majestywritez

[majestywritez]

Reasons for War:

Source ^^^

Hey everyone!! Todays post will just be me explaining the eight main reasons for War. This can be useful in many of you all's stories and even some who are looking to write a war but have not yet come up with a reason for why the war is going on. I got this idea a couple of days ago when I was researching things about war for a new WIP I've come up with. Okay, lets get started!

What is War?

Obviously we want to go over what war actually is before we get into why they happen. War is usually defined as a country or group of countries against an opposing country or group with the aim of achieving an objective through the use of force. Wars can also be fought within a country in the form of a civil or revolutionary war.

Eight Main Causes of War

Economic Gain

Territorial Gain

Religion

Nationalism

Revenge

Civil War

Revolutionary War

Defensive War

Economic Gain:

Wars can often be caused by one country's desire to take control of another country's wealth. There is almost always an economic motive underlying most conflicts, even if the stated aim of the war is presented to the public as something more noble.

In pre-industrial times, the gains desired by a warring country might be precious materials such as gold and silver, or livestock such as cattle and horses.

In modern times, the resources that are hoped to be gained from war take the form of things like oil, minerals, or materials used in manufacturing.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Economic Gain

Anglo-Indian Wars (1766-1849) – The Anglo-Indian wars were a series of wars fought between the British East India Company and different Indian states. These wars led to the establishment of British colonial rule in India, which gave Britain unrestricted access to exotic and valuable resources native to the Indian continent.

Finnish-Soviet War or "The Winter War" (1939-1940) – Stalin and his Soviet Army wanted to mine Nickel and Finland, but when the Finnish refused, the Soviet Union waged war on the country.

Territorial Gain:

A country might decide that it needs more land, either for many different purposes. Territory can also be used as “buffer zones” between two hostile enemies.

Related to buffer zones are proxy wars. These are conflicts that are fought indirectly between opposing powers in a third country. Each power supports the side which best suits their logistical, military, and economic interests.

Proxy wars were most common during the Cold War.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Territorial Gain

Mexican-American War (1846-1848) – This war was fought following the annexation of Texas, with Mexico still claiming the land as their own. The U.S. outfought the Mexicans, retaining Texas and incorporating it as a state.

Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885-1886) – Bulgaria and Serbia fought over a small border town after the river creating the border between the countries moved.

Arab-Israeli War or "Six Day War" (1967-1988) – Israeli forces took the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan.

Religion:

Religious conflicts often have very deep roots. They can lie dormant for decades, only to re-emerge in a flash at a later date.

They can often be tied to other reasons for conflict, such as nationalism or revenge for a perceived historical slight in the past.

Although different religions fighting against each other can be a cause of war, different sects within a religion (for example, Protestant and Catholic, or Sunni and Shiite) battling against one another can also instigate war.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Religion

The Crusades (1095-1291) – The Crusades were a series wars sanctioned by the Latin Church during the medieval age. The aim of crusaders was to expel Islam and spread Christianity.

Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) – When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II tried to impose Roman Catholicism on the people of his domains, a faction of Protestants from the north banded together, sparking war.

Nationalism:

In this context nationalism means attempting to prove that your country is superior to another by violent subjugation. This often takes the form of an invasion.

Related to nationalism is imperialism, which is built on the idea that conquering other countries is glorious and brings honor and esteem to the conqueror.

Racism can also be linked to nationalism, as can be seen in Hitler’s Germany. Adolf Hitler went to war with Russia partly because the Russians (and eastern Europeans in general) were seen as Slavs, or a group of people who the Nazis believed to be an inferior race.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Nationalism

Chichimeca War (1550-1590) – The Chichimeca war was one of many wars fought during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec civilization in modern day Mexico.

World War I (1914-1918) – Extreme loyalty and patriotism caused many countries to become involved in the first world war. Many pre-war Europeans believed in the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation.

Revenge:

Seeking to punish, redress a grievance, or strike back for a perceived slight can often be a factor in the waging of war. Revenge also relates to nationalism, as the people of a country which has been wronged are motivated to fight back by pride and spirit.

Unfortunately, this can lead to an endless chain of retaliatory wars being set in motion which is very difficult to stop.

Revenge has been a factor in many European wars.

Historical Examples of Wars Fought for Revenge

World War II (1939-1945) – The rise of the Nazi Socialist Party and Germany's eventual domination of the European continent were direct results of the Treaty of Versailles, which imposed strict punishments on Germany.

War on Terror – The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001 prompted President George W. Bush to initiate a war on terror. This global war began with an invasion of Iraq and is ongoing.

Civil War:

Civil wars usually take place when there is sharp internal disagreement within a country. The disagreement can be about who rules, how the country should be run or the people's rights. These internal rifts often turn into chasms that result in violent conflict between two or more opposing groups.

Civil wars can also be sparked by separatist groups who want to form their own, independent country, or, as in the case of the American Civil War, states wanting to secede from a larger union.

Historical Examples of Civil Wars

American Civil War (1861-1865) - The American Civil War was fought by the Union army and the Confederate army as a result of the long-standing controversy over slavery.

Russian Civil War (1917-1923) – The Russian Civil War followed immediately after the Russian Revolution, with the Red Army and the White Army vying to determine Russia's political future.

Revolutionary War:

Revolutionary Wars happen when a large section of the population of a country revolts against the individual or group that rules the country because they are dissatisfied with their leadership, hence striking a revolution.

Revolutions can begin for a variety of reasons, including economic hardship amongst certain sections of the population or perceived injustices committed by the ruling group. Other factors can contribute too, such as unpopular wars with other countries.

These wars can easily descend into civil wars.

Historical Examples of Revolutionary Wars

Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668) – The Portuguese revolution ended the 60-year rule of Portugal by Spain.

American Revolution (1775-1783) – The American Revolution gave the 13 North American colonies independence from British rule and established the United States of America.

Defensive War:

In the modern world, where military aggression is more widely questioned, countries will often argue that they are fighting in a purely defensive capacity against an aggressor, or potential aggressor, and that their war is therefore a “just” war.

These defensive wars can be especially controversial when they are launched preemptively, the argument essentially being that: “We are attacking them before they inevitably attack us."

Historical Examples of Defensive Wars

Iraqi Conflict (2003-Present) – An international coalition, led by the US, invaded Iraq on the grounds that the country's leader, Saddam Hussein, was developing weapons of mass destruction, and therefore presented a threat to surrounding countries and rest of the world. The war was controversial as the allegations made about the weapons of mass destruction made by the US and UK were shown to lack substance.

Alright, we've now finished our overview of the eight main causes for war. I hope this helped anyone writing wars at the moment. Also welcome back everyone. I haven't been active in a couple weeks but I am now back to posting for you guys. I've missed you all so much! School ends today, finally!

[majestywritez]

Writing Strong Female Characters

Intro to Post:

Another Friday post for you all!! Todays going to be all about female characters that are strong. These characters come in all shapes and sizes and can be very hard to write. A lot of writers use stereotypes to write women like that trope where the girl is just mean rather than "strong" or where she's "motherly" (nothing wrong with being motherly but some writers think this is how ALL women act and that is not the case). Anyways let's get started!!

Characteristics of Strong Female Characters

Strong female characters can encompass many different types of women, with varying opinions on what is considered “strong.” In order to write strong female characters, old tropes and stereotypes (like the damsel in distress or the nagging wife) should be avoided. So if you’re looking to write a strong female try using these characteristics:

1. She has her own opinions. A strong female lead will listen to her own instincts and make her own decisions based on her own value system (even villains have their reasons for their choices). She’ll make mistakes, but she’ll always try to learn from them. A strong character isn’t immune to influence, but they have their own thoughts and feelings about their world and the things that happen within it. Think of Korra from TLOK. Korra makes a LOT of mistakes on instinct BUT she never fails to learn from them as well as overcome some kind of struggle.

2. She is her own person. Strong female characters don’t all have to be single, independent women. They can be in relationships and care about their partners without being weak or codependent. However, a strong female character has her own identity and trajectory that she follows, as well as her own ambitions and goals outside of her relationship with another person. I see a lot of shows that always make the female lead in a relationship. I personally don't see why. Women shouldn't always be subjected to that kind of stuff. She's a lead for a reason, meaning she doesn't always need a romantic partner. This is just my personal suggestion: when having a female lead with a love interest, try not to make her relationship seem like its the ONLY thing that matters. There should be more to her character than just a significant other.

3. She has flaws. Strong female characters have struggles and flaws just like everyone else, but what makes them strong is how they deal with their shortcomings. Even the strongest characters have weaknesses, but that’s what humanizes them and makes them relatable to audiences. Again, I will reference to Korra. I always loved Korra from the moment I started watching her show. She reminded me of myself and I liked the fact that she WASN'T perfect. She was such a great character because she was imperfect. She went through many downfalls and overcame them never giving up on herself. Something that made her development so great WAS her flaws. Characters aren't supposed to be perfect, remember that!

4. She’s tough in her own right. What makes a female “tough?” The term is subjective. Is toughness just a character’s ability to physically bring down foes? Or can it be her ability to think fast under pressure or negotiate with powerful figures? A stay-at-home mother can be just as tough as a soldier—a woman’s role does not necessarily dictate who she is as a person. Its alright to have a stay at home mother character. But make sure to add more to her character than just that. She has more depth that purely being a stay at home mother.

Examples of Strong Female Characters:

Korra (obviously)

Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen

Maki Zen'in, also from Jujutsu Kaisen

Katara, Toph, Mai, Azula, and Ursa from Avatar: the Last Airbender

Allura, Pidge, and Acxa from Voltron

Catra, Glimmer and Adora from She-Ra

Jericho, DeriEri, and Elizabeth from Seven deadly sins

Harmaionie Granger (I know I did NOT spell that right pfftt) from Harry Potter

Artemis and Cheshire from Young Justice

Hawkgirl and Wonder Woman from Justice League

How to Write Them

Creating strong female characters is the same process as creating strong characters in general—they need backstory, motivation, and depth in order to make them feel like believable, real people. Here are some ways to write strong female characters:

1. Give her complex emotions. Vulnerability and emotional depth are important characteristics for good characters of any gender. A strong woman shouldn’t be written as a one-dimensional trope—she can be a stoic warrior who cries when her best friend dies, or a sweet kindergarten teacher who boxes to deal with her rage. People are complicated and often unpredictable, so giving your female character the same complex range of emotions you yourself experience as a human being is a good way to start writing stronger characters. Referencing Korra again: Her emotions were complex. It was difficult for her to express sadness, though she never struggled to express her anger. She didn't like showing weakness in front of others. She would cry alone most of the time or she'd get really quiet.

2. Give her multiple kinds of strength. Physical strength isn’t everything—even the most hulking adversary can be taken down by smart, tactical fighting—and a female lead doesn’t have to be a bodybuilder or professional athlete in order to be strong. There are different types of strength that female characters exert. They can have confidence, wit, and mental fortitude. They can be brilliant scientists who stand up for themselves when no one else will listen. They can be stay-at-home mothers who won’t tolerate their spouse leaving a mess. Female characters have their own strong opinions and morality and aren’t just generalized for being women.

3. Give her female allies. Sometimes writers try to make a female character appear stronger by turning her into a “tomboy” who only has male friends. However, your female protagonist can just as easily draw strength from the women who surround her. Giving your female lead character female friends can help her feel more like a real-life person. Your character can also be strong mentally too, rather than physical strength.

4. Give her more than her looks. Describe the way your female protagonist looks in a way that informs who she is. Does she have a defining physical feature that is integral to the storyline? Does her body language denote a particular personality trait? Brainstorm ways to avoid or subvert clichés (“she was pretty but didn’t know it”), which can weaken an audience’s first impression of your character. Oh god, that trope is so awful like please NEVER use it.

Alright, that's it for today guys, have a wonderful Friday!!

[majestywritez]

How to Write Tribes:

Intro To Post:

Okay I’d just like to start off with hey lovelies!! How’s everyone’s day going?

Anyways I’m so excited to do this post because right now I’m writing a WIP that involves and circles around 5 different groups and tribes. So lets get started!! (Also these are all my ideas and thinking so its not very official but just some tips and tricks that helped me and how I plan out my tribes and stuff).

What are tribes?

Well if any of you have watched Avatar: The Last Airbender or The Legend of Korra you might already know what I’m talking about but if you don’t I’ll just explain it to you. Tribes are a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader. For example in  Avatar: The Last Airbender they have the Southern and Northern WaterTribes who have similar cultures and practice similar things. The Southern WaterTribe even refers to the Northern tribe as their “sister” tribe.

Creating your own tribes: 

When you are creating your own tribes for your story there are a lot of factors to consider like the name, people, what the people are known as or called, the leader, culture (s), religion or practices...etc. All those are things to take into consideration when planning.

Picking the name:

Picking a name for your tribe is kind of like picking a name for a city, castle, or another piece of land. You want it to have meaning and it should be something that maybe describes what the people of the tribe are all about.

For example: In my WIP I have a tribe called people of the Sun. I researched what the sun represented in literature and found that the Sun represented Divinity. So I called my people, Divinities.

Culture:

Next you want to come up with a culture for your people. What are their customs? Do they celebrate any holidays? Are there any symbolic things such as food or clothing that they cling to?

History:

When creating a history for your tribe you want it to be all fleshed out. How did everything come to be? What formed this tribe?

Leader:

Who leads this tribe? Do they have a group of leaders, for example a council of some sort? A cheif perhaps? You want to think about who your tribe looks up to and what keeps order.

Animals and Other Creatures:

In my tribe I made sure to add specific creatures that went along with each tribe. This is optional but besides people you might want to add creatures that you tribes are fond of. Maybe they worship a specific creature thats special to them.

People:

What kind of people are your tribe members? Are they fighters? Peacemakers? Are they kind or mean? Take those things into consideration when you describe them. Also make sure to develop features for your people. How do they look like?

For my Sun people, some specific features are that all of then have golden markings on their faces and amber eyes. For you it may be different which is fine, but make sure you establish features for your people!

Another example, in Avatar: the Last Airbender, each nation has a specific eye color mostly. Watertribes have blue eyes, fire nation has golden eyes, earth kingdom has green, and airnomads have gray, brown and black eyes mostly.

Okay guys, that's it for today, hope you all enjoy the rest of this wonderful Friday! Also if I missed something, feel free to comment or add on more in the comments to this post!!

[majestywritez]

Dream Sequences

Intro to Post:

Hey lovelies!! Today's post is all about dreams. Most people think dreams are an easy subject or topic to write about since you know, we all experience our own dreams but to write a good dream sequence, requires a lot of different aspects that I will be going over in the rest of today's post so without further a do let's get started!

Uses for Dreams in Literature

The Realization Dream

In a Realization Dream, something must “click” for a character in a dream, something they couldn’t figure out while awake.

Maybe a character is incapable of putting together certain pieces of evidence in his waking life, but in the midst of a dream’s storm-and-chaos, the pieces fall into place for them. Or maybe their latest desires are thrown into sharp relief in a vivid dream in true Freudian style.

2. The Internal Conflict Dream

A character struggling with an impossible choice might very well dream about it.

Using a dream sequence to colorfully illustrate internal turmoil can give a face to a character’s agony. Remember: show, don’t tell. This is something I often struggle with when writing, guys! Anyone else? Lol

3. The Foreshadowing Dream

The foreshadowing dream is probably one of my very favorites and for me its easier to write. This sequence gives a character a glimpse of the future while they sleep. This particular effect can range from mere hints at events to come—for instance, a character dreams about a ghastly trial where horrible evidence is brought against him, then wakes up and gets dressed down by his overbearing girlfriend��or outright prophesy.

In either case, this dream type should be used sparingly, and with extreme caution: if your characters are able to accurately predict the future with any sort of consistency, it can drain the tension right out of your story!

4. The Communication Dream

Also known as a “shared” or “linked” dream, this conceit comes from the popular notion that people are somehow able to communicate with one another via their dreams.

When used literally—usually in a more fantasy-oriented setting—the Communication Dream can be used either to demonstrate the close emotional bond between siblings, friends, or lovers, or simply to relay important information across vast distances without the use of communication technology.

Or, if the dream isn’t actually “shared,” it can allow one character to say something to another character that she could never say in person, creating a moment of catharsis.

Also a rule to remember before writing a dream: before you begin writing your dream sequence, ask yourself exactly why you’re including it.

If you can’t answer further than, “Because it’ll be awesome,” then the sequence probably isn’t necessary to your story.

Now that we're done discussing the uses for dream sequences, let's get into actually writing one!

Tips for Writing Dream Sequences:

1. Apply a bit of Logic

Writers and critics alike refer to how certain scenes accurately capture “dream logic,” or the fact that dreams seemingly operate on no logic at all.

That’s the keyword, however: “seemingly.”

Remember again that you’re writing a scene first, a scene that your readers need to be able to follow—at least somewhat. Your dream sequence needs to establish its own brand of consistent “dream logic" to ensure that the scene actually functions as a scene.

Even the most surreal and chaotic dreamscape needs some sort of through-line that ties it all together: as bananas as dreams get sometimes, they still have a narrative of some sort.

Even if you decide that your story would be best served by a wildly inconsistent dream sequence, you can at least be consistent in your inconsistency. Basically, keep the chaos running at the same level at all times, and the events within will hold some semblance of internal consistency—even if they’re actually coming apart at the seams.

2. Use Narrative Distance

You’ve no doubt heard of the classic “out-of-body experience” dream, where the dreamer watches their own actions as though they are a spectator instead of being “in the driver’s seat.”

Well, there’s a way to capture that floaty, out-to-lunch feeling in fiction using a narrative technique called narrative distance.

Narrative distance, or “perspective distance,” refers to the implied “space” between the reader and the narrator or character in the story. Are your readers privy to the narrator’s private thoughts or opinions about the goings-on in your book? Does he or she have a distinct personality—or even agency in the story, to a degree?

If so, that’s close narrative distance.

First-person perspective has the closest and most intimate narrative distance, but third-person has varying degrees of this as well. Can your third-person narrator omnisciently “hear” the thoughts of all your major characters—or does the narration function more like a camera lens, observing the action only on a surface level? Or can the narrator only “hear” the inner monologue of one central character? Or maybe a chosen few? All these decisions affect the narrative distance of your story.

But how does this apply to dream sequences? Well, in order to create that floaty, dreamlike feel, simply increase the narrative distance in your story for the duration of the scene. If you’ve got a first-person narrator, switch to third-person limited. If you’re already in third-person limited, “pan out” further—go for that action-oriented, cinematic viewpoint we described earlier.

The goal is to create a shift in perspective so radical that it makes your readers feel like they’re dreaming as well. “Zoom out” from the dream’s events, set your character loose inside—and watch the mayhem begin from afar.

3. Use a Little or Lots of Detail

There are two basic settings for fictional dreams.

First, there are the dreams that take place in vast voids with little detail and only a few characters and concrete objects within them. This creates an empty, lonely, and often eerie atmosphere, appropriate for both nightmares and reflection.

But these dream-voids aren’t merely seen, they’re experienced—and a very specific type of writing is required to simulate that experience on paper.

In this sort of dream, a lamp should go from “the lamp with the gold-colored lampshade and the base shaped like a crouching cat” to simply “a lamp on a low desk.”

Be vague. Be infuriatingly vague. Withhold details. Use sentence fragments. Leave gaps in your descriptions for your readers to fill in: after all, that’s what they’d do if the dream belonged to them!

The other kind of dream turns everything up several notches: the noise, the saturation, the colors, the mayhem… These dreams feel overcrowded, bursting at the seams, difficult to navigate without stepping on (or in) something unpleasant.

These are a different sort of nightmare: use them to communicate stress or illness or indecision, the product of a split, fractured, or divided mind.

Embrace that chaos in your writing. Go into detail overload. Describe things in florid or grotesque fashion, especially things that wouldn’t normally be either florid or grotesque. Have random, surreal elements intrude into the central narrative of the dream, and make sure these intrusions are as unpleasant as possible. Make your readers uneasy with their descriptions.

Not only does this overblown style suit surreal imagery, but it can make even ordinary scenery feel fevered and dreamlike.

A word of warning, however: exercise at least a smidge of restraint here. You may want your fever-dream sequence to be unpleasant, yes—but not so awful that your readers simply walk away.

Alright, I hope all of this information helped anyone who's interested in writing dream sequences. That's it for today's post, have a wonderful day and don't forget I love you all!

[majestywritez]

27 Chapter Method

What is the 27-chapter-method?

The 27 chapter method is a plot outline for novels in which there are 3 Acts and 9 blocks.

Is this method helpful?

I just learned about the outlining method about a month ago and used it to plot out my latest WIP. I found this method extremely useful and easy to use. In each block it tells you exactly what needs to go where and what to put here for example in block one, you’ll have the Intro which will as you to introduce your antagonist and some of your world building.

Act One

This act is all about leading up to your hero's journey and pushing your plot forward.

Intro:

Introduce Hero and ordinary world.

Inciting Incident:

A problem disrupts the Hero's life that will kick off the rest of the story.

Immediate Reaction:

The Hero deals with the inciting incident and/or the changes that result from the inciting incident.

Reaction:

Long-term reaction. The reader begins to understand just how the inciting incident will affect the Hero's life.

Action:

The Hero decides to act and makes a decision that will impact the rest of the story.

Consequence:

The result of the decision made (see Action).

Pressure:

The Hero begins to feel the pressure of the task before them and is stressed.

Pinch:

Things get a little more complicated and the Hero wonders if the right decision was made. (see Action) A plot twist happens.

Push:

The Hero is pushed in a new direction.

Act Two

In this act we already know our goal and now its time to develop.

New World:

The Hero experiences a new world or situation.

Fun & Games:

The Hero explores and interacts in the new world. This is a good place to build relationships, romantic or otherwise, and develop your character more.

Old Contrast:

The Hero compares the new world to the old, and is reminded of how much has changed.

Build Up:

This is where you prepare for the major turning point in your story. There is some form of struggle, internal or external, that will motivate your Hero to take matters into their own hands.

Midpoint:

The Hero encounters something that complicates their plans and motivates them to change the course of events.

Reversal:

Everything goes to hell.

Reaction:

The Hero reflects upon what has happened.

Action:

The Hero takes matters into their own hands and solves or works around the roadblocks that occurred. (See Reversal)

Dedication:

The Hero is now determined to overcome the overall issue.

Act Three

In this act we are nearing the end and trying to find resolution.

Trials:

The Hero finds a solution, but now must overcome doubt, or some other complication.

Pinch:

Plot Twist! Everything is worse than it was.

Darkest Point:

Everything seems lost.

Power Within:

The Hero finds the courage and the strength to carry on.

Action:

The Hero takes action, and overcomes the plot twist, before taking on the overall issue again.

Converge:

Everything comes together: the main plot, the subplot(s), the conflict, etc. The big event is imminent.

Battle:

The Hero fights the villain and/or tackles the overall issue full force.

Climax:

The Hero either triumphs or succumbs to a fatal flaw.

Resolution:

Tie up all loose ends. Make sure the Hero has changed in some way.

Hopefully this helped anyone who’s struggling to plot there WIP right now, I absolutely love this method and can’t wait to use it on more WIPs!!

[majestywritez]

Writing Prophecies

What are Prophecies?

Prophecies are predictions about a person or a group of people (maybe a hero and villain) that can foreshadow an event to come

What Makes a Good Prophecy?

A good prophecy is able to hint at events and create mystery around characters. They usually revolve around "the chosen one". Sometimes your whole story can center around a single prophecy and be used as a device to advance the plot.

Prophecy Checklist:

1. Who is the prophecy about and where does it fall in the timeline of your story?

When making your prophecy of course you always want to consider when was the prophecy made in the timeline of your story. Was it after the hero was born? Or maybe after the villain was created? Who is the prophecy centering around?

2. Who is the originator of the prophecy?

What this is asking is who foretold this prophecy? If any of you have ever watched the Disney cartoon movie Hercules, the fates were the people who predicted the prophecy where Hades would lose if Hercules decided to fight. They were the originators. In my new WIP I have a prophecy and it's originated by these things called Seers.

3.  What purpose does the prophecy serve in your story?

What is the point of your prophecy? Basically, you want to give your readers a piece of info beforehand. Something not that obvious and something that leaves them wanting to know more or a riddle of some sort they want to solve in which they'll have to finish the rest of the story in order to do so. Like I said, this can be used as a device to advance or drive the plot.

4. Is it simple enough for readers to understand?

Ambiguity. Ambiguity is the quality of being opened to a lot of interpretations. There’s a difference between good ambiguity and bad ambiguity. Good ambiguity leaves just enough mystery so that the full meaning of your prophecy isn’t completely obvious, but bad ambiguity leaves readers with too many questions. An effective prophecy will be clear and simple enough that readers can understand the message, while at the same time containing a hidden meaning to be sussed out later.

Getting started with writing your prophecy:

-Select a  tone for the way you want your prophecy to sound

-What is the message you are trying to send?

-Find rhythm

Okay, I hope this info was helpful and have fun writing your prophecy!

Source: https://www.mythosink.com/how-to-write-a-poetic-prophecy/

[majestywritez]

Writing Buddies

What are they?

Writing buddies are friends, or associates that can help you better your writing and encourage you to write. They sort of serve as your partner in crime.

Why do we need them?

I feel like everyone could benefit from having a writing buddy, someone to keep you on track and someone to remind you of your writing goal. Writing buddies can give you feedback and the criticism you need to push on.

What do you do with a Writing Buddy?

Do writing sprints

Read and give feedback on each other’s WIPs

Schedule times to write with one another

Get to know you activities

Brainstorm ideas

Make writing goals

Make sure your buddy sticks to their writing goal

Give each other advice or tips

Tell each other about WIPs

Be my buddy:

Recently I’ve just started committing to my new WIP. I’ve been trying to write everyday and get a certain amount of words written per day. I’ve been really looking forward to finding a buddy of my own. So if anyone is interested in being my buddy feel free to comment so or DM me on IG @majestywritez. Once I find my buddy I want to be able to establish a writing schedule with them that the both of us plan to stick to. We can write and work on our WIP’s every single day and set a goal with each other. We’ll give each other advice and feedback and if one of us needs help we’ll do our best to help each other. We’ll tell each other what we like or dislike about each other’s WIP and what the other could do to make it better. 

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this mini post about Writing Buddies, have a great day and feel free to use the comment section as a way to find your own buddy!!

[majestywritez]

Word Counts

A guide to word counts in genres:

Disclaimer: Word counts are basically just the average or suggested word counts that are usually in a specific type of novel. So remember you don’t always have to go by these standards!

Now, back to the word counts:

For most published the average word count is usually 60,000 to 100,000. 120,000 is seen as too long but anything below 60,000 isn’t considered novel length. Again you do not HAVE to go by these standards. This is only what’s recommended.

General Fiction: 

Flash Fiction: 300–1500 words

Short Story: 1500–30,000 words

Novellas: 30,000–50,000 words

Novels: 50,000–110,000 words

Fiction Genres

Mainstream Romance: 70,000–100,000 words

Subgenre Romance: 40,000–100,000 words

Science Fiction / Fantasy: 90,000–120,000 (sometimes 150,000) words

Historical Fiction: 80,000–100,000

Thrillers / Horror / Mysteries / Crime: 70,000–90,000 words

Young Adult: 50,000–80,000

Children’s Books

Picture Books: 300–800 words

Early Readers: 200–3500 words

Chapter Books: 4000–10,000 words

Middle Grade: 25,000–40,000 words

Nonfiction

Standard Nonfiction (Business, Political Science, Psychology, History, etc.): 70,000–80,000 words

Memoir: 80,000–100,000 words

Biography: 80,000–200,000 words

How-to / Self-Help: 40,000–50,000 words

Again, these are only average word counts and you do not have to always use these amounts of words.

Hopefully this helped anyone wondering what their ideal word count should be in their writing!!

[majestywritez]

A Guide to Foreshadowing in Writing

What is foreshadowing? 

Foreshadowing means to be a warning or indication of a future event. It is a literary device used to give an indication or hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing can be useful for any of the following:

creating suspense

a feeling of unease

a sense of curiosity

a sign that things may not be as they seem

Foreshadowing doesn’t necessarily mean explicitly revealing what will happen later in your story. When it is used effectively, many readers may not even realize the significance of an author’s foreshadowing until the end of the story. Foreshadowing can be used successfully in any type or genre of book.

Why is Foreshadowing important?

Foreshadowing can be used as a key tool for writers to build dramatic tension and suspense throughout their stories. It should make your reader want to know what will happen next, and keeps them reading to find out. Its also a great tool to prepare your reader emotionally for big reveals.

2 Types of Foreshadowing:

1.  Direct foreshadowing:

When using direct foreshadowing, the story openly suggests an impending or upcoming problem, event, or twist. Direct foreshadowing is usually happens through a characters’ dialogue, the narrator’s comments, a prophecy, or even a prologue. 

2.  Indirect foreshadowing

When using indirect foreshadowing, the story hints at an outcome by leaving subtle, tiny clues throughout the story. With indirect foreshadowing, readers likely won’t realize the meaning of the clues until they witness or read the foreshadowed event.

Foreshadowing examples and techniques:

1. Dialogue: You can use your characters’ dialogue to foreshadow future events or big reveals. It can take form in any of the following:

form of a joke

an offhand comment 

something unsaid that adds personality to your characters while planting the seed for later revelations.

2. Title: A title of a novel or short story can be used to foreshadow major events in the story as well.

3. Setting: Choices you make about the setting or atmosphere of your story can be used to foreshadow events.

4. Metaphor or simile: Figurative language like similes and metaphors can be effective foreshadowing tools.

5. Character traits: A character’s appearance, attire, or mannerisms can foreshadow that character’s true essence or later actions. For example if any of you have ever read the Selection Series by Kiera Cass, in the story America often describe her father’s handwriting as weird with the wiggly line and all. Later in the story we find out that it wasn’t just a wiggly line but a symbol for the rebels.

Tips for using foreshadowing in your writing:

Plan your story. You need to know exactly where your story is going before you can decide which events you can foreshadow, and how to do so. You may need to wait until your second draft to properly incorporate foreshadowing into your work. Take as much time as you need to work out every detail before dropping hints. Plan, outline, revise, and plan more.

Plant seeds as early as possible. The closer to an event foreshadowing is placed, the less effective it usually is. In fact, foreshadowing immediately before an event can act as a “spoiler” for the reader. Instead, make sure foreshadowing takes place long enough before the event or ending that it is not fresh in your readers’ minds. This will give your readers even more joy when they comb back through your story to find the breadcrumbs you left.

Scatter those seeds. When choosing where and when to foreshadow in your story, be as sly as possible. Think of it as a scavenger hunt: you wouldn’t hide all of your treasures in the same place. Instead, distribute your foreshadowing evenly throughout the story for maximum enjoyment.

Enlist a second set of eyes. As the person closest to your story, you may feel that your foreshadowing is perfectly clear—but if a reader can’t see or appreciate it, your clues will be ineffective. Grab your friend, coworker, or neighbor for a cup of coffee and hand them your manuscript. Once they finish reading it, ask them if the clues were too obvious, not obvious enough, or just right.

Foreshadow in moderation. Don’t wear your reader out. Add too much foreshadowing, and your readers will feel as though they’re getting all “setup” and no “payoff.” Not enough foreshadowing, and your readers may be frustrated by an unexpected resolution. Craft the right balance, and your readers will find themselves re-reading your stories to find all of your clues.

[majestywritez]

~fantasy name dump~

~fantasy name dump~

Dark Elves:

Terrek

Melnin

Hanisu

Bryva

Konvos

Drelfur

Dilec

Ascine

Phoressa

Dinvu

Ahasu

Nimelri

Lanisa

Fairies:

Rock

Freddie

Magpie

Woods

Cirrus

Midnight

Bear

Tadpole

Indigo

Lala

Ora

Dahlia

Forsythia

Genies:

Unol The Carefree

Gobba The Trustworthy

Haame The Loyal

Nanqa The Stunning

Izo The Extravagant

Aali The Wise

Nidre The Gentle

Ohoze The Pure

Izza The Royal

Knights

Balin the Horrific

Evrat the Omen

Emeline the Escort

Mawdelyn the Stubborn

Melisent the Bane

Cecily of the Mountain

Haoys the Persistent

Aelesia the Keen

Elinora the Heartbreaker

Iohn of the Lake

Imps:

Kral

Ibjec

Tril

Chix

Rikka

Nairlet

Diam

Jabbat

Tyiur

Dox

Zraglius

Oklas

Kyul

Iurkus

Dwarfs:

Berhal

Hoggog

Galgrum

Sardrutha

Khedrelsia

Jarsami

Thongrag

Nazmec

Dazir

Elneamora

Ossaeline

Sirnithra