taswritesstuff

[taswritesstuff]

a writing competition i was going to participate in again this year has announced that they now allow AI generated content to be submitted

their reasoning being that "we couldn't ban it even if we wanted to, every writer already uses it anyway"

"Every writer"?

come on

[taswritesstuff]

[taswritesstuff]

ellipsus: an honest review

(this is pretty much directly copied from an insta post i just made. if you're seeing this before monday 4/21, when this goes live on insta... cool! you got in early. also, check my instagram out)

what is ellipsus?

ellipsus is a writing platform designed for collaboration, but it can definitely be used alone. i, personally, only write solo, so this review mostly focuses on the solo writing experience (with a few mentions of collaborative features).

features

there are sort of 4 main parts to ellipsus when it comes to writing: folders, documents, the main writing doc, and drafts. you can make folders to house multiple documents, and you can even put folders into folders, which allows for a TON of organization.

inside each document, you have the main document and the drafts. the way it’s meant to be used is as follows: you do all your writing in the main doc, and then you can make drafts that copy everything in the main doc. any changes you make in the drafts doesn’t change the main doc.

that, however, is not how i use documents. i like to make a document about one topic - for example, character development and worldbuilding - and then make drafts that relate to that topic (i.e., a draft for each character bio). this allows for even MORE organization beyond folders, microfolders, and documents.

ellipsus also has templates like word and google docs, but i don’t have much to say as i haven’t tried any of the templates out. as of right now the templates don’t have previews (outside of the ellipsus blog), just names, which has made me hesitant to look into them any further because... you know... i don’t really know what I’m getting into. this is just something to note.

pros

LOTS of organization via folders within folders, documents, and drafts

built-in collaboration tools (such as version history, a chat box for collaborators, and commenting on drafts)

lots of formatting tools (such as headings, a divider, quote/code, indents, and more)

the platform is constantly being improved & updated

if you’re a font nerd like me: new fonts are added fairly often, and the selection is pretty good right now! it has a good variety of different font types.

IT'S FREE!!

cons

you can’t switch between fonts in one draft/the main doc - only one font for the entire thing (diff headings can have different fonts)

can be glitchy sometimes (though i’ve never lost work!)

you can move documents between folders, but you can’t move drafts between documents. (this might not seem like a big deal to some, but i accidentally made a draft in the wrong doc once and wasn’t able to move it, which sort of threw off my organization :/)

ellipsus is only on web, which is great on computers but makes it difficult & not fun to use on mobile

should you use it instead of word and google docs?

i’ve been using ellipsus for around 2 months now, and i’d say it’s a great alternative... but it doesn’t have everything. in some regards, i’m still finding it difficult to completely transfer over from google docs, which I’ve been using for years. one thing i love is ellipsus' stance completely against ai, and its commitment to staying that way. i still mostly use google docs on my phone, since ellipsus is hard to use on mobile.

final thoughts & comments

i think ellipsus is a great tool, and that everybody should try it out! maybe you won’t transfer over to it completely right away (or ever), but it’s still something to look into. is it perfect? no, but it’s improving all the time.

interested? find them here:

tumblr: @ellipsus-writes

website: https://ellipsus.com/

blog (also linked through website, but i think more people should look into it for new features, features you may have missed, and current writing news): https://ellipsus.com/blog

happy writing!

[taswritesstuff]

[taswritesstuff]

“What if I write it and it’s bad-”

WHAT IF YOU WRITE IT AND ITS GOOD? WHAT IF YOU WRITE IT AND ITS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANTED? WHAT THEN????

[taswritesstuff]

the look of love (for writers)

"it's all in the eyes i was once told"

catching the stare of someone across a crowded room

subtle furrowing of eyebrows beyond a blank facade

coldness easing into warmth

a fond mothering gaze

corner of the lip nudged upward

forced glower/glare as they break underneath

batting their lashes, playful

a boisterous laugh

intrigue piercing the stoic

proud smugness at the other's success

lingering glances

a childish joy bursting through

pupils dilate

eyelids shut in a look of peace, calm and trust

look of longing/betrayal

"there was once a time when they were mine"

terseness

features fold into a scowl

an urgent flinching back

coldness returns (as though the warmth had never come)

lips part then purse

invasion of shock

slow stare at the floor

the ripple effect of a swallow

frustrated breath/sigh

bitter laugh in reminiscence

dread tearing through the seams of their composure

look of hatred

"darkness"

mean smirk- teeth bared grimace- scowl

dismissive gaze

gaze of contempt/impatience

threat lowering the voice

sardonic goading grins verging on manic

rolling one's eyes

flicker of irritation in the eyes

stares stubbornly ahead despite distraction

gritted teeth, clenched jaw

fierce biting remarks

even measured complexions betraying no thought

strangling oneself back from violence

utter apathy

murderous silence hanging in the stare

snobbish laughter

smiling at another's downfall

[taswritesstuff]

I made these as a way to compile all the geographical vocabulary that I thought was useful and interesting for writers. Some descriptors share categories, and some are simplified, but for the most part everything is in its proper place. Not all the words are as useable as others, and some might take tricky wording to pull off, but I hope these prove useful to all you writers out there!

(save the images to zoom in on the pics)

[taswritesstuff]

[taswritesstuff]

he’s redstoning

[taswritesstuff]

All that is required for the triumph of evil is the complacency of good men. Truthfully, everyone who stayed quiet during that were not good... Those who cheered are also not good. We're finally seeing that few elected "leaders" are there for us as much as they are there for themselves. This is a time for direct action not being quiet...

[taswritesstuff]

I’m definitely biased but Jegulus has the coolest ship names because James is Starchaser, and Regulus is Sunseeker.

[taswritesstuff]

“Yeah I think stars are really pretty!” I lied I’m obsessed with regulus black

[taswritesstuff]

BOATEM!!!! I LOVE U BOATEM!!!

[taswritesstuff]

reblog if your url represents who you really are 

[taswritesstuff]

Here is the link! What an amazing idea ❤️

[taswritesstuff]

come over so you can lay on top of me and crush me with your entire body weight

[taswritesstuff]

A Jegulus fic with James falling first and Regulus being oblivious. James is lowkey obsessed and Regulus can't tell what flirting is. It's written from Regulus' pov. Cute, right?

It's a thriller.

James would use his cloak and the map to find Regulus and come see him. All Regulus knows is that whenever he's alone a presence appears. He can't see it, but it finds him anywhere he goes. And as if it weren't enough, Sirius' friend found out he's gay, and now he's making these odd vague threats to out him.