Dystopias Are Getting Too Real And Utopias Feel Too Improbable. I Propose A Third Kind Of Escape: A World

realistic expectations of book genres

— so you know how us writers want to have an accurate representation of the real world, right? well, I believe it’s important to include realistic aspects in our writing, even if it’s fantasy-based/fiction (this goes for authors who have published books lacking realism). I asked my community of writers what they want to start seeing and want they want to stop seeing less of in genres such as YA, fantasy, fiction, etc., and they’ve answered anonymously.

✎ an age specification on books (like cassandra clare’s books are specifically for 14+ and say that on the back of all books)

✎ realistic diversity! like, not every friend group has a person of every race, and I rarely ever see it

✎ I think writers should stop romanticizing toxic relationships since it’s unhealthy and ab*sive

✎ I feel like we need more main characters with disabilities

✎ please stop romanticizing toxic relationships in YA! it’s not a 100% matured audience and they may not be able to tell it’s a toxic relationship which can be very dangerous!

✎ more body types

✎ characters that are more relatable, less like supermodels and more like struggling/awkward teenagers

✎ include consent, talking about/mentioning menstruation, and giving male characters emotions

✎ female characters with negative traits other than “shy” and “clumsy”

✎ more female characters with really big life goals/dreams that they actually plan to stick to!

✎ stop including graphic s*xual content in YA!

✎ more BIPOC!

✎ more friendships that have the same tropes but don’t evolve into romance

✎ people with physical disabilities

✎ more accurate representation of grief and trauma!

✎ some characters staying single throughout their whole story

✎ periods. do fantasy women not menstruate?

✎ not getting the guy/girl

✎ in YA contemporary I think that the characters should have less autonomy. I want to see less of adult life in YA. like no, teenagers have a lot of restrictions. show them more often

✎ in fantasy: periods and all the other things that come along with them!

C.S. Lewis once wrote,

"I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief"

And I think we all needed to hear that.

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.

is it just me or the books that I always delay reading are the ones that actually becomes my favorite

writing reminders.

@livslibraryy on Instagram

I’m here to remind you that your writing is perfect and you deserve to know that (the pun was absolutely intended).

— forcing yourself to write when it makes you feel bad isn’t healthy

— you don’t need it to be a perfect first draft. and also don’t add unnecessary characters even if you love them a lot save them for later/another story

— you don’t have to write a lot/everyday to be a good writer (it’s okay to take a break)

— don’t write what you think everyone else wants, write what you want to write

— don’t try to “learn” how to write before you start; you learn by doing. you get better as you continue! don’t compare yourself to published authors

— it’s all about having fun and there are no different rules

— be patient with yourself and go at your own pace

— don’t force yourself to plot if it doesn’t work for you, it’ll only make things harder

— word count doesn’t determine how good of a writer you are

— it’s okay to not write everything in order

— first drafts and editing exist for a reason. your writing doesn’t have to be perfect. and actually write, don’t get stuck in the rabbit hole of research

— please write down everything about the story so you don’t forget things later on. you don’t have to outline but at least know the ending of the book before you start. and don’t write things just because you “should” (romance, certain tropes & dynamics, etc.)

— it’s a long process; a lot of planning, drafting, and editing and it’s just a lot

— your ideas are what matter, not what other best-selling authors put in their books

— everything has been written once before, but they haven’t heard you write it (for clichés)

— the middle doesn’t just need fight scenes. you can flesh out character relationships too

— it’s miserable and magical at the same time, and you’ll both love it and hate it. good luck!

— it’s a long, difficult process—a lot more to it than short stories in school! but don’t give up!

— you’re not as good as you think you are. but that’s okay. you’ll improve

— you’d lose sleep and cry over your characters all the time

you're a godsend

thank you anon!

characters whose philosophy is “if i cannot be wanted, i will be needed and if i cannot be needed, let me be used until there’s nothing left of me.” thank you for everyone’s attention. falls off stage and dies

dark academia book list

The Secret History by Donna Tart

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman

A deadly Education by Naomi Novik

The Decay of Living by Oscar Wilde

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Dead Poets Society by Nancy H Kleinbaum

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

The Little Friend by Donan Tartt

Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marissa Pessl

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Gentlemen and Players by Joan Harris

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

Maurice by E. M. Forster

A House of Pomegranates by Oscar Wilde

Vita Nostra by Marina and Serhiy Dyachenko

Poems by Oscar Wilde

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

Ace of Spades by Fradiah Àbíke-Íyímídé

If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio

My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde

The Lessons by Naomi Alderman

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Wilder Girls by Rory Powers

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Bellweather Revivals by Benjamin Wood

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Truants by Kate Weinberg

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

In the Woods by Tana French

The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Lying Game by Ruth Ware

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Love and Friendship by Jane Austen

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Bunny by Mona Awad

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao

The Ivies by Alexa Donne

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky

Emma by Jane Austen

The Watsons by Jane Austen

The Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino

The Emperor of Ocean Park by Stephen L. Carter

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring

Confessions by Kanae Minato

Truth Exercise by Susan Choi

We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

The Basic Eight by Daniel Handle

Confessions by Kanae Minato

Lady Susan by Jane Austen