writer-in-the-dark-prompts

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

random drawn line dividers:

please like and credit if you use, reblogs are appreciated! thank you! 💕

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

` * 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 : a mix of dialogue and action prompts for your inner doctor. sent "+ reverse" to reverse the roles.

🩺 𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➺ it's never lupus. but go ahead, order the test and waste everyone's time. ➺ you don't need a medical degree to lie, just a motive and a heart beat. ➺ your symptoms are screaming 'you're lying'. lucky for you, i'm fluent in denial. ➺ you want empathy? see a therapist. i fix bodies, not feelings. ➺ pain is the body's way of reminding you that you're still alive. ➺ if we wait for the ethics committee, this kid is dead. ➺ i'm making the call. ➺ we save lives, but don't forget - every decision has a cost. ➺ that's not just a patient, that's someone's family -- their everything. ➺ i didn't become a doctor to watch people suffer because of red tape. ➺ welcome to the system, where billing codes matter than a human life. ➺ he's bleeding out. ➺ you want clean hands? this isn't the job for you. ➺ he's not unconscious, he's having a partial seizure. ➺ i know what i see, just because i explain it differently doesn't mean i'm wrong. ➺ that's a human life, it matters. ➺ biology doesn't care about your comfort zone. ➺ i'm trying to help you. ➺ where does it hurt? ➺ what brought you in today? ➺ i'm not going to lie to you - this is going to be a fight, but you won't be alone. ➺ you don't have to be brave, this is hard, it's okay to be scared. ➺ technically you aren't dying, but you are being dramatic. ➺ no, doctor google, wrong again. ➺ stop googling your symptoms, it's always going to say cancer. ➺ you're not allergic to anything...except maybe common sense. ➺ if you override my decision again in front of a patient, we're going to have a problem. ➺ this isn't just about skill, it's about trust. ➺ remind me again why i let you assist me? ➺ ten bucks says the new intern faints in under five minutes. ➺ we're not gods. we just play them until the shift ends.

🩹 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :

[ x-ray ] my muse takes yours for an x-ray. [ checkup ] my muse gives yours a routine examination. [ vitals ] my muse checks your muse's vitals. [ chart ] my muse reviews your muse's medical chart in silence. [ diagnosis ] my muse prepares to give yours a difficult diagnosis. [ pressure ] my muse puts pressure on your muse's wound. [ tourniquet ] my muse applies a tourniquet to stop your muse's bleeding. [ cpr ] my muse performs cpr on your muse. [ collapse ] my muse catches yours as they pass out. [ intubate ] my muse intubates yours during a critical moment. [ shock ] my muse uses a defibrillator on your muse. [ scrub in ] my muse scrubs in for surgery. [ assist ] my muse assists in surgery. [ suture ] my muse stitches yours up with shaky hands. [ sit ] my muse sits by your bedside, waiting for them to wake up. [ confession ] my muse confesses something personal while your muse is unconscious. [ argue ] my muse argues with another doctor over your treatment. [ cover-up ] my muse tries to cover up a mistake. [ mystery ] my muse investigates an unexplained illness your muse has. [ fake ] my muse realizes your muse is faking and plays along. [ last words ] my muse hears your muse's final words.

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

Hiii! love your work!! Please could i request just swirly lines in a deep purple?

hello! yes! I recolored my recent swirl dividers, in shades of dark purple. hope you like these! 💖

[Free] Masterlist Headers & Dividers!

Please consider liking or reblogging if you use 💕

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

crayon drawing dividers:

please like and credit if you use, reblogs are appreciated! thank you! 💕

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

‧₊˚ ❤️‍🩹 ✩ old injury prompts

¹⁾ “your shoulder’s acting up again, isn’t it?”

²⁾ “sit, and rest your damn hip before it gives out altogether.”

³⁾ “you’re doing that little frowny thing you always do when a migraine’s about to come on.”

⁴⁾ “i think i coughed wrong and tweaked my back.”

⁵⁾ “christ, how much tiger balm have you got on?”

⁶⁾ “here, can you help me wrap my knee?”

⁷⁾ “i can tell, so don’t bother lying. your gait always gets fucked up when you haven’t been doing your physical therapy.”

⁸⁾ “ran you a bath. might help loosen things up, yeah?”

⁹⁾ “i saw how you were limping this morning- figured picking up your prescription ahead of time might’ve been the move.”

¹⁰⁾ “the heat pack’s in the top left dra- “ “nah, you’re a much better comfort.”

¹¹⁾ “of course i’d manage to break my fall with my bad wrist.”

¹²⁾ “think i pulled a muscle.” “which one?” “all of them.”

¹³⁾ “if you won’t go to the doctor, at least just take it easy for a day or two.”

¹⁴⁾ “i’ll believe your back isn’t at you if you can get up off the floor to tell me it.”

¹⁵⁾ “please tell me that creaking is coming from the stairs and not you.”

¹⁶⁾ “you don’t need to take care of me. i wouldn’t ask that of anyone.”

¹⁷⁾ “i need some ibuprofen, a whiskey and a bath. maybe in that order.”

¹⁸⁾ “you’re good at hiding it, but i can tell you’re in pain.”

¹⁹⁾ “i’m gonna stay the night. i don’t wanna leave you like this alone.”

²⁰⁾ “it’s just a bad day. it’ll pass- it always does.”

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

10 Quiet Ways Your Character Is Breaking Their Own Heart (And Pretending It's Fine)

These are the betrayals that aren’t loud. They don’t come with fireworks or screaming matches. These are the small, slow deaths. The ones that your character lets happen... while smiling politely.

» They say yes when they desperately want to say no. Every. Damn. Time. They show up when they're exhausted. They agree to things they hate. They make themselves smaller, softer, easier, because "good people" don’t make waves, right? (Spoiler: they're drowning.)

» They keep chasing people who only love them halfway. It's not even subtle anymore. They know these people leave them on "read," show up late, make them feel like an afterthought. But they cling anyway, spinning every scrap of affection into a story about hope. (It’s not hope. It’s hunger.)

» They refuse to believe good things are meant for them. They’ll hype everyone else up. They’ll believe in everyone else's dreams. But when something finally good lands in their lap? They’ll panic. Push it away. Tell themselves it was a fluke. (Because being disappointed feels safer than being lucky.)

» They’re waiting for closure that will never come. An apology. An explanation. A miracle where someone says, "You were right, and I was wrong, and I’m so sorry." They wait years. Decades. Lifetimes. But deep down, they know: some people never come back. Some stories just end without punctuation.

» They’re hoarding all their "almosts" like treasures. The job they almost got. The love that almost worked. The version of themselves they almost became. They replay those maybes like a greatest hits album. (Meanwhile, real life is slipping by while they mourn possibilities.)

» They’re performing a version of success they secretly hate. Look at the Instagram. Look at the LinkedIn updates. Look at the shiny exterior. It looks like winning. But every trophy they collect feels heavier, not lighter. Every promotion tastes a little more like ash. (Turns out, chasing someone else's dream is still losing.)

» They forgive people who aren’t sorry. Not because they’re enlightened. Not because they’ve healed. But because it’s easier to pretend it didn’t hurt than to sit with the fact that it did—and that the person responsible doesn't care. (Some wounds scar better when you stop pretending they were accidents.)

» They punish themselves for still being soft. The world told them, again and again, that soft things get broken. And they believed it. So every time they feel too much? Every time they cry or hope or trust? They tell themselves they’re weak. Stupid. Embarrassing. (They're not. They're just still alive.)

» They downplay their own magic. They call their talents "lucky breaks." Their beauty "average." Their intelligence "no big deal." They shrug off compliments like they're dangerous. Because deep down, they've been taught that being remarkable makes you a target.

» They cling to the idea that if they just work harder, they'll finally be enough. They believe in meritocracy like it’s a religion. That if they hustle hard enough, self-sacrifice deep enough, burn themselves to ash perfectly enough, someone, somewhere, will finally say, "You're worthy now." (They were always worthy. The system is just broken.)

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

Ways I Show a Character is Emotionally Burned Out (Before They Even Realize It Themselves)

I love writing characters who think they’re fine but are actually walking emotional house fires with bad coping mechanisms.

They stop doing the things they used to love and don’t even notice. Their guitar gathers dust. Their favorite podcast becomes background noise. Their hobbies feel like homework now.

They pick the path of least resistance every time, even when it hurts them. No, they don’t want to go to that thing. No, they don’t want to talk to that person. But whatever’s easier. That’s the motto now.

They’re tired but can’t sleep. Or they sleep but wake up more tired. Classic burnout move: lying in bed with their brain racing like a toddler on espresso.

They give other people emotional advice they refuse to take themselves. “You have to set boundaries!” they say—while ignoring 8 texts from someone they should’ve cut off three emotional breakdowns ago.

They cry at something stupidly small. Like spilling soup. Or a dog in a commercial. Or losing their pen. The soup is never just soup.

They say “I’m just tired” like it’s a personality trait now. And not like… emotionally drained to the bone but afraid to admit it out loud.

They ghost people they love, not out of malice, but because even replying feels like too much. Social battery? Absolutely obliterated. Texting back feels like filing taxes.

They stop reacting to big things. Catastrophes get a blank stare. Disasters feel like “just another Tuesday.” The well of feeling is running dry.

They avoid being alone with their own thoughts. Constant noise. TV always on. Music blasting. Because silence = reckoning, and reckoning is terrifying.

They start hoping something will force them to stop. An accident. A missed deadline. Someone else finally telling them, “You need a break.” Because asking for help? Unthinkable.

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

hello! i was wondering if you had any tips on how to write dialogue with a pre existing character from shows or movies? I feel like im pretty good at writing for my ocs and their mannerisms or how they would act, but when it comes to making dialogue for a character i feel like it always ends up sounding like my oc or just plain. i loved how you wrote piper and spencer from what ive read he doesnt feel ooc at all. anyway anything helps :)

I guess my main advice would be to really study their mannerisms and the way they speak, as well as the vocabulary they use. so with Spencer, for instance, he's very verbose, because he's got a lot of information to get out as concisely as possible. So really tapping into his mannerisms help, and for that, you just have to be familiar with the source material.

So, for Spencer, for example, he's sort of fidgety in the earlier seasons, but he doesn't talk as fast as he does in s7-9. there's a nervousness to his words, he's trying to fit in with the others, and a lot of defensiveness as well. His voice will go higher up in pitch when he's defending himself, or sort of dry when he's angry/irritable. but then mid-seasons spencer is a lot more confident, he carries himself a lot better, he's not afraid to step up in confrontations.

And the other thing is to really understand the character. Like this is a guy who grew up reading difficult literature, who was very socially isolated in school, and a lot of the more positive social interactions probably happened with teachers and professors more often than with other students and peers. So he carries himself in that same intellectual way with the team as well.

my advice would be, don't be afraid to give pre-existing characters a personality for fear they might sound out of character, because a) this is fanfiction. you're supposed to have fun with it. and b) there is always something that might push a character to do something that is otherwise out of character. so if there's something you want the pre-existing characters to say or do, thinking about the motivation behind it and how that aligns with the character might help.

So cutting a long story short, a) study the character's style of communicating (is it verbose? is it short and concise? is it swaggery?), b) understand the character, their background, down to the changes and growth a character goes through in the source material, and c) lean into it. Have fun with the character, experiment with different dialogues, reimagine the scene from their perspective and write that way, just to get into their headspace. Again, it's fanfiction. Take the pressure off of yourself and just have fun with it.

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

a tender glimpse beneath the surface

❝ i'll always protect you. ❞

❝ i never meant to get this close, but now that i have i can't let you go. ❞

❝ i live for the moments when you look at me. the rest of the time i'm just existing. ❞

❝ i don't like how you make me feel. but i like not being around you even less. ❞

❝ i wish you wouldn't look at me like that. when you look at me like that i...it makes me wanna do things i shouldn't ❞

❝ there's no line i wouldn't cross for you. don't you realize that? ❞

❝ i did this for you. no one else. ❞

❝ i don't like it, but i'll do it for you. ❞

❝ i wonder how much of myself i'll have to give to you—how much i have to lay bare—before you realize how much you're taking. ❞

❝ i'm not trying to fix you. i'm just trying to be your friend. ❞

❝ i'm not um, real good at thank yous. or sorry's. but if you ever need me, i'm there. i owe you one. ❞

❝ i've seen you at your worst and i'm still standing here. ❞

❝ you've seen me at my worst but you're still here... ❞

❝ you can be mad at me, i can take it. i'd rather you be angry than shut me out. ❞

❝ i'm not angry, i'm just scared. ❞

❝ i know you love me, but do you like me? ❞

❝ do you think i'm a good person? ❞

❝ do you think i care for you so little that betraying me would make a difference? of course i'm helping you. ❞

❝ tell me what i can do to show you how i love you. i will give you anything you ask for. ❞

❝ you don't have to keep apologizing. just be here. day in and day out and prove that you're gonna keep showing up. that's all you have to do. ❞

❝ i only sleep well when you're next to me. ❞

❝ i don't want an apology i just want to understand. ❞

❝ i could actually use a hug right now. ❞

❝ i want everyone else to go away, but you can stay. ❞

❝ i actually do care what you think about. you're probably one of the only people whose opinion matters to me. ❞

❝ you always seem to know what i need. ❞

❝ you always seem to know just what i need to hear. ❞

❝ i want you to call me when you need someone. i want to be here for you. ❞

❝ you're the one i wanna call when i need someone. ❞

❝ seems like i always want you around when everything feels all fucked up. guess that means something. ❞

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

flirty or threatening? dialogue prompts

@celestialwrites for more!!

“good god, you are a pain.” “then why are you even here?” “maybe i’m a masochist.”

“say that again i dare you.” “what are you going to do about it if i do?”

“your existence unnerves me.” “aw, i’m flattered.”

“hi honey.” “don’t honey me, you just threw a book at me!”

“huh, you know when you’re not scowling at me your eyes look a little more blue than green.”

“what if one day you wandered off a cliff?” “would you join me?”

“sometimes i feel like you want to get hit.” “by you? most certainly.”

“miss me?” “i had wondered where my headache went.”

“you are certainly interesting.” “is that a compliment or are you making fun of me?” “yes.”

“i’m not docile by any means.” “i’ve noticed, i notice everything about you.”

“i need help to bury a body.” “and you thought of me? aw.” “actually, i’m the only one that would miss you if you went to prison.” “you’d miss me?”

“i hate you!” “as long as you feel something towards me.”

“watch it!” “it’s cute how easy i can rile you up.”

“do you truly hate me?” “i wish that was possible.”

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS!!<3

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

My biggest tip for fanfic writers is this: if you get a character's mannerisms and speech pattern down, you can make them do pretty much whatever you want and it'll feel in character.

Logic: Characters, just like real people, are mallable. There is typically very little that's so truly, heinously out of character that you absolutely cannot make it work under any circumstance. In addition, most fans are also willing to accept characterization stretches if it makes the fic work. Yeah, we all know the villain and the hero wouldn't cuddle for warmth in canon. But if they did do that, how would they do it?

What counts is often not so much 'would the character do this?' and more 'if the character did do this, how would they do it?' If you get 'how' part right, your readers will probably be willing to buy the rest, because it will still feel like their favourite character. But if it doesn't feel like the character anymore, why are they even reading the fic?

Worry less about whether a character would do something, and more about how they'd sound while doing it.

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

Severe hypothermia is great but as someone who has experienced mild hypothermia, I think it needs more credit.

You don't need medical attention but everything just feels wrong for the hours and days afterward. You can't regulate your body temperature right. You're cold and shivering but the blankets and sleeping bags you're swaddled in have you sweating because youre body hasn't decided you're safe enough to send blood back to your extremities. You want to warm your hands and feet but know that's going to send the cold blood right back deep, deep into your core like daggers.

Dress warmly when you're out on lobster fishing boats y'all...

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

Writing with Colors

A list of resources to help you describe different colors in your writing.

The Color Thesaurus A collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.

Color Reference Chart Another collection of infographics that show various shades of different colors, each shade/color labeled by name.

Hair Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of different hair colors, each shade/color labeled by name.

Eye Color Reference Chart A collection of infographics that show various shades of blue, brown, and green eye colors, each shade/color labeled by name.

Different Ways to Describe Hazel Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing hazel eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.

Different Ways to Describe Green Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing green eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.

Different Ways to Describe Blue Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing blue eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.

Different Ways to Describe Brown Eyes A list of ideas and suggestions for describing brown eyes. Can be used as prompts or for brainstorming.

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I’m a writer, poet, and editor. I share writing resources that I’ve collected over the years and found helpful for my own writing. If you like my blog, follow me for more resources! ♡

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

hello, i hope im asking the right person here!! Have you perhaps done a post on types of injuries a charcter can have? Whether it be facial injuries or elsewhere!

Many thanks! :)

Writing References: Injuries

Amnesia ⚜ Bites & Stings ⚜ Bruises ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Fractures

Frostbite ⚜ Infected Gunshot Wound (GSW) ⚜ Knife Injuries

Mechanism of Injury (Head-on collision; GSW; stabbings)

Hostile Environments (Cold; heat; oxygen deprivation; vacuum exposure)

Reactions to Injury ⚜ Scars

Types & Levels of Pain ⚜ Importance of Pain

Wounds ⚜ Wound Care ⚜ Writing Realistic Injuries

Hi, here are some previous posts related to injuries. Let me know if you were looking for something more specific. Hope this helps with your writing :)

More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

"not too close!" - some sickfic scenarios for your otp

prompt list by @novelbear

gently placing a hand on their forehead periodically throughout the day to check for fever.

falling asleep almost everywhere because they're just so exhausted

"can i have another blanket?" "do you really think that's a good idea, love?"

remembering little details when shopping for them (certain brands of tissues that don't irritate their nose, flavors of cough drops/lozenges they prefer, etc.)

wincing when they speak for the first time after a while and their voice is so hoarse/rough

"what are you doing out of bed?" "for the love of god, i need to pee."

sacrificing their own comfort for the one that's unwell (ex: they usually need the a.c on at night, but they sleep without it to keep the other warm)

"if you're like this tomorrow, i'm calling the doctor."

massaging their head/stomach when in pain

protecting their peace when friends and family are around ("no, don't wake them! they're sick.")

giving in to anything they want because they feel terrible for how they're feeling

^ "can i have a popsicle?" "you really shouldn't..." "please?" "ugh fine.."

not letting the sick one move an inch.

"you're going to get sick if you keep coddling me." "and you're just going to get worse if i don't..."

"i don't deserve you." "yes you do, now go to sleep hon'."

[writer-in-the-dark-prompts]

be proud of your original characters. it's no easy task to create a character from scratch, to make them believable and real and human. it takes time. it takes dedication. so what if they aren't perfect right away? so what if there are still things you're only now figuring out after time? characters evolve, they go through changes and arcs and stories just like real people do. and it's okay if your character develops over time, you don't need to have it all figured out right away. there are some things that will only ever clear up after writing them for a while, finding their voice, and seeing the way they interact with other characters. but this is your character, your creation, and you deserve to feel proud about it no matter what.