Paulings Day Off (and The Day After)

oh btw comm i did recently for @stuffedwithlove ^ ^ this is her oc the arbitrator and Everyone should die. 🙂 SLINGSHIM AROUND VIOLENTLY ABOUT IT.

Voices design (1/3)

Have been wanting to create something for the voices' appearances ever since I finished the majority of the game, so here are some silly little doodles for part of the crew

Went to a botanical park today.

miss pauling likes hot moms pass it on

@honeysparklesmash :]

I've been driftin’ around, been a million places Town after town, I've seen a million faces Been a vagabond ever since you put me down the track No matter where I go, something always brings me back

You can throw me up, go on and spin me like a boomerang! So throw that thing!

I'm going ’round, baby 'round, baby 'round I'm never coming down, down, coming down Yes, it's true, I come spinnin' right back to you

They know

Midge! Midge! Mentally strongest gym leader! Can't keep her down!

HEY THIS IS IMPORTANT whats your favorite place to find drawing references?

Still got Slay the Princess on my mind.

How To Avoid Plot Armor

Plot armor is when important characters seem to survive each and every treacherous obstacle that is thrown their way just for the sake of the plot. The readers know that your protagonist is important and won’t meet their demise because who else will defeat the bad guy in the end? This can result in underwhelming battle scenes, loss of suspense and an overall boring experience.

Here are some ways to avoid having your readers notice the plot armor (because let’s be honest, it’s there whether we like or not) or at least make it more realistic:

1) Injure your characters. Let it be known that no one is safe. During the heat of battle, the prized soldier loses his sword arm. The invincible superhero receives PTSD after witnessing a terrible event. Raise the stakes!

2) If they escape, make it believable. Did they sacrifice something to escape? Did a past experience give them the wits and knowledge to outsmart the danger? Justify your protagonist’s escape. Don’t make it an easy get away just because you need them out of the situation. 

3) There are consequences. Every action sparks a reaction. Have there be realistic push back. Your character shouldn’t be immune to the rules and laws of your world.

4) Detailed Explanations. So, your character needs their limbs, their sanity and anything else you could strip them of. How do you make it seem like they’re not immune to everything then? Equip them with what they need (knowledge, weapon, confidence, etc) and really sell it to your reader on how they survived. 

There’s no way a teenaged girl stakes a 400 year old vampire just by picking up a branch and defending herself. Equip her with some knowledge of vampires (fanfics to the rescue?), an ancient relic that she unknowingly wears around her neck and an insane amount of adrenaline… and maybe I’ll believe it.

5) Kill off other characters. Have their deaths affect the protagonist.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting

📖 ☕ Official Blog: www.byzoemay.com