writing-chats

[writing-chats]

COLOURS in DESCRIPTION

colour is the lifeblood of a scene. here are ways not to over-use it.

Red: cardinal, coral, crimson, flaming, maroon, rose, wine, brick red, burgundy, carmine, cerise, cherry, chestnut, claret, copper, dahlia, fuschia, garnet, geranium, infrared, magenta, puce, ruby, russet, rust, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, tition, vermilion, roseate, rubicund, ruddy, rubescent, florid

Orange: apricot, tangerine, merigold, cider, ginger, bronze, cantaloupe orange, clay, honey, marmalade orange, amber

Yellow: blond, chrome, cream, gold, ivory, lemon, saffron, tawny, xanthous, sandy

Green: grassy, leafy, verdant, emerald, aquamarine, chartreuse, fir, forest green, jade, lime, malachite, mossy, pea green, pine, sage, sea green, verdigris, willow, spinach green, viridian

Blue: azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal blue, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine

Purple: violet, indigo, lavender, lilac, mauve, periwinkle, plum, violet, amethyst, heliotrope, mulberry, orchid, pomegranate purple, wine, amaranthine, perse, violaceous, reddish-blue

[writing-chats]

your playlist guide 101 (writers, readers, etc.)

note: credits go to (ofc) the original artists + compilers

emotional sad

last time together

waiting for the one who doesn't come

pov. heartbroken mermaid

slowly losing grip on reality

fight scenes

instrumental music for writing and fighting

you call it revenge, i call it returning a favour

all thrones come at a cost

comfort

a hogwarts comfort

you're studying with the dead poets society

and suddenly, we were strangers again

before sunrise

tension

realising we're living in a dystopian reality

you built an empire on the streets of birmingham in the 1920s

a little more dark academia

fine, make me your villain (darkling)

pleasingly dancing for your hot enemy in a private room

cool

it's 1998 and you're drifting through tokyo

among all the stars and infinite galaxies, how lucky am i to have met you

we're just used to this already (honkai star rail)

the playlist finds the cool kids

it's an old money summer at your house in europe

all my demons dance through the nighttime

office wave 1986

lost nostalgic

maybe in another life

what it feels like to be a memory

it's summer again, the days are blurring and the nights are sleepless

calm

lost in space

you exist for a reason (dreamcore)

a dreamlike peace

quiet autumn days

the calm before the storm

time periods

"it was not your fault but mine" greek mythology playlist

1920s

1940s

1950s

1970s (marauders)

1980s

1990s (supermodel)

[writing-chats]

ultimate character development template

basics

name: meaning of name: nicknames/titles: age: gender: location: birthday: strengths + example where it's shown: weaknesses + example where it's shown: how it affects others:

emotional depth

attachment style + how it manifests in the story: physical fear: emotional/abstract fear: happy memory: sad memory: object of significance: philosophical outlook/belief: what characters are ignorant about themselves: how confident are they: goal: long-term dreams: what they're embarrassed/ashamed to tell others about: regrets: source of pride: source of misery: what they admire above all else: do they believe in fate:

personality

mbti: enneagram: big five: character archetype: star sign: who they pretend to be on the outside: who they actually are/how they feel towards the mask: mental health conditions: how it manifests for them: iq: eq: humour: reputation:

habits

bad habits: mannerisms when stressed: mannerisms when content: mannerisms when scared: mannerisms normally: verbal mannerisms/distinctive speaking style: how do they move across a room: what do they say and what remains unsaid: how they express love: hobbies:

appearance

defining features: eye shape + colour: hair texture + colour: skin texture + tone: vibe: height: build: clothing: any bodily disfigurement (scars, etc.): overall attractiveness: their opinion on their appearance: appeals to:

relationships

who they trust most: what they wish they could do for them: what's holding them back: who they hate most: what they wish they could do to them: what's holding them back: relationship with the protagonist: relationship with the antagonist: siblings: relationship with them: parents/step-parents: relationship with them: previous broken relationships: why did it break: what others expect of them: who believes in them: their mentor character/who they look up to: political/religious/other affiliations: what makes them different from every other character: non-human relationships + why: romantic "type" + why: relationship dynamics:

backstory/background

primary emotion towards their past: primary feelings while in their past: where did they grow up: defining incidents: earliest childhood memory: saddest memory: happiest memory: major accomplishments: their opinion on it: notable people in their backstory: effect on them today: trauma: what have they already lost: financial circumstance:

progression

why are they important (eg. why're they the only one able to do something?): what do they learn about themselves throughout the story: what do they learn about the world: how do they feel towards their newfound knowledge: character arc (positive, negative, neutral): how relationships change because of their actions: what mistakes do they make: what scene is their character highlighted: do they get what they want: why or why not: what happens to them after the story ends:

[writing-chats]

loss (description for writers)

"every new death brings back the full weight of those already gone"

they no longer visit the same places, glancing at each reflective surface as though the other would return

they crouch down beside the photo, stroking the frame lightly with a thinly veiled agony

wind brushing their hair over their shoulders, they closed their eyes in remembrance

a cavity had been torn where their heart had been

they stared out into the distance, waiting. waiting for the inevitable silence, waiting for the impossible

their memory forever pervades the deepest parts of their mind

alcohol bottles smashed and upright sit in standstill across the apartment

gulping as they realise they're alone

forever searching a room for them, even if they would never have gone there in the first place

"i wish they were here"

making up excuses for why they left

blaming themselves

long nights accompanied by grief and the momentary glimmer of hope caught through useless introspection

dreaming of them

they re-imagine themselves: apply on makeup, change their appearance, anything to distract themselves from the person who lost

absence haunts them like a ghost; they see it like no one else ever could

fingers grasping at thin air... a fist forming sans softness

a tender kiss on the last sealed envelope they sent

polite addresses to their family/friends, without motivation

subsistence lifestyles

curling around themselves, wrinkling the sheets, on an empty bed

no one to hold them up when they're drunk and alone

calling other people their name then frowning, a sharp pain striking their chest. yet not apologising anyway

"if only you could see me now"

biting into something to quench the sound of their wild unending sobs

a blankness in realisation

staring at a place of their past and realising it would never come back again

talking to walls/themselves pretending it is the other person, spilling all the words and secrets they had not told

[writing-chats]

the look of love (for writers)

"it's all in the eyes i was once told"

catching the stare of someone across a crowded room

subtle furrowing of eyebrows beyond a blank facade

coldness easing into warmth

a fond mothering gaze

corner of the lip nudged upward

forced glower/glare as they break underneath

batting their lashes, playful

a boisterous laugh

intrigue piercing the stoic

proud smugness at the other's success

lingering glances

a childish joy bursting through

pupils dilate

eyelids shut in a look of peace, calm and trust

look of longing/betrayal

"there was once a time when they were mine"

terseness

features fold into a scowl

an urgent flinching back

coldness returns (as though the warmth had never come)

lips part then purse

invasion of shock

slow stare at the floor

the ripple effect of a swallow

frustrated breath/sigh

bitter laugh in reminiscence

dread tearing through the seams of their composure

look of hatred

"darkness"

mean smirk- teeth bared grimace- scowl

dismissive gaze

gaze of contempt/impatience

threat lowering the voice

sardonic goading grins verging on manic

rolling one's eyes

flicker of irritation in the eyes

stares stubbornly ahead despite distraction

gritted teeth, clenched jaw

fierce biting remarks

even measured complexions betraying no thought

strangling oneself back from violence

utter apathy

murderous silence hanging in the stare

snobbish laughter

smiling at another's downfall

[writing-chats]

you're a femme fatale in a book who's caught onto the fact that you're a character at the whim of your creator. the villain, casanova, has just discovered the same thing.

[writing-chats]

you're a healer in the war.

alone in the medical tent, you realise the patient they've sent you to treat is the enemy.