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[classicallyeccentric]

How scene cards can help you make sense of your plot.

If you struggle with getting a clear picture of your plot(s), maybe this is the way to go: create cards for every scene, chapter or plot point to get a broader look. This is also the perfect opportunity for ~fun colour coding~ by giving each plotline their own colour.

You can look at each plotline seperate to figure out if things make sense, if something is missing, etc.

Here are some tags you can use on your cards:

What happens? (about 3 sentences)

Timeline (When does it happen?)

Characters (Who takes part?)

Setting (Where does it take place?)

Scene Function (What is the authors intention of the scene? What is it supposed to accomplish in the narrative?)

Scene Goal (What is the characters goal in this scene? Is it accomplished or not?)

Required Pace (Fast action? Slow emotion?)

Plotline (Main plot? Subplot? Which subplot?)

Questions answered (new information, new discovery, new insight)

Questions opened (What new question should the reader ask themselves?)

Hope this helps! Have fun writing!

[classicallyeccentric]

send help: how to write multiple povs while making them all sound different?

so, my current WIP had 27 point of views. That sounds messy, but it’s actually like each 26 characters get one chapter to themselves while there are tidbits of the main protagonist, the 27th pov in between.

I noticed that they all sound the same to me, which makes it all very boring.

How to I write so many povs while giving them their own voices?

[classicallyeccentric]

Dear Writers,

Let’s learn about character creation with Susi pt.1

Chreating a character is freaking hard. How does one even start? After a lot of research* on the topic, here is my take on it:

*The process in this post is mostly inspired by the work of Susan Dennard. Check out her website for some of the most amazing writing/editing resources and worksheets ever.

Let’s start by filling in the blanks:

(Characters name) wants to (goal) because (motivation) but (conflict).

Do this twice. One for internal, one for external. Those are not the same things but they do walk hand in hand.

For an easy example, let’s introduce Susi:

External: Susi wants to win in her basketball tournament because she needs a scholarship but her childhood rival competes too.

Internal: Susi wants to be successful because she wants to support her poor family but she has a deep seated fear of failing and not being good enough.

The goals create character agency. Susi makes the decision to compete. She is working towards her own success. Susi is an active character that drives the plot and is not just along for the ride.

The motivation makes the reader care. We don’t really care about Susis basketball tournament. But we do care that she wants to get into college on a scholarship in order to help her family. We connect with this notion on a emotional level. That’s why we want her to win.

The conflict creates development. An external conflict drives the plot. An internal conflict drives character development. If Susi went into her tournament and won without any struggle or doubt, it wouldn’t be a convincing and engaging plot.

With those three things in hand (goal, motivation, conflict), you can dive deeper into your character to flesh them out to their fullest potential.

Maybe I’ll bring Susi back for another post to talk about more details of character creation.

Have fun writing!

[classicallyeccentric]

The Minimalist Character Sheet

So I am not the biggest fan of those ten page character sheets that include 100 questions like “What’s their favourite ice cream?”. Don’t get me wrong: If those help you with your writing, more power to you! Do what works for you. But I tend to discover all the little details of a character while writing. I only need the fundamental things. Maybe this works for you too!

The Basics

Name: including all nicknames, titles, etc.

Gender

Age

Role in the Narrative

Physical Description: focus on defining features

GMC (If you want to learn more about the concept, check out this post.)

Internal Goal

Internal Motivation

Internal Conflict

External Goal

External Motivation

External Conflict

Personality

Short characterization: internal personality and external behavior

Their biggest failure/issue/flaw: and how it impacts their life/personality/behavior

Backstory: and its consequences, such as triggers

Speech pattern: at least three speech marks that emphasize their personality (if you want to learn more about speech patterns, check out this post)

Behaviour pattern: at least three habits that emphasize their personality

Character Arc: where do they start, how do they change, where do they end?

That’s it! Hope this gave you some pointers on how to start out with character creation.

Have fun writing!

[classicallyeccentric]

A Raoulstine and Eristine fan recommend fanfics from our ships to each other!!

So @nerdywriter36 and I were talking about fanfics we liked and recommending some to each other, then, for fun and so we can both try experiencing it, we decided to directly recommend fics that are from the "opposite side"!! And for fun, since we can, we decided to exchange them publicly so that y'all can check them out too!! Here's my recommendations!!

Important note: we are both aware that some of the phics we recommend might put Raoul and Erik in a not so great light! It's bound to happen in phics for these ships 😅

Note: I don't know which of these authors have Tumblr aside from two, but if they do, please tell me so I can tag them!

This one is absolutely adorable and heartbreaking and but comforting in the best possible way 😭. This is actually the first phanfic I ever read! I LOVE the way they wrote Raoul SO MUCH, as well as his and Christine's relationship. It's really simple but REALLY sweet and THE WAY HE JUST WANTS TO PROTECT HER AND GETS SCARED WHEN SHE'S SCARED AND OH MY HEART I CANNOT HWHDHWHDHWHDHHWDHHWHD

Rating: General audiences

Summary:

She wasn’t being rational, she wasn’t thinking clearly, and he could tell, but what was there for him to do other than to reassure her that he would try his hardest to keep her safe? She trusted him enough to want to marry him, so he had to be doing something right, but he didn’t feel like it was enough.

This is by my mutual @rumpletrumple and WHEN I TELL YOU THE PAIN THIS CAUSED MY ALREADY WOUNDED HEART??? ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS COLLAPSE ONTO THE FLOOR BREAK DOWN AND SOB 😭 so this is obviously a very angsty fic but it's SO GOOD 😭 IT'S SO SO GOOD AND MY HEART HURTS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT AGAIN AND I WUDJWJDJJWJR

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Summary:

Erik runs out of patience and lets his temper get the best of him, costing him the boy's life and Christine's pity.

Now THIS one... this one is a little spicy, I will admit, but it's not smut I promise. Obviously I don't normally read stuff like this 😅 but It's really short and I thought it really was cute and well written too 😭

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Summary:

Raoul laughed, "I'm afraid I never sought out that bit of 'education' when I was on shore leave."

This is a very good fic with a very good look at Christine and what she might've been feeling after Masquerade. "Themes of fear" according to the author 😭 and while there aren't as many Raoulstine bits, I thought I might as well include it 🥺

Rating: Teen And up Audiences

Summary:

Every time she thought of what had happened that night at the masquerade, she could feel his hands so close to her neck. He had been cold, and whatever kindness, even love, she had seen his eyes was gone—replaced only with cruel and bitter jealousy.

This one's from @textsfromthefifthbasement!

HURT/COMFORT MY BELOVED 😭 this one's also really short but it is EFFECTIVE. THE IMAGERY. AUGHWHDYHWHDHWHFHWHDHEHD I'M whhdhwhdhejfje *cries*.

Rating: General Audiences

Summary:

Christine's thoughts the morning after the final lair. Originally written in 2021 as part of the Touch Prompts on tumblr. Based on prompt #14, On a Bruise.

AND THAT'S ALL OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS!! if the version of the post you see doesn't have the reblog CHECK THE REBLOGS FOR EMILY'S REBLOG FOR HER SUGGESTIONS!! GNIGHT!!

[classicallyeccentric]

Far too many pics of the Palais Garnier (Part Two!)

In October of 2022, I had the extraordinary experience of getting to complete an 15+ year old dream of mine to visit the Palais Garnier. I took a metric fuckton of pictures and now I want to share them with you all, the PotO community!

Before I start dumping, a few things:

Please reblog this post. I usually don’t post a lot, therefore I don’t have a big following. I’d really appreciate people sharing these as much as they can. When I was a dumb kid in ye olden days of the internet, finding a post like this was the sort of thing I would have been hyped up on for weeks. Help spread that kind of joy!

Feel free to use these photos for any sorts of graphics, artistic reference or any other fandom related projects, as long as it’s not for profit. Please just credit me in some way. In fact, I'd love to be tagged to see whatever creations come from sharing all this!

This is part two, which will be photos of the interior. While there, I also took a tour, Mysteries of the Palais Garnier. I'll share a lot of the things I learned throughout the post and try to provide as much context as I can.

PART 1 (exterior) | PART 2 (here!) | PART 3 (foyer) | PART 4 (stage)

Upon leaving the designated tour office area, we entered this large, circular room where our tour began. Giant mirrors lined the walls and one of my companions immediately remarked that she felt as though someone was watching her from behind them.

On the ceiling there was this intricate pattern. We learned that this was Charles Garnier's "signature". He was concerned that at some point in time, his name would be forgotten and he would no longer be remembered as the architect of the Opera. If you look closely, his name is intertwined in the design, as well as the years of the building's construction.

There are salamanders hidden throughout the building as they were said to ward off devastating fires. It was very common for theaters to burn down, then. In fact, the construction of the Garnier was somewhat rushed in the last few years because the company's previous theater, Salle le Peletier burned to the ground in 1873. The Garnier opened in 1875.

We learned in our tour that these cracks on the steps were the result of a great tragedy. A group of ballerinas had been exploring the roof when the glass on the large window above cracked. One ballerina fell through the window and met her demise on the steps below.

With all these pictures of doors to the private boxes, you're probably wondering, "Hey Lotus, what about the most important one?" I got you, boo.

PART 1 (exterior) | PART 2 (here!) | PART 3 (foyer) | PART 4 (stage)

[classicallyeccentric]

Raoul not just as a foil to Erik, but also a painful reminder of what Erik COULD have been.

Erik as someone who had a heart too big for a world so cruel. Raoul as a lover who loves so much that it hurts him.

Erik hating Raoul not just because he's jealous of him, but also because when he saw him, he saw himself. If things were different, maybe that could've been him. Which makes it hurt even more when Christine chooses Raoul, because it isn't just because she's going with someone else, or someone he hates, but because she's going with someone Erik so desperately wishes to be.

And because of that he can't fully hate him, because Raoul knows how to give Christine the love that Erik yearns to give her but can't. Because he doesn't know how. But Raoul can, because he was loved. Sure, maybe his dad did hate him (something he and Erik might also have in common), couldn't look at him because his mom died giving birth to him, but he had his siblings. And Erik had no one.

Raoul and Erik are foils to each other yet they are also so similar, because they love so hard. Love to the point of destruction. It's just that the world is cruel, and favors some and hates the others. And it's not fair, and never is fair. And I'd like to think that if Raoul had the chance to understand Erik more, like Christine and the Daroga did, then I think he would've felt a sort of kinship with him, too. With the man who has a heart too big for such a cruel world, just like Raoul has a heart too big to ever truly belong.

(thoughts after a lovely painful convo with @dont-do-rice-babes)

[classicallyeccentric]

So I made some things

And last but not least, this one is for me and my Raoul stans:

I feel so funny

[classicallyeccentric]

gestures that gets me on my knees.

(feel free to use<3 the kisses ones are.. im- i-... yall better tag when u write these or else check under ur bed before sleep! :) )

lingering with your lips open, touching, but not kissing, and this one glance at their eyes and you say fuck it and pull at their collar to kiss them

heavily breathing after a kiss (damn ittitit)

gulping when they get a little too close

and not knowing how to talk or exist after they finish kissing you like they've been needing that kiss for a lifetime!!!

loosing your mind when they tilt your chin to look you in the eye

pulling them by their belt to kiss them>>

lazy kisses in the morning, that starts with a grunt as they pull you closer to them as you try to get up and lazily placing kisses all over face and ends with a hoarse whisper from them asking you to stay. fucjfuck

their mouth at your ear, whispering!!!

"give me a chance. to prove what i can make you feel." (ohmykgodks)

when they kiss you, hard, gripping, shaking breaths, fists in each other's clothes, against a wall, but they stop. and smirk, "you want that, love? i want cuddles though." and their grin is too wide, stupid and cocky and beautiful.

you're holding on by a thread and they sort of grin against your lips, mumbling, "just lose control, love."

that glance at your body with their eyes subtly widening, almost gulping as they take in your attire. fuck.

the lips are hot, soft, settling, nibbling and gasping, pulling onto each other for more and when you stop, they have their eyes closed, heavily exhaling, hair ruffled, and they look like the prettiest mess ever.

holding your hands above your head as they kiss you

[classicallyeccentric]

The black areas represent the remaining natural dark skies in the United States

[classicallyeccentric]

Clothes and Folds Tutorial by fakhear

Support the artist and visit their Etsy!

[classicallyeccentric]

Here's some notes on some of the upper body muscles so you, artist, don't need to look them up

They are not medically accurate, just enough for artists to know the necessary muscles and how they work together

I 100% recommend doing the last exercise I did to be able to actually place the muscles

Here are my notes on the lower body muscles

[classicallyeccentric]

Some hand references from an old pack on DA. If you need some more hands I recommend checking out my Handy Hand Book in my Ko-Fi shop! It has over 400 hand references and comes in a PDF or physical book format.

[classicallyeccentric]

Im a big fan of the "I am yours" trope. Like, in less of a possessive way and more of a sacrificial, two-way way.

When they would live for them, die for them, kill for them, throw away their past and future for them, give up their humanity and embrace the forbidden for them. When they would push against the world, everybody and everything around them, when they would challenge God for them. When they're the lighthouse in a dark storm, when they're only safe with them, when it's them against the world and the world can burn if it means they're together.

[classicallyeccentric]

Some of my favorite poses from 16 years of pose reference modeling

You can access all my resources, socials, and ways to support me from my AdorkaStock Hub. Happy drawing! 🎨

[classicallyeccentric]

Newest addition to my collection of instrumental/writing playlists!

I made this playlist primarily for nostalgia reasons, and for anyone looking for an ambient soundtrack while writing scenes that are wistful, reminiscent, or just plain comforting!

Also feel free to check out any of my other playlists:

you’re a haggard adventurer discovering worlds beyond your wildest dreams

you’re a hero who’s just lost everything

you’re a scholar searching for the secrets of the universe

you’re a villain plotting to take over the world

you’re an ancient god

you’re falling in love

you’re fighting the final battle

you’re having a tea party

you’re in a chase scene

you’re in the medieval times

[classicallyeccentric]

i feel like i say this all the time, but as your friendly neighborhood creative writing instructor i’d just like to remind you, especially if you’re feeling stuck, that writing is the process of thought, not the product of thought. although cognitively we *can* think a sentence and write it down, or think a sentence and say it out loud, more often we write and speak to conjure the thoughts themselves.

that’s why i believe in the shitty first draft. often, but not always, you have to put all your ideas on a page to even figure out what you’re trying to write, who your characters are, what their lives are about, all the nitty gritty stuff you can’t expect yourself to figure out right away. and then, once all your thoughts are out and they’re right in front of you for you to look at, you write the thing again knowing what’s what. in other words, you have to sketch before you can paint.

if you can accept this, fully internalize the knowledge that you will be writing the thing at least twice, writing that shitty first draft isn’t hard at all. you know you’re mostly going to get it wrong, and that’s okay, because later you’ll get it right.