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That moment when you’re writing and you just don’t want to write.

But then when you hit an amazing part (whether it be a romantic or epic scene), it gets super mindblowing and you can’t seem to stop. The words seem to just keep flowing, and flowing, and flowing. That’s what makes writing worth it. I love seeing those scenes come together and take shape. That’s why I love the job I don’t get paid to do. I love watching all these things tie together at some point in time. 

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I got a partial request from a literary agent for my SciFi Novel

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03 October 2018

Morning writer friends! Yesterday I didn’t post on here at all. I decided to focus all my energy on my summary since I have a self-made deadline of October 31st. Believe it or not, I have a completed list of my tentative schedule for this book, and I fully think it’s possible. Only if I stay busy.

This book is quickly beginning to consume my soul, and I’ve already got plans of how I want it to end. I know some stuff I already want to change in the outline, but eep! I love this story and these characters so, so, so much. They’re just very different from the characters I normally come up with on a whim. I’m so incredibly happy I’ve let this story marinate for the amount of time I did. I don’t think the story would come as easy as it is now.

Yesterday, I finished over 1,400 words of my outline. Over the past few days, I’ve consistently hit that stride and it elates me. I love these characters and their relationships so freaking much. They are something I’ve wanted to write for my Science Fiction novel (that’s in book two and I haven’t gotten to write it quite yet). So all these feels are just bubbling, and I think that’s why I get so excited over writing this story.

The one thing I will say is that I need to incorporate more friendships into the story. Right now, it feels as if my MC is alone (and she might be okay with that). This whole story is based around betrayal, trust (and who not to trust), as well as secrets and lies. These things combined make for a character who doesn’t trust much of anyone. It’s a tough call. 

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get to know the writer tag

Aaah! Thank you so much to @rosieperris​ for the tag on this! I’m so happy to get to answer these questions!

1. Who was the most influential author of your childhood? (JK Rowling notwithstanding)

I wouldn’t even say J.K. Rowling as my favorite childhood author. I love Potter, but I wouldn’t say they’re my favorites. I remember being enamored by The Secret Garden when I read it in fifth grade, so I would probably say that Francis Hodgson Burnett was my most influential author as a child. I just thought The Secret Garden made something so grounded sound so magical. 

2. What book has always stuck in your head, as there’s just something about it that you can’t quite shake?

I’ve got three books (well, series) for this. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I’m still astounded that an American woman made me feel Scotland. When I visited there last year, I felt like I’d been there before, and I partly say it’s because of the Outlander books. The other two books are two series by the same author. They’re both by Sarah J. Maas, and are Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses. I just think her writing is so good, and her descriptions, much like Gabaldon’s, are very much on point.  

3. How long have you been in the writeblr community?

I’ve been on tumblr for literal years and I’ve tried to be in the writeblr community, however, I’d never successfully gotten involved. I’m making an honest effort. I started over recently because I wanted to separate my writing name from my tumblr name. 

4. What is your current preferred genre to write?

I’ve always been a hardcore Scifi/Fantasy writer.

5. What is your current preferred genre to read?

Same answer as above :)

6. What literary character made you want to be a writer?

I don’t think there was one. I didn’t know I liked writing until I started writing fanfic for fun.

7. Reveal a book you never finished

Oh gosh... I finish a lot of them. Moby-Dick? This is bad considering the capstone class to my English degree was based on that book, and I never finished. WHOOPS! BUT I STILL GOT AN A IN THE CLASS

8. What scenes do you love to write?

This is very on brand for me, but I love writing the romantic subplots (hence my Writing Those Glorious Ships posts). I just love seeing the romance improve and come about. Especially if I’m slow burning the romance (BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT).

9. Do you outline, or write as you go?

At the moment, I am outlining, and this is honestly the first book I’m giving an honest effort to outline. My Scifi novel I didn’t need to. I’d make note of what I wanted to happen, but I didn’t outline it. I had to after I finished so I could keep track of how much time had passed (but even then it was literally just what day and day of the week it was). But my Fantasy novel, I didn’t know everything that was going to happen, so I needed to plan it out. I’m about 17 pages and 6K into my outline. I’m definitely loving it! This is farther than I got the last few times I’ve worked on an iteration of this novel.

10. What is your favourite thing about writing?

I love everything about it! I love the mere fact that I am creating. I love creating these badass women and molding the world around them. My characters make up the world, and their world is shaped by them and what came before them. It’s so much fun to see it all come together.

My questions:

What is your writing playlist? Instrumentals? Lyrics?

What genre are you currently writing?

What is your current project? Give a brief/vague synopsis

Show me an aesthetic/your moodboard for your book!

Does your novel have romance? If so, what’s a vague synopsis of the scene you’re most looking forward to writing.

Do you gather inspiration from TV shows/movies? 

What does your writing space look like? 

Do you write in order or out of order?

What is one trait of yours we can find in your MC?

How have you been active in the writeblr community? IE: how have you made friends and such?

I tag: @justanotherwriteress @fairytaletrue @kiramartinauthor @an-author-in-progress 

I don’t know many people in the writeblr community, so please do this if you haven’t! I would love to get to know as many people as possible 😍😍

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September 29, 2018

Today is the day I finally got to write that scene! Hence why we did a second day of this on my aesthetics! I’ve got a majority of it written so far, and guys, I am super pumped to write it when I’m drafting. It is going to be SOOO good! EEP! It’s a twist, and there’s a twist within this twist. I get to show off how badass my MC is! 

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Writing Those Glorious Ships | Part 4

“Together”

Bellamy and Clarke have a phrase they always say, and that’s “Together.” They’ve used it almost to remind each other that they are never alone. It’s a constant reminder that they are a partnership, and I’m not gonna lie, it’s really sweet and warms my heart. 

What’s nice about this is that Bellamy and Clarke are always there for one another no matter what. They will always have each other to fall back on. If you’re writing a Clarke type of character, they will most likely want to take the blame on themselves. Having someone to fall back on will help take away some of that pain.

What I mean by this is that, depending on the type of relationship you’re going for, you’re going to want to play up to that role. If you’re going the Bellarke platonic route, then you’ll have two people who will fight to be by each other’s sides. They look to each other for their practical mindsets. 

Bellamy and Clarke have this other thing that the fandom put in place, and has since been used in the show, which is the head and the heart (if you’re confused about what this means, POPSUGAR posted this article). So, you want to make sure you have that even balance in your dynamic duo. 

If you’re going the romantic route, then you need to amp it up. You need to take the basic ideas from the platonic route and just run with it by the horns. You want to make sure your characters will do anything for each other. Things they might do:

Harm someone to save the other half of the ship

Die fighting to protect that person

Follow them blindly and would do anything to protect them

Those things would even apply to a non-romantic pairing (you might be slow burning them, and I 100% support that...I LOVE SLOW BURN). But you want to make sure that these two people treat each other as equals. One is not better than the other. 

They are two halves to a whole.

No matter what you think of your own characters or Bellamy & Clarke (if you watch the show), there is no denying that these two are soulmates. Before you fight me, I will say that it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily romantic. Soulmates just means that these two souls were meant to be intertwined with one another. This could pertain to best friends and/or lovers. But there is no denying that these two people will come back to one another even if the world ends. 

If they’re ripped apart from one another under crazy circumstances, they will inevitably be brought back together. Their destinies lie with one another, and I think that is so beautiful. 

Having a beautiful partnership like this really speaks volumes. It also gives your readers something to be in awe of. If you’re moving in the romantic route, your characters need to have a foundation to build off of. I think this is the perfect way to do that. It’s almost a bridge to one path or another. Or it’s a bridge to both.

Questions for this section

Who is the head and who is the heart?

What are they willing to do for each other? Does a limit exist to what they would do for each other? Or does the limit not exist?

What kinds of things do they depend on each other for?

How do they divy their partnership? Meaning, does one person carry all the weight of what they’ve done? Or do they share it? Are they truly in this “together?”

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I looked around the gardens. Speechless. His eyes followed me as I took in these breathtaking sights. It was like a painting, something I never thought I’d see. Yet here it was. 

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28 September 2018

I’m gonna be honest, I did not get as much done yesterday as I had hoped (none, actually). I’m dogsitting, and she is a bit all over the place. So, because of that, I got behind on my homework. I finished that about an hour ago, and am now just sitting down to write. Let’s hope the pupper stays asleep! 

I’m going to also be working on the stuff from the aesthetic I posted yesterday. I’m super inspired and all I want to do is write.

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Happy Thursday, and welcome to my Daily Aesthetic post! Every day, to hold myself accountable, I will be posting an aesthetic on my blog and a little description of what I’m working on! 

I’m currently working on the outline, and the current word count is 4,446 words. I’m just now getting to the exciting parts. When I was making this aesthetic, I not only discovered what I wanted to happen in this scene, but I also discovered the face claim for one of my MC’s! It’s been a vague image, but I’m proud to say that this form of Henry Cavill is who I picture 😂

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Writing Those Glorious Ships | Part 3

Shared Glances

This has to be one of the things that Bellamy and Clarke (or rather, Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor) do so well. The looks they give each other, much like the physical contact, shares so much meaning. On screen, it’s so easy to convey these looks. But how are we, as writers, supposed to convey that on a page rather than with two faces? Well, lucky for you, I’m here to talk about it! Unfortunately, the only gifs I could find of these looks™ were from season 5, so we get to ogle at bearded Bellamy endlessly today. I call that a win. But sorry if you haven’t seen this season yet (you’re definitely missing out). 

Bellamy and Clarke have a way of communicating unlike any other characters I’ve seen on TV. Whenever they’re in a crowded room, their eyes always seem to find one another’s. It warms my little shipper heart, to be honest. But also I think it’s because these two have such an electric chemistry. When these two are in a room, they’re almost like magnets, and they drift to each other’s sides, or their eyes find each other’s in a crowded room. They’re on the same wavelength. 

(please ignore the text... this was the only gif that conveyed this post’s contents)

As a writer, I find it’s hard to convey this on paper. The looks your characters give one another have to speak millions of words in one glance. I don’t think anyone can be an expert on this, but these looks have so much depth to them. These glances need to convey whole conversations. As one of the most famous phrases ever says, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Don’t literally write a thousand words for that look, but it needs to convey conversations without saying anything.

How do you write that? It’s almost impossible is what it is. But I can tell you something that’s helped me try to convey this feeling through the text. Music. Songs like Calum Scott’s You Are The Reason gives me the feeling of all these glances. You don’t need to specify the meaning behind these looks, but give us something to go off of.

In my YA Science Fiction novel, I have my end game couple always doing this same thing. The MC can’t describe why she trusts him, but she does. And they seem to think the same thing a lot of the time. 

My favorite thing to do is read through the scripts that @the100writers posts here on tumblr for the fans to read through. As a writer, these are so fascinating to read. It gives me an idea of the emotions behind some of my favorite scenes (as they don’t release all of the best scenes). In this season, they released a scene with one of these looks shared between these two.

As the standoff continues, Bellamy’s eyes meet Clarke’s, and for just one moment, everything else melts away. x

In one sentence, we got a sense of those thousand words. By the writers using the phrase “everything else melts away”, it gives so much punch to that look (not pictured as it’s a HUGE spoiler). That little phrase in itself explains a conversation without even having one. 

Questions for this section

Before you begin writing these sorts of scenes, practice writing out the looks you share with your SO, friends, family. What conversations do you have silently with these looks?

Does this look have any implication? Romantic? Suggestive?

Do they share a look because one is already staring? How does that make the other feel? Does the other person react?

Where in a room do they find each other’s eyes?

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Writers, I made a twitter! Come follow me @wanhedawriter there :)

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It Feels Like Home | Musing #1

I wanted to start writing little things to get me inspired and work on my descriptions. What better way than to share them online? I hope you enjoy them! This one is all about my favorite place in the whole wide world: Scotland. 

When I think of home, it feels like a place in the dark depths of my memory. So far away, that I often thought of it as a fantasy. That place couldn’t exist. A place where my soul once must have lived and loved. Whenever I close my eyes, all I can think of is the tall blowing grass, gray skies, and the beautiful hills rolling against the skyline.

Home. This place felt like home.

I knew it the moment my foot first touched Scottish soil. It was like a song burst open in my chest. One of violins, drums, and bagpipes. It felt like the morning sunrise, and everywhere I looked around me. There it was. This song followed me as I trekked across the beach, leaving my footprints in the wet sand.

Walking down the cobblestone streets, surrounded by the tall, ash ridden buildings, I felt comfortable. Like I’d been there before. This place felt so familiar, like my soul had walked this path thousands of times before. And perhaps it had.

I never thought I would ever step place on this soil. So when I did, I was overcome with something I never thought I’d ever feel. I don’t quite know how to describe that feeling. Happiness? Joy? Excitement? No, I know exactly what it was. Content. I was content, and at peace. 

I felt that all until that plane took off from the place I felt most at peace. A single tear rolled down my cheeks as I left the one place that felt more like home than any other place I’d lived. 

I’d return one day. For that, I was more than certain. 

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Hi Amanda! Thank you for following me back. The Idea of your block is so awesome. Looking forward to read lots of your posts. The 100, Bellarke, writing, romance and Scotland lover! Seems like we are Interest-Soulmates. ☺️ Question might seem stupid but where can I read your works? Have you publish some Stories anywhere else?

Thank you sooo much! And yes! Scotland! 

I presently don’t have anything published :( I’m working on it though! I’m currently entered in PitchWars with my Science Fiction Dystopian (so hopefully that works out). I’m also working on my Echo themed story! And absolutely no question is stupid! If you’re looking for a CP, I’m always available! I currently don’t have one! 

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Writing Those Glorious Ships | Part 2

Physical Contact

Any good part of writing a relationship is the physical contact parts. I’m not talking about having them have sex or anything. I’m talking about the build-up to them having a relationship. Those little brushes of hands, comforting each other, hugs. All those things make a reader go wild. 

Fact is, we as humans need physical contact. It makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside, and helps us get through the day. I think that’s why people love pets. Especially if they live on their own. We need that kind of affection, and these sorts of things make us feel important. Loved. 

Bellamy and Clarke are known for being great at hugging people. The one just here is their most famous. Up until this point, we know they care about each other as friends, but we never really saw that. This is the first time that we, as the audience, really get a feel that they truly care for each other. This isn’t just a normal hug. It feels earth shattering.

One of my favorite authors, Sarah J. Maas, loves The 100, and she’s put Bellarke scenes into her NYT Bestselling Series, Throne of Glass. Speaking of hugs, she used the above gif as inspiration!

(this image was taken from one of my sideblogs @wanhedacelaena)

It’s not an exact copy, of course, but the inspiration is there. Aelin flying to the male just as Clarke did, and the male grabbing her, wrapping his massive arms around her tightly. His head buried into her neck, as if he were breathing her in. All of these little nuggets are words to describe one of the best hugs to ever exist (I’m biased, okay?). But scenes like this really gives the reader something to hold on to. To love.

These scenes, though maybe deemed unnecessary, give readers a big smile and they are rooting for these characters. You can feel how much they mean to each other just by the emotions rippling through the scene. Same with Bellamy and Clarke. You can feel how much all these characters missed each other.

Hugs don’t always have to tell that they’re happy to see each other. It could also be comforting, and like coming home. Hugs are meant to make people feel safe, and every time I see these two hug on my screen, I get that overwhelming feeling that they need each other. Not specifically as romantic partners (though I would certainly love to see their relationship evolve that way), but they need each other emotionally. Clarke understands Bellamy in a way no one else does. She understands his relationship with his sister and why he does a lot of the things he does. Most importantly, she is the only person who is able to get through to him. 

Obviously, hugs aren’t all that define physical contact. Fans also love what we call soft™ moments. Basically, it’s like this and the very first gif I posted. Bellamy brushing Clarke’s hair out of her face. It’s something simple, but it’s comforting her. That little smile he also gives her. This wordless moment tells the viewer that God, he’s happy she is safe. These moments can convey so much meaning to the reader and these characters.

As a writer, I tend to turn a lot to my ships for inspiration. These moments make people think about these characters together. 

The moment above, you know what this also tells me? Bellamy is happiest when he knows Clarke is okay. He dressed up like a grounder to see if she was alive. He could have died trying to save her. His friend. I don’t know about you, but that’s soulmate stuff right there!

Now, physical contact doesn’t always have to be the soft™ kind. It can also be angsty material. It can be a tug of the arm, a shove, maybe a slap? There’s this one scene in season one where Bellamy grabs Clarke’s wrist and says, “Once you take off your wristband, then we can go.” He also went as far to say to someone else, “I’m getting that wristband. Even if I have to cut off her hand to do it.”

Obviously, this kind of physical contact can cross a line, so be super careful when using the not so soft™ kind. It can turn your readers off in a blink of an eye. However, I think you have to look at the genre and circumstances and justify what those characters did. I mostly write Science Fiction and Fantasy, and those kinds of characters do a lot of bad. They mostly live in a world where “there are no good guys.”

For example, in the latest season (Season 5), Clarke slaps Bellamy (aftermath pictured above). A lot of people disagreed with the writing decision, but I think there’s more to that gesture than anything. I don’t agree with physical violence, but we have to remember the world these characters are set in. There’s tons of actions we don’t agree with, but fact is...these things happen. 

Anyways, Bellamy and Clarke always went in this circle of they would do anything for one another, and would never hurt each other. After Clarke slaps Bellamy, the look on his face is pure shock. The Clarke he’s known for years would never do this, but she has. She’s changed. Things like this can invoke a shift in them. I would even label this as a “meaningful moment.” Clarke did this in the wake of a deep betrayal. Bellamy was basically thinking without factoring in others’ priorities. So that slap meant two things. The first being “You hurt me and my family, there will be consequences.” The second being, “You need to snap out of this.” So much is said in those three or so seconds of this scene.

Scenes like this can invoke a change. Something bad has to happen in order to put forward a new challenge for these characters. Usually these scenes come with revelations that Character A didn’t know about Character B. Usually by someone else. And these revelations can affect everything. 

Questions for this section:

 What is the reason behind that little touch? Was there more to it than what’s actually happening between these two characters?

How does the touch (hug, brush of hands, etc.) make the character(s) feel?

Is there a moment between them after it happens? Does it hang in the air like, was there more to it than they thought?

Do your characters panic over the touch? Or do they feel comforted and accept the touch with a warm feeling?

What will/did this do to their relationship?

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I’m so excited for you guys to read the next post I have! EEP! It’s long and glorious!

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Writing Those Glorious Ships | Part 1

or, making your readers feel all the feels ft. Bellarke

Writing ships is probably my favorite thing to ever exist. I’m someone who loves romance stories (not a lot, but enough to say love), but what I love more is those deep, meaningful relationships that just cuts down to the core of the viewer/reader. As my username is also a reference to my favorite TV show, The 100. Let’s talk about ships using my OTP, Bellarke (Bellamy and Clarke).

I’m breaking up this topic into several part because this post is probably going to be years long! I hope you enjoy this and find it useful!

I really hope you enjoy this post, and let me know of any future posts you would like me to do! 

Meaningful Moments

The first meeting doesn’t have to be magical. In fact, it can be so ordinary that the consumer doesn’t even bat an eye at it. The relationships that they should get the most satisfaction from should hit them like a ton of bricks. I mean cannonball effect. You want them to realize that they didn’t think they needed that relationship until they do. They want it so bad, they’ll keep turning the page.

Bellamy and Clarke were that exact relationship for me. They hit me out of nowhere, and I’m absolutely smitten. I can’t say much from a reader’s standpoint, but watching the episodes back to back, you can feel the shift with these characters. 

The first gif featured is when Bellamy first truly sees Clarke for who she is. This one look solidified that something changed. Depending on how you view it, it can be seen as romantic or platonic (I can see it both ways, but prefer the former). The look says that he finally sees her. She’s not the spoiled “princess” he thought she was. This moment uncovers one of Clarke’s deep layers, and it gives him deep respect for her as a person. 

From a writer’s standpoint, this is so important for us to seamlessly feel the shift. We should barely notice it, but we should pick up on it. We want our readers to sit there and question the relationship, asking whether or not there’s something special there. Hint: there is!

The gif above is where I really felt a shift in their relationship. The writing of this particular episode, 1x08, “Day Trip,” felt like they were planning on taking the pair to a completely different place than they previously were. 

What I love about The 100, is they are chock-full of meaningful moments. By having these moments, it gives the readers something to reflect on. It also lets the moment hang in the air ever so slightly. These scenes often have nothing to do with the actual plot of the story, but they give the characters so much depth that it makes them feel like real people with real circumstances. These moments also help ground your story and help with pacing.

Questions to ponder on from this section:

How did their relationship change? How will it change?

What was the lead up to this moment?

What made this different from all their previous encounters?

What made this moment so special? Was it the way someone reacted? Or was it because the other person did something surprising?

Is this going down a romantic route? Is there a way to be subtle about it so the reader doesn’t suspect anything yet?

What is revealed about your characters here? What made them connect the way they do?

Part 2 is coming soon. The topic is Physical Contact :)

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The vibes my book gives me: