writingonesdreams

[writingonesdreams]

"If my book is not perfect then-"

Then what? People will actually discuss it? fill your plotholes with fanfiction and headcanons?

People dont care about perfection. perfection is boring. if your story is perfect people will forget about it. its how we are wired. we remember the strange, the weird and all things left open.

Perfection isnt the goal, interesting is

[writingonesdreams]

my fave writing reminder

honestly, this phrase has been on my mind more times than i can count. i've kidnapped it, taken it as a hostage with no ransom money because i need it to live permanently in my head.

[writingonesdreams]

Advice for writing relationships

Ship Dynamics

How to create quick chemistry

How to write a polyamorous relationship

How to write a wedding

How to write found family

How to write forbidden love

Introducing partner(s) to family

Honeymoon

Date gone wrong

Fluffy Kiss Scene

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

Affections without touching

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other

Relationship Problems

Relationship Changes

Milestones in a relationship

Platonic activities for friends

Settings for conversations

How to write a love-hate relationship

How to write enemies to lovers

How to write lovers to enemies to lovers

How to write academic rivals to lovers

How to write age difference

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for having a crush on someone

Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship

Ways a wedding could go wrong

Arranged matrimony for royalty

Signs of a Toxic Relationship

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[writingonesdreams]

The goal isn't to be sober. The goal is to love yourself so much that you don't need to drink.

[writingonesdreams]

OC Height Tag

Thanks for this tag @k--havok!! Using this site, I made the rough heights of the Invisible Girl crew...couldn't find any guys with Fynn's mop of curls, but oh well ;)

Rules: Describe or show your characters' heights.

Anyone who sees this and wants to share, and also pssp pssp @eccaiia @charlesjosephwrites @tragicheirs and @eli-writes-sometimes, go wild!

[writingonesdreams]

[ID: the book cover for The Spirit's Curse, Lutesong Book Three, by R.K. Ashwick. The cover shows a pink and yellow lute with gold swirls coming out of the sound hole, surrounded by thorny green vines and purple leaves against a black background. end ID]

Happy release day to The Spirit's Curse!!

It's here! It's done! The whole trilogy is finally done!

Honestly, the Lutesong series wouldn't be here without Tumblr. I only got into self-publishing because I saw other folks on Tumblr doing it, and people were encouraging when I started posting my own writing for The Stray Spirit. It baffled me the first time someone recalled who Emry was, or remembered a snippet I had posted before. My writing stuck with someone?? They liked it enough to remember it??

So, if you've been with me since the beginning, I really hope you enjoy Emry, Cal, and Aspen's final adventure in The Spirit's Curse. 🌸🌿🎶

[writingonesdreams]

Things Your Character Deeply Regrets (Even If They’ve Never Said It Out Loud)

(They may hide it, deny it, or carry it like an anchor.)

✨ Something they said in anger and can’t unsay.

✨ Someone they let go before they were ready.

✨ Not being there when it mattered.

✨ Saying “yes” when they should’ve said “no.”

✨ Saying “no” when they should’ve said “yes.”

✨ Not fighting harder.

✨ Fighting for the wrong thing.

✨ Being too proud to apologize.

✨ Being too scared to speak up.

✨ Choosing the easy road and watching it rot.

✨ Trusting someone they shouldn’t have.

✨ Not trusting someone who earned it.

✨ Keeping a secret that hurt someone.

✨ Breaking a promise they meant to keep.

✨ Turning into the very thing they once hated.

✨ Wasting time they can’t get back.

✨ Hurting someone to protect themselves.

✨ Letting shame win.

✨ Staying silent when someone else needed their voice.

✨ Realizing too late that love was the point and they missed it.

[writingonesdreams]

Telling myself this every day so here's a meme

[writingonesdreams]

shoutout to those moments when you're writing and not only can you get the words out of your head, but you can get yourself out of your head too.

I love it when the story itself is so clear in my mind that the specific words I'm using to tell it don't matter half as much as just getting the story out and sharing it with someone. When I can turn off the parts of my brain that worry it'll be bad or obsess over finding exactly the right word, and I can just allow myself to get it close enough instead of forcing it to be perfect.

honestly, I think that's half the reason why I write directly into the AO3 form (I know, I know). Doing that forces me to just keep going and get the chapter done instead of futzing with it or worrying forever. It also keeps me from being too precious about my own writing because I know that if AO3 goes down while I'm writing that chapter, I'll have to start all over.

I know that method doesn't work for everyone, but it makes the whole process more alive for me. It makes me decide things faster, edit things less, and relax about the fact that there will indeed be typos.

it's a unique kind of rush, and I always miss it when it's not around. I've posted more than one fic just because I wanted to feel it again.

[writingonesdreams]

You don’t have to be a perfect writer to start writing. The more you write, the better you become.

[writingonesdreams]

some highlights from my writing seminar with honestly one of my favourite authors of all time who shall remain nameless bc i dont want her to know i was spilling her secrets online

The first trick is to detach yourself from your idea. You don’t have just one novel inside you, and it’s not a big deal if you don’t finish this novel.

She was skeptical of the common advice “just write!!1!” - she talked about how long ideas for her most popular novels were marinating inside her before she properly wrote them

As a continuation of that, she was a big believer in knowing what you want to write before you write it. Not what you’re going to write, what you want to write. 

The first thing she decides about a novel is what the mood is going to be, and this informs every other decision (e.g. the mood for Shiver was bittersweet)

Ideas should be personal, specific, exciting and they should exclude secondary sources. A personal idea isn’t necessarily autobiographical (which should be avoided), but it speaks to your emotional truth. 

She said she had been read Ronsey fanfiction and she couldn’t view her car in the same way since. 

Story is the thing that seems most important to reader but is most changeable to the author - story is subservient to your mood and your message. Change what you like in the plot as long as your book retains its sense of self.

Story is conflict, exploration and change. A good story has active tension -the characters want something, instead of just wanting something not to happen (e.g. wanting to kill an enemy instead of simply defending a stronghold against an enemy) 

A story needs to have a concrete end, something to be done. 

Satisfaction is important - deliver what you promise to the reader. The other shoe has to drop. Ronan Lynch doesn’t ever talk about his feelings, so its rewarding when he does. 

Earn your emotional moments (she threw shade at Fantastic Beasts lmao)

Forcing a character to be passive is dissatisfying to the reader. 

Characters are products of their environments, consistent/predictable, nuanced and specific, moving the plot, and subservient to other story elements. 

She always starts with tropes for ensemble casts like sitcoms. Helpful for building good character dynamics.

Write scenes with characters saying explicitly what they’re thinking and then go back and make them talk like real people in the edit. 

An action can also prove what they’re thinking, instead of making them say it or another character guess it (e.g. Ronan punching a wall). 

Move the reader’s emotional furniture around without them noticing. 

All her books follow the three act structure. Established normal -> inciting incident -> character makes an Active Decision -> fun and games -> escalation -> darkest moment -> climax. 

Promise what you’re going to do in the first five pages. 

Read your book out loud. Record yourself reading it. 

If you have writer’s block, it’s because you’ve stopped writing the book you want to write. She likes to delete everything she’s written until she gets back to a point where she knew she was writing what she wanted to write, and then carrying on from there. 

[writingonesdreams]

Other Words for "Look" + With meanings | List for writers

Many people create lists of synonyms for the word 'said,' but what about the word 'look'? Here are some synonyms that I enjoy using in my writing, along with their meanings for your reference. While all these words relate to 'look,' they each carry distinct meanings and nuances, so I thought it would be helpful to provide meanings for each one.

Gaze - To look steadily and intently, especially in admiration or thought.

Glance - A brief or hurried look.

Peek - A quick and typically secretive look.

Peer - To look with difficulty or concentration.

Scan - To look over quickly but thoroughly.

Observe - To watch carefully and attentively.

Inspect - To look at closely in order to assess condition or quality.

Stare - To look fixedly or vacantly at someone or something.

Glimpse - To see or perceive briefly or partially.

Eye - To look or stare at intently.

Peruse - To read or examine something with great care.

Scrutinize - To examine or inspect closely and thoroughly.

Behold - To see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one.

Witness - To see something happen, typically a significant event.

Spot - To see, notice, or recognize someone or something.

Contemplate - To look thoughtfully for a long time at.

Sight - To suddenly or unexpectedly see something or someone.

Ogle - To stare at in a lecherous manner.

Leer - To look or gaze in an unpleasant, malicious way.

Gawk - To stare openly and stupidly.

Gape - To stare with one's mouth open wide, in amazement.

Squint - To look with eyes partially closed.

Regard - To consider or think of in a specified way.

Admire - To regard with pleasure, wonder, and approval.

Skim - To look through quickly to gain superficial knowledge.

Reconnoiter - To make a military observation of a region.

Flick - To look or move the eyes quickly.

Rake - To look through something rapidly and unsystematically.

Glare - To look angrily or fiercely.

Peep - To look quickly and secretly through an opening.

Focus - To concentrate one's visual effort on.

Discover - To find or realize something not clear before.

Spot-check - To examine something briefly or at random.

Devour - To look over with eager enthusiasm.

Examine - To inspect in detail to determine condition.

Feast one's eyes - To look at something with great enjoyment.

Catch sight of - To suddenly or unexpectedly see.

Clap eyes on - To suddenly see someone or something.

Set eyes on - To look at, especially for the first time.

Take a dekko - Colloquial for taking a look.

Leer at - To look or gaze in a suggestive manner.

Rubberneck - To stare at something in a foolish way.

Make out - To manage to see or read with difficulty.

Lay eyes on - To see or look at.

Pore over - To look at or read something intently.

Ogle at - To look at in a lecherous or predatory way.

Pry - To look or inquire into something in a determined manner.

Dart - To look quickly or furtively.

Drink in - To look at with great enjoyment or fascination.

Bask in - To look at or enjoy something for a period of time.

[writingonesdreams]

Where is a worldbuilding Bible with various countries and cultures neatly explained for inspiration

[writingonesdreams]

Word Count Matters

If you’re aiming to get your manuscript actually published, word counts are just one more thing you have to be aware of—especially in traditional publishing. Unfortunately, no one is going to publish a 100K children’s storybook, or a 40K high fantasy. That’s because each genre comes with its own expected word count, and while you might get away with being a bit under or over, you should be aiming for that ideal range.

Here's the genres and their typical word count ranges ~

Mysteries/Suspense: 70K-90K

Crime: 90K-100K

High-Fantasy: 100K+

General Fantasy: 90K-120K

Horror: 80K-100K

Sci-Fi: 90K-125K

Speculative: 75K-125K

Romance: 40K-100K

New Adult: 60K-85K

YA: 70K-90K

Middle Grade: 25K-40K

Picture Books: 50-1000

And some general guidelines for what counts as a novel vs a short etc:

Novel: 50K+

Novella: 20K-50K

Novelette: 10K-20K

Short Story: 1000-10K, but ideally 3K-8K

Flash fiction: 1-1000

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[writingonesdreams]

a lot of stories treat romance like it makes the relationship between two characters self explanatory and to be honest it doesn’t

[writingonesdreams]

Hi wisteria!! I adore your work within the shc system. I was wondering if you could explain (or link to a previous explanation) performances vs models vs systems? I'm especially having trouble with the latter of the three

That's fair. 'System' is a word I only use in the context of Bird primaries, so I just use it less.

A 'performance' is acting. You know you're 'pretending' while you do it, you don't do it while you're by yourself. Like 'customer service face' - that's a performance. (Kind of an exaggerated perky Badger performance.)

A 'model' is an additional primary or secondary you teach yourself how to use because it's fun, it's useful, it's cool, it's a coping mechanism, it's culturally required. It goes deeper than a performance and becomes 'part' of you more. You probably do keep using it while alone. Like to keep up the Badger example, there is a sort of "Good Parent" Badger secondary model a lot of people seem to think is either useful or required. BUT... if it becomes necessary, or if you don't have the extra bandwidth... you can and will drop your model.

A 'System' or a 'Truth' (I use those words kind of interchangeably...) is specific to Bird Primaries. What makes Birds Birds is the way they *decide* on their belief system, and then can change or tweak it as needed. That's what I mean by 'System' : a Bird's constructed belief system. A Bird's system might look 100% Badger, in which case I'll say they have a Badger System. But, they arrived at those same behaviors though a different process than a Badger would have, and also a Badger and and Bird with a Badger System are going to look different under pressure, and different when they Burn. So it's still a meaningful distinction.

[writingonesdreams]