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[to-ziers]

If anyone needs the rules for the berry zodiac, Here they are. I will be posting the other 3 right now!!

[to-ziers]

Writing Advice Masterlist

CRAFT

How to write subtext

When to use summary and when to use scene

What is purple prose vs descriptive style

What to consider when writing for teens and children

The different types of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person

When to show and when to tell

Showing vs. Telling in plot, character, setting, dialogue, etc. 

What is good telling?

Psychic distance (what it is + comparing 3rd omniscient, 3rd limited, and 1st person)

How to write strong dialogue

How to avoid melodrama

How to create powerful similes and metaphors

How to lengthen or shorten a novel

How to use 2nd person

YA vs NA vs Adult

Transitioning a book from being YA to being adult

The push and pull of hope and despair

How to introduce a flashback

Is it okay to use a POV shift for one scene?

Writing conflict and antagonist forces in a contemporary work/a piece with no villain

Describing setting in a way that’s in character

Using Symbolism

How to describe music

How to write a sex scene

Writing sexual or romantic tension/attraction

How to write a kiss scene

How to be subtle with theme

How to plan a story’s conflict

How to write a 1st person witness narrator

Where to add a character description

First sentences

Avoiding repetitive sentence structure

How to write a death scene

How to write body language

Using specificity to come up with original ideas

How to cut -ing verbs

Past vs present tense

What can be ambiguous and what needs to be explained? + Magical realism vs fantasy

Describing something abstract/intangible

Creating tension

How to improve your description (writing exercise) 

PLOT, STRUCTURE, AND CONCEPT

What is structure?

How to know if a plot is satisfying

How to develop plot material

How to develop a novel idea from nothing

How to write the beginning of a novel

How to write a story that is mostly internal

Finding the balance between plot driven and character driven

Common pitfalls of a meet cute

Plotting a contemporary novel

Plotting the 2nd half of a novel

Plot beats in the 2nd half of a novel

Pacing tips

How to develop a specific idea

Working with subplots

More on subplots

How to keep your plot moving forward

Writing a non-linear narrative

CHARACTER

How does a character arc work?

Character development questions + exercises

How to use MBTI as a character development tool

Respectfully writing a character of a different identity than yourself

Is it okay to write outside your lane?

How to find a character’s unique diction and vocabulary

How to write a problematic/morally grey/morally bankrupt character + with recommended readings

Is it okay to write a problematic main character? Where is the line?

Writing from the POV of a psychopath

Writing an anti-hero

Balancing out an unlikeable character

Writing a romance with a mentally ill character without romanticizing their mental illness

More thoughts on respectfully writing mental illness

How to do research to write a character with mental illness

What do I do if I feel like I write the same character over and over?

How to add character depth

As a male writer, can I write 1st person from a woman’s perspective?

Should a book have a comic relief character?

How to write a character mistake

Character motives

How to write more complex character psychology

How to develop side characters

How to write an active character

How to manage a book with a very large cast

Writing an unreliable narrator

Writing LGBTQIAP+ characters

Writing asexual characters

Writing friendships

Writing a healthy romantic relationship

Why I will always writing about ‘problematic’ characters 

Integrating character descriptions

Tips for character motivation/yearning

Writing character body language

WRITING PRACTICE AND PROCESS

How to get back into writing after a long break

How to deal with criticism

The pressure to create in the writing community

Advice for teen and new writers

How to work on multiple projects at once

Dealing with rejection

What to do if you’re on deadline and don’t have an idea or finished draft

How to revamp and old idea to fit your current writing style

Realizing you won’t have time to write all your ideas, and what to do

What to do if you don’t have a plot

PLATFORM & PUBLISHING

Starting a platform

More on starting a platform

Why I chose to traditionally publish

Pros and cons of different social media platforms for writers

Resources for finding literary magazines to submit to

Starting an author tube channel

SHORT STORIES

How to write a short story collection

Is the concept right for a novel or short story? + How to write a character arc in a short story

Should a short story be structured using novel structures like 15 beat?

How much planning do I do for a short story?

How to outline a short story

More on outlining a short story

How to title a short story

My short story writing process + how to get started with short stories + how to edit a short story + short story tips

More tips on how to write a short story

Writing the ending (aka moment of character reflection, or moment of ‘lift’) of a short story

OTHER STUFF

How to get started with screenwriting

How to format a screenplay

Best pieces of writing advice I’ve ever gotten

My top 10 writing tips

Should you change your work for judgemental family members?

How to share your work with your family if you write about dark or mature content

How to slay an English exam composition

What is literary fiction?

Can a fantasy novel also be literary fiction?

How to lead a writing workshop

How to read more

Advice for creative writing majors (in Canada and elsewhere)

A list of useful essays on craft

[to-ziers]

What Did You Say? A guide to writing good dialogue

(Remember all pieces of advice are meant to help guide, that is all. They are not dogma.)

Ever read something and heard the dialogue in your head, and you just stopped. There was something off about it and for a solid minute there you couldn’t tell if the character was supposed to sound like that or if the author just didn’t have dialogue down. Chances are some mistakes were made. 

Dialogue can be tricky. There’s no doubt about it.

You need to make it sound like the characters are having a real conversation but if you write it exactly like people talk it can get confusing and sound even worse. 

“So how do I write good dialogue?!”

You can usually sense when your dialogue needs work. So here’s a set of some dialogue trick that might help you. When you think something is off with your dialogue use this to help you figure out what and make some changes.

All about that Flow-

It’s said all the time about your first draft, the important thing is to get the words on the page, you’ll refine later. This technique applies to your dialogue, and you’ll even come up with lines you never would have if you spent your time trying to be perfect.

You can even try writing the dialogue first. Get down what your characters are arguing about, planning, revealing, etc. Do it fast, pay no attention to who said what. Just get the words out.

This dialogue can give you a good idea what the scene is about and it might be different than what you thought. Then just go back to it and fill in.

This can be good for when you’re in a slump.

Keep reading

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Hollywood praising and celebrating Parasite

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✨Realization✨

𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘥𝘰, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦

𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰

𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘤𝘳𝘺

[to-ziers]

Richie asks Eddie a burning question and gets a clear answer :’)

Inspired by anon!

[to-ziers]

Azula and Zuko impersonating each other.

[to-ziers]

Something that really breaks my heart is the cruel indifference that some people have towards pets or animals that they personally don’t enjoy. Like I hear so many stories about someone losing a beloved pet snake or rat or tarantula, only for their friends to say something like “good riddance”.

My best friend does not like my gerbils at all. She jokingly calls them vermin and teases me for being the only 25 year old woman that still has pet gerbils. She came to visit me one weekend when one of my sweet babies was really sick, and unfortunately called me at work to solemnly let me know my gerbil had passed. The entire drive home I was trying not to cry because we had plans and I didn’t want to ruin the weekend with my ridiculous grief over a rodent. When I got home, my best friend was sitting in the driveway, hand painting a little coffin with my gerbil’s name on it. I immediately started sobbing. She went and got me a glass of wine, and played a Stevie Nicks song on her phone while she dug a grave. After the somber funeral in my backyard, she cancelled our evening plans and we walked to a bar, where my best friend completely un-ironically held up a glass and toasted my dead gerbil, thanking her for the joy she’d brought me.

The point of this story is, you don’t have to share or even understand your friend’s interests to show them respect and empathy in a time of loss. It’s alright if you don’t like a friend’s unconventional pet, you certainly don’t have to! However, pet loss can be incredibly painful, and I think it is always best to err on the side of kindness.

[to-ziers]

guy about to invent salt: i wonder what this rock tastes like

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You're a little obsessed with yourself, aren't you?

well no one else is gonna do it

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Wtf are cummies

they like those people we fought durin the cold war

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Ben’s full of love and secrets

[to-ziers]

Stupid Richie just took his breath away~

CUTIES <3

[to-ziers]

Are y'all ready for Joyce Byers to infiltrate the Russian ranks, bust into that compound, and free Hopper from that chain gang like the badass femme fatale she was always meant to be???

[to-ziers]

based off this joke that I thought fit the boys

[to-ziers]

i cannot get over the idea of eddie waking up under neibolt (turtle, whatever), wading through the barrens, and walking back into the town house and going “hey do you guys - stop screaming, its just me - do you guys have any antiseptics?”