#write it

[write-on-world]

[writers-potion]

Can you please share some words to use instead of "Look", I really struggle with that, it's always "She looked at him in shock" or "He looked at her with a smile". I know there's "Gazed" and "Glanced" but I wanted some advice to use "Look" less

Words To Use Instead of "Look"

Words Closest in Meaning (w diff connotations!):

stare

eye

study

behold

glimpse

peek

glance

notice

observe

inspect

regarding

view

review

look-see

get an eyeful

peer

give the eye

eyeball

size up

size up

check out

examine

contemplate

scan

recognize

sweep

once-over

judge

watch

glare

consider

spot

scrunitize

gaze

gander

ogle

yawp

Other (more fancy) words:

glimmer

sntach

zero in

take stock of

poke into

mope

glaze

grope

rummage

frisk

probe

rivet

distinguish

witness

explore

gloat

scowl

have a gander

comb

detect

surveillance

squint

keeping watch

rubberneck

pout

bore

slant

ignore

audit

pipe

search

note

speculation

simper

[projecttreehouse]

how to write convincing dialogue

did you know that show, not tell applies to dialogue, too? while dialogue can be used to further your narrative, it can also be used to showcase your characters. here's how:

-what is your character hiding? most people don't say things at face value. they hide what they mean within their words and tone, but in writing, you can't verbally hear the character's tone. ways to convey non-verbal tone include: contradictions between words and actions, context behind the words (ie. the scenario, character's actions and feelings), syntax (ie. fragments, repetition, awkward phrasing). also consider who the character is hiding information from: is it the reader? the characters? both?

-favorite words or phrases. does your character use a certain phrase or word a lot? do they often put their prepositions at the beginning or the end of the sentence? these are questions to ask when you're arranging the syntax of the dialogue. everyone has a specific way of talking. make sure you give each character a distinguishable voice.

-personality. this is how you can create a distinguishable voice. is your character confident? are they shy or hesitant? do they repeat the phases of others because they have nothing to add to the conversation? are they confrontational or do they beat around the bush? ask questions like these. if your character is confident, they may make bold statements and appear sure of themselves unlike shy characters who use words such as "maybe" or "should" or "think." to boil it down, think active wordage versus passive.

-observe others. don't look solely at television or other books. sit at your local coffee shop and listen in on conversations, then try and break it down. are they hiding anything? do they frequently use any words or phrases? how would you describe their personality? the better you get at breaking down conversations, the better you can create convincing ones, whether shallow, deep, or as a narrative device, because even if you use your dialogue to move your narrative along, it should still be compulsively convincing.

one way to tell if you've ticked all these boxes is if you can tell who is speaking without any tags.

happy writing! if you have any questions about how to implement any of these tips, our ask box is always open.

[belovedapollo]

recently, I don’t think I’ll ever run of things to write down, thoughts to let out 🌾 reblog ok, don’t repost

[creation-help]

How to get in the writing mood and keep at it

(Not all of these may work for everyone, find what motivates you)

- Read something, especially something you enjoy or find very interesting

- Already have an idea? Write an elevator pitch about it. Or a summary as if your writing was a fanfic. Or a synopsis, or an "Out of context" description. Or an advertisement

- Start narrating things you do. Either outloud or mentally, but I find that in general this gets you out of the daydreaming mode, into writing mode, if you just start going "and then they swiftly sat down to look for that one thing they knew had to be somewhere around here"

- Get some music and start really imagining some scene. You can try to find something fitting for what you wanna write or try different moods and vibes and see which one inspires you

- do something that casually occupies your hands or body but lets your mind run free. For me this is car rides or bike rides (with music), but any sort of little tinkering or Stim toys for example can help crafting up ideas

- Scribble, write random words, gather sentences, they don't need to be related to anything you're writing, but get some word production going and you're already closer to getting started. Just write whatever your mind brings you and let your hand run free, loosen it up ykno

- Write about something very easy. This is like the narrating your actions part, but instead of mental or verbal it's just writing. Write "Then I wrote a sentence. Then I wrote another sentence, and another sentence after that" and so on. Just start with something mundane, obvious or easy and work your way from there

- Write character or environment descriptions. It's also an easy start. Or text a friend and tell them what you're thinking of writing. Or talk to them about your ideas or lack thereof. You can also use the rubber duck method (explain what your problem is to an object, like a rubber duck, as if it was your listener. Having to teach or explain something to a third person can often help solve what you're struggling with)

- Move your ass. I don't mean that you have to exercise, I mean that when you sit in the same spot for too long your brain can start stagnating. Move from one place to another and get some blood flowing, maybe do some stretching too, that's good for you

- Self care. Tired? Out of focus? Hungry? Aching? Been working too much already? I know these can be hard to figure out but personally for me, I find that if I feel really impatient about wanting to complete something but finding the process of doing so really stressful, wanting to take shortcuts and so on, I just need a break. Look for any signs of fatigue or irritation or any potential emotional stress that you might wanna take care of first, trust me it helps, I know it feels lame bc you just wanna get productive but rest is productive I promise.

Tangent: if you just really really wanna write some specific thing, but feel like you can't just start there, Just Start There. Don't torture yourself by forcing yourself to make or do more than what you're actually interested in, when you feel like doing more, you can do more, but if there's this ONE SCENE or something you REALLY WANNA get down, do that. The rest can come later, or never. That's completely fine. Make sure you're actually enjoying this

[ringdabel]

I WANT A DOMESTIC FLUFF FIC OF LUFFY AND KOBY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[madamadragon]

Ok people, listen to me

We need more Fanfiction

I mean A LOT MORE

So don't be shy!

Write some sweety, angsty, whumpy, tiny, cuty, deepy, funny, silly Fanfiction

I BEG YOU

[cinderella-ish]

write the niche fics!

no, you may not get as many kudos or hits, and lots of people in the fandom won't ever be interested in reading them

but for that one person who is, your fic will be a godsend!

(this post brought to you by people who wonder if writing that niche fic is worth it. it is! i promise you! you can't quantify how much it'll mean to the fandom members who do want to read it!)

.

(also here's a shameless plug for my niche-iest niche fic, in which Arisa Uotani runs into Akimoto after work one day, several years after they both left the gang)

[simmanin]

just write the damn thing and if it’s ”””bad””” then literally so what? You got practice out of it and that’s a hell of a lot more than if you did nothing.

[assorted-writing-prompts]

You, the hero, Have moved in with your partner, the villain. While you know they're the villain, they have no idea you're the hero. You decide to let it play out and see how crazy their excuses for heading out with little to no notice gets.

[hanna-cookie]

I want Alejandro to fuck male reader in full Nelson position (google it if you don't know) like going full-rough/hardcore on the bed bro omg and their both loving it y'all writers better writing this shit down or I'm gonna be depressed 😔🙏

I want that full cock energy from Alejandro so bad 😞

[write-on-world]

[writers-potion]

I’ve seen your kiss scene and fight scene vocab posts and was wondering if you could do one about some things characters may do when they are nervous, or there is awkward tension — not necessarily romantic but just awkward.

Nervous Tension Vocab

Physical Reactions

have sweat beading/breaking out on one's forehead

have one's heart in one's mouth (or throat)

have one's heart pounding (or pulse racing)

butterflies in one's stomach

hand feeling clammy

knees bouncing

pacing back and forth

tearing up due to embarassment (wanting to cry)

Shift their weight from one foot to the other

Sway slightly where they are standing

Fidget with their hair, clothes, nails, or something they’re holding

Glance around the room or refuse to make eye contact with someone

Chew on their lips or nails

Hum quietly to themself

Tap their fingers on their arm, the wall, or a table

Wrap their arms around themself

Cross their arms or legs while seated

Pick at their lips or cover their mouth

Rub their own neck or shoulder

Sigh often

Sit with their knees up near their chest, or lay in the fetal position

Look stiff and uncomfortable

Check over their shoulder often, or glance around the room

Cough or clear their throat often

A pounding heartbeat, or the feeling that their heartbeat is in their head

Accelerated or heavy breathing

A tingling sensation in their fingers, hands, or legs

A rush of energy (which would suddenly leave them afterward, making them even more tired than usual)

Dizziness

Tightened muscles

Descriptors

fumbled

blushed

winced

fidgeted

cringed

stuttered

giggled

afluttered

agitated

robotic

hesitant

bothered

distracted

edgy

clumsily

awkwardly

distractedly

flustered

frantically

frayed

hypertense

nervy

jittery

jumpy

intimidated

paranoid

perturbed

rattled

queasiness

restive

restless

skittery

shudder

skittish

strung up

tenterhooks

tight

stressy

uneasy

unquiet

twitchy

unsettled

uptight

unrelaxed

Idioms

be at your wit's ends

be bricking it

be ill at ease

be on pins and needles

be under the gun

get in a sweat

have all the cares of the world on your shoulders

have kittens

like a cat on a hot tin roof

sweat bullets

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram! 📸

[projecttreehouse]

how to write relatable characters

writing relatable characters may seem like an easy task, especially when you’re constructing your protagonist. but what if you want to make your antagonist likeable? what if you want people to hate your protagonist but still root for them? all of this and more requires that your characters be relatable. they need to feel real, so how do you do that? here’s how:

- flaws: this is probably obvious. everyone has flaws, so we should give our characters flaws, too. this applies even if your character is non-human; they cannot escape the personification that we as writers or readers project onto them. we are humans reading, so we expect to see human qualities everywhere we look. if you’re having trouble of identifying your character’s flaws, here are some prompts for ways to think about flaws beyond a list:

what skills do they lack? what do they struggle with?

can their strengths be turned against them as a weakness?

what makes them react emotionally or impulsively?

are they aware of their flaws? if so, do they want to improve them or change them?

- quirks: these are what make your character unique or special, and no, i don’t mean purple eyes or unique physical traits. i mean: what makes your character authentically themselves? what traits define them that few others have? some ways to think about this are:

how do they react when nervous? do they have a tell? similarly, how do they react on behalf of any emotion?

what skills do they have that hardly anyone else has?

what obscure thing are they obsessed with?

do they have a unique outlook on life compared to their peers?

- values: these come from life experiences: where we were raised, our family and friends, our community, religious affiliations, etc. i suggest identifying eight to ten values that define your character and then narrowing that list down to five values that mark their core or essence. think about how these values influence their choices, decisions, and ultimately, the plot of the novel. here are some more prompts to think about values:

how do they react when their values are challenged? are they one to speak up or do they sit back in the shadows?

what, if anything, will change or shatter their values?

are their actual values misaligned with their believed values?

- stakes: what is at risk for your character? what is motivating them? stakes don’t need to be over the top or life or death; they can be as simple as maintaining a relationship or reaching a goal. unless there’s an outside influence (ie. percy’s mother being kidnapped in The Lightning Thief), most stakes—especially those relatable—tie back to values. even those influenced by outside factors can tie back to values: the only reason percy is motivated to get his mother back is because he cares for her and she is the one person who has always advocated for him and cared for him. he values family and riordan uses his family to motivate him and incite the plot. generally, there will be one overarching stake for your character, but throughout your novel, there should be several smaller stakes. these may not service the plot but should elaborate on your character nonetheless. some ways to think about stakes include:

how can i use internal or external factors to create convincing, relatable stakes that tie back to basic values?

why does the overarching stake matter to my character? why do they care?

how can i raise the stakes or introduce new ones that are relevant to my character and illustrate them as a relatable being?

- connection: even if your character is an introvert, they will still be connected to someone, something, or even an idea. we, as humans, look to certain people, pets, objects, and ideas to maintain our sense of reality whether we realize it or not. if your character prides themselves in having no attachments, think about the ideas or themes that mark the cornerstones of their reality. most human beings strive for some form of connection, so here are more prompts for thinking about your characters and connection:

what does connection mean to my character? how do they show how they value their connections or relationships?

how does my character’s behavior change when around different connections?

what connections define my character and their reality? how will these connections influence my character and/or the plot?

how will removing or challenging a connection change, influence, or motivate my character?

a good rule of thumb is to treat a character as a human, not a plot device. there is a time or place in which a character must act as a plot device, but if you’re wanting your readers to be compelled by your narration and the characters within them, you should strive to write your characters as human (aka as relatable). one of the greatest pleasures i find in writing is when other’s identify themselves in my writing.

you’re not just here to tell a story, you’re here to connect with others through the illustration of your characters. let the reader navigate your prose as a detective, to search for and identify the evidence provided by you. that is to say, show us how these things manifest in your character. don’t tell us.

happy writing! hopefully this post gave you some ways to start thinking about how to show the relatability of your character. if you have any questions about implementing these tools or about writing characters, our ask box is always open.

[belovedapollo]

slowly turning the pages more and more and the ending of this notebook is coming fast 💌 reblog ok, don’t repost

[onlyonteamcapforbucky]

Pssst! Apothecary fanfic writers lemme give yall something.

Lihaku and Basen 👀🫴🏼

Thank you for your consideration