While Writing An Adaptation Of A Character Who In Mythology Time Used A Sword, I'm Wondering Would It

Rating the Books I Read in January

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - 3/5 stars

Technically I started this one in December, but I finished it in January, so I’m going to count it as a January read. I was a bit conflicted on how to feel about this book. On one hand, I love the prose, the twists, the exploration of morality, and the influence of literary classics.This book is a near-perfect blend of literary classic and thriller, and the best one that I've come across so far. However, I disliked the frequent, careless slurs, microaggressions, and stereotypes that were thrown around so casually in this book. On a related note, I would advise looking up trigger warnings before reading this book, for more reasons than just the ones mentioned. Finally, the ending seemed rushed and I wish I had been given more time to process the last chapter of the book before the epilogue.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson - 3/5 stars

I had really high expectations for this book because I’d heard so much about it on social media, but unfortunately it just fell flat for me. It wasn't terrible, but it was definitely not great. I related to Pip in some ways, most of them academic. However, I never saw Pip's non-academic personality, and she didn't feel real enough to me. I liked Ravi but I couldn't really connect to him or any of the other characters for that matter. Also I know this book is just fiction, but some of the events just bothered me and/or were highly unrealistic. I ended up rounding the original review of two stars up to three stars because I truly liked the friend and family dynamics and banter throughout this book. I'm disappointed that it didn't live up to my high expectations, but I suppose it’s my fault for reading books solely for the hype.

In Deeper Waters by F.T. Lukens - 3/5 stars

If you like queer, romance-centric fantasy books, this is the book for you. I, however, being a high fantasy snob, found it slightly too shallow (sorry for the pun) for my taste: the politics, government, and magic system felt extremely underdeveloped. And yes, I understand that the romance is the main part of this book and it’s not fair to rate it like a high fantasy book. However, even if I’m just rating it according to my entertainment level, I don’t feel particularly strongly about it one way or the other. The romance was easily the best part of the book; it was both sweet and shippable. I really liked the main character, Tal, and his character arc. Other than that, I don’t have too much else to say except that it was a decent read.

Fable by Adrienne Young - 4/5 stars

The second pirate-y book I read this month! If there’s one word I would use to describe this book, it would be “atmospheric.” Adrienne Young excels at bringing settings to life, as I learned in Fable. The descriptions were absolutely amazing and the worldbuilding had genuine depth (get it? okay I’ll see myself out now-). I liked how Fable was tough and resourceful, but she also had a softer personality and wasn’t afraid to show her vulnerable side sometimes. I also feel as though the crew of the Marigold was genuinely a found family instead of a bunch of friends, unlike so many other YA novels. The romance was sweet, although I wish Young had delved into West’s character more. I was a little disappointed at the ending, which I think could’ve been foreshadowed better. However, I'm excited to read the sequel soon. Thanks to @queenie.the.writer and @twoscomplemented_ for bringing this book to my attention!

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - 4.5/5 stars

I actually knew about the author before I knew about the book! I followed their YouTube channel and TikTok page (they’re hilarious and well-informed, so I highly recommend checking them out!). The book itself did not disappoint. Zetian’s internal monologue had me laughing out loud and I loved her depth as a character. Don’t even get me started on her arc, because I could go on about it all day! In contrast, however Shimin and Yizhi seemed slightly shallower and could have been fleshed out more. I really liked their collective relationship and dynamic, but I wish it had been given more time to develop. The uniqueness of the mecha/Chinese dynasty-inspired setting and worldbuilding really appealed to me as well--I only wish that I had learned more about the history of the world itself. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys female corruption arcs, feminism, and fast-paced action!

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan - 5/5 stars

I was deliberating between 4.5 or 5 stars on this one, but I decided to just round up and rate it by how much I enjoyed it--which was a lot! It’s quite interesting seeing how Riordan’s writing matured from Percy Jackson. I also thought the entire main cast was fleshed out really well, which is a compliment coming from me--if you haven’t noticed from the previous reviews, I always pay close attention to the personalities of the characters I read. In this case, I found myself appreciating and relating to all of them in some way! The only fault I found with this book was the unrealistic ages of the characters. If they had been aged up a year or two, I think it would've been more realistic. Some of the worldbuilding also seemed like a large stretch. However, that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. Reading this book reminded me of why I list Riordan as one of my inspirations. Humor, pacing, action scenes, worldbuilding--reading his books is like watching a master at work! I would recommend this to anyone who’s looking for a fun but high-stakes middle-grade sci-fi!

Scythe by Neal Shusterman - 5/5 stars

I was initially reluctant to read this book because I thought the premise was outlandish, but I decided to suspend my expectations, and I’m so glad I did! This book explores the best--and worst--of human nature. The worldbuilding is intricate, imaginative, and best of all, interesting! Usually in books I see worldbuilding as a good backdrop. Scythe, however, puts its worldbuilding at the forefront of the book, and that makes it so much stronger! The format of this book is engaging, with both journal entries and present-tense narratives, and the pacing flows quite well. Rowan and Citra were so intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed following their journeys throughout the book. Thanks to @the-demi-jedi for recommending this book to me!

How to put “wrote fan-fiction” on your résumé:

Leveraged an inventory of established fictional character and setting elements to generate a disruptive custom-curated narrative entertainment asset.

Tips for Finishing a First Draft

Credit: https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-novel-rough-draft

Set a goal

You want to get the main points of your story down quickly, without getting hung up on word choice and sentence flow. By giving yourself deadlines to complete certain exercises or sections, you become more ambitious with your time and waste less of it lingering on minor details. Commit to completing a certain number of words, or a set number of pages, or writing for a fixed amount of time. A routine will keep your writing consistent so you do not lose momentum and fall behind on your writing. 

Meeting goals can give you the motivation you need to make and complete another one. For example, I set a minimum word count goal for 35,000 words for my WIP because I hadn’t written anything of that length before. I ended up surpassing it by a lot! 

Prewriting

Prewriting is helpful for getting started, and can include performing writing prompts or exercises. For example, freewriting allows a writer to write unencumbered—jotting down ideas fast without a strict form to follow—which is also useful for stimulating creativity when you’re suffering from writer’s block. Prewriting can also be outlining your next chapter, or plot point, etc...whatever you choose to do, it prepares you to write!

Invite all ideas

Let ideas flow free. A rough draft is where your wildest ideas come out. Don’t be shy about content or switching point of views, and don’t hold yourself back from ideas that might be worth exploring. This phase of your writing is for your eyes only, so there’s no need to feel self-conscious about what you put down on paper. The first draft is all about getting it out on the page--save insecurity for later!

Outline

I can’t express how important this is. Even if you’re a pure pantser, you need to have some idea of your major plot points and ending. This is where you start to form the initial structure of your scenes. Laying all the pieces out before you assemble them will give you the clearest picture on how to put together your novel, as well as figuring out which pieces you’re missing and which ones you don’t need.

Don’t edit as you write

This is a bad habit of mine, as I’m a perfectionist, and it becomes a problem, especially when I’m writing my longest project ever. I’ve always focused on making everything right, and it’s hard for me to realize that there is no possible way to do that in a novel.

When you’re writing your story, don’t worry about punctuation, writing complete sentences, or grammar like passive voice or inconsistent tenses—leave the whole editing process behind. As long as you get your ideas down in a way that’s understandable to you, what you write in your first draft is between you and your vision. You can worry about well-written sentences in your second or third drafts.

Start where you want

You want to begin where you’re most excited. Not every story needs to start at the beginning and go step-by-step. If you’re anticipating writing the climax of the story before you have a beginning or end, then write that down first! You don’t want to bog yourself down with story details you’re not ready to establish yet. Writing a novel is a long process, and you want to keep it enjoyable for yourself as long as possible.

Take breaks

The last thing you need is to experience burnout before getting through your first draft. Sometimes walking away from your writing and coming back later with a set of fresh eyes is exactly what your writing process needs. 

Writing every day can be unhealthy or lead to an unhealthy mindset. It can also make you tire of your story. 

Finish it

I know, this seems kind of weird when the post is giving advice on how to finish a first draft. But it actually means  You shouldn’t start the next draft until you finish the one you’re on, and the sooner you get it down, the better. Sticking to your goals and putting in the time will yield workable pages that you can eventually start sculpting into another draft of your novel!

So what's the point of living if you don't dance in the rain, if you don't take yourself on dates or sit silently in your room binge watching or reading or literally doing anything you love. Remember, no one other than you can heal and love and complete yourself

PACING IS ABOUT LOAD BEARING WALLS.

*staples violently to my own forehead*

nobody might not relate to this but im posting it just incase XD

ty for the tag, i love this <3

parts of a story as aesthetics-

characters: ivy creeping up a building wall, jasmine perfume, chipped nail polish, white satin pillows, laughing with your friends while walking down the block, that smirk when you figure out a secret, jeweled masks for masquerades, looking up to see the rain fall on you, earbuds falling out on the bus, listening to podcasts

plot: heated philosophical debates at midnight, poetry of different cultures, the bridge of every song forever on loop in your head, the fire in you that makes you crave, listening to lord huron, acoustic guitars, leather-bound diaries, analog clocks, that realizing moment when everything makes sense, flannel clothing

romance: pastel candy hearts, ruffled skirts, holding a warm hand in the middle of the night, soft hair, sunlight streaming through the curtains, reblogging fanart, oversized sweaters, calligraphy, listening to the songs your parents did, that pining look across the room, faux fur, pastel purple, bright eyes

development: plot twists, redemption, seeing the good in everyone, auto tuned voices, quoting the most obscure people of the century, pursed lips, bubblegum pink hair, dangling earrings, combat boots, starry skies, soft voices, mullets, tapping out songs, marbled countertops, falling out pom-poms

world-building: seeing more than what is in front of you, warm brown eyes, braiding your friend’s hair, replying to everything with finger guns, playing the piano, the smell of bread in the air, watercolors, hair in front of your eyes, craning your neck to look, the only raised hand in the room

How I Outline My Characters

Intro

Hey guys! Today I’m going to be talking about how I outline and build my characters. I used to be so uninspired when I was building characters, because to me it just felt like I was filling in blanks, and I couldn’t really connect to the character. So I just decided to take a bare-bones character profile (specifically Reedsy’s, which I highly recommend) and cut and add things as I saw fit. I want to stress that it’s in no way comprehensive--in fact, I’m always adding new things--but it does cover quite a bit, and so far, it’s worked well for me!

1. Identity and appearance

This section involves all the fundamental parts of a character. First, I begin with names: the character’s name in English (or in another language, if applicable) and their nickname(s). Then, I go through all the details of birth, location, age, etc. etc. Next, I dive into nationality and heritage, the languages the character understands, and their gender and pronouns (I know there's a difference between the two, I just group them together because it's easier to keep track of). Finally, I go into all the statistics of appearance and health, along with a description of what they look like in the text!

2. Personality and psychology

In the second section of my character profile, I nail down the basic personality and psychology of the character. "General” includes their normal temperament, preferences, moral compass, and more. The second subsection delves into “plot-significant” elements of the character’s mind, such as the heart’s desire, weaknesses, insecurities, and fears. “Classifications,” the third subsection, is just about categorizations like zodiac signs and personality types. Last is a list of miscellaneous “favorites” of the character. I pay a lot of attention to the first two parts of this section, as they are essential for me to figure out the story!

3. Communication and mannerisms

Next, I delve into the communications and mannerisms of the character, whether that’s vocal, physical, or emotional. Most of this is pretty self-explanatory, so I’ll just elaborate on a few. A swear word can tell you a lot about a character, surprisingly enough--whether it’s religious or not, whether the character whispers it or yells it, etc.

Under the “physical” subsection, “gestures” refers to the level of gesturing that a character does, as well as what kind of gestures they make--e.g. big and sweeping gestures, or small and confined ones? In the “emotions” subsection, "humor” refers to what the character finds funny, e.g. dark humor. “Smile” refers to what the character’s smile looks like, which can be very telling. For example, do they have a close-lipped smile or a wide, toothy grin? Do they have both but show one of them more often, and if so, why?

4. Social media and related

Here, I decide what social media platforms the character would use if they had them, and if so, what type of content they would post. This is a fun character exercise and it can be taken further by actually creating social media profiles for your characters on certain websites!

I also make a miniature playlist of what songs I think they would listen to, specifically songs that would be on their all-time most played Spotify playlist. Making playlists is one of my favorite ways to flesh out characters!

5. Backstory

Probably the most important part of the profile plot-wise, “Backstory” covers the entire background of a character--their childhood, memories, aspirations, abstract details, and everything to do with the past and what their life and mind was like prior to the story. Under “Description,” I simply write out a longer summary of the character’s backstory.

6. Family

Here, I just build the character’s family, noting their names, ages, birth/death, history, their relationship with the character, etc. This is pretty self-explanatory. After going into immediate family, I mention extended family. Both can reveal insights into the character--are they closer to one side of their family than to the other? Why? Is there any conflict that may be shown between the character and their family in the story?

7. Relationships

This section is all about relationships; familial, platonic or romantic. This helps me figure out the dynamics between characters. I also include a “Perception” section, which allows me to view the character from multiple angles. If this character is involved in romance, I note what qualities they want in a relationship or in their ideal partner(s).

8. Story elements

Finally, I figure out the current situation of the character: where are they right now and where do they want to be? What’s their goal? What motivates them? These questions let me build a plot. Lastly, I plan out their character arc--how they change and develop during the course of the story.

my toxic trait is saving a piece of writing advice for later and then completely forgetting about it when i actually need it

my favorite trope isn’t really “forbidden love.” it’s “strongly disapproved of love.” no one can stop the two characters from being together; it’s not illegal, but, boy howdy, nobody likes it very much.