Bumping Your OCs Ages Up Every Few Years Because They’re Starting To Feel Like Infants To You. Reblog

Obsessed with characters who portray themselves as worse than they are. Who are lying to everyone including themselves about it. People generally assume if someone's lying about themselves they're trying to look better but sometimes they're trying to look worse. They attribute agency to where they had none, add intend to accidents, try to convince everyone that this is something they did instead of something that happened to them.

please, please, please forget-me-not

Hi CT! A while ago you mentioned how you once trained yourself in a kind of writing where you start going and just don't stop. I forget other details, but I was wondering if you could talk more about it.

What is this writing technique? How is it practiced? And do you have any tips for those who want to start doing it?

Automatic writing! It originally started as an esoteric method, but now it's just a pretty normal writing warm up. Basically, you just write, no stopping, no backspaces. Its an excellent way to build confidence. You know what they say, all writing is rewriting. Automatic writing is a great way to train up the base quality of your first drafts.

What's funny is that's basically how I was trained to write. I can crank out some insanely high daily word counts if I need to. After years of practice, my first drafts are faster and higher quality than most authors 3rd.

Though, it really is just a way to turn out junk and iterate on it faster than most authors. It makes me really good at producing solid C+ work, but it still takes me just as long to make A+ work.

Portrait of a boy, French School, early 19th Century

im sorry i said that i wanted to replace your tendons and muscles with thin spectral cords of myself so i could draw you up and pull you around like my puppet. in retrospect that was kind of a weird thing to say and most people don’t wanna get possessed or whatever. could i instead coil myself around you like snakes and move you how i want with more brute force? is that more normal

ok i have a fun one

my answer, btw: yes

compilation

Good Traits Gone Bad

Exploring good traits gone bad in a novel can add depth and complexity to your characters. Here are a few examples of good traits that can take a negative turn:

1. Empathy turning into manipulation: A character with a strong sense of empathy may use it to manipulate others' emotions and gain an advantage.

2. Confidence becoming arrogance: Excessive confidence can lead to arrogance, where a character belittles others and dismisses their opinions.

3. Ambition turning into obsession: A character's ambition can transform into an unhealthy obsession, causing them to prioritize success at any cost, including sacrificing relationships and moral values.

4. Loyalty becoming blind devotion: Initially loyal, a character may become blindly devoted to a cause or person, disregarding their own well-being and critical thinking.

5. Courage turning into recklessness: A character's courage can morph into reckless behavior, endangering themselves and others due to an overestimation of their abilities.

6. Determination becoming stubbornness: Excessive determination can lead to stubbornness, where a character refuses to consider alternative perspectives or change their course of action, even when it's detrimental.

7. Optimism becoming naivety: Unwavering optimism can transform into naivety, causing a character to overlook dangers or be easily deceived.

8. Protectiveness turning into possessiveness: A character's protective nature can evolve into possessiveness, where they become overly controlling and jealous in relationships.

9. Altruism becoming self-neglect: A character's selflessness may lead to neglecting their own needs and well-being, to the point of self-sacrifice and burnout.

10. Honesty becoming brutal bluntness: A character's commitment to honesty can turn into brutal bluntness, hurting others with harsh and tactless remarks.

These examples demonstrate how even admirable traits can have negative consequences when taken to extremes or used improperly. By exploring the complexities of these traits, you can create compelling and multi-dimensional characters in your novel.

Happy writing!