Insert Generic Six-Word Memoir Here, Please

Black ships with writing, candy-coated purple prose, and secret plots to murder Candace Wainwright

7,099 notes

brighten your smile!: Character Sheets and character creation →

thatfrenchhelper:

image

When creating a character, there’s a lot of questions you ask yourself. Whether it’s an original character or one you’ve been playing for a long time, using a character sheet to get to know your character better can always be a nice idea. With it’s help, you’ll be able to think about things you didn’t necesarily thought about, and ask some important questions to yourself that might activate your character’s voice, or help you to get your muse back with them. Everyone has their favorite character sheets, some people prefer to have a lot of questions, some others like it a bit more vague, so here’s a masterlist of the character sheets I found on various websites and found quite interesting, plus some other things that could be used to help you see, for example, how other character view yours. 

With these sheets, you could also try to find your character’s Jung and Enneagram Type or use the Moral Alignment tool. All of these things can be really useful to get a better grip on a character.

Then, if you’re trying to create a character, and do not have many ideas, or get stuck, I’d suggest for you to roam around TVTropes, which gives you a lot of tropes used for character creation. Maybe you could try to mix a few of these and create an original character?

Or, if you’re a skillful writer and know how to make your character different from another, make a list of characters in fiction you happen to find interesting and why. Try to keep it short. Then, maybe, try to mix and match things from two or three characters, take a character and change their backstory, to see what would change. Play with them to inspire yourself and create something new, original and truly yours.

Oh, and here’s a little guide to Mary-Sues and OCs, just in case you want to make sure your character isn’t going to become a Mary-Sue or a Gary-Stu

And last but not least, this article about building fictional character definitely seemed interesting to me, and is full of many other links that could guide you during the creating of your character and help you file one of these sheets.

(via mirandasecgrove)

66,347 notes

Surnames Master Post.

phoeberpc:

Surnames are just as important as given names. So, I compiled a list of the websites I use to find my surnames.

(Source: hearmeroarplay, via mirandasecgrove)

1,775 notes

amandaonwriting: Four Types of Book Editing 1. Developmental Editing Any or all of the following: Working with the client and, usually, the author of a book or other document to develop a manuscript from initial concept, outline, or draft (or some combination of the three) through any number of subsequent drafts making suggestions about content, organization, and presentation, based on analysis of competing works, comments of expert reviewers, the client’s market analysis, and other appropriate references rewriting, writing, and researching, as needed, and sometimes suggesting topics or providing information about topics for consideration of authors and client. 2. Substantive Editing Improving a manuscript in any or all of the following ways: identifying and solving problems of overall clarity or accuracy reorganizing paragraphs, sections, or chapters to improve the order in which the text is presented writing or rewriting segments of text to improve readability and flow of information revising any or all aspects of the text to improve its presentation consulting with others about issues of concern incorporating responses to queries and suggestions creating a new draft of the document 3. Copy Editing (sometimes called line editing). Any or all of the following: correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and word usage while preserving the meaning and voice of the original text checking for or imposing a consistent style and format preparing a style sheet that documents style and format reading for overall clarity and sense on behalf of the prospective audience querying the appropriate party about apparent errors or inconsistencies noting permissions needed to publish copyrighted material  preparing a manuscript for the next stage of the publication process cross-checking references, art, figures, tables, equations, and other features for consistency with their mentions in the text 4. Proofreading. Comparing the latest stage of text with the preceding stage, marking discrepancies in text, and, when appropriate, checking for problems in page makeup, layout, color separation, or type. Proofreading may also include one or more of the following: checking proof against typesetting specifications querying or correcting errors or inconsistencies that may have escaped an editor or writer reading for typographical errors or for sense without reading against copy Definitions from Freelance Editorial Association From Writers Write

amandaonwriting:

Four Types of Book Editing

1. Developmental Editing

Any or all of the following:

  • Working with the client and, usually, the author of a book or other document to develop a manuscript from initial concept, outline, or draft (or some combination of the three) through any number of subsequent drafts
  • making suggestions about content, organization, and presentation, based on analysis of competing works, comments of expert reviewers, the client’s market analysis, and other appropriate references
  • rewriting, writing, and researching, as needed, and sometimes suggesting topics or providing information about topics for consideration of authors and client.

2. Substantive Editing

Improving a manuscript in any or all of the following ways:

  • identifying and solving problems of overall clarity or accuracy
  • reorganizing paragraphs, sections, or chapters to improve the order in which the text is presented
  • writing or rewriting segments of text to improve readability and flow of information
  • revising any or all aspects of the text to improve its presentation
  • consulting with others about issues of concern
  • incorporating responses to queries and suggestions creating a new draft of the document

3. Copy Editing (sometimes called line editing).

Any or all of the following:

  • correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and word usage while preserving the meaning and voice of the original text
  • checking for or imposing a consistent style and format
  • preparing a style sheet that documents style and format
  • reading for overall clarity and sense on behalf of the prospective audience
  • querying the appropriate party about apparent errors or inconsistencies
  • noting permissions needed to publish copyrighted material 
  • preparing a manuscript for the next stage of the publication process
  • cross-checking references, art, figures, tables, equations, and other features for consistency with their mentions in the text

4. Proofreading. Comparing the latest stage of text with the preceding stage, marking discrepancies in text, and, when appropriate, checking for problems in page makeup, layout, color separation, or type.

Proofreading may also include one or more of the following:

  • checking proof against typesetting specifications
  • querying or correcting errors or inconsistencies that may have escaped an editor or writer
  • reading for typographical errors or for sense without reading against copy

Definitions from Freelance Editorial Association

From Writers Write

(via mad-woman-without-a-box)

0 notes

NaNo Meme: Day 15

Day 15 - Do any of your characters have a disability or mental illness?  If so, how does that affect their development throughout your story?

The more I write this story, the more I believe that the Reedy Bunker is just an underground mental facility, using the rules to get them to come to terms with themselves but not with reality. From Day One of Reedy’s character creation I knew she was paranoid. Not paranoid schizophrenic, but the personality disorder of paranoia (Abnormal Psych at Duke West Term 1 2010 represent!). I’m pretty sure that after losing her three children in miscarriages and then her husband, Janice has developed some really weird mood swings. (I’ll just say she’s bipolar, since it’s not Dissassociative Identity Disorder since both of her “ying yang” moods identify as Janice.) Even though I know that something is up with Colin—I think he might be a failed medical student? I haven’t quite decided yet—I don’t know what it is. Maybe he’s just depressed and buries himself in Ramen? And then there’s Candace. I don’t know if there is a medical term for what she has. She’s an insomniac. She isn’t depressed really. She’s moody as hell. She is in such denial but of her own doing. I can’t say she had conduct disorder as an adolescent. She’s just all over the place. I think the only character in the bunker right now that isn’t clinically messed up that isn’t Candace is Ian, and that’s because he didn’t get there by choice. Maybe he’s just lying to himself to take the easy route and not have to face reality, and that’s not so much a mental disability or illness than anything. It’s like Ian is a foil to everybody in the bunker.

So I guess the mental illnesses that my characters have shape their characterization and what the bunker is all about. Originally the bunker started as a frantic, paranoid, rich man’s attempt to be safe from the Germans during World War  II. After all, almost every family had a bomb shelter, right? But his was that more elaborate. But perhaps that paranoia grew into people just being scared of life itself, and that’s why the Bunker happened. 

And I think I have a weird fascination and affinity for writing about characters with mental disorders…

(This post got ridiculously deep fast)

nanowrimo nanowrimo meme nanowrimo ate my soul NaNo meme CAMP NANOWRIMO the chasm of ambiguity dustlandtrafficlights the bouncy castle writing writer deep

0 notes

NaNo Meme: Day 14

Day 14 - Is the sexuality of your characters a large part of your novel’s story?  If so, are there characters who deviate from the heterosexual “norm”?  In what way?

I don’t really think the sexuality of my characters is a large part. I do have the OTP of Candace and Ian and Colin notes the sexual tension, but it isn’t a big part. I mean the romantic relationship part of it is nice and stuff, but it isn’t a big part.

Although, I think I’ve successfully created like belligerent sexual tension between Ian and like all the female characters. I will note that Ian’s drunken sexuality and Bree’s manipulation of it was definitely a plot point. But all my characters are pretty much heterosexual. Although I could see the Colin x Ian ship. But then again, I ship everything.

writing writer nanowrimo nanowrimo meme NaNo meme the bouncy castle Chasm of Ambiguity dustlandtrafficlights