lothlaurien, since this is a sideblog).