Drawing Bases & Pose References Pt 46 ✨

some Wicked realism portrait studies of the gals

og’s:

GUYS LOOK WHAT I MADE

I don't know what I miss more, having free time to draw or these fellas

The raven cycle!!!!

Oh I love these guys. Everything about these books, I want to draw them soooo much more (I probably will)!!

Guys I'm back-

It has been a nightmare lately this is the only thing I managed to draw in weeks? Finals and uni stuff that's taking all of my time and energy, slowly turning me into a cafeinated slug (worst part is caffeine doesn't even have an effect on me? I only drink coffee for the TASTE can you imagine). Anyway the rush won't be over until end of January but hopefully I'll be able to ignore the stress and draw anyway :)

character motivations:

fear

hurt

survival

failure

being pressured

instability

desire / hunger

guilt

belief they are doing something good

love

loyalty

vengeance / revenge

inequality

unfulfillment

hatred

honour / dishonour

pride

jealousy

death

humiliation

pain

greed

shame

rejection

loss

power

I’m sorry friends, but “just google it” is no longer viable advice. What are we even telling people to do anymore, go try to google useful info and the first three pages are just ads for products that might be the exact opposite of what the person is trying to find but The Algorithm thinks the words are related enough? And if it’s not ads it’s just sponsored websites filled with listicles, just pages and pages of “TOP FIFTEEN [thing you googled] IMAGINED AS DISNEY PRINCESSES” like… what are we even doing anymore, google? I can no longer use you as shorthand for people doing real and actual helpful research on their own.

Can you hear your characters?

I have a whole lot of trouble making my dialogue sound natural if I don’t know what my characters sound like. Having a strong sense of their voice can help distinguish your characters from each other, show their personalities, and make them more engaging to readers. 

Here’s some details to think over if you’re trying to nail down a character’s voice:

Speed

Pitch

Volume

Accent

Vocabulary

Amount spoken

Willingness to speak

Stutters

Hesitations

Repetitions

Quirks 

Common phrases 

Other questions to ask:

Do their voices or the way they talk change depending on who they’re talking to or the situation they’re in? 

How can their personality come through their voice? Their sarcasm, empathy, awkwardness, etc. 

What in their backstory contributes to the way they talk? 

When they make a statement, how often does it come off as unsure or questioning, versus confident and factual? 

How does their voice relate or coexist with their body language? 

I've done the research, but I don't think the results I've found have answered my question. My WIP stars a trio of teens who are 14 - 15. And since this story centers around change, firsts, and coming into one's own, I wanted to feature a romance between two of the three MCs. I know more subtle signs of romance include shared looks, unspoken communication, hand holding, shoulder bumps, gentle headbutts, and going out of your way for the person your care for. But is that everything?

The Subtle Signs of Romantic Interest and Love

Whether affection is just beginning to develop or two people are in the early stages of a relationship, there are lots of subtle signs to indicate romantic interest and love. In no particular order…

External Signs

- stolen glances- lingering looks- intense eye contact- sharing a knowing look- eyes meeting- looking away bashfully after eyes meet- feeling nervous/tongue-tied when trying to talk to the other person- voice cracks when trying to speak to the other person- flirting- straying from normal attitude or behavior with other person- denying interest in other person when pressed by friends (in early stages)- communicating feelings through the eyes (worry, pain, pride, love, etc.)- awkwardness after accidental touching- shared laughter after accidental touching- an “electric” feeling when touching the other person- speaking at the same time (a little cliché, but it can happen)- tentative touching- finding ways to touch when intimate touch is restricted- open, affectionate touching (holding hands, hugging, nuzzling, etc.)- brushing a lock of hair behind the ear- gently stroking jaw line, chin, or cheek- kissing forehead, temple, or top of head- rubbing nose tips together- displaying flirtatious tics like biting lip, twirling hair, running hand through hair- talking excitedly or affectionately about the other person to friends- constantly talking about the other person to friends- blushing when teased by friends about the other person- giving the other person meaningful gifts- keeping mementos as reminders of the other person- making excuses to be near the other person- making excuses to spend time with the other person- wanting to get to know the other person’s friends and family- good mood/always smiling from being with or thinking about other person- giving each other nicknames or using pet names/terms of endearment- being reminded of other person when listening to love songs- sharing possessions, letting each other borrow meaningful possessions- willing to make sacrifices to be with the other person or to make them happy- sharing secrets, or things not often shared, with the other person- speaking softly or whispering in the person’s ear- cheeks/neck/chest becoming flushed- moving quickly toward the other person to close the distance- sighing, either out of happiness or missing the other person- losing track of time when with the other person- feeling like the rest of the world melts away when with the other person

Internal Signs

- thinking fondly of the other person- thinking about them constantly- recalling fond memories- seeing constant reminders of the other person- worrying about the other person- daydreaming about future activities with the other person- daydreaming about sharing a future with the other person- analyzing a previous interaction- dreaming about the person- feeling “weak in the knees” around the other person- remembering moments containing looking/touching moments- wanting to know everything there is to know about the other person- wanting to spend every waking second with the other person- orchestrating meetings that seem to be happenstance- feeling joy/racing heartbeat/butterflies upon seeing other person- craving the person’s touch, or being able to touch them- constant feeling of being “on cloud nine”- often distracted due to thinking about other person- wanting to impress the other person or make them proud- when not with the other person, noticing things they would appreciate- unable to see anything but positives where the other person is concerned- feeling suddenly warm- feeling breathless- noticing (and loving) little details (moles, scars, birthmarks, unusual traits)- wanting to improve self to impress or benefit other person- eyes constantly seek the other person out- inability to stop looking at the person, difficulty not staring at them- thinking you see the other person in a crowd when they’re not there- difficulty sleeping/loss of sleep- feeling a deep desire to kiss the personIf you need an extra boost, watch a few romantic comedies or love stories. Watch the way the characters behave as their interest in one another is building and as they begin to explore a relationship. :)

Hey there! I just came across this blog and im wondering if I could get some advice. I have a lot of trouble keeping motivation for a story. I'll have a new idea that im really excited about, ill write 10-20 pages of it, and then get bored of writing it. Any tips on how to keep myself invested in writing my own stories?

5 Reasons You Lost Interest in Your WIP, Plus Fixes!

It's not uncommon for writers to lose interest in their WIP. Staying on track, or getting back on track, are skills you'll acquire with time. Here are some of the reasons you might have lost interest in your WIP:

#1 - You're Not Sure Where the Story is Going. When you figure out a way into a story you're excited about, the beginning can be a piece of cake. It's all set up and inciting incident, which can be really really fun to write. But if you're not sure what needs to happen after the inciting incident, you can find yourself meandering and get bored quickly.

Fix - If you're writing a story that is plot-driven or a combination of plot-driven and character-driven (as most stories are these days), it may help to familiarize yourself with Basic Story Structure and also have a look at my post about How to Move a Story Forward.If you're writing a character-driven story, you can adhere to basic story structure or a more loose structure, but your character's arc will be the focus of the story. If you think plot and structure may be what's holding you back, you might spend time on my Plot & Story Structure post master list to read some of the other posts there.

#2 - Something Isn't Working. Stories are often like a house of cards in that one misplaced "card" can bring the whole thing crashing down. Sometimes you lose interest because an element or event didn't quite work, and you can feel in your gut that something's not right, so your brain interprets that as losing motivation. It's not really that you've lost interest in the story... it's that you've lost interest in the dead end path it's on.

Fix - Go back through what you’ve already written and look for something that’s not pulling its weight. It could be an unnecessary character dragging the story down, a subplot that is cluttering up the story or drawing attention away from the main plot, or it could be a scene/scenes that don’t add to the story. It could even be a combination of these things. If you can find it and fix it, your motivation may return.

#3 - You're Just Not in the Mood to Write. It could be that your interest in your WIP is just fine, you're just not in the mood to write. Our brains aren't always great at interpreting signals from our bodies, including other parts of our brain. The thirst signal is sometimes misinterpreted as hunger, which is why if you're feeling hungry when you shouldn't, you should try drinking a glass of water. Sometimes, in the same way, we're just not in the mood to write and our brains misinterpret that as a loss of interest in our WIP.

Fix - Consider what's going on in your life at the moment. Are you stressed? Are you distracted? Are you not feeling well? Sometimes you just need to give yourself a few days or weeks to let things resolve, and then you'll find your motivation has returned. Try doing things to Fill Your Creative Well in the meantime, or try some of the exercises in this post: Getting Unstuck: Motivation Beyond Mood Boards & Playlists

#4 - You're Overly Focused on Quality. One of the biggest WIP interest/motivation zappers is focusing too much on quality in your early drafts. If you're fixated on things like description, flow, theme, symbolism, grammar, etc. in your first draft, you're going to mentally

Fix - Remember, your early drafts should be more about getting the story down and working out the kinks. Don't worry so much about things like description, grammar, details, etc. until you've got all of that hammered out. And remember that the whole point of editing and revision is to polish your draft. You get the story down and make it pretty later.

#5 - You're Letting Yourself Get Distracted by New Ideas. The thrill of coming up with a new idea is part of the fun of being a writer. One of the pitfalls of being a writer is new ideas sometimes distract you from your WIP. We can be completely into our WIP, then a new idea comes along and our brains say, "Ooo! Look at the shiny pretty!" And off we go. Some writers, particularly seasoned ones, are able to work on multiple WIPs at once, but you should focus on one WIP at a time if you commonly lose interest before they're finished.

Fix - When you get a new idea, write it down in a notebook and/or in a document on your device. Once the idea is "down on paper," just forget about it. Imagine that it vanishes once it's recorded and you close the notebook/document. It takes practice, but you'll get better at ignoring the pull of a new idea.

Here are some posts from my Motivation post master list that might also help:

Guide: How to Rekindle Your Motivation to Write Feeling Unmotivated with WIP Getting Unstuck: Motivation Beyond Mood Boards & Playlists Getting Excited About Your Story Again

Have fun with your story!

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WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

NotionByRach - FREEBIES (workbook, notion template, games, challenges, etc.);

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

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Remember how I said I wanted to do low quality covers of EPIC stuff? Here's one of No Longer You because I need that song injected in my veins