nickkkwritesstuff

[nickkkwritesstuff]

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

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Waking up dry, waking up dusty (Feeling remorse, feeling thirsty)

Summary: Raph wakes up from a nightmare, heart pounding, breath shaking. He's used to pretending he's fine, brush it off and swallowing it down. This time he's not alone.

But maybe he never was.

Title from "Always Ascending" by Franz Ferdinand

(F! Raph x Traximus, lone man au)

He wakes up with a gasp.

A scream choked on his dry throat makes it hard to breathe, tears unshed blur his vision, rising the panic on the back of his mind.

The dream is already slipping away, but the feeling clings onto him like a second skin, panic tightens his chest while his hand tries to claw it open to release pressure. The blanket sticks to his sweaty skin and it's just too much – 

“Breathe” A low, steady voice says.

Raph jumps on his spot, his remaining eye desperately tries to find the voice next to him, he’s half expecting he’ll find one of the demons that haunt him in his sleep–

Instead, he finds Traximus, sitting next to him, hands hovering over his shoulder, unsure if he should break the distance between them. His eyes, dimly lit by the night, wait patiently for him to catch his breath.  

Raph jerkily nods. His pulse still hammers in his ears, but he forces down gulp through his closed throat and exhales.

In and out.

In and out.

“I’m fine.” he finally rasps out. He almost believes it. Almost. But the shakiness of his voice betrays him, he’s still too winded up, too wired, and Trax sees it. “It was just a dream.”

Trax shifts in his place, finally resting a hand on Raph’s shoulder, rubbing it in slow, soothing circles. “Doesn’t look like a dream to me.”

The triceraton’s voice is steady as ever. Raph clenches his jaw and turns his gaze away, his hand stops clasping his chest to fidget with the blankets.

A long silence stretches between the two of them, neither break it, they both stay.

After a few minutes (or maybe hours, Raph thinks), he finally mutters “It’s stupid.”

Trax doesn’t respond; instead he waits for Raph to continue. 

“We were back in the… Kraang war. It– I just–” His voice cracks. “I saw them die again, I could never make it on time… They always tried to reach for me but– I couldn’t do anything.”

Raph grips the blankets tighter. “I know it’s not my fault, they made their choices, but I cannot help but think that I… that I could've done more: talk to them, hold them back, anythin’...”

A single tear runs down his face. He quickly wipes it away. He hates this feeling, the phantom weight of things he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t fix. His breathing, while slower, is uneven, catching on his throat.

“Then I woke up.”

Traximus doesn’t respond, he doesn’t look away or pretends to not notice. Instead, after a moment of quiet consideration, he moves closer.

Raph doesn’t notice when Trax moves just slightly closer. Not looming, not overwhelming. Just there. Solid. Unshakable.

Then he offers a hand. 

Raph only stares at it. Fist still clutching onto his blanket. He knows what it is. He can pretend he doesn’t need it, just shrug it off and bury everything down like he always does.

Or–

He could take it.

He hesitates, fingers twitch, then slowly he reaches out.

Palms press against each other, calloused fingers rubbing together, gripping onto thick and worn out skin. His digits get caught in the remains of old scars and burns, Trax’s heart aches in sympathy and Raph can feel it, for once, he feels understood.

And something about the way he does it, the certainty, the understanding in his voice, his movements, hits Raph deeper than he expects. 

A sob escapes his lips, then tears won't stop coming.

Traximus doesn’t react much, just stays still, letting Raph set the pace. But there is something grounding about it, about the steady warmth beneath their skin, the quiet, unspoken I’m here.

After a couple of minutes, Raph exhales, the tension on his shoulders eases just a little.

“You really don’t gotta do this, y’know.” The snapper says.

“I don’t do things I do not wish to do.”

Raph snorts. The ghost of a smile tugs the corner of his mouth, tired but genuine. Trax exhales, slow but deliberate. 

“I have seen many wars. Many battles.”

The soldier searches for Raph’s eyes, with his free hand he reaches and slowly pulls his face up to meet his own. His thumb wipes a stray tear and takes a moment to absorb Raph’s old and scarred face, he looks so tired and sad but there’s a spark still in there, willing to keep going and protect his whole world, even if it costs him everything.

“But the worst ones do not end when the fighting stops.”

Traximus watches him for a moment before shifting. His voice, when he speaks again, is quieter.

“You’re not alone in this, Raphael.”

He breathes out. “Yeah” The fear is still there, but the weight on his chest feels lighter. “Yeah, I know.”

The words linger in the air, settling on Raph’s bones in a way that makes his very core ache, but not in a bad way. In a real way.

They sit in silence after that. A comfortable silence. For a long time, neither of them move.

Raph lets out a long yawn, and subconsciously tries to rub his eyes with his lost arm. The exhaustion is starting to weight on him again, adrenaline wearing out.

Trax hesitates but ever so slowly and gently lowers down on their shared bed, he adjusts the pillows and pats the spot next to him. 

The snapper lays down, his head rests on Trax’s chest, hearing the heartbeat underneath, it ushers him gently into sleep. Trax does an one armed hug, his hand scratching Raph’s shell between his spikes in a way that the turtle seems to enjoy as he quietly rumbles. He doesn’t comment on it.

“You ever get tired of bein’ right all the time?” Raph nudges. Trax chuckles, shaking his head.

“It’s a great burden, but I manage.” He adjusts his position. “Come on, rest now, you need it.”

With a long sigh, Raph obliges. For a second, he wants to argue. He isn’t used to this. Someone else watching out for him. Someone else offering their presence, their protection, their understanding. He wants to say I don’t need you to do all of this. But he swallows those words and tells his brain to shut up, because, for once, maybe just this once… he does.

“Yeah… okay.”

Traximus doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything else.

He just stays.

And somehow that’s enough.

Raph’s eyes drift closed. Sleep doesn’t come easy, but this time, nightmares don’t follow.

And when he stirs a few hours later, in that quiet space between dreams and waking, the first thing he sees is Trax’s sleeping form, still there.

For once, Raph doesn’t feel alone. And, for once, he lets himself believe that maybe he never was.

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Some of my favorite words and phrases to describe a character in pain

coiling (up in a ball, in on themselves, against something, etc)

panting (there’s a slew of adjectives you can put after this, my favorites are shakily, weakly, etc)

keeling over (synonyms are words like collapsing, which is equally as good but overused in media)

trembling/shivering (additional adjectives could be violently, uncontrollably, etc)

sobbing (weeping is a synonym but i’ve never liked that word. also love using sob by itself, as a noun, like “he let out a quiet sob”)

whimpering (love hitting the wips with this word when a character is weak, especially when the pain is subsiding. also love using it for nightmares/attacks and things like that)

clinging (to someone or something, maybe even to themselves or their own clothes)

writhing/thrashing (maybe someone’s holding them down, or maybe they’re in bed alone)

crying (not actual tears. cry as in a shrill, sudden shout)

dazed (usually after the pain has subsided, or when adrenaline is still flowing)

wincing (probably overused but i love this word. synonym could be grimacing)

doubling-over (kinda close to keeling over but they don’t actually hit the ground, just kinda fold in on themselves)

heaving (i like to use it for describing the way someone’s breathing, ex. “heaving breaths” but can also be used for the nasty stuff like dry heaving or vomiting)

gasping/sucking/drawing in a breath (or any other words and phrases that mean a sharp intake of breath, that shite is gold)

murmuring/muttering/whispering (or other quiet forms of speaking after enduring intense pain)

hiccuping/spluttering/sniffling (words that generally imply crying without saying crying. the word crying is used so much it kinda loses its appeal, that’s why i like to mix other words like these in)

stuttering (or other general terms that show an impaired ability to speak — when someone’s in intense pain, it gets hard to talk)

staggering/stumbling (there is a difference between pain that makes you not want to stand, and pain that makes it impossible to stand. explore that!)

recoiling/shrinking away (from either the threat or someone trying to help)

pleading/begging (again, to the threat, someone trying to help, or just begging the pain to stop)

Feel free to add your favorites or most used in the comments/reblogs!

[nickkkwritesstuff]

IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST

OR ‘PEAKED’

BUT PIQUED

‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’

THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA

[nickkkwritesstuff]

show, don't tell:

anticipation - bouncing legs - darting eyes - breathing deeply - useless / mindless tasks - eyes on the clock - checking and re-checking

frustration - grumbling - heavy footsteps - hot flush - narrowed eyes - pointing fingers - pacing / stomping

sadness - eyes filling up with tears - blinking quickly - hiccuped breaths - face turned away - red / burning cheeks - short sentences with gulps

happiness - smiling / cheeks hurting - animated - chest hurts from laughing - rapid movements - eye contact - quick speaking

boredom - complaining - sighing - grumbling - pacing - leg bouncing - picking at nails

fear - quick heartbeat - shaking / clammy hands - pinching self - tuck away - closing eyes - clenched hands

disappointment - no eye contact - hard swallow - clenched hands - tears, occasionally - mhm-hmm

tiredness - spacing out - eyes closing - nodding head absently - long sighs - no eye contact - grim smile

confidence - prolonged eye contact - appreciates instead of apologizing - active listening - shoulders back - micro reactions

[nickkkwritesstuff]

tips for setting the scene

it’s easy to get caught up in dialogue or a character’s internal dialogue and forget altogether that they, too, exist in their own physical world. as authors, it’s primarily our job to convey the exact amount of information: the reader is on a need to know basis, but they also need to know enough to draw their own conclusions. i’ll admit, it’s a difficult task, but here are some tips to help set a scene:

- imagine the world from the eyes of your character: how do they see things? do they see the big picture first or are they drawn to smaller details that others don’t often notice? what’s pulling their attention away from the action or their own thoughts?

- breathe life into your scenes: i don’t mean the english teacher’s equivalent of “the curtains were blue means that the character is sad.” i’m talking about the blue filter in Twilight that conveys the “constant cover of clouds and rain” and the shift from the Arizona desert to the cool Pacific Northwest. think about all the small details that convey information about a scene and allow the readers to make inferences. if the character walks along a street and the yards shift from overgrown hedges with frayed yard chairs and a birdbath containing a mini swamp to yards with freshly cut grass with white picket fences and ornate wreathes hanging on the doors, you’re providing all of the details for readers to make an inference. context is needed, too, but that will be provided in the whole of your novel or short story. don’t be afraid to provide details and use figurative language.

- spread out your details: did you feel bombarded in the last tip? i provided a lot of details quickly, all at once, without spreading them between action, dialogue, or internal dialogue. i’m not going to stop you from being the next J.R.R. Tolkien if that’s how you like to write, but try not to overwhelm the reader with details all at once. it will feel more natural if you spread things out and allow the reader to feel as if they, too, are with the character in their environment. this is more of a stylistic tip, so take it with a grain of salt and think about what will work best for your novel. always go back to that and to what your character is seeing. how is this all playing out for them? how can you put feeling into the scene?

- place your characters within the scene: where are they in their environment? how are they interacting with the people or objects in it? what do they think about these things? you don’t need to tell the reader everything your character does, but provide enough information so that we don’t get lost in their movement or stagnation. it helps to have someone else read your work if you’re struggling with this part. if they’re lost as to where the character is or what they’re doing, chances are a good portion of your readers will be confused, too. check out your prepositions. are there too many? too few? use them, but don’t abuse them.

happy writing! if you need help setting a scene or have any questions, our ask box is always open!

[nickkkwritesstuff]

hey writers! OneLook Thesaurus lets you find that word you can’t think of but can describe! go check it out!

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Writing tip #12: If your pacing feels too slow, it’s probably for one of these reasons:

the scene is too long

the scene is too wordy

too much description and inner monologue, not enough action

nothing is happening that pushes the plot forward

P.S. These little writing tips are re-posts from my Twitter account. Follow me there if you want to see more. xoxo

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Day 11: Name

((I’m so late for this aaa i didn’t know how to start this nor how to finish but here ya go, enjoy ;) it’s 1 am))

Vivi massaged her temples frustrated, the screen in front of her eating her brain and questioning her intelligence once again. She sat on the floor, legs closed and back firmly pressed against one side of her bed looking towards the open door of her bedroom at the apartment she and Arthur shared. 

There she was, hidden among piles of tomes and encyclopedias. Her hands fidgeting with the edges of her sweater and matching skirt as her ocean eyes fixated on her laptop like deadly daggers. Vivi fought to concentrate on the chase, one that shouldn’t bother her as much as it did, but the beat of a heart kept stealing her attention like a fire alarm.

Resting on top of her night table, a shiny golden locket drumbed loudly enough to echo on her chest. The girl gave it a quick glance, just a little look to ease the need to open it. Oh, words would never hold enough power to describe how much she hated that anchor.

Vivi could hear the owner of such trinked luring around their kitchen, unbothered by her thoughts, he kept his distance from her after being aware of how she felt towards him. It hadn’t been long ago when the wraith (what was his name again?) had rejoined their small group just after he had come to terms with Arthur, they got along fine, both having to get used to each other again but things were working out slowly, painfully slowly, however Vivi wasn’t buying any of this, the ghost and her friend told her the most heartwarming stories about the couple they once were, and he sounded like a nice guy, really, but the hatred she had seen on his eyes and the way the ghost had tried to willingly kill Arthur not once but twice didn’t mix well.

As for that, the ghost had trusted Vivi his anchor as both a promise and a guarantee.

He (she had his name on the tip of her tongue) had guarantee that he wouldn’t try to hurt their scrawny blond mechanic ever again, and if he ever did, she guarded his anchor to perform a clean exorcism and get rid of him for forever; and he also confirmed that she would find the answers to her questions inside of it.

But Vivi was afraid of the truth.

Arthur had tried many times to itch her to open it, Mystery had done the same a few times last month and they had offered her to confirm her memories, just in chase they were incorrect and the ghost tried to brainwash her. 

Vivi cracked her knuckles and returned back to work, ignoring the loud thum next to her. She pressed the keys harder than before to mute her thoughts but she interrupted herself when she catched her bobbing her head to the rhythm of the anchor. Vivi closed the computer angrily fighting the urge to throw it out of the window and sat down on her bed.

Her eyes landed on the golden heart, imitating the pulse of a real organ. Her hands stretched to welcome it onto her hold but she freezed and withdrawned them to her sides.

What if her world stumbled down again?

What if she realized how wrong she was?

What if she didn’t like what she saw?

Vivi couldn’t bear to see what she knew fall again. Everything was working out, she was fine with the life she had, why wasn’t it enough? It should be enough, why can’t it be enough?

Vivi looked at the anchor and wished to rip it in pieces and end her suffering. Her hands once again reached for it and this time she felt the smooth surface on her delicate touch. Her thumb ran across the cover like it was made of glass and found her reflection like a perfect mirror.

“Is everything okay?” A deep voice called from the door forcing her to look up and meet the skeleton’s face. He probably felt her touching his heart.

She bit her lips. “Yes, it’s fine,” She assured, placing the locket on her lap. “I just- ah”

The girl failed to explain herself. “I’m wondering how things were before… y’know.” Vivi moved a little and patted next to her inviting the spirit to sit. He placed himself on the other end of the bed, giving her as much space as he could and did his best to look smaller. “What if everything’s different? How am I supposed to react? What should I do with that? It’s just too much.”

Vivi’s chest tightened as she trailed off inside her mind, maybe she was overthinking it after all, but a large hand on her back gently pulled her off her thoughts before they choked her.

He sighed (or did the equivalent for a ghost) and retrieved his anchor from her grip. “It’s okay if you want to take your time,” the spirit fidgeted a little with the locket on his hands. “and we’re not going to push you to go through that. We were friends once, who says we can’t be friends again?”

It wasn’t a smile what the ghost pulled but it was close enough, one gentle but awkward smile. Vivi’s guess was that it would look better with his human disguise on (the one she couldn’t see or she’ll black out.)

She placed her hands on top of his and applied some pressure until she heard a soft click and the anchor opened like a book ready to be read. “But I want to know what I lost.”

The last came out more like a whisper to her ears, not sure if the ghost had heard her, but Vivi did not care. She guided his hands back to her lap to take a look inside the locket. It contained a single picture of the group, smiling as they never had and squished together to fit in the small frame.

Vivi felt like she had passed through a wall, one by one she saw memories long lost and recent adventures she would have never imagined, it all felt true and right and nostalgic until she was forced back into reality.

She was sitting staring at a wall, crying; the ghost panicking silently next to her unsure to pull her on a hug or lay her on the bed. Vivit turned to look at the wraith, recognition filling her eyes.

“Lewis?” She gasped and her world shattered again.

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

[nickkkwritesstuff]

eight random writing tips

–or things that i’ve found work for me. disclaimer: these may not work for you. take these as only suggestions.

don’t let yourself hit backspace. even though you might think what you just wrote is complete trash, it’s still something you wrote. you never know how helpful it might just be - maybe it’ll further your story, maybe it’s some character building tidbit, or maybe it’s just pointless fluff. whatever it is, you can save hitting backspace for editing.

if you can write using background music, write to your favorite movie soundtrack! or, use one of the million bgm music videos on youtube. personally, i like to write to “in love with a ghost,” “biosphere,” or “snail’s house” since they have some really calming songs. that, or the stardew valley ost! it might help you tune out everything going on around you.

try writing in a new place. the feeling of novelty might help refresh your mind. maybe it’s just another place in your room, or another table at the coffee shop you always go to. who knows?

don’t forget to take a break. burnout can creep on you and take as long as a year to get out of. things to do on a break: listen to music, go for a walk, play video game, or literally anything else!

rotate wips! of course, this depends on whether or not you want to have multiple wips. i’ve found that by rotating wips, i’m able to avoid straight burnout and keep writing, although with a different story in mind. it gives me a break from what i was focusing on, but also doesn’t let me forget how to string words together in nice sentences.

set small goals for yourself. whenever i hit a slump, or get burned out, i tell myself i’ll write 100 words and then go play a little bit of a video game or read a book. of course, that means i usually end up writing less than i wanted to, but it’s progress towards the goal of climbing out of the slump. usually, i up the amount of words as i grow more comfortable with writing again. i go from 100 words to 150, to 300, and so on.

talk to someone about your wip! i ramble to some of my friends about it and it helps me figure things out. sometimes, i fix a plot hole. other times, i figure out what to do with a character or where i should go next. they can give you some really great input, or just help you along the way.

you don’t need to actually write out the part that you’re stuck on. use placeholders! every time i feel stuck, usually i just put a [summary of what is supposed to happen, or what features of the scene i know i want to include] before moving on. it tells me that, when i’m editing, that i need to go back and fill this out. it stops me from burning out as quickly, or losing my momentum.

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Pixars 22 Rules of Story Telling

[nickkkwritesstuff]

having trouble writing?

update: the link should work now! im very sorry abt this haha h

I’m not sure what most you guys write with these days, if the majority of you are still chugging along with good ol’ Microsoft Word or whatever, but let me introduce you to this beauty:

Write! (look at this snazzy sleek website): 

This is my go to program. It’s light and doesn’t have a five minute start up like Word (or maybe my laptop’s just really clunky and old) and it has these features that make the entire story-building ordeal easier. 

Seriously, ever since I started using this I’ve been just spewing shit out.

It has both a free and a pro version. The free version is beautiful and efficient just on its own and is the one I’ve been using the longest, but if you want to have your work on all your devices, have a night theme for all-nighters or just have some stylish documents, the pro version is $5 per month. If you can, please support them!

The layout is simple and clutter free, nothing overwhelming. The navigation has an option to give you a visual look on what you’re scrolling through rather than the normal scroll bar, which has saved my eyes from squinting every five minutes.

Its got a standard formatting options but not so many that you feel overwhelmed. Simplicity matters! It also has a handy productivity counter which tracks word/character count, pages, reading time, etc.

There are three window options: compact, standard (size-adjustable) and full screen. I always use full screen but when I’m multitasking or want watch youtube videos, the window becomes smaller without cramping your work space since it doesn’t have a toolbar.

It’s pretty hard to find this program (at least it was for me haha) cause of its name. Since this is my favourite writing program so I’m going to spread the word and share it, since it deserves more recognition B^)

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Archery information for writers that no one asked for but probably some of you need and I like talking about archery, so here it is.

when you put an arrow on the string, the verb is called “nocking” i.e. eyes glued on the target, he nocked the arrow

also the part of the arrow that gets put onto the string is called the nock. depending on the type of arrow this can be a piece of plastic glued into the arrow, or with wood or bamboo arrows it can be carved into the shaft of the arrow itself

you do not close an eye when aiming or shooting; you see better with both eyes open.

everyone has a dominant eye that more naturally your brain focuses with. that determines whether you are right or left handed when shooting, and doesn’t necessarily correlate to whether the person is right or left handed in anything else

so if you’re writing a character who has difficulty seeing out of one eye, take that into account when they are shooting

if they are right eye dominant, they hold the bow with their left hand and draw the string with their right. if they are left eye dominant, they hold the bow with their right hand and draw the string with their left

if they shoot left, the quiver sits on their left side/hip/thigh. shoot right - right side quiver.

there are several different ways to draw, if you are writing something historical or in a specific region, then do research on that style of archery. but for a generic place to start that is a more universal way of drawing a bow, here are some things to include

the chin stays down. raising your chin will fuck up your aim

the pointer finger on your draw hand rests on the side of your chin/jaw, and the string of the bow will touch the tip of the archer’s nose

weight is on the balls of your feet, leaning slightly forward off your heels

if it is an older bow/barebow, there is not usually a place for the arrow to rest on the bow. this means the arrow rests on the archer’s hand. if they are not wearing a glove on that hand, the fletchings (that’s the feathers on the arrow) will more than likely slice their hand when firing. this scars.

so if you’re wanting to describe someone observing and archer’s hands (hands are hot, don’t @ me) they would see a silver scar about halfway between the pointer finger knuckle and palm of the person’s hand. (turn your hand vertical and trace down the length of your pointer toward your thumb and stop next to the knuckle. that spot there.)

most archers wear something to protect their fingers on the hand that draws the bow. even with that, they have callouses. without it, a lot of callouses, scars, and blisters.

most common draw uses three fingers on the string: pointer, middle, ring. the arrow sits between the pointer and middle. just like where the draw point is, this is not universal and do research if you’re doing something culturally important.

barebow means that the bow is bare of any instruments. no sight, no weights, etc. the most basic/traditional form of bow

a recurve bow is anything where the tips of the bow curve back around forward, away from the archer

a compound is what you think of as a modern hunting bow, and is recognisable by having wheels at the ends and three strings

arrows have three fletchings that form a triangle, the point faces the archer so that the flat of the arrow will pass the flat of the bow on release. the arrow sits on the side of the bow facing the archer

archers with a larger/raised chest will sometimes where a chest protect so that the string does not catch when firing (this is regardless of gender, i know several cis-men who need it as well)

string can also catch on the forearm that is holding the bow and creates bruises and welts if you don’t wear a protector. modern ones are small plastic and cover just the spot, with elastic holding it in place. traditional ones are leather and wrap all the way around, lacing up on the back of your arm like a corset.

there is literally so much more, but i feel like this is plenty to get you started, and as always, feel free to drop an ask in my box if you need something more!

[nickkkwritesstuff]

Writing existing character voices for fanfic

Hey, so, I started doing a writeup a week ago about how to get character voices in your fanfic to sound “in character,” in response to a comment from a new writer I was beta-ing for. 

I’ve been told this is a thing I do well.

As someone who studied dialogue extensively for a theatre degree, I tend to do this reflexively now, and I don’t write out each individual step. But I put some thought into how I might break down the process if I was new at it and looking to get better.

I don’t think it’s actually that different than an actor studying character accents, except as a writer you’re breaking down meaning rather than sound.

Let’s take a look at what makes dialogue unique to a character. I’m gonna list these as bullet points first, and then I’ll suggest some exercises to explore these aspects of speech.

Most important aspects - focus on these first

Vocabulary - the words they use. As subset of this:

Complexity of words, which can include:

Syllable length

Likelihood to be used in casual conversation - a character can be very smart and still use very informal language.

Cultural touchpoints

Culture can include pop culture references - think Tony Stark’s nicknames for everyone, i.e. “Point Break” and “Underoos”

How in or out of sync the character is with the story’s setting with regard to both time and place - are they from a different country or era of time than their peers?

Important - Check these out if you have time

How likely the character is to speak their mind vs. change the subject - this could be for any number of reasons, from fear to duplicity

Amount they say / Introvertedness / how reticent they are - This is somewhat related to the above point, but not necessarily, and should be researched from different angles. Subverting a topic is not the same thing as being afraid to talk about it.

Different ways of speaking with different characters - this could be a function of story (i.e. how a character who is captured speaks to their captors as opposed to friends) as well as pure Code Switching

Deep cuts - Advanced aspects of speech

Fluency in the language they are speaking

Accents - You do not have to write a character in an accent, i.e. spell the words differently to show the accent, if you don’t want to. It really depends on the piece (usually how light hearted or humorous you want it to be) whether you do or not.

Okay, this is all well and good, you say. But HOW do I incorporate this into my writing?

Dialogue analysis exercise

Find five (or more, but at least five) representative lines from your character’s canon dialogue.

If they don’t speak, don’t have five lines, do the best you can. (I imagine other forms of communications can probably also be analyzed in this way, but I’m gonna focus on dialogue for now.)

These are going to be your key phrases. They need to be from canon and they need to be words that really show off who your character is.

Say the words out loud. Read them again and again. What do they sound / feel like?

What is the average syllable length? How many long words do they use?

Do any words jump out at you as archaic? What about modern pop culture references?

What is a different way they could have said this? Write some alternate versions of this phrase and figure out WHY the character didn’t say it this way instead. What is the difference between the canon dialogue and the alternative? Try to be as specific as possible. It’s as important to know what they wouldn’t say as what they would.

Look up any of the more complex words and find some similar ones, with a similar level of complexity. Use a thesaurus you trust and possibly also Wordnik. If your character doesn’t use ANY complex words, reflect on that. Why? What’s their reason? How does that fit with the rest of their personality?

Think of some other characters from other pop culture pieces who speak in a similar way. It doesn’t have to be 100% the same, but if it can help your ear get used to some new-but-different phrases, it’s enough. You’re training your brain to speak like the character. Start to sort phrases they would say from ones they wouldn’t. How do these two characters differ?

Now that you have worked thoroughly through your key phrases, start to imagine these lines said in something other than the original context. What if they were said to a different character? WOULD they even be said? What would change? What would happen if your character was scared / hurt / overjoyed / sick?

Finally, after all that, write some NEW dialogue for your character, either as practice, or right into your fic draft. Keep using your key phrases as a guide and go back to canon as much as you need to! You can do this!

After all of this, you should feel significantly more confident in writing that existing character into your story. Huzzah!

If you found this at all helpful, reblog and / or leave me a note. I’m curious to hear what you think.

[nickkkwritesstuff]

On writing characters with disabilities

I’ve had a rough morning and I’m riled up so here’s my two cents. Repeat: my two cents. I do not claim to speak for or represent the beliefs of everyone with a disability.

INCLUDE CHARACTERS WITH DISABILITIES 

[Can’t believe I’m still saying this but here we are] 

No, not “disabled characters”, put your character before their disability but include it nonetheless. People with disabilities exist in real life, out in the world, living and breathing and going about their days in the same spaces as able-bodied people. No their disability does not have to further the plot because that’s not how life works. If you want realism, include characters with disabilities. We’re all around you. I guarantee you know several people with disabilities even if you don’t think of them that way.

“But a disabled person can’t be a soldier/mercenary/other badass fighty character which is apparently all I include in my story!”

A) Yes they can. If you’re only aware of physical disabilities that completely limit a person’s mobility, you’re not aware of the diversity of disabilities or the mobility aid options and it’s time to do some research. Peg leg, bionic eyes, arm made of gears and pneumatics-based imitation tendons for each individual finger, magic potions or holistic treatments for chronic pain management, mental disabilities, someone who has a disability but is in remission. Get. Creative. These people exist and function in the same spaces as your perfectly able-bodied soldiers/mercenaries/various badasses.

B) Let’s say they can’t. Let’s say, for whatever reason, your badasses must only be completely physically and mentally abled. Do you not have medics? Blacksmiths? Ammunition and weapons experts/providers? Pilots? Family members back home that your badasses fight for and return to once a month? What about the bar/tavern/club/restaurant/dining tent your badasses regularly visit - are there no servers or cooks or bartenders that they talk to? Hell, a prostitute with a missing arm or severe ADHD. Are you really telling me you don’t think it’d be fun, and beyond handy, to have a magic healer who happens to be paralyzed from the waist down in your crew who’s constantly cracking jokes and shutting down shitty behaviour? Sure they may not fight because your fighters are only perfectly abled, but damn are they good at the fix-up after.

“But I don’t want to write a sob story”

Yikes. Well, good news, you don’t have to. People with disabilities can be  ridiculous and funny and fun in general and it doesn’t always revolve around their condition. However, they will make jokes about their condition and, given the right people, can be joked with about it. “The right people” varies person to person, but I find for the most part it’s close friends and family members who act as strong supports and will also joke about things outside of the person’s disability. For this, you may want to talk to real life people with disabilities. Seriously, we’re everywhere. If you built rapport, many of us would be happy to tell you if a joke/situation is offensive even within the context of goofing around with a friend. Hell, some of us (ex. me) would be willing to answer questions from a total stranger if it’s in the name of providing education and support on writing a character with a disability. 

[in which my best friend is a gift and figured out reassuring me I wasn’t a burden wasn’t working so she settled on calling me her favourite burden]

“But I don’t always want to be talking about their disability”

You. Don’t Have. To. It’s almost like, with all character traits/quirks/identifiers, it happens occasionally and within context.

____

She bowed her head low and bent her elbows at funny angles, tying her hair up quickly so she didn’t have to hold her arms up for long.

“Bad shoulder day?”

“Yeah, kept me up all night.” She dropped her hands, straightened up, and stretched her neck, rolling her head side to side. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

____

Washing bitter pills down with even more bitter coffee, he went over his tasks for the day. Dry cleaning, groceries, bank, assassination. Easy enough.

____

“They can’t take the stairs. We’re leaving them behind.”

“Or, you inconsiderate rat bastard, we could find an alternate route. You’re not getting through security without them. They’re coming.”

TL;DR, it’s not hard to throw in the realities of living with a disability every few chapters, or whenever relevant.

Lastly, the topic of using the word(s) “disabled/disability” and naming a diagnosis.

This, for me, isn’t really a big thing. I can understand how it is for some people, and I’m a fan of it but I don’t consider it a necessity. Some people want to see the word ‘disability’ used in order to take away its stigma. Some people want to see diagnoses named for the sake of completely being able to purely relate to a character. I understand that. I’m not bashing that. This is just my opinion. Personally, I don’t see the need, especially in fantasy settings or scifi or general other-world where conditions may not have the same names or treatments as they do in real life. If you make it clear that your character has a disability, show the symptoms and the ways in which they cope/manage/adjust to carry on with their lives, show their ups and downs and condition management, that’s enough for me.

This might be the area that you upset and offend some people. Someone might get mad that you used the word ‘disabled’, some might get mad that you didn’t. Some might get upset that you ‘made up’ your own condition, some might get upset that you named a diagnosis and didn’t portray it in a way they felt was accurate. Unfortunately, that’s the reality and your choice to make which group you want to potentially upset. Do your research, do your best to be sensitive, make an informed decision. Ultimately, I don’t think I’m alone in saying I’d rather see characters with unnamed disabilities portrayed in a positive way than not portrayed at all.

Please, include characters with disabilities. It can actually contribute to the realism of your stories and you might be surprised how fun it can be to write.

[nickkkwritesstuff]

one of the best pieces of writing advice i’ve ever gotten:

if a scene isn’t working, change the weather.

it sounds stupid, but seriously, it works. thank u to my screenwriting professor for this wisdom