Douglas Adams is the best when it comes to describe characters
they need to teach classes on Douglas Adams analogies okay
“He leant tensely against the corridor wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.”
“Stones, then rocks, then boulders which pranced past him like clumsy puppies, only much, much bigger, much, much harder and heavier, and almost infinitely more likely to kill you if they fell on you.”
“He gazed keenly into the distance and looked as if he would quite like the wind to blow his hair back dramatically at that point, but the wind was busy fooling around with some leaves a little way off.”
“It looked only partly like a spaceship with guidance fins, rocket engines and escape hatches and so on, and a great deal like a small upended Italian bistro.”
“If it was an emotion, it was a totally emotionless one. It was hatred, implacable hatred. It was cold, not like ice is cold, but like a wall is cold. It was impersonal, not as a randomly flung fist in a crowd is impersonal, but like a computer-issued parking summons is impersonal. And it was deadly – again, not like a bullet or a knife is deadly, but like a brick wall across a motorway is deadly.”
And, of course:
“The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.”
the one that will always stay with me is “Arthur Dent was grappling with his consciousness the way one grapples with a lost bar of soap in the bath,” i feel like that was the first time i really understood what you could do with words.
I will reblog this every time I see it because these are some of my favorite sentences in the English language.
me as a writer: obsessed with being original, constantly worried that ill copy another artist by accident, i can’t use that phrase i saw someone use it on may 12th, 2014 and
me as a reader: happily reads 2349460283 different versions of the exact same plot
Subplots can be tricky business, but when gone about correctly can make your story a thousand times better. This is a little guide to knowing when, how, and what types of subplots to include in your story. Enjoy!
Purpose
a subplot in a story should always serve a purpose. Subplots are not a device you use to bulk up the word count. They can be super helpful with progressing toward the main resolution, and can greatly improve your reader’s experience.
Connect To The Main Plot
You subplot(s) need to connect to the main plot in some way. I needs to push the story forward and somehow add to the resolution of the main conflict.
Reveal Information That Is Imperative To The Plot
Your subplots must serve to reveal information that is important to the main plot’s resolution. Whether it be revealed to the reader, to a character, or both, it needs to happen at one point or at multiple points throughout the subplot’s timeline.
Keep The Reader Interested
If your subplot is boring and only serves to give information, it may drive the reader away. Even though it isn’t the main plot, you still spend a considerable time with this plot, and it needs to be interesting to your reader. Subplots add to the main plot as well as the reader’s experience, so try to manipulate the subplot to keep your readers on their toes.
The Subplot Must Be Resolved
Finally, the subplot has to be resolved at some point in the story. Not necessarily in time with the main conflict resolution, because some subplots continue in sequels of stories, but if your story is a standalone, then it needs to be resolved before or at the same time as the main conflict.
When To Use A Subplot
Some subplots begin to appear very early in stories and some don’t appear to the reader until the very end. Subplots must flow with the main plot, and as you introduce characters, plot points, themes, goals, and conflicts, the subplots will appear and thicken. Don’t fool yourself into believing that subplots have to begin at the beginning and run the entire course of the story. Life isn’t like that, and oftentimes, stories aren’t either. Let subplots begin where they may and run their courses at their own paces.
How Many Subplots?
There is no expectation or limit to the amount of subplots you can include in your story. However, in reality, you should only include the amount of subplots you, as a writer, can handle. If you can gracefully weave 20 subplots into the main plot and come out with a product your readers will understand and appreciate, then do so as you please. Do what makes sense for you, your audience, and your story.
Weaving Them Into The Main Plot
Subplots within a main plot should follow the same format when it comes to characters. The supporting character(s)’s story should intertwine with that of the main character. There should be an element within the subplot that is essential to the pain plot moving forward and being resolved. One of the most effective ways of weaving a subplot into the main plot is to create alternate sections or chapters in which the perspective changes to that of a supporting character and focuses on the subplot. Your subplots will seem to run parallel to the main plot but at various times, they should cross over and impact each other.
What Not To Do
Include a subplot that does not serve a purpose
Include a subplot that is purely meant to make the story longer
Include subplots that you and/or your story can’t handle
Force the subplot into a time frame that does not fit its purpose
Allow the subplots to run parallel to the main plot their entire durations
Literally no trope emotionally fucks me up faster than “Character outlives their lover by many years and at the end of their life their lover comes to escort them from the world” like I only have to think about it hypothetically to start crying.
persephone's corner 