stevelikestowrite

[stevelikestowrite]

“Ah, what fresh hell waits for us today?”

This has become the very first thing that comes to my mind every morning for the last few weeks. No joke. I wake up and that sentence speaks itself as a mantra; sarcastic hopelessness pushing against the back of my eyes.

The news cycle, the fear, the misinformation, the lies, the wars, the war-crimes, the propaganda telling us to hate and fear and rage against the ‘other’: the weak, the vulnerable, the marginalized, the powerless, our neighbour.

But the last few days I have been reminded of a comic panel I found a few years ago. It had the most profound saying on it. And because of it, I have a new mantra forcing itself into that space.

The world is cruel, so I won’t be.

This is a found poem.

[stevelikestowrite]

How to Write Deaf Characters - From a real Deaf person’s perspective

Hello readers and writers alike, I would like to point out something that has been so glaringly annoying to me and other Deaf/HoH people so that we can end all these misconceptions. People who write for Deaf!Readers should know a few things before starting their imagines, fanfictions, blurbs - anything. It is not anyone’s fault for not knowing these things, most hearing people are not aware of the Deaf community or Deaf culture so here I am, a Deaf person who is majoring in Deaf Studies and Culture, coming here to tell you a few things to know when writing for a Deaf!Reader

(Remember this is my experience as a Deaf/HoH person and it may differ from person to person but this is what I learned/have slight annoyances within writing)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing is a culture. Yes, most people consider it a disability but IT IS NOT SOMETHING WE ARE ASHAMED OF! Please stop writing fics/imagines about Deaf!Reader being ashamed of not being able to hear or getting hearing aids to impress their SO. It’s completely wrong and just annoying. We are proud of our Deafness and we don’t want to be fixed.

DO NOT USE THE TERM ‘HEARING IMPAIRED’! This is basically a slur word. It was widely used in the ’90s but now it’s considered a derogatory term. Just use Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Or ‘deaf’ if the person is medically deaf and not culturally Deaf. (see next point)

Deaf and ‘deaf’ are different. Deaf is a cultural term for people who are born Deaf and raised in the community. The term ‘deaf’ is used in the medical field or used to describe someone who has hearing loss that does not associate with the Deaf Community. Usually, a hearing person who has become deaf later on.

Sign language is not a worldwide language. There are different types of language within sign language. ASL is for American and Canada. BSL is for Britain. So if you’re writing a story that takes place in a country that is not America or Canada, do not say ASL.

ASL does not = English. Same for every other language. ASL is its own language with grammar rules and semantics. It does not directly translate to English. So if you’re writing ASL most likely write in GLOSS or write it as you would write a hearing character. (Sentance: I want to go to the mall and buy a dress. GLOSS: I WANT WANT GO TO MALL I. ME BUY DRESS ME )

Deafness is on a spectrum. There is a legal threshold that someone must pass to be considered legally Deaf. Some Deaf people can hear more than others. I can hear high pitched noises sometimes. I know someone who can hear voices but can not hear what they are saying. Both of us are Deaf and we both cross that threshold. So when writing your Deaf!Character make sure to set a bar of what they can and can not hear.

Hearing Aids do not cure anyone’s deafness. It only helps hear some sounds and maybe hear if people are talking. Not what they are saying although it can help with that depending on how far they are on the Deaf scale.

Cochlear Implants are very controversial in the Deaf Community so if you’re going to write about them do your research!!! They are also not a cure for Deafness, just an aid.

Deaf people are not masters at lipreading! Even the best lip readers can only make sense of 30% of what is being said. I’ve been lip reading for years and I still only understand a little bit of what is being said. So no, your character is not going to miraculously know what’s going on from lip reading.

DO NOT have your characters yell at your Deaf characters. DOES NOT MATTER HOW LOUD YOU ARE! We can not hear you. Neither can your character. Have your other hearing characters speak normally. That’s the best way to lip read if they must.

Most Deaf people are born from hearing parents. It’s really rare for a whole entire family to be Deaf (Although I’ve met some and it’s super cool). But your character is probably born to hearing parents.

ALSO, the majority of hearing families with Deaf children do NOT learn ASL. It sucks but it’s true. Only about 30-40% of families learn sign for their Deaf family members. So keep it in mind,

So this is my list for now! I may add to it the more I think about things but this is basics I think everyone should know. If I forgot some then feel free to add! (as long as you are knowledgeable about the topic please). If you have questions please message me! Or if you need someone to proofread your Deaf!Imagines then I almost here for that. So happy writings everyone!

ILY

[stevelikestowrite]

Writing great friendships - Part 2

A lot of people requested that I do a Part 2 to my writing friendships post, so here it is:

1. Knowing & keeping each other’s secrets

I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me a secret, you best believe I’m going to tell my best friend. That’s just how it works.

So, if you have two characters who are supposed to be the best of friends, I suggest having them know each other’s secrets. If your MC suddenly develops magical powers or has a new crush or got into their dream university, they’re probably going to want to share it with their best friend.

If best friends don’t know something about each other, there has to be a VERY good reason.

Hand-in-hand with this is the keeping of each other’s secrets. If your MC’s best friend turns into a werewolf every night, they should be able to trust that the MC won’t blurt it out to the press or their peers.

If you want to write an unhealthy friendship, you can subvert these. Have the one friend keep mountains of secrets/be unable to keep the other’s secrets. OR have there be a secret that is worth telling someone else, but the friends are so blindly loyal that they still keep it under warps i.e. one friend is hurting themselves/someone else/being hurt by someone. These cases warrant sharing a secret in order to protect your friend.

2. Helping each other without being asked

This doesn’t have to be in every friendship, but it’s a good way to show your readers how much these characters care for each other.

Maybe one friend has run out of money for the month and the other leaves cash in their bag without saying anything. Maybe one of the characters aren’t feeling well and the other makes them a care package. Maybe your MC’s best friend is struggling at school. It could be a real testament to your MC’s character if they helped that friend with notes/tutoring etc.

Friends want the best for each other and don’t need to be begged to help each other. This goes along with the point in my Part 1 post that friends can often tell what’s wrong with each other without having to ask.

If you want to use this for an unhealthy friendship, turn helping into enabling. If one friend has a gambling problem and the other is continually there to bail them out without consequences, that’s not healthy assistance - it’s enabling an unhealthy habit. If one friend is too lazy to do their homework and the other always allows theirs to be copied, the same applies.

3. Becoming like family

By now, my followers have probably realised that I like Supernatural, so I’m going to reference it once again: Family don’t end with blood.

Long-term friends become so comfortable around each other that they behave like family members (and oftentimes become close with the real family).

This means doing domestic things together with ease and already having the division of responsibilities figured out. One friend may cook when they’re together and the other washes the dishes etc. My best friend and I lived together for two years and we had a standard deal that she kills all the insects and I open all the jars/bottles. We didn’t even have to discuss it. We knew.

This could also take the form of extreme comfort (like not caring about appearances around each other/admitting gross details to each other). Think of close sibling relationships. 

This could also mean security in the relationship, meaning that they feel free to call each other out/bicker without fear of the friendship ending.

This can be turned around for toxic friendships - where one friend is manipulated to stay in an unhealthy/abusive friendship because the other is “like family”.

4. Freaking out when the other gets hurt

This is especially useful if you’re writing something with lots of action/battle.

If one of the friends gets wounded in a fight, the other should be crazy with worry. They should want to be by the other’s side/help with caring for their friend etc.

If one of the friends are unconscious, even better. This way, their friend can refuse to leave their bedside until they wake up or read to them while they’re in a coma or whatever.

I’m not saying this is necessarily the healthiest thing in the world, but including it in your book will definitely show the reader how much these friends care about each other.

5. Talking to each other

This may seem like a very obvious point, but oftentimes friendships are mentioned in literature, but never really shown to the reader.

It won’t cut it to just tell the reader that these two characters are best friends, you need to show them interacting frequently. They should be in as many scenes together as possible. And they should communicate a lot.

This is often neglected in stories where romance features heavily. Character A has a best friend, we’re told. We see said best friend, Character B, once in the beginning of the novel. Then A meets heartthrob C and is never seen doing anything with B or talking to B about anything but C. No. I’m not going to believe two characters are the best of friends because you tell me they are. Readers want to see it for themselves.

Alright, that’s all I have on writing friendships. I hope that this can be useful to you guys :)

Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.

[stevelikestowrite]

Writing great friendships

Some of the best chemistry/relationships in fiction exist between characters who are/become friends. Here are some tips for making friendships come alive on the page:

1. Banter

One of the most interesting aspects of fictional friendships is the way the characters interact with each other whilst important plot points are occurring.

If your characters have easy banter, teasing one another without missing a beat and managing to bounce off each other even in the toughest circumstances, it will be clear to the reader that these two are/should be good friends.

Friends know each other well. They know the other’s character so well that they can easily find something to tease each other over. However, this also means knowing which topics are off-limits.

If you want to write a good, healthy friendship, your characters shouldn’t use humour/sarcasm as a way to hurt the other. It should be good-natured and understood as such from both sides.

Different friendships will have different types of chemistry. Some friends may tease each other with facial expressions. Others may already anticipate a snarky remark and counter it before it’s been spoken. Others will have physical ways of goofing around. 

Some friends might not tease each other at all. Banter isn’t necessary; it’s just a good way to make your characters come alive and make their friendship one that is loved by readers.

What’s important is chemistry - the way they automatically react to each other.

Think Sam and Dean in Supernatural or Juliette and Kenji in the Shatter Me series.

2. Mutual support 

Unless you purposefully want to write an unhealthy/toxic friendship, your characters should both be supportive of the other. 

This means that, even if one is the MC and the other the side-kick, both should be cognisant of the other’s feelings and problems, and should be considerate in this regard.

Few things will make your MC as likable as remembering to check in and be there for their best friend even when they are in the thick of a crisis.

You need to show your characters being vulnerable in front of each other and being supportive in ways that are tailored to the needs of each friend.

So, if one of the characters really responds to physical comfort, the other should know to give hugs/rub their back when they’re not feeling well. Similarly, if one of them doesn’t like being touched and responds to material comfort, have the other bring them ice cream and join them for a movie marathon. Whatever works for your characters.

What gets me every time is when a character is falling apart and won’t listen to/be consoled by anyone but their best friend (but this is just personal preference).

3. Knowing the other’s past/family life

This really only applies to characters who have been friends for quite a while.

Good friends know each other’s backstory - the highs and lows and mundane details. They know they layout of their family home and they probably know their family members well.

Friends will often talk about these things, only having to mention a few words for the other to know what they’re talking about i.e. “The ‘09 Thanksgiving disaster” or “You know how Uncle Fred is”

This will instantly make it clear that your characters are close and have come a long way together. 

Perhaps there are issues at home/trauma from the past that the other character will immediately understand. So, if one character appears with a black eye, their friend might know that the father was probably drunk the night before and got violent. Or if the character has a nightmare, the friend might know that it was about childhood abuse etc.

This can also apply to good things i.e. if one of the characters gets a nice note in their lunchbox, the other might know that their grandma is in town.

Whatever works for your story should be used to indicate the level of unspoken understanding the friends have.

4. Being protective

Few things will make your readers love a friendship more than the friends being fiercely protective of each other (in a healthy, non-territorial way).

Has someone hurt one of the characters? The other should be furious and want to exact revenge. Does someone say something demeaning to one of the friends? The other should defend them immediately and vehemently.

This can also take on a humorous twist if one of the characters starts dating someone. The friend can make extra sure that said date is sincere and promise to exact vengeance if their friend is hurt.

This can also be a great plot device, since it could explain why the MC’s best friend joins the quest/goes along on the journey. Perhaps this is the main plot point: a character seeking to protect/avenge their friend.

If you want to go in a toxic direction, this can be taken too far i.e. a friend who never lets the other spend time with anyone else/stalks the other/is patronising etc.

5.  Common interest(s)

Even if the two characters are vastly different, there should be something that keeps them together besides loyalty.

This is especially important for characters who become friends throughout the course of the novel.

This doesn’t have to mean that both of them go hiking every weekend or want to become pilots one day. It could be something small, like a love of cheesy movies or a shared taste in music. Maybe they both enjoy silence/don’t like other people. Maybe they are both social justice warriors, but for different causes. 

This could also be common characteristics instead of interests. Perhaps both are very ambitious/funny/social.

There should just be some factor that ignited the friendship and brings the two of them together.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be a big part of your story, but you should at least have it mentioned to make the friendship appear more authentic.

Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment if you would like a Part 2. Follow me for similar content.

[stevelikestowrite]

(UPDATED!) Not every writer wants to post their work online, however there are positives to doing so. If you seek feedback and advice from readers and writers, you might consider posting a draft or two. Even a few chapters or a poem can be uploaded online to get a little audience feedback.

Here are writing sites I’ve explored along with brief reviews of my experience in using them:

Fictionpress | Original fiction only | Covers Opt. — Has a docs feature so you can save works onsite without posting them, plus moderately detailed analytics to show you individual story traffic. With plenty of keen writers/readers willing to learn and help, written feedback is not uncommon here. Quiet and comfortable, but if you don’t update very often readership grows stagnant.— Adult Material Prohibited.

Major Demographics: All genders, All ages.*

Popular Genres: sci-fi, contemporary, fantasy*

Fanfiction.net | Fanfiction only | Covers Opt. — Sister site to Fictionpress, thus it has all the same features. However, it gets much more traffic than the original fiction site. When it comes to categorizing your story though it can get tricky, and if you have questions or suggestions for the administrators, don’t expect a response email soon…or ever. — Adult Material Prohibited.

Major Demographics: Female, All ages.

Popular Genres: epic dramas, fluff, angst, whump

Archive Of Our Own (AO3) | Fanfiction only** | No covers — Invite only, but getting in isn’t hard. High viewership, well organized, and ad-free. Not much written feedback unless you encourage it, but the “kudos” button is open to the public so anyone can leave their mark of approval. You can also set individual stories to “users only” along with other useful privacy options.

Crossover friendly, so you can finally post that multi-fandom fic and tag each property for search. Let’s you group individual stories into a series, and has various features for sharing/gifting your work with others. Overall the best place for fanfiction, hands down.

Major Demographics: Female, All ages.

Popular Genres: smut, epic dramas, fluff/angst, whump

Wattpad | Original & fan fiction | Covers Req. — Wattpad has been steadily improving its features and policies in the five years I’ve been using it. Here, some writers receive tons of feedback and appreciation, but most receive very little. A few authors have gotten published thanks to this site, others have followers in the hundreds of thousands, and still others become site administrators to support the bustling community.

They’ve recently rebranded, and have also introduced a feature to earn writers money. It is currently in beta and being tested with select authors only.

Unlike other sites, this one has very clear international groups and a high ethnic diversity amongst its writers. There’s an emphasis on supporting foreign authors and their stories in any language. Contests are set up by the site, but also smaller niche ones can be run by individual users.

It’s very fun to use and if the site chooses to feature one of your works you can get a lot of traffic. For the most part however, you have to practice marketing yourself, and/or develop a group of writer friends and read/promote each other’s work. — Adult Material allowed, but along strict guidelines (lots of kids use this site!).

Major Demographics: Female, Teens.

Popular Genres: romance, young adult, supernatural, celeb fic, fantasy

Deviantart | Original & fan fiction | No covers—I’ve never actually posted writing to this site as it is primarily for visual artwork. Still, some writers get feedback and support here for their works. Worth attempting if you already have a presence on the site, but the audience is small and has specific tastes.

Major Demographics: All genders, Teens.

Popular Genres: romance, poetry, fanfiction

Smashbook and Livejournal are sites I am aware of, but have too little knowledge of to review. Likewise  Wordpress, Blogger, or right here on Tumblr you can regularly post stories or novels and receive feedback. However, for those sites you do have to figure out a blogging system for yourself.

While researching good sites for this post, I found this user’s commentsinsightful. She suggested Writer’s Digest and Absolute Write as good places to seek professional feedback on your work. They don’t appear to be sites where you post work, but rather they provide tips and resources to help improve your work.

There are dozens of other places online where you can post your original fiction, non-fiction, and fan fiction. Things to keep in mind when site shopping:

READ THEIR SUBMISSION POLICIES & GUIDELINES FIRST

Search for reviews of the site by individuals who’ve actually used the site and are not affilated with the site.

See what the site’s policy is on deleting works & accounts. You don’t want to get your name and work trapped on a site with a bad reputation.

If “popular” stories have very little feedback on them, this means the majority of stories on that site get none.

If most users haven’t updated in months/years, this means the site is practically dead and may soon shut down. RED FLAG: the site does not date anything.

If the “feedback” on users’ pages and stories are “Like my work!” or “Read for read?” and other self-promotional messages, don’t sign up.

If a site looks cool to you but you’re still unsure, make an account with a junk email and post something you don’t care too much about just to test the waters. Good/bad doesn’t matter much right now, what’s important is figuring out how traffic works and what readers there are interested in. 

Sites to AVOID due to spam, scams, and shifty behavior:

Inkitt—spam/shifty; claims it’s the #1 site for online publishing, but this is misleading. Their idea of getting users is to send copy/paste “invitations” to pre-existing online accounts (often dead accounts), and lie about how good one’s writing is even though they’ve never read it. Signing up with them also gets you endless emails about their pathetic contests.

Dreame—spam/scam; similar deceptive invitation tactic, except they are relentless (they’ve “invited” me five times on two different sites). Their gimmick is to offer you pennies for 5yr rights to your work (and their site is trashy with very little reader feedback).

FicFun—same as Dreame, both are owned by their Singaporean parent company Stary PTE Ltd. (who personally sent me my 5th “invite”).

+ If you have a question, please review my Ask Policy before sending in your ask. Thank you!

+ If you benefit from my updates and replies, please consider sending a little thank you and Buy Me A Coffee! 

+ HEY, Writers! other social media: Wattpad - AO3 - Pinterest - Goodreads

—

*Based on what I see as receiving the most traffic and feedback on each site. These are not accurate statistics, merely observations.

** “Is AO3 really just for fanfic?” (tl;dr—YES)

[stevelikestowrite]

Things To Do When You’re Not Writing

Sometimes it feels as though the only way to be productive is to get more words on the page, but you can’t be writing constantly.

It’s incredibly important to take writing breaks, especially after finishing a first draft. That’s the best time to distance yourself from a project for a while, to come back with fresh eyes.

Here are some things to do when you’re not writing…

Read

Reading is one of the best things for a writer to do besides write. Reading makes writers better. Read books within your genre, or outside your genre. Short fiction, long fiction. And while you’re reading, ask questions like

What direct and indirect characterization is the author using to define their characters?

Does the protagonist have agency? What choices are they making?

What’s the author’s ratio of dialogue to description?

What about what you’re reading is making you want to continue? The conflict, character, a concept?

Draw

Are you artistically inclined? Try drawing, painting, sketching, watercolour, whatever interests you. It’s fun, works on your creative mind, and who knows what will go on in your subconscious while you’re working. This is also a great time to start thinking about cover art, and what symbols and images are important to your story.

Research

Researching is a great thing for writers to do during breaks. Research topics relevant to your book, especially if you write historical or realistic fiction.

It’s also an ideal time to start learning about the industry. About traditional and self publishing, which might be best for you, marketing, querying, all that.

Most of all, remember to be kind to yourself, and to be patient in between writing sessions.