writingisland

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Writing Exercise: Descriptions

Want a creative way to practice descriptions? Go on WindowSwap.com, click the button to be shown a random view out of a window somewhere on the planet. Set a timer and describe what you see.

[writingisland]

Hyperspecific Writing Prompts:

When purposefully making your partner jealous to rile them up goes wrong

1. "You like that, huh?" "Making you jealous? I mean, I do like seeing that dark look in your eyes-" "I meant hurting me."

2. "I didn't know you were the jealous type…" "I wasn't, until you threw yourself at someone else in front of me as some fucked up joke."

3. "Who did you dress up for, hm?" "Oh, just C." "Yeah? Better hope C is here with a car, because I'm leaving."

4. "Hey, why are you leaving?" "Oh, you noticed, huh?" "What- Of course I noticed, hey, stop!" "Go back to C."

5. "They were checking you out." "Who? Are they cute?" "What isn't cute is how you're acting right now."

7. "You know how I once told you I don't trust easy?" "Uh… Yeah?" "Yeah. Congrats, you fucking decimated whatever trust I had."

8. "What, you thought I'd pull some corny shit because you dance with someone else? You thought this would end in any other way than a fight?" "I just-" "This isn't a fucking movie. That? I consider that cheating."

9. "What's this?" "What, my ring?" "Yeah. You must not know what it means, considering the way you're behaving."

10. "Don't tell me you're jealous~" "Glad you're enjoying this." "Aw, I love how possessive you get." "I don't. I actually hate that you enjoy upsetting me."

+ 1: "Baby, I'm bi. Please keep going, I am loving this."

[writingisland]

Found Family/Team as Family Prompts

Older mentor/team leader and the new, younger team member

1. "I wish I'd met you earlier." "Earlier? Any earlier and you'd be in diapers, kid."

2. "You alright?" "Alright? That was awesome!" "… I miss having this much enthusiasm."

3. "You weren't raised to kneel, kid. And don't dishonor yourself by turning the other cheek. Get up."

4. "Can I have a hug?" "… C'mere. You alright?"

5. "Why do you hate me?" "I don't hate you. I hate having to drag more people into this fight--no matter who."

6. "Hey, uh… There's an issue involving the new kid, and I was told to get you…" *alarmed* "What issue?" "The, uh… The arm stuck in the vending machine kind?" "… Yeah, I'll be there in a second."

7. "Why did you tell me to leave?" "What happened is nothing I haven't seen before, and nothing you should ever see."

8. "An eye for an eye makes the world go blind." "Then maybe these fuckers should stop going for the eyes of my people."

9. "Oi. You got any allergies?" "Are you making me a lunchbox?" "It's called rationing. Do you?"

10. "How'd you get that scar?" "Mauled by a dog." "And that one?" "Knife." "And the one on your face? Must've happened in a fight with some assassin, right? Were you defending some secret intel? Or protecting someone-" "I tripped up the stairs."

[writingisland]

Writer Jargon 101 ✨

Show, Don’t Tell – The golden rule! Instead of flatly stating emotions, reveal them through actions, dialogue, and sensory details. Like, don’t say, “She was angry.” Show her slamming a door or clenching her fists.

Head-hopping – When you switch POVs in the middle of a scene without clear demarcation. It's confusing and jarring, like taking a sudden detour while driving.

Purple Prose – Over-the-top, flowery writing that can come off as trying too hard. A little flair is fine, but don’t smother your reader with excess.

In Medias Res – Starting a story in the middle of the action. No boring build-up, just bang—we’re already in the heat of things.

Foreshadowing – Dropping subtle hints about what’s coming next. A small detail now could be a huge reveal later. It’s like dropping breadcrumbs leading your readers to an epic twist.

Chekhov’s Gun – If you introduce an object or detail, it better serve a purpose later. No random things just hanging around. Everything matters.

Canon vs. Fanon – Canon refers to the original source material, while Fanon is the fan-created version. You can take liberties with Fanon, but Canon needs to stick close to its roots.

Saturation Point – That place in your writing where things become too repetitive, too familiar. You’ve got to find a way to push beyond it to keep your writing fresh and engaging.

Bait and Switch – Leading your reader to expect one thing, then suddenly giving them something unexpected. It’s like pulling the rug out from under them.

Plot Device – Any element (object, event, or person) that drives the plot forward or allows the resolution of the story. It’s the item or moment that has to exist for the plot to make sense.

Vignette – A brief, evocative scene that focuses on one moment or idea, often without a formal plot. It's about capturing a snapshot of a bigger picture. Think of it like a small, poetic portrait within a larger narrative.

Mise-en-Scène – A French term used to describe the setting or visual elements within a scene, especially in film and theater. It refers to how everything is placed or designed to create a specific atmosphere.

Framing Device – A structure or technique used to tell a story within a story. It's like having a character tell their experiences through flashbacks or letters, giving the plot a layered, nested feel.

Endowment Effect – When writers unintentionally overvalue a character or plot point simply because they created it. It’s the I’m so proud of this, it’s got to stay! mindset. Sometimes less is more, so watch out for this.

Conflict (Internal/External) – Internal conflict is the emotional struggle within a character (e.g., wanting something but being afraid of it), while external conflict comes from forces outside of the character (e.g., fighting an enemy or dealing with societal pressures).

Pacing Breathers – Moments in the story where the action slows down to allow the characters to breathe and reflect. These help balance the high-energy scenes and give readers time to process.

Symbolism – Using objects, actions, or settings to represent larger ideas. Think of a wilting flower symbolizing the decay of a relationship. It’s subtle but adds layers to your story.

Subtext – The hidden or underlying meaning in a scene or dialogue. What isn’t said, what’s implied but not directly stated. Like that tension between two characters that’s so obvious but never spoken aloud.

Red Herrings – Misdirection! These are the details or clues that seem significant but lead readers down the wrong path. It’s like planting a fake trail to keep your reader guessing.

Narrative Whiplash – When you suddenly change tones or perspectives, jerking the reader’s expectations. It’s like riding a bike and then suddenly taking a sharp, unexpected turn. Used well, it adds suspense, but too much can feel disorienting.

To those readers who became writers, we intuitively know what works and what doesn’t, but just in case I’m putting it out here so writing becomes easier!

[writingisland]

sometimes the best writing advice is "just let it be bad." revolutionary. terrifying. but it works.

[writingisland]

Something I found that makes a scene easier and longer:

Writing the dialogue first.

I never used to do this, but one night it was really late and I was half asleep but I wanted to get some work done. So I decided to just fill in the dialogue I wanted for the scene.

I found myself with close to 1000 words of dialogue. (I obviously tagged who said what, how it was said, etc.)

When I came back to the document, I just filled in the action, the background, descriptions and plot.

I ended up with between 3000-4000 words in one sitting.

Maybe this won’t work for everyone, hell maybe someone else has already pointed this out, but I just wanted to share this writing tip.

[writingisland]

Friendly reminder:

We are not better, smarter, or more enlightened than the people of past times.

People in the past were not worse, stupider, or simpler than us.

The things we do today are not necessarily smarter or better than they were in the past.

It's all about a progress and regress relationship.

We may have a longer lifespan than past humans did, but we do not necessarily have healthier lifestyles.

We may be able to cure more diseases than past humans could, but we don't necessarily have better relationships with our bodies.

We may be able to travel faster than past humans could, but we don't necessarily have all the geographical knowledge and sense of space past humans did.

As soon as you view yourself as morally, physically, and mentally superior to humans past, you begin down the path of colonialist, exceptionalist, and supremacist ideology.

We are not better than the past, and the past wasn't any better than things are now.