I want to write a character relationship so complicated that when an outsider finally dares to ask, "so what's going on between you two?" the only response is a dramatic sigh, a far off stare, and a flashback sequence that lasts half a dozen chapters (but still only just scratches the surface)

I love writing

wow I really am just obsessed with characters who don't even exist yet

write a character who everyone calls by their last name. some people just like to be addressed by their last names only. maybe you could say its because…

or maybe its just for aesthetic reasons. its up to you to find out!!

I love nothing more than when a really stoic, sarcastic, nonchalant character falls in love with some idiot. Like you have the group of MCs sitting around for some reason-- and the doofus is doing smth kinda silly. the pov character turns to the stoic character, expected them to chide them or something, but instead they see just like the barest glimpse of an expression of pure love ARUGHH they're just like :] and the pov character is like "oh no they're down BAD"

it's just.. I love a soft inescapable 'I love you'. it's endearment, it's yearning, it's whimsy, it's so much more <333

new dynamic unlocked “I’d trust him with my life, but not my middle name”

I'm not one for killing off character for shock value. However, at some point, its time to acknowledge that a character has served their purpose, and that a meaningful death might do them more service than having them fade into a horde of background extras

Something I sometimes do (and a trait I recently gave to one of my characters) is calling people/one specific person by their full name. I can’t even explain why I do it. Like there’s this one guy I see like once a week and when I talk about him to others I go like “oh nice it’s Jack Taylor!” or “it’s my best friend Jack Taylor!” or “have you seen Jack Taylor yet?” (not his real name obviously)

I think it’s a (maybe I’m biased) cute/unique character quirk I’d love to see more of! In general, don’t forget to give your ocs kinda random dialogue distinctions to make them stick out!!

talking to my friends about baby names. turns out they were talking about future children while i was talking about my ocs. haha oops dont mind me I just selfreported as a writer

hey soooo what’s your characters’ biggest secret? Like… asking for a friend 🧐🥺🥺

I am so happy I just realized that I ACCIDENTALLY made two of my characters act incredibly consistent. The two MCs are fighting, and character A said smth like:

"Why do you keep running from our problems, hoping that there's something better waiting around the corner? Because there isn't! Because it only ever gets worse!"

And then character B responded with smth like: "Why are you so scared to even hope for something better? Why are you so convinced that you deserve to suffer?"

And this was supposed to be a throwaway argument, to set up a real conflict down the line. But then I realized that this is so accurate to my two mcs? Like so far, they've faced three-ish hurdles, and in all of them character A was like "oh okay this is my life now I guess" while B was like "hell no lets leave now" so they both react to obstacles in equal and opposite ways

And this, coincidentally, matches up perfectly with their upbringings?? Like A had a deeply (fantasy) religious family, which pretty much raised him to not complain and relish in a status quo while character B had an isolated heretic for a father and a pirate mother which taught him to be free-thinking and oh my god??? its all coming together and I didn't even mean it too?

So I just tripped on a goldmine of contrasting fatal flaws and now if a beta reader points out my consistency I get to twirl my evil mustache and say it was all a part of my masterplan but it WASN'T and this is why I love writing

hey that’s a nice oc you got there 😼😼 mayhaps you should tell me the most traumatic moment of their life? Ideally the one that completely set the course for the rest of their life, and cuts through the plot like lightning?