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[sxnniiwrites]

Dialogue Tags

Writers, here's your reminder that it's okay to use the word "said" and it's okay to use no dialogue tag at all! Straining to describe a character's tone and emotions with a single word such as grumbled, pondered, exclaimed, can be distracting and give the writing a juvenile feeling. Instead, try describing what's happening in the scene and describing your characters' internal thoughts and feelings, rather than just telling us they're yelling.

Look at the difference here:

Example A:

"You know, I'm getting tired of you always treating me like a child," B grumbled. "Well then maybe you should stop acting like one," C snapped back. "I'm childish? I'm not the one who's about to throw my life away running off alone on a suicide mission because my pride is bigger than my brain!" B yelled.

Example B:

B plopped down in her chair with a huff. "You know, I'm getting tired of you always treating me like a child." C scoffed and rolled his eyes, tired of B's pouting and sick of her constant nagging. "Well then maybe stop acting like one." B slammed her fists onto the table, dishes clattering and her chair screeching on the floor as she shot up, fuming. "I'm childish? I'm not the one who's about to throw my life away running off alone on a suicide mission because my pride is bigger than my brain!"

(go easy on me I wrote those on the spot TT)

In Example A, the dialogue tags tell us that C is annoted, and B is frustrated. But...that's all we can tell. Example B brings in movement, the setting of a table, internal dialogue, and through these, conveys stronger, more clear emotions than if we simply used dialogue tags.

Now, this of course depends on what you're writing; the pacing of the scene changes the need for dialogue tags. In the example scene, we're reading an argument, where tempers are flaring and words are being spit out in frustration. It's important that the reader is able to feel what the character feels, rather than trying to decipher what it means to "growl" a sentence.

In other instances, simple dialogue tags such as mumbled, argued, and asked are totally fine, as long as it fits with the flow/pacing of the scene.

The point is, be intuitive about your use of dialogue tags. If the reader knows Jeff is the one speaking, then you don't have to put "Jeff said" after every sentence he speaks. If you are using dialogue tags for pacing or because there are multiple people in a scene, stick to a few simple ones, and focus on showing, not telling.

[sxnniiwrites]

Some common grammar and spelling mistakes I see in fics:

- "Alot" isn't a word. there wasn't "alot" of food at dinner, there was "a lot" of food.

- compliment = a nice thing you say to someone. complement = things that go together: complementary colors, flavors, etc

- lose = to no longer have something. loose = the opposite of tight.

- i.e. = in other words. e.g. = example given.

- peek = a quick look. peak = the top. pique = create/provoke: "piqued interest"

- ensure = to make sure. insure = protect with an insurance plan.

these are just a few. let me know others that bother you!

[sxnniiwrites]

How to __ and Other Writing Tips

↳ a masterpost for informational writing prompts and other tips for writers

How to Write __:

How to Write Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis

How to Write a Monster

How to Write a Good Villain

How to Write a Panic Attack

How to Write Dialogue for a Stuttering Character

How to Write a Character with an Eating Disorder

How to Write a Character with a Prosthetic

How to Write a Character that has been Poisoned

How to Write an Unreliable Narrator

How to Describe __:

Different Ways to Describe Fear

How to Describe Facial Expressions

How to Describe a Character's Speech

How to Describe Emotionally Distant Parents

Other:

What to Do With Too Much Dialogue

Ways for Characters to Get to Know Each Other

[sxnniiwrites]

Struggling with a chapter?

The current chapter I'm writing for my WIP is pretty damn bad. It's taken me about a month to finish a first draft of it because it's been hard to make myself work on something that I know isn't up to my personal standard. If you're like me, here's some advice:

Just keep writing. Don't keep going back to edit, don't stop until you think you've found your voice/style again. I promise it won't help. The best thing you can do is just finish the chapter and move on to the next. You can't improve a piece of writing that never gets finished and you can't edit a blank page.

If you have a beta reader, hand the chapter over to them. Tell them to scribble out every word if they have to. I know it can feel discouraging to see so many criticisms and edit suggestions on your document, but the best way to edit is to see through someone else's eyes. You may hate your chapter, but not understand why; a beta reader can help you figure it out.

If you don't have a beta reader (which I highly recommend getting), finish the chapter, then take a break from your WIP. I don't mean for a few hours, but a few days. Come back to it with a fresh set of eyes and a less tired brain. Read it once, then go through again and leave notes or comments about what you don't like. Depending on if you're tired here or not, either take a break or dive into the third pass, where you start editing.

Trying to cut a stubborn stone with the same dull blade will never work. Take a step back, replace the blade, and come back with a refreshed mind.

[sxnniiwrites]

Flaws to Add to Characters

So, are you searching on how to make your character a little bit less perfect without giving them too many extreme deficiencies? Well, I have a few examples, and some of you guys might've not even realized that they're flaws!

Inability to get over the past - This doesn't have to be as serious as people think! Maybe the past just influenced your character in a way that affects his modern life!

Self-reliance - This doesn't sound like a flaw, doesn't it? Well, in some cases, it could be an issue a character struggles to overcome, and other times, it can actually be a part of a character's development! However, the act of never accepting help from someone is most definitely a shortcoming.

Apathy - I think that this is pretty self-explanatory. Over-passionate people are dangerous, but worse than that are people who don't care enough.

Over-passionate - It's still a flaw, guys! Having too much passion for one thing to the point where nothing else matters is harmful to your character.

Vengeful - This is also rather clear, I don't think I need to further explain this.

Detached - Almost like self-reliance, but to a more severe degree, where they don't see the need for not only anyone's help, but for anyone in general.

Possessiveness - If a character is too possessive towards another character, it could harm the latter's mental health and ruin any relationship between the two.

Manipulative - I hope that no one needs me to explain this!

Self-destructive - Honestly, this has a pretty wide range of examples, it could go from neglecting oneself to actual self-harm. Either way, it's definitely not healthy for a character.

Superiority/God complex - The problem is in the name: a character with these complexes simply believes that they are better than everyone else. It's similar to arrogance, but not quite the same.

Here you go! Ten flaws that you can incorporate in your characters!

Happy writing~

3hks ^^

[sxnniiwrites]

Writer's block sucks, and it can make us feel unproductive or contribute to imposter syndrome. If you're struggling to write today, here are some things that count towards your writing even if it isn't putting words on a page:

Make a Pinterest board for your characters

Make playlists for your characters or wip

Explain your wip to a friend

Ask your beta reader what their predictions for your wip are

Make head canons for your characters or asking friends/beta reader to make some

Write up a description/synopsis for your wip, even if you already have one

Take a step back. Maybe you need a break, and that's okay!

Reminder that you're a real writer, whether you're writing fic, a novel, or haven't touched your wip in weeks. You got this!

[sxnniiwrites]

So, you want to write fanfics.

Here are my top fanfic writing tips!

You don't have to waste time on physical descriptions of characters, since your target audience already knows them, UNLESS: - their appearance is different in your fic in some way (timeskip, different verse, etc) - OR it's genuinely significant, like character A being struck by character B's beauty at first sight and having to swoon over their gorgeous features. Other than this, if it's not plot significant nor important to the readers' perception of the story, then don't worry about it if you aren't confident with physical descriptions!

Pay attention to character voice. What's that, you ask? Well, everyone's inner thoughts sound different, right? It matches your own personality and speech patterns. This is the same with characters. This is much easier if the franchise you're writing for is a book series, of course; you already have somewhere to go to reference the style this character's thoughts are written in. With shows and movies, it's a bit harder to find each character's voice, but important nonetheless. If you don't have distinct voices for each character's POV, the writing and characterization can fall flat. A good way to find character voice is to write a few diary entries for each character (even if your story isn't going to be in first person POV, do it for this exercise). This will help establish individual voices, and then your characters will really start feeling like their canon selves.

Cater to your audience. This is the nature of fanfic. But seriously, don't be afraid of cliches! If your fandom loves hurt/comfort for a certain pairing, write that in! If your fandom is obsessed with tooth rotting wholesome fluff for a pairing, try that too! You don't have to, of course, but this can help keep your target audience interested and attract more readers through tags.

USE BETA READERS. Oh my gosh I used to not use betas and would just "edit" my fics all on my own, which of course meant scanning it briefly for bad typos because my brain was so fried from writing it that I didn't want to thoroughly read the whole thing and look for in-depth edits. I know it's scary to have someone else pick through your work but trust me, they LOVE what you wrote, regardless of how many edit suggestions they leave. They'll also help you see things from a reader's perspective that you may not have caught before. Remember, critique is just opportunity for improvement.

Please don't stop because you're embarrassed. Trust me, I've been there. For a while I didn't write fic because I felt "cringey" and was scared of my irls finding my fandom works. But honestly? Screw that. Write for yourself. Write because you love it. Cringe culture is dead, so write the stories you want to tell, and to hell with anyone who thinks it's weird. Besides, there are probably more fandom "weirdos" around you than you think.

Don't be afraid of creation. Happy writing!

[sxnniiwrites]

Who's vs Whose

This is a common grammatical mistake I see in fics, so I just wanted to address the difference real quick!

"Who's" is a contraction, a combination of "who" and "is." "Who's going to the party tomorrow?" "Who's she?" "Who's next?" Simple!

"Whose" is where people tend to get a little confused. "Whose" is used to reference ownership. "Whose idea was this?" "Whose wallet is this?"

Now imagine using "who's" in those same sentences. "Who is idea was this?" "Who is wallet is this?" Doesn't make much sense, right? So, if you get confused about whether you should use "whose" or "who's," just replace it with "who is" and see if it makes sense!

[sxnniiwrites]

Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes

Did you know that there's a difference between -, –, and —? There is! Your local grammar geek is here to help.

Hyphens: Hyphens are the shortest dash (-). These are used for compound words and phrases with hyphens in the middle. This post (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/open-and-closed-compound-words/) has a lot of great information about different types of compound words.

Note that hyphens are not used to cut a phrase short. Father-in-law, pet-friendly, self-motivated. The hyphen is used to connect the words of a compound phrase.

En Dashes: En dashes (–) are the second longest dash. They are used to indicate a range. For example, you may write a time period as 1993–1995. If you're estimating a number of objects, you may write that there are 3–5 objects.

For clarity, here's a hyphen and an en dash side by side again: -, –.

Em Dashes: Em dashes (—) are the longest dash and used similarly to commas or parentheses. They can be used to cut off a sentence or add facts and information. For example:

"'You lied! You told me that—' 'I didn't know she would be there!'"

"The dachshund—known for its long body and short legs—is a clever and playful breed."

To recap: Hyphens (-) are used for a certain type of compound words. En dashes (–) are used to indicate ranges. Em dashes (—) are used to interject. Note that none of these three dashes have spaces before or after. I hope this helps!

[sxnniiwrites]

Writing With Executive Dysfunction

Writing is hard. And for those of us with ADHD, the hardest part is getting started each day. Here are some tips that have worked for me in the past when dealing with executive dysfunction as a writer.

Something I saw on the NaNoWriMo website is to set a timer for 1–3 minutes and write something. Anything. I've done this before and written nothing but a keyboard smash or a single word. But hey, I wrote something! Time incrementing is a long used management strategy for ADHD. And by the end of your three minutes, maybe you'll have written half a sentence, or even a whole one!

Speaking of half sentences, when you're ready to be finished writing for the day, leave off in the middle of a sentence or dialogue. The next time you sit down to write, it'll be much easier to get started, because the first step is to just finish the sentence or follow the natural flow of conversation. Remember, getting the first word down is the hardest part, but once you do, it can motivate you to keep writing for the rest of your session.

Treat yourself like a main character. No seriously, I do this every time I write. I make some of my favorite tea and pour it into a cute little mushroom mug, and I sit in my comfy chair by my bedroom window, surrounded by the fake vines and flowers all over my room. I turn off the overhead light, turn on some fairy lights, and wrap myself in my tortilla blanket. Something about doing it for the aesthetic just scratches my brain, you know? So if being the main character to you means setting up a cozy space like this, or finding a busy Starbucks and putting on some headphones, or putting on an outfit that matches the vibe of your story, then do it! Whatever makes you feel like you're in the middle of a slice of life indie film. It seriously helps, and I have no idea why.

Sprint rooms! I've done a couple of these with some online friends. My favorite is ohwrite.co. When you log in, you can create or join a "room," which gives you a space to write, customization options (including dark mode!), and a timer, which you can set for as long or as short as you'd like. On the side of the screen, you can see your word count, as well as the word counts of your friends. Your work is completely private (and saved in browser), but working alongside your friends with a visible word count helps you keep each other accountable. I've personally found this to work well while on a Discord call. For me, I always have an easier time getting things done when there's someone else there to keep me on track.

Executive dysfunction sucks, and sometimes all the management strategies in the world don't break you out of it. Remember that that's okay and it doesn't make you any less of a writer. Working with ADHD can be tough, but you got this, and you're not alone!

[sxnniiwrites]

How to Become a Better Writer

I've been asked many times by friends about how to improve their writing, and, frankly, there's no one good answer. "How to get better" is such a vague question; how to get better at what aspects? What does "better" mean to the individual? I could sit here all day and give advice about describing settings, building worlds, and designing characters, but none of those answer the base question.

The actual answer comes down to just two things:

Read. Read fanfics. Read mystery novels. Read cook books. Read classics. Hell, read Colleen Hoover for all I care. Read as much as you can and as much of a variety as possible. Seeing writing voices, structures, and styles from all different mediums and genres with help you find your own voice.

Just write. You can write a single word on your document for three days, and it's still writing. You can't improve, can't develop your style, can't create stories, unless you write something every day. Even if you have the world's worst writer's block, writing something as simple as "she walked across the room" can help get you moving. Remember, you can edit bad writing, but you can't edit a blank page.

If you want to "better" your writing by finding your unique voice, writing compelling descriptions, developing characters etc., ask how to do those things in particular, and people can make posts about it! But at the end of the day, the answer is just to write, write, write.