#book writing

[deception-united]

Writing Tips Master Post

Character writing/development:

Character Arcs

Making Character Profiles

Character Development

Comic Relief Arc

Internal Conflict

Creating Distinct Characters

Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex

Creating Likeable Characters

Writing Strong Female Characters

Writing POC Characters

Character Voices

Plot devices/development:

Intrigue in Storytelling

Enemies to Lovers

Alternatives to Killing Characters

Worldbuilding

Misdirection

Consider Before Killing Characters

Foreshadowing

Narrative:

Emphasising the Stakes

Avoid Info-Dumping

Writing Without Dialogue

1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective

Fight Scenes (More)

Transitions

Pacing

Book writing:

Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series

A & B Stories

Miscellaneous:

Overcoming Writer's Block

1000 Follower Special

Writing Fantasy

Character Ask Game

[xisadorapurlowx]

[lucidmagic]

Repeat after me:

The first draft just needs to exist

The second draft needs to be functional

The third draft needs to be effective

The first draft just needs to exist

The second draft needs to be functional

The third draft needs to be effective

The first draft just needs to exist

The second draft needs to be functional

The third draft needs to be effective

Remember, the second and third can't happen if you don't have something to work with. Your first draft will always be shit compared to your third, but at least it exists. The worst first draft is an unfinished one. The best first draft is a just completed one.

You read books/stories not in their first draft form-- only in their finished form (third, fourth, sometimes fifteenth draft). So stop comparing your first draft with a final one.

So, just write--you can make it better later. Perfectionism is the greatest weight a creator can carry.

[adharagranley-writer]

i'm seeing these posts so i'm gonna do it just for fun (knowing i'll get five notes at most), but writer's version:

100 notes and i'll try to post regularly on instagram.

200 notes and i'll make a routine to write daily.

300 notes and i'll start to exercise, drink more water, eat fruit and study more.

500 notes and i'll FINISH WIPS (works in progress).

1k notes and i'll EDIT MY BOOK.

2k notes and i'll propose marriage to my best friend.

5k notes and i'll go to mexico to see a boy (please don't) (i'll never get 5k (i hope)).

EDIT: Y'ALL ARE CRAZYY. crying bc now i'll have to do the stuff but i love you all.

[biscuitsandspices]

If you hate writing outlines it's because of how they're taught in school. Toss out indentation and Roman numerals and map out your writing how you want to. Outlines are your FRIEND, dammit. This goes for everything, from political essays to fanfiction. If it's written you need an outline because the outline is for you. It can be general, vague, or a mixture of both! Be as informal as you want, who cares. They're to keep you on track and keep your writing flowing, so don't disregard them even if you dreaded making them in grade school. My outlines by chapter tend to look like this: 1. Character "P" goes to the diner to meet character "Q."

2. "P" tells "Q" about how the confrontation went. (dialogue I thought up on a bus ride) That's when shit goes DOWN. They're yelling, they're drawing attention to themselves, but before they can take it outside, "P" says (dialogue I thought up in the shower).

3. THEN "Q" SAYS THAT ONE LINE THAT "R" SAYS TO HIM IN CHAPTER FIVE BECAUSE THAT'S CALLED COHESION WOOOOO

4. idk they both leave??? you'll figure it out later

5. Self-reflection for "P." Keep your main point on how his moral compass goes to extremes and hurts others. He finally is realizing that HE is the PROBLEM

6. "P" drives to "Q's" house to apologize but GUESS WHO ANSWERS THE DOOR it's "R" and then just end the chapter there This is coming from someone who didn't write with outlines for years. Now I don't write anything longer than 400 words without one! Make them your own, make them so that they're useful to you. That's their purpose, so accept the help!

[mistblossomdesigns]

A Bare Bones Guide to Outlining a Fantasy Novel in Three Acts

If you're trying to write a fantasy novel and you're feeling overwhelmed by the process, try to break down your story into three acts as follows...

Act 1

Introduce the status quo - setting, main character, and any struggles they currently face

Create an inciting incident

Show your character's hesitancy to welcome change

Have your character take a chance and start their journey

Act 2

Introduce friends and mentors

Include trials and obstacles

Let your character have a mini success

Have your character doubt themselves regardless of their success

Act 3

Increase tension with more obstacles and rising action

The climactic high point - a.k.a. the final showdown

Show the aftermath and what your character has overcome/sacrificed in order to succeed

[averyauthorship]

Above, you will see my very accurate representation of every time Word decides that something is grammatically incorrect (when it isn't) and won't let me ignore it.

[weltato]

Writers of Tumblr, listen up! This has probably been said before but I'mma say it again:

Do you feel like you're procrastinating on your current fic by writing down another one because an idea struck you at 2am? No you're not.

Do you feel like you're procrastinating on your current fic because you've been doing school/uni/job work? No you're not, that stuff is more important than how many socks Deku wears on any given day.

Do you feel like you've been procrastinating on your current fic because you just haven't had the energy and all you want to do is binge YouTube videos and eat ice cream? No, you're not, take care of yourself!

Are you down because you've got three WIPs open and can't think of how to fit some scenes together? Don't bother, just keep writing the fun and interesting scenes.

If writing is a fun hobby for you, don't make your fun hobby into a chore.

If writing is your job, don't turn your job into a chore.

We as humans work better when we're enjoying what we're doing - just think back to when you were in school: what lessons do you remember the most of and which ones did you enjoy?

As Star Trek keeps telling us: time isn't linear, it's relative. So why do we have to write things in linear order? No one ever really told us to do that, school systems just assumed it. They said "write a beginning, middle and end, in that order" because it was the easiest and most streamlined approach.

But this is your fic or your book or your assignment, you don't have to write it that way. Write it in the way that the ideas come.

If the opening is hard, write the big fight at the climax. If the connection is eluding you, write the scenes it's supposed to connect between and see what happens. You'll get there, I believe in you <3

At the end of the day, please enjoy writing! Enjoy reading too! If you have kids or know kids, encourage them to read! Little kids especially have a tendency to copy what older people do, so show them books you love.

Don't feel bad because you haven't updated a fic in months. You've been letting the ideas cook and they just have a really long cooking time. Re-read some stuff and maybe some ideas will come up. Listen to music, watch your shows and films, read other books and fics. Go for a walk, even - you can get inspiration from anything.

WIP owners: I believe in you. You can do this! They might sit there and taunt you, or beg to be finished, but if you can't do it right now then you can't do it right now and you should take a break. Save it, close it, do something else. Come back to it when you're ready.

💜💜💜

[theyoungwritersmind-aristanelson]

[novlr]

“No one can take writing away from you, but no one can give it to you, either.” — Meg Wolitzer

[deception-united]

Hi, don’t know if it’s already been asked, but how do I find a good B story? I understand that it should resonate with the A story but I’m struggling to find something

Thanks for asking! In essence, the A-story is the main focus, while the B-story provides supplementary narrative elements that contribute to the overall richness and complexity of the story. Both storylines usually intersect or influence each other in some way, contributing to the cohesion and coherence of the narrative and generally making it more interesting for the reader. Here are some tips for achieving this:

Character Arcs: Look at the main character's journey in the A story. Is there a secondary character who could undergo a parallel or contrasting arc? This can add depth and complexity to both storylines.

Theme Exploration: Identify the central themes of your A story. Then, brainstorm how you can explore those themes from a different angle or perspective in the B story. This can create a rich tapestry of meaning for your audience.

Subplots: Consider subplots that are indirectly related to the main plot but still tie into its themes or motifs. These can provide relief from the intensity of the A story while enhancing its emotional impact.

Backstory or Flashbacks: Delve into the past of a character or the world of your story. This can add depth and context to the A story while providing opportunities for exploration in the B story.

Parallel Events: Introduce events or challenges happening simultaneously with the main plot. These can intersect with the A story at key moments, driving the narrative forward while offering new perspectives.

Foils or Counterpoints: Create a character or situation in the B story that contrasts with or complements elements of the A story. This can highlight different aspects of the main themes or characters.

World Building: Expand the world of your story by focusing on a different aspect of the setting, culture, or history. This can enrich the reader's understanding of the story world while adding depth to the overall narrative.

Secondary Goals or Motivations: Give characters in the B story their own goals or motivations that intersect with or diverge from those in the A story. This can create tension and conflict, driving both plots forward.

Emotional Resonance: Ensure that the B story elicits an emotional response from the audience, whether it's empathy, excitement, or curiosity. This will help engage readers and keep them invested in both storylines.

Explore Character Relationships: Look at the relationships between your main characters. Is there a subplot that involves a secondary character's journey or development that could complement or contrast with the main storyline?

Foreshadowing and Subtext: Use the B story to foreshadow events or themes that will be important later in the main storyline. Subtle hints and subtext can add layers of meaning to your narrative and keep readers engaged.

Happy writing!

[xisadorapurlowx]

[adventuretolkienlover]

My mom gave my some great writing advice and I want to share with y'all. (She gives the best advice. I love you Mama!🥰)

Basically it's this. When writing a story, you may be worried about plot holes, quirks, and other imperfections. But the things is, no story is absolutely perfect. All of them have a little something. Something that doesn't quite fit. A plot hole or two. Even Star Trek has plot holes! (Like where the heck Earth is?) But a good story is a good story. What's most important is that, it's fun to read and to write. A little problem here and there won't take away from the experience if it's good. So go easy on yourself! Not everything needs to be explained. Just write. Enjoy yourself. If you can find a way to fix a plot hole, great! If not, that okay too. Maybe you'll figure it out later. Maybe you won't and you'll try something different. Or maybe it's not all that important and it can be left alone. Just don't stress.

Alright that all. Peace out my dudes.✌️

[adharagranley-writer]

there are two moods reading something you wrote months ago:

this is garbage

i am a GODDESS

[thewriteblrlibrary]

Random writing tip that works strangely well #2

Have writer's block but still feel the urge to write something?

Then go back to stuff you've written before and do some editing <-- preferably the sort where you add/remove parts of sentences and make the whole thing read and feel nicer (rather than grammatical errors)

If you write digitally, I recommend printing off your WIP and handwriting the edits on top.

Don't go overboard with this though! I used to spent every writing session editing my previous work first, and I got so obsessed with making it perfect that it all started to sound stunted. Have fun with it!

And as always - the best writing methods are the ones that work for you, take what you need, modify it for your wip, or make something up on your own. There's no need to take advice as the end all be all!

[mistblossomdesigns]

How to Write Captivating Mystery Plots

Tips for mastering the art of suspense in your storytelling.

Add physical and psychological clues in the first act.

Give enough information about the victim to make sure your readers will want justice for them.

Introduce a motif or symbol early on that will appear again during the conclusion.

Introduce several false suspects within the first act.

In the second act, try to steer the investigation toward a false conclusion.

Set up red herrings at the start of the second act.

When your detective has almost solved the crime, create a false sense of success where they feel like a piece of the puzzle is missing.

Hope this helps give you a bit of a start with your mystery writing!