#creative writing tips

[novlr]

The symbolism of flowers

Flowers have a long history of symbolism that you can incorporate into your writing to give subtext.

Symbolism varies between cultures and customs, and these particular examples come from Victorian Era Britain. You'll find examples of this symbolism in many well-known novels of the era!

Amaryllis: Pride

Black-eyed Susan: Justice

Bluebell: Humility

Calla Lily: Beauty

Pink Camellia: Longing

Carnations: Female love

Yellow Carnation: Rejection

Clematis: Mental beauty

Columbine: Foolishness

Cyclamen: Resignation

Daffodil: Unrivalled love

Daisy: Innocence, loyalty

Forget-me-not: True love

Gardenia: Secret love

Geranium: Folly, stupidity

Gladiolus: Integrity, strength

Hibiscus: Delicate beauty

Honeysuckle: Bonds of love

Blue Hyacinth: Constancy

Hydrangea: Frigid, heartless

Iris: Faith, trust, wisdom

White Jasmine: Amiability

Lavender: Distrust

Lilac: Joy of youth

White Lily: Purity

Orange Lily: Hatred

Tiger Lily: Wealth, pride

Lily-of-the-valley: Sweetness, humility

Lotus: Enlightenment, rebirth

Magnolia: Nobility

Marigold: Grief, jealousy

Morning Glory: Affection

Nasturtium: Patriotism, conquest

Pansy: Thoughtfulness

Peony: Bashfulness, shame

Poppy: Consolation

Red Rose: Love

Yellow Rose: Jealously, infidelity

Snapdragon: Deception, grace

Sunflower: Adoration

Sweet Willian: Gallantry

Red Tulip: Passion

Violet: Watchfulness, modesty

Yarrow: Everlasting love

Zinnia: Absent, affection

[thecoramaria]

hi, ive been watching your videos for a while now, and i'm currently starting my first real longfic. i've got it mostly outlined, but do you have any tips for starting the actual writing process? thanks!

Thanks for watching! As for the actual writing process, I can only really explain what works, or has worked, for me.

Writing in order. Some people swear by writing out of order, but if I do that, usually the pieces don't fit together and I end up rewriting what happens later anyway.

Reduce friction between writing and not writing. It's the reason why I keep my Word document open at all times: when it's always there and in easy reach, I can go from not writing to writing in seconds.

Listen to music. If you want to achieve a certain mood or atmosphere, music can really help you get into that headspace! I do often get distracted trying to find "the right music" though...

When I finish writing for the day, I write a summary of exactly what happens next in brackets. That way, when I'm ready to write again, I know exactly what needs to happen and just need to figure out how to make the words go.

If you can access your manuscript from your phone with ease, great! If not, but you want to write on public transport or in waiting rooms, copy and paste the last few hundred words of your story into an app like Evernote and keep writing from there. That's what I do, particularly during events like NaNoWriMo.

Some people say you should never, ever edit as you go, buuuut I do, and I think it's a pretty natural part of writing serialised work anyways, since you're often posting a story before you've finished writing it anyway. Usually my "as you go" edits just start off as highlighting bits I'm not sure about, or making comments to fix certain details for the sake of continuity or improvement. It's when I'm a week from posting when I make sure all those issues are resolved.

I also try to focus on my wordcount over long periods of time rather than my daily word count (unless I'm doing something like NaNoWriMo). That way, I don't have to feel so bad if I have a day or week (or sometimes a month) where I get barely any writing done.

Hope these help! Remember that the Sundae Bar Notice applies here as well 💖

[silviawrites]

Making music playlists for writing

Many writers such as Chloe Gong, author of "These Violent Delights", have made music playlists for their books. These music playlists can help writers in writing. They could also express what the story is about through the music by showing the overall feel, vibes etc. Character songs can also be included in the playlist for, let's say, the readers to listen to when reading the book. In this post, I will be breaking down why people make music playlists for writing and how to make one yourself!

Why do people make writing playlists?

Just as I said above, writing playlists can help writers to write their current WIP. There are writers who may not be able to write properly and only have creativity rushing through their veins when listening to music. Others may want to make a playlist simply because they want to make their writing more fun and lively.

How do I make a writing playlist? What songs do I include?

Include songs that give the look or feel of the book. Let's say, if you write a fantasy book, then you can include epic songs and songs that give a feeling of magic.

If you want, include songs that represent your characters. For example, if you want to put a villainous character who wishes to redeem themselves, give "I'll be Good" by Jaymes Young.

Do it according to your own style! Some prefer to spend a lot of time planning what songs to add and can spend hours planning whereas others prefer to do it according to their own pace and prefer to just find songs that happen to remind them of their WIP to their playlist. Just do you!

Don't add every song you like. While I understand that it can be tempting, add songs that fit your WIP/character(s). If it doesn't suit your WIP, don't add it.

In case you don't want to make a music playlist but instead want to listen to some, there are quite a lot on Youtube! The "pov" playlists are also wonderful sources of inspiration so check those out if you're interested. Personally, I really like the playlists of Abbie Emmons on Youtube, so if you want to listen to those, please go ahead!

[em-dash-press]

People have various opinions about prologues. Are they a waste of space in your book or useful tools for readers? These are a few things to consider when you're deciding whether to include one in your WIP or not.

Read my latest blog post here!

[badassunicorn2016]

Well, I started this blog 7 years ago with great intentions, and had a great almost 7 months posting and then I started grad school and anything other than grad school sorta fell by the wayside.

In the years between then and now, I’ve thought about picking up where I left off, but haven’t really found the motivation at the right time of the year.

So I’m sort letting the daily writing prompt/daily writing tip thing go after 7 years (it’s time 😂). While I stopped posting, I did continue writing (sporadically) and now that I am done with grad school I am actually taking a creative writing class for the first time ever and I am so excited!!!

It’s only just started, but one thing that my prof said that I’ve been ruminating over and want to share with you all is that a lot of people use backstory solely to justify a character’s actions. And if used like that, then it’s really easy to fall into common tropes and make your character feel very two dimensional. Instead, backstory should give your character depth. It can (and likely will) explain some of the character’s attributes/decisions/etc, but it should also add to the character in some way.

Idk I hope I’m explaining that right and in a way that makes sense.

For me, the example that comes to mind is from the show Miraculous Ladybug (I’m not caught up yet with what’s been released on Disney+ so PLEASE NO SPOILERS), where we have two characters, one of whom is a villain and one of whom is a superhero. Character one is a rich fashion designer with a wife who mysteriously disappeared and since then has rarely left his house and still grieves her. Character two grew up isolated, lost his mother as a child and his father is very distant, he was essentially raised by his father’s personal assistant. He was homeschooled, almost completely cut off from the outside world unless it was convenient for his father to parade him around.

Character one seems like he’s set up to be a Batman-like superhero, while character two is set up to be the villain with a chip on his shoulder.

But in reality, character one is the villain terrorizing Paris by preying on people’s negative emotions, while character two is an absolute cinnamon roll of a human who wholeheartedly accepts his role as second in command of a superhero duo, then a superhero team, led by a female superhero. He’s not even an antihero, he just absolutely loves Ladybug and is absolutely willing to accept that she is in charge from the get go. It does also explain some of his attributes/actions (why he loves being a superhero so much bc he finally gets the freedom he never got before; his worst nightmare is being locked up) but it *explains and adds*.

Like. They could’ve used his tragic Disney Princess background to justify making him an asshole. But they gave him the backstory while also making him the sweetest, kindest, ladybug simp possible.

There’s so many things this show gets right (this is just one of them) and even tho it’s a kids show I recommend everyone watch it (at least the earlier seasons… jury’s still out on what Disney has decided to do with it since they acquired it lol)

Anyway. Am hoping to share any other tidbits that I learn along the way, but based on that 7 year gap I am not making any promises 😂

[kayla-2]

Do y’all think people should know if they want to write a specific trope or the trope shouldn’t be a thought and it just flows into the storyline. Like should I say “I want to write enemies to lovers” or the plot descides if it’s enemies-to-lovers?

I don’t know how to explain it. But it seems like authors shape the story around a trope. Instead of letting the trope aid in telling the actual story.

[lnk-and-lnspiration]

10 Tips for Staying Motivated as a Writer

Staying motivated as a writer can be a challenge, especially when faced with rejection, writer’s block, or simply the daily grind of putting words on the page. But keeping your motivation levels high is key to maintaining your creativity and staying focused on your writing goals. Here are 10 tips for staying motivated as a writer: Set achievable goals: Breaking down your larger writing goals…

[harrymalfoy09]

I really want to write an awesome original story, I've started several but never get anywhere... I lose the plot and have no idea what the point of the story is after getting the first few scenes out of my head. I am capable of writing pretty great dialogue and making memorable scenes but I can't seem to drive the story to any specific destination... how does one build plot? How does one decide where the story is going to end up?

[yet-another-writing-propt-blog]

You are a teacher, and one of your students has a feather jacket that she is very protective of, going so far as to punch one student who tries to touch it after being told no. One day she gets a phone call and has to leave quickly, forgetting her jacket. You, of course, bring it to her home only to discover she's a swan maiden and her father is obviously instantly attracted to you

[penstricken]

5 Themes Children Will Really Understand

What are some of the best children's book themes that kids can really relate to? I've shared a few of my favourites in this new blog post. Have a look. 👇 #kidlit #writing #fiction #childrensauthor #writingcommunity

Good fiction is a vehicle for profound truth. I’ve spoken before about the importance of cultivating the themes that grow wild in your story, and it is no less important in children’s fiction that it is for adults’ fiction. When it comes to writing stories for children, especially young children, it can be tempting to either avoid including any particular theme at all (spoiler: that’s nigh to…

[angela-yuriko-smith]

Unleash Your Creativity: Top Writing Techniques for Unstoppable Storytelling

By following these top writing techniques, you can unleash your creativity and become a successful storyteller. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, these tips are sure to help you reach your writing goals and produce captivating stories

As a writer, the goal is to create stories that captivate and engage readers, leading to a wider audience and greater impact. But where do you start? With so many writing techniques and styles, it can be difficult to know what works best. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top writing techniques used by successful writers to unleash their creativity and produce unforgettable works of…

[novlr]

A Quick Guide to Colour Symbolism

Colour symbolism has been a long-standing part of the writers' craft. Colours can hold different meanings across various cultures, but here are some common examples of some colours and their associated imagery.

🍎 Red: Love, lust, anger, danger, violence, passion

💎 Blue: Tranquillity, calm, peace, sadness, isolation

🥬 Green: Jealousy, rebirth, growth, greed, renewal

♠️ Black: Death, sadness, loss, grief, evil, depression

🎀 Pink: Sweetness, love, kindness, innocence

🍊 Orange: Joy, creativity, energy, excitement

🌼 Yellow: Joy, cowardice, innocence, optimism

🏳️ White: Innocence, faith, peace, purity, mourning

🐴 Brown: Stability, comfort, predictability, boredom

💟 Purple: Royalty, bravery, virtue, luxury, spirituality

[thecoramaria]

You know all those tasks writers do to procrastinate writing their stories? Maybe they’re more valuable than you think…

[ID: Portrait close-up of Cora sitting in her room and talking to the camera. She wears a mint beret with multicolour polka-dots, light blue glasses, bright blue heart earrings, and a white chiffon blouse with a loose bow under a hot pink button up with white polka-dots. At the bottom of the screen are pastel yellow subtitles with black outline. At 0:04, a screenshot of Cora’s NaNoWriMo word count shows that she wrote 50031/50000 words. At 0:10, another screenshot showing Cora’s December goal shows that she wrote 3510/15000 words.]

[maccreadysbaby]

things people do after having a nightmare that isn’t crying

struggle to catch their breath

grab onto whatever’s close enough to ground themselves in reality

become nauseous / vomit

shake uncontrollably

sweat buckets

get a headache

things people do to combat having nightmares if they occur commonly

sleep near other people so they can hear the idle sounds of them completing tasks

move to a different sleeping spot than where they had the nightmare

leave tvs / radios / phones on with noise

just not sleep (if you want to go the insomnia route)

sleep during the day in bright rooms

things people with insomnia do

first, obviously, their ability to remember things and their coordination will go out the window

its likely they’ll become irritable or overly emotional

their body will start to ache, shake, and weaken

hallucinate if it’s been long enough

it becomes incredibly easy for them to get sick (and they probably will)

add your own in reblogs/comments!

[em-dash-press]

Morally gray characters compel readers and form deep connections that make fans fall in love with your stories. Read these three quick tips to learn how to write this archetype effectively.

Read my tips here!

[unboundprompts]

Pirate Terms and Phrases

-> Pirate Lingo

-> A Pirate's Glossary

Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.

Brig - a prison on a ship.

Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction

Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.

Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.

Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).

Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.

Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.

Flogging - severe beating of a person.

Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.

Give No Quarter - show no mercy.

Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.

Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.

Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.

Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.

Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.

Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.

Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.

Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.

No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.

Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.

Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.

Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.

Privateer - government-appointed pirates.

Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.

Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.

Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.

Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.

Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.

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