Finally Caught Hamsteryoshi!! 😂😂

Hideyoshi, showing up to a court trial in a fursuit: It is I, your public defurender :33c

Inuchiyo, crying: I’ll plead guilty if you execute him too.

Kojuro's Blushing Face

Types of antagonists: Creating riveting opponents

FROM: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/types-of-antagonists/

There are many types of antagonists. Sometimes in a story a primary antagonist starts out as a close ally. Characters who oppose your main character’s goals aren’t necessarily ‘bad’, yet they serve a primary function: Standing between another character and their destiny. Here are 5 types of antagonists with examples and points to remember:

1. The malevolent villain

The standard malevolent villain is particularly common in the fantasy genre, yet they appear in diverse stories. The character Iago from Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello is a classic example. Iago stokes his military superior Othello’s jealousy until Othello murders his wife, suspecting her of infidelity thanks to Iago’s lies and manipulations.

Writing a malevolent antagonist who has an appetite for destruction has pitfalls. A villain who does bad for ‘evil’s sake’ could lack development and motivations that make characters believable.

To create a believable straight-up villain:

Brainstorm reasons for their actions. Sauron in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings cycle, for example, has lost physical form and craves restored power

Explain the origin of their corruption. Tolkien shows Sauron’s rise and fall in a prologue. Over the course of her Harry Potter series (particularly the second book), J.K. Rowling shows Lord Voldemort’s descent from being Tom Riddle to the most notorious and feared member of the wizard community

Give them vulnerabilities or weaknesses. These don’t have to be emotional or physical. They could be strategic. For example, a villain who surrounds themselves with greedy henchmen is more vulnerable to betrayal if their supporters are easily swayed by material rewards

The next type of antagonist is often surprising, as we don’t typically expect strong opposition from allies or friends:

2. The ally-antagonist

It’s particularly surprising in a story when an ally turns antagonist.

For example, in the first volume of Tolkien’s fantasy cycle, The Fellowship of the Ring, the warrior Boromir joins the main characters’ quest to destroy the One Ring. Yet Boromir disagrees with destroying it, arguing with his companions that they could use its mystical power to defeat the villain Sauron, or restore the city of Gondor. When Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo by force, its a shocking moment where a morally complex character crosses the line from ally to antagonist.

The ally-antagonist is a useful character because they show how easy it is for a ‘good’ character to make a regrettable choice. In the wider context of Tolkien’s story, it reinforces the idea that doing good is a conscious choice and not always an easy one. It also adds secondary conflicts that illustratethe ring’s corrupting power and danger.

When writing an ally-antagonist, remember to:

Show the flaws in their personality that explain their behaviour. Boromir is headstrong and, as a warrior, used to fighting for his ideals and using force

Give them compelling motivations for their choices.Boromir thinks the ring’s dark power could be harnessed for good

Ally-antagonists add shades of grey in the ‘black and white’ of ‘good vs evil’. They show us how easily people can take destructive paths that result in negative outcomes. Some also refer to this type of antagonist as a ‘hero antagonist since they may be motivated by noble ideals. Boromir’s desire to uplift his city fits this description. The nobility or virtue of this underlying wish makes his actions more tragic, since it appears his intentions are good.

3. The interfering authority figure

The function of an antagonist, in terms of plot, is to stand between a primary character and their main goals.

An interfering authority figure is thus useful for creating challenges and complications that make life harder for your protagonist.

Depending on the interfering authority figure you create, their broader story role could be:

To show something about the nature of power and authority in your book’s society (for example, how little power people have faced with totalitarian leadership)

To show cultural values or practices that stand between your character and their goals (for example, traditionalist parents who oppose a ‘love match’ marriage in romance)

A good example of this type of antagonist is Allie’s mother in Nicholas Sparks’ romance novel The Notebook. Allie is from a wealthy family and her love interest Noah works as a labourer. Because of her class-conscious and controlling nature, Allie’s mother hides love letters from Noah to Allie.

This plot point shows how the interfering authority antagonist can make selfish or value-driven choices that get in your protagonist’s way.

Another example of an interfering authority antagonist would be a border patrol officer who delays characters. Perhaps they are a power-drunk bureaucrat and intentionally delay your protagonists just because they can. This would be a useful secondary antagonist if your characters’ primary goal at this moment is making it to a meeting or other event on time.

When writing this type of antagonist, ask:

What is their reason for interfering? In Allie’s mother’s case, it’s a controlling nature coupled with class snobbery

How will this character’s actions impact your protagonist and create complications in the way of their goal (e.g. being with their lover or making a vital meeting on time)?

4. The force of nature

One of the few types of antagonists that don’t need a clear motivation is the ‘force of nature’.

If you think of disaster novels and films, it’s the unpredictable shark that attacks in Jaws. Some call this antagonist type the ‘beast’, but it doesn’t have to be a living or sentient being. In a survival story, this antagonist could be something with as little intent or motive as a treacherous mountain range your character climbs.

This type of antagonist does not have a character arc, in the sense of (for example) a backstory explaining how they became corrupt. Yet you can still include change and vary this type of antagonist to create tension and unpredictability.

To create an interesting and gripping ‘irrational force of destruction’:

Make it unpredictable. For example, on a tough mountain ascent, where your antagonist is the environment itself, perhaps clouds roll in obstructing vision and making the going tougher

Vary the intensity of opposition. On a tricky mountain ascent, create the occasional surprise rockfall or relief-bringing plateau

Make the danger real. A shark or other antagonist is only fearful and tension-inducing if you show the repercussions of not overcoming them. Maybe someone falls; maybe someone has their leg bitten off

Although not entirely an antagonist in the sense of a separate oppoenent, a character’s ‘worse self’ is also a useful source of tension and opposition:

5. The inner saboteur

In a story where a character’s main struggle is an internal struggle (e.g. drug addiction), the protagonist and antagonist are rolled into one, in a sense. Rather than the main conflict being external, the conflict takes place within a single character.

The danger of this type of antagonistic situation is that your character’s thoughts could dominate the narration, without as much exchange with others. If your character’s main opponent is their own self, remember to:

Show destructive behaviour in action. Instead of having an addict constantly think about their addiction, show how they fight it and sometimes fail. Perhaps they might visit a street hoping to score a fix but end up empty-handed, for example

Think about the origins of their self-destructive choices.What motivated your character originally to embark on a path of self-destruction?

Include secondary antagonists who add external conflict to the mix. An addict character, for example, may have uncomfortable brushes with law enforcement or a dangerous dealer

There are many types of antagonist that bring gripping conflict and opposition to a story. Whichever type you create, make sure you realize each opponent with as much detail and thought as you would a protagonist.

Source: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/types-of-antagonists/

“People don’t understand the word ruthless. They think it means ‘mean.’ It’s not about being mean. It’s about seeing the bright, clear line that leads from A to B. The line that goes from motive to means. Beginning to end. It’s about seeing that bright, clear line and not caring about anything but the beautiful fact that you can see the solution. Not caring about anything else but the perfection of it.”

— Marco, Animorphs #30: The Reunion, pg. 71 (by K.A. Applegate)

Writing vs Storytelling Skills: Improving Storytelling

Though “writing skill” is often used to refer to all aspects of story crafting, it can be divided into ‘storytelling concepts’ and the ‘actual writing’. Addressed in the previous post: Writing vs Storytelling Skills (link embedded), now I’m here to tell you how to work on that specific storytelling skill.

1. Read a variety of books. Various authors, various genres, the more you expand your examples the better. Variation of reading means you’ll be exposed to more ideas, more ways of thought, more storytelling patterns, more everything that you can critique and help make decisions on how your own stories will unfold. Even take up books you may not like. Give them a chance, and if you still don’t like them then at least be able to explain why.

2. Learn genre expectations (and that tropes aren’t bad). Genres exist to classify stories into familiar concepts. Sometimes, novice writers try to throw out genre ideas because they’re all “cliche” or they want “something different”, yet they fail to grasp why those patterns exist in the first place. Familiar storytelling concepts (tropes) can be cliches, yes, but more often they fulfill one or more of these requirements:

A way to fast-track info to the reader without having to explain every ounce of meaning (Color-coded symbolism, character archetypes, etc.)

To create a familiar base, allowing for further growth of the concept with less time than it would have taken to set up something new. 

Promises to fulfill a certain type of story (You can’t say you want to write a romance, but with no romance)

Those things only become cliche when executed poorly or if they cause predictability when the story is trying to rely on unpredictability. A story full of tropes is not automatically a bad story. Writing in a way that subverts expectations well requires having a strong understanding of the genre you’re trying to twist. A genre is a promise of a specific type of narrative– you can’t just throw it out the window and expect readers to be satisfied. It’s fine to write cross-genre or mess with tropes, but be wary of it coming from a place of “it’s all the same so I’m going to do it completely different!”.

By learning genre expectations, you can gain that knowledge that lets you subvert better, or the knowledge to play into it better. You can figure out where the true heart of the stories are and why readers care. You can figure out how to write in a genre that works with your personal goals and desires for the story. 

3. Learn best practices for different storytelling mediums. “I saw this awesome scene on TV and I want to write it in my story, so I imagined how it’s going to play out and it’ll be perfect!” No, it won’t, because what works in visual media isn’t the same for books and what works in your head isn’t a clear idea of how it would work on paper. (link embedded)

TV, and other forms of visual media, are presented very differently than the written word. They can rely on music, camera angles, subtle background events– and endless list of things that writing cannot replicate and isn’t made to. Becoming a better storyteller means learning the strengths and weaknesses of different media so you can tailor stories to best fit how they’ll be told. The imagination is similar to visual media, but better and worse. Better, because you can learn over time how to tailor your imagination for the written word. Worse, because it can create unrealistic expectations and is harder to look past.

It’s natural to want to mimic what you see in other forms of storytelling, but one of the most important things a writer can learn is to get over the fact that they can’t translate ideas in every situation. It’s fine to be inspired by other forms of storytelling and what your imagination creates, but don’t become a slave to the unrealistic expectations. Learn to work with the paper, not against it.

4. Stress test plot ideas to catch issues before they become a problem. While this isn’t going to always work and there will still be times that you have to adjust in the middle of things, stress testing your ideas can help teach you where you keep going wrong so you can work on fixing it. There are two main things to keep in mind when doing this:

The plot structure (link embedded): Overarching plot concepts should fit into a specific structure. The structure can have small variations, but there should be an average line of best fit that naturally overlays against the story. The higher your skill, the more you can mess with the lines and have it not blow up in your face.

Plot is essentially cause-and-effect (link embedded): The events of a plot should be a relatively smooth slide from start to finish. Not “smooth” as in “no conflict or tension”, “smooth” as in “logically glides from one point to another”. Make sure you can connect the dots.

If you catch and fix enough of your own mistakes then you can start teaching yourself not to make them. 

5. Critique the storytelling of others. What did you like? What didn’t you like? What choices did the writer make and what were the consequences of those choices? I’m going to repeat that last one again because it’s one of the most important things a writer can learn: Every story is made from a set of choices and those choices have consequences. Not all bad, not all good; it’s a neutral term that just refers to outcomes. One of the biggest separators of storytelling skill is how well a writer can work with the natural consequences of their choices. 

When you critique others, you look at those consequences and weigh them against what you consider to be a “good story”. While a writer can only critique at a close level to their skill, the more they critique, the higher skill climbs, and the better they get. To become a better storyteller, you should get used to tearing other’s, and your own, work apart. It can help to keep a journal or some kind of record of critiques, since writing thoughts down helps bridge the gap between the mind’s assumptions and reality (just like the bridge between an imagined scene and actually writing it down).

6. Brush up on literary concepts. They’re not just for English class! While some are more technical in nature, there are plenty of storytelling-inclined literary techniques that gaining a better understanding of can improve your own work. Also, literary concepts are just tropes that happen to apply to “work of literary merit”. They’re not fancy or pretentious to include– just study and practice them well so they work with your story rather than against it. (Study tropes too!)

All that said, there’s no such thing as a “perfect storyteller”. Brushing up on storytelling skills isn’t about being perfect, it’s about getting better relative to where you were before (and potentially helping close the gap between writing and storytelling skills). 

Keep writing, keep practicing– keep storytelling.

Thinking of asking a question? Please read the Rules and Considerations to make sure I’m the right resource, and check the Tag List to see if your question has already been asked. Also taking donations via Venmo Username: JustAWritingAid

Reblogging because people think differently here.

Bloggers who are struggling with hate asks

I know there are so many bloggers out there who are dealing with haters, especially the more popular ones. But I personally see this as a good sign, because it means you are gaining popularity? Plus, hate messages are usually funny to me bcs they make no sense whatsoever. It's usually like "your blog sucks" or "no one likes you". Like uhhh okay?? 😂 Yet you took time to look at my blog, how ironic🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️.

To haters: Pls feel free to send those bcs I love sarcasm ♡♡♡♡ or if you have nerve to dm me, please do that too ♡

Difference between Hate and Criticism

In my definition, hate is more like random msg with no proof or reason. It's totally emotional thing, whether you are feeling jealous, angry or whatever. Hates doesn't mean they ACTUALLY hate your content. They might be just having a bad day, and want to vent their stress online. Hate messages are STILL VERY wrong. The words you mindlessly throw, can hurt others (unless you are weird like me who laugh at those hate messages). If you are just having a stressful day, find another way to vent your stress- not by hurting others. Go do something productive or go have a talk with someone close. Stay AWAY from social media if you are just online to send random hate messages.

Criticism on the other hand, has reason. It's just not simple "your blog sucks". It might NOT always be logical or reasonable. Opinions/reasons can be totally biased, but it does have reason of some sort lol. So instead of just saying "your blog sucks", it will have something like "your blog sucks because......" Criticism can be seen as one form of feedback, but it's up to you whether you will take that piece of opinion or not.

So please, dont just send "I hate your blog" and say it was a valid criticism lol. No that's not criticism, that's straight out hate.

I know there has been a few of complaints in the past about things I post. I personally get really irritated when those get sent through ask. It's nothing personal towards you. If you have constructional criticism about my blog (not just "your blog sucks" but with reason and points), which bother majority of the people in this fandom, please dm me, not through ask. If you send through ask, more chances are I will get annoyed and give you only a reply that you don't wanna hear lol. If you dm though, there is a way to communicate- so more chance for compromising (I said chance for a reason). However, if it annoys you personally, pls just unfollow or block.

My point is that, bloggers shouldn't feel discouraged because of haters. Because 1) its saying that you gained that much fame. 2) They might actually like your blog because they are checking on your blog frequently just to trashtalk LOL (pls go find a better hobby).

Never be depressed by hate messages. Haters want to see you sad. Don't give what they want.

Stay strong bloggers♡

If anyone is struggling with hate ask, and dont know how to answer- feel free to dm me.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Resurrection CM

Hi!! First of all congratulations. :D I would like to make an angsty request if you're still open to it. It's inspired by Kojuro's story event: when MC tried to leave him (for his sake) and lied to him about having a new love. Would you please write about the Lords (plus Shigezane, Nobuyuki, and Hotaru) reactions to MC doing a similar thing and successfully leaving them? If this has been done before or falls into the category of being unfaithful then please ignore this. <3 Thank you xxo

omg this was so much harder than the one about kittens i s2g

MC leaving because of Reasons headcanon

- Nobunaga is enraged and tells you to get out and never come back, so you do just that. He regrets it after a while, but he’s too proud to go after you. He wants to think you still love him, but he’s afraid that maybe you really don’t anymore. Mitsuhide quietly keeps tabs on you for Nobunaga’s sake.- Mitsuhide suspects what’s going on and tries to talk it out with you. You tell him that his persistence is making you very uncomfortable. You move out of his house and back into Nobunaga’s castle. You can’t avoid each other because of work, but you both try to stay professional.- Yukimura is devastated and refuses to hear you out. You explain things to Lord Shingen, who reluctantly agrees to have you sent back to Kyoto. He tries to go after you, and is truly heartbroken when you look him in the eye and tell him that it’s over.- Saizo is fully aware that you’re bluffing. But he knows you’ve always tried your best to hold on to him, and that he can’t say the same for himself. He thinks you can find someone better, so he lets you go. He still keeps watch over you, but you don’t know.- Masamune is shocked but absolutely forbids you to leave. He demands a proper explanation, grabs your hands and begs you to stay. You’re his family, he needs you. Kojuro and Shigezane understand your situation, but don’t think you should leave. They’re afraid that Masamune will stop eating and collapse again. You’re guilted into staying, so you’re forced to rebuff him, over and over and over again…- You’ve pulled this kind of thing on Kojuro before, so he thinks that he’ll get you back sooner or later. By the time he realises that you’re not giving in, it’s too late. He’s always been secretly worried about whether he’s too old and just not right for you. The insecurity gets him.- Hideyoshi sees right through you, but he can’t convince you to stay, and he’s not the type to physically block you from leaving. He sends you letters, reminiscing about the things you used to do and the future you imagined together. He sends you gifts, things that you like, things that you mentioned once offhand in a casual conversation. You don’t reply.- Inuchiyo takes you at face value and is furious. He demands to know exactly who this other guy is. You tell him that this type of reaction is exactly what you hate about him. He’s hurt and stunned and reacts by punching a wall. You double down on your criticism of his violent tendencies, and take the opportunity to escape while he’s still trying to process what’s happening.- Part of Ieyasu thinks that you’re lying, but his knee-jerk reaction is to call you the most awful names. He’s cold and vicious, just like how he used to be. He tells you to get the hell out of Mihara before he decides to kill you.- Mitsunari is annoyed because he thinks you’re kicking up a fuss over nothing. He scowls and tells you to get over yourself. He only realises you were serious after you leave, but is too prickly and proud and contrary to go after you.- Shingen is puzzled. Who is your new lover, and in what way is he superior to Takeda Shingen? He wants to meet him first before letting you go. You stand your ground and the confrontation ends in a stalemate. You alternate between outright hostility and the cold shoulder until he gives in.- Kenshin is Not Impressed (mostly because Kanetsugu has been on top of things and has told him exactly what you’re up to). He tells you that if you really want to leave, it should be for your own sake, and not his.- Shigezane is confused and upset, and tells you he can’t possibly just let you go like this. But he’s always been insecure about relationships, and he especially fears losing his girl to someone else. You tell him he’s too much of a joker, he’s not serious about anything, you want someone more mature, and it hits him where it hurts. - Yeah… Nobuyuki isn’t letting you leave, no matter what. You should just give up.- Hotaru is super confused and hurt when you tell him you never want to see him again. He doesn’t know what’s going on. He doesn’t know how to deal with relationships because of his upbringing. He takes you at face value - you don’t see him, but he sees you. He goes to check on you whenever he can, but stays out of your sight.

Oh my, Nobuyuki’s ES is such a satisfying roller coaster, isn’t it? I love it! I love it so much. It’s fast but it’s meaty and I daresay, believable, and it’s all thanks to the way MC is written. She’s so good here. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS MC!

And if I have to pinpoint the moment Nobuyuki falls in love with her. 

It’s this moment.

Also, I am fistpumping when this is her reaction to Nobuyuki’s sudden proposition.

Nobuyuki MC, YOU ROCK!