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Writing Advice Masterlist

Conflict Narrative

Static Vs. Dynamic Characters

How to Write for Characters (original and not original)

Writing About/For Mental Illness

Show, Don’t Tell

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Conflict Narrative

Conflict narrative is the type of plot a story follows. Describing and writing for a type of conflict narrative is the driving force for the plot. Any show, movie, book, play - everything follows a type of conflict narrative or several conflict narratives.

This post will be explaining the several categories and then how to write for them.

Internal vs. External Conflicts

Internal : this is a conflict that happens within a character. It relates deeply to statc vs. dynamic characters, referring to my former post. It often leads to character development or the lack thereof, because the character(s) are actively fighting their own desires and beliefs.

External : this is set against the character(s). It’s a physical manifestation often, and the external forces stand in the way of a character(s)’s goals and dreams, creating tension and opposition. 

Often, these come together and a story SHOULD include both to create an interesting and realitistic narrative. After all, real life always includes both internal and external conflicts.

Six types of Literary Conflicts 

*side note : man refers to the human race (or whatever species the protagonist happens to be) and not the gender.

Man vs. Self : It’s self-explanatory. This is an internal conflict where Man may be trying to decide what is morally correct in a situation or how to improve their mental health. (ex. Les Miserables or The Handmaid’s Tale.)

Man vs. Man : It’s a direct competition between two characters. One Man’s wants is conflicting with another Man. This conflict can take the form as something small, such as a fist fight, or can encompass the entire plot as a fight for power. (ex. The Secret Garden or The Hunger Games.)

Man vs. Nature : It’s also self-explanatory. It can be a survival situation where Man is striving to survive a tsunami, or it can be a Planet of the Apes situation. (ex. Moby Dick or Into the Wild.)

Man vs. Supernatural : Man is fighting against something that is not manifested into out reality. This is usually used in horror and fantasy and science fiction. Man could be fighting ghosts to a big, murderous lizard. (ex. Scooby-Doo or It.)

Man vs. Technology : In another form, it can be worded as tradition vs. progress, depending on the defition of ‘progress’ in the novel in question. It can be something science fiction-y such as fighting robots to a tell-tale about the importance of tradition. (ex. Farenheit 451 or A Wrinkle In Time.)

Man vs. Society : This is where Man is going against a large, driving force that controls society. An example is the government, social norms, or traditions. They either are attempting to survive or fight against the external conflict. (ex. Lord of the Flies or 1984.)

How do you write and create conflicts?

It is good to note what type of genre it is and what the general plot will be. Usually, just from the gist, it is obvious what at least one conflict is. However, most books include at least two or three. when trying to conjure up the conflict, ask these questions :

What is the protagonist(s)’s main desire?

What is their unconcious desire?

What is the worst thing that can happen to this character?

What characters, institutions, or forces can bring this antagonism into relaity (if it isn’t already)?

What is/are the character(s) like and how do they create friction in the conflict?

These genral questions will reveal a lot when it comes to the nature of the plot. you can read any book, watch any movie or show, play any video game, and ALL of them will exhibit at least two of the conflicts above and flesh it out (at least, if it’s a good form of entertainment).

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Daily Word Day 11

Inordinate (adj.) : unusually or disproportionately large, excessive; a case that had taken up an inordinate amount of time.

(of a person) unrestrained in feelings or behavior, disorderly.

origin : late Middle English, from Latin inordinatus.

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Static vs. Dynamic Characters

What are Static and Dynamic Characters?

Static : These characters, as the story progresses, are the ones that do not change. This can be in the form of a minor side character, a support character, or a villain. Either way, they are usually a huge part of plots.

These characters are the ones that start off as a toxic best friend and at the end of the novel still are. Static doesn’t mean smaller changes. It means the bigger ones. 

Dynamic : These characters, as the story progresses, change drastically. This is usually in the form of a protagonist, love interest, or villain. They are usually the going against the static characters and are changing the plot.

There characters are the ones that start off as abysmally cowardly and end up being brave by the end. Or, on the contrary. They end up brave and end up withdrawing and withering in their shell. Dynamic gnerally entails large character growth.

How do you write for these characters?

Static : It is important to note how these people will change the plot, not themselves. 

How can they fight against character growth while also being an active or non-active part of the plot?

Will they change the plot for the worse or better (if at all)?

What role will they play? (protagonist, mentor, guardian, etc.)

What is their starting personality?

Will there be any minute changes in said personality?

Will they experience guilt or empathy for those they go against because their lack of change?

How do others react to their behavior throughout?

These are good starting questions. Even for simple characters that show up a few times and are generally in the background, their presences are important. And it’s even more so if they’re one of the main drivers of the plot.

Dynamic : It is important to not ehow these people will change the plot too, but this includes themselves.

How do they react and change because of the plot, whether active in it or not?

Will they change for the worse or better?

What role will they play?

What is their starting personality and what is their concluding personality?

How does it slowly change throughout?

Are there fluctuations and drawbacks (do they take one step forward and two steps back)?

How will they react to these changes if they become aware of it?

How will others react to it?

How do these character work together?

There’s no exact way to create a good ratio. there can be a balance or there can be man vs. society (I’ll be releasing a post about types of literature conflicts such as man vs. nature).

There can be both aggression of static vs. dynamic or there can be good communication. There can be reactions from both sides. THESE MINUTE RELATIONSHIP CHANGES ARE WHAT ALWAYS CREATE DRAMA AND MUST BE CONSIDERED.

It’s easier to realize if I give an example;

There is a married couple. Let’s say there’s a husband (static) and wife (dynamic). The husband starts and ends as being a worker bee, unthoughtful, dense, but intelligent, kind, and naive. The wife starts off as a humble, quiet, pushover who happens to also be naive, kind, an settles easily.

Throughout the plot, the man is busy working like he always was. The woman, though, begins to change and becomes unhappy with this. Because of her being a pushover, they hide it. However, their eyes wander and they find themselves pining over someone else.

Eventually, the damn bursts. The woman realizes that she’s setting her and her husband up for unhapiness. They talk. The woman is now passionate, outspoken, careless (dynamic). The man may react by either talking it out (becoming dynamic and fighting against the grain) or completely ignoring the problem (remaining static).

Now, as one last note : if you are writing for several books, it is fine to change whether a character becomes dynamic or static. Perhaps the once dynamic nerd became the brave, atheltic static hero who doens’t change for the rest of a trilogy. Perhaps the villain remains static until, in the last book, their heart is turned.

Static vs. Dynamic changes from series to series. Places these changes and dub your characters wisely. It makes all the difference for a plot.

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Daily Word Day 10

Paramount (adj.) : more important than anything else, supreme; the interests of the child are of paramount importance.

(attributive) having supreme power; a paramount chief.

origin : mid 16th century from Anglo-Norman French paramount, from Old French par ‘by’ + amont ’above’.

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Hello, just wanna say that I love your work! You’ve really inspired me so much. I’ve wanted to write for a while but have been a bit scared to actually do so but I’ve decided that I would give it a go and overcome my fear. I have a question about the way you write characters tho: how do you write characters in a way in which they feel natural? Like, I read your stories and can honestly see them actually saying and doing those things in your stories. Again, thank you for being such an amazing person and a great inspiration! ❤️

Thank you! And when you start writing, I'd love to read it <22

So, there's two types of characters to write for generally, and that makes the difference.

PRE-MADE (like from shows and books that already have established personalities) -- There are two VERY important things to note. First, the way they talk. Second, the way they walk (or move in general). These small details are crucial because, after all, it's these small diffferences that change it all. People wouldn't like Eddie Munson (for instance) so much if he didn't have a boisterous and dramatic way of speaking. And even the way he walks is manic.

These seem like rather silly things to note. Obviously, hobbies and relationships with others are important. But those are easy to recognize. But they make all the difference because it's the small things that make someone different. Many people are interested in (Eddie Munson as the example again) DND. Rock and Roll. Being 'edgy.' But you know who else has those interests? The entire damn Hellfire club and the literal starting cast.

The way to note Talk :

Do they speak loudly or quietly? (Eddie Munson vs. Henry Creel)

Do they use eloquent speech or more colloquial slang? (Billy Loomis vs. Stu Macher)

Do they stutter/speak slowly or do they know what they want to say/speak quickly? (Steven Grant vs. Marc Spector)

Do they talk more often about serious topics or silly ones? (Jasper Hale vs. Alice Cullen)

Do they speak monotonely or passionately? (Kylo Ren vs. Rey)

Do they talk less or more? (Dwayne vs. Marko)

These questions seem silly and obsolete, but dialogue is half of a character. They show a character's personality easily right off the bat. ESPECIALLY if it's a character of whom's POV you're actively following.

The way to note Walk (and other actions) :

Do they move clumsily or gracefully? (Eddie Munson vs. Henry Creel)

Do they move slow or fast? (Billy Loomis vs. Stu Macher)

Are they prone to anxious ticks or stoic posture? (Steven Grant vs. Marc Spector)

Do they think deeply of their actions - past, present, or future - or do they go with the flow and think nothing of it? (Jasper Hale vs. Alice Cullen)

Are their actions driven by more negative or positive emotions? (Kylo Ren vs. Rey)

Do they try to blend into the background or stand out? (Dwayne vs. Marko)

Again, these are small things, but they make all the difference. It's easy to recognize hobbies or larger personalit traits or larger dynamics, but these make all the difference.

ORIGINAL CHARACTERS -- The lists supplied above ARE IMPORTANT NO MATTER WHAT. Ask those questions when writing for anyone or anything, original or otherwise.

However, these are brand new characters YOU are making. You always start off with basics.

Basics :

Name several outstanding strengths. Is your character brave? Are they intuitive? Are they cunning?

Name several flaws. Is your character stubborn? Are they tempermental? Are they sensitive?

Name several hobbies. Does your character like cleaning? Do they play sports? Do they draw?

Create a general support system (or lack thereof). What type of friend are they? Do they have a good relationship with certain family members or worse? How do they interact with strangers?

Create their general background. Were they bullied? Did their parents divorce? Did they struggle with mental health?

These questions are the important because they lead into the smaller details of the character.

Details :

To what degree are these strengths present and do they have fallbacks? Is your character so brave they are reckless? Do they focus on others more than themselves? What type of intelligence do they have?

Can the flaws be a strength to a certain degree? Can your character be stubborn enough to save the day? Can their anger be intimidating in the face of evil? Do they care deeply and empathize with others?

How do the hobbies manifest into certain habits? Is your character compulsively OCD because of their cleaning hobby? Do they stray from lazier activities thanks to their fit hobby? Do they draw a certain style or doodle on notes?

How do the dynamics differ from person to person? Are they sensitive with their mother and roughhousing with their father? Are they a motherly figure to their friends and drop anything for them? Are they socially anxious and avoid social interactions?

How does the background & potential trauma manifest into current behavior? Do they dislike yelling? Do they have tremors? Are they well-adjusted and unaware of their good upbringing?

After this, start delving into the question list above. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the details and that makes the difference. I make it a habit that, when creating the reader/characters for my novels, I draw from things that make real people unique.

Aside from this, I always put a little bit of myself into the reader when I struggle! We know each other best and when we're not sure how the people around us differentiate, I do some intrspection to see what details I know about myself.

I hope this was helpful (and not too long that you didn't end up reading at all). And I hope these lists change the way you both view the world around you and the way you watch characters on television!

Good luck with your writing, anon <22

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DESCRIBING THE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF CHARACTERS:

Body

descriptors; ample, athletic, barrel-chested, beefy, blocky, bony, brawny, buff, burly, chubby, chiseled, coltish, curvy, fat, fit, herculean, hulking, lanky, lean, long, long-legged, lush, medium build, muscular, narrow, overweight, plump, pot-bellied, pudgy, round, skeletal, skinny, slender, slim, stocky, strong, stout, strong, taut, toned, wide.

Eyebrows

descriptors; bushy, dark, faint, furry, long, plucked, raised, seductive, shaved, short, sleek, sparse, thin, unruly.

shape; arched, diagonal, peaked, round, s-shaped, straight.

Ears

shape; attached lobe, broad lobe, narrow, pointed, round, square, sticking-out.

Eyes

colour; albino, blue (azure, baby blue, caribbean blue, cobalt, ice blue, light blue, midnight, ocean blue, sky blue, steel blue, storm blue,) brown (amber, dark brown, chestnut, chocolate, ebony, gold, hazel, honey, light brown, mocha, pale gold, sable, sepia, teakwood, topaz, whiskey,) gray (concrete gray, marble, misty gray, raincloud, satin gray, smoky, sterling, sugar gray), green (aquamarine, emerald, evergreen, forest green, jade green, leaf green, olive, moss green, sea green, teal, vale).

descriptors; bedroom, bright, cat-like, dull, glittering, red-rimmed, sharp, small, squinty, sunken, sparkling, teary.

positioning/shape; almond, close-set, cross, deep-set, downturned, heavy-lidded, hooded, monolid, round, slanted, upturned, wide-set.

Face

descriptors; angular, cat-like, hallow, sculpted, sharp, wolfish.

shape; chubby, diamond, heart-shaped, long, narrow, oblong, oval, rectangle, round, square, thin, triangle.

Facial Hair

beard; chin curtain, classic, circle, ducktail, dutch, french fork, garibaldi, goatee, hipster, neckbeard, old dutch, spade, stubble, verdi, winter.

clean-shaven

moustache; anchor, brush, english, fu manchu, handlebar, hooked, horseshoe, imperial, lampshade, mistletoe, pencil, toothbrush, walrus.

sideburns; chin strap, mutton chops.

Hair

colour; blonde (ash blonde, golden blonde, beige, honey, platinum blonde, reddish blonde, strawberry-blonde, sunflower blonde,) brown (amber, butterscotch, caramel, champagne, cool brown, golden brown, chocolate, cinnamon, mahogany,) red (apricot, auburn, copper, ginger, titain-haired,), black (expresso, inky-black, jet black, raven, soft black) grey (charcoal gray, salt-and-pepper, silver, steel gray,), white (bleached, snow-white).

descriptors; bedhead, dull, dry, fine, full, layered, limp, messy, neat, oily, shaggy, shinny, slick, smooth, spiky, tangled, thick, thin, thinning, tousled, wispy, wild, windblown.

length; ankle length, bald, buzzed, collar length, ear length, floor length, hip length, mid-back length, neck length, shaved, shoulder length, waist length.

type; beach waves, bushy, curly, frizzy, natural, permed, puffy, ringlets, spiral, straight, thick, thin, wavy.

Hands; calloused, clammy, delicate, elegant, large, plump, rough, small, smooth, square, sturdy, strong.

Fingernails; acrylic, bitten, chipped, curved, claw-like, dirty, fake, grimy, long, manicured, painted, peeling, pointed, ragged, short, uneven.

Fingers; arthritic, cold, elegant, fat, greasy, knobby, slender, stubby.

Lips/Mouth

colour (lipstick); brown (caramel, coffee, nude, nutmeg,) pink (deep rose, fuchsia, magenta, pale peach, raspberry, rose, ) purple (black cherry, plum, violet, wine,) red (deep red, ruby.)

descriptors; chapped, cracked, dry, full, glossy, lush, narrow, pierced, scabby, small, soft, split, swollen, thin, uneven, wide, wrinkled.

shape; bottom-heavy, bow-turned, cupid’s bow, downturned, oval, pouty, rosebud, sharp, top-heavy.

Nose

descriptors; broad, broken, crooked, dainty, droopy, hooked, long, narrow, pointed, raised, round, short, strong, stubby, thin, turned-up, wide.

shape; button, flared, grecian, hawk, roman.

Skin

descriptors; blemished, bruised, chalky, clear, dewy, dimpled, dirty, dry, flaky, flawless, freckled, glowing, hairy, itchy, lined, oily, pimply, rashy, rough, sagging, satiny, scarred, scratched, smooth, splotchy, spotted, tattooed, uneven, wrinkly.

complexion; black, bronzed, brown, dark, fair, ivory, light, medium, olive, pale, peach, porcelain, rosy, tan, white.

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Daily Word Day 9

Viscous (adj.) : having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid, having a high viscosity; viscous lava.

origin :late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French viscous or late Latin viscosus, from Latin viscum ‘birdlime’.

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Daily Word Day 8

Minx (noun) : an impudent, cunning, or boldly flirtatious girl or young woman; you saucy little minx!

origin : mid 16th century (denoting a pet dog): of unknown origin.

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Daily Word Day 7

Malignant (adj.) : malevolent; in the hands of malignant fate.

(of a disease) very virulent or infectious.

origin : mid 16th century (also in the sense ‘likely to rebel against God or authority’): from late Latin malignant- ‘contriving maliciously’, from the verb malignare . The term was used in its early sense to describe Royalist sympathizers during the English Civil War.

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Just wanted to share some of my favorite words with you, inspired by your word of the day series

Serendipity - n. Positive events that happen by chance

Decorum - n. Manners, etiquette

Derisive - adj. expressing contempt, particularly in a rude or snide way

Omg!! Decorum is a delectable word. And I didn’t know derisive so I’m happily adding that to my vocab. Thank you so much bestie <22

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Daily Word Day 6

Stark (adj.) : severe or bare in appearance or outline; the ridge formed a stark silhouette against the sky.

complete, sheer; he came running back in sheer terror.

origin : Old English stearc ‘unyielding, severe,’ of Germanic origin; related to Dutch sterk and German stark ‘strong.’

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Daily Word Day 5

Leviathan (noun) : a very large aquatic creature, especially a whale; the great leviathans of the deep.

a thing that is very large or powerful, especially a ship; it’s a challenge to navigate a wheeled leviathan in rush-hour traffic. 

origin : via late Latin from Hebrew liwyatan.

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Daily Word Day 4

Titter (verb) : give a short, half-suppressed laugh; giggle; her stutter caused the children to titter.

(noun) : a short, half-suppressed laugh; there were titters from the gallery.

origin : early 17th century; imitative.

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Daily Word Day 3

Garb (noun) : clothing or dress, eepecially of a distinctive or special kind; the black and brown garb of a Franciscan Friar.

origin : late 16th century; via French from Italian garbo‘elegance’, of Germanic origin; related to gear.

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Daily Word Day 2

Arbitrary (adj.) : based on random choice of personal whim, rather than any reason or system; his mealtimes were entirely arbitrary.

- (of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority; arbitrary rule by King and bishops has been made possible.

origin : late Middle English (in the sense ‘dependent on one’s will or pleasure discretionary’); from Latin arbitrarius, from arbiter ‘judge, supreme ruler’, perhaps influenced by French arbitraire.

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The stranger things fandom (in my humble opinion) completely misinterpreted Jason’s character. He wasn’t some blatant, cruel bully or cheater or whatever people think of him.

If I was in his place, and the only explanation of what was going on was “assumed cult leader and drug dealer killed my girlfriend”, I’d be pissed, too.

Sure, he was a slight asshole, but he was still A BOYFRIEND SEEKING REVENGE FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND. The police weren’t doing jackshit, and the only explanation, as a rational person, is that Eddie Munson - who had a HORRIBLE reputation, mind you - killed Chrissy.

Even when he witnesses his own team member dying in front of him via supernatural bone crushing, who was right in front of him? None other than Eddie Munson.

Sure, it doesn’t make logical sense that someone could fucking float. But Eddie Munson - not only from Jason’s individual perception - was a renounced cult leader to anyone who didn’t know what DND is.

What the hell is anyone else is supposed to think? Jason was completely justifiable in his actions. He was grief stricken and angry.

ALSO, the first scene where we meet Eddie and Jason is just as justifiable. Calling Eddie a ‘freak’ isn’t the nicest, but Eddie was also being rather rude by disrespecting his passion and insulting literally the entire school (regardless of whether it was funny to us, the audience). As far as the show displayed, he never overtly focused on Eddie. My interpretation was that he judged but ignored, like everyone else.

The other scene where they trash the band’s garage - Jason’s girlfriend was just MURDERED. Sure, there’s no real justification for that, but at the end of the day, he was a teenage boy. Teenagers do stupid stuff.

In the finale, too, what does he stumble upon Lucas and Max doing? Something incredibly cultish. She was floating, just like his friend. Lucas was a member of Hellfire, so Jason does what he thinks is right. He’s trying to SAVE Max.

Jason really didn’t deserve as much hate as he got. He did some messed up stuff, but at the end of the day, it makes SENSE that he acted that way and assumed Eddie to be their murderer. I LIKED his character, because if I was Chrissy, I’d adore the guy. He has flaws, as all teenage boys do, but he was a FANTASTIC boyfriend acting on emotions and whims because he didn’t handle the grief right.

And let’s be honest. Those police were pretty incapable, too, but how the hell were they supposed to know about Vecna, right?