shmowlwrites

[shmowlwrites]

how does one come up with a plot. im worldbuilding and character building but im struggling to make an actual plot

the only thing i got are themes of the fear of death and religious trauma :shrug:

This may be a pointless ramble, bear with me.

There are a couple different ways that people develop stories. I've heard some folks like to decide on a message they want to send and build the plot, characters and world around that (environmental opinions, questions about how handle grief healthily, etc). Others take a setting they've developed and make a plotline out of the natural issues that come up from that setting (severe class divide, elements of nature going out of control, etc). There's also people (like me) who start with one of the three factors of a story (plot, characters, worldbuilding) and sort of build them at the same time as each other, so they're woven together.

But for actual ideas...I can't really speak to your sort of creative mind, because I don't know how your brain functions, but I'll describe how my stories come to me. Hopefully it'll help you.

My favored path to a story, setting, or character is inspiration. I'll see something I really like that speaks to me (or is just plain fucking cool) and I'll take it and develop how I want to do it my way.

For example, I really love the concepts described in Downtrodden (which you all should look at, it’s so sick): small animals in a world with beasts much larger and more dangerous than them, having to rely on their own cunning and abilities to survive, complete with an interesting culture and unique interpretations of other animals for different races. So I took that and ended up making multiple settings with my own personal spin on them - one with bipedal cats as the dominant race but every animal, including their livestock, is still the same size as in our world; one in a book I’m working on now with regular prey animals in a redwood forest; and one with unicorn-people who have to destroy corpses so they don’t automatically come back as shambling zombies thanks to the earth’s desire to negate death. The materials and coats of paint are entirely different, but the core inspiration is still there. I just saw something I liked and said, “Now, how would I do it?” In the process of molding it to my liking, it changed enough to not be just a repeat of something someone else did better.

The same is to be said for story ideas. While it is just a fix-it fic, for Iteurm, Lynx and I saw Warriors as it is, used the plot as a baseline, and ended up coming up with things that are a far cry from canon (which you’ve seen in the worldbuilding and will be seeing a lot more of in the third arc’s plotline). One original project, Seeker, was inspired by Moonstuck, Prequel and all of MSPaintAdventures – I liked the idea of interacting with player commands, and worked that into the story as a major plot point. In every instance, I wanted to play with a concept someone else did, and it became its own unique thing by virtue of being done by a different person with different opinions, ideas and desires. It can follow beats or slither the same general pathway of a movie I watched (or whatever), but it’s still its own thing, and you didn’t have to claw at your brain trying to figure out something “new” and “original” (which is the most blatant lie artists tell themselves – there is nothing new under the sun, and trying to go so different to everyone else will just fuck you over).

The main key for this method is that you are saying it with your voice and your interpretations of the world around you. A lot of people just blatantly copy something someone else did without thinking about why they were so inspired, and what specific themes and concepts lit a fire in them. Taking from multiple stories helps with this, because in order to make them fit together, you HAVE to say it your way.

I recommend watching this section of C-Puff’s video about My Adventures With Superman, because she says a lot of this way better than I did, and it’s a good place to start thinking about stories in general.

I have no idea how helpful this will be, but it’s about the best I could do. Feel free to send something in if this failed to answer anything.

[shmowlwrites]

Are you still into Miraculous Ladybug?

Unfortunately not as much as I was. I just don't have the energy to keep up with it

[shmowlwrites]

I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ATLANTIS THE LAST EMPIRE

Milo Thatch is a dedicated researcher of Atlantis and knows he prove it's real. He is picked up by an eccentric old guy to lead an expedition team to find it.

He's a very respectful scholar, he's the best boy. I love him sm

Ngl I thought you were talking about Milo thatch not the drink mix

Who is this man. Why does he look like he’s gonna tell me that my music taste sucks and I should listen to Death Grips instead. The ultimate white boy.

[shmowlwrites]

Any other ao3 author out there who sees that they've got stuff in their inbox but absolutely refuses to open it in fear of destructive criticism or is it just me?

[shmowlwrites]

A very late reblog but what do ya know

Looks at Chat Blanc

I was right

Why do I not actively ship Love Square? Why do I ship anything other than Love Square?

Because Adrien is not interested in Marinette. He goes to great lengths to say that she is a “very good friend.”

He never once entertains the idea of dating Marinette. 

While Marinette is over here doing that. She’s open. She’s considering, but her heart is with Adrien. 

And don’t try and tell me that the reveal would change things. Because here’s the fact: The only reason he would suddenly show interest is because she is Ladybug. Imagine someone only liking you because of an alter ego.

Yeah. Ouch.

So, Felix is not knocking Adrien down a peg nor is he a salt response. I just see someone who could love Marinette.

Lukanette is not the same dynamic as Adrienette. Luka actually shows interest in her.

I entertain the thought of Chloe, through a redemption arc, possibly liking Marinette.

I entertain the thought of Kagami liking Marinette. It’s easy to do once their initial meeting and misunderstanding is cleared.

I go out of fandom and find people who could love Marinette.

It’s not a salt response. It’s me trying to find Marinette someone who would return her feelings.

[shmowlwrites]

Y'all I am so sorry that I keep accidentally reblogging stuff here that isn't writing

I am also sorry that I cannot muster the motivation to do work

[shmowlwrites]

Sorry for the late reply!! And you totally can use my idea, thank you for asking!

The Tattoos of Fate

Tattoo Soulmate AU where your and your soulmate’s spirit animals are on your skin. Yours moves freely across your skin with your soulmate’s will be stuck in one place before you start getting close to your soulmate. Then, it will move to your fingers and guide you. Once you’ve met, both creatures will move freely.

Oneshot, might do a follow up if y'all want

Maribat, @ozmav the great’s ship

Keep reading

[shmowlwrites]

Do I need to compete Yellow Carnations? Yes

Am I aware that I need to do it? Yes

Am I also aware that I literally can't write for anything I'm not hyperfixing on at the moment? Yes

[shmowlwrites]

Thought I should update you guys: my computer crashed and burned (it was five years old, everyone's telling me that's old) and my family is currently diverting all funds to moving so it'll be a while until I can properly write again.

I can write on my phone but it isn't fun, it takes a while since it's harder to edit and I use slide texting - meaning I'll have to reread and find all the slide text mess ups I didn't pick up the first time.

[shmowlwrites]

hey, just wanted to say you're super valid this fandom is tiring like,, this is the first time in a long while i came back and am only looking at maribat tag lol the main fandom not so much honestly

Aaaa thank you! Honestly I've been getting mentally and emotionally exhuasted for a while now just dealing with fandom spaces, I dunno why??? Hopefully I can get my pep back up and finish projects bc that needs to be done 😅

[shmowlwrites]

I got a question for the DC x ML crossover verse. So I see a lot about how Wonder Woman’s Mother Hyppolyta was a Ladybug, but I remember it was canonical that her Black Cat was Hercules, and Hercules is part of the SHAZAM pantheon (he’s the H). I haven’t seen anyone work that in yet so I thought I’d ask around to see some different takes on how that would impact things if at all.

That is interesting! But I'm at a writer block right now- I'll save this for later!

This definitely gives me a ship idea but I'll have to check things (I wasn't into DC before this lol)

[shmowlwrites]

So I saw @goldenflowersupportteam get an ask about what would happen if Squirrelpaw died instead of Feathertail and while they didn't go off on it, my brain went DING and writer's block left long enough to make a dumb paragraph about Squirrelpaw's death

"A silver cat will save us" is essentially the prophecy the tribe receives.

They think it's Stormfur. They think it's Feathertail. But it's Squirrelpaw, alone on the ledge above Sharptooth, having accidentally cut Feathertail off from her destiny, quite literally. She never got along with Crowpaw, but as she watches Sharptooth advance on him, she feels a protective emotion she only ever thought she'd feel for her clanmates or perhaps even Brambleclaw. She leaps from the ledge and knocks out the stalactite and falls. It was supposed to be beautiful, a picture from a tapestry, but all it is is terror and horror as Squirrelpaw realizes she's under the rock, she's going to get crushed-

Her fur is illuminated by the just rising full moon, every fluffy hair alit with silvery light. It's beautiful- for a moment, before the reality of it hits everyone, not just Squirrelpaw. She's no longer floating, she's crashing to the ground and hits Sharptooth, bounces - it's almost like she'll escape death - before getting crushed by the rock. There's no pretty words- Squirrelpaw's dead by the time they reach her. Her fur isn't splayed around her like a halo with blood pooling around her head to accent it, a calm and peaceful expression on her face as she accepts death- no, it's terror frozen on a face too young to have died. It's the face of someone realizing they had so much more to do- and realizing they had less than a second left. Feathertail realizes that would have been her- she was about to rush to that ledge, she would have jumped to save Crowpaw- and instead of a warrior ready, it was an apprentice with too much life left.

[shmowlwrites]

The thing about gale is they'll complain about salt and salt not being tagged, then tag their post in ml salt

Yeah that's a problem. At least say salt on fandom?

But I'd rather not nag on Gale anymore than I have, I kinda got jumped for daring to mention him before. Also because I've said my piece.

[shmowlwrites]

I love this fandom, but am I the only one who feels tired?

I go through my dashboard and almost all the MLB people I follow have something about what the fandom has done to bitch about. Like... Yes Gale, I get it, you hate this one crossover and salt fics, please stop talking about it. Have you considered blocking the tags?

Yes, guys, I get it, you hate salt fics, have you considered blocking the tag?

Like yeah, this post is me bitching about the fandom but I am so damn tired of seeing people being upset about the things other people do. If this person did that because it hit their itch, don't make them feel like shit for having done it.

I guess you could say I'm upset about constantly seeing this war on salt(all varieties) and seeing people bitch about the one crossover I'm interested in.

Tag blocking is there. Use it. Don't talk about the thing ever again.

[shmowlwrites]

everybody is so bored while stuck inside bc of covid-19 that i just got an ff.net alert that a fic from 2009 i was following updated with a new chapter for the first time in FIVE YEARS

[shmowlwrites]

@ my Yellow Carnations readers, I  sincerely apologize for the long pause. I got wrapped up in other things and lost quite a bit of motivation to write. But fear not! I read a few comments and I’m gonna try to crank out the ending to this story on my side as soon as possible and release however many chapters that is at once.

YC was my first project and I’ve learned a lot from it. It sucks some serious ass, so I’m hoping in the future I’ll be able to re-write it to be better and more coherent. I’m a pantsy writer, meaning I essentially write on the seat of my pants. I don’t think - I write. I’m still figuring out outlines and how to not burn out and over-detail the outline. I hope that whatever future projects I do, I might perform much better than this time. Thank you guys for sticking with me and reading Yellow Carnations, I love you guys very much and hopefully we can finally say “The End” to this dragged out story soon.

[shmowlwrites]

Me, whilst dressed in full ninja attire: We came from the shadows.

Well, I’m glad y’all came and decided to stay on this train wreck