Defenders of Writeousness

geekandsundry:

J.K. Rowling’s spreadsheet plan for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

(via transmetropolistin)

amandaonwriting:

15 Writers - The Best Writing Advice They Received

1. Alice Kahn: The best writing advice I’ve ever heard: Don’t write like you went to college.
2. Andrei Codrescu: Best advice I ever got was from the Romanian poet Nichita Stanescu, who told me in Bucharest, before I emigrated: ‘Learn English. French is dead.’
3. Christopher Buckley: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was from William Zinsser: ‘Be grateful for every word you can cut.’
4. Cynthia Ozick: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is: Write with authority.
5. David Guterson: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is to take it seriously, because to do it well is all-consuming.
6. George Plimpton: I think the best advice on writing I’ve received was from John Steinbeck, who suggested that one way to get around writer’s block (which I was suffering hideously at the time) was to pretend to be writing to an aunt, or a girlfriend. I did this, writing to an actress friend I knew, Jean Seberg. The editors of Harpers forgot to take off the salutation and that’s how the article begins in the magazine: Dear Jean….
7. James Atlas: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was from Dwight Macdonald: ‘Everything about the same subject in the same place.’
8. Margaret Carlson: Best writing advice I’ve ever received: Sell everything three times.
9. Nick Tosches: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was given to me, like so much else, by Hubert Selby, Jr.: to learn and to know that writing is not an act of the self, except perhaps as exorcism; that, in writing what is worth being written, one serves, as vessel and voice, a power greater than vessel and voice.
10. Patsy Garlan: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is: Don’t answer the phone.
11. Peter Mayle: Best advice on writing I’ve ever received: Finish.
12. Richard Ford: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received: ‘Don’t have children.’ I gave it to myself.
13. Robert Lipsyte: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was, ‘Rewrite it!’ A lot of editors said that. They were all right. Writing is really rewriting—making the story better, clearer, truer.
14. Russell Banks: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received was probably something Ted Solotaroff told me years ago when he was my editor. Going over a manuscript line by line again and again he kept reminding me, ‘Remember, this is your book, not my book. You’re the one who’s going to have to live with it the rest of your life. I might publish 30 or 40 books this year, you’re only going to publish one, and probably the only one you’re going to publish in two or three years.’
15. Whitney Balliett: The best advice on writing I’ve ever received is, ‘Knock ‘em dead with that lead sentence.’

From Writers Write

(via reflectingpond)

consideryourselfshipped:

Hey! I did a radical revision for class, which means I’m trying a radically different style than my last draft (thus the name). It’s a revision of this http://consideryourselfshipped.tumblr.com/post/47754198750/short-story-option-1, but done in a first person, diary format.

Opinions are welcome. I’m trying to really work with voice and unreliability in this draft, but I know more work is need.

Read More

spineye:

amandaonwriting:

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA) - Resource for Crime Writers

SOURCE

well you never know when this might come in handy.

(via referenceforwriters)

writeworld:

prompts-and-pointers:

When people are looking for plot ideas or new events to sprinkle into their roleplays, the first place I am going to point them is to this article.

Published first in a french book of the same title in the 19th century, this list has been of a massive aid to writers ever since. Written by french writer Georges Polti, it was meant to categorize every possible situation which might occur in anything from a poem to a play. The list came about after extensive studies of Greek texts, french literature, as well as non-french literature. Polti claimed to continue the work of Carlo Gozzi, who had also, himself, found these thirty-six situations. 

1. Supplication

Required Elements : a Persecutor; a Suppliant; a Power in authority whose decision is doubtful 

The Persecutor accuses the Suppliant of wrongdoing, and the Power makes a judgement against the Suppliant. 

2. Deliverance 

Required Elements : an Unfortunate; a Threatener; a Rescuer

The Unfortunate has caused a conflict, and the Threatener is to carry out justice, but the Rescuer saves the Unfortunate. 

3. Crime

Required Elements : a Criminal; an Avenger

The Criminal commits a crime that will not see justice, so the Avenger seeks justice by punishing the Criminal.

4. Vengeance Taken for Kin upon Kin

Required Elements : Guilty Kinsman; an Avenging Kinsman; remembrance of the Victim, a relative of both

Two entities, the Guilty and the Avenging Kinsmen, are put into conflict over wrongdoing to the Victim, who is allied to both. 

5. Pursuit

Required Elements : Punishment; a Fugitive

The Fugitive flees Punishment for a misunderstood conflict.

6. Disaster 

Required Elements : a Vanquished Power; a Victorious Enemy or a Messenger

The Power falls from their place after being defeated by the Victorious Enemy or being informed of such a defeat by the Messenger

7. Falling Prey to Cruelty/Misfortune

Required Elements : an Unfortunate; a Master or a Misfortune

The Unfortunate suffers from Misfortune and/or at the hands of the Master

8. Revolt

Required Elements : a Tyrant; a Conspirator

The Tyrant, a cruel power, is plotted against by the Conspirator. 

9. Daring Enterprise 

Required Elements : a Bold Leader; an Object; an Adversary

The Bold Leader takes the Object from the Adversary by overpowering the Adversary

10. Abduction

Required Elements : an Abductor; the Abducted; a Guardian

The Abductor takes the Abducted from the Guardian. 

11. The Enigma

Required Elements : a Problem; an Interrogator; a Seeker

The Interrogator poses a Problem to the Seeker and gives a Seeker better ability to reach the Seeker’s goals.

12. Obtaining

Required Elements : [a Solicitor & an Adversary who is refusing] or [an Arbitrator & Opposing Parties] + an Object

[The Solicitor is at odds with the Adversary who refuses to give the Solicitor the Object in the possession of the Adversary] or [The Arbitrator decides who gets the Object desired by Opposing Parties]

13. Enmity of Kin

Required Elements : a Malevolent Kinsman; a Hatred or a reciprocally-hating Kinsman

The Malevolent Kinsman and the Hated or a second Malevolent Kinsman conspire together

14. Rivalry of Kin

Required Elements : the Preferred Kinsman; the Rejected Kinsman; the Object of Rivalry

The Object of Rivalry chooses the Preferred Kinsman over the Rejected Kinsman

15. Murderous Adultery

Required Elements : two Adulterers; a Betrayed Spouse

Two Adulterers conspire to killed the Betrayed Spouse

16. Madness

Required Elements : a Madman; a Victim

The Madman goes insane and wrongs the Victim

17. Fatal Imprudence

Required Elements : the Imprudent; a Victim or an Object Lost

The Imprudent, by neglect or ignorance, loses the Object Lost or wrongs the Victim

18. Involuntary Crimes of Love

Required Elements : a Lover; a Beloved; a Revealer

The Revealer betrays the trust of either the Lover or the Beloved

19. Slaying of Kin Unrecognized

Required Elements : the Slayer; and Unrecognized Victim

The Slayer kills the Unrecognized Victim

20. Self-sacrifice for an Ideal

Required Elements : a Hero; an Ideal; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed

The Hero sacrifices the Person or Thing for their Ideal, which is then taken by the Creditor

21. Self-sacrifice for Kin

Required Elements : a Hero; a Kinsman; a Creditor or a Person/Thing sacrificed

The Hero sacrifices a Person or Thing for their Kinsman, which is then taken by the Creditor

22. All Sacrificed for Passion

Required Elements : a Lover; an Object of fatal Passion; the Person/Thing sacrificed

A Lover sacrifices a Person or Thing for the Object of their Passion, which is then lost forever. 

23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones

Required Elements : a Hero; a Beloved Victim; the Necessity for their Sacrifice

The Hero wrongs the Beloved Victim because of the Necessity for their Sacrifice

24. Rivalry of Superior vs. Inferior

Required Elements : a Superior Rival; an Inferior Rival; the Object of Rivalry

A Superior Rival bests an Inferior Rival and wins the Object of Rivalry

25.  Adultery

Required Elements :  two Adulterers; a Deceived Spouse

Two Adulterers conspire against the Deceived Spouse.

26. Crimes of Love

Required Elements : a Lover; the Beloved

A Lover and the Beloved enter a conflict.

27. Discovery of the Dishonour of a loved one

Required Elements : a Discoverer; the Guilty One

The Discoverer discovers the wrongdoing committed by the Guilty One.

28. Obstacles to Love

Required Elements : two Lovers; an Obstacle

Two Lovers face an Obstacle together.

29. An Enemy Loved

Required Elements : a Lover; the Beloved Enemy; the Hater

The allied Lover and Hater have diametrically opposed attitudes towards the Beloved Enemy.

30. Ambition

Required Elements : an Ambitious Person; a Thing Coveted; an Adversary

The Ambitious Person seeks the Thing Coveted and is opposed by the Adversary. 

31. Conflict with a God

Required Elements : a Mortal; an Immortal

The Mortal and the Immortal enter a conflict.

32. Mistaken Jealousy

Required Elements :  a Jealous One; an Object of whose Possession He is Jealous; a Supposed Accomplice; a Cause or an Author of the Mistake

The Jealous One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and becomes jealous of the Object and becomes conflicted with the Supposed Accomplice.

33. Erroneous Judgement

Required Elements : a Mistaken One; a Victim of the Mistake; a Cause or Author of the Mistake; the Guilty One

The Mistaken One falls victim to the Cause or the Author of the Mistake and passes judgement against the Victim of the Mistake, when it should be passed against the Guilty One instead. 

34. Remorse

Required Elements : a Culprit; a Victim or the Sin; an Interrogator

The Culprit wrongs the Victim or commits the Sin, and is at odds with the Interrogator who seeks to understand the situation.

35. Recovery of a Lost One

Required Elements : a Seeker; the One Found

The Seeker finds the One Found.

36. Loss of Loved On

Required Elements : a Kinsman Slain; a Kinsman Spectator; an Executioner

The killing of the Kinsman Slain by the Executioner is witnessed by the Kinsman Spectator.

This is awesome!

Here’s another great resource for Georges Polti’s 36 Dramatic Situations, including the elements, the variants, and a dicussion of each situation:

1. Supplication
2. Deliverance
3. Vengeance of a crime
4. Vengeance taken for kindred upon kindred
5. Pursuit
6. Disaster
7. Falling prey to cruelty or misfortune
8. Revolt
9. Daring enterprise
10. Abduction
11. Enigma
12. Obtaining
13. Enmity of kinsmen
14. Rivalry of kinsmen
15. Murderous adultery
16. Madness
17. Fatal imprudence
18. Involuntary crimes of love
19. Slaying of a kinsman unrecognized
20. Self-sacrificing for an ideal
21. Self-sacrifice for kindred
22. All sacrificed for a passion
23. Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
24. Rivalry of superior and inferior
25. Adultery
26. Crimes of love
27. Discovery of the dishonor of a loved one
28. Obstacles to love
29. An enemy loved
30. Ambition
31. Conflict with a god
32. Mistaken jealousy
33. Erroneous judgment
34. Remorse
35. Recovery of a lost one
36. Loss of loved ones

(Source: Wikipedia, via fuckyourwritinghabits)

forthegothicheroine:

Have you ever seen The Fearless Vampire Killers, in which an unfortunate barmaid learns what happens when you use a cross against a stereotypically Jewish vampire?  Of course you have.  Or if you’ve haven’t, perhaps you’ve read ‘Salem’s Lot, where the cross fails to work when the human holding it loses their faith.

Don’t let this happen to you!

Whether it’s about your own religion or the undead’s, vampire-hunting heroines and heroes may wish to come prepared with holy tools besides those of Christianity.  Fortunately for our purposes, my father is a Rabbi who has taught classes on folklore, golems, and demons (and who owns a large poster of a dybbuk which scared the living daylights out of me as a child.)  And so I turned to him for advice as to what should be in the toolkit of Jewish monster hunters or hunters of Jewish monsters.

“There are written amulets,” he says, “sometimes involving God’s name in various spellings and permutations along with kabbalistic passages (I remember seeing one, to protect against Lilith, over the head of a baby boy in a stroller in Jerusalem).”  As far as amulets go, I personally would recommend the hamsa, traditionally used to protect against witchcraft and the evil eye.  It’s much more likely to help you than the star of david, which has no such symbolism.

If you can get your hands on them, my father also suggests looking into books as talismans, specifically the Sefer Raziel, which is said to protect against fire.  You can also go the route of getting a secular coin or amulet blessed by a Rabbi, which may then take on holy powers.

Golems are the most famous “Jewish monster” but don’t entirely fit the bill as one; they are created to protect Jewish communities, though there are stories of them going insane or following orders far too literally and making a mess of things.  The traditional way to deactivate one is to erase the first letter of the word on its forhead, changing the word from emet (truth) to met (death.)  There is also a story of a Rabbi who destroyed one by speaking the words Hadar l’afreikh - return to your dust.  Good luck pulling any of this off if you’re not incredibly holy and blessed by God, though.

“I’ve seen a hasidic story about a werewolf,” adds my father, “but as I recall that took some serious praying on the part of the rebbe to kill it.”

There is also some amount of folk belief attributed to the mezuzah, a holy fixture upon the doorframes of observant Jews (my family included.)  In addition to its religious significance, Meir of Rothenburg wrote “If Jews knew how serviceable the mezuzah is, they would not lightly disregard it. They may be assured that no demon can have power over a house upon which the mezuzah is properly affixed.”  This is one I would not advise non-Jews using, since it posesses genuine religious relevence and would be disrespectful to misuse, but if you’re Jewish and your home already has one, such things are good to keep in mind.

My point in all of this isn’t to reduce my religion to superstitions, but to demonstrate the wide range of tools heroines (and writers, for that matter!) have to represent the forces of light.  If any of my readers know of monster-hunting tips from their own culture, please share- we can never be too educated!

bookriot:

Cool Bookish Places: The Slide Library

(via okorogariist)

ladysymphony:

Map of a writer’s mind.

(via paintchipper)

kenna-bean:

TIPS FOR WRITERS

Body Language

(via fuckyourwritinghabits)

shannahmcgill:

1. When characters travel uneventfully from point A to point B
2. When a motivation is needed for a character who only appears for a couple of paragraphs
3. When you have a scene right after one time skip and right before another
4. When a scene is moving at such a fast pace you don’t have time to dedicate ten words to the rain
5. When a character is slow on the uptake and has a captain obvious moment for dramatic or humorous reasons
6. When explaining backstory and past motivations (sometimes)

(via reflectingpond)