Character-driven Vs Plot-driven Stories

I hate to be a downer (I'm just kidding I love it), but what if the world has already ended?

How will the world end?

it’s genuinely not something i think too much about. there are people to love and dishes to do in the meantime.

Perhaps, to you, this remains insignificant. To me, it is everything. It has to be. I am all I have left.

- @annetries-towrite

Tags:

Saw this advice on Twitter today, and I think it's going to end up being useful for me. 🥹 Thought I'd share it with y'all, too.

Mary Oliver, "From The Book of Time." Devotions

I often imagine my life in my late 20s, having my dream career, living with my future partner, and being happier. Then I remember it's all under the assumption that I have time to grow. What if I need to step into my power sooner than I'd like? Life is not guaranteed, and time won't hold your hand. Am I ready for that?

- @annetries-towrite

Tags:

Ko-Fi

Hello Darlings,

As you might of noticed, I’ve had serious issues with my laptop lately, and honestly it’s frustrated me to tears multiple times. It’s been on its way out for a long time, we all know that, and whilst I really didn’t want to do it, I think I finally need to just make this post.

First let me say that you are by no means obligated to donate to me. I am not withholding my usual content from you, nor am I saying that you have to support me in this way. Even once this laptop gives out completely, I will still try and find a way to get my writing done and ready for you all, it’s just going to be much harder to do so.

That being said, if you could donate even $1 I would be incredibly grateful. Even if only half of you did so, I would be able to purchase the laptop I need.

Please don’t donate if it’s going to put you in a bad position, but if it isn’t, then please consider it.

I don’t like asking this, and you’re more than welcome to simply ignore this message and carry on, or even block the tag #motherfuckingdonations if you don’t want to see this post, or posts like it in the future, because I am going to have to start reblogging this semi regularly until I get what I need. I apologise for that in advance.

Please help me if you can Darlings. 

https://ko-fi.com/its_me_darlings

If it doesn’t impact the rest of the story, you didn’t raise the stakes

              I recently went back to a chapter at the midpoint of my novel and changed a huge detail of it because I thought it didn’t raise the stakes enough as it was. Because of this change, I had to go through every single scene and chapter beyond that point and edit it to fit in and make sense. It was annoying, but that’s how I knew I achieved what I wanted to.

              Raised stakes change everything about a story.

              If your characters can continue on as they were, then you didn’t really raise the stakes at all. This heightened pressure or danger has to be heightened enough that their lives as they know them are different now.

              Consider this: at the midpoint, you introduce a mutated form of a monster your characters have been facing that’s more deadly and intelligent than its predecessor. It’s a super scary scene, but after that, your characters go back to their safe house to talk over how best to kill it.

              Suddenly, this new monster doesn’t feel as much of a threat. It’s just another element of the same threat they’ve already been facing.

              To properly use this element as a way to raise the stakes, it should take away something the characters rely on—safety, allies, powers, etc. Something they can’t get back, and don’t get back for the rest of the story. They now have to adapt to new circumstances, and things will never be as easy for them again.

              So maybe instead, they flee to their safe house only to discover that it’s no longer safe—the monster is smart enough to get through their hidden entrance and corner them. Now they’re stuck out in the open, taking turns keeping watch and slowly deteriorating to sleeplessness and stress.

              That’s a delicious steak.

"Are you letting yourself be led by fear or by love?"

In a 2021 musical film called Tick Tick Boom, Michael asks his friend Jonathan this question. Two years later, in the early hours of the morning, I ask myself the same thing and the answer is always the same: fear.

I think that for a long time, I lived out of fear for my emotional well-being, my mental health, and my physical safety. I've come to realize that I am no longer in danger. I've come to realize that I cannot dwell on what I cannot control. I've come to realize that I have more power than I thought, but my answering isn't changing.

I thought that if I healed, then I would be fine. But I am not fine. I am directionless.

- @annetries-towrite

Tags:

Don't ever hesitate. Reblog this. TUMBLR RULE. When you see it, REBLOG IT.

Depression Hotline:1-630-482-9696

Suicide Hotline:1-800-784-8433

LifeLine:1-800-273-8255

Trevor Project:1-866-488-7386

Sexuality Support:1-800-246-7743

Eating Disorders Hotline:1-847-831-3438

Rape and Sexual Assault:1-800-656-4673

Grief Support:1-650-321-5272

Runaway:1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000

Exhale:After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-4394253

Child Abuse:1-800-422-4453

UK Helplines:

Samaritans (for any problem):08457909090 e-mail [email protected]

Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem):08001111

Mind infoline (mental health information):0300 123 3393 e-mail: [email protected]

Mind legal advice (for people who need mental-health related legal advice):0300 466 6463 [email protected]

b-eat eating disorder support:0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) e-mail: [email protected]

b-eat youthline (for under 25’s with eating disorders):08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm - 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)

Cruse Bereavement Care:08444779400 e-mail: [email protected]

Frank (information and advice on drugs):0800776600

Drinkline:0800 9178282

Rape Crisis England & Wales:0808 802 9999 1(open 2 - 2.30pm 7 - 9.30pm) e-mail [email protected]

Rape Crisis Scotland:08088 01 03 02 every day, 6pm to midnight

India Self Harm Hotline:00 08001006614

India Suicide Helpline:022-27546669

Kids Help Phone (Canada):1-800-668-6868, Free and available 24/7

suicide hotlines;

Argentina:54-0223-493-0430

Australia:13-11-14

Austria:01-713-3374

Barbados:429-9999

Belgium:106

Botswana:391-1270

Brazil:21-233-9191

China:852-2382-0000

(Hong Kong:2389-2222)

Costa Rica:606-253-5439

Croatia:01-4833-888

Cyprus:357-77-77-72-67

Czech Republic:222-580-697, 476-701-908

Denmark:70-201-201

Egypt:762-1602

Estonia:6-558-088

Finland:040-5032199

France:01-45-39-4000

Germany:0800-181-0721

Greece:1018

Guatemala:502-234-1239

Holland:0900-0767

Honduras:504-237-3623

Hungary:06-80-820-111

Iceland:44-0-8457-90-90-90

India:022 2754 6669

Israel:09-8892333

Italy:06-705-4444

Japan:3-5286-9090

Latvia:6722-2922, 2772-2292

Malaysia:03-756-8144

(Singapore:1-800-221-4444)

Mexico:525-510-2550

Netherlands:0900-0767

New Zealand:4-473-9739

New Guinea:675-326-0011

Nicaragua:505-268-6171

Norway:47-815-33-300

Philippines:02-896-9191

Poland:52-70-000

Portugal:239-72-10-10

Russia:8-20-222-82-10

Spain:91-459-00-50

South Africa:0861-322-322

South Korea:2-715-8600

Sweden:031-711-2400

Switzerland:143

Taiwan:0800-788-995

Thailand:02-249-9977

Trinidad and Tobago:868-645-2800

Ukraine:0487-327715

“Also, I’m angry. I know life is hard, I think everyone knows that in their hearts, but why does it have to be cruel, as well? Why does it have to bite?”

— Stephen King, 11/22/63