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I started a new story and it was just supposed to be me writing down the premise and the two scenes that kept playing over and over in my head, but i ended up writing three pages and realized I needed to name characters so there all named after food (mainly the nut family, but that's destined to change)

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just so you know, you have some followers who enjoy/write fanfiction. not saying their urls rn bc i don’t wanna air out dirty laundry in public but if you want them so you can block and report, just say the word and i’ll dm you a list

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I should note a different Missouri near total adult ban was also taken out

So if you're reading about these bans, and you're scared where you live or that you can't travel/move to different parts of America, remember these bans are legal nonsense and failing in court over and over and over again

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Something I found on Twitter that really puts things in perspective as a creator.

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“I bought the book you were talking about” is a love language

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The 5-Act Structure (simplified + how I use it)

A Brief Recap of the Five-Act Structure

You probably remember Freytag's pyramid from school. That little graph did not explain the 5-act structure to me well at all. Prologue, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement. Yes, great, but... what do those things mean in that context?

I'm going to break this down quickly and in a way that makes sense to me.

5 Acts in 5 Minutes

ACT I: EXPOSITION -> WHO ARE THESE CHARACTERS, HOW DO THEY BEHAVE, WHAT'S THE CONFLICT GOING TO BE, AND WHY DO WE CARE?

[INSERT INCITING INCIDENT HERE]

ACT II: RISING ACTION -> EVERYONE'S TRYING REALLY HARD TO GET WHAT THEY WANT AND SOLVE THE MAIN PROBLEM; FAILURES AND SETBACKS INCREASE TENSIONS UNTIL...

ACT III: CLIMAX -> BOOM! THE TENSION BREAKS AND KNOCKS EVERYONE ON THEIR ASS; SOMETHING ENTERS OR LEAVES THE NARRATIVE, MAKING IT A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME; THE STAKES HAVE BEEN RAISED

ACT IV: FALLING ACTION -> NOTHING IS CERTAIN ANYMORE, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN (EVEN, AND ESPECIALLY, LOSING); THE RAISED STAKES ARE PAINFULLY FELT BUT IF THEY CAN MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ROUND, THEY STILL HAVE A CHANCE...

ACT V: DENOUEMENT -> THE CULMINATION OF EFFORTS AND ACTIONS LEADS THE CHARACTERS TO THE END; WIN OR LOSE, IT'S OVER; THE CONFLICT HAS ITS VICTORS. THE LOOSE ENDS ARE TIED UP, THE DUST SETTLES, AND IT'S TIME FOR SOME NARRATIVE CLOSURE.

a note on the names of these acts: they can be pretty misleading, at least to me. So here are names that may add some clarity...

Act I: Introduction

Act II: Initial Efforts (Round 1 of trying to reach the goal)

Act III: Midpoint

Act IV: All is Lost (Round 2 of trying to reach the goal)

Act V: Finale (Last round of trying + the final outcome)

Cool. How do I use an act structure?

Any way you want. Use it like a map, use it like a revision guide after you've outlined, use it as the mousepad you barely look at.

An act structure is less about strict division and more about a specific way to look at your plot. A lens that focuses on parts of a whole, each part with a purpose.

How I use the 5-act structure

My brain is story- and character-oriented. Channeling that into a cohesive plot, let alone a satisfying plot, is not intuitive to me. The 5-act structure lets me lay out what I have and get a visual for which parts of the plot need more attention.

I rely on the framework so I can take the story I already have and make it into the most effective, compelling plot possible.

You don't need a traditional plot or anything resembling acts. But for me, for my screenwriting especially, I prefer structure. I only have 120 or so pages to say what I'm trying to say. I need to be efficient and know what to prioritize.

This doesn't mean I view story structure as a mold to shove everything into. The 5-act structure is a beaten path I can wander on and off of, knowing it will keep me on track when I get lost.

As always, take what's helpful and leave the rest.

[Call it Good] Writing

Note: Please keep in mind that I am breaking the 5-act structure down quickly and in a way that makes sense to me, it may not be 100% accurate to the very detailed original theory. If you'd like further reading: Here is MasterClass explaining it with examples from The Godfather and Romeo and Juliet.

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Started project # 40,000 the other day. Its about a cowboy (sunshine) and a journalist (grumpy). Oh and a horse named after a flower

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For the book ask!

2, 8, 19

2. Did you reread anything? What?

I did not, I started to reread the Nailbiter graphic series but there were too many new books waiting on me

8. Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

I did, I read more nonfiction and romance than horror fiction

19. Did you use your library?

I kind of feel like this is cheating because I work at the library so yes I did use it. A lot

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2023

READ THAT STACK OF BOOKS NEXT TO YOUR BED

READ THAT STACK OF BOOKS NEXT TO YOUR BED

READ THAT STACK OF BOOKS NEXT TO YOUR BED

READ THAT STACK OF BOOKS NEXT TO YOUR BED

READ THAT STACK OF BOOKS NEXT TO YOUR BED

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end-of-year book ask

How many books did you read this year?

Did you reread anything? What?

What were your top five books of the year?

Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

What genre did you read the most of?

Was there anything you meant to read, but never got to?

What was your average Goodreads rating? Does it seem accurate?

Did you meet any of your reading goals? Which ones?

Did you get into any new genres?

What was your favorite new release of the year?

What was your favorite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?

Any books that disappointed you?

What were your least favorite books of the year?

What books do you want to finish before the year is over?

Did you read any books that were nominated for or won awards this year (Booker, Women’s Prize, National Book Award, Pulitzer, Hugo, etc.)? What did you think of them?

What is the most over-hyped book you read this year?

Did any books surprise you with how good they were?

How many books did you buy?

Did you use your library?

What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?

Did you participate in or watch any booklr, booktube, or book twitter drama?

What’s the longest book you read?

What’s the fastest time it took you to read a book?

Did you DNF anything? Why?

What reading goals do you have for next year?

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reminders for writers.

nobody gives a crap if something is overdone in fiction. what they really care about is the execution

having a bad day of writing does not make you a bad writer

tropes ≠ clichés. if someone tells you it's wrong to use tropes, disregard the advice

writing in your second or third language isn’t always easy. you’re doing great

writing advice = tools. not rules. you’re not meant to follow every advice you read about on the internet. learn the rules so you know which ones to break

every writer is capable of writing a captivating story, but your story might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s ok. there will still be people out there who’ll adore it

it’s ok to not excel at every genre! you can write things because you think it’s fun, doesn’t always have to be a matter of writing something because you’re good at it. it’s ok to explore (and it helps you improve as a writer!)

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Dreams are cancelled because they gave me another story idea and I can’t handle this many, make the visions stop

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i’m sawry but if you support t*ry l*nez or believe that megan is anything but a victim UNFOLLOW ME. no victim should ever feel like their ab*ser shouldve k worded them instead due to people not believing them.

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some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.

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Welcome to the Underground

On the corner of Nunya and Yo’ Businez there’s a building that, despite being occupied for many centuries, looks like it was abandoned a millennium or two ago. Most don’t even realize the building is there though. With the way the vines crawl up it as if at any moment you can grab them from the top and uproot the whole thing. And the way the exposed brown brick is nothing more than just brick. Unless you look a little closer and in the right kind of sunlight. See that glitter there? It’s a shimmery dance in the light. The twinkle entices you to come and dance with it. Everyone is welcomed to the building, but you can only get in if you can tell the bouncer what happens on the third Wednesday of every month. But if you can’t, or you don’t remember, you can challenge Big Dan to an arm wrestling match. Be careful though, for someone with no arms Big Dan always manages to win. If by some stroke of luck you are able to make it into the building you have to answer yet another question after climbing down too many stairs to count. “Who was the 213th president?” There’s only one and if you were paying attention your journey down would’ve told you. Once you're inside the building and you’ve told Marii, with two I’s, why exactly you’re bothering her for. She’ll let you into a door that is just another door that looks through a window. Through this window you will see

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This. Plus the sheer guilt writers feel when they’re not writing, because they feel like they should be writing right now. But what they do is ‘anything to make sure they avoid writing’.

The struggle is very much real.

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fun ideas to get to know your characters

height, age, eye color, etc.—that’s the simple stuff. that’s the bread of the sandwich. the personality is where the toppings come in. show me the spam! the peanut butter! the jelly! maybe not all three at once…

when beginning a novel, you should have a general knowledge of your character and their personality. however, because it’s only a general idea, the character’s voice often doesn’t develop until at least halfway through your novel-writing. here are some non-traditional ideas to help develop a deeper understanding of your character, so that writing them is a little easier:

-shark tank pitch. your character comes up with the next genius product and mark cuban desperately needs to know why he and the other sharks should invest. what’s the product and brand called? what does your character offer to the sharks?

-plan a day-long roadtrip for them! how far could they go from their current location in a day? what are some fun things they would do, see, or eat?

-go to a coffee shop or bar and order their drink of choice

-don’t be board! play a game of the oregon trail (or really any board game) between your characters. what strategies do they use? do they help others or are they only looking out for themselves?

-watch a movie or an episode of a TV show and jot down commentary from the perspective of your character

-your character starts a podcast! who do they start it with? what is the podcast about? draft out the script of their first episode

-hold up your hands! this is a robbery! what does your character do? who’s robbing them?

-dear diary, today was… write a diary entry from the perspective of your pre-teen character’s self

-design a bullet journal page for your character, if that’s their cup of tea. if not, maybe just list out their average, general routine

-adopt, don’t shop! look at your local shelter’s web page and pick out a pet for your character. what does your character name it? what kind of pet parent are they? was this planned or an impulse decision?

-make a water bottle or laptop cover for your character. buy stickers that they would like and decorate something with it!

happy writing! let us know if you try any of these, and reblog if you find this helpful!