I do a lot of worldbuilding, and there are very few things that I keep away from.
One of them is truth magic.
Truth magic, even in a restricted form, even if it's expensive, digs its fingers into every social institution in a world, and then also digs its fingers into every element of plot, and will seep into every scene that you ever write for a given story. There are many many many ways to implement truth magic, and most of them are just beset by this problem of sheer magnitude.
But I also think there are a few interesting narrative things you can do with it, if wielded properly:
Character who really seems untrustworthy, but the magic has verified them, as improbable as this seems.
Character who technically did tell the truth, but they were clever about leaving in a loophole.
Character who has been dodging truth spells for a long time is finally forced to have all their lies undone.
Character who has been raised scrupulously truthful because they exist in a part of society where truth spells are common and all speech must be self-monitored.
Character who is deep in self-denial is forced to confront a hidden truth they don't want to accept.
Character who is insane enough that truth magic just doesn't work on them.
Maybe some day I'll give truth magic a shot, it just seems horribly complicated to write for.
Decide the Purpose: Determine how the twist advances the story or challenges the characters.
Foreshadow Strategically: Seed subtle clues throughout the narrative that hint at the twist without giving it away.
Create a Red Herring: Introduce elements that mislead the audience into expecting a different outcome.
Heighten Stakes: Ensure the events leading up to the twist are emotionally engaging and meaningful.
Time it Right: Place the twist at a moment of high tension or when it feels least expected but still logical.
Use Reversal or Revelation: Employ one of two main twist types:
Reversal: A situation is the opposite of what the audience believed.
Revelation: New information changes the context of prior events.
Anchor in Logic: Ensure the twist is believable within the story’s world and doesn’t feel contrived.
Align with Characters: Make sure the twist fits with established character motivations and actions.
Affect the Narrative: Show how the twist changes the story’s direction or character dynamics.
Re-examine Earlier Clues: Allow the audience to realize how the twist was set up through earlier hints.
The Sixth Sense: The revelation that Dr. Malcolm Crowe is dead reframes the entire story and previous interactions.
Fight Club: The twist that Tyler Durden and the narrator are the same person shocks the audience and redefines the plot.
Parasite: The discovery of the secret bunker adds unexpected layers of tension and tragedy.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Amy's manipulation and fake disappearance drastically shift the narrative’s direction.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: The reveal of the murderer’s identity ties all the deaths to a chilling plan.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling: The twist that Sirius Black is not the villain but Harry’s ally surprises and deepens the story.
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if it's good enough for you, then it deserves to be made. don't let anyone else decide if your story is worth it or not.
If you can't seem to find an alternative for this common phrase "she smiled". here's a list of different sentence variations.
She beamed brightly.
Her lips curled into a smile.
She flashed a radiant grin.
A smile lit up her face.
She offered a sheepish grin.
Her smile twinkled mischievously.
She gave a soft, serene smile.
A wry smile played on her lips.
She smirked subtly.
Her smile spread slowly across her face.
She smiled wistfully.
A gentle smile graced her features.
She smiled with her eyes.
Her smile was tinged with sadness.
She bestowed a gracious smile.
Her smile glimmered in the dim light.
She smiled coyly.
A giddy smile bubbled up.
She smiled, lips parting lightly.
Her smile was infectious.
She gave a knowing smile.
A tentative smile flickered across her face.
She smiled, eyes sparkling with delight.
Her smile warmed the room.
She smiled ruefully.
A conspiratorial smile crossed her face.
She smiled, a trace of irony evident.
Her smile was wide and welcoming.
She flashed a quick, evasive smile.
She smiled as if recalling a sweet memory.
Back with another review! This little number was recommended by a friend. Anytime a person tells me to read something, I decide to go forward with the vaguest expectations, but the cover gives this one away pretty quickly.
"Lesbian necromancers"... say less. (Spoilers ahead)
Story Telling (3/5): To be honest, I took a while to get into this book. Like with many other hard scifi and fantasy novels where authors built their own worlds from the ground up, there's this initial disorientation while you try to figure out what the hell is going on. They have swords so that means this is a medieval setting, right? Oh, but she mentions porn magazines. How the hell do you pronounce "Nonagesimus" (I did not discover the pronunciation guide until about halfway through)?
And then just as I think I figured out the Ninth House, we are literally transported to a whole other world with a startlingly large number of new characters that I have to memorize. Fortunately, the plot starts to pick up and we get to see Gideon interacting with people who do not immediately despise her for being a ginger haired orphan.
There are still many instances of guesswork involved in the setting and motivations, but much less than before. You could say that I was as equally clueless as Gideon. I suspect the second book, Harrowhark The Ninth, will not be as forgiving.
Plot (4/5): My own cluelessness aside, I genuinely enjoyed the plot. It was unique and engaging, hinting at a rich lore oozing with potential. There were a lot of loose strands at the end of the novel that are clearly meant to extend into a much larger story. I'm interested to see how the rest of the Houses are explored in the rest of the series.
With that being said, I also felt as if the book was being excessive, throwing out plot devices willy-nilly. I am still wondering what exactly the purpose of Coronabeth's character was or if she was just supposed to be eye candy the whole time. In addition, were the Second Houses' deaths necessary? I get the sense that Muir just wanted to create a post-apocalyptic world based on our own solar system and the characters that came from the less important planets were just an afterthought.
With that being said, I genuinely did enjoy the plot. While it started out slow, the tension kept building. Each gruesome death further proved how much danger Gideon and Harrowhark were really in. I appreciate Gideon's sacrifice being an actual sacrifice. She's not going to be resurrected or returned to her body. She will stay in Harrowhark's head, annoying her with bad puns and reminding her to drink more protein shakes. The more I think back on it, the more credit I have to give it.
Characters (4/5): While this book has a lot more characters than I care for, some significantly less necessary than others (looking at you Crux and Coronabeth), I appreciate the effort to give each one a unique personality and motivation. There are still some tropes, such as the fatherly figure that makes bad puns, the embarrassed teens, the meek nerd, etc., but at least they are developed in the short time before their brutal deaths.
I especially like Gideon. Immature. Stubborn. Strong Morals. Biceps that you can sink your teeth into. Gideon's frustration with Harrowhark and the Ninth Planet is justified, but I respect that she tries her best to meet their demands. Similarly, while I can't say that I like Harrowhark, her backstory as an engineered monster makes her at least somewhat sympathetic.
Characters I didn't enjoy: Cytherea and Dulcinea. I am intentionally counting those as separate entities. I understand that Cytherea is meant to bring Gideon and Harrowhark closer to the Emperor and drive the plot as a whole, but I wish her lore was more explicit earlier in the story. The Emperor and his Lyctors are only vaguely mentioned and frankly, I'm still unsure what Lyctorhood is all about. While I love a big baddy, Cytherea's introduction and motives were introduced too late for me.
As for Dulcinea, I suspected she had darker motives right from the beginning. It was too ideal to have a sweet, sickly, girl fainting lavishly around a derelict castle (laboratory?). She was Chekov's missile tank. While I appreciated watching Gideon get flustered with gay panic, I kept waiting for the other shoe to eventually drop. It was only two dimensional, which I suppose makes sense once the twist is revealed.
Final Thoughts: I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the Locked Tomb books. While confusing, the setting and plot were refreshing. I'm almost disappointed that we won't see most of the same characters in book #2, but I'm sure Muir already has a massive lineup of replacements waiting for us.
Furthermore, It's great reading a story that hits the queer aesthetic dead on. Save the rainbows and club mixes for June. The rest of the year, we like our lazy goth aesthetic, our gritty cyberpunk core, and our lovecraftian lore, etc.
While I am a sucker for romance and shipping wars, it can get quite repetitive. I'm also glad that the novel does not veer in that direction. Harrowhark and Gideon's relationship evolved more naturally. Even though I partially expected a more romantic payoff, I am not at all disappointed with the ending. It's a unique dynamic to have your potential love interest mesh their soul with yours and share the same body to become a powerhouse of magic and sword fighting. I don't think I've ever encountered anything quite like
oh.
Quit judging yourself for every mistake you make along the way. Whether you're writing fiction, fanfiction, or nonfiction, just write. If you can't correct your errors as you go, that's okay. When I don't have the brainpower to multitask, I focus on the writing stage one step at a time. Just write!
"It's not ready if it's not perfect." That's a lie. When you're in the process of writing, it's best to concentrate on getting your thoughts on paper.
Join lively communities with active writers or forums that host events inviting writers to share their work for critique. Not every critique is constructive; learn to discern which feedback to take on board and which to ignore.
You can't give what you don't have. You learn a lot from reading similar pieces in your chosen genre. Reading is also a source of inspiration that fuels your writing process.
Writing is no small feat. It takes talent to formulate a story with your mind and skill to visualize it for others to see. Do you love writing? Then keep doing it because it takes practice.
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