haunted-orange - Tumblr blog

[haunted-orange]

"I should write" *looks at memes about writers procrastinating writing instead*

[haunted-orange]

while it may not be everyone’s forte, i am CONSTANTLY thinking of things to add to my writing at very unopportune times, not around a computer. i type 85% of my work in my notes app on my phone, and then upload it to word or a google doc later. most of my work just sits in my phone and i yonk the parts i need somewhere online. i’ve also emailed a lot of my work to myself, on multiple emails, so i can’t lose it. back ups for back ups!

hey writeblr! what do you use to write?

my google docs is FAILING me (its losing my offline docs) and i don't have office (microsoft word) yet so im looking for alternatives

do yall know any good ones

[haunted-orange]

hi, what are your pronouns?

howdy stranger!! my pronouns are she/her :)) i’ll add them to my bio now that i realize they aren’t there HAHAHA

[haunted-orange]

I wanna seven lines sunday!!!

Seven lines from my PJO wip :D (it's not a new scene, just a random scrap i flagged to come back and rewrite)

"You're staring" She whispers.

I huff. "I know."

"You gonna live?"

"Yeah." I roll over. I close my eyes and relive Percy's cheeks bunching up when he smiles. "He's kind of a pretty boy, isn't he?"

Joey laughs. "He's a shampoo commercial." She sits up. "Trust me, the guy probably struggles with basic math. Move on.

"Yeah, because my options are so limitless. Who's up next, Luke?"

Joey shakes her head, tapping her homework. "What's the word for hopeless in Greek?"

Seven Lines Sunday

Starting a weekly writing challenge for myself and anyone else who may want to participate. It’s simple, write seven lines of whatever pops into your head, whether it be something related to a WIP or completely fresh and new. The point is to help with writer’s block or inspire something new to write about.

Seven Lines from Chapter Five of my fanfiction GothamX (I’ve restarted this chapter numerous times and can’t seem to get it right enough for me), you’re also going to get an eighth line because I’m not splitting up the dialogue. March 3rd 2024

Three months ago, my life changed.

Three months ago I was traveling in Italy, drinking endless fruity cocktails and strolling down my favorite Sicilian beach with the love of my life watching the sun set.

But with a blink of an eye, my paradise became a nightmare; I was forced to flee and seek refuge far from my friends and family.

That’s not the whole story, I just don’t have time to tell it right now.

There’s more important things to focus on.

“Alexandra, stick to the plan.”

“Alex, this plan isn’t going to work, we have to do something.”

[haunted-orange]

actually talking to people on tumblr?

 i’ve been seeing a lot of posts to the effect of “i wish i could talk to more writers on tumblr, but i’m too shy.” and a lot of the replies are “you can talk to me, i don’t bite!” which is great, honestly. but these interactions, at least in my experience, rarely lead to anything more. 

so this is my attempt to compile a list of how to be friends with writeblrs that’s a little more than just “talk to people.” i don’t know if it’s just common sense for the rest of you, but this is all stuff i had to learn through almost a year on tumblr. im fuckign old omg.

so without further ado, i present: Conversation Starters For Writeblrs.

do they reblog ask games? send asks, off anon. reply to their answers.

see something in common? you both have dragons in your wip? you’re both the same age? tell them!

tag them in things! who actually cares if you’re following the rules of the tag games or not?

if they’re asking for something, like book recs or advice, answer them.

compliments. literally anything, as long as it’s genuine. send them off anon so people know who you are. 

reply to their fuckign writing!! pleAse!! and not just “ooh this is good” (though that’s nice too), but tell them what you liked! tell them what you were confused about! tell them where you want more detail! we’re all on here because of writing, might as well actually talk about it sometimes!

just. like. ask how their day went.

Also, some thoughts:

you’re not a bother. and even if you are, who’s going to be rude enough to say it?

someone has to make the first move, it might as well be you.

they’re just people.  we’re all literally just people.

friendship ≠ one interaction. keep trying. keep talking.

you got this! 

[haunted-orange]

NEVER QUIT!!

writeblr!! tell us, what keeps you from giving up on your work?

[haunted-orange]

do the silly thing. if you do not do the silly thing time will pass and it will not be the same silly thing it could have been. it will still be silly, and it will still be yours, but it will not be the same. this is both a blessing and a curse, but so is living; and if you do not do it now when will you? who will? it has to be you, it was always meant for you, waiting for you.

[haunted-orange]

“It all feels a little pointless sometimes, doesn’t it? I crack open my ribs, rip out my heart, turn it into art, put it on display, and nothing changes. Except that I kept opening these windows to my soul and there’s a bit of a draft now and my chest isn’t so comfortable. Lately, I keep asking myself, at what point will it matter? I once told someone that every time you shatter you reflect light in a million different directions but I seem to only be breaking in dark rooms. Yet, I continue to bleed ink before I even think of why. I guess it’s because I have never wanted to write. I’ve always just needed to. And maybe I’m not writing my heart out after all. Maybe, this pen is my first aid kit and I’m writing it back in.”

— First Aid Kit, V.P.

[haunted-orange]

i want to coin a phrase that's the opposite of writer's block. call it the muse's fire hydrant. thirty thousand story ideas are being beamed directly into your brain and if you don't write them all at once you will die.

[haunted-orange]

being a writer is so embarrassing sometimes like awww no my feelings got hurt guess i'll go make up 90,000 words about it. ugh

[haunted-orange]

“kids remind me, often, of the things i’ve taught myself out of.”

i’m at that stage in my life where i’m learning so fast, so abrasively, that when i turn around and watch my little brother, i am angry. quietly. rigid hawk talons claw into my stomach, and i have to remind myself he is moving at a different pace. i should help him learn. i’m also starting to be at the point where i’m choosing kindness over my ego. that’s helped a lot, with him. we were walking home the other day and i held out my hand. he didn’t ask why, which struck me as strange, he questions everything. he just held it. and we were like that, swinging our hands until the front steps met us. he often reminds me of everything i struggled with as a kid, and everything i’ve had to overcome to navigate the world easier, to succumb to societies stance on politeness, and to express myself without care. i see him every day and i see what i looked like, when i made an excuse to not finish dinner. to not clean up. to want to be spun around just one more time. play this game with me just a little longer. it hurts me, because i know. and i’m gonna forget, just like my parents did. what happens when i don’t remember what it was like anymore? how i used to think? when i’m so far from my childhood that i just don’t understand what he’s going through? this is an odd feeling and it plays catch in my head every now and then. he is everything i used to be, everything i forced myself out of. i hope he finds a way into himself as i’m actively working to.

kids remind me, often, of the things i've taught myself out of.

i have a big dog. he looks like a deer. he is taller than most young children. while we were on a trail the other day, a boy coming our direction saw us and froze. he took a step back and said: "i'm feeling nervous. your - your dog is kind of big."

goblin and i both stopped walking immediately. "he is kind of a big dog," i admitted. "he's called a greyhound. they are gentle but they are pretty tall, which is kind of scary, you're right. their legs are so long because they are made for running fast. i am sorry we scared you. would you like us to stand still while you move past us, or would you feel more safe in your body if we move and you stay still?'

"oh. i didn't know that about - greyhounds. i think i ... i want to stay still," he said. at this point, his adult had caught up to us. "i'm nervous about the dog," he told her, "so i'm - i'm gonna stay still." she didn't argue. she didn't make fun of him. she just smiled at him and at me and held his hand while goblin and i, with as wide of a berth as we could make, crept our way through.

behind us, i heard him exhale a deep breath and kind of laugh - "he was really big, huh? she said it's because greyhounds have to go fast."

"he was big," she said. "i understand why that could have made you a little scared."

"yeah. next time i - next time do you think i could maybe ask to touch him? when - i mean, next time, maybe, if i'm not nervous."

later, going to a work event, in the big city, i stood outside, trembling. my social anxiety as a caught bird in my chest. i took a deep breath and turned to my coworker. she's not even really my friend yet. i told her: "i feel nervous about this. i am not used to meeting new people, ever since covid."

she laughed, but not in a mean way. she said she was nervous too. she reached her hand out and held mine, and we both took another deep breath and walked in like that, interlinked. a few people asked us - together? - and i told the truth: i feel nervous, and she's helping. over and over i watched people relax too, admitting i feel really kind of shy lately actually, thank you for saying that.

the next time i go to an event, and i feel a little scared, i ask right away: wanna hold hands? this feels a little dangerous. i hesitate less. i don't hide it as much. i watch for other people who are also nervous and say - it's kinda hard, huh?

i know, logically, i'm not good at asking for help. but i am also not good at noticing when i need help. i've trained myself out of asking completely, but i've also trained myself to never accept my own fears or excuses. i have trained myself to tamp down every anxiety and just-push-through. i don't know what i'm protecting myself from - just that i never think to admit it to anyone.

but every person on earth occasionally needs comfort. every person on earth occasionally needs connection. many of us were taught independence is the same thing as never needing anything.

each of us should have had an adult who heard - i feel nervous and held our hand and asked us how we could be helped to feel safe. no judgement, and no chiding. many of us did not. many of us were punished for the ways that we seemed "weak".

but here is something: i am an adult now. and i get nervous a lot, actually. and if you are an adult and you are feeling a little nervous - come talk to me. we can hold hands and figure out what will help us feel safe in our bodies. and maybe, next time, if we're brave, we can pet the dog that's passing.

[haunted-orange]

[haunted-orange]

“Is it okay if I draw fanart of your fanfic?👉🏼👈🏼”

My brother in Christ we shall have a spring wedding

[haunted-orange]

i would like to give the warmest most tightest squeeze to the creatures who reblogged/replied to this post (or just a little treat if you don’t like hugs)

i will continue to read every single one, we’re all sitting around the fireplace sharing blankets right now

writeblr!! tell us, what keeps you from giving up on your work?

[haunted-orange]

i need my pretty little clear glass of lemonade my pretty brown mug of warm caramel coffee my mason jar of sweet iced tea it is QUINTESSENTIAL to the writing process

sitting down to write and longing for something. something something......of COURSE how could i forget the benefits of a special little drink???

[haunted-orange]

If u interact with my posts, just know I respond like this:

[haunted-orange]

REBLOG IF YOUR BLOG IS A SAFE SPACE FOR AROMANTIC PEOPLE AND IF YOU THINK THEY ARE VALID

I want to see how many people actually are willing to say this and not just act like it