#‣ [writing tips]

[luna-azzurra]

Real talk, dialogue is where your characters come alive. But here’s the thing, people don’t speak in perfectly crafted sentences. They stutter, they pause, they cut each other off. If your dialogue reads like a speech, you’re doing it wrong. Write conversations that feel like actual people talking, not robots exchanging ideas. Give them quirks, slang, and awkwardness. Sometimes the silence between the words says more than the words themselves. Don’t just use dialogue to tell the reader something, use it to show who your characters really are.

[novlr]

Don't stop at your first draft

If your first draft doesn’t feel finished, that’s because it isn’t. Your finished project will look very different.

Don’t like what you read? Edit it! Then keep editing until you have a book you’re proud of. A great work of fiction is only an edit away.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Editing Your Own Novel

Questions to Consider

Character Development & Motivation

Are the goals and motivations of the protagonist clear?

Are the characters authentic and three dimensional?

Are the characters proactive about achieving their goals?

Are the relationships between the characters well-developed and believable?

Are the character’s voices distinct from one another, and consistent throughout?

Plot & Pacing

Are the stakes high enough to drive the tension throughout the narrative?

Are the plot twists believable, yet unexpected?

Do the characters react realistically to the events of the novel?

Do the events unfold naturally, or are there events that jar or confuse the reader?

Are there sections that lag or bore the reader?

Does every scene drive the story forward?

Are the hooks at the beginning and ends of each chapter effective?

Does the book start and end in the most appropriate places?

Is the story free of info-dumps that slow the action?

Setting

Is the reader provided with a clear sense of place/location?

Is the period of time, and the sense of time passing, clear throughout the manuscript?

Are there sections where there could be more (or less) description of setting?

Voice

Is the voice appropriate for the genre and target audience?

Is the point of view the most appropriate and effective for the story that unfolds?

Is the voice and tone consistent throughout the manuscript?

Is the voice fresh and engaging?

Source Writing References: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding

[writingwithfolklore]

Your Beta Readers are Always Right

              That’s not to say that you take every single recommendation or piece of feedback that they give you, but rather that you shouldn’t argue with your beta readers. They are always correct, because they will (should) always give you their honest thoughts and interpretations of your work. To call them wrong would be to call them lying… And unless you’ve run into a super evil beta reader who is trying to discourage you through lying about what they think of your work, why would they lie to you?

              If one beta reader hates your work but five others love it, that’s not to say that one person is wrong. This is data. No matter what you or others say, that beta reader’s feedback still stands on its own. It says, maybe this book isn’t for everyone—if I was the writer, would I address this? No, because no work is going to please everyone, and 5/6 is pretty good.

              If someone thinks your MC is annoying (and they aren’t meant to be)—that’s what they honestly and truly think. It’s your job to decide if that’s an issue you’re going to address or not. If 9/10 people say that, maybe that’s a good hint that you should go back in.

              I’ve given feedback that has caused people to explain specific parts of their work to me as if to say, “no—because look at this.” I’ve read the same thing they’re giving me—I still think what I originally thought. I wasn’t lying, and I’m not going to think differently from reading the same thing twice. Does that mean they always have to take my notes? Absolutely not—it’s up to them to decide whether the problem that I see is worth addressing. Just because I might put down a book for some reason, doesn’t mean that everyone would, and doesn’t mean that the book needs to cater to what exactly I like.

              I hope this makes sense! What’s the most helpful note a beta reader has ever given you?

[physalian]

Introductory character descriptions

Friendly reminder about introductory character descriptions, especially those at the beginning of the book: To avoid it sounding entirely like an exposition dump, give a reason to why the narrator is noticing what either they or another character is wearing.

For example, worked on this first draft last night: 

Iris hauls up her pack and smooths her clammy hands down her skirt. At the time, the pleated corduroy seemed both durable and multipurpose. Her boots, too, knee-high but thick-soled, and her leggings—warm, flexible, already scraped up at the knees. Clothes she could have hanging in her closet without her mother getting suspicious of why they were so different from the rest of her wardrobe. Clothes that are not sprinting-through-the-Sakartan-wilderness attire.

First draft, so, you know. But! Character isn’t just describing what she’s wearing, she’s describing it in relation to how impractical it now is for her environment. It’s motivated exposition.

Shortly thereafter, Iris meets a new person, and describes them as follows:

Did she stumble into an unassuming temple, whole house left in sacrifice and worship of some celestial she can’t begin to name? They don’t look Sakartan, not just in coloring, but in stature, too. Lithe, frightfully thin with gaunt cheeks, a discoloring across their nose like tiny yellow lesions, and Iris has never known a Sakartan with curls. They’re not even dressed like one, wearing something that kind of looks like a high-collared robe, except it’s split up both sides to a wide belt. Leggings, like hers, adorned with leafy lace, and more of it on the edges of the belled sleeves. The black and gold fabric only serve to make them look even more ethereal. Iris flies through her catalog of fashion across the realms, trying to find a home for this displaced god in vain…

I might still trim it down later but it’s 8am on a workday and this is an example post. It’s still a lot of description to throw at the reader, at least in my opinion, but all of it is anchored to the narrator trying to figure out who and what they are and if they’re a threat, not just taking an aside to describe their features unprompted.

—

So whether you’re describing the narrator or someone the narrator is observing, giving the narrator a reason to give this description at this time and some reaction to it pulls double duty: You’re giving exposition, but still telling the story as you tell it. She’s not just describing clothing, she’s describing why it matters right this second and how both serve to hinder the conflicts of the scene.

It's not just clothing, it's impractical clothing, or it's far too bougie for this side of town, or far too fancy for an average school day, or it's all stained and ripped, which reflects the wearer as either destitute or on the run, perhaps. It's motivated.

[olis-inkwell-symposium]

The Power of the Unseen: Embracing Ambiguity in Fantasy Writing

In fantasy writing, ambiguity and the unknown are powerful tools that allow readers to dive deeper into the story’s world, using their own imaginations to fill in the gaps. When handled skillfully, ambiguity can create an immersive and personal reading experience, drawing readers in not just as spectators but as co-creators of the universe you’ve built. By leaving some things unsaid, unexplained, or hidden, you invite readers to explore the mystery and magic that lie just beyond the page.

The Role of Ambiguity in World-Building & Narrative Tension:

Ambiguity enriches world-building by offering glimpses of larger mysteries without spelling everything out. A half-revealed prophecy, a land shrouded in myth, or a character with an unclear past can make your world feel vast and lived-in, suggesting depths beyond what’s explicitly written. Narrative tension thrives on the unknown—by keeping certain elements hidden or open to interpretation, you engage the reader’s curiosity and imagination, encouraging them to lean in and speculate.

How to Balance Clarity with Mystery in Your Writing:

While ambiguity can add depth and intrigue, it must be balanced with enough clarity to ground the reader in your world. Too much mystery can frustrate, leaving readers lost or disconnected from your story.

A strategic approach is to reveal enough detail to keep the reader anchored while leaving tantalizing threads that provoke thought. Carefully choose which aspects of your world or characters remain in the shadows and which are brought into the light, ensuring that ambiguity serves your narrative rather than detracts from it.

Embracing ambiguity in your fantasy writing can make your world richer and more immersive, inviting readers to engage their imaginations and become part of the story. By leaving room for interpretation and wonder, you give your readers space to explore the unseen.

So, as you craft your worlds, consider: “How do you use ambiguity in your writing or creative work? Where do you leave room for mystery?”

[thewatcher727]

Writing A Review Tip: What To Look For When Writing A Review

More writing a review tips

Writing a review isn’t just a matter of saying, “Good job, nice work!” While it’s a nice sentiment, it’s not really helpful in terms of actual criticism. There are a lot of things to look for when you’re writing a review.

Spelling & Grammar:

This should be at the top of your list. Too many spelling and grammar errors can really take the reader out of the immersion. When you spot words that are misspelled or incorrect, point them out and suggest the correct form. However, also keep in mind that some words can be spelled differently depending on the language. For example, in the UK, "color" is spelled "colour." So, it’s not incorrect—just a different regional variation.

Descriptions:

A big rule in writing is to show, not tell. You can balance the two of them out, but make sure you're telling us a story and not something from a Wikipedia page. Check if the descriptions are clear and engaging. The amount of description depends on the type of writing, but generally, as long as they paint a clear picture without overwhelming the reader, that’s the way to go.

Pacing:

Pacing refers to how fast or slow a story moves. The pacing can vary depending on the context. For example, the story might slow down during a heartfelt conversation between characters, or it might be fast-paced during scenes of non-stop action.

Characters:

Are the characters acting consistently? For example, if John is always happy in one chapter but suddenly becomes constantly angry in the next without explanation, that would be inconsistent.

Dialogue:

There are two important things to remember with dialogue. First, it should be clear who is talking and who they’re talking to. Second, the dialogue should sound natural. If it doesn’t sound right when you read it out loud, it probably doesn’t sound natural on the page either.

Progression:

The story should flow nicely. While there can be room for filler depending on the context, you generally want to make sure the overall story is moving forward.

Tone:

Tone refers to how the story feels. Is it lighthearted, or does it tackle darker, more mature themes? You want to make sure the tone is mostly consistent. Sometimes a character may joke or make a quip to ease tension, but that shouldn’t disrupt the overall serious tone of the story.

Engagement:

Is the story keeping you engaged and excited to read more? As a general rule, if a story doesn’t capture interest within the first few chapters, there’s a good chance the reader won’t stick around for the rest.

Continuity:

Is everything consistent? For example, if the chapter begins in the morning and there’s only one scene, but by the end it’s suddenly night without explanation, that’s going to raise questions.

...

So, there you have it! When you’re writing a review, just keep these things in mind and you’ll be good to go!

[the-ellia-west]

hey i’m aro/ace and saw your post on writing romance and it was really helpful,,, but do you have any tips for writing enemies to lovers? mostly enemies-allies-lovers pipeline

Oh Absolutely! Thank you so much for the ask, love!

How to Write Enemies to Lovers for Dummies

Alrighty! So, the key to Enemies to Lovers is Banter. They need to be the type of Enemies to trash talk each other

Before we begin here's some fun psychology facts that make Enemies to Lovers even more fun!

1. If you think someone is hot, you can't/don't actually hate them

2. The opposite of love is indifference not hate (use these as you will)

Anywayssss

Step one!

Writing Enemies to Lovers is the same as normal except that you add on the extra step of them being enemies first, adding more drama and banter throughout

So, you have to make them enemies, naturally. Figure out why they're enemies, why they would specifically hate each other instead of someone else.

Step two

Preferably, make it personal.

Make their arguments and fights feel more like they're fighting each other, and not the actual battle if they're in opposing organizations or something

Step three

Close proximity

Now that you've established how they usually act around each other and their usual banter, find some way to force them into close proximity.

Like one switches sides and the other is now their boss, they're kidnapped together, their bosses go missing, ect.

In close proximity, you want to jeep their former dynamic, but it slowly turns at the least, a bit more polite because they have to work together

(Think about how they'll try to undermine and push each other away according to their personality and morals - but of course make sure it doesn't work and they're still stuck together)

Step four

Give them a 'maybe we could have been friends' moment

Like have them look at each other after a while and go: 'maybe you're not so bad.'

Any of these variations

Step five

Make them talk

Eventually, your characters will be alone together, and they have to talk.

(It's best if one or both of them are in an emotionally vulnerable state)

One of them can ask the other a strangely nice or vulnerable question, they can tell them something, anything really

Examples: 'Have you ever thought about dying?', 'do you ever miss home?', 'you know... I always thought you were better than me.'

Step six

Have them be slightly more compatable by having them voluntarily work together, like coworkers or comrades rather than friends

Step seven

The friends stage

Have them be more friendly and trusting, partners in crime, good friends, and have that slowly develop (make sure to keep their trademark banter throughout)

Whatever level of friends, whether it be aforementioned partners in crime, kinda friends, normal friends, best friends, ect.

Step Seven

The falling for them

Then we develop the crush and eventually fall in love, *refer back to my other post*

[morallysuperiorlips]

How I Come Up With Compelling and Fun Characters!

Back at you again with another TedTalk.

Coming up with well-rounded characters is my favorite part of the writing process. I like to come up with convoluted plots, so ofc convoluted characters have to follow. While I am someone who is VERY guilty of injecting my own traits/experiences into my characters (because I like to live vicariously through them or use them to cope don't @ me), I try to do that once I've established them as their own people. Because then they just end up being other versions of me, and we don't want that trust me

The adage I like to live by is "when the character feels real to you, they'll feel real to the reader," so I try to go out of my way to know as much as I can about them before I start to put them down on paper.

I know full names, birthdays (down to the hour), exact heights, blood types, favorite colors, foods, etc. and I try to know most of the surface-level things. I'll try to delve a little deeper but I do like to let my characters breathe when I'm writing them because sometimes they do things that make me stare into the camera like I'm on the Office and I want to give them the room to do so because that's like 60% of the process (in my humblest of opinions as a self-taught/ professional hybrid)

When I first started writing my novel, I could tell you off the top of my head that my protagonist, Odette Harmonie Cinq-Mars, was born in the little fictional town of Pendulum Province, France on December 14th, 1997 at 8:16pm, her blood type is AB+, she's 5'0, she's left-handed, and her favorite color is royal purple. I could also tell you she has anger issues, is hyper-observant, is a classically trained singer and dancer, and is kind of cold as a person. That last trait ended up writing most of itself out as she developed, but it's how she started, and I never got much deeper than that until I wrote her.

But, rewinding a little bit, I like to come up with ideas for my characters from tropes and stereotypes. My truest formula for coming up with characters is:

Trope/Archetype

- Some tropey traits

+ Traits you might not normally see in that trope/archetype

+ As many details as possible

+ Putting them in random situations that come to mind and watching them figure it out (even if it might be unrelated to the plot)

+ A little bit of yourself (always optional)

For example:

My "tropiest" character's name is Noel Masse; he was heavily based on the archetype of the peacocky gay theater kid who kinda has a hoe streak. Before you come for my neck, hear me out.

What are traits of this trope I could erase (or heavily modify) for him? From my experience theater kids get kinda cliquey--not all, but some--Noel has his friends, but he's the type who wants to be friends with everyone. He doesn't like to judge unless people give him a reason to. Theater kids might have their heads in the clouds all the time, and Noel airs on the side of keeping himself grounded when he needs to.

What are some odd traits I could add to him? What can I expand on? Noel has severe indecision--he's a theater kid who doesn't know if he wants to be theater kid. He has dedicated his life to being a musical theater star, but he has a calling in mystery solving, coding, and all things tech. This indecision often cripples him, and even seeps into his love life, which leads to some promiscuity~

What are the little details I know about Noel? Noel Coretyn Masse is a natural born witch, born in a little (fictional) city in France called Athamera on September 9th, 1997 at 12:11am. He is 6'0, 175 pounds, blood type O-, ENFP-T, right-handed, his favorite color is royal blue, and he has a gifted vocal octave range (3.8), and is very good at most forms of dance.

What scenarios have I put him in that helped him build? This was actually how I decided he was good with technology and all things coding, hacking, computers, etc. I figured out he was good at this stuff when I needed a character to hack something later on in the story and I threw him into the mix just to see what would happen and it stuck IMMEDIATELY. So, this category can also help build category 2 for sure.

Bits of me? His dedication to the arts and his desire for a large friend group hope I didn't just roast myself lol

DISCLAIMER: I want to make a note for anyone who thinks that this is overkill: yes, it probably is. But, I also want to note that I have been told time and time again that my characterization in my stories is my strongest point. So, clearly I'm doing SOMETHING right here.

I also want to note that this is NOT the "correct" way of coming up with characters. In fact, I don't think there is a "correct" way (as is with most things artistic and creative). This is just MY way of doing things. If you have a way that you come up with characters that works for you, I'd love to hear about it!

[luna-azzurra]

Date Gone Wrong Prompts

The restaurant forgot their reservation, leaving them stuck outside in the pouring rain, but neither wants to admit they’re frustrated.

He’s running late, and she’s stuck awkwardly waiting at the restaurant alone. Just when she's about to leave, he shows up, soaked from the sudden downpour.

Their car breaks down on the way to the fancy restaurant, and they end up sitting by the side of the road, trying to laugh through the bad luck.

He tries to impress her by choosing a trendy restaurant, only for both of them to discover they can’t stand the food. They end up ordering pizza at her place instead.

She trips and spills her drink all over him during the dinner, her face turning beet red, but he just starts laughing, telling her it's the most memorable date he's ever had.

His ex works at the restaurant they’re dining at, and things get awkward fast when she keeps dropping by the table, not-so-subtly trying to make conversation.

She excitedly drags him to a karaoke bar for their date, but halfway through her song, she notices he’s cringing hard, too embarrassed to participate.

They end up in the wrong theater and sit through the entirety of a horror film when they were expecting a rom-com.

He gets lost trying to drive her home after the date and stubbornly refuses to admit it, resulting in a very awkward silence in the car as she navigates.

She gets sick halfway through the date but tries to play it off, until she’s forced to admit it when she nearly faints at the table.

[maelancoli]

PADDING OUT DIALOGUE SCENES

in another round of very unprompted writing advice i thought i figured i'd share my two cents when it comes to the topic of struggling to fill out conservational scenes. another thing i see a LOT of lately is a general fretting among writers who find that dialogue comes easily to them but the rest is a struggle. for me it's often been the opposite, i had to work at honing the talking part but description? i've always done a little too much tbqh. but funny enough the solution for both is not disconnected.

a lot of it will come down to knowing your character. what are their ticks? what are their filler words? are they bold and expressive when they're speaking? or are they withdrawn and shy? deciding the behavioral quirks of your character will improve your instincts when trying to be more descriptive. do they fidget with their clothes? do they pick up objects and toy with them? do they fold their arms around themselves or have other defensive posture? where do their eyes go when they speak? do they look around a lot? do they have an intense, unwavering gaze? do they zone out to look at other objects? what are they looking at when they do look away to think or listen? (this is also where having a faceclaim to build characteristics and mannerisms around can be helpful, not just in rp settings but any kind of fiction.)

"i guess...i don't really know how i'm supposed to feel about it," he admitted.

okay so we already have information here to expound on. the character is uncertain and conflicted. how would that effect their demeanor outwardly?

"i guess..." he trailed off with a sigh. he shook his head and his gaze grew unfocused, wandering away from his companion to stare blankly at a clock on the mantelpiece. his index finger tapped lightly at his knee. "i don't know how i'm supposed to feel about it, ya' know?" amir admitted with a shrug. he finally looked at the other man again, but there was a vulnerability which brought a sheepish shadow to his tumultuous gaze.

we've shown he is pensive with a wandering eye and that he's a little uncomfortable with his nervous tick of tapping. the next step is to consider the inner workings of their PoV. what does the scene itself call for them to be doing and thinking between lines? what does the emotion and tension of the scene—or even the comfort and familiarity of it—reflect inside them?

"you don't have to know right now," malik pointed out. he lifted his hands from where they had rested on the surface of the table to turn his palms outward, leaning in closer. "it's okay not to know." they held one another's gaze for a silent moment. amir's lips pressed together and he swallowed down the lump which had formed in his throat. he was not an emotional man. he had always prided himself on his restraint. but it was all beginning to be too much and the empathy in his friend's eyes was only another weight upon his already bowed shoulders. "...maybe you're right," he mumbled thoughtfully.

here we have shown his friend's gesture, adding more presence to the environment around them. and then we have given a little space for the character to feel. we have given a little information about who he is, or at least how he thinks about himself. by bringing his eyes back to his companion we have shown he is opening up, he is actually leaning into the intimacy of comfort and listening. but the mumble shows he is still not confident in admitting the need for help. it shows he has not even accepted fully the grace he's being given.

it isn't just what a character is saying, it's how they're saying it. it's how they're carrying themselves. it's how they're receiving the other characters' words. and showing how they're carrying themselves along with their inner feelings will also help show what is driving their dialogue. it will create a contrast if they're not being a reliable narrator, if they're contradicting or if they're withholding etc.

taking time and being patient with yourself to expound upon these things and to develop your character will make them more real. the more you practice and get to know them, the more instinctive and natural it will become!

[literaryvein-reblogs]

More Writing Notes: On Fight Scenes

5 Tips for Your Novel’s Fight Scenes

Only Choose to Fight Characters That Your Readers Care About

In order to create an effective, heart-tugging scene, your reader needs to actually care about at least one of the people in the fight scene.

Choose the Right Perspective

When penning your fight scene, think of the reader’s perspective.

Even if you’re writing from third person universal, you should choose a specific character and describe the actions from his or her perspective.

The reader needs to have someone to root for and again, this is best done by choosing the point of view of one character.

Bring the Reader Into the Action

Because the reader will need to use your cues to reconstruct the fight scene in their mind, you should invite them to actively participate in the story.

Set the scene, provide minimal stage direction, and then leave the fine details up to the reader’s imagination.

Don’t get too precise with the fight descriptions.

Avoid Confusion

Fights can get confusing quickly.

Make it clear what’s happening in the beginning by showing exactly who’s involved in the fight and their physical relation to each other.

Also, remove extra characters that can negatively impact the pacing of your story.

Discuss the Aftermath

Now that the fight is over, what happens next?

How did the characters fare?

Remember to explore characterization and how the fight has affected each character’s internal and external goals.

Source Writing Notes: Fight Scenes (pt. 1) Word Lists: Fight ⚜ Poking/Hitting ⚜ Panting ⚜ Running ⚜ Pain

[lucy-ashton]

[zepskies]

NAVIGATION

Welcome to my little corner of the world!

About Me: Alex (she/her | 28) || Hopeless romantic, Dean Girl - EST 2014, Latina POC 🇨🇺🇵🇷🇩🇴

Fandoms I currently write for: - Supernatural - The Boys - Big Sky - Tracker - Dark Angel - Smallville - 10 Inch Hero - Dawson’s Creek

Main Masterlist 📖

Writer's Room ✍🏽

My tag lists are closed, but you can follow my fic library blog - @zepskieswrites - with notifications on so you never miss a new story.

Ask Me Stuff 💌

REQUESTS ARE CLOSED. I will only be accepting requests on Patreon. But please feel free to hit me up in my inbox with questions or comments about my work, about fandom and characters, creative writing, or even just life in general! 💜

Join Patreon 🌟

For early access to all of my stories, first sneak peeks and updates, bonus content, and more! Top tier patrons can also send me requests.~

(Bingo masterlists, podfics, podcast interviews, writing questions answered, fic rec lists, what I do not write, and even more stuff below the cut):

Bingos

Jacklesverse Bingo 2024 Masterlist

Podfics

Stories that have been narrated in podcast form by Sandra, one of the lovely hosts of the Idling in the Impala podcast. Go here to check out the full YouTube playlist of podfics.

Podcast Interviews

September 24, 2024: Sandra and Kasey, the lovely hosts of @idlingintheimpalapodcast — the podcast for all things SPN and fanfiction — invited me on the pod for an interview…

We chatted about Dean Winchester and Jensen Ackles’ early roles, the best and worst seasons of SPN, the joys and pains of writing Soldier Boy, and much, much more.

For all the timestamps of key moments, fic recs, and SPN writer shoutouts, see this post (you'll find the link to the video there too).

About Writing

My thoughts on creative writing and fanfiction, the writing process, tips I've learned or been given, and questions people ask me.

Ways to Say I Love You

There Are Two Kinds of Writers: Architects & Adventurers

10 Top Favorite Romantic Comedy Movies

5 Tips to Stay Motivated to Write

5 Tips for Beating Writer's Block

Writing a Good Kiss/Romantic Scene

Where Do I Get My Writing Ideas?

Asking the "What If" Question & Developing Plot Ideas

How to Build a Tumblr Following - (At least, in my experience.)

What Does "Supporting Writers" Mean?

Characters, Fandom & Fic Rec Lists

Why We Love The Boys: A Review of Supes Ain't Always Heroes

Tips on Writing Dean Winchester

3 Tips for Writing Soldier Boy (Ben)

Supernatural Fic Rec List

Dean Winchester AU Fic Rec List

Beau Arlen Fic Rec List

Soldier Boy Fic Rec List

August 2024 Fic Recs

**Author's Note

All 18+ content is labelled across my stories, as well as any dark themes or trigger warnings. So minors, please don't interact with those posts. Also, I do not read or write:

RPF (real person fiction)

Wincest

Non-con

[byoldervine]

Writing Tips - Plan Out Your Editing

I don’t just mean once you get to that stage; I’m not done with my first draft yet and have no instant need to worry about editing yet

I mean that, while you’re in the drafting stage, you should make a mental note (or even a physical one, ideally!) of things that you’ll want to look out for when you come back to it with an editing mindset. It can be easier to catch some of these things in the moment because you’re already there and seeing what’s working and what isn’t

Don’t be shy to make a list of everything as you go; not worrying about editing until it’s time to edit can also mean writing down your concerns so that you can take them off your mind a little as you continue. There’s nothing wrong with making your editing job a little easier down the line when you already have ideas of what to look out for

My personal plan once I reach the editing stage is to start with a very brief edit of each chapter - just correcting SPAG mistakes or making those single sentence improvements or whatever - while also making notes of any big changes I want to come through and make. Then once I address a general edit, I’ll go back through everything and focus on the specific overarching issues I’ve noted down, such as maybe pacing or character voice or something like that. I want it all to be planned out so I’m not just aimlessly reading back through it not knowing what needs changing

[frownyalfred]

Tips for writing those gala scenes, from someone who goes to them occasionally:

Generally you unbutton and re-button a suit coat when you sit down and stand up.

You’re supposed to hold wine or champagne glasses by the stem to avoid warming up the liquid inside. A character out of their depth might hold the glass around the sides instead.

When rich/important people forget your name and they’re drunk, they usually just tell you that they don’t remember or completely skip over any opportunity to use your name so they don’t look silly.

A good way to indicate you don’t want to shake someone’s hand at an event is to hold a drink in your right hand (and if you’re a woman, a purse in the other so you definitely can’t shift the glass to another hand and then shake)

Americans who still kiss cheeks as a welcome generally don’t press lips to cheeks, it’s more of a touch of cheek to cheek or even a hover (these days, mostly to avoid smudging a woman’s makeup)

The distinctions between dress codes (black tie, cocktail, etc) are very intricate but obvious to those who know how to look. If you wear a short skirt to a black tie event for example, people would clock that instantly even if the dress itself was very formal. Same thing goes for certain articles of men’s clothing.

Open bars / cash bars at events usually carry limited options. They’re meant to serve lots of people very quickly, so nobody is getting a cosmo or a Manhattan etc.

Members of the press generally aren’t allowed to freely circulate at nicer galas/events without a very good reason. When they do, they need to identify themselves before talking with someone.