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Our apologies

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WHY WAVEMAKER IS THE BEST WRITING SOFTWARE: A POWERPOINT INTRODUCTION BY ISA @endymions

ever since i found out about +wavemaker.cards, i’ve been an eensy-weensy, teensy little tiny bit obsessed with it. ive infodumped for an hour to @welcometowriteblr on two separate occasions about it. its an all-in-one writing software that lets you plan and outline your novel, then type directly into a document linked to each section of your outline. super organized, super cool.

i got limited to 10 slides because of tumblr, so i thoroughly apologize for throwing any and every powerpoint rule out the window and shoving it into one nightmare slide (i’m looking at you, slide 2). you’ll have to click each slide to read it, and zoom in on some :/ im really sorry i just had so much to say T_T. 

i use the outline based off of +blake snyder’s save the cat! i totally recommend checking that out if this outline style works for you. i mention it on the slides, but if yall want me to do another ppt on my exact planning method which includes a google spreadsheet, i’ll be more than happy to do that!

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WriterofthePrompts Ultimate Ask Masterlist 2 (Updated 05/20)

Wow, first of all I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support on the First Ask Masterlist! Obviously I had to make a second one with all the asks I’ve answered since then so here you go. You can also check out my list of Random Writing Tips. As last time, some of these posts have notes from lovely people who have added onto my answers with their advice and you can also help out fellow writers by adding your tips or ideas to the posts in the replies or by reblogging. Hope you enjoy! 😊

Writing Tips

Can’t think of what to write for a scene? Cut it.

The “organized chaos” form of outlining

Resources for writing a story synopsis

Can a comedy also have a good message?

Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Fantasy)

When you’ve got an idea but don’t know how to expand it

Building on your story yourself  

Will posting writing online hurt publishing chances?

Using a prompt for a series

Ways to give information to a character

How to give the same information to multiple characters at different times

Dialogue tips

Coming up with a title (expanded)

Making the real villain a plot twist 

GRAMMAR CHEAT SHEET

Some resources for creating a language

How to decide if you want a good or sad ending (Also, how not to screw up an ending) (Also, why the GoT ending makes me sad)

How to skip over the passage fo time in writing (Part 1)

How to use scene breaks for the passage of time, change in location etc. (Part 2)

Story Structure Tips

Travelling scenes: when to skip and how to make them impactful

Writing a sloooow carriage ride without being boring 

Moving back and forth in time in the story

difference between inciting incident and plot point 1

Blending backstory with present to further the plot

Writing scenes with a lot of characters

Writing a story as a journal or video log style

Third or first person?

Limited third person vs first person

Writing a long series

Connecting your ideas

When to introduce major and minor conflicts

How to develop your own style of writing

When to describe a character

Motivation and Positivity

Worrying about “originality” with your writing

Staying focused on writing

Sticking to one idea before moving on to the next?

Turning off the editor voice

starting to write and keeping motivation

quick tip on writing down inspiration in the moment

How do you know you are cut out to be a writer?

When you feel your plot isn’t exciting enough

When you think your idea is stupid (it’s not)

On covid-19 and whether I think it’s “bad” to take inspiration from it

When you think you’re writing has lost feeling

Character Development

Writing unnecessary scenes with your characters just for fun

Tips for writing a fully-fledged peppy girl

Teen raised by twenty-year-old family member

Mentor/Mentee relationship

Describing nature the way a nature-lover would

Showing a dead family member’s impact on the MC

Writing about a character losing loved one

Ways to show a character’s disgust 

Why a “good” character would switch to the bad side

Why the “White Saviour” thing is a cliche and sucks

Villains who do things like “killing the dog”

Good and bad reasons to kill off a character

Character exercise when you lose their voice

Resources for learning more for a Jewish character (in the notes)

A reason a character might feel cliche

Representations of Gluttony and Laziness as humans

More on twins and siblings

How a tough character might react to something shocking/upsetting

Writing Types of Characters

Writing a good guy MC who turns out to be the villain

Bad guy turning good and making them sympathetic

Dr. Doof: how to write a great villain

Coming up with villains

Coming up with villains 2

Writing a scheming character

A character raised by a computer

Bilingual character tip

Interracial couples

Some negative traits for someone in a zombie apocalypse

Flaws for a Gary Stu type 

a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under World Building)

Good guy vs bad guy stories aren’t a cliche

Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Thriller)

writing a drunk character with some heartfelt moments and humour

Why NOT having diversity in your story cast is odd

A character with diabetes

Fictional races where one is “superior” to the other

Writing a serial killer as your main character (also under Thriller/Crime)

Writing a good Strong Female Character™️ 

Writing about a mob character (also under Thriller)

Writing a female astronomer in ancient Greece (Also under Historical)

Shy characters don’t have to be passive

Shyness and confidence aren’t mutually exclusive

World Building

Creating a creation myth

The creation of gods based on people’s beliefs

History research post (also under Historical)

Making an acronym from an organization

Naming world building aspects

strange weather ideas

ideas for ridiculous rules to join an excuse club

Why someone would put on a massive tournament

a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under Types of Characters)

Making a magical setting exciting (also under fantasy/paranormal)

When you have too much information for an expansive world

Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under fantasy/paranormal)

Using words referring to our world in a fictional world

Fantasy/Paranormal

Why gods would abandon their world

Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Ares: the original love triangle

basing gods on multiple gods

Why someone would control dreams

Dark fantasy with a dream shop

Conflicts for someone with the power to share dreams with others *

Ways to break a curse

Reasons why someone would need to break their curse now

Coming up with a good curse for your character

Ways to break the curse to get the Prince out of the tower

When the princess rescues the prince

Prince/ss of one kingdom raised by another king

why a princess would run away

Prompts for a King or Queen getting assassinated *

Why a villain would overthrow a royal family *

Reasons two Kings would marry each other *

which fairytales deserve retellings

Fairy tale prompts

Using fairytale characters in retellings

Stories written from the POV of fairytale villains

Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Writing Tips)

Friendship between a dragon and a human

Vampire and human couple meeting

Angel and ex-demon hanging out together

demons that feed on love and joy?

mythical kids meeting humans

Sword fight resources (also under Historical)

Using an axe as a weapon

Haunted house story from ghost’s perspective

A family moves in to a house that is alive 

Does the afterlife have to include religious aspects?

Writing the grief of a girl finding her friend as a ghost

Witch sisters with unequal powers 

Reasons a village would be afraid of a kind wizard

How a wizard’s guardian might tell them they are a wizard

Making a magical setting exciting (also under world building) 

Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under world building) 

Things a magic council would use money for 

Ideas for magical powers

Ideas for ancient magical powers

Prompts about cities that are always in night 

Prompts about a changeling

Reasons a magical world would need a saviour 

mirroring strengths and weaknesses for magic manipulation

How an immortal could die under mysterious circumstances

How to get regular folk involved in a magical world

“Underused" fantasy settings

Funny dialogue making fun of fantasy cliches

Prompts about a hidden/occult society

Autumn prompts about fae

Manatees being confused for mermaids

Fantasy modes of communication

Sci Fi

Futuristic space pirates

How to tell who is the clone and who is the original

Artifacts curious aliens would steal from Earth

Weird things that would wipe out a part of the population

How a person could go back in time

Question prompts for a virtual afterlife

How a half-human character might realize their alien half

“Non cliche” ideas for an apocalypse story

Time travel prompts for the current era

Historical

Writing about the Tudor court

History research post (also under World Building)

Sword fight resources

Using an axe as a weapon

Quick reasons why genocide doesn’t just happen overnight

Writing a female astronomer in ancient Greece (also under Types of Characters)

Dragons in Ancient Egypt?

Writing about WOC in the 1950’s

Aftermaths of a civil war

Thriller/Crime (aka I-swear-I’m-not-a-criminal-just-a-writer asks):

writing assassins

Sassy Assassins 3!

How an assassin with special abilities would discover these abilities

Clues that would make a character suspect another for murder

Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Types of Characters)

Serial/mass murder…causes?

tests to get into secret organization

Writing a serial killer as your main character (also under Writing Types of Characters)

Tips for writing a consistent murder mystery

Murder mystery party prompts (humorous)

How to come up with subplots for a mystery

Writing about a mob character (also under Writing Types of Character)

Why a step father might be a suspect in a teen’s disappearance

Prompts of killer kids terrorizing their babysitter

Prompts about a college kid being stalked on campus

The Masked Sinner prompts

Prompts about a crime scheme in 1950’s

Superheroes and Super Villains

Sidekick wanting to be a superhero

Super villain cause ideas

Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Romance)

Superhero story originality

How a super villain can get notoriety

Woman unknowingly falls in love a super villain

World building ideas for superhero stories

Effects of the power of intangibility

Alter ego prompts

Romance

How a princess and a pirate fall in love

two exes who end up working together

How two random kids could meet at school

Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Superheroes)

Cliches in romance scene?

Original ways that a couple could break up

How to introduce a living girl and ghost love interests

Conflicts in relationship between chef and their pupil

Miscellaneous

Prompts about being abandoned

Character who has never danced in pressured into it

The best ask ever

MC and sister get kicked out of clan. What next? 

Reasons characters would hate another (a concubine)

A disturbing cultish 1950’s-esque town

Some links to help find Beta readers

Why a principal would hate a student

Why a character would forgive their ex

Prompts about anomalies

Reasons a parent would be controlling

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tell me a pretty thing.

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Having Proper Housing is a Human Right

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Word Counts

Everyone Else: I could only crank out 2,390 words today. :( I'll have to write more tomorrow to compensate and meet my goal of 2,500 words a day!

Me: I've written 197 little strings of letters in six hours? Wow. I'm the hardest worker I've ever seen. No one can compare to my literary greatness. I should reward myself with a cookie.

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By Eugène Feuillâtre

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Characters & Relationships I Want to Read More Of

Healthy, strong sibling bonds

Two supportive, active parents

Men who are open with emotions of all kind

Women who have no weak spots for romantic love

Hardened characters who (professionally) care for kids, animals, or the elderly and are sweet with them

Pansexual and lesbian characters in sci fi

Intense newly-formed friendships

Lust at first sight, reluctantly (& eventually) in love

MCs who aren’t naturally or easily athletic 

Lazy do-gooders

Unlikely cat people

Someone who’s known for being a good singer/musician but would rather pursue math or science

Men who are rough but aren’t condescending to women

Non-humans who live in a human world and have a cultural identity crisis

Characters that willfully go to a therapist

Women with careers AND a rich, full family/social life

Dedicated teachers

A character that got a degree in business/finances/tech to have a secure job and save up for a lifelong dream

A woman who lives in an isolated area/home alone and prefers it that way

Divorced parents and step-parents that care about each other and work hard to be a loving support network for the kids involved

Sex workers that are not angels or demons, but complex characters like everyone else

Stay at home dads

Recovering alcoholics/addicts that have been clean for years and help other trying to get clean

A deadbeat, unemployed female character

Rough characters who are also bookworms

Kids who are just as emotionally intelligent as the adults

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the inherent fear that people won’t get the foreshadowing you build into your work

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Weird tip for novel writers: give your readers a place to take a break.

We all know and love the feeling of being glued to a book. “One more chapter, one more page, one more paragraph.” But absorbing whole novels in 1 sitting isn’t the best. We forget loads of stuff that happen!! It just happens.

Every 5-10 chapters I leave it at a good stopping point. A character goes to sleep with no imminent threat waking them up, a good conversation ends with well wishes, a part of the story is wrapped up, and it’s a nice place to put the bookmark and close the cover.

This is good!! This isn’t a bad thing at all!! Some people only have the attention span or ability to read 5 chapters or so. Some people have to work early and want to sleep and not feel obligated to finish a book in one sitting. Some people need to pee!!

Brains will be given the chance to absorb things. Did your character just start a romance?? Win a battle?? Deliver a speech that would win Emmys?? Let your readers take a minute (or day) to process it. To savor it. To think about your characters and story while they go along their daily life.

“Boy I sure hope Alexandria and her girlfriend start a good adventure in the next chapter.”

“The Battle of Darenzal ended on such mixed terms. We lost two names characters but still prevailed. I hope it’s talked about more in the next part.”

“The Queen’s speech about her husband’s death, and the shoutout to our protagonist was lovely. I hope after the ball we see more of her.”

The best books that I’ve read have given me places to stop. To take a breather, to get a glass of water and stretch and THINK about the things that JUST HAPPENED in the last 5-10 chapters. Willingly giving your readers a rest doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing a page-turning best seller, it means you want people to turn pages a bit slower, take it a bit calmer, and have time to think and formulate about your story.

So let your protagonist nod off in safety around a campfire with their dog. Let them have a party where they laugh and dance with friends and relax in a big rose garden outside a castle. Let them accomplish something, and let your characters take a well deserved break. Knowing what we put them through, they deserve it just as much as our readers.

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I hope in 2020 you get to write that thing you’ve been wanting to write, and you write it amazingly.

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About the Celebratory Tag Games

I know this is late, but I have to take a brief hiatus for mental health reasons, but I will hopefully be back soon! I will celebrate my first draft the way it deserves 

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“Generically medieval”, by which we mean our peerage is French, our castles are German, our weapons are Italian, and everybody speaks English.

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An artist : Aw man! I saw my arts were reposted on Instagram. I’ve asked them to take my arts down but they ignored me.

Me : Say no more! Click this link, then click ‘fill out this form’. Fill the form and wait for about 1-2 days, the staffs will remove the image you were reporting from the reposter’s account :^)

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today my anthro professor said something kindof really beautiful:

“you all have a little bit of ‘I want to save the world’ in you, that’s why you’re here, in college. I want you to know that it’s okay if you only save one person, and it’s okay if that person is you”

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The "Best YA Flirt" Award:

Contenders include:

Baz Pitch: basically tormented his crush for 7 years of them being roommates. called him the "worst chosen one to ever be chosen." tried to steal his voice. would never have gotten together with his crush if his crush hadn't saved him from burning himself to death, then kissed him.

Ronan Lynch: noticed his crush's dry hands and dreamt him some hand lotion. scared his crush half to death during delivery. flirting methods included dragging his crush around behind his car on a cart and putting his crush in a shopping cart and racing it through a parking lot.

Andrew Minyard: "I hate every inch of you. That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." enough said.

Cardan Greenbriar: also tormented his crush. humiliated her, belittled her, and insulted her constantly. when they finally got together, his first act was to exile her. it was a riddle, but she didn't know it at the time.

Kaz Brekker: was quite romantic about his crush but only in his head. called her an investment after saving her life. then wouldn't talk to her for several days and when he finally did, challenged her and insulted her abilities in the process. though he did find her long lost parents and get her a boat. hell of a first date present.

Richard Campbell Gansey III: accidentally called his crush a prostitute during their first meeting.

(Prince Laurent of Vere and Lila Bard would have been on the list too, but they're not YA.)