aamccarthy

[aamccarthy]

to everyone who’s ever said something kind about my work: you help me get through the day. thank you.

[aamccarthy]

I have partial hearing loss in one ear. Subtitles in movies are the best. I want them for real life also ��

[aamccarthy]

reblog if you’re currently writing a book or if you someday hope to write a book.

[aamccarthy]

Writing Tip June 4th

A list of body language phrases.

I’ve included a very comprehensive list, organized by the type of body movement, hand and arm movements, facial expressions etc. In some cases, a phrase fits more than one heading, so it may appear twice. Possible emotions are given after each BL phrase unless the emotion is indicated within the phrase. (They are underlined for emphasis, not due to a hyperlink.)

Note: I’ve included a few body postures and body conditions as they are non-verbal testimony to the character’s physical condition.

Have fun and generate your own ideas.:-)

Eyes, Brows and Forehead

arched a sly brow:  sly, haughty

blinked owlishly:  just waking, focusing, needs glasses

brows bumped together in a scowl:  worried, disapproving, irritated

brows knitted in a frown: worried, disapproval, thoughtful

bug-eyed:  surprised, fear, horror

cocky wink and confident smile:  over confidence, arrogant, good humor, sexy humor

eyes burned with hatred: besides hatred this might suggest maniacal feelings

eyes flashed: fury, defiance, lust, promise, seduction

eyes rolled skyward: disbelief, distrust, humor

forehead puckered:  thoughtful, worried, irritation

frustration crinkled her eyes

gaze dipped to her décolletage: sexual interest, attraction, lust

gimlet-eyed/narrowed eyes: irritation, thoughtful, mean, angry

gleam of deviltry:  humor, conniving, cunning

kept eye contact but her gaze became glazed: pretending interest where there is none/bordom

narrowed to crinkled slits:  angry, distrust

nystagmic eyes missed nothing (constantly shifting eyes):  Shifty

pupils dilated:  interested, attraction to opposite sex, fear

raked her with freezing contempt

slammed his eyes shut:  stunned, furious, pain

squinted in a furtive manner:  fearful, sneaky

stared with cow eyes:  surprised, disbelief, hopeful, lovestruck

subtle wink:  sexy, humor/sharing a joke, sarcasm

unrelenting stare: distrust, demanding, high interest, unyielding

Place To Place, Stationary Or Posture

ambled away:  relaxed, lazy

barged ahead:  rude, hurried

battled his way through the melee:  desperate, anger, alarm

cruised into the diner:  easy-going, feeling dapper, confident

dawdled alongside the road:  lazy, deliberate delay for motives, unhurried, relaxed

dragged his blanket in the dirt:   sadness/depressed, weary

edged closer to him:  sneaky, seeking comfort, seeking protection, seeking an audience

he stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sudden interest, sexual attraction

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig: demonstrates physical condition – he has to pee

hips rolled and undulated:  sexy walk, exaggerating for sex appeal

hovered over them with malice/like a threatening storm: here it’s malice, but one may hover for many reasons.

hunched over to look shorter:  appear inconspicuous, ashamed of actions, ashamed of height

leaped into action feet hammering the marbled floor:  eager, fear, joyous

long-legged strides:  hurried, impatient

lumbered across:  heavy steps of a big man in a hurry

minced her way up to him: timid, sneaky, insecure, dainty or pretense at dainty

paced/prowled the halls:  worried, worried impatience, impatient, diligently seeking pivoted on his heel and took off:  mistaken and changes direction, following orders, hurried, abrupt change of mind, angry retreat

plodded down the road:  unhurried, burdened, reluctant

practiced sensual stroll:  sexy, showing off

rammed her bare foot into her jeans: angry, rushed

rocked back and forth on his heels: thoughtful, impatiently waiting

sagged against the wall:  exhausted, disappointment

sallied forth:  confident, determined

sashayed her cute little fanny:  confident, determined, angered and determined

shrank into the angry crowd:  fear, insecure, seeking to elude

sketched a brief bow and assumed a regal pose: confident, mocking, snooty, arrogant skidded to an abrupt halt: change of heart, fear, surprise, shock

skulked on the edges of the crowd: sneaky, ashamed, timid

slithered through the door:  sneaky, evil, bad intentions

stormed toward her, pulling up short when: anger with a sudden surprise

swaggered into the class room:  over confident, proud, arrogant, conceited

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

toe tapped a staccato rhythm:  impatience, irritation

tottered/staggered unsteadily then keeled over:  drunk, drugged, aged, ill

waltzed across the floor:  happy, blissful, exuberant, conceited, arrogant

Head Movement

cocked his head:  curiosity, smart-alecky, wondering, thoughtful

cocked his head left and rolled his eyes to right corner of the ceiling:  introspection

droop of his head: depressed, downcast, hiding true feelings

nodded vigorously: eager

tilted her head to one side while listening:  extreme interest, possibly sexual interest

Mouth And Jaw

a lackluster smile:  feigning cheerfulness

cigarette hung immobile in mouth: shock, lazy, uncaring, relaxed casualness

clinched his jaw at the sight:  angered, worried, surprised

curled her lips with icy contempt

expelled her breath in a whose:  relief, disappointment

gagged at the smell: disgust, distaste

gapped mouth stare:  surprised, shock, disbelief

gritted his teeth:  anger, irritation, holding back opinion

inhaled a sharp breath:  surprise, shock, fear, horror

licked her lips:  nervous, sexual attraction

lips primed: affronted, upset, insulted

lips pursed for a juicy kiss

lips pursed like she’d been chewing a lemon rind: dislike, angry, irritated, sarcasm

lips screwed into: irritation, anger, grimace, scorn

lips set in a grim line: sorrow, worried, fear of the worst

pursed her lips:  perturbed, waiting for a kiss

scarfed down the last biscuit:  physical hunger, greed

slack-mouthed:  total shock, disbelief

slow and sexy smile:  attraction, seductive, coy

smacked his lips: anticipation

smile congealed then melted into horror

smile dangled on the corner of his lips: cocky, sexy

smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder:  conceit, sarcasm, over confident

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: sarcasm, conceit

spewed water and spit: shock

stuck out her tongue: humor, sarcasm, teasing, childish

toothy smile:  eagerness, hopeful

wary smile surfaced on her lips

Nose

nose wrinkled in distaste/at the aroma

nostrils flared:  anger, sexual attraction

nose in the air:  snooty, haughty

Face in General

crimson with fury

handed it over shame-faced

jutted his chin: confident, anger, forceful

managed a deadpan expression:  expressionless

muscles in her face tightened:  unsmiling, concealing emotions, anger, worried

rested his chin in his palm and looked thoughtful

rubbed a hand over his dark stubble:  thoughtful, ashamed of his appearance

screwed up her face:  anger, smiling, ready to cry, could almost be any emotion

sneered and flicked lint off his suit: conceit, derision, scorn

Arm and Hand

a vicious yank

arm curled around her waist, tugging her next to him:  possessive, pride, protective

bit her lip and glanced away:  shy, ashamed, insecure

brandished his fist:  anger, threatening, ready to fight, confident, show of pride

clamped his fingers into tender flesh:  anger, protective, wants to inflict pain

clenched his dirty little fists: stubborn, angry

clapped her hands on her hips, arms crooked like sugar bowel handles:  anger, demanding, disbelief

constantly twirled her hair and tucked it behind her ear:  attracted to the opposite sex, shy crossed his arms over his chest: waiting, impatient, putting a barrier

crushed the paper in his fist:  anger, surrender, discard

dived into the food: hunger, eager, greedy

doffed his hat:  polite gesture, mocking, teasing

doodled on the phone pad and tapped the air with her foot:  bored, inattention, introspection

drummed her fingers on the desk:  impatient, frustrated, bored

fanned her heated face with her hands: physically hot, embarrassed, indicating attraction

fiddled with his keys: nervous, bored

firm, palm to palm hand shake:  confident, honest

flipped him the bird: sarcastic discard

forked his fingers through his hair for the third time:  disquiet/consternation, worry, thoughtful

handed it over shame-faced:  guilt, shame

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig:  physical need to relieve himself

limp hand shake:  lack of confidence, lack of enthusiasm

propped his elbow on his knee: relaxed, thoughtful

punched her pillow:  restless, can’t sleep, angry

rested his chin in his palm:  thoughful, worried

scratched his hairy belly and yawned:  indolent, bored, lazy, relaxed, just waking

shoulders lifted in a shrug:  doubtful, careless discard

slapped his face in front of God and country:  enraged, affronted/insulted

snapped a sharp salute:  respect, sarcastic gesture meaning the opposite of respect

snapped his fingers, expecting service:  arrogant, lack of respect, self-centered

sneered and flicked lint off his suit

spread her arms wide: welcoming,  joy, love

stabbed at the food: anger, hunger, determined

stood straighter and smoothed his tie:  sudden interest, possible sexual interest

stuffed his hands in his pockets: self-conscious, throwing up a barrier

sweaty handshake:  nervous, fearful

touched his arm several times while explaining:  sign of attraction, flattery, possessive

wide sweep of his arms:  welcoming, all inclusive gesture, horror

Sitting or Rising

collapsed in a stupor:  exhausted, drunk, drugged, disbelief

enthroned himself at the desk:  conceit, pronouncing or taking ownership

exploded out of the chair:  shock, eager, anger, supreme joy

roosted on the porch rail like a cock on a hen house roof:  claiming ownership, conceit, content

sat, squaring an ankle over one knee:  relaxed and open

slouched/wilted in a chair and paid languid attention to:  drowsy, lazy, depressed, disinterest, sad, totally relaxed, disrespectful

squirmed in his chair: ill at ease, nervous, needs the bathroom

Recline

flung himself into the bed: sad, depressed, exhausted, happy

prostrated himself: surrender, desperate, miserable, powerless, obsequious, fawning, flattering

punched her pillow:  can’t sleep, anger, frustrated

threw himself on the floor kicking and screaming: tantrum

Entire body and General

body stiffened at the remark:  offended, anger, alerted

body swayed to music:  dreamy, fond memories, enjoys the music

bounced in the car seat, pointing:  excitement, fear, eager

cowered behind his brother:  fear, shyness, coward, desperate

curled into a ball:  sorrow, fear, sleepy, defensive

heart galloping:  anxiety, joy, eager

held his crotch and danced a frantic jig

humped over his cane, each step shaking and careful: pain, aged

inhaled a deep breath and blew out slowly: buying time to find words/thoughtful, reconciled

quick and jerky like rusty cogs on a wheel:  unsure of actions, self-conscious, tense, edgy

rocked back and forth on his heels:  impatient, cocky, gleeful

manhandled the woman into a corner:  bully, anger

slumped shoulders: defeat, depressed, sad, surrender

stiff-backed:  priggish, haughty, affronted

stood straighter and straightened his tie:  sexual interest, wants to make an impression

stooped and bent: aged, arthritic, in pain

stretched extravagantly and yawned:  tired, bored, unconcerned

sweating uncontrollably: nervous, fear, guilt

tall erect posture:  confidence, military bearing

was panting now at:  afraid, exhausted, out of breath, sexual excitement

-Sharla Rae

[aamccarthy]

Let's talk about mynoise.net

Have you ever been listening to Rainymood and thought, “Yeah, this is good … but it would be nice if I could customize the sound more, or if there was a little more choice.

Let me introduce you to MyNoise.

MyNoise is a customizable sounscape looper with so many options, even within each soundscape.  So say, for instance, you really love rain sounds when you write or study or relax.  Anything.  I know I’m a big fan of rain sounds.  They have a page for that.

But say you like really high, pattery rain, and LOTS of low thunder.  Here’s where MyNoise really stands out: you can customize that.  See those sliders with all the cute colors?  That is your equalizer. You can adjust the levels based on what you want to hear more and less of.  Here’s how it looks when you want high, pattery rain and low, rumbly thunder:

But say rain isn’t really your jam.  Say you want something a little more ambient, a little more background noise-y.  Something with people.  Well, they have customizable coffee house chatter that even has the levels listed for things like “kitchen,” “babble,” and “table”:

Or say you miss the ocean.

Or say you miss your cat.

Or say you miss your spaceship.

Or say you miss the dungeon where you and your team of scalawag adventurers used to explore and face off against, say, dragons.  In the dungeon.

This site is seriously so helpful, and those are just a fraction of every kind of sounscape the site has to offer.  The best part is that if you want to layer it with music (for instance, I’ll layer a playlist + rain + coffee shop if the scene I’m writing takes place in a coffee shop), you can adjust the master volume, meaning all of your layers stay at their respective volumes, just louder or quieter.

Enjoy!

[aamccarthy]

To all writers, poets, photographers, musicians, artists, etc:

It is not said enough. Thank you so much for pouring your emotions, experiences, thoughts, and energy into your original works. Your masterpieces never fail to transport me to another place, whether it be emotional, physical, or cognitive. I also get a sense of who you are and it is remarkable witnessing your own growth through your creations. You all inspire me in myriad aspects of life for which I am extremely grateful. I recognize and appreciate the courage it takes to share yourselves through art, and I am eager to read/view/hear what you create next! The world would be anemic without you. Stay extraordinary :)

[aamccarthy]

[aamccarthy]

😉

reblog if you want more interaction w your lovely followers

[aamccarthy]

Airtable for Novel Writing

Has anyone else discovered Airtable as a way to organize your wips? I love my Scrivener, but sometimes I just need a good ol’ Excel spreadsheet to keep organized. 

Airtable is a beautiful hybrid of Google Sheets and Trello—and it’s totally free.

Airtable offers unlimited workspaces and the ability to view information in different ways. Want it just to a spreadsheet? Great, there’s Grid View and the ability to filter and sort a dozen different ways. Want some color? Use Gallery View—upload images to your heart’s content. Need to see a calendar? Insert some dates and boom, baby.

Airtable even has a bunch of templates for novel writing, screenwriting, etc. Go nuts.

I’m using it to organize my wips by universe: 

If you’re like me and you get overwhelmed by your story ideas if you don’t stay on top of them—Airtable might be for you.

[aamccarthy]

Writers: please,,,,,, give us one (1) comment,,,,, one small crumb of validation,,,,,

Readers, hitting us w brooms and hissing: ❤

[aamccarthy]

I'm terrible at writing one shots but I can really appreciate when one is well done like this. I love it!

The vampire smiled at me from across the ballroom, blood still staining his teeth.

"You realize you can't kill me with that." He gestures to the revolver I have pointed at him. "I'm immortal."

"You make it sound like I should care." I reply, as I open up a hole between his eyes. The force of the shot knocks him on his back, and it's quiet.

A chuckle fills the room.

"You are brave." He comments as he flips himself upright. "Your blood will keep me nourished for a long time." He manages a few steps before I get another shot in him.

He stays standing this time, a glazed look over his eyes before he recovers again.

"Little girl, your not going to save yourself." He chuckles, getting closer now. Another shot. Dead eyes that flash with anger when he's back. "You insolent child." He rages, now racing to me.

I fire twice more before he slams me into the wall. My gun is forced down, pressing against his chest. Perfect.

"Anything to say? Or will you let me feed in peace?" He growls now. I smile brightly and lean toward his ear.

"Silver bullet." I whisper. His eyes grow wide as I pull the trigger and fill his heart with the purest metal.

[aamccarthy]

Things to Consider when Creating a Magic System

What are the drawbacks of using magic? Does it have mental, physical, and/or emotional consequences for the user?

What tools are needed to harness magic? Wands? Spells? Magical artifacts?

How do people learn magic? Instinct? In school? From family members?

Can everyone use magic or are only certain people capable of using it?

Is the capability to use magic hereditary? What about different ways of using magic (transformation powers, teleportation, etc.)?

What is impossible for magic to do?

How long does it take to master different magical skills?

Can creatures other than humans learn magic? Are different creatures better at using different kinds of magic?

Does it require spells to be spoken, written, or thought?

Is it possible for someone to lose their magical abilities?

How do characters’ emotions affect their ability to use magic? Do their emotions affect the magic’s intensity or controllability? 

How does the strength of a person’s magical abilities change as they age?

Can people normally perform any kind of magic or can they only perform things that fall under their specialty? Are their exceptions?

What rules restrict magic use in society?

How do people’s magical abilities impact their career prospects?

What kinds of magic are the most feared or seen as the most powerful? Which are seen as mere jokes?

How do people use magic to help with everyday tasks?

Can magical energy be stored for later use?

What objects or other factors can amplify someone’s magical powers?

When do magical abilities initially manifest? From birth? At a certain age? Under certain conditions?

What is the first spell a character is likely to learn?

What happens if a spell is performed incorrectly? Nothing at all? A weaker version of the intended results? Pain?

Can different spell casting methods be used to obtain the same result? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

[aamccarthy]

Good for those who are trying to write around the size of a mansion in their fiction

Random mansion generator

The Procgen Mansion Generator produces large three-dee dwellings to toy with your imagination, offering various architectural styles and other options. Each mansion even comes with floorplans:

https://boingboing.net/2019/07/12/random-mansion-generator.html

[aamccarthy]

Once again, spite conquers all.

[aamccarthy]

I'd probably benefit from deliberate practice, as in that I can measure in some way (privately) how well I did. Like, how a piano player practices repeating chords or the same section of a music piece again and again. But I have no idea HOW to practice WRITING because there's almost only advice what to do, no concrete ideas or tips for actual exercises. It's very frustrating. Do you maybe have something in mind if I may ask?

The reason it’s so difficult to find something concrete for practicing writing is because there is no concrete way to measure whether you did well or not. There is no rubric out there or scale to measure “good” vs. “bad” writing. Success and failure to achieve something in writing is entirely subjective and based both on yourself and how you feel it went, as well as your audience’s perception of whether you did it well, which is entirely based on each individual’s personal preference. How do you put personal preference on a rubric?

To use your own metaphor, playing an instrument is a much more definable art with a definitive good and bad–you either hit the notes or you don’t–with a more subjective portion that comes in later–infusing feeling into the notes. Writing’s objective portion is simply the grammar and spelling of it. Literally everything else about it is subjective. The practice of a piano player is repetition, and the player can see the improvement as they hit more notes consistently. Writing’s practice is also repetition, but that repetition is found in the literal act of writing itself. By writing–writing anything–you are practicing the craft.

Looking for specific exercises on the internet is tough because of this very reason: the exercises are simply writing. Trying to write, again and again. Trying to capture a feeling or a story or a mood, again and again. That’s practice. There are some specific exercises in creative writing textbooks, but for the most part, it’s up to you to choose an aspect of writing that you want to improve, and then write with that aspect in mind, observe what makes that aspect function, and see if you can bring that particular aspect out on the page.

Maybe you choose tone. First you have to know what tone is, and how it’s different than mood. Once you know what makes tone apparent on the page, your job is to sit down and write. Write with the express purpose of showing tone on the page.

Maybe you choose setting. You have to know what aspect of setting you want to focus on. Is it that you want to do a better job of bringing the senses out in your descriptions of settings? Or do you want to practice weaving settings through interspersed details in a scene, rather than info-dump-style descriptions? Or something else? Then sit down, maybe with a prompt to get you started, and write with that focus in mind.

Maybe you choose character development. Decide what part of character development you want to improve. Are you trying to do better at conveying emotion? Are you focusing on how to write romance between characters? Are you interested in improving how you share a character’s backstory through context clues rather than info-dumps? Sit down and write a scene that allows you to showcase these types of developments in characters and see how you do with it.

These exercises are basically free-writing with little-to-no intention of turning them into full stories. They’re drabbles or vignettes where you try to bring out a particular part of writing. The easiest way to see if you succeeded with your objective of showcasing a specific subject of the writing craft is to share it with someone else and see how they react. Otherwise, it’s up to you to read through it again and see whether you like what you’ve done. If not, do it again. And again. And again. And then write stories, and write more, and more. The only way to improve is by literally going out and writing.

Mostly, you’re going to find what you’re looking for in creative writing textbooks and help guides like the two Glimmer Train Guide to Writing Fiction books (x, x) and others, but here are some exercises I’ve done to help improve certain things in my own writing:

Dialogue:

> Go sit in a public place and listen to a conversation. Transcribe it as exactly as you can. Rewrite the conversation as a scene.          > This exercise focuses on: Observing how “realistic dialogue” in narrative differs from actual, real-life conversations.

> Write one side of a conversation. Make sure that the audience understands what’s being said on the unheard side of the conversation without ever repeating what the other side says.          > This exercise focuses on: How to relay information to an audience through context clues and implication.

> Write a wordless conversation. Consider how people communicate back and forth with each other without ever speaking a word.          > This exercise focuses on: How body language can be used to convey meaning and emotion.

> Write an argument by the end of which it becomes clear the characters are not actually arguing about what’s on the surface.          > This exercise focuses on: Writing subtext and the human tendency to speak in doubletalk.

> Write a conversation that does not use tags. Focus on making it clear to the audience who is speaking, how many people are a part of the conversation, and an impression of what their life is like. Try not to resort to literal introductions.          > This exercise focuses on: How to bring out the voices and history of various characters through their spoken words.

Setting:

> A character encounters the most mouthwatering smell they’ve ever had the pleasure of smelling. Describe it.          > This exercise focuses on: How to integrate the often forgotten sense of smell into descriptions and its impact on people.

> A character walks into not just a spooky house, but an absolutely terrifying one. Make the audience feel the fear.          > This exercise focuses on: Conveying the mood of a setting and how to integrate emotion not only into a story but into the audience.

> Alternatively, the house isn’t spooky or terrifying, but it is horrific. What changes about the scene, and how do you convey that difference to the audience?          > This exercise focuses on: Also conveying mood and emotion, but also being specific with the emotions and feeling of a place, and how to differentiate between similar ones.

> A character is overcome with nostalgia. Help the audience understand the nostalgia while also feeling the profound loss or difference between the memory and the reality.           > This exercise focuses on: Integrating character history into description of a place, emotion, a sense of time.

> Write a scene in which a blind character arrives at a new location. Use their senses other than sight to describe what’s around them and where they might be.           > This exercise focuses on: Using senses other than the typical fall-back of sight.

Character Development:

> Find an old picture in an online archive, but don’t read the description. Write a scene about who the people in the photograph are, what led them to this moment, and where they’re headed next. What’s their fate?           > This exercise focuses on: Imagining character through visual input, inferring details about them, and conveying those through story.

> Alternatively, find a portrait or painting and write a scene in which the painter is the main character. What is the person who painted this art like? What were they thinking about when working on this piece? What kind of conflicts may they have been facing at the time of its painting?          > This exercise focuses on: Imagining character by examining their actions/things they’ve made.

> Write a scene from the perspective of an unreliable narrator where what truly happened is quite different than what the narrator tells the audience occurred.          > This exercise focuses on: The use of narration and how it can influence the story and what the audience understands about what’s going on.

> Write a thank you letter for an unwanted gift; the gift is a work of art. Focus on conveying the character of the person penning the letter. Who are they? How do they handle the situation? What will they do with this gift? What do they think of the person who sent it?          > Step it up: Write another from a character who received the same gift but has an entirely different reaction to it.          > This exercise focuses on: Conveying voice and character by looking at reactions, words, and attitudes.

> Write a scene in which a character reacts to an event in the opposite way one might expect and takes action in an unexpected manner. Focus on how you can convey the character’s reasons for their actions, pertinent backstory, and motivation without allowing the narrator to outright state anything.          > This exercise focuses on: Character motivations and how they can drastically change what a character is willing to do, how they react to things, and yet can still be in character.

Craft:

> Find a non-comedic scene in Shakespeare and rewrite it to be comedic.          > This exercise focuses on: Tone and how a writer’s diction can influence how a scene is perceived by the audience.

> Rewrite a poem as prose, focusing on steering the outcome toward something different.          > This exercise focuses on: How syntax and diction can change what something is about, despite using the same or similar words.

> Practice writing first lines that immediately draw audiences in to the story. Focus on how you impart information about the coming story to the audience through situation, setting, characters, potential conflict, point of view, distance, tone, etc.          > This exercise focuses on: Context clues and catching the eye of the audience.

> Write a scene told from a point of view you are uncomfortable with, or from a different psychic distance than you prefer.         > This exercise focuses on: Stretching the writing muscles we let atrophy simply because we don’t prefer them, and testing what’s possible with different tools.

> Write a scene in which a character discovers an Important Item they had been told about, but now they don’t recognize it or don’t realize its significance.         > This exercise focuses on: Foreshadowing and how context clues can inform the reader without necessarily cluing in the character.

Challenge Mode:

> Write a story at least 350 words long in which you may only use pronouns 3 times.

> Pick a concept or subject you know little about. Explain it in 100 words or less.

> Generate a list of random words by writing the first 10 (or so) words that come to mind. Write a scene or short story using all the listed words.          > Step it up: Use the words in the story in the order they appear on the list.

> A character stands at a crossroad. North is the future, south is the past, east is fear, and west is ambition. Write a scene in which the character sees what awaits them on these paths and contemplates what each means to them.

> Write a dream sequence in which the dream transforms objects. Make the transformations seem entirely normal.          > Step it up: Don’t let the audience know it’s a dream.

Resources:

100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Fiction Authors from reedsy50 Fantastic Creative Writing Exercises from bookfoxWhat If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Anne Bernays and Pamela PainterCreative Writing Exercises For Dummies by Maggie Hamand

[aamccarthy]

25 Ways To Become A Better Writer

1. Takes notes of funny or interesting things you hear people say

2. Make lots of lists

3. Write down ideas, even if they don’t really fit into your story. They may be useful later

4. Stay organized

5. Watch an old movie for inspiration

6. Listen to music that fits the mood of your chapter while you write

7. If you remember your dreams, write them down

8. Learn a new word every day

9. Use a thesaurus

10. Take breaks

11. Don’t force yourself to write “2,000 words a day” or whatever. Some days will just be bad writing days. Others will be great

12. Don’t beat yourself up

13. If its a bad chapter, don’t delete it. Take a break, then come back to it and edit it

14. Look at pictures of landscapes or scenes online. It will help you vividly describe what your story looks like

15. Read other’s work for ideas

16. Get feedback from others

17. Bounce plot ideas back and forth with your friends or other writers

18. Write when you feel comfortable, and not rushed

19. If you really like something that others don’t, you should still consider keeping it in your story

20. Write down a few sentences explaining what your chapter is going to be about before you write it

21. Don’t force it

22. Drink something hot while writing

23. Let yourself daydream

24. Stop comparing your work to others

25. Seek another respective

[aamccarthy]

If you're reading this...

go write three sentences on your current writing project.