《How to Write Stories People Will Love》Question 65: Writing pain
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asks: How do I write pain or painful emotions correctly? Such as painful cuts or self-harm. I seem to lack in that with my writing since I'm quite new to this and getting the hang of it.
Since I'm unfamiliar with cutting or self-harm, I can't really speak to how to effectively convey this. However there are a few readers who have offered to answer questions about it (see bottom of Chapter 5: Be Authentic). From what people have told me, self-harm comes about when the emotional pain becomes so unbearable and repetitive that the body kind of shuts down the emotion center of their brains. Humans are feeling creatures, so when the emotions are cut off (for self-preservation) they start to feel deprived. Hollow. Cutting and other methods of inducing physical pain is a way to break through the numbness. To feel something. If anyone wants to clarify this or correct me in any way, please do. (Check the comments for some helpful information on self-harm, as well as tips on what not to do. HUGE thanks to everyone who contributed!)
As for how to describe pain, think about how you felt the last time you felt emotional pain. What sensations did you experience? Did you feel heavy? Hollow? Constriction in your chest? Pay close attention to these things, because these physical cues are an effective way to convey the pain in writing.
If you're inexperienced or blissfully unaware of how emotional pain feels, then try watching movies. When a character appears to be suffering from heartache or sadness or depression, study how the actor behaves. Watch their facial expressions, daily habits, and the things they say.
You may also want to review Question 22: Conveying emotion.
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Game Starts With The Scarecrow
“Is there something wrong with the scarecrow? Damn, it killed me within a second…” Player 2: “Is there anything wrong, why is the name of this wild monster more than 40 meters long? Player 3: “F*ck, that guy brought a group of bosses to siege the city again, can’t they give us a chance to live?!” Mo Fan: “Kid, do you have a lot of questions?” …………………… After Mo Fan entered the game, he found that he had become a scarecrow next to the Beginner Village, a wild monster for players to kill and level up. Mo Fan, who had become a wild monster, began to continuously upgrade and level up; he underwent Star Ascension, fused with new bloodlines, and watched as his attributes soared!
8 549The Devil is a Stoner
Warning! This sucks ass. Don't read it. After passing out on the biggest party in town, Cole wakes up inside a forest wondering what happened. "Did they put PCP in my weed?" "Why am I in a forest?" "What happened last night?" Unbeknownst to Cole, he was summoned to another world to inherit the throne of the 8th Demon King, Asmodeus.
8 285Blood-Sakura : The Paranormal Residence
Uncanny events started to occur around Kei when his father inherited an ancient house. As the chain of unexplainable incidents started to push Kei towards the very edge of reality, a crisis emerges out of blue. Will Kei find the answer? Or will he be devoured by those who lurk in the darkest corners of the house and the vast forest?
8 212Thief of Time
[Participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge] Book 1: The Legend of Tot Synopsis: Claud Primus, a self-declared master thief, has a simple goal. To live forever. It's a rather easy task, for miraculous objects called lifestones are able to extend one's lifespan. These lifestones are best found in the treasuries of nobles, lovely resorts that Claud pays a visit to every so often. Unfortunately, one of those nightly visits go awry, and Claud is forced to escape with just a single lifestone and a box in hand. Normally, that's when things die down. The guards yawn, the gates close, and the night continues. But this time, the night isn't that forgiving. A dozen schemes result in the murder of someone important, and with a convenient scapegoat — Claud — at hand, it doesn't take long for him to be framed as a heinous criminal, wanted for the indirect murder of someone high up...and it just gets worse from there. Book 2: The Moon Lords' Rise Synopsis: As ordered chaos sweeps across Licencia, Claud leaves for Julan Barony, intent on making some profits there. Accompanied by the erstwhile heiress of Julan, a fellow member of the Moon Lords, the two plot against the barony's wealth...as well as a promise to bring about its downfall. Meanwhile, back home, the Moon Lords have busied themselves with digesting their gains. Eyes, however, are beginning to turn to this proverbial fish in a small pond. The fishermen are coming. When they cast their hook, what will Dia and the others do? Book 3: Murders under the Moons Synopsis: In the sleepy town of Nachtville, where Claud and Lily are forced to stop at, a set of nasty murders occurs. Victims scream out in fright, before a spear falls from the sky to end their suffering. Cowed and cautious, the master thief and his partner slink in the shadows, their objective that of home... A new task, however, has fallen on Dia. With a trusty helper at her side, she has to set off towards Nachtville itself, to solve the mystery Claud had abandoned. Faced with an enemy whose sole skillset is geared towards killing, how will they succeed? And what dark secrets will they find? Book 4: In the Dark of the Moons Synopsis: The year has ended. The four months of the full moons will soon be followed by two months of the new moons. Duke Istrel's ascension is around the corner. Amidst this political upheaval, Count Nightfall, Licencia's strongest defender, has been called away. The Moon Lords' largest task yet — to protect Licencia in the absence of its ruler — has begun. And yet, trouble is unrelenting. A distinguished personage, one that Claud fears, has been found dead in the county, his brains dug out and his body disemboweled. The inquisitors of the White Church have been dispatched to investigate and apprehend the murderer...as well as the person behind this puppet. Tormented by a call to fight, Claud directs his eyes out of the city, looking for the puppetmaster. Skulking in the shadows, the master thief will soon confront his greatest foe yet. A foe just like him. Book 5: Moonlit Tides and Darkened Seas Synopsis: A new era has begun. For the privileged, the sands of time dribble away for every passing moment, counting down to the arrival of a entity of mythical proportions. The night now harbours shadows and fog, and operatives of the Moons and the Dark clash in shadow. Claud, as usual, is investigating a spate of nasty disappearances in the city, but little does he know what these disappearances truly mean. And yet, a tide is coming. When it finally breaks, what will he do? Book 6: Secrets in Shadow Synopsis: The person behind a strike that would enter the annals of history flees his home, bringing with him the person closest to his heart into a new land and into a new world. Having left Istrel for the first time in his life, the two of them attempt to settle down in foreign lands, only to be caught in the middle of hostilities between two mighty powers grappling for dominion. Yet, none of that has anything to do with him. Following his desires, Claud eventually makes his way to the fabled Celestia Ruins, a fragment of another world. Bearing witness to truths he cannot yet comprehend, he returns from his exploration, a small break away from the machinations of destiny. One thing, however, is for certain. Destiny will not wait for him. Book 7: Reddest Rage Synopsis: Destiny churns on, heedless of mortal machinations, and Claud watches as the battlegrounds between the Moons and the Dark are drawn up. With the forces of the great Dark occupying Lostfon, Claud comes to a startling realisation — that he may have very well be a murderer of heinous proportions. Grappling with that realisation, he struggles to prepare for his Second Tutorial... Back in Istrel, Dia finds herself confronted with a perennial truth. Even in a time of writhing destiny, the machinations between nobles never cease to end — and unfortunately for her, the group once known as the Moon Lords are forced into dealing with a petty squabble between two counts. What they didn't account for, however, was the startling discovery they would soon make... And the shadow of the Red God's Holy Son behind it all. Book 8: Darkness Descends Synopsis: Nightmares haunt the horizon as Claud sinks and awakens from a seeming dream. What was once illusory begins to play out before him, in a way he cannot imagine. Dia, forced to wield arms, begins and ends a battle that opens her eyes to the vast dangers that lurk in this sundered world. Under the banner of humanity and divinity, she beholds the silent, forgotten protectors of Orb...but there is no forgetting the battle between the divinities. The Dark descends, the Moons writhe, and the horns of war blow once more. But this is not their battle. Not yet. Book 9: Moons Muster Synopsis: As more and more events fall into place, Claud finds himself desperate. Not for himself, but for the person who has turned into his world. Armed with the knowledge of a certain future, he approaches the only person that could possibly help him in his time of need, trading information for a promise of help. With that as solace, he returns to the grim task of understanding and seeking, revisiting an ancient, shattered fragment of another world...unleashing changes that he never knew was possible. Back in Istrel, Dia and the others must now navigate around a familiar spirit, who seeks to investigate the death of his master's Bearer. With them as prime suspects, the Seekers of Life must move carefully...but the Coloured Gods are not the only divinities eyeing them closely. The Moons, bristling from repeated defeats, are looking for new recruits, and the Seekers of Life are prime cannon fodder. Above all, destiny marches on, the unfeeling clock a warning to all. The Trial of Aeons will soon arrive. Book 10: Destiny Divine Synopsis: ??? Release frequency: one every few days or something, I guess. (This work is also being serialised on Webnovel under the name Revile as a trial run)
8 678Memories of the Bean Times
To those who have survived: I write this now, for I fear my death is imminent. Barnabas Schmidt wasn't serious when he said he knew what was going on in Paris. Thomas Sauer wasn't expecting to put his life on the line studying a mysterious disease. Julia Krause wasn't trying to join a cult. And the Holy Roman Empire wasn't prepared to fight the Beans. In the year 1587, the small farming village of Dijon in the Kingdom of France is attacked by seemingly immortal monsters made out of baked beans. As Schmidt fights against the Beans on the front lines, the Beans steadily approach the Empire's borders. As Sauer searches for the Beans' weaknesses, the Church of the Beanmeister paves the way for the arrival of the God. As Krause helps the Church, she begins to question her loyalty to the Beanmeister. Updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Chapters are available earlier on the Bean Times website: https://beantimes.github.io
8 120If Voldemort Beat Harry.
What would have happened if Voldemort won the final battle instead of Harry? This girl lives in a world where that is the case. But, who is she and does she support Voldemort? Or is she hiding from him?*Note: This is the first fanfic I ever wrote so I apologize if it isn't very good. Enjoy!*
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