annaswrites

[annaswrites]

So uh . . . I think I’ll be changing up my villain’s sword a bit. 

i really don't understand the expression "a double-edged sword" because you get double the sword? that's like, the opposite of a problem???

[annaswrites]

I feel called out. 

How I think I’m writing: Using eye contact, or lack thereof, to display emotions such as intimacy, shock, denial, or nervousness. 

How I’m actually writing: She looked at me, and I looked away. I tried to look back, but she was already looking at the sky. “Look,” she sighs, looking back at me for a split second. “I don’t know how to say this.” We looked at each other and time stopped, but then she looked her lookers at something else to look at, looking tired. 

[annaswrites]

IF YOUR HIGH FANTASY WORLD HAS ELVES BUT NO BLACK PEOPLE IT IS TRASH

[annaswrites]

my dad–also a writer–came to visit, and i mentioned that the best thing to come out of the layoff is that i’m writing again. he asked what i was writing about, and i said what i always do: “oh, just fanfic,” which is code for “let’s not look at this too deeply because i’m basically just making action figures kiss in text form” and “this awkward follow-up question is exactly why i don’t call myself a writer in public.”

he said, “you have to stop doing that.”

“i know, i know,” because it’s even more embarrassing to be embarrassed about writing fanfic, considering how many posts i’ve reblogged in its defense.

but i misunderstood his original question: “fanfic is just the genre. i asked what you’re writing about.” 

i did the conversational equivalent of a spinning wheel cursor for at least a minute. i started peeling back the setting and the characters, the fic challenge and the specific episode the story jumps off from, and it was one of those slow-dawning light bulb moments. “i’m writing about loneliness, and who we are in the absence of purpose.”

as, i imagine, are a lot of people right now, who probably also don’t realize they’re writing an existential diary in the guise of getting television characters to fuck. 

“that’s what you’re writing. the rest is just how you get there, and how you get it out into the world. was richard iii really about richard the third? would shakespeare have gotten as many people to see it if it wasn’t a story they knew?”

so, my friends: what are you writing about?

[annaswrites]

Yeah so you can pry me describing my characters’ eye colors out of my cold dead hands bye.

[annaswrites]

THIS THIS THISSSS

Is it just me, but do you sometimes not want to write a concept or plot so much as write an aesthetic? Like, I just want to write about a small town in the American south, or about an eerie shadow road. I don’t have, or desire, plots for those stories, but I have the vibe of them. And that’s all I want

[annaswrites]

[annaswrites]

Cake, Fairy Princes, and Other Lies I’ve Told

I’m still laughing with mine XD

via Drunk Austen on Facebook

[annaswrites]

Sorry to sort of hi-jack this for my writer followers: If you want an example of a brilliantly written, brilliantly acted, deeply complicated character, who is simultaneously a villain, a monster, a friend, a lover, a human being, watch this show. Mads performance is subtle, mind blowing, and adds such depth to Hannibal’s already complicated character.  This is how you write a villain your audience will love. Pure evil is not bad (Voldemort anyone? Love Voldemort.) but it’s so common. If you want a more complicated, interesting villain, this is a wonderful example on how to go about that. As a writer, I am in awe of this show, and the incredible, inspired work each actor and writer and everyone else did to pull this masterpiece together. 

- Bryan Fuller, 3x04 Aperitivo commentary

“The tear is actually Hannibal’s, because you come back from that tear and you see Jack is not crying. So that’s to suggest that Hannibal did have a genuine, authentic emotional attachment to Bella, and he was absolutely sincere when he wrote this note to Jack.”

[annaswrites]

Also have you actually TRIED RUNNING in snow that comes up even to just your ankles? It’s HARD! It’s so much extra work for your legs. That stuff cronches and sticks to your shoes and your trousers and if it’s wet enough it will start to PACK ITSELF onto any fabric it keeps coming in contact with. And it’s effing heavy. SO GOOD LUCK EVERYBODY!  Also you better hope to God the moon isn’t out or you’re just gonna be this blackish smudge beacon in a sea of glowing white. 

Anyone who has ever written a “we’re running from our pursuers in the snow” fic–

You leave a huge goddamn trail in snow. Folks can see where you went. 

[annaswrites]

this might actually be possible for me...

in 👏 2019 👏 we 👏 finish👏 our 👏 WIPs 👏

[annaswrites]

7 Worldbuilding Tips

I. Diversity exists, everywhere

II. Multiple religions and languages can and should exist in the same area

III. No info dumps or any of the Exposition Monologues

IV. Magic and powers should have limits and rules, whether the characters know them specifically or not

V. Know how the world accommodates (or doesn’t) for people with disabilities because… they certainly exist

VI. Figure out not only the advances in technology but also its availability to different people

VII. Always a good idea to know how messages are sent and information is shared

[annaswrites]

I know it’s not writing related, but I have commissions open. I do original characters! :) 

Hey everyone! I’m opening up a handful of commissions.  Additional info = background or foreground  as seen a half of these is an additional 10$. Also for an additional 5-10$ (Depends on if you’re international or stateside) I will ship traditional pieces!  Both digital and traditional pieces will be emailed with large resolution Jpegs for prints you can do yourself. (Not to sell, for personal use.) 

Please PM if you have any questions!  And please reblog if you can. I’d appreciate it so much! Cheers!

[annaswrites]

use comic sans to write

i hate this so much but this knowledge is too powerful to keep from you all.

last night @phaltu discovered that setting your font to comic sans in google docs improves writing speed and creativity by an insane amount. “no” i said and “die” but then i tried it and god. i wish it wasn’t this way. i wish it wasn’t true. i wish i could protect you all from this but it’s real. 

something about this font is so disarming. something about this font lets you look past the shape of the words and into their soul. i’ve never written so much as i did last night, on my phone, at 2am, in comic sans.

if you have writer’s block. if you lack inspiration. if you need this. don’t be afraid to use it. sometimes the things we find most horrifying are also the things we need the most. trust me. let comic sans into your life.

[annaswrites]

HI. I’m writing a series that is basically high fantasy with a li’l dash of the sci-fi. (Space ships run by magic are thing there.)  :D 

if you’re a writeblr, can you please reblog this post? i’m looking for new people to follow. bonus point if you write scifi and/or fantasy !

[annaswrites]

A Few Tips All Writers Should Remember:

·Write to your comfort level. Meaning: give yourself a break when you need it and push yourself when you’re feeling motivated.

·Seek out sources of motivation. There are very few times when motivation hits me out of nowhere. Read a good book. Watch a good movie. Write down your goals.

·Find your space. Coffee shop. Library. Your room with the music blasting and the TV playing your favorite show. Find whatever gets you in the right headspace.

·Your first draft is just the first draft. Too many writers stress out about the first draft and they forget it’s just the first step in completing your novel. You can add to it, build from it, or toss it away completely.

·You will be rejected. Even if you write the next big hit, you’ll be rejected. Read the reviews for some of your favorite books—I guarantee someone HATED it. Not everyone will like your work, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

·Write advice isn’t for everyone. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan for writers. Pick and choose advice that works for you, ignore what doesn’t. Not everything will relate directly to you and your style of writing.

·It’s okay to stay in. Want a night to yourself so you can write? Don’t be afraid to cancel your plans and focus on your writing hobby. You don’t have to feel guilty about wanting to work on your writing.

·Let ideas settle. It’s tempting to jump right in to a new writing idea, but let things settle for a bit. Brainstorm. See what comes next. An idea needs to have legs and it needs to take your story somewhere. Let it grow.

·Outlines aren’t set in stone. Be flexible with your outlines. Plan if you need to, but allow yourself to explore new ideas. Let your story go in an unexpected direction.

-Kris Noel

[annaswrites]

Just in case this needs to be said:

It’s the first draft. Use the word “suddenly.” Put as many dialogue tags and adverbs as you want. Say “he saw” “she remembered” “she felt” “they wondered” as many times as you need to. Put the em dash there, put in too many commas, use semi-colons with reckless abandon. Type in [whatever] instead of thinking up a title for something. Just write it. If you worry too much about the particulars, about all the advice posts you’ve seen saying whatever you’re doing is wrong or not good enough, you won’t get anything done. It will slow you down as you go back and try to reword what you just wrote to make it better, proper. The first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be done. And when you get to the end, you’ll find that all those “mistakes” are just clues for your future self to put together to make it all better.

Putting in adverbs and certain dialogue tags are a note for you as to who is saying something and how they’re saying it. When you’re editing, you can make sure it shows through the story instead. The word “suddenly” is a reminder to make things more abrupt. The first draft is just you mapping out where you want to go and how you want to get there. Don’t waste time trying to get it 100% right now, because then it will never get done. Don’t think too much– just write. Save the thinking for editing later.