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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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the essentials of writing FIGHT SCENES!

I realized that there weren’t a lot of fight scene tutorials on here that addressed a lot of the common mistakes of fight scenes. I have a non-zero amount of experience with Krav Maga and have been told I’m very good with fight scenes so I thought I might as well write out a little advice

Keep in mind that this is best suited to “nasty hand to hand street fighting” and even then there are probably better people to ask about it. But here goes.

What’s the One Important Thing I’d have you remember?

Best piece of fight scene advice I’ve ever heard: Violence is fast. Whenever people are involved in some kind of accident or tragedy, what they say is “It happened so fast!” So no matter what, think fast. The main mistake I see with fight scenes is unrealistic description, and it comes from a lack of understanding of a fight being a very altered state of consciousness, where your character is at the limits of their ability to process shit. So:

How to Describe a Fight Scene!

The Language: Go for the strongest verbs you can find and use them. Think slam, crash, smash, pound, grind, shove, ram, claw, rip, gouge, bash…You want very verb driven writing. This is the time to pull out that thesaurus and that list of 500 verbs to use in writing or whatever. Don’t let adjectives and adverbs carry the weight. “She punched him hard in the gut” needs to be “She slammed a fist into his gut.” Or better, let the fist be the subject: “Her fist slammed in his gut.” If there’s any time to adhere hardcore to active voice, it’s now. Also notice that I shortened “into” to “in”- it’s best to go with language that’s as short and well, punchy, grammar be damned. This is also why I go with “gut” rather than “stomach.” Sentence fragments and em-dashes and such are your friends. Cut out articles and conjunctions wherever you can. And try to keep the subject and verb of every action close together–it’s much more direct and better able to connote that intense aggression that you want.

So, you might have something like this: “As she tried to throw a punch at his face, he dodged aside, moving in, his body twisting, to kick her in the ribs.”

You might notice the following issues: The verbs are fairly weak- tried, moving. “Dodged” is good but the others fall flat. There are a lot of extraneous words. And the clause at the beginning makes the sentence feel too indirect.

So these are the changes I would make: “Her fist darted for his face. He dodged aside. Slipped closer, twisted–his heel crashed into ribcage.”

That’s the technical stuff out of the way. Now for some more general advice on fights:

In a fight, you really don’t think. There are two things your brain can do: percieve and respond. In such an adrenaline-fueled survival situation, you’re a bundle of instinctive reaction and OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK. A skilled fighter doesn’t mentally remember techniques, the techniques are just the first response that springs out at an attack because they’re second nature. And the thing is, you CAN’T remember techniques in the fight. Adrenaline makes you big stupid. Brain is a faraway land, but body is here, in danger, and trying to stay alive. This is what I mean by your character being at the limits of their processing—they have very little room to think because they’re in survival mode.

That’s why you practice techniques One Fuckthousand Times in martial arts. It’s actually wild how little conscious thought there is to it. I’m always going to remember the time when I, a smol orange belt, was sparring with a larger guy and his fist was flying at my face and I just…wove underneath it. Without even thinking. Pure instinct. I had two guys like, beaming at me and pounding me on the back at the breakthrough but I was confused at the time because it felt like a complete accident. So what you should get out of this is—yeah, no internal monologue! Write what your character perceives and write what they respond.

Description of any kind, but especially visual description, will be highly fragmented. If your character is in a fight with another character, they’re not going to be extensively perceiving their surroundings and noticing the thick curtains of ivy on the walls or whatever. Their focus will be. On the fight. Part of the reason for this is that adrenaline makes you focus hard on threats and kind of cancels out irrelevant data. I want to point out visual description specifically as an area of concern though because for one thing, your field of view is going to be limited as you try to protect your head and face, you’re going to need to pay attention to your aggressor and anticipate their next move, and finally, if you get punched in the face or have anything come close to hitting you there you’re going to be blinded temporarily because you’ll instinctively shut your eyes. NO SCENERY! If your character’s getting pummeled in the face they’re probably not noticing the vicious gleam in their adversary’s eyes outside of a quick glimpse. Imagine the whole thing is being filmed through a panicking amateur’s shaky camera.

Hone in hard on your character’s body in your descriptions. They’re inhabiting their body in a super intense way and most of your description will probably lean toward the tactile. This not only includes the awareness of pain or of being hit, but also the movement and coordination of their muscles and how they are working together, their breathing, potentially exhaustion or fatigue. Martial arts allows you to experience how your body produces force—to percieve the flow of power through your entire torso that culminates in a punch. This feeling can add a lot to a description of a fight. A punch or a kick’s power doesn’t come from muscular strength of your limbs, but originates throughout your body and the ability to coordinate that and draw it together into a single hard point of power involves a lot of consciousness of your body, which also becomes second nature.

Almost the entirety of your character’s focus will be firmly in their body. They are perceiving their adversary’s movements, but that is sharply edged with their own reactions to them.

I feel like people often don’t realize how intense taking a hit in a fight can be. A punch to the face or head is blinding and dizzying; taking a hit to the temple will snap your head aside and put you completely out of it for a second. Descriptions of these things need to be very grounded and intense to feel right. Getting hit in the chest hard enough can knock the wind out of you. Getting hit in the gut WILL make you retch or throw up. A hard kick to the gut is like instant vomit. (There’s another post with really excellent descriptions about what certain blows feel like so I’ll leave this at that.)

Your character will perceive pain, both the force of the blow they take and a sense of the scale or breadth of the pain, but adrenaline will keep them going through it to a degree that isn’t possible when not pumped full of adrenaline. Your character will probably know that they’ve been injured (oh fuck, that was a nasty hit to the side) but AFTER the fight, expect the real pain to suddenly hit (oh fuck, there’s a giant bruise over my side and it’s aching so deep I can barely move).

Adrenaline makes you straight up loopy sometimes. Y’all know how much I hate anecdotal evidence, but one of my former instructors told a story about how he was mugged, got slammed against the sidewalk and briefly blacked out, fought back, and then just…decided to go to work. He thought he was fine. A few hours later, paramedics were asking him questions and he was completely incoherent. He had a severe concussion but the adrenaline rush had caused a delay in the damage really hitting, to the point that he was just like “heh, I can go straight to work, I’m fine!”

Some general facts:

A fight is probably going to be over pretty quickly: Movies are deceptive about this but it’s not super realistic to have two characters tangling with each other for like…ten minutes straight. You get tired. You get sloppy. And there’s only so much damage you can take.

Fancy kicks not recommended: They look nice on screen, sure. But having your leg above your waist for any length of time is one hell of a risk when your opponent can grab it and slam you to the floor like a sack of concrete mix. HOWEVER, kicks can be fight enders. A heel kick will break ribs easily.

Dirty fighting: This is the Kravist in me, but knees to the groin are valid and will completely immobilize a testicle-having attacker. Elbows are also highly destructive, but you tend not to see them in movie fights much. Biting is valid and bites can be very nasty. Gouging eyes is very effective. It’s also easier than you would think to rip the skin off someone’s face with your nails if you’re already going feral. A good punch to the throat might end a fight.

Blocking or dodging blows: Your character can deflect a punch or a knife attack to the upper body with forearms, and your arms will cushion a blow to the head as well. You can also duck your head around an attempted blow to the face. It’s important, though, to think of your two characters’ actions as interlocking rather than alternating—a character going in for a hit will at least briefly have one of their limbs extended instead of protecting the body, and the other character will be taking that opening. Have them dodge the blow and slide into their own opportunity in a single movement.

Shit Happens: A fight is not an equation where you plug in the size and weight of both adversaries and get the result. Again, this is the Kravist in me, but the only law is Murphy’s law. An attempt to land a blow can go sour and break somebody’s wrist. An attacker can trip and fall. Puddles and improvised weapons and getting blood or sweat in your eyes can all be wild cards. An experienced fighter can get fucked up by someone smaller and less experienced than they because of luck. That said, though, experience is what helps you adapt to the Murphy’s-law-ness of everything.

Yeah that’s what I’ve got, enjoy ur violence

#writing advice

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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#writing tips

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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Camp NaNo: Day 5

For this Camp NaNoWriMo, I will be focusing on finishing my first rewrite of Owl Alone. Because I am already a decent way through the novel, I have decided that I will only need about 40,000 words (1,333 per day) to finish instead of the full 50,000 (1,667 per day).

Trigger Warnings: Suicidal actions

Today, for some reason, I managed to get through writing surprisingly quick. It took a lot less time than it usually does, so I’m happy about that. I got to continue writing that sweet, sweet angst, and tomorrow I get to continue writing said angst.

Today’s writing music: The Harry Potter soundtrack

Current total word count: 7044

Favorite excerpt (TW: The aftermath of a suicide attempt):

I wrenched my eyes away from it and locked eyes with my reflection. The eyes in the mirror were much too dark, all light seeming to have left them. It’s like they had become more opaque. My reflection seemed to show nothing but age and forced maturity. A college kid shouldn’t have this sort of face. This was the face worn by someone who had earned their maturity as they aged. This face just reflected the cruel joke of the cruel nature of life. I had already seen some of the signs starting to show before I headed off to college, but I hadn’t thought anything of it. It must just be from being sleep deprived. But now I could see it clearly, etched into the face of my reflection. The face in the mirror wasn’t a college kid anymore.

#camp nano #camp nanowrimo #nanowrimo #tw depression #tw suicidal actions #katherine scott #hannah kim #owl alone #writeblr #wisteria-should-be-writing #owl alone excerpts

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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Camp NaNo: Day 4

No trigger warnings apply to today’s post.

Once again, I procrastinated on getting my writing done, but at least it’s not like day 1 was. I got to start working on one of, if not the, most angst-filled chapter in the novel, but I got to prepare for it by writing the last bit of the fallout of the last chapter, where there was a somewhat fluffy conclusion to it. Tomorrow, however, I won’t be as lucky. Today’s excerpt is from last chapter’s somewhat fluffy conclusion.

Today’s writing music: The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack, Thomas Sanders

Current total word count: 5713

Favorite excerpt:

I grabbed my laptop and asked Katherine what she wanted to watch. “Surprise me” was all she gave in response. It wasn’t the most helpful response, but it’s not like I expected much else. I pulled up one of Katherine’s favorites in an attempt to make her feel more comfortable, as much as the drama irritated me. The characters in it were so oblivious, and the main character wasn’t even that likable in the first place.

“This one?” Katherine asked, surprised. “I thought you hated this one.”

“I don’t particularly enjoy it, but I know you like it, so I thought we might as well watch it. It still irritates me at how oblivious the characters are to the oh-so-obvious pining from the other character, but if you enjoy it I’ll watch it.”

“Okay, they do pine over each other a little bit--”

“Babe, I’m sorry, but it’s not ‘a bit.’ It’s more like ‘a lot.’”

“Fine, you’ve got me.”

“You’re finally starting to see sense, babe,” I said, laughing.

#camp nano #camp nanowrimo #nanowrimo #katherine scott #hannah kim #owl alone #writeblr #wisteria-should-be-writing #owl alone excerpts

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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Camp NaNo: Day 3

No trigger warnings apply to today’s post.

Today took longer than I would’ve liked to get my writing done, mainly because I kept getting distracted, but I eventually finished up. Today I was dealing with the aftermath of the scene I had written during days one and two, so it was nice to get a break in the angst before I start the next chapter. As an added bonus, I got to write some Katherine and Naomi interactions, which is always a good thing.

Today’s writing music: The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack with rain ambiance

Current total word count: 4326

Favorite excerpt:

I picked at the “chicken” and green beans that I had grabbed, although it was kind of a stretch to call it chicken. It was more like semi-meat matter that had chicken flavoring added to it. Naomi slid into the chair in front of me and started poking at her own food.

“You think this stuff is actually meat or that they’ve just managed to invent Meap’s Carbonated Goulash and dyed it meat-colored?” Naomi jokes, her heart sounding only slightly in it.

“This supposed chicken I’ve got definitely seems to be more of the latter.”

“Should I do the drop test on the food?”

“The what test?”

“The drop test. Where you drop it from a couple inches above the table and see if the food bounces a normal amount or more than normal.”

“Go for it, I guess.”

Naomi picked up the plate that she had, lifted it slightly, and let it fall. The “meat” bounced about to about half the height of where she had dropped it from.

“Yeah, that’s not normal. I’m not quite sure what’s in this, but it’s probably not fit for digestion,” Naomi laughed.

#camp nano #camp nanowrimo #nanowrimo #naomi rogers #katherine scott #hannah kim #owl alone #writeblr #wisteria-should-be-writing #owl alone excerpts

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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Camp NaNo: Days 1 & 2

TRIGGER WARNINGS: The current section I am working on deals with Hannah’s suicidal thoughts and depression. If you are sensitive to either of these topics, I recommend you do not read the excerpts. The summaries of each day, however, will not go over these topics. There will also be cursing in some excerpts of this novel.

Day 1:

I, a fool, stayed off of social media and forgot to check my calendar for the entire day, and I finally realized the error in my ways at about 9:00 at night. I ended up getting about halfway done, and then decided I needed to sleep.

Today’s writing music: Dodie and Regina Spektor

Current total word count: 701

Favorite excerpt (TW: suicidal thoughts, depression):

“The monotonous tone to your voice I’ve only heard once before? The razor on your sink that would usually be in your shower? Your refusal to show your arms, even when washing something? Hannah, what is there not to jump to conclusions about? I’m not completely ignorant, Hannah. I’ve seen you like this before, and I’m not going to let it go so easily this time.”

Day 2:

Unlike day 1, I remembered to write today, and managed to do so before 9:00 at night. I did, however, have to make up for the words I didn’t write yesterday, so it took me a bit more time than it probably should have.

Today’s writing music: The Lord of the Rings Soundtrack

Current total word count: 2765

Favorite excerpt (TW: suicidal thoughts, depression, cursing):

“Hannah, please--”

“Please what? Listen? Kath, I’ve already fucking listened. That’s all I seem to do. You don’t get it. This isn’t something I can stop and have it never affect me again. It wasn’t my choice to be depressed. I’ve been dealing with it since we were kids, and I didn’t show it--”

I was stunned into silence. Every response I could think of sounded heartless, even in my head. I had never seen Hannah this angry before.

“Hannah…” I muttered, trying and failing to conjure up words that wouldn’t come.

“What.” Her voice was sharp and vindictive, like she wanted nothing to do with me. I tried to make a move to hug her, but she pushed me away.

“Hannah, please. You’re not being yourself,” I could tell I was going the wrong way by the ways her eyes looked at me, so I tried to correct it, “You’re hurting, and I want to help.”

“And a fat lot of help you’re giving too. You barely even know me. ‘You’re not being yourself.’ Kath, I barely even know myself, and I can guarantee you don’t know me any better.”

#camp nano #camp nanowrimo #nanowrimo #tw suicidal thoughts #tw depression #tw cursing #hannah kim #katherine scott #owl alone #writeblr #wisteria-should-be-writing #owl alone excerpts

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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writing an autistic character when you are not autistic - a masterpost

completely double spaced version on google docs here – this post is more blocky for the sake of people’s dashboards, but still long so people will be less likely to glaze over it. my apologies if that makes it hard to read

things to look for and avoid in an autistic character

• symptoms only manifesting as “nonverbal and rocking” • super smart / living calculator • super dumb / doesn’t understand anything • all the symptoms you can come up with for them are “awkward” and “has special interest(s)” (please do more research) • trains, technology, and/or math as special interests • acting like a child • getting treated like a baby • unreasonably cruel and uncaring about others’ reactions to them being cruel • if they’re comparable to sheldon from the big bang theory, start over • animal comparisons • a lack of feelings • please no stories about what it’s like to be autistic told by allistics

the right way to write an autistic person

• lots of symptoms, including secondary ones not included on a general diagnosis requirement list (here’s a list i rather like that was made by an autistic person – their blog is also a good resource) • having a good amount of general knowledge and actually talking about it (i cannot believe that i have to say this) • talking about things outside of special interests (again…. come on……….) (special interests are usually the default things our brains go to when theres no stimulation or we want to entertain ourselves – it isn’t literally all we think or talk about ever. if a conversation has no connections to a special interest, reconsider having your autistic character bring it up in a context that is not an introduction.) • explicitly expressed to be capable of attraction and romantic feelings – if your character is an adult, add sexual feelings to this point • capable of general functioning, just with a disability that makes it more difficult – not a walking disability (….sigh) • a wide amount of feelings and emotional turmoil (but perhaps only being able to express it in limited ways) • we’re people • just people whose brains are wired differently

things to avoid in research for an autistic character

• autism moms / autism blogs and websites not run by autistic people • any affiliation with autism $peaks means you should walk away and never look back • a scientist trying to create explanations for what autistic people do without actually asking / not mentioning asking autistic people • anything about a cure for autism • a person that “worked with autistic kids” phrased in the same way as “worked with animals” • talking about autistic people as if they are mysteries, are like animals, or are otherwise othered weirdos instead of people

things to look for in research for an autistic character

• actual autistic people talking about their experiences and symptoms • just stick to that and you’re good but it’s hard to find sometimes ngl. just look for the above red flags

things i would personally like to see in an autistic character

• less easy to swallow sadness and more destructive anger. i would love to see a canonically autistic character who was frustrated easily by small things and had trouble communicating why • not a story about being autistic, a story that happens to have a character or characters who are autistic – it isn’t pointed out or questioned, they’re right at home with the rest of the cast and not othered (a la symmetra from overwatch) • intensive sensory issues / small sounds making large reactions • clear communications about not liking x sensory thing (for example being touched) • poor motor skills / clumsiness and not being laughed at for it • walking funny (body bent downwards, walking very fast, walking slowly, big strides, shuffling, stiffness, etc) – no one treats it as if it’s funny or something totally strange • a big personality that has a presence so they can’t be cast aside (but feel free to have quiet characters too) – if this was along with being nonverbal they would probably leap to being one of my favorite characters ever • a fear of asking for clarification on sarcasm or jokes because of past experiences and an arc about the character becoming more comfortable asking questions

>> if any fellow autistic people want to add something, feel free <<

allistics are encouraged to rb this

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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there’s a quarantine going on… no pressure but i KNOW ya’ll have WIPs

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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the everlasting revision question: do i get rid of this part because its unnecessary and doesnt fit or do i keep it because i had fun writing it

#eternal writing mood

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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it’s that time in the writing process where i’m smacking random things on the floor & testing out noises to make the perfect onomatopoeia

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 5 years ago

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See the original HERE

#writing reference

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 6 years ago

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Some authors: This is my OC, I have an encyclopedic knowledge of their backstory, personality and character arc. I know everything about them.

Me @ my OC: What was your last name again?

#eternal writing mood

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 6 years ago

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writing ask game

made for novels, but can be used for fanfiction or other types of writing!

describe the plot in 1 sentence.

pick one sight, smell, sound, feel, and taste to describe the aesthetic of your novel.

which 3+ songs would make up a playlist for the novel?

what’s the time period and location in which the novel takes place?

is this a standalone or a part in a series?

are there any former titles you’ve considered but discarded?

how many times does the word ____ appear in the novel?

what’s the first line that comes up when you search _____?

what’s the first line of your novel?

what’s a line of dialogue you’re particularly proud of?

which line from the novel most represents it as a whole?

who are your character faceclaims?

sort your characters into harry potter houses!

which character’s name do you like the most?

describe each character’s daily outfit.

do any characters have distinctive birthmarks/scars?

pick a color to represent each character.

pick a font to represent each character.

which character most fits a character trope? which trope?

which character is the best writer? worst?

which character is the best liar? worst?

which character swears the most? least?

which character has the best handwriting? worst?

which character is most like you? least like you?

which character would you most like to be?

#ask away

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 6 years ago

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How to Write a Fight Scene (Rebloggable Version)

Admin Note: This post is a rebloggable copy of our page on fight scenes. The page is being phased out, so from now on all updates will be made on this post and not on the page.

Among the typically difficult scenes writers face in their stories, the fight scene definitely ranks high on the list. Below you will find several resources with tips for writing a good fight scene.

Action with a Side of Zombies: One of our articles focused specifically on writing action scenes. Bonus: the examples all include zombies.

ArchetypesAndAllusions: An article on the three main types of fighters and their various approaches to kickin’ ass (or not).

TheCreativePenn.com: Alan Baxter, speculative fiction author, gives some great advice on characterization, setting, martial style, and cliches.

StoryHack.com: A PDF that takes you through writing a fight scene step by step by Randy Ingermanson, compiled by Bryce Beattie.

MarilynnByerly.com: An extremely good guide to writing fight scenes. This guide includes tips on character viewpoint, mapping the fight, and tricks for writing each type of fight.

Shelfari.com: This site is an interview with famed fantasy author R.A. Salvatore on how to write great fight scenes.

TheBusinessOfWriting: C. Patrick Schulze gives some good, solid advice on identifying and writing your fight scene.

EzineArticles.com: Marq McAlister explains how to make a fight scene pack some serious punch. This article is good for fine-tuning.

Martin Turner: Focusing specifically on sword-fighting scenes, Martin Turner writes in great detail on every conceivable detail of this type of time-honored fight scene.

SeriousPixie.com: Susan tells you about the three types of fight scene writers and explains how to fix the problems that arise for each type.

David Alan Lucus: This multi-part guide gives advice in exhaustive detail on how to write an awesome fight scene.

NightFoot: This Tumblr post offers some great tips for writing fight scenes.

Film Crit Hulk: A shoe-in for screenwriters, the Hulk and special guest Tom Townend talk shop on how to write a great movie action scene.

Harry Edmundson-Cornell: Harry writes a series on the fight scene geared toward writers of Superhero comics.

How To Fight Write: The knowledgeable and thorough admins of this exceptional Tumblr blog will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about fight scenes and weaponry—even if they have to beat it into you.

Scholagladiatoria: A YouTuber with lots of weapons teaches you how they were/are properly used to their greatest advantage.

These links provide advice specifically for writing battle scenes:

Gerri Blanc: eHow’s article on battle scenes is a basic step-by-step list for you. It’s a good introduction to writing battle scenes.

StormTheCastle.com: This article takes you through an in-depth guide on how to write battle scenes for fantasy stories.

Rhonda Leigh Jones: Jones lists some dos and don’ts of writing battle scenes.

Other resources:

List of Martial Arts: Looking for a fighting style? Find it here!

List of Weapons: Every type of weapon you can think of is listed here.

List of Military Tactics: From troop movements to siege warfare, this list has got you covered.

Asylum.com: A few examples of awesome battle tactics from history.

BadassOfTheWeek.com: Get some inspiration for awesome fight scenes and fighting characters from this compendium of badassitude.

Thearmedgentleman: Austin has offered to share his knowledge on weaponry with any writers who have questions. Thanks, Austin!

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can find every post we’ve ever made or reblogged about fight scenes in our “fight” tag. You might also find our “action scene” tag useful.

We hope this helps! If you have another link or a tip for how to write fight/battle scenes, hit up our ask box and let us know!

#writing advice

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wisteria-should-be-writing · 6 years ago

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What to do when your novel starts to feel stagnant

Because novels take so long to perfect and take up so much space in our minds, the story can start to feel stagnant after a while. Maybe you have less faith in your manuscript than you did at the start. Here are some tips for adding some oomph to your wip:

1. Make one of your primary/secondary characters an undercover villain

I recently decided to do this with my wip and I honestly think that it has elevated the plot so much.

This will help to complicate the conflict in the novel, as well as the relationships between the characters

A plot twist (especially one that is introduced during the climax) can be a great way to take your work to the next level.

Leaving little Easter eggs throughout the novel, but still being subtle will have the reader engaged, and will help get you excited about your project again.

This is merely a suggestion. Any well-written plot twist can apply.

2. Introduce a romantic subplot

If your wip doesn’t have a romantic subplot, I would suggest adding one if it suits the type of novel and if you feel that you’d want to write a bit of romance.

A romantic subplot adds an extra layer of tension, anticipation and immersion to a novel. Oftentimes, it will be this story line that keeps the reader hooked.

If you already have a romantic subplot (or perhaps you’re writing a romance novel), but it seems a bit flat, try building up the tension for longer. Premature gratification may leave readers unexcited for the rest of the book. You could also try to add more external conflict or have your couple face a struggle that is unique to them.

3. Employ additional styles of writing

Add diary entries, letters, newspaper articles, stream-of-consciousness passages or even a scene that consists solely of dialogue. Add a small passage at the end of every chapter from the villain’s point of view. Go crazy.

Interesting forms of writing can be used to convey deeper aspects of your novel and can add extra intensity. These additions could be used to give the reader clues as to an approaching plot twist or can be used to convey the history/social environment of your world. It can also provide insight into characters’ thoughts and feelings.

If you would like me to do a post based on these types of texts and how you can use them in creative writing, comment on this post.

4. Write in the present tense

Most novels are written in the past tense and this can work very well. However, if your manuscript starts to feel stagnant, it might be time to switch to present tense. I know that rewriting what you have in a different tense sounds like hell, but it could mean the difference between a good novel and a great one.

Present tense creates a sense of immediacy. The stakes seem higher, the conflict more immersive and the characters closer to the reader. This is because it doesn’t feel like the reader is being told a story that happened in a far-removed time, but rather like the reader is seeing everything as it happens.

This is especially good for thrillers, apocalyptic works, action, horror or any other genre that is fast-paced and full of tension.

5. Complicate your main character’s background

I recently decided to turn my protagonist into an ex-cage fighter and it has really brought back my excitement for working on this project.

By adding depth to your character’s back story, you add layers to their personality. This will make the way they interact with other characters more interesting, as well as open up new plot avenues.

This is especially useful when you feel that your main character is not developed/complex enough.

So, bring in interesting family relationships, past occupations, secret hobbies, bad relationships, problems with the law, encounters with life-changing individuals etc. It will make your main character all the more engaging.

That’s all I have for now. I hope this is helpful. If you would like a Part 2, please comment. If you have any questions regarding reviving a stagnant manuscript (or any other aspect of creative writing), please do not hesitate to ask. My ask box and DMs are always open for fellow writers!