ithoughticouldwrite

[ithoughticouldwrite]

speculative fiction writers i am going to give you a really urgent piece of advice: don't say numbers. don't give your readers any numbers. how heavy is the sword? lots. how old is that city? plenty. how big is the fort? massive. how fast is the spaceship? not very, it's secondhand.

the minute you say a number your readers can check your math and you cannot do math better than your most autistic critic. i guarantee. don't let your readers do any math. when did something happen? awhile ago. how many bullets can that gun fire? trick question, it shoots lasers, and it shoots em HARD.

you are lying to people for fun. if you let them do math at you the lie collapses and it's no fun anymore.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

That fic you wrote?

The one about the ship no one else cares about, or the deeply unpopular character, or the extremely unusual AU?

The fic that got no comments or kudos when you posted it?

Months or years from now, that fic might be exactly what someone is looking for in the sea of fics about all the popular characters, ships, and AUs.

Your fic might be the only fic out there that has what someone is looking for. The only fic that scratches the itch that it turns out you and that reader share.

And that's awesome.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

How the Elder Wand Choses its Master

So, this is a short theory, but it is an interesting one and I kinda wanna make note of it anyways. And that is:

I don't think the Elder Wand allegiance works the way we're told.

To clarify, I don't think the Elder Wand passes to whoever defeats its master. I have a few reasons to think that, and I'll cover them here.

Firstly, it doesn't make sense. Like, the legend of the Elder Wand is that it's udefeatable. An unbeatable wand whose wielder can never lose. Except, the wielder does lose, and often. It's how the ownership supposedly transfers from one master to another. We're told Dumbledore won the Elder Wand when he defeated Grindlewald in a duel. We see Draco win its allegiance when he disarms Dumbledore.

It just doesn't make sense for both legends to exist simultaneously. How can an unbeatable wand be won in a duel? The whole point is that it's impossible to win against it.

Secondly, its allegiance clearly doesn't work the way the legend says it does. So, if we look at the ending of the books, as an example, Dumbledore was the master of the Elder Wand, and then Draco disarmed him, becoming the master. Harry disarmed Draco from a different wand and became the master like that. Then Voldemort kills Harry in the forest, but Harry is still the master of the Elder Wand?

I mean, Voldemort killed Snape to become the master of the Elder Wand (when he thought Snape was the master), but when he killed Harry, it didn't help him. So killing Snape was useless?

Like, we outright see that defeating the master doesn't make you the master when Voldemort kills Harry.

(And if it was because Harry threw the fight, then Draco shouldn't have become the master after Dumbledore because Dumbledore didn't fight Draco by choice)

So what does? How does the allegiance change?

Well, Ollivanders tells us exactly how: "the wand chooses the wizard"

This is just as true for the Elder Wand as any other wand.

What I think the Elder Wand does is that it chooses its wizard. Essentially, in a duel where one wizard has the Elder Wand, the Elder Wand chooses its preferred owner and then chooses who wins. If it wants its current master to win, it's unbeatable. If the wand decides it wants the opponent, though, it chooses who it wants to madter it and throws the fights it's in.

It's why Dumbledore defeated Grindlewald and won its allegiance — the Wand chose Dumbledore.

It's why killing Harry in the forest didn't make Voldemort the master of the Elder Wand — the Wand already chose Harry, so Voldemort was never it's master. It's possible Draco was never the Elder Wand's master either and that it was Harry since the moment Dumbledore died, we can't tell for sure.

So that's it, kind of a short theory, but one I find interesting nonetheless.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

For the last goddamn time...

"Kill your darlings" means "if something is holding you back, get rid of it, even if it sounds pretty."

That's it! That's all it means! It means if you're stuck and stalled out on your story and you could fix the whole block by removing something but you're avoiding removing that thing because it's good, you remove that thing. That's the darling.

It does NOT mean

That you have to get rid of your self-indulgent writing

That you should delete something just because you like it (?wtf?)

That you need to kill off characters (??? what)

That you have to pare your story down to the absolute bare bones

That you have to delete anything whatsoever if you don't want to

The POINT is that you STOP FEELING GUILTY for throwing out good writing that isn't SERVING THE STORY.

The POINT is that you don't get so HUNG UP on the details that you lose sight of the BIG PICTURE.

Good grief....

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Jinx’s psychosis comes through in these quick film scratched doodles. Whenever a flash of her unstable personality leaks out Arcane presents them as if Jinx herself took the film stock out of the projector and madly scratched these doodles into each frame before haphazardly stuffing the film reel back into the projector.

You could look at the entirety of Arcane as if it was a show that was filmed and edited by someone trying to tell a story, but then Jinx (as her own character) has found the film reels of the show and is actively interacting with it to tell her OWN side of the story. These scratches and doodles are essentially Jinx’s commentary track.

But what’s interesting to me is HOW her doodles often represents WHERE in her arc she is.

For example. Early on these doodles are deliberately being used to BLOCK out scary or unnerving imagery. The soldiers on the bridge, the bad memory of her sister yelling at her. Jinx chooses to draw OVER these moments. Literally trying to scratch them out from her memory. Because she’s a child here and Jinx’s personality has always been about protecting her child self, it makes sense that even as a commentator she is choosing to block out these moments to protect her child side.

But as the story goes along, her doodles take on a more narrative function. She starts doodling characters talking to her from the sides. She’s not blocking out the memories, she’s actively using the doodles to help give form to the formless voices in her head. She’s saying “see? I’m not crazy, Mylo was telling me shit! Look, there he is behind me!”

Near the end of Season 1 this narrative storytelling choice Jinx is doing starts to become even MORE clear. Now these doodles aren’t just to represent the voices in her head, they are used to re-contextualize her own memories. So as she thinks she sees Caitlyn laughing at her, she literally draws devil horns on her head, reframing this moment of Caitlyn’s fear as mockery.

And of course when Vi triggers Jinx in the climax of the season, her scratches become MUCH more visual and representational. These doodles don’t look like the usual film scratches we’ve seen up till now. If I were looking at this from a filming perspective this would be more like they were literally projected into the set Jinx is acting in. They’re multi colored. They look more pencil like than film scratched. They’re not as bloom heavy as previous scratches, and the film doesn’t jostle about as much indicating Jinx isn’t drawing these directly on the film stock like previously shown. I would say these look more like she’s literally surrounded by her doodles in-camera.

And this continues into season 2. She’s still surrounded by her demons, and it’s filmed the same way as in season 1. The only major difference is that now her doodles are interacting with each other. She draws Isha running around shooting away the bad doodles and trying to protect her. Once again this is Jinx telling her story through these doodles.

When Jinx loses Isha and is contemplating suicide, jinx’s doodles are ALL that remain. The screen turns black and nothing but Jinx’s doodles comes through. This is almost like the memory of her is so overwhelming that she literally blacked it out, and the only way to reinsert this moment into the show is for Jinx to draw it frame by frame. Up until now the doodles have always been drawn on top of the frame. And while Jinx is often in the shots and can appear small and overwhelmed by the doodles, she’s never just outright been blocked out by them. I think that’s what this moment represents. She is so lost that she can only recall this moment after the fact and redraw it. It’s not perfect, it may not have even happened this way, but it’s the only way she can piece together what happened between shots.

And finally… when Jinx enters the final battle, something different happens. Up until now Jinx’s doodles have been used to block out memories, draw the voices in her head, reframe moments from her perspective, etc. They’ve been abstracted and rough and off to the side or drawn haphazardly over the stuff she’s blocking out. She never draws it on herself. So what happens here?

She draws an accurate representation of what she looks like in that moment on top of herself.

This is Jinx FINALLY coming to terms with who she is. She’s showing us that in this moment THIS is who Jinx is. It’s not abstractly represented. She’s not blocking anything out. She’s not reframing the moment. Shes not recreating frames that were missing. She’s just drawing what is represented in the shot and who she is now.

If these doodles are Jinx adding commentary after the fact then this flash is her putting a punctuation on the end of her arc. Up until now these doodles could be seen as her showing HOW she became Jinx, but this final moment is her saying this version of her is the TRUE Jinx.

And of course, there’s the “THE END” shot. That is Jinx literally signing out her story. If you ever needed proof that Jinx is alive, the fact that Jinx doodles all over the show is proof of that. Arcane is Jinx watching back the story of her life and adding her own notes and commentary to the film reel itself and that is what WE, the audience, are watching.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

[ithoughticouldwrite]

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!

[ithoughticouldwrite]

incapacitation

content warning

drugs that make a character woozy and disoriented. slurring words and falling slack, everything too heavy and confusing and muffled

blown pupils, wandering eyes, breathing too much or too little. sweating, shaking, puking, so limp and pale it’s almost like they’re dead

fevers so high a character's mind just turns to mush. glossy eyes tracking the ceiling, listless and unaware until eventually there's sweat sticking all over the sheets and they start mumbling some vague responses to caretaker's questions

tranquilizer dart that brings a character down all at once. one sudden jerk or look of confusion, not enough time to glance at it much less pull it out before eyes are rolling back and they collapse into the dirt

tranquilizer dart that comes on slowly. pulling it out and running and running until each step becomes too uncoordinated, stumbling or getting dragged along by a teammate until even their begging to stay awake, let's go, becomes hazy and distant

struck so hard that everything rings in one ugly roar. staggering or falling, told to sit down, just stay down. so confused and lost, repeating the same questions and forgetting the answer over and over and over again

character so messed up they struggle to follow any part of the conversation. everything too heavy and confusing and muffled, just useless and incoherent and completely oblivious to the situation

nervous prodding or pleading by caretaker, begging them to just stay awake or focus

jostled around by captor, told to get the fuck up and follow orders, easily manhandled and restrained

mumbling nonsense and spilling secrets. stoic characters without any masks, so confused and broken and vulnerable, slipping and powerless in every sort of way

"you're okay, i promise you're okay"

“ah, shit. you’re a mess—”

“I guess you won’t remember this anyways…”

gaze drifting and blank, too faraway to track anything caretaker/captor is saying. nudged and prodded and pleaded at to no avail, just incoherent and out of it

too weak to move. beaten absolutely senseless or bleeding all over the place, a character just hurting and spent beyond means sprawled flat against the ground

getting dragged along or stepped on, pinned down as if they're in any state to go anywhere

hypnotized and stunned into mindlessness. repeated mantras and rewired thoughts, a character made pliable and blank and used like a puppet

paralyzed but fully aware, left slack and useless and desperate with limp muscles and depressed breathing. assumed dead and abandoned, grieved over or dumped aside like a corpse, forced to watch and unable to do anything

poisoned and just getting worse and worse. teammates desperately looking for a cure while character deteriorates, puking and passing out and getting high fevers, hallucinating and begging for relief

characters taken out of commission when they're otherwise the strongest one. exposed to a weakness, given magical restraints or cuffs with neural suppressors to keep them docile, targeted and taken out

vertigo taking a character side to side, brought down and useless

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Body Language

When someone is...

Sad

Face/Body:

Avoidant/reduced eye contact

Drooping eyelids

Downcast eyes

Frowning

Raised inner ends of eyebrows

Dropped or furrowed eyebrows

Quivering lip/biting lip

Wrinkled nose

Voice:

Soft pitch

Low lone

Pauses/hesitant speech

Quiet/breathy

Slow speech

Voice cracks/breaking voice

Gestures/Posture:

Slouching/lowered head

Rigid/tense posture

Half formed/slow movement

Fidgeting or clasped hands

Sniffing or heavy swallows

Self soothing gestures (running hands over the arms, hand over heart, holding face in palms, etc)

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Okay..I did an actual mood board this time.

I’m working on a fanfic of young Severus also, should I post the link here when I publish it? I’ve never published any of my writing before so I’m lowkey nervous…😞

[ithoughticouldwrite]

[Image Description: A Tweet that reads: Hey, you. You're valid for writing fanfiction. Someone has stayed up late reading your words on their phone with auto-rotate off. Someone has dropped everything when they got that update email. Your work has made someone happy and you do it *in your spare time*. You're awesome. End ID.]

[ithoughticouldwrite]

pro tip “he freed his erection” is the most useful phrase in any smut writer’s arsenal because it means never having to figure out a dude’s pants situation. how did he do it? were there zippers? buttons? some kind of bizarre lacing situation? maybe he cut off his pants with scissors. maybe it was a wizard. maybe it busted out like the hulk busts out of his shirts. no one knows. no one cares. his dick is out now and that is all that matters. thank you helpful dick wizard.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

well 🧍‍♀️ as a reminder this blog is NOT a safe space for trump supporters but it IS a safe place for women, queers, trans ppl, people of color, undocumented people, and any marginalized group.

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Pacing Through Sentence Length in Writing

You ever notice how a scene can feel like it’s dragging or speeding up based solely on the length of the sentences? Sentence length isn't just a technical detail—it’s a pacing tool. When used right, it can control the speed and tension of your story. Here’s how:

Short Sentences = Speed, Tension, Impact

Short, snappy sentences are like quick breaths, instantly pulling the reader’s attention. They mimic fast action, nervous energy, or urgent thoughts. They create momentum. Think of action scenes or emotional moments—often, less is more.

Example: The door slammed shut. His heart raced. She was gone.

In just three sentences, you feel the urgency, the chaos, and the emotional weight of the moment. It’s all about breaking up the narrative with these quick hits to keep the reader on edge.

Long Sentences = Build-up, Reflection, Depth

On the flip side, long sentences slow things down, adding complexity, reflection, or tension. They’re great for moments of introspection, world-building, or setting a scene in rich detail. These sentences create a flow, pulling the reader into the character’s headspace or the atmosphere of the moment.

Example: The wind howled through the narrow alley, carrying the distant sounds of a city that never seemed to sleep, never seemed to rest, and in that eternal hum, he wondered, not for the first time, if he would ever find peace here or if, like everyone else who tried to escape the shadows, he would simply become another part of the city’s endless noise.

Here, the length of the sentence mimics the complexity of the thoughts—heavy, reflective, almost hypnotic. It builds tension not with action but with an overwhelming feeling of being stuck or trapped in thought.

Combining Both = Dynamic Flow

The real magic happens when you mix short and long sentences. This creates a rhythm—suddenly, a break in the flow, a quick shock, and then back to a longer, more drawn-out moment. It reflects real life: quick bursts of action or emotion followed by moments of pause or thought.

Example: He reached for the door. It was locked. His heart pounded, each beat a reminder of how badly he needed this. There were no other options. There was no way out. The key could be anywhere. And he could not afford to wait any longer.

TL;DR:

Long sentences = build tension, create depth, set mood. Short sentences = ramp up urgency, show action, make an impact. Mastering this flow is a game-changer for pacing!

[ithoughticouldwrite]

I hope every writer who sees this writes LOADS the next few months. Like freetime opens up, no writers block, the ability to focus, etc etc you're able to write loads & make lots of progress <3

[ithoughticouldwrite]

Would anyone want a list on what physical therapy is like?

[ithoughticouldwrite]

that ‘pakige?’ post but me, a couple hours after posting a fic, like ‘comints?’