i study rainbows

(Note: I’m only including free resources here, mostly because I’m broke and haven’t had a chance to try out any paid apps / programs. These are the resources I use and recommend, and is by no means a comprehensive list of all the writing tools out there. You might find something else that works better for you and isn’t listed here, and I’d love to see some reblogs from people sharing any other resources!)

For when you just need to get words on the page:

Write or Die is easily the most versatile tool for when you need serious motivation to just write. It’s a bit tricky to figure out at a glance, but you can play around with it and find out what works for you. Because of the ability to set time limits and consequences for yourself, Write or Die can help you stay focused and (if you’re like me) stop second guessing every word you write. You can always edit later.

Written? Kitten! is an alternative to Write or Die with only rewards (new picture of an adorable animal of your choice every time you hit a word count) and no consequences. It also has a very minimalist layout without a lot of distractions or customization options, which is helpful if, like me, you’re easily distracted.

For visualizing your word count & progress:

Pacemaker has a free mode and a subscription mode, but the free mode is pretty much everything you need. This is helpful if you’d like a visual representation of your word count. It can make it easier to see your progress on a project.

For editing:

ProWritingAid is… everything. You do need to make an account to use this site, but oh boy oh boy is it ever worth it. (Just make sure to sign up for the free option; it has everything you need.) I use this tool in tandem with my own editing process, and it has an amazing algorithm for catching things that weaken your writing - adverbs, overused words, passive verbs, etc. You don’t need to take all of its advice, but it can help draw your attention to things about your writing that you may have missed. I would recommend this to anyone who is considering trying out a paid program like Grammarly. It’s by far the most useful editing tool I’ve ever come across.

Hemmingway App isn’t for everyone. I feel called out by it, but that’s the point - sometimes we need to hear that our writing is getting a bit verbose and ostentatious, and to consider if toning it down a bit might help our story and meaning shine. Again, you can decide not to take any or all of its advice, but it’s a useful tool. (For example: I put this post into the app and it yelled at me for the word “ostentatious” and suggested I replace it with “showy.” That’s not exactly what I meant, so I kept “ostentatious”, but it was a nice suggestion. Does that count as irony?)

blindfolding your date, leading them to a wonderful surprise

beautiful picnic in the garden

taking photographs of each other

dancing under the stars

sleep under the stars, roast marshmallows and stargaze

visit museums (could be art, archeology, dinosaurs, human evolution, space)

a standard date, dinner and a movie

drive-in movie date, dinner at a fast-food place at one a.m.

playing mini golf or some other type of sport

going to an amusement park, sharing a kiss in the alley

going to a food truck festival

cooking or baking class! alternatively, cooking together at home

asking your “friend” to be your plus-one to another friend’s wedding

visit an antique book story, choose books for each other to read

a date spent cruising around town, visiting small shops, resting your legs at a quiet, cozy little café, holding hands over the table

exploring old castles, monuments, tourist attractions

breakfast dates

watching the sunset or sunrise

going for a midnight drive

doing an activity you’re both terrible at, for a good old laugh 

playing video/board games together

writing each other love letters

recreating your first/favorite date

building a snowman, having a snowball fight

going to a pumpkin patch, choosing the perfect pumpkin, decorating for halloween together. alternatively, decorating for christmas

go to an escape room

make a time capsule

visit a haunted house

The first one was a big hit, so I hope you’re ready for a second one! These can work with ANY fandom! Reblog if you wish! (Please give credit, to where credit is due <3)!

“I need you.”

“You’re family.”

“I care about you.”

“Can I join you.”

“You made your choice.”

“This isn’t fair!”

“How could you do this?”

“Do you hate me?”

“I could never leave you behind.”

“Come with me.”

“That’s sweet.”

“You look great.”

“Where are you going?”

“That’s new.”

“Let me help you.”

“Drop the attitude.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve got you.”

“I’m worried about you.”

“You don’t seem like yourself tonight.”

“Do you like it?”

“You smell nice.”

“They didn’t deserve you.”

“I trust you, do you trust me?”

“Karma is a bitch.”

“What the hell?”

“Son of a bitch.”

“I hope your day gets better.”

“I’m here if you need to talk.”

“Are you listening to me?”

“Sorry.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Why are you acting like this?”

“How do I look?”

“Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.”

“What is this about?”

“You look like hell.”

“I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

“It’s good to see you.”

“You know, you can stay if you want to.”

“I’m not pissed, I’m hurt.”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it?”

“I almost feel bad for you.”

“What you did was stupid.”

“No.  You listen to me.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“I know you’re scared.”

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“You’re not helping.”

“It’s not safe here.”

“You should leave.”

“Everything is fine.”

“I’ll keep you safe.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Just go away.”

“You don’t have to act like you’re okay.”

“I’m only here to help.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

“Thanks for nothing.”

“I’m done.”

“You think that this is easy for me?”

“I hate seeing you like this.”

“You make me so mad.”

“I brought you dinner.”

“Say what?”

“You’ll be fine.”

“You’ve got me on your side.”

“I don’t like you…. I love you.”

“I don’t want you… I need you.”

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s okay to cry.”

“I can tell you’re lying.”

“You’re in danger.”

“You deserve better.”

“You’ve changed.”

“I think I’m in trouble.”

“You always find a way to surprise me.”

“You did what you had to do.”

“You have no idea.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“This is just great.”

“You’re here late.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I wanted to apologize.”

“It’s just you and me.”

“I’m just looking out for you.”

“I never meant to fall in love with you, I just did.”

“Calm down.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh come on.”

“No one is perfect.”

“You’ve been quiet.”

“What did you just say?”

“I’ll always be there for you.”

“Fair enough.”

“When you fall, I’ll always be right there to catch you.”

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“You’re not crazy.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“I hope you’re happy.”

“You’re the only person I wanted to be with tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“You believe me, don’t you?”

“Regardless of what they think, I know you’re an amazing person.”

“Shhh…  You need to be quiet.”

“Fuck you!”

hate exercising and realizing i've let go of a lot of anxiety and anger because i've overturned my fight-or-flight response.

hate eating right and eating enough and eating 3 times a day and realizing i'm less anxious and i have more energy

hate journaling in my stupid notebook with my stupid bic ballpoint and realizing that i've actually started healing about something once i'm able to externalize it

hate forgiving myself hate complimenting myself more often hate treating myself with kindness hate taking a gratitude inventory hate having patience hate talking to myself gently

hate turning my little face up to the sun and taking deep breaths and looking at nature and grounding myself and realizing that i feel less burdened and more hopeful, more actually-here, that i am able to see the good sides of myself more clearly, that i am able to see not only how far i have to grow - but also how much growth i have already done & how much of my life i truly fill with light and laughter and love

um

“She deserves to be punished too.”

“I’m not saying I support rape, but-”

“Sorry to say - she deserved it.”

“She put herself in harm’s way”

“But if she was fingered, then that’s not rape.”

“She ruined their lives.”

“Yea, but did you see what she was wearing?”

“Boys will be boys!”

“She should know better than to drink at a party…”

  “He should’ve enjoyed it.”

“She must’ve lead him on.”

“But she orgasmed. That means she liked it - “

“Women can’t rape because…”

“Be grateful it wasn’t a man!”

“I’m sorry she hurt you but don’t call what happened to you rape, it’s an insult to the REAL victims…”

“You weren’t raped, you’re just lesbophobic.”

“She’s his wife, it’s her job to please him.”

“Oral isn’t rape.”

“Well he wasn’t armed, she could have walked away.”

“Guys can’t be raped, they love sex!”

“She didn’t fight back; it wasn’t rape.”

aries: unbelievers by isthatyoularry @isthatyoularry

i see aries as the fire starters of the zodiac. and boy does this fic have a fiery start to say the least. aries is impulsive and energetic. it’s nature is to express power, and there is a dynamic restlessness to their character. just like the lovely characters in this fic. and just like an aries might, they often speak without thinking. i feel like this is sounding like a roast, i promise it’s meant lovingly! i love aries people and your passion!

taurus: murmur of yearning by mediawhore @mediawhorefics

listen, there’s just something soooo venusian about this fic and taurus is RULED by venus. the estate, the imagery and the land, all place this fanfic directly into this sign. taurus is also literally the sign of property and money… so that in itself is a good enough reason for this fic to be here. but the additional venusian energy imbues it with the romanticism that might otherwise be lost.

gemini: every universe but ours by 28finelines @28finelines

this is basically a fic that’s just multiple different relationships all wrapped up in one beautiful love fest. i don’t know if there’s anything more gemini than that. there is an always present duality to gemini that cannot be ignored, as well as a consistent need for stimulation. and this fic plays very well on the duality of self, as well as this need for constant change. plus the entire concept of someone being forced to live their own relationship over and over again, but in different scenarios until it’s finally hammered into their brain that it’s okay to admit they want to commit to someone. yeah that’s for all my gemini babes out there.

cancer: emperor’s new clothes by sunsetmog @magicalrocketships

there’s a part of me that feels like i just picked this because of the cat… but alas there is much more involved as per usual. most past relationship fics would fit nicely in with cancer here, cancer is notorious for being incapable of letting people go. they will remember everything you’ve ever said or done to them forever. and they have a need to revisit the past. plus the WALLS these characters have are mighty impressive, but we all know they’re just waiting for a small crack to finally break free. much like the dam of emotion cancer hides behind, until it all pours out of you when it gets too full.

leo: escapade by dolce_piccante

jack mcqueen has some STRONG leo energy, but this is mainly because the ziall olympics would only be put on by fire signs and sagittarius and aries were spoken for. this fic feels extravagant and expansive, just like a leo. there is a major sense of pride that both the main characters carry with them, which reads very leo-esque especially hand in hand with the fire both characters light for each other.

virgo: mine would be you by crinkle-eyed-boo(kimmierocks) @crinkle-eyed-boo

so this fic, in a few words is about two people who are both obsessive and analytical about their own careers/talents and hypercritical both internally and externally, but mainly internally. that’s pretty virgo in energy. virgos have critical tongues and are the sign of self improvement. this fic just checks all those boxes.

libra: wild love by purpledaisy @daisyharry

there’s something about the structure of the relationship in this, plus the beginnings of it, that feel very libra. libra being the sign of partnership, the one that is happiest when functioning in a union just speaks to this fic. PLUS contrary to so many fics within this trope the communication is there! which is an important signifier of any air sign.

scorpio: young & beautiful by velvetoscar

everyone knows this fic, this is kinda the og iconic fic in this fandom. i wasn’t entirely sure at first about this one, but i read this quote about scorpio that made me say YES. “Scorpio encompasses the best and worst of human nature, nothing is done by half-measure.” this along with the unapproachability of scorpion energy made me realize this is a perfect match.

sagittarius: stranger stars by shaylea @sunshineandhisrainbows

THIS is the fanfiction that kickstarted this entire post. my darling @cowboylarries reblogged something about it and we both proceeded to scream about how it’s one of our fav fics, and dillon ever the smart one told me “it’s such a sag fic no wonder we both love it.” and OH how right she is. running away from your problems to work a job that is all about travelling?!?! listen i don’t care that irl louis is a capricorn, because he’s a sagittarius in this fic and no one can tell me otherwise.

capricorn: wild and unruly by 100percentsassy and gloria_andrews

okay listen, before any capricorns jump down my throat and tell me i’m wrong… i might be somewhat off with this one. however, i stand by my choice because much of this story is about changing how you view ambition and success, and i personally believe that is a lesson some capricorns could be taking to heart. i also see this fic as having lots of patience and determination. it’s self sufficient and practical, all very capricornian traits. PLUS saturn basically rules farms, so like? cowboy au for the win!

aquarius: amsterdam with you by flamboyo @chrysopon

this one came to me while i was sleeping, and my brain was correct. aquarian’s are FULL of firm opinions and a strong dislike for many things. we open this fic with our main character hating the place they’re in. and throughout the story we learn to love both the place and life more. the slow burn moves at exactly the pace an aquarius would be happy with. i love the fact that there is emphasis on protests within this story, because aquarius is the og sjw (affectionate). they are the sign of hopes and dreams. and in this fic we get to watch those things be rebuilt.

pisces: tired tired sea by mediawhore @mediawhorefics

ANON, YOU CAME TO THE RIGHT PERSON! We are starting the club here and now. Welcome to induction and our first meeting!

We are going to take a moment to enjoy 'Louis featuring the perfect amount of scruff' because yes, he DOES do it so right!

Okay, let's get started. This day? Are you fucking kidding me? The eyes? The little wavies in his hair?!

And this soft angel who is the light of my life and looks like you could curl up with him in front of a fire with some hot cocoa?? Yes, give me a cuddle!

And YES DADDY I WILL:

And dear God in heaven, do not even get me started on this photoshoot 🥵🥵🥵🥵

Like WHAT IN THE FUCK AMIRIGHT?

And then this day/look/scruff/countenance is just like the absolute dream:

I’ve always said that the world is a different place for the heartbroken. It moves on a different axis, at a different speed. Time skips backwards and forwards fleetingly. The heartbroken might go through thousands of micro-emotions a day trying to figure out how to get through it without picking up the phone to hear that old familiar voice. In the land of heartbreak, moments of strength, independence, and devil-may-care rebellion are intricately woven together with grief, paralyzing vulnerability and hopelessness. Imagining your future might always take you on a detour back to the past. And this is all to say, that the next album I’ll be releasing is my version of Red.

Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person. It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past. Like trying on pieces of a new life, I went into the studio and experimented with different sounds and collaborators. And I’m not sure if it was pouring my thoughts into this album, hearing thousands of your voices sing the lyrics back to me in passionate solidarity, or if it was simply time, but something was healed along the way.

Sometimes you need to talk it over (over and over and over) for it to ever really be… over. Like your friend who calls you in the middle of the night going on and on about their ex, I just couldn’t stop writing. This will be the first time you hear all 30 songs that were meant to go on Red. And hey, one of them is even ten minutes long.

Red (Taylor’s Version) will be out November 19.

Anonymous said: hi idk if i sent my ask last time but i might have not sksks. anyways i’ve been trying to find this fic wherein harry’s kind of asshole-ish at first and at one point in the fic louis gets hospitalized and harry’s facade breaks and he completely breaks down crying in the hospital hallway (i forgot if Anne was there or not). pls help me find it!! thank you 💖💖

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find this fic. If anyone knows it, please let us know!

Edited to add: Thank you to the anon who suggested And I Wait For Paradise.

When I was younger, folks seemed pretty comfortable with telling me I was "an old soul", or, "acted like an adult". I was a sharp kid with a large vocabulary who spent a lot of time reading quietly, so I guess the perception was that I was therefore more "grown up" than other kids my age.

Which, you know, made an otherwise lonely and isolated child feel pretty important and special, so it was easy for me to feel flattered when it signed me up for extra responsibilities.

I was six when I was first left alone to take care of the baby. I was seven when I got my first summer job. I was eight when I was put in charge of my own chicken coop; feeding, cleaning, buying feed and all.

I was special, I was different, I was "treated like a grown up". I was proud of that.

Then I got older, and more tired, and the limitations stayed the same while the responsibilities and expectations kept piling up.

No, I couldn't stay home while my family went on an overnight trip, I was too young for that.

But the adults were both out somewhere overnight? Sure, I could take care of two younger kids, cook dinner, put them to bed by 8 and have them off to school in the morning.

I remember, once things began to decline, repeating rather often: 

"Either give me adult responsibilities and adult privileges, or child responsibilities and child privileges. Don't give me child privileges and adult responsibilities- either I'm an adult or a kid. Make up your mind."

It turns out that "adult responsibilities" isn't quite the same thing as "adult respect".

But even if it was, though- even if I was treated with all the benefits and freedoms of adulthood alongside all the work, I was still a kid. 

Kids need free time. Kids need sleep. Kids need to *not* have to lay awake at night wondering what they're going to make for school lunches, or how they're going to cook dinner for six when the stovetop burners went out.

And it's not necessarily because they can't handle the pressure, but because there should be Actual Adults in their life doing those things. If not for the labour aspect, but for the respect and security of it.

My parent says I can't wear shoes in the house? Why do they care? I'm the one who mops the floors.

I'm not allowed to stay home alone? What, you trust me with your baby but you don't trust me with your house?

The family pet died and I'm tasked with burying it? Cool, grief is isolated and nobody cares, and when I'm scared or in pain, the authority figures in my life will be distant and emotionally unavailable. I have no reason to believe anyone will support me through emotional hardship in the future.

When it comes to responsibility, its not so much a question of, "can the child handle the work?", but, "what precedent is this setting for their perception of the future?", and, "What is this teaching them about actual adults?"

A child who sits quietly and draws is no more an adult than a child who eats glue and sticks pens up their nose, but both deserve to be respected as people, and both deserve to feel as though the adults in their lives are stable, reliable, secure, and have their best interests in mind.

Raise a Glass to the Four of Us (25.5k) by 2tiedships2

Louis stared at his luggage.

Well. Apparently not his luggage, because the clothing he was looking at currently was a: worth more than everything he currently possessed, b: not his size at all, and c: more suited for a fancy ass lawyer than a holiday in NYC with his best mates.

“Ooh, nice loafers,” Niall said as he pulled one out of the suitcase. “I love the rainbows.”

“Okay,” Liam began. “What do you want to do first? Eat, shop for new clothes, or spend hours on the phone with the airline?”

Louis continued to stare at the luggage.

Or the one where the perfect lads holiday starts with an unfortunate incident of swapped luggage that leads them to an alpha who just might make the hassle worth it.