Long Fics

I really really want to learn how to write chaptered stories, with deep characters and a compelling, can't put this down type of story. 
 

If you've written long/chaptered fics, can you give me some advice?

Pretty please!! I want to add more to my stories and my characters. I feel like my characters are all flat, like there's no flavor (?) to them. 
 

HELP ME OUT PLEASE!!

 

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BANGTANluv
#1
Honestly, I think QueenMoona gave really good advice.

For developing your characters so they don't seem "flat" I have a few suggestions to add that work for me. What I tend to do, since I write my stories in a first POV (but this can also be done in other POVs), I try to focus on their emotions a lot. I have characters express themselves whether it be internally or outwardly with other characters, have the character question either their feelings or actions, sometimes even both, kind of like their conscience. I also sometimes even have them trying to justify their own actions to themselves (again their conscious). I do that so the reader can also understand the thought process of the character and get a better idea of what kind of person the character is and why they may do certain things.

Ex1. When I want to show a character being cautious/ skeptical.
instead of just saying (first POV) : I wanted to be cautious.

I would write :

"Why are you telling me this? Why are you helping me?" I at least wanted to know that much.
I know it's dumb of me to not just take the things and leave now when he's telling me, but
what if all of this was a trap? What if he was just toying with me, pretending he would be my
ticket out? I knew so little about them. For all I know, this could just be a sick game of theirs
so I could try to escape...

Ex2. A character finally speaking up/ has had enough of a situation.

I would write :

"You don't hate it." I spoke up, gathering the courage to break the thick silence that had
formed between us. "You and I both know that you have no problem doing so, because you
don't care about anyone else besides yourself." I said, standing up from the bed and walking
over to him. Unlike many other times, Zico remained quiet as he looked back at me, as if
what I was saying was completely true. I was tired of pretending while I was around him,
tired of being the girl who would mindlessly go along with everything he wanted. This time,
I wasn’t going to apologize for something that may not have set well with him. Today I guess
was just my breaking point. I didn't care how mad I got him. For once I wanted him to see
his mistakes, for him to finally hear someone call him out on his flaws without being scared
of the repercussions, not because they despise him, but because they know it’s what’s best
for him.


I'm not the best writer, but I hope this advice made sense and can help get some ideas going for you. Also I hope you don't mind, but I used parts of one of my stories for the examples.

Good luck with your writing!
QueenMoona
#2
I am so used to making chaptered stories that I've realized I needed to take a step back with them because I try to write too much for a story.

I'd consider an outline might help:
- Exposition
- Rising Action
-
- Falling Action
- Resolution

This type of outline format will help flesh out the main events you want to happen in your story. Each of those parts will take time and won't be completed in five chapters. I'd say after completing this time of format, create another outline but make it where you write down everything or event you want to happen per chapter:

- Chapter 1: Jongin and Kyungsoo meet at a coffee shop where Kyungsoo works
- Chapter 2: Jongin visits the coffee shop a lot and Kyungsoo finds himself more curious about him
●However, coffeeshop aus like this example can easily be a 10 Chapter or even 5 Chapter story.

The idea is to add more to it. It's nice to add some angst, I feel like conflicts definitely help add more to the story as long as it makes sense to the story.
●Maybe for that coffee au example a good conflict would be perhaps as Kyungsoo is falling in love with Jongin, Jongin is a relationship where his lover is quite possessive and Jongin wants to break it off, but he's got a possessive lover who doesn't want to let him go? This definitely adds to the story.

I try to think of a long fic as a journey so I'd say treat it like it. The first outline definitely makes me think of the ways of a journey. You got your main characters that go through something and have people/things helping or preventing them from reaching some type of goal or outcome they're looking for.

As for characters, it's a bit hard, because even I too feel mine can be flat. Maybe write an individual list for them. List out their personality traits - what they'd do in certain situations, what they'd say, how they'd react, etc. In stories, make sure their choices make them. It would be odd for a good character to suddenly act bad, you know? And you can even do that, but it somehow has to lead up to it.
●Definitely don't have your characters do something out of their character cause it seems strange

This is the advice I could provide and hopefully it helps! Wishing you the best 💙💙💙💙