Tips, tricks & discussions: How to make your story better

That’s a very good point. I didn’t mention it, but this trick works very well on readers)
I won’t bring any Marvel examples, as I am so lonely in this here :joy:, but it could be Spike or Faith from BTVS. Good actions feel more satisfactory coming from, well let’s say not bad, but complicated characters, than from a classical protagonist.

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I’ve never seen this screenshot before, and I somewhat agree with it. This is true kind of, but I wouldn’t line them up by heads. I’d line them up closer to a human’s center mass. Their…um…like below the belly and above the crotch area kinda ^^’ This is because if you want characters to be shorter than other characters, this line changes where you want characters to be. Also if they’re sitting (which is obvious, don’t know why I’d put it there, lol) >.> The only time lining up by heads works is when all the characters are the same height.

But yeah, you’ll be more…eh, just aesthetically pleasing in this way if you line them up closer to their centers . When you have characters that are supposed to be standing side by side to each other, adjust where they are standing BY THEIR FEET because shoes make a difference, too.

So in this screenshot ^ the two girls are the same size, but the one on the right appears taller because of her shoes. That’s only because they’re side by side, so if she was in the background or foreground, then you’d want her center mass to be more even with the other one’s hip area because doing it by their heads would be wrong.

XD!

Complicated characters are the best. ^^

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Agreed on everything.

I don’t like to struggle much with the background characters, like making some taller and others shorter. But I do this with the main cast :slight_smile:

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Man. I plan every character down to everything. In my downtime, I’m fleshing out EVERYBODY! Like…eerybody. I’m answering the silly, pointless questions in my head LOL So I always have it in my head who the characters are, how they interact with other characters, where they interact with other characters…like idk. I feel its important ^^’

I was almost a character modeler once…

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huh? What’s dis?

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3D character organic modeling and also props and stuff. In 3DS Max, Maya, and Zbrush type programs. Sigh…good times…kinda. >.>

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Hey there guys.
Today I want to discuss the Holy Grail of Episode Stories - Love Triangles.

Love Triangles - how to NOT make your MC a cheap slut ^^

Well, I’m gonna cover more than that, but wanted a catchy title.

What is important when making love triangles?

  • Create equally well-developed characters.
    It is so often to see, how the author obviously has a specific preference between two love interests, so he focuses a lot more on the one he likes more.
    If you want to create a real love triangle, not a love story with a sloppy side character you just call a second love interest, take your time in developing all of them.
    All of them should have their advantages and flaws. Their own problems, dreams, secrets, likes, and dislikes. Don’t make love interests lie rotting in a pool of cliche characterization.
    What makes it a real love triangle, is that you really like both of them, otherwise it’s an obvious choice right from the start.

  • There is more than one way to display the love triangle.
    Who says that MC has to like both of them? MC might be not interested in one of them, or even both of them. It may be a drama where MC is playing with both love interests, with a purpose or just for fun. She might like one but date another, for financial reasons. I remember watching one interesting Mexican or Brazilian TV novella, where MC was a beautiful, charismatic woman, but kinda greedy. She was always fighting her greed and romantic feelings. That was very interesting to watch, and makes you wonder, what will she choose in the end. MC doesn’t have to be good to be loved. She might be a manipulative bitch, but she will be very entertaining to watch. MC might be happy in relationships, but some other guy gets jealous of their happiness, and try to sabotage it. So many directions, that might be executed not only in Romance but in Thriller, Drama, Comedy genres.

  • While it may work, to build an entire plot depending only on the love triangle, it will become flat really fast. The love triangle is a nice drama addition, but I think that there’s gotta be more than this. Some major plotline. Two examples - Twilight (gosh, why I am putting it as an example so often) and Hunger Games. If in the first example the main plot was the love triangle, surrounded by sub-lines, the second had a major plotline, with the minor plotline of a love-triangle. And I donnow about you, but HG was faaar more interesting to watch, than TS, where they were talking for a good half of the movie. Same with Buffy, or True Blood. If the story would contain only relationships, it wouldn’t be half as interesting to watch.
    Love life is not the only thing that defines a person. If that’s the only thing your MC’s life revolves around then here’s the news - your MC is a basic flat bish.

  • Lastly. One thing I noticed and that made me quit reading one story after like 20 episode when I was really invested.
    When MC goes back and forth between two characters for a long time saying she loves/likes them both, and maybe also having a sexual relationship with both of them.
    I have a few problems with this approach.
    First of all, if MC does this, and love interests are aware, and they still fight over her, my only thought is “what a pair of pathetic miserable losers”. That girl is basically playing with you both, and neither of you has any drop of dignity. It makes me dislike love interests immediately, and what’s the point to read further?
    Now the MC. I gotta tell, I don’t have problems with slutty behavior (I call it slutty, because it is a very descriptive word, not because I wanna shame someone). I’m all for girls/boys sleeping around, as long as they are honest about it with their partners and use protection. But if she is a selfish bitch, who wants to have it all, and covers it all with love or whatever bullshit she can think of (well, whatever bullshit author can make up to excuse her behavior), then I start hating her.

It’s okay to like more than one guy/girl. It’s fine in taking your time to get to know them, to decide who you really want. It’s fine to have second thoughts about your choice. But why would I want to read a story about one major selfish slut and two losers with no pride whatsoever?


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@CrazyCaliope u keep liking my posts, but do u even read them? :rofl::rofl:

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HAHAHAHAHA! Of course, I just don’t reply because I don’t wanna clog your thread. I don’t like anything that I don’t read and agree with! :wink:

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I mean, it’s just u liked in 10 seconds after I posted it, that’s why I asked :DDDD

And I don’t mind a discussion, or other opinions.

Lately I feel a bit lonely in this thread.

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Oh yeah, I admit that I was a bit premature this one. I read the first couple of sentences and liked it, then went back up and read the rest. Okay, give me a bit and I’ll give you a discussion. Just writing up something that I’m trying to avoid but need to do. :confounded::confounded::confounded:

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Good luck lol :smiley:

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Okay, so you wanted a discussion… here goes my attempt.

To start off with, I saw the title and thought OH NO! But then I realised that you were giving advice and would like to start by giving you this… :clap::clap::clap:
The reason I thought ‘OH NO’ is because I hate love triangles. They’re just tacky, overdone, and very rarely offer a new angle on them. In saying that, there are a few that are well-made.

“Don’t make love interests lie rotting in a pool of cliche characterization.” This description was just beautiful.

HELL YES! There IS more than one way to portray a love triangle. I mean, my first love triangle story was when I was in high school in Drama class. I was maybe 14? It was my first devised drama piece (create your own script) that two of my friends and I created. I was the dude (if you know me as an RPer then this makes sense) and the other two were girls (BFFs). One like my dude, who liked the other friend, and she liked her friend. My favourite part of this is that it ended with us all finding and have a freezeframe ending, where we took turns sharing our thoughts with the audience. My dude was last to (think) speak, “The girl I like is a lesbian, that’s just… just… COOL. Girl on girl action!” HA. New Zealand, we’re open and have no shame. :wink:
Anyway, it really isn’t that hard to come up with a semi-original story, but people just want that “perfect love story”.

“Love life is not the only thing that defines a person.” Totally agree, sex is way more interesting! :wink:

Your last point is the one I don’t agree with. I mean, yeah, sure, it can get annoying if they’re okay with it and there’s character development or inside turmoil. But I know quite a few people who have done just this because they have strong feelings for the person. For instance, one of my exes still felt so strongly for me that they wanted to start something, despite me being in a relationship. You’d be surprised how many people turn into pathetic, miserable losers when their heart is involved.


Okay, hope that’s enough of a discussion for you. :wink:

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:rofl::rofl::rofl: That’s…interesting))

While I can agree :smiley: I meant that often writers create a story where love is the only thing they have. They don’t have any interests, hobbies, dreams. Really really bland and flat.

Well, that’s why the discussion is awesome. When you put it like that, I actually agree. Guess my point goes from my own likes and dislikes. I just can’t like a pathetic loser :smiley: Even if it’s just a story. Real life is real life, and these things happen. But when you’re reading, even more, an Episode story, you want the main characters to be something bigger, you know. And I can get my pleasure in a loving-to-hate-a-character thing, but I don’t want to hate him for being a pitiful sad cry-puppy.

Thank you, I don’t feel so lonely anymore :DDD

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The tea was hot in this one​:coffee: I personally don’t like love triangles at all, but I wouldn’t mind having the MC like neither of them and she falls in love with herself :sweat_smile: (That’s probably just me being a love hater though :rofl: )

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I dream about reading a story where psycho MC is loved by two guys, but plays them all, plots some crazy shit, sets them up, they end up in jail, and MC rides into sunset ^^

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HAHAHA! I know what you meant. I just was unsure of what to say, and decided to just be silly and joke around.

I understand that we all have different tastes, and I agree with hating the pitiful sad cry-puppy dude. Though, I especially hate this type of female (when around guys). It’s like Episode female characters have to be one of two things when around male love interests. Either wimpy and whiney or strong and independent. SIGH!

YAY! :wink:

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Isn’t that everyone’s dream? :joy:

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I have to say, that most authors succeed in making whining characters, but mostly fail to create strong females. They turn out to be ever-PMSing-rude-bitches. :woman_shrugging:

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Fair point, but I just don’t like them because they annoy me.

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