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Very sad news to read. Rest in peace Carl Kasell.

Every weekday for more than three decades, his baritone steadied our mornings. Even in moments of chaos and crisis, Carl Kasell brought unflappable authority to the news. But behind that hid a lively sense of humor, revealed to listeners late in his career, when he became the beloved judge and official scorekeeper for Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! NPR’s news quiz show.

Kasell died Tuesday from complications from Alzheimer’s disease in Potomac, Md. He was 84.

He started preparing for the role of newscaster as a child. “I sometimes would hide behind the radio and pretend I was on the air,” he said in 2009, remembering his boyhood in Goldsboro, N.C.

He also used to play with his grandmother’s windup Victrola and her collection of records. “I would sit there sometimes and play those records, and I’d put in commercials between them,” he recalled. “And I would do a newscast just like the guy on the radio did.”

Kasell became a real guy on the radio at age 16, DJ-ing a late-night music show on his local station.

NPR Newscaster Carl Kasell Dies At 84, After A Lifelong Career On-Air

Photo: (Left) Courtesy Carl Kasell; (right) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Writing Characters Who Don’t Know How to Relationship

Hey everyone, Abby here with another writing post! Today we’re talking about those classic characters, the ones who have crushes and no idea how to act on them.

Everyone knows that one person who can’t relationship. They can’t romance and at the moment it seems hopeless, but it’s also kind of entertaining to see how things work out for them. Today I’m giving advice on how to write that character, things to do and not to do, as well as some ideas to get the inspiration flowing.

So, your character doesn’t know anything about relationships. How do we know? These things usually start off with two things: a crush and a character who has no idea what to do with it. Do they act on it? Do they not? Do they stay friends? Do they just keep staring until their crush gets the message and asks them out? (That was weirdly specific but we’re rolling with it.) Who knows? Not them.

We’re also going to remember that anyone can have no idea how to relationship. It’s not always the quiet kid in the back with the high grades and big glasses, please remember this. It can be the star of the basketball team or the girl who’s friends with everyone. It can be anyone.

Also, there’s a difference between being “good in bed” and knowing how to maintain a proper relationship. There is a huge difference. Characters like this who get into serious relationships can end up being abusive or (more likely) only in it for the sex. If the other person wants a legitimate relationship, things aren’t going to work out.

If you’re character has no idea what they’re doing, they probably fall into one of two categories. They’ve either never been in a relationship or they’ve been in multiple that didn’t make it very far. So, you could probably consider them naive when it comes to relationships. So when they get into a real, lasting one, they’re going to be in love with the idea of being involved with someone. This can often be a misunderstanding or misinterpretation; they might project that love of being in a relationship onto the person they’re with, which could lead to some major issues.

Another problem is the media. It only portrays the extremes. You never see anything in the media about people in regular relationships, they’re either madly in love or falling apart. There’s no in between, and because your character has no experience to tell them otherwise they could fall into the trap of believing that’s the way real life goes. (Hint: it’s not.) This could end up creating a lot of unnecessary drama when things are going fine, because there’s nothing you would see in the news about that and your character expects action.

I just realized I’ve made this more of a list of the negatives of writing these characters. Why not some positives?

This is a relationship, and it’s important to them. If your character cares, they’re going to do everything they can to keep this relationship in a healthy state. This could include things like random little surprises, trips to random places for some time away, things like that. These things are all considered endearing and will definitely earn them some Romance Points™. 

If this character hasn’t been involved with anyone in a while (or ever) and they’re happy in their relationship, you bet they’re going to talk about it. This might include proclamations about how happy they are, how great their partner is, etc.

If your story is set in today’s world, the Internet is a thing. They’ll probably be turning to all sorts of articles to help them out, and the fact that they’re doing this is definitely a good thing. Even if they do something wrong, they cared enough to try.

So, there are some tips to follow. Just to get the ball rolling (because this topic isn’t a stranger to anyone, I’m sure) I’m going to throw in a few examples/ideas for your clueless characters.

Being afraid to talk to their crush.

Thinking about simple exchanges (saying hello in the hallways) for ten million years.

Finally working up the nerve to ask their crush out.

The intense joy that comes after they say yes.

Or the bout of sadness that comes from rejection.

Brainstorming little things to do, like making breakfast in bed or arriving to their house with a bouquet of flowers.

Intense confusion about first kisses, when they should happen, how they should go.

Long phone calls or texting late at night, being exhausted in the morning but it’s okay because at least they got to talk.

Things like this. I would probably die of a cute overload if book characters did anything like that; maybe I’m reading the wrong genre, but I don’t think I see enough of it.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for today. Like a lot of the topics I write about, there are plenty more pointers to give, but I think this would be enough to get you going. If there’s anything you’d like to see me write about in my next post, please don’t hesitate to leave a message in my ask. Until next time, stay lovely <333

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Adorable

Wait going to post a bunch of old fanart ahhh

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if you ever doubt your writing, be it your themes, or the reason behind it, remember that h.g wells wrote war of the worlds both as a commentary on colonialism and the horrors it brings, and because he fucking hated his neighbours and his 13 hour job, and wanted to write about the town in which he lived getting blasted to the fucking ground by lasers into an irreparable heap and all of the townspeople dying painfully 

you, too, can channel your hatred for that guy that lives down the hall and blasts music at 4am into the one of the most influential science fiction stories ever written! fuck it! i believe in you!!  

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Ways To Fit Character Development Into Your Story

– Here are some ways you can develop your characters (in little ways as well as big ones) without info dumping on your reader. This includes detailing their backstory, revealing their values and motivations, their strengths, weaknesses, relationships with other characters, and growth throughout your story. I hope this helps those of you who have expressed having trouble with this, as I have as well and creating this guide for myself and you will be very useful for all of us, I hope. Happy writing!

Backstory

First of all, only include events from a character’s past that has shaped them and will enlighten the reader on the current situation. Once you decide that this particular event is important enough to include, show it instead of tell it. Elude to backstory instead of literally plucking it out of the past and placing it in the reader’s lap. 

Instead of telling the reader that your character was in an abusive relationship, show them the aftermath where your character now has their abuser’s rules engraved into their routines and the scars, physical and metaphorical, that the character has from that experience. Yes, there will be instances where you will have to come out and say it, but do it once and lightly, then let the subtext do the rest.

Core Values & Motivation

Character development is meant to be shown, not told, and therefore, your character’s values, beliefs, and motivations should reveal themselves though the character’s actions. If your character thinks that harming any living creature is the worst crime anyone can commit, then show their struggle when they’re put in a situation where they must ignore their own conscience. These moments are not only pivotal in the reader’s experience with your character, but humanize your character more than any other story element. It is the moments in which we must fight our own nature that show what our nature truly is, and it’s the same with the fictional characters you’re writing about.

Strengths & Weaknesses

In a story, the conflict will do a lot to show where your character thrives and struggles, but you cannot rely solely on the main conflict. Maybe your character is incredibly smart, but not physically strong, and is put in a situation where they must rely on an area they’re weak in and must struggle in front of the reader. It’s the same with strengths. Your character should have moments of glorious triumph phenomenal failure throughout your story. This makes them more alive, and therefore more relatable, which is important in any story.

Relationships With Other Characters

Relationships with characters should be shown through the manner in which they communicate and interact in your story. If they don’t like each other, there will most likely be some tension when they’re forced to work together and rely on one another. If they love each other, they’ll show it through affectionate gestures and sometimes their words.

Growth & Personal Development

The beginning and ending of your story doesn’t have to be a miraculous before and after, but your character should go through some sort of a personal evolution between the start and finish line. Whether that be in their self-concept, their relationship with someone else, or their views on something, they should transform, at least a little. This is just a characteristic of a rounded character, and that’s what you want. 

Show their development in ways such as putting them in a similar situation they’ve been in before and have them react in a way that highlights the change that has occurred. Show them realizing themselves that they have changed and now see through a different lens. Show them interacting differently as time progresses and imparting new words of wisdom, whether they’re correct or completely misguided.

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Cheat Sheet for Writing Emotion

Anger:

Grinding teeth

Narrowing eyes

Yelling

A burning feeling in the chest

Heavy breathing

Unjustified or justified accusations towards other characters

Jerky movements

Glaring

Violence

Stomping

Face reddening

Snapping at people

Sadness:

Lack of motivation

Messy appearance

Quiet

Slow movements

Crying

Inability to sleep

Frowning

Red eyes

Isolating oneself

Fatigue

Not concentrating

Love:

Thinking about someone

Good communication

Not forcing a friend/lover into something

Smiling randomly

Making eye contact with loved one

Nervous behaviors (fiddling hands, biting lip)

Cuddling

Flirting

Inside jokes

Holding hands

Kissing

Offering gifts

Fluttering stomach

Racing heart

Losing track of time while with loved one

Daydreaming

Denial:

Disagreement with someone

Shaking head frantically

Backing away

Putting hand on one’s chest

Rapid speaking

Rationalization or justifying something

Dismissing someone or something

Embarrassment:

Blushing

Avoiding eye contact

Grimacing

Looking down

Changing the conversation

Rubbing back of neck

Shoulders slumping

A weak voice

Tightening chest

Panicked thoughts

Running away

Getting quiet

Concentrating on something else

Happiness

Smiling

Laughing

Squealing

Bouncing on toes

Warmth in chest

Fast pulse

A sense of contentment

Relaxed posture

Quick movements

Breathlessness

Desire to help

Fear:

Face going pale

Panicked thoughts

Jerky movements

Mind racing for a solution

Running

Freezing

Fighting

Fawning (doing what people tell you to do)

Side note: flight, fight, freeze, and fawn are all reactions to adrenaline. Aka the fight or flight response

Thinking of survival

Rapid breathing

A panicked feeling

Guilt:

Feeling horrible about oneself

Lying

Grimacing

Trying to redeem themselves

Asking for forgiveness

Anxious thoughts

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I love them! Thank you for the lovely art! ❤

send me a:“♥” and i’ll draw you a picture send me a:“✉” and i’ll handwrite a little message for you send me a:“✎” and i’ll handwrite your url

Keep reading

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Tips On Screenwriting

– Yay! The first of the beginners’ series on writing! I hope this is useful to those of you who requested advice on screenwriting. I have a few more short articles coming out about screenwriting in the future, but for now, here’s a general list of tips.

Parentheticals (Directions) ~ Don’t overdo it with the acting directions. Let the actors do their jobs and interpret the characters and the script. If it’s absolutely necessary that you specify how you want something said, then do so, but for the most part, allow the actors and director some creative freedom.

Cliches ~ Research movie cliches and avoid them. Here’s a fabulous article that lists a few of them.

Dialogue ~ Avoid doing pages and pages of dialogue in one scene. 

Opening Scene ~ Start your script in a strategic place and with strategic tone. Make an impression.

Archetypes ~ Use them. Mold them. Make them your own. Archetypes, however, should never be confused with stereotypes. 

Description ~ Screenwriting is minimalist. Describe what is necessary, leave room for interpretation, and leave much detail to the imagination.

Subtext ~ Utilise subtext by showing instead of telling. It’s a screenplay after all. Show us that the dog was barking instead of having a character yell “the dog is barking!”

Format ~ Know the format. Get to know the style of scriptwriting and use it correctly.

Length ~ 1 page of a script is usually about 1 minute of screentime. Most film scripts are about 120 pages long and therefore 120 minutes of runtime. Most tv show episodes are from 22 minutes to 42 minutes. be wary of page count, as time is an important factor in filmmaking.

Support Wordsnstuff!

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee.

Request Resources, Tips, Playlists, or Prompt Lists

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MY CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS (Check it out, it’s pretty cool. At least I think it is.)

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i am so, so glad you guys are loving my trans lesbian daughter aisha bhatt as much as i do! it was really important to me to be able to write a love interest who was both trans and gay, and it was also really important to me to have a flashback moment where we meet her at the very beginning of her transition. so many trans people, including myself, have the experience of desperately wanting to transition but feeling like it’s pointless to even think about it because they’ll never “pass,” let alone be considered beautiful, as their true gender. like, so much of your self-worth is wrapped up in whether or not you look like a cis person! and it shouldn’t be like that!!

so, with the college flashback scene, where we meet aisha for the first time on her first night on the town presenting as a woman, i was very specific in my notes to pixelberry’s art team: like, this is essentially Day One for aisha, she still has pretty short hair, her makeup is gonna be modest because she doesn’t have a ton of experience applying it yet, and she’s not exactly “passing” perfectly, but that doesn’t matter! fuck that! what matters is that she’s finally getting to be who she is and she’s radiantly happy about it and her friends are behind her 110%! and she’s taken her first step on this road and she’s gonna continue on that road and we will meet her again in adulthood as an exquisite butch in a leather jacket and a cool pixie cut. 

anyway!! i can’t wait for you all to get to know aisha on this wild vegas journey. for those of you who aren’t in the choices fandom already, you can download the choices: stories you play app on the app store and click on “bachelorette party” to meet her!!

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The Evening Kansan-Republican, Newton, Kansas, June 19, 1911

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