References (Elements; Subgenres; Tips; Some Vocabulary)
Detective story - one whose plot hinges on a crime that the characters investigate and attempt to solve.
Also called “whodunnit” stories or crime stories.
Most detective stories are written from the point of view of a detective.
A Detective
Usually featured as the protagonist.
Spend time thinking about your detective’s personality, their motivations, their background, their strengths, and their weaknesses. You’ll want your detective to be unique among the other detectives out there.
A Crime
Most detective stories revolve around a central crime or string of related crimes.
Since the crime will be the catalyst of your short story or novel, it should be interesting, memorable, and seemingly unsolvable—that way, readers will be so tantalized by the mystery of it that they’ll need to keep reading.
A dead body is a very common crime in detective fiction, but there are plenty of other options—from robberies to disappearances.
Suspects
Many detective stories include an array of suspects that could have committed the crime (either they have weak alibis or have a history of lying).
Your suspects are a vital part of your detective story; they serve as red herrings (or distractions) that will direct readers’ attention away from the true culprit.
Some mystery novels don’t have any suspects—this is a deliberate choice by crime writers that serves to heighten the tension in the story, but if your story doesn’t have any suspects, find creative ways to keep the case from going cold.
An Antagonist
The person whose goals are in direct conflict with the antagonist’s.
Traditionally, the antagonist is the true culprit for the story’s crime (or crimes), but that’s not who your antagonist has to be; the antagonist of your story could be a police officer who wants to solve the crime first or someone who knows the identity of the culprit and is trying to cover it up.
A Setting
The setting is a very important part of any detective story because the action in most detective stories takes place on the streets of its location.
Therefore the stories are inextricably linked to the time and place they are set in and are memorable because of those details.
Here are just a few subgenres that fall under detective stories
Police-department procedurals. Focus on police work and often feature homicide investigators and other departments of a local police force.
Cozy mysteries. These have a lighter tone than traditional detective fiction and avoid explicit depictions of the murder. They are often set in a small town and focus on puzzle-solving rather than suspense.
Hardboiled detective stories. These stories are usually dark and explicit, featuring a veteran detective who treats violent crimes matter-of-factly.
Thrillers. Emphasize suspenseful storytelling, often featuring chase scenes or murder sprees that the detective must stop before the time runs out.
Locked-room mysteries. Feature crimes that, at the outset, appear impossible—for instance, a murder taking place in a seemingly locked room with no other way in or out.
Interesting Motivation
The motivation of the culprit is one of the most crucial and prominent parts of detective work—what readers want to know even more than who committed the crime is why they committed it.
Nothing spoils a good detective story more than an uninteresting or unbelievable motivation (for instance, a serial killer who is just “pure evil” and has no discernable reasons for murdering) or an unmotivated confession.
In the same vein, your detective should also have a strong motivation for being in this line of work—it’s not easy, and many people wouldn’t be able to stomach it.
Learn about Detective Work
Readers want to feel immersed in the world of your detective story—whether it’s the world of the law or the seedy underbelly of a small town.
That’s why it’s so important to get the details right when crime writing—so you can keep the reader’s attention with believable plot points.
Do the research to make sure that you know who would be the first to make it to the scene of a crime, how detectives would go about tracking people down or questioning them, and what role forensics would play in your crime scene, so that your readers don’t spend any time wondering if what they’re reading is accurate to real life.
Too Easy
Readers pick up detective fiction because they want to be intrigued by a good mystery—so if your crime is too easy for them to solve, they’ll get bored and likely not finish the story.
Trust in your readers’ ability for logical deduction and don’t give too much away, leaving them guessing and really shocking them.
A Payoff
Try to avoid an outcome where readers will feel let down by the answer.
In the words of S. S. Van Dine, a famous mystery-novel-writing art critic, “A crime in a detective story must never turn out to be an accident or a suicide. To end an odyssey of sleuthing with such an anti-climax is to hoodwink the trusting and kind-hearted reader.”
By that same logic, try to avoid any “deus ex machina”— an impossible-to-solve situation is suddenly resolved with little or no effort from the characters.
Experiment & Innovate
Read lots of detective fiction and then subvert the tropes—
What if your main character is the person who committed the crime, and your bad guy is the detective or official investigator working to solve it?
Or what if your character’s love interest was the victim?
Establish a working vocabulary will help improve detective fiction writing
accusation - statement that places blame on a specific person or persons
alias - an alternate name used to conceal identity
alibi - an explanation that removes a person from the scene of a crime when it occurred
angle - specific strategy or way of looking at facts as employed by the detective during an investigation
autopsy - the medical examination of a corpse to determine cause(s) of death
booking - the process whereby a suspect is officially arrested and charged with a crime
case - the investigation of a crime from the time it is reported/ discovered until it is resolved (closed)
charges - specific crime(s) a person is accused of
circumstantial - indicative but not conclusive
clue - anything that sheds light on a particular case
collar - the actual arrest by a police officer
corpus dilecti - the actual body that proves a murder has been committed
crime of passion - a crime committed in a rage of anger, hatred, revenge, etc.
culprit - the “bad guy;” criminal
D.A. - district attorney; works for the government
deduction - conclusion reached through a logical progression of steps
defense - the argument made to show the innocence of the accused person
evidence - material that will prove innocence or guilt
eyewitness - someone who actually observes a crime and/or criminal
felony - major crime (i.e., armed robbery, murder, rape)
foil - the detective’s “right hand man;” he/she is usually quite different in nature. Ex: Holmes/Watson; Nero Wolfe/ Archie Goodwin
frame-up - deliberate trap set to lay blame on an innocent person
habeas corpus - accusor has to produce a body in order to hold a suspect
homicide - the act of murder
hunch - guess; instinct
informer - relays information to police/detective for money (usually)
inquest/inquiry - legal questioning concerning a particular event or action
lead - something/someone that may help move an investigation to a solution
malice aforethought - criminal was already considering a hostile act before the crime occurred
manslaughter - accidental killing
misdemeanor - minor offense
modus operandi - method of operation (m.o.) that a criminal employs during his crimes
morgue - city government building where dead bodies are kept during investigations
motive - reason for committing a crime
perpetrator - offender; criminal
post mortem - the report from an autopsy
premeditation - deliberate intent to perform a crime before it occurs
private eye - private detective
prosecutor - attorney working for the District Attorney; person trying to prove guilt in a courtroom
red herring - a false clue that usually misleads the reader (and often the detective)
set-up - a trap that is designed to catch a criminal or victim
sleuth - detective
statement - official document containing information supplied by witness, suspect, or any other person involved in an investigation
stool pigeon - informer
surveillance - constant visual or electronic monitoring of a person’s activities
suspect - someone who may have reason to have committed a specific crime
tank - jail cell
third degree - intensive questioning of a suspect
victim - person who is hurt or killed as a result of a criminal act
Sources: 1 2 Writing Notes: Autopsy ⚜ Word Lists: Forensics ⚜ Law-Related
we all know who is this
oh my god, he takes his helmet off when he’s required to wear armor and he’s all sweaty underneath and his hair is sticking to his forehead and the sides of his face and his cheeks are completely red and his eyes still have that spark of wild adrenaline in them, oh my godddddd
Is there a compiled list of all your intimacy, love, relationships, and sex posts for easy access?
Synonyms for Love ⚜ Words Related to Love
Word List: Love ⚜ Archaic Words ⚜ Greek Words for Love
Psychological Concepts Related to Love
The Physiology of Love ⚜ The 4 Kinds of Love
Love (according to literature) ⚜ Triangular Theory of Love
Feeling Loved: Emotions & Expressions ⚜ Kissing Scenes
Types of Kissing ⚜ Polyamorous Relationships
Relationship Arcs ⚜ Stages of a Relationship & Love Styles
Friends-to-Lovers ⚜ Building Trust ⚜ Compromising
Romantic Characters ⚜ Staying in Love ⚜ Showing Affection
Soulmate ⚜ Twin Flame Connection ⚜ On Intimacy
Attachment Styles: ⚜ Avoidant ⚜ Anxious ⚜ Secure ⚜ Disorganized
In a Relationship...Competition ⚜ ...Insecurities ⚜ ...Red Flags
Codependency ⚜ Love Bombing ⚜ Parasocial Relationship
Fantasy Romance ⚜ Gothic Romance ⚜ Love-Based Abilities
Wedding...Theme ⚜ ...Timeline ⚜ ...Vow ⚜ ...Words
Hypersexuality ⚜ For Sex Scenes...Words ⚜ ..."Beautiful" Words
Writing Tips for Sex Scenes: Part 1 ⚜ Part 2
Writing Notes for Sex Scenes: Part 1 ⚜ Part 2 ⚜ Part 3 ⚜ Part 4
More: Writing Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
All the best with your writing!
download on patreon (early access) (public release - 04/25/25)
this mod adds four new interactions between a child and an adult, featuring custom animations blended from various in-game clips.
base game compatible requires the xml injector
actors: both child and adult category: friendly interactions requirements: – the actor must be sitting on a couch! (similar to the “cuddle” interaction) – the adult must be a family member or a good friend of the child
effects: – improves school performance – increases parenting skill for the adult – increases the child’s mental and social skills – increases responsibility for the child
actor: both child and adult category: friendly interactions requirements: – the child must have 100% completed their homework – the adult must be a family member or a good friend of the child
effects: – increases parenting skill for the adult – increases mental for the child – increases responsibility for the child
actor: child only category: complaints under friendly interactions requirements: – only if the child is uncomfortable or has illness-related buffs from get to work – the adult must be a family member or a good friend of the child
effects: – slightly boosts all of the child’s needs – if the child has an illness buff from get to work, the interaction works similarly to taking medicine
actor: child only category: complaints under friendly interactions requirements: – only if the child is uncomfortable, stressed or sad – the adult must be a parent, grandparent, or legal guardian
effects: – gives the child a one-day sick day – the child may lose some school performance
known issue: the "go over schoolwork" interaction may glitch slightly when starting or exiting. unfortunately, it's based on the "cuddle" interaction, which has built-in issues i haven’t been able to fix :(
i’m so sorry for being away for so long. i’ve actually been working on mods almost every day, but kept running into problems that forced me to scrap everything and start over. it’s been a really frustrating experience — but i’m so happy i finally get to share this one with you 💛
the mod has two download options:
v1: the first version uses the default ea homework design;
v2: the second version uses books with my custom homework texture (you can also download the homework override separately). i took the university notebook texture, modified it, and added some fun stickers.
hi !!! i love your dividers and I use them all the time for roleplay sheets, would you be able to recolour this set in these colours?
e993bd
a74d76
f4aed0
ffdced
thank you if you do, and if you don't i hope you have a wonderful day regardless!!!! /g
hi! 💖 that is so cool (and thank you so much!), I can absolutely recolor this set for you! here you go, and I hope you have a great day as well!
[Free] Masterlist Headers & Dividers!
Please consider liking or reblogging if you use 💕
“And if I do?”
pairing » ateez choi san x fem!reader
trope/au » established relationship au, non-idol au
genre » very fluffy, falling asleep during studying and boyfriend san who is worried for you because you don't take the greatest care of yourself, (it really was supposed to be fluff all through the end) turns suggestive towards the last quarter of the story, reader is a bit playful, san is very in love with you, of course you are super in love with him too
word count; estimated reading time » 1032; ~4 mins
warnings (lmk if i missed anything!) » quite suggestive at the end, indeed...a suggestive sentence at the very end, san lifts the reader up, reader wears glasses, reader implied to be smaller than san, san restrains reader's hands, pet names (bubs, baby girl)
navi/masterlist!! 🤍 ateez masterlist 🤍 the boyz lee juyeon ver.
my ateez debut! here it is @jaehunnyy !! i really wanted to post smth for your bday so please take this as a late bday present 😭 thanks for proofreading a bit of this one and finding the pictures for the banners 🥰 you saved me a bunch of tears fr 😀 have fun with the second one (even though it's the same...😭)
It’s not an unusual occurrence for you to be staying up late at night and for San to find you draped over your books and worksheets when he gets home. In fact, it’s becoming such a usual occurrence that San is making it a habit to open the front door with such gentleness that the click of the door opening would be too loud for his liking. In reality, your study desk at your shared apartment is quite a distance from the entrance of the apartment, so if San wanted to, he could enter in the same way as if you were awake.
But he didn’t want to.
In the rare case that you decide to snooze off on the couch, he doesn’t want to be the one to ruin your precious, peaceful sleeping time. Unfortunately for him, he would still be needing to do it one way or another if he ever finds you asleep on the couch or anywhere but your shared bed. The victorious smile from closing the front door quietly soon turns upside down, frowning at the sight of your head lying on your stack of handouts in the study room. The stack acted as your pillow, your arms around the rectangular pile. You look like you have been resting your body for some time now, given that San’s soft head pat didn’t faze you at all. With a slightly heavy sigh, San makes his way to the other side of the desk to get a better look at your face. He kneels on the floor, content with being more at eye level with you.
He’s surprised to see that you must’ve been so exhausted that taking your glasses off might have been too much effort for you. The side frame completely rests on the paper, the nose pad of the glasses no longer resting properly on your nose. San hisses at how the hard plastic pushes against your nose, already imagining the pain when you wake up and realise tomorrow.
“Bubs,” he tests your consciousness with a whisper. “Your whole body is going to hurt when you wake up, you know?” Your breathing is still as even as before, and the no response from you deepens his frown. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to move you, okay?”
San rises to his feet once again, grabbing the blanket drapped on your study desk that he has prepared. He’s told you multiple times to at least cover your body if you don’t plan to take a nap on the bed, but he should have known that when tiredness kicks in, all a person wants to do is to close their eyes. San spreads the light cotton across your back, kissing the side of your head and humming sweet melodies to avoid surprising you too much with his movement.
“San?” You slur sleepily, still unable to fully wake up. San clicks your desk light off and soon sees your content smile at his little gesture. “When did you get home?”
“Just a few seconds ago. When did you fall asleep?”
“Just a few minutes ago.” A raised eyebrow from your boyfriend is what prompts you to tell him the truth. “A little longer than that.”
San tuts disapprovingly, “You can’t keep slouching off on the table. It’s not good for your body. And this,” he takes your glasses off by the hinges, “it’s not comfortable for you.”
You hum at his loving lecture for you, beginning to straighten your back from the long nap. Truthfully, if San weren’t beside you right now, you would be sending complaints to your past self for dozing off at the table, your back cramping and sore. But Choi San knows you too well, and the creases between your eyebrows tell him everything.
“See?” He reprimands.
You’re not given another chance to rebut when he swivels the chair around for you to face him. In a second, you’re in his arms, the back of your knee and back supported securely with his arms, and your shoulder pressed against his chest. San looks down at you, pressing a quick kiss on your forehead that you respond to by pressing yours along his jawline. Along the short walk to the adjacent room, you plant kisses all over his face, giggling at the way his cheeks grow red with every second.
Just a few seconds before San would rest you gently on the mattress, you steal a kiss from his plump lips, arms wrapped around his nape and threading your fingers into the strands of his hair. San almost stumbles but soon regains balance when he registers the way you delicately take his lips. Along with the giggles and fabric rustling against each other in the small room, it’s not long until your head properly lays on a pillow. San doesn’t let you breathe after, climbing on top of your figure with his palms beside your head to support himself. His knees sink to the mattress beside your thighs, and you’re left breathless with the man before you. The remnants of his cologne are clearer now, and the proximity leaves you curling up a side of your lips.
Your boyfriend knows the meaning of your expression well from experience. “Don’t rile me up, baby girl…”
Just like he did a second ago, your eyebrow rises. Your pointer traces along the center of his exposed neck, feeling the gulp and his intense stare on you. You glide across his skin, tracing along his collarbones slowly, making sure that your touch lingers on his skin. When your finger slides down to the neckline of his fabric, it curls around his shirt to pull his tense expression closer to you. A quick touch of your lips is all you spare him before regaining eye contact with him.
“And if I do?”
Those words are enough for San to lose control, pulling the sheets to his palms as he fists them tightly. One hand leaves the bed, restraining both your wrists under his hold above your head. He dives closer to the crook of your neck, ragged breathing and warm breath against your skin.
“I’ll make sure you’ll sleep peacefully for days.”
navi/masterlist!! 🤍 ateez masterlist 🤍 the boyz lee juyeon ver.
tags: @k-films @kflixnet @starlit-network @kstrucknet @blossomnet
@haneul-and-clouds @jaehunnyy @mars101
Lean Having a slender and toned body with minimal body fat.
Muscular Having well-developed muscles and a defined physique.
Slender Having a thin and graceful body shape.
Curvy Having an hourglass figure with well-defined curves, particularly in the hips and bust.
Athletic Having a fit and muscular body, often associated with participation in sports or physical activities.
Petite Being small and slender in stature, usually referring to height and overall body size.
Voluptuous Having full and shapely curves, often emphasizing a larger bust, hips, and thighs.
Stocky Having a compact and solid build with a sturdy appearance.
Thin Having a slim and slender body shape with little body fat or muscle definition.
Well-proportioned Having balanced and harmonious body proportions, with each body part in good proportion to the whole.
Toned Having firm muscles and a defined physique resulting from regular exercise and strength training.
Chubby Having a plump or rounded body shape, often with excess body fat.
Pear-shaped Having a body shape where the hips and thighs are wider than the shoulders and bust.
Hourglass figure Having a curvy body shape characterized by a well-defined waist and proportionate bust and hips.
Apple-shaped Having a body shape where weight is primarily carried around the midsection, resulting in a broader waistline.
Broad-shouldered Having wide and well-developed shoulders in comparison to the rest of the body.
Long-limbed Having long and slender limbs in proportion to the body.
Stout Having a sturdy and robust build, often characterized by a solid and thick physique.
Plump Having a pleasantly full and rounded body shape, often indicating a higher percentage of body fat.
Tall and slender Being tall in height and having a slim and elongated body shape.
SILENT HILL 2 — [ 4/? ]
You don’t need to say “She was sad.” Show me the untouched coffee gone cold. The half-written text that never gets sent. The way she laughs at a joke and then immediately looks away. People don’t announce their emotions, they live them, they try to hide them, they pretend they’re fine when they’re not. Make your readers feel it between the words.
⌕ naruto: team kurenai • akamaru.
♡ like or reblog if you save/use.
awooga my ex
👅👅👅