tb514writes

[tb514writes]

Hey what’s the weirdest, morally neutral parenting hack thing you do? For us our 2.5 year old refuses to take any kind of medicine so we mix her meds in sugar free root beer and call it magic root beer

[tb514writes]

[tb514writes]

Writing tips: formatting

One of the great things about indie publishing is that you can do things yourself. But please know that just because you can, doesn't mean you should! Things like editing and cover design MUST be done by professionals. But the cool thing is that formatting is fairly accessible to the average person, but you'll be swapping out spending money for spending time.

So here are some basic formatting tips:

Learn industry and genre standards

Every new paragraph except for the first in the chapter and scene must be indented

Use drop caps, lead in small caps or both for the first sentence of each chapter

Chapter should start at least a third of the way down the page. But usually about half

Page numbers typically go in the footer

In the header have your name on one page and your book title on the other (alternate the whole way through). These do not go in the front matter or on the first page of each chapter

Make sure your formatting is consistent the whole way through!

Front matter is everything before the first chapter, back matter is everything after the actual book (acknowledgments etc)

Justify text to both sides (so it's even). You can use hyphens to help with this

Check what the minimal requirements for margins are with your publisher (Ingram, kdp etc)

Use a normal, easy to read font. Times New Roman is the standard.

Use hyperlinks in your ebooks! Link directly to your other books, author socials and website. List them in your print copies

I'm using Atticus to format my debut and it's been fantastic so far.

[tb514writes]

In light of this sad post, I just want to FYI anyone that might be anxious about it:

I will never delete any of my fics for any reason.

1 - I take the Archive part of AO3 very seriously.  I’ll edit and update, but not delete because in my mind it’s been archived once it’s posted.

2 - I’ve seen too many fics/authors I loved disappear, never to be seen again.  If I posted it, then someone who loved it might have found it and someday get the intense urge to read again like I do for those fics, and I want them to be able to find it.

3 - What better way to get back at someone heckling you than to just stone-cold ignore their mean-spirited demands?  To leave a fic up that infuriates the person bothering me so much for existing on AO3 at all?  Even if it was really bad, I would just walk away.  Make it written by Anonymous.  Abandon it on the site.  Comments can be turned off.  Notifications can be turned off.  An entirely new account can be made to start over with. 

The fic can be orphaned.  

For any author who is being bothered into deleting their fics/account, please at least consider orphaning your work instead of deleting it wholesale.  Orphaning is a wonderful, innovative feature of AO3 put there specifically to thread the needle for people in exactly your situation.  To bridge the gap of those who no longer want to be associated with a fic, and those who loved what you wrote and want to be able to revisit it.

An Untamed fic I really loved got the author a lot of harassment and they contemplated deleting it while they were still posting chapters because of the awful comments a handful of people were leaving with each update, but instead orphaned it after finishing.  I have reread that fic at least five times since then.  I don’t remember the author’s name anymore, just as they certainly wanted, but I still enjoy that fic and I know I’ll come back to it again and I’m so grateful that I can.

No amount of hate erases how much someone else genuinely loved what you wrote. 

And there is ALWAYS someone to love it.  Even if it’s just one person.  Even when things are hard and the horrible people are very loud, try not to forget that they are there too.

Don’t make the hateful one the most important one.

[tb514writes]

Go read an old fic.

There's such recency bias in fandom. As an author you post something, get a few reactions, and then it goes off into the bin. As a reader you check the tags, see what's new, and move on. But a lot of old stuff is really good. It's just sitting there, gathering dust, waiting for someone to take a peek.

So go on. Treat yourself.

Read an old fic.

[tb514writes]

You’ve heard of one shots, now get ready for none shots! It’s when you think of an idea for a fic and then don’t write it

[tb514writes]

Shampoo & Conditioner (3) - Snippet Saturday

Another one? Again?? I know, but after a trying week I need to readjust. Don't have the energy to complete/post full chapters. RL demands more so... Here's a look ahead.

Official posting TBA

*****

Quatre stood there.

That's all he did as the clock ticked on.

No problem. Trowa will come back and make things right in his own time.

So why waste his? What if the tall Heavyarms pilot never returned? What if he gets himself into trouble and all hell breaks loose?

No problem. Quatre would feel his presence with his uuchu no kokoro (space heart). It wouldn't hurt to find the bad guys, rip their limbs apart, bring Trowa home and offer optimal care.

The sound of running water interrupted his thoughts. For the first time, the blonde's eyes darted towards the kitchen.

Duo's head popped up from the entrance. "That smoothie tasted good and all, but I need to ask you something."

Quatre's eyes lit up. "I'm all ears. Ask away!"

"Cool!"

Like a bunny, Duo hopped over until he stood next to his comrade. Quatre bit his bottom lip to hold his laughter back. The braided Deathscythe pilot looked real cute when caught up in his acts of silliness.

"I have a quick question about little creatures living in a place where pineapples are the only fruit to eat."

"I don't think it's possible for any creature to live on one fruit only," Quatre said.

"But Heero once told me that his speed increased after eating a few pieces for himself, hence surviving Dr. J's training."

"Hmmm."

"So if any animal were to live off of pineapples and increase their speed, who would be faster?"

"I'd have to look into that when time allows," Quatre replied. "'Cause something tells me that not all animals can eat them, let alone live on them."

"Says who?"

The pair turned in the direction of that condescending tone. Wufei laid on the sofa, arms crossed, and his legs were stiff like a statue.

"What do you know about them?" Duo asked. When Wufei failed to respond, the American heaved a sigh. Quatre placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll look into it, okay?"

"Sounds fair. I'll be back."

And Duo hopped back towards his room.

Quatre's naturally soft features hardened when Wufei spoke again, "Next time, don't go full retard."

"Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean?"

The other teen assumed a seated position, his arms still crossed.

"I was hoping there was another smart pilot in here, and sadly, you're not that person."

Quatre rolled his eyes. "Looks like somebody's in a bad mood. How's about a smoothie?"

Wufei cocked an eyebrow. "From the person who stares at the door for three hours straight, after the one who'd caused so much damage? Pfft. You'd be better off without him. And something is terribly wrong with those pineapples."

Quatre's voice raised, "Better off without Trowa? Are you sick? What's your problem, 'Fei?"

Wufei shrugged with a straight face. "You're the problem. And which idiot convinced you that some animals can only survive on pineapples?"

Fists at his side, Quatre growled and turned away. "I'm ordering pizza," he muttered.

"Nuh-uh, dibs on me. You can go to your room and calm down, post-tantrum."

Quatre glared back at Wufei. His voice dropped dangerously low. "I don't know what your problem is, but you're making me sick. What's your issue?"

Wufei stalked around until he faced the other teen, poked a finger against his chest and pushed slightly. "Stop being soft. It makes you weak."

The blonde bit back a chuckle, grabbed his opponent by the shirt and dragged him closer.

"Come again?"

Tags: @gundayum @seitou @deejayers @woahthisguy @tj-dragonblade @twitchytrickster @wu-the-stoic @deathscythehell @spotted-demonp0n3 @the-anime-devil @bluesquishylemon @gundayo @offspringchick29 @softnocturne @7daysaweekgeek-blog @cynfinnegan @tensionandspark02 @vegalume @rinachiba @monochrome-pineapple @milk-motto @angelsmystique ★ @lemontrash @fanfictionfiend @outofworkshinigami @kismet1909 @bryony-rebb @disturbed02girl @thaiteaaddict @fadedsepiascribbles @noirangetrois @darkmaster07

[tb514writes]

Social Media Woes (2) - Snippet Saturday

Sorry y'all, more snippets ahead. RL makes demands and I have to make some tough decisions/moves. Long story short, I need to calm my nerves, mind and muscles after a super challenging week... With ultimatums and triggers. Thanks for being patient with me. I'll bounce back in due time. So here's a look ahead...

Official posting TBA

Marcus:

Erik (after haircut):

Troy:

Car:

*****

"Yo! Marcus, wait up man!"

The bigger man sighed heavily. "What do you want now? And no, I'm not interested in your bomb plan."

"It's not like that. I need your help with something different."

M'Baku, in his disguise, crossed his arms. "Okay, what is it? And make it quick."

"Best barber in town?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Erik huffed. "Listen. There's this chick who wouldn't leave me alone. She's… strange. A serial stalker, and I often wonder what her intentions are."

Marcus smirked, then cocked an eyebrow. "So? Solve it."

Agitated, Erik crossed his arms. "How? How am I supposed to be okay with this? The very first day we crossed paths, she tried touching my locs. Stole my glasses once, too. I cannot stand the idea of letting her get too close."

"Your problem, not mine. Where's Troy?"

Erik rolled his eyes. "T'Challa ain't home. Can I get your best barber's number, please?"

"But what about the Royal family in Wakanda?"

"It'll grow back. I just need to get rid of this distraction of hers."

Marcus retrieved a pen and paper from his jacket and scribbled. "Good luck. I'm about to be late for study hour."

Erik bit back a chuckle. "Relax man," he said as he took the paper. "At least you get to be sent out here as a spy. Us two have to study."

Marcus chuckled. "I already graduated, silly. Good luck, though."

~•~•~

It's been nice crossing paths with Marcus, but there are more pressing issues at hand.

You.

Erik made it out of the barbershop and spotted Troy Clue in his convertible.

"So where are we headed?" his cousin asked.

"Make it Jugo Juice or Tim's. I'm starved!"

Troy revved the engine to hide the loud growl in his own stomach. "Actually, Boston Pizza has special discounts today. Let's see what they've got."

Erik smirked. "All that fattening stuff? Really, Cuz? I could've sworn your Pops has a vendetta with them."

By now, they were already on the go.

"But Uncle said it's cool, especially when we're with a group of people."

Erik looked around. "And, where is this group?"

"At school. That's why I'm headed in that direction first."

Erik sighed. "As long as we don't see that stalker, I'm good."

Troy made a knowing glance. "You sure? I mean, I've been tracking her IP address for a while and she's spent the previous night Google searching your name."

"What time was that?"

"Around 1:30am. Straight from her dorm room."

Erik's mouth opened and closed when his phone dropped from his hand.

"I know it sounds crazy, but-"

"How do we keep her away from Wakanda? I know that piece of information remains hidden from the world, but this entire situation is giving me trust issues. When it's my turn, I want to open Wakanda's borders and put a stop to the atrocities Black people experience... But she presents a frickin' setback!"

Troy cocked an eyebrow. "Ahem. We won't know until we fight for the mantle. Regardless of who wins, I will gladly open Wakanda's borders. However..."

As they pulled up at the parking lot, Troy gave Erik a stern look.

"What makes you think she's more powerful than you? Powerful enough to ruin your leadership, or chances of success? You've always been the smart one."

Erik's eyes lit up. "Hol' up, Cuz. I got it."

"A solution I presume?"

"Nah... Even better." A triumphant smirk brightened his features. "It requires grit, but I'll need your help on this one."

"Oh?"

"Let's order some pizza and all that good stuff, host a party at our luxury dorm, and..."

Troy tried his hardest not to laugh. "And?"

"Don't laugh!" Erik snapped. "It's time to concentrate. Or else I'll tell the others back home why Shuri's better than you!"

"Okay, okay! So what is this game plan?"

Erik bit back a chuckle, grabbed his cousin by the collar and whispered his vile ideas in his ear. Troy's eyes lit up, followed by a low whistle and pulled away.

"You're sure about this?"

"Let's get to it."

Erik unbuckled his seat and stepped out of the car; confidence accentuated his every move as he headed into the restaurant. Troy's fingers tapped the steering wheel.

"Bast, what did I get myself into?"

Knock knock.

Troy looked up to see an agitated Erik pointing towards Boston Pizza. How'd he get there so fast? Unbuckled from his seat, he stepped out and shut the door.

"Aye, chill out man," said Erik, surprisingly calm, tapping Troy's shoulders. "At the end of the day, I have the end goal here. Now let's keep it casual until then - or else I'll give Shuri a boost. And she gets to rule over you for a year."

Now an agitated Troy chased a mischievous Erik into Boston Pizza. Talk about role reversal.

*****

Taglist: @eye-raq @chaneajoyyy @lifelover4u @shegoego @brittyevans

@iamrheaspeaks @imasmille @blowmymbackout @the-lululemon

@destinio1 @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @that-chick-103 @cassidylikeszayn @supersizemeplz

@ashleychristina73 @laxativerat @jasmine-j @kaykay0829 @chellllz @sistaskeeper @asweet-serendipity

@abeautifulmindexposed @fictionalfantasies @gold3nmind @brooklyn-knights1 @imdiirtydan @quinnbethany @purple-kelpie-child

@emoniclark22 @cosmicmelaninflower @mood-alwayssad @badgalteezy @maxyya @gameoverr1 @wakandaforeverwrites

@ljstraightnochaser @muse-of-mbaku @princessstevens @bribrisback @killmongersgurl @hoopshoney @wakanda-inspired @daytimeheroicsonly @killmongurl @wakanda-4evr @thiccdaddy-mbaku @queengodiva619 @amirra88 @marvelheaux @wheredidallthedreamersgo @mellifluousbabe @bakarilennox @vikkidc @blackpinup22 @hidden-treasures21 @sheontcare ★ @heyauntieeee @tip222u @cyddthekiddd @jbrizzywrites @raysunshine78 @bamakakechick @ultracrii @sotalife @dessianna1 @wakandantings @sup3rn0va13 @baby-gurlkillmonger @littleica @nola4life2 @mysticwritess @fonville-designs @shaelyn102 @thememoireeofme @daughterofyeezus @85love @madamslayyy @stark-red19 @mrsalexkurosaki @dawva @thewavytavy @purpleskiesxhopefuldreams

[tb514writes]

Writing Prompt

They say eyes are the window to the soul. You are born with reflective eyes.

Tag your responses with #wordsnstuff

[tb514writes]

meeting the parents prompts

before the meeting

“ don't freak out. “

“ you have nothing to worry about. “

“ i should bring your mom some flowers. “

“ and your parents...? “ “ would love to meet you, actually. “

“ they're going to love you. “

“ name, we're going to be late! “

“ i want to make a great first impression. “

“ are you nervous? “ “ of course i'm nervous! “

“ oh my god... what if they hate me? “

“ we had a one-night stand, and got pregnant -- “ “ let's just leave that part out, assort the situation. “

“ i think you'll get along just fine. “

“ hello, where are you going? “

“ turn left, right over there. “ “ turn -- what? “ “ left. “ [points their finger] “ right over there. “ “ right over there? “ “ no, left, right over there! “

“ you're going the wrong direction. “

“ how do i look? “ “ like your mother's son. “ [beat] “ not that i would know. “

“ this is a huge day! i mean, i'm meeting your parents! “

meeting the parents

“ you treat her well. “

“ you don't happen to have any photo albums? of [lover's name], when they were younger? “

[hands over a gift] “ oh, that wasn't necessary... “

“ she's a real keeper, i'll tell you that much. don't screw this up, son. “

“ it's so nice to finally meet you! “

“ quite frankly, i don't think i've ever seen him this happy. “

“ we've heard so much about you! “

“ i can see where he gets his humor from. “

“ so, remind me, how did you guys meet? “

“ it was love at first sight. “ [beat] “ “ no, really, it was. “

“ oh my god, [child's name], she's gorgeous! “

“ don't be silly, you're more than welcome, sweetheart! “

“ it's so nice to finally meet you, Mrs and M-- “ “ oh, please, call me [name]! “

“ tell you what, why don't you invite your parents over as well? “

after the meeting

“ i had a really great time tonight. “

“ your parents are lovely, truly. “

“ i feel... very welcomed. and very loved. it's quite nice, actually. “

“ your parents are wonderful. “ “ magnificent... so when can i meet yours? “

“ i have a feeling you might be their favorite soon-to-be daughter-in-law. “

“ we should invite your parents over for supper. “ “ for supper? “ [wraps arms around their lover] “ my dad left quite the impression, didn't he? “

[tb514writes]

i love you starters

“ i've fallen helplessly in love with you. “

“ but i love you, name. you. “

“ i love you, okay? “

“ i fucking love you. “

“ come on, i love you. “

“ my love, you've captured my heart in ways beyond comprehension. “

“ i love you. more than anything else on this planet. “

“ okay, maybe i am foolishly in love. “

“ i love you so much. “

“ sometimes, yeah, i might love you too much. “

“ i love you. “ “ say that again. “ “ i love you. “

“ you are the woman that i love. “

“ i love you so much it hurts. “

“ i need you to know how much i love you. “

“ it's okay. i love you. “

“ you're cute when you're all sappy and in love. “

“ i love you more than i ever thought was humanly possible. “

“ i'm very much in love with you. “

“ i love you. and i will do so forever. “

“ regardless of what happens tonight, i want you to know that i love you, okay? “

[tb514writes]

Fanfiction writers:

[tb514writes]

Pieces of A Novel - Wordsnstuff November Monthly Writing Challenge

The idea of this challenge is to plan one piece of your story per day. For those participating in NaNoWriMo, this may be a helpful tool to use in conjunction with your daily writing goal. This can help you sustain inspiration, and it can help you find that balance between careful planning and spontaneity that many struggle to maintain.

This tool is designed to help you plan and/or write a longer story in a short amount of time, particularly a novel. If you choose to both plan and draft each scene assigned to each day, you should in theory have a near complete first draft of your story in a single month. Instead of basing the challenge on a word goal, it's organized into a list of tasks. Once all/most of these scenes are planned or written, you will have a nearly complete draft, missing only the scenes unique to your story.

The inciting incident of the beginning of your story.

Establish your protagonist(s) core need and bring key characters into the picture.

A scene that progressively complicates the beginning of your story.

A scene that establishes the protagonist(s)'s strengths and/or weaknesses

A scene that creates a crisis question at the beginning of your story.

A scene that foreshadows the arc of the main characters.

A scene that climaxes the beginning of your story.

A scene that establishes what the protagonist wants, versus what they think they need, versus what they actually need, as well as what they're willing to do to get it.

A scene that resolves the beginning of your story.

A scene that gives the reader a glimpse into the antagonist's power, needs, or goals. Alternatively, if there is no antagonist, a scene that establishes the background of the main challenge the protagonist is trying to overcome..

The inciting incident of the middle of your story.

A scene with a twist—something new happens. A new friend, minor antagonist, or new information arises as a result of the middle inciting incident.

A scene that progressively complicates the middle of your story.

An unexpected twist gives the protagonist(s) false hope. An important clue or weapon arises.

A scene that creates a crisis question in the middle of your story.

A scene that establishes how the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) motivations could become their downfall.

A scene that climaxes the middle of your story.

A scene that reveals the protagonist(s)'s and/or antagonist(s)'s greatest fears.

A scene that resolves the middle of your story.

A scene that foreshadows what the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) will gain/lose in the process of pursuing their goal.

The inciting incident of the end of your story.

A scene that establishes that there is no turning back for your main character(s)

A scene that progressively complicates the end of your story.

A scene that establishes how the main character(s)'s strengths/weaknesses help or hinder their success

A scene that creates a crisis question at the end of your story.

A scene that establishes what the protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) learn once they initially succeed/fail

A scene that climaxes the end of your story.

A scene that answers one of the major questions of your story, or resolves an important dramatic theme.

A scene that resolves the end of your story.

(bonus) A scene that hints to the continuation of the story, if a sequel is to come.

–

Masterlist

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.

[tb514writes]

Oneshots/HCs PSA... December + January

Feeling a little bummed, but I'll be fine. Here's a few oneshots underway:

These Streets [Teenage!Erik Stevens] - for @uzumaki-rebellion

Maintain the Lie (oneshot) [T'Challa's POV] - for @bribrisback - Lost series

Angel In Disguise (oneshot) = Erik x Reader, M'Baku x Reader (unrelated to CIYS storyline)

The Meet and Greet (oneshot) = M'Baku x Muse - for @muse-of-mbaku - CIYS!verse

Keys To Home (oneshot) - Lost series

Team Up! (Shuri + Spider-Man) - WBTC!verse

Mystery Shopper? ((Erik-centric)) - for @wakanda-inspired - WBTC!verse

Fight, Flight or Freeze? (Implied T'Challa x Nakia & past Erik x Linda) - WBTC!verse

Handcuffs 'n' Chaos! (Duo VS the others) - for @bluesquishylemon

Sweet Little Kitten (3x4)

You Got Me Open (1x2+5, 3x4+5, 1x2x3x4x5)

Let Down Your Hair (2x5) - for @noirangetrois & @chronicwhimsy

Heart To Soul (3x4)

I Do (1x2x3x4x5, Dorothy x Relena)

Bent (1x3) - for @seitou

This Meeting Is In Progress (Ladies of GW)

How the group met - FF!verse

An Unhealthy Father-Son Relationship (Heero and Odin, Quatre and Zayeed) - FF!verse

Multiple Intelligences - FF!verse

Duo's Pet Rat - for @gundayum & @lemontrash - FF!verse

Chibi Pilots, Go To Sleep! - for @lessy86

Fear Is Not a Factor (oneshot) - FF!verse

Duo’s Musical Inspirations - SM!verse

Secret Magic, Trowa Barton*

Domon versus Treize: Management Styles - SM!verse

Quatre’s Musical Inspirations - SM!verse

Grooming tactics, Sexual assault and Substance abuse: The DMV Side of Secret Magic

Wufei’s Musical Inspirations - SM!verse

Secret Magic, Quatre Raberba Winner

Growing Up Lady Une - Broken Home - SM!verse

Producer Zechs, big brother figure - SM!verse

Secret Magic, Wufei Chang

Heero’s Musical Inspirations - SM!verse

Free Kitten (3×4) - for @blacknekojess @softnocturne @gundayo & @janaverse

Trowa’s Musical Inspirations - SM!verse

Sinking Ship (5x4) - SM!verse

Gone (2+4)

Boys Night Out (2x1, 3+1, 5+4) - SM!verse

Thirsty For Change (4+1) - SM!verse

Museum Trip (6×9, 1x2x5, 3xH, 4xR)

Touched By An Angel (1x2, 3x4, 5+S) - SM!verse

Beauty Is Her Name (Everett x OC, T'Challa x Nakia, M'Baku x OC, OC x Okoye) - WBTC!verse - for @uzumaki-rebellion & @maddiestundentwritergaines

Trapped In Frigidaire

Iron Sharpens Iron? (oneshot) - WBTC!verse

Love Letters - CIYS!verse

Good Night (BJH!Headcanon)

Waking Up In September* - Lost series

Betrayal - Lost series

Familial Murmurs - Lost series

“I will always find you!” - Lost series

Erik Stevens as a High-school Teacher (parts 2 & 3)

Growing Up T’Challa (HC)*

Growing Up M’Baku (HC)

Growing Up Okoye (HC)

Growing Up Shuri (HC)

Growing Up W’Kabi (HC)

Growing Up Ayo (HC)

Ladies Night Out (Ladies of BP, including Storm) (oneshot)

Warriors? Impossible! - for @softnocturne (The Avengers/Gundam Wing X-over)

Gundam Wingo prompts

Did you count? I hope you did, 'cause that's a whole lot! Now you know how many WIPs have been hiding.

All titles are written/produced by me. I make no profit, nor know any entities presented in the fanworks above. These are my ideas done for fun. All characters and worlds belong to their respective creators. Stealing/plagiarism is strictly prohibited. ~ AngelT

Princess Shuri & Foreign Minister Relena approve this post.

[tb514writes]

Q&A: The Elaborate Fall and Controlling Your Center of Balance

Anonymous asked:

I kinda want to hint at a character’s martial arts skills by having them trip and respond using skills taught in martial arts. Perhaps it may not be martial arts specific, but anything else where keeping steady and taking tumbles well is important, idk skateboard, acrobatic? Perhaps it matters why the trip occurs, like missing a step or stepped on loose tile, small moving obstacle ran into them?

Did you mean, physically adjusting my body to restore my center of balance and counter a fall?

Any form of activity which trains you to maintain your balance/center of gravity and develops control over your core muscles will help you save yourself from falls. This is most forms of physical activity, but not limited to martial arts, dance, skateboarding, acrobatics, yoga, cross-country running, sprinting, most track and field related sports, most sports, etc. It’s an exhaustive list.

They’re probably not going to trip, tip forward, turn the fall into a forward shoulder roll in the middle of the street, and calmly just walk it off like “no biggie.” That’s a lot more effort than the average fall is worth. (The average person’s confused reaction would be hilarious though, and that’s why the elaborate fall is a comedy trope. There’s also nothing subtle about it.)

Honestly, there’d be no overblown response which would force a character to use their “skills” i.e. techniques for falling because losing your balance is really common when you’re training. Techniques for falls are really techniques for how to fall safely when thrown and spreading the force out so you take the impact on a greater area. For example: if you slap the floor on the moment of impact, you reduce the effectiveness of your opponent’s throw and limit the damage done to yourself.

Lost balance is resolved by utilizing your core muscles (your abdominals) to correct your posture in the moment, set your weight if necessary, and bring your body back into balance. That’s it. You don’t think about it, you’ve practiced so often you just do it. The mental process for tripping is, “oh no, I’m falling. There’s the ground. Oh, now I am not falling.”

The best scenarios are, “Oop… Nope. We’re good.”

Taekwondo gives you a lot of practice standing on one leg, so you learn to balance your body at all kinds of weird angles. We learn our central balance point is a fulcrum. I cannot tell you how many times this has occurred on ice and my body just auto adjusts to counter how I am out of balance. Sideways? If your ankle can resolve the problem on it’s own, opposing arm out and lean toward it. Falling forward? Bend your knees and squat. Falling backward? Lean forward. Foot slipping out from under you? Go with it and start a split. In 98% of ice slips, my butt never hits the ground.

The reason why is that when you train in martial arts (and I’m going to discuss martial arts specifically, but this is applicable to other sports) you develop fine motor control, fine motor control and awareness of your body lends itself to a greater internal sense of balance. What does this mean? I will realize when I am out of balance sooner than the average person and my response time is faster, meaning the corrections likely go into place before passing the point of no return. The point of no return is when your body has passed a point where your fall can be stopped in it’s arc. If you pass that point, gravity takes over and nothing you do can save you. The same thing happens with strikes if you want to block them, you have to stop the strike before the extension otherwise the blow will go right through you. It’s dependent on your inner timing.

If you want to hint at a character’s background in martial arts, a better option is going to be their reputation for auto-correction and fixing their falls. “Jack’s got a really good sense of balance. Like, creepy good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jack fall.” I was somewhat notorious among my friends in high school for my ability to stay in balance. People notice when you’re good at things that they are not good at, especially girls who like to complain about being clumsy. Someone being very centered can become very creepy if you spend enough time around them.

It’s like getting asked, “where’d you get that bruise?” And responding, “uh? Dunno.” And you really don’t know because it could’ve been anywhere. You just get so many, you stop noticing.

You’d really need to get a handle on how balance and balance adjustment works if you wanted to try and pull off balance adjustments seen in genres like Wuxia or Xianxia. These scenes are usually there to be comedic or act as a genre specific tell for a specific kind of martial artist. Basically, it’s there to subtly (or, in most cases, unsubtly) tip the audience off to the fact the character is literally superhuman. So, when you see a martial artist do this in a martial arts film, they do this elaborate stunt (often on wires) because it’s a martial arts film or television show and not because people do it in real life. It’s a specific genre convention heavily dependent on Martial Arts Give You Superpowers in conjunction with the specific brand found in East Asian storytelling. You’ll be hard pressed to get the elaborate fall working outside the martial arts genre because, well, outside of East Asian storytelling tradition and other cultures where martial arts hold an enshrined existence, they don’t give you superpowers.

(If you’ve been uncritically consuming Japanese anime, Jackie Chan films, Into the Badlands, martial arts based k-dramas, wuxia and xianxia c-dramas on Netflix/Amazon Prime/YouTube/Vicki like the Untamed, or even Marvel’s recent outing in Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, I can understand where the elaborate fall might become confusing.)

– Michi

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Q&A: The Elaborate Fall and Controlling Your Center of Balance was originally published on How to Fight Write.

[tb514writes]

Writing Resources

I've decided to compile a bunch of resources for people if they need to use them. This will be updated as much as I can.

OTP Generator Links

- SFW -

✧ OTP Prompts Generator #1 - Unknown ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #2 - Unknown ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #3 - Unknown ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #4 - @/promptOTP on Twitter ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #5 - @kogami (won't let me tag them)

- NSFW -

✧ OTP Prompts Generator #1 - @a-cure-for-writers-block ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #2 - @novaxxium ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #3 - Unknown ✧ OTP Prompts Generator #4 - Unknown

Good OTP Prompt Blogs

@otpcompendium @emswritingprompts @writing-prompt-s @writing-prompts-re @promptsamillion @phaserplane64 @otpprompts

Good Writing Related Blogs (Tips, relatable memes, etc.)

@moonlit-sunflower-books @writingdotcoffee @heywriters @wordlywriter

Vocabuary

Words To Describe Facial Expressions - @introvrt-unicorn The Smut Writer's Dictionary - @maybeeatspaghetti Synonyms For 'Said' - @simping4fics Writer's Vocabulary List: Words that Sound Beautiful - @writing-is-my-anchor 26 Words To Use In Replacement Of Very - @cjsworld55 Online Thesaurus/Dictionary

Writing LGBTQ+ Characters

6 Pitfalls To Avoid When Writing LGBTQ+ Characters How To Write Better LGBTQ+ Characters How To Make a Fictional LGBTQ+ Character Beyond the Closet: Writing Gay Characters How To Write Gay Characters Into Your Story

NSFW Tips

How To Write A (Great!) Sex Scene 9 Tips To Writing Steamy Scenes How To Write Erotica - And a Damn Fine Sex Scene

Hope some of these help.

Much love, Milo.

[tb514writes]

I've discovered that I'm limited in my ability to write a story that has a conflict and resolution. I'm a logical person who can't bring myself to make my character make illogical choices, which means any conflicts and problems that would flesh out the story won't last very long. I'm worried that this and the matter-of-fact way I write will make boring stories and I won't be able to get published when I eventually try to. Any advice on creating conflict that will make an interesting story?

--

There are lots of different kinds of conflict that are possible in narrative storytelling. A character can make every logical decision in the world, but if events transpire to stymie those decisions they'll still end up in a conflict.

I'm assuming that the kind of conflict you're talking about is interpersonal in nature. In that situation, your character could make nothing but logical choices and still end up in conflict because they don't have all of the information.

You, as the author, control how much each of your characters know. Someone hiding information from your main character or someone lying to them would mean that the decisions that are logical from that character's point of view might end up being wrong in the long run because those decisions were based on incorrect or incomplete information.

There are also more kinds of conflict than just interpersonal. There's intrapersonal, for example, where a person has inner conflict around a goal or an idea or an action. Do I tell my best friend I'm in love with them and risk ruining the friendship we have when there's no guarantee a romantic relationship will work out? Do I accept the bribe that allows me to pay my rent but could lead to me being fired or arrested if I'm caught? Do I take the offer of my dream job on the other side of the country, away from my home and all of the people I love? Those are all pretty big internal conflicts to resolve.

There's also "man versus nature" style conflict of a character fighting against the elements. Or "man versus man" where a character is fighting the system or fighting bigots or struggling against their oppressors.

Don't think of conflict just as two characters fighting each other or some form of miscommunication. There's a whole world of difficulty available if you look for it. And that's just if you want to write conflict into your story. You don't actually have to do that at all. Step back from the model of the story that you think you have to write and try to think about the kind of story that you want to write. That's a better place to start from.