#don’t make me start jotting things down in my notes app

[macfrog]

Could you possibly walk us through your writing process? I’m a beginner writer at best, and I usually jot down snippets in my notes app. I’m not the best at connecting plot lines, and most definitely struggle with writing filler content. I was just wondering how you start out + go through it from there? If not, that’s okay :) I love your work so much <3

absolutely i can. i have been told that my writing process is a little non-linear (read: unhinged), so please bear with me. it’s like a christopher nolan film up in my brain

most of my stories start with just an image or a particular line in my head that i can’t shake – so like, jet was built around a static image of a dingy motel room with two horses stood out front. and from there, i just map everything out.

that initial thought is the main seed, and everything else stems from questions i ask myself (and therefore gotta assume whoever’s reading will also ask). all the what where when who whys etc. and slowly this skeletal structure forms, where the bones are the answers to these questions, and the flesh becomes the story they tell, with as much attention to detail as i can possibly cram in. the devil is in the detail!!!!!

this means, though, that the process is not always linear (for me anyways lol), because depending on which thought/image has sparked inspiration in my brain, i begin writing at diff points of the tale. sometimes i'll start writing the end and go back and fill the beginning in, sometimes i write one scene in full and then jump back and forth to finish the story. it’s back to front, left to right, upside down on its damn head way more often than it’s once upon a time… straight through to happily ever after. i cannot say i recommend this. it becomes confusing and mildly painful when editing.

anyway. yes. using the notes app is also super helpful, keep doing that! it’s great for when inspiration suddenly strikes and you gotta jot it down. good for collecting little moments that you’ll wanna use in fics later on. little snippet notes are great for mulling over a particular idea and developing a story around it. just keep adding adding adding

as for physically writing/pulling a story together: you just have to do it. just get it out. don’t worry about it being good or bad, especially not your first draft. sometimes you gotta let the water run for a bit before it turns clear. just write. i like to hammer a first draft out (usually garbage), and then i pull up a blank second document side by side and redraft by retyping the entire thing. it helps me read it like a first-time reader would, which helps point out things that maybe don’t make sense or could be worded better. helps edit the hell out of it. i LOVE redrafting lmao

my biggest piece of advice is have fun with it. write stories you love, about people you love, and do it for you. and please send in anything you write, so we can all read and love it, too 🩵

(sorry for long ass response. u ask about something max is passionate about and she appears at ur window like the boogeyman)

[smtown-tourist]

Advice from a fellow Fanfic writer:

Writing fanfiction is awesome because it gives us the freedom to continue stories we weren’t ready to end, see characters in a new/different environment, create the romances we wish had been canon, and so on and so forth.

But going into writing your first fic, especially if you are a young writer, can seem pretty overwhelming because you want it to come out amazing. I was once in your place where I had no idea how to go about creating this story that I’ve had stuck in my head. Now, it’s been 12 years since I wrote my first fanfic. That by no means makes me an expect nor a perfect writer, but I’ve learned some things along the way that I want to share because I wish I’d had these tips when I first started out.

Whether you find this helpful is up to you and what you do with it is up to you. Scroll past this for all I care, but I want to put this out there in case no one else has. I’ve also thrown in a little fanfic etiquette for those that are new to fanfiction.

Don’t let anyone else control your story unless YOU want their advice. This is your story and you have the right to make it turn out the way YOU want it to

Always carry something with you (a notebook or the notes app on your phone) to jot down any ideas that come to you. Trust me - you won’t remember them like you think you will

Write detailed notes about your characters (physical description, personality traits, past experiences, likes/dislikes, hobbies, clothing preferences, etc.). These notes will come in handy later on when you’re wanting to throw in personal touches that make your characters seem more realistic

That being said, you don’t need to add a character profile to your story unless YOU want to. Just because it’s helpful to your writing process doesn’t mean it has to become a part of the story

MAJOR PLOT POINTS!!! Keep track of them, even if they’ve already happened. The last thing you want to do is contradict something that has already happened or write yourself into a corner when you’ve strayed away from the original purpose of the story

Write what you feel inspiration to write, no matter how far away that part of the story is. It’s easier to bridge gaps than write in chronological order. It will save you a lot of time down the road

Writer’s block is real!!! And if you are feeling stuck on a certain part, skip it and come back later. I live by the bridge the gap theory

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!!! Accuracy and little specific details about a certain something can turn a good story into a great story. It will also keep out those know-it-all commenters that want to correct you

Also, don’t be a know-it-all commenter. No body likes you, I hate to say it. You might think you’re helping but all you’re doing is making a hard working writer feel shitty. Not everyone is well informed on a subject and not everyone wants to put in the time/energy to become well informed. It’s just a fanfic. Get over it

If you don’t want to do research on something before you start writing, that’s okay, too. Whatever details you add to your story are up to you

Your characters don’t have to be realistic for them to be good characters. That’s the beauty of fictional writing - it can be as out there and far from reality as you want it to be

Naming your chapters isn’t important or a necessity but it’s a fun addition that can give your readers a little insight into what that chapter might be about

OUTLINES!!! Writing brief descriptions of what you want to happen can make the writing process go much faster and helps you keep track of where you want the story to go when that nasty writer’s block hits

Reference photos are GREAT for when you have an idea in your head but struggle putting that into writing. It can also make a story more interactive and fun for the reader

If you used a reference photo to help you write something, there is no pressure for you to post that. Nobody needs to know the tools you use in your writing or where an idea for the way something looks comes from

Not every fanfic needs to be a chaptered fic. One-shots can be amazing, too. It’s also okay to have a story start out as a one-shot and turn into a chaptered fic later on

Don’t feel pressured to write any sequels/prequels for a one-shot that got a lot of love. It’s okay to let that story live on as a one-shot. Same goes with a chaptered fic. If you liked how your story ended, you don’t have to continue it just because your readers can’t accept that it’s over

Writing a fanfic is not your job and you owe NOBODY your time. Write when you feel motivated. Don’t let it take up every second of every day unless that makes YOU happy. Burnout is real and a lot of good fanfics go unfinished because of it

If you feel burnt out, take a break, no matter how long that might be. Writing should be fun, not feel like a job on top of everything else in life. And don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for taking a break or quitting altogether. You don’t owe anyone an explanation

It’s OKAY to give up, if it stops being something you enjoy. Writing is meant to bring joy and creativity to your life. Don’t let anybody guilt you into doing something that doesn’t bring you joy anymore

It’s OKAY to give up on a story if you don’t know what to do with it anymore. Not every story you start is going to find that perfect ending. Don’t punish yourself because you feel you owe it to your readers

It’s OKAY to take down a story you no longer feel proud of. It’s your account and it’s your story. What you do with it is YOUR choice

It’s OKAY to leave up stories you don’t feel very proud of because they are proof of your growth. No one should expect perfection from every story you write

It’s OKAY to revise a story you’ve already posted because you weren’t happy with the original. The beautiful thing about digital writing and publishing is that you can delete and edit anything at any time. There is no commitment

It’s OKAY to have those stories you never post online or to even never post anything. Writing should be done for YOUR enjoyment first and for others second. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing that with everyone, that is perfectly acceptable

Not every story you post is going to be a big hit. As long as YOU like it, that is all that matters. Getting a bunch of likes, comments, and subscribers is just a bonus. Don’t beat yourself up because your story isn’t as popular as others

It’s OKAY to celebrate milestones for your story. If your story hits a certain number of likes, subscribers, word count, whatever it may be that you are proud of, share that because you DESERVE to be proud of the hard work you’ve put in

Word count is meaningless. Don’t feel self conscious because of your stories word count. How long or how short a story is doesn’t make it good. It’s the content that makes it good

If you are writing a fanfic for something specific (tv show, book, anime, manga, comic, you name it), don’t feel pressured to include every character/person/animal from that source material. You can include whoever you want because it’s YOUR story

Use your characters however you wish. No one has a right to shame you for how you use your characters. This is a fictional universe that you are creating and you have the right to make it turn out the way YOU want it to

You don’t have to have a Beta (someone who revises your story for you) if you don’t want to have a Beta. If you don’t feel comfortable having someone else doing your editing, that is completely acceptable. Some people prefer to edit themselves and that’s OKAY

Using a Beta doesn’t make you lazy or incompetent. Some people need that extra hand in their writing or don’t have the time/energy to edit, and that’s OKAY

If you have a Beta, it’s OKAY to decline any changes they suggest. In the end, it is YOUR story, not theirs

If you are doing your own editing/revising, I suggest using an editing program like Grammarly. You can reread the same thing a dozen times and still miss those silly mistakes. Programs like Grammarly are also great for non-native English speaking writers because it’ll pick up on those mistakes you didn’t know were mistakes. It will also come up with better ways to word a sentence, improper uses of punctuation, repetitive word usage, and so much more, and the great thing is that YOU get to control the changes it makes

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS turn on the setting that doesn’t let people select the text. There are some people out there who will steal your story and repost it as their own. There might not be any money coming from posting a story online, but no one should get credit for your hard work and creativity but YOU

If you use an idea or other source material to help you write GIVE CREDIT FOR IT!!!

Don’t leave comments begging someone to update. It never has the effect on the writer that you think it does. Positive comments about the story, like sharing how something made you feel, are so much more motivating than constant pestering

Don’t leave comments bashing a writer’s story, writing style, etc. That’s not constructive criticism. That’s just hateful

Don’t leave any constructive criticism unless the author has ASKED for it. Not everyone appreciates getting unsolicited advice

If you liked a story, SHOW IT IN SOME WAY!!! If this writer has put themself out there to share their writing with the world, and you LIKED IT, they deserve to hear your praise. It’s the only sort of reward that they are getting from something you are reading FOR FREE

If a story ends, it’s okay to be sad about it but don’t pressure someone into writing more because you can’t accept that it’s over. Thank them for their hard work and dedication

If a writer wants their readers to be involved in the story, BE INVOLVED. They are asking for your opinion for a reason and it is so disheartening when they get no responses in return

If your input was asked for and not taken in the end, don’t bash a writer because of that. It’s THEIR story, not yours, and they have the right to make it turn out how THEY want it to. Be grateful that they even asked for your opinion in the first place

If your story has sensitive topics or mature content, add warnings. PLEASE!!! Most fanfic websites have a protocol for stuff like that, but even then, it can’t always properly prepare a reader. Be aware that some of these topics are sensitive to readers, and while it might not be necessarily BAD to write about them, nobody deserves to be unexpectedly triggered. We all want to have a good time - be kind to your fellow readers/writers

That being said, be cautious about what you choose to write. You never know what someone else might take pleasure from. You might write something that is meant to create this heart wrenching, tear jerker of a story that someone else is finding enjoyable and pleasurable. That’s not on you as a writer that they felt that way, but I want you to be aware that there are sick and twisted people out there

Yet, also don’t feel restricted by those people and feel as if you can’t write about something like that because you’re afraid of the wrong hands getting a hold of it, especially if your story deals with how these sensitive topics can affect someone. Some of the darkest writing is also the realist writing, and people who have been through these dark things can sometimes feel seen and heard when they are shown in formats like this. It’s that relatable aspect of a character that makes us fall in love with them and their story

At the end of the day, remember that this is YOUR story, YOUR hobby, and NOBODY has control over it but you. No one is entitled to your hard work, time, and energy. Do what makes YOU happy first

That’s all the advice I can think of to give. I hope it was helpful in some way.

[maaxverstappen]

I’ve been asking ppl cus im nosy. What’s your writing process like if any? Do u have a preferred place or time. Preferred device. Do u write rough drafts then edit or is it much more considered. How do u decide that an idea is worth fleshing out or pursuing if it looks like it’s plotty. Pls yap at length if u so wish — wiz

i love this question!! and would love to know other answers so if you want to reblog them i shall be on the lookout 👀.

i answered partly here so will just like build on that!!

the process is that i’ll have an idea and depending on how large it is write out some sort of outline. my preference for all planning in life is on paper so i have a little journal that ill write out some ideas in. kind of brainstorm / mind map style of just jotting down random ideas that come to mind.

however, with longer fics like my current post-as-i-go wip i have to do it digital bc so much changes and it’s too long (see pics in previous ask). that one i actually started planning in my notes app on a plane bc the idea had to come out of me someway and i was really excited about it. i then transferred it to a google doc and added onto my chapter per chapter outline (1st pic in previous ask). i felt like that was a bit overwhelming for understanding the overall plot so then i went and made a simple overview of the key plot points per chapter (the 2nd pic in previous ask) just so i felt like i had a better understanding of the goal per chapter.

now when i sit down to write a chapter ill get both the detailed notes and the main plot points and just write whatever i feel like in order to get to the goal of the chapter.

for shorter one shot fics i’ll either have no full outline or a one page idea list kind of thing. for instance, for worth the trouble i knew that it would start and end in the present time and then everything in between would be a flashback, but i didn’t know the flashbacks would be non chronological until i was writing it. same for the chewing gum aspect that ends up being quite an important part of the symbolism and that almost weaves the parts together, that wasn’t a *thing* until i was almost finished with the rough draft and i then went to add it in to previous scenes.

for my long fic i have to be a bit more calculated with the hidden messages/foreshadowing as i can’t go back and edit published chapters lmao so that is a little more thought out + i keep track of loose ends to tie together at some point.

editing is a bit of a harder one. for my long fic my overal editing is per chapter, but i do tend to go back and edit per section too. like right now I’m writing a texting scene and first i wrote the plain texting dialogue, then i went back to add the bits in between from characters’ pov. then i’ll read over it fully and edit where needed. finally when the whole chapter is done ill read over it and edit again, but at that point it’s mainly grammar and punctuation.

my main writing issues i’ve noticed so far is that i tend to switch tenses without realising so that’s something i look out for when editing. i also am always worried they don’t *do* enough so i like to think “hmm what action can i add in here to make them more human” when editing.

so far only worth the trouble has been beta read, the rest i do myself. if I’m stuck i will talk through a lot of it with my partner who will give me some ideas and just like help lmao (she’s also the one that beta read wtt!). but she’s not in the f1 fandom so it’s a little hard to have her beta read for characterisation and specific plot points so i do that myself. like when she beta read wtt she gave a few points of feedback that weren’t too relevant bc the average f1 fic reader would understand (like the significance of spa21, there is no need to explain it).

I’m a baby fic writer so a lot of my process will be redefined and refined as i go I’m sure.

as for deciding what to write, it’s really whatever captures my attention. the prompt for help me hold onto you is one i really liked and a trope i love reading myself. i was also ready to challenge myself to a longer plot fic and i was really excited about the idea so i just went for it! my main consideration is really just how excited i am for it.

i will say that i am currently really struggling with perfectionism / imposter syndrome. I’m having a hard time getting the words onto paper bc it feels like it’ll never be as good as my favourite authors anyway so what’s the point. (which is now also impacting the way i read fics bc it makes me sad that ill never write anything as good as what I’m reading lol)

i generally write on my laptop! in a google doc with grammarly activated and the word count on screen (which pisses me off bc i have to turn it back on after every refresh). i wrote my latest crafty!oscar on my phone (bc i was too excited to wait till i got to my laptop) but wouldn’t ever do that for anything much longer or plot-ier than that.

i fear this has gotten very long. i know u said yap away but …. i perhaps have yapped too close to the sun.

[cipher-zoo]

I don't know how everyone else writes their fanfictions (or stories in general) but here is a little insight of how I do it.

Often my scenes start with having ideas for conversations [Which is weird, because I struggle with writing conversations - I have a hard time to make them sound like people would actually say them, so I almost always sound them out, which has my running around my kitchen talking to myself at weird hours of the night.... anyway]

So I have ideas for conversations - often times while at work, because my creativity hates me - and I jot those down in my notes app.

Just verbatim speech after verbatim speech, often without even indicating who says what. Sometimes, when I want something to be said a certain way, I put a little indicator behind it, to remind myself what I wanted it to sound like.

And then, once I have the time to actually write my story, I transfer all these Speeches into a Word Document. And then I start writing the scenes in between the Speeches and once I reach one of the speeches I rewrite them to fit the scene or paceing or just general moment they are happening in.

And, I tell you, I get so excited, when I am about to reach one of my "Speeches" because that is usually what I am 'working for'

Let me demonstrate it with this example (spoilers for 'An Emperor's Fear' Chapter 3)

Now, the scene where Shanks discovers that Crocodile has been hurting Buggy started out like this:

Now mind you, my phone is in German so this, one of the first things I wrote about the story, was written on the 7th of May at 7:24 am - before I even published the first chapter. (Also, fyi, I do not care about grammar or spelling in my notes app!)

And that turned into this:

[...] For a second, both men just stood there, staring at each other, neither willing to break the tension. Then, his voice low, dangerous, Shanks asked the question. “Did they do this?” A pause, a breath. “It doesn’t matter.” From his position, Benn had a hard time seeing Shanks’ face, but he could imagine the sadness that was probably portrayed in his eyes. The anger, the pain. “It matters to me,” he finally said. “Did they do this.” There was no need for him to elaborate on whom ‘they’ were. One of them was sitting on the canapé, not far from Buggy after all. The Clown swallowed while staring into Shanks’ eyes. All grandeur had seemingly vanished from his body. He nodded softly. “Mostly Crocodile,” he finally admitted. Shanks’ hold on Buggy tightened a little bit, and Benn could tell that he had a hard time keeping himself from pulling Buggy against his chest. Behind them, Benn could see Hawkeye crack one of his eyes open. Whatever was about to happen, he was ready to fight. Shanks, however, still only had eyes for his friend. “Okay,” he said. “Then I’ll kill them.” And just like that, the spell was broken. “No, you won’t!” Buggy used both of his hands to shove Shanks away from himself, while at the same time taking a step back himself, to further the distance between them. “Buggy, they are hurting you.” Shanks insisted, a hinge of desperation present in his voice. “I don’t care.” “I do!” [...]

Now, whether or not you consider that well written or a good scene is up to everyone's own interpretation or taste, but what I am trying to say is:

If you are someone like me, who struggles with finishing stories, or moving them along, give "writing the little things, the ones that come to your mind immediately, first and filling in the space between afterward", a chance. It works for me.

Doesn't mean it will work for you as well, but maybe it's worth a try.

[chdarling]

Hi sorry if this has already been asked before but I’m so curious. Do you use a specific platform to write and store all of your notes and stuff? I’ve been struggling to keep one consistent platform for everything.

Wheee. I love my apps. 😂 Honestly, I use a combination. First and foremost, I use Scrivener for composing the actual draft. I love Scrivener. It’s not free, but it is my favorite piece of software ever developed and it fundamentally changed my writing life. I truly cannot recommend it enough. (And Scapple! By the same developer. I swear they don’t pay me, I just really love them.)

On top of that, I use Notion to organize all my writing snippets, world building, plot details etc. I used to use Evernote — in fact I used it pretty religiously for nearly a decade — but they started making some dumb changes that increasingly made the app less usable for me, and I finally broke down and switched to Notion.

I love Notion for a lot of reasons, but it’s not a perfect solution. I do not find it a nice place to do the actual writing, so I mostly just use it as a repository/database. It does that REALLY well though. I’ve started using it to build a worldbuilding wiki for one of my original projects and I’m obsessed with it haha.

I also use the notes app on my phone because I tend to just jot things down on the train or as I’m falling asleep and then organize them in Notion later. It’s not strictly speaking the most efficient method, but I have found that efficiency in creativity is overrated. The act of revisiting notes (particularly ones I voice-to-text at 3am lmao) in order to organize helps spark new ideas and connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise. Yay inefficiency!!

[writtenobsession]

The Blind Man’s Folly

Gale x Tav?

Summary: Fem Tav, who has been chasing after Gale, finally decided to move on after being hurt one to many times. Modern AU

A/N: I literally wrote this in a sleepless night. I just want this off my chest. I have to listen to music to try to sleep, but got inspired instead. I’m not sure about this, but take it as it is. I don’t think I’ll back to this. Wrote this in my notes app.

Words: Unknown, I wasn’t keeping track

Tav was excited for the evening. It was supposed to be a monthly movie night with Gale and Tara, but he got a call halfway through the movie. Tav heart dropped a bit. She sighed and told him to answer it. He got off the couch and walked into the hallway. He was gone for just a few moments and came back with his cheeks flushed.

“I’m sorry Tav, but I have to step out for a moment.” She glanced at the movie then back to him.

“Will you be long? It was getting good.”

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour?” He slowly inched his way towards the door before she waved him off.

“I promise to make it up to you.” He said as he quickly dipped out the door and locking it behind him. His apartment fell silent. Tav turned towards Tara sleeping in her armchair.

“It’s just you and me again, huh?”

Tara’s ear twitched in acknowledgment. Tav pulled her notebook from her bag and jotted down her thoughts of the day and her crushed feelings. This wasn’t the first the she’s felt her heart break from Gale. He’s been doing it for a little over two years, but she couldn’t bring herself to move on. She loved the spark in his eyes when he could talk about his favorite subjects or it was smile he gives her when she eats his cooking that she loved, but it was getting harder.

She set her notebook on the coffee table glanced at her phone. An hour had passed, but not a word from him. She hesitated for a moment before settling on calling him. It rang for a moment before it was sent to voicemail. Hearing his voice hurt a bit, but she wasn’t surprised. She set her phone down and curled up before pulling the blanket off the back of the couch, trying to feel some comfort. Her mind feeling a bit cruel, she reminded herself of a song she’s heard plenty of times. Breaking the silence of the apartment, she began to softly sing out the sad lyrics, “Feeling kind of sick tonight.” She was lost in the lyrics, feeling the sting of every verse that described her love life to a T. Reaching the end of the song, she felt her voice start to strain. “Let you break my heart again.” Instead of silence taking over once more, her soft crying was the last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep.

The next moment, a gentle shake wake Tav. Through blurry eyes, she sees Gale. He looks down at her with such sad eyes and apologizes. He looks disheveled, like he didn’t get any sleep. “Tav, I didn’t realize,” he thought about his next words, but couldn’t come up with anything, “I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?” Sleepy and confused, she raises herself and tilts her head to the side. The blanket she used slide off her shoulders. She rubbed her eyes and looked him over. Her heart stopped.

Whatever words said after didn’t matter to her, all she could hear or see is the evidence from last. It was written all over him, from the wrinkled clothes to his swollen lips. He still loves her. Mystra won again.

There will never be room in his heart for her. She picks up her phone and sees it’s almost 7am. He left her around 11:30 and promised he’d be right back. Another lie she happily accepted.

“I heard your voicemail.” Dread filled her. She didn’t even realize she never hung up after she called him. Mentally kicking herself, she gripped the blanket she wrapped herself trying hide herself and to regain any sense of comfort. She couldn’t look at him right now, it hurt too much. He carefully sat on the couch next to her. “Tav, please look at me.” He pleaded. She just shook her head. “Will you at least listen to me?” She stayed silent and listened.

“I’m so sorry for everything. I never realized you felt that way.” He hunched over and looked at his feet. “I wish you would’ve told me sooner, I wou-“

Tav’s soft voice interrupted him, “Five.”

“Excuse me?” He raised his head to look at her, just to see her tear filled eyes looking back.

“I’ve told you how I’ve felt five times since I’ve known you.” Her feelings were everywhere. She wanted to feel hurt and angry, but sadness took over. “But every time it was over shadowed.”

“What do-“ Again, he was interrupted.

“Gale, are you truly that blind?” A tear rolled down her cheek. “She’s still the only person you talk about, probably only one you think about too. You’re not over her, far from it. You always jump at the chance to see her.” Her voice started to waver.

“Tav, I’m sorry. Please let me make this up to you.”

“There’s nothing to make up, Gale. You still love her and I’m not her.” Tears start to roll down her cheeks faster. “I can’t keep doing this.” She removes the blanket off her shoulders and stands up. She takes a deep breath and looks him in the eyes. “Does knowing my feels change anything for you?” Silence fills the room. Gale couldn’t manage to say a word. He looked helplessly into her eyes. She gave him a weary smile, “There’s my answer.” She gathered her stuff in a hurry and headed towards the front door. Gale realizing what’s about to happen, he scrabbles to catch her. “Please wait!”

She turned to him and frowned. “I’m done waiting.” The door closed behind her.

Gale stood there for a moment just staring at the door. He was arguing back and forth with himself. He heard a meow coming from the living room to see Tara sitting on the coffee table.

“I’ve really gone and done it, haven’t I?” He turned to couch and sat down with his head in his hands. He sat like that for a moment before Tara meowed once more. Looking up at her, he noticed a notebook next to her. He grabbed it and something fell from its pages. A small Polaroid picture of them. He remembered when Tav bought the camera and wanted to show it off. Flipping over the photo, he noticed she wrote, “One day,” with a small heart and the date. It was over two years ago. She had been chasing after him for so long, but he was too blind. He shot up from the couch and rushed out the door. Running down the early morning streets, Gale searched for any sign of her. A hallow pit grew in his chest, as if he just lost something.

“Tav!” He shouted, looking around in hopes for her head to turn his direction, but only got strange looks from people walking by. If desperation hadn’t taken over, he would’ve felt some form of embarrassment. “Tav!”

He stood there for a moment before moving on to the next street. He continued his search for her, yet it was the same result. Defeated, he made himself return back home.

Walking through the front door, Gale was was greeted by ghosts of the past. Memories of them sitting on the couch goofing around, Tav at the table gushing over food he just made, and her asleep on the couch with Tara sleeping on her chest. He never realized how empty his apartment was really until she left. He looked at his phone and dialed her number. He listened to each rang before going to voicemail. “Tav, it’s me…I’m probably the last person you want to hear from, I’m sorry for everything. When you’re ready, call me back…bye.”

Days turned into weeks, yet Gale hadn’t heard a word from Tav. It’s as if she disappeared off the face of the Toril. Astarion and Shadowheart won’t tell him anything and Karlach only gives him a , “She’s fine,” answers, but nothing more. Guilt and worry has been gnawing away at his soul and it’s been showing in his appearance. His beard looked unkempt, dark circles started to become more evident on his face, and his clothes seem to be just thrown together, no care put into his outfit. Astarion had enough of the sorry state and invited him to grab a drink at the Elfsong.

Later in the evening, Astarion, with little details as possible, told Gale what was going on with Tav. That she needed time to mend her broken heart for the last time and that seeing him was too much right now. Hearing that, it hurt him.

“Astarion, was I…,” He thought his next words for a moment.

“An idiot? Definitely.” Astarion took a sip of his wine.

“I was going to ask if I was that blind about everything.” Gale sighs.

“Well wisdom was never your strong suit.” Astarion set his glass down and looked him in the eye. “But I didn’t call you out here just to point out all of your obvious flaws. Gale, what’s going on in that pretty little head? I’d say you look like the dead, but I even have standards when it comes to my appearance.”

“I’m not sure honestly. Since the whole Tav situation, I feel like I’ve lost a spark and I just feel like my chest feels empty. Just like when Mystra left me.”

“By the Gods, Gale! You’re a damned idiot! All it took was for her leave for you to realize that you had fucking “feelings” for her?!” Astarion glared down at the man. “We’ve tried so hard to get you to realize that for the past year, but now her heart is good and damaged you suddenly-?”

Astarion cut himself off, realizing he raised his voice loud enough that other people’s eyes were on them before the pain in Gale’s eyes, Astarion pinched the bridge of his nose and tries to calm down before continuing. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. Gale, we’re just worried about you.”

Gale faces towards the door of the bar, trying to hide his deception. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m truly fine. I just need to -“ Gale stops mid sentence, watching the couple walk through the door. Astarion follows his gaze just to see Tav with Wyll, laughing at whatever was just said.

“Shit.” He whispered under his breath, but Gale didn’t acknowledge it. He just stared at them. She looked so happy. The sight was like a knife to the heart.

“Gale, are you okay?” Concern started to fill Astarion’s voice.

“I love her,” he finally admitted, “and I have to let her go, for her sake.” Looking down at his drink, let out a soft sniffle. This wasn’t going to be easy, but he knew if he wanted her to happy it had to be done. For now, he’ll use this night as a starting point to move on.

[kithtaehyung]

Hiii I love your writing so much and 3tan is amazing. I took a break from writing for a while and dont know how to get back into it. What would be your advice??

Thank you so much, babe!! I actually took a years-long break from writing before diving into bangtan fics, so I can at least tell you what I did:

Write ideas down — even if you need to jot them down in a notes app, or on a napkin, write them down! You’ll tell yourself you’re gonna remember them but hey, get them onto paper in case you don’t.

Start writing small and build — there’s a lot of prompt lists that come up here! It could be a list of singular word prompts, or phrases, or dialogue lines. If you wanna practice, these are a fun way to ease back in and write small tidbits. And you never know, these could turn into full-blown stories if you get inspired enough!! (Last November, one of my Jin fics, started out as a single word November prompt “smoke.”)

Write what you want to write, not what you think others will want to read — this goes for creating in general, but for writing especially. Put love and time and effort into something you wanna make. If people like it, they will cherish it and stay for more. For me, it was that same Jin fic I mentioned. I knew that it probably wasn’t gonna be picked up since I was a new writer and Jin fics weren’t as popular as the other members. But it was so healing and fun to write, and I don’t regret posting it at all!

“It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be done.” — there’s a popular tumblr post that says this but it’s helped me endlessly. As a perfectionist that is also a procrastinator, I had kept myself from working on and/or posting so many fics bc I myself wasn’t satisfied with them. But holy shit, once I realized that 1) this is being done and shared for free, and 2) there will be at least one person out there that will like it with all the imperfections, dealing with posting anxiety was so much easier. Just do the thing! It doesn’t have to be perfect.

There’s just some of my advice! I also have a few other posts with similar tips floating around but I’m out and about so I can’t search for them now. Hope some of this helps. Have fun and I wish you well🤍

[saradika]

hi, darling j! i'm going around and asking the writers i most admire on here about their process. how are you so prolific? what are your tips to writers re: carving out the time to write? i know for a lot of us it can sometimes feel like we don't have any pockets of free time between work, life, families, etc. any tips here? take care.

Ahh hi brit! 💖 I love this question, and actually at the moment, I’m sort of (re)learning how. It’s absolutely hard to balance everything, and still feel like you’re keeping up! I definitely don’t feel that way. I feel behind, often - which is silly since this is a hobby that I should be excited about and not stressed.

What’s helped me a little is jotting down notes when I think of them, planning out ideas in my head when I’m driving or doing something idle. So then, I kind of feel like I have an idea or goal when I do get some time, and my time is spent really fleshing things out.

And then, I typically will make time if I can - getting up early purposely on the weekends, before any obligations, and spending a bit of time there. Or during my lunch, setting a small goal to reach instead of scrolling through apps.

(In the last couple months my schedule has changed, and certain areas of free time are now gone. So sort of figuring out when I can sneak in time myself! I definitely had more of it last year - but last year was rough. When I started writing I was like, okay - I know myself - I know I will move on and lose interest soon, so I need to get all my thoughts down as quick as possible. But then I got so burnt out, even though the interest stayed.

So, trying now, and this year - to slow down. To write what interests me, at my own pace. And I think I am more proud of what I’ve done lately, than what I did before. Even if I write slower, and even if I have less time. 💕)

[charmsandtealeaves]

Writer Tag Game

Tagged by @velvethopewrites, thanks 🥰

Tagging: @abihastastybeans , @annasghosts and @annabtg (no pressure lovelies I just love your work)

Do you write in order?

Entirely depends on the fic. Sometimes I have a well laid out plan, others I wing it based on a scene I know I want to include.

Do you start with something particular?

Same as above really. But I always try to introduce the tone/personality of my main character in the start. One thing that always happens at the start though is I sit down with a cup of tea before getting to work on the idea.

How fully formed does your writing come out the first try?

I don’t think my writing is ever fully formed to be honest because I’m never completely satisfied with it. Sometimes a first draft comes out great and just needs some minor edits before posting. Others I write out the dialogue for the scene as a first draft and then fill in the blanks when I’m struggling to get between points A and B.

How many drafts do you go through?

Depends on the piece. Some around 2-3, I’d say that’s the average. But others that I really really like I’ll go over it again and again until it right enough.

Tell me about your process.

*has an idea* jots it down on a piece of paper, my phone notes app or whatever else is within reach at the time so it doesn’t just disappear. Sometimes I work things through in my head and note some of that down too.

Partner comes home from work and takes the baby. Makes me a cup of tea, at which point he gives me a solid 40minutes to an hour by myself. While bubs is then otherwise engaged I go back to the idea. It either becomes the starting point of a new thing or gets added to my almost never ending google doc “scenes and ideas for fic”.

Then I either work on the new thing because I’m feeling inspired by the idea or I go back to a current WIP. Read over what I last wrote/posted and go from there.

Occasionally I’ll ask people if they don’t mind giving something a once over for me before posting and incorporate their feedback. But I get incredibly anxious doing that haha. Most of the time I give it a quick re-read myself or read certain segments aloud to my partner and then post.

At which point I then distract myself with other things because timezones and wait for people to hopefully like my shit.

[caltropspress]

RAPS + CRAFTS #11: miles cooke

1. Introduce yourself. Past projects? Current projects?

miles cooke. I live in Brooklyn and released my first album i used to feel things in October 2022.

2. Where do you write? Do you have a routine time you write? Do you discipline yourself, or just let the words come when they will? Do you typically write on a daily basis?

My process varies a lot. I take a lot of notes while listening to music, watching movies, etc… If I have an idea I write it down no matter how inane. The most elusive thing for me is writing an entire song in one sitting but I’ve come close on occasion. 

I don’t write everyday, but ideas are usually always kicking around. I like to leave room for experiences to write about.

3. What’s your medium—pen and paper, laptop, on your phone? Or do you compose a verse in your head and keep it there until it’s time to record?

I started using the Notes app around 2018 and haven’t been able to go back to pen and paper since. If I’m not home I can just jot something down in my phone and pick it up when I get home. Also to call the search functionality convenient would be an understatement.

4. Do you write in bars, or is it more disorganized than that?

I’m really all over the place when it comes to writing. Sometimes I’ll think of a punchline and work backwards. More often than not I’m writing my thoughts and feelings to try to find context for them later. The downside of that is occasionally not knowing what I was trying to say when I revisit an idea.

5. How long into writing a verse or a song do you know it’s not working out the way you had in mind? Do you trash the material forever, or do you keep the discarded material to be reworked later?

Almost immediately. I usually record as soon as I’m done writing so I don’t forget where I want to lean on certain words etc… Once I have the demo it’s pretty clear to me if it’s something I want to share or not. I never trash the material though because I’ll end up pulling something from those verses eventually. Even if it’s just one line or a phrase. There is a home for those ideas they just don’t always find their way on the first try.

6. Have you engaged with any other type of writing, whether presently or in the past? Fiction? Poetry? Playwriting? If so, how has that mode influenced your songwriting?

No, I’ve been writing raps for a long time and it’s the only type of writing I’ve done outside of academic work during my undergrad.

7. How much editing do you do after initially writing a verse/song? Do you labor over verses, working on them over a long period of time, or do you start and finish a piece in a quick burst?

I do a lot of editing as I go. There have been some verses that came naturally but more often than not I’m spending a lot of time going back to a verse and adding a line here or there. I don’t have any hang-ups about spending a lot of time writing. Ideally I'd work faster but I’d like to think the attention to detail will be appreciated.

8. Do you write to a beat, or do you adjust and tweak lyrics to fit a beat?

I do both. If I have an idea I don’t wait until I can throw a beat on to write it down. I can worry about making it fit somewhere later. Sometimes a beat will really speak to me and the words just pour out but too often that feels like waiting for inspiration.

9. What dictates the direction of your lyrics? Are you led by an idea or topic you have in mind beforehand? Is it stream-of-consciousness? Is what you come up with determined by the constraint of the rhymes?

I usually have an idea in mind but it’s more like a north star for guidance. It ends up being a lot of trying to convey a certain feeling and making sure I feel confident that I’ll stand on what I’m saying in a song. 

10. Do you like to experiment with different forms and rhyme schemes, or do you keep your bars free and flexible?

Most of my favorite rappers aren’t confined to one flow or style, so naturally I gravitated toward that when I started writing with more frequency. I like to keep it loose to not only attempt to surprise myself but hopefully the listener as well.

11. What’s a verse you’re particularly proud of, one where you met the vision for what you desire to do with your lyrics?

"ugatz" is probably the song I'm most proud of to date. I had been dealing with unrequited love for a long time and knew I needed to move on. I wrote that song in hopes of trying to gain some clarity around the whole situation and by the time it came out I was ready to walk away from what inspired the song in the first place. Probably one of the most cathartic experiences I’ve had as far as writing goes.

12. Can you pick a favorite bar of yours and describe the genesis of it?

“Life is sweeter in denial. / Bliss for the sweet summer child.” The genesis for this line is that I spent a period of time being really deluded about the aforementioned unrequited love situation and the entire time I knew I was lying to myself, but it was fun pretending everything was going to be okay. 

13. Do you feel strongly one way or another about punch-ins? Will you whittle a bar down in order to account for breath control, or are you comfortable punching-in so you don’t have to sacrifice any words?

In the very early stages of taking rap a little more serious, I got some mentorship from a rapper I’ve looked up to my whole life. I think it was around 2015. He listened to a demo and I just remember him saying “don’t punch-in.” I didn’t question it and just took it to heart. I will 100% rework a line in order to be able to manage my breath control. I also think about whether or not I’d be able to perform the song live, so basically if I can’t rap it in one take then I need to rewrite. I’d note that it never feels like sacrificing words to me. I just view it as a challenge.

14. What non-hiphop material do you turn to for inspiration? What non-music has influenced your work recently?

I watch a lot of movies and sometimes I’ll pull lines and rework them into my material. There is a very obvious Dune reference on my album, but I mostly try to hide my sources. Sometimes a feeling I get from a movie can inspire material as well. I also get inspired from stand-up comedy. Watching a comic test out a joke at an open mic and then eventually seeing its final form in a special isn’t too different from my writing process. I tend to rework certain lines/ideas and punch up spots around it until it feels right.

15. Writers are often saddled with self-doubt. Do you struggle to like your own shit, or does it all sound dope to you?

If I’m not happy with something I just don’t put it out. I have a bunch of material I’d never let see the light of day. There is always a little bit of self-doubt with sharing music for me, but again, if I'm not happy with something I’m not going to let people hear it. If it’s released I think it’s dope.

16. Who’s a rapper you listen to with such a distinguishable style that you need to resist the urge to imitate them?

Probably a coin toss between Quelle Chris and Denmark Vessey. Big fans of both of their styles, although I couldn’t imitate either of them. Believe me, I’ve tried.

17. Do you have an agenda as an artist? Are there overarching concerns you want to communicate to the listener?

My only agenda is to make noise. I think my concerns have been and will be expressed on records. It’s up to the listener to do what they want with that information.

RAPS + CRAFTS is a series of questions posed to rappers about their craft and process. It is designed to give respect and credit to their engagement with the art of songwriting. The format is inspired, in part, by Rob McLennan’s 12 or 20 interview series.

Photo credit: Mike “Duncecap” Petrow

[musicarenagh]

Exploring the Emotional Depth of Alan Dreezer's Latest Hit Eastbourne, East Sussex native and award-winning electro-pop singer-songwriter Alan Dreezer has once again enticed his fans with a new song, “(Love Didn’t Hurt Me) IT WAS YOU,” which was released on August 16, 2024 and precedes the third album titled *NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES* to be released in the summer of the following year 2025. From the emotionally charged lyricism to the cinematic sound design, Alan skillfully weaves pop with hints of R&B and Soul with influences from George Michael. Dreezer began his music journey in 2017 with the *LONDON E12* album and has never ceased to come up with unique ideas from then on. His most recent released song, featuring interesting vocals and fantastic lyrics is a pure work of his talent, created together with Elliot Richardson who is also well-known as his mate and co-author. This interview allows us to discuss with Alan more about his creative approach, his new material, and what he has in store for the audience in the new album. Let’s get deep into the mind of an artist who is still making waves on the electro-pop scene. Listen to (Love Didn't Hurt Me) IT WAS YOU https://open.spotify.com/track/37DVKeLioNLs01QyObt5IQ?si=023754c3c0e84879 Follow Alan Dreezer on Twitter Spotify Soundcloud Bandcamp Youtube Instagram What is your stage name? Alan Dreezer Where do you find inspiration? Many things inspire me but usually it is a single word or phase seen in a book, magazine or online that sparks an idea. I then usually ask myself “What does that word or phrase mean to me?” and then start to jot down stuff in my notes app. What was the role of music in the early years of your life? I was always into music from a young age but never really thought about performing until my best friend suggested starting a band when we were 18. We were awful for the first few years but by the age of 25 we had a management deal and had toured with some top bands which was really exciting. Are you from a musical or artistic family? None of my family are musical at all but they are all very supportive of my journey. I honestly don’t think I would have ever become a songwriter if it wasn’t for my best friend Russell Aylett. He brought out something in me that I wasn’t looking for or knew was there and I am forever grateful for that. Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry? Listening to George Michael sing “A Different Corner” inspired me to try and write songs more seriously. The song was so well crafted and beautifully performed with such raw emotion that it made me want to try and dig deeper into myself and work harder at my craft. How did you learn to sing/write/to play? I am a lyricist, melodist and vocalist but I’m not a great musician as such so I rely on collaboration to enhance my ideas. I have collaborated with Elliot Richardson my producer for 13 years and he is a big part of all aspects of my music. What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform? It was The Police at Milton Keynes Bowl in 1980. It rained the whole day so it was like a mud bath but the concert was incredible. How would you describe your music? I would say it’s Pop with tinges of RnB & Soul too. However I do think it is very difficult to define exactly what genre you are as I have taken inspiration from so many different types of music over the years. [caption id="attachment_56701" align="alignnone" width="2000"] However I do think it is very difficult to define exactly what genre you are as I have taken inspiration from so many different types of music over the years.[/caption] Describe your creative process. I always start with a lyric because I have to have something to say first of all. Then I find a melody/top line that fits the mood just by humming it to myself. Over a few days sometimes weeks if the melody keeps coming back to me then I pursue it and record it with a drum loop or click track. I then take

that to the studio along with some musical references that I feel suit the vibe and we build from that framework into a song. How has your style evolved since the beginning of your career? As a solo artist my first album was very much influenced by 80’s music and retro pop. My second album took more inspiration from people like Justin Timberlake and early 2000’s music. With this 3rd project I’m leaning more into things like disco and classic soul music much more so it’s constantly changing and evolving. Who do you see as your main competitor? I don’t see music as a competitive thing. I firmly believe everyone should “JUST DO YOU!” and if people gravitate to what you’re doing then great! I also believe everyone should support each other and try and help each other grow. I have mentored a number of younger artists starting out in the business and it’s something I’m really proud of and get a lot from. What are your interests outside of music? I’m a huge film buff and also enjoy watching most sports. I enjoy hiking too as a live near The South Downs and I play tennis from time to time. If it wasn't a music career, what would you be doing? I was a retail store manager in my early years and would probably go back to that if I had to. What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music? If I’m being transparent I have encountered ageism as a solo artist. I started this part of my journey in my late 40’s after being in bands for years and there have been a few snubs when age has been mentioned. Naively I thought the quality of the music should outweigh things like that but some radio/promoters/managers seem more comfortable selling a twenty something artist in my experience? https://open.spotify.com/artist/7wUPEi8IzA5uUvVhAWVL7o?si=64otaPNQToW9MdfnB5FG4A&nd=1&dlsi=0687c1f3bb6e427a If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be? The percentage of streaming royalty payments paid to artists are scandalous. Music has been devalued massively in recent years in my opinion. Why did you choose this as the title of this project? The title of my 3rd album is going to be called “NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES” and we have been using that quote as motivation in all aspects of our process to get out of our comfort zones and try things that we haven’t tried before and it’s been really liberating! What are your plans for the coming months? To promote this new single and then continue work on the 3rd album which should be ready in the summer of 2025. Do you have any artistic collaboration plans? I’m in talks with a couple of other artists at the moment but there is nothing concrete just yet. What message would you like to give to your fans? Thank you for your continued support and I promise this 3rd album is worth waiting for!

[kymmiejournals]

Happy Things Dotties Digital Bullet Journal by Creating with Lucy

Hey friend!

Today’s blog post is about this cutest bullet-inspired journal by Lucy of Create Heart Work, mostly known as Creating with Lucy. The amazing thing about this Happy Things Dotties digital journal, is that you can write anything under the sun! It’s so simple yet functional, allowing you to be more creative and just let your imagination flow. 

Details

Front cover of the journal

100 colorful dotted papers

7 color codes to match the dotted page

Tutorial on how to add color pens in Goodnotes

Happy Things Dotties Digital Bullet Journal

Since I can write whatever I want in this digital journal, here are some of the things/topics I’ve written:

The Let It Go List

These are the things I want to let go of and as much as possible avoid in life. Things that add weight to my baggage, things that may seem overwhelming and too intimidating to face. Once you learn to admit your baggage and act on it, I know it will be much easier to be happy and productive.

My Top 3 Favorite Things

Initially I only put “My Favorite” but since I have 3 favorite ice cream flavors, I made it “My Top Three” list. It’s just like answering a slambook, but instead of answering “What is Love?”, I focus more on 3 things that I love per category. 

Some Self-Care Ideas

This helps me to start a Self-Care routine by achieving little goals before I make it into practice. I don’t have to do it all in a day, I can just choose 2-3 ideas for today then another for the next day until such time I learn how to adapt and make it a part of my daily routine.

Quotes

I love writing down quotes, or atleast copying quotes from Pinterest (ofcourse with proper citation and credits to the owner). I love to see these motivational phrases that inspire me and how I interpret them because I know it will help me to have a better outlook in life.

Dear Future Self

I enjoy writing a note to my future self. Like a typical “Dear Diary” but this time all my entries and letters are for my future self 5 years from now. I bet after reading this on 2025 I’d laugh at some pathetic problems I have and some silly decisions made. 

 Dear Diary

I had to include a letter to the present me, obviously. I like that I get to vent and/or share my thoughts to this journal without having to correct grammar, spelling nor punctuation marks. I get to express myself freely.

Weekly Plans

At times, pre-made planners can be stressful. The need to supply all information per week is already exhausting, and if you missed updating a week you feel unproductive, thus the start of planner-slump. This journal doesn’t require you to jot down your weekly plans, you have your planner for that. You can mix and match the templates you currently have and even the entries.  

Inspiration Board

Sometimes, words aren’t enough to identify your goals. You need to visualize it. You need to see through images how you want to see the output of your goals. You want to take a sneak peek or a guide on what will happen if you accomplish your goals. You can add multiple images to create an inspiration board.

Sticker Book

You can also use this journal as a sticker book! The possibilities are endless!

Use this journal however you want. The cover has a faint yellow background and not transparent. The Journal cover on the overview of your note-taking app seems smaller compared with the standard notebook size.

amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_search_bar = "false"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "kymmiejournals-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_title = "Recommended for Digital Planning"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "d32590cf1ecfb8dc160183928b74faf4"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B083R7Q7XG,B08245WJ42,B085M7V9RF,B08N5NZ4F5";

Links

Create Heart Work on Etsy

Creating with Lucy’s website

Creating with Lucy on Instagram

Buy the Happy Things Dotties Digital Bullet Journal

Notes

The fonts and graphics used are separate purchases and not included in the planner

This post is not sponsored nor paid by Create Heart Work or Creating with Lucy, I am only reviewing products that I use and love [know more]

There are 100 sheets of the same template (dotted), just duplicate it as many times as you like.

You can totally customize your journal by removing, rearranging, adding different templates.

Expect to see 1 Front cover page of this journal, no back cover (not that you need it anyway)

Both ribbons only redirect to the journal cover

feedback

What do you love most about this digital journal?

Any questions or suggestions about this blog post?

Get access to Freebie Library!

[adhdtutoring]

Strategies to Help with ADHD Distress at School

Living with ADHD means that sometimes just listening in class can seem like an impossible task. The traditional “sit still and take notes” advice might not help with ADHD, and you’re probably fed up with hearing about how you should “just put more effort in” from well-meaning friends.

Having ADHD means that what works for other people might be more difficult for you. But not to worry, there are some solutions. In this article, we’ll discuss some helpful tips and tricks on how the ADHD Tutor can help you maintain concentration during class, even when it gets hard.

Get rid of distractions

If you are anything like me, having even the slightest distraction can derail me for hours. I can start working on a paper with the best intentions, decide I’m going to just answer a quick text, and then suddenly realize an hour has passed and I’m still on my phone.

Hanoch Cassuto and coworkers showed that students with ADHD are significantly more prone to all forms of a distraction than those without. Creating a space for yourself where it’s easy to stay focused is really going to help get you in the right mindset. Start by clearing your desk, and making sure you aren’t distracted by a load of clutter. You’ll also want to keep your phone far away, or use an app like Detox to block any distracting apps like Facebook or Instagram.  Finally, try not to pick a seat near your best friend, or anyone you know you’re apt to talk to.

Actively participate in class

It’s one thing to hear a lecture- it’s another thing to actually be listening. When I was in university I would sometimes exit an hour-and-a-half-long lecture without the faintest clue what was said. If you can relate to that, then you know that the last thing you want to do is listen mindlessly; that’s a recipe for daydreaming. So take notes, create charts, and do your best to interact with the material by asking questions or sharing your opinion. If you’re shy, or it’s not the type of class where you can talk, then try and come up with questions and comments to put in your notes. In the beginning, it might take some effort to get yourself into the habit of engaging with the material, but after a few classes, it will start to feel natural. Plus, it’s always easier to focus on the material you’re engaging with, especially if it’s boring.

Keep a spare notepad nearby

ADHD means your brain often won’t stop running, and you’ll suddenly remember things or come up with great ideas you don’t want to forget at really inopportune times (like the middle of class). That’s why it’s best to keep a notebook next to you so you can quickly jot down anything important. Sometimes if you don’t, your mind will replay it on a loop so you don’t forget, making it impossible to focus on the lesson.

Our Special Child Tutor will help you.

Play with something mindless

A really common symptom of ADHD is fidgeting, so sitting still and listening quietly can be really tough. Lots of students with ADHD find that if they’re sitting too still they lose focus easily. One great solution for this is to bring a stress ball, a coloring book, or some other fidget toy you can fiddle with while listening to class. You don’t want to bring anything that requires too much thought, like a puzzle, or you’ll end up distracting yourself. If you’re at university and can use your laptop, another great solution is to download a mindless game like Sushi Party or Bubble Shooter, where you can click mindlessly to keep your hands busy while listening to the lecture.

Don’t feel guilty if your focus slips

At some point, your focus will inevitably slip. If that happens, don’t panic. It’s human and happens to everyone, especially those with ADHD. Be kind to yourself and remember that you’re doing your best. On a practical note, beating yourself up won’t help too much anyway – the guiltier you feel, the more you’ll be caught up in your feelings, and the less you’ll hear of the lecture anyway. The important thing is to get right back on track. You can think of focus like a muscle, the more you work at it, the better you’ll get.

Make sure you’re well-fed and well-rested

This one should be obvious, but if you are really tired or your stomach is grumbling, you’re only going to think about sleep or food. Lack of sleep can affect you on a cognitive level as well. Jaime L. Tartar and coworkers found a link between trouble concentrating and memory following a night of poor sleep.

Still can’t focus?

Sometimes a class really will be that boring. No matter what you do, it seems like nothing actually enters your brain. Maybe the teacher does not connect with you despite all your best efforts, you fall asleep (I definitely had a few terrible classes like that growing up). If that’s the case, don’t get stuck in this idea that “listening in class” is the only possible way to learn. It isn’t true. If you find you really can’t focus in class or lectures, despite all attempts to engage – give yourself a break and find some external support. See if you can find another way to learn the material, like one-on-one support, borrowing someone’s notes, reading textbooks and Power Points, or watching crash courses on YouTube. Don’t be scared to go at your own pace and do your own thing.

If you can’t study for an hour straight? Then stop trying to. Do something else instead- maybe study for 15 minutes and then take a 10-minute break. 15 minutes on, 10 minutes off, repeat. Sounds ridiculous to you? It’s not if it works. A functional plan is always better than a “normal” plan that isn’t working. Don’t get stuck in this loop where you feel like you have to learn in a certain way to be successful. Get some help

We offer compassionate and supportive ADHD coaching and tutoring worldwide, book a consultation with tutor for ADHD Student in London.

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

7, 8, 17, 22, 24, 29, 33, 36

I love that you sent me a load of numbers right as I'm preparing to send you a metric ton of them too. 🤣

What is your deepest joy about writing?

OOOOOOH OKAY hmm… I guess creating storylines that I love :)

If you had to write an entire story without either action or dialogue, which would you choose and how would it go?

Action! I looove writing dialogue, but I struggle a lot with action scenes.

Talk to me about the minutiae of your current WIP. Tell me about the lore, the history, the detail, the things that won’t make it in the text.

I have… many WIPs um 😅

Wellll one uses bugs as a metaphor (I think metaphor is the right word). To be specific, roly-polys! Though I am calling them wood lice in the fic because that’s what one of the characters calls them for some reason.

To get in The Mood for this fic, I listened to a whole freaking PODCAST ABOUT BUGS!!! IT WAS SO ENTERTAINING!!!

The podcast-person is actually Wilbur Soot, the actor for the character I’m writing about agahsbqiaviqgq it worked out really well!

But seriously hearing Wilbur talk about bugs is like. So much fun. I got to hear him talk about the time he caught a fly and showed his dad’s friends and then immediately was overcome with guilt that he’d captured the fly so he let it go. And also the time that a spider bit his pencil and he couldn’t pull it away (???). And also the time he found a caterpillar and brought it to school for show and tell and the teacher decided to keep the caterpillar to use for the class and the caterpillar turned into a cocoon but Wilbur didn’t really know what a cocoon was so he thought the caterpillar had died so he started crying alsvwkafajag

And then the caterpillar turned into a moth (Wilbur wanted it to turn into a butterfly) so he just sat in his classroom and pouted lol

AND THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS HE TALKED ABOUT!!! HE ALSO WADED INTO THE OCEAN AT MIDNIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM TO COLLECT SALTWATER AND PUT IT IN A JAR!!! AND HE HAD A ROLY-POLY INFESTATION AT HIS HOUSE BUT HE DIDN’T CARE SO HE JUST LET THEM STAY!!! BECAUSE HE LOVES ROLY-POLYS!!!

Anyway I listened to that podcast in order to get inspiration akavaksvaksvajv

I also got inspired by some art! Here’s the link!

There was also some dialogue that I really wanted to use, but unfortunately it didn’t end up fitting 😭

I’m gonna save it to use later though, because I really do like it!

How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

Fairly organized? I use Evernote, and have different folders for different genres of fics. There’s two main folders, and then a bunch of smaller ones for series/AU’s.

I use my notes app to jot down random ideas, and I also have a blue notebook that I use for the same purpose!

How much prep work do you put into your stories? What does that look like for you? Do you enjoy this part or do you just want to get on with it?

Usually a fair bit! I’ll get the First Idea, and then spend some time daydreaming about it. Then I’ll write it all down, daydream some more, develop it, etc. After that I’ll usually start writing!

I typically plan out the opening-middle of the story, but I don’t really have an ending planned out in a lot of cases. Not always the case, but usually.

I enjoy this process, yeah!

Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry?

From literally everywhere. Art, music, other fics, movies, scenes in books, one time I even got inspired by watching a janitor?

When inspiration runs dry, I tend to just… chill. Not really worry about writing or ideas; I’ll spend time doing other things in the meantime.

Do you practice any other art besides writing? Does that art ever tie into your writing, or is it entirely separate?

Not really, no. I mean, I doodle sometimes, but it isn’t something I’m particularly good at nor something I enjoy a whole lot.

They say to Write What You Know. Setting aside for a moment the fact that this is terrible advice...what do you Know?

OOOOOOH WELL I know many things aksvajsvkagahv most of which I’ve researched a ton for writing purposes!

How unborn babies act/develop in the womb

How little kids act/talk/look at the world

GOOD DIALOGUE

Ukulele… I guess? Don’t know why I’d write about it aksgsisgaigs but I know a lot about it!!!

Autism (I myself am not autistic and obviously I don’t know everything about it, but I went through a phase a couple years ago where I researched tons about it over several months, so I do know a lot about it)

Dream SMP lore… especially Wilbur/Ghostbur lore mwahahahahaha

So much about Star Wars. So so much

[berryunho]

pls i typed that ask at like 4am after the show i’m so surprised i got that many details bc half of the show feels like a blackout i literally ??? have videos of wooyoung that i don’t remember taking so when watching those i was like ah. wooyoung bias indeed i love him <3 AND LISTEN I GET WHAT UR SAYING but the loyal lifestyle just. isn’t for me. i’m loyal to atz only (not even) bc hj would k word me for LoOkInG aT oThEr OpPaS but. wooyoung. is a menace. he deserves the slander sometimes /lh

AND ! no one gets me the way san does bc WOOYOUNG’s hair is black when i wanted oreo but san did everything my delusional little brain manifested (aka wear the outfits i wanted him to) like ?? there is no way there won’t be an era of me having san as my bias </3 like listen.. i don’t wanna be delulu and stuff.. even tho i might be a little.. but a while ago i said i wanted san to wear sage green for a layout that i never even made.. n literally the next day he was on the radio or something wearing a green cardigan.. tell me he’s not meant to be my bias u literally can’t

also when i first started stanning atz it was wooyoung who pulled me in !! and weirdly i stayed loyal for a LONG time even when hongruella looked THAT fine during the last tour (literally. saw hongruella in the flesh on my bday. imagine. how did i stay loyal) but i always thought it was a bit weird?? bc i usually gravitate towards the introverts for literally any group/artist (tho i.. only stan atz rn.. oop hongjoong u better jot this down rn i am the most loyal atiny ever/j) so i thought it was a little bit out of order for me to like and stay loyal to THE extroverted social butterfly.. but then my bias line was completed with both infps aka my mbti.. and it suddenly made sense dhsjsh i just ! gravitate towards san a lil now AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THIS CONCERT he’s truly one of my fav comfort ppl like.. he said something and immediately after i was like WRITE THAT DOWN!!! and opened my notes app to write it down LMAO my friend was like wtf are u doing and i was like uh. comfort words??

last thing before i nap… san shyly dancing to cyberpunk for us again during the concert.. take my heart RN sir it’s literally! urs ! and thanks hwa for making that happen i died a lil

anyway i’m good and i hope you’re good as well <3 mwah mwah -san anon

HI !!!!

4am !!!!??$))(# wow you were quite coherent for 4am im also surprised LOL BUT THATS SO FAIR I GET IT ADJKFLASKJF its inevitable to jump around when you're a kpop stan like when 8 lovable men are presented to you .... why have only one bitch when you can have five ! KJLFDKSJAFSLJKDF

PLS THE MANIFESTING AKLDFJSKDFJ i love it i am a huge fan of being delulu i think life is too boring if you dont let yourself have a little joke around every once in a while AND BELIEVING THAT COINCIDENCES ARE MANIFESTATIONS.... IM HERE FOR IT !!!

eheheh i enjoy learning this lore about you san anon... i agree you are very strong for being loyal despite hongruella on your bday like .... thats crazy .... like i got my american ass on an airplane and flew to germany last may to see hongruella in the flesh .... in a completely loyal to yunho way of course ! JAKDJFSDFLJK BUT omg that actually is pretty interesting !!! id say yunho very much falls in line w my usual bias "type" lol but its funny bc that Type is just. the Opposite Of Me. BUT ANYWAYS hehe i get it ! all of them are just so ... <333 and literally why have i never thought of busting the notes app out that's actually so smart oh em gee ....

but ehehe san is so funny like how are we gonna be shy sir !!! after everything !!! hehe i hope your nap was good <3 im quite good ehehe a little bit nervous ........ but overall good hehe anything else exciting going on in your life san anon? hehe mwahhhh

[secretlywritingstories]

I like to track things. I like to keep track of things. Spreadsheets, note app, reminder lists, journalling, all that good stuff. It’s a comfort to me to keep track of my life and my progress. Most of it comes down to that. How I use my time and what I use it on.

It might be a bit trivial and even seem overwhelming but I like the structure of it. I’ve always liked structuring and playing around with the data afterwards is fun. It ranges from more serious things like keeping track of my finances to more silly stuff like new kpop music videos. One of the most consistent things I’ve been tracking through the years have been my writing. Both what I write and what I post.

I can look back now and see numbers that absolutely boggle my mind and they serve as a reminder of all that I am capable off whenever (thankfully rarely) I feels as if I don’t do anything. Writing is an anchor and I am happy to have it ground me. Structure comes with habits too, like keeping a daily journal and usually dumping around 500 words in the span of ten minutes onto a page.

I don’t even really go back and reread those entries that much, even though I could. I think that’s the comfort in it. I can go back. I can check up on stuff. I can make sense of it. I am considering trying to do a type of tracking for my language learning too, because that feels very stagnated.

And often I find that just documenting the process and the progress makes me want to keep going. I’ve got streaks on a little silly puzzle game (well... four total) that I’ve kept alive literally for over a thousand days. Every single day like clock work opening a little app and using my brain to solve connect the dots puzzles.

Now that a new year has hit, I’m making new documents, new notes, new tabs, it looks a bit like a blank slate. And for some reason that scares me a little. All the old progress isn’t gone but it’s like it is a closed chapter and I start again. Anew? Or from scratch? The distinction feels important.

It doesn’t really have to be held up on a new year, but that’s usually how it happens for me. Again back to liking structure. For a couple of weeks I’ll jot down 2022 out of habit before the new year settle properly into my bones. It feels like a bit of a transitional phase and those are always a little rough.

Like I am a plant gently lifted out of my plant pot and put into something bigger. Logically, I know this is the right way to go about it. I need the space. My roots were nearly touching the edges. But I was familiar with the shape of that pot, of that soil, I was comfortable there and more space is scarier. I don’t know these edges or this soil, but replanted I have been all the same.

And it is the right choice. To wipe some stuff clean. To evaluate what brings value and what could be done better. A chance to not to get too stuck into your habits, even though habits are comfort. I will sit with all my blank documents and try not to overthink that it’ll take me weeks or even months before they start to feel familiar.

It’s alright. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. Just need to be gentle with myself. And I hope you all are too. Entering a new year has so many connotations, some imposed on us and some from ourselves. I hope you pause long enough to figure out what’s the good you’ll bring forward and what bad you can try to leave behind.