The Mighty Archetype: The Mad Scientist

• The Mighty Archetype 1: Broody Jerks with Hearts of Gold
• The Mighty Archetype 2: The Hero Who Hides Behind a Smile
• The Mighty Archetype 3: The Goofy Guy Who Secretly Kicks Ass
• The Mighty Archetype 4: The Designated Psychopath

The Mad Scientist - You guys know the one. He's typically a supporting character (although not always), the scientific and/or medical genius the main antagonist goes to to do his dirty work, whether that's to brew up biological weapons, design highly advanced laser weaponry, or perform a good old-fashioned torture and dissection of helpless paranormal beings. If he's a protagonist, then... well, nothing changes except the people he's working for lol.

Exhibit A: Dr. Franken Stein from Soul Eater

*Official art by creator Atsushi Okubo*
        Dr. Stein works as a teacher at DWMA (Death Weapon Meister Academy), and he views everything in the world as a specimen to be experimented on, including himself, leading him to drive a large screw through the side of his head and interweave his own skin, clothes, and even his laboratory with stitches. Other than being a scientist, Stein is considered to be the most powerful meister to ever graduate from DWMA and is a master martial artist, making him a deadly opponent in any situation. (Source: wiki)

Exhibit B: Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach

*Official art by creator Kubo Tite*
        Mayuri is the current Captain of the 12th Division in Soul Society. He views everyone as objects to be dissected in the lab. He has even made extensive modifications to his own body. Mayuri has little regard for life or allegiances, even going as far as turning his own subordinates into human bombs on one occasion. In the past, the potential danger he posed to the Soul Society led to his imprisonment when he joined the Soul Reapers. Kisuke Urahara (see: Goofy Guys who Kick Ass) recognized his potential as a scientist and released Mayuri to help him with his research. (Source: wiki)

The interesting thing is that both these characters are supposed to be protagonists. Mayuri, I would argue, is neither--he serves himself and his pursuit of knowledge only. He just happens to be on the side of the protag. Stein, on the other hand, might have a number of questionable morals (and an underlying "madness" that he oftentimes fails to suppress), but he is very clearly a "good" guy who protects his students.

Good or bad, these characters aren't necessarily motivated by ideas like "right" or "wrong," which is why they can be either. Their motivations stem from the desire to learn, to dissect a problem (both literally and figuratively), to uncover and extend their abilities for the sake of science and knowledge. And, oftentimes, out of hubris. High intelligence often breeds big egos lol.


*Official art
What do you guys think of this archetype? Who else fits?

Have a great week! ♥

Nanowrimo: Plan Ahead - by Patricia

Patricia is an awesome writer, an old friend, and a new blogger. She's just started Swimming in Words, but her posts are both fun and informative. If you've got time, please stop by her blog and check it out.

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Nanowrimo: Plan Ahead by Patricia

A couple of weeks ago, when Lori asked me if I'd like to guest post for her, I was super excited but at the same time, at a bit of a loss as to what to write. But then with NaNo WriMo so close and me trying to fit time in to do my planning, I decided to focus on that.

For me NaNo WriMo is a good time to be strict with myself and get the writing out. Everything else, all the fine tuning, I'll have time to do it after my first draft is done. At the end of the day, there's no editing if there's no story to edit. Planning ahead is the way to go!

Now, everyone works differently and I'm the type of person who, when I write, not only needs to know what my end goal is (even if this end goal changes later on), I also need to have a word count in mind. It doesn't have to be super detailed to begin with, just something basic works.

I jotted down my idea, then tried to flesh it out a bit just with the little specific scenes and characters that are already in my head. They don't amount to much yet, but it helps with the rest of my planning. I start from the beginning by answering a question from Fiction Writer's Workshop by Josip Navakovich:

What do your characters treasure?
1. Basic values – what they treasure most
2. What happens when these are threatened?

This gets me thinking about my main character, the things she values and what she's willing to fight for, what she'll do when those things are under threat. It helps me decide the path that my MC will start out on. Makes a nice kick start!

With that, I can move onto my next stage, which is the 8 Point Story Arc.

The 8 Point Story Arc fits into most of the stories we've read or watched, and it helps you structure your own story. It goes like this:

1. Stasis (or routine)
2. Trigger (or inciting incident)
3. Quest
4. Surprise (or complication)
5. Critical choice
6. Climax
7. Reversal
8. Resolution

The thing is, at this point my main character, and maybe her closest friends, are all I have so I work entirely off of them, which is why the question about my MC's values is a helpful one. It gives me the start I need for the 8 PSA. Based on her history and keeping it as brief as possible, I start going through the points and jotting down something for each one, trying to get them to feed off of one
another. It doesn't always work and even if it does, chances are it could end up changing completely, but I do end up with a basic outline to follow for when I begin to go into more detail in the outline.

You can find some good, clear examples of how the 8 PSA works over here at parafantasy.

And then last but not least! I round up my basic plan with fractal planning!

This is where knowing my word count comes in. For this new novel I'm planning, I'd like the end result to be 75-80k. Because NaNo WriMo's word count is 50k and that's hard enough, I'll be working to that instead and then see what happens during the editing process.

The reason why I need to work to a word count from the beginning is because it helps me split my time and figure out how much I'll be able to get done each day. Like the majority of people doing NaNo WriMo, I'm going to have the crazy task of fitting in all this writing around my working days and other chores. Knowing my word count helps me stay a bit more in control while still letting me focus on just writing. It also helps because I'm used to working in scenes (not scenes and sequels, more along the lines of a screenplay scene), so if I know the word count, I can figure out possible chapters and then fit stuff in.

So! Fractal planning! Basically, you've got your total word count (50k) and then you break your story up into three acts: beginning, middle and end. The middle is usually double the word count of both your beginning and end.

I end up with:

Beginning – 12.5k
Middle – 25k
End – 12.5k

And then I break those down too:

Beginning, B – 3,125 / M – 6250 / E – 3,125
Middle, B – 6,250 / M – 12,500 / E – 6,250
End, B – 3,125 / M – 6,250 / E – 3,125

And then I break down the remaining 12.5k and 6,250, until I end up with all of them about 3,125 words. It probably sounds like a bit of a dragged out process, and there are plenty of simpler ways to work out your story. This just happens to work for me. Because then, if I turn that 3,125 into a chapter word count, I end up with:

ACT 1 – Beginning, 4 chapters
ACT 2 – Middle, 8 chapters
ACT 3 – End, 4 chapters
Total: 16 chapters

That's by no means anything concrete, but this is what I'll work towards and fit my 8 PSA into. Chances are each of these chapters will grow to about 3.5 – 4.5k but it's something that can be worked out later. For now though, this, is a lot easier to work into my routine.

So why the completely unnecessary roundabout way of doing this? It helps me focus and makes me feel more in control of the process once I actually enter the madness of NaNo WriMo on the 1st November. From now until then, I'll even have the chance to do small basic outlines for my chapters too!

Well, that's pretty much it. There's still an entire week to get yourself in order and make the most of it. The more you prepare, the better the chance there is of you having a novel come 30th November.

Good luck to any fellow Nanoers and to anyone about to start a new novel too!

My NaNo Page

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Have a great week, guys! ♥

Seven Things I Did to Prepare my WIP

Cherie from Cherie Writes..., Ani at Anime's Musings, and Bonnie Rae from Bonnie Rae, Just Words gave me these rocking awards:



Both rules state I need to list 7 things about myself, but considering I've done that ad nauseam, I figured I would instead list 7 things I did before I starting to my latest WIP :D

Seven Things I Did to Prepare to Write HARBINGER (YA cyberpunk fantasy):

1. Research! The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - various myths, permutations, biblical references, etc. Also Babylonian and Sumerian mythology. Super interesting stuff. Also nuclear power, which was both fascinating and alarming lol.

2. World build - politics, social heirarchy, cityscapes and other settings, a technological system along with a magic system, and world history. For more about world building, see this post! :D

3. Create character profiles - physical traits, personal mannerisms, an entire back story for each character, and how each character relates and/or feels about the other characters.

4. Procrastinate >_>;;

5. Outline in detail - I broke up the story into three acts first. Then broke those acts down into chapters. And then even further into each scene.

6. I wrote down several sets of dialog exchanges. It helped to move the story along even if it often changed and/or was left out in the actual writing.

7. Procrastinate some more. I wrote the first couple sentences, and then dithered around for a week or two before finally sitting my butt down and starting the story. (And finished my first draft in four weeks :D Who says I'm not determined once I get started?)

Thanks for the awards, ladies ♥

Also, I just reached 300 followers both here on my blog and on twitter! WOO~ That means I now have to think up an epic contest. HRMMMM. More on this later, o-hoho.

Have a wonderful weekend, guys!

The Mighty Archetype: The Goofy Guy Who Secretly Kicks Ass

• The Mighty Archetype 1: Broody Jerks with Hearts of Gold
• The Mighty Archetype 2: The Hero Who Hides Behind a Smile

This archetype appears first as that guy you're not entirely sure you can take seriously. He's a mixture of comic relief and idiot, and you start wondering if he serves a purpose other than to amuse and/or annoy readers. But then something happens, and you catch a glimpse of something more behind the fool's smile.

And when the shit hits the fan, it's this guy who pulls out the guns and shocks everyone by kicking some srs ass, often enough to turn the tide.

Exhibit A: Kisuke Urahara from Bleach

*Official art by creator Kubo Tite*

        Urahara was once one of the thirteen captains of Soul Society, the place where souls go after they die. As a captain, he commanded an entire division of soul reapers. But he was framed for a series of murders/experiments and forced to flee Soul Society. Now, he runs a shop in the real world and presents himself as this goofy guy in a hat and sandals who often behaves in typical comedic relief fashion. But he has also proven to be one of the most helpful and powerful of the MC's allies.

Exhibit B: Tobi/Madara from Naruto

*Official art by creator Masashi Kishimoto*

        Tobi is introduced first as a rookie on the bad guy team--and not a very good one. He's funny and melodramatic and kind of a coward. His fellow antagonist view him as a troublesome comrade. But as the story progresses, you learn that his real name is Madara and he is, in fact, the one pulling all the strings. He becomes the series' main antagonist.

What's cool about this archetype is that not only can it take the role of either a protagonist and antagonist, but oftentimes, their alliances are deliberately ambiguous. The mystery of who they really are behind the antics creates tension in everything they do--are they helping the protagonist out of a good moral compass or do they have ulterior motives? And why the idiotic front in the first place? What do they have to hide?

Of course, sometimes, they are simply what they are--idiotic and fun characters who can also kick butt. (See Yamamoto below lol)

What do you guys think of this archetype? Who else fits it?

For today's bit of artwork, Yamamoto Takeshi from Katekyo Hitman Reborn. He behaves like an idiot, but if he's holding a sword, then bad guys better run =P He's one of my favorite characters because he's just that awesome. And I'm convinced there's more to him than how he presents himself.



OTHER COOL STUFF:
♥ My CP Ani also has a great post about archetypes in general
♥ My fellow writerly friend Patricia has a new blog called Swimming in Words. Please support her by following and poking her to update =P

Have a great week, all! And I hope you guys aren't tired of this archetype series yet because I've got a lot more coming :D

The Mighty Archetype: The Hero Who Hides Behind a Smile

• The Mighty Archetype 1: Broody Jerks with Hearts of Gold

The Hero Who Hides Behind a Smile - Specifically the ones who put up happy, go-lucky fronts in order to hide complicated, often dark pasts. Mmmm.

At first glance, their appearance plays at a carefree if honorable attitude and they may even be a little goofy, making them easily underestimated. But the deeper you delve, the more you discover that what lurks behind the happy mask isn't all sunshine and rainbows. AND I LOVE THAT ♥

Exhibit A: Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin

*Official art by creator Nobuhiro Watsuki*

        Kenshin was a teenaged assassin during the Bakumatsu (think The Last Samurai), but his reasons for killing involved protecting the people of Japan and helping to bring about peace. He ended up accidentally killing the woman he loved, along with his enemy, when she jumped in front of his blade to protect him from an attack. When Japan enters the Meiji era and his job as an assassin is no longer needed, he becomes a wanderer (the word 'rurouni' means 'wanderer') and swears never to kill again (and keeps that promise).
        When we meet Kenshin, it's been eleven years since the end of the Tokugawa shogunate. He presents himself as this goofy, penniless guy who smiles a lot. But when his past rushes up to meet him, he slips back into the cold, ruthless assassin he'd been while everyone around him fights to return him to the warm person they know and love.

Exhibit B: Allen Walker from D.Gray-man

*Official art by creator Hoshino Katsura*

        Allen was a street rat with a dirty mouth and a bad (if noble) attitude. His left arm is what's called his Innocence--a God-given weapon that only exorcists can wield and the only thing that can kill akuma (demons). Allen's arm activated for the first time when his adopted father returned from the dead as an akuma and tried to kill him. Allen killed him instead with his Innocence (by accident since he had no idea what his arm could do), and the experience was so traumatizing that his hair turned white.
        When we first meet Allen, he's a harmless-looking kid who smiles a lot, is unfailingly polite, and just wants to be an exorcist.

In spite of Kenshin's past, his goodness really, truly shines through. And Allen is my hero. He's good and kind and amazing and fights so, so hard for what he believes in. He always smiles to put everyone around him at ease despite whatever he's feeling inside. He's an extremely complicated and tragic kid, and I love him to pieces.

So what is it about this archetype that gets to me? Maybe it's the fact that they've overcome these overwhelming tragedies and have somehow managed to remain untainted. They have complete hero complexes, always coming to the rescue, always shouldering everyone's burdens, and always the one to turn to when things get rough. But it's not just because they're good people--it's because they have lived and learned and have become better for it. And when their pasts come back to haunt them, they don't run from it. They face it and accept the consequences.

And there are usually hefty, hefty consequences.

Oftentimes these archetypes are driven by a sense of remorse or twisted justice. Kenshin protects who he can with his reverse-blade sword but never denies or excuses what he's done when his past is thrown in his face. Allen wants to be an exorcist in order to save not only the humans the akuma attack but the souls of the akuma themselves.

So what do you guys think of this archetype? :D Who else can you think of who would fit this mold?

Allen Walker, my hero ♥
(with Kanda, the only person who can turn sweet Allen into the bratty, foul-tempered street rat he'd been as a kid--it's kind of hilarious actually)

Full image here.

Have a great week! ♥

The Mighty Archetype: Broody Jerks with Hearts of Gold

No, the 'Broody Jerks with Hearts of Gold' isn't an official archetype name :)

In manga, I have always been drawn to the same sort of character--dark, broody, jerks who hide their high morals and tragic pasts behind a bad attitude and fortified emotional walls. A lot of times, they also have fabulous hair and carry a sword.

Exhibit A: Sasuke Uchiha from Naruto

*Official art from the creator Masashi Kishimoto*
        Sasuke, whose entire clan was murdered when he was a child by his older brother, and has spent every minute of every day since training for the day when he'd be strong enough to face his brother and avenge their clan. He's antisocial, speaks his mind, has a superiority complex and is quick to insult others. But he's also just as quick to risk his life in order to protect his teammates, and he did nearly die to protect Naruto, the title character.
        At the moment, he's in the middle of a huge character arc in which he has become Naruto's enemy. But I have complete confidence that, by the end of the series, Sasuke will find the right path and redeem himself.

Exhibit B: Yuu Kanda from D.Gray-man


*Official art from the creator Katsura Hoshino*
        He's the result of an experiment, with little memory of his previous life aside from the vision of a woman he has devoted himself to finding again. He's technically a failed experiment and he was almost disposed of, but his first and only friend (a fellow experimentee) saved him. That same friend later went mad and Kanda was forced to kill him. Despite his bitterness, he still fights to protect people from the akuma (demons) and remains loyal to the Black Order, the same religious organization that created him.

What draws me to this archetype is that s/he is so intensely layered. Sasuke and Kanda have both buried their pain beneath these rude, arrogant exteriors that shatter in the face of their pasts. And with such difficult pasts, it would have been easy for them to have grown distorted and corrupt as they pursued their goals, but they didn't. They clung to their morals, to the good in them, and it's the one defining thing that sets them apart from the antagonists.

How do you guys feel about this archetype? And what's YOUR favorite archetype?

Who are some literary characters you can think of that fit this archetype?

Naturally, I've drawn my two favorite swordsmen:


Have a great week! ♥

The Handy Book of Villainous Dialogue

My crit partner Anna wrote a fun and informative blog post last week about antagonists and dialogue.

One of the danger zones when fleshing out characters is the overuse of cliches and cliche-like dialogue. The heroes talking like heroes, the damsel in distress talking like damsels in distress, and the villains talking like, well, the villains. *laughs* This creates a one-layered depth to the character - something that would either:
a) incite some eye-rolling from the reader
b) make them stop reading completely because the characters seem so predictable or
c) wonder what the hell they're still doing reading something that feels like it's been overdone loads of times when they could be watching the new episode of True Blood instead.
-.-

All those aforementioned things = BAD

Check it out ♥

Have a great week, guys!

Beta Match - Are you looking for a critique partner or a beta reader?

Rachel Harrie, our Campaign General, has a Beta Match post for writers looking for critique partners and/or beta readers. I thought I'd take this opportunity to refresh an old post of mine about the value of CPs.

So What Makes a Good Crit Partner?

Well, that answer depends on what you want =D

Better bloggers have said this before, but I think it bears repeating. When looking for a crit partner, keep in mind the following:

1. Goals - What do you want from a CP? Frank, brutally honest feedback? Line editing? A friend and cheerleader? Your goals should match up, at least mostly.

2. Understanding - Even if your goals match up, it doesn't help if you don't click as people. No one wants to take critique from someone they don't respect or like (no matter how accurate the critique might be).

3. Skill - Ideally, you want a CP who is either a better writer than you are or who is at the same level as you. I say this because I've improved by reading those better writers, and if I could get their feedback on my writing? Score! But with a CP at the same level, you get to learn together, and that can oftentimes be even more rewarding. Of course, I believe that every writer has something unique to offer so as long as you can find that CP who makes you look at your manuscript in a new and better way, I'd say you're fine =)

Personally, the best thing about having more than one crit partner is that each one tends to have their own strengths and weaknesses, and there's a really neat balance that forms. I have something to learn from all of my CPs, and that's what I love every time I pick up one of their chapters to read.

Great places to find crit partners:

• Rachel Harrie's Beta Match
• Maggie Stiefvater's 2011 Critique Partner Love Connection
• YALitchat.org's Crit Seekers Group
• Adventures in Children's Publishing: Alpha & Beta Reader Exchange
• Natalie Whipple's Crit Partner Classifieds
• Nathan Bransford Forums
• Let the Words Flow Crit Partner sign ups

CPs: Friends and Comrades in Arms. Or like a squad of vampire hunters--you can always rely on them to stake you if you f#@! up and get bitten ♥

Good luck finding yours! ♥

When Music and Writing Collide - by Anna

Today, I'd like to welcome my first guest post, woo! Meet my fantastic critique partner and friend Anna from Anime's Musings. If you've got time, please stop by her blog as well and check it out. I love her posts!

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When Music and Writing Collide by Anna

Musical impacts on writing projects are often tell-tale. More often than not, for those that work with, live, and breathe music, there isn't a single scene written that isn't fueled by its influences. This isn't true for all writers, however, in my experience, most write with the help of those muses. Melodies could be playing quietly in the background to drown out all other noise, or blaring inside the writer's head with the help of trusty earbuds, but always ever present.


Music has always been present in everything I've ever written. Actually, it's present in everything that I do. I can never go anywhere without my iPod and there is never a car ride that goes without tunes. I find that the type of music I listen to always sets my mood. This is a good preparation for any scenes that I need to write or emotions that I want to convey to the reader through the pages. The varying beats and rhythms in each song tell a different story and in turn, help the writer to incorporate those differences in their own story. Ever been blood red pissed off and turned on Yiruma's River Flows in You or Debussy's Reverie? Or emo sad and turned on Train's Hey Soul Sister? I don't know about you, but the aforementioned songs are a few examples of ones that instantly change the mood I'm in.


Along with mood setting, music also helps with thought processing. I always have a jumble of thoughts floating in my head (okay, more like beating the crap out of each other for space in my head *laughs*), and music helps to act as an organizer, a sifter of sorts, so that I would be able to pull out those thoughts that I need for whatever I'm doing at the moment. This goes for all activities, but for the purposes of this post, we'll focus on writing.

Have you ever had an instance happen when you hear a song from your past and you're instantly reminded of an event? It's because we're programmed to connect our senses to different catalysts. Music is a catalyst. We immediately connect it with events, with emotions, with certain people - depending on what was happening at the time we heard the particular song.

I've gotten accustomed to assigning songs to different scenes that I write. Most times, in preparation for a particular scene or to help me pick back up from where I left off in the scene, I use the song to get my mindset back to that time, that place, with those characters, and the emotions they were feeling when we last parted.

How does music tie into writing for you? Is it helpful when constructing scenes, plots, characters, etc.? Do you work better with or without it?

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♥

Drafting and Editing from Artwork to Writing

Happy Labor Day! ♥
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In the first draft of a wip, I write quickly. I don't focus on details, but I give a general idea of what I want to get across. Emotion is at its most basic. Stage direction is kept to a minimum. Setting is bare bones, and the dialogue is often stilted and unnatural. As long as I get down a general sense of setting and what needs to happen both internally and externally to move the story along then that's all I need for the time being.

Just like in writing, when I draft a new art piece, I start messy. Quick, unrefined lines. Basic outline. Overall flow. No real idea yet of a background, but an idea of my light source and what I want to convey.

I am going to let you guys see a tiny snippet of the first draft of my wip to demonstrate. Be warned, it's pretty awful lol.

First drafts:

Writing:
He grinned and gestured with his head for me to follow him. We headed down the river, along the opposite bank across the docks. The Labyrinth loomed behind us as the river snaked north and the continued east towards the old freight yard. Like the Labyrinth, the residents here lived in boxcars, but they were place in rows, one level only, and with enough space between them to provide an illusion of property. It wasn't much, but Avan had beamed the day he told me he'd moved out of the apartment above his dad's shop.

Terrible descriptions. Typos. Flat. Blegh.

Art:


Messy. Rough lines. Basic idea.

On my second draft, I'll typically rewrite the sentences, this time choosing my words more carefully. I'll flesh out the descriptions to paint the image of the scene I initially had in my head.

In art, likewise the first I do is redraw the lines. Clean lines this time. Then I begin to block in color and work in large details at first before narrowing down on the finer ones.

Second drafts:

Writing:
He grinned and, once we reached the other side of the river, gestured with his chin for me to follow. We walked along the bank, the waning light turning the river to ink. We kept above the sinking mud and the stripped trees that stood like pale corpses in the gloom. The Labyrinth loomed behind us like a black shroud across the sky as the river turned north, and we continued east towards the freight yard. Like the Labyrinth, the residents there lived in boxcars, but they stood in neat rows, one level only, and with enough space between each to provide the illusion of personal property. It wasn't much, but the happiest I'd ever seen Avan was the day he moved out of the apartment above his dad's shop.

Better, but now it feels too wordy. I will have to refine in my next draft and be even pickier about my word choices.

Art:


Clean lines. Color and light source are laid out.

With each pass, I refine and refine. Add details. Take details away. Make sure the whole picture/scene blends together.

Keep going until you're done!

FINAL:

Of course, my wip isn't complete yet so I don't have a final scene to show you =P But you guys get the idea ♥

Any of you willing to share a paragraph of a first draft and then compare it with a recent version? *bats eyelashes*

Have an awesome week, guys! ♥