#tips for writing

[la-gotica-fantasma]

Dear writer,

You're still a writer even if you misspell, You're still a writer even if it's not your better language, You're still a writer even if you hate your writing, You're still a writer even if you only write a few words, You're still a writer even if you get writers block often, You're still a writer even if you need help organizing your work, You're still a writer even if you write smut, You're still a writer even if you only write once in a blue moon,

You're still a writer, for as long as you write.

[enlightenedfeline]

Tips for creating romantic tension:

Whether your couple starts off as enemies or friends, you need to know how to write romantic tension.

1- Build up

The most rewarding part of seeing two characters end up together, is knowing that their love and attraction for each other happened gradually instead of suddenly. The best connections are always naturally gradual, neither side is pushing too hard or too desperate to get close, and this especially applies to romantic relationships.

Let your character think of what they really want to say, then let them decide it's too much now, and settle for something smaller. So that when they really say what they want to, it can feel less rushed and manufactured, more natural and relatable.

2- Stolen glances

As someone who has had a crush before I can tell you I couldn't keep my eyes off him most times.

Make your characters look at each other, make them laugh and smile together even from across a room, even worlds apart. Make them worry and overthink, are they looking at me too or do I like them more than they like me?

3- Anxiety

No not the Doechii song.

Anxiety is often a sign of liking, or even love, butterflies in your stomach literally means you're extra nervous around this person because you want to behave a certain way that makes them accept you.

Allow both your characters to be visibly anxious around one another but never confront it, their smiles can sometimes be awkward, they'll constantly overthink every word.

This extra thought they put into their words and actions lets your reader know that they like each other, without ever explicitly stating it.

4- Touch

One of my fondest memories is when I was walking with my crush and she held my hand. She was probably straight, probably meant nothing to her, but I couldn't stop smiling when I got back home.

Let your characters feel each other and analyze the feel of the others body against theirs, not in a sexual way.

What does this person's hand feel like in yours? What does it feel like when they brush against you?

Let them overthink touch as well, maybe one character is a hugger, the other is not. The not hugger thinks the hug is a big deal, and the hugger makes it a big deal by making it last a little longer, or standing just a little closer.

5- Details

The best way to show and not tell your reader about a romantic relationship between two characters is to show you, through the minds of the characters, what details they're noticing about each other.

I don't mean just a haircut, I mean let them notice different perfumes, different food/drink orders, clothes they've never seen before.

More importantly, let them remember details, recall details that your reader wouldn't, so that your reader can really see how deep in liking - or loving - these two characters are. Let them see, don't tell them, how much attention your characters pay to each other.

6- Gifts.

Your characters will try to court each other with gifts of sorts, whether it be quality time or literal material gifts, your characters will try to advertise themselves to each other.

If one character can cook well, they'll probably cook for the other.

If one character has money, they'll probably buy the other a gift.

If one character is really good at making Spotify playlists, that's probably what they'll do.

As you can see, so much of romantic tension is just in the details, which is why I'll be ending this tip post here.

Because there's not more advice I can give you other than just showing details, that's all romantic tension is, that they notice when their hands are touching, they know each other's perfumes, they know each other's quirks.

Let it be gradual, let it be natural, let it be unique.

I literally cannot dive deeper into this topic if I tried, because there are too many options, everything after these basic tips is determined by your character's personality.

I'll dedicate this post to possibly the only two people I've had crushes on, Cassandra and Leopold.

Cassandra, you were probably straight, but I really liked you, I just didn't quite fit into your life, but I'll always cherish our little date and how you held my hand, I spent my whole allowance on that frog plush you really liked, I hope you're still drawing.

Leopold, you were sweet, it was nice running into you again years later, and that time you gave me your hoodie almost made my fourteen year old mind explode, and yes I did let you win, I hope you're enjoying acting.

Maybe some of this advice will help, maybe it won't, either way, I hope this feline has enlightened you!

[preposterousprophetess]

I’ve been having a lot of writer’s block with this creative nonfiction piece I’m writing about my cat. Staring at a blank google doc is just daunting; I’m sitting there staring at a white screen and blinking cursor as my brain suddenly forgets everything I’ve ever known.

I’ve found some solutions by breaking the piece into different text pages on Scrivener. It allows me to focus on the minutiae of the specific section rather than the entire document.

What do you guys do when you have writer’s block? I would love to know :D

[halimamis]

How do you write characters consistent with each chapter and how do you make dialogue for each one?

Your question: "how to write characters with a consistent personality in each chapter. I run into a problem where I change my character’s personality a lot when writing each chapter to fit the situation and it ends up making them look like a different character entirely. I want to know how I can keep it like that while showing improvement in their character development. For example, the main character of a story I'm doing is scared of facing himself and his mistakes in the past which leads to self deprecating himself. The problem is that now ever time I write a new chapter, the self deprecation gets worse and loses meaning and he acts so differently."

Sorry it took me a while to answer. I had to think about a helpful reply and organize my thoughts. I get that you're going through the classic "my character feels like five different people in a trench coat" problem. Been there. But here's the thing, writing consistent characters is like parenting. You want them to grow up, but not turn into complete strangers every time they face a new situation. Fixing this problem is easy but it needs practice tho. The tips I can give you to overcome that are simply 7 but you have to actually put the effort and try to change your style in order to get better.

1. Know Your Character Like You Stalked Them on Social Media

Write down the core traits of your character. Not just “scared of facing himself.” Get specific.

• How does he react when someone compliments him? (Cringes? Shrugs it off? Makes a joke?)

• What’s his default way of coping? (Angry cleaning? Self-deprecating humor? Avoidance through snacks?)

2. Anchor the Self-Deprecation

The problem isn’t that your character is self-deprecating; it’s that you’ve probably cranked the volume to 11 from what you told me and now it’s just noise. Self-deprecation works best in layers, like an onion.

• Early chapters: He uses it as a shield. Maybe he makes a sarcastic comment to avoid an awkward truth.

• Midway: It starts slipping—he self-deprecates, but it stings a little more because he's aware of how deep he’s drowning.

• Later: The self-deprecation shifts—maybe it’s tinged with acceptance or even humor. He’s owning it, not drowning in it.

3. Test his Personality in Different Settings

In my opinion, your character should feel like the same person whether they’re fighting a dragon or deciding what to order at Starbucks. The stakes are for sure different, but his core reactions will stay the same no matter what. So I advice you try oracticing writing different scenarios that may not be in the book just to get to know him better.

• Example: If your character is awkward and self-loathing, he’ll probably stammer and overthink his Starbucks order. In a fight, he might hesitate and second-guess himself.

Same guy, different vibe.

4. Growth is important too

When you want to show character growth, don’t just tell he’s changing. Show it in contrast. Yk, just like the show don't tell thing

• Early chapters: He flinches at confrontation, hides behind jokes, or spirals into self-hate.

• Later chapters: He still flinches, but now he pushes through. He makes a joke but adds, “Yeah, I know it’s bad. I’m working on it.”

5. Focus on Dialogue

Your character’s dialogue is like their fingerprint. If you nailed it early, use it as a touchstone. Does he always deflect with humor? Does he avoid big words because he doesn’t want to sound smart?

6. Write the ‘What Would They Do?’ test

Whenever you get stuck, ask yourself:

• How would my character respond if someone spilled coffee on them?

• What would they say to their crush?

• How would they handle being stuck in an elevator with their ex?

These mini scenarios force you to think about how your character’s core personality shines through. Same thing like testing his personality in different settings but that one doesn't need many writing practice.

7. Ask for Feedback (But Not from Your Mom)

Share your chapters with someone who knows your character as well as you do. Like a friend maybe. If they say, “Why is he acting like a whole new person in Chapter 7?” then you’ve got a red flag to fix.

[charitysstories]

Cyberchase: "Hot Shot"

Title: Cyberchase: "Hot Shot"

Summary: Matt’s just trying to show his friends some old photos. Jackie’s just trying to stay cool. One volleyball action shot later, she’s saying things out loud she probably shouldn’t. In front of everyone.

…Oops.

But maybe it’s the start of something that’s been a long time coming.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66268129

Fanficion.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14479055/1/Cyberchase-Hot-Shot

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: This story doesn't need any warnings

Relationship/Ship: Jackie/Matthew "Matt"

Genres: Romance/Friendship

Fandom: Cyberchase

[sincerely-sofie]

I'm struggling to name my own charmander, do you have any tips?

I want the name to sound natural for a pmd environment (aka not a human name)

Smol bits of character I have are:

- likes to fight

- acts first, ask questions later,

- bit of an airhead

- nerd

Oooh, this is a topic I love. Names are such a joy to tinker with when creating characters. I'll start out with a preamble on naming characters in general before getting into specific names I'd recommend for this charmander in particular!

Something to keep in mind about characters when you're naming them is who in the story is doing the naming. What is their relationship with the character? What is their opinion of them? What is their personal background? All of these things will influence the types of names your character might be given. The same is true if your character is naming themself. 

(You can ignore these things if you want to free yourself up as you name your character, of course! I just find it helpful in narrowing down my miles-long lists of names I end up with.)

In the case of Twig, I knew Grovyle was going to name her, and that he was going to come from his grass-type background with most names he had been exposed to. He named her Twig because that's a common name amongst grass-type communities that implies smallness, youth, and on the namer’s end, a devotion and determination to protect the one being named. 

Note that there's no such real-world implications in the English word Twig. It's more often used as a way to call someone scrawny and weak. The beauty of writing a story is that you can do what you want in it, and if you want the pokemon language to have a whole plethora of implications and connotations in their naming system, go for it! Just try and communicate it in the narrative somehow so that readers can enjoy it in full. 

Alright, preamble over. Let's get into the names I've found after searching up “fire related words” and exhausting every online thesaurus known to man. I'm going to assume that your charmander character is named by a fire-type, likely a family member, which will center most of them around literal flames and heat, but I'll throw in some less obvious connections as well

Hearth. This name implies a more cozy, homey setting along with a tame sort of fire. However, it may be fun as a contrasting name for a hot-headed character. 

Ember. A classic fire name, and one with a gentler sound than some of the harsher names below. 

Spark. This might be a good name if your character has moments of brilliance despite their airheadedness— like if their nerdy streak has applications that seem to give them sparks of genius. 

Pepper. An indirectly fire-related name, which may be given by a grass-type or its botanical root or a character who enjoys cooking. 

Illumina. A name describing light— again, something that might be fun for emphasizing a nerdy streak!

Fizz. An onomatopoeia of a campfire hissing and crackling. It might be good for a character that surged up in their temper, but is quick to fizzle out. I think this one is really fun, but that's just me!

Wick. Like a candle wick. I love how this sounds. 

Halo. This name emphasizes light and purity, and might not make much sense with its Christian implications in the PMD world. However, it could be used to refer to halos of light around the sun and similar things, which would negate that issue!

Aurora. I see this as being a name popular among both ice-types and fire-types. 

Sol / Soul. Depending on how you spell it, this name is a reference to either the intensity of the sun or your character’s shining spirit. Or both, if you use some fun worldbuilding shenanigans!

Pine. A bit of a stretch, maybe, but I like the idea of referencing pine cones which release seeds amidst forest fires. 

Mallow. Like the above, a reference to bush mallow and baker's globe mallow, types of plant that thrives in the aftermath of fires. 

And finally, Lychee, at my little sister's recommendation!

[booksbabybooks]

One of the things that breaks my heart on here is seeing fanfic writers - and I encompass everyone from those posting 75,000 word epics on Ao3 to those posting quick drabbles on their blogs - beat themselves up because they feel their writing, spelling, grammar etc isn't to a professional standard. Or worse, they're sad / hurt / discouraged cos someone left a mean comment criticising the same.

So I dunno if this helps but, take it from someone who has been both a professional writer and editor for decades: the professional work you are comparing yourself to didn't start out like that either.

True, standards in professional publishing have slipped - cursed by the same cost cutting and profits over people mentality you see everywhere. But the chances are everything you read has been through at least 3 or 4 pairs of eyes before you read it: editor, copy editor, sub-editor, proofreader, to name but a few potential steps in the process.

I've edited some incredibly talented (and sometimes very successful) writers and there has literally never been a single instance where I changed nothing. I've given things what I considered insanely close edits only to have proofers pick up on *my* mistakes.

I've written for some very prestigious and some very well-paying outlets - those things alas rarely overlap - and even my cleanest, tightest prose has still generally seen some changes before it ended up in print / online (I've also had some absolute howlers mercifully caught by an editor or proofer before my shame could be published!)

There are some incredibly talented writers in any fandom you want to pick - often churning out volumes of stories that would put a professional to shame. There are also newbies who'll get better with practice and people who just don't have the gift and might never be polished but hey, they want to be part of something and express their creativity and share something they love with people who love the same things. *All* of that is valid and valuable.

So my advice is stop comparing your work - even if it's been beta-ed, even if you've done half a dozen drafts - to work that is out there as a result of a paid, professional team polishing it. You're setting yourself an impossible goal.

And as a reader? If poor prose or the odd grammar error bothers you, stop reading and move on. Don't be a dick about it.

Or accept you'll get more out of work if you meet it where it lives. You don't go to see a pub band expecting Taylor Swift level production values. You don't go see a little Fringe show expecting the West End. That doesn't mean those can't be some of the best experiences you can have.

And if that doesn't inspire you: you're still better than someone using AI to turn out heartless slop!

[inlovewithpsychos]

Y’all I’m seriously tryna get into writing but I don’t know how to start and not make it sound cringe or so formal it feels like a fucking thesis. Any and all tips along with any pointers to keep in mind while writing would be appreciated 🙏

[writtenbyan-aries]

🤍Do you have any advice for new writers. I've just posted my first fan fic and I'm really interested in how I can develop my work do you have any advice 🤍

Here’s some writing tips 🖤

Good luck on your writing adventure 🖤

[ksbbb]

I was going to post but I’m in the middle of a sinus infection or maybe an ear infection? Not sure. I’ll have to go to the doctor tomorrow which is the worst. I hate having anything bothering my ears. Anyway, sorry. Fjfjfj it will be delayed until I feel better.

[la-gotica-fantasma]

25 Writing Prompts -

I’m still struggling to think of prompt ideas, so this is more of me testing myself and then spewing my erred, unorthodox ways onto you guys. :}

★ - 15 dialogue prompts - ★

1) “No matter what picture I look at, it never looks the way I remember you.”

2) “What are you doing here?” “Waiting for you, like I promised I would.” “No, no. You can’t be here.”

3) “I’m sorry I’m the one you are cursed to love.” “I’m sorry you think it’s a curse to love you.”

4) “I miss you when you aren’t even gone.” “I grieve you when you aren’t even dead.”

5) “The pleasure is all mine.” “Yeah, I thought someone was hogging it.”

6) “What do you think the next life has in store for us?” “I don’t think we’ll get a next life, after all we’ve done.”

7) “Why do you do that?” “Shut your damn mouth when you’re talking to me.”

8) “This is unfair.” “What’s unfair is me having to live a life without you with me.”

9) “No, your living is suffering.” “Don’t you dare tell me how to live.”

10) “You need to acknowledge this is an episode.” “Why can’t I just have feelings? Why won’t you let me feel!”

11) “You need help. Like, real help.” “This is help.” “No, that’s you hurting yourself.”

12) “I’m proud of you.” “You’re what?” “Proud.” “I didn’t do anything, why are you proud?” “Because you did it so well.”

13) “I miss you, but," "But what?" "I don't need to see you."

14) “There’s nothing left of you, but I still feel you all around.” “I’m not dead.” “You should be.”

15) “When we get home, I’m going to love you so well.” “We aren’t making it out of this alive.” “I can love you in Hell, my love for you is unconditional.”

★ - 10 prompts (with dialogue examples) - ★

1) Character X, who always felt love-starved, is given love by Character Y. And now that Character X feels full, they hate it.

"I believe I'm beginning to choke on your love."

2) Character Y goes missing, only when Character X finds them, something’s different about them.

"Are you ignoring my eyes or are you unable to meet them?"

3) Character X sees Character Y being accused of practicing witchcraft, rushing to the rescue only to find out Character Y really did practice witchcraft.

"I didn't know you were actually..." "Careful with what you say, I might just turn you into a frog." "Oh. No, no thank you." "Not actually, dummy."

4) Character X believes love doesn’t have requirements, while Character Y believes that nothing is free—especially something as intricate and seemingly indispensable as love.

"Love doesn't require you losing yourself! Love doesn't require anything but you!" "Nothing in life is free, and you're ignorant for thinking otherwise."

5) Character X preaches their love for Character Y in private, but in public Character X curses the ground Character Y walks on.

“I can’t tell if you love me, or just want to.”

6) Character X is an avid compulsive liar, they stumble upon Character Y, who is secretly a pathological liar. Character X lies and Character Y catches it, but instead of calling each other out; they work together to catch one another from getting caught.

“Lie for one another?” “You want safety in your lies? We can share.”

7) Character X being gentle with Character Y, leaving Character Y scared of when Character X will snap and hurt them.

“When does the façade drop?” “What ‘façade’?” “The that façade you are.”

8) Character Y falls into insanity, eventually being coined as a heretic. Character Y begins to doubt the existence of themselves, only with Character X to keep them afloat.

“It’s all good! You’re here, I’m here, everyone’s here.” “Where is ‘Here’..?”

9) Character X is overly pious, revolving their entire world around their belief system. Until they meet a very sacrilegious Character Y, who inadvertently makes Character X choose between their religion or Character Y.

"God, please do forgive me for rejecting Heaven's Gates. The love they preach to me is not only faith."

10) Character X has a savior complex, while Character Y doesn’t like to let shit slide.

“You’re not a savior! You just think you are!” “I’ve saved plenty of people!” “Yet none of them actually needed saving.”

[booksbabybooks]

Ok this is SO helpful and true but my advice is also don't slow down your writing when you get stuck on a word - which all writers do!

In the same way sometimes you have to insert [plot shit happens here] to keep the flow going when you can't figure out how to get from one scene to another, you sometimes have to go [whatever the fuck that word is? Fake light? Not light? Unofficial light?] and just go back and fix it / look it up later or you'll derail yourself trying to find the actual correct word and by the time you've got it you've lost your momentum.

some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.

[tenderwatches]

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

[charitysstories]

Hamilton: Laced in Love

Title: Hamilton: Laced in Love

Summary: Peggy struggles to tie her corset for a fancy Schuyler family dinner, and John offers to help. The intimacy of the moment—his gentle touch, her laughter—turns flirty. They nearly skip the dinner altogether, but end up late, flushed and giggling, fingers interlaced under the table.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66101860

Fanficion.net Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14477194/1/Hamilton-Laced-in-Love

Rating: Teen And Up

Warnings: This story doesn't need any warnings

Relationship/Ship: John Laurens/Margaret "Peggy" Schuyler

Genres: Romance/Family

Fandom: Hamilton

[nondelphic]

"just write a little every day" ok but what if i write nothing for 3 weeks and then suddenly type like i’m being hunted by god