M.C. Frank's Blog, page 435
September 24, 2017
leaper182:
short-haired-witch:
thats-what-sidhe-said:
pastelgarrusvakarian:
bluegrasshole:
ltlef...
@ other writers: how the hell do you write short things????
I think it involves blood magic.
@ other writers: How in the hell do you write long things????
It definitely involves blood magic.
@ writers: how in the hell do you write
its blood magic all the way down
@ writers: How do you learn blood magic?
it definitely involves writing
*loud sobbing*
immzies-adventures-through-books:
There was a knock at the door.
‘Come in.’ said the writer.
The...
immzies-adventures-through-books:
There was a knock at the door.
‘Come in.’ said the writer.
The door opened, and a character that was not quite there tiptoed in.
‘Sit down.’ said the writer. ‘Tell me about yourself.’
In halting tones, the character did. At first, the words were unsure, as if they could be erased and changed at any moment. But then they were more confident, and as their words fleshed out, so did they. The writer could see them now, what they looked like along with who they were. They had hopes and dreams and backstory.
The writer held up their hand. ‘Thats enough.’ They said. ‘You are perfect, we are going to have fun.’
The character smiled.
‘And.’ the writer continued. ‘Then I am going to break you.’
"Please don’t expect me to always be good and kind and loving. There are times when I will be cold..."
- Sylvia Plath
(via help-n-quotes)
September 23, 2017
Win Signed Copies of No Vain Loss
Exciting announcement, everyone!I’m giving away a few signed paperback copies of No Vain Loss, my science fiction novel about a world where Christmas doesn’t exists and kissing is forbidden.
Synopsis:
A soldier is summoned to the North Pole, days before the year changes, told to fix the great Clock for a celebration. He has no idea what to do.
A girl, hunted for the crime of being born, almost dies out on the ice. She is rescued by the last polar bear left alive.
A library waits for them both, a library built over a span of a hundred years, forgotten in the basement of an ice shack.
The world hasn’t known hunger or sickness in hundreds of years. It has also forgotten love and beauty.
This is the One World.
The year is 2524.
Inspired by the short stories of Ray Bradbury, this futuristic young adult novel in three parts is set in a world where Christmas -among other things- is obsolete and a Clock is what keeps the fragile balance of peace.
Written in three parts, this is the breathtaking story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other, one book at a time.
In No Vain Loss, the world is on the brink of the greatest war humanity has ever known. Lives will be lost. New truths will be revealed.
Recommended for fans of:
Hot soldiers (see Kdrama, Descendants of the Sun, and so on)
My True Love Gave to Me anthology, Christmas feels and aesthetic
Ray Bradbury-inspired scifi worldbuilding
YA dystopian/postapocalyptic novels
These Broken Stars series
Book boyfriends
A touch of existential issues Huxley-style
Star Wars-style action
Intense romance
Hidden libraries
Fight for survival
Forbidden kisses
Bromance
BearsReaders say:
Fast, Futuristic, Creative. -Yesha, Books Teacup and Reviews
My new obsession and yours too! No Ordinary Star reads like a love letter to humanity. -S. E. Anderson, author of Starstruck
This book is magic. -Alex Rowe, @captain.valour
I fell head-over-heels in love! -Drew C.
Oh, how I’ve already fallen in love with our two main characters, tin solider and match girl. -Rebecca RavenCurrent rating on goodreads 4.8 stars
Pages 230
Release date: 5 Dec 2017
Does it sound like something you’d like to read?
G I V E A W A Y
Preorder the kindle for .99 here: http://amzn.to/2gNO7zi and send me a screencap of your recept/confirmation (email here)
You will be automatically entered to win one of 5 signed paperback copies!Good luck!
Your Character’s Personality
Personality is the most important thing about your character.So, whenever I see character sheets, most people just put a little paragraph for that section. If you’re struggling and don’t know what your character should say or do, what decisions they should make, I guarantee you that this is the problem.
You know your character’s name, age, race, sexuality, height, weight, eye color, hair color, their parents’ and siblings’ names. But these are not the things that truly matter about them.
Traits:
pick traits that don’t
necessarily go together. For example, someone who is controlling,
aggressive and vain can also be generous, sensitive and
soft-spoken. Characters need to have at least one flaw that really
impacts how they interact with others. Positive traits can work as flaws, too. It is advised that you pick at least ten traits
people are complex, full of contradictions, and please forgive me if this makes anyone uncomfortable, but even bullies can be “nice” people. Anyone can be a “bad” person, even someone who is polite, kind, helpful or timid can also be narcissistic, annoying, inconsiderate and a liar. People are not just “evil” or “good”Beliefs:
ideas or thoughts that your
character has or thinks about the world, society, others or
themselves, even without proof or evidence, or which may or may not be true. Beliefs can contradict
their values, motives, self-image, etc. For example, the belief that they are an awesome and responsible person when their traits are lazy, irresponsible and shallow. Their self-image and any beliefs they have about themselves may or may not be similar/the same. They might have a poor self-image, but still believe they’re better than everybody elseValues:
what your character thinks is
important. Usually influenced by beliefs, their self-image, their
history, etc. Some values may contradict their beliefs, wants,
traits, or even other values. For example, your character may value being respect, but one of their traits is disrespectful. It is advised you
list at least two values, and know which one they value more. For example, your character values justice and family. Their sister tells them she just stole $200 from her teacher’s wallet. Do they tell on her, or do they let her keep the money: justice, or family? Either way, your character probably has some negative feelings, guilt, anger, etc., over betraying their other valueMotives:
what your character wants. It
can be abstract or something tangible. For example, wanting to be adored or wanting that job to pay for their father’s medication.
Motives can contradict their beliefs, traits, values, behavior, or
even other motives. For example, your character may want to be a good
person, but their traits are selfish, manipulative, and narcissistic.
Motives can be long term or short term. Everyone has wants, whether they realize it or not. You can write “they don’t know what they want,” but you should know. It is advised that you
list at least one abstract wantRecurring Feelings:
feelings that they have
throughout most of their life. If you put them down as a trait, it is
likely they are also recurring feelings. For example, depressed,
lonely, happy, etc.Self Image:
what the character thinks of
themselves: their self-esteem. Some character are proud of themselves, others are
ashamed of themselves, etc. They may think they are not good enough,
or think they are the smartest person in the world. Their self-image
can contradict their beliefs, traits, values, behavior, motives, etc.
For example, if their self-image is poor, they can still be a
cheerful or optimistic person. If they have a positive self-image,
they can still be a depressed or negative person. How they picture themselves may or may not be true: maybe they think they’re a horrible person, when they are, in fact, very considerate, helpful, kind, generous, patient, etc. They still have flaws, but flaws don’t necessarily make you a terrible personBehavior:
how the character’s traits,
values, beliefs, self-image, etc., are outwardly displayed: how they
act. For example, two characters may have the trait “angry” but
they all probably express it differently. One character may be quiet
and want to be left alone when they are angry, the other could
become verbally aggressive. If your character is a liar, do they pause before lying, or do they suddenly speak very carefully when they normally don’t? Someone who is inconsiderate may have issues with boundaries or eat the last piece of pizza in the fridge when they knew it wasn’t theirs. Behavior is extremely important and it is advised you think long and hard about your character’s actions and what exactly it shows about themDemeanor:
their general mood and
disposition. Maybe they’re usually quiet, cheerful, moody, or
irritable, etc.Posture:
a secondary part of your character’s personality: not as important as everything else. It is advised you fill this out after. Posture is how the character carries themselves. For example, perhaps they swing their arms and keep their shoulders back while they walk, which seems to be the posture of a confident person, so when they sit, their legs are probably open. Another character may slump and have their arms folded when they’re sitting, and when they’re walking, perhaps they drag their feet and look at the groundSpeech Pattern:
a secondary part of your character’s personality: not as important as everything else. It is advised you fill this out after. Speech patterns can be words that your character uses frequently, if they speak clearly, what sort of grammar they use, if they have a wide vocabulary, a small vocabulary, if it’s sophisticated, crude, stammering, repeating themselves, etc. I personally don’t have a very wide vocabulary, if you could tellHobbies:
a secondary part of your
character’s personality: not as important as everything else. It is
advised you fill this out after. Hobbies can include things like
drawing, writing, playing an instrument, collecting rocks, collecting
tea cups, etc.Quirks:
a secondary part of your
character’s personality, not as important as everything else. It is
advised you fill this out after. Quirks are behaviors that are unique
to your character. For example, I personally always put my socks on
inside out and check the ceiling for spiders a few times a dayLikes:
a secondary part of your
character’s personality, not as important as everything else. It is
advised you fill this out after. Likes and dislikes are usually connected to
the rest of their personality, but not necessarily. For example, if your character likes
to do other people’s homework, maybe it’s because they want to be appreciatedDislikes:
a secondary part of your
character’s personality, not as important as everything else. It is
advised you fill this out after. Likes and dislikes can also
contradict the rest of their personality. For example, maybe one of
your character’s traits is dishonest, but they dislike liarsHistory:
your character’s past that has
key events that influence and shape their beliefs, values, behavior,
wants, self-image, etc. Events written down should imply or explain
why they are the way they are. For example, if
your character is distrustful, maybe they were lied to a lot by their
parents when they were a child. Maybe they were in a relationship for
twenty years and found out their partner was cheating on them the
whole time. If their motive/want is to have positive attention, maybe their parents just didn’t
praise them enough and focused too much on the negativeOn Mental and Physical Disabilities or Illnesses
if your character experienced a trauma, it needs to have an affect on your character. Maybe they became more angry or impatient or critical of others. Maybe their beliefs on people changed to become “even bullies can be ‘nice’ people: anyone can be a ‘bad’ person”people are not their illness or disability: it should not be their defining trait. I have health anxiety, but I’m still idealistic, lazy, considerate, impatient and occasionally spiteful; I still want to become an author; I still believe that people are generally good; I still value doing what make me feel comfortable; I still have a positive self-image; I’m still a person. You should fill out your character’s personality at least half-way before you even touch on the possibility of your character having a disability or illnessGenerally everything about your character should connect, but hey, even twins that grew up in the same exact household have different personalities; they value different things, have different beliefs. Maybe one of them watched a movie that had a huge impact on them.
Not everything needs to be explained. Someone can be picky or fussy ever since they were little for no reason at all. Someone can be a negative person even if they grew up in a happy home.
I believe this is a thought out layout for making well-rounded OCs, antagonists and protagonists, whether they’re being created for a roleplay or for a book. This layout is also helpful for studying Canon Characters if you’re looking to accurately roleplay as them or write them in fanfiction or whatever.I’m really excited to post this, so hopefully I didn’t miss anything important…
If you have any questions, feel free to send a message.
- Chick
Books + apples
All my gratitude to the many members of the...
Books + apples
All my gratitude to the many members of the #nosstreetteam who did so much to spread the news about the signed paperbacks giveaway! You really make a difference. Words come cheap, but you guys show me your support with actions every day. You are priceless.
#books #read #reader #writer #bookworm #literature #bookish #bookishfeatures #bibliophile #bookstagram #booklover #booknerd #bookphotography #bookaddict #booklr #writeblr #noordinarystar #scifi #bookcandyclassics
That feeling when you write
and your entire soul seems to open up to the world and everything snaps into focus, every pain, joy or feeling more brilliant than before.
Win Signed Copies of No Vain Loss
Exciting announcement, everyone!Synopsis:
A soldier is summoned to the North Pole, days before the year changes, told to fix the great Clock for a celebration. He has no idea what to do.
A girl, hunted for the crime of being born, almost dies out on the ice. She is rescued by the last polar bear left alive.
A library waits for them both, a library built over a span of a hundred years, forgotten in the basement of an ice shack.
The world hasn’t known hunger or sickness in hundreds of years. It has also forgotten love and beauty.
This is the One World.
The year is 2524.
Inspired by the short stories of Ray Bradbury, this futuristic young adult novel in three parts is set in a world where Christmas -among other things- is obsolete and a Clock is what keeps the fragile balance of peace.
Written in three parts, this is the breathtaking story of how two unlikely people change the world, and each other, one book at a time.
In No Vain Loss, the world is on the brink of the greatest war humanity has ever known. Lives will be lost. New truths will be revealed.
Recommended for fans of:
Hot soldiers (see Kdrama, Descendants of the Sun, and so on)
My True Love Gave to Me anthology, Christmas feels and aesthetic
Ray Bradbury-inspired scifi worldbuilding
YA dystopian/postapocalyptic novels
These Broken Stars series
Book boyfriends
A touch of existential issues Huxley-style
Star Wars-style action
Intense romance
Hidden libraries
Fight for survival
Forbidden kisses
Bromance
BearsReaders say:
Fast, Futuristic, Creative. -Yesha, Books Teacup and Reviews
My new obsession and yours too! No Ordinary Star reads like a love letter to humanity. -S. E. Anderson, author of Starstruck
This book is magic. -Alex Rowe, @captain.valour
I fell head-over-heels in love! -Drew C.
Oh, how I’ve already fallen in love with our two main characters, tin solider and match girl. -Rebecca RavenCurrent rating on goodreads 4.8 stars
Pages 230
Release date: 5 Dec 2017
Does it sound like something you’d like to read?
Preorder the kindle for .99 here: http://amzn.to/2gNO7zi and send me a screencap of your recept/confirmation (email here)
You will be automatically entered to win one of 5 signed paperback copies!Good luck!
