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In writing, epithets ("the taller man"/"the blonde"/etc) are inherently dehumanizing, in that they remove a character's name and identity, and instead focus on this other quality.

Which can be an extremely effective device within narration!

They can work very well for characters whose names the narrator doesn't know yet (especially to differentiate between two or more). How specific the epithet is can signal to the reader how important the character is going to be later on, and whether they should dedicate bandwidth to remembering them for later ("the bearded man" is much less likely to show up again than "the man with the angel tattoo")

They can indicate when characters stop being as an individual and instead embody their Role, like a detective choosing to think of their lover simply as The Thief when arresting them, or a royal character being referred to as The Queen when she's acting on behalf of the state

They can reveal the narrator's biases by repeatedly drawing attention to a particular quality that singles them out in the narrator's mind

But these only work if the epithet used is how the narrator primarily identifies that character. Which is why it's so jarring to see a lot of common epithets in intimate moments-- because it conveys that the main character is primarily thinking of their lover/best friend/etc in terms of their height or age or hair color.

Art by Matsuo Hiromi

🎁 20 Random Writing/Art Prompts 🎁

Handy Man

Small Talk

Just a Bite

Pair Up

Cut Above

Bright Idea

In the Office

Shine a Light

Star Attraction

It's a Crime

All Talk

Meeting Place

You're the Boss

Taking Shape

Be Lucky

Safe Haven

Mail Bag

Keep Fit

Laundry List

Fire Fight

ℑ 𝔞𝔪 𝔰𝔬 𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔞𝔩

A princess and her crown

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went to those Red Gates

Ophelia by Friedrich Heyser

Hello hello! I love your blog and its really helping me get back into writing after an uncomfortably long burnout break. My question is how would you write a character slowly going insane because of their circumstances and the things they are forced to endure to go through them? Thank you so much in advance?

Hi, I'm so glad you've been finding it helpful! I went over some of this in a bit more detail in my previous post answering a similar question (how to write a character slowly going insane from their world going out of their control), but it won't hurt to address it again.

Have a Baseline:

When writing a character who is slowly going insane due to external factors and challenges, it's important to start by introducing your character at a point where they're relatively stable mentally, showing their personality, goals, and relationships to give a general idea of how their life normally was before the deterioration of their mental stability. This will allow the readers to see for themselves what changes and shifts occurred, as well as their consequences.

Stressors:

Identify the key events or circumstances that will gradually wear down your character's sanity—whether it be external factors (intense stress, a traumatic experience, isolation, facing a series of challenges they aren't equipped or prepared to handle), internal, or both. In any case, it's important to have a clear reason in place.

Internal Struggle:

As the character starts to feel more and more pressure and stress, the initial signs of distress will start to show, both in their thoughts and behaviour. Using internal monologue or stream-of-consciousness narration to show their mental state. It may start with the character questioning themselves and behaving irrationally, then change to risky or self-destructive behaviour as their perceptions become increasingly distorted.

Thanks for asking! Happy writing ❤

The Little Mermaid 🧜🏽‍♀️ concept Art.

These are pictures I took from a cinema book released in Japan to promote the film.

May Prompts

post-magic

around the corner

geometry

antlers

display

ginger

divine will

mitochondria

carapace

amazement

spouse

uprising

guard

taking control

local birds

a version of you

her

aftermath of the heartbreak

preacher

last fragments

bioluminescence

eastern

generational trauma

moss

squabble

oven

abandoned laboratory

young president

charlatan

softened memory

the other life