My Toxic Trait Is Saving A Piece Of Writing Advice For Later And Then Completely Forgetting About It

simongerman600

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i think that all stories are about consumption, performance, and/or narrative, and the best combine elements of all three

While writing an adaptation of a character who in mythology time used a sword, I'm wondering would it be ineffective to still make them use a sword but a thinner flatter type. Or is it just better to just stick to a knife?

I'm not going to harp on it, but, "mythology time," is a weird way to phrase it. Usually you'd say, "a character who used a sword in myth," or. "in their myths," not, "in mythology time." This is because there is no fixed, "mythic era," in history.

Myths vary, but it's often impossible to pin down a specific moment they come from. The British give us a pair, one example and one counterexample. The myth of Robin Hood is remarkably easy to pin down, because it includes historical figures. It occurs sometime in the 12th century. (Worth noting, the written records regarding Robin Hood first pop up in the 14th century, so it may have been floating around in a oral form for a couple centuries before anyone recorded it, or none of the previous written records survived.) In contrast, it's basically impossible to pin down a specific timeframe for the King Arthur legends, because there's no historical frame of reference. There's a lot of academic study on the subject, but while you can say that Robin Hood is set in the 1190s, you can't say the same for King Arthur.

Mythic characters are a little tricky to work with. By their nature, they have a well established backstory and identity. Messing with that is feasible, but requires some care. It also requires passing familiarity with the myths they appear in.

For example: If you wanted to write a modern incarnation of Hercules, it would ring a bit off to have a character with a warm and loving parents.

Artificially creating a mythic character (for a fantasy setting) is a lot more complicated. This requires you to create a character who left enough of a legacy on their world that they're still a household name millennia later, conveying those stories to the audience, and then also introducing a modern version of that character in the setting, without the entire work being very heavy handed or cliché, is quite difficult, and time consuming.

And, I still haven't talked about your main question, their weapons.

The artifacts of mythic characters often have legacies that, in some cases, outstrip their owners. In spite of being inanimate objects, they're characters, with their own identities, that extend far beyond simply being, "a sword." I'm reminded of multiple starships in different settings named Excalibur, and even, just the name, is evocative.

This is where the real danger is, you're talking an artifact, where the name alone, is (supposed) to be enough to cue the reader in to the significance of the object. (Having said that, I recently had to explain the significance of Gjallarhorn to a friend, so, depending on the object in question your results may vary. There are a lot of mythic artifacts, and not all of them carry the same name recognition.)

If your mythic hero has a sword, chances are it has a name, and probably a legacy of its own. Mythic artifacts in a modern setting may be the original object, or the, "soul," of the artifact in a new object (the rules for this are dictated by the author), but, "downgrading," a mythic artifact is something you probably don't want to do without a lot of careful consideration.

-Starke

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i love motifs i love recurring themes i love symbolism i love foreshadowing i love impactful narratives

Writing About Asia

Sources

https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/asian-cultures

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com

http://www.physicalmapofasia.com/regions-of-asia/

Introduction

Please note that Asia is such a vast and diverse continent that I cannot possibly include everything there is to know about it in one post. Consider this a jumping-off point for your own research. Please don’t hesitate to correct or amend anything in this post!

Countries and Regions

I’m only going to say this once: “Asian” does not automatically equal Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. Asia contains 46-50 countries, depending on your definition of a country and where the country in question lies--some are only partially in Asia. Many countries also justly belong in two regions, due to strong geographic or cultural characteristics it may share with both regions. For the sake of clarity and the need for briefness, I will not be adding countries to multiple regions. 

Asia can be divided into five main regions: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Western Asia. Northern Asia is a sixth and commonly disputed region due to the fact that it is comprised solely of Russia and is recognized as a European country.

Central Asia

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Tajikistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan

East Asia

China

Hong Kong

Japan

Macau

Mongolia

North Korea

South Korea

Taiwan

South Asia

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Southeast Asia

Brunei

Cambodia

East Timor

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar/Burma

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Southwest Asia

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Georgia

Iran

Iraq

Israel

Jordan

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

Palestine

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Syria

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Yemen

Physical features

There are obviously many more notable physical features across Asia. These are simply some of the more well known and more significant ones.

Aral Sea

Arabian Desert

Arabian Peninsula

Brahmaputra River

Euphrates River

Ganges River

Gobi Desert

Himalayan Mountains (location of Mount Everest)

Hindu Kush Mountains

Indus River

Jordan River

South China Sea

Tigris River

Ural Mountains

Yangtze River 

Yellow River

Religion

Any and every religion can be practiced in Asia. These are some of the most common or well known ones:

Buddhism 

Christianity

Confucianism

Hinduism

Islam

Jainism

Judaism

Shinto

Sikhism

Taoism

Zoroastrianism

Common cultural aspects

Although Asia has a wealth of diversity, a few things stay the same across some of its cultures. However, these aspects can double as stereotypes, so be cautious in how you approach and portray them. The following are also frequent experiences of Asian immigrants and second-generation Asians.

Bright colors are good or lucky

Collectivistic culture

Competitiveness

Emphasis on physical appearance/reputation

Emphasis on socio-economic prosperity

Emphasis on success in academics and in life

Emphasis on the past, especially ancestors, and on the future

Filial piety

Showing self control and/or emotional restraint and respect

Removing shoes in the house

Stereotypes and microaggressions

Some of these have a seed of truth that has been exaggerated beyond recognition. Others are completely false and rooted in racism. Unless you have experience with these stereotypes, avoid them completely. Even if you do, be cautious when depicting them.

Stereotypes

Asians all look the same

Asians are smart

Asians are good at math and science

Asians aren’t athletic

Asians aren’t good drivers

Asians are either Chinese, Korean, or Japanese

Asians look younger than they are

Asians don’t know/speak “broken” English

Asians are quiet/introverted

Asians are oppressed by their parents

Asians (particularly teenagers) are cold/don’t know how to have fun

Asians eat dogs and cats

In media, Asian women are dragon ladies, China dolls or tiger moms

In media, Asian men are seen as emasculated, lecherous, or both

Microaggressions

“Where are you really from?”

“You’re Asian? Are you from [Asian country]?”

“You’re Asian? Do you speak [Asian language]?”

“What does [word(s)/phrase] mean?”

“You don’t look Asian.”

“You speak good English.”

”You don’t have an accent.”

Attempting to speak to you in an Asian language that you don’t know

Shortening an Asian name or deeming it unpronounceable

love when authors get so into the story they’re writing that they end up just being like yeah this is twice what i originally planned, gonna add a whole new story arc, gonna add a whole new book to the series

Writing Flashbacks

Credit: https://www.nownovel.com/blog/incorporate-flashbacks-into-a-story/

In many books, the events of the story take place chronologically. However, in stories involving characters’ memories or large leaps in time, flashbacks are useful for showing formative or crucial moments that drive characters’ present-time psychologies and decisions.  Flashbacks typically recall a scene of emotional power. They show the memories that linger in a character’s mind long after they have happened. They are, essentially, scenes inserted into the present narrative time-frame from a time period that precedes the primary story arc.

1. Decide whether a flashback is necessary

As an alternative to writing flashbacks, you can substitute exposition. Your main character can simply recall the day an impactful event happened. However, describing the scene as though your character is living and experiencing it for the first time can be much more emotionally affecting for the reader. To decide whether an earlier event in your character’s backstory (e.g. witnessing a crime) needs a flashback scene, ask yourself:

What are the benefits of showing the reader the earlier scene through my character’s eyes?

Is the scene important enough to my central story arc to break from narrative continuity?

How will I convey to the reader that this is a flashback and not an event happening in the present time of the story?

2. Look at flashback examples in fiction to gain insight

Writing flashbacks is storytelling time travel. Getting it right can be hard. So research novels that use this narrative device and see how other authors approach flashbacks.

Flashbacks can be long or short, or repeated. For example, in The Gilded Wolves, we catch glimpses of main character  Séverin Montagnet-Alarie’s childhood, which gies us insight into why he acts the way he does and why he makes the decisions he does in the current narrative. The flashbacks also tie into his character arc throughout the Gilded Wolves trilogy.

3. Choose your flashback’s time-frame

When you write a flashback, it’s important to choose a reasonable time-frame for the scene. Typically, a flashback will consist of a single conversation or event that occurs over a single day. Keeping the time frame of your flashback brief helps not to distract the reader from the present arc of your story. If you want to convey how an entire year in your character’s life was formative, for example, it’s better to summarize that year in a few lines of expository narrative.

4. List any details that will be different during your character’s flashback

Times change. Because time isn’t static, remember to show how your characters and their circumstances are different during your flashback scene. For example, if a character living in 1990 recalls the 1960s, think about how slang, music and other cultural details differ.

A few small details (such as a song playing on the radio or a description of a period hairstyle) can signal that we’ve traveled back in narrative time. List the most significant differences between your character’s present life and their life during the time period of their flashback. Even if not all details make it into the story, it will help you strike an authentic note.

5. Learn how to write a flashback that has consistent tense

These are many options for verb tenses in a flashback; you could write your flashback in the same tense as your present-time narrative, differentiating time periods with explicit reference to the year. You could also write your flashback in a different tense to your main, present-time narrative. Whatever approach you choose, be consistent throughout your flashback scene. Pick a tense and stick with it!

6. Decide how you will transition to flashback scenes

Part of writing a successful flashback scene is knowing how and when to cut to the scene that lies outside of your story’s main chronology. Like all story scenes, your flashback scene should have good structure.

Here are some suggestions:

Instead of writing a short intro paragraph to a flashback, launch straight into your flashback at the start of a scene or chapter. This way the transition is less obvious.

Try to insert flashback scenes after strong scenes in the present time of your story. This makes it easier for the reader to recall where the present-time narration left off once the flashback ends.

Signify a flashback by writing it in italics.

Physically separate the flashback from the main narrative (e.g. with a space and a few asterisks).

7. Check that your flashback focuses on a single experience or event that supports your story arc

Once you’ve written your flashback scene, double-check that it’s completely relevant to the later story. In a crime novel, a flashback scene might provide an essential clue regarding the identity of the culprit. In a character-driven family saga, it could show a formative familial relationship, conversation or confrontation that shapes your character’s outlook.

Make sure that your flashback scene draws your reader’s attention towards the key element that will deepen your reader’s understanding of key later scenes. This way, your story will feel cohesive even if the narrative does not follow a linear chronological path!

soft asks to get to know people

what song makes you feel better?

what’s your feel-good movie?

what’s your favorite candle scent?

what flower would you like to be given?

who do you feel most you around?

say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

what color brings you peace?

tag someone (or multiple people) who make you feel good. 

what calms you down?

what’s something you’re excited for?

what’s your ideal date?

how are you?

what’s your comfort food?

favorite feel-good show?

for every emoji you get, tag someone and describe them in one word.

compliment the person who sent you this number.

fairy lights or LED lights?

do you still love stuffed animals?

most important thing in your life?

what do you want most in the world right now?

if you could tell your past self one thing, what would it be?

what would you say to your future self?

favorite piece of clothing?

what’s something you do to de-stress?

what’s the best personal gift someone could give you (playlist, homemade card, etc.)

what movie would you want to live in?

which character would you want to be?

hugs or hand-holding?

morning, afternoon or night?

what reminds you of home (doesn’t have to mean house… just things that remind you of the feeling of home)?

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