After reading Paula Munier’s book Plot Perfect, I discovered Story Questions. Everything suddenly clicked.
Write a story that plants questions into the readers mind— questions that are important enough to keep the audience interested until you choose to answer them. Answer the questions that need to be answered in order for the story to make sense, but postpone the ones that can wait for added suspense and tension! Your readers will never want to put the book down if you do this successfully.
What is a story question? There are three types:
The main question that the reader is asking that will be answered at the end of the story. It drives the plot. In a romance novel, it might be: will she find her soul mate? Or in a war novel, it might be: will they complete their mission and at what cost?
Examples: Will Dorothy find her way back home and how? Will Romeo and Juliet end up together? Will Frodo destroy the ring and at what costs? Does Elena Gilbert end up with Stefan or Damon Salvatore?
Leading questions aren’t answered until the end, so you need to weave big/small story questions throughout the narrative to keep the audience hooked.
The questions and answers that arise during the big scenes of your book. Every subplot should have a big story question that readers wonder about.
Examples: In Harry Potter, we are curious about the subplot of Snape and if he is evil or good and what is backstory is. His contrasting actions and mystery keeps us intrigued and we want to find out the answers.
Princess Leia is captured and plants an S.O.S message inside of the droid R2D2, we wonder: will the droid find someone to help rescue her and who will it be? Later on, we wonder if Luke will join Obi-Wan on his mission or return to his mundane life. Even further into the story we wonder if Obi-Wan will die or live fighting Vader in an effort to help Luke and his friends. And if he dies… how will it affect Luke?
In Hermione and Ron’s friendship/romantic subplot, we are always silently wondering if they will remain friends or become more.
Smaller, less intense questions that you weave throughout the smaller scenes of your story. Every page of your book should have little story questions, or even every other paragraph if you plan it accordingly. Leave a question in one paragraph and answer it in the next.
Example: [The first paragraph of The Hunger Games]
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim’s warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.
We are already asking little story questions. Who is Prim? What is the reaping? Why is her bed rough, is she underprivileged? As we continue to read, these little story questions are gradually answered giving readers a steady flow of wonder and answer, wonder and answer.
It’s a delicate balance, however. If you forget to answer a story question, or wait too long, it could frustrate your readers. During your scenes, you must anticipate what your readers are wondering/asking and then find the right time to answer/resolve these questions for the best amount of suspense!
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Witchy Study Sessions
Welcome to the second post in my witchcraft x studying series! My first post received lots of positive attention so I decided to keep it going!!!
In this post I'll discuss different herbs, incense, fruits, flowers, stones, etc you can use to help you out when you study! Feel free to use this list to help in the creation of spells (if you do, I'd love to hear all about your spells!!), meditation, etc!
Rosemary: the arguably most common and popular herb in witchcraft. It has been used for a very long time for a ton of reasons, making it extremely versatile. This herb is used commonly to help with memory, focus, and concentration making it amazing for study sessions! You can put in in your tea, cakes, breads, salads, whatever you like! Not only are it's metaphysical properties versatile, it's mundane uses are too! It's used everywhere from skincare to medicines to decoration and pest repellent.
Allspice: that one herb everyone has in their cabinet but doesn't know quite what to do with it! This is typically used more commonly for money, but luck, prosperity, and energy are all things anyone going to classes definitely needs. Perfect in baked goods, drinks, incense, sprinkled in wax warmers, and used in sauces and soups, this makes application of this herb for your studies almost limitless!
Bay: got a big test coming up and just need a little pinch of good luck? Throw some bay leaves in your bag! These are very popular for wishing, luck, and that little extra push! Also very amazing in the kitchen. You can also hang them over your desk or put them in your drawers. A popular way of using them is writing what you want on the leaf and then burning it.
Chamomile: every witch's best friend. These are super easy to get and very common, so it's perfect for even the closet witches! Finals week is one of the most useful times for these gorgeous flowers. Don't like the taste? Use them as decoration or in a bouquet! Sprinkle the flowers around your room or in a little jar. They also make Chamomile incense!
Cinnamon: My personal favorite (I add this to almost everything). It's amazing for luck, success, energy, and amplifying energy. Hell, they even make cinnamon gum. With the element of fire, it also tends to have a faster effect than other herbs.
Frankincense: AMAZING for concentration. Burning it also impacts ion channels in the brain that can help alleviate anxiety, which is why you have that mystical kind of feeling in a church while they burn it. It is a slight psychoactive because of this.
Ginger: nervous? Have some ginger! This herb is used even medically to help calm you down. Best part is that it is delicious! Super easy to use without anyone suspecting anything. I add it to my Ramen all the time.
Grass: I know what am I thinking? But have you just laid in some grass and felt calm? Read a book sitting in some and then able to talk all about it? Grass is amazingly magical. It increases focus, concentration, and brings a sense of calmness with it.
Lemon balm: very commonly used to help with anxiety and depression! Need I say more?
Acorn: these little guys are absolutely adorable, in season, and perfect for studying! They bring luck, wisdom, and bring out your personal power. Just pick one up and carry it along with you to give you that extra oomph! Did you know that you can also make flour from them? Their flesh is 100% edible. You can even boil them too!
Broccoli: this is a great veggie for growing and being strong just like your mama told ya. It's also great to help balance life as well. Cook it, grow it, chop it up and dry it to powder it, whatever! It's very potent magic. Just be careful! Bitter plants tend to also be able to cause the opposite if used in large quantities in spells (A superstitious belief of mine anyways).
Cabbage: Good luck! Always need more of it so eat your cabbage! Don't like how it tastes? Get some red cabbage and marinade it in some lime juice and salt and add it to a salad or serve with dinner. I promise vegetables aren't bad, they just need seasoning. Bonus points if your seasoning amplifies the energies you want.
Celery: the Allstar veggie! Perfect for stress, tiredness, fatigue, and brain fog. Gnawing on a few sticks tastes great and is healthy. The crunch can really help reduce stress and calm your brain down. But you can also bake it, put it in salads, use the seeds, grow it, etc.
Orange: the praises of this fruit are well sung so I won't beat a dead horse here.
Pumpkin: the king of the season, this baby is amazing at bringing good vibes and pushing you towards success! Plus it smells amazing and is super festive up until winter. You can even paint them to bring some color magic into it!
Strawberry: what better fruit to bring about success, fortune, and favor than this gorgeous beauty? Absolutely delicious, very abundant, and just a pure, helpful energy all around. Use in smoothies, desserts, salads, breakfast, syrups, glazes, sugars, snacks, etc. A gorgeous fruit with an amazing energy. What else could you want?
Carnation: Got too much on your plate? These flowers of motherly love are here to help! Often used for that energy, they can also help ease anxiety and provide some balance to a chaotic life much like a mother can calm her screaming baby to sleep. Best part is these flowers are also edible. The petals are sweet and tender and can be used in all sorts of dishes from desserts to salads to even wines!
Iris: The ultimate power flower with a need to get done attitude. Big project? Need some creative help? Can't focus? Brain fog? You name it, this flower can help! These plants are mildly toxic to humans and toxic to pets so don't let anyone eat them please.
Honeysuckle: With a flower that smells so sweet, how could it not make things better? This flower is great for extra confidence, success, and luck. And it's a very common perfume scent making these magical boosts super easy to get!
Lilac: Amazing for more than just flirting and banishing, it also helps aide memory. Have some of these flowers around you while you study or rehearse to help you remember the small details!
Orchid: this is a no nonsense flower that will bring you focus, concentration, and elegance. Their energy is very strong and their colors are many, making it super easy to customize these to fit your needs!
Agate: with properties like courage, confidence, and strength, these beautiful rocks make amazing and beautiful energy beacons for studying. They also are used a lot in jewelry and art pieces so they are very accessible and easy to disguise!
Amethyst: this stone is like rosemary in the sense that people say it can do anything. Let it bring calmness and sleep on those anxious nights.
Pyrite: this stone isn't just for money, but also for success, luck, focus, and confidence. Carry some around with you to classes to help you focus and be more confident about answering questions.
Yellow flourite: Honestly one of the best stones to help fight fatigue and burn out. It helps clear your body and remove stress. Pair with a positive stone like amethyst to help recharge yourself and get back on your feet.
Yellow topaz: absolutely gorgeous stone with such positive energy. This stone will help you with your confidence and luck as well as look amazing with almost anything!
Dirt from your school: This is an amazing spell item for all sorts of reasons. It brings school energy with you. But it also helps with memory, focus, knowledge, and overall studying.
Paint: paint itself can help invite creativity, overcome road blocks, and provide inspiration. Pair that with the ability to add color magic into it so easy, you have a very potent spell item. This is also a great one for closet witches as no one is going to even think about witchcraft if you're playing with paint.
Pennies: not just for graveyards! These little guys can also bring you good luck!
Shark teeth: Need a confidence boost? Keep some Shark teeth on ya. They are not only super cool, but also very common and popular.
Angelica: This is amazingly calm but also great for bringing new understanding. If you're stuck on a topic and just can't get it, try burning some Angelica incense and try again.
Basil: This delicate but almost earthy scent can help with retention, focus, enthusiasm, and mental clarity. This is one you typically can only find combined with other scents.
Bergamot: Pulling an all nighter? The coffee isn't quite cutting it? Try burning some bergamot incense to help keep you alert and keep your mind active. It can also make you feel more confident and ready to take on this class!
Cardamom: this is great if you don't like the smell of bergamot which can be kind of intense.
Sage: remove that stress and heavy energy after failing a test and replace it with a much friendlier, happier energy.
Rain: this is another great option to help alleviate stress especially if you don't like the smell of sage! It's much calmer and more relaxing.
Clove: a great option for long study sessions, this incense really helps with focus and memory, as it was a very warm, earthy smell to it. It also helps in grounding and concentration exercises.
Eucalyptus: a very calming and relaxing incense, this is great if you're stressing over finals or a big project. It will help calm you down while also increasing your focus.
Lemongrass: this is the almighty incense for studying. It helps fight fatigue, increase focus and concentration, promotes stress relief, and helps memory.
What’s your prediction of an opening scene in YR season 2?? Ask for Edvin!
YOU GUYS I LOVE THESE QUESTIONS SO MUCH THANK YOU
Okay so. In S1 we started and ended the season with Wilhelm. I think S2 will start and end with Simon. I think we'll see Simon in the car with Sara, pulling up to Hillerska after Christmas break. Students just returning will be gathered in the gardens, catching up, and then they'll go silent as Simon and Sara walk past, but recover quickly and go back to talking. Maybe a few will say something like:
"Do you think he spent Christmas with the Crown Prince?"
"He couldn't have. We saw on TV."
Then we'll get a quick flashback, I'm talking split second flashes, of Simon's phone. A few texts from Wille, asking how his break is going and if he's doing alright and a damning "I miss you". Maybe Simon's only response is "I miss you too. Take care of yourself." I imagine maybe at the same time we'll see flashes of a TV screen broadcasting something like "The Royal Family sends wishes of a merry Christmas" with a family photo (Wilhelm looking despondent as per usual). Then we'll phase back to being at Hillerska.
We'll see Sara looking around, finding Felice in the crowd. They'll hug and happily reunite but Sara will be slightly distant because she's thinking of what happened with August. Simon will walk past them, keen to head inside as soon as possible, when a sleek, glossy car pulls up. The students immediately start calling to each other, "The Crown Prince! Prince Wilhelm is back!"
Simon will pause. Have a split second moment of consideration. Go inside or stay? Maybe the camera will focus on his feet, half stepping forward and half standing still.
But he can't help it. He turns around.
We see Queen Kristina kissing his cheek before he gets out of the car, a chaffeur pulling his luggage from the back. Wille will look sullen, sad. Then he'll look up, eyes finding Simon immediately. And lighting up.
They'll stare. The camera will center on Simon's face.
Young Royals flashes on the screen. Cue the [dreamy electronic music playing].
badassery if you ask me
Barbara Gordon in Batman (2016)
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It's a bit unrealistic that every kpop idol is gay don't you think
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How it went down probably
Alright Michael, we need you to play Crowley as played by David Tennant, pretending to be Aziraphale - and for this scene you need to have one side of your face be just Aziraphale (Crowley’s version) (because Gabriel is there and also symbolism) and the other side we need you to let Crowley come through, but you know, in a subtle way.
Michael Sheen: I got you fam.
Anxiety creates false urgency.
You don’t have to figure out and solve everything right now.
You can’t.
Life is too complex.
Pick one thing. Maybe the most challenging thing and pick away at one part of it. Maybe the least challenging thing to get something out of the way. Maybe no things at all, just make a note on your phone or stick a post-it somewhere to remind you of things another time.
You got this.
un-disgruntle yourself
comfort someone
be comforted
go to a quiet place
press a magic button and fix everything
get a hug
see something cute
hear rain noises
play cute games
cut something/someone (blood)
break something
open a window
have a guided relaxation
listen to nature sounds (or here)
do nothing for 2 minutes
play the piano
make cute ecards
make cool music
get an idea for what to do
avoid boredom
watch a dream
have a stickman adventure
play a fun and philosophical game
talk to someone
make sand designs
listen to ambient coffee shop noise
turn off addicting sites so you can study (mac only)
make cool symmetrical designs
get your thoughts out of your head
play a cool game
be calm
sort through something that’s been troubling you
look at the galaxy