Writing Blog

OCTOBER APPROACHES!

And so does Whumptober 2019! Feast your eyes on this year’s gut-wrenchingly glorious Prompt List, and get inspired to create some killer content starting October 1st. There are some changes to the tagging system from last year, so be sure to give the attached Event information a read! If after reading you still have questions, feel free to send an ask to @whumptober2019​ or reach out to the event creator, @la-vie-en-whump​ !

We hope you’re as excited as us to watch the Whump Community come together once again for a month of bone-crunching creativity and collaboration!

-Kat

The official Prompt List, Event information, and FAQs are all transcribed below the cut.

bullet points: the only thing you write is bullet point fic. or short fic. it’s good writing, it’s just never as long as you want it to be. you envy those who can write 50k epics at the drop of a hat. and they, in turn, envy you.

WIP Central: you last completed a fic in 2009. your folders are full of nameless fics crying out for attention. you cannot open them without a surge of guilt. in spite of this, you open another document, and begin another fic.

word counter broke: this one, you tell yourself, will be a measly 2k. it is not. you watch in creeping horror as the counter climbs first to 5k, then to 11k. you still have six major plot points left to go. the fic is expected to clock at 23k but knowing you, will reach 50k. you have a sequel planned. there is no end in sight.

Here are some tips for writing relationships your readers can get behind:

1. Give them reasons to click

The two characters must have things in common - a hobby, a philosophy, a background. There has to be some element that connects them.

Your readers will root for relationships in which the characters fit together better than they would with others.

Also, make their traits compatible. Have them share some characteristics or have their strengths and weaknesses be complementary. Is the one hotheaded? Maybe the other keeps their cool well in situations of conflict.

There are endless possibilities. Just make sure there’s a reason these two people like/love each other.

2. Have them be vulnerable in front of each other

Personally, this is the best way to get me to love a couple.

Have them share secrets, open up about their feelings and tell each other things they haven’t told anyone. Have them cry in front of each other and comfort each other.

This can be taken to a whole new level by having them understand the other’s emotions even without speaking and already offer comfort. Keep in mind that this will probably only be possible with long-established couples.

And having them open up is also a great way for them to discover all the things they have in common/love about each other.

3. Build up the tension

I cannot emphasise this enough: DO NOT MAKE YOUR COUPLES GET TOGETHER TOO QUICKLY.

One of the best elements of a romantic subplot (or even main plot) is the tension. Your readers want to see the pining! They want the build-up.

And no, I’m not saying that you should introduce endless, petty obstacles. That can become tedious and appear forced.

Just give your characters time to sort through their feelings. Make them fall in love slowly. Have them be unsure. Insert SOME obstacles/conflicts.

Have them almost kiss a few times. Not all the time. Too many almost-kisses can become frustrating. But you should throw a few in there.

And, if you feel comfortable with it, add some sexual tension. Have them notice each other’s bodies and imagine what they’d like to do to each other (that sounds more explicit than I intended :) )

4. Write a healthy relationship

This could just be me and my rejection of unhealthy romances, but I will not root for abusive relationships.

Have your characters be kind to each other, support each other and truly care for each other.

If your characters are constantly putting each other down, physically/emotionally abusing each other or going against the other’s wishes, they’re not in a healthy relationship.

A great way to write a healthy relationship whilst still maintaining the tension, is to have the conflict in the relationship be external. Instead of having the conflict be due to internal struggles between the two characters, have obstacles enter from outside.

Your readers should want them to be together and for that, they should be good for each other.

5. Have their friends/family see their chemistry

I find it beyond adorable when two characters are still figuring out their feelings for each other, but the fact that they’re perfect for each other is crystal clear to everyone around them.

Have their friends tease them about the relationship. Have family members ask after the them. Have their loved ones conspire to get them to admit their feelings.

If your other characters are rooting for them, your readers will probably do so as well.

Plus, this means that the chemistry between the two characters is so strong that it’s obvious, which is always good for an exciting romance.

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any further questions about writing OTPs or any other aspect of writing, feel free to message me or pop me an ask.

 ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴀ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴘᴘʀᴇᴄɪᴀᴛᴇ ᴀʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋs, ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇʏ’ʀᴇ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴇғғᴏʀᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀɪᴇs ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀs ʙʟᴏᴄᴋ sᴏ ʙᴇ ᴘᴀᴛɪᴇɴᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ, ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀs ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ sʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ sᴏᴍᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴍɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ғᴏʀ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋ :𝟹 

@countrysundae  @hollyhomburg @btsreactsarchive @we-be-writing-bts-stuff @taecas @gimmesumsuga @go-gently-please @forgottenpasta @daydream-hobii @analovegirl @bang-tan-bitches @sevenincubistolemyheart  @minniepetals @junqkook @baepsaets @sugamoonv @chimchimsauce @tatertotthethot @girlmeetsliv3 @exhausted-joy @b-angst-tan @magicalsalamander @jincherie @chimtaesty @midnightbts @yminie @ausblack @dirtybtssnaps @gardentulips @httpjeon @99liners @tayegi

We are delighted to formally launch Pencils in the Margin!

Pencils in the Margin is connecting artists, writers and other creators with the aid organisations working on the ground on behalf of detainees – from humanitarian shelters to pro-bono migrant law services, human rights initiatives, and people working tirelessly to reunite families separated at the border.

You donate your money, we donate our time. Simply follow direct links from our curated list of charities and send your donation receipts to the artists who have ‘adopted’ those organisations for rewards in your inbox. 

The more you give, the more you get!

To sign up to offer incentives as part of the project, leave your details here.

Share, share, share, give money, get art, and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions, suggestions, or want to be involved!

About the recent round of purity wank about AO3 is it’s actually been effective. It’s crystallised for me that fandom, while it has problems, is fucking amazing.

It’s taught me more about safe sex than my parents did. Sure, my parents taught me about condoms and birth control but they never talked to me about bacterial vaginosis or dental dams.

I’ve had older people (mostly women) to talk to about every life experience I’ve had. All of them have different experiences and viewpoints to contribute. I’ve talked to a lot of them about sex. Fandom were the people who taught me to own my desires. They modeled how to communicate and led to me finding my identity. They actually taught me more about enthusiastic consent than any single other community I’ve found anywhere: including my real life LGBT community.

(This doesn’t mean there are no abusers in fandom. I regularly warn people against some famous fandom missing stairs. As always, you let people in, you get all types, from the zenith to the nadir.)

Fandom were the people who when I said “He never actually hit me” said “that doesn’t mean he wasn’t abusing you.”

Kinky unrealistic BDSM AUs were a way for me to process actual physical abuse that happened to me. I don’t care if the writer was getting off or processing something of their own: the works were there for me and they helped. For every “THIS IS ABUSIVE!!!” person pointing fingers, I guarantee there are people who were helped by that. And don’t talk to me about “unhealthy coping mechanisms”, because reading about fictional characters who were not actually harmed is a fuckload better than going out and fucking random dudes who actually hurt me. Which I also did. That sex was bad and reading was more enjoyable.

Fandom taught me that free artistic expression and joyful play are important.

Fandom taught me that women are important. That the story doesn’t end when the heroine gets married, that women are complete people with complex inner lives and that a relationship can end and people can still be happy.

Fandom and especially fans of colour taught me more about racism and intersectionality than I ever learned in any university course. Than I ever learned in my (limited, white) real world. We’ve still got a long way to go, but where we are is so much better than where we were. I’m old enough to remember that.

The latest round of “The AO3 is disgusting” are appallingly naive at best, reductionist, purity-bullshit-peddling bullies at worst. It’s not enough for them to create their own community if ours doesn’t suit them. No, they want to come in and strike at one of the core principles of the AO3–no censorship. Instead of donating, working to become an influencer, voting, volunteering, trying to make things better, they’d rather blow up the entire thing.

Instead of getting mad and writing a fanwork which is a criticism of and magnitudes better than the problematic original (I may have mentioned my fannishness of  Helenish’s Take Clothes Off As Directed before), these people would rather people not write anything.

The enemy of free speech is not criticism, it’s forced silence.

Polyshipping Day is the first of every month!