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PDown It's easy, mmkay? Since: Jan, 2012
It's easy, mmkay?
#1: Sep 18th 2011 at 1:56:29 PM

Do you have any Arc Words in your story? If so, what significance do they have?

In my story, the Arc Words are "Sometimes, your ideas win and you lose." This fits into the overall theme of the story, which is about a Reality Warper who, doomed by his lack of problem-solving skills, is ironically pushed through a Humiliation Conga of his own thoughts.

At first I didn't realize I needed all this stuff...
USAF713 I changed accounts. from the United States Since: Sep, 2010
I changed accounts.
#2: Sep 18th 2011 at 2:06:12 PM

"Fall away..."

edited 18th Sep '11 2:10:26 PM by USAF713

I am now known as Flyboy.
annebeeche watching down on us from by the long tidal river Since: Nov, 2010
watching down on us
#3: Sep 18th 2011 at 2:11:03 PM

"There are no words." shows up in multiple works, and is used to express gratitude that a family member is safe, or sympathy for a loss.

It is a very ambiguous phrase that expresses an emotion rather than an idea.

Banned entirely for telling FE that he was being rude and not contributing to the discussion. I shall watch down from the goon heavens.
alethiophile Shadowed Philosopher from Ëa Since: Nov, 2009
Shadowed Philosopher
#4: Sep 18th 2011 at 3:58:36 PM

Several of my concepts have Arc Words, but none of my current (two) actually-partly-written stories. The ones I've thought of include "to be defended and protected" and "mask on his face, mask in his mind". Those are, well, fairly transparent, but they take on new meanings as the stories progress.

Shinigan (Naruto fanfic)
feotakahari Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer from Looking out at the city Since: Sep, 2009
Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer
#5: Sep 18th 2011 at 4:26:07 PM

I tend to have a single word that keeps appearing in different contexts, like "pain" or "hero." I once tried to use a longer phrase ("Are you afraid?"), but I could only find two places where it fit.

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful
MajorTom Eye'm the cutest! Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Eye'm the cutest!
#6: Sep 18th 2011 at 4:33:03 PM

"One day". (Often coupled with a following statement like "One day you/we/I/<insert pronoun here> will X" )

"Allah may guide their bullets, but Jesus helps those who aim down the sights."
KyleJacobs from DC - Southern efficiency, Northern charm Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#7: Sep 18th 2011 at 4:58:14 PM

Kind of. For one thing, the name of the story (Remus) shows up occasionally in the work. Also, 17 shows up as an arc number A LOT for reasons that I won't reveal at this time.

edited 18th Sep '11 5:04:36 PM by KyleJacobs

RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
FreezairForALimitedTime Responsible adult from Planet Claire Since: Jan, 2001
Responsible adult
#9: Sep 18th 2011 at 9:45:57 PM

I haven't yet done the sort of story that can really use arc words effectively, I think. Arc words, to me, feel kind of "prophecy-y," and I don't generally do prophecies or that sort of thing.

But I might try to work some into my Na No Wri Mo project. Maybe something like, "We're the three worlds" or something like that.

"Proto-Indo-European makes the damnedest words related. It's great. It's the Kevin Bacon of etymology." ~Madrugada
Forzare Reason and Madness from Hinamizawa Since: Sep, 2011
Reason and Madness
#10: Sep 19th 2011 at 6:52:12 AM

I have "The gate opens."

Nil, a new sci-fi/horror story that you should read and review! (Updated 4/something) ''The gate opens.
MisterAlways Go away. from The Netherlands. Since: Jan, 2001
Go away.
#11: Sep 19th 2011 at 7:30:16 AM

"Blooming Lotus", Lotus Alpha" and Lotus Omega" are arc words in the thing I'm currently writin'.

Always touching and looking. Piss off.
AwayLaughing Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: In another castle
#12: Sep 19th 2011 at 10:44:44 AM

I admit, I love arc words. I once wrote a story just so I could use those words within the text.

Yeah.

The ones that stand out are, "we've been here before" and "I am as I was made/we are as we were made/you are as you were made". Both are always said by the same person in their respective stories.

edited 19th Sep '11 10:45:26 AM by AwayLaughing

Ookamikun This is going to be so much fun. from the lupine den Since: Jan, 2001
This is going to be so much fun.
#13: Sep 20th 2011 at 12:01:59 AM

I guess I'm different, since I am quite indifferent towards the trope and sometimes find it too forceful and distracting to a work.

Death is a companion. We should cherish Death as we cherish Life.
tropetown Since: Mar, 2011
#14: Sep 20th 2011 at 12:07:32 AM

If they're done in a really ironic or poignant way, Arc Words can really draw me into a story. If only I were better at writing dialogue... oh well.

edited 20th Sep '11 12:07:50 AM by tropetown

Night The future of warfare in UC. from Jaburo Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
The future of warfare in UC.
#15: Sep 20th 2011 at 12:10:14 AM

Somebody is going to read In The Service and assume I'm invoking this. I'm not. I'm not even intentionally title-dropping.

Like Ookamikun, I'm really rather indifferent to this trope. I'm actually inclined to a vague contempt, because I tend to think of it as the writer going "oooh look at me, I am so clever, see how clever I am?" And I really don't tolerate the writer being detectable in the story well.

Nous restons ici.
CJCroen1393 Pokemon Trainer from The Western Interior Seaway Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
Pokemon Trainer
#16: Mar 3rd 2012 at 8:47:34 PM

In my unpublished shonen ai novel Crushed there's "am I in love?", "I am free" and all variations. I was wondering, can you have arc words in a romantic dramady? Especially since it's in such a normal setting. Oh well. There will also be a system to their use:

  • Book 1: "Am I in love?" will be said first by Toby when he starts to get a crush on Jack. Jack will say it after realizing that he's in love with Toby and wondering if, after trying and failing with so many people (male and female) he's finally found someone. "I am free" will be said after Toby comes out of the closet and Jack after hooking up with Toby and finally becoming a one-man-man.
  • Book 2 will probably only feature "I am free".
  • Book 3 will feature "Am I in love" uttered by Jack in a flashback to his childhood when he met his Closet Key (well, closet of bisexuality) for the first time. "I am free" will be uttered after he comes to terms with said closet key's death.
  • Book 4 will feature "Am I in love" for Tyler and Kevin, and "I am free" when Tyler comes out of the closet, Kevin is released from his abusive boyfriend's grasp and Lydia goes through her transition.
  • Not sure about books 5-8.

I also want to put them in some of my other works but I don't think I can. However, I'm putting Arc Symbols in The Raven Prince (a lot of bird related imagery) and an Arc Number in Sins Vs Virtues ("7" as in 7 deadly sins and 7 heavenly virtues).

edited 3rd Mar '12 9:01:38 PM by CJCroen1393

FallenLegend Lucha Libre goddess from Navel Of The Moon. Since: Oct, 2010
Lucha Libre goddess
#17: Mar 3rd 2012 at 9:00:59 PM

"Justice"

Make your hearth shine through the darkest night; let it transform hate into kindness, evil into justice, and loneliness into love.
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#18: Mar 3rd 2012 at 9:17:55 PM

New Dawn:

Book 1:

  • "I will defend you."

  • "The world is made of lies."

Book 2

  • "Come with me to the end of the world."

  • "Time...to change things."

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.
feotakahari Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer from Looking out at the city Since: Sep, 2009
Fuzzy Orange Doomsayer
#19: Mar 3rd 2012 at 11:43:07 PM

Since I last posted here, I wrote a story for which I did manage to use an arc phrase—sort of. In full, it would be "What all of us deserve is to be punished," but it's always phrased with at least two of those words missing ("All of us deserve to be punished," "It's what we all deserve," etc.) as different characters learn the phrase and adapt it for their own use. (Not all of them have quite the same perspective on what it really means.)

edited 3rd Mar '12 11:44:02 PM by feotakahari

That's Feo . . . He's a disgusting, mysoginistic, paedophilic asshat who moonlights as a shitty writer—Something Awful
TheSkeletalGent Since: Jul, 2012
YuriStrike 熊熊熊熊! from I'm telling nobody! Since: Nov, 2011
熊熊熊熊!
#21: Mar 4th 2012 at 6:36:03 PM

Story#1: "Protect what is precious to you."

Story#2: "The world has been worse."

Story#3: "Mother nature doesn't like it. "

╮(╯_╰)╭
LastHussar The time is now, from the place is here. Since: Jul, 2009
The time is now,
#22: Mar 4th 2012 at 7:27:45 PM

The idea of promises being made by Gabriel. Hopefully this re-occurrence, and what it means, will be picked up by the reader when Lucy makes a promise (The last one, and the only one not made by Gabriel)

"Half a lifetime" used literally in flashback ("It was, as he said, half a lifetime ago"), and metaphorically ("What felt like half a lifetime")

I was originally going to call it "Half a lifetime", but changed to "Promises" when I realised a promise was the McGuffin (Though this is the first time I've thought of it as such).

Also four chapters from the end it is revealed why he is sometimes 'Gabriel' and sometimes 'Gabe'. Once you know why you can understand what he is thinking through the book.

Do the job in front of you.
Nightmare24 Since: Dec, 2010
#23: Mar 7th 2012 at 7:36:11 PM

"There are only two options. Two choices. Loyalty, or treason. Make your choice."

That phrase is said by a couple of people through the course of the story, in similar contexts.

"I am not human. I am not an animal. I am both."

It's pretty much one character who says this, but that's the core of her arc.

http://www.fictionpress.com/s/3007268/4/The_Legion_of_Justice Superheroes! What could go wrong?
angrypwnzer The Doctor is in(sane)! Since: Jan, 2011
The Doctor is in(sane)!
#24: Mar 13th 2012 at 4:20:56 AM

"I'm not afraid of you!" "Man is held captive by his own rational thinking. In madness, he shall be freed." "And all the world shall laugh in the embrace of insanity" "You aren't who you say you are."

I have the urge to dissect you now...
Mukora Uniocular from a place Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: I made a point to burn all of the photographs
Uniocular
#25: Mar 22nd 2012 at 3:42:52 PM

I didn't notice it at first, but "Is that the truth?" seems to show up a lot in the story I'm currently writing.

For reference, I'm only three chapters in.

"It's so hard to be humble, knowing how great I am."

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