Habits That Reveal Deep Character

FIC!!!

(I wrote an entire fic, posted it, and it DIDNT POST!! So this is a remake, so it might be worse quality. I’m just rlly pissed cause I wrote a decent sized fic and now it’s lost in space!)

(semi gore warning)

As many people may know, there is such a thing as a slayer. She stands against the forces of evil, and is practically the only reason the world isn’t overrun with vampires and demons.

Now you may think, “how can one measly girl protect the world?”, and to that I say, she’s a slayer! It may not be explainable, but she has all the power of the slayers before her, and it’s just the way it works. Now, I’m no longer taking questions. It’s time to get to the story!

Olive kicked the vampire, knocking it to the floor with a crack, presumably from its bones. The vampire hissed, trying to get back to its feet. Olive put her foot on its chest, keeping it down before she sunk a stake into its heart. The vampire exploded into a cloud of dust before even the dust went away. Marcus, her watcher, walked over. “Better than last time, but you really need to stop making a show of it. All you need to do is stab it. Not knock it down or anything.” Marcus spoke with a British accent, and he pronounced the letters carefully as if messing up was illegal.

Olive rolled her eyes, clenching her jaw. “Yeah yeah, whatever.” she muttered beneath her breath, and grabbed her bag off the ground. She stuffed the stake into her bag, and slung the bag over her shoulder. Marcus walked with her, out of the graveyard and to her house. He might be a pain in Olives a- (NO!!), but he was at least a gentleman.

“Goodbye, and I hope you get bit by a vampire.” Olive turned and said, and stepped inside before Marcus could reply. Marcus snorted, a d started walking home.

The next morning, Olives mother called from downstairs. “Olive, come downstairs. You can’t be late for school!” Olive sighed, and sat up. She swung her legs over to the floor, whispering “Oh no, that’d be terrible…” Beneath her breath and then getting up. She got ready, and went downstairs. She grabbed her school bag, walking to the kitchen.

Olives mom turned, handing her a plate of pancakes. Olive took the pancakes, scarfing them down and heading to leave. “Bye.” Her mother said, annoyed. Olive nodded, leaving. She walked to school, but once she entered her math class…

Everything got blurry, and then it turned black…

(Idk if I wanna continue this, so reactions wanted :3)

I refuse to stop posting these. They’re perfect!!!

✨ HOW TO ACTUALLY START A BOOK

(no ✨vibes✨, just structure, stakes, and first-sentence sweat)

hello writer friends 💌 so you opened a doc. you sat down. you cracked your knuckles. maybe you even made a playlist or moodboard. and then… you stared at the blinking cursor like it personally insulted your entire bloodline.

here’s your intervention. this post is for when you want to write chapter one, but all you have is aesthetic, maybe a plot bunny, maybe a world idea, maybe nothing at all. here’s how to actually start a book, from structure to sentence one.

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🌶️ STEP 1: THE SPICE BASE ~ “WHAT’S CHANGING?”

start with this question:

what changes in the protagonist’s life in the first 5–10 pages?

doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. they could get a letter, lose a job, run late, break a rule, wake up hungover in the wrong house. what matters is disruption. the opening of your book should mark a shift. if their day starts normal, it shouldn’t end that way.

🏁 opening chapters are about motion. forward movement. tension. momentum. if nothing is changing, your story isn’t starting, you’re just doing a prequel.

—

⚙️ STEP 2: THE CRUNCHY BITS - CHOOSE AN ENTRY POINT

there are 3 classic places to start a novel. each one works if you’re intentional:

The Day Everything Changes most popular. you drop us in right before or during the inciting incident. clean, fast, efficient.

pro: immediate stakes con: harder to sneak in worldbuilding or character grounding

The Calm Before the Storm starts slightly earlier. show the character’s “normal” life, then break it. useful if the change won’t make sense without context.

pro: space to introduce your character’s routine/flaws con: risky if it drags or feels like setup

The Aftermath drop us in after the big event and fill in gaps as we go. works well for thrillers, mysteries, or emotionally heavy plots.

pro: instant drama con: requires precision to avoid confusion

📝 pick one. commit. don’t blend them or you’ll write three intros at once and cry.

—

🧠 STEP 3: CHARACTER FIRST, ALWAYS

readers don’t care about your setting, your magic system, or your cool mafia politics unless they’re anchored in someone.

in the first scene, we need to know:

what this person wants

what’s bothering them (externally or internally)

one trait they lead with (bold, anxious, calculating, naive, etc.)

that’s it. just one want, one tension, one vibe. no bios. no monologues. no “they weren’t like other girls” essays. put them in a situation and show how they act.

—

⛓️ STEP 4: OPEN WITH FRICTION

first scenes should create questions, not answer them.

there should be tension between:

what the character wants vs. what they’re getting

what’s happening vs. what they expected

what’s being said vs. what’s being felt

you don’t need a gunshot or a car crash (unless you want one). you need conflict. tension = momentum = readers keep reading.

—

✏️ STEP 5: WRITE THE FIRST SENTENCE - THEN IGNORE IT

okay. now you write it.

no pressure. you’re not tattooing it on your soul. this isn’t the final line on the final page. you just need something.

tricks that work:

start in the middle of an action

start with a contradiction

start with something unexpected, funny, or sharp

start with a small lie or a weird detail

💬 examples:

“The body was exactly where she’d left it - rude.” “He was already two hours late to his own kidnapping.” “There was blood on the welcome mat. Again.” “They said don’t open the door. She opened it anyway.”

once you’ve got it? keep going. don’t revise yet. don’t edit. just build momentum.

you can come back and make it ✨iconic✨ later.

—

📦 BONUS: WHAT NOT TO DO IN YOUR OPENING

don’t start with a dream

don’t info-dump lore in paragraph one

don’t give me three pages of your OC making toast

don’t try to sound like a Victorian cryptid unless it’s on purpose

don’t introduce 7 named characters in one scene

don’t start with a quote unless you are 800% sure it slaps

be weird. be sharp. be specific. aim for interest, not perfection.

—

🏁 TL;DR (but make it ✨useful✨)

something in your MC’s life should change immediately

pick a structural entry point and stick to it

give us a person, not a setting

friction = good

first lines are disposable, just make them interesting

and if you needed a sign to just start the damn book, this is it.

💌 love, -rin t.

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

Gumroad

5 Opening Pages Mistakes to Stop Making — A Mini eBook for Fiction Writers

✦ A free (and actually helpful) guide to leveling up your first 10 pages ✦If you're unsure whether your opening is ✨doing enough✨ to hook re

never forget how they gave you distance when u needed love

How a Character’s Anger Can Show Up Quietly

Anger doesn’t always slam doors. Sometimes it simmers. Sometimes it cuts.

╰ They go still. Not calm... still. Like something is pulling tight inside them.

╰ They smile, but their eyes? Cold. Flat. Done.

╰ Their voice gets quieter, not louder. Controlled. Measured. Weaponized.

╰ They ask questions they already know the answers to, just to watch someone squirm.

╰ Their words are clipped. Polite. But razor-sharp.

╰ They laugh once. Without humor. You know the one.

╰ They leave the room without explanation, and when they come back? Different energy. Ice where fire was.

When a Character Has a Crush and Is Absolutely, Pathetically, Hilariously in Denial

This is not slow burn. This is oh-no-I-accidentally-fell-for-you chaos with a side of emotional whiplash...

⭑ They suddenly become weirdly aware of everything that person does. Chews their pen? Heart attack.

⭑ They insist they’re “just friends” but act like they’ve been married for 40 years.

⭑ Their friends all know. The mailman probably knows. They don’t know.

⭑ They make fun of the other person flirting with people. Then sulk. Then deny they’re sulking.

⭑ They get flustered over the dumbest things. A smile. A shared drink. A hand on the shoulder.

⭑ They remember everything about them... dog’s name, birthday, and act like it’s totally casual.

⭑ Their voice gets weird around them. Higher. Quieter. Rougher. It’s never consistent.

⭑ They get competitive. They don’t know why. (It’s jealousy. Surprise.)

⭑ They notice new clothes. New hair. New earrings. And absolutely say nothing while staring too long.

⭑ They get mad when other people point it out. Mad and embarrassed. The “shut up” is always immediate.

Official Dates

We're happy to announce the dates for this year's writing event‼️

Prompts will be released on the 1st of July

The event officially opens on the 1st of August and will run until the 30th of September.

Special Note

While the event runs between August and September, it will remain open for any late submissions. But note, any work submitted after the 30th of September might not be featured here on this page, and will not be included in the round up that follows immediately after. It will, however, be included in future round ups or "Favourite Pick" events.

In the following weeks leading up to the 1st of July, we'll be reminding everyone of the event rules. All important information will be available on this page or the AO3 Collection.

Any further questions don't hesitate to pop us an ASK, and either @guin-ramble or @thecrazyknight will get back to you.

Write Characters with Deep Emotional Wounds

(Without Making Them Walking Tragedies)

╰ Start with the scar, not the stabbing. Everyone talks about what happened to your character (The Big Trauma) but honestly? It’s the aftermath that matters. Show me the limp, not the bullet wound. Show me the way they flinch at kindness or double-check locks three times. The wound shapes them more than the event ever did.

╰ Don't make them "Sad All The Time" People with deep hurts aren’t just dramatic sob machines. They make bad jokes. They find weird hobbies. They have good days and then get wrecked by a song in a grocery store. Layers, my friend. Pain is complex and it sure as hell isn’t aesthetic.

╰ Let them almost heal and then backslide. Real healing isn’t linear. One good conversation doesn’t erase ten years of bottled-up grief. Your character might think they’re over it, and then one tiny thing, a smell, a phrase, a look, knocks them right back into the hole. Make them earn their healing. Make us ache for them.

╰ Give them armor and show the cracks. Maybe it’s sarcasm. Maybe it’s perfectionism. Maybe it’s taking care of everyone else so no one notices they're broken. Whatever mask they wear, show us the hairline fractures. Let us catch the moments where they almost drop the act.

╰ Don’t turn their trauma into their only personality trait. Yes, they’ve been through hell. But they also love spicy chips and bad reality TV. They have dumb crushes and secret dreams. A tragic backstory isn’t a substitute for a full human being. Let them be more than the worst thing that ever happened to them.

╰ Let their wound warp their decisions. People protect their wounds. Even badly. Especially badly. They might sabotage good relationships. Or push away help. Or cling too tightly. Make their past live in their choices, not just their flashbacks.

╰ Don’t make the world validate them for existing. Not everyone is going to understand your wounded character. Some people will misunderstand them. Blame them. Get frustrated. And honestly? That’s real. Let your character find their people, after facing the ones who don’t get it. It’s so much sweeter that way.

╰ Wounds can make them kinder—or crueler. Pain changes people. Some become protectors. Some become destroyers. Some do both, depending on the day. Let your character’s hurt make them complicated. Unpredictable. Human.

╰ Don’t heal them just to tie a neat bow on your story Sometimes the best ending is messy. Sometimes the healing is just starting. Sometimes it’s just hope, not a full recovery montage. That’s okay. Healing is a lifelong, terrifying, brave process—and readers feel it when you respect that.

just a heads up to my fellow writers out there that AO3 is currently fighting off bots commenting on people’s works to tell them that AO3 will delete their fics “due to the works being deprecated”, and the deletion will affect their accounts unless the authors delete the fics themselves first. IT IS A SCAM. AO3 will NOT delete your works. please do NOT fall for these bots!

I’ve been told the reason why these bots are doing this is due to copyright infringement issue where they’re trying to steal your works (possibly to train AI but this is just a guess) ‼️‼️‼️and once you deleted your fics, it will be either very difficult or impossible for you to claim ownership of your own fics when they were already deleted.‼️‼️‼️

a reminder that AO3 will never contact you through your comments section (in case they claim to be one of the moderators). AO3 will only contact you through your email address which you use to register your account, and it will be from AO3’s official handle. not some sketchy ass @

so if you get a comment telling you you should “delete your works to protect your account because AO3 is doing blah blah blah” report that comment. don’t delete your works.

PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THESE SCAM.

AO3 IS NOT DELETING WORKS.

DO NOT DELETE YOUR WORKS JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE CLAIMS THEY KNOW SOMETHING.

When a Character Feels Like They’re Losing Control

(Emotionally. Mentally. Internally. Completely.)

There’s a quiet kind of horror that comes with realizing you’re not okay and can’t fix it. When a character starts unraveling, it doesn’t always look like screaming or smashing things. Sometimes it’s the slow, subtle slipping of the reins...

╰ They overcompensate. Suddenly everything needs to be spotless, perfect, hyper-organized. Their planner is full, their schedule is packed, their smile is pinned on too tight. It’s not control, it’s panic dressed up in structure.

╰ They talk faster, louder or stop talking at all. They dominate conversations so they don’t have to think. Or they fall silent because words feel too risky. Either way, their voice is no longer safe territory.

╰ They get weird about small decisions. Choosing a sandwich becomes a full-body crisis. What should be easy isn’t, because nothing feels certain. It’s not about the sandwich. It’s about everything spinning too fast.

╰ They feel detached. Like they’re watching their life from a distance. They float above the room, disconnected from themselves, and laugh at things they don’t really find funny.

╰ They lash out in ways that don’t fit the moment. It’s never really about what triggered them. They explode over the dishes, or cry because someone asked if they’re okay. Their emotions are no longer matching the moment.

╰ They start avoiding mirrors. They don’t want to look at themselves, because they know. They know something’s off. They know their smile doesn’t reach their eyes. And they can’t face that truth yet.

╰ They apologize too much or not at all. They either spiral into guilt, overexplaining everything. Or they shut off and go stone-cold, too afraid that acknowledging the damage will make it real.

╰ They miss things. Conversations. Appointments. Easy tasks. Their brain is overwhelmed, trying to hold it together, and things slip through the cracks. And when they realize it, they panic more.

╰ They crave control but trust no one. They don’t delegate, don’t ask for help, because what if that help makes it worse? Trusting someone means letting go, and that’s the scariest thing of all right now.

╰ They feel like a passenger in their own life. There’s a version of them who used to be present. Who felt joy. Who wasn’t this… numb, terrified shell. And they don’t know where that person went, or how to bring them back.

When a Character Is Angry but Doesn’t Know Why

Not all rage is loud. Sometimes it simmers. Sometimes it sneaks in. Especially for characters who aren’t used to feeling things or grew up in environments where anger wasn’t safe to express. So when it starts showing up, they don’t even recognize it as anger. They just feel… off. Wrong. Tense.

✧ They get irritated by things that never used to bother them. The way someone chews. A clock ticking. The sound of their name. They can’t explain it, they just feel raw, like their skin doesn’t fit.

✧ They isolate, but don’t call it that. Suddenly, they’re “too tired” to go out. “Too busy” to reply. But really, they don’t trust themselves to be around people without snapping.

✧ They pick fights over things that don’t matter. Because it’s easier to yell about the dishes than admit they feel powerless, unworthy, or invisible.

✧ They can’t sit still. Pacing. Fidgeting. Restlessness that feels like there’s a wasp trapped under their skin and they can’t get it out.

✧ They joke, but it stings. Sarcasm that cuts a little too deep. “Just teasing” that leaves bruises. Humor becomes a weapon they don’t even realize they’re using.

✧ They blame themselves for feeling bad. Instead of thinking something is wrong, they think I’m wrong for feeling this way. The anger turns inward. Self-criticism sharpens.

✧ They can’t cry, and it scares them. They want to break. To feel something clean. But all they feel is the pressure building, and it doesn’t go anywhere.

✧ They eventually explode, and hate themselves for it. One wrong word and suddenly it’s fire. And after? Shame. Guilt. Confusion. Like, What was that? What’s wrong with me?

✧ Their anger isn’t just anger. It’s grief in disguise. That’s the twist. Most of the time, the anger is covering up a heartbreak they haven’t admitted yet.

✧ They’re not “bad” for being angry. They’re human. Write that. Let them be messy and let them feel without always knowing why.