I Wonder If That’s Why Ralsei Says Things Like This…

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

I think the reason Ralsei doesn't turn to stone in other dark worlds might not be because he's created by the Grand Fountain. I think...

...It's because belonging is at the very core of who he is. Kris wants more than almost anything else to belong, to fit in and not be an outcast. But to do that, they would have to discard everything that makes them themself. Ralsei is what Kris wants to be, but not in the way you might think. Kris wants to belong, and Ralsei is who they would have to be in order to belong.

He's a goat, like the rest of Kris's family. He's smart, polite, helpful, does whatever you ask him, and lets you walk all over him. He doesn't treat himself like a person. Everyone's always asking, why can't you be more like your brother? And now you are. And that's what Ralsei is.

The people in the light world would take him for granted, just assume he's happy, and not wonder how he really feels. Fortunately, however, Ralsei's friends are Kris and Susie. They're not like the rest of hometown. They just want him to be himself and learn and grow with them. They just want to be his friends.

Let me be clear: Ralsei is his own person. He's only just starting to figure out who he is, beyond what I've described above.

I just hope we can be friends with everyone some day.

Pacing Through Sentence Length in Writing

You ever notice how a scene can feel like it’s dragging or speeding up based solely on the length of the sentences? Sentence length isn't just a technical detail—it’s a pacing tool. When used right, it can control the speed and tension of your story. Here’s how:

Short Sentences = Speed, Tension, Impact

Short, snappy sentences are like quick breaths, instantly pulling the reader’s attention. They mimic fast action, nervous energy, or urgent thoughts. They create momentum. Think of action scenes or emotional moments—often, less is more.

Example: The door slammed shut. His heart raced. She was gone.

In just three sentences, you feel the urgency, the chaos, and the emotional weight of the moment. It’s all about breaking up the narrative with these quick hits to keep the reader on edge.

Long Sentences = Build-up, Reflection, Depth

On the flip side, long sentences slow things down, adding complexity, reflection, or tension. They’re great for moments of introspection, world-building, or setting a scene in rich detail. These sentences create a flow, pulling the reader into the character’s headspace or the atmosphere of the moment.

Example: The wind howled through the narrow alley, carrying the distant sounds of a city that never seemed to sleep, never seemed to rest, and in that eternal hum, he wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever find peace here or if, like everyone else who tried to escape the shadows, he would simply become another part of the city’s endless noise.

Here, the length of the sentence mimics the complexity of the thoughts—heavy, reflective, almost hypnotic. It builds tension not with action but with an overwhelming feeling of being stuck or trapped in thought.

Combining Both = Dynamic Flow

The real magic happens when you mix short and long sentences. This creates a rhythm—suddenly, a break in the flow, a quick shock, and then back to a longer, more drawn-out moment. It reflects real life: quick bursts of action or emotion followed by moments of pause or thought.

Example: He reached for the door. It was locked. His heart pounded, each beat a reminder of how badly he needed this. There were no other options. There was no way out. The key could be anywhere. And he could not afford to wait any longer.

TL;DR:

Long sentences = build tension, create depth, set mood. Short sentences = ramp up urgency, show action, make an impact. Mastering this flow is a game-changer for pacing!

How To Write A Compelling Character Arc 

 A character arc is a measure of how a character changes over time. These arcs are linear, which means they have a start and a conclusion. Character arcs are a significant aspect of any novel as they help clearly translate your character’s struggles and personal developments to your readers. 

Unsure how to write a compelling character arc for your protagonist or other characters? Here are some tips to help you get started! 

Pick A Type Of Arc 

In order to create a compelling and successful character arc, you first need to recognise which type of arc is your character going to experience. Over the years people have developed various character arc types, however, there are three significant types every writer needs to be aware of when plotting their character’s story. 

Positive Character Arcs 

Positive character arcs are simply that—a character arc that results in a positive journey or development. 

A majority of books and movies or other cinematic pieces feature positive character arcs. This is because everyone enjoys a happy ending. An ending that makes you feel fulfilled and excited for the protagonist’s journey, or brings tears to your waterline as you reminisce on how far they’ve come, and how much they deserve this positive ending. 

A positive character arc doesn’t necessarily have to have a ‘’happily ever after’ however it needs to have a happy ending. If a character’s family was assassinated and at the end they get revenge on the antagonist who murdered their loved ones while developing themselves mentally, then that counts as a positive character arc. 

When writing a positive character arc it’s important to keep a few things in mind, such as: 

You need to end on a positive note. Things can be as chaotic as you want it to be, but you need to have a positive ending. Otherwise, you cannot define your character arc as positive. 

Your protagonist needs to develop as a character. Whether that be mentally, emotionally, financially, etc. 

Your protagonist cannot end up where they started. A character arc that ends in a full circle is more of a flat character arc than a positive one. 

Negative Character Arcs

Just like a positive character arc, a negative one is very easy to explain. This is a character arc that is typically used when writing antagonists in the entertainment industry due to the negativity it brings. When writing a negative character arc for a protagonist you run the risk of making your readers feel unsatisfied or creating a ‘bad ending’. 

Some examples of a negative character arc for a protagonist would be if the protagonist dies at the end of the book, or if the protagonists almost achieve their final goal but fail by a small shortcoming. Negative character arcs for a protagonist are usually implemented for the first few books of a series, especially in fantasy books. 

Using a negative character for your antagonist is simple—they fail. The protagonist wins and the villain dies or gets locked up until their final moments. 

When employing a negative character arc for a protagonist, here are some things to keep in mind: 

They shouldn’t end up as a person similar to what they started off as. The point is to corrupt them, ruin them and turn them to the bad side. Perhaps even make them fall victim to the antagonists. 

They can’t or will never achieve their long-term goal. Remember that goal you established at the start of your book? Your protagonist cannot achieve that. Or at least, they will never achieve it due to certain plot developments. 

They lose someone or thing important to them. Negative character arcs for a protagonist are generally triggered due to the loss of someone or thing important to the protagonist. Maybe their mentor is murdered by the government, or their failure to achieve their goals makes them turn evil. 

Flat Character Arcs

Flat character arcs are arcs that essentially lack any sort of arc. They are flat and begin and end with the character as the same type of person. 

These arcs are generally used for side characters, but they can also be used for a protagonist. Think of characters like Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, etc. They go through several trials and tribulations, but even after it all their personality remains the same. 

When writing a flat character arc it’s important to remember that your character cannot undergo any significant personality changes. Your protagonist can undergo such changes during the story, but they need to have a full circle by the end. 

Divide Your Arc Into Short-Term Goals 

Once you’ve decided where you want your character to end up at the end, you now need to know how they will get there. You can achieve this by referring to your long-term goal and then breaking them down into short-term goals. 

The protagonist is supposed to find a hidden jewel at the end of the book and discovers how corrupt their government is. Alright, now break that down into short-term goals that will help your protagonist get to their end goal. 

Group these goals and they will become stages for your book, break them down and you now have chapter outlines to work with. 

Playing with the details of your character arcs can help you easily plan out your book’s plot and set a steady pace. You can also use this as a reference sheet when working on your WIP. 

Take The World Outside Your Protagonist Into Perspective

Once you know the type of character arc you want and how you’re going to write it, it’s important to consider how this arc will impact your world. This includes your side characters as well as the general plot and layout of your world. 

Character Arcs For Side Characters 

It isn’t necessary to have a character arc for every single character, but it is almost impossible for only two characters to have an arc within hundreds of pages. 

Whether it be your protagonist’s mentor or your antagonist’s assistant, it’s important to take their stories and personal development into consideration. How does the story’s plot impact their outlook on the world or their personality? Do any of the minor antagonists turn out to be morally grey? Does one of the smaller protagonists end up betraying the protagonist out of jealousy? 

Remember, your smaller characters are also human. It’s important to take their stories and arcs into consideration so you can create a detailed and comprehensive world. 

A great example of this could be anime characters. Most animes tend to have separate backstories and endings for every character. These backstories and endings don’t have to all be necessarily revealed to your readers, however, as an author you need to know where you’re going with each of your characters. 

Reaction Arcs 

One easy way to implement character arcs for your side characters is by using reaction arcs. I don’t know if this term has already been established, but I personally coined the term to refer to a character arc that is a direct reaction to another character’s arc. 

Maybe your protagonist has a positive character arc and ends up becoming the most successful person in their field of work, but this results in a reaction arc for their best friend who turns bitter and has a negative character arc due to the way the protagonist’s story played out. 

Reaction arcs differ from other arcs due to the fact that they cannot be achieved without establishing another character’s arc first. Following the above example, the best friend cannot become jealous and bitter until your protagonist’s character arc is established. 

I hope this blog on how to write a compelling character arc will help you in your writing journey. Be sure to comment any tips of your own to help your fellow authors prosper, and follow my blog for new blog updates every Monday and Thursday.  

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and marketing tools for authors every Monday and Thursday. 

Want to learn more about me and my writing journey? Visit my social media pages under the handle @hayatheauthor where I post content about my WIP The Traitor’s Throne and life as a teenage author. 

Copyright © 2022 Haya Sameer, you are not allowed to repost, translate, recreate or redistribute my blog posts or content without prior permission

Don’t GOAT Breaking my Heart: an Anti-Hate Meta for Toriel AND Asgore

I’ve seen a lot of hate going around regarding the situation these two are in. Sometimes, in defense of one goat someone viciously bashes the other. It doesn’t have to be like that, though.

                                                       TORIEL

It seems like a lot of people are condemning her dislike of Asgore in their defense of him. But…I think we should try to understand her point of view too.

                              Why is she so mad at Asgore?

It is heavily implied the children he killed were her children, in the same way Frisk is. Maybe for years.

It’s safe to say Toriel didn’t just nab these kids’ shoes and send them on their way. Some or most of them stayed long enough to need to new shoes and grow out of their old ones (or they’d still be wearing them when they left the Ruins) - a process that takes months or years depending on their age. Their old ones were put in the bin. They left, and died in their new ones. Rinse and repeat.

Added to this is the photo frame in the children’s room. This frame is empty; if it were meant for her old family in New Home, it would still have them in it or not be there at all. It’s empty because the children, the humans who occupied the room before, in the picture died.

They were not just children that were murdered; they were her children. The same way Frisk is.

This isn’t just two exes disagreeing over policy; from her point of view, he killed six of her children (only one way into the underground, and that’s the hole in the ruins; Chara fell there too) and was starting on a seventh. It’s understandable that she can’t forgive him.

                           But did he kill the other 6 humans?

Unfortunately, yes.

The humans made it to Asgore, but they didn’t make it past him.

It seems the other childrens’ items were lost along the way, and scattered over decades, not markers of the childrens’ graves; it’s mentioned that the “faded ribbon” was dropped down a hole. The other items likely met a similar fate; however, all the humans made it Asgore at the end. They did not make it past him.

                        Why did she take Chara when she left?

She didn’t do it out of spite, but believed that they deserved a proper burial.

          Why didn’t she leave the barrier, and kill six people herself?

Toriel never wanted that plan to go through.

Toriel never wanted humans to be killed to break the barrier, even to free her kingdom. She would never have killed anyone to make it happen.

She didn’t call him out because she thought he should have left the barrier to kill more humans, she called him out because he gave everyone false hope and killed people; if four humans died and no others arrived then monsters would still be trapped forever, but the humans would still be dead.

Even when she’s facing down someone who killed her children, she cannot allow someone to take his life. She didn’t just come here to save Frisk; she came to save Asgore. No lives could be taken to exit the barrier. The value of life was absolute.

                                                     ASGORE

…and I think we should try to understand Asgore’s plight as well.

                     He declared war in a moment of devastation.

When Asgore declared war on humanity, he had just lost two children. He watched his son die from the wounds the humans inflicted on him, when he didn’t raise a finger to harm them. Humans who locked them in a hole to rot for thousands of years.

                          …and then couldn’t take it back.

The kingdom was in despair too; they had lost their prince, they lost their hope for reconciliation with the humans with Chara. He promised his entire kingdom he’d take the humans’ souls and free them.

He saved his kingdom from despair, and by the time his own grief had settled it was too late to take his promise back. He couldn’t take away their hopes and dreams.

He had a duty far beyond six souls of the humans - who doomed them to their situation and murdered his own son after he cared for one of their children - to the thousands of people in his own kingdom. It would have been justified for him to leave the barrier and kill six more humans after he got the first soul, right?

    Even after everything the humans did, he still valued their lives.

This is why he didn’t leave the barrier after getting the first soul.

He couldn’t state outright that he didn’t want to kill them to the kingdom, and plunge them back into the horror of being trapped in the dark forever. But he still hoped to never kill another one, even after they kept coming. Even after the sixth. If he could avoid killing even one, he would. To this end, he even instructed his scientists to find any other way to break the barrier, without a single other person having to die.

For the record, here’s how he looks at Frisk when he sees the very last soul he needs to free his people from millennia of imprisonment that they never deserved:

He takes two steps back and stares at Frisk in utter horror. There’s a long silence. He actually panicked when he saw Frisk.

            And how many times does he try to to spare your life?

Translation: Please don’t come into the next room.

“If not, I understand. I am not ready either.”

Translation: Please turn back.

There’s still time.

And when he finally does fight you…

He holds himself way, way back. He has the ability to one-shot you. He has the potential to not get a scratch on him from Frisk’s tiny LV 1 self. What’s going on here?

Because they are made of magic, monsters’ bodies are attuned to their SOUL. If a monster doesn’t want to fight, its defenses will weaken. And the crueler the intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us.

This is how much he doesn’t want to fight you. Along with holding back his last attack, so you can only ever die if you’re already at 1 HP.

                       So why’d he destroy the mercy button?

He doesn’t really want to win either. And in the event he loses, he doesn’t want mercy. If Flowey doesn’t show up…

He dismisses his idea of living with Frisk peacefully as a fantasy, says Frisk and his other human child “have the same look of hope in your eyes”, thinks Frisk could be the Angel of the delta rune prophecy, and believes they can free everyone from outside the barrier. He then takes his own life.

                   He was not wrong to want to spare the humans.

Despite their souls being necessary to free everyone, It’s important to understand the stakes here. With each successive soul, he is not just looking down at the possibility of taking another child’s life when they show up. If he gets 7, he will no longer have an excuse to stay below ground. He will have to break it. He will then have to destroy the lives of billions to let his people on the surface.

                                        but if one shows up….

If a human shows up in his castle, it is because they want to leave. The confrontation is then inevitable, because they have to take his soul to do that. He never hunts them down. But if it comes to fight, he has a duty to fight and try to take their soul, for the entire kingdom. Their hopes are riding on him. So he killed them.

…and the barrier really couldn’t have been be broken without 6 of them, and the souls of every monster underground except Napstablook.

I think it’s possible to appreciate the agonizing position Asgore was put in, as a person so gentle he couldn’t even painlessly take the lives of humans, who killed his son and trapped them underground, with the hopes of the entire kingdom, and the destruction of an entire species, resting on his shoulders to do it.

I think it’s also possible to appreciate the position of Toriel, who has lost several of her children to his hands, and can’t forget it or forgive it, but still believes he deserves mercy.

It’s no competition. Please love both of the goat parents. Neither are bad people and they’ve been through too much.

Bonus: Are they ever ever getting back together?

 They are not ever ever getting back together.

…but he’s still smiling in the end, isn’t he?

I think my favorite part about the whole Toriel confronting Kris about the pie scene in the beginning of chapter 2, is that fact that Toriel isn’t the least bit concerned that Kris just owns a knife for personal use. She’s just like “ah yes my child’s knife that they keep around” which tells me that Kris has probably never once actually used the knife to be violent towards others or hurt themselves. They just like that knife and carry it around for pie eating purposes.

Susie was not in a good place at the beginning of Ch 1.

I think we should try taking a closer look at where she came from to understand what her state of mind was back then.

Susie isn’t from Hometown.

Wherever she was from, she was not treated well.

And, upon coming to Hometown…things weren’t much better.

In Hometown, Susie is

Chronically underfed

Likely homeless

Hated by most of her classmates

Close to being expelled and losing her last tether to a normal life

Susie was at the very, very end of her rope at the beginning of Chapter 1.

Keep reading

Me and my friend 😂😂😂

I'm still in the process of bringing him to read it no fair!!😭

But atleast he's interested in my indofumps so far!

(I'm tempted to spoil him everything help 😭😭)

I'm trying to force my friend to read TCF

I got her into manga and anime (I started myself on a romance, and decided you know what? I'll start her off with Death Note :D)

Now I'm desperate to get her into manhwa and novels

Please, she's coming over tonight and trust me

I am making her read TCF

If she's making me watch Boku no Hero Academia (an ehhhh series for me)

Then she is reading TCF

I don't care

Girl, get over here

Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

Let's be honest in this whole transmigrating situation, the one who got the shortest end of the deal isn't krs! Cale. Like, sure, he was forced into a series of sucky things, but he still gets something out of it.

You know who's the one that doesn't benefit whatsoever from Kim Rok Soo's deal?

The original, unknowing, 18-year-old, Cale Henituse.

Did the now Kim Rok Soo realize he had killed an innocent 18-year-old boy the moment he regressed?

I'm writing a reaction fic with an alive tboah!Cale, but tboah!Cale is not the original Cale, and sometimes I can't help but think about the truest victim that everybody has forgotten: Cale Henituse, the boy whose entire existence was erased the moment 40-year-old Cale regressed.

Can you imagine? One day, you went to bed like normal, and then your body suddenly ceased to be yours.

Apparently, your depressed "older self" - who had already lived his life but was now stealing yours - not only decided to kill you in the name of the "Greater Good", he was also too much of a coward to stay.

Your "older self" (and your murderer) had made a deal with a God and would be fucking off to another world very soon.

You were left to come to terms with 3 things:

A stranger will be taking over your body in your stead (and you know they don't have a choice in this either, but still, you hate-)

You will die. No, more like you will get deleted (and no one will even remember that you had once lived)

You do not get any say in any of this. (You never did, and now, you never will.)

(And to think that in another world, you would have grown up to become him.)

(In the end, Cale Henituse dies hating himself.)

It keeps me up at night sometimes.