Basic Statistics
Name:
Nickname:
Meaning of name:
Origin of name:
Age:
Sex:
Blood type:
Nationality:
Ethnicity:
Race:
Sexual Orientation:
Current status:
Political Party:
Police/Criminal/Legal record:
Socioeconomic level as a child:
Socioeconomic level as an adult:
Birth date:
Birth place:
Current residence:
Occupation:
Title/Rank:
Hobbies/Pastimes:
Talents/Skills/Powers:
Past History
Hometown:
First Memory:
Most important childhood event that still affects him/her:
Why/How?
Other memories/events that still affects him/her and why/how:
Past failures s/he would be embarrassed to have people know about and why:
Bigg
Please copy and paste this into a Word document or deviation. Then highlight the information after the colons and type over it.
Setting
Time/Era: Exact year or approximate time
Name of Country: For fun, you could alter the name of an old country to amuse more educated readers. For example, I altered the Assyrian Empire's name for a conquering people to evoke images of brutality and Mesopotamia.
Geography: Keep track of all the places you mention and their approximate locations. I find it handy to draw a rough map of the area.
Landscape: Trees, soil, water, buildings... Imagine you were flying over the place in an airplane. What would you
5 Steps to Writing Your Story's Disaster by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
5 Steps to Writing Your Story's Disaster
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS PAGE WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AND RECORDS, IT IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEWEST VERSION.
5 Steps to Writing Your Story's Disaster
Anybody Can Write a Novel
Chapter 4 “Plot Points” – Section 7 “The Disaster”
With Links to Supplementary Material
After your Midpoint (where the Antagonistic Force confronted your Protagonist and won), your Protagonist will have an emotional spiral into turmoil and dire consequences for everyone who had stakes in your protagonist's victory. Not only that, but your Protagonist will feel and take this failure more than any
dA Guide: Text Formatting by SweetDuke, literature
Literature
dA Guide: Text Formatting
- - - - - - - - - -
UPDATE for January 2020:
I created this guide in 2011, so you'll have to take it with a grain of salt since dA has updated a bazillion things since then LOL. It now looks like many codes don't work in Literature submissions anymore, (or disable the "Eclipse" version of the site and show the old site instead), so some of the demonstrations here only look like regular text. But they should display properly if you copy/paste them in the comments. I'm so glad to see how many of you wonderful people still utilize this resource, so I wish you the best and encourage you to go ahead and experiment to see what works and what do
10 Tips for Creating a Protagonist by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
10 Tips for Creating a Protagonist
10 Tips for Creating a Protagonist
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0
Chapter 5 “Characters” – Section 2 “Protagonists”
(Previous Tutorial) (Next Tutorial)
“Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there’s an explosion—that’s Plot.”
—Leigh Brackett
Apart from Primary and Secondary Protagonists, there are many other different protagonist characters-types that can drive a story—ranging from heroes, to villains, to antiheroes
The Truth About Selling Fanart by KiRAWRa, literature
Literature
The Truth About Selling Fanart
Update notice as of January 17, 2013: I have given this guide a MAJOR overhaul. It was originally written over a year and a half ago, and since then my own views and understanding of copyrights has changed. I felt that this guide should reflect those changes, so if you read this guide in the past, please take a moment to look through it again as I have added MANY new topics, information, and sources. Unlike my first draft, I have also changed my viewpoint to neutral throughout this writing.
Update notice as of July 17th, 2015: Check out DeviantArt's new article on art theft, fanart, copyrights, and other relevant topics! http://protectart.de
Story Writing for BEGINNERS by OokamiKasumi, literature
Literature
Story Writing for BEGINNERS
-----Original Message-----
I want to write a story. I have a couple of ideas, but no idea what to do with them, or even how to begin! Help?!
-- Newbie Writer
So when you wanna write a story, where do you begin? With your PASSION!
Write what you KNOW & LOVE
What do you KNOW, really? What do you love to Do, to Study, to Think About, to Talk About...? Whether it's cave-diving, model trains, skate-boarding, sewing, horses, mythology, ghost legends, or particle physics your passion is where you will find your most unique and powerful work.
Make a list of all the things you know well and all the things you've done -- seriously! Mythology
How to Start and Stay Writing by illuminara, literature
Literature
How to Start and Stay Writing
I recently solicited my watchers to ask me writing questions that I would then attempt to answer in a writing guide such as this. This article is my first response, and there will be many more to come.
I've been asked to give advice on ways a writer can begin to put words on a page. The bottom line is as simple as this: sit your butt down and write.
Duh, right? It's the only way I know to actually write.
Sure, sitting your butt in a chair is easy, but getting your fingers to move and stay moving is a challenge. Here are three things that have helped me.
1) Have a goal.
Your goal can be as simple as "describe the person in this picture" o
8 Tips for Composing Each Chapter of Your Novel by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
8 Tips for Composing Each Chapter of Your Novel
8 Tips for Composing Each Chapter of Your Novel
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0 Chapter 7 “Editing” – Section 1 “The Chapter”
“Many first-time novelists end up rewriting their first two or three chapters, trying to get them 'just right.' But the point of the first draft is not to get it right; it's to get it written - so that you'll have something to work with.”
-Matt Hughes
Recently, we've been working on all of the plot-points contained within a story and what function they serve to the overall plot. And if you've been following along with the “Write-A-Novel” exercises, and writte
15 Tips for Writing Horror by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
15 Tips for Writing Horror
15 Tips for Writing Horror
Chapter 2 “Genres” – Section 6 “Horror"
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0
(Previous Tutorial) (Next Tutorial)
“[Horror fiction] shows us that the control we believe we have is purely illusory, and that every moment we teeter on chaos and oblivion.”
― Clive Barker
Horror is a genre which plays upon the emotions of the audience, but it does so for very specific reasons. We may not always analyze why we are made afraid by a sotry, but there are usually specific reason for our fears, a specific nature to them, and a specific way in which we can make fear more eff
7 Suggestions for Mapping Your Fictional World by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
7 Suggestions for Mapping Your Fictional World
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS PAGE WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AND RECORDS, IT IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEWEST VERSION.
7 Suggestions for Mapping Your Fictional World
Anybody Can Write a Novel
Chapter 1 “World-building” – Section 3 “World Mapping”
With Links to Supplementary Material
So you now know what sort of Story you want to create, and have written a Timeline for the History of your world. Now, you must decide what parts of that created world you want to use. This step can be as specific or general as you would like—from creating a cartographic masterpiece, to sketc
6 Tips for Creating Paragraphs in Your Novel by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
6 Tips for Creating Paragraphs in Your Novel
6 Tips for Creating Paragraphs in Your Novel
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0 Chapter 7 “Editing” – Section 2 “The Paragraph”
“I will try to cram these paragraphs full of facts and give them a weight and shape no greater than that of a cloud of blue butterflies.”
-Brendan Gill
Once you have completed a first draft that is broken down by carefully constructed plot-points and chapter breaks, the next element you need to look at is the paragraph. Think of paragraphs as the glue by which you hold the sentences, which form your story, into cohesive and unified ideas. The difficulty, however, is that
.:Developing Your Own Species:. by Veidara, literature
Literature
.:Developing Your Own Species:.
• Unusual Characteristics: Creating a species usually stems from the writer envisioning a character or a group with characteristics impossible for a human to have. Determine what odd characteristics you have in mind for your characters and collect them together to begin to form traits of a species. Determine any unusual markings or colorations, how they hold themselves, their tendencies, and begin to think about powers and special abilities apart from that which a human can do.
• Powers: Writing normal lice of life humans isn't for everyone. Characters with powers are unique and intriguing if you can write them as such. Be carefu
100 Questions to Ask Your OC by viralremix, literature
Literature
100 Questions to Ask Your OC
Hello, folks! The purpose of this exercise is to delve deep into a character's mind and tease out interesting eccentricities about them, the bits and pieces of unique information that make them special. Each question is designed to help think about the character more and understand them. Whether you're responding to one question or all of them, hopefully your character speaks to you all through it!
PERSONALITY PROFILE
1. People don't behave the same way all the time. In fact, they generally have a mask for every social group -- friends, family, business. Sometimes they have a different mask for different groups of friends. How does your
7 Tips for Writing in the Supernatural Genre by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
7 Tips for Writing in the Supernatural Genre
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS PAGE WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AND RECORDS, IT IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEWEST VERSION.
7 Tips for Writing in the Supernatural Genre
Anybody Can Write a Novel
Chapter 1 “Genres” – Section 4 “Supernatural”
With Links to Supplementary Material
A relative newcomer to the list of genres (and widely popularized by the show of the same name), the Supernatural genre is a sort of urban fantasy that involves such factors as subtle magic, monsters, the occult, demons, ghosts, and even God and the Devil. Unlike Fantasy, it is not very limited by time-period,
Tips to Creative Writing by forbiddenhero, literature
Literature
Tips to Creative Writing
1. Know what you're writing.
It's easy to get off track while you're writing. Thus it's always a good idea to know what you're writing. As soon as you have a good grasp on what your story is about, you'll find yourself writing quicker. This includes the main plot, a majority of the subplots, and where all the vital plot points are going to be.
2. Know what inspires you and stay around it.
Now this doesn't mean that you should go through an entire personal evaluation. It just means to keep track of where you get inspired and what caused the inspiration. For some, it could be listening to music of some sort, while for others, it could be w
6 Steps to Creating a Great Antagonist by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
6 Steps to Creating a Great Antagonist
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THIS PAGE WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR PURPOSES OF EDUCATION AND RECORDS, IT IS OUTDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEWEST VERSION.
6 Steps to Creating a Great Antagonist
Anybody Can Write a Novel
Chapter 3 “Characters” – Section 4 “The Antagonist”
With Links to Supplementary Material
So you now have your Protagonist up and ready to go. The next step is to create a great Antagonist that will help provide a dynamic story. I've talked about specific types of antagonists—Villains and Monsters—but today I'm going to talk about the topic on a more universal scale. Keep in mind that a
Blank OC Reference Sheet by AmandaLyn11, literature
Literature
Blank OC Reference Sheet
Character Reference Sheet-ness
Basically this reference sheet covers pretty much everything a person would ever need to know about your character.. and then some.
-Basics-
Lets face it. If somebody were to just glance over the reference sheet, at least you can feel some reassurance in knowing that they got the bare minimum
Name (Nickname):
Age:
Please if youre going to give your character some ungodly, few centuries old, age, make sure to include what age they looks like. Otherwise all shall assume they appear to be a rumpled piece of leather, ran over by some sort of moving vehicle, after being regurgitated by a cat. Obvio
27 YouTube Channels to Help Improve Your Writing by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
27 YouTube Channels to Help Improve Your Writing
27 YouTube Channels to Help Improve Your Writing
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0 Chapter 11 “Resources” – Section 1 “Youtube Channels”
One of the things that inspired me to begin writing these writing tutorials was that, about a year and a half ago, I came to a frustrating point in my writing where I knew enough about the craft to no longer be a novice but not enough to make my novel publishable. In particular, I wanted to find a Youtube channel that I could listen to while I was cooking or working, so that my skills as a writer could increase. Since then I have found (through research, friends, and even you
How to Create an Outline for Your Novel by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
How to Create an Outline for Your Novel
How to Create an Outline for Your Novel
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0
Chapter 4 “Preparing Your Plot” – Section 1 “The Outline”
(Previous Tutorial) (Next Tutorial)
“Plot is what happens in your story. Every story needs structure, just as every body needs a skeleton. It is how you 'flesh out and clothe' your structure that makes each story unique.”
-Caroline Lawrence
Of all of the topics to discuss in writing a novel, none of them inspire quite so much ire as that of outlining your story. As artists, we sometimes want to believe in the concept of absolute freedom from form and conve
6 Tips for Mapping a Fictional World by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
6 Tips for Mapping a Fictional World
6 Tips for Mapping a Fictional World
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0
Chapter 3 “World Building” – Section 2 “Maps”
(Previous Tutorial) (Next Tutorial)
“I wisely started with a map, and made the story fit (generally with meticulous care for distances). The other way about lands one in confusions and impossibilities, and in any case it is weary work to compose a map from a story.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien
If you've ever read or written a story that seemed unintentionally ethereal—where the descriptions did not paint a vivid picture of the setting but instead a more vague dreamscape that t
.:Create Your Own SPECIES Bio Template:. by Veidara, literature
Literature
.:Create Your Own SPECIES Bio Template:.
If you’re dabbling in the genres of supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and horror, you’re probably going to want to make at least one of your own species eventually. And that’s why I made this short and concise form for you to fill out! This form is free to use but only for those who give credit to me.
Species name:
Outward distinguishable feature of species:
Any notable habits/tendencies:
Any enhanced or extra powers or abilities:
Describe how they discover, train, and harness their abilities:
Various strengths and skills of the species overall:
Various weaknesses and detriments of the species overall:
An
6 Tips for Sentence Creation in Your Novel -Part 1 by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
6 Tips for Sentence Creation in Your Novel -Part 1
6 Tips for Sentence Creation in Your Novel -- Part 1 of 2
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0 Chapter 7 “Editing” – Section 3 “The Sentence”
Click here for Part 2 (file size was too large)
“I rearrange a sentence many times before moving on to the next one. For me, that editing process feels like a form of play, like a puzzle that needs solving, and it's one of the most satisfying parts of writing.”
-Karen Thompson Walker
Once you have placed emphasis in studying, designing, and formatting your plot-points, chapters, paragraphs, the next unit on your list is the sentence. The composition and arrang
11 Tips for Editing Your Novel by DesdemonaDeBlake, literature
Literature
11 Tips for Editing Your Novel
11 Tips for Editing Your Novel
Anybody Can Write a Novel 2.0 Chapter 7 “Revision” – Section 7 “Editing”
“Words are the coins making up the currency of sentences, and there are always too many small coins.” -Jules Renard
Once you finish with the drafting phase of writing your novel (the process of perfecting the plot elements and making the text mostly perfect through the process of many rewrites), you will reach the editing stage. Editing is the point in the novel-writing process where we begin to fix all of the technical errors and try to make each word, sentence, and paragraph perfect for pu