Transcribe your thoughts to words faster by prepping your brain to prepare for writing. The purpose is not to create publishable material, but to get yourself ready for it!
The best way to start is to have no judgement or expectation of the outcome. You are writing to write more, which in turn will lead to writing better!
Write more —-> write better —-> write more
It is a beautiful circle of writing!
Now, in terms of some writing warm ups there are millions of prepared prompts and questions that you can search with a click of a button. Some other things you can do are write letters, write comments back to your viewers, or write about your life!
And there are even things to warm up your brain beyond writing such as exercise, brain games and meditation. Find out what works best for you. Each week test something new until you find what works.
What do you do to warm up your writer’s brain? Share your favorites in the comments!
Having an array of characters makes each story unique and fun. Today, I want to dive into a foxy lady we all love to hate, the one who almost always gets her way: the femme fatale.
Before we dive into the deadly one, we first have to talk about where she stems from: a seductress. Describing a seductress is one thing because beauty is subjective. As the saying goes, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” So, how can you make your lovely lady appealing to the masses outside of her looks? It’s the obvious!
Make her free-spirited. This is important to her. She is care-free, curious about the world around her and open to those people surrounding her. This is what keeps her interesting. She comes off naive. Those who grow to be fond of her only want to show her the “right way.” This lady will always have some form of charm she uses to get people looking her way, or looking twice. This is a must. Ask yourself: does she have any intention with her ways? This is a great time to sit back and map out what made her this way and to make the plan of what you are going to do with her in your story.
One thing is for sure; she will want to be in the spotlight. Maybe not celebrity-status, but you can certainly do that if you want. Ultimately, she wants to be the center of attention – she wants everyone to turn their head when she enters a room. If she isn’t, she will certainly make it known she has entered the building. By the end of the scene, everyone will be quiet and staring and if they aren’t, there will be consequences. But, we are dipping into other territory there. The seductress isn’t harming anyone else in any way; she is simply hoping for something or someone to come into her life. So, once again we ask: what is her intention? What is her purpose?
The art of seduction comes with, in some way, the purpose of love. Or lack thereof. She could easily find it with her looks and charisma but your seductress is living a life, going 100 miles per hour for the sole purpose of finding The One. The catch is…even if she finds a suitable mate, that person would never be enough. And she will start all over again. Stability is not in her name; not just in love, but in life. Sometimes, it’s not about the person. It’s about the journey and, once again, the art of seduction.
When people think of seduction, the first thing that comes to mind is sex. Don’t get too caught up in the seductress’ sexual habits or even her sexuality itself. It isn’t the point of her character, it’s a part of her. She is more than who she does and does not allow in the bedroom. It shouldn’t be highlighted how many she’s allowed into her open arms; it should be brought to the readers’ attention why she does so. She doesn’t see anything wrong with her sexual appetite so neither should you. And sometimes, her sexuality has nothing to do with the storyline so cut it out of the picture.
If her sexual nature is a part of the storyline or a part of her character, her relationships and friendships with other heterosexual women could be strained. The seductress finds it hard to have platonic male friends, so she strives to have female companionship. However, this could be tough for her. She may not be able to secure these friendships because of her nature with men, and potential partners for those in which she wishes to surround herself with. The threat is there for those other women and they may try to cast her out. Though, this may not be the case for all and she could find a few who will understand her and try to nurture her. She will not get along with those similar to her in the way of seduction…mainly because they’re after the same thing in the same manner. Posing another threat.
Now, let’s get down to the point as to why you’re here: the femme fatale. The seductress is a great starting point for this character, but you will need to take this a step further. She is not only a seductress, but more so a seductress bathed in darkness. She is a user, potentially a black widow; she is out for blood and uses her charm and her looks to her advantage. She utilizes the “good” parts of the naive and carefree seductress and twists into a game that could end badly. Her backstory should be tragic, giving reason for her way of being and why she wants to end the trapped fly.
Literature holds some of the greatest and slyest women in the femme fatale archetype. Norma Bates from Psycho, Amy Dunne from Gone Girl, Gloria Denton from Queenpin, and Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass are all great examples of this particular archetype.
Do you have any characters who come to mind who fall into this category? We would love to hear!
Your words are magic, you just have to believe in them!
We want to reflect positivity on writers because we love them! We need you more than you think, so keep being you! Write what you love and check out our website to learn how we can help you grow!
Transcribe your thoughts to words faster by prepping your brain to prepare for writing. The purpose is not to create publishable material, but to get yourself ready for it!
The best way to start is to have no judgement or expectation of the outcome. You are writing to write more, which in turn will lead to writing better!
Write more —-> write better —-> write more
It is a beautiful circle of writing!
Now, in terms of the warm ups there are millions of prepared prompts and questions that you can search with a click of a button. Some other things you can do are write letters, write comments back to your viewers, or write about your life!
What do you do to warm up your writer’s brain? Share your favorites in the comments!
First, find what it means to you and then carry on with the rest of this post.
There are a million ways to dissect this quote and analyze how others perceive it. However, there is one thing that is fundamentally true any way you look at it. Editing is a very important step of the writing process. There is no way around it. Without proper editing even a ‘good’ book can appear bad. Now, if you are someone who wishes to improve their editing techniques here are a few places to start!
Less is more!
Filler words are never a good idea. Find what you are trying to say and use the least amount of words to properly get your point across. For example: There are many people who write — Many people write.
Avoid weak verbs.
Use visceral verbs or verbs that express action over weak verbs. For example:
Find out — Discover
He went to Italy — He traveled to Italy
Avoid weak adjectives.
Be mindful when using words like ‘really’ and ‘very’. There are always better alternatives. For example:
Really good – Great
Very big – Huge
Don’t introduce unnecessary words.
Why use a weak word when a stronger verb or adjective is available?
Give your post a proofread — Proofread your post (verb form)
He shows signs of carelessness — He is careless (adjective form)
You can find a lot of programs to help you edit as well, but that is a whole other post! Never be afraid to continue to educate yourself on your writing. There are so many outlets looking to help you. Including us!
So follow us along your literary journey and we will learn together!
Take a minute and appreciate all that you have written. Be proud of it and remember that it all came from you!
Like a record that will keep on spinning, I will constantly remind you that writing is powerful in so many ways. It allows you to discover and uncover your inner most thoughts, feelings, and ideas.In order to discover what you know, you can write! And just keep on writing. That is why we encourage you so often to write everyday- because you never know when you will return to that thought, feeling, or idea that will turn into something bigger!