#Technically this is chapter two
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makishimu · 5 months ago
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Aventurine is so entertaining to write, it's awesome.
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blueskittlesart · 2 hours ago
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prequel to this one. in a better world they have an insane dnd campaign together
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fumiko-matsubara · 8 months ago
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The reason why I haven't been active lately lol 🩷
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moeblob · 8 months ago
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I love them! So much!
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sysig · 1 month ago
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Divided minds of the same thought (Patreon)
#Doodles#Clinical Trial#Damned#Lee Smith#Angel Martinez#Struggling and Suffering - as one does at the Institute hehe#Uughhhghh I was so excited and enjoyed writing this chapter ♪ Lee's so creepy! He's not even Lee Smith anymore and he's still so creepy!!!!#And Angel's having a rough one of it too with blaming themself for what happened :(#The Angel I've been writing took the Accept-Reject route and stayed to watch#More specifically to plead with Lee not to do it but that's technically non-canon :P#Safe to say they feel pretty conflicted about what all happened#They both want each other - Angel specifically wants to be wanted - and they are in the Worst place for it#Worse than the original? Uhhhhh...... No comment lol#(Personally I think so because Lee isn't just a part-time medical practitioner that Angel could back out of if they were desperate)#(Here they're stuck and Lee does Everything in his power - which is more than if Angel was out walking free! - to keep them in proximity)#(He also doesn't know that Angel wants him in return - regardless of how conflicted Angel feels it's just! It's creepy!!! Which is the idea)#They're so fun to write ahhh they both are! Their internal worlds so different <3#And while these two are so fun to write - it honestly is the fact that I Also get to write about the Institute as well ahhh <3 <3#Getting to write about my headcanons and favourite elements ahh#Getting to explore one through the other! How they'd react to the Institute - how the Institute would push them around ahh#It's so so so incredibly fun I love the setting and I love these two it's so enjoyable to investigate >:3c#And on top of that I've also both been going through my other fandom playlists and pulling from there As Well As new songs!#Their playlist is shaping up more than it has any rights to hhh#Shock of shocks but ''Want you to want me'' (minor key) has been moved into the rotation lol#Definitely not thinking about Lee's Ahem fantasy~ (lol) in regards to that or anything either lol#I think I have to just admit that Flagpole Sitta is just a Damned song generally - though some lines fit Lee particularly well#Running underground with the moles indeed
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demigods-posts · 1 year ago
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maybe i didn't say it loud enough before. but sally grew up relying on and taking care of people who were always going to leave her. and eventually became the only survivor of her family. then she had percy and did everything in her power to be a permanent figure in his life. only to essentially die and doom her son to the same fate of being the only survivor of his family. just wanted to repeat that for those who are in the back.
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loverofpiggies · 10 months ago
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I STUMBLED ACROSS YOUR FIONNA AND CAKE COMIC AND WAS LIKE 'WOW THIS IS SO GOOD I SHOULD FOLOW THE PERSON MAKING THIS' AND THEN I LOOK AND I SEE LOVEROFPIGGIES!??!??? I USED TO FOLLOW YOU BACK IN YOUR UNDERTALE DAYS THIS IS SO SURREAL TO ME
HA HA YO WELCOME BACK TO MY HUMBLE LITTLE BLOG OVER HERE!!! you're not the only one who said that! I hope you enjoy what I got planned, it's gonna get nuts!
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utilitycaster · 1 year ago
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"I don't want characters to be 'goals', I don't want them to be 'strong' or 'role models' or 'inspirational'—I want them to just be great characters. I don't want to bend over backward trying to find redeemable aspects or excuses for their actions. It's not a question of perception but of permission. The pleasure of watching unlikeable female characters is watching them make choices, following their intentions, and using their agency. Even when they don't get away with it, they have an intention; they're not passive. We might not always get what we want, but we always want something. And while women are mostly taught to temper their desires, curb their hunger, stop wanting quite so much, watching these characters unleash their wants is such a joy...
When I was pitching this book, I was asked a question: What do you want the readers to take away from this? Simple as it sounds, it's empathy. I'd like us to allow our female characters the same amount of empathy and grace that we allow all other characters. With all the talk around representation, we have not yet allowed our fictional women much leeway to be as messy, flawed, or downright evil as fictional men without making it into a headline or a joke."
-Unlikeable Female Characters
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buwheal · 1 year ago
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Merry (Kris)mas
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demonking-propaganda · 6 months ago
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Btw I love that chapter 376 goes "Gender essentialism? Never heard of her" with the subtlety of a giant sequoia
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mbirnsings-71 · 6 months ago
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Tumblr, in the midst of me having struggles with my electricity this past week, I bring you these silly doodles! Enjoy!
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jeskerthefool · 2 months ago
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How Gem the Slayer became a Knight of Camelot (Chapter 2):
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Original fic. (Check it out to see the small differences)
Once again, story written by @chimneychimney, dialogue summarized by moi, and art by me too. No moth blood this time, yay.
First chapter, Third chapter (give me another six months)
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binbogummy · 5 months ago
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Humans are —
I had the urge to write but was so all over the place on what I wanted to write for that I stuck everything I'm into right now onto a wheel and spun it. And guess what? Good Omens won.
Some tags: Reader-insert | Female-reader | Platonic x reader | Fluff | Sickfic | Post-Season 1, Pre-Season 2
Words: 2k+
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | * | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | *²|
Chapter 10| Chapter 11|
~
The rain seemed to fall in sheets, hammering against the Bentley's exterior as it cut through the streets of London. The windshield wipers worked overtime, squeaking faintly as they swiped away the relentless downpour, only for the glass to be blurred again in an instant.
Despite the storm's ferocity, the old car seemed as indifferent to the storm drenched street as its driver did to the complete lack of visibility.
Thunder growled somewhere in the distance and the steerlights overhead illuminated the car's interior and its passengers in brief flashes as they flew by overhead while Crowley cruised a casual 75mph through the tight heart of Soho.
You sat in the passenger seat, watching the water streak and beat against the window as the dark, almost Gothic atmosphere outside was completely blurred.
"All those jokes about London weather really weren't an over-exaggeration, huh? I don't think I've ever seen it come down like this." you mused, finally interrupting the comfrotable silence before a quick cough cleared the building scratchiness in your throat.
Crowley, one hand on the wheel and the other casually draped over the gearshift, didn’t take his eyes off the waterfalling windshield for a moment. "Exaggeration’s the human specialty, love. But in this case, dead accurate. Can't say I haven't seen worse, though."
You let out a little huff and smiled, ironically catching his attention in the form of a sidelong glance, albeit noticeable from under his dark glases, with the soft sniffle that followed your words.
"Not that you seem to mind it too much. Couldn't wait to queue for coffee in the rain? Or maybe you fancy another walk along the Thames, in a gale, without a coat?"
"I had a coat!" you shot back confidently despite Crowley's scathing recap of your week in the city so far. "Besides, it's not exactly as easy for me to get around as it is for you. I've got to make the most of my time while I'm here. London is huge. No matter how many times I come to vist, I can't see enough. No way I'm gonna let the weather get in the way."
While visiting Crowley and Aziraphale was one of the major points of your trip, you'd planned your one-off week in the city around visiting them at the beginning and end of your trip, using the days in between to run around London as you saw fit. With plenty of little pop-ins to Azi's bookshop, of course.
"And you'll be heading home when, exactly?"
"After this weekend." You confirmed, muffling another cough into your elbow. "Catching my flight first thing monday. Oh, and I... appreciate the ride." You added quickly at the end; a strategically placed 'thank you' you hoped he wouldn't notice.
He'd just happned to be passing by as you were running back to your hotel this evening, and considering the way the weather had escalated from a drizzle to a light tsunami, you were rather lucky he had been. How he knew about your escapades from early this week, though, you couldn't be sure. Not that the answer would surprise you.
"Oh, 'course of course." Crowley hummed aloofly, brows raising as he turned sharply to park along the curb. You were momentarily surprised. The rain had muddled the windows so thoroughly you couldn't quite tell where you were but you suppose it was possible he'd already made it to where you were staying considering the speed he was going.
"Oh? Are we there already?"
"Not quite." He killed the engine with a flourish, the car purring into silence as he threw his door open and stepped out onto the street. You recoiled briefly in surprise, the sound of the battering rainfall tripling in volmue as the door was opened. "Gotta drop something off." He continued and you were instantly bitter about the way the falling water seemed to part around him. "Come on then." He casually nodded for you to follow before shutting the door.
You took a moment to sigh, pursuing your lips and briefly wondering if he'd be kind enough to extend that supernatural waterproofing to you, but those hopes we quickly dashed when you stumbled out of the passenger door and the rain immediately greeted you with a cold, unceremonious slap from nearly all directions.
It took everything in you to repress a shriek. The downpour was hard, icy and relentless, soaking through your cloths in seconds. The only brightside was that you'd long since realized where you were and made a mad dash for Aziraphale's bookshop.
"Why'd you park so far away!?" You whined, further waterlogging your sneakers as you splashed through the small current rushing along the curb.
Crowley, one the other hand, had only just rounded the bently, retrieving something from the trunk before following after you at the pace of someone on a leisurely stroll, the rain continuing to slide off and around him and the cardboard box he was now carrying with ease.
You weren't in any mood to wait for him to catch up, but when you reached the familer door of A.Z. Fell & Co, you were disgruntled but unsurprised to find it locked as it always was after hours despite the warm light illuminating the inside.
"Hurry hurry hurry!" You called, waving him over frantically
"I'm coming, I'm coming." He assured, but made no attempt to hurry at all. He had to find this hilarious because it wasn't until he finally got close did the knob you'd been desperately jiggling finally turn, and you nearly fell into the bookshop, your shoes squelching as you stumbled to steady yourself.
Despite being thoroughly soaked through, once inside, the warmth of the shop was quick to wrap around you, and the familiar scent of old books and faintly spiced tea was enough to just barley cut through the smell of cold rain clinging to your skin.
You sighed deeply, catching your breath and composing yourself after the run inside.
"Excuse me~." Crowley hummed and you stumbled again to the side as he slipped in after you, but once he was through you were quick to step back onto the mat that sat inside the entrance, conscious not to drip or track water anywhere inside. "Angel, I've got your books!" He called to the ceiling before tossing the heavy box with a careless thump onto a nearby table, and in doing so spun to look you up and down.
The expression on your face said it all but he only gave you a quick, toothy grin before yelling to the ceiling again, "You got any coffee?", and heading back to what you knew to be Aziraphale's kitchen without waiting for a response.
Not a second after he'd disappeared, though, came the response accompanied by eager footsteps.
"I'm afraid I'm all out at the moment, but I put some tea on when you said you'd be coming! I do wish you would have waited until tomorrow though, this is far from the kind of weather one should be-"
Rounding the spiral staircase from above came Aziraphale, but the hint of exasperation that often laced the angel's tone when speaking to Crowley was interrupted when he reached the bottom and caught sight of you dripping at his door.
His eyes widened in dismay as they took in your thoroughly drenched form. His expression shifted from surprise to see you, then delight, and then to immediate concern, his usual flustered demeanor amplified by the sight of you standing on the increasingly soaked mat at the door.
"Oh, my dear!" he exclaimed, bustling toward you with fluttering hands as if trying to decide whether to usher you inside or scold you for being reckless first. "What on earth are you doing out in this dreadful weather? You’re absolutely soaked through!" Before you could respond, he yelled towards where the demon had disappeared. "Crowley! Get in here!"
"Hm?" Crowley popped back out, a steaming mug in his hand that he took a casual sip from.
"You couldn't have given her a ride? Really?" The angel chided and Crowley scoffed with mock offense, motioning towards you with his mug.
"I did! How do you think she got here? Would have had to walk herself the whole way to Marylbome, otherwise." He shrugged taking another sip of what you were sure you could smell to be fresh brewed coffee.
"I'm alright." You finally spoke up, attempting to reassure Aziraphale. "Just got a little wet on the way in since someone decided to park halfway down the street." You exaggerated lightheartedly.
"That's not true." Crowley was quick to defend, leaning against the doorway to the hall and jutting his mug at the window. "Parked right out front. She's just a bit slow."
You turned to look through the storefront window and the Bently was in fact, right out front now, its headlights fading out as it seemed to have just re-parked itself on its own.
If looks could kill then the one you gave Crowley...still probably wouldn't have had much effect on a demon.
"But anywayー" You decided to move on, "He did offer me a ride back to my hotel. So I can't complain too much. I'll be alright." You insisted, fighting another sniffle.
"Oh, no, no, no," Aziraphale tutted, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder and elbow to shepherd you deeper inside. "That won’t do at all. You’ll catch your death if you stay like this much longer!" He returned to fretting with a mixture of exasperation and genuine concern, gently guiding you to the back of the shop. "Come now, off with your coat." He coaxed and was quick to help you out of the dripping garment. You took your eyes off of it for just a moment, and once off of you, it seemed to have disappeared from his hands completely and into thin air. "I'll fetch you something warm to drink right away."
"That's really not necessary! I appreciate it but I really should be-"
"Nonsense," Aziraphale said firmly, already moving towards the backroom. "Stay there. I'll also fetch some towels, and a blanket! And Crowley, for heaven's sake, don't just stand there. Make yourself useful, please."
Crowley raised an eyebrow over the brim of his glasses, clearly unimpressed by the angel’s scolding, but set his mug down with a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine." He gestured lazily, and you felt a sudden warmth spread through your damp clothes. In an instant, they were bone-dry, though your hair was still wet and the faint chill of having been soaked still lingered on your skin. "There. Happy?"
Your expression softend in surprise as you looked down at yourself, "Yes, actually. Thank you." You thanked genuinely, shuffling in place in a bit of an attempt to shake off the remaining chill.
Aziraphale returned quickly with a few towels and a thick knit blanket stacked in his arms. He paused again when he saw your now-dry clothes before nodding approvingly and setting them by the large armchair that sat near his phonograph.
"Here we go, dear." The angel was at your side again in an instant, gently ushering you toward the armchair and making sure you got settled. “There now, sit down, and we'll have you warmed up in no time!" He assured, handing you a towel.
"Thank you, Aziraphale," you murmured, accepting the towel and starting to dry your hair. It might of been the act of sitting down so suddenly that aggravated the congestion building in your chest, but your murmured thanks came out terribly hoarse and you were forced to clear your throat with a deep cough.
The angel hovered for a moment, seemingly torn between bustling off to do more and staying to ensure you stayed settled properly. You'd actually let yourself relax for a moment, eyes falling closed with a deep breath and another quiet sniffle.
"Really Crowley, you might have mentioned she wasn't feeling well." The knit blanket was draped over your shoulders and meticulously tucketed around you, and you opened your eyes again in surprise.
"Huh?" Aziraphale's words forced you to try to perk up, not wanting to worry the angel, but he seemed to have already diagnosed you. "What? Azi, I'm fine. Again, just got a little waterlogged there is all." You laughed.
"Oh please. You’ve been out in that dreadful weather all day, haven’t you? Honestly, you must take better care of yourself."
"All week actually." Crowley corrected and Aziraphale’s gasp of horror was so genuine it almost made you laugh again, despite another scratchy tickle building in your throat.
"All week? Oh, my dear! No wonder you look absolutely done in! Crowley, how could you let this happen?"
"Let this happen?" Crowley repeated with brows furrowed. "What, am I supposed to follow her around with an umbrella? She's a big girl, Angel. She makes her own terrible decisions."
You opened your mouth to protest, but another cough bubbled up before you could form the words. Crowley smirked, clearly enjoying the validation of his point. Aziraphale shot him a withering glare before patting your hand protectively.
"Well, if you're going to follow her around regardless it wouldn't hurt to be prepared!"
"I'm sorry what?"
"Oh, never mind," Aziraphale quieted down softly, his voice taking on its usual warm, soothing tone as he turned his attention back to you. "You're here now, and I'll make sure you're properly cared for. You'll not go running about in the rain again while you're under this roof, do you understand?"
You began to muster some argument, but your voice seemed to come out hoarse again. "Azi, really, I'm fine. I think I just have a cold, if anything."
"Nonsense," he said again, his gentle smile doing nothing to mask the resolve in his voice. "When it comes to humans, even a sniffle left unchecked can turn into all sorts of unpleasant things. Rest now, and let me handle everything. It'll be quite nice, you'll see!"
"But-"
You were interrupted again when he began fussing with the blanket he'd draped over your shoulders. "Are you warm enough for now? I can fetch another blanket if need be." Then, a fittingly angelic sounding jingle, like that of a bell, sounded from the bookshop's backroom and he stood up tall. "Oh! That would be the tea! You stay put and I'll be right back!"
After Aziraphale bustled off again toward the backroom, you allowed yourself to sink deeper into the armchair with a groan, feeling the warmth of the blankets start to seep into your thoroughly chilled bones.
The smell of brewing tea began wafting through the shop and Crowley plopped himself into one of its many mismatched chairs, his long legs crossed as he pushed his sunglasses down just enough to peer over them at you.
"You know," he drawled lazily, "for someone who claims to be fine, you’re looking suspiciously weak-willed right now."
"Crowley!" Aziraphale's voice called from out of sight. "Be nice!" He scolded but Crowley just grinned.
You rolled your eyes, but there was no real energy behind it. You were more worried about inconveniencing Aziraphale at the moment.
"But that's what you get for running around like a daft tourist, aye?"
You let out a small laugh despite yourself, though it quickly dissolved into another small cough. Maybe you were a little worse off then you originally thought.
Crowley leaned back in his chair, clearly pleased with himself, but before he could continue his teasing, Aziraphale returned, carrying a single tea cup and saucer to you with a sense of urgency that would have led anyone to believe it was the cure for cancer.
"Here you are," He began, setting it on your lap before gently guiding your hands to the saucer and handle, as if worried you didn't have the strength to hold it on your own. "Drink this, dear. It'll do you good. Chamomile with a bit of honey. It's quite soothing.".
"Aziraphale..." You sighed, your resolve slowly caving as you took a sip.
"Good, good," Aziraphale said, "Now, you’ll stay here for the night of course, won’t you? No need to rush off anywhere."
"I really couldn’t impose—"
"Nonsense," he interrupted again with his word of the day, waving off your protest with a flutter of his hand. "You’re not going anywhere in this weather, not while you’re under the weather yourself. I'll fetch you some night clothes and once you've finished your tea we'll get you straight to bed."
"To bed???" You groaned and Crowley nearly snorted, slapping his knee.
"Excited to play nurse again, are we, Angel?"
"Perhaps I am." Aziraphale nodded, "But with only the most honest intentions in mind, of course." He assured you. "I look forward only to seeing you back in tip-top shape! Now, drink up, and I'll arange the guest room~"
~
I'd like for this to have 3 chapters, but that will depend entirely on my ability to deliver...
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fullscoreshenanigans · 3 months ago
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I’ve always loved the idea of Norman and Ray getting together during the search for Emma but not wanting to do much until they find Emma because they both love her as well and want her there. But I’m never sure how Emma losing her memories would said relationship and plans afterwords
Oooo Anon I don't know if you're the same person who sent this Norray ask but if you haven't read @salsae's (so what am I defending now?) I highly recommend it because I've essentially taken it as canon and reread it probably once a month.
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Beautifully written with loving nuance, her work was (and still is <3) foundational for my interpretations of the trio when I first got into the series in 2021 and was searching for quality fanfic.
In regards to how Emma's memory loss would play into things, I think they'd all have good and bad days at first. A balance of being grateful they defied the odds to have a chance of creating a future they can be proud of together at all, of Emma being alive and well and living life with Alex, of being reacquainted with all the things big and small that made them fall in love with her and having the opportunity to love new ones. Of reconnecting with these two boys who for reasons her mind can't explain but her heart knows without a shadow of a doubt feel like home.
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(Chapter 180)
Of perceived selfish grief over wishing Emma would regain her memories when a confused look is thrown their way after they reference something from their childhood (isn't it enough that she's there?). Of self-doubt that she'll ever be able to live up to the Emma everyone loved or relearn the language she sees the boys communicate without words, of seeing what she believes is a brief flicker of hope die in everyone's eyes when she reminds them of all the little ways she's not her (is it more cruel they found her instead of being able to believe their Emma lives on somewhere in distant lands?), of anger over having those memories just within her reach only for her dreams to deny her each time.
But as the days turn to months and the months turn to years, things get better. The sentiments Emma shares in chapter 180 hold true.
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Only now today and tomorrow is by their sides.
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corfidbizna · 6 months ago
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KHIII Chapter 38 (Eng): https://www.mediafire.com/file/p0282vyeoakwmos/KH3_Ch38.zip/file Chapter List
Home stretch—it's final boss time!
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yandere-yearnings · 2 months ago
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do u have any writing tips dar??? Ur stories are immaculate
nonnie?? that's so sweet of you to say, thank you😭🩷 in general, a lot comes to mind bc there's so many different components to writing (i.e dialogue, characterisation, structure,, even mindset!!) so if you want to hear abt anything specific pls lmk🥺 for now tho, i've summarised a few across the subject that i think are helpful, and they will be below the cut bc i'm shit at explaining things, so i ended up writing a lot hhh
i also wanna point out that these are just things that i've personally made note of over the years from my own experiences + being friends w/ other writers, but that doesn't mean they will apply to everyone!! more than anything, i always believe that you shouldn't let other ppl dictate how you do and enjoy things, so if smth works for you and you like it, there's nothing wrong w/ that even if it contradicts an opinion you got from some rando on the internet (a.k.a. me😔💔)
Know your game
I'd like to say that in writing, there's a vein of liberty that isn't echoed in very many other creative fields; a lot of the times you can go in blind, and still make something of it because the nature of fiction is liquid — if you can imagine it, it can work. So to say, I find that nine times out of ten, room for improvement doesn't necessarily lie in the content of someone's writing, and more so its execution.
You could play a desultory game of chess without knowing all the rules, but if you wanted it to be your best match, you'd have to be aware of every move you could make, no? What you do from there then becomes a matter of choice, and choice is a landmark divider between doing something and being good at doing something. There's a difference in omissions due to lacking the technical knowledge, and omissions made because you are aware they are optimal.
Knowledge on the fundamentals of literature will always serve you, and that isn't to say you have to study all forms and contexts, but if you want to write a story, for example, it will always help to know the common elements of one. Grammar, punctuation, structure — brushing up on those things will build your toolkit, and once you've got that, you have the self-autonomy to decide what to use from it. My three favourite writers only use commas and full stops, and their works are, on all levels, spectacular. Still, if you asked them how to use a semi-colon, they'd be able to tell you.
Appreciating the basics will also tie into your creative exploration as a writer, which is a cornerstone in developing your distinctive writing style. I doubt a person in any type of craft hasn't heard a variation of know the rules before you break them, so studying until you do, inside out, remains beneficial to both new and old writers alike.
2. Have a starting point
This tip is fairly applicable to a range of different types of writing, and how one would practice it depends strongly on individual preference and styles of working. Some people like to plan things out thoroughly whilst others, including myself, like to dive in headfirst, and there's nothing wrong with either approach. The commonality between both types of writer is that regardless, they will have at least a vague idea of where to start from — a scene that they've bullet-pointed prior, a lyric that resonated with them, a mental image, an emotion or even just a single word that everything branches from. What all these details achieve is writing that has motion, because you have something of substance to piggyback you to an end point (the establishment of which is also important, but I will not be covering in this post).
3. Decide a structure
Again, this can be done both comprehensively or as simply as just having the thought to adhere to a certain method. As you gain more experience as a writer, you'll begin to understand what works best for you and create a system of your own, but starting out, there are a number of templates that have already been established by writers that you can follow, and find by researching. What matters most is that by using one — whichever it may be — you're turning your text into a story.
As an example, I'll detail two that I use regularly, in their simplest forms for the sake of brevity:
A linear narrative moves from point A to point B, and from point B to point C, etc. and all subsequent points build on the previous ones until your goal is reached. It's a system that works well for shorter pieces because it has a definite structure, like a length of spine and its individual vertebrae (and although we're talking about writing here, I think Newton's Third Law of Motion sums it up very well: every action has a reaction.)
A coalescing narrative considers all points as separate elements that may or may not always interact, but all contribute to the end point to different extremes. It's a useful template for creating depth in a piece, but due to its complexity, is better applied to longer projects.
They are visualised respectively below.
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4. Iterate
If you think of your first draft as a block of clay, everything you do to it will equate to it being moulded and shaped, and if you think of your first draft as a skeleton, everything you do to it will equate to flesh being put on the bones. If you want your piece to be the best it can be, there's a sort of detachment you must have from it, where you won't have the fear of changing it until it is in the image of what you have intended. Write and rewrite, add things, take them away, make a separate copy for every edit if that makes it easier for you, but keep working it until you are happy.
Iteration doesn't just apply to drafts — chapters, paragraphs, sentences and even singular words can be given the same treatment. When you pick up the habit, the process becomes second-nature and you'll find that the first lines you put down are the ones that make it into the final piece, and that is in light of sorting through the renditions unconsciously. Additionally, you don't have to do things in one sitting; sometimes taking a break and coming back to your writing with a fresh outlook is valuable.
5. Analyse and apply
One piece of advice I always see given when someone asks how to improve their writing is to read more, and though it is — at its core — a tip worth acknowledging, it always comes across as unserviceable to me. There is nothing that reading will change for you if you are not actively practicing the things you learn, or even actively learning to begin with. So to address it as a matter of semantics, I feel it's best put as studying the writing of others, as opposed to reading.
If you have a favourite author, go over their works twice — once as a reader to identify what you like about them, and then again as a writer to identify why you like those things. To put it into context, if I read something and decided that I enjoyed how clear and easy to understand it was, I'd do a second pass to figure out the attributing qualities. Perhaps it's the use of punctuation, chosen sentence forms or even the simplicity of words used. My first tip of knowing different literary fundamentals is complementary here, because it makes the analysis and application of isolated features that much more smooth, and also means you'd be able to adapt them into your own style instead of just copying the other writer, which is what you want to avoid.
(Some writers I personally recommend studying are @ozzgin, @monstersholygrail, @aayakashii and @urprettylildoe for readability and clarity in execution, @moyazaika, @carnivorousyandeere and @purerae for characterisation and dialogue, @suiana and @unhappy-last-resort for engaging plots and concepts, and @sabotsen and @lirational for word choice.)
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