Writing Prompt #2427

How To Write Saucy Betrayals

First consider the type of betrayal you want. Will it be minor to the story or absolutely earth shattering? Will you be leaving little breadcrumbs/hints for the reader to piece together, or will it come out of no where and blindside both the reader and characters? Be careful though because the latter can feel unrealistic or make the reader feel cheated.

Here are some tips on how to write betrayals in your story:

1) Set up the betrayal in a way that isn’t obvious. Leave tiny clues, use foreshadowing, drop hints in the background. Body language and dialogue can be great places to add subtle hints. 

2) Make your readers invested in your characters. If the reader doesn’t care about the protagonist or even the betrayer, they won’t feel anything when the big deception happens.

3) The betrayer needs a motivation. Why are they betraying your protagonist?

4) It has to have an effect your protagonist. Usually the betrayer is someone close to the protagonist, so when they are deceived, it hurts like crap.

5) Do some research on the craft of lying. It can be hard for a character to keep up a mask for the entire story. Google some real-life betrayals in history, or in famous literature/movies. Study how the betrayals are hinted at and effectively revealed.

6) Play around with POV. A fun way to build tension is to have certain characters know things that others do not. Or perhaps your readers know about the betrayal-to-be before the characters do. This could put them on the edge of their seats waiting for your characters to figure it out before it’s too late.

7) Betrayal isn’t black and white. I don’t think betrayal is as simple as good and bad… it can get muddy. For example, what if the betrayer is being blackmailed? Mind controlled? Manipulated? Here are a few betrayal pathways to consider:

Evil from the start to the end, was never truly a friend.

Manipulated into betraying their friends

Wants to be on the “winning side”

Is offered gold or safety of their family for the betrayal

Blackmailed or threatened into the betrayal

They’re lesser or a “loser” in the beginning and can obtain power through this betrayal

Conflicted and stuck in between— this betrayer doesn’t know which side to pick and is constantly being tormented between the choice

The betrayer feels cheated/overlooked by the protagonist and choses to switch sides.

They’re betraying the protagonist to secretly protect them

They have no choice— literally. Mind control or magically forced

They think they’re genuinely doing the right thing

A remorseful betrayer who realizes his mistake but it’s too late, he is too far gone or the damage has already been done.

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i think this is peak internet

Robert Pattinson's Batman

secret relationship prompts, please?

Secret relationship prompts <3

hiding in alleyways and stealing kisses as everyone else walks ahead

holding hands under the table

whispering sweet things to each other in a stuffed car so no one else could hear

discreet, light touches on each other's backs that last a second

fleeting glances from across the room

kissing each other's cheeks when no one's looking

"i wish i could show you off to the world."

meeting in secret in the middle of the night

sneaking in through windows

hiding in random places when they hear someone coming

writing letters to each other and pressing it into the other's palms when passing by

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Love how tumblr has its own folk stories. Yeah the God of Arepo we’ve all heard the story and we all still cry about it. Yeah that one about the woman locked up for centuries finally getting free. That one about the witch who would marry anyone who could get her house key from her cat and it’s revealed she IS the cat after the narrator befriends the cat.

she PERFECTLY explained why euphoria is a gross ass show and why i just cannot get into it.

Worldbuilding: Clothes and Beauty

Every society has a standard of beauty.  Whether or not everyone meets that standard, it does normally affect fashion and clothes.  While things such as climate also have a play on fashion, knowing the standards of beauty in your character’s culture can add a depth to that character and give perspective on what he or she calls “beautiful.”  Also, it will give something of an image of what the character likes to wear. In this list, I have written a list of questions pertaining to fashion.  It’s not an exhaustive list, however.  The goal is to get you working on the fashion of your world.

Have fun, be creative and detailed, and answer questions not listed!

Because my computer crashed and lost the prepared list, the questions are not directly taken from the NaNoWriMo website. However, some of the questions are asked from memory.  Others sounded like questions I had.

How does the weather affect clothing?

What kind of designs are common on clothing? Detailed embroidery?  Different dyes?  Logos?  Beads?  Sequins?

What would someone wear to a dance? Are there different kinds of dances that would require different kinds of clothes?

What would someone wear to a dinner party?

What is appropriate every day clothing?

What kind of clothes would the rich wear?

What kind of clothes would the poor wear?

What kind of clothes would those in between wear?

What clothing distinguishes someone as a noble or in a position of authority?

What is normally appropriate for children to wear?

What would one wear to a wedding or a funeral? Do the guests wear something different than the two getting married?  Does the person marrying the couple wear something different from the rest of the people?  Does the bride get all fancy?  How is the dead body dressed?

What kind of shoes do the people wear? Do people have different shoes for different occasions?

What is the significance of tattoos? Are they taboo?  Indicate a warrior?  Indicate a married couple?  Just another part of fashion?

What is the significance of piercings? Is it a status symbol?  What places normally get pierced?  What do they normally put in the piercings?

What kind of jewelry is worn? Earrings?  Necklaces?  Bracelets?  Nose rings?  Toe rings?  Crowns?

What does jewelry signify?

What features are admired? Symmetrical faces?  Slim bodies?  Tall or short?  Are certain kind of skin colors admired?  Certain colors of hair?  Long or short nails?  Small feet?

How does it differ with gender?

What kind of hairstyles are in fashion?

Does hairstyle indicate status in society?

What kind of fabrics are worn?

What fabrics are consider luxurious? Silk? Satin? Velvet?  Dragon hair?

What are some clothes that only certain people wear? Do priests have a certain uniform?  The military?

What are some ways people beautify themselves?

What kind of perfumes and/or colognes are worn?

What kind of soaps do people put in their bathes?

How often do people bathe?

What kind of hair care is there?

What kind of makeup do people use?

What is makeup made of? Modern ingredients?  Magic?  Crushed up beetles?  Powdered flower?  Ink?

How has magic affected fashion?

5 simple exercises to awaken dormant muscles

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"Anyone can remember the important stuff, can you remember the trivial stuff?"