#writing practice

[writers-potion]

Could you give any advice for "descriptive" writing of any scene or action scenes or mapping out the scenery (Mountains, forests, streets etc) - i believe this is a struggle for Non-English speaking writers due to lack of vast vocabulary.

Common Scenery Description Tips

Vocabulary is clearly an important part of description, but it doesn’t have to be a limit. The most important thing about description in fiction is picking the right details to mention:

How does the details add to the mood of the story? A mountain ridge will be dark, gray and foggy if the overall mood is meant to be mysterious/brooding. In contrast, a mountain can be brilliantly snow-capped, lush green and “smiling down” upon the character if they’re out for a light stroll.

How are the contrasts/complementary aspects being brought out?

Are you using the five senses? You can even combine the senses, ie. blue ringing of the church bells

(If you have the POV character) what 

Some other tips for setting description:

Use similes and metaphors. Creative figures of speech always get my attention as a reader. 

Mention story-specific elements. For example, “The sky was the shade of Zoes’ eyes” or “the mountains looked like a group of trolls sleeping on one another” 

Be concise. Today’s readers don’t want to read paragraphs and paragraphs about one landscape. Outline the larger elements in the scene, their location and general mood. Add some details, then move on. 

If the same location appears multiple times, differentiate the description little by little as you write, instead of trying to lay out one scene in too much detail at once. 

That said, here are some helpful words/phrases:

Forests/Mountains

Color: bone-white, phantom-white, hazy gray

Sound: rumbling, booming grumbling, bellowing clapping, trundling, growling, thundering

Shape: crinkled, crumpled, knotted, grizzled, rumpled, wrinkled, craggy, jagged, gnarled, rugose  

Action: sky-punching/stabbing/piercing/spearing, heaven-touching/kissing, snow-cloaked/hooded/wreathed/festooned

Sloping sides, sharp/rounded ridges, high point/peak/summit

Majestic, gargantuan humbling, vast, massive, titanic, towering, monumental, mighty, vast, humbling

Mountains having faces, etc. 

Seas

Color: blue-green, crystal-clear crystalline, emerald, frothy, hazy, glistening, pristine, turquoise

Size: boundless, abyssal, fathomless, unconquerable, vast, wondrous

Sound: billowing, blustering, bombastic

Action: boisterous, agitated, angry, biting, breaking, brazen. Churning, bubbling, changing, brooding, calm, convulsing, enticing erratic, fierce, tempestuous, turbulent, undulating

Alluring, blissful, betwitching, breezy, captivating, chaotic, chilly, elemental, disorienting

Deserts

Sight: A landscape of sand, flat, harsh sunlight, cacti, tumbleweeds, dust devils, cracked land, crumbing rock, sandstone, canyons, wind-worn rock formations, tracks, dead grasses, vibrant desert blooms (after rainfall), flash flooding, dry creek

Sounds: Wind (whistling, howling, piping, tearing, weaving, winding, gusting), birds cawing, flapping, squawking, the fluttering shift of feasting birds, screeching eagles, the sound of one’s own steps, heavy silence, baying wild dogs

Smell: Arid air, dust, one’s own sweat and body odor, dry baked earth, carrion

Touch: Torrid heat, sweat, cutting wind, cracked lips, freezing cold (night) hard packed ground, rocks, gritty sand, shivering, swiping away dirt and sweat, pain from split lips and dehydration, numbness in legs, heat/pain from sun stroke, clothes…

Taste: Grit, dust, dry mouth & tongue, warm flat canteen water, copper taste in mouth, bitter taste of insects for eating, stringy wild game (hares, rats) the tough saltiness of hardtack, biscuits or jerky, an insatiable thirst or hunger

Streets

Dusty, fume-filled, foul, sumptuous, broad, bucolic, decayed, mournful, seemingly endless, empty, unpaved, lifeless, dreadfully genteel, muddy, nondescript, residential/retail

Bleach, flimsy, silent, narrow, crooked, furrowed, smoggy, commonplace, tumbledown, treeless, shady

The blacktop streets absorb the spring sunshine as if intent upon sending heaven's warmth back through my soles.

The streets absorbed the emotions in the air, the city as the steady and reassuring mother.

The streets were a marriage of sounds, from bicycle wheels to chattering.

In the refreshing light of early daytime, the streets had the hues of artistic dreamtime, soft yet bold pastels.

Cobbled streets flowed as happy rivers in sunlight.

Parties

Some extra tips for locations like parties, where lots of action is going around practically everywhere:

Focus on the important characters - where they are, who they’re with. 

Provide some overall description of the structure of the party scene (a pool, a two-storey house with yard?), then move on to details. 

Don’t try to describe everything. 

whirlwind of laughter and music, a symphony of joyous chaos.

It was a gathering that shimmered with the glow of twinkling lights and echoed with the rhythm of dancing feet.

The air was alive with excitement, buzzing with conversations and the clink of glasses.

Every corner held a story waiting to unfold, a moment waiting to be captured in memory.

It was a tapestry of colors, a mosaic of faces, each adding their own brushstroke to the vibrant canvas of the night.

Laughter cascaded like a waterfall, infectious and unstoppable, filling the room with warmth.

The night was a carnival of senses, with aromas of delicious food mingling with the melodies that filled the air.

Time seemed to slip away in the whirl of the party, moments blending into each other like colors on a palette.

The energy of the crowd was electric, pulsing through the room like a heartbeat, binding everyone in a shared moment of celebration.

It was a celebration of life, where worries faded into the background, and the present moment was all that mattered.

[daily-prompts]

prompt 2424

Describe an event that happened to you (or your character) that has a beginning, a middle and an end, with a description of steps in between. Separate the steps into a list of sentences. Reorder the sentences to create a more interesting way of telling the story. What happens?

[chryssikyu]

LADS Writing Prompt

[This is meant to be a writing prompt, but at the same time it's to instill the anime weeb seed in your minds. Enjoy!]

Whether due to a wanderer, or plot convenience, MC has become a neko!

And now you have to fight your cat instincts with your human instincts... and the boys have to help you.

~~~

With Zayne, he keeps an eye on you as he works on his laptop, however if you know cats, they love to sit on laptops and demand attention. It will most likely end him pulling you on to his lap and holding you there while you attack his arm.

~~~

With Xavier, he keeps you occupied by making lights for you to chase and try to catch. But once youre all tuckered out, you climb up onto him, lay on his chest, and fall asleep purring. Eventually waking up and rubbing your scent all over his face.

~~~

Now, Rafayel..... He'll cry. At first. He won't know what to do, genuinely conflicted. Part of him wants to pet you, the other wants to run. He doesn't do much, just makes sure you don't do anything too crazy... However.... He IS a fish... You end up staring at with big eyes, tail swishing, leaning in close (much to his chagrine.) Give a sniff. And finally, a lick.

NOW HES EVEN MORE CONFLICTED. You keep licking him, simultaneously petrifying him, and flustering him! He doesn't know what to do! He wants to push you away, but can't find the strength.

~~~

What happens in the end is ENTIRELY up to you. Take it further. Back up. Or just straight eat a guy.

Your move!

[Tag me pls I wanna read it]

[nostalgicacademia]

Dark Academia Writing Prompts

A group of students stumble upon a hidden portal to a faerie realm in their college library. They slowly return from the faerie realm, corrupted.

A student uncovers a hidden society within the university's classics department. They are preserving an immortal being who used to be worshiped as a minor deity by the Ancient Greeks.

A secret society of faeries attend an Ivy League university, keeping their identities a secret. 

A love letter exchange unfolds between two strangers who communicate solely through notes left in the university library. However, if they ever discovered each other's true identities, the romance would break, and they would be horrified.

A mysterious playwright's lost manuscript is discovered in the dusty archives, revealing a dark and twisted tale that mirrors real-life events on campus.

A cellist sacrifices everything, even their morals, to join an elite orchestra. It's the pinnacle of their career. However, they left one string untied, and it threatens to expose everything they did.

A professor's death sparks an investigation that reveals a web of academic rivalries and betrayal. At the heart of it all is a plagiarism case.

A history major begins to unravel a murder that happened 100 years ago on campus. 

A witch disguises herself as a professor in the occult studies department, using her position to recruit students for a secret coven. 

A psychology professor uses hypnotic techniques to explore the past lives of students. During the hypnosis sessions, a student reveals something awful that their past life did. Something that's had a profound impact on the professor. 

A cursed painting in the university gallery comes to life at night. The characters within it seek the help of a talented art history major to break the spell. They work together to uncover what dark forces made this happen in the first place.

A professor's fascination with ancient folklore prompts a mischievous faerie to seek their help. The faerie asks them to help unlock an ancient riddle. The professor does it, fuelled by academic curiosity, but this turns out to be a huge mistake.

A group of history students uncover evidence of a witch trial that took place on campus centuries ago. One of the victims shown in the painting bears an uncanny resemblance to a current professor. As they investigate, it becomes clear someone’s trying to stop them.

A student journalist investigates a series of mysterious deaths linked to an exclusive literature club. The murders seems to be drawing inspiration from works of literature.

A rivalry emerges between two aspiring poets who will sink to depraved acts for the coveted position of poet laureate. They'll do anything to get that prize, including murder.

By: schoolofplot

My articles on Dark Academia:

Dark Academia aesthetic

The imaginary of Dead Poets Society

The Secret History a key fandom

[pitty-me]

Schroedinger's cat is silly because a cat would meow, scrach, and bite its way out of the box. So if you didn't hear it, it'd be dead, and if you did hear it or see a hole in the box, it'd be alive. But Schroedinger's fish would be quiet and make more sense. Anyway, that's what I think about that. Thanks, that's all.

[mh073099]

Can I please give some advice for these tags?

Recruits don’t get to just work with highly specialized tasks forces okay? Recruits are people who are new to the military as a whole, in boot camp, they aren’t even considered to be in the military by other personnel until AFTER they graduate boot camp. And then there are special schools and more training for their specific jobs. A recruit is a baby in the military they know nothing! These men wouldn’t ever look twice at anyone lower than an E4 rank, let alone a recruit and E0… recruits are rats. Trash. Nothing. I mean yes they are people but recruits are stripped down to nothing and built back up into self disciplineed highly motivated people. That’s the process a recruit goes into. Then it’s onto schools and more training and experience before EVER getting picked for something like this. So when I constantly read X reader where reader is a recruit trying to get into a HIGHLY COMPETITIVE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED TASK FORCE THAT IS BASICALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF A BRITISH SEAL TEAM 6 ….well let’s just say I cringe and chuckle.

A task force like this would only have NCOs, non commissioned officers and ranks higher, that’s a minimum E4 (ranks start at E1- and E0 is a recruit) and even E4s are unlikely. Gaz and Soap are E5, seargents. A minimum 6 years already dedicated to the military before jointing the task force. also lieutenant and officer ranks star with O, like O1 which is a second lieutenant O2 which is a 1st lieutenant, John price himself is an O3, a captain.

A task force is looking for experience and special skills learned in special training schools. When the Reader in this fic is training to be in these task forces, they should be already in the military, and have experience at least a corporal or a specialist, or a petty officer(im from the US though) In the British royal army, it goes private then lance corporal then corporal then sergeant. I read somewhere it takes 6 to 8 years to make sergeant in the British royal army, is to keep these fics factual, the reader training to be in the task force should already have years of training, working in a special training school to join the task force and should be a higher rank then a recruit.

I love all the writing here, I honestly do. But I also like writing that is factually correct. And it’s small thinks like this that can improve our writing skills, just trying to understand and research more about what you’re writing. Honestly, if anyone has more questions on how the military works I can answer them.

And before y’all come for me about being pro military, I’m a military brat. I grew up on bases my whole life, my personal opinions on it are my own, but I was definitely exposed to this environment and have a unique perspective to an enlisted life as a child of a service member. I’m just trying to help and let y’all know…

[the-cat-and-the-birdie]

Spidersonas are the perfect exercise and I recommend everyone try -

Quick-Spidersona Exercises

How I use new Spidersonas as Artistic Practice

[A MEDIUM length post where I share ideas and exercises to create Spidersonas quicker and easier, while practicing your writing/art]

Spidersonas can be a great tool for any artist!

If you're a writer looking for a way to get better at character creation, research, and world-building - Or an artist looking for a way to get better at character design:

Consider trying out Quick Spidersona exercises as a fun way to do that! I use them all the time, because seriously, who says you can only have ONE Spidersona?

(I think I have at least 15-20 now - counting the eight named kids I gave Miguel & Moche)

I usual end up making at least one a week - and I find they're amazing for learning how to make characters quickly and in a really fun way.

Everything can be canon in the Spider-verse, including a sentient piece of Lego-Plastic and a Pre-historic Spider-saur.

Plus, with the Spider-Society being full formed, and canon events at your choosing, you have a loose template for a background - making it easier to throw them into the story.

I use a couple different exercises on making Fast-Sonas, and I thought I'd share some.

Here's a couple of my favorites! If you find this helpful, let me know!

1 - Hour Sona Challenge

Ever have a half-baked Spidersona Idea or come up with a funny crack Spider?

Give yourself an hour (or two) and go at it.

[This challenge is good for quick practice, Character Creation & Design]

Design them a suit as quick as you can, coming up with abilities and a rough personality.

You don't need to go into backstory if you don't feel like it, and it's a great way to get started

This is something you can do routinely - I do, I usually do this once or twice a week; And soon you'll have a full cast of sonas that can interact with each other!

It's great practice, and the more you do it, the easier it gets.

When you're doing it on the fly, or know it's just one hour - it can produce characters that are more natural, because you don't have time to second guess. Plus, since it's only an hour, you can get as silly as you want!

Stoner-Spider is an example of a 2-hour Sona Challenge.

Adapt-A-Spider

This challenge is good for Character Design

Make your own cross over!

For something a bit easier - Take a Non-Spider character and make them a Spider-person.

This could be anyone, from other Marvel characters, to Disney Princesses, Celebrities, and characters from your other fandoms. You can even make some of your old OCs into Spider-people!

For Artists - this can be a real fun challenge - try and blend the characters original outfit and design into a suit suitable for swinging.

For Writers - try to adapt their current background, and shift it around so they have 'canon events'. If the character you like has lost someone, the person they lost could stand in for their Uncle Ben or Aunt May.

Example: If you're looking to adapt Ellie from The Last of Us, losing Joel could be her Uncle Ben canon event.

This works for every character (basically). What if Black Widow ACTUALLY got bit by a black widow? Now Nat Romanoff is on campus. (Every Peter thinks she's an MJ cause the red hair at first).

No matter how ridiculous, you can stretch it. In Spiderverse, everyone is Canon.

If they can write a SpiderCar - you can write ANYTHING.

Some ideas are:

Celebrities, Animals (like SpiderCat or the Dinosaur), Princesses, Greek Gods, Historical Figures, Fandom Characters,

Mundane Spider

This challenge is good for: Character Building & Design

Not everyone is extraordinary. SOMEONE has to flip those McMiguel burgers goddamn it.

If making a huge story and traumatic canon events send daunting - just... Don't do it. Challenge yourself to make a Spidersona that's literally just a person.

Like a Target employee who got bit by a spider that came out a shipment. And now they have to work at the Society AND target. They wear the Target polo over their suit.

Pick a normal type of person, and challenge yourself to make them super.

Maybe a stay at home mom that got bit by a house spider, or a college student that got bit at the library. Any one could be a Spider-person! So don't worry that they're 'boring'.

Ideas for this:

A person based on your town/city, Random Professions, Teachers, Therapists, People based on hobbies you like to do (ex: Margo is eSports. SpiderCanada is hockey based),

History Spider

[This is good for Research]

History Buffs WHERE U AT?????

If you love a period of history - GO ALL IN.

Take the SpiderNoir and Hobie route.

If your Spidersona was from Ancient Egypt, what would they wear? If you really like the Medieval Era, would their city want to burn them at the stake?

For Artists - What would they wear? And how would the fashion trends of their time period effect their suits?

For Writers - What would be their real name, if it were time period accurate? How would they act and speak? Consider how they would adjust to things like 2099, and how their time period would effect their fighting style.

Culture Spider

If you're from a interesting culture or place, make a Sona for that!

[This is another great one for Research, as well as Character Design too]

I've seen it all, from my own IncaSpider, to Korean Spider-people and Romanian Spider-people.

For Artists - It's REALLY fun adapting traditional dress and colors into a Spider-suit, and you may even find yourself falling down a research hole.

For Writers - This can go DEEP. You can pick any time period of your culture and home. Things like their accent, their behaviors and traditions, and their backstory can all be reflections of your culture.

With HUNDREDS of years is material to pull from, using Culture as a back drop for a Spider can help them seem deep and natural. Plus, you can just Google clothing and use that as suit inspo

Ben Reilly - Mary Sue Spider

Arguably my FAVORITE. Not for the faint of heart.

[This is the best for everything - Literal SELF CARE I MEAN THAT]

BE CRINGE. DO IT ON PURPOSE.

Write a character that's super strong and effortless about it. Pavi is. And he's still a great character.

Write a character who ALWAYS looks kick ass and rides a cool motorcycle or plays a rad guitar - Jess and Hobie are literally THAT.

Want your character to be big and super smart with deep trauma that haunts them? - Ben Reilly and Miguel. The three of them can be a trio.

Challenge yourself to make the COOLEST MOST FLAWLESS DRAMATIC SONA YOU CAN.

Every time you draw something or write something that makes you cringe, or feels to OP or too much.

Good. Leave it in. Turn it up to 11.

Go all out. Draw your Instagram dream outfit. If you want your Sona in 12 inch heels - have at it!

'Oh but that's impractical and stup-'

They're literally a Super-Human. If Gwen can catch a helicopter like that, I think a Spidersona can manage stripper heels or Final Fantasy Hair.

What's the worst that can happen? You're doing it on purpose.

At the best, you'll make someone REALLY REALLY rad - like Hobie.

At the least, you'll make someone REALLY REALLY funny - like Ben Reilly.

Disco-Spider Diane is an example of this. She was probably supposed to be a completely self-indulgent, unhinged Sona.

So much so that she thinks she's perfect, even though she's a little bit naive, lazy, and in her own world. But because she doesn't care.. it's all good :)

No Logic Whatsoever Spider

[This one is just funny. Great one for Character Design and getting out of your comfort zone.]

Spider-Ham, Spider-Car, Spider Cat, LegoSpider, Spiderplush and SpiderPopsicle all have a club. The No Logic Whatsoever Club.

Challenge yourself to make a new member.

Break all the laws of logic. If something can be Spiderman, then it is or duty to make it so.

What's your favorite animal? Make that.

Can they put on the suit themselves? No? Who cares they're a Spiderperson-thing now.

Is there a funny art style you like - make a Bendy's style 1930's black and white silent cartoon.

For Artists - This is a great one. It can be as simple as drawing Spider-man merch and making it sentient. Or as bizarre as drawing a Dinosaur in a Spider-man costume.

For Writers - HARD MODE. For pure crack fanatics. Enjoy trying to make logic of this. Or don't. They are what they are.

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

So here are just some exercises and ideas for those looking to strengthen their writing/art skills with Spidersonas.

They can be really quick to make, and you can always build on them over time, do a '1hr Sona Update' Challenge, run them through canon events and see them change.

Having multiple spidersonas can be fun, make writing easier, and it's great practice that translates everywhere - into world building, character design, research, and a lot of other creative skills.

Literally theres no need for just one! The Spiderverse is open to any Sona, no matter how bizarre, mundane, or self-indulgent!!

If this gave you and ideas or inspiration, let me know. If you try a challenge, I'd love to see too!

And as per usual if you've read this far: Here take this as a token of my gratitude

Go forth, create, and kill cringe with your bare hands. Smash it into a moving train. That usually does the trick.

Bye.

[pyrookami]

The call

Fren normally loved working with David. That was usually because the lone human on the small supply depot in the void between solar systems was not normally this quiet and strange. Fren's species did have trouble with humans expressive faces since their own was mainly carapace and they communicated feelings through pheromones. But this cycle David's usual smile was gone and his laughter that would ring out through comms whenever he told a bad joke or saw a skree mating dance was now silent. In their external excursion suits, or as David called them "jogging suits," Fren could only see a part of David's face as he floated in the zero gravity for some reason starring off into the darkness for some reason.

After watching silently for a moment as both David and his special vacuum welding tools simply floated Fren decided enough was enough and keyed his communicator.

"Engineer David you have been staring off into space for approximately ten units is there a problem?"

Strangely the human appeared to flinch at the sudden breaking of the silence, odd since in Fren's experience very little could actually harm the death world species. so quieter and with less intensity he keyed his comm.

"Engineer David are you all right?"

It took a few moments for an answer to come forth from the human as he collected his tools from around him and seemed to gather his thoughts at the same time.

"Sorry boss kinda got lost in thought there for a moment. It wont happen again ill finish up these last couple seals and we can head back into the nice cozy station."

There it was his usual tone and even a bit of laughter. what thoughts could have caused such a jovial creature such dark and pensive silence for so long?

"If you do not mind Friend David. What thoughts were you lost in that had your usual joviality overwhelmed?"

With a chuckle David began welding two metal composite sheets together to patch the meteorite hole before answering.

"Oh it was just the call of the void messing with my mood. Wondering how it would go if i was to drift off into the literal void you know what i mean?"

in shock Fren stared at the human, to the human who had trouble with the blank faces of the arachnian it was hard to tell what was going on as it seemed that there was something wrong. after looking around to make sure nothing was behind him David maneuvered over to his eight-legged counterpart and waved a hand in front of Fren's primary eyes. the motion achieved its goal of pulling Fren out of his shocked stupor only for the arachnian to embrace his human coworker with four limbs and use his remaining free limbs to maneuver the duo to the air lock. Fren did not release his friend until the air lock ha d cycled and opened into the interior of the station.

"WHOA HEY!"

"Engineer David you are to report to doctor Shulo immediately for psychiatric evaluation and are not to work until i have a clean mental bill of health for you and your thoughts of self termination have ceased."

Before the human could respond he was forced out of the airlock and it was closed behind him.

"Well time to freak out the doc i guess."

[em-dash-press]

Plot Devices to Complicate Your Story

You're excited to write an upcoming story, but the plot seems pretty simple from start to finish.

How can you make it more complicated to deepen your themes, lengthen the story, or leave your readers with plot twists that make their jaws drop?

Try a few of these devices 👀

Add motivation to your instigating action

When the princess gets kidnapped at the start of your story, your hero will rescue her, but what's the antagonist's motivation for kidnapping her? If they're in love with the hero and take their jealousy to the extreme or secretly know that the princess asked them for an escape plan to avoid marrying your hero, the plot is much more compelling.

You could add this detail anywhere in your plot, even in the first chapter.

Layer a second motivation underneath an action

After the princess is kidnapped, the hero starts their journey to rescue her. The reader finds out in the second chapter that the hero is being blackmailed to retrieve the princess and return her to their kingdom's biggest rival to start a war.

Amplify the original problem

Your protagonist rescues the princess and brings her home, only to find out that she's had a twin brother all this time who has been taken hostage by the antagonist in retaliation for the princess' escape.

Introduce a second, more evil villain

The antagonist has kidnapped the princess for their own motivation, but the reader discovers in the middle of your story that they serve a more evil villain who holds a personal grudge against the princess' father and wants his whole kingdom to suffer as revenge.

Create conflict that brings your protagonist to their rock bottom

The protagonist rescues the princess, almost reaches their home kingdom, but she escapes. The king sends the protagonist to prison for their failure and sentences them to death in three days. The reader will feel the hopelessness along with your protagonist, which is where you can create something that injects new hope into your plot (like a dramatic jailbreak thanks to the protagonist's best friend).

Make a character betray another

The protagonist reaches the princess with the help of their best friend, but the princess stabs the protagonist in the back by trading their best friend for herself through an unbreakable vow

Reveal an unreliable narrator

Your protagonist agrees to rescue the princess for the sake of the kingdom, but the second or third chapter reveals that they are really on a mission to kill the princess for personal revenge against the king.

Reveal that the villain has known everything the whole time

Your protagonist and princess escape, but the villain factored that into their plan to start a war and have their forces waiting outside of her castle when they arrive home

Introduce sudden regret that changes a character's arc

The protagonist has to leave their best friend behind to ensure the princess' escape, but in leaving them, the protagonist realizes they've been in love with their best friend the entire time. Regret motivates them to head back for their best friend and risk their life twice as soon as the princess is home safe.

Temporarily kill a character

The princess kills the villain with some help from your protagonist, so they think they're safe. On their way back home, the villain sets a trap for them in the woods because they actually survived the attack.

Try using Chekov's gun

Before leaving for the princess, your protagonist gets a potion made by a family member. The directions? "Use it in your moment of greatest need." The protagonist uses it later when they're facing the villain or after hitting rock bottom, so the potion becomes a plot device that instigates your second or third act.

Accelerate the plot

Your reader thinks the plot is all about rescuing the princess, but she returns home in the first 100 pages. The real plot begins by choices or actions made during her rescue, which unravel into a much larger story/world event.

You likely won't be able to use all of these plot devices in a single story. You may not even have the first plot for more than one.

Consider what you're writing and what dynamics your characters/plot present to decide if any of these tricks could enhance your writing.

[frownyalfred]

“Did you really think I wouldn’t win?” Bruce asked.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t win?” Bruce asked.

“Did you really,” Bruce asked, “think I wouldn’t win?”

“Did you really think—” Bruce asked, “—that I wouldn’t win?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t win,” Bruce asked.

[writers-potion]

How do I accurately include diversity, and not make it look like I’m just putting it in there for the sake of it?

Writing Diverse Characters - Things to Remember

Honestly, there's no definitive answer to this.

Your characters are people with clear goals, desires and a role to play in the plot. As long as they aren't just sitting there with little else but their race/gender/disability, etc. as their ONLY personality trait, at least you're on the right path.

As for representing a diverse character realistically, here are some things you can consider to get started.

Do's

RESEARCH. There are plenty of blogs/YT vids/websites that exist to help you! Meet people!

Get beta readers.

It doesn't have to be explicit. Racial identities become quite clear early on through the setting, name, and initial description(hair, eye/skin color, body shape, etc) without having to drum it into the readers each time. Gender diversity can be conveyed through the use of certain pronouns without awkward declarations.

Character first, diversity second. Please don't intentionally create a diverse character and then think about how you can push them into the cast. Have a working character, who happens to belong to a particular group.

Read works that have represented a group well. There are plenty of non-fiction works, movies and documentaries that capture the lives of people around the world with a good eye.

Use the correct terms/language

Include different types of diversity

Don'ts

Race/gender/diability is NOT a personality trait. Please. Telling me that you have a Korean girl tells me next to nothing about the character herself.

Using sterotypes. Now, it's all right if your character has a few sterotypical traits, but definitely not if sterotypes are the only thing they have.

Diversity is not a "shock factor". Suddenly revealing that a character is actually gay and has been in the closet all this time as a refresher so that it draws readers' attention? Not a good idea.

One diverse character does all. This can often be seen in female characters of slightly dated works where one woman will play the role of supportive mother, sister, femme fetale and sexy Barbie at the same time. Don't write a diverse character who basically does everything a diverse character can possibly be. All that it proves is that the writer is lazy.

Things I personally hate seeing:

Weird pronunciation of languages. As a Korean person, I always get turned off by works (mostly badly written fanfics, yes, I read those...) that try to transfer Korean dialogue directly onto the page without even checking for the correct way to spell them out. A similar example would be pinyin for Mandarin. Please, this makes the character sound stupid throughout...

Character sticking out almost painfully. If your character isn't from the region but have lived in it for a long time, what reason do they have not to blend in?

Relying on variety shows/dramas as reference. Media representation of diverse characters that are meant for entertainment is not the best source for authentic research. I die every time someone lists a number of Korean rom-coms they've watched for "research". IT DOES NOT COUNT.

As a last note, remember that there's no limit to the kind of characters a writer can writer. Accept that our job as writers is to step into other people's heads, not seeing things from one (our) perspective - and it is not going to be easy.

Hope this helps :)

[daily-prompts]

I need everyone’s best character advice. STAT.

[jane-alma]

Advice for planning your story

Plotting out a story is an essential step in bringing your ideas to life and creating a compelling narrative. Here are some valuable tips that I personally find helpful to effectively plot out new story ideas <3

1. Start with the basics: Begin by identifying the key elements of your story – the main characters, setting, and central conflict. Understand who your characters are, what they want, and what obstacles they will face. This foundation will serve as a solid starting point for your plot.

2. Outline the major plot points: Once you have a clear understanding of your story's foundation, outline the major plot points. These are the significant events or turning points that drive the story forward. Consider the introduction, inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. This structure will give your story a sense of direction and progression.

3. Create a timeline: Develop a timeline or sequence of events that organizes the flow of your story. This helps you visualize the progression of events and ensures a logical and coherent narrative. Consider the cause-and-effect relationship between different plot points and how they impact your characters' journey.

4. Use storyboarding or visual aids: Visual aids, such as storyboards or visual diagrams, can be helpful for visual thinkers. Create a visual representation of your story's structure, mapping out the key scenes, character arcs, and plot developments. This can provide a clear overview and help you spot any gaps or inconsistencies.

5. Balance pacing and tension: As you plot out your story, consider the pacing and tension. Ensure that your story has a good balance of slower, introspective moments and high-stakes, action-packed sequences. Introduce obstacles and conflicts that keep readers engaged and eager to turn the pages.

6. Allow for flexibility: While it's important to have a solid plot outline, don't be afraid to deviate or adapt as you write. Sometimes, characters surprise you or new ideas emerge during the creative process. Stay open to these possibilities and be willing to adjust your plot if it serves the story better.

7. Revise and refine: Plotting is an iterative process. Once you have a draft of your plot, review it critically. Look for areas that may need more development, pacing adjustments, or additional conflict. Refine your plot to ensure it aligns with your overall story vision.

Remember, plotting is a guide, not a rigid framework. It's there to help you stay organized and focused, but don't be afraid to let your creativity flow and explore unexpected avenues. With practice and experimentation, you'll become more adept at plotting out your story ideas and creating narratives that captivate readers <3

[eldritch-ambrosia]

“What?” Merlin finally asks, his voice dripping with annoyance from across the king’s chambers. 

Arthur fumbles with his parchments, averting his gaze and raising his eyebrow at a page that was most certainly not upside down, heat rushing to his cheeks, 

“Hm?”

“Arthur!” He says warningly.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Well then, stop watching me!” Merlin rolls his eyes, leaning back down to grab for the sponge he had thrown in his frustration. “I’m doing my job, aren’t I?”

Arthur scoffs. “I’m not-”

“I can feel your eyes burning into the back of my skull, you prick.”

He wavers.

“I’m just… thinking.”

“Oh well don’t hurt yourself,” Merlin grumbles, scrubbing a particular part of the chamber floor harder. A wine stain that they both know won’t come off clean, from years prior, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. Trying to clean or trying to annoy Arthur though, he couldn’t really be sure. 

He finally sighs, tossing the sponge back into the bucket, and stretching out his back. “What are you thinking about?”

He considers not answering. He’s the king, he can demand anything he wants from his servants, including leaving him the hell alone. Though that didn’t usually seem to work with Merlin and there were some conversations he couldn’t avoid forever. 

“Why didn’t you accept the position on the council?”

Merlin turns to him fully now, head tilted in confusion. “What?”

“You could be in your own chambers right now. Large, lavish chambers,” he emphasizes, placing his parchment back down. “Dining and drinking wine and preparing for bed. Instead of… this.”

“My knees are getting a bit worn for this part, to be honest.” He says, standing and curving his back slightly, the crack of his bones echoing awkwardly through the chamber. “But I couldn’t do that to whatever poor fool would end up getting this job instead. I wouldn’t want to punish someone with your dirty socks and poor habits.”

“Hey-!”

“And then who would help Gaius? I am still his assistant, even if you seem to forget that. You’re telling me that you want Gaius to train someone entirely new to take over after him?” He crosses his arms, tutting disappointedly. “I didn’t know you could be so cruel.”

“Shut up, Merlin.” Arthur rolls his eyes, leaning back in his chair. It was just like him to throw off a serious question about himself with some long winded complaining or stabbing at Arthur’s character. 

Now, though, he knew why.

Merlin shrugs, drying off his hands with a spare cloth, his eyes scanning the room. He always did this before it was time to get Arthur ready for bed, a final once over of a job mostly well done. 

“You asked.”

“Because I wanted an honest answer. Not your usual prattle.”

“I am being honest.” Merlin insists, though his voice wavers.

Sighing, Arthur finally pushes forward. “Is it because you want to stay by my side? Because you and I can’t be parted?”

“What?” His head jerks, his knuckles gripping the cloth tighter.

“If that is the reason, we can still be together when you’re a council member! Hell, you’ll be a nobleman so you can stay near me without having to serve. Get off your feet for a while.”

“You’re talking nonsense, Arthur.”

“I know, Merlin.” He says gently, standing. “I know.”

Merlin’s eyes are wide as he swallows hard, and Arthur is sure he can see him shaking. “I don’t-” His voice cracks. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“It’s okay,” Arthur says, approaching his servant as if he were an anxious cat and not his closest friend. “I heard you and Lancelot talking in the training room a few weeks ago.”

He considers what Arthur’s said, his eyes darting back and forth before they settle on the king. “And you’re just… fine with it?”

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say fine with it. I wish you’d have told me, at the very least.” He stops, only a few feet in front of the other man. “But, I suppose, yes. I’ve thought a lot about it and I don’t think we should be parted either.”

“Really?” He asks, blinking owlishly. 

Arthur nods, reaching a hand out to his shoulder. “I want you by my side, Merlin. Whether that’s as my servant or as my advisor, you will always be the person I turn to first.”

“Are you sure?” He asks, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly, though his eyes are still shining. “I don’t want you to do this just because you feel bad. And what would the other advisors say? And the knights?”

“They’ll have to go through me then. And I don’t think making an enemy of the King of Camelot will really go well for them. Do you?”

“An enemy?” Merlin smiles and Arthur feels his whole body sigh in relief. “Do you really mean that?”

“I do.” A pause hangs between them, a familiar and comfortable silence. Merlin brings his hand up to Arthur’s, gently holding onto where the king’s hand rests on his shoulder, and Arthur can’t help but think that to stay here, in this moment, would bring him utter peace. 

He’d never admit that, not to Merlin, or anyone else for that matter, but he could accept it for himself and that would be enough.

“Is, um, there anything I have to do to… move forward?”

“For your job, not at all. I’ll take care of everything.” Merlin nods, grinning softly. “But for us, can you tell me? I don’t want to know just from overhearing you and Lancelot. I want you to tell me the truth. Please.”

Merlin’s grin widens, his grasp on Arthur’s wrist tightening. “Okay. Let me just…” And he leans forward, tilting his head down ever so slightly, pressing his lips to a startled Arthur’s.

The king freezes, heat rushing to his face, and he can feel his chest tightening as Merlin pulls back.

“I love you,” Merlin murmurs in the air between them and Arthur can see it in his eyes. Which means that Merlin can see the absolute shock in his in return. Merlin’s face falls. “What?”

“You… what?”

“I… You said you knew!” Merlin accuses, attempting to pull back but Arthur’s grip on his shoulder tightens. “You shouldn’t be… I mean, you know that! Obviously, you know that, right? Why else would you have said all that?”

Arthur’s red in the face, sputtering and feeling like an absolute idiot. “I know about your magic, Merlin! I had no idea-”

“My what?!”

~~~

I know it's been done before but I'm a sucker for this trope. The only way I'm okay with miscommunication. Whatever you think happens next, it absolutely does :)

Hoping to write more Merlin blurbs to motivate me to finish my multichapter fics because writer's block is a bitch.

[kaimeioneclipse]

Black Christmas 🎄

Pairing: Wednesday x You (any gender)

Summary: It's the Holiday season and this time you are spending it at Nevermore Academy since your folks aren't around this year. Wednesday and the rest of the crew are also at Nevermore this year so you decided to do something special for your Girlfriend, Wednesday Addams.

WordCount: 1.5k words

You knock on a dorm door on Christmas night the stillness in the air made you reminisce of home. you lived outside the city but your quiet town wasn't too bad, The quiet nights with barely any cars driving through and the falling snow made you feel calm.

You hear the door begin to unlock and you see a bubbly blonde girl with colorful dyed hair opens the door. "Oh hey Y/N! I'm just now heading down to the Holiday party with Thing." You can see the stitched-up hand on Enid's shoulder waving at you with his index finger.

"Hey Thing." you say to him "Wednesday inside?" You ask the two

"Yea you know Ms. Gloomy, typing away at her typewriter," says Enid with her sarcastic but bubbly grin

"I can hear you" you can hear Wednesday exclaim from inside the room

"Good luck and don't miss out on the holiday party! We definitely need you and Wednesday to complete our dancing crew"

Thing begins to tap on Enid's as if he is asking if he was a part of the dance crew.

"Of course, Thing. I can't wait to tear it up with you" She says as they begin to walk down the hallways leading to the party below in Nevermore's halls.

You walk in to see the half-colorful and half-black room the two girls share. As Enid said there was Wednesday typing away at her typewriter. You get closer and look at the sheets of paper that were typed and put to the side of her desk or the papers that were thrown away in the waste bin.

"How's the story going?" You ask

The ding of the of typewriter hits the emptiness of the room and Wednesday takes the page out and crumbles it up and throws it on the floor.

"Not that great huh?" you say as you pick up the crumpled paper and check its contents. "Wow, you are writing a Christmas section of your book?"

"Viper's partner has invited her to a Christmas gathering. I cant seem to put into words of a Christmas celebration other than setting fire to a tree and dancing on the ashes as my mother and father would do." She exclaims while putting in a new sheet of paper in the typewriter.

After you and Wednesday decided to begin dating her writing shifted a bit from being a loner. She added two new characters that help her solve her cases. A ragtag sweet talker who had the strength of 40 men and Viper's partner that always has her back. Clearly, you could tell it was based on you and Enid, Wednesady would never admit it though.

As Wednesday begins to write up another attempt of doing this section of the story. You put your hand on hers and say "How about a break?" "Let's go to the party downstairs. It could be a lot of fun" you say to her but she seems reluctant to go downstairs and deal with all the bright lights and happy times.

"No. I rather work on this section. The sooner the better I don't have to worry about this Christmas fiasco" she said. You grab her chair and spin her around to look at you. "Wednesday it's Christmas. It's time to spend time with the people you love. Your family is in the Real Bermuda Triangle....Whatever that means. So you are here with me Enid and Thing."

Wednesday looks at you with open eyes, her pupils were as dark as the midnight sky. "How about this you come with me to give you your Christmas gift and if you are still not up to the Christmas spirit, then you can go back to wringing your story" you say.

Wednesday gets up from her chair with her platform black boots. "Deal" she replies and puts on her black jacket.

"By the way, You have to close your eyes" you explain

After 10 mins of leading Wednesday through hallways and stairs. You finally make it. "Ok just hold on a few seconds," you say as you begin to shift around moving things and putting things into place. You move behind her and slowly say "Ok....open them"

Wednesday slowly opens to see the Nightshade room has been turned into a dark morbid Christmas Addams wonderland. Wednesday was stunned but as you know no emotion shows on her face. "I tried to do my best with what I had. Was tricky getting the Christmas tree black, let's just say it's a huge fire hazard."

In the middle of the room, there is a black Christmas tree that has been littered with skull ornaments. scorpions, severed baby doll heads.

"This is absolute, dark, horrid, and downright distasteful.....I love it" said Wednesday with a slight smirk as she looked at the Christmas tree. Every Ornament seemed to be brought from a shop from in town. Then Wednesday notices an ornament that seems to be a picture of You, Wednesday, Enid, Thing, Eugene Xavier and Bianca/ She raised her hand to put it on the Christmas tree and the picture as she got closer "Ash... you sprinkled ash on it"

"Yea, since we can't burn it I burned a couple branches on the campus grounds and brought the ashes here. The Groundskeepers are not gonna be happy with the scorched earth." you said as you started to rummage through a bag that was on a chair nearby. a black skinny rectangle present with a silver bow and ribbon was taken out the bag.

"Hey" you say to Wednesday.

She turns around to see you holding out a present to her.

"What's this all about?" she asks

"Merry Christmas," you say with a bright smile on her face and hand it over to Wednesday

She opens them and begins to widen her eyes it's a picture of you and her and you got her a hardcover Notepad with a Raven standing on top of a skull with her initials on it.

"Just a little something to have me always with you and while you are gone something to write when you don't want to move over to the typewriter." you say.

Wednesday looks at the picture of you two, the day was very special for her. This was the day you both did a cemetery date on a full moon. It was interesting to watch the Wolf Pack wolf out and have a great time. You made ink black pasta which took you a couple mistakes until you got it right but it was worth it.

"Thank you," she said with her normal Wednesday tone. She looked around and put her picture of you two down then reached inside the book and found an ink fountain pen inside. She began to write inside the book. You tried to look over her shoulder but she was blocking it with her small stature.

She got up and held the book to her chest.

"You ok?" you ask

She turned around to face you and held up the book and opened up the first page to show you a page writing that says "You are the candle in my dark ice path in the night. I love you, Merry Christmas." You smile at the gesture, Wednesday pulls the book down to reveal her face and shows she was slightly blushing but still had her half-dead emotionless face.

"I love you too Wednesday....my" You say then try to remember what her father says to her mother. "Mi Caria"

She smiles and chuckles at your horrible pronunciation but you did your best. "Mon Cher" she says laying the book down on the chair and hugs you and looks up at you.

You take out your cell phone and begin to play some classical music to dance to from a nearby Bluetooth speaker. You hold up your hand and grab it and you dance and look into the eyes of each other. Wednesday lays her head on your chest as you dance and you smile since you never felt so vulnerable and loved from one person.

"I think i know how im going to end that section of the story now with Viper." Wednesday says to you as you two continue to dance.

"Oh how so...." you say looking down at her

Wednesday Addams the little dark starlight of Nevermore Academy looks into you with her black eyes as if she is pulling you in with magic.

"Like this" she says as she places her hands on the sides of your face and pulls you towards her and kisses you on the lips. She is usually super cold but this time her lips are warm as if she is melting away any ice between you two.

"Now that is my kind of ending" you smile and so does she. "Wanna go to the holiday party, I know Enid and Thing are waiting on us" as you gesture towards the top of the stairs to go back to the school.

Wednesday nods "But I have a Christmas present for you back in my room....Well, two now. So we have to get that first"

"Awesome! I can't wait to see what it is." You exclaim

"Let's just say one of them you are going to need to stretch." she says with a smirk

(Didn't think I would be able to write another Wednesday story. I just finished watching the show and wow loved it. For this one, everyone is aged up just because of the way it ends.

Its Christmas and i wanted to write another story. So here we are. It was a fun one to do after my Christmas events. So it was a good time. The funny thing about this story is it was going to be short then turned into this ahaha. But either way if you have any ideas for another story hit the Ask button below!

Thanks and love you all and be sure to leave a comment on the story to help me improve. I know I'm not the best writer but its fun.)

Ask for more Ideas for stories

[thrxughthenxght]

Angst Dialogue Prompts

"Would you pick it over me?"

"I'm begging you to stay." "Clearly not."

"Don't you see I'm unhappy? That I can't go on like this?"

"It's not my weight to carry."

"This isn't survival, this is us." (Credit goes to @violets-and-books for the line).

"I never asked for this."

"I don't want to die."

"If I fall now, would you stand and watch?"

"Nothing in the world could make me hate you more than I do right now."

"Why would you do this?"

"What have you done?"

"You could die and I wouldn't shed a single tear."

"They're dead, and it feels so wrong."

"I don't know what you want me to do to fix this!"

"Would you please leave? For once, go."