How Not to Tell a Story by MakingFunOfStuff, literature
Literature
How Not to Tell a Story
After being on DeviantArt for a few years now, I've noticed patterns in people's stories. Patterns, that I can't say I've ever seen until I started using the internet. I believe that's because these kind of patterns are thoroughly unprofessional. The pattern in short is this:
Character = victim
Plot = bad things happening to said victim
Maybe this sounds harsh. It's not if you understand that is ALL there is to these stories. They take any character, hurl them into a tragedy and that's it.
Let's get this straight: We do not know your character well enough to care about them yet. No matter how bloody and gutty their injuries are, no matter
How Not to Write Love Interests by MakingFunOfStuff, literature
Literature
How Not to Write Love Interests
UPDATE: READ THE NEW EXTENSION TO THIS POST. LINK IN DESCRIPTION!
Despite the few who haven't caught on yet and still believe that "kids hate reading," we all know that these days, reading is popular.
"I'm just like Belle from Beauty in the Beast, because I love books," teenage girls are saying, while teens of both genders are sitting down to enjoy things like Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Eragon, Lord of the Rings and other more obscure titles.
This is just what we've been hoping for, isn't it? Kids and teens finally taking an interest in literature. It has finally become cool. They're thinking of themselves as rebels or nerd
An extension of How not to Write Love Interests by MakingFunOfStuff, literature
Literature
An extension of How not to Write Love Interests
“Faith, in the sense in which I am here using the word, is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” - C.S Lewis
This quote is about faith not love, but you can see how the same logic applies. If faith is not merely to "feel" as if you believe something, why should love be merely to "feel" that you like something?
In the end, faith is remembering you have reason to believe, and love is a choice about how you treat someone. Feelings are irrelevant. They are passing. They are constantly changing, and that's natural. They can indeed play a role in our decisions about relationsh
Updated Mar. 18th 2009
The following is a self-discovered list of elements contained in an excellent story:
An interesting and intriguing main character, an individual with a unique past that has made him who he is at the time of the story. Be sure to explain the important aspects of this backstory where appropriate.
This main character must have a story goal: a mission to accomplish, a mystery to solve, his past to reconcile, a villain to overthrow, a treasure to find, a person to save, etc.
Along with this goal, the character must have an all-consuming desire that drives him to accomplish what he sets out to achieve. Love, re
In every writing community, terms like "plot" and "development" and "arc" are constantly thrown around, and everyone expects everyone else to know what they mean without ever clearly defining them. Sure, vague advice about the importance of character development and story structure are great and all, but how do you actually do it? Aside from style and grammar, what are the mechanics behind a well-told story?
What does a good story look like?
The answer is surprisingly simple. Not easy, but simple. Every good story does one thing well: it asks a question, deliberates it, then answers it. This provides a framework of three acts that create w
Plot Twists - A Few Quick Tips by illuminara, literature
Literature
Plot Twists - A Few Quick Tips
First things first--plot twists have to be planned if you really want to pull them off. It’s hard to add a good or even passible plot twist after you’ve already started planning and writing your story. If you think you need a twist because what you’re writing doesn’t seem able to stand on it’s own or isn’t interesting enough without a twist, adding a one in isn’t going to help much. You’ve got to plan the twist from the beginning so that it make sense and, while it still surprises the reader, they won’t feel like you cheated or tried to pull one over on them.
Once you know why your story
Priorities in a Story by MakingFunOfStuff, literature
Literature
Priorities in a Story
I have noticed certain priorities that beginners have when they tell stories, vs. priorities that professional authors seem to have when they tell theirs.
It's interesting that beginners tend to focus on certain things that more experienced authors seem to grow out of, and it makes me wonder why.
I've decided to make a list about some of these things. Not for the sake of putting them down, so much as because it is interesting to me, and probably worth considering.
I think we need to think about WHY we write certain things, and our attitude behind it. This is what makes certain topics either immature or mature.
However the line is often bl