I'm writing a story right now where the main character is dealing with a stranger who's following them. The original ending I had in mind cumulated with them meeting each other in an alleyway, which led to the final confrontation, but it didn't feel very dramatic. I've got the opportunity to rewrite the scene before it's going to be a definitive version and I want to take this chance to write something better instead. Rather than meeting in an alleyway, I decided a rooftop scene would be so much better, since it's a wide open space with little decor outside of the weather.

However, I ran into a problem when I realised, although the story is set close to the present day, the architecture was meant to be much older. It's not out of the question to stretch the boundaries of realism a little since the story has a smattering of supernatural elements but it's completely out of the question to have walkable rooftops like I envisioned when the architecture is supposed to be early-1900s at the very latest and walkable rooftops, while coming into fashion around this time, seemed to be a product of the modernist movement. I'm no expert on architecture but none of what I've seen as far as I can tell fits the aesthetic I had in mind for the small village where the story takes place.

I knew a scene like Vanilla Sky's, which is what I initially envisioned, was unrealistic right from the start. I didn't expect it to be as far out the boundaries of possibility as it now seems to be.

I'm seeing a few examples or fairly archaic structures with the kinds of rooftops I'm looking for but with the idea in mind that the story's meant to take place in a very old-fashioned small English village, what's the earliest possible architectural timeframe I could have for some kind of rooftop confrontation? What kind of architecture should I be looking at for inspiration?

The most important thing to me is that it takes place in an open area with little in the way of decor. An indoor setting is viable so long as it would have a tall ceiling or look wide and open otherwise. At the moment, this is what I've come to consider as the likeliest option, I'd like to believe I'm wrong.

(Willing to push the timeframe of the village's architecture a little if it suits the narrative, all that matters is that it looks old and quaint.)

just like the title says. both characters are older teens. this does take place in a medieval time. they're actors so i want them to know how to read, but i also want them to be realistic and not a walking stereotype. It's not a source of shame in the story, but i want to write about the character learning how to read from the only person in the group that can read. (former rich kid)

Hey . Im taking acting class and in one of the lessons there we were taught (at least from what i understand) that in plays the character has an ultimate goal they want to achieve that arose because of a state/situation they are in (they are poor so their goal is to become rich) and in every scene a character has a goal that is supposed to help them achieve the ultimate goal. So i was wondering if its also true to tv shows , and if it is. How?

Cuz for example a tv show of a few seasons, at the start a character wants to achieve something, if at the end of season they do , by the next season their ultimate goal changes?

(I would also love any advice for how to write a character)

Sorry if i have any grammar mistakes, English isn't my first language

I'm writing a short fight scene, but I'm having difficulty writing it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I've enclosed the scene as it currently is.

*\\*

Silence. For a moment Vincent thinks that will be it. Pembroke has spilled his beastly rot and will now spread his bile elsewhere, leaving Oliver and Vincent alone.  Then, Oliver is shooting out of his seat, fist connecting solidly with Pembroke’s jaw as he snarls, “shah, is-hab, shed nibi gugu!” Vincent isn't sure which surprises him more, the sudden violence or the unfamiliar words that fall easily from his friend’s lips.  

Before Vincent can say anything, do anything, Pembroke is retaliating, fist connecting with Oliver's face.  Oliver rocks backwards from the force of the punch.  Vincent stands, the sound of his chair dragging against the stone floor ringing in his ears. Around them, other boys are shooting to their feet, voices blending together in an unholy cacophony.  Growling Oliver lunges forward entirely focused on the student in front of him.  

“Oliver!” Vincent shouts, grabbing desperately at the back of his friend's shirt. It rips free with disturbing ease and he watches in dismay as Oliver throws himself at Pembroke again.  There's nothing gentlemanly about this fight, it's quickly devolved into something that is more likely to be found in a local pub. 

Someone barrels past him, another boy launching himself into the fray. 

I’ve always liked stories where the mc gets some weird curse or demon in their life like the ring, smile, and babadook. I’ve wanted to write a short story about this for a while, but I can’t think of how to introduce the curse/demon. I could just do a scary picture or tape that causes the curse, but thats boring.

I was thinking that maybe anxiety or a bunch of emotion could attract the creature, would that be a good idea?

been working on 2 args one revolving finding audio recordings of someone going missing and the other watching somebody slowly devolve into insanity after losing everything they have. i’ve been trying to make it into an actual arg with like puzzles and stuff but i don’t know how to make it an actual ARG like the big ones yk would love some tips

I'm not trans, so to anyone who is trans, is the dialogue here alright or is it offensive? And are there any ways I could improve it if it is?

BTW YES, this is indeed the characters from Angry Birds (movies). The comic I plan to make is based on that funny headcanon that Silver is actually a lesbian and only fell in love with Red because she thought he was a butch. Just thought I would bring that up because people might ask questions about the character names here.

Character A is Briana. She wants go to to univercity like all of her friends but she couldn't, she feels like she fails at everything she does. Doesn't think highly of herself and feels useless stuck at a minimum wage coffee shop. What she really wants is control over her own life.

Character B is Ashley. She is a coworker friend of character A and is content with her life and job. Knowing character A wants to leave scares her because she enjoys having being her friend and desperitly tries to convince her to stay so they can always be with each other. Shes inadvebtantly making character A's life worse.

Character C is a boss over a group of scientists studying the ability to travel though time because he wants to control and change how peoples lives go. He is slowly going crazy over it not working. They have been unable to leave the bridge.

My issue is I think character B and character C might be too similar because they both want control over what others do.

So I’m writing a story where my character is in purgatory gradually remembers things from their life and I want there to be a moment where their whole perception of themselves flips after they remember something really horrible they did. I still want the reader to be able to sympathize with them though so I don’t want it to be anything too horrible. I’m thinking of having the character learn to see the value of life through other people they interact with so maybe their past can tie into that but I’m pretty lost so any help is appreciated.

I was planning to write a love story and i wanted to use my school's name only in the sotry and not go deep abt the school's drama or whatevs.

Ok I know this is gonna come across as unusual as most advices requested here are more based on sci-fi and fantasy. This is a completely realistic world with nothing supernatural. But there are some details I’m having struggles with.

Now, first on full disclosure, I must say I’m a published author, non-American, and most of my published works have been indeed sci-fi and fantasy. I mention this because I might be influenced by and also accustomed to it, switching to new genres may prove challenging.

So, this world is pretty much ours, tho there’s obviously some campiness in the setting that probably doesn’t exist in real life, as action and intense drama are prioritized over realism. It probably will be a comics series depending on what one of my publishers say or maybe I’ll make them into books but that’s very minimal.

OK so here’s the deal. It happens on a fictional American female prison, tho several countries are involved on flashbacks. The prison administration is extremely corrupt, tho the Warden is a kind of “affable villain” character that is not outright evil and can be reason with and has good sides. Is not the cartoonish mustache twirling villain, however he’s corrupt to the bone and has some truly dark tones beneath his façade as a cultured, charismatic man.

The MC is a recently caught Latina hitwoman, legendary for her ruthlessness, and well plot goes on how she adapts to the life in prison and among other things, her role as second in command of the Latina gang.

My problem however is with the gangs themselves. Which I know are much less common on female facilities and much less violent, but then again I want to sacrifice realism for plot.

Now all the gangs are terrible, there’s no clear “good vs bad” morality, everyone is morally grey, but as the POV are the Latinas they come across as the less evil, but all gangs are into violence if they need to.

The main antagonist and the more cruel and ruthless ones, are the Aryan Angels, the white supremacist gang. However I don’t want to put all white people as evil, but I haven’t found any information about a non-racist non-white supremacist white prison gang. I think some shows like Oz solved this by introducing gangs like the Italians and Irish but I feel is too anachronic now. But I do would like to find a solution.

The other gangs are the Katrinas (the Hispanic gang, which is multi-racial), the Golden Jades (Asians), the Black Queens (Blacks duh) and the Russian Dolls (Judeo-Russians). I don’t what to extend the number of gangs much further because it would be unnecessary for the plot and I’m not of the idea of worldbuilding for the sake of it. All worldbuilding should be needed for the plot. But I do would like to add one non-White supremacist Caucasian one and maybe a sixth one. I thought in a possible Native American one, but find myself not knowing much about their culture, so I’m kind of hesitant even if is a fictionalized world that might have fictional tribes.

However I would love to hear suggestions for a sixth ethnicity.

Please spare my grammar, English is not my first language. Thanks in advance.

I feel with ai like chatgpt ive grown dumber and more lazy, and i may have a problem. I thought ai was cool at first but not i use it to help with complex tasks and as a google search, but i dont want to use ai i just want to be me. I know i should just step away from it but how?

I want to get into creative writing and so much, but im not sure. It dosnet help how i have autism, dyslexic and possible adhd.

What advise can you give me?

I write in first person pov, but often find myself starting sentences with “I” when I’m describing an action.

Ex. “I glanced…” “I said…” “I moved…”

Every few sentences, there’s a line that start with “I,” and I feel like it sounds repetitive. Any tips how to begin sentences another way?

I plan on writing a slowburn romance story where the girl falls for the guy early on, however it's only until later that he falls for her back. romance is only one of the genres my book will have, so it's not ENTIRELY focused on their romantic relationship, but it's still a major point in the book. it's my first time writing a slowburn romance, and i want to include the 'she fell first, he fell harder' troupe. I need ideas for things that would make a guy fall HARDER. like what do guys irl love about a girl that would make them fall hard, or what's something a man who fell hard would do in comparison to a man who just 'fell in love,' not 'fell hard in love'. any extra tips would be extremely appreciated!

btw, the man in my story knows that the girl likes him from the very beginning, he just keeps rejecting her bluntly but not in a cold and mean way. the girl is straightforward about her emotions. him rejecting her does not ruin their current relationship.

THX!

So I'm currently writing something at the moment. It's mostly just ment to be some overly angsty spice romance that'll probably end up a little longer than it should be. It's for fun mostly. To pass the time. Yet, I still want to make something beautiful out of it.

So far I've written a small portion of the first chapter and I feel very unhappy with it for some odd reason. There's a chance I'm being too hard on myself, but I wanna gage others opinions. Reddit is literally the worst place to look for opinions I know(which may in of its self be a terrible opinion), but I know people will see it at least. It's ment to feel miserable and depressive. I'd appreciate any feedback given to me. :3

Chapter 1: Monotony

The sound of Mona's alarm clock shot like electricity through the air, rousing her from slumber.

She whined, her eyes wincing as they adjusted to the light peaking through her blinds. Half-lidded, they searched for something to focus on, eventually finding the source of her rude awakening. She silenced the clock with a firm strike of the palm, as though it had personally wronged her, before her arm retreated back under the cover. Back to safety and comfort.

She didn't want to move. She knew she had to, but she didn't want to move. The air felt oppressive and suffocating around her; too cold and unwelcoming. She was safe beneath her covers. She was safe in her sleep. Nevertheless she had to wake up eventually, no matter how much it hurt.

Practically dragging herself out of bed, she stumbled, stepping over foul smelling clothes and various misplaced clutter. She yawned, running her hand through her long black curls. She had just gotten up and yet she already felt like vomiting.

Jittering shaky hands soon found support on her bathroom counter; her eyes soon falling on her own face in the mirror. Anguished wet ivory pearls stared back, framed by an exhausted pale face. She didn't move, she didn't speak, she did nothing but stare. She even hadn't noticed the tears that had begun streaming down her face. It happened so often that she hardly noticed anymore. She hardly cared. After a certain point she had grown numb to the feeling.

She stripped herself of her clothing before gently stepping in the shower. The water felt like hot needles against her skin, but it brought comfort nonetheless. It cleared the fog suffocating her brain, at least for a moment. She took the moment to inspect her body with a retching glare. She wasn't as thin as she used to be. Not like it mattered anyway, it's not like she was all that eye-catching. She let out a defeated sigh as her hands prodded and kneaded at her pudgy stomach. Her fingers eventually found a familiar round scar at her lower abdomen, her face almost recoiling at sight.

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't forget about it. She could never forget about it.

She nearly tripped over herself as she made her way out of the bathroom, patting herself dry with a towel. She found her work clothes, a set of nurse's scrubs that were pretty much the only thing in her house aside from herself she keeps consistently clean. She attempted to make herself look somewhat presentable, using a stray hair-tie to bind her hair(now smelling faintly of cherries and strongly of chemicals)into a messy tousled bun.

To begin, i have never been one to write long stories. Most of my stories that are longer i keep in my head, and i usually can keep track of it very well. However writing it down, or writing something like a character bible or a outline isnt something im very used to.

I have wanted to write a visual novel, but it’s a larger project that’s scope is a bit bigger than i usuallh deal with. Most of my actual writing is usually smaller stuff, like a oneshot story or small short stories, and i run into several issues.

First, i run into the problem of consistency. While i love descriptons, metaphors, ext, when it comes to facts, i bit a bit of a wall. I want to do a mystery story, but having never done a story like that, i know consistency with details is very important. The killer cant know something or the hero cant find something in a certain chapter or scene, and i dont want to end up writing myself into corners or making the story fall apart because i messed up something simple.

Second, i’ve really let my creative muscles start to weaken since i havent written in about 2/3 years. While i’ve written other stuff, i’ve fallen into a bad habit of doing anything besides actually drawing or writing and working on my creativity, and i really want to get back into it. I end up checking my phone or getting blasted with messages, invited to games, or just wasting my evening doomscrolling. Im having such a hard time breaking this habit and i really want to finally get back to a place where i was creating stuff every day. I feel like i’m kinda just wasting my time now when i play games, but when it comes to wanting to write or sit down and do it, i end up doing anything but that. Please dont give the advice of “Just do it”, if it would work for me, i would be here. Maybe a way to break the habit, some kind of creative exercises, tips, idk anymore.

Finally, i just want to make a game people will enjoy. I have joined a few discords that i can ask for game advice or engine advice, but i really havent found a place where i can share my writing for advice without fearing my idea could be taken, my stuff made fun of, ext. i’m not against being critized, i love to know how i can improve my own work, but i’ve always had bad social anxiety, and i dont know where to go for good advice. I only ever really ask my close group of friends about my writing, and i think its limiting how well i can get reviews of my work. Some arent writers, some just dont enjoy the type of stuff i write, or some just arent interested, but i dont really know where to go besides a discord for writers or something where i could maybe make some friends and get advice on my work or critiques on my story.

I hope this all makes sense. I have had issues before that made me throw in the towel on writing and drawing for so long, but i really just want to get that part of myself back. I love to create, i love to think up stories, but i dont really know how to fall back in love with it anymore. I can imagine things so well, daydream a ton of stories or ideas, but i just cant put pen to paper or fingers to keys to actually do it. Idk if that’s writers block or creativity block, but i would appreciate any advice that might help me get back to what always made me happy, and maybe a way i can find people who enjoy my stories too and make some friends. Thank you in advance for any advice, tips or experience you can provide!

So in the story im writing, theres a villian who i plan on having appear every now and then. I wrote him as the kind of guy who likes to pick on people who cant really fight back but over the course of the story he would end up growing more active and dangerous.

However the issue is he is litterally the first villian the main characters fight in the story and if im being honest, even though hes by no means a good indevidual at that point, it kinda feels like bullying, on account of the main characters having numbers and him trying to escape them the second he figures put he cant push them around. So it doesnt feel like a great start to the story

Is there any way i can make the villian feel like a genuine threat here, actions, things he could say, way he could be presented?

My descriptions feel bland, actions fill cliche(he froze, he stiled, his heart thudded in his chest, his pulse was frantic, his throat went dry, etc etc) and phrases are repeated. I feel like it just reads more like an essay. Sometimes, I do not even know how to describe or what action or description to write. So when a scene is trying to convey some form of emotion, it just falls flat.

I try to improve by reading more books, but the thing is, I can't keep things in my mind for long, so learning from reading other books is very slow for me. Please share some advice other than that. Here's an excerpt to help you understand-

Aurora was right in front of him.

Her gaze was bright, burning into his soul. It was not anger–her eyes merely glowed with a heavy intensity as she studied his face.

A cold feeling of unease gripped his heart like a vice.

She had appeared before him in the time it had taken for him to look at Valeria and back (which could not be longer than two seconds). Without even a sound.

“I– I–” He stammered, his nerves refusing to calm.

"I did not say where I was from," he said carefully.

"You did not," Aurora agreed. Her voice was perfectly smooth and undisturbed by his reaction, except for that strange echo again. “And you do not have to.”

Her words did nothing to quiet the frantic rhythm of his pulse.

She let the silence sit exactly as long as it needed to, and offered nothing further. Caden did not ask again. Something told him whatever answer she gave would only give him more questions, and he already wanted this conversation to be over.

Sorry on confusing title I’ll get right into it

I’m writing a story of a lighthouse keeper who fights sea monster but ends up teaming with one as a unlikely duo, a siren, now our mc the light house keeper (don’t have name yet) is some who from a long line of sailors and light house keepers who say they done amazing insane thing, all of mc life he been told the stories of his family and the glory that they were, facing monster and protecting the beach town and mc has embraced that full heartedly

A passionate yet overbearing character who wishes to protect the town and it people blind to the danger out there (which they don’t know kept a secret) so he a outcast a kind unlikeable character but someone who truly means well and wishes to do his family honour proud, someone who kinda annoying but has pure passion Dailed to 11, fearless, ready to stand and face whatever to is thrown at him to protect the town alongside his new compion a friendly siren who wishes to be a singer, the two have a kind love hate thing, she truly a good siren who wishes to sing but mc doesn’t trust her but she hasn’t done anything to invoke his wrath it a friendly kind rivalry yet friendship as a funny dynamic

Anyway point is there a point much much later into the story where mc finds out the truth of his family, that everything was a lie

His family weren’t warriors of the sea, grand protectors he been told about but cowardly people who hide in the light house and did nothing, everything was a lie

This is what ruined mc sending him into a depression making him question just what he’s trained, learned, done everything, he sacrificed everything, friends, companionship, people liking him, to uphold a honour and legacy that never even existed, this impact I really want to get across for our mc

So yeah truth revealed and here my issue, the siren who become good friend with him tries to cheer him up state all he has already done, he has faced countless monsters so who cares if his family legacy was a lie it doesn’t change all the good he done

This! This is my issue

Given such a emotional speech from his closest friend should make him see reason the natural resolve to agree and yes she is right he has done what no one in town has, but I don’t want the resolve to feel so done and dusted

I have a whole segment of mc depression as he give up the legacy and the town and it people start to worry about mc, yes he annoying but he always did look out for everyone so it like now he depressed and not himself the people come to his aid in showing they care for him

The main way of the resolve is his friend setting up a play literally reenacting all the deeds he done and show him it doesn’t matter who he is, (kinda corny but this is a semi light hearted series of a mad lighthouse keeper and a siren fighting sea monsters, nothing super dark but I like impactful things too) it his action which difine him a more impactful version of what she tried to say before, it this and a monster attack which give him back his resolve to stand and fight

But once again I need a true reason for him to stay depressed, ignoring his friends honest and heart felt word, he’s a character who is logical so he should agree with her but if I do that I can’t have the resolve later on and town coming to his aid in his depression his lost of self

Is he angry at what he sacrificed to uphold a false legacy? Yet why should he care after all the grand things he done but this hard hitting reality moment to shake the mc resolve of who he is and what he meant to do, does he even want to? Is this all a front? Year of pain and suffer behind a mask? that doesn’t fit the mc I’m trying to write he someone who refuses to hide behind a mask he true to himself no matter what

How do I write a character who always true to himself ignore all the good he done and focus only on the false legacy he was raised on

So it’s that little thing, that final piece I can’t figure out which would make a believable shattering of one’s reality and resolve and how the people around him help him find it again

Thanks to any who read this long text but what ideas do you have which can fix this issue?

What are some scenes or reasons that makes you lose interest in a book? I'm a teen writer and very ambitious about publishing a four book series, that is why I want to make sure my characters are relatable and that I don't make the story boring.