M.C. Frank's Blog, page 26
November 30, 2022
dduane:
suspiciouslookingfern:suspiciouslookingfern:to be a fan of both dracula and sherlock holmes...
to be a fan of both dracula and sherlock holmes is to have the widest experience possible on the question of “what would the author think of x” because bram stoker would be getting in months long twitter battles defending lucy while arthur conan doyle would come after anyone who asked him any question with a baseball bat
bram stoker: (with tears in his eyes, speaking with joy from the bottom of his heart) dracula is still popular???
acd: (with disgust and frustration so palpable you could spread it on bread) sherlock holmes is still popular???
(soft, cynical laughter) Writers, y’know? They do NOT MAKE SENSE. :)
November 28, 2022
writingwithfolklore:What Happens Next? I a...
What Happens Next?I always find myself freezing on a really good writing streak because I end off the chapter and have to face the question of what should come next… and I don’t know. Even when I’m working on a story with an exhaustive outline, I still get stuck on the getting from A to B, how do we get to where we need to go, what comes next?
Luckily, screenwriting taught me a very easy fix. When creating your characters, you want to create three main aspects: a private life, a professional life, and a personal life, which is to say, their relationships and family life; their job or school (or the stuff they have to do but maybe don’t necessarily want to); and their hobbies, what they do in their spare time, passions, etc.
This is so when you face the question “what comes next” you can jump into any of these lives as a starting point.
So say your main character and their best friend just fought and broke up. The scene ends. Your roadmap says there needs to be a bit of a pause in between now and them getting back together, but what do they do in between those points?
Consider how their family life, professional life, or private life could be impacted by what’s occurred. Maybe you’ve mostly been focusing on private and family, so you choose professional, the next scene has them back at school. There’s no one to talk to since their only friend is mad at them—to raise the stakes, in this day at school the next big plot point happens (their uncle, thought dead, appears for a moment outside the classroom window!) of course all they want to do is tell their friend, and of course, that’s the one thing they can’t do yet.
This is just a general example, but it goes to show there’s a lot to explore within your character’s different ‘lives’, so next time you get stuck on the “what comes next?” try exploring one a bit deeper with them. There might be something super interesting there to find.
Good luck!
November 27, 2022
daffodil–lament:elizabeth bennet said “i can’t fix him no...
elizabeth bennet said “i can’t fix him nor would I for a million dollars” and fitzwilliam darcy said “wait she thinks I need to be fixed? …. she’s right, I’ve gotta work on myself and learn how to be more understanding and generous” and then he did. and elizabeth was like “shit…. he’s so understanding and generous now…. makes me realize that my stubbornness and pride in my discernment are obstacles in the lives of myself and others” and then they got married and that’s why pride and prejudice has been a bestseller for two hundred years
cocomonerd:No because pride and prejudice isn’t “I change...
No because pride and prejudice isn’t “I changed myself for you so you would love me back.” It’s “your blatant rejection and disdain for me made me realize things about myself no one had ever been bold enough to tell me so I sat down and evaluated all my behavior patterns and why they came about and came to the realization myself that I had to work on myself. Also I don’t expect you to love me now that I’m a work in progress, so I’m just going to do nice things for you because I don’t like seeing you hurt.” No wonder P&P fans refuse to settle.
guulabii:
written by kaveh akbar
written by kaveh akbar
joytri:
sujaayyyyy:
“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝ᵅ...
“𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡,” 𝐼 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑓𝑡𝑙𝑦.“𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙.”—Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles
this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book. this book-
kazzzbrekkers:jane austen was right!!!!! i AM half agony ...
jane austen was right!!!!! i AM half agony half hope!!!!! if i loved you less i COULD talk about it more!!!!!!!! i WAS in the middle before i knew i had begun!!!!!!!
