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maxs-guesswork · 22 hours
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MASTERLIST ✍🏻
Hi! This post is a huge collection of all my writing tips in one place. I will update this list daily and add new posts
Writing Tips
How do i Plot a Book?
Childhood Friends to Lovers Gestures
Showing 'Fear' in Writing
examples of body language and action tags
Writing Trust Issues Tension
Quick Tips for Writing Emotional Tension
How to Write a Ruthless Character
Showing 'Anger' in Writing
12 Emotional Wounds in Fiction Storys
Gestures for Shared Moments
Symbolism in Writing
Instead of "Looked", consider
Words to Use Instead of "Said"
Showing 'Determination' in Writing
Showing 'Confusion' in Writing
Showing 'Anticipation' in Writing
Introduce characters
Showing 'Exhaustion' in Writing
Showing 'Excitement' in Writing
Writing a Morally gray character
Showing 'Jealousy' in Writing
Showing 'Love' in Writing
OC Developement
Eye Color to Define Your OC,
Describe your Main Character sheet
Body type and shape
Good Traits Gone Bad
Dialogues
Dialogue Prompts that Hurts
Jealousy Starters
Dialogue Prompts for Friendship
Dialogue Prompts for Unrequited Love
Gestures of Loss
When A Character Is dealing with anxiety they…
When A Character Is hilariously confused they…
Isolation Starters
Regretful gestures
Undermining Confidence Starters
When a character is Babysitting for the first time
Control Starters
Guilt-Tripping Starters
Soft angers Dialogue
Gaslightning Starters
Emotional Blackmail Starters
When A Character Is stuck in a never-ending traffic jam they…
Dialogue Prompts for Mystery/Thriller
When A Character Is dealing with an overenthusiastic fitness trainer they…
Confidence Starters
Prompts
Physical Intimacy Prompts
forced proximity prompts
When A Character Is feeling nostalgic they…
When A Character Is excited about something they…
Prompts for self-Doubt
When A Character Is excited about something they…
Grumpy & Sunshine Affection Prompts
Moral Dilemmas Prompts
when a Character us stressed they…
Supernatural Elements Prompts
Family Secrets Prompts
When A Character Is in a state of panic they…
Inner Conflict Prompts
Twist Prompts
Conflict Prompts
Signs of ….
Signs of Embarrassment
If You’re Writing a…
How to Create a Villain
If You’re Writing a Female Character, Avoid these Bad Writing Mistakes
Emotionally reserved characters
If you’re writing a character who is Naive
Writing Love
How to Write a Confession of Love
forbidden love prompts
When A Character Is in love they…
Signs of Falling in Love
Gestures for Expressing Love
Love Triangle Gestures
Writers Block
Ideas to Get Rid of Writer's Block Inspo
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maxs-guesswork · 19 days
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An Untitled Mecha - SciFi Horror experiment.
I wrote this in a spurt of inspiration I felt after watching this video. I think want to do more with this, but I'm not sure what. I think it's decent enough as a standalone now that I'm happy putting it out there. First time I've actually shared my writing since the timeline, and even that was more of an outline than something I'd actually consider my writing.
Anyway, critisism is welcome as long as you're nice about it. Hope you enjoy! If you do, please please please please please tell me. If you like it enough to ask for more, that will probably give me a big chunk of motivation to write more.
Thud thud.
“Yeah it’s stuck up there alright.”
“We told you it would be. Several times, in fact.”
“It’s different to see it myself.”
Zach earned an annoyed sigh. Servos whirred as he stepped back from the floating truck. Floating isn’t really the right word, more ‘pinned in the air.’ The thing didn’t budge a millimeter when he gave it a good, solid push. Wasn’t like he wasn’t strong enough, the metal hulk he piloted could’ve lifted that truck up and thrown it like a baseball. Alright maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but the point stood. If that thing wasn’t proper stuck, he’d have moved it at least a meter or two with that force. The thing really was stuck, and hung at an odd angle. It was rolled a bit to the left and with it’s front end facing downwards. The green canvas over top of the rear bed was torn, ripped up by flying debris presumably. Or maybe some wildlife, though Zach wasn’t sure if that was really feasible. Likewise, the windows of the cabin were all shattered, blasted violently inwards. The whole body bore dents at regular intervals, but they didn’t appear to be what held the thing aloft. About 4 of the 6 tires were flat, and all the hubcaps hung out at odd angles. Cap, waiting indignantly, stared Zach down for the whole of his investigation.
“Are we going to move on, or are you too infatuated with your new toy?”
“We’ve been here all of maybe thirty seconds, Cap. Have some patience.”
With one final whack, Zach finally stepped back from the aerially pinned vehicle. He’d only been outside the walls for a few minutes, but it was already the most interesting experience of his life. Certainly worth all those waivers he’d skimmed, and signed. Deciding the young man was quite finished with his investigation, Cap wordlessly started to move on. Alerted by the sound of his footsteps, and little else, Zach turned to catch up.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves as they traversed the overgrown forest. They followed a dirt path on the forest floor, the trees having been carved out of the way by older expeditions. They still hit some of the higher branches that grew from trees on either side, though. Stealthy they were not.
“Forest floor’s a bit harder than that asphalt you’ve been training on, eh?” Cap jabbed when Zach briefly stumbled.
“Laugh it up, old man.” He replied simply, not doing as good a job of hiding his peevishness as he thought.
They trekked in silence for awhile, Zach quickly becoming more attuned to the rough terrain. They’d be on higher alert if they went by the books, but this area wasn’t far from the walls and there was plenty of cover from the ‘new’ emplacements along their tops. Anything untoward in that area would probably get misted before it got anywhere close to the duo. They both knew this, but neither would acknowledge it out loud. In fact, the after action report would list them as being near perfectly vigilant, with negligible lapses in attention. Even the less than personable relationship between them wouldn’t stop their shared interest of keeping the brass off their backs.
Eventually the tree line thinned, and they came to a large clearing. The brush was a bright and healthy green in the strong sunlight, and there were very few clouds in the sky. Zach wished he could’ve popped out right there to enjoy the weather and scenery. It’d be pretty difficult to cover up an unauthorized hatch opening in that after action report though. Damned thing was the biggest buzzkill he’d ever met. Plus, if he turned around the looming black mass of the walls would rather spoil the illusion of peaceful wilderness he so wished to cultivate. There were even some flowers and small wildlife here. They’d been protected by proxy, their proximity to the walls meaning that nothing untoward ever reached this little grove of life. Zach watched his footfalls to try and keep from disturbing the peace any more than he had to.
Onward they moved, through and out of the clearing, returning to the treeline. There was little here to betray the state of the world. Other than the truck. Wilderness that survived in the vague no-man’s land that sat between the city and the Intruders. Zach felt a brief swell of pride at being part of the thing that kept this beauty alive, before remembering how quickly it’d get paved over should the need or even simply the desire to do so arose. ‘Bit of a mixed bag, humanity,’ he thought. Then they reached their destination, and his philosophical musings were unceremoniously cut short.
Even through the artificial image on his screens, his eyes seemed to want to look anywhere else. That strange non-light and the instinctual reaction to it was dampened only slightly by the artificial barrier. Zach had no doubt that even without the screen he’d be able to trace the thing’s outline by what directions it hurt to look in. The fringes had an odd color distortion, where colors seemed to vibrate atop one another. Another no man’s land between the Intruders and everything else, one much more violent.
Cap’s voice was almost level when he called over the coms. “Ready?”
“Ready,” Zach replied, the bantering and rivalry gone now.
Simultaneously, jets of strange white-black fire leapt from the nozzles of the weapons mounted upon the machines’ great shoulders. That color barrier vanished among the flames, and then that non-light splotch on reality began to recede as well. After only a couple minutes of dousing the Wound was gone. Five minutes after that they stopped firing. The ground was seared now, and some normal fire burned around the periphery of where the Wound once was. Cap wordlessly moved to stop them out. A few seconds later, Zach followed suit.
Their trek back home was a lot quieter.
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maxs-guesswork · 3 months
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How I learned to write smarter, not harder
(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)
A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.
The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.
As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!
Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!
2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)
Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.
Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.
I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.
Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!
This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.
As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.
When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD
People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.
What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!
What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.
You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.
And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.
And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.
If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?
And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD
In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.
Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.
Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)
And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)
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maxs-guesswork · 3 months
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calling all authors!!
i have just stumbled upon the most beautiful public document i have ever laid eyes on. this also goes for anyone whose pastimes include any sort of character creation. may i present, the HOLY GRAIL:
https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf
this wonderful 88-page piece has step by step breakdowns of how names work in different cultures! i needed to know how to name a Muslim character it has already helped me SO MUCH and i’ve known about it for all of 15 minutes!! i am thoroughly amazed and i just needed to share with you guys 
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maxs-guesswork · 3 months
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Notes For Writers:
1. Write what you like without shame
2. Your writing doesn’t have to be morally “just” to be good writing/storytelling
3. Being “good” and being “righteous” are not one and the same
4. Your writing doesn’t have to meet any guidelines to be good - just write it
5. It doesn’t matter if your writing sucks now. Get the words down; you can always edit later
6. We all have self-doubt. Yes, even the famous author you think could never possibly because you think they’re that incredible. One day, if you don’t already, there will be people that think like that about you. Keep going.
7. Your writing is not less important than anyone else’s. All writing has its purpose. Yours may not be something that’ll start a social movement, but it has a purpose to the people it matters to.
8. Stop comparing your writing to others. You’re insulting yourself and them. Your writing isn’t meant to be like theirs. Your writing is meant to be like yours.
9. You are better than you give yourself credit for.
10. ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE PROUD OF YOUR WRITING WITHOUT FEELING SHAME. It is not self-centered, conceited, selfish or anything similar to be proud of what you create. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF IT.
11. You’re allowed to be proud of your writing, even if you think it sucks. You are allowed to be proud of your writing, even if you think it sucks. Be proud of the growing you’ve done. Be proud of the fact that you push forward in spite your self-doubt. Even terrible writing has things to be proud of.
Remember: What you do is incredible and hard. Let yourself feel pride. Let yourself struggle and find what does and doesn’t work for you. Allow yourself to learn and grow. That’s what life is about - growing into yourself. That means creatively as much as any other way. <3
Happy writing, my friends.
🤍 H
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maxs-guesswork · 3 months
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5 ways to increase/decrease suspense in your writing
Suspense is one of the trickier parts of writing to manage effectively because, as the author, you can’t experience your story the way a reader does. If you don’t have enough suspense, it can be difficult to keep your readers interested. If you have too much, frustrated and stressed-out readers might throw your book against the wall. Too much suspense can even backfire - if you try to keep your readers constantly on edge, they can stop taking things seriously and the end result is as though you never included any suspense at all.
So how can you tell if you’ve reached the right balance? Unfortunately, I can’t answer that for you. Some things really do require feedback from honest and insightful readers. Once you have that feedback, however, there are easy tricks to adjusting the level of suspense without a drastic re-write. Here are my five favorite methods.
Promises and Payoffs
INCREASE SUSPENSE by promising something huge and then giving your reader something unexpected. To borrow an example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, imagine a teenage boy and girl sneaking into an empty building. Everything from the costumes to the lighting is designed to make you uneasy about the girl’s safety but, in the end, she’s the vampire. Give the audience something sensational and they won’t be disappointed that you didn’t deliver on what you originally promised.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by promising less than you plan to deliver. For example, if you plan to kill off a character as they walk through a dark alley, let them worry about being mugged rather than murdered. Not only is it less suspenseful, the payoff is more shocking.
Characters are Crucial
INCREASE SUSPENSE by shifting the focus to a character who’s more involved in the action or one who has more at stake. Even if you have a single POV character, another can come in and demand that character’s attention, along with the readers’.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by focusing on a character who’s more concerned with a secondary goal. Subplots are a fantastic way to give your readers some room to breathe.
Calm vs. Chaos
INCREASE SUSPENSE by cutting back on the action. Suspense flourishes in the quiet moments when your characters have time to think and to anticipate what may be in store for them.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by giving your characters a big, exciting mess to deal with. Even when that mess causes more problems and puts more pressure on your characters in the long run, you’ve still created an oasis where both they and the readers are too distracted to worry about how the big picture will pan out.
Devil’s in the Details
INCREASE SUSPENSE by concentrating on the details of the setting. Horror movies are great at this - every creak of a door, every shadow across a wall keeps the audience immersed in the experience and tense with anticipation.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by breaking the “show, don’t tell” rule and allow exposition to help you move things along. You don’t need to take readers through every aspect of your story in excruciating detail. It’s okay to gloss over some things and it helps readers relax because they know you’re not going to be springing any surprises on them just yet.
Ticking Time-Bomb
INCREASE SUSPENSE by imposing a deadline that your characters struggle to meet. It’s one of the oldest and most obvious tricks in the book, but very effective.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by allowing your characters to believe that the deadline has been met or pushed back. If they (and the readers) believe that they’ve accomplished their goal or bought themselves more time, it relieves pressure and allows everyone to relax until the truth’s revealed.
43K notes · View notes
maxs-guesswork · 3 months
Text
5 ways to increase/decrease suspense in your writing
Suspense is one of the trickier parts of writing to manage effectively because, as the author, you can’t experience your story the way a reader does. If you don’t have enough suspense, it can be difficult to keep your readers interested. If you have too much, frustrated and stressed-out readers might throw your book against the wall. Too much suspense can even backfire - if you try to keep your readers constantly on edge, they can stop taking things seriously and the end result is as though you never included any suspense at all.
So how can you tell if you’ve reached the right balance? Unfortunately, I can’t answer that for you. Some things really do require feedback from honest and insightful readers. Once you have that feedback, however, there are easy tricks to adjusting the level of suspense without a drastic re-write. Here are my five favorite methods.
Promises and Payoffs
INCREASE SUSPENSE by promising something huge and then giving your reader something unexpected. To borrow an example from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, imagine a teenage boy and girl sneaking into an empty building. Everything from the costumes to the lighting is designed to make you uneasy about the girl’s safety but, in the end, she’s the vampire. Give the audience something sensational and they won’t be disappointed that you didn’t deliver on what you originally promised.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by promising less than you plan to deliver. For example, if you plan to kill off a character as they walk through a dark alley, let them worry about being mugged rather than murdered. Not only is it less suspenseful, the payoff is more shocking.
Characters are Crucial
INCREASE SUSPENSE by shifting the focus to a character who’s more involved in the action or one who has more at stake. Even if you have a single POV character, another can come in and demand that character’s attention, along with the readers’.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by focusing on a character who’s more concerned with a secondary goal. Subplots are a fantastic way to give your readers some room to breathe.
Calm vs. Chaos
INCREASE SUSPENSE by cutting back on the action. Suspense flourishes in the quiet moments when your characters have time to think and to anticipate what may be in store for them.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by giving your characters a big, exciting mess to deal with. Even when that mess causes more problems and puts more pressure on your characters in the long run, you’ve still created an oasis where both they and the readers are too distracted to worry about how the big picture will pan out.
Devil’s in the Details
INCREASE SUSPENSE by concentrating on the details of the setting. Horror movies are great at this - every creak of a door, every shadow across a wall keeps the audience immersed in the experience and tense with anticipation.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by breaking the “show, don’t tell” rule and allow exposition to help you move things along. You don’t need to take readers through every aspect of your story in excruciating detail. It’s okay to gloss over some things and it helps readers relax because they know you’re not going to be springing any surprises on them just yet.
Ticking Time-Bomb
INCREASE SUSPENSE by imposing a deadline that your characters struggle to meet. It’s one of the oldest and most obvious tricks in the book, but very effective.
DECREASE SUSPENSE by allowing your characters to believe that the deadline has been met or pushed back. If they (and the readers) believe that they’ve accomplished their goal or bought themselves more time, it relieves pressure and allows everyone to relax until the truth’s revealed.
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maxs-guesswork · 4 months
Text
Unfinished Timeline for an Untitled Setting
Critique and advice is more than welcome, though please be nice about it. Goes up to about 2081 rn, though I plan to get at least another 50 years further in before I get to the time I want the bulk of the setting to be set in.
Timeline:
2022: First controlled break-even fusion reaction, followed by first controlled net-gain fusion reaction.
2025-2026: Increasing unrest in USA leads to mass riots outside the white-house. Sweeping reforms after growing revolts threaten to become a major armed rebellion. NASA miraculously left untouched, general increase in standard of living. Economic crisis narrowly averted.
2027: First nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) tested in orbit by NASA and DARPA. GPT-style language modeling declared “dead end” for self-aware AI.
2030: First Lunar base established under NASA Artemis program. Suez Canal temporarily blocked by a poorly driven cargo ship again. Evergreen Shipping goes bankrupt.
2034: Lunar Gateway established under joint NASA, ESA, JAXA, DLR, ASI, and CNSA. Lunar helium-3 mining declared officially nonviable. Radial detonation engines become standard for lower ascent stages, SpaceX Starship, NASA SLS, and Roscosmos Soyuz phased out. Drop in launch prices.
2034-2036: Additional modules added to the Lunar Gateway from SpaceX, KARI, ISRO, and Roscosmos. Lunar Gateway Collaborative Group (LGCG) established consisting of all current contributors to the station.
2036: First commercial fusion energy plant reaches full operation in France under ITER. Mass production of Tritium begins. First fully private space station under SpaceX. Asteroid mining corporations begin formation. Establishment of Nigerian Organization for the Development of Space (NODS). Ecuador experiences communist revolution.
2036-2037: First manned martian mission under LGCG, first human footsteps on another planetary body.
2037: Elon Musk assassinated. New SpaceX leadership declares plans for space elevator. North Korea collapses, Korean peninsula unified under South Korean leadership, becoming simply Korea. Indian nuclear stockpile secretly surpasses 50000 Gt. First baby born on the moon.
2040: Artemis base becomes semi-self sufficient, producing it’s own food and air from hydroponics, and water from mined lunar ice. Lunar LH2 and hydrolox production begins. Lunar population passes 100.
2040-2042: First commercial fusion power plants established in the US, UK, Australia, Korea, and Japan.
2042: A joint US Government and SpaceX black operation destabilizes Ecuador, leading to a corporate takeover of the territory.
2044: Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand form West Pacific Trade Organization (WPTO). Construction of the base of SpaceX’s planned space elevator begins off the coast of Ecuador.
2047: LCC completed at CERN. Mission for permanent martian base declared. Major economic crisis in China, intervention from several megacorps results in a decrease in Chinese government power and increase in corporate control in the region. SpaceX space elevator counterweight construction begins in geostationary orbit.
2048: Major revolution in quantum mechanics brought on by new data from the LCC. Lunar population passes 250.
2050: China splits into 4 corporate states, Amazon Corporate Territory (ACT) with its capitol in Chongqing, Samsung Independent State (SIS) with its capitol in Shanghai, Territory for Electronic Developments (TED) made up of Apple and Microsoft with its capitol in Yinchuan, and the Chinese Corporate Union (CCU) made up of several formerly state-owned corporations with their capitol in Wuhan and possession of the Three Gorges Dam. Beijing becomes an independent city-state controlled by the former Chinese government, retaining control over the CNSA. Massive revolution in battery energy density. Permanent martian base established by LGCG.
2051: Breakthrough in photon manipulation, beamed energy and solar collection becomes increasingly viable. Many asteroid mining corps branch into solar power, notably Binghamton Vacuum Mining Solutions (BVMS). Lunar population passes 500.
2052: Martian population surpasses 100.
2053: Martian base reaches semi-self sustainability.
2055: All 4 Chinese corporate states and the Beijing city state form the Chinese Federation for Space Exploration (CFSE), supplanting the old CNSA. Lunar Gateway module renamed and LGCG roster amended accordingly. SpaceX space elevator cable completed, first test cart sent to GEO. WPTO begins construction of a space elevator in the Banda Sea.
2056: SpaceX space elevator declared complete, commercial operation begins.
2057: BVMS surpasses $1T in net worth, becomes primary supplier of energy for the Artemis Lunar Base. Lunar Population surpasses 1k, massive migratory population surge begins following influx of energy from BVMS. Martian population surpasses 250. First fusion reactor in Ecuador.
2058: WPTO space elevator counterweight begins construction in GEO.
2060: First fusion reactors in Nigeria and India. First large-scale solar collector on Earth constructed in New York operated by BVMS. Large population surge in Binghamton NY. Lunar population surpasses 5k. Martian space station established. Regulations for GEO development established.
2061: First lunar-built spacecraft flown. Secondary lunar settlement founded by CFSE. Massive influx of funds for the WPTO space elevator from the CFSE, GEO counterweight construction begun. Lunar Gateway population surpasses 100. First fusion reactor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Congo space agency (DRCSA) founded.
2064: WPTO space elevator cable completed, declared complete and opened to commercial operation.
2065: BVME establishes unmanned Mercurian base. CFSE settlement population surpasses 100. Martian population surpasses 500. Lunar Gateway population surpasses 200.
2066: Mass expansion of Artemis Base life support systems using BVMS produced automated construction equipment. Aerostat scientific outpost established by LGCG.
2067: Microbial life discovered on Venus. Venus outpost (and LGCG) acquires substantial funding boost. Artemis base population surpasses 2.5k and begins to plateau.
2069: Unmanned mission to Europa announced by LGCG, plans to use BVMS automated platforms to drill into subsurface ocean established. Martian base purchases automated construction equipment from BVMS, massive population boon ensues. CFSE settlement population surpasses 750. Lunar gateway population surpasses 500. Martian base population surpasses 500. BVME becomes the largest corporate entity in the system.
2070: BVMS performs feasibility study on gas giant aerostat mining platforms.
2071: Study of Venusian lifeforms disproves Earth-Venus panspermia.
2073: BVMS tests laser-sail propulsion on small unmanned craft.
2075: LGCG Europa mission discovers multicellular aquatic life in Europa’s subsurface ocean. Plans for a dedicated research base drafted.
2076: Multi-corporate base established on Ceres to facilitate further asteroid belt mining. BVMS intentionally excluded from this project.
(System effectively split into quarters: Past Venus under BVMS, Between Venus and Mars under LGCG, belt under Multi-corporate mining control, outer system unclaimed.)
2077: GEO-Lunar cycler niche mostly filled by Intraplanetary Transport Services corp (ITS).
2080: Permanent scientific base established at the Europa Breach Point (EBP) with mostly automated systems and a small (5 human) management and maintenance crew.
2081: Panspermia further disproved by study of Europan life. Massive object detected in Jupiter’s lower atmosphere. BVMS begins mission to establish a mining aerostat on Saturn, utilizing laser sail propulsion to transport equipment.
(Saturn Aerostat site intended for use in the further colonization of the outer solar system and the Uranus planetary system itself. Atomic Rockets page)
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maxs-guesswork · 5 months
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Trapped between wanting to share my worldbuilding and wanting to keep it vague so people can figure it out when (if) I actually write for it
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maxs-guesswork · 7 months
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More Random Worldbuilding Questions
Part 1 here. Use these as ask games, answer all of them, whatever you like.
In real life, there are some pieces of knowledge that seemed so trivial and obvious to people at the time that they were never properly recorded (e.g. the recipe for Roman concrete, or the third condiment that came with salt and pepper), and ended up lost to history. Are there any things that have suffered a fate like this in your world, or current things that might suffer it in the future?
If a new species of megafauna was discovered in your world, how would people react? With excitement? Skepticism? Fear? Or just go about their day as normal?
Imagine someone in your world went to a public place and shouted something unfathomably rude at the top of their lungs. What did they yell? Why is it considered so rude? What happens to them next - do they get politely ignored, yelled at back, arrested, etc.?
What’s something that’s commonplace / common knowledge in real life, but if you explained it to someone from your world, they would consider it unrealistic or fake-sounding? Why?
How do people think the world is going to end? Are there any myths, conspiracy theories, or scientific predictions about it that are widely believed - or widely mocked?
What do children in your world do for fun? What are some common / popular games that were designed for children, or that children came up with for themselves?
Is there anything in your world that is edible, but never eaten by the people even in times of famine? Why not - scarcity, cultural reasons, just tastes nasty, etc.? Conversely, are there any things that aren’t digestible / nutritious but are eaten anyway?
What are the most common childhood dream jobs? (Like how kids want to be astronauts, firefighters, and doctors in real life.) Why are they so popular? When people grow up, do most of them hold onto and pursue these dreams, or are they expected to settle for something more practical?
What are some animals (or other non-sapient creatures) in your world that have positive cultural connotations? If they’re associated with certain character traits (e.g. bravery, loyalty, wisdom), do they actually live up to these or is it purely exaggeration?
Out-of-universe, what genre / media / tropes were you most inspired by as you built this world? Any recommendations for media with cool worldbuilding that you tried to emulate (or really bad worldbuilding that motivated you out of spite)?
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maxs-guesswork · 7 months
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Random Worldbuilding Questions
Are there any foods with symbolic meanings that are eaten on special occasions (e.g. katsudon for victory, or new years oranges for luck)? How did the tradition get started?
We all know about weddings and marriage, but are there any ceremonies that symbolically / legally / magically officialize a different type of relationship in your world’s culture? (Adoption, apprenticeship, friendship, etc.)
What’s a rule or social norm that is widely followed in theory, but in practice everyone knows it’s not a big deal and breaks it all the time?
Are there any trades or hobbies whose practitioners are stereotyped as weird or extraordinary? (E.g. the “mad hatter” trope.) Why? How true is this perception?
What are some cliches, tropes, and/or plots that commonly appear in stories written by your world’s inhabitants? What were they inspired by? Why are they popular?
What is a common way to subtly insult someone in your world, without crossing into overt rudeness? Gifting an item with negative connotations? Addressing them more familiarly or formally than normal? Backhanded compliments?
If you pulled a random average Joe off the streets of your world and asked them to draw a house, what would they draw? (Shape, roof style, position and number of windows, etc.)
Is there a place in your world that nobody has ever been to - the bottom of a cave, the moon, another dimension, etc.? How do people know it exists? Why haven’t they gone there? What do they believe it’s like, and how right/wrong are they?
What aesthetics are considered “advanced” or “futuristic” in your world - canvas wings, shiny chrome, smooth plastic? How has this changed over time?
What’s a fun fact about your world that you as the worldbuilder are dying to share, but nobody ever thinks to ask? 
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maxs-guesswork · 7 months
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making a character in thirty questions but it becomes increasingly more personal
what is their name?
do they have a nickname?
do they have other names?
what is their age?
what is their eye colour?
hair colour?
what languages can they speak?
what is their favourite food?
least favourite?
who is someone they would die for?
who is someone they would kill?
do they have any family members?
did they go to school?
what was /would be their favourite class?
who was their childhood friend?
what is their clothing size?
shoe size?
height?
gender orientation?
sexual orientation?
do they have a sworn enemy?
do they have any tattoos?
have they ever smoked?
what is their mental state?
what is their darkest secret?
who is their sacred confidant?
what is a lie they tell everyone?
what is one lie they know is not true but continue to believe?
if they were under different circumstances would they stray from their storyline?
what makes them hurt?
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