twinenergy - Tumblr blog

[twinenergy]

reasons i haven’t replied back:

- i’m socially exhausted - i don’t have the time right now - i don’t know how to reply - i have a bad memory and got distracted - i’m having a depressive episode and don’t have the energy to socialise

not reasons i haven’t replied back:

- i’m ignoring you just because - i hate you - i’m fed up with you - i don’t want to be your friend anymore

[twinenergy]

Advice for writing relationships

Ship Dynamics

How to create quick chemistry

How to write a polyamorous relationship

How to write a wedding

How to write found family

How to write forbidden love

Introducing partner(s) to family

Honeymoon

Date gone wrong

Fluffy Kiss Scene

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

Affections without touching

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other

Relationship Problems

Relationship Changes

Milestones in a relationship

Platonic activities for friends

Settings for conversations

How to write a love-hate relationship

How to write enemies to lovers

How to write lovers to enemies to lovers

How to write academic rivals to lovers

How to write age difference

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for having a crush on someone

Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship

Ways a wedding could go wrong

Arranged matrimony for royalty

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! 🥰

[twinenergy]

[twinenergy]

I love me a pseudo-historical arranged marriage au but it always nudges my suspension of disbelief when the author has to dance around the implicit expectation that an arranged marriage should lead to children, which a cis gay couple can't provide.

I know for a lot of people that's irrelevant to what they want from an Arranged Marriage plot, but personally I like playing in the weird and uncomfortable implications.

So, I've been thinking about how you would justify an obviously barren marriage in That Kind of fantasy world, and I thought it'd be interesting if gay marriage in Ye Old Fantasy Land was a form of soft disinheritance/abdication.

Like, "Oh, God, I don't want to be in this position of power please just find me a boy to marry", or, "I know you should inherit after you father passes but as your stepmother/legal guardian I think it'd make more sense if my kids got everything, so maybe consider lesbianism?", or "Look, we both know neither of our families has enough money to support that many grandkids, so let's just pair some spares and save both our treasuries the trouble".

Obviously this brings in some very different dynamics that I know not everyone would be pinged by, but I just think it'd be neat.

[twinenergy]

Okay, this is pretty incredible. A 3D artist, consulting scholars and archaeologists, worked for a year and a half in Blender to create a reconstruction of pre-Columbian Tenochtitlán, complete with the surrounding landscape. It’s staggeringly beautiful, and—at least to me—gives a wonderful impression of the city as a place where people worked and lived and worshiped

[twinenergy]

WQA Post Master Lists

> > > Click on a topic below to get the master list of posts for that topic… *** NOTE: if you are using the tumblr app, links may not appear correctly for you. Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do about that.

About WQA Antagonists Author & Writer Stuff Character Development Character Portrayals Copyright, Plagiarism, and Other Concerns Description Dialogue Editing & Revision Fan-Fiction General Writing Genre Specific Grammar & Punctuation Guides Motivation Names/Naming Master List Plot & Story Structure POV & Tense Publishing Recommended Blogs Research Relationships: Family & Friends Relationships: Romance Short Stories World Building

[twinenergy]

Being self critical [sic] is for editing, not writing. Writing is when you throw anything at the wall and see what sticks. They are two different practices that should be practiced separately. Write first, edit later.

– C. Robert Cargill

[twinenergy]

Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists

Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~

Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.

What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 

Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.

Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 

What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 

Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 

Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 

Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.

We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.

[twinenergy]

Ways to Create More Active / Less Passive Protagonists

Recently I made a two-part post on passive protagonists, so what better day than today to get into some tips to help make protagonists less passive? This post will be relatively short — uni is a big ol' pain right now. Enjoy ~

Tip #1: Remember to give them a goal that matters to them.

What does your main character want? A goal is something that your character wants to achieve. It may not be the only goal throughout, and it usually gets resolved at the end of the story, whether the protagonist achieves it or not. It can be tangible like solving a crime, paying off a debt, reconnecting with a family member, or saving the kingdom. It’s completely unique and personal to that character. Ask yourself (or rather, your character) just how much they want/desire this and would do anything to acquire it. What does achieving this goal mean on a personal level to them? 

Tip #2: Identify the driving force that’s motivating your protagonist.

Underneath this want/desire, is the character’s motivation for it. As your protagonists goal(s) is the destination, motivation is the number one fuel that drives them to achieve it. It can be anything from survival tendencies, a psychological need, or made out from something internal such as backstory. 

What you can do to make their motivation more felt is by connecting their present ambitions and desires to significant moments in their past. As an example: if your protagonist is driven by a desire for wealth, uncover the childhood experiences that helped shaped his hunger for comfort and achievement— thus allowing readers to sympathize with his coming from a state of lack and revelational need to be content with the wealth he already has. 

Tip #3: Think about all the threats and dangers that could arise… and throw them straight into your protagonist’s face. 

Hey, life ain’t ever easy. It’s especially not much easier in a novel, whether you’re writing an action-packed thriller, a fantasy saga, a cozy romance, or a light-hearted coming-of-age. Every kind of story has some kind of conflict. You should introduce challenges for the protagonist that not only threaten the protagonist's external goal, but also their internal struggles. Push them out of their comfort zone! Also consider what will happen if they fail and what will change if they succeed. Let those stakes gradually elevate, and force them to confront their fears and darkest truths. 

Tip #4: Bring on the domino effect: allow the protagonist to influence the story.

We’d want to ensure that the protagonist is not a passive observer, but an active participant in shaping the narrative. In both the short-run and long-run, your protagonist’s actions will influence and affect the world around them. Their decisions, actions, and reactions should ultimately have consequences that ripple and escalate through the story. By having this sort of chain of events, you not only drive the plot dynamic, but also emphasize the protagonist's agency in shaping the course of events.

[twinenergy]

WWX, showing LWJ some food: Lan Zhan look! It's so big!

LWJ: Mn. Your mouth can take bigger

WWX: My mouth- WHAT?!

[twinenergy]

The way fantasy writers talk about a thousand years as this uneventful amount of time is really funny to me because like—in less than 1000 years we went from the Norman Invasion of England to Skibidi Toilet.

[twinenergy]

It's just. These moments are hilarious to me (and super soft, but that's not what this post is about).

Can you imagine reading the whole novel through Hua Cheng's pov?

"dear diary, Dianxia touched my hand today. Does it mean anything? I don't want to wash it ever again"

Two seconds later

Somebody disrespected Gege, *kill Bill sirens on* some bitch gotta pay.

We have this character who's the strongest one in the novel (or one of), and he is also very intelligent and smart.

But his sole focus is Xie Lian.

I love him.

[twinenergy]

I love how so much of wangxian's relationship during the gusu study arc was wei wuxian going "look at me, look at me! look at me, lan zhan!" and lan wangji angrily pretending not to look, and then post-resurrection wei wuxian tries the same thing but this time lan wangji is like "I am Looking and I will not look away" and wei wuxian is so flustered that he accidentally gets dragged back to gusu anyway.

like, throughout the story people only interact with wei wuxian on a superficial level, with no one bothering to go deeper. he's just an arrogant jiang disciple. he's just a rebellious teen. he's just an admittedly terrifying demonic cultivator. he's just an evil person who needs to be stopped. and lan wangji sees all of this, (and in the beginning is almost fooled by it!) and then is the only one who cares enough to look long enough and see the true wei wuxian.

when wei wuxian is resurrected, he immediately relies on the fact that people only view him superficially to keep his real identity hidden. he slides right into mo xuanyu's cut-sleeve lunatic persona and probably could have gotten away with it except he runs right into the one person who has Seen him in the past and Sees him now.

[twinenergy]

Yo I feel like the idea that the only historical women who counted are the ones who defied society and took on the traditionally male roles is… not actually that feminist. It IS important that women throughout history were warriors and strategists and politicians and businesswomen, but so many of us were “lowly” weavers and bakers and wives and mothers and I feel like dismissing THOSE roles dismisses so many of our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers and the shit they did to support our civilization with so little thanks or recognition.

[twinenergy]

ACES!!! Look at this Scientific American article!!! It makes me genuinely so happy to read. We’re making it!!!!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/asexuality-is-finally-breaking-free-from-medical-stigma/

[twinenergy]

I was thinking "oh but I can't be autistic, I'm so good at eye contact and small talk! I know all the right ratios for looking/not looking and asking/answering questions! I even know the best posture to communicate low-stakes friendliness (about 15 degrees from facing them. weight on one leg. 70% eye contact. still hands.) everybody says I'm great!" before realizing I may be refuting my own point

[twinenergy]

Words to use instead of ‘said’

**Using the word ‘said’ is absolutely not a bad choice, and in fact, you will want to use it for at least 40% of all your dialogue tags. Using other words can be great, especially for description and showing emotion, but used in excess can take away or distract from the story.

Neutral: acknowledged, added, affirmed, agreed, announced, answered, appealed, articulated, attested, began, bemused, boasted, called, chimed in, claimed, clarified, commented, conceded, confided, confirmed, contended, continued, corrected, decided, declared, deflected, demurred, disclosed, disputed, emphasized, explained, expressed, finished, gloated, greeted, hinted, imitated, imparted, implied, informed, interjected, insinuated, insisted, instructed, lectured, maintained, mouthed, mused, noted, observed, offered, put forth, reassured, recited, remarked, repeated, requested, replied, revealed, shared, spoke up, stated, suggested, uttered, voiced, volunteered, vowed, went on

Persuasive: advised, appealed, asserted, assured, begged, cajoled, claimed, convinced, directed, encouraged, implored, insisted, pleaded, pressed, probed, prodded, prompted, stressed, suggested, urged

Continuously: babbled, chattered, jabbered, rambled, rattled on

Quietly: admitted, breathed, confessed, croaked, crooned, grumbled, hissed, mumbled, murmured, muttered, purred, sighed, whispered

Loudly: bellowed, blurted, boomed, cried, hollered, howled, piped, roared, screamed, screeched, shouted, shrieked, squawked, thundered, wailed, yelled, yelped

Happily/Lovingly: admired, beamed, cackled, cheered, chirped, comforted, consoled, cooed, empathized, flirted, gushed, hummed, invited, praised, proclaimed, professed, reassured, soothed, squealed, whooped

Humour: bantered, chuckled, giggled, guffawed, jested, joked, joshed

Sad: bawled, begged, bemoaned, blubbered, grieved, lamented, mewled, mourned, pleaded, sniffled, sniveled, sobbed, wailed, wept, whimpered

Frustrated: argued, bickered, chastised, complained, exasperated, groaned, huffed, protested, whinged

Anger: accused, bristled, criticized, condemned, cursed, demanded, denounced, erupted, fumed, growled, lied, nagged, ordered, provoked, raged, ranted remonstrated, retorted, scoffed, scolded, scowled, seethed, shot, snapped, snarled, sneered, spat, stormed, swore, taunted, threatened, warned

Disgust: cringed, gagged, groused, griped, grunted, mocked, rasped, sniffed, snorted

Fear: cautioned, faltered, fretted, gasped, quaked, quavered, shuddered, stammered, stuttered, trembled, warned, whimpered, whined

Excited: beamed, cheered, cried out, crowed, exclaimed, gushed, rejoiced, sang, trumpeted

Surprised: blurted, exclaimed, gasped, marveled, sputtered, yelped

Provoked: bragged, dared, gibed, goaded, insulted, jeered, lied, mimicked, nagged, pestered, provoked, quipped, ribbed, ridiculed, sassed, teased

Uncertainty/Questionned: asked, challenged, coaxed, concluded, countered, debated, doubted, entreated, guessed, hesitated, hinted, implored, inquired, objected, persuaded, petitioned, pleaded, pondered, pressed, probed, proposed, queried, questioned, quizzed, reasoned, reiterated, reported, requested, speculated, supposed, surmised, testified, theorized, verified, wondered

This is by no means a full list, but should be more than enough to get you started!

Any more words you favor? Add them in the comments!

Happy Writing :)