Mods Are Asleep Post Gorgeous Bisexual Royalty

Your character is driven by 3 emotional motives. See? I even made a graphic.

(I’m proud of the graphic, too.)

Mood: The immediate (and temporary) emotions of your character. A feeling of joy after kissing the girl they like; frustration after a busy day working a summer job at the fair; despair after somebody eats the last Oreo.

Situation: The plot and relationship contexts of your character. The apprehension they feel with a friend in the weeks following a nasty fight; the nerves felt in the week leading up to their big championship game; the frustration and boredom of being grounded after crashing the family car into the county creek.

Struggle: The core, deepfelt pain of your character, which often emerges from their background. The fear of failure from overly demanding parents; a deep longing for a family they never knew; a desperate need to be accepted after spending years as an outcast.

How these 3 motives influence your character

The above emotional motives all play an important role in driving your character’s actions, muddying or even overriding their more logical intentions — just as it happens to the rest of us. (We’re all human, after all.)

That being said, while your character’s mood and situation will shift throughout the story, their struggle will remain constant: their true north, emotionally speaking. This struggle will always be at the root of their actions, even as you swap in new situations and moods.

Take Bethany as an example

Let’s say your character’s name is Bethany, and her struggle is this: a deep fear of failure, stemming from her parents’ impossible academic expectations, which conflicts with her own desire to finally experience the life she sees passing her by.

Her actions, while primarily driven by that struggle, are going to vary quite a bit depending on her situation and mood. For example, if it’s the night before a big test, she might blow off a friend’s invitation to a party so she can study.

But if the party is a week before the big test, and she finds a handwritten invitation in her notebook from Emma (the girl on the lacrosse team she has a crush on), Bethany might act differently. Maybe she feels a lightness and warmth in her cheeks as she reads Emma’s note. Maybe she puts those textbooks away, and maybe, just maybe, she sneaks out the window and goes to the party.

But if Bethany finds the note after her parents just chewed her out for being ungrateful and not studying hard enough? Maybe Bethany doesn’t go to the party. Instead, maybe she reads Emma’s note, trembles, then rips it in two, knowing she can’t disappoint her parents like that. Then she spends the rest of the evening studying. Alone.

Mood. Situation. Struggle.

All three kinds of emotional motives are important. Your character’s struggle is the anchor, but their mood and situation are the ever-shifting masks you use to express their struggle in fresh ways. 

And by the end of the story, hopefully your character will overcome their struggle — putting away the textbooks, sneaking out the window, and meeting their crush at a party. Maybe even having their first kiss.

Whatever the character, and whatever their struggle, I’m sure you’ll do great. 

So good luck! And good writing.

— — —

Your stories are worth telling. For tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.

It would be remiss of me, as an English history blog, not to post the goings-on of the Handforth parish town council.

real talk tho you might feel like you aren’t doing enough or you’re behind or you haven’t set yourself up well enough and you aren’t in the right place but you can still work it out and there are beautiful, amazing things ahead of you. two years ago I had a 2.8, was on the verge of losing my scholarship, had no idea how to study, and wouldn’t have been able to handle a research position even if I knew how to get one. now I’m working in a lab, have tons of research experience, co-authored a publication, have an amazing advisor who is helping me with a honors thesis, and am set to do eight months of paid research abroad next semester. (and the 2.8 is now a 3.6). it’s not over, it can get better, you aren’t a failure, and wonderful things are waiting.

"Oh, Geralt, I think it's broken!" Jaskier wailed from where he was sat in the mud.

Scowling, Geralt bent to inspect the ankle in question, the one Jaskier had turned when he slipped on the wet ground. He poked at it and Jaskier moaned.

He rolled his eyes. "It's not broken," he said gruffly. "Just twisted. You'll have to keep your weight off it."

Jaskier's face scrunched up in distress. "Then whatever am I to do?" He waved his arms in the air with great dramatic intent. "For I am all alone in the wilderness, miles from civilization, and now incapable of walking." He wound himself up into a full performance. "The wolves will come for me and I shall surely die here!"

Geralt suppressed a smile. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

He pondered Jaskier with mock contemplation while Jaskier gave him soft, pleading eyes. He threw in a little lip tremble for full effect.

"Fine," he grunted eventually. "If we must." He scooped Jaskier up into his arms in a bridal carry and lifted him into the air.

Jaskier squealed with delight and threw his arms around Geralt's neck. "My hero," he declared, dropping a kiss onto his cheek.

The bard really was an idiot. He tucked him into his chest and fought back a blush.

Hello!

Your most recent emoji describes your mother’s thoughts when you were born

writing advice for all forms of media: make the stakes high!! make the world about to end!! put everyone’s lives on the lines! their loved ones! their sanity!!

YOU NEED HIGH STAKES FOR PEOPLE TO CARE

one of the most popular games of 2019: *Goose game with literally some of the lowest stakes, a goose throws your mail away and doesn’t care, goose steals socks, goose cannot die, everyone is having a blast*

ive never seen anyone capture the feeling of meeting older dykes as well as this

Nano project? Nano project!! 

I’m gonna focus on Dressage Dragons this November, so prepare for a relentless onslaught of Hot Rich Barn Bitch rivalry!

Or, y’know, radio silence until December. Depending on my spoons.

Some deets about DD!

YA queer urban fantasy - real world with added dragons

Queer rivals-to-friends-to-maybe-more

Dragon riding is basically equestrianism 

The sport has a reputation for being populated by spoilt, wealthy young white women (obvs a whole range of folks ride horses IRL, but… there’s a reason for the stereotype, and we’re gonna acknowledge elitism where it exists)

Plot revolves around a competition to gain entry to the most prestigious Draconic Dressage Academy in the world

And a developing wlw relationship between a cruel ambitious heiress and a resentful, ruthless stablehand

No soft lovable MCs here guys sorry Except Fareed, he’s perfect

But lots of character growth all around!

Plenty-o diversity

Set in the UK

Vicious rivalries!

Pranks that get WAY OUT OF HAND!!

Dragons!!! Did I mention the dragons??

Basically: Obnoxious young women teach giant fire-breathing carnivores to dance!!!

[Transcript under cut - warning for First Draft Quality (or lack thereof)]

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