#principles of plotting

[ahb-writes]

Writing Problem: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Problem: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Solution: Character growth and story arcs don't occur in isolation. Conflict-guided scenes and conflict-guided storytelling, more broadly, open the narrative to moments in which the characters are continuously tested to validate their knowledge, skills, or relationships.

To drive the story forward with measured purpose, focus on building, developing, and testing a character's desires. If necessary, implement story or relational dynamics to economically assess, judge, and curate a character's failure (and the consequences thereof). Conflict needn't be grandiose; writers must be in tune with the different levels, types, and intensities of conflict that drive their story. Conflict should be multifaceted.

Writing Resources:

A Few Words About Conflict (Glimmer Train Press)

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense (Writer's Digest)

Emotions in Writing: How to Make Your Readers Feel (Jericho Writers)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences (September C. Fawkes)

How to Master Conflict in Young Adult Fiction (Writer's Edit)

Failure, Conflict, and Character Arc (Writers in the Storm)

❯ ❯ Adapted from the writing masterpost series: 19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

[sha-brytols]

Can i ask how u feel about elthina then? Since u said ur feelings are complicated. Dw if u dont want to answer!!!

undeniably the true antagonist to da2 and in my opinion a very clever representation of the chantry's frankly terrifying role in like. all of the major conflicts of da2. but also painting her as inaffably evil or acting out of some diabolical self-serving purpose is (imo) hugely missing the point

[notbecauseofvictories]

very strongly feel that moist/adora is the only actual romantic relationship terry pratchett ever wrote.

[storge]

I'd mistakenly caused the First Princess, Shen Zhiyi, to fall in love with me.

Story of Kunning Palace (2023)

[crowns-of-violets-and-roses]

They are NOT siblings in this fic

Blocked, unsubscribed, reported

[lizlemondyke]

for the second time, yellowjackets has killed off a woman of color who was in a prime position to emerge to more prominence and foil an established central character, in favor of a white nobody coming out of literal nowhere. the first one, which I still am not over, was jessica roberts, whose dynamic with misty was perfectly poised to be a GRIPPING enemies-to-allies[-to lovers???] arc; jessica’s skill and savvy was grounded in her career and totally believable, she’d been a character since the first episode, and instead they killed her off so a millionaire white guy could swoop in and be misty’s savior.

fast forward to season three, who do we see wilderness shauna have a tense and (no pun intended…) biting rivalry with for 3-4 solid episodes? mari. and who comes out of the woodworks to become a romantic foil? fucking NOBODY-ass hat melissa. AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO MARI? pit girl. I’m so sorry, but in a show that fucking loves to invent random bitches, she didn’t have to go that way, and it would have been a lot more interesting to see Mari get a) a romantic arc (again “enemies to lovers” which is audience catnip) and b) a present day timeline, given she’s been a character SINCE DAY ONE and not a silent hat.

it’s fine that this show is bad but it’s fucking frustrating and mean that it’s also goddamn racist.

[aphel1on]

neuvillette's lore is actually insane. we all took one look at him and went "haha dragon🫵" but i significantly underestimated how big of a role he would play. he's the incarnation of the original hydro sovereign. he took back his rule right under the heavenly principles' nose. he's the one handing out hydro visions now (not even because he has to, he doesn't, he just grew so fond of humanity that he chooses to). he gave away the hydro gnosis bc he straight up doesn't need it. he's planning to DETHRONE ALL OF THE ARCHONS (in a few hundred years, when the traveler's not around to see it, so it won't be awkward for them). he's kind and soft-spoken. he's full of vengeful rage. he's a father to hundreds. he found his purpose after feeling lost for 500 years. skirk pulled him aside for a super-secret convo and when he saw us again he immediately spilled the tea. as far as i can tell, he spawned into existence fully formed. no other character can fucking compare

[moreespressoformydepresso]

The only thing that could ever make me like Descendants 5 is if they fix the MASSIVE GAPING BLACK HOLES that are the plot holes in the entirety of the Rise of Red, specifically that ending.

[fumifooms]

Here to share Hien thoughts today.

One thing that defines her is that she’s very capable. She’s the highest ranking in the squad after Maizuru so her confidence is in part because she does have that senior coworker &/ leader authority to her, confidence which is very much earned.

If I had to dig deeper at her beyond just what we’re shown I’d go with the angle that… She was born into the Nakamoto household and being a ninja servant, she grew up there, she doesn’t know anything else beyond the job, and it’s a job she does well, traines to get there. She’s here to do her work and she’s content with her life being how it is, not that she knows anything else. I don’t think she’d be self-aware about it all? Both because this really is pretty normal for Wa and it’s her normal, and because, while she doesn’t fold her spine or care for things like cosmetics, she does mold her attitude to be both capable and respectable. Her home, the Nakamoto household, is simultaneously a professional setting, it’s a 24/7 thing.

She’s critical of others, including her superiors and she doesn’t shy from it. Everyone shittalks Toshiro’s father regardless, but she also gets reprimanded by Maizuru for seeing Toshiro as vaguely unreliable, again likely influenced by their history as childhood friends, sasses Maizuru when she goes off into an anecdote again, etc. Even as a kid with Toshiro, doubtlessly after starting her ninja training already considering that Toshiro started his at ~5yo, she told him it was unbecoming of him to cry. She’s the one both with the job and the will to keep others in check, like when it comes to Izutsumi not doing her tasks, etc etc.

Her childhood friend relationship with Toshiro only grew more professional with time, to her surprise but seems to be more about the thought of it rather than it affecting her emotionally. With the way her extra comic lays it out, it seems she expected to become Toshiro’s mistress because of history repeating itself, in a "it is what it is" way more than anything, which is in line with the reading that she’s more go-with-the-flow and "anything that I’m tasked with I’ll accomplish, as a matter of course". She’s not really social, and keeps herself ready to act at beck and call. She’s not uptight but she’s hard-working. So yeah like, taking pride in your skills but also keeping your identity mostly molded for efficiency. She doesn’t really think about it all, she just is and she’s fine with things as they are, going from one task to the next.

I think it’d be neat to look at her relationship with her parents… They’re both servants at the Nakamotos’, so while maybe busy like Maizuru was at times while raising Toshiro but still taking the time to cook for him (which, parents that prioritize work over her would make sense with how she became how she is), I wonder what their relationship was like, how much time they spent together, how Hien feels like towards them… I assume they’re a part in molding what her definition of normal is, after all if they are longstanding servants of the Nakamotos she has that much less reason to question such a life. But like… Have they ever had hard-hitting discussions, or is she pretty distant even with them? Did they push her into working harder, or were more hands-off? Does Hien maybe want to earn recognition by being capable? Hien has a younger sister that she gets along "so-so" with…

Hien’s younger sister seems to smile more, be more social and a bit nonchalant, such and such. Could be a point of tension that points to the "so-so", that they’re dissimilar/Hien thinks she doesn’t behave right or takes things too lightly, that she’s "unreliable" maybe. Or it could also point to some difference in how they grew up… Like oh I bet there could be tasty angst with mertocracy and siblings favoritism with her family thrown in there… Having to earn the love, earn your keep, earn your spot in the hierarchy (in work and family both)

To me she shines best as a foil, like to Beni, but like. She’s got neat stuff going on If you’re wondering where I took half of what I referenced from I recommend looking at my masterpost on the Nakamoto party, info and extras are compiled

[wiskiemonk]

gintama episode 255

i'm gonna kill this blonde motherfucker

[bottomvalerius]

if I had a nickel for every time a media series featuring “the arcane” in some capacity severely disappointed me with a decline in writing & characterization choices, I would have two nickels. Which is not a lot but it’s weird it happened twice.

[st-hedge]

Out of morbid curiosity I’m lowering a mic into the pit to task, if OoT did get a modern remake what would be the main thing u would hope to see changed/updated/reworked?

[fisherrprince]

oh so alisaie’s exaggerated bully behavior is 80% fanon. saying this she casually picks up a large rock

[aroaessidhe]

2024 reads / storygraph

The Principle of Moments

start of a scifi space opera series

a teen girl in the far future where humans are oppressed learns she has a destiny & a lost sister and escapes

and a young time traveler who’s given up trying to find his father through time, and is about to settle in 1812 with the prince he loves, but is unwillingly thrust into the future

they both learn their fates are entangled by a prophecy, and have to race across the galaxy, followed by a galactic emperor and the legacy of heroes from an ancient religion

[revvethasmythh]

jacob having insane beef with thane because he's an assassin and kills for contracts instead of for his principles vs his very warm welcome to samara, who will kill absolutely anyone if it's in accordance with her obscure and extremely strict principles even if they're like. innocent of any crimes. i need to study him like a bug because i'm sorry objectively i would trust thane to watch my back more than samara if she didn't pledge an oath to me. like she had to pledge an oath of subsumation so i could be sure she wouldn't literally kill me. thane is so chill comparatively. jacob what's wrong with you

[selliho6530]

I want to see a fanfiction where Jayce, after all the shit he saw, moves not back to his universe, but to the past, to season 1, where he meets Viktor in their laboratory and kills him...

One fanfiction started like that, but everything slipped into the usual gay fuck, which of course I don't mind, but the beginning was too promising...