the-five-stages-of-grief

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being unable to please your parents is such a trip because they're happy one moment and suddenly you're in your room crying because you don't know what you did wrong

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throwback to the time i smacked face first into a sliding screen door

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i love you

Your First Draft Is Supposed to Be Awful

Somewhere, in some cursed corner of the internet, a writer whispered the dangerous idea that your first draft should be… good. And like all bad ideas, it spread. Suddenly, everyone’s trying to make their draft read like it could be printed and shelved in the bookstore tomorrow. Which is ridiculous.

Your first draft isn’t a book. It’s… well, it’s barely even a thing. It’s the ugly braindump you slap down before the real work begins. The plot doesn’t make sense yet. Half the characters sound the same. There’s a paragraph in chapter six you don’t even remember writing. And that’s totally fine.

Right now, your only job is to get the story out of your head and onto a page before it rots in there. Forget about making it pretty or “good.” You’ll get to that later. <3

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um guys.....

Quick tips for writing character guilt

✦ they say “i’m fine” while very much not fine

✦ sleep?? never heard of her

✦ over-apologizing. like. for stuff that isn’t even their fault.

✦ avoiding eye contact like it owes them money

✦ saying “it doesn’t matter” about stuff that definitely matters

✦ having way too strong reactions to small things (aka the guilt jumpscare)

✦ doing “nice things” for people they hurt but refusing to talk about it

✦ being weirdly defensive when no one is accusing them of anything

✦ trying to “make it right” but like… secretly

✦ smiling when they should be upset because they Think They Deserve It

✦ punishing themselves in ways that are emotionally devastating but lowkey enough that no one notices

✦ DID I MENTION THE NOT SLEEPING THING???

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guys we're literally married i love him so much

and this is my baby

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HOW HOW HOW HOW HOW

tomorrow i will go to the gym and do my laundry. more imporantly chill and vibe :)

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"it's just a phase"

people saying "it's just a phase" are so silly because the definition of "phase" is "a distinct period or stage in a series of events or a process of change or development"

mf your life is "just a phase", in the grand scheme of things

why don't we put that theory to the test?????

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YESYESYESYES

done healing my inner child. next up is my inner teen. her highness demands a sword.

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on misery

"i'm going to choke on my misery" is one of the most raw things I've ever said and it was literally about being teased. i said it while smiling because i was exaggerating.

in reality, i think it describes perfectly what it feels like for your entire life to be falling apart. when you have no idea what is happening, why it's happening, and you feel like you're too young to be having an existential crisis.

you still are.

everything is splitting at the seams. i'm going to choke on my misery.

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but im not 20 something........................... guys...........

being 20-something is just constantly whispering “what the hell is going on” to yourself

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AHHHHHHHHH

Quick tips for writing kisses

⇰ the pause. THE PAUSE. like “are we doing this? oh god we’re doing this.”

⇰ looking at each other’s mouths like it’s a life-or-death decision

⇰ someone whispering “can I?” or “just once” before going for it and RUINING ME EMOTIONALLY

⇰ hands. gripping shirts. cupping faces. hovering like “do I touch?? I WANNA TOUCH”

⇰ breath hitching?? yes. shakiness?? absolutely.

⇰ that stupid moment where one of them pulls back a few inches like “wait are you sure” and the other just goes for it again

⇰ kissing like they’re scared it’ll be the last time

⇰ kissing like they’ve been waiting ten goddamn years

⇰ teeth clashing awkwardly and both laughing about it but STILL FEELING IT

⇰ one of them freezing for a second mid-kiss because the feelings just hit

⇰ the post-kiss moment of “uh. so. yeah.” where neither knows what the hell just happened

⇰ OR the post-kiss forehead touch. destroy me.

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please marry me

maybe i like my tech a little bit inconvenient

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ok girl i love you but you have to stop making your descriptions simp worthy because i am in love with the villain already.

Quick tips for writing Villains

✧ Your villain doesn’t have to be the foil of the hero. Sometimes the villain is the exaggeration of the hero. Same dream, just more murdery. More dramatic monologues. Less therapy.

✧ “Oh no, he’s hot” is valid. But why is he hot? Is it the danger? The voice? The haunted eyes? The “I will burn down heaven to see you smile” energy? Dig deeper than vibes. (But don’t forget the vibes.)

✧ If their evil plan could be solved by Google Maps and common sense, I’m deleting your book. No “I will destroy the world to get revenge on my high school crush.” Think bigger. Or weirder. Or petty but well-planned.

✧ If your villain is in the book for 12 seconds and dies offscreen, I will mail you a passive-aggressive letter. Let them be a presence. A shadow. A curse in the dialogue. A name no one wants to say out loud.

✧ They don’t have to be evil. They just have to be opposed. That mentor who believes the hero should sacrifice everything for the greater good? That’s a villain. That parent who loves their child but keeps hurting them “for their own safety”? That’s a villain. Welcome to nuance.

✧ If your villain is funny, I’m already 20% in love. Quips? Sass? Petty villain monologues? Excellent. Bonus points if they’re self-aware about how dramatic they’re being. “You didn’t think I’d actually fall into that lava pit, did you?” Icon.

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SOFT SPOKEN LEADER. OH MY GOSH. OOOOOH DEAR.

Flaws and Quirks in Male Characters That I’m BEGGING Writers to Explore

✧ Dudes who are bad at sports. Yes, Chad, not every male character needs to throw a perfect spiral in high school. Let him get hit in the face with a dodgeball. Let him (please) suck.

✧ The “pretty boy” who's not vain, just vibing. Like he knows he looks like he walked out of a Renaissance painting but has the self-esteem of a lost ferret.

✧ Shy, awkward boys who don’t magically become suave by Chapter 6. No, he’s still weird at parties and says “you too” when the waiter says “enjoy your meal.”

✧ Flirtatious guys who are actually super respectful. He's flirty but not a walking lawsuit. Shocker. He’s playful, not predatory.

✧ Male friendships that aren't emotionally constipated. Yes, two guys can say “I love you, bro” and not immediately punch each other to cancel it out.

✧ The soft-spoken leader. He doesn’t need to scream orders or have a “gruff, commanding voice.” He just talks, and people shut up and listen because he’s competent.

✧ Dudes with weird hobbies. like, your guy MC collect antique spoons or have a YouTube channel rating old vacuums. Why not. It’s his passion.

✧ Guys who are clingy and insecure in relationships. Not abusive, just genuinely terrified of being left on read for too long. He's trying his best, ok?

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OHHH MYYYY GOSHSHHH

soft vs hard love dialogue and prompts

➣ SOFT LOVE

♡ "you're cute when you're mad."

♡ soft shoulder kisses.

♡ "home is where you are, whether it is here, in the deepest ocean or hottest desert, you are my home."

♡ slow and curious first kiss, both characters seemingly nervous, blush painting their faces.

♡ stolen glances across the room.

♡ "the gods took their time with you."

♡ wearing their heart on their sleeves around each other.

♡ character A's face blushing as B smootheres them in compliments even years into their relationship with character B.

♡ quiet murmurs of affection.

♡ “i missed you.” “i was gone for two hours.”

♡ coffee shop and bookstore dates.

➣ HARD LOVE

♡ guttural rain confessions.*

♡ "do you not get it? every second i spend in the absence of your presence pains me."

♡ harsh and passionate first kisses.

♡ "i fucking yearn for you and you haven't so much as spared me a glance in years!"

♡ walls that they have each spent years building crumbling in the presence of one another.

♡ heated arguments turned into heated confessions.

♡ "i hate you! i hate you so much i can't bear to be near you." "you are walking a fine line between hate and desire, love."

♡ both being far too stubborn to admit their feelings, their hearts both caged deep within them.

♡ (years/months) of pent up emotions being aired in an argument and when the dust settles the only emotion left is their desire for each other.

♡ “do you think i want this? do you think i want to be stuck in this endless cycle of wanting you? do you truly think i enjoy waking up every morning realizing you’re not there?”

♡ tears spilling as they finally give in and proclaim their feelings.

♡ “i am not an easy person to love.” “i think i’ve got the hang of it.”

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS!!<3

* rain confessions coming soon !!

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ring size?

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

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"hey" and "no" right after each other is SOSOOSOoooooOOOOooOOOOOOOOO AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Found You Crying in the Middle of the Night... Dialogue Prompts

✧ "I—are you... crying? No, hey, it's okay. I'm not leaving."

✧ "Why didn’t you wake me up? I would've listened. I always listen."

✧ "You don’t have to do this alone, you know that, right?"

✧ "Did something happen, or is it just... everything?"

✧ "Is this the part where you tell me you’re 'fine'? 'Cause you're literally shaking."

✧ "You scared me. Just—sitting here. In the dark. Alone."

✧ "Talk to me. Yell at me. Cry into a pillow. I don’t care what it is—just do something."

✧ "You didn’t even turn the lights on. How long have you been like this?"

✧ "Hey. No. Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to break down. You’re supposed to break down sometimes."

✧ "Was it a nightmare? Or one of those waking ones your brain likes to loop at 2AM?"

✧ "You're not weak for crying. You're human. And frankly, overdue for a cry, if you ask me."

✧ "I’ll sit here. As long as you need. You don’t have to say anything."

✧ "...You want a hug or should I pretend I didn’t ask and awkwardly hover until you give in?"

✧ "You always take care of everyone else. Let someone take care of you for once."

✧ "Don’t do that. Don’t wipe your face and pretend I didn’t just see all of that. That wasn’t nothing."