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[weepingwinterwriter]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Hakuouki Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Relationships: Kazama Chikage/Yukimura Chizuru, Hijikata Toshizou (Hakuouki)/Original Character(s), Sakamoto Ryouma (Hakuouki)/Original Character Characters: Hijikata Toshizou (Hakuouki), Yukimura Chizuru, Kondou Isami (Hakuouki), Toudou Heisuke (Hakuouki), Sanan Keisuke (Hakuouki), Harada Sanosuke (Hakuouki), Nagakura Shinpachi (Hakuouki), Kazama Chikage, Shiranui Kyo, Original Female Character(s) Additional Tags: Samurai, Swords and Guns, End of an era, Shinsengumi - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Canon Het Relationship, Non-Canon Relationship, Japanese Culture, Freeform Relationship, Not Canon Compliant, Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change Summary:

A young woman returned to Japan to search for the family she never knew. She has little to go on and finds herself at the mercy of a stranger. Hope of finding information about her past quickly dwindles as she becomes embroiled in the strange events surrounding Kyoto and her new friend Chizuru Yukimura. She soon learns that Fate is not without a sense of humor. She makes friends within the Shinsengumi and she finds that bonds of friendship are just as strong as the blood she was born into. Can her friends and family find any common ground? Or will she be forever torn between them?

[weepingwinterwriter]

About Me

Hello! I’m so excited to get to know more writers and readers. I want this blog to be a place that offers support and encouragement. I always thought, one day I’ll be a writer. But really, what does that mean? I hope that this Blog answers that question and many more about writing.

But first, a bit about who I am and why I’m here. My name is Amy. I’m divorced, mother of three children (adult to…

[weepingwinterwriter]

Six Sentence Sunday

I like the idea of sharing a WiP without having to wait for the inbox requests, so here is a snipit from one of my original pieces I’m slowly working on. 

Title: Romancing the Writer

Summary: Serena's quiet life as an accountant is about to change. After two best-selling romance novels, her publisher wants a book signing tour. This means coming out of the shadows and announcing to the world that quiet, straight laced Serena Hampton has a romantic side. She begrudgingly hires Pierce Rivers to help her navigate the pit falls of becoming a house hold name. He's charismatic and handsome, every woman's dream. Except hers. She knows his boyish charm and easy smile is all a lie. Can she trust him to guide her through this part of her life? Or will she once again regret baring her heart to him?

Excerpt: (A little more than six sentences)

"Reservation for Kate Bryton?" Serena asked the hostess.

Maybe she would get lucky and Katie forgot to make the reservation. Then she could back out of this lunch due to a mix up in her schedule.

"Yes, right this way." The hostess didn't wait to see if she followed.

The posh interior of the restaurant was a more intimate setting than she anticipated. Even at lunch, couples found cozy tables for two nestled into dimly lit corners. Red glass lamps shades, cast a romantic glow from centerpieces and wall lamps. She fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose. Had Katie realized the setting this place provided? Was this what she considered an appropriate setting for a business lunch with a Public Relations firm?

[weepingwinterwriter]

Six Sentence Sunday

Since a few people were confused in the tags on this post I thought I’d explain.

Six Sentence Sunday is a writing thing where, on Sunday, you post six sentences from an unfinished work. It can be a new fic, a new chapter of a WIP, or even something you’re not sure you’ll ever post. 

Choose an excerpt from any section (and it doesn’t have to be six sentences) and post it, letting people know what it belongs to or indicating that it’s something you’re working on. 

People get a preview of what’s coming. You get some feedback on what’s there. If they like it, you might get some reblogs that will generate more interest in your story or you as a writer. 

You can find loads of examples by searching for this on tumblr (sometimes tagged “Sunday six”) 

[weepingwinterwriter]

Ten questions to ask a friend who just read your novel

Here are ten questions to ask that will not put your friend in a tough spot, but will still give you some useful input on your novel:

1. At what point did you feel like “Ah, now the story has really begun!”  2. What were the points where you found yourself skimming?  3. Which setting in the book was clearest to you as you were reading it? Which do you remember the best?  4. Which character would you most like to meet and get to know?  5. What was the most suspenseful moment in the book?  6. If you had to pick one character to get rid of, who would you axe?  7. Was there a situation in the novel that reminded you of something in your own life?  8. Where did you stop reading, the first time you cracked open the manuscript? (Can show you where your first dull part is, and help you fix your pacing.)  9. What was the last book you read, before this? And what did you think of it? (This can put their comments in context in surprising ways, when you find out what their general interests are. It might surprise you.)  10. Finish this sentence: “I kept reading because…”

Your friend is probably still going to tell you, “It was good!” However, if you can ask any specific questions, and read between the lines, you can still get some helpful information out of even the most well-meaning reader.

Source: Examiner

[weepingwinterwriter]

Cherries, thunderstorms and  recklessness

people in fanfiction are so good at identifying v specific smells. I literally struggle to identify vanilla when I’m sniffing a candle labelled “VANILLA” how are these kids getting woodsmoke, rain, mint, and a whiff of byronic despair from a fuckin tshirt

[weepingwinterwriter]

TFW your writing takes a twist down an unexpected path and you add 9000 words

and then you realize it’s all due to hormones and you’ll scrap it later.

[weepingwinterwriter]

Enter the year you were born on the gif area and post what you get.

[weepingwinterwriter]

Revision Advice: The first draft is complete…Now what?

This one is going to be a long one, so feel free to simply go to the section you need.

General Tips:

Keep notes of things to fix while you’re writing the first draft. Leave them for revision and just keep writing that first draft. (Post about that here)

Revising is about plot and characterization. Editing is fixing grammar, spelling, word choice, etc. Focus big picture when revising.

It’s probably going to take a couple drafts to get it just right.

Even when I delete scenes/paragraphs, I like to keep them in a separate document. Sometimes the deleted scene/paragraph was simply misplaced and can be rewritten and added somewhere else.

Think about other stories in your genre (and even outside your genre) that you’ve read. Why did those work? What did you like about them?

Take your time to think about the story you’ve written and different possibilities regarding areas you find troubling or feel could use more help. I like mindless tasks to help me do this (i.e. walking, showering, sweeping, coloring, listening to music…).

You’ll probably here every writer say this, including me: Revision is really where the story comes alive. It’s where things start to smooth out. Of course the first draft is essential, but revision is where you refine and hone it. It’s where you can add little “Easter Eggs”.

Also, can I just say, revisions are the worst and best things ever. After working so hard to finish writing, you then have to tear it apart. But trust me, it’ll be better for it. Save copies of your various drafts and keep pushing forward.

If you need help figuring out what to revise:

Read it through—out loud. Not much to say here. But reading it out loud does help.

Take a break from it: Honestly, sometimes the best thing you can do is let yourself forget about it for a while. Then come back and reread. It simulates having another person read it (which is, of course, also a good idea), without actually having to give it over (which is also incredibly difficult).

Story planning: I have post already about this, but I want to add a few things that relate specifically to revisions

Write the story out exactly as it is, in really broad strokes. One sentence (or two) to describe each chapter. When you’re finished, read it over. Does the plot make sense? Is there another way to think about it? Are there too much “opening” chapters before the conflict gets going (the general rule is that it shouldn’t take more than three)?

Now, add the characterization the broad plot outline. How does the character change (or not) through the book, in relation to the plot? Balancing the characterization and plot progression is difficult. I know for me, I am either solid at one or the other, depending on the book. If you feel like the characterization is on point, but the plot is weak, focus on the plot. Same goes vice versa.

See Plot Changes or Character Changes for more advice about revisions regarding those subjects

PLOT changes advice:

This is difficult to talk about generally, but here we go…

Pacing: Basically, the pacing is about the number of scenes and how quickly they play out. This may seem obvious, but if the pacing feels fast than you might need to add more detail to a scene or else add another scene or two between big, major story-line scenes. There should be a bit of filler but not too much. If the pacing is slow, then perhaps you can pare down a scene or two, or even remove one.

Plot Arcs: Of course you have your main arc that is moving the story forward. But there should also be the smaller but related arcs that are usually more character related.

Large and small arcs should all tie together or be related in some capacity, otherwise it won’t feel cohesive.

Look at both small and large when reviewing the plot.

You can leave some arcs hanging. Usually the smaller arcs—which can even turn into large arcs in future books!

For large arcs, people typically know to add the major climax and resolution. But sometimes the climax can feel a bit weak. One way to make it feel more dramatic is to have a sort of “false climax”. Basically, this is where the reader thinks it’s going to be the climax and the scene resembles the actual climax later, but it somehow goes wrong or falls short.

Example: the main hero goes to battle the villain and….loses. Hero goes away, regroups/re-plans, and tries again. Maybe even loses a second time. On the third attempt—Hero wins (for the most part…you can make this dramatic as you want as well. It doesn’t have to be a perfect win, after all).

That is a very, very weak example but I hope that makes sense. If you have a lot of rising action up to one, single battle in which the hero wins, it’s probably going to feel less dramatic.

CHARACTER changes advice:

How can and does the plot affect the character’s life, thoughts, and beliefs? Do they overcome their fears? Do they create fears?

How do the other characters—including and especially the villain—change the character?

I guess my main piece of advice here is think of your characters as actual people. Everyone is flawed. No one is going to do the right thing all the time. Really take the time to think about your character and who they are. You can even make lists about their hopes, dreams, fears, favorite flavor of ice cream, hobbies, etc. Every little thing helps.

If you know what to change:

FIRST REVISION:

Make big changes first: delete those extra sections, write the new scenes, add in the extra dialogue or description, etc. Save smaller changes (like a name or place change or even going through and changing/tightening a paragraph) for the next read through and revision.

The reason to do the big stuff first is because things might change. For instance, if you go through and edit a paragraph or even combine two paragraphs, it might change if you’re planning to make some series plot overhaul. And all that hard work might be wasted.

If you’re writing a story with any type of mystery, make sure you planted enough large and small hints. 

SECOND/SUBSEQUENT REVSION(S):

Continuing make any other major story altercations as needed…

Focus on the “medium changes”. Mostly, I like to think of this as the paragraph by paragraph revising. Combining, adding, revising, and cutting paragraphs. Make the writing and storytelling smooth and tight as you can. If you are questioning whether you want to keep something or not, you probably don’t. Or else, there’s a simpler way to say something. I’m definitely of the mind that less is more.

Cut any repetitive statements/areas. I have the habit of repeating myself a LOT. Basically saying the same thing twice. I mean, I say it in two different sections and in different ways, but usually you don’t need to do that. Often times it bogs it down. I blame my high school writing word count minimums for this one…Get rid of the filler!

Not everything has to be said. Not everything has to be described. If a scene seems off in some way, play around with switching some dialogue to description and vice versa. I already have a post about dialogue/description balance . If you know that post or have read it, this is honestly a good place to think about those changes.

Hope this helped…Happy writing everyone.

[weepingwinterwriter]

“We Wear Culture” is a collaboration between Google and more than 180 museums, schools, fashion institutions, and other organizations from all parts of the globe. It’s part of Google’s Arts & Culture platform, which is digitizing the world’s cultural treasures, and functions as a searchable guide to a collective archive of some 30,000 fashion pieces that puts “three millennia of fashion at your fingertips,” Google says.

But it isn’t just a database. Google has worked with curators to create more than 450 exhibits on different topics—say, how the cheongsam changed the way Chinese women dress—making the site an endlessly entertaining, educational portal filled with stunning imagery touching on everything from modern Japanese streetwear to the clothes worn at the court of Versailles.

i can already tell this has made writing for historical fandoms – the worst part of which, for me, is absofuckinglutely hands-down the clothing – much easier. 

[weepingwinterwriter]

So this happened to me yesterday…

[weepingwinterwriter]

July NaNoWriMo

I wasn’t able to join camp in April, but I’m going to make time for July’s NaNo. I’m still plugging away at the original fiction I started in January, but decided for camp I need to wrap up some unfinished projects. I have a handful of Dragon Age fan fictions in the works. Between school last year and work this year I’ve not written nearly as much as I wanted to. 

So here is my public NaNo pledge. My goal is to write 35,000 words this month. While I don’t expect to finish any of my current WiPs with that word count, I will at least get closer to finishing. 

[weepingwinterwriter]

Camp NaNoWriMo: It’s Time to Start Your Adventure

Camp NaNoWriMo has begun! Start writing today to lay the foundation for a continuous writing habit throughout the month. Today, participant Menatiera invites those of you who might still be on the fence to join this month of literary abandon:

Dear Newest Wrimos,

There might be some of you who are still not sure if you want to give Camp NaNoWriMo a shot. I’m here to tell you that you should do it, for two simple reasons:

First, because you have nothing to lose.

And second, because you have so much to win!

To me, NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo haven’t only given me a great community, or my first finished novel. More importantly, they have given me experience. Courage. Confidence.

Keep reading

[weepingwinterwriter]

What’s the difference?

[weepingwinterwriter]

More bookmarks because the stuff was right there :D

[weepingwinterwriter]

Received my lovely Journal. I decided it needed a bookmark so I added one in. Now to decide what to write in it!

@umabbas

Umabbas Art Fenris Journal Found Here

[weepingwinterwriter]