#writeblr masterpost

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Exes to Lovers Masterpost

Dialogue Prompts

"I'm sorry for how it ended." "I'm sorry that it ended at all."

"Do you still have place for me in your life?"

"Three years was not enough to get over you."

"We'll always find our ways back to each other."

"I couldn't stop loving you, even if I tried. And I did try for some time. But it didn't work."

"Seeing you again brought everything back."

"It was a mistake to just go away. We should've fought more for what we wanted." "We are doing it now."

"Being back in your arms is everything I wished for since we broke up."

"I can't believe you would actually take me back."

"Do you have any idea how much I wished to take it back? To just go to your house and apologize?" "I would have waited for you. I did wait for you. Even if it took some time, you are here now."

"I shouldn't have ever let you go away. I need you by my side."

"The fight we had was so stupid and breaking up was irrational."

"We work much better as a team."

"I don't ever want to lose you again."

"It was the right thing at the time. We weren't ready for it." "Do you think we are now?" "Yes, absolutely."

"People called me crazy for letting you get away. And they were right."

"I will never let you go again."

"We were both so hurt that we didn't see how much the other one was hurting. I hope that we're now able to look past that and be able to heal together."

"Honestly? I never stopped loving you."

"Let's never break up again. Ok?"

Text Prompts

Having broken up, but still living in the same area they keep running into each other. At the park, the grocery store, the laundromat, … everywhere.

They are still in the same friend group and they want to make it work as friends. But hanging out all the time makes it hard to get over each other.

Person A moves to another apartment and finds some of Person B’s, their exes’ stuff while moving and the former lovers meet up for the first time since the break-up to exchange the goods.

While not having adopted it together, Person A’s pet becomes miserable after Person B stops being over, so finally they have to arrange for a meeting in a park, like two divorced parents.

They are still each other's emergency contact. Which becomes apparent when one of them ends up in the hospital.

Having their car breaking down by the side of the road is bad enough. Their ex being the one to come save them is even worse.

They had already booked everything for their friends' destination wedding before they broke up. To celebrate them and not lose their deposits they decide to still share the hotel room.

Person A’s family still invites Person B to all of their family events. And Person B actually goes.

They bought tickets for their favourite band’s concert one year in advance. It’s been a few months since their break-up and they believe the emotions have calmed down a bit, so they decide to still go together when the time comes. But maybe they don’t have calmed down that much, when their song comes on.

They know each other best. Even after their break-up their ex is still the first person they want to call when something good or bad happens.

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[writingadvice365]

Character Description Writing Resources

Secrets to Writing Effective Character Descriptions

Character Descriptions: How to Write Them

How to Describe Skin Color

Describing Black Hair in Fantasy Settings

Importance of Small Details

@writingwithcolor Description Guide Posts

~~~

~Grand List of Writing Resources~  

[ahb-writes]

19 Things That Are Wrong With Your Novel (and How to Fix Them)

The original infographic on which this list is based was bulleted with short descriptions (see "All The Things that Are Wrong…" at Hey Writers and FastCompany). It's nifty quantitative data. However, the original article doesn't explore any solutions. So, I spent some time hunting down a few writing resources to fill in the gaps.

The following list of "problems" represents about half of those from the infographic. I tweaked the problem statements, and I drafted the solution text in a feverish rush. No apologies for repeated sources; I have my favorites. Read on:

Problem #01: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Problem #02: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Problem #03: The Story Has a By-the-Numbers Execution

Problem #04: The Story Is Too Thin

Problem #05: The Villains Are Cartoonish, Evil-for-the-Sake-of-Evil

Problem #06: The Character Logic Is Muddy

Problem #07: The Female Part Is Underwritten

Problem #08: The Narrative Falls Into a Repetitive Pattern

Problem #09: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Problem #10: The Protagonist Is a Standard-Issue Hero

Problem #11: The Story Favors Style Over Substance

Problem #12: The Ending Is Completely Anti-Climactic

Problem #13: The Characters Are All Stereotypes

Problem #14: The Novel Suffers From Arbitrary Complexity

Problem #15: The Story Goes Off the Rails in the Third Act

Problem #16: The Novel's Questions Are Left Unanswered

Problem #17: The Story Is a String of Unrelated Vignettes

Problem #18: The Plot Unravels Through Convenience/Contrivance

Problem #19: The Story Is Tonally Confused

-------------------------------------------------------

Problem #01: The Story Begins Too Late in the Novel

Solution: Gain traction early; use simplicity, momentum, and a bit of the unknown to carry readers toward the more complex and the improbable. The first chapter is context for what the whole novel is about. Don't wait to pull in readers, don't hesitate to tell readers which characters are the most important, and don't hesitate to expose readers (and the viewpoint character) to the narrative's central conflict. Be upfront about what kind of story you're telling.

Develop a strong sense of who your protagonist is, articulate the protagonist's needs (which may change), and hint at the limits or barriers the protagonist must acknowledge, or defy, to achieve their current or a future goal.

Writing Resources:

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One (Writer's Digest)

10 Ways to Start Your Story (The Writers Society)

How To Start a Story That Grips Your Readers (Jericho Writers)

7 Steps for Writing Your Novel's Opening Chapter (The Novel Smithy)

4 Key Elements of Scene Openings (September C. Fawkes)

How to Find Your Writing Style (sunnydwrites; ahbwrites)

Writing Riveting Inciting Action: 7 Ideas (Now Novel)

In Media Res: 6 Steps to Start Stories From the Middle (Now Novel)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

Problem #02: The Scenes Are Void of Meaningful Conflict

Solution: Character growth and story arcs don't occur in isolation. Conflict-guided scenes and conflict-guided storytelling, more broadly, open the narrative to moments in which the characters are continuously tested to validate their knowledge, skills, or relationships.

To drive the story forward with measured purpose, focus on building, developing, and testing a character's desires. If necessary, implement story or relational dynamics to economically assess, judge, and curate a character's failure (and the consequences thereof). Conflict needn't be grandiose; writers must be in tune with the different levels, types, and intensities of conflict that drive their story. Conflict should be multifaceted.

Writing Resources:

A Few Words About Conflict (Glimmer Train Press)

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

6 Secrets to Creating and Sustaining Suspense (Writer's Digest)

Emotions in Writing: How to Make Your Readers Feel (Jericho Writers)

The Primary Principles of Plot: Goal, Antagonist, Conflict, Consequences (September C. Fawkes)

How to Master Conflict in Young Adult Fiction (Writer's Edit)

Failure, Conflict, and Character Arc (Writers in the Storm)

Problem #03: The Story Has a By-the-Numbers Execution

Solution: Structure must be impeccable. Except for when it shouldn't be. Formulas are essential. Except for when they're not. Outlines are absolute. Except for when they aren't.

Successful storytelling strategies should flex and shift and evolve as the needs and demands of the story flex and shift and evolve. If you plan to wield an effective structure to buffet your storytelling execution, then research and document the structure that best compliments your story, your characters, your characters' conflicts, and the themes reflected in those conflicts.

Writing Resources:

7 Point Story Structure Explained in 5 Minutes (September C. Fawkes)

How to Actually Use a Story Structure (September C. Fawkes)

Description: 5 Times When You Should (and 4 Times When You Shouldn't) Rely on Description (ahbwrites)

Basic Checklist for Your Story (The Right Writing)

Gothic Literature: A Guide To All Things Eerie (Jericho Writers)

Suspense Definition — Literature: Tips for Writing Suspense (Jericho Writers)

How to Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps (How to Write a Book Now)

The Progressive Outline: How I Balance My Plotter and Pantser Tendencies (Michael Bjork Writes; Scrawls and Rambles; ahbwrites)

5 New Ideas for Outlining Stories (1000 Story Ideas; ahbwrites)

Problem #04: The Story Is Too Thin

Solution: Does the story lack balance?

Purposeful narrative structure. Effective characterization. Meaningful conflict (and meaningful consequences). Immersive description. Authentic character dynamics. A good story needs all of this and more. But it's okay to be stronger, or more experienced, in crafting one area of storytelling than in others. It's okay for one's attention to drift during the initial drafting phase.

If you know your strengths, then you can lean on them to bolster your storytelling where it counts. If you know your weaknesses or limitations, then you can avoid what frustrates you and maneuver toward what excites you. But take the time to identify what facet of your craft needs work and be open to exploring your weaknesses with further experience, research, and insight.

Writing Resources:

100 Character Development Questions to Inspire Deeper Arcs (Now Novel)

How to Write a Sequel That Satisfies: Simple Guide (Now Novel)

Best Story Writing Websites in 2022 (Now Novel)

10 Signs Your Plot is Weak (and How to Fix it) (September C. Fawkes)

Defining and Developing Your Author Voice (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Description: 5 Times When You Should (and 4 Times When You Shouldn't) Rely on Description (ahbwrites)

How to Focus on One Story (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

Problem #05: The Villains Are Cartoonish, Evil-for-the-Sake-of-Evil

Solution: Villains require just as much character development as the novel's heroes, protagonists, and perspective characters. Effective villainy incorporates consequential decision making, relatable character motivations, believable perspectives and experiences, and most important, intention. When a writer diversifies these facets of a so-named villain's free will, humanity, personal interests, and relationship with the story's main conflict, one is better-positioned to craft a more diverse and more engaging villain.

Writing Resources:

How Your Character's Failures Can Map A Route To Self-Growth (Writers Helping Writers)

Good Character Flaws: Create Complex Antagonists (Now Novel)

50 Questions to Ask Your Antagonist (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

Antagonist Starts Good, Becomes Drunk With Power (related, master list) (Writing Questions Answered; ahbwrites)

16 Villain Archetypes (Chosen by the Planet; ahbwrites)

How to Give Your Antagonist a Little Humanity (Fiction Writing Tips; ahbwrites)

How to Write the Perfect Villain (Jericho Writers)

How to Build an Antagonist (How to Fight Write)

Negative Trait Thesaurus (Evil) (One Stop for Writers)

Theme and Symbolism Thesaurus (Evil) (One Stop for Writers)

Problem #06: The Character Logic Is Muddy

Solution: Investing in realistic characterization will give a novel the curious details and sense of familiarity readers will readily absorb. Good character logic means providing original characters with the agency to speak, act, and react with authority. (It also doesn't hurt to have a character or two who are really good at faking it.) But it's not enough to simply imply a character's sense of self through dialogue and action. Writers should aim for a level deeper.

Don't write characters, write character arcs. Don't write character flaws, write character flaws that make characters curious, enticing, or attractive. Craft inimitable dialogue, encourage characters to engage their environment, and remember to hold characters responsible for their actions.

Writing Resources:

3 Redemptive Character Types (September C. Fawkes)

6 Ways to Write Truly Terrifying Villains (The Novel Smithy)

What Is Pathos in Literature? A Complete Guide (Jericho Writers)

Character Motivation Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

"I don't think you need all the backstory in the world..." (advice from Brennan Lee Mulligan, TTRPG gamemaster)

How to Improve Your Secondary Characters: 6 Fresh Ideas (Em Dash Press)

Some Quick Character Tips (Coffee Bean Writing)

The Importance of The Unlikable Heroine (Claire Legrand; ahbwrites)

Don't Design a Character, Design a Character Arc (avalera; ahbwrites)

How to Write Character Arcs (Helping Writers Become Authors)

Problem #07: The Female Part Is Underwritten

Solution: Frame and establish female characters who are their own and who can hold their own. Obviously, character-building must be done with care, but the emphasis on writing female characters well is not misplaced. Authors in the majority of those published often get away with female characters that are relegated to the role of the conveniently unprotected, the buddy, the substitute wife/girlfriend, the pawn/sacrifice, the hot chick, and/or the stoic action lady who can do anything because that makes her cool.

Write female characters with their own intelligences, experiences, shortcomings, and successes. These characters must come into their own organically, and they must engage the narrative (and readers) in a way that demonstrates their value without siphoning their agency.

Writing Resources:

Make Them Female (Horrible God)

The Importance of The Unlikable Heroine (Claire Legrand; ahbwrites)

100 Character Development Questions to Inspire Deeper Arcs (Now Novel)

We Need to Talk About Cold Women (HuffPost)

Writing a "Strong Female Character" That Isn't Heartless (Writing Questions Answered)

Strength is Relative: Female Characters, Gender Stereotypes, and Writer Authority (ahbwrites)

The Heroines of YA Dystopias Have All These Traits in Common (Refinery29; ahbwrites)

Female Characters to Avoid in Your Writing: An Illustrated Guide (The Caffeine Book Warrior; ahbwrites)

On Mary Sue (How to Fight Write; ahbwrites)

Core Principles of Crafting Protagonists (September C. Fawkes)

4 Ways to Unlock Your Character's Unique Voice (The Novel Smithy)

Problem #08: The Narrative Falls Into a Repetitive Pattern

Solution: Does the story begin at the right point? Are the characters introduced in scenes where they exert the right influence? Are the novel's emotional beats consistent (or meaningful)? What's the tempo like? Is the pacing balanced and purposeful at the sentence level, scene level, and act level? Is the story's use of description unique and dynamic? What's the difference between the author voice, the narrator voice, and the character voice? Be as flexible or inflexible as needed, but above all, be willing to learn.

Writing Resources:

Never Lie Beyond What You're Capable of Selling (How to Fight Write)

How to Craft Your Protagonist's Inner and Outer Journeys (The Novel Smithy)

5 Ways to Keep Reader's Interest When They Know Something the Character Doesn't (Writing Questions Answered)

Variations on Story Structure: A List (September C. Fawkes)

8 Common Pacing Problems (September C. Fawkes)

How Structure Affects Pacing (September C. Fawkes)

Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards (bucketsiler; ahbwrites)

What Is Pacing in Writing? Mastering Pace (Now Novel)

Problem #09: The Conflict Is Inconsequential, Flash-in-the-Pan

Solution: Many authors struggle to contrive meaningful conflict such that it either shapes or speaks critically to the trajectory of the characters it touches. Conflict is not a consequence or a corollary of scheme or impulse; conflict should develop as the story develops and grow as the character dynamics grow.

Explore character through conflict by reinforcing their goals and their perceptions (of reality), as well as the plausibility of maintaining either. Use conflict to reveal blind spots, biases, or fears. Conflict doesn't narrow the possibility of who characters are, or what the story might convey; conflict opens characters (or readers) to new methodologies, new stakes, and possibly new goals, as a result of enduring or overcoming the fracas in question. Conflict adds depth.

Writing Resources:

Conflict Thesaurus (One Stop for Writers)

Need Compelling Conflict? Choose A Variety of Kinds (Writer's Helping Writers)

How to Draw Readers in Through a Character's Choices (Writers Helping Writers)

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

Are Your Conflicts Significant? (September C. Fawkes)

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They Aren't the Same Thing) (September C. Fawkes)

How to Write a Dystopian Story: Our Gide (Jericho Writers)

Plot Conflict: Striking True Adversity in Stories (Now Novel)

How to Use Central Conflict and Drama to Drive Your Novel (Now Novel)

Problem #10: The Protagonist Is a Standard-Issue Hero

Solution: There different types of heroes. There are different types of villains. And the multitude of stories in which these various types of characters might interact require differing levels of focus. Not all heroes must have a tale of overcoming adversity. Not all villains need a tragic backstory. Not all comedy stories require a "meek schlub" to come out on top. Not all suspense or thriller tales require a "world-weary detective" fighting for emotional validation or recompense.

Diverse character types help drive diverse stories. Challenge how archetypes and standard-issue definitions traditionally render a "hero" or a "villain" in a story. Important Note: Don't give in by forcing a character to fit an established mold by the story's end.

Writing Resources:

Guide to Writing an Unlikable Protagonist (Words and Such)

How to Craft the Perfect Antihero (Writer's Digest)

How to Write an Anti-Hero Readers Will Adore (The Novel Smithy)

Types of Heroes: Crafting Your Characters (Jericho Writers)

How to Write Supporting Characters in Fiction (Jericho Writers)

10 Ways to Write a Chosen One That Won't Annoy Readers (The Novel Smithy)

Being the Best at Something (One Stop for Writers)

50 Questions to Ask Your Antagonist (Alyssa Hollingsworth)

How to Build an Antagonist (How to Fight Write)

Male Protagonists to Avoid in Your Writing: An Illustrated Guide (The Caffeine Book Warrior)

Problem #11: The Story Favors Style Over Substance

Solution: Writers commonly risk stumbling into the crevasse of convenience, no matter the genre (e.g., action must be cool or flashy, comedy must be glaringly funny, horror must be unremittingly scary). The primary fault lines for these seemingly innocent errors are twofold: inexperience and immaturity. That is to say, the more one reads and the more one writes, the greater one experiences, learns, and empathizes with a greater array of storytelling styles, techniques, and attitudes. Writing a more dynamic and engaging story that leaps beyond the crevasse of style over substance requires an eagerness to learn, a willingness to experiment, and an openness to difference.

Writing Resources:

8 Ways to Write a 5-Star Chapter One (Writer's Digest)

Building a Bold Narrator's Voice: 5 Methods (Now Novel)

How to Avoid Plot Armor (Coffee Bean Writing)

10 Tips for the Middle of Your Story (Coffee Bean Writing; ahbwrites)

Avoiding Plot Armor (How to Fight Write)

How to Absolutely Wreck Your Audience With a Character Death (lunewell)

Writing Description: Make Introspection More Engaging (ahbwrites)

How to Frame Scenes Like a Filmmaker (Kristen Kiefer)

Shakespeare's Genius Is Nonsense (Nautilus)

Problem #12: The Ending Is Completely Anti-Climactic

Solution: Endings can be dramatic. Endings can be a little ambiguous. Endings can be bittersweet. Endings can be simple surprises. Endings can be unique and unresolved. Endings can reverse motives, reverse perspectives, or reverse fortunes. Endings can be complex webs that tie up every single loose end. Whatever the author's preference, endings shouldn't read as if the last 10 pages were cut off.

But knowing how to end a story is not an isolated challenge. To end a story properly and effectively, the author must know how the story begins, how its characters evolve, and how these dynamics transform over the course of narrative's varying points of tension and conflict. Recall, how does the story begin and why? How, specifically, do the characters evolve? And what compels them to do so? Where and how do the story's internal and external conflicts converge? Endings follow a few essential rules: endings require context, endings must be plausible, and endings must connect to the narrative's key elements.

Writing Resources:

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Story Climax Examples: Writing Gripping Build-Ups (Now Novel)

How to End a Novel: Writing Strong Story Endings (Now Novel)

Tension vs. Conflict (Hint: They Aren't the Same Thing) (September C. Fawkes)

Utilizing 3 Types of Death (September C. Fawkes)

10 Signs Your Plot is Weak (and How to Fix it) (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #13: The Characters Are All Stereotypes

Solution: To be more than a collection of tropes, characters must be emotionally differentiated, possess myriad insecurities, battle visible and invisible vulnerabilities, willingly blur their own logic to achieve what they perceive as necessary, and debate their own flaws. Solid characters, well-rounded characters, and well-defined characters give readers a reason to stay engaged.

To craft these characters, authors should be conscientious of what internal rules the story's characters follow, what flaws these characters must overcome, and what trajectory each character arc takes in parallel to the overall narrative arc. Not every character needs to know who they are or how they want to influence the story to stick in readers' minds, but the author should have a good grasp how the character grows (or regresses) relative to how they engage the story's central conflict or theme.

Writing Resources:

10 Traits of a Strong Antagonist (Fiction University)

The No-Effort Character Sheet for Lazy Writers (justsomecynic; ahbwrites)

How to Write Deep P.O.V.: 8 Tips and Examples (Now Novel)

Character Flaws: Creating Lovable Imperfections (Now Novel)

How to Use Character Flaws to Enrich Your Writing (Perpetual Stories)

Character Flaws: When Is Too Far Too Far? (The Character Therapist)

20 Powerful Romance Tropes (and How to Make Them Original) (Jericho Writers)

Does Your Character Have a Secret? (Writers Helping Writers)

Creating Villain Motivations: Writing Real Adversaries (Now Novel)

Some Quick Character Tips (Coffee Bean Writing)

Dynamic vs. Round Characters: Who Needs a Character Arc? (The Novel Smithy)

Problem #14: The Novel Suffers From Arbitrary Complexity

Solution: More spectacle isn't always better. Larger and relentlessly diverse casts aren't necessarily more dynamic or more representative. More gore doesn't exactly make the violence more believable. More tears won't always pull readers into a deeper emotional connection.

Balance in everything, whether in drawing lots for which characters live or die, or assembling the combination of goals and threats the cast must surmount to reach the end.

Sometimes, it helps to weave from the simple toward the complex: If you understand what is essential to the story, and the role of each character in the story, then you can expand outward, deliberately, and unfold more detail from a central theme or narrative device. (If the author does it the other way around, and weaves from the complex toward the simple, then plot holes form, characters lose their purpose, and the story's conclusion feels less and less tethered to the inciting incident that supposedly pulled in readers at the outset.)

Writing Resources:

5 Ways to Make Mundane Scene More Interesting (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is Prewriting? Preparing to Write With Purpose (Now Novel)

How to Write the Perfect Plot (in Two Easy Steps) (Helping Writers Become Authors)

Writing Description: Encourage Readers to Infer More Than They Realize (ahbwrites)

Reasons to Kill Your Characters (Coffee Bean Writing)

How to Absolutely Wreck Your Audience With a Character Death (lunewell)

Coming Up With a Plot (From Scratch) (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #15: The Story Goes Off the Rails in the Third Act

Solution: Weaving a compelling third act necessitates a guarded understanding of how to view and interpret a story on the micro and macro levels. That is to say, an attention to detail is essential, but equally valuable is the opportunity to take a step back and view the whole narrative as the sum of its parts. Do individual characters achieve their personal goals? Are relationship arcs incomplete? Is the drama, humor, or sense of mystery that drove the story in the first two acts, present or validated by the third act?

If one thinks of the whole of a story as a tapestry of sorts, then one might also view each chapter, arc, or act as a meaningful shape, pattern, or attribute of that greater tapestry. These attributes cue the readers as to what facet of story (or character) to focus on, depending on the moment. These attributes can also expose consequential divergences from established narrative designs.

How should readers interpret and process, or otherwise organize, these complex stimuli? For example, an author who purposefully generates tonal proximity between characters or events will ensure emotional continuity from scene to scene or from act to act.

Writing Resources:

5 Ways to Surprise Your Reader (Without It Feeling Like a Trick) (Writer's Digest)

Writing Great Beginnings and Endings (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Write Exceptional Endings (September C. Fawkes)

What Is Pacing in Writing? Mastering Pace (Now Novel)

What Is Rising Action? Building to an Epic Climax (Now Novel)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Problem #16: The Novel's Questions Are Left Unanswered

Solution: Conflicts require consequences, character arcs require a destination, and unresolved or unanswered questions have their own purpose. But having too many unanswered questions can make a novel's ending feel too foggy, if not outright incomplete. In short, loose threads can be frustrating.

Handled appropriately, loose threads may encourage the reader to hum and ponder how each character's life may evolve following the novel's events. Some readers adore the beauty of an imperfect story. However, handled poorly, loose threads speak to a poorly planned and disorganized narrative for which the writer was mistakenly more invested in drafting a kitschy or vulgar hook than a purposeful climax or dénouement.

Writing Resources:

Guide to Writing an Unreliable Narrator (Writing and Such)

Story Threads: Fixing Rips in Our Story (Writers Helping Writers)

Loose Threads Can Unravel a Novel (All Things Writing)

How to Pace a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is the Dénouement of a Story? Your Guide (With Tips) (Jericho Writers)

How to End a Story Perfectly (Jericho Writers)

Suspense Definition Literature: Tips for Writing Suspense (Jericho Writers)

Problem #17: The Story Is a String of Unrelated Vignettes

Solution: For authors who struggle to coordinate or connect a single, cohesive story, it can be tempting to lean into episodic incidents that are individually intriguing but neglect to pull readers into a larger, more satisfying narrative. Resources about structuring scenes and structuring stories are numerous, but for writers who need to connect the muscle and sinew of their story with intent, learning the basics is often the best: Action and reaction compel reader engagement.

How does a character react to a new, tense, or changing situation? How do these actions or reactions introduce the story to readers or help them explore it? And on a micro level, how do word choice, rhythm, and tone reinforce these facets of the story?

What are the characters' goals? What are the stakes? What burdens complicate (or which advantages elevate) these characters' motivations? What conflicts skew these characters' perceptions of the stakes? What does failure look like? What are the consequences or costs? To the environment (social, political, relational)? How do characters respond to these heightened stakes, to the responsibility of these fresh consequences, to the shifting balance of power in the surrounding context?

Writing Resources:

How to Start a Story That Grips Your Readers (Jericho Writers)

Plotting Tip: One Simple Step to Ensure Our Story Works (Jami Gold)

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger With Your Writing (Writers Helping Writers)

Guide: Filling in the Story Between Known Events (Writing Questions Answered)

What Is a Plot Point? Find and Plan Clear Story Events (Now Novel)

The Parts of a Story: Creating a Cohesive Whole (Now Novel)

8 Foreshadowing Laws: How to Foreshadow Right (Now Novel)

Structuring Satisfying Scenes (September C. Fawkes)

The 5 Commandments of Storytelling According to The Story Grid (September C. Fawkes)

Problem #18: The Plot Unravels Through Convenience/Contrivance

Solution: Many writing workshops and advice columns have opined on this for a reason: Coincidences that get characters into trouble are good, coincidences that get characters out of problems are bad. Resolving issues of perceived relevance between scenes, or events, often requires resolving issues of causality. Contrivances do not serve the reader. A believable and engaging rhythm requires everything to be connected.

What realizations or insights emerge after certain events occur? Does context require readers consume certain types of information before others? How can the story be revised to ensure a natural movement between these events, the information they provide, and characters' reactions to this information?

The degree or intensity of relatedness will vary, depending on the author's narrative style and the presumptive demands of the genre or audience. However, nothing should come easy; the characters (and readers) should earn whatever details they acquire to see the story through to the end.

Writing Resources:

7 Novel-Opening Mistakes That Make Literary Agents (And Readers) Groan (Jericho Writers)

8 Common Pacing Problems (September C. Fawkes)

Cause and Effect: Telling Your Story in the Right Order (Writer's Digest)

Crafting an Effective Plot for Children's Books (Writer's Digest)

8 Foreshadowing Laws: How to Foreshadow Right (Now Novel)

Episodic vs. Epic: Go Bigger With Your Writing (Writers Helping Writers)

Figuring Out Where to End a Story (Writing Questions Answered)

Problem #19: The Story Is Tonally Confused

Solution: What is the novel's general attitude, particularly given the story's descriptive specificity, the characters' emotional latitude, and the atmospheric dynamic of the feelings a specific scene is written to elicit? Tone is an interrelated mix of narrative forms and attributes. Identifying, organizing, and manipulating tone means establishing and controlling these attributes. But a word of caution is often warranted: Mixing and matching and glibly contrasting tone doesn't always come across as clever, to the reader, as the writer might imagine. Consistency and relevance are important.

Authors must know the difference between recognizing a scene's tone and sustaining it such that its rhythm lends the appropriate heft. Word choice matters. Character mood matters. Point of view matters. Scene structure matters. And in the end, disruptions matter, too.

Writing Resources:

How Do You Build a Novel's Tone? (Now Novel)

Suspense Writing: Examples and Devices for Tenser Stories (Now Novel)

Feeling Overwhelmed by Plot Points (Writing Questions Answered)

How to Fix Characters Who Are Too Similar (Writing Questions Answered)

Working Comedy and Romance Into Drama (Writing Questions Answered)

Selecting the Right Sentence Structure for the Right Emotion (September C. Fawkes)

Exactly How to Create and Control Tone (September C. Fawkes; ahbwrites)

[sarah-sandwich-writes]

Original Fiction

Wildflowers of Deliverance (series)

Red, like my bleeding heart in your hand - Buy Red Here - 25k novella prequel (the childhood years) - Follow Nash, his sister Jo, and his best friend Teddy in Deliverance, TN as they take on bullies and grow together, only to be ripped apart before they reach their potential

Blue, like don't forget about me - Buy Blue Here - 65k queer romance - Twenty years after Nash and Teddy lost touch, they reunite at a funeral and find all of the too-big feelings from childhood are still there, bubbling under the surface

Violet, like these delights - 50k~ (drafting) sequel to Blue - Jo's POV, coming of age in your 30's - Jo gets the freedom she thought she always wanted and finds, it kind of sucks actually

Woolen Hollow - Drafting Percolating Drafting - fantasy, magic systems, found family, accidental chosen one. A story about choice and that weird forest kingdom cult that thinks Midge is the chosen one

Hot Air Balloon Town (working title - percolating) - In a small town famous for their hot air balloon museum and annual festival, a young woman decides she's going to break the world record for highest altitude in an open basket. However, the ghost in town is complicating things.

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FanFiction

Spideypool (Peter Parker/Wade Wilson)

Paradise (spread out with a butter knife) - 72k - slowburn soulmates au where friendship is magic (or the one where Peter and Wade are literal soulmates but don't realize it for literal years because they're literal idiots)

The Little Barnacle - 3k - Peter panics and botches Wade's proposal by proposing first like the babbling disaster man he is. He also turned out hella aro and this was his choice.

GwenMJ (Gwen Stacy/Michelle Jones)

michelle.mp3 - 32k - Michelle breaks up with Peter and retreats to her grandma's house in the country to lick her wounds and meets Gwen, her insufferable neighbor who also happens to be the drummer and songwriter who upended her perfectly adequate life and is apparently back for more.

Parkner (Peter Parker/Harley Keener)

*deep breath*

Freak Out 'Verse - 317k - It starts with a kidnapping, evolves through a summer romance, and ends with a portal to another dimension, team dynamics, and... shit tits? am i reading this right? ...really? Yeah folks it says shit tits what the fuck

Peaches 'Verse - 90k - It starts with Abbie and Harley. It starts with leaving. It ends with Abbie and Harley and Peter and May. It ends with a room and choosing to stay.

The Distance Between (You and Me) - 29k - Harley struggles to get a grip on his PTSD while his kidnappers are still out there, the board of directors at Stark Industries are looking for any excuse to deny him his future right to inherit the company, and his "bodyguard" drives him up the fucking wall.

For the First Time, Eye to Eye - 47k - Peter and Harley have a lot of shit to work through and Harley's family reunion (while they pretend to be boyfriends of five years rather than workplace rivals), is not the time or place. And yet...

Lemon Boy - 117k - Post-Endgame (sorry) Harley takes in Peter as a roommate to help with expenses while he remodels his deceased uncle's house. Both grieving in their own way, they eventually learn to see the other clearly--through the mask and despite the barriers.

Put in the Work - 55k - Rated M - fka the nasa au, now with minimal nasa (sorry). Harley built his whole life around two things: his daughter and his career at NASA. It's nothing but bad luck that he's laid off at the same time Hazel is pushing for independence. To cope, he falls back on his usual stress-relief, hotel sex with a hot stranger, but bad luck arrives in threes and it's definitely bad luck to fall in love with your one-night stand. If only he had a friend to vent to other than his sister, his daughter, and his strange quasi-friendship with Spider-Man via twitter…

another time, a difference place (I have loved you before) - ??? - In-progress (I'm posting as I go for once) - Endgame parkner fix it fic. Peter and Harley were together inside the soul stone. Unfortunately, neither of them remember anything and these frequent bouts of deja vu are getting weird.

Parkner One-Shots

Heart (in hand) Home (in you) - 2.5k - Harley-centric sick fic

An Insignificant Problem - 1.2k - De-aged!Peter; Fed-up!Harley

Wouldn't Dream of It - 2.3k - Harley-centric alien goo induced trip down memory lane

The Human Kind - 3.7k - Spidey and Laddie play hide and seek :) (mind the tags!)

Undercover? I thought you said under covers... - 3.7k - what it says on the tin ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Peter, no - 3.4k - Peter is an awful outdoorsman. Harley is in love with him.

Rhythm and Blues - 1.3k - Flash POV! He's stuck late at school and sees something he isn't supposed to.

No Need to Rush - 5.3k - It's simple: Harley loves Peter. Yet complicated: Peter loves Harley.

Second Chances for Second Guessers - 3.7k - Peter is a flighty little whimp afraid of falling in love

Pete, I'm Fake Drunk and Wanna Go Home - 2.9k - Peter needs a night off and Harley has a fool-proof plan to make him take one

The Devil is a Hopeless Romantic - 2k - tried to write angst. it's only okay

Completely and utterly devoid of sex appeal - 1.7k - Peter has the hots for Harley when he wears a certain outfit. Unfortunately it's his work uniform. And they work together.

Fake Romance Crap - 3.4k - sure he fake married me an hour ago, but do you think he likes me?

Apeshit - 2.1k - A Freak Out 'Verse one-shot written for the prompt: You know what, maybe they ARE tired of being nice. Maybe they DO wanna go apeshit.

adventures with hair dye and feelings — In Space! - 8.7k - 5 times Harley and Peter don’t kiss +1 time they do (in space!) Written for the combined prompts: 8) every single kiss so far has been a disaster but it's really funny and 46) don't have a one night stand with your coworker on the spaceship

Come on, take a joyride - 6.8k - 5 times Harley takes Peter for a ride +1 time Peter takes Harley

Free Pass - 9k - Rated E - a smutty New Year's Eve one-shot that got plot in it somehow...

Baseball Smut ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ - 2.4k - Rated E - Baseball uniforms are sexy, okay?

Seasons of You (remember remember remember me too) - 3.8k - Peter buys his first Christmas present in five years and Harley has a lot to learn, but he's off to a pretty good start. Or, the one with mittens and canned stew.

Coming Up...

Your Mom Freaked Out - ??? - An addition to the Freak Out 'Verse that occurs sometime before the final scene of You're Freaking Out's epilogue. Harley gets blasted with temporal rays when Peter and Tony's time machine experiment goes wrong. It's just his luck that he wakes up handcuffed with Officer Benjamin Parker sitting at his bed side...

Iron Imposter (Hometown Hero) - 60k - No romantic parkner, Harley-centric, trans!Harley, canon compliant, post NWH - Harley built his own Iron Man armor and he uses it Robin Hood style to keep Rose Hill from blinking out on the map. Abbie thought she was helping by sneaking off to meet with reporter Betty Brandt and her photographer, Peter Parker, to shed some light on the dire situation in small towns like Rose Hill post-blip and the extremes people like her brother go to to keep people fed and healthy. But getting kidnapped is rarely considered helpful.

Spider-Man 4: Bring it on Home - ??? - Peter/Michelle - Sequel to II(HTH) - Michelle POV (maybe with some Peter POV too--i'll decide when I actually get to writing it hah) -- Inspired by the events of Iron Imposter (Hometown Hero), Peter sets out to Boston get his friends back. Meanwhile, Michelle is trying to solve the mystery of why she and Ned have gaping holes in their memories. Ned has it worse than she does and has the therapy and medical bills to prove it, which is all the more reason for her to get to the bottom of this before his episodes get any worse. She's positive she could have solved it by now if not for the universe throwing constant distractions in her face--like the cute guy that recently started frequenting the shop where she works. And what the hell is Spider-Man doing outside of New York? One mystery at a time, Em. You'll figure it out. You always do.

We Were Gods (we were kids) - 100k~ - parkner childhood friends to estranged almost lovers to superheroes fighting on opposite sides to reluctant allies to lovers (this is the OG OG Blue like don't forget about me, back to its fanfic roots)

[oc-growth-and-development]

OCtober 2021 Prompts

Tis the season for OCtober 2021! As always, these prompts are open for interpretation and you can do pretty much anything you want with them - write, roleplay, draw, daydream some scenarios, anything goes. For those who are new here or need a refresher, here’s an overview of the event. Tag me @oc-growth-and-development and use #oc-tober so I can reblog your creations!

October 1st, 2021 - October 31, 2021

Day 1: Journey

Day 2: Glass

Day 3: Duel

Day 4: Medicine

Day 5: Throne

Day 6: Mask

Day 7: Power

Day 8: Sugar

Day 9: Spice

Day 10: Wish

Day 11: Truce

Day 12: Garden

Day 13: Burn

Day 14: Cage

Day 15: Stitch

Day 16: Lie

Day 17: Embrace

Day 18: Watch

Day 19: Shadow

Day 20: Tear

Day 21: Impact

Day 22: Discovery

Day 23: Crumble

Day 24: Smile

Day 25: Spirit

Day 26: Carve

Day 27: Anniversary

Day 28: Rest

Day 29: Climb

Day 30: Soothe

Day 31: Home

Update: Here’s a cute graphic from @a-random-fandom-friend!

[elshells]

Hello! Ella here, it's nice to meet you! Thanks for stopping by.

I joined Tumblr in 2021, started sharing stories online in 2018, and I've been writing for fun for even longer than that! Science fiction is my usual jam, but I also dabble in fantasy, horror, mystery, and thriller. I'm always looking for another good read and I'm easy to please, so if you're a reader or writer, hit me up! We'll have a lot to talk about.

When I'm not writing, I'm pretty much always looking for an excuse to info dump about my beloved WIPs, so tag games and asks in my inbox are both welcome! I can't promise a quick response every time, but I'll try my best!

Otherwise, I don't have much else to say. If you need me, I'll be quietly lurking and collecting shiny posts to add to my ever-flowing magpie nest of a blog. Oh, and I'll occasionally come out to throw a shitpost into the void. I'm rarely funny on purpose, but I've been told I've got some zingers, so if you could just clap and nod politely before moving on, that would be lovely! But in all seriousness, I hope I can make you smile!

* * *

The Lore

—‌I'm currently pursuing degrees in English creative writing and gender, sexuality, and race studies, and a minor in publishing and printing arts. So, naturally, I can be a busy gal.

—‌My absolute dream is to be a published author, but I also have aspirations to work in voice acting and community theater.

—‌I've been playing the flute for ten years, and am slowly picking up piano and guitar. I'd love to eventually learn my way around a drum set as well, if I ever find the time, money, and discipline. Maybe I'll even write my own music one day, who knows?

—‌I do competitive swimming, weightlifting, and yoga, and I rode horses for several years. Beyond that, I'm pretty much hopeless at sports. My depth perception and hand-eye coordination leave much to be desired.

—‌I used to draw a LOT, and inspiration still strikes every now and then. I haven't been that dedicated to the craft in recent years, so I've lost a lot of mojo, but I hope to one day find the confidence to share some doodles!

—‌I have a passion for animals, and I volunteered at my local zoo and aquarium for many years. I might go back one day, but for now, I work as a lifeguard and swim instructor.

—‌I make my own dice and play Dungeons & Dragons. My PFP is my tiefling bard, Enyo. If you're interested in learning more about her lore, check out this post (which features even more art and the wonderful artists I commissioned to make them)!

—‌We can be friends, as long as you're friendly and respectful. I don't tolerate any form of hate.

* * *

WIP MASTER LIST

If you enjoy a chapter, please consider letting me know by reblogging and leaving a comment! I welcome anything you have to say, so long as you're kind. Useful and constructive criticism is always encouraged if you catch something I didn't, so feel free to share your (respectful) feedback, opinions, or questions. I'm always looking to improve and I appreciate all the support I can get!

THE HARMONT HEROES SERIES —‌A fusion of science fiction and urban fantasy told through the dual POV of two sisters on opposite ends of society. This saga features mystery and intrigue, thrills and chills, and an array of LGBTQ+ characters. -BOOK ONE: Agent Ace -BOOK TWO: TBA -BOOK THREE: TBA -BOOK FOUR: TBA

EMBR OF THE EARTH (Standalone)—‌In the far, unknown future, the world is overrun by human survivors, robot scouts, and hostile, alienesque creatures that came from nowhere. A ragtag group of teens choose to leave the safety of their satellite and return to Earth, determined to discover what happened to their planet and find out if there's a way to save it. -ON INDEFINITE HIATUS -The current, unpolished draft is available on Wattpad.

ENCORE (Standalone) —‌An eighteen-year-old girl is rescued from a deserted island as the lone survivor with an unbelievable story. Twelve years later, the same girl, now a struggling musician tortured by the past, is given an opportunity to go back in time to save her friends. But with such high stakes to succeed, the price may be too much to pay. -A twist on the Final Girl trope in classic horror. -COMING TO TUMBLR SOON! Get started with the first five chapters here.

AMATEUR POETRY

Water Nymphs

Witches

Alley Cat

Sea Urchin

Homebody

Puhpowee

* * *

WHERE ELSE YOU CAN FIND ME

Wattpad: @ persephonehale

AO3: @ elshells

Instagram: @ ellanoblewrites *In the meantime, thanks for saying hi!*

[mothgrudge]

(under construction)

MAIN FAMILY

what started as anime ocs from our youths has turned into a full universe centered around (1) giant magic family. i’m talking generations of queers in love and having a good time. this is the main bit of our ocs and they usually get tossed (like salad) through different aus, timelines, careers, existences etc. the main-main ocs from this universe would be mai (they/them) and slate (he/him).

the main family itself centers around the takuma’s (mai’s family); descended from a fertility goddess & a nature god and are witches p much. slate, a normie ends up getting swept up in the whirlwind and ends up dragging his friends into it too.

we love these guys very much :’)

(also can you tell that ren struggles with slate’s design 💀 top left is the most recent and most accurate to what he looks like lol)

PLAGUE INC.

PLAGUE INC has had its claws in this city for too many years to count; and everything that exists is under their control. The police, the government, crime, even you. Their crowning achievement to maintain power comes via The Horsemen—experiments of extraordinary power who wield abilities similar to their monikers. Death (they/she) is one in a long list of her namesake, and like many before her; she wants to get out. But you can’t just leave PLAGUE INC. — unless you’re in a body bag. Horsemen are kept separate unless they’re on missions, but The Higher Ups have grown sloppy; made complacent by their unchecked privilege. And as Death learns, The Horsemen and their allies are stronger together, and for the shit hands they’ve all been dealt… there’s more than just fire and brimstone to pay.

tw(s): body horror and gratuitous gore and torture, human experimentation (gone Bad :3), mentions of SA, death

main characters: death (they/she), war (he/him), pestilence “pesty” (they/he), famine “famy” (he/it)

other characters: counselor q (she/her), nurse 37 (he/him), styx (he/him), older war (*he’s a previous war before current war; he/him), counselor v (they/them)

GUARDIANS

The world may have ended… but in (City Name) it evolved

Saelime was already at the precipice of finding the cure to the outbreak when it reached the city they lived in. Thinking fast, she and her confidants were able to fire up her newest creation THE DOME to keep the virus out and meager remains of the population in. Using her cure, she was able to remove the virus from virtually all inhabitants and under her leadership she was able to progress society even beyond the world’s wildest dreams before the virus even began.

But with great power comes great responsibility. And that great responsibility creates enemies.

No one was expecting when Saelime was assassinated. But using her same technology that saved humanity from its downfall before allowed for her body was preserved. The different aspects of her research and work were placed into towers in different areas of the city and Guardians were put into place to ensure that her work wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands.

But without Saelime to herald innovation… The cracks in her work that she had yet to improve are beginning to show. Those who survived the outbreak outside THE DOME are slipping in more and more through its cracks to try and steal her work and gain control of the city. And the Guardians themselves need to discover if there is a way humanity can ever leave THE DOME… and what plans Saelime was truly working towards.

tw(s): disease/death via illness, zombies (and the similar)

THE ATELIER: DEVIL’S VANITY

Underneath the city, a land of darkness, violence, and sin awaits. Demons, the supernatural, and hedonistic pleasure are king here and at the center of it all, The Atelier ruled by Vangel (or DeVa; they/he/deux/vanguard) focuses on custom designs, lingerie and making your wildest dreams come true (obviously, at a price).

Over the many years that Vangel has been alive, he’s taken in numerous lost souls as their “children” and they all have a place in his Atelier. Currently, Leoné (or Leo; they/countess/hers), Solstice (any), Nadeen (he/him), and Alice (she/he) all reside with Vangel and manage the day to day of the Atelier.

Elsewhere, under Vangel’s watchful eye, a human brothel runs strong. Mistress Saccharine (she/her) similarly to her flame (Vangel), has numerous “children” she watches over and even further in the Atelier, demons head to the surface to take jobs among humans, blending in among the shadows.

This colorful cast of characters may get up to more darker fun than most, but their bonds are stronger than anything else known to man.

tw(s): violence, sex, all that jazz. also a pretty much go nuts we’re having fun type of story lol

ANIMAL GUARDIANS

The many nations of (land) have come together to enact peace treaty by electing guardians from each of the animal-humanoid races around their land. Keeping peace is hard work, but their interpersonal lives don’t stop just because they have a fancy title! Hijinks and antics ensue.

tw(s): none really? occasional violence and sex but it’s really just “yeah these half human half animal ocs are friends and have a Time”

SILVER & ROU

Lady Silver Needle Tea (she/her) has decidedly sworn off romance. Numerous proposals from vying lords ever since she first began to blossom have made her wary and downright hostile: if you wish for her hand, then you’ll have to best her in a sword fight. And… as the best swordsman in the land only second to her own mother, it’s thinned the crowd of suitors significantly.

This all changes when she unexpectedly meets an assassin, the red wine dragon Merlot “Rou” (he/him) who just so happens to be in town on business. They hit it off and fall hard and fast, their romance changing each of them for the better.

tw(s): occasional violence but this is mostly light, airy, and romantic. explicit sex though.

other characters: the rest of the tea clan -> father: lord earl grey tea, mother: lady matcha green tea, uncle: gyokuro green & his daughter calypso coffee green, all of sil’s younger siblings -> twins longan red date “ganji” tea & hibiscus rose hip “hibby” tea, yu hua “rain flower” tea, erish breakfast tea, osmanthus “ossy” tea, ginger snap tea

*more of rou’s associates to come*

THE STAR CHILD

After being wrongfully enslaved by a tyrannical ruler, Hassan (he/him), supported by his eventual wife Tisana “Titi” (she/her; trans) led a revolt against the powers at be and reclaimed the throne for himself. Their desert nation for so long has been struggling and through Hassan and Titi’s keen and just leadership, the nation is beginning to get on its feet once more.

The one thing that could make this all perfect would be if they could have a child; a signifier of their love, their commitment to their nation and each other, and to take on the torch of the kingdom when the time comes. After many years devoted to their people, the gods hear them and answer their wish—a child descended from the heavens and delivered right on the palace’s doorstep bearing a star symbol on his head. They name him Naseer (he/him).

But why have the gods answered their prayer? What power does their star child hold? And what lays in wait as other kingdoms begin to take notice of their budding nation?

tw(s): enslavement and torture (flashbacks only), transphobia (flashbacks only)

I ATE MY MOTHER

Samara “Sam” (she/her) is a naga—or a lamia if you want to get political about it. Her mother is the Queen of Lamia, and is a certified bitch in every sense of the word. In order to keep Sam from inheriting the throne she drives her out of the kingdom, and sends her goons after her to kill her—and she’s managed to shake them off for awhile now.

Earning a living as a stripper and creating a tight knit group of friends ready to ride or die for her has made Sam realize—she’s never going to be truly happy until her mother leaves her the eff alone! And the only way to make that happen is to ascend the throne.

Or in the world of naga: she has to eat her mother.

Sex, hijinks, and a little bit of cannibalism are on the menu.

tw(s): cannibalism, supernatural creatures and violence, body horror, graphic depictions of sex, drugs, blood and guts, looooots of swearing

the main gang! in order top L to bottom R -> Malachi “Kai” (half vampire, he/him), Jaxx (fruit vampire, he/him), Raj (fae/changeling, he/him), Samara “Sam” (naga, she/her), Juno (arachnid, she/her), Ellawyn “Winnie” (vampire, she/her)

MICAH & SWEETS

Micah has a gift: the ability to enter people’s dreams. To soothe their nightmares or to kill the Tormentors that can plague the mind; or to even find evidence of past crimes. He discovered this gift long ago, and has been putting it to use in the Dream Division of the local police chapter. It’s the only way he can make money with his crippling insomnia—or so he tells himself.

His partner and long time best friend, Sweets, has had it up to here with the way the force exploits him. They’re always looking for their next gig or side hustle to pay the bills, more and more so that Micah doesn’t have to go to work and face the horrors.

But when a large criminal ring overtakes the city and Dreamers from out of town show up; Micah realizes he’s not alone.

Or in over his head. Whichever comes first.

tw(s): horror, fucked up nightmares, corrupt pd (acab and all that), exploitation

SPACE IS A CIRCLE

under construction wip lol

[autumnalwalker]

Writeblr Intro v2

Updating the Intro post to pin now that I sort of understand Tumblr and what I'm doing here better.

Me:

I write as a hobby. It's something I do for fun and first and foremost for myself. But if other people happen to actually like what I write, that's pretty cool too.

I try to keep this main blog primarily writing-focused. I've set up the side-blog @traversedmiscellany for reblogging/posting any other random stuff that happens to catch my interest.

I tend to prefer to keep my online and offline lives separate so I rarely say much about personal details aside from what inevitably winds up leaking into talking about my writing.

I am open to tag games and ask games. Or just general writing-related asks.

If anyone would like to be added to a tag list (whether for WIP updates or tag games), please feel free to send me a message or reply to this post, specifying what you want to be on the tag list for.

My WIPs:

The Archivist's Journal:

My main WIP. A slice-of-life story about waking up on a fantasy tropical island being told over the course of a year in the form of daily journal updates. Mostly fairly chill, just living life one day at a time, but with some occasional angst, social anxiety, and supernatural spookiness.

I do all my posting for this story on my side blog @thearchivistsjournal. Or if you want to read from the beginning, here's the chronological posting.

At the time of this post, this story is at 227 days (228 will be up in a few hours), a bit over 203,000 words (and counting), and continuing to update daily.

Empty Names:

My attempt to get practice with more traditional prose writing. An urban fantasy story in which a world-hopping adventurer attempts to set up a sword-and-sorcery style adventurer's guild in a modern world where "adventurer" isn't considered a legitimate profession. Has what I suppose one might call "genre-typical violence" with fighting monsters and such.

Here's the masterpost for it. I'm trying to do a weekly update schedule with a new chapter or side story every Saturday, but we'll see how long I can actually keep that up. I might miss a week or two here and there.

Miscellaneous other writing:

On most Thursdays I'll post small (couple hundred words at most) pieces based on various interesting dreams that I've had. Being based on dreams, the content is a mixed bag. Those are tagged under #my dreams.

Alternatively, if you just want to browse semi-random excerpts and snippets from the above works, I post a lot of that under #tag game.

[metanoiamorii]

NAVIGATION & MASTERLIST

Hello, I'm Marion. Or Morri, as I've started to adopt. I'm a creative author in my spare time, I write for myself. I do not intend to become a published author, nor am I pursuing a future in writing. Writing is my vent and a passionate hobby for me. My future is in history & anthropology as a historian.

My intro is brief, as this is a focus on navigating my blog. If you wish to know more about me, my introduction is here.

Yes, feel free to tag me in games. You may send in random asks as your leisure. Please go ahead and tag me in all your taglists. I love interactions with mutuals.

Beneath the cut you'll find the navigation.

TAG MASTERLIST

♧ Writing Tag: Morri's Collection

This tag holds the wip introductions, and any writing I will directly post.

♧ General Tag: The Ramblings Of A Madman

This is, essentially, all my personal posts, when I'm ranting or posting ideas.

♧ Not Writing Tag: Not Writing

Quite explanatory. Anything that is not writing, nor deals with writing will be under this tag.

♧ Personal Tag: Personal & About

This tag is to follow anything about me. I'll express personal things about myself and you may learn more about me as a person.

♧ Mutual Tag: Mutual, Mutual boost!, mutual reblog!

Every post that belongs to a mutual will be under these tags collectively.

♧ Tag Tag: Tag Game, Writing game

These tags are used when I've been tagged in other posts, that deal in things like 'heads up seven up', 'last written lines', 'find the word', etc.

♧ Ask Tag: Mutual's Inquire, Inquiries Answered, Ask Game

These are the tags used when I answer any ask and/or submission.

━━━━━━━━━━

WIP MASTERLIST

This will gradually be updated as I create more wips. As I have a tendency to do that.

♧ Coming Home [Fantasy & Romance]

the story of a solidarity witch who finds herself in a relationship with two ancient beings. The story tells their relationship and the adventures they have together.

The story of a young, aspiring witch hunter who wishes to prove his worth but bites off a bigger job than she can successfully pull off.

♧ A Rope In Hand [Dark fantasy]:

♧ The Legacy of Vires Ius [Epic Fantasy]:

The story of three different adventuring teams who cross paths and decide to create a family with one another. When push comes to shove, they always have each other's backs, as they face down a bigger war than anyone has seen before.

♧ Be Still My Foolish Heart [Fantasy & Romance]:

The story as old as time, when two societies are at war, they must gain the upper hand over the other, thus they resort to spying and manipulation... Nobody expects the forbidden to happen of two enemies falling in love during the time at war, with their love changing the tides of history.

♧ Mercy No More [Epic Fantasy]:

The story that must happen. When an empire threatens the world with its might, through fear and brute force, those subjected to toil at its whim are forced to rise to the challenge to fight and change history.

♧ The Sinister Six [Epic Fantasy]:

The story of six criminals with secret identities who join forces at the whim of their superiors. Together, there is a series of jobs they must accomplish, and create a new standard within the criminal underbelly of the world

♧ The Song Of The Siren [Fantasy & Romance]:

The story of an outcast of society who needs to find her place in the world answering the call of the pirate who shows up on her doorstep, shaking the foundations of her world as she knows it.

♧ War of Wrath [Epic Fantasy]:

A story that looks back in time, upon the history of dragekind that shaped the world as it is known now. When the gods are gone, someone must rise to fill their place.

♧ General:

My general taglist of snippets, characters, and worldbuilding I do.

♧ All the Above:

I have a taglist if you wish to be on all my taglists, opposed to particular ones. You will be tagged in all the posts revolving around all the above on this one.

The Sinister Six and The Song of The Siren are in progress, I have not finished the wip introductions for them. Once I have, I will link those intros above with the rest.

If you wish to be on any of the taglists for them you can interaction with the intros, and/or send an ask or dm me. Or you may reblog or comment on this post of which taglist or taglists you would like to be on.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Date Prompts Masterpost

Romantic Fall Date Ideas

50 Cute Date Ideas

50 More Cute Date Ideas

Romantic Date Dialogue Prompts

Museum Date

Things to do at a carnival

Anniversary Dinner Prompts

First Date Prompts

Blind Date Prompts

Blind date after ONS Prompts

Date with a nice guy Prompts

Date gone wrong

Date Mishaps

Asking out on a date

Single Prompts about Dating

"Do you want to be my date?"

Let's create the perfect date!

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[pluttskutt]

Masterpost

Hello, and welcome to my blog! I'm Aurora Melody Swan. You may call me what feels comfortable to you; many fall on Plu or Ninni.

I've been writing since I could put pen to paper. Stories pull me in, and I play with them like a child would a rubix cube. They are all I breathe—all I see—and writing is how I get them out.

Fantasy owns my heart but I do love to play with genres and see where I end up.

Find me: Ao3 // Ko-fi

Wip intros:

Fantasy series:

Förtrollade Omständigheter (Witches be Witching)

Birke is a land doomed to long and harsh winters; this is the season that is upon them when our characters find an egg that does not belong. It’s up to them to journey through the land of giants, voyage across the treacherous sea where sirens wish to drag them down to the fathoms below, and venture into the uncharted lands, all so they can return the egg to the Dread Isles.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery // Tropes: The Quest, Fellowship, Animal Companions

Toy Soldier »Intro«

A woman with one goal, fuelled by rage. An army that uses that rage to its advantage. What will they do when the object of her rage is taken care of, her goal completed, and she no longer has interest to participate in their war?

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction // Tropes: Strangers to Friends to Enemies, Secret base, Betrayal

Rotten to the Core »Intro«

Two renegades on their own, escaping the law, up to who knows what when they’re recruited by Rebels. When rumours of a spy are whispered on the Rebel’s vessel and singles out one of the runners as the traitor, the other makes a drastic choice that there’s no coming back from.

Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure // Tropes: Found Family, Betrayal

What Binds Us »Intro«

Childhood friends bound by growing up in the same orphanage. They’ve stuck together forever. An unbreakable trio. Until a vessel crashes, killing hundreds, and the culprit tears the trio apart when one of them splits from not only his friends but everything they represent.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure // Tropes: Friends to Enemies, Strangers to Friends, Found Family

Standalone:

Daughters of the Sea

For as long as mermaids have existed, humans have been hunting them for the magical and healing properties of their scales. There aren’t many of them left now. One crew takes it upon themselves to find the mythical city far down in the fathoms below that will be their sanctuary—if it exists.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Action // Tropes: Treasure Maps, Pirates, Sea Monsters

Piano Man »Intro«

A story about soulmates that the universe doesn’t want together. Features a violinist—aristocrat by birth—who must marry a noblewoman to please his family, and a less fortunate man with a million dreams and double the obstacles in his way to make them come true.

Genre: Romance, Fantasy // Tropes: Strangers to Friends to More, Forbidden Love, Fighting Destiny

Dragon WIP

Set in a distant future where humans have perished, cities are overgrown with lush nature, ships are stranded where the water has shifted, and the dragons are coming back. But not all of them are back, and the dragons must now explore this world to find out why that is.

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure // Tropes: TBA

The Girl and Her Dragon

A young maiden is locked in a tower risen by a wicked witch to stand so tall above the ground that no one will ever reach her. A dragon guards the frozen land surrounding her and chases off any Knight who dares to look upon the tower. Is there no knight bold enough to rescue her?

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Adventure // Tropes: Girl in the Tower, Wicked Witch

The Diary of Alice Burkhardt

Alice tries, she does, but it’s never good enough and so she draws the conclusion that she isn’t good enough and it’d be better if she just wasn’t.

Genre: TBA // Tropes: TBA

[ahb-writes]

Writing Description: Encourage Readers to Infer More Than They Realize

Use Description to Encourage Readers to Infer More Than They Realize. Sometimes, referring to the shadow of a thing is more powerful than expending the energy to describe the thing itself. Sometimes, articulating the function a thing serves will grant readers permission to conjure their own version of what the thing itself looks like. This means using more than the standard five senses in your writing. Can you describe what it's like for a character to lose her sense of balance? Can you describe what it's like for a character to have forgotten something important that his partner told him that morning? The writer, in each of these scenarios, articulates the value and weight of certain clues and puzzle pieces, over and above the value and weight of solving the whole enigma.

Additional Reading:

Direct Characterization: 6 Tips for Precise Description (Now Novel)

Indirect Characterization: Revealing Characters Subtly (Now Novel)

How Being Subtle Can Improve Your Descriptions (All Write - Fiction Advice)

How Fiction Writers Can Improve the Quality of Their Prose (Kristen Kiefer)

❯ ❯ Adapted from description-writing masterpost: 5 Times When You Should (and 4 Times When You Shouldn’t) Rely on Description

[maracujatangerine]

Masterlist 3. Lydia and Coriander: Ongoing

Main Masterlist

3. Lydia and Coriander: ongoing

95. On the phone 7

94. The butler didn’t do it - part 3

93. Firelight

92. Playing with the pet

91. A conversation

90. Restless Night

89. Leaving

88. Hospital Visit

87. Asking Cory

86. Introducing Pets

85. Chunk of clay

84. Unfortunate Circumstances

83. On the phone 6

82. Taking Note

81. The Gift Exchange

80. A mysterious letter

79. The butler didn’t do it - part 2

78. Collaboration

77. Safety

76. Musical Experimentation

75. Reflection

74. Discipline

73. Looking for advice

- 73.1 Forum Discourse - a collaboration with @distinctlywhumpthing and @octopus-reactivated

72. A well-earned reward

71. Unexpected Gifts

70. Fading light

69. At home again

68. A night to remember

Being Rover - a sojourn to the past

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

2. Lost Property - a collaboration with @whumpzone (who also made the art)

1. Lydia and Coriander: A new home

[piplupfluffwritingstuff2]

Masterlist | Notes

Patreon

Ko-Fi

Redbubble

AO3

Which Superpower Would You Have Uquiz

Master Tag List

OCs Masterlist

Multiple Part Snippets

Single Part Snippets, Prompts, Imagines, etc.

Single Part Snippets Part 2

Ask Games

This or That Gothic Edition Snippets

Whumptober 2024

Mermay 2025 Series

Poetry

Requests

Notes

I have a few squicks when it comes to writing, especially for whump. I don’t write anything explicit or nsfw (including fetish content). My number one squick is amputation of any kind so PLEASE don't ask for it! This includes removal of any body part, even if it's just a small one. Also, I prefer to stay away from character deaths, except in rare cases, but even then, it's usually a bad guy that's getting offed. Anyway, just thought I’d put that out there!

Fandoms I'm in include: Marvel, DC, Lord of the Rings, Miraculous Ladybug, Avatar the Last Airbender, Disney, Star Wars, Winx Club, Coraline, Nintendo, and probably others. If you need clarification or specific parts of a fandom just ask. Note- just because I'm in the fandom doesn't necessarily mean I'll write for it!!

I am always always ALWAYS totally 100% okay with fanart of my work or my OCs! PLEASE feel free to create some! Just make sure you tag me so I can see!

I love getting questions about my OCs, please ask as many as you want!!

I reserve the right to not write anything I don't want to. I'm doing this for fun after all, and I don't always feel like writing everything that comes my way. I want this to be fun for me, and I don't want to force myself to write something if my heart isn't in it- after all, wouldn't you prefer a snippet written with enthusiasm than a half-baked one typed up out of obligation?

As of right now requests are closed.

[writingadvice365]

Dialogue Resources

General Rules of Dialogue Usage

Dialogue Tags

5 Tips for Writing Realistic Dialogue

How to Write Funny Dialogue

Using Subtext in Dialogue

~~~

~Grand List of Writing Resources~

[harinawa]

harinawa masterpost + navigation

Hello! This post is a one-stop shop (?) post of my short intro and links to my WIPs. Might be updated from time to time.

𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙚

Welcome to my Writeblr! Where I post memes and bellyache about my most favorite thing in the world, which is writing. My name is Sofia, 21+, she/her. I have another intro here (where I basically say the same thing) and I write mostly fantasy stories and some poetry on the side.

General Content Warnings: mentions of death (in WIPs, mostly), violence (towards non-existing entities), foul words. Will fight tooth and nail to keep this writeblr at least R-16. Capital letters more often than not as testament to my feelings, excessive use of colloquial vernacular expressions like 'korique' (literally correct, means agreement or acknowledgement of fact) and 'eme' (means just kidding, kidding, it's a joke).

Not Okay with homophobics, terfs, and general hate speech purveyors. I can respect preferences but I do not tolerate bullying and prejudice.

A-Okay with writing tag games (even if we have never interacted!!), receiving random asks about my WIP, or you sharing things and tidbits about your WIP.

[masterpost + mobile nav under the cut]

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨-𝙞𝙣-𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨

I. Forsaken Gods - Infographic Intro - PPT Intro

↺ urban YA fantasy, based on philippine mythologies

Seventeen-year-old Aya de Luna is familiar with the world’s cruelty. With her father estranged and her mother dead, it takes more than street-smarts to feed herself and her fifteen-year-old sickly brother. That is, until she witnesses a murder and acquires a weapon only heard of in legends that leads to her brother’s kidnapping. In her mission to find him, Aya discovers a whole new world where the gods are as crazed as the monsters that live in it. Blood will be shed, secrets will be revealed, and all who seek power for themselves will be punished.

A. Character Introductions

Aya Victoria

Kale Leonidas

Nicolas Rafael

Yen Paraiso

Ybarra Miguel

Panday

B. Worldbuilding

Creatures, Humans and Non-humans

Sinagpulo

Sandigan

C. WIP Tags

general wip tag: # fgc aesthetics: # fgc.misc snippets: # fgc.bits rants: # fgc.rant

II. All the Devils are Here - PPT Intro

↺ YA middle fantasy, murder mystery, academia themes

The elusive Madam Quincy is said to have revolutionized education when she established the House of Royals-- a pillar of ambition, catered to train the world's next leaders. However, scandals and controversies rattle the House of Royals' reputation with heirs dropping dead like flies, and no one can tell who the murderer--or murderers--is. The deaths spark unrest among the kingdoms, and if the murders aren't solved soon, then the already precarious balance between two strong empires might be tipped--and the rest of the world along with it.

A. Character Introductions

Hiraya Luwalhati

B. Worlbuilding

The Psycha/e

C. WIP Tags

general wip tag: # atdah rants: # atdah.rant aesthetics and inspo: # atdah.misc

III. Dead Man Walking - PPT Intro

↺ NA fantasy, pirates and witches

Kosmos was once a great empire, split into three when power and greed forced men to rip the lands apart. Now three mighty kingdoms stand in its place, and yet remnants of the curses of the ancient empire still linger up to this day. The exiled heir to a powerful bloodline, Nyx Asteria wants nothing to do with curses and ancient empires. All she wants is to remove the seal burning on her back that forces her magic to feed on her own veins and carry on quietly as the handmaiden to the Duke’s Daughter. Just as she’s getting used to her new job and identity, she becomes an offering to the pirate captain of the Shadow. So Nyx does what she does best and bargains for her life, entering what is already a shaky agreement and turning it into a soul-binding contract. Never mind that she can’t even do magic without feeling like she’s dying. Never mind that she’s with a band of peculiar pirates, united by their own selfish goals. Never mind that their captain’s notoriety reaches the ends of worlds, bordering on legend at best and sounding like fabrications at worst. Nyx knew, though. The first time she saw him, she knew he was just a Dead Man Walking.

A. Character Introductions

Not quite here yet.

B. Worldbuilding

Magefolks

C. WIP Tags

general wip tag: # dmw aesthetics and inspo: # dmwaes rants: # dmwrant snippets: # dmw.txt

𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙗𝙡𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙨

random posts: sofiasays self-reblogs: srb answered asks: sofiasaid (i realized i have no creativity whatsoever) poetry: sofia.poetry

If you want to be added to any of the taglists of the WIPs above, or on my general taglist, kindly send a dm/ask!