Sanders Sides BROTP One-Shots: EXPLAINED

Chapter 7: Harsh Storm

SPOILER ALERT!

Inspiration:

The inspiration for this story came from a random thought that popped into my head one day...What if Virgil had to physically strike Thomas or one of the Sides to get them out of harm's way? I took the idea and ran with it...very literally considering that up to this point the only story that was longer was The Pain of Assignment...and I had originally intended for this to be a very short story. Virgil was going to knock Thomas out of the way, the collapse would happen, he would apologize...and that would be it. Then I thought...hmm...but what if Virgil got caught in the collapse?! That being said, the story ended up being far longer than I had originally intended, and thus began my shtick of putting Virgil in situations where he almost dies...I didn't realize until recently that I had turned that into a trend in my stories...oops.

Overall Thoughts On Harsh Storm:

I actually really like this story; it is a good example of letting your mind run with a very brief idea. I personally felt that Harsh Storm marks the upward turn for my writing, I stopped being so fearful of conflict, I had more of a chance to take leaps, and my overall skill has improved. This is also the story where I think I finally started to get the characterization down (and I will explain why I think that is in the Writing Tips section.) In the end, this story (due to the fact that I took a drastic turn with it) actually ended up being one that I am rather proud of.

Writing Tips Based On Harsh Storm:

- Don't be afraid of taking a small idea and just running with it

· This is similar to going out of your comfort zone that I have mentioned in the past, but in this case, as I said, the original idea was one line. The only thing I had in my head when I began work on Harsh Storm was the scene where Virgil strikes Thomas, but as I went it blossomed into something much bigger than that. When it comes to a small idea, it can always develop into something much larger if you allow your mind to expand on it while you work

-Strenuous / Life or Death Situations

· This is something I discovered long ago in writing a completely different story, but what I realized is that when a character / characters are put under immense pressure, you have a lot more creative freedom. When anyone is put into a strenuous / life or death situation where anger, grief, fear, confusion, etc. is their drive it opens new doors. People react differently under pressure than they would at any other time, which allows for character development in a very short time frame, and to see emotions or reactions that you would otherwise not have.