[Nekko Fox]'s diary
I am a conclusionary atheist (some use the term hard atheist or strong atheist). That is, I have read, thought, and studied enough to satisfy myself that there is no god, all gods are imaginary, and actively believing in god is silly. I have concluded all religion is a scam. If a god shows itself, or if Santa Claus lands on my roof, I will rethink my worldview, but until then, fiction is fiction.
Written about Monday 2016-03-28
Written: (3295 days ago)
The Locked Gate
In every small town in the world there is a small plot of land like this. You may have seen it while driving, or walking by, but never like this. Never up close.
With a passing glance, it seems to be nothing more than an empty stretch of land, overgrown with weeds and grasses, the decaying stones of some forgotten structure scattered around.
Now, if you enter the empty plot and say "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," you'll find yourself walking along a path you didn't realize was there; but, take care never to leave the trail for dark things await the careless footfall and they yearn for company in the agonizing void they call existence.
Follow the path until you come to the only standing structure in view, a garden gate set between two stones that reach your chest. You'll see the wall on either side has long ago been dismantled or destroyed, but upon the door a faded metal sign still reads 'Keep Shut'. If you look around you will discover that you are no longer where you once were. The buildings, lights and sounds of the area around the plot are gone, replaced with empty fields as far as the eye can see.
You have reached the point of no return. If you say "I apologize, I seem to have gotten lost" and turn back the way you came, you'll find that the path leads you back to the street from whence you'd come, but if you wish to continue, simply knock on the garden gate.
Be cautious now, for the journey becomes more perilous. Knock once, and no one will answer. Two knocks, and you will hear a whisper on the breeze. If you stop to listen to the breeze, you will hear tempting words echoing towards you, urging you to follow, to stray from the path. It will offer you enticing truths to mysteries that man has long searched to answer, but do not listen long, for the longer you listen the more overwhelming the whispers, and you will be compelled to leave the path to fall the unknown.
If you steel your resolve, knock a third time, and the voices in the wind shall fall silent. Wait patiently there, and do no stray, for in a few moments time there will come a gatekeeper. He will appear as a small, balding man man with a pinched face and blind eyes. He will ask you what you're doing on his land. Do not answer now, for if he hears you speaks his grey eyes will focus and in them you will see your death, a gruesome and horrible experience that will destroy your soul.
Instead simply knock thrice more on the garden gate, speaking not a word. The little man will yell at you, demanding to know who you are before threatening to sic his hounds on you. Do not speak, for he will indeed call his hounds, monstrous creatures that will tear you apart and devour you.
Do not falter, stretch forward and knock thrice more. The man will straighten slightly and cock his head, as if listening, a pleasant and charming smile blooming on his face. He will ask if you would like to come in and ask him some questions, and will offer refreshments to the weary traveler.
Beware his trickery, and do not open the gate. State "I have many questions, but I would never wish to impose."
Now you may ask him your questions, but he will test your mettle for each question. Each question asked will be responded to with another question of a personal and discomfiting nature.
Do not lie to him, or think to cheat him. Appearances are deceiving, and his mind is as vast and unending as the darkness between the stars.
He will answer any and all questions, but he will only reveal answers if you answer his questions correctly. For every question you fail to answer, he will shave time from your life. Minutes, hours, days, months, even years, all determined by his fickle nature, chance and whim.
If, and when, you ask your questions and answer his, you may stop at any time by simply saying "I've enjoyed our discussion, but I must be off", to which the little man will ask you a favor.
"The gate seems to have rusted shut, would you mind jimmying the handle for me? I will reward you handsomely for your efforts."
His words are true; he can give unto you riches beyond imagine, everlasting life, wisdom that would make all the sciences pale with envy. He can give you love, return life to the dead, fulfill desires for fame.
But do not touch the door. You will again hear whispering on the wind, insistent, urgent, commanding. The man will lean forward and ask again for your help, and you will see a smile on his face that could curdle milk, but you must turn away.
Stay on the path and walk back to where you came from. You will hear behind you the sounds of pounding fists on the gate, enraged screams demanding you return, howls of unearthly hate echoing, but do not falter and do not quicken your pace. You have what you came for, answers, and to hurry now would only lead to folly.
Stay on the path until you return to the street, the street which you find has reappeared while your attention was elsewhere. Step onto the sidewalk and breathe easy for you are safe now, free to go where you will with the knowledge you've gained.
But why not open the gate, you may wonder?
The answer is simple; When you open the gate, a prison door opens somewhere else. And through that door will walk a creature that has been watching life on earth with a rapacious hunger for aeons, and it will finally be free.
Written about Sunday 2016-03-27
Written: (3296 days ago)
The word "amen" means "so be it". This is why it's said at the end of a prayer because you want the stuff you just prayed for to happen.
So when someone posts a picture of a room full of slaughtered children and tells you to type "amen" you're not really signalling your piety, you're saying "so be it" in favor of rooms full of slaughtered children.
If you really want a great way to signal your piety then try doing something physical to help the unfortunate that doesn't involve spreading the pages of facebook scammers. In short, every page asking you to share it and post "amen" is playing you for a sucker.
I'd climb over the bloody back of my best friend wearing hobnailed boots in order to get what I want.
Plots:
1. QUEST – the protagonist is searching for something (person, place, thing, or idea) and is on a journey to find it.
2. ADVENTURE – the protagonist searches for their fortune, but has to leave home to do it.
3. PURSUIT - hide-and-seek plot, one group or person chasing another.
4. RESCUE - the protagonist is searching for someone or something that needs to be saved—this usually involves protagonist, victim, and antagonist.
5. ESCAPE – the protagonist wants to escape some sort of situation, on a quest to get away.
6. REVENGE - retaliation against someone else for wrong-doings.
7. THE RIDDLE - the protagonist’s search to find the hidden meaning of something.
8. RIVALRY - the protagonist is competing for same object or goal as another person.
9. UNDERDOG – the protagonist has a great disadvantage and faces overwhelming odds while trying to reach his or her goals.
10. TEMPTATION – the protagonist is tempted into doing something that is unwise, wrong or immoral.
11. METAMORPHOSIS - the physical characteristic
12. TRANSFORMATION - the protagonist journeys through a stage of life that moves them from one significant character state to another.
13. MATURATION - the protagonist faces a problem that causes them to learn from it and mature into adulthood.
14. LOVE - the protagonist overcomes the obstacles that prevent him or her from engaging in true love.
15. FORBIDDEN LOVE – the protagonist overcomes obstacles that prevent him or her from true love, but sometimes find the outcome too high a price to live with.
16. SACRIFICE - the protagonist is motivated by a higher purpose such as love, honor, and charity or for the sake of humanity.
17. DISCOVERY - the protagonist, having to overcome a life-changing event, discovers a deeper meaning of life that changes their outlook.
18. WRETCHED EXCESS - the protagonist pushes the limits of acceptable behavior to the extreme and is forced to deal with the consequences.
19. ASCENSION – this rags-to-riches plot deals with the rise of the protagonist due to a dominating character trait that helps them to succeed.
20. DECISION – this riches-to-rags plot deals with the fall of the protagonist due to dominating character trait that eventually destroys their success.
Noel
Understanding Pacing Problems
Understanding pacing is critical to writing a good story. As a writer, you control what happens and when it happens, so you need to focus on what works best for your story. The reason why a lot of writers spend time prewriting is because it helps with pacing and allows you to decide beforehand when certain events are going to happen. You need to spread out your action and make sure there’s the proper build up for it. Timing is important.
If something awful is going to happen to one of your characters, you need to spend time foreshadowing. Foreshadowing doesn’t have to be obvious, but a set up of the events helps your readers prepare for these events. For example, mentioning that a character has a problem with heights and then having them confront those fears later on is usually enough. Utilizing your pacing in this way can also lead to great comedic moments. Think about how Indiana Jones is afraid of snakes and then later has to face those fears in Raiders of the Lost Ark. “Why did it have to be snakes?!” Thinking about pacing helps your plan out these moments for the best impact.
Other common problems with pacing include starting your story with an info dump. Revealing all of your information at once is POOR PACING. The opening chapter should not tell us everything about ALL your characters—tha
There are certain story arcs you can research in order to make sure your pacing works. Your story should have a good blend of action and information, so that avoids becoming boring. You don’t want loads of action in the first chapter of your novel followed by ABSOLUTELY NO ACTION until the end. There’s a general story arc that works for most novels and has worked for hundreds of years. If you’re stuck, check out some of them and familiarize yourself with pacing.
You also need to understand what the main plot is and what other sub plots your might have going on. Everything in your story should somehow assist in developing the main plot, but sub plots also need to be tied up. Don’t spend too much time on sub plots because ignoring the main plot with screw up your pacing and make your story unreadable. Remember, the main plot is the most important and it’s what you should be focusing most of your time on.
Noel
A List of Words to Use Instead of Said
Not that there’s anything wrong with using ‘said’, but it helps to switch it up a bit if you’re afraid of overusing it. Using ‘said’ doesn’t really explain anything to your readers besides telling us that a character has spoken. If you want to put more emotion into your writing, try using some of these words:
-Accepted, Accused, Acknowledged, Added, Admitted, Advertised, Affirmed, Agonized, Agreed, Alleged, Announced, Answered, Appealed, Argued, Arranged, Articulated, Asked, Asserted, Assumed, Assured, Avowed
-Barked, Bawled, Beamed, Beckoned, Began, Begged, Bellowed, Bet, Beseeched, Bleated Blubbered, Blurted, Bossed, Bragged, Breathed, Broadcasted, Bugged
-Called, Cautioned, Censured, Chatted, Chattered, Chimed in, Choked, Chortled, Chuckled, Claimed, Comforted, Commanded, Complained, Conceded, Concurred, Condemned, Confessed, Confided, Confirmed, Consoled, Contended, Continued, Cried out, Criticized, Croaked, Crooned, Crowed
-Dared, Decided, Declared, Defended, Demanded, Denied, Described, Discounted, Doubted
-Emitted, Empathized, Encouraged, Ended, Entreated, Exacted, Exclaimed, Explained, Exposed
-Faltered, Finished, Fretted, Fumed
-Gasped, Giggled, Greeted, Groaned, Growled, Grumbled, Guessed, Gulped
-Hesitated, Hinted, Hissed, Howled
-Implied, Implored, Inclined, Indicated, Informed, Inquired, Insisted, Interjected, Interrupted, Invited
-Jeered, Jested, Joked, Justified
-Laughed, Lied, Lisped
-Maintained, Marked, Mimicked, Moaned, Mocked, Mourned, Murmured, Mused, Muttered
-Nagged, Nodded, Noted
-Objected, Observed, Offered, Ordered
-Panted, Pleaded, Preached, Presented, Presumed, Proclaimed, Prodded, Professed, Promised, Proposed, Protested, Provoked, Publicized, Published
-Quavered, Queried, Questioned, Quoted
-Reassured, Raged, Ranted, Reasoned, Rejoiced, Rejoined, Released, Remarked, Repeated, Replied, Reprimanded, Requested, Required, Retorted, Revealed, Roared
-Sang, Scoffed, Scolded, Seethed, Settled, Shared, Shouted, Shrieked, Shrugged, Shuddered, Snarled , Sobbed, Specified, Spluttered, Spread, Stammered, Stated, Stuttered, Stressed, Suggested, Supposed, Swore
-Taunted, Teased, Tempted, Tested, Theorized, Thought, Told
-Urged, Uttered
-Voiced, Vowed
-Wailed, Warned, Wept, Whimpered, Whined, Whispered, Wondered, Worried
-Yawned, Yelled
UNUSUAL BACKSTORIES MASTERLIST
Under the cut are unusual backstories for all type of characters- all written by myself. Some are based on people I know in real life, some are based on my favorite characters or even in my roleplay characters, all of them would work and make interesting characters for roleplaying and great to creat good connections and plots. I’m probably going to be updating this and I’ll tell you when I do it. But from now enjoy of these 7 unusual backstories that might help you or inspire you for writting your character backstory and character development.
RELIGIOUS:
They grew up in a very religious family and their religion is the only thing that they ever truly believed in. They’re very dedicated and follows every rule and practice that their religion entails. Or maybe it was an abandoned child at outside a church and the priest decided to provide accommodation for them and raise as their own son/daughter.
SEARCH AND SEIZURE:
Their parents are in looking to reward, when he was still a baby they used them as a distraction to commit some of their crimes, the police had caught the father or the mother and therefore gave custody to their uncles. Or maybe the parents decided not to involve their child and let them go with their uncles to take care of them, but wherever they goes the story of their parents pursued them.
FOREIGNER:
They come from some not speaking English country so he does not understand the language well. Everything is new to them and they try to fit in. Maybe they came to their current location for a scholarship because their parents are poor and can not afford a career therefore has a lot of pressure on top of them, and adding the teenagers pressure to find themselfs, be cool and making new friends. A lot of the time they feels like an outsider because of this, but still keeps a smile on their face trying to befriends and please everyone. They often times mumbles to themself the other language when frustrated or if they just wants to keep something to themself.
BAD CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES:
Such as all types of abuse, seeing one of your parents threatened to kill themselves, being suicidal, committed suicide. Any traumatic experiences, car crash, kidnapping, etc. Being forced to work at a young age. Growing up poor, with nothing to eat, drink, etc.
CYBERBULLING:
A girl who never had access to the internet without the security of his mother finally gets a computer and enter into a social network of your school. She is hacked by his own brother who posts bad things on your page and it starts being chased by bullies, eventually the joke from school. His life changed and now participates in groups of psychological treatments by past trauma
UNDERACHIEVED POTENTIAL:
They had everything going for them; looks, beauty, smarts, but something along the way fell short. Perhaps it was a serious injury, or a failed exam. Either way, they are super bitter about it now, and is extremely jealous towards people who make any achievement. A lot of the time they’re insecure nowadays because they feels they aren’t good enough anymore, but masks it with their insults towards others.
THE SPOILED RICH KID:
Their dad owns the country club, have a large company or is some high-class CEO, making the well-off for their whole life. They have never worked a day in their life, and isn’t planning on it either which leads to their attitude thinking they’re better than every one else. They still try to study and to be the top of the class so they can impress their dad. They definitely gets the good grades, but that isn’t saying that they earns them. When they feel they’re putting too much effort in something, it simply ends up in bribery or cheating.
Or maybe they once find out that the best achievements of his life were made by their parents money and create them insecurities asking themselfs if they will be ever good enough to create their own achievements or if they’ll always have everything because of their parents.
How Your Character Views the World
When developing your characters, establishing how they view the world is just as important as their motivations, wants, and needs. This will help you set the tone or your novel and will also let your readers know how your character has been shaped as a result of how they view the world around them. Our environment does play a part in shaping who we are, so it should do the same for your characters. Understanding how they view their world is important because it will show how they go about getting what they want/need.
Try asking yourself these questions:
How does your character interact with the world?
Does your character view your world in a positive light? Negative light? Are they indifferent to it?
What defenses has your character put up due to this viewpoint?
How are their goals affected by the world they’re in?
Has this world helped them gain anything? Has it caused them to lose something important?
Here are a few tips on using your world to build a stronger character:
Figure out how your character has developed as a result of your world.
The way your character sees the world around them has to do with their perception of it. Your own perception of the world helps build your personality, so it will do the same for your characters—whi
Develop how your character’s attitude matches the tone and feel of your world.
If your character is dark and brooding due to their horrible experiences in this world, the tone of your novel should match that. As readers, we should see the world in the same way. We need to understand why your character is feeling a certain way, so your world should reflect their struggles. You need to show why they’re so upset, instead of just telling us “well, that’s just how it is for them.” Explain the situations you’re building.
Understand how your world either helps or hinders your character’s goals.
Has living in this particular world been a positive or negative experience for your character? For example, a character could be ripped from a place they love or it could be threatened by the antagonist. There are many things you can do with your character’s relationship to their world. Is this world in danger? Is the antagonist doing something to put this world in danger? Is the world actually causing the protagonist’s problems? Whatever is standing in your character’s way could be from a combination of different factors.
Character Trait Cheat Sheet
In order to create a relatable character, you must think about them as having several layers. Knowing and choosing character traits is important because you don’t want them to be one dimensional. It’s all not as simple as saying “this person is mean” or “this person is kind”. Think about the people you know in real life. They all have some sort of defining trait that makes them different from everyone else. You usually know more than just one thing about them and they most likely have many interests. Your characters must be just as diverse.
I’ve listed some examples of character types:
Adventurer: high levels of energy, bold, dominant, competitive, fickle, leader. Can be aggressive or have poor judgment.
Bossy: confident, competitive, stubborn, close minded, serious, lacks shame or guilt, wants a high status.
Creator: artistic, observant, persistent, sensitive, introverted, becomes easily absorbed, enthusiastic, likes his or her own company.
Extrovert: outgoing, talkative, not easily intimidated, expressive, enjoys being with others, seeks social situations.
Fearful: driven by fears of rejection, unhappy, withdrawn, avoids stress, uncomfortable in social situations, problems being assertive.
Loner: might be directionless, little attachment to anyone, likes to be alone and avoids social situations, rarely expresses anger.
Passive-Aggres
Resilient: happy, productive, is able to overcome adversity, has a good sense of humor, high standards, able to go through life with minimal stress.
Victim: feels weak, pessimistic about life, acts like a burden, no deep emotions, feels helpless when left alone.
I also wanted to discuss some psychological disorders in case you’d like to include them in your manuscripts:
Anxiety: tense, shy, depressed, feels worthless, afraid of social situations, lacks confidence, worried, cries frequently.
Autism: can show delay or lack of language in severe cases, might be bossy, dislikes social rules, fights, blows up easily, can lack self-control, uninterested in others.
Depression: feelings of rejection, low self-esteem, negative self-image, intense sadness, can feel worthless.
Hypochondriac: pessimistic, self-centered, complains about aches that can’t be explained by a medical condition, worries, low energy.
If you’re thinking of a specific disorder, you should do the proper research and remember that a disorder can affect everyone differently. Not everyone will have the same traits.
Here are some lists for finding the right vocabulary and coming up with diverse character traits by combining them:
List of POSITIVE character traits: adaptable, alert, ambitious, aware, brave, calm, capable, certain, committed, compassionate, considerate, consistent, curious, dedicated, determined, efficient, expressive, faithful, happy, honest, independent, intelligent, loyal, nurturing, patient, playful, polite, productive, punctual, responsible, strong, trusting, warm, wise.
List of NEGATIVE character traits: angry, aggressive, arrogant, bossy, cruel, careless, cold, conceited, conniving, dishonest, dangerous, egocentric, evil, foolish, flaky, gloomy, grumpy, hateful, harsh, inconsiderate, immature, indulgent, ignorant, insensitive, jealous, lazy, malicious, miserly, mean, mistrusting, pessimistic, pompous, rude, scornful, thoughtless, timid.
Remember that most people have both good and bad traits, so combining them should help you form a well-rounded character.
Writing a Believable Villain
The villain or antagonist is really nothing more than a character that stands in the protagonist’s way. This character usually does not want the protagonist to succeed because what the protagonist wants will prevent the villain from getting what they want. Being an antagonist does not mean that person is evil. It also doesn’t mean that what the antagonist wants is wrong. It just means that they oppose the protagonist in some way.
The biggest mistake people make when penning a villain is as follows: They don’t see that the villain or the antagonist is doing the right thing in their own mind. Remember, most likely the villain believes that they ARE THE HERO. If you look at it from that perspective, you’ll be able to write believable villains.
Other things to keep in mind:
The villain must want something just as much as the protagonist. The villain’s main goal is NOT that they want to stop the protagonist just to mess up their plans. There’s a reason why they oppose the protagonist, so do your best to explain it to your audience. A villain that is evil “just because” rarely ever works. There’s a reason you chose this character to be your villain and it’s not just because you wanted to add tension wherever you could find it. CREATE A VALID REASON WHY YOUR ANTAGONIST IS PISSED OFF AT YOUR PROTAGONIST.
Develop as much of a back story for your villain as you do for your protagonist. A good back story should help explain why your antagonist is the way they are. If you want to create a believable character, we need to see strong reasons why they turned out the way they did. Having a villain pop out of nowhere to oppose your protagonist is poor writing. Understand their story so it will translate to your readers.
Your villain is rarely 100% evil. Even if it doesn’t happen, we should believe that they could turn it around if they really wanted to. They are human. If they’re too evil all the time, it comes across as very cartoonish. Give them a few redeeming qualities that allow your readers to see their humanity. They might completely turn to the dark side at the end, but it will ultimately be a choice they make. That’s usually much more compelling than a character simply being born evil.
Final Battle
There appears to be a little confusion over this round, so let me clarify a couple things before we get on to talking about the final battle:
Don't send me your first chapter, just 150 words.
It doesn't need to be a whole scene packed into 150 words. It's just like our regular writing prompts; it's the opening of a story.
The judges know the deal - that these are the first 150 words of a novel. That's what they're expecting to read. They want to be drawn in to your story world, they want a peek at your main character, and they want a question or two lingering in their mind. Pull a few of your favorite books off the shelf, read the first 150 words. That's what you're shooting for.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about with all this writing prompt jibber-jabber, click here to see contest details. If you have questions, leave a comment below.
Okay, with that out of the way, let's move on to the final battle.
We're making a check list of sorts and we wrap up our first drafts. So far we've made sure:
Our character has had a black moment
Cavalry has come
And now it's time for the final battle.
The final battle is basically what it sounds like. It's where your character gets to try out their newfound knowledge from the epiphany moment - I'm not a total screw-up, money isn't that important, war can be fought with honor. Whatever it is they've learned - whatever it is they needed this journey for - you're now going to test them on it.
Don't forget their instincts
When your character is in the final battle, be careful to not make it too easy on them.
Let's say your main character is an I-can-do-it-my
During his final test, he should feel some sort of temptation to head off on his own, take care of #1, the way he always has. But then he'll remember what he just learned, and he'll push himself to ignore his instincts and work as a team toward the solution.
They come through ... but not without a loss or two
You're so close to the end, it's tempting to make the final battle kinda easy. Be thinking about what you can take away. Your main character should triumph in the battle, for sure, but they really shouldn't get everything they want. In a manuscript of mine, the MC chooses to keep her principles about purity, even though it means losing the guy she's fallen in love with.
I love the ending of 8 Mile, where Eminem wins the competition (the "rap-off" for lack of a better name) ... and then accepts responsibility and heads back to his minimum wage job instead of partying and celebrating.
The final battle is key to showing that your characters journey was worth it, that they're a better person because of everything they just went through ... but they shouldn't escape that final battle unscathed.
Can you think of other final battle scenes in books or movies where the character "wins" but also loses?
You made the unfortunate mistake of being in my way.