phyllitewrites

[phyllitewrites]

[phyllitewrites]

How to write dual sided characters.

Dual sided characters, the way I write them, are how they act around one person or group and another way with a different person or group. They can flip it on or off like a switch. They tend to be manipulate in order to get to their end goal.

This could very well go to actions where they act like they are on the side of the antagonist and show actions for the protagonist.

Have a clearly defined character reference for them and how they will act. For example: how loyal are they to B and how loyal are they to C? Show a clear difference between B and C to demonstrate the dual sidedness.

What does this character want in the end? Consider the other characters and conflicts to paint a picture of how they will act in these situations. If the character is a person of power, think about what they will do to preserve their image in public vs. when all eyes are off of them.

What is their backstory? This is big if the setting is further into the future after the event. This serves two purposes that can build character and sets goals for the character.

Allows a very crafty character to shine for good or malicious intent. This character can easily wrap everything around their finger and pull strings all though simple manipulation techniques. If they can succeed in manipulating one person, they can soon have a whole cast of people under their spell and use that to their ultimate advantage. A puppet master controlling several puppets in a show situation.

Are they torn between something? This is very good as you can torment the character as much as you like with the thing they are torn between. They might act like they enjoy being bad around the wrong group and when alone they might wear that mask then drop it when the other half of them takes over, pulling them to the other side of what they're torn between. In the end the character will have to make a decision and the stakes are up to you in terms of how dire they are.

[phyllitewrites]

[phyllitewrites]

[FREE] Notion Template for WRITERS

hello hello, it's me again!

as you can read in the title, today I'm bringing you a FREE notion template where you can organize all your writing!

i've posted two of these before, however, I think this one is way better and more aesthetic. for now, I've picked the dark academia theme, but I'm thinking of bringing other versions of it such as cottage core, light academia, etc.

the real question is, what is inside the template?

main dashboard with a wide view of your novels, inspo, ideas, and resources you save to read later. also, there's a side column with your info and social media, where you can manage your follower count and see your growth!

novel management: a full menu with everything you need to write your novel (brainstorm, plot, synopsis, characters, scenes, world building and, of course, writing)

to-do list

playlist

gallery view of your characters

word count

snowflake method

character building template

let's see the template

(don't worry, you'll get the empty version)

get your template here!

[phyllitewrites]

“i equip my trusty laser revolver. there’s basically no point in it being a revolver and not an automatic pistol except for the aesthetic. honestly it’s just really inconvenient to have only six shots of fuckin light energy at a time but it’s a labor of love for a space cowboy”

[phyllitewrites]

[phyllitewrites]

Villain things I want to see more of

Actually funny. Not making jokes at other people's expense, not the butt of the joke, just villains that have absurd senses of humour and top-notch intentional comedic timing,

CHARISMA!!! Please, can we have more charming villains, villains that can sway a crowd, villains that get away with things because their too polite, too well-spoken, too funny to possibly to evil.

Respected. Villains whose villainous deeds have led them to success and made them widely respected members of society. To be clear, this isn't respected person who is secretly evil. No. I mean, the bad things they've done are the reason they're respected.

Let them win. Let them win because their plan succeeded. Not because the protagonists fucked up, not by pure luck. Let them earn their victories.

Supporters! Lots of them. The more powerful your villain is, the more supporters they are going to need. If the evil king is unpopular with everyone he's not going to stay king for long. He needs allies, lots of them, especially if he's a tyrant.

Knows how to play the game. Manipulative villains who say whatever they have to to get their way, chose their allies and enemies carefully, bribe and blackmail, play the victim, the hero, or even the innocent when it suits them. Make it hard for your protagonists to convince anyone they are a villain at all.

Cold Steel. Give me villains that don't get angry easy, that laugh things off, that kill because it's efficient and for no other reason.

Clever and creative. Strategists who always have a trick up their sleeve and problem solvers with personal flare.

Show other characters reacting with fear. Nothing rams home how terrifying a villain is quite like watching other powerful characters fall to their knees--fast--when they walk in the room.

Irredeemable despite their tragic backstories. For the love of god people, tragic backstories do not justify a villain's actions. You can have empathy for what they've endured while still expecting them to take responsibility for what they've become.

Unconventionally attractive. Take this however you want. I, for one, would like to see more tortured bad boys who aren't white and shredded. But also, villains whose attractiveness lies in how they talk, their body language and facial expressions, and their outfits. Why do y'all think smirking is such a popular word??

Love. Let them love their spouses, their children, their friends. Not in an abusive way either. Let them have healthy relationships with their still living wives, daughters, sons, comrades in arms etc.

Kind. Give me villains who tip well, who put their own garbage away even though the servants could do it, who remember their henchmen's names, who are good with kids, who donate to charity and not just for the tax incentives

[phyllitewrites]

I just wanna say, if you aren't American, definitely try setting a modern AU in your country. Fill it with the things you know, to breathe life into it. It's really nice to see new settings, to open up a fic and go 'oh wait, hold up, I know that place'. It might only apply to a few people who read your fic but it's really rewarding to get that feedback.

(Americans keep doing you, just trying to encourage the rest of us lol)

[phyllitewrites]

List of “they’re fake dating but are crossing way too many lines to be considered fake anymore” prompts

Character A’s arm around Character B’s waist, subconsciously keeping them close; glaring at people who try to get close to Character B. 

Heart twisting uncomfortably in Character A’s chest when they see Character B’s eyes lighting up when they’re talking to someone else, so much so A has to tear their eyes away to calm themselves down. The reminder of fake, fake, fake repeats in Character A’s head. 

Seeking for Character B’s hand subconsciously, intertwining their fingers, palm pressed against palm; snug and warm, the feeling of never wanting to let go almost overwhelming. But this is fake be damned — for now, it’s all about the comfort. (It becomes a habit.) 

Drunken kisses. God, the drunken kisses, with Character B’s fingers in Character A’s hair and Character B perched in their lap, kissing them with no restraint; things getting heated, Character A’s hands slipping under Character B’s shirt and earning a slight shiver from them. All the while, Character A could only wish Character B would kiss them like this when they’re sober. Character A lets that thought linger until they both fall asleep in each other’s arms after kissing way too many times to count because they can’t seem to get enough of each other. 

Late night phone calls or endless text messages at two in the morning, never wanting the conversation to end. It makes Character A wonder, but they stop themselves before these thoughts spiral out of their control. 

The thoughts of wanting Character B in a way they can’t have them becomes more frequent. They know it’s only going to break them by thinking like this, but they continue to entertain the idea of it; of how it would be like to call Character B theirs, for real. (It’s unhealthy, so fucking unhealthy, but they can’t help it.) 

Kisses becoming longer; more desperate, more passionate, with no need for alcohol. It burns to have Character B kiss them like they mean it; like there’s supposed to be something there, but they push it down because this is fake. It’s fake. This is all an act. (Character A convince themselves, at least for a little while more.)

Gazing at each other like they’re in love with each other, even though the both of them know they’re not in love with each other (or maybe denial is more blissful than they realise?). 

Fighting with each other hurts more than it should; it dissolves into tears, doors slamming shut and heart aches that wouldn’t have happened if they didn’t agree to this stupid fake dating thing. 

And then it all comes to a head one day, tearful and angry confessions on the tips of their tongues. (And by God, are they so dramatic about it, too.) 

B: “Why are you doing this to us? We— we were doing so good—” 

A: “Because this is supposed to be fake, but I’m falling for you and I’m fucking terrified I’m never going to be able to catch myself. Because I’m falling for you and you don’t feel the same and everything in me screams for me to run away, but I can’t because it’s you.” 

B: “…And who the fuck says I don’t feel the same?” 

[phyllitewrites]

“How considerate,” it said, “that you would lead yourself here to be swallowed by the woods.”

[phyllitewrites]

GUILT-FREE!!!! DO U HEAR ME!!!! GUILT-FREE!!!!!!

[phyllitewrites]

On Earth We're Breifly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong // Mother and Son, Jordan Siemons // Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan, Ilya Repin // Mother Son, Hyatt Moore // Pietá, Michaelangelo // Dogs and Mothers, Whimsy S // Mother and Son, Ixygon

[phyllitewrites]

Writers, it's okay:

to be proud of your own writing

to write something self-indulgent

to celebrate your achievements

to have a bad day of writing

to hype up your own writing

to be kind to your characters once in a while. ok? it's ok

[phyllitewrites]

[phyllitewrites]

you know that expression, "dance like no one is watching you?"

try writing like no one is going to read it

it's easier to let yourself go and just enjoy the process of creation when you aren't also playing 6 dimensional chess with your insecurities and anxieties

write because you have fun writing and if you never post it anywhere that's totally fine because you enjoyed your time with the process

[phyllitewrites]

𝙄𝙉𝙎𝙀𝙍𝙏 𝘾𝙊𝙄𝙉  👾

aka baby’s first gdoc template!

i had no idea what i was doing when i sat down to start this, and i have learned many things. mostly that drawings in gdocs are dumb as heck. why must they lag my entire computer every time i jump in and out. why. anyway i LOVED what came out of my testy phase so at least for now, here she be!! hello gdocs rpc tumblr i’m so excited to share with u my baby gorl

she’s set up with a rules page, a character overview page with links to slightly more in-depth bios, a verses or connections page, and a spot for backstory or a blurb. best for multis or maybe for more than one version of the same muse housed on the same blog, that sort of thing, but you could likely turn it into something single muse if you wanted to change each character into a different section instead.

she is free to use and edit however you want. i left some notes in it so you can hopefully figure it out and edit it without a whole lot of experience but feel free to ask me any questions u might have and i can hopefully help. credit on title page must remain intact. do not use it for commercial reasons (aka don’t sell what i made pls, it is Free). also don’t use it as a base for your own docs. it’s sdjkf not even good enough for that, truly you will be better off starting from scratch. you can keep the space invaders assets/aesthetics or redo it with your own images if you want.

HOW TO GET HER — the link is here, go file > make a copy and make as many versions as you would like! if you use her please give her a little like/reblog. we will appreciate the love. ty and have a wonderful timezone ✨🎮

[phyllitewrites]

4 Tips for Writing a Positive Relationship

Writing a relationship plotline is key for almost any story. Most narratives will feature a relationship that arcs positively through the book–whether the characters are love interests, friends, family members, allies, coworkers, or what have you. While it’s possible to highlight a negative relationship, audiences typically crave a meaningful one that brings the characters closer together at the end.

To help you write a greater positive relationship, @septembercfawkes​ is here with four tips.

1. Write a Relationship that has Foils

I’ll start this one with something you shouldn’t do (and then go into its opposite).

Do not make your characters too alike.

Often writers think that the way to make a relationship great, is to have both or all the participants be very similar. They may have the exact same interests, opinions, goals, and dreams. Nearly all of their conversations are positive. They don’t argue. And they understand one another, always. They may be prone to complimenting and sharing their love for one another.

None of these things are wrong here and there.

But too often, writers think great relationships in fiction come from only likeness and agreeability.

In reality, you’ll find that the best, most powerful relationships have characters who foil each other in some significant way. They are opposites. Sherlock Holmes is super intelligent, and John Watson is more ordinary. In Good Omens Crowley is a demon and Aziraphale is an angel. In Parks and Rec, April loves the dark and sinister, and Andy loves being playful and positive.

This can work in trios and groups as well. Frequently the characters have different worldviews or methodologies. Consider how Harry, Ron, and Hermione each have different perspectives on homework, or perhaps, more relevant, the wizarding world itself.

The most interesting interactions tend to play off how the characters are different.

And actually, it’s the fact these characters can be friends/colleagues/significant others despite these differences that makes the relationship feel more powerful.

When you smash characters who are opposites together, a couple of things happen:

It’s easier to brainstorm interesting and entertaining exchanges

It makes the relationship more dynamic—you will have both positive and negative emotions to play with in the relationship. The contrast of that makes the reading experience more powerful.

Make sure you find foils that will be easy to put in the story. Sometimes people pick foils that aren’t very relevant, so it’s hard to get that opposition on the page.

2. Give the Relationship a History

Great character relationships have a sense of history. Now, how you approach this will depend a bit on where your story starts in regard to the relationship. In some stories, you will be working with relationships that are just beginning, like in Harry Potter, or relationships that are ongoing, like The Office, and sometimes some of both, like with the kids in Stranger Things.

If your characters are just meeting, you’ll be developing or building a sense of history as the story progresses.

In any case, to use this technique, you just need to refer back to something, whether it happened on or off page. If you refer to something that happened on page that the reader knows about, it can build on itself and sort of work as an inside joke.

On the other hand, if you refer to something that happens off page, it makes your story and the relationship feel “full”-er–like the relationship, story, and characters are bigger than what can fit in your book. Often the referral is told with a humorous tone, where the characters are remembering the event together, but that’s not a hard and fast rule.

Sometimes you can imply a history fairly easily. In the first episode of The Office, Dwight says, “He put my stuff in Jello again!” The “again” says plenty. Other times the exchange may be longer.

If you are working with already established relationships, make sure to convey what is typical or normal in the relationship. Often when people talk about established relationships, they talk in absolutes, “Jasper always liked to remind me of my age” or “Kaden pulled pranks on everyone, but never on me.” It might also be helpful to touch on how the relationship has changed over the months or years.

If you are working with new relationships, it can be effective to signal to the audience how this relationship will grow. In Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Blue talks about how much she hates Raven Boys, but in doing so, we get a strong sense that her opinion is going to change.

3. The Characters Know Each Other Too Well

Audiences love it when characters know each other too well. In fact, one character may know the other person better than that person knows himself. It’s like with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As the series progresses, whenever Hermione is about to have a “Hermione moment,” where she goes off to inform Harry and Ron about something she read about, Harry and Ron exchange smiles. They know Hermione so well that they can sense where she is going, and they share in it. They actually both come to find her scholarly moments endearing. In the movies, we hear them finish her sentences.

Hermione: I had some questions, so I decided to go to– Harry and Ron: –the library. Interestingly, some of these things they find endearing about her, they found annoying in the first half of the first book. This sort of thing can be fun to play with. Maybe you have a character who is really good at picking up others’ ulterior motives, and your protagonist likes that about her … until she uses that skill on him. Then he finds it annoying. So sometimes you can flip-flop what they like or don’t like about each other, and that can be entertaining and make things complex.

In real life, we often predict how friends, family, or coworkers will react to certain things. Sometimes we even imagine conversations with them. Your characters can make predictions and have these fake conversations too (just make sure to use this in moderation).

Because these characters know each other so well, they know exactly how to be there for one another, how to help, and protect each other, when it counts. (Or, alternatively, get under the other’s skin when they need to.)

4. Write a Relationship Where Characters Grow Together

These characters need to grow–together. They need to grow as individuals in front of each other, and they need to grow closer.

In Good Omens, we see how Crowley and Aziraphale’s relationship grows throughout all of Earth’s time.

In Guardians of the Galaxy, we see how the guardians become family. While they are each unique individuals, they also begin to function together as a more cohesive unit (and hey, they all like Peter’s music).

Don’t be afraid to take a moment near the end of the story to drive home how this relationship has arced. Make sure to validate the personal journeys these characters took. How has this relationship changed them? How is where they are now different than where they started? What has been gained and lost?

In Guardians of the Galaxy, the characters move from attacking and even trying to kill each other, to holding hands (something Peter wouldn’t even do with his mom when his own personal “world” was ending) in an effort to save the galaxy.

There are plenty more ways to make the positive relationships in your stories meaningful. Hopefully, these four tips will help you write yours.