jlwritesstories

[jlwritesstories]

Pssst

Hey, are you an artist or writer with WIPs?

Come here... I got a secret for you pssst come ‘ere

[jlwritesstories]

First, I want to say thank you to everyone who's read Doppelgänger and supported the story so far.

Second, I added a new chapter to the story. If you ever wondered how Dieter escaped from the strangers, this one's for you.

[jlwritesstories]

plotting my novel like a sane person (lying). actually drawing red string connections between a recurring pigeon and the concept of memory.

[jlwritesstories]

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

[jlwritesstories]

So, let me guess– you just started a new book, right? And you’re stumped. You have no idea how much an AK47 goes for nowadays. I get ya, cousin. Tough world we live in. A writer’s gotta know, but them NSA hounds are after ya 24/7. I know, cousin, I know. If there was only a way to find out all of this rather edgy information without getting yourself in trouble…

You’re in luck, cousin. I have just the thing for ya.

It’s called Havocscope. It’s got information and prices for all sorts of edgy information. Ever wondered how much cocaine costs by the gram, or how much a kidney sells for, or (worst of all) how much it costs to hire an assassin?

I got your back, cousin. Just head over to Havocscope.

((PS: In case you’re wondering, Havocscope is a database full of information regarding the criminal underworld. The information you will find there has been taken from newspapers and police reports. It’s perfectly legal, no need to worry about the NSA hounds, cousin ;p))

Want more writerly content? Follow maxkirin.tumblr.com!

[jlwritesstories]

(◡‿◡✿)

(ʘ‿ʘ✿) “what you say ‘bout me”

(ʘ‿ʘ)ノ✿ “hold my flower”

[jlwritesstories]

OP: The difference of the nine tones in cantonese ....Can you actually tell 

[jlwritesstories]

my fave writing reminder

honestly, this phrase has been on my mind more times than i can count. i've kidnapped it, taken it as a hostage with no ransom money because i need it to live permanently in my head.

[jlwritesstories]

A bus may have only a couple of passengers, especially at the beginning or end of its route. But let's also take fuel efficiency into account.

[jlwritesstories]

I truly hate the word "unalive." There are so many other euphemisms that fictional Italian mobsters worked so hard to provide you with and you just ignore them.

[jlwritesstories]

That's a fucking novel.

[jlwritesstories]

hi!! i just read the eyes are the windows to the soul and loved it! could i request some details/fun facts about what dieter would do if he got insecure about whether or not his beloved actually liked him anymore?

I'm so glad you loved it! If you've only read The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul, there's an extended original character version of the story over on Wattpad called Doppelgänger, if you maybe wanna check that out 😅👉👈 It has an extended story, plus Dieter's perspective.

Anyways, back to the ask...

Ooohhh Dieter getting insecure. I can imagine that going horrendously wrong if left unchecked.

It would pretty much play out like this.

Dieter won't automatically assume their love doesn't like them as much or are falling out of love, they will assume that they aren't fitting their darling's preferences correctly. They will up their attention (and also spy/stalk on their darling more than they already do.)

So, how does Dieter pay extra attention to their darling? They give gifts of favourite foods and items. Will constantly suggest new places to visit or things to do for dates (not to mention practically begging for dates).

Plus they will straight up ask their love what they want by providing multiple options and will change how they act or what they give their engel depending on what the answers to those questions are. For example, they will ask about their haircut, fashion, whether their love wants to go to restaurant A or B, whether they prefer movie A or B, etc...

Communication King/Queen! but also clingy over-pleasing king/queen.

You know how pets will follow their owners into the bathroom or be super clingy - Dieter has the same energy.

There will also be an increase in occurrences as they use their parts to watch over their love when the main body has to leave. Expect faces in doorways or looking over your shoulder when on the phone/pc/tablet. Sneaking tendrils whisking rejected articles away under the bed to analyse why they weren't worn and whether their partner's taste is changing.

If their partner carries a bag, they will try and figure out how to sneak a part into it to watch/listen in on them when they go out.

It is spying. Dieter is spying on them.

Basically, they will do anything and everything to have their beloved accept them and be happy.

There are a few different ways this can go...

Dieter manages to match their darling's preferences almost perfectly and gets the affection they crave.

Dieter manages to match their darling's preferences almost perfectly and doesn't get the affection they crave.

Dieter finds evidence their darling has figured out what they are and/or strayed.

Result number 1 always leads to a very happy Dieter (for however long it lasts).

If Dieter's careful machination results in number 2, they will work harder, spy harder, change themselves harder, and keep doing what they're doing—all while wondering why it isn't working? What am I doing wrong? Why? Why? Why? WHY?

This will only stop when either the result they want is achieved or a 'failure' occurs (result number 3 or a confrontation revealing what they are).

If the result is number 3, this could go a number of ways.

If Dieter's darling has strayed into the arms of another, whoever that may be, is not going to be around for much longer.

Dieter won't blame their engel at first. They will redirect all their anger towards the person chosen over them, convincing themself that that person seduced their love away.

They will most likely eat that person, (after careful planning how to eliminate them without getting caught and/or making their beloved too sad). With their rival out of the way, they'll use that person's memories to change how they act/are to better suit their darling's preferences. If they can't eat them immediately, they will wait ... and in waiting, they will remember their patience.

At first, they will try and earn their engel's love and attention again. Try to prove that they are the better partner, better provider, better lover...

But if that doesn't work, they switch to a more extreme track; why just get the love rival out of the way, when they can take their place?

It's the old routine they can't seem to break. They will fake a break-up (it will be after an open and amicable discussion, no matter how much it will pain them), then they will look for their chance to replace their love's new partner.

And the loop of acting and spying and adapting will begin again.

If anything leads to the realisation that their darling has figured out what they are...at first they will pretend like everything is fine. Hope they can linger in the middle-ground between discovery and confrontation long enough for their darling to grow to see them beyond what they are.

But if a confrontation happens and their darling isn't accepting (attacks him or runs) ... well ... we all know what happened to their previous darlings.

Tag list for The Eyes are the Windows to the Soul:

@waywardstardustcollector @liv-007 @sillyness343 @monstermunchmurder

[jlwritesstories]

🕳️ What to Write When You Have No Idea What Happens Next

aka: you’re staring into the creative abyss and the abyss is not only staring back, it’s asking for a rough draft

hi writer. welcome to that fun little liminal space in your project where ✨absolutely nothing✨ makes sense. you wrote the last scene. you know you’re not at the end. but suddenly your characters are just standing there like NPCs waiting for a quest marker and your brain is doing the spinning beachball of death.

so. what now?

let’s break down some actually useful strategies for when you hit That Point™️. not vibes. not ✨manifest your way out✨ energy. not the “just keep writing” slog. here’s what to do when your story is refusing to tell you what happens next:

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zoom out: do a “scene audit” ———————————————

you don’t need a full outline to do this. take five minutes and sketch a bullet list of every scene that’s happened so far. not just what happened, but why it mattered.

like this:

MC lied to their boss (sets up stakes re: trust/power)

antagonist shows up at cafe (establishes tension + location crossover)

best friend gets suspicious (emotional complication, adds pressure)

this gives you a birds-eye view of what you’ve set in motion. often you’re stuck because you’ve lost sight of the threads you were pulling, your own story has momentum, you just need to feel it again.

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try “ghost drafting” (aka fake writing) —————————————————————

open a doc. start typing what would happen, if you were writing. super casual. something like:

“okay i think the next scene is maybe them at the train station?? or wait--maybe we need to see the fallout of the argument. i don’t really know what x character wants rn but i think y might be planning something…”

this trick works bc it removes pressure. no fancy prose, no perfect structure. it’s literally you telling yourself what might happen. and weirdly? your brain will often finish the scene for you without asking. (the number of times I’ve ghost drafted myself into 800 usable words… witchcraft.)

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pin your characters to a corkboard and interrogate them ——————————————————————————

not literally. (unless you're into that. i don’t judge.)

but seriously: when you’re stuck, it’s often because your character has no immediate goal or emotion. pause and ask:

what does this character want right now? like, in this moment?

what are they trying to avoid?

what’s keeping them from getting either?

character-driven scenes are rarely static. even if it’s just an awkward dinner or walking to the store, someone’s always trying to do or hide something. if everyone in the scene is just reacting or waiting, you’ve got fog. bring in the fire.

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don’t skip the “boring” stuff--weaponize it —————————————————

sometimes we’re stuck because we think the next scene is dull. like “ugh i guess they just… travel to the manor” or “they regroup at the safe house.” but these slow beats are GOLD if you embed purpose.

try giving the “boring” scene:

a time limit or interruption (they’re hiding but someone knocks)

a secret (someone is lying about something small but important)

a reversal (what they expected is the opposite of what happens)

even if it’s a quiet scene, layer it. conflict isn’t just yelling or action. it’s discomfort. it’s misalignment. tension between what’s said and unsaid.

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when all else fails: write the next emotional beat —————————————————————

strip it back. forget plot. forget pacing. ask yourself:

then write that. a monologue. a journal entry. an outburst. a line of whispered dialogue.

sometimes it’s not that you don’t know what happens next. it’s that your character hasn’t processed what just happened, and until they do, the story can’t move forward.

✨✨✨

the void is normal. getting stuck doesn’t mean you failed or picked the wrong idea or that the muse packed up and left for a better writer’s house. it just means your brain needs space to regroup.

writing isn’t linear. stories aren’t built in perfect lines. they loop. they stall. they circle back. and that’s okay.

if you’re in the middle of nowhere, here’s your sign to sit on the side of the metaphorical road, open your weird little notebook, and write anyway. write wrong. write messy. write ghost drafts. the path shows up when you start walking.

🕳️ you got this, writer.

tag me if you end up crawling out of your stuck scene with a little victory paragraph. i’ll bring snacks for the next one 🧃✨

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

[jlwritesstories]

I keep seeing people making fun of using growled, hissed, roared, snarled etc in writing and it’s like.

have you never heard someone speak with the gravel in their voice when they get angry? Because that’s what a growl is.

Have you never heard someone sharply whisper something through the thin space of their teeth? Or when your mother sharply told you to stop it in public as a kid when you were acting up/being too loud? Because that’s what a hiss is.

Have you never heard a man get so blackout angry that their voice BOOMS through the house? Because that’s what a roar is.

Have you never seen someone bare their teeth while talking to accentuate their frustration or anger while speaking with a vicious tone? Because that’s what snarling is.

It’s not meant to be a literal animal noise. For the love of god, not every description is literal. I get some people are genuinely confused, but also some of these people are genuinely unimaginative as fuck.

[jlwritesstories]

The fastest way to shut down my "freelance life means I have to constantly be working" thoughts is to remind myself that if I was a boss holding a worker to the standards I hold myself to, their union would hunt me for sport and nobody would blame them.

[jlwritesstories]

(you need to view the image or you'll just like the post)