arcadelife2021

[arcadelife2021]

I’ve awoken from my two hour nap, it is now time to figure out the logistics of canon and break it accordingly.

[arcadelife2021]

Heya @quiven! Yes this is a tricky thing to write about.

(for me personally, the hardest things to write are the simplest, mundane, everyday occurrences) Depending on the context this is how you could write silence,

1. A minute passed. Then five. No reply from the other side.

So quiet it was almost unnatural—as if the universe had swallowed every last sound, leaving only a void of unspoken secrets. At this point she wasn't sure what she was waiting for anyways. An apology? A confession? A whisper of hope? All the while, she could hear the tic-tic-tic of the clock, the distant laughter of children playing outside, the hum of traffic. Yet the sound she most longed to hear was.....

(I imagined the woman holding a corded landline phone here, old times, maybe she's a school teacher)

2. The air grew thick with the things unsaid. As if they were both afraid. Afraid of what they might bring into existence by naming that delicate, unspoken longing that hovered between them.

3. His silence was a bruise. Purple. Tender. And she kept pressing it to check if it still hurt.

4. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. Spending years in each others' company, they could read even the slightest shifts in expression. How a twitch of an eyebrow meant annoyance, how ....

5. He froze mid-sentence, words caught in his throat, choking him.

6. The phone rang, unanswered. One ring, two ring, three—by the fourth—even the quiet had grown teeth.

7. He’d always hummed while he worked. A habit she'd always found annoying. But now she missed it.

9. She’d always hated quiet. It gave her thoughts too much room to scream.

10. .....Each breath felt like swallowing glass, sharp with the truth they’d rather bleed out than speak.

Silence isn’t passive. It’s a loaded moment — a held breath, a coiled spring, a grenade with the pin pulled. Give it purpose. Is it awkward? Heavy? Comfortable? Threatening?

The context matters. The context guides the imagery.

(this was a comment on my post: The power of Silence in Dialogue)

[arcadelife2021]

angsty (romantic + platonic) dialogue prompts

@celestialwrites for more!!

♡ "it took you almost 4 years to fully trust me, and it took you all of one minute to stop."

♡ "do not waste your breath with lies, for once tell me the damned truth."

♡ "i have always wanted the good, the bad, and the ugly from you! i never wanted you to hide."

♡ "do you not get it? we don't ever get a happy ending, we don't ever go home!"

♡ "tell me you didn't, i do not care if it's a lie, just tell me you didn't."

♡ "you are a part of me and i cannot stand it."

♡ "don't waste away a life that was never yours. it was always hers."

♡ "every second i spend in pain without (s/o) is better than any day i spent not knowing them."

♡ "your tears will not bring him back." "fuck you."

♡ "that may just happen to be your gravest mistake, you thought you could fix her."

♡ "look me in the eye and say it. say it! say they're dead!"

♡ "i will be the greatest loss of your life."

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS<3

[arcadelife2021]

Structuring Complex Plots Made Simple

Complex plots can feel overwhelming at first—so many moving parts, characters, and events to juggle! But the good news? You don’t need to get tangled up in a web of confusion. Breaking down your story into digestible steps makes all the difference. 

1. Start with a Simple Foundation

Every complex plot needs a solid starting point. Simplifying your central conflict can help anchor your plot.

Central Conflict: A young woman must navigate an oppressive society to save her brother. Plot Twist: The brother is actually the villain, manipulating her into becoming a pawn.

You don’t need to know every twist and turn from the beginning—just ensure the core conflict is clear and compelling.

2. Break Your Plot into Acts

Traditional three-act structure (beginning, middle, end) is a proven way to keep things focused.

Act 1: Establish the protagonist's goal (saving her brother) and introduce the villain. Act 2: The protagonist starts making moves to save her brother, but obstacles arise, leading to the revelation that he’s manipulating her. Act 3: The protagonist must choose between loyalty to family and standing up against the manipulative villain.

Breaking your plot into acts gives a roadmap—without it, things can get messy.

3. Use Subplots to Build Depth

Subplots enhance the main plot, offer character development, and increase tension. The key is to make sure they tie back to your central theme.

Main Plot: Saving her brother from an oppressive regime. Subplot: A growing romance between the protagonist and a rebellion leader. The relationship challenges her loyalties and forces her to question her motivations.

4. Create Stakes—And Raise Them

Keeping the stakes clear makes it easier to craft plot twists and dramatic moments. And don’t forget to escalate the stakes as the plot moves forward!

Initial Stakes: If she fails, her brother will be executed. Escalating Stakes: If she succeeds, she’ll be forced to take over her brother’s corrupt position in the regime, forever compromising her values.

5. Use Character Arcs to Drive the Plot

The plot shouldn’t just happen to the character—it should be shaped by their decisions, growth, and challenges.

Character Arc: The protagonist starts out loyal to her brother but slowly grows to question the values she was raised with. Plot Impact: Her arc causes her to defy her brother and ultimately join the rebellion.

Your character's internal journey should influence how the plot unfolds—this gives your story emotional weight.

6. Keep Track of Timeline & Pacing

Complex plots can involve jumping between timelines or multiple locations. Keeping a timeline or outline ensures you don’t confuse yourself or your readers.

Timeline: The story starts in one city, but the protagonist must travel to another to join the rebellion. They leave in winter, and by the time they arrive, it’s spring, signaling a shift in both setting and mood.

7. Use Foreshadowing Without Overloading

Foreshadowing hints at key plot points, creating anticipation without giving everything away. The trick is to keep it subtle.

Foreshadowing: Early on, the protagonist notices her brother’s growing coldness, which seems like a small detail but becomes significant when his manipulation is revealed. Subtle Clue: An offhand comment from a friend: “I wonder how much your brother has really changed?”

8. Allow for Setbacks & Surprises

Things shouldn’t always go according to plan. Introducing setbacks makes your plot feel more dynamic, realistic, and unpredictable.

Setback: The protagonist makes a bold move to save her brother, but it backfires—she’s caught and imprisoned by the regime. Surprise: The rebellion leader, whom she trusted, turns out to have been working with the enemy all along.

9. Tie Loose Ends Together in the Climax

Why It Works: The climax is where everything you've been building finally comes together. Tie in multiple storylines or character arcs in this moment to create a powerful payoff.

Climax: The protagonist must confront both her brother (the villain) and the rebellion leader in a final battle. Tied Elements: Her love for her brother, her trust in the rebellion leader, and her loyalty to her values all collide in this moment.

The climax should feel like a natural culmination of everything that’s happened, providing resolution and emotional payoff.

10. Keep the Ending Open to Interpretation

Complex plots often leave some questions unanswered, but in a way that feels satisfying. Open-ended conclusions can make your plot linger in readers’ minds.

Ending: The protagonist defeats the villain, but the regime is still in power. The rebellion is fractured, and her brother’s fate is uncertain. Interpretation: Did she really win? What will she do next?

Building a complex plot doesn’t have to be a headache. By breaking it down into manageable steps, you can craft a story that’s rich in layers, full of twists, and grounded in character development. Keep your focus on the core conflict, build in obstacles, and don’t forget to let your characters drive the plot. You’ve got this!

[arcadelife2021]

“I never see your face at the club” well i never see your work under archive of our own m/m slow burn enemies to lovers section either

[arcadelife2021]

Writing First Kiss Tension

They both know it’s going to happen, but no one makes the first move. The silence stretches.

One of them pulls back slightly, giving the other a chance to stop them. But no one moves.

They both breathe a little heavier, the space between them charged, until finally, one of them breaks.

It’s slow, like they’re memorizing the moment, afraid they’ll never get another chance.

Right after, they pull away, just enough to look at each other. And that’s when they realize, there’s no going back.

[arcadelife2021]

Prompt #1159

"I will be by your side until the end."

"I hope you have a lot of time on your hands, because I don't intend to die any time soon."

[arcadelife2021]

Proper Dialogue Punctuation Master List

Because I'm apparently illiterate when I write, here's the list I made to keep track of proper punctuation with dialogue — Enjoy!

Use double quotation marks to enclose spoken words. "I can't believe it's already Friday," Sarah exclaimed.

Place commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points inside the closing quotation marks when they are part of the dialogue. "Have you seen my keys?" John asked. "I've looked everywhere!"

Use a comma to separate the dialogue tag from the spoken words:

Before the dialogue: Mary whispered, "Be quiet, they might hear us."

After the dialogue: "I think we're lost," Tom admitted, looking around nervously.

Start a new paragraph for each new speaker. > "Did you finish your homework?" Mom asked. > "Almost," replied Jimmy. "I just have math left." > "Well, hurry up. Dinner's almost ready," Mom said.

Use an em dash (—) to indicate interrupted speech.

For abrupt interruptions: "I was about to tell you that—" "Stop!" Jake shouted, cutting her off mid-sentence.

For self-interruption with action: "How on earth"—he shook his fists—"do I punctuate this?"

For interruption by another speaker: "How should we edit—" "Not we, Bob," Whitney said. "Fixing this punctuation is all on you."

For trailing-off speech, use ellipsis (...) inside the quotation marks. "I thought I saw something in the woods..." Jeremy whispered, looking around.

When dialogue is split by a tag, use a comma after the tag and lowercase the first word of the continued dialogue. "If we don't leave now," Dad warned, "we'll miss our flight."

For questions within dialogue, place the question mark inside the quotation marks. "Where did you put my glasses?" Grandpa inquired.

When the entire sentence containing dialogue is a question, place the question mark outside the quotation marks. Did she really say, "I don't care about the consequences"?

Capitalize the first word of dialogue, even when it follows a dialogue tag. The teacher announced, "Everyone, please take out your textbooks."

For dialogue interrupted by an action, use commas to set off the action. "Okay, here's the plan. I think we should go here, and," he rifled through the papers and maps, "if we don't find what we're looking for, we can move on."

When using exclamation points or question marks in dialogue, the first word of the following dialogue tag should be lowercase. "Watch out for that car!" he yelled. "How did you know?" she asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

When a character is quoting someone else in dialogue, you should use nested quotation marks. "I couldn't believe it when Sarah said, 'I'm moving to Paris next month.' It came as a complete surprise," John explained.

When a character is summarizing someone else's words in dialogue, you don't need to use quotation marks for the summarized speech. "I talked to Fred earlier," Mary said. "He told me he's been feeling overwhelmed lately and isn't sure how to handle his workload." "According to Sarah, the meeting went well, and everyone agreed on the new project timeline."

When punctuating thoughts, capitalize and punctuate thoughts as you would spoken dialogue. Use thought tags ("he thought," "she wondered") to orient the reader, similar to dialogue tags. She thought, When this week finally ends, my troubles will be over. Where did I put my keys? he wondered, searching his apartment. I wonder what he's thinking, Sarah mused as she watched John across the room.

Good Rules of Thumb:

If it's spoken (dialogue tags only, "he said," "she whispered") with no action, use a comma.

If it's an action while speaking, use a comma.

If it's an action completed before speaking, use a period.

If it's an exclamation mark/question mark before the dialogue tag, lowercase the pronouns following but capitalize all proper nouns (names) always.

If it's an exclamation mark/question mark after the dialogue tag, use a comma.

If it's the start of a standalone sentence, capitalize pronouns and proper nouns.

If you're confused about which to use (a comma and lowercase pronoun or period and capitalized pronoun), think "Are they doing this while speaking or after/before speaking?"

If your character is thinking, treat it like they're speaking.

If you're struggling to be consistent when writing, remember: it really doesn't matter. Perfection is an illusion, just write and use tools that make you happy. If you make a mistake, English is so complicated that most of the time, no one will notice. Now go write some great dialogue!

[arcadelife2021]

Apparently a lot of people get dialogue punctuation wrong despite having an otherwise solid grasp of grammar, possibly because they’re used to writing essays rather than prose. I don’t wanna be the asshole who complains about writing errors and then doesn’t offer to help, so here are the basics summarized as simply as I could manage on my phone (“dialogue tag” just refers to phrases like “he said,” “she whispered,” “they asked”):

“For most dialogue, use a comma after the sentence and don’t capitalize the next word after the quotation mark,” she said.

“But what if you’re using a question mark rather than a period?” they asked.

“When using a dialogue tag, you never capitalize the word after the quotation mark unless it’s a proper noun!” she snapped.

“When breaking up a single sentence with a dialogue tag,” she said, “use commas.”

“This is a single sentence,” she said. “Now, this is a second stand-alone sentence, so there’s no comma after ‘she said.’”

“There’s no dialogue tag after this sentence, so end it with a period rather than a comma.” She frowned, suddenly concerned that the entire post was as unasked for as it was sanctimonious.

[arcadelife2021]

Any tips on keeping a fluff piece interesting? I’m writing a story based on a prompt that’s overall very fluffy, and I’m having trouble keeping it engaging without getting too angsty.

hii @quilledart!

Fluff is like baking a perfect soufflé—it’s delicate, warm, and easy to deflate if you lean too hard on sweetness alone. The key is to add texture, play with tension (not conflict), and let the quiet, unexpected moments of vulnerability breathe life into your story.

For example, consider weaving in minor, playful misunderstandings—a compliment misread as a snide remark, a teasing remark that lingers in the air, or a gentle squabble over something trivial. Let those moments hint at deeper layers without ever plunging into full-on angst.

In fluff, it’s essential to sprinkle in quiet intimate moments and shared rituals. Like: two characters spending a lazy Sunday afternoon reading excerpts from their favorite books, the rustle of pages and the aroma of tea creating an atmosphere that engages every sense.

Also dialogues: add banter, nostalgia, unhinged chaotic-ness. Their exchanges should feel like tiny windows into their souls—witty quips that recall shared memories, unexpected sides that add depth, and off-the-cuff remarks that break the tension.

Furthermore, it's always helpful to look into books, or anime. Whatever is your jam. I remember this anime I was watching a while ago. "Laid back camp": it's a fluffy heartwarming anime about school girls in the camping club. Or books for that matter: Legends and Latte. A cozy fantasy.

Fluff is comfort food for the soul. It’s okay if your story feels “small”—sometimes the most memorable moments are the ones that could fit in the palm of your hand.

[arcadelife2021]

cw: abuse and trauma and other unsavory things

interesting character backstories

because "my parents hit me or force me to be perfect" won't cut it for every character in the cast

-characters who grew up poor. poverty is traumatizing, people. i wanna see characters who never ask for anything, count dollars and coins, freak out when the bill isn't split fairly and immediately suspect bed bugs when someone says they're itchy. and mention the ugly stuff too. smelling bad and having water stains on the walls. ice cream for dinner and not eating breakfast. lights going out and fourteen year olds supporting a family of five.

-characters who were neglected. not physically abused, neglected. who don't understand why people care when they don't show up, or seem kind of down today, or leave a party without saying goodbye. who are too independent for their own good. who can't think of anything to say when asked to describe their parents. who are okay with being lonely. who always feel lonely. who get uncomfortable if you even ask them how their day was. who does that?

-characters who were smothered. who were treated like a toddler well into their teens. who were practically stalked by their own parents, never allowed a moment of privacy. who were constantly belittled and denied their autonomy as the adults in their life made every decision for them. regardless of how loved they truly were, this is abuse. this could go in two diverging directions: end result of a very guarded, mature character feeling a constant need to prove themself, or end result of a passive, immature character who requires attention, praise and constant assistance. both have extremely low self-esteem.

-characters who are fundamentally different from their family. maybe they're queer, or adopted, or disabled, or aren't fully related to the rest of them (bonus points if they aren't the same race as their family). characters who watch like a ghost as everyone else smiles and bonds. and maybe it's their fault that they're like this, or maybe it's their fault for not reaching out to the family themself, but... nobody else had to ask for it.

i forgot about this blog

[arcadelife2021]

Writing References: Character Development

50 Questions ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Character-driven Story

Basics: How to Write a Character ⚜ A Story-Worthy Hero

Basics: Character-Building ⚜ Character Creation

Types of Characters: Key Characters ⚜ Literary Characters ⚜ Flat & Round Characters ⚜ Morally Grey ⚜ Narrators ⚜ Allegorical Characters ⚜ Archetypes ⚜ Stereotypical Characters

Worksheets: Backstory ⚜ Character ⚜ Kill your Characters ⚜ Antagonist; Villain; Fighting ⚜ Change; Adding Action; Conflict ⚜ Character Sketch & Bible ⚜ Protagonist & Antagonist ⚜ Name; Quirks; Flaws; Motivation ⚜ "Interviewing" your Characters ⚜ "Well-Rounded" Character

Personality Traits

5 Personality Traits (OCEAN) ⚜ 16 Personality Traits (16PF)

600+ Personality Traits ⚜ 170 Quirks

East vs. West Personalities ⚜ Trait Theories

Tips/Editing

Character Issues ⚜ Character Tropes for Inspiration

"Strong" Characters ⚜ Unlikable to Likable

Tips from Rick Riordan

Writing Notes

Binge ED ⚜ Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Identifying Character Descriptions

Childhood Bilingualism ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ On Children

Culture ⚜ Culture: Two Views ⚜ Culture Shock

Dangerousness ⚜ Flaws ⚜ Fantasy Creatures

Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness)

Emotions (1) (2) ⚜ Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness

Emotional Universals ⚜ External & Internal Journey

Goals & Motivations ⚜ Grammar Development ⚜ Habits

Facial Expressions ⚜ Jargon ⚜ Swearing & Taboo Expressions

Happy/Excited Body Language ⚜ Laughter & Humor

Health ⚜ Frameworks of Health ⚜ Memory

Mutism ⚜ Shyness ⚜ Parenting Styles ⚜ Generations

Psychological Reactions to Unfair Behavior

Rhetoric ⚜ The Rhetorical Triangle ⚜ Logical Fallacies

Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions

Uncommon Words: Body ⚜ Emotions

Villains ⚜ Voice & Accent

More References: Plot ⚜ World-building ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[arcadelife2021]

Exes to Lovers Masterpost

Dialogue Prompts

"I'm sorry for how it ended." "I'm sorry that it ended at all."

"Do you still have place for me in your life?"

"Three years was not enough to get over you."

"We'll always find our ways back to each other."

"I couldn't stop loving you, even if I tried. And I did try for some time. But it didn't work."

"Seeing you again brought everything back."

"It was a mistake to just go away. We should've fought more for what we wanted." "We are doing it now."

"Being back in your arms is everything I wished for since we broke up."

"I can't believe you would actually take me back."

"Do you have any idea how much I wished to take it back? To just go to your house and apologize?" "I would have waited for you. I did wait for you. Even if it took some time, you are here now."

"I shouldn't have ever let you go away. I need you by my side."

"The fight we had was so stupid and breaking up was irrational."

"We work much better as a team."

"I don't ever want to lose you again."

"It was the right thing at the time. We weren't ready for it." "Do you think we are now?" "Yes, absolutely."

"People called me crazy for letting you get away. And they were right."

"I will never let you go again."

"We were both so hurt that we didn't see how much the other one was hurting. I hope that we're now able to look past that and be able to heal together."

"Honestly? I never stopped loving you."

"Let's never break up again. Ok?"

Text Prompts

Having broken up, but still living in the same area they keep running into each other. At the park, the grocery store, the laundromat, … everywhere.

They are still in the same friend group and they want to make it work as friends. But hanging out all the time makes it hard to get over each other.

Person A moves to another apartment and finds some of Person B’s, their exes’ stuff while moving and the former lovers meet up for the first time since the break-up to exchange the goods.

While not having adopted it together, Person A’s pet becomes miserable after Person B stops being over, so finally they have to arrange for a meeting in a park, like two divorced parents.

They are still each other's emergency contact. Which becomes apparent when one of them ends up in the hospital.

Having their car breaking down by the side of the road is bad enough. Their ex being the one to come save them is even worse.

They had already booked everything for their friends' destination wedding before they broke up. To celebrate them and not lose their deposits they decide to still share the hotel room.

Person A’s family still invites Person B to all of their family events. And Person B actually goes.

They bought tickets for their favourite band’s concert one year in advance. It’s been a few months since their break-up and they believe the emotions have calmed down a bit, so they decide to still go together when the time comes. But maybe they don’t have calmed down that much, when their song comes on.

They know each other best. Even after their break-up their ex is still the first person they want to call when something good or bad happens.

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[arcadelife2021]

COLOURS in DESCRIPTION

colour is the lifeblood of a scene. here are ways not to over-use it.

Red: cardinal, coral, crimson, flaming, maroon, rose, wine, brick red, burgundy, carmine, cerise, cherry, chestnut, claret, copper, dahlia, fuschia, garnet, geranium, infrared, magenta, puce, ruby, russet, rust, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, tition, vermilion, roseate, rubicund, ruddy, rubescent, florid

Orange: apricot, tangerine, merigold, cider, ginger, bronze, cantaloupe orange, clay, honey, marmalade orange, amber

Yellow: blond, chrome, cream, gold, ivory, lemon, saffron, tawny, xanthous, sandy

Green: grassy, leafy, verdant, emerald, aquamarine, chartreuse, fir, forest green, jade, lime, malachite, mossy, pea green, pine, sage, sea green, verdigris, willow, spinach green, viridian

Blue: azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal blue, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine

Purple: violet, indigo, lavender, lilac, mauve, periwinkle, plum, violet, amethyst, heliotrope, mulberry, orchid, pomegranate purple, wine, amaranthine, perse, violaceous, reddish-blue

[arcadelife2021]

10 Non-Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

New Part: 10 Lethal Injury Ideas

If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas: 

1. Sprained Ankle

A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.

2. Rib Contusion

A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It's impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.

3. Concussions

This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.

I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it's an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a 'cute' recovery moment with A and B.

4. Fractured Finger

A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.

5. Road Rash

Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it's great if you need a mild injury for a child.

6. Shoulder Dislocation

This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.

7. Deep Laceration

A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren't that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.

This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character's condition. Don't give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.

8. Burns

Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.

If you want to explore writing burns, read here.

9. Pulled Muscle

This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.

10. Tendonitis

Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character's ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

Instagram Tiktok

[arcadelife2021]

10 Lethal Injuries to Add Pain to Your Writing

Prev: Non-Lethal Injury Ideas

Need some creative ways to give your characters a real fight for survival? Here are 10 ideas: 

1. Punctured Artery

A puncture to major arteries like the femoral artery (thigh), the carotid artery (neck), or radial artery (arm) can cause rapid blood loss. It starts off with a sharp pain, weakness, lightheadedness and eventually can lead to hypovolemic shock. Requires urgent medical attention.

2. Punctured Eye Socket

A punctured eye socket will cause blood vessel damage leading to internal bleeding. I would use this for non-combat characters trying to get away. The eyes are an easy weak spot + you don’t need much strength to cause a critical injury/puncture. Also good for a protag's tragic backstory.

3. Torn Achilles Tendon

A torn Achilles tendon can result in severe bleeding if nearby arteries or veins are damaged. Your character will be forced to hobble away as pain causes their foot to swell and bruise. Plus, you can easily adjust the pain levels per your scene, from swift cuts to explosive jumps. 

4. Neck Hyperextension (Hangman’s Fracture)

This injury will fracture the C2 vertebra and can lead to spinal cord damage, paralysis or sudden death. This isn’t a light injury your character can come back from, so I would suggest using it only when you’re aiming for death.

5. Pierced Lung

A punctured lung will lead to a pneumothorax where air escapes into the chest cavity, collapsing the lung. Characters with this injury may have difficulty breathing, chest pain, and a cough that produces frothy blood (all the dramatics you need). 

6. Severe Concussion

A severe concussion will lead to confusion, vomiting, immobility and memory loss. More dangerously, brain swelling, internal bleeding and damaged brain tissue. Plus, it has a long recovery period. 

7. Shattered Pelvis

If you need something severe that restricts mobility but also causes severe pain then this is perfect! Involves signs of shock, internal bleeding, numbness, swelling—really a lot of things. Can occur if OC falls from a high place, hit repeatedly, car accident, etc.  

8. Internal Bleeding from Blunt Force Trauma

I like using this when you need something subtle since it doesn't show immediate symptoms. Over time, they will feel weak, cold, nauseous, and intense pain. Perfect if you want that 'everyone made it out then suddenly someone collapses' moment. 

9. Intestinal Perforation

A sharp blow or penetrating wound can cause a tear in the intestines, leaking bacteria into the body cavity, then peritonitis. It can go from small stomach pain to near death pretty quickly. Without prompt medical care, sepsis can set in, causing organ failure and death.

10. Cut to the Jugular

If you need something more visibly dramatic then go with the classic cut to the jugular. A warm rush of blood will pour out, and blood would spurt with every heartbeat. Causes panic, choking, and internal bleeding too. All the blood and gore you need. 

This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. Remember the worse the injury the more likely your character is to die (so be realistic folks). Happy writing! :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

Instagram Tiktok

[arcadelife2021]

Angry Confessions

"I love you! I have always loved you. It's not fair to deny my love for you now."

"You make me so angry I want to scream, and I love you so much it almost tears me apart."

"I cannot change my feelings for you, believe me I fucking tried."

"How can you not understand how much I love you?"

"I am so angry right now, I could almost forget my love for you."

"I can't do this anymore. I love you. But it's not enough."

"Don't mock me by acting so surprised. You had to know about my feelings for you."

"You make me so angry sometimes. And you make me love you all the time."

"I need to know that you're safe. Because I care about you. I love you."

"You knew how I feel about you. You have to have known."

"Can you not see that I love you? That I've always loved you?"

"I love you! Is that what you wanted to hear? Are you happy now?"

"It's not a secret that I love you. Don't act like it is."

"My love for you will truly become my downfall, I just know it."

"I fucking love you, okay?! I don't want to, but I do."

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! 🥰