Top 5 Animated Villains

*Please note that not all animated villains are evil, some are just misunderstood. Some are also hilarious. This post also contains spoilers for Frozen. 

*Like my Top 5 Animated Characters post (here) these villains are not in order.

*My apologies if some gifs don't work.

*Also, the difference in font size was intentional. You're meant to pay larger attention to the bigger letters, just in case you're still confused.

1. Mother Gothel from Tangled

I know I said not all villains are evil, some are just misunderstood, but I'm pretty sure Mother Gothel is evil incarnated. (Minor exaggeration.) She's determined, deceptive, arrogant, and possessive (I mean, seriously, have you even seen her around Punzie's hair). 

(Plus she really overdoes the whole "guilt trip" thing)

(However, something tells me I'll be using a lot of gifs of her in the future. Perfect reactions, they are.)

I like her earrings though.

SPOILER ALERT. If you have not seen Frozen, I would advise you to stop and reconsider continuing. The following is the biggest plot twist in the whole movie. And there were quite a few plot twists. 

2. Hans from Frozen

THIS GUY. MADE ME. SO. ANGRY.

But then I didn't feel too bad about it because I was rooting for Kristoff the whole time. Sarcastic and socially awkward? Yes, please. (But Hans did look pretty epic when he was fighting Marshmallow [I promise that this is its real name].)

AND HE EVEN MADE THIS DORKY ENTRANCE THAT MADE ME LAUGH.

How dare he make me laugh.

3. Hades from Hercules

*starts laughing*

I feel bad saying my favorite character in Hercules wasn't Hercules, but c'mon. This dude was pretty funny. (Plus he has perfected the I am so done with you look)

See?

This next gif is what I would use to describe The Hunger Games and Divergent and books similar to them.

And his introduction is pretty funny, you gotta admit.

I mean, c'mon. How many Disney villains can say their first sentence in the movie was Baboom?

(Note: He sounds like President Snow in the following gif)

4. Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove

I'm not sure what to say about her. She's definitely less evil than Mother Gothel, and just as dramatic as Hades. Kronk was an awesome sidekick. He was like an excited puppy.

I'm not sure what I liked more: Her expressions, or Kuzco's description of her.

Also, her as a kitten is adorable.

5. Megamind from Megamind (I'm not really sure if he counts but whatever.)

HIS FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ARE PERFECT.

Also, he's a good dancer.

FEEL THE RHYTHM.

He's very dramatic, and just all-round hilarious.

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Mind Games by Kiersten White

I don't like rating books badly. It makes me feel cruel, sad and guilty. I mean, what if the author reads my rating and review? They worked really hard on it-- poured time and energy into all the details. So, yeah... you probably guessed it already, but I didn't really like Mind Games.

I was really pumped for this book. The cover was awesome, the synopsis was awesome, and from what it said, I was expecting a lot of awesomeness. Clearly. I did think it sounded a bit like What's Left of Me, simply because they're sisters on the run from evil government people who want to control them and possibly kill them. 

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Things I was expecting:

1. An awesome sister relationship. Incredible loyalty, love, and trust.
2. Action scenes. A lot of action scenes.
3. Not a lot of romance. A little on the side, perhaps, but there seems to be more going on. Like trying not to die.

I'm not sure how to describe how I feel about this book, so I'll break it down.

1. Reading from Fia's point of view was like reading from a lunatic's point of view.

That's a bit harsh, so I'll try to explain why. 

The writing style. It's so hard to stay involved in the story when all she does is talk about James (her love interest), her hands (she can't stand them), and her fingers tap-tap-tapping on whatever surface she can find. I get the feeling it was supposed to be haunting, but all I could think was that Fia is obsessive over certain things that I just don't understand. Also, her emotions come on so strongly. She doesn't get bothered, she gets furious. Her feelings aren't hurt, she's absolutely devastated. I understand that her life has been horrible. She's been tortured and tricked and treated like trash, so it's normal that's she's gone a little insane. But I just couldn't feel sympathy for her.

Here's an example of her narration:

"I have no idea. My plans changed about five minutes ago." I look over my shoulder to see the men, three (tap tap tap - I hate the number three), thick shoulders, one gun between them based on the way the guy in the middle is walking (that was a mistake, they should all have guns - guess they'll find out) matching our pace and getting closer.

She just cuts off and completely leaves the topic for a split second. The style was like it was trying to copy Shatter Me (which I loved), but I just didn't get the same feeling.

2. The love interest.

James. The object of my wrath. The guy is a jerk. And Fia is completely in love with him. I thought she had fabulous gut instincts? Apparently they don't work around James because she is suddenly goo whenever she sees him. I get it, he's good looking. She's attracted to him.What I don't get is her obsession with him.

3. The ending.

The ending left me completely furious.

At Fia.

I'm sorry, but the girl had issues. I was mad at Annie a lot, don't get me wrong. She was clingy and deceptive. But Fia was angry at Annie for something she had no control over. She ignored one of Annie's visions because she was mad at her. And then she did something that contradicted every single thing ever said about their relationship as sisters.

And I was left seething long after I finished reading the book.

So, Will I read this again?

No.

Will I read the sequel?

Probably not. It depends on whether or not my sister borrows it. 

Rated 1 star.

Later,

Tansie G.

Childhood Obsessions: Books

There were a few books that really stuck out to me when I was little. Not all of them were kid's books-- in fact, few were, and when I look back and re-read the synopsis and think about the plot I had memorized when I was little, I'm proud of the books I fell in love with. They weren't empty, or meaningless... They had depth.

Book #1: Cages by Peg Kehret

My copy of this book is really old. The corner are torn and the pages are yellow. There's tape holding the spine together. I bought it at the library where I used to live-- they sold loads of books for 25 cents each (which was heaven)--so, yeah, it was already a little worn.

Kit never means to steal the bracelet; it is just a dumb mistake. But when she is caught Kit is sentenced to twenty hours of volunteer work at the humane society. Kit knows how it feels to be stuck in a cage like those animals and soon she begins to learn that the key to her own cage is right in front of her.

The ending nearly brought me to tears. I wanted Kit to make it in whatever she tried so bad because I felt like she deserved it. She was angry... wanting to prove something when she stole the bracelet. And she instantly regrets it. Her step-dad is an alcoholic jerk, and her mom is spineless. Even though she loves Kit, she would never stand up for her when her step-dad was being cruel.

I wanted Kit to make it, but I didn't always agree with what she did. Lie upon lie upon lie was told-- no one ever knew the whole story until the very end-- not even her best friend. But Kit pulled through, and became a better person.

Book #2:

This second one I was absolutely obsessed with-- and the book holds the marks to prove it. Tape on the spine, worn cover, yellow, stained pages, and pages that aren't even glued to the spine anymore. 

Joelle hates her new filly...

Joelle has a very special relationship with her Thoroughbred mare, Dance Away. Then Dancer dies giving birth to her first foal, and Joelle swears that no horse, not even Dancer's filly, will ever replace Dancer in her heart. But Joelle's parents insist she take care if the orphaned filly--it needs her help to survive.

Joelle does as little as she can to groom and train the foal. All she can think about is Dancer--that they won't be riding together in the big fall show where Joelle was sure they'd win a trophy. Joelle's convinced that Dancer's filly will never be a winner like her mother.

Then something happens that will make Joelle change her mind forever...

I couldn't find a picture of the same version I had, so I took my own.

I read this one so many times that I wrote a paper on it-- complete with exact quotes and character development-- without even glancing inside of it during writing. And it was graded an A. Again, Joelle makes a lot of mistakes; everyone does, so it's only realistic. She hates the filly because she believes she caused her beloved mare's death. Of course, it's not really the foal's fault, but Joelle misses her horse so much that she doesn't care. She becomes more distant, more angry. The ending left me breathless and pumped up.

I skimmed both books while writing this, just to try to see if I loved them as much as I did back then. It's both yes and no. No, both books could use some editing-- in completely different areas. Yes, they still have that awesome message, and, of course, they hold a special place in my heart. These books inspired me. 

Later,

Tansie G.

McKays and Michael's

Yesterday was a very busy day. I went to Michael's, Ross, and McKays, and my mom went shopping at a few grocery stores.

For the books I got at McKays, here they are:

Ruined by Paula Morris

Marked (House of Night Bk. 1) by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast

And I even creeped out of my comfort zone to try Marvel Adventures: The Avengers: Bizarre Adventures: Vol. 3

I was very amused by Spider-Man's ("That's Spider-Man, with a hyphen" ~ Spider-Man) and Iron Man's senses of humor. It was a very, very quick read, but also very fun. But comic books just aren't my thing, I guess.

At Michael's, I got my mom's birthday present, and a pendant for the steampunk photoshoot my sister has been intent on doing. I think we've got our outfits mainly sorted out-- the buying part has yet to be done-- but we've got the colors and main ideas. Mine is going to be a dress of some sort, and hers is going to be pants and a corset. (I also really, really want a top hat.)

Anyways, Michael's has loads of adorable things for steampunk. She freaked. I freaked. We both freaked. And we bought a few things to decorate necklaces, chokers, etc.

Here's the one I got (yes, yes, I know. only one?! alas, I am broke.) I got. Which I am completely in love with.

I have yet to figure out how it'll be used, but probably for a choker. It just seems like it'd suit it. My sis also got brown and black ribbon-- very steampunk-ish. 

Times like these I wish I had a sewing machine so I could do some DIY for our outfits. I can sew with needle and thread (thanks to many afternoons spent with my grandmother) but I'd rather not try something that would leave me with aching fingers and increasingly large crooked stitches (what? it's hard to stay focused on neat little stitches when you have a growing migraine).

I can't stop obsessing over the tiny gears and mechanical pieces Michael's had. It was beyond perfect. All the metal things! I should probably stop looking at steampunk things on Pinterest, or else I'll get as obsessed as my sister. It's just that steampunk is the perfect mix of kick-butt and feminine. Of lace and leather. I mean LOOK.

They're beautiful.

Anyways, I've gotta run, so, later,

Tansie G.

Guest Post & Weekly Book Count

I recently did a guest-post (YAY!!) over at Life of a Random. You can find the post here. I had loads of fun and Skylar doesn't know how to answer questions properly did a totally beautiful job!

Now, my most recent reads and what they were rated.

Mind Games by Kiersten White. Rated 1 star. Will I read the sequel? Probably not.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Rated 4 stars. Sequel? Oh, yeah.

Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt. Rated 4 stars. Sequel? Definitely.

A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard. Rated 4 stars. (Can't exactly say sequel because this is the sequel) The One That Comes After? Sure.

Dualed by Elsie Chapman. Rated 4 stars. Sequel? You kidding? I have to know what happens.







Basically, I really liked this week's reads (except for Mind Games, unfortunately). I don't usually read books like Princess for Hire, but my sister convinced me. I have no regrets. The main character is just a really nice person-- the sense of humor and klutziness adds to the awesome.

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I'd been wanting to read Shatter Me for ages, mainly because all I'd read about it was mostly good stuff. So I checked it out on Goodreads-- it sounded pretty good, and the cover was absolutely gorgeous. So my sister borrowed it from the library, and I read it in a day.

(here's my review from Goodreads.)

Wow, um... that was intense. Juliette's way of describing things is... haunting, almost. Her words become a chant sometimes and it's just-- wow. It's kind of creepy, but it draws you in-- gives the words a bigger impact than if she'd just said the sentence flat out. And sometimes the sentences cut off halfway and then start back up a small while later. I had read snippets of Shatter Me with bits like that, thinking it was kind of weird. I never thought that this kind of writing style could be so awesome. 

Okay. Obviously, I liked the writing style. I also liked Juliette. (Okay, who am I kidding-- I loved her.) She was constantly having a battle within herself. Is she insane? Is she a monster? She desperately wants to be told that she isn't-- know that she isn't-- but she can't. You can feel it tearing her apart. It keeps her from getting close to anyone.

Until Love Interest. He entered the story seeming smug, confident, and someone I wanted to just slap. Really hard. But then he got better. And then PLOT TWIST and he got worse. It was a roller coaster ride. I really wanted to like him-- mainly because Juliette really liked him, and she deserved awesomeness after what she'd been through. Someone to hold her and protect her-- and stand by her when she was ready to fight. (I also like how she saved him a couple times. She's got all her powers-- I almost felt like she should've saved him more. But that's just me.)

And I'm sure a bunch of people enjoyed the scenes I'm about to bring up, so don't be offended if I disagree. Juliette and Adam (aforementioned love interest). Are. Always. Kissing.

ALWAYS.

Oh, hey! I just saved your life and we're being hunted and we should probably go, but before we do, can you kiss me for a whole page?

I asked Evil Guy to remove the cameras in my room so we could smooch. So let's.

Sorry. But it was just constantly happening. Almost die. Kiss. All better. It's like true love's kiss a billion times over and completely unnecessary because no one's fallen under a sleeping spell and needs to be made out with until they wake up. 

And every guy in the book (except for three and one is a 10 year old) was constantly gawking at Juliette. THE GIRL. HAS BEEN STARVING. FOR THREE YEARS. SHE TAKES. TWO MINUTE SHOWERS. SHE IS NOT. GOING TO LOOK. LIKE A MODEL.

Again, sorry. Rant over, I promise. It just got to the point whenever she met a guy I would just be like: Oh, please, not you too.

Don't get me wrong. Juliette is beautiful and she deserves to be loved, I just felt like it was a bit much.

And the ending threw me off, but I'm not going to say why because of spoilers.

All-in-all, Shatter Me was awesome, but had a few things that I just didn't like. Thus the four stars.

Later,

Tansie G.

The Book Blogger TMI Tag

I was tagged by my lovely sis over at Life of a Random.

Here goes!

How old are you?

Thirteen years young. I'll be turning fourteen in June. (I am not looking forward to getting older. I have seen what college does to you, and it's quite traumatizing.)

What book are you reading?

I've got three. The chosen ones are A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard, The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum, and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity--

My small addition: It was the time of self-contradiction, it was the time of self-agreement(?), it was the time of confusion, it was the time of clarity.

Charles Dickens makes me extremely bewildered.

What are you wearing?

Does the fluffy blanket currently wrapped around my waist count?

I'm wearing a really, really baggy black graphic t-shirt, and a pair of pink shorts. Apparently, walking around the house with a gigantic blanket is easier than changing into a pair of pants.

OTP?
(Also known as One True Pairing, or your favorite fictional couple)

Noooooo! This is so hard! I have hundreds of OTPs. This is equivalent to torture.

But, since I am being brutally forced, probably Scarlet and Wolf from The Lunar Chronicles.

They're so adorable.

Blogger or Wordpress?

What is this "Wordpress" you speak of?

I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But I guess I made my answer preeeetty clear.

Going outside being active, or staying in reading a book?

Ehehehe.

I think this is the only question that I instantly knew the answer to-- the answer being staying in and reading a book. My mom has to force me to leave the house. Unless, of course, it's fall and it's beautiful and the perfect temperature to go outside and

...sit on a bench.

I am a hermit.

What is the last book you read?

I didn't remember this one. I literally had to go check.

Umm, it's Switched by Amanda Hocking.

What is the book you're going to read next?

I have no idea. I usually just open one my sis suggested and go from there, soo...

Probably Dualed or Princess for Hire.

E-Books - yes or no?

I'm torn. I wanna say yes because they're less fat and if you drop them you don't lose the page and your soul, but then I wanna say no because it takes forever to load and it makes me angry. (Plus book books smell like heaven.)

In all seriousness, they're the only reason I've been getting much (if any) reading done recently. So yes.

Where do you prefer to read?

There's a corner in my sister's room that I love to curl up in and read in. (Plus, it's right by the vent with all the warm air.)

Who is the last person you tweeted?

I think it was my sister, but I really have no idea. I haven't even logged on to my Twitter account since December. *sheepish grin*

Whose blog did you look at last?

..... My sister's.

I wasn't going to, but she kept hovering over my shoulder and begging me to go check it out. And my little brother was screaming (in joy. with a crazed look on his face.) a foot away from my face. I had no choice. I had to give in.

Who is your favorite blogger?

Notebook Sisters or Skylar Finn.

Who's your favorite booktuber?

Ermm... I don't have one because I don't really watch them. Oops?

What do you do when someone tells you reading is boring?

Assume their immense stupidity.

I'm joking. I actually assume that they've just read some really bad books-- like those morbid and (truth be told) excruciatingly boring classics that they force you to read for school. In that case, I just slowly slide a favorite book towards them in a totally innocent and non-creepy way.

Who is the last author you spoke to?

If I was an author, my answer would be myself.

But, alas, I am not yet an author. And I have never spoken to an author-- those blessed people with brilliant writing talents that I am so exceedingly jealous of.

Who is the last person you texted?

My mom.

I was home alone with my lil' bro-- my mom was going to pick up my sis after saying she'd be back in 30 minutes-- and it'd been over two hours. (Typical. My mother has no concept of time.) And I was getting a leeeettle worried. I asked her where she was aaaaaand she never answered. Apparently, she hadn't heard a thing and completely shocked when I told her about it.

Her: *freaking out* What? I didn't hear a thing! What were you going to ask me?
Me: I was asking where you were and if you were okay.
Her: *looks even more shocked that it wasn't a big deal*
Me: I was just... I... *grumbles* Sorry for caring.
Her: I was only gone for a short time! Of course I was okay! What did you think had happened?

(Car accident. I have had terrible dreams of you being in one ever since you drove me to a school outing.)

Me: *mouth falls open* (thinks: short time. she thinks it was a short time.)
Her: What?
Me: ...
Her: *continues staring in innocent confusion*
Me: Two hours.
Me: *walks away*

Who is your all-time favorite book character?

Zara from Captivate. She was brilliant and hilarious.

UKYA or USYA?

USYA. I don't know if I've ever read UKYA.

What is your preferred drink whilst reading?

If I try to drink something while reading, I usually grab the wrong thing. One time, I was reading at the kitchen table, and it was a salt shaker. I'm a hazard to myself.

If you hated reading, what would you be doing instead?

Does writing count? If not, I have no idea. Probably wonder around the house wondering what my meaning in life is.

How many bookshelves/bookcases do you have?

Two. They're both pretty small. Half of one I need for school, though, so the one that's filled with fiction has books piled on top of it, books leaned against it-- books poked in every possible space there is.

I need another bookshelf.

If you had the choice to meet all your favorite book bloggers, or all of your favorite authors, which would you pick? You can only pick one.

Probably authors.

Insta-love: yes or no?

No. No, no, no, no, no. Nothing makes me as upset as when a girl sees a guy and then claims she's in love. It's like, um, no, sweetheart, you're in attraction.

Favourite author?

Marissa Meyer or Cassandra Clare. Or Veronica Roth. Or Maggie Stiefvater. Oh, wow, this is impossible.

What is the number-one book on your wish-list?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green or Cress by Marissa Meyer.

Do you prefer books with with female or male protagonists?

I don't really mind, as long as they're well written. I loved Zara from Captivate, and I loved Sage from The False Prince.

Which is your favourite book-to-movie adaption?

I haven't seen a lot. Out of the ones I have seen, though, probably The Hunger Games.

What is the last song you listened to?

It was either Demons by Imagine Dragons (it's... calmer... than it sounds I swear) or Pompeii by Bastille (love this song. it gets me so pumped)

Which do you enjoy reading more - negative reviews or positive reviews?

Honest reviews. In my opinion, as long as it's honest, it's a good review. No need to exaggerate how bad it is or how good it is. Just say it like it is. However, negative reviews tend to be bit harsh-- so positive ones.

Who are you going to tag?

Whoever wants to join in.

Later,

Tansie G.

Guest Post: 10 Ways to Make Your Sister Mad

Fabulous guest post by the lovely Skylar Finn. You can find her at Life of a Random.

10 Ways to Make Your Sister Mad

To be honest, I was going to do siblings but I realized that I don't have as much experience with making brothers mad since mine is four and gets mad when I take away his toy train. I'm guessing teenage guys don't do that (this is also about teenagers...or 10+ maybe).

1. Ignore her. This is very effective. 

2. Call dibs on a book/series that she loves. Claws out. She's gonna forget all the nice stuff you've done for her.

3. Eat the last chocolate. I admit that this is a personal weakness. 

4. Steal her phone/computer/electronic device. These are soulless actions. Stop them. Unless you want to die. (I have both given and received death threats for this particular one.)

5. Unknowingly use the same name for a character you're writing as she did. 

sister: "You copied me!"

you: "I didn't know."

sister: "Plagiarist! I WILL SUE YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU OWN."

(More or less the way it goes. I may have exaggerated a tiny bit)

6. Mimic her. It's infuriating to her. Trust me ;) 

7. Order her to do something. She won't and you'll hurt from either punches or the murderous glare she's throwing your way.

8. Play a song she hates over and over...and over...again.

9. Grin and be happy when she's already in a mood. She is disgusted by your joy. It fuels her hate-fire.

10. Mess up one of her books (heaven forbid). Yeah, don't do this on purpose. I mean, I love making my sister mad but that just takes it too far. Hurting books for the sake of revenge (or whatever else)? What kind of person are you anyways?

I know that no sibling relationship is exactly the same so these are just facts that I've discovered while interacting with my sister. Hehehe. Don't worry, we're really close. 

Or we have been until now. 

Anyways. Let's just brush past that. Do you know someone who does these things or do you practice these activities yourself *wiggles eyebrows*? (You little naughty you.) Is your sister ticked off by any of these things?

Tansie again. Thanks to Sky for the guest post and sharing her evil schemes! (My personal favorite is 5.)

To Sky: You're hilarious and I love you. But if you play 'Mm Yeah' one more time...

Oh my word. Seriously dying with laughter right now.

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Switched by Amanda Hocking & My Goodreads Challenge Pt. 2

Last time I posted something similar (January 20 [ here, btw]), I had read 6 books of my goal of 60, then reviewed Something Strange and Deadly [here] and made that 7.

I'm kinda disappointed that in 14 days since then I've only read five books, but I've been insanely busy. Like I mentioned in a post a little while back, I have a big test this week.

So, the five books:

1. Flash Gold by Lindsay Buroker (a mere 42 pages so I'm not really sure if this counts)
2. Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis (320 pages. I reviewed it here.)
3. Double Crossed by Ally Carter (just 60 pages)
4. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
5. Switched by Amanda Hocking (bought this one yesterday and finished it today)

The following is my review (on Goodreads) of Switched.

The book begins with Wendy's sixth birthday, on which her mother tries to kill her.

From the first paragraph, I decided I would like the sense of humor in this book. Dry humor/sarcasm always wins me over. 

The main issue for me started when I was about one-third in. Let me say this before I begin: I am very picky about love interests. This time, I was bothered by how quickly Wendy changed her mind about Finn Holmes. The guy started out creepy. Too creepy for her to even think about the fact that he was attractive. (Her words not mine.)

BUT THEN SUDDENLY his gaze is so intense it takes her breath away and OH she wants to be with him every second of the day and MY GOSH he's the only one she trusts and he'll protect her forever and ever and--

Yeah. That just really bothered me, because their interactions were so amusing and fun at first, and Wendy seemed like a level-headed, sarcastic girl that would be really hard to win over. I wanted them together solely because they could keep each other on their toes. (Well... maybe not Finn. I don't know if anyone could do that to him.) 

One other thing that really isn't a big issue is the fact that is takes Wendy a really long time to figure out things that were super obvious (in my opinion). 

That aside, I really did enjoy reading this book. I loved exploring the world and meeting all the different characters, along with discovering how their world functioned. All the titles and powers were absolutely fascinating and I'll definitely be reading this again whenever I need something to make me laugh or simply want something in the fantasy genre to read.

So yeah, there you go. 

Later loves!

Tansie G.

Tips For Writing a Good Best Friend

With my other post being about villains, I figured I could set aside my evilness (temporarily, of course) and bring out my sunshineyness (ignore spellcheck. this is a word.).

Alrighty. Think about your best friend. What do they do that gives them that title? For my BFF, it's because

1. She knows me almost as well as she knows herself.
2. She's always there for me.
3. Aaaaand she makes me laugh even when I'm trying to be mad. The impertinent turd.

And, of course, there are countless other reasons. I love my best friend to death. And the thing is-- we're almost polar opposites. Sure, opposites clash-- and believe me, we clash-- but we always forget about it in a few minutes. Or if it's serious, maybe an hour. We're trapped in the same house, so...we kinda have to band together. We're the only sane ones in our family. Survival is key.

BUT. My best friend and I are not the main topic of this post. Writing for best friends in general is.

Same as my Tips for Writing a Good Villain post a few days ago, I will be offering the tips in the form of questions.

Question #1: What personality meshes best with your MC?

You've got to make it believable. A person with a horrible temper is not going to get along with a prankster, or a person who likes to tease people just to see them get mad. I've got a bit of a temper and nothing makes me want to hurl my pillow across the room more than people who tease me relentlessly, even when I tell them to stop. When I glare at people who do that, I'm mentally putting duck tape over their mouth and tying their hands. Call my methods violent and possibly illegal, but I'm 100% sure that would work for making them shut up.

Why is the best friend the best friend?

This is a lot like the question of Why is my villain the villain? (Apparently, I like to come up with questions that make no sense.)

But seriously. Why are your MC and this other person best friends? Were their parents best friends before they were born, so they automatically spent gobs of time together? Did they meet during detention? Give them a backstory.

What do they have in common?

Common interests are often what get people talking in the first place. Dancing? Singing? Reading? Do they share hobbies? Favorite types of music? Favorite authors?

What's something they disagree about?

It doesn't have to be a huge issue unless you plan on a fight breaking out. If not, just make it something simple. It could be clothing styles, or how you rate a book. It could be anything.

How are they different?

Take me and my sis. When we read books where the characters make social interaction with a new person, my automatic reaction is to not trust that person in the least. I can't help it-- I just always expect the worst things to happen. My sister chooses to see the good. Not so much so that it's stupid-- she can tell when they're not what they show themselves to be-- but she gives them the chance to prove that they're good people.

This next bit just includes a few suggestions.

Give them inside jokes.

Make them argue. Best-Friendships aren't perfect.

last, but not least,

Make them close. Make them, like, sibling close. They're going to be around your MC a lot, so get to know them just as good as him/her.

Hope these help!

Later,

Tansie G.