#bookishdiplodocus

[topazadine]

Writing Post Masterlist

All my posts about writing - plus some I absolutely loved by other writers.

Masterlists by Other People (all good)

"Writing Tips Masterpost" by @deception-united - Deception-United has an incredibly wealth of resources available, far more comprehensive and detailed than mine. Go check it out!

"WQA Post Master Lists" by @writingquestionsanswered - Another fantastic and wonderfully comprehensive resource that covers damn near everything you need to know about writing. Genuinely one of the best free resources on writing that you could find on the internet.

General Advice for a Happy Writing Life

"The Myth of the Martyr Artist" - An incredibly important post, perhaps my most important one ever, that discusses why mental illness is a burden, not a benefit. I have no idea why this even needs to be said, but it does, apparently.

"Advice to Beginner Writers: The Good, the Bad, and the Unpleasant" - How long it takes to become a good writer, what to focus on when learning, and why fanfic is such a useful tool.

"Mindset Shifts: Fanfiction -> Original Fiction" - What fanfic writers should know about deciding to take on original characters and stories.

"Defeating Protracted Writer's Block" - What to do when you find it impossible to write for days, weeks, or months at a time.

"Five Common Anxieties of Newbie Writers, Demystified" - Explorations of five mindsets that can set younger writers back as they learn their craft, including overcompetitiveness, overdescribing, and fearing they're "too old."

"Good Motivations for Continuing to Write" - Why it is crucial to have a passion for writing beyond fame and fortune.

"Extremely controversial writing opinions that will make you mad (but I'm going to say them anyway)" - Things you really don't want to hear, but need to be said. A bit of tough love, including the insignificance of ideas, the cold hard truth about how non-writers react to your writing, and the essentiality of having a well-rounded life.

"Why Mindfulness Is a Key Practice for Writers" - On the need to slow down and let our brain rest - plus some options that are categorically not sitting there in dead silence (boring).

"Writing When Happy" - Wherein I hijack someone's question to discuss the Myth of the Martyr Artist, why we might self-limit because of it, and how to do the impossible: write when we're happy.

"The Neurodivergent Writer’s Guide to Fun and Productivity" by @bookishdiplodocus - Excellent advice on how enjoying the process and reminding yourself that writing is supposed to be fun can help you stay motivated and productive, even when your brain is not cooperating.

"The Glorification of Self-Deprecation in Art/Writing Spaces" by @nicolkoutoulakiauthor - I've discussed before how crucial it is to have a healthy self-esteem when writing, but Nicol does it even better here. Nicol also includes some excellent reframing tactics so you can stay motivated.

Generalish Writing Advice (multifactorial)

"'How Do I Start Writing?'" (Or; A Psychoanalysis of Newbie Writer Fears) - Inspired by the dozens of Reddit posts that ask this exact same thing, often with useless responses. So why do people ask this? I offer my theory.

"How to improve your writing style : a 5-steps guide" by @writer-logbook - Especially great information on why reading widely is so helpful for your craft!

"Some Writing Advice" by @whispers-whump - Especially great discussion of why you shouldn't write what you mean.

"Practical Writing Advice Part 2" by @so-many-ocs - Does what it says on the tin. Simple, easy-to-follow advice that can break you out of writer's block.

"25 Prose Tips for Writers" by @thewriteadviceforwriters - I absolutely love the emphasis on sound and harmony here. As someone whose entire book series revolves around the magic of poetry, of course I think this is incredibly important advice!

"Pacing and Show Don't Tell" by @mylordshesacactus - Two for one deal! First, learn more about why pacing is important; then, look at some examples of the classic advice "show, don't tell." The post does a great job on breaking down what show don't tell actually means and what is not a violation of this guideline so that newer writers aren't confused.

Writing tools

"How to Build a Sustainable Writing Habit Through SCIENCE (Fuck Off, NaNoWriMo)" - Why NaNoWriMo doesn't actually motivate young writers and how to do better through a spreadsheet (yes, really, a spreadsheet). It also explains the importance of intrinsic motivation!

"'I've Outlined Too Much and Now I Can't Write!' (Or: the Double Outline Method for Overanxious Plotters)" - Some of us tend to go absolutely ham on our outlines, to the point where they're practically their own books. But then we also tend to not actually do the writing attached to said outline. Does this mean outlining is useless? Of course not. My method lets you have your outline and eat it too. (.... Wait.)

Worldbuilding

"Stop Making Everything So Damn Complicated!" - Why fantasy (and scifi) does not need to be dizzyingly intricate to be enjoyable.

"Grounded vs. Airy Fantasy" by @aethersea - Excellent breakdown of different levels of groundedness in fantasy and why it's important to understand your own approach.

"Fantasy Guide to Building a Culture" by @inky-duchess - Thorough and methodical analysis of what can create a compelling fantasy culture, including those things that many fail to think about when writing.

"Writing tip - Research" by @pygmi-cygni - Fantastic assessment of the importance of research, including for fantasy stories. As Pygmi-Cygni said, a lot of people claim that they don't need to do any research for fantasy novels, which isn't true! Any parallels to IRL need to be realistic, or you will lose credibility.

Plotting

"How to Find a Plot When All You Have is Characters and Setting" by @rheas-chaos-motivation - This is a common problem for many writers, when you have cool characters or an intriguing setting. This short post can help you kickstart your ideas for how to create an intriguing plot that has built-in tension.

Description

"Remembering Perspective When Writing Descriptions" - Key factors to think about when describing other characters or settings from your POV.

"Description, Momentum, and Tension; Or, How Not to Bore a Reader" - Why, when, and where to put description so that people don't skip over it. Hopefully.

"Writing Notes: Seasons" - Each season has both benefits and downsides. In this post, we look at the negatives and positive aspects of each so you can decide how a particular season may strengthen your themes - plus some descriptions to help inspire you.

"How to Write Smut?" by @unfriendlywriter - Wonderful examples of how to write heartstopping smut.

"How to pull off descriptions" by @fictionstudent - Fictionstudent has a ton of great posts, both about film analysis and about the art of writing. I especially liked this one because it discusses how important perspective is for descriptions and the importance of filling in the details as a character would rather than just throwing it all at the reader at one time.

"How to avoid White Room Syndrome" by @writerthreads - Fantastic and focused advice on how to ensure you're offering readers just enough setting to help them envision the world.

Characterization

"Writing Relatable Characters; Or, Using Human Failures to Your Advantage" - Explaining how you can use character flaws and human needs to create a relatable character. Also explains the basic development of a plot, which is about equilibrium.

"How NOT to Write a Character" - Wherein I give you some examples of annoying characters we want to punt off a cliff so you can watch yourself.

"Writing Strong Female Characters" - Why you should give your female characters a secret goal, as well as how to avoid common 'strong female' stereotypes.

"Writing Compelling Trauma in Fiction: Dos and Don'ts" - How to avoid melodrama and create intriguing emotional wounds for characters.

"Quality Assurance Checks for Character Development" - Thought exercises that can help you differentiate characters, prune down unnecessary characters, develop true chemistry between LI and MC, and avoid having too many POVs.

"Developing Character Agency (Or; Cutting the Plot Strings)" - A discussion of character agency and how to ensure your characters are not bound by the narrative.

"Writing Notes: Thought Distortions" by @literaryvein-reblogs - Some psychological concepts you can use in your writing to add depth to characters.

"Questions about your character’s perspective on love and relationships" by @luna-azzurra - Excellent questions that can help you delve into your character's attachment style, what baggage they may bring to a current relationship, and how to create conflict through mentality.

"How to Write a Confession of Love," also by luna-azzurra - Perfect discussion of how to create tension, the utility of setting, not making it perfect, and including the other character's response.

Revisions

"Common Writing Issues that Reduce Readability" - Examples of fixes for four common issues: double describing, long sentences, overexplaining, and head hopping.

"Differential Diagnosis When Your Writing Is Getting Worse" by @ariaste - Fantastic explanation by a professional writer about why you might feel like your writing is getting worse and what to do about it.

"How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff Part 3" by @physalian - Physalian's whole blog has some excellent advice, so definitely give it a look!

"How to Improve Your Writing" - Also by literaryvein-reblogs, this offers some excellent exercises to help with sentence-level issues, such as modifiers, parallelism, and details.

Publishing

"How to promote your book online : a discussion about social media (and few tips)" by writer-logbook - Great tips about how to get more interest in your book. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on patience and consistency. Writer-logbook has some excellent info overall about the nitty-gritty of writing, so I definitely recommend poring through their blog in general. (That's why they're included here twice!)

Specific Research Advice

"Assassination Methods Through the Decades: A Writer’s Handbook" by @hayatheauthor - A thorough review of different assassination methods, including a section discussing common assassination methods by region!

"How to Write Someone in a Wheelchair" - A group effort! This is a reblog chain discussing body language in manual wheelchairs, the mechanics of power wheelchairs, wheelchair propulsion methods, and a reminder that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they can't walk short distances.

"Writing Research Notes: Caves" - Oh caves how I love them. Caves. Let me tell you about them if you want to write about caves. Blessed.

"Writing Research Notes: Horses" - A beginner's guide to horse mindsets, whether horses like working, approaching horses, how to ride, and tips on training.

"Writing Research Notes: Bipolar Disorder" - Written by me, a writer with bipolar disorder! This shares basic facts about bipolar, offers a list of symptoms you can use, and cautions you against spreading misinformation through poor characterization or myths.

"Stop Doing This in Injury Fics!" by @pygmi-says-hi - Discusses some common errors when writing whump/angst. The fever part was especially helpful for me!

"Writing US Military Characters" by @lookbluesoup - An explanation of the habits and mentality of US military characters. Many of these were quite helpful for my fantasy military characters, so you can get a lot of mileage out of these for soldiers in other militaries too!

Little Funsies

"What Painting Style Is Your Writing?" - A short exploration of different writing styles to help you better understand your own approach.

I'll be adding onto this as I continue to scroll through my old likes and, of course, as I find more resources.

[heywriters]

Hey so I am sort of new, or more like re-introducing myself after so long a way I may as well be a new person, to writing side of tumblr. Do you have an recommendations on people or tags that be cool to follow?

Yep, sure do!

@writingquestionsanswered

@fixyourwritinghabits

@keepcalmandwritefiction

@wordsnstuff

@writingwithcolor

@theliteraryarchitect

@thewritinghole

@the960writers

@bookishdiplodocus

@thewritersspotblog

@questionprompts

@writtentelepathy

@the-write-type

@elumish

@insanitysilver

@howtofightwrite

@jstor (below blogs are inactive/on hiatus but good references)

@scriptshrink

@scriptmedic

@scriptcriminaljustice

I also have a side blog to this one @hey-writers for writer promos and the occasional posted fiction or poetry. I don't update it often, but it is there if you want to peruse other writeblrs.

Followed tags are touch and go as people will "tag spam" things that aren't relevant, but check these out anyway!

#writers on tumblr

#writeblr

#writing

#creative writing

Make use of the "Latest" and "Top" categories when checking tags.

Welcome back!

[pheita]

Beginning of the Year Update

Here we are, a brand new year, and hopefully better than 2022. Last year took a huge toll on me, mostly because IRL I had to deal with the never-ending paperwork and shit that came with the sudden death of my mother in December 2021 and the office in the city hall that shall help with the financial burden keeping on screwing me over and over for the past year, obviously making origami animals with the documents I send in. There is no other way why they keep on losing the documents for months now. Anyway, as you can guess, only little energy is left for creative stuff, and it only goes into writing. For those who didn't notice, I switched WIPs in July 2021 and revived and renamed an old WIP that now goes by "Flowers of Fire" Flowers of Fire is a modern fantasy/erotica mix. The erotica part comes from the sexual themes connected to how the mystical beings in this setting get the energy to fuel their powers, so yeah, there will be sex scenes, but erotica is the secondary genre, so it is still mostly a modern fantasy story and therefore has a serious plot. (Oh no, porn with plot lol) It also features a polycule of five, all of them mystical beings, that slowly builds up throughout the story while they also have to figure out who threatens their whole community. If I caught your interest now, this is the WIP intro and this the masterpost with everything I posted for it so far. Just a few days ago, I considered making it actually a more serialized thing and not a book. Which leads me to my plans for this year. With some changes regarding welfare in Germany, making money became less of a bureaucratic nightmare and I actually can keep more of the money I earn, so now it kinda becomes an option for me with my limited energy. I had a Ko-Fi for years, but never really advertised it *cough* And I seriously need to get better with this and marketing myself and my writing, but the plan for this year is, to maybe start using Ko-Fi to earn some money with my writing. If you already want to help me out, you will find a link to my Ko-Fi on my page if you're in browser. Or you just follow this path to tip me a coffee. Like I said, I need to come up with a good plan for all this first. So, I will continue with Flowers of Fire, and the little backstory series for Tali and Constantine. I got inspired to write some more backstory series for other characters that are important for the WIP like Swea, the old dragoness who is an important side character and lived a long eventful life. To get back into touch with everyone, I want to start some reoccurring thing to share other writblrs WIPs (and also get into touch with new WIPs), so everyone feel free to send me your WIP intro as submission, or an ask with a blurb, or an ask with the link, however you like to do it. And spread this around.

Like always, I keep taglists, and if you like to be tagged in something, let me know, also if you like to be taken off, no reason needed. I know sometimes things can become overwhelming. @abalonetea @pen-for-sword @kainablue @bloodlessheirbyjacques @catharticallysarcastic @contes-de-rheio @bookishdiplodocus @incandescent-creativity @ettawritesnstudies @raevenlywrites @jaimistoryteller @magic-is-something-we-create @queerlilchinchin @zmwrites @avalonsaesthetic @violetcancerian @weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @poore-choice-of-words @ashen-crest @eternalwritingstudent

[bookishdiplodocus]

In regards to this post (https://www.tumblr.com/bookishdiplodocus/736701278145642496/i-know-there-is-quite-a-lot-of-research-about-the), it's more from personal experience and from witnessing the rest of the slef-shipping/self-insert community around me, but I find it pretty therapeutic myself, inserting myself or even just my likeness in an OC into different universes and interacting with favorite characters. For some it's very self-soothing and comforting, and for others it's borderline therapy, and for others still it's simply fun!

I, myself, am working on figuring out my sekf-inserts in all my silly little blorbo universes, and plan to at least plot out every detail of their lives from meeting said blorbo to all the fun and drama that comes with it. It's a happy, fun little hobby for me, and it's actually helped me settle a few personal, internalized issues here and there.

Either way, heavily suggest self-insert writinf. Very very good, top tier, even if you don't share it with the world and keep it for you somewhere.

Thank you Anon!

I noticed I changed my self-image by writing self insert romance, and I wondered if I could do the same with less positive topics. Thanks for your input! I will give it a go.

[mareebrittenford]

3 Positive Things

challenged by @the-wip-project to write 3 positive things about my wip. Okay! I will then! (this is for my Carpentry cozy mystery series as a whole because I have 3 things in it at various stages of completion)

1. GIRL POWER!  I enjoy romance a lot, but one of the things that focusing on a romantic relationship does is sideline all the other relationships. But writing a cozy series means I can have a romance, but also focus on community and friendship! Which means female friendships! Ladies teaming up to kick ass (generally metaphorically) and having deeper, more complicated relationships overall. Gotta love all my female characters! (even the ones who might be murderers)

2. Setting. I mean half the reason I (and I think other people) love read cozies is to be immersed in a setting, and I’m really enjoying fleshing out a perfectly mundane little town and really giving it a sense of place.

3. Sawyer, my MC. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life to write a character like her. I look forward to spending many books with her over the next few years.

idk if we were supposed to tag anyone else, but if @jadefyre @dairogo @bookishdiplodocus @js589 want to do this too I’d love to see your posts!

[rurpleplayssims]

I posted 2,365 times in 2022

2,254 posts created (95%)

111 posts reblogged (5%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@rurpleplayssims

@pixeldolly

@bookishdiplodocus

@simnationlifebefore

@dearwriters

I tagged 2,352 of my posts in 2022

Only 1% of my posts had no tags

#campbell quay - 1,470 posts

#ts2 - 1,451 posts

#bacc - 1,446 posts

#the sims 2 - 1,445 posts

#campbellquay - 1,441 posts

#campbellquaybacc - 1,440 posts

#build a city challenge - 1,440 posts

#the sims 2 bacc - 1,440 posts

#spring: first year - 1,083 posts

#strangertown - 374 posts

Longest Tag: 138 characters

#maddie's not moving in with tyler but i wanted to decorate zoey's old room anyway as he'll always have a room for her here if she needs it

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Strangertown Cinema Complex

See the full post

40 notes - Posted July 16, 2022

#4

This house...is ugly, so I decided to try some renovating!

This is my attempt to improve it - what do you think? 😊

See the full post

41 notes - Posted May 4, 2022

#3

Campbell Academy

Right, time for my confession. I did not come up with the floor plan or general design of the building. I usually suck at building and I don't like looking at official floorplans.

But I've recently discovered @anibats's Tumblr and YouTube channel, and her content is STUNNING. From the CC she uses to the machinima she makes, it's all so pretty!

I would highly recommend watching her The Vicious series she made - I won't lie, it made me bawl my eyes out, it was so tender and realistic.

I thrive off realism in both my series and playing the game itself. She opened my eyes to a few more mods and ways of playing a school without having to necessarily use Simlogical items.

And she also had some neat ideas for fixing crashing in game, and I must say, the fix that her partner did seems to be working in my game! 😀😘

See the full post

43 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

#2

I rebuilt the diner... 😇

It’s a good thing nobody’s complaining about the massive renovations that this town’s getting! 🤣🤣🤣

45 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

😍 Those moments when...

One of your favourite CC creators creates new CC you need to download ASAP.

One of your favourite CC creators recolours one of your previously downloaded CC set that you also need to download ASAP.

You discover a new amazing CC creator!

You discover a new amazing mod or created CC that you never thought you’d see in a game nearly twenty years old!

I love all CC creators on Tumblr (even ones I’ve not discovered yet! - It’s only a matter of time!) 🥰 Everyone is so lovely and helpful! If anyone can think of any more moments you love, add them to the list!

122 notes - Posted May 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[rainbowbokchoy]

finally, FINALLY, making a proper draft for my first full original fiction book :>

I'm following @ bookishdiplodocus 's outline which gives *just* enough structure for me to feel supported yet unsuffocated. It also helped me get started without being overwhelmed by the whole I'm-going-to-write-an-actual-book thing

I'm currently writing out the individual scenes, then I'll probably move to basic character building (motivations, main characteristics, arcs, what have you). After I'll plan out the type of diction / devices I should use and then ✨START WRITING✨.

At some point between the brain ache of writing and the brain ache of not writing I'll hopefully get a WIP page up and running!!

[author-a-holmes]

WIP Files Game

Thank you @acertainmoshke for the tag back in April. I've set this up to go out on May 1st because I'm just totally swamped in April <3

How To Play:

Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous.

Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, & then post a little snippet or tell them something about it!

Tag as many people as you have WIPS.

Work In Progress Folders

Whatever Happened To Madeline Hail?

Changeling

Darkling

Fey Touched

Once Upon A Fey Touched Holiday

Chronicles of Verald

Flash Fiction

Worldbuilding and Scraps

Takeover

Stolen

The Faith of the Grim

Robin Hood Retelling

Dragon Age Fanfiction

A Rose By Any Other Name

Words of the Witches

How Things Are Meant To Be

Tale of the Shadowfox

All of Time and Space

The Phoenix and the Time Traveller

Tell Me No Lies

Outer Wilds

Halloween COG

Tagging Forward to;

@faelanvance @afoolandathief @artbyeloquent @avrablake @arigalefantasynovels @avrablake @artbyeloquent @arionawrites @bookishdiplodocus @blind-the-winds @cwritesfiction @daisywords @ellatholmes @ellebeauregard @fictionalbullshitter @harinawa @indecentpause @minamoroz @queen-kass-the-writer @nectargrapes @pens-swords-stuff and @world-of-fire-and-flight

Also an OPEN TAG to anyone else who wants to play!

[lit-erallyobsessed]

I posted 26 times in 2022

12 posts created (46%)

14 posts reblogged (54%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@bookishdiplodocus

@blessyouhawkeye

@fallingforleavesandpumpkins

I tagged 12 of my posts in 2022

#jay moné - 11 posts

#lit-erallyobsessed - 10 posts

#book reccomendation - 6 posts

#book review - 6 posts

#writblr - 5 posts

#medium - 4 posts

#writing - 4 posts

#youtube - 4 posts

#booktube - 4 posts

#writer - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 22 characters

#young adult literature

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

New video! Watch my mom guess 5 of my favorite books.

2 notes - Posted March 4, 2022

#4

3 notes - Posted January 4, 2022

#3

Here’s the video I forgot to post yesterday where I play 21 Questions.

4 notes - Posted February 6, 2022

#2

Check out what I’ve read so far in 2022!

8 notes - Posted April 21, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Here is my first YouTube video!

11 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[pens-swords-stuff]

💜💜💜 I like how you're always so kind and how you take your time to research your answers. Congratulations on your one-year anniversary, and may there be many more to come! 💙💙💙

Thank you so much!!!!

This means so much coming from you because you are so cool, so smart, so talented, and I look up to you so much!!!! Thank you so much for being my friend 💙

Writeblr Anniversary Celebration: Wrapping it up several months later!

[writingwordsanddrawingpictures]

NaNoWriMo - Day 10

Still fighting with my sinuses today, so I’m happy to have another scene (1,021 words) done and to raise my total to 12.2k (or a tad under 50 pages in a standard novel).

Yes, at this rate I’m not going to win NaNo this year, but you know what? I don’t care! Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to win it at my first attempt, but that’s not what this is about. This, and my aborted Inktober attempt are about me getting back into the creative habit and writing / drawing again on a regular basis and improving my skills. Heck, I might even get a half decent novel out of it!

To those of you who are struggling, I’d suggest you stop focusing on the goal of 50k and start enjoying the journey instead. You may not hit 50k, but whatever you do get, you’ll be that much closer to having your own novel in your hands - and that’s the real aim here!

And before I get off the pep talk, I have to say a huge thank-you to @bookishdiplodocus. Sanne, without your posts on plotting and combining it with the ideas from Save the Cat Writes a Novel, I don’t think I’d be where I am now. Thank you, so, so much! The approach of dividing the book up into discrete scenes instead of larger chapters is working so much better for me than any of my previous approaches. So truly, thank you! (and hopefully I’ve not embarrassed you too much!) <3 <3 <3

Anyway, today’s excerpt is under the cut along with the tag list. Let me know if you want on or off the list.

Also, let me know if you want me to do a link post containing all of the posts I’ve done so far on Scrappers.

Trigger warnings: Some blood, mention of a knife.

Context: This is after Sarah’s transport has had its tyres punctured and is currently lying crashed on its side...

------

  Two figures crawled into the back of the van, one holding Paul’s upper body free of the van’s ‘floor’ and the other holding his legs while working on the cuffs. Once he was freed, Sarah could see that his nose had broken when he slid off the bench into the van and he left a trail of blood behind him as he staggered out of the doors.   “You next. Watch your eyes.” The familiar voice said. Sarah couldn’t make out much of the person even now, except for a couple of stray wisps of red hair, as they were wearing a face mask and what looked like ski goggles, topped off with a helmet of some description. She heard a brief hissing and then felt her leg restraints fall away allowing the blood back into her feet. That was followed by the relief of blood returning to her thumbs as the zip ties were cut by the second figure. She went to stand, but the figure stopped her, motioning to Sarah’s wrist.   “Need to do something about that first.” They said, reaching into a leather knapsack they were wearing and bringing out a thick bracelet of some description. “This will block the GPS function long enough for us to get back and do something more permanent about it. It’s not painful, just maybe a little tight, okay?”   Sarah nodded in response, her head still spinning slightly although she wasn’t sure if it was from the crash or the speed with which this was happening. The figure unclipped the bracelet and then clipped it around Sarah’s wrist - damn, they weren’t kidding about it being tight. She winced at it pinched uncomfortably at her skin.   “Sorry, hen, it’s either this or we have to dig it out with a knife.”   “I’m fine. It’s not for long, right?”   “Right. Now let’s get out of here before someone notices you’ve just disappeared.”   She allowed herself to be led out of the van and blinked in the low autumn sun. There were more storm clouds gathering in the distance - fitting, really. Now she could see them a little better, Sarah could distinguish that two of the figures were female - the two who’d been in the van sorting out their restraints - and the other figure she could now see looked to be male. There was something odd about all of them, the way they all acted as a unit with minimal talking, almost… military for want of a better word. The woman with the wisps of red hair placed her hand on Sarah’s arm.   “Come on, we’ve got to get off the road. We’ve got a safe house nearby where we can stop briefly to get you both checked out and into some fresh clothes.” She said, leading Sarah off down a side street. Sarah glanced behind and saw Paul trailing after her with a blood-soaked rag held over his nose, which made her wince, and their other two rescuers following behind.

------

Hmmm... Now are things improving for our Sarah, or is she heading from the frying pan into the fire... Stay tuned to find out!

Tag list: @themerrywriter, @contes-de-rheio, @soul-write, @roselinproductions, @kira-desomma, @farrradays, @elaynab-writing, @stephrawlingwrites, @madammuffins, @pheita, @bexminx, @therska, @paperplaneshift, @adie-dee, @bookishdiplodocus, @nirvhannahcornell, @ijustchangedmyname, @siarven, @aeschknight, @love-by-the-moon, @cawolters.

[writeblrs]

For the elevator pitch: When her little brother gets poisoned, Emma enters the magical, sentient Library in search for an antidote. But then she has to choose: save the Library or save her brother. And the Library is not helping her with either.

Send us your elevator pitches!

[pheita]

Ich habe 5.214 Mal im Jahr 2022 etwas gepostet

637 Einträge erstellt (12%)

4.577 Einträge gerebloggt (88%)

Blogs, die ich am häufigsten gerebloggt habe:

@stormbrightwriter

@catharticallysarcastic

@pheita

@everythingfox

@athena-anna-rose

Ich habe 960 meiner Einträge im Jahr 2022 getaggt

#writblr �� 601 Einträge

#writing – 572 Einträge

#pheita talks – 387 Einträge

#sojan – 189 Einträge

#other people's writing – 123 Einträge

#flowers of fire – 99 Einträge

#ask answered – 89 Einträge

#storyteller saturday – 76 Einträge

#fantasy – 70 Einträge

#miada – 62 Einträge

Longest Tag: 95 characters

#and then end up creating new characters that make it into the original wip like me all the time

Meine Top-Einträge im Jahr 2022:

#5

Founding February Week 1

Geography, lands, flora and fauna

Are there multiple suns / moons? Are there star formations you can always see at night? What is the climate like? What is the weather like? Regularly occurring weather phenomenon? Are there any unusual weather phenomenon? What are the seasons like? How many / how long? What are the birds like? What are the small animals like? What are the large animals like? Are there any magical creatures? Describe them. What herbivore animals can pose a threat? Any magical plants? Poisonous animals? How are the continents laid out? How much? How big? How are the countries laid out? Are there natural borders or man-made borders? Are there forests? Are there tropical areas? Are there grasslands / plains /swamps ? What natural resources are available in different regions? Which natural resources are scarce? What are well-known landmarks? Do they have a name? On what is based? (i.e. myths) Are there plants that are only edible when prepared a special way? Do animals or plants exist that are bioluminescent? Are they well-known lakes or rivers? Well-known mountains? Unpassable regions? Why is it unpassable? Height? Depth? Dangerous plants or animals?

I used this worldbuilding questionnaire as a base ,sorted it into the weekly themes, and added questions where some sprung to my mind. These questions are only a little help to get you started. You can build and post about anything that has to do with this week's topics. And now get some theoretical mud and start building your worlds.

Taglist @writersblockandapotoftea @stormbrightwriter @january-thoughts @raevenlywrites @cometkov @worldbuildingwedasks @ashen-crest @sleepyowlwrites @writeblrfantasy @talesfromgringolandia @crtalley @stardustspiral @sarah-sandwich @saint-just @shydreamyechoes @jerusalemstraycat @bigboicol-theflamingcol @thesaltysagittarious @aalinaaaaaa @indigocastor @pathsofoak @contes-de-rheio @cassie-writes-things @avrablake@weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @sweetmugofcocoa

Credits Sleeping Room by usanekomemory on Booth Tea, Books and Cookies by argamawitch on Booth Cat Cushion by coalla on Booth Galaxy Hoodie by ladyaska on Booth “Kitsune” face markings by cryptomodels on Booth Lips presets by succuleaf on Booth Demon Eyes by misuzufaraday on Booth

49 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 1. Februar 2022

#4

Honestly, there is nothing better than fresh warm selfmade bread with some butter. Ok, maybe along with a nice hearty stew or soup.

53 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 21. Februar 2022

#3

I found some alternative to Picrew thanks to Twitter. I looks like it is more diverse on the skin color range and more like it is run by a Western country? Anyway, I know some folks always are in need for new character makers so here we are. The site is called meiker.io @athenixrose @adie-dee @kainablue @ashen-crest @raevenlywrites @bookishdiplodocus

I know you also love those makers, maybe spread the word a bit?

72 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 6. Februar 2022

#2

Since I had to give a Prep Talk to a friend who wanted to start writing but was insecure about it: Just do it. If there is something calling you to write: WRITE. Forget all those fancy rules how a genre works, the writing advice out there you might have seen going like "don't use adverbs" and so on, the insecurities about being bad at grammar or having issues finding the right words. Every writer fights with this. It comes with the craft. Some things only need practice. The trick is: Do it anyway. Give a flying fuck about it and just start writing. Maybe with something small like micro fiction or flash fiction. Maybe an idea for a short story. But most of all: Write for yourself. It is not bad if you never finish it. Every author we know and love has unfinished WIPs in their drawers. It comes with being a writer. Sometimes an idea isn't big enough or keeps you entangled or excited, and that is ok. These stories are meant to learn what you like to write and how you write what you like. We grow with every page we write. Writing is a journey that never ends. Just pick up a pen and paper or your phone or sit down in front of your PC and start. We all started somewhere. We all think we were bad and cringe at the beginning, but that is irrelevant as long as you keep going. You only get better at telling a story, when you keep on telling stories.

122 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 7. Januar 2022

Meine #1 des Jahres 2022

The Worldbuilding event you didn't know you want, aka Founding February

Since there were a lot of folks interested in it, I will start some sort of worldbuilding event in February. I hate those questionnaires because they usually ask stuff I will never need in my writing, but yet here we are. So, anyway, I gathered some and compiled a list for 4 main topics. The first week will be all about geography, landscapes, flora and fauna. The second week about government, population and infrastructure Week three will be all about culture, magic and education. Last but not least we will finish with festivals, celebrations and food. For each week there will be a list with questions to help out but for everything sacred, please don't even try to answer all of them. You will get burned out on worldbuilding fast, besides there will be of course questions that are irrelevant to your WIP. They are meant as some help to get your mental gears kick-started. Write about whatever you want to share for the week's main topic. Everyone is free to join. You don't need to ask. Use the theme, the banner if you like (which will follow at the end of this post), feel free to tag me if you post something, but you also can just tag the folks from the tag list. Just do it however it fits for you. Tagging those who showed interest in this: @cometkov @raevenlywrites @blue-kyber @stormbrightwriter @weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @ashen-crest And don't forget, this shall be fun. Don't overwork yourself on this.

[Picture ID: A banner with a blue and turquoise background with the colors fading into each other with the turquoise at the bottom and the blue on top. In the middle of the banner, with a lightbulb that looks like a watercolor version of the earth with hands around it. The lightbulb is surrounded to the left and right with the words Founding February. ID End]

217 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 19. Januar 2022

Hol dir deinen Tumblr-Jahresrückblick 2022 →

[bookishdiplodocus]

How to convey information through dialogue without shoehorning it in

So you have information you want to plant into your story, and you would like to do that through dialogue. Naturally, you'd want to make the dialogue look natural, so that it doesn't scream -> This Piece Of Information <- Will Be Relevant To The Plot Later!!! I never saw any writing advice about this subject, so I thought I’d write up a post about it.

Say, for example, you want to plant the information that Barney is afraid of fridges. Fridges? Jup. That's weird. Jup. Which makes it all the more difficult to bring up in a scene. And what makes it even more difficult, you decided you want this dialogue to take place before the Thing With The Fridge Happens later on, so you're in a pickle. How do you bring up a fear of fridges, when there are no fridges around?

First, I'm going to show you how shoehorning the information in a dialogue would look like.

Don't do this:

Annie and Barney are in a scene that has nothing to do with fridges.

Annie: "By the way," she asked casually, "have I ever asked you what your worst fear is? Since we’re on this quest together, we should know these things about each other."

Barney: "Fridges. They scare the bejeebers out of me."

Annie: "Fridges?" She laughed incredulously. "How come?"

Barney: "Well, one time my brother locked me into a fridge, and I've been afraid ever since."

Annie: “That makes sense, Barney. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Try to avoid using things like “by the way” or “suddenly” in this part of the dialogue, because that’s a shoehorn red flag.

Instead, you want the conversation to flow from something inconspicuous to the information you want to plant and then into at least one other topic.

Do this:

Annie and Barney are in a scene that has nothing to do with fridges, for example they are thrown into a snake pit during their quest.

Barney deals with venomous snakes without a second thought.

Annie, in the corner, trying to get a hold of herself: "I can't believe you're not afraid of those snakes."

Barney: "You just got to know how to handle them."

Annie, in awe: "You're fearless."

Barney, laughs: "Trust me, I'm not. You should see me around fridges."

Annie: "Fridges...?"

Barney: "My brother locked me into one when we were little. I almost suffocated. Never trusted them ever since. Nor my brother, obviously."

The conversation continues about his relationship with his brother, making it seem like that's the important bit. You sneaked the information about Barney's fear for fridges into the dialogue about snakes and his brother.

Let’s break that down, shall we?

This conversation has three topics: snakes, fridges, and Barney’s brother. The snakes and Barney’s brother don’t really matter. They could just as well be completely different topics. (I'll show you later.) Their only function is to ease into the conversation about Barney’s fridge fear and ease out of it without drawing the reader’s attention to its importance.

Topic 1: Something present in this scene that has a thing in common with topic 2

Discussing the snakes feels organic and natural, because they are kind of hard to ignore in this scene. Make the first topic something related to what the characters see, feel, experience in that particular scene… Write a piece of dialogue about topic one.

Topic 2: The information you want to plant

Then transition into the topic switch. How? The topic of fridges and the topic of snakes have one thing in common: fear. Specifically, Annie is afraid of snakes and Barney isn’t, but he is afraid of fridges. Bringing this interesting bit into the conversation changes the topic again, because how can you not go into a sentence like this?

Topic 3: Anything related to topic 2 you can latch onto

The topic is changed yet again after the information you planned to plant. Just let this part of the dialogue run its course. It doesn’t matter much what you do with it, as long as you don’t stop the dialogue right after the moment you delivered the line you needed to deliver. The trick is to make the conversation flow to and from your chosen topic.

Let’s look at another example, something more realistic. You still want to convey the fact that Barney is afraid of fridges, but this time, Annie and Barney are not on a quest, they are in a romance novel.

Barney and Annie are looking out over the ocean. She brought a bottle of wine, a light breeze cools their skin, in the distance, a cargo boat slowly glides along the horizon. It seems like a perfect moment.

Barney raises his glass and compliments Annie: “You pick great wine.” (topic 1)

Annie: “Thanks. I did a wine course last year in my local community center, a series in which we learned all about the different kinds of wine and what to pair it with.”

Barney: “Sounds like fun. You should teach me sometime. Did you get to taste everything?”

Annie: “Yeah, of course. That was the main reason I joined. What about you? Which wine do you prefer?”

Barney: “Oh, I’m not a connaisseur. I like anything but white wines.” (change of topic)

Annie: “Why not?”

Barney, embarrassed: “Red wines are usually kept at room temperature, and white wines go in the fridge.”

Annie, after a second: “I can’t see the problem there.”

Barney, embarrassed: “Ah. Well. I don’t like fridges. Like, not at all. My brother once locked me into one, and – well, let’s say it was a hugely traumatic experience.” (boom, there it is: topic 2)

Annie, confused: “But – How do you keep your food fresh?” (change of topic) (doesn't necessarily have to happen so soon after The Line)

Barney, still embarrassed: “I go to the supermarket every other day.” (topic 3)

The conversation continues about going to the supermarket every other day and foods that Barney can't eat because they spoil too fast outside of the fridge. Annie is surprised to hear how many things can be kept at room temperature for a day or two. (topic 3,5)

That's it, folks :)

I hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to ask me any questions, and happy writing! This post was inspired by a question from @therska.

Follow me for more writing advice, or check out my other writing tips here. New topics to write advice about are also always appreciated.

Tag list below the cut. If you like to be added to or removed from the list, let me know.

@therska @writingwordsanddrawingpictures @the-words-we-never-said @writingwhithotchocolate @i-rove-rock-n-roll @maskedlady @no-time-like-write-now @timefire25 @black-lakritz-dragon @nzmayart @fandomrandomness-stuff @dangertoozmanykids101 @anaestheticdisaster @storytellingofravens @purpleshadows1989 @mathematicpony @i-don-t-know-words @notquitenovelist @coffeescribles @reffaces @livingthelovelylife @katsglabella @lokitty-is-my-spirit-animal @thefallenbibliophilequote @watchmewritedumb @sting-the-scribe @kais-writing-shit @dameschnee123 @curiosityonmars @oodlittlething

[stephrawlingwrites]

Any OC you like: - As what would they dress up for a costume party? - How do they see their life seven days, seven months, or seven years from now? - Do they have secret fears or insecurities? - What is their favorite childhood smell? - Is there a song they can't stand?

Costume Party!Emma would dress up as a fluffy animal. Juliette would dress up as a cyborg (she’s 1/4 the way there already!). Cassidy would probably dress up as sexy anything, or cat woman. She has a healthy respect for thieves.

To the Future and Beyond!?Seven days - They don’t know if they’ll make it out alive, but they hope the action will over and they can move on with their lives ignoring one another’s existence (except Emma, she really enjoys spending time with them but just wants to go home).

Seven months - Juliette hopes to be on her next gig, or helping Sinead around the pub. Cassidy hopes to have escaped Caldera entirely and be onto her next heist. Emma hopes to be home with her family, or whatever is left of it.

Seven years - With some semblance of normalcy returned to the system, Cassidy hopes to have passed on her legacy to a new master thief and be happily retired to a cushy life of luxury for the rest of her days. Emma hopes to catch up on her lost childhood by exploring the system and learning about everything. She may or may not be inheriting her parents’ fortune, but rather than be an heiress, she would like to make a difference, and how better to do that than by traveling to see how she can best help those in need?! Juliette likes the excitement of being a mercenary, but she would love to settle down and take over Sinead’s pub and not be bothered by pesky kids with lofty goals.

Fears and InsecuritiesJuliette is afraid that people find her intimidating, she’s really a softy, but she can scare almost anyone.Cassidy is afraid that she’ll never amount to anything. Getting caught as a thief at such a young age may have ruined her career.Emma is afraid that she’s too late to make amends with her family. She’s also afraid of what others think of her.

Childhood SmellsJuliette, more than anything, wishes she could escape the smell of oil.Cassidy misses the flowers from her parents’ garden.Emma misses the smell of clean laundry.

Songs They Can’t StandEmma prefers classical music, so she’s not a fan of the typical industrial music that plagues Caldera.Juliette doesn’t really like rap, but she doesn’t really care either way.Cassidy loves dubstep. Her morning workout includes acrobatics to the beat. Without the bass drop, she doesn’t feel fulfilled. For her, it’s dubstep or death.

[ettawritesnstudies]

For those of you who saw my last post on a publishing and market research deep dive, here's a new shiny write up! Please spread this version instead :)

Taglist: @sleepy-night-child @writing-with-olive @ashen-crest @kazenokaori @bookishdiplodocus @gloriafrimpong @decodamalion @pe-ersona