authorstephaniebenn

[authorstephaniebenn]

Day 12 of the #augustwriterswipchallenge with @authortemperancedawn and @reina.nyx •Your MCs Ideal Birthday• Growing up Grace never got the chance to have a real birthday party, they were too poor for that. Of course her mom always baked her a cake, usually out of the box, but once in a while when she time between jobs, they'd bake one from scratch together. Now as an adult, in this new place, if had the chance all she'd wish for her birthday is to have a nice sit down brunch with all the friends turned family she's made. . . . . . . #SavingGrace #authorchallenge #dailychallenge #writingprompt #authorlife #mcbirthday #mcbirthdayparty #wip #maincharacter #birthdays #brunch #birthdaybrunch #authorsofig #writingcommunity #shareyourcraft #writingabook https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzZdQJgPrb/?igshid=1urhmfc87f8se

[authorstephaniebenn]

Day 11 of the #augustwriterswipchallenge with @authortemperancedawn and @reina.nyx •Where/Who do you turn to when you need ideas? For my current WIP #SavingGrace (working title) I usually turn to some good old country music and binge read/listen romantic suspense novels if I'm really stuck or blocked. • #SavingGrace is set in the country on a sprawling ranxh and there is just something about the storytelling of country music that just makes me feel like I'm right out there on the ranch, swinging om the porch step and watching the sunset. Its sets the mood lol. . . . . . . . . #wip #authorschallenge #authorsofig #writingcommunity #augustauthorwipchallenge #wipchallenge #bookinspiration #countrymusic #ranchlife #writethatbook #writingabook #authorhabits #bingereading #writersofinstagram #writingprompt #writersblock #shareyourcraft #writersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CDxK8DSghW9/?igshid=144lgujb8c853

[authorstephaniebenn]

Hello July! It's so lovely to see you. I can't believe its already the beginning of the second half of the year! My birth month! 🌺🌺 . I'm looking forward for the rest of this month to be more productive than the first half. I'm hoping to finally finish the first draft of my WIP. . What are your goals for this month? https://www.instagram.com/p/CCHt8JGgIps/?igshid=yuo70e7dh31d

[authorstephaniebenn]

Or the next chapter... Okay I promise just one more. 😅 https://www.instagram.com/p/CByk07wAgEn/?igshid=amuynk75bxw3

[authorstephaniebenn]

Days 15 and 16 of the June #authorschallenge2020 . Day 15 - "My MC's Bestfriend" Darla Louise Jennings and her guard dog (truthfully she's nothing more than a snuggle bunny) Lucy! She is kind, loving, funny, eccentric and a sure pet lover but she is also holding in a lot of uncertainty. Through her relationship with the MC she gains courage in her efforts to help the MC get her happily ever after. Day 16 - "Five Writer Prompts" 1. Banished to world with no sun 2. "...and like Icarus I was finally free." 3. A bloddy holiday 4. Finding a hidden shoebox in your new apartment 5. Wake up in a fairytale reality . . #writingabook #writerlife #authorschallenge #writingprompt #writersofig #authorsofinstagram #writingcommunity #bestfriend #mcbestfriend #petlovers #lucythedog #doggo #writing #authorblog #author https://www.instagram.com/p/CBgtiMdJ-Q5/?igshid=9je7sba0am7v

[authorstephaniebenn]

[authorstephaniebenn]

The rest of the during quarantine.

Writers during quarantine!

[authorstephaniebenn]

To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.

Kurt Vonnegut

[authorstephaniebenn]

A world that opens its arms for us to get lost in!

[authorstephaniebenn]

[authorstephaniebenn]

Complementary Character Traits

Anonymous said:

I know you are not back for a few days. But I’ll just leave this here. Could you please write up a list of character traits that compliment each other? Like for romantic relationships? Thank you.

Hey Nony! Before I start, thanks so much for your patience with me. I was out for about a week longer than I initially said and I really appreciate it.

So these are definitely a bit of a challenge to come up with someimtes; it’s hard to figure out which ones would go well together without creating too much conflict between your characters. 

The dictionary defines complementary as “combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another”, so that’s how I’m interpreting this. The qualities on the left side of the list were taken from The Positive Trait Thesarus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (but that doesn’t mean that those on the right are definitively positive or negative).

You’ll find some tips for incorporating these qualities into your characters beneath the cut. But without further ado! Behold, the big ol’ list of complementary character traits:

Adaptable vs. Rigid

Affectionate vs. Withdrawn

Alert vs. Oblivious

Ambitious vs. Unmotivated

Appreciative vs. Ungrateful

Bold vs. Timid

Calm vs. Energetic

Cautious vs. Reckless

Centered vs. Scatterbrained

Charming vs. Antisocial

Cooperative vs. Independent

Creative vs. Unimaginative

Curious vs. Indifferent

Decisive vs. Indecisive

Diplomatic vs. Rude

Discreet vs. Inattentive

Easygoing vs. Strict

Efficient vs. Sluggish

Empathetic vs. Callous

Extroverted vs. Introverted

Flirtatious vs. Modest

Friendly vs. Antisocial

Funny vs. Serious

Generous vs. Stingy

Gentle vs. Rough

Honest vs. Dishonest

Honorable vs. Cowardly

Humble vs. Proud

Idealistic vs. Realistic

Industrious vs. Lazy

Innocent vs. Dirty-minded

Just vs. Partial

Kind vs. Cold

Loyal vs. Unreliable

Mature vs. Immature

Meticulous vs. Careless

Obedient vs. Rebellious

Optimistic vs. Pessimistic

Organized vs. Messy

Passionate vs. Indifferent

Perceptive vs. Ignorant

Philosophical vs. Shallow

Private vs. Sociable

Proactive vs. Stagnant

Professional vs. Inept

Protective vs. Negligent

Quirky vs. Conventional

Responsible vs. Irresponsible

Sensible vs. Foolish

Sentimental vs. Pragmatic

Sophisticated vs. Unrefined

Spiritual vs. Irreverent

Spontaneous vs. Deliberate

Spunky vs. Apathetic

Thrifty vs. Extravagant

Traditional vs. Modern

Trusting vs. Wary

Uninhibited vs. Careful

Whimsical vs. Serious

Wholesome vs. Indecent

Wise vs. Unaware

Choosing Traits

So, that’s a pretty long list of traits to choose from. As you’ve probably guessed, though, there are any more to choose from; what’s above is just a fraction of all the possibilities. But if there are so many, how do we know which ones to choose?

If you’re just starting off, choose two or three pairs to work with. Create your characters and develop these traits, building off the ways that would separate them. Then, find some traits that they would have in common, traits that would actually give them a reason to stay together. Maybe Character A is more perceptive while Character B is a bit more on the ignorant side, but they’re both extremely creative and loyal. In this case the reasons for these characters to stay together outweighs their differences, so that would be a good goal to start with.

A general guideline that’s worked well in the past for me has been to choose differences that you know can be balanced out by shared traits. I don’t want the characters in my pairing to have six complementary traits and only two shared ones; that could create a lot of conflict and would make the relationship more work than necessary. You want them to complement each other, but don’t overdo it.

Creating “Complementary Characters”

Well, my first response is this: You shouldn’t create a character based off of the traits of another. If you do this, there’s an extremely high chance that your readers will be able to tell. Another thing you’ll probably want to avoid is adding these traits into a character you’ve already created. If that character has already been rounded off, throwing more traits into the mix might mess with the balance.

Instead, I would advise choosing your traits and developing a character around them. If we’re using the character example from above, I know that I want A to be perceptive, creative, and loyal. These aren’t the only three traits they might have, but those are the three I want to start with. The same goes for B; they’re a little ignorant, really creative, and loyal, but those aren’t their only three traits. I find it easiest to start with things like these and develop the characters more from there, letting things evolve naturally to create the characters I want.

Something to Remember: These traits don’t all follow the same path, based on the character’s entire personality. Keep this in mind; chance are it’ll help you vary your characters’ personalities during development to really make them stand out.

Something to Remember 2.0: The above list and tips don’t apply only to romantic relationships! Complementary traits will play a huge role in (probably) every single one of your character’s releationships!

[authorstephaniebenn]

I’m a sucker for stories that are like “the world is cruel but love is real and we must love each other to survive”. I eat that right up

[authorstephaniebenn]

Hi everyone, I'm Stephanie, a newbie to writerblr.

I'm 23, and I love chocolate!!! I love reading romance stories but particularly romantix suspence. Mystery, flirting, gun totting Heros and Strong female MCs is so my cup of tea. So igs no surprise that I also love writing Romantic Suspense.

I'm currently have two WIPs but I've started focusing on one solely for a little while. I'll be posting a little bit of my writing, qnd probably some memes and my WIP progress.

I would love to make some new friends in the writing community so don't be afraid to like or repost.

Saving Grace (working title)

"Brown, murky water trickled from the worn faucet. He could smell the rust even as he scrubbed the dry crackling blood from his hands. He didn’t like getting his hands dirty, blood always created messes. And messes left a trail that could easily lead back to him if he wasn’t careful. He was always careful, Strategic. It was the code he'd lived by, the one reason he'd stayed alive all this time. It was a trait that had allowed him to fly under the radar for as long as he had and he was not about to let some roughneck cowboy change that."

[authorstephaniebenn]

- O. Leary

[authorstephaniebenn]