#poets writes

[poetthewriter]

can you pls write a poly grian and zedaph x reader! maybe like just a cute date night with them?

Of course I can I hope you enjoy<3 feel free to give feed back <3

𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛&𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 🌱🧄🌿

𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐱 𝐙𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐡

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭♥️

The sun slowly drifts down the sky and soon it will be out of view, Y/n stands it the kitchen looking down at the vegetables on their cutting board as they precisely cut the potatoes with a big stainless steel knife. the small wooden kitchen is filed with the warm and amazing smell of a beautiful roast covered in herbs, broth, vegetables and a viberent red wine that all lay in a crock pot.

Y/n puts all the food scraps in to a bucket and open the sliding door to the back of their house, the garden is in full bloom and forest is quite accept for the lake across the bumpy dirt road. The mini wooden hatch swings open as Y/n unlocks it, potato peels, celery roots, animal fat and other compostable foods all fall out when Y/ns hands turn the red bucket downwards towards the grass.

Crack

Y/n turns around quickly to look at where the sudden sound came from but nothings there accept for a little stick that fell of one of the maple trees snapped half, a small chipmunk makes a clicking sound as it runs up the tree and Y/n laughs at themself for getting so worried about sounds they hear from the forest they live in every day but just as they wind down from laughing two blond boys come up from behind Y/n and..

"BOO!"

A loud scream echo's through the forest in reaction from Y/ns lovers scaring them.

"'WHAT THE HELL YOU TWO, YOU SCARED THE LIVING HELL OUT OF ME!"

giggles turn in to loud laughs as Grian and Zed hear their partners response to there little prank all Y/n can do is look up from them now as now they are sitting on the dirty grass, the warm air hits all of them even though the sun is close to being gone, Y/n gets up and walks to their door locking the two jerks outside. Running up to the door Grian and Zed pound on it begging for their partner to let them in.

"Y/nnnnnn were sorryyyyyyy!"

"We were just trying to surprise you, will let us in for date night already we want to see youuuuu!"

Slowly but surely Y/n slowly opens the door Zed and Gri immediately smother them into a warm, soft, hug. the two lift their heads goofy smiles lay across their faces as the look at their partner and take in the aromatic peppery smell lingering across the cottage. they look down at the beautifully set dinner table, red table cloths spread across the table and Lady of Shallot roses are placed in a transparent red vase.

"it looks lovely, darling" zed says to Y/n as they start to prepare all of their plates.

"it sure does, it smells amazing too" Grian follows up Zeds question, all Y/N does is give a bright smile to them as they walk over to try and help, once again as they rest behind Y/ns shoulder and the smells of the two immediately their smell runs past them. Zed smells like fire and a bit musty from working on him projects and Grian smells earthy and woodlike.

Holding three plates in their hands Y/n place them all down on the table mats, the three sit down to eat the warm meal and talk about their day.

"What did you do today!" Gri say with a smile as he devores his food.

"it was great! I feel like I did so much and now I get to end off with a date! I first dropped off some berries to Ren then I helped Pearl with some of Scars chest monsters and then I ended off by hunting with Tango! it was a fun day, what did you two do?" Y/N says happily putting their hands behind their head.

"I tested Mumbo's Vault today and proud to say it was not Grian proof" Grian quickly chimes in after Y/n.

Zed laughs and talks about his day "I really didn't do much different then a normal day at the lab, Impulse did come visit me though, so that was nice!"

the three continue chatting about their day and the small little details of their work and interactions as they finish up their plates, Zed gets up taking the plates and putting them in the water filled sink. Grian comes up behind the two and swing his arms over their shoulders.

"what do you wanna do now its only 8:00?" he says groaning.

"go put on shorts and a tank top, you two" Zed says looking at Y/n with a sly face, after a few minutes the two come down to see Zed already dressed, he grabs Grian and Y/n pulling them somewhere outside as he tells them to close their eyes.

basically feeling the giddy smile coming off of Zed, Y/n and Grian start to feel a bit nervous, the nerves don't stop until gasps come out of the blind partners cold water engulfs their feet as they step forward.

"HOLY! THATS COLD!" Grian screams, his wings flap up as he feels it, but now as they open their eyes its two late Zed pushes them right into the cold lake, screams and splashing are shared by the two freezing bodies in the lake.

"ZEDAPH!" Y/n yells at him before tackling him into the water with them, now the screams come from him as the two laugh at what he just did to them.

The three partners laughs could be heard miles away from the moon covered lake and no one could do anything to stop them from loving the times the are together cause in the end no matter how much time they have they know they will love each other for every second they breath.

[sleeplessv0id]

what doesn't kill you makes you weird at intimacy

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[pink-heart-writes]

[manincaffeine]

[risafeywritesdrarry]

[whendidmythoughtsgocrazy]

If hurting me does not hurt you, you don’t love me. You’re using me.

k.b // by jerry flowers jr

[shawtyimmaparty]

Once we start loving ourselves, people no longer seem good to us unless they are actually good for us.

[nondelphic]

"just write the story you want to read!" they said. well, guess what, now i have 14 unfinished drafts because apparently, i want to read 14 different stories at once.

[academia-lucifer]

Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. Then write. If it's good, you'll find out. If it's not, throw it out of the window.

— William Faulkner.

[jaggedjawjosh]

[fictionandfauna]

The most frustrating experience as a writer is having a clear vision in your mind of the story you want to tell but being too afraid to put pen to paper for fear of failing to do the story justice. I’m so scared that my actual execution will fail to meet my expectations that I’m paralysed to even start.

[secretsiwhispertothemoon]

Frida Kahlo, from a letter wr. c. November 1933, featured in The Letters of Frida Kahlo: Cartas Apasionadas

[katarinazurar]

“you’re a writer, right?”

me, staring at the one sentence i’ve managed to add in the last hour and the 12 open tabs on the specifics of shoes in 1845 Ireland: In theory.

[pink-heart-writes]

[lenainwonderland]

- Vladimir Nabokov