ryns-ramblings

[ryns-ramblings]

Stop giving fathers redemption arcs. That old man sucks and you know it

[ryns-ramblings]

Love love love characters that present themselves as emotionally open social butterflies but the more you see of them the more obvious it is that they’re the most closed off fuckers in the story. Sure, they want to help you with your personal problems and messy emotions, but if you turn that shit back on them, they’ll shut down or deflect every time. Why are you sticking your nose in their business anyway? It’s not like it matters. They’re not a person, they’re just a role being played. They’re the guy who fixes things and saves people. Please ignore the man behind the mask, he’s fine. Everything’s fine.

[ryns-ramblings]

Hardest part of writing is accepting that some people will not fucking get it & you just have to like cope with that because over-explaining it just makes it worse

[ryns-ramblings]

Neurotypical writers giving advice: Be realistic with your goals. Try to outline or write a little every day. Refill the well. Get yourself a cup of tea and write for 30 minutes until the tea is empty. Check in daily with your accountability buddies for the next three to six months.

ADHD writers giving advice: Put on a movie that matches the tone of your novel to kickstart your dopamine and get into hyperfocus, then put a song on loop on noise-cancelling headphones, livestream your writing session so you feel watched and owe someone accountability, and write as much as you can for as long as you can. Don't forget to eat, sleep or drink. Now go write that novel in 5 days.

[ryns-ramblings]

I get real "I'm at soup" vibes from some media crit

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dream of me, only me

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The idea behind exposure therapy is to disrupt the fear-avoidance cycle. Feel afraid of something -> avoid it -> feel better in the short term (but worse in the long term). Facing your fears in baby steps is supposed to help reduce anxiety by teaching you that you can handle stress and discomfort, gradually a little more at a time. It's not always practical or possible to practice facing fears head-on every day, so these visualization exercises at home have been helpful for me to keep working on those skills. Let me know if you try this and it's helpful for you!

[ryns-ramblings]

how many years into ppl demanding complete moral purity from their protagonists will we end up with just milquetoast therapyspeak mouthpieces in place of actual characters

[ryns-ramblings]

The Power of Silence in Dialogue

We often think of dialogue as something that’s just about what characters say, but let’s talk about what they don’t say. Silence can be one of the most powerful tools in your writing toolbox. Here’s why:

1. The Unspoken Tension

When characters leave things unsaid, it adds layers to their interactions. Silence can create a tension that’s so thick you could cut it with a knife. It shows things are happening beneath the surface—the real conversation is happening in what’s left unspoken.

Example:

“So, you’re leaving, huh?” He didn’t look up from the table, his fingers tracing the rim of his glass, slow and deliberate. “Yeah.” “Guess I should’ve expected this.” (Silence.) “You’re not mad?” “I’m not mad,” she said, but the way her voice broke was louder than anything she'd said all night.

2. Building Anticipation or Drama

Sometimes silence can heighten the drama, creating a pause where the reader feels like something big is about to happen. You don’t always need words to convey that sense of dread or anticipation.

Example:

They stood there, side by side, staring at the door that had just closed behind him. “You should’ve stopped him.” She didn’t answer. “You should’ve said something.” The room felt colder. “I couldn’t.” (Silence.)

3. Creating Emotional Impact

Sometimes, saying nothing can have the biggest emotional punch. Silence gives the reader a chance to interpret the scene, to sit with the feelings that aren’t being voiced.

Example:

He opened the letter and read it. And then, without saying a word, he folded it back up and placed it in the drawer. His fingers lingered on the wood for a long time before he closed it slowly, too slowly. “Are you okay?” He didn’t answer.

TL;DR

Silence isn’t just a pause between dialogue—it’s a powerful tool for deepening emotional tension, building anticipation, and revealing character. Next time you write a scene, ask yourself: what isn’t being said? And how can that silence say more than the words ever could?

[ryns-ramblings]

“Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives that they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt. They perform extraordinary acts of metamorphosis to get them through. Winter is a time of withdrawing from the world, maximising scant resources, carrying out acts of brutal efficiency and vanishing from sight; but that’s where the transformation occurs. Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible.”

– Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times

[ryns-ramblings]

there’s a certain type of image I enjoy finding in old flickr albums from the 00s which is like a completely unknown picture that feels like a meme from an alternate universe

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listen to me right now: stop wasting precious time waiting to dress sluttier until you're smaller. you have a limited number of slut hours before you die and barring cosmic interference you will Never obtain more of them. wear the crop top

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blank WIP intro format, free for the taking

unless you want to credit me and thereby sneakily get some more eyes on your project, which I would not be adverse to.

I, personally, like making little graphics, so I include one of those first and then do the word part. but you don't have to do that. you can just do the word part.

TITLE: what's in a name? a story, I guess. GENRE: be as creative or specific as you like, darling SETTING: where does the story take place? tell me! TROPES: you get what goes here STORY: the combination of character and plot, what is the main thing that we're reading this story for, a tagline, if you will, a light summary

THE CHARACTERS: 

you can be funky and list your characters how you want

PLOT AND KETTLE: the timeline of events, the shenanigans, the points of HAPPENINGS that the characters interact with.

STUFF THAT IS NIFTY: worldbuildy bits and things that don't fit into the other categories. character bits that are more complicated. whatever you like.

STATUS CHECK: how far along are you in the process? please state for the record.

a lot of people have found this useful, I'm really glad my chaotic brain calmed down that one day and thought of it, and now here, many more people can use it and not have to calm down their chaotic brains too. unless you want to.

[ryns-ramblings]

in each new place you can reinvent yourself / a different skin for a different world / but I cannot unmake myself into something better / I feel trapped in authenticity / that I am utterly myself / and unable to let the shell of a person / go in the wind / of a new start - mythana

. the dead anon poets society .