The Anti-Guide

How do you try to improve your writing?

I try to avoid old, stupid things.	17.5%	[ 2370 ]
I add new things.	14.7%	[ 1993 ]
A combination of both (if one more than the other, pick it).	67.8%	[ 9169 ]
Total Votes:			[ 13532 ]

[MADLYALICE]

The Phoenix Rises Again

xXxColored and CandiedxXx

Your hero can NEVER be around a woman without her being a romantic interest. Period. Having her be his sister, or his friend, or his mother doesn't work, unless she ends up dying a horrible death.

It's not like a romantic interest takes a long time.

Of course! Insta love is the way to go!

[Taenara]

If your One True Pairing has a really bad argument or breaks up, it's only temporary, no matter how emotionally or physically abusive the fight was. They will get back together in the end...

...BUT, when they do, it HAS to be when the woman is on a train/at the airport/getting on a boat to leave FOREVER. Your hero has to change his mind at the last moment, run through crowded streets and terminals, and catch her just before it's too late!

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

Taenara

...BUT, when they do, it HAS to be when the woman is on a train/at the airport/getting on a boat to leave FOREVER.

Or about to die or has been sold into sex slavery.

[marshmallowcreampie]

The Phoenix Rises Again

marshmallowcreampie

It's perfectly rational for your MC to freak out, get emotional, and cry when another woman asks her man what time it is.

((I always get confused when characters do that... What's the big deal?))

((Wait...what?))

((Well, it seems in a lot of books and TV shows and movies and s**t, the female main character always gets so goddamn upset when another woman is talking to her boyfriend or husband or the guy she likes. It's like a straight man and a woman can't have a mutual friendship, nooooo, there must be romance involved!))

Remember that a straight man and a woman can't have a mutual friendship. There must be romance involved!

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

It is never worth your time to double-check facts because obviously history, punctuation, definitions, etc, will retroactively change itself for you. Besides, who in the WF looks those up?

[Beanishes]

Highschools. They contain cheerleaders, werewolves, vampires, and they have to be in every story regardless of the setting. Your MC must be in it, and be super popular and get awesome grades.

[Clare_N]

Taenara

If your One True Pairing has a really bad argument or breaks up, it's only temporary, no matter how emotionally or physically abusive the fight was. They will get back together in the end...

And, if either person in a One True Pairing dies, the survivor must do at least one of the following:

1, Vow never to fall in love again. If they do fall in love with someone else, that person must always be an inferior substitute for the person who died.

2, Commit suicide because they "can't live without" the other person.

[the hidden ghost]

Jackathyn

Highschools. They contain cheerleaders, werewolves, vampires, and they have to be in every story regardless of the setting. Your MC must be in it, and be super popular and get awesome grades.

Your MC can only get good grades if it comes naturally and without studying. If they're the sort that has to study to get an A+ for anything, then they have a smart friend they cheat off. Actual studying is for chumps.

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

Jackathyn

Highschools. They contain cheerleaders, werewolves, vampires, and they have to be in every story regardless of the setting. Your MC must be in it, and be super popular and get awesome grades.

No one goes to night school or gets a GED. Those are illegal ya know.

[DarknessofHeavenandDreams]

Jackathyn

If they're the sort that has to study to get an A+ for anything, then they have a smart friend they cheat off. Actual studying is for chumps.

In no way is there anything wrong with this.

[Serverus Snope]

DarknessofHeavenandDreams

Jackathyn

If they're the sort that has to study to get an A+ for anything, then they have a smart friend they cheat off. Actual studying is for chumps.

In no way is there anything wrong with this.

Because anything your character does is right.

[avearia]

marshmallowcreampie

Remember that a straight man and a woman can't have a mutual friendship. There must be romance involved!

This effect is similar to the rule of fanfiction: if two characters in canon so much as look at one another, they must be in love.

This is self explanatory. I mean, why else would two characters of different species genders even so much as look at each other? Men can't ever understand women, and women can't ever understand men, and the only reason they'd ever deal with such a frustrating relationship is if they were in love!

[Shaden Foxe]

avearia

This effect is similar to the rule of fanfiction: if two characters in canon so much as look at one another, they must be in love.

This depends.

If they walk into a forest together, YOU-KNOW-WHAT-THEY-DID.

They wake up in bed together, one person without clothing of any kind? Totally innocent. Nothing happened. You pervert, you.

[The Phoenix Rises Again]

Making sense, being concise, and not needing to be creative when it comes to general groups or objects are mere trends.

[Misuki Marishima]

If you have two characters that are related, they have to look exactly like one of their parents. For example, the brother looks like their father, and the sister looks like her mother.

If they are brothers, the older one just looks like an older version of his brothers.

There is no variations in genes whatsoever.