#i wanted to add images for all the scenes

[kimmiessimmies]

📩 Simblr question of the day: Do you have a process for making your simblr posts?

answer in whatever way is most comfortable for you and feel free to share this SQOTD around, make sure to use the hashtag SQOTD and tag me in separate posts ~ 💛

This question was contributed by an anon in @simblr-question-of-the-day !

Thank you SQOTD Anon or forwarding Anon for this question!

I have an extensive process for my story posts.

Timeline. The whole story is set out in a timeline. This is an Excel document outlining what is happening when. The timeline is very much a living document in the sense that I change it constantly. Things happen as I go that spark new ideas, and then new chapters are added to the timeline. But there's an outline, I know where I'm going. 😊

Writing. My story (and the timeline) is divided into chapters. First, I write a chapter. Very much like a book. I write all the dialogues, all the narrative and I make notes about things I want to add in image later.

Pose selection / scripting. I take my written chapter and go through it scene by scene pre-selecting poses from my database (a folder system) I think will fit what I want to tell/show in this scene.

Setting up. Downloading things I need for a scene, setting up the location, dressing Sims, getting everyone where they need to be.

Shooting. I shoot my chapter scene by scene. Pose, shoot, pose, shoot. It takes a while...

Adapting. While I shoot, I adapt my chapter. I change things depending on the shot I could get. Sometimes something unexpected happens in a shoot which prompts me to rewrite a large chunk of my chapter. I don't mind that, I like when the unexpected influences the story.

Select and edit. I go through my pictures and select and edit the ones I plan to use. Most edits are minor, just adapt light and frame the shot. But sometimes I need to do some drawing to make up for clipping. Most of my shots never make it into the story. 😄

Combine text and image. I go to WordPress first and put the chapter together; image, text, image, text, etc. I don't publish yet.

Simblr. Finally, it's Simblr time. I cut up the WordPress post, deciding which points are good places to do this, add tags etc and queue it all.

Coming Up. I put up my "Coming Up on A Taste of Honey" post a day before my chapter starts running.

And we're off! When I have a running chapter, my first story post of the day always goes live at 13:00 / 1pm (GMT +1) and then every half hour. Usually three posts a day, sometimes two, sometimes four. Depending on the flow.

For all non-story posts I don't really have a system. I try to plan replies to asks, taggames and random character posts in the same time-rhythm as the story posts, but sometimes it's more random.

Thanks for asking! Sorry for the essay, I hope it was at least somewhat interesting. I'm curious to see other answers to this question. 😊

[fruitybashir]

how did you imagine bojan while writing holidate? shaved or not shaved? longer or shorter hair? I need to know which bojan version you had in mind

oh thank you, thank you for essentially just giving me a chance to share my favourite bojan images. lets go.

basically since the timeline of the fic is .. well. now. as in the dates/days match up with 2023/24, i just imagined them all to look the way they did during that period, from mid december, through the syst tour to now. so like hair on the longer side, mustache and some beard along his chin and jaw - the peak bojan if you ask me.

but here's some of the images that cause me actual mental damage the longer i look at them bc i get consumed by want and or lust and actually take this guy away from me im down so fucking bad its getting embarassing

anyways. this is holidate bojan. to me.

actually let me rb this again with some more scene specific ones bc tumblr only lets me add 10 images

[inamindfarfaraway]

Isabela Madrigal, Heights and Vine Symbolism

Before “What Else Can I Do?”, Isabela is repeatedly positioned higher than Mirabel. She appears on the landing when they’re preparing the birthday party in a dramatic entrance and later rolls her eyes at Mirabel’s claims of the cracks from up there too, while Mirabel is on the ground floor both times. During the argument she drags Mirabel flat on the floor and stands tall over her. Heck, her bed is even on a raised platform with stairs leading up to it.

This shows the imbalances between them of others and especially Alma’s regard, their privilege and implicitly inherent worth. Everyone looks up to Isabela… and she looks down her nose at Mirabel. We sympathize more with Mirabel in these scenes, her feeling to herself and us not just a helpless victim of her sister’s pride, but more reasonable and, well, down-to-earth.

Flowering vine swings in particular symbolize this idea. Her bed, as seen there, is attached to vines strong enough to lift and swing it. Based on how she lowers it when Mirabel first enters her room, I infer that she pulls it up into the enclosing curtains (said by the creative team to represent how she feels trapped) to retreat even further from the world when she’s upset, hiding her messy, ‘bad’ negative emotions out of anyone’s sight and earshot. Besides the bed being a big swing, she’s suspended from vines in the “Did somebody say flowers?” moment; in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” complete with a spotlight, her vision seemingly the only desirable one foretelling her happiness and prosperity; and in promotional art designed to effectively present her pre-story character, suggesting it’s in-universe something she does often and is known for. Her trademark as “Señorita Perfecta Isabela”.

This demonstrates her skill, strength and precision with her gift, and does a lot to serve her perfect image - and Mirabel’s perception that she’s spoiled and has had everything handed to her. It’s an efficient method of transportation that no ordinary person could use. A glamorous, elevated vehicle reserved for a specific individual and allowing them to sit connotes privilege and superiority, like litters. Her being seated, the vines descending from somewhere unseen rather than us watching her grow them from scratch, their smooth, fluid movement and her not visibly exerting herself in the slightest make her command look totally effortless. It’s easy to forget that she’s controlling the vines at all instead of getting (more) cosmic help. And look at her gorgeous hair and dress as they swish and flow with the elegant motion! Look at the flowers she didn’t need to add, but did, because all that she touches is beautiful to behold! Lovely Isabela, an angel deigning to visit Earth from the heavens. Perfect Isabela, too good to take the stairs like a normal person. What a vain fucking showoff.

In the early part of “WECID” when Mirabel isn’t actively listening to her, she uses vines again. Yet it feels different. She sits on another swing to travel to the location of the verse where she explicitly describes the monotony, oppressiveness and exhaustion of always growing the same perfect flowers and always keeping up a shallow facade. “I grow rows and rows of roses/Fleur de mayo, by the mile/I make perfect, practiced poses”. Oh. It does take effort. It takes energy and time and thought, enough to leave her drained of enthusiasm for life itself. She’s been silently giving her whole self away all these years. Furthering the revelation that using her gift, at least in this way, is actually taxing, she then manipulates the vines to swing her bed not ‘effortlessly’ through her magic but with her arms and weight like a normal person. The movement is a defiant, forceful pull, as if straining against restraints or seizing her personal autonomy. The only time we’ve seen force anything like that from her before is…

emphatically ripping a flower off her own vine while ranting about how the arranged proposal she was going to accept, her ultimate sacrifice in the name of her family, has been ruined.

Now we realize: to Mirabel, the vines’ symbolism is that Isabela is better than her. To Isabela, they’re puppet strings. She doesn’t look in control of them because she isn’t in control of her life, merely a pretty doll Alma moves around, pressured to be passively pulled wherever the supposed needs of “the family” demand. A precarious position that she must constantly work to keep her balance in, lest she irrevocably, unforgivably fall from grace. She literally uses vines as a barrier between her and Mirabel. To try to remove the ‘imperfection’ of Mirabel from her room. They are tools of restriction, division and imposing your will on someone else.

But during “What Else Can I Do?” she thinks of ascension and heights positively. She wants to “climb”, to “rise” right “through the roof, to the skies”, and reflects this by rising on a growing palm tree and going up to the roof, jumping and riding plants higher than she’s ever been before. What changes?

Instead of hanging, she’s standing on her own two feet. On the foundations of her family home and plants she constructs for herself. When she does swing from vines, like when leaping off the roof and later racing to save the candle, she grips them unsupported Tarzan-style, which feels much more active and independent. She even rides on thicker, sturdier moving vines! She initially leaves Mirabel behind to climb after her, Isabela caught up in the rush of discovering and experimenting with freedom of expression and Mirabel still seeing her as a means to the end of protecting the miracle and family (hey, like Alma does… it’s as if they’re foils or something!). But by the bridge they’re both on top of the palm tree.

They’re both on top of the palm tree because Isabela helps Mirabel up. She wants to share her real self with her, for her to be part of this. This is the first moment when she directly addresses Mirabel and asks for her opinion: doesn’t she want freedom and authenticity too? Mirabel is inspired to really listen to her sister, reevaluate her assumptions about her and process the new side of her she’s seeing. Her conclusion - “All I know are the blossoms you grow/But it’s awesome to see how you rise” - is that she likes, loves, even admires the true Isabela and wants to understand and see more of her, no doubt wishing that they’d had this conversation sooner. She chooses to embrace and support her. Isabela sinks to her knees and Mirabel in response sits down next to her, so even their standing height difference is eliminated.

They finally see eye to eye. They rise together.

After that, they stay on the same level throughout the rest of the movie.

The toxic imbalances of power, autonomy and perceived value are gone. They’re equals and respect each other accordingly. At the end of the song, Isabela lets herself fall into a cushioning pile of her new, vibrant flowers, safe in the knowledge that she can catch herself.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[thelassoway]

Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso Seasons 1-3 » T-shirts

[scificrows]

The Roombabot Diaries

"Even without full scan function, I still had my dark vision filters and my own mapping data, so with the fixed point of the corridor hatch, I could retrace my steps to the ramp. It just looked awkward and stupid because for the first part I had to navigate like a floor-cleaning bot." - Martha Wells, System Collapse (Video and audio description below the cut)

VIDEO ID:

An animated video of Murderbot, in a full environmental suit (featuring a little 'Perihelion' logo on its chest and an opaque helmet).

Murderbot is wandering around a dark space, the sound of its footsteps on the stone floor are audible. It walks in a straight line to the right until it hits a pillar with an audible 'thunk' noise and stops. A grumpy smiley face appears next to it.

It recalibrates, making little chirping calibrating sounds, then turns and moves towards the viewer until it seems to hit the camera (again with a 'thunk' noise and a little frowny smiley face next to it) and recalibrates again.

It turns its back to the viewer and starts walking again, this time seemingly hitting the wall in the back. It recalibrates again, then turns to the right and starts walking again. After a few seconds it stops briefly, two exclamation marks appear next to it along with a beeping noise, then it quickly walks out of frame.

[voids-voyager]

Dabi remarks offhandedly while looking up at the night sky how he wished he could see the stars, barely visible to the eye because of light pollution.

So Shigaraki, with the help of one of the multitude of quirks still left in him, darkens the light from their surroundings until the sky is full of thousands of twinkling stars.

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

Progress!

I spent most of yesterday gathering the graphics I need for the layout, namely header graphics and chapter end graphics.

Fun fact: With TD, I finally (!) figured out how to deal with alternating chapter start pages (left/right), so I don't need to pad the "empty" left pages with images anymore. So what's the reasonable course of action? Add them to all chapters instead 😂

[ID: A photo of 3 small, mostly transparent white fabric bags filled with different kinds of candy: fruit drops, image candies with a red heart in the middle, and yellow, wafer-shaped butter candies. End ID]

Most are, as always, free stock images, but this one I took myself, as well as the one for the header image.

As for editing, I got my last beta feedback way, way quicker than expected :o So now the plan is to implement the changes, let it all rest until mid-end April, and then wrap it up for release on May 15th!

[iknowwhereyousleepatnight]

i had a dream last night where i was trying to put together a piece for an art final in one afternoon (because apparently i was taking an art class? i kept having lucid moments of hey i’m not even taking a real art class but i was content to still do the project) and actually i remember very clearly what i was planning and i have all the stuff for it i think i should recreate the dream art final piece

[snurtle]

I’m skimming through the manga again for references, and I just... Orihime is the definition of the “WOAH, TWO CAKES” meme. I love her.

THE (hypothetical! ha! hee hoo!) CRUSHES CAN, SHOULD, MUST, AND WILL UNIONIZE. COLLECTIVE ACTION. BRING DOWN THE TYRANNY OF THE HEART!

But also, for someone who treasures social relationships and company SO much, this is a very funny panel. I’m having trouble articulating it, but I feel as though it adds to her dislike of loneliness. Like.. Orihime wants not to be lonely/alone so strongly, that if she cares about you, OBVIOUSLY she’s going to try and rope you into the RelationshipNet(tm). Including in situations where other people (classmates) might try to set up a more adversarial/rival schema. Her immediate attempt to diffuse/disrupt a potential competitive framing is... Peak. Love you girl.

[nonbinary-dandy]

The Beetle is a horrible book in every way.

Too bad it's my hobby to spend hours thinking about shitty stories to find a way to improve them, imagining in details how I would rewrite every scene.

So, if you're reading this, help me.

[pyrriax]

[ sources: my writing, half as far by friko, my writing, solstice by richy mitch & the coal miners, my writing, icarus & apollo by ripto, my writing (chapter 16 of where the dust settles), one for ceres by ben & georgia ]

@wetcatowner

[deus-ex-mona]

this is so sad, kohachi play kimi no kioku—

[burntoutdaydreamer]

Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or speech-to-text

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of inspiration- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

[ao3commentoftheday]

Bear with me here because I might end up torturing this particular metaphor, but when it comes to trying to get the image of a scene onto the page in the form of descriptive narrative, it might be useful to approach it like a visual artist.

If you've ever watched an artist do their thing (or if you're an artist yourself), you know that they don't just start at the top left corner of the page and draw the entire scene in all its detail, all in one go. I'm going to use an example of digital drawing with the use of software like Photoshop here because I have no idea if this metaphor will work with pencil and paper.

You have an image in your head. It might be super clear. It might be more vague. When you're starting to describe it, just sketch it in. Create a layer of broad strokes information like what the location is, how many people are in it, and what activity is happening.

Then add in a layer - whichever one is easiest. Let's pretend it's the location. Read through the sketch that you currently have and see where you have opportunities to describe the location. You don't have to front load everything at the top of the chapter, for example. You can add in details about the location as the characters move through it.

Add another layer. Are the characters' appearances different from what they previous were? Are you just establishing them at the start of the story? Do they have a "uniform" that they wear in canon that you've opted not to change? You can add in whatever details here you want, and again don't feel like you have to put it all in the same place. You can talk about a ponytail falling loose partway through an action. Or wait until someone else comments on a character's new pair of shoes.

Add another layer. What are the characters doing? How are they moving? Interacting?

Another layer. What are they saying? How do they sound?

Another layer. What other sounds are in the room? What smells? Do these change? Appear or disappear?

Keep going back and forth, toggling your way through your layers, adding things in here and removing them there. Every artist knows that sometimes a line just doesn't go in the right place and you have to erase it and draw it again.

Remember that no amount of work will give your reader a perfect representation of the vision in your mind, but also please know that that's okay.

By the time you finish your scene, some of those early layers might not exist anymore, and that's okay too. They were the sketch that started your verbal drawing. The base you used to guide your inks. Your final render won't have every line or brush stroke in it, and it'll be all the better for it in the end.

[little-hermit-crab56]

I've been writing for a while so I thought I'd share some writing tips I've learned along the way.

1. Never sacrifice the flow for a quirky line.

That bit of dialogue or flowery paragraph you really like but it kinda disrupts the flow? Scrap it. I know it hurts, but you need to. If you really want to keep it, find somewhere else to put it where it actually fits in.

2. Dialogue is a dance.

Dialogue should go at the pace of an actual conversation, back and forth with little breaks and pauses. Add as little dialogue tags as possible while still making it clear who is speaking. You can also describe what is happening during a pause in the conversation rather than saying they paused, unless the pause is important.

3. Show don't tell is a guideline, not a rule.

Show don't tell is a very useful guideline, but if you're ALWAYS showing it can get exhausting to read. Skip the boring bits and just tell us what happened, then we can get to the good stuff.

4. If it's boring to write, it's probably boring to read.

If you can cut out a whole scene with little consequence to the story, you probably should. As I said before, you don't always have to show us, you can always tell us.

5. Everything needs to have a purpose.

I know there are probably lots of interesting or cute scenes where your characters are just fucking around, but if it doesn't develop character, relations, conflict, or plot, why should we care? Definitely still write them if they make you happy, but if you're gonna add it to your final draft, make sure it matters.

6. You don't need to explain everything all at once.

I know it feels tempting to put all the lore, and all the character's intentions, and reasonings into the first few chapters, but please refrain, you can reserve that for your character and worldbuilding sheets. Instead, take the time to let us get to know the characters, and the world, in the same way we'd get to know a real person. Make your exposition as seamless and natural as possible. It will take practice to know when to reveal information and when to let us wonder, but you'll get there.

7. Write in a way that comes naturally.

I know you probably have an author you wanna write just like, but that is unlikely to happen. Embrace your natural writing style and perfect it, rather than trying to be something you're not. Writing is an art, you need to find your own style and polish it as best you can.

8. Try to make us feel connected by cutting out certain words like "felt".

"Chad felt like a glass of water." Can be replaced with, "Chad was thirsty, so he reached for a glass of water." Both sentences tell us Chad wants a glass of water, but one makes us feel more connected to Chad than the other. Though both sentences have their time and place, you want to make your audience feel as close to their protagonist as possible. Make them feel like they're there, rather than just an onlooker.

9. We don't need to know every physical detail of your character.

I know you probably spent ages creating the perfect characters and you want to give us the perfect image of what they look like, but it can get monotonous and boring, why do we care that your character has brown eyes unless the colour has some sort of significance? Try to list off only the most notable features of your character and put focus only on the relevant details. Sometimes you can even not describe them at all and throw in little bits of information about their appearance for the audience to put together. We read to imagine, not to have a perfect image painted for us when we could be getting to the plot.

10. You're allowed to be vague.

Allow your audience to assume things, with some things you can just be lazy and let your audience's imagination do the work for you. Of course, don't do this with important things, but you can save so much time you might've spent researching an irrelevant topic when you can just be vague about it. You don't have to know everything you're writing about, so long as you know the bits that matter.

11. Writing is a skill that takes practice.

Don't be so hard on yourself if your writing is a bit cringe, we've all been there. The important part is that you research how to get better and keep writing those super cringe chapters. One day you'll reread something from a while ago and realize you're actually not as bad as you thought.

12. Leave your work to rest.

I know you wanna start editing right away, but once you've finished, leave it for at least a month. The longer you leave it the better, but that depends on your attention span. A month to six months is good if you're really impatient but want a good result. If you keep writing in that time your skills will continue to improve, then you'll be editing that draft with fresh eyes and fresh skills.

And if you're a fanfic author, I usually leave my chapters for a week before editing and posting.

Hope this helps anyone struggling, I thought this might be especially relevant now with nanowrimo.

I recently realized how much knowledge I've been accumulating over the years, I definitely have more but this is all I can think of for now.

I'm no writing guru, but if anyone has anything they're struggling with, I can do my best to help you out, so dont hesitate to ask questions.