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[bi-riter09]

─ ❊ · ✲· Moonbeam Beat ·✲ · ❊ ─

Moonbeam Beat is a community Discord server focused on giving all types of writers an area where they can thrive as an artist and be recognized for their work. Here, every voice matters. Our server is built on support and love for our fellow writers and we aim to build upon ourselves and writers and as people. This is a judgement-free zone to express yourself, get feedback on your pieces, and discuss pieces of writing with each other.

This community is LGBTQIA+ Friendly and as a mature server, all members must be 18+.

Please check out the owner of the server: @showgirlcurio! https://discord.gg/kgvzzMaXww

[bi-riter09]

What do you mean writing involves writing??

[bi-riter09]

The science of flirting

I recently saw a TED talk about the best techniques to flirt with someone. It was presented by Jean Smith, who has studied flirting for decades, and who founded Flirtology. I took notes, because I figured I could use it in my writing. And I’d like to share it with you.

She uses the acronym H.O.T. A.P.E. to teach her checklist of things people do when they flirt:

Humor

Open body language

Touch

Attention

Proximity

Eye contact

So, what does this mean for my (and your) characters?

Humor: You can let your character tease their love interest, and there’s always banter of course, but they can also use a little joke to break the ice if they’ve just met or to get the love interest on their side. Humor doesn’t always have to be verbal (although it may be easier to write), it can also take the form of facial expressions or body language.

Open body language: Don’t cross your character’s arms, don’t hunch their shoulders, don’t stuff their hands in their pockets, don’t turn their upper body away from the love interest.

Touch: You can let your character lightly touch the love interest’s upper arm or elbow after they made a joke, or touch their shoulder or back when they have to walk past behind them if there is not much space. Even a pat on the shoulder (”sure, honey”) or a high five can be flirting in the right situations, especially if your character is not touchy-feely. Normal touching lasting a bit longer than usual (especially combined with eye contact) can be flirting as well. Be careful to stay away from groping and other touching that is not consented. Giving (or even offering) someone an unrequested massage or trailing their fingers through the love interest’s hair or similar things are not flirting, it’s sexual harrassment. Stick with safe body parts to touch.

Attention: On a basic level, it means your character is not paying too much attention to other people or happenings, but only to the love interest. If you’re really interested in someone, they take up all your thoughts. Don’t let your character look around and notice too many things outside of the conversation, because they’re enthralled by the love interest. Also, see eye contact.

Proximity: Don’t stand on the other side of the room, but let your character stay close to the love interest, show up whereever they are, or stand just outside of the border of their personal space. Again, stay away from behavior that would make someone feel uncomfortable.

Eye contact: Perhaps the most well-known sign of flirting. It’s partly to show that the love interest’s got all their attention, but also an extra way to communicate. Let your character follow the love interest with their gaze, let them wink, laugh and wrinkle their eyes, or roll their eyes over something they shared earlier.

Source: The TED talk and H.O.T. A.P.E. are Jean Smith’s. The writing advice is mine.

I hope this was helpful and this inspires you! Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions. Now you go write some flirting!

Follow me for more writing advice, or check out my other writing advice here. New topics to write advice about are also always welcome.

Tag list below the cut, a few people I like and admire and of course, you can be too. If you like to be added to or removed from the list, let me know.

Keep reading

[bi-riter09]

I am a(n):

⚪ Male

⚪ Female

🔘 Writer

Looking for

⚪ Boyfriend

⚪ Girlfriend

🔘 An incredibly specific word that I can't remember

[bi-riter09]

Is there any artists out there who wants to collab with a writer??? I'm in the middle of writing a long-term story all by myself and I would legitamently die to get to work with a wonderful artist or even just become friends. I need help 😩😩😩

Please send me a dm or just reply!

[bi-riter09]

What if...

Instead of writing, I just make memes about not-writing?

[bi-riter09]

the suffering never ends

[bi-riter09]

Hey everyone!!

I just created a new Discord book hosting server for my work-in-progress fantasy novel 'Force of Nature or Forced Nature?' which is now open for discussion, and I would love to for some new people to come join and chat with me!

Please come join me here!

[bi-riter09]

Hey everyone!!

I just created a new Discord book hosting server for my work-in-progress fantasy novel 'Force of Nature or Forced Nature?' which is now open for discussion, and I would love to for some new people to come join and chat with me!

Please come join me here!

[bi-riter09]

sometimes i really love my fics. i wrote that because i wanted to read it. i love it. nobody visits my fics more than me. they remind me that i’m a hard worker, that i created something. it’s mine and i cherish it and love it because it’s exactly what i wanted so i made it.

and other days i’m crippled by self criticism and hate everything and can’t bear to look at my own work because i know it’ll never compare to the greats

but i live for the days i love my work. because it’s mine, and i made it. i didn’t wait for somebody else to make what i dream about. i went and did it myself.

so don’t feel like your work is awful

it’s the stuff you dreamed about. it’s the stuff you decided to make a reality. it’s not about quality, or poetry, or how perfectly your sculpt your words or keep it so deeply in character; because it’s what you dreamed and it’s what you wanted to see, so you made it.

keep writing; it’s yours, and you made it. and if you want to continue to sharpen and improve yourself? then do it. it’s all yours and you can make it whatever you want.

keep writing.

[bi-riter09]

why must a writer write, is it not enough to daydream wildly about our characters? 

[bi-riter09]

ME

me, writing: and he was his best friend, the only person he could trust, and they loved each other so much, they were like brothers-

my characters: *aggressively making out*

me: oh I’m so sorry for assuming, let me just change that-

[bi-riter09]

child handling for the childless nurse

My current job has me working with children, which is kind of a weird shock after years in environments where a “young” patient is 40 years old.  Here’s my impressions so far:

Birth - 1 year: Essentially a small cute animal.  Handle accordingly; gently and affectionately, but relying heavily on the caregivers and with no real expectation of cooperation.

Age 1 - 2: Hates you.  Hates you so much.  You can smile, you can coo, you can attempt to soothe; they hate you anyway, because you’re a stranger and you’re scary and you’re touching them.  There’s no winning this so just get it over with as quickly and non-traumatically as possible.

Age 3 - 5: Nervous around medical things, but possible to soothe.  Easily upset, but also easily distracted from the thing that upset them.  Smartphone cartoons and “who wants a sticker?!!?!?” are key management techniques.

Age 6 - 10: Really cool, actually.  I did not realize kids were this cool.  Around this age they tend to be fairly outgoing, and super curious and eager to learn.  Absolutely do not babytalk; instead, flatter them with how grown-up they are, teach them some Fun Gross Medical Facts, and introduce potentially frightening experiences with “hey, you want to see something really cool?”

Age 11 - 14: Extremely variable.  Can be very childish or very mature, or rapidly switch from one mode to the other.  At this point you can almost treat them as an adult, just… a really sensitive and unpredictable adult.  Do not, under any circumstances, offer stickers.  (But they might grab one out of the bin anyway.)

Age 15 - 18: Basically an adult with severely limited life experience.  Treat as an adult who needs a little extra education with their care.  Keep parents out of the room as much as possible, unless the kid wants them there.  At this point you can go ahead and offer stickers again, because they’ll probably think it’s funny.  And they’ll want one.  Deep down, everyone wants a sticker.

[bi-riter09]

This is my writeblr where I post all my tumblr writing posts!!!

My dash has started to get a little bit empty so if you’re a tumblr who posts almost exclusively writng stuff, be it wip, advice, memes, whatever – please interact!

(reblog would be awesome so that this can reach more people, but just do whatever you want)

Thank you so much!!!

[bi-riter09]

“You’ve made me hopeful again, and that is a dangerous thing.”

— July 21, 2020

[bi-riter09]

I constantly find myself at that point in life where I think, "Maybe my novel ideas aren't as good or interesting as I thought they were."

And that's okay. Still going to write em lol

[bi-riter09]

Hey everyone!!

I just created a new Discord book hosting server for my work-in-progress fantasy novel 'Force of Nature or Forced Nature?' which is now open for discussion, and I would love to for some new people to come join and chat with me!

Please come join me here!