SgtMac's World

Word prompts to use for doodling or writing

fairytale

garden hose

fruit stand

radio

block party

tattoo

ice cream

postcard

festival

skating

barefoot

night walks

pride

fries

stream

flower crown

outdoors

cocktail umbrellas

playing cards

sailboat

karaoke

dandelions

buttons

pearls

midsummer

universe

neon sign

dragonfly

birch tree

♡ they meet and immediately like each other (goodbye conflict, we barely knew you)

♡ the only thing keeping them apart is a misunderstanding that one conversation would fix

♡ both characters describe the other as "beautiful" within three pages of meeting

♡ their chemistry is told not shown (the narrator insists they have spark. they don't.)

♡ the love interest has no personality outside of loving the protagonist

♡ they argue once, make up immediately, never argue again

♡ obstacles are external. they always agree with each other about everything.

♡ the rival love interest exists for two chapters then vanishes without explanation

♡ they almost kiss. something interrupts. this happens four times. on the fifth time they kiss. the end.

♡ the love interest is described as funny, clever, and kind. we see none of this.

♡ their big emotional moment is in the rain. it is always in the rain.

♡ the breakup lasts exactly one chapter before they reconcile

♡ "i've never felt this way before" said by someone with no prior emotional history

♡ both confess feelings at the same time. no awkwardness. no stakes. just synchronized emotion.

♡ their first kiss is perfect. no bumped noses. no wrong angle. cinematic and frictionless.

♡ jealousy subplot introduced and dropped without consequence

♡ they have one shared interest and it is the plot

♡ trauma bonding mistaken for romantic chemistry (these are different things)

♡ the side characters ship them loudly. this is not a substitute for actual tension.

♡ one of them dies temporarily. other is devastated. they come back. no lasting emotional damage.

♡ they end up together because the plot ends, not because they chose each other

continuing--

⊹ How do they treat people who can't do anything for them? Waitstaff? strangers? people they'll never see again? this is the oldest trick in the book for a reason. It works. How someone behaves toward people with no social utility tells you everything about their actual values versus the values they perform for an audience.

⊹ What's their relationship with their own body? Are they comfortable in it or is it something they carry around like a problem? do they take up space or make themselves small? are they aware of how they look or completely indifferent? Physicality is psychology and most writers forget the body entirely until someone needs to throw a punch.

⊹ What do they lie about and why. Not dramatic plot lies necessarily. the small everyday ones. the things they exaggerate or omit or reframe. Because people don't lie randomly, they lie to protect something. Find what your character is protecting and you'll find what they're afraid of. That fear is the ENGINE!!

⊹ Who did they used to be? not their whole backstory. just: who were they before the thing that changed them. because that person is still in there somewhere, showing up in small ways, wanting things the current version of them would never admit to. The ghost of a former self is one of the most interesting things you can write into a character without ever stating it directly.

⊹ What would make them walk away?? from the goal. from the relationship. from the person they're trying to be. everyone has a breaking point and it should be specific to them, and please not a generic "too much" but the exact thing, the particular betrayal or loss or realisation that would finally be enough. know this even if the story never reaches it.

i love you all and i need you to stop writing trauma as a single breakdown scene in the rain after which the character is Healed and Ready to Love Again. that is NOT trauma :(

⊹ Trauma doesn't announce itself. it shows up as your character suddenly not being able to eat a specific food, or going very quiet in a loud room, or laughing at the wrong moment because their nervous system decided that was the appropriate response. it's mundane and weird and it makes no sense from the outside. the dramatic flashback sequence is the least realistic part. the most realistic part is your character suddenly needing to leave a grocery store for a reason they can't articulate.

⊹ The body keeps score and it keeps it in the strangest places. a particular smell. the quality of light at a certain time of day. a tone of voice that sounds like someone who hurt them. your traumatised character doesn't think "this reminds me of the bad thing." their heart rate spikes and they don't know why. they feel wrong and they can't locate the feeling. they're irritable for three days and only later, if ever, do they make the connection. write the disconnection. it's more honest.

⊹ trauma also does not make people universally sympathetic and wise. it makes some people controlling. some people funny at inappropriate times. some people very good in a crisis and completely unable to handle a normal day. some people are generously kind to strangers and absolutely terrible to people they love. trauma shapes behaviour in contradictory, inconvenient ways that don't resolve into a lesson. your traumatised character can be difficult to like. that's not a flaw in the writing. that's the WRITING.

┈୨୧┈ Give them reasons they CAN'T be together that aren't just manufactured drama. Not miscommunication. Not love triangles. Not arbitrary "I push people away" trauma with no real exploration. Give them REAL obstacles: they're on opposite sides of a conflict, timing is wrong, there are actual consequences to being together, they have incompatible life goals, there's a power imbalance they need to resolve first. The obstacles should be meaningful and require actual character growth to overcome, not just a conversation.

┈୨୧┈ Make the friendship foundation SO STRONG that readers ship them before the romance even starts. They should genuinely LIKE each other. They should have inside jokes. They should seek each other out just to hang out. They should trust each other. They should have fun together. When the romantic feelings start developing, it should feel like "oh no, I don't want to ruin this friendship" because the friendship is genuinely valuable. Readers should be able to believe they'd still choose to be in each other's lives even if romance never happened.

┈୨୧┈ Let the tension BUILD in layers over time. First they notice each other. Then they start seeking excuses to be near each other. Then they start getting jealous. Then they start having Moments. Then they start thinking about each other constantly. Then comes the almost-kisses. Then the accidental intimacy. Then the barely-hidden feelings. Each phase should have time to breathe before moving to the next level. Slow burn means SLOW - readers should be desperate for them to get together LONG before they actually do.

┈୨୧┈ Show how they change each other gradually. He starts smiling more because of her. She becomes braver because he believes in her. They adopt each other's habits and phrases. They start to see the world differently because of the other person's influence. Slow burn is about showing two people gradually becoming essential to each other's lives. They should be woven into each other's character development, not separate from it.

⭑𓂃 they don't just lie there peacefully staring at the ceiling. okay, sometimes they do, but mostly they're shifting positions every four minutes, flipping the pillow to the cold side, kicking off blankets then pulling them back on, checking the clock and doing the math of "if I fall asleep RIGHT NOW I can get 4 hours" over and over until it's 3 hours, then 2, then none.

⭑𓂃 they have weird relationships with being tired. like, they're ALWAYS tired, but they're also wired? it's this horrible combo of exhausted body and brain that won't shut up. your character isn't just yawning cutely, they're getting irrationally angry at small things, forgetting words mid-sentence, staring at their phone for twenty minutes without reading a single thing.

⭑𓂃 the 3am thoughts are SPECIFIC and often stupid. they're not just pondering deep existential questions. they're thinking "did I say 'you too' when the barista said enjoy your coffee" and "what if everyone I know is just pretending to like me" and "why did I say that thing in 7th grade" and "I should learn to play the accordion" all at once in a horrible loop.

⭑𓂃 they try SO MANY weird things to sleep. your character has definitely tried: counting backwards from 1000, progressive muscle relaxation, that 4-7-8 breathing thing, ASMR videos, white noise, brown noise, pink noise, nature sounds, meditation apps with people whose calm voices they grew to HATE, reading boring books, warm milk (doesn't work), cold rooms, hot rooms, no screens (impossible), melatonin (hits different for everyone), Benadryl, and eventually just accepting their fate at 5am.

⭑𓂃 everything is louder at night. that refrigerator hum? DEAFENING. the house settling? TERRIFYING. neighbor's cat? MIGHT AS WELL BE A FULL ORCHESTRA. your character is hyper-aware of every single sound and it's driving them absolutely insane.

⭑𓂃 they have complex feelings about morning people. your insomniac character hearing someone say "I'm such a morning person, I just pop right up at 6am!" is experiencing homicidal levels of jealousy. they don't trust people who wake up cheerful. it feels like a personal attack.

ᯓ★ Give your character a weird specific opinion about something meaningless. Do they think cereal is soup? Do they have FEELINGS about people who put pineapple on pizza? Do they fold or crumple toilet paper? These tiny details make them HUMAN.

ᯓ★ Flaws that actually inconvenience your character. Not "I'm too loyal" or "I care too much", give them REAL problems. They're passive aggressive. They hold grudges. They're cheap. They talk over people. They're judgmental. They can't admit they're wrong. Make them ANNOYING sometimes.

ᯓ★ Backstory is seasoning not the whole meal. Sprinkle it in. Your reader doesn't need a full paragraph explaining why your character is afraid of dogs in chapter one. Show them flinch when one barks. Mention it later. Let the reader PUT IT TOGETHER.

⟢ PICK THREE DETAILS MAXIMUM! your reader doesn't need to know every piece of furniture. Give them the broken clock on the mantle, the smell of cigarettes embedded in the couch, the water stain on the ceiling shaped like Italy. Their brain will fill in the rest. You're not writing an insurance inventory!!!

⟢ Use the senses people forget. Everyone does sight and sound, but what about: the metallic taste of fear, the way humidity makes your clothes stick, the phantom itch of being watched, that gross feeling when you touch something unexpectedly wet. GET WEIRD WITH IT

⟢ MOTION IN YOUR DESCRIPTIONS!! (Please?) don't just tell me the curtains are blue, tell me they're "shuddering in the AC blast" or "hanging limp like they've given up." Static description is a sleep aid. Make things MOVE

⟢ Your narrator's voice should COLOR everything! A depressed character won't describe the sunset as "beautiful mauve and amber streaking across the sky," they'll think "the sun's dying again, doing its whole performance art thing with the clouds"

⟢ Stop with the mirror descriptions! :( "She looked in the mirror and saw her auburn hair and green eyes" NO. Banned. Forbidden. Find literally any other way. Have another character notice. Show through action. Slip details in naturally. The mirror thing is lazy and we all know it

°˖➴ SHOW THE EVIDENCE, not the time!! don't say "three months later" and have everything exactly the same. Show the evidence: the houseplant is dead now, there's a new coffee shop, their hair is longer, the season changed, the relationship shifted

°˖➴ People don't pause their lives!! during your time skip, other characters didn't freeze. They got new jobs, started dating someone, developed opinions, had experiences. When we come back, there should be GAPS in what your POV character knows

°˖➴ Anchor it with a CONCRETE detail!! "The last time she'd been in this room, there'd been snow on the ground. Now the garden outside was screaming with roses." Give the reader something tangible to mark the passage

°˖➴ What DIDN'T happen is interesting!! "Six weeks and still no word from him" or "Another year of birthday candles she didn't make wishes on" sometimes the time skip is defined by absence and waiting

°˖➴ Compress boring stuff, expand important stuff!! "The trial took three months" can be one sentence. But the five minutes after the verdict? That might be three pages. TIME IS ELASTIC in fiction, use it!!!

⟢ PEOPLE DON'T FINISH SENTENCES! IMPORTANT! they interrupt themselves, they trail off, they start talking about eggs and somehow end up confessing their deepest fear about becoming their mother. Your dialogue should derail like a drunk train conductor took the wheel. "I was thinking we could—no wait, did you feed the cat? Because last time you said you would but—actually never mind, what I meant was—" SEE? HUMAN. Beautiful chaos.

⟢ Contractions exist??? USE THEM. Nobody says "I am going to the store" unless they're an alien spy or your grandmother leaving a voicemail. It's "I'm gonna" or even "gonna hit the store" or if they're really casual "store run, back in 20"

⟢ LISTEN TO ME! Said is NOT dead but said is also boring sometimes. Yeah yeah, "said is invisible," the writing teachers chant while burning incense. But you know what? Sometimes people mutter, snap, whisper, drawl, bite out their words. Your character just found out their partner sold their vinyl collection? They're not "saying" anything, they're HISSING like a Victorian ghost

⟢ People repeat themselves when emotional!!! "I can't believe you. I just—I can't believe you did this." Not poetic. Real. That's the point!!!

⟢ Subtext is doing heavy lifting, what people DON'T say matters more than what they do. "Fine" is never fine. "Whatever you want" means "I will remember this betrayal forever." Your readers are smart; let them read between the lines

˙⋆✮ Painting, drawing, sketching

˙⋆✮ Sculpting, pottery, ceramics

˙⋆✮ Photography, videography

˙⋆✮ Creative writing, poetry

˙⋆✮ Calligraphy, hand lettering

˙⋆✮ Graphic design, digital art

˙⋆✮ Fashion design, sewing

˙⋆✮ Jewelry making

˙⋆✮ Graffiti art, street art

˙⋆✮ Animation, illustration

˙⋆✮ Playing piano, guitar, violin, drums, etc.

˙⋆✮ Singing (opera, jazz, rock, etc.)

˙⋆✮ Composing music

˙⋆✮ Perfect pitch

˙⋆✮ Beatboxing

˙⋆✮ DJing, music production

˙⋆✮ Whistling complex melodies

˙⋆✮ Playing multiple instruments

˙⋆✮ Martial arts (karate, judo, taekwondo, etc.)

˙⋆✮ Parkour, free running

˙⋆✮ Gymnastics, acrobatics

˙⋆✮ Dancing (ballet, hip-hop, ballroom, etc.)

˙⋆✮ Rock climbing, bouldering

˙⋆✮ Swimming, diving

˙⋆✮ Archery, marksmanship

˙⋆✮ Fencing, sword fighting

˙⋆✮ Horseback riding

˙⋆✮ Skateboarding, surfing

˙⋆✮ Multiple languages (polyglot)

˙⋆✮ Mathematics, calculus, statistics

˙⋆✮ Coding, programming

˙⋆✮ Chess, strategy games

˙⋆✮ Speed reading, photographic memory

˙⋆✮ Puzzle solving, riddles

˙⋆✮ Debate, rhetoric

˙⋆✮ Research, investigation

˙⋆✮ Cryptography, code-breaking

˙⋆✮ Historical knowledge

˙⋆✮ Cooking, baking

˙⋆✮ Mechanics, car repair

˙⋆✮ Carpentry, woodworking

˙⋆✮ Gardening, botany

˙⋆✮ First aid, medical knowledge

˙⋆✮ Lock picking

˙⋆✮ Survival skills, wilderness navigation

˙⋆✮ Sewing, knitting, embroidery

˙⋆✮ Pickpocketing, sleight of hand

✧ Relapse doesn't mean failure. Recovery isn't linear. Your character can be doing great and then have a bad day/week/month. It's part of the process, not the end of it.

✧ Cravings don't just disappear. Years into recovery and something can still trigger that want. It gets easier but it doesn't fully go away for everyone.

✧ The substance isn't the whole problem. Your character's probably self-medicating something, trauma, mental illness, unbearable circumstances. Taking away the substance doesn't fix what's underneath.

✧ Withdrawal is hell. Not just "feeling bad", it's physical torture. Shaking, sweating, nausea, pain, sometimes actual danger depending on the substance. Your character isn't just sad, they're ILL.

✧ Sobriety is boring at first. All your coping mechanisms, social circles, and ways to have fun involved the substance. Now what? Your character has to rebuild everything.

✧ People treat you differently. Some are supportive. Some are judgmental. Some ask invasive questions. Some don't trust you anymore. The stigma is real and it sucks.

✧ Triggers are everywhere. Certain places, people, smells, times of day, emotions. Your character's constantly navigating a minefield of things that make them want to use.

✧ You lost time. Months or years where you weren't really present. Relationships damaged. Opportunities missed. There's grief for the person you could have been.

✧ Recovery is active work. Meetings, therapy, building new habits, sitting with uncomfortable feelings. It's not passive. Your character's putting in effort every single day.

Part II

"We will always protect each other, right?"

"They would have to go through me."

"Hold my hand, and don't let go."

"I will be your cover."

"Please, trust me."

"I got you. I got you, ok?"

"I will take the fall for this."

"Don't worry about anything."

"Nothing wrong with needing a little bit of help."

"I can and I will protect you from this."

"I will be happy when I know that you're safe."

"We will get through this."

"Come to me when you're in trouble."

"I need to know that you're ok."

"They can't take me away from you."

"You will always be safe with me."

"I will keep you alive at all costs."

"No, let me do it."

"Please, let me help you."

"Call me if you feel weird."

More: Master Prompt List + Protective Dialogue Part I

REPOST!

Pretending isn’t just lying, no, it’s becoming a version of yourself that feels easier to manage (easier to love, or control, or survive inside.) It’s a mask that starts out as protection and slowly becomes a second skin. One that’s hard to take off, even when you want to.

✦ They mirror the people around them without meaning to. Their laugh, their phrasing, the way they sit, it all shifts depending on who they’re with. Like they’re constantly adjusting, matching the energy in the room, trying to be what they think people want.

✦ They’re vague when things get personal, and not because they’re secretive, but because they don’t know anymore. Ask them their favorite song, and they’ll pause too long. Ask about their past, and their answers are half-finished, polished at the edges, like they’ve been told too many times to keep it clean.

✦  They over-prepare for conversations. They run through the dialogue in their head ahead of time. Rehearse their jokes, their exits, their answers. Everything feels a little scripted, like they’re playing the role of “themselves” instead of just… being.

✦ They always look put-together, maybe almost too much. Their clothes, their hair, their whole vibe is carefully chosen. But there’s a difference between style and armor, and this is armor. A version of themselves they’ve curated, down to the last thread.

✦ They panic when the script slips. Catch them off guard, and it shows… like, they freeze and fumble. The real stuff, feels dangerous. Being authentic means being vulnerable, and they’ve learned the hard way how risky that is.

✦ They shift depending on the room. One version of them at home, another at school, another with friends, like flipping channels. It’s not manipulation, no guys, it’s muscle memory, and they’ve learned to survive by adapting, and now they can’t stop.

✦ They touch their face or hair when they’re uncomfortable, like they’re checking to make sure the mask is still in place. A nervous habit that’s half-grounding, half-ritual, as if letting their guard down even physically would let everything else fall apart, too.

✦ Their smile is always photo-ready. Perfect, pretty, practiced…But there’s something in the eyes that doesn’t match, like they’re smiling at you, not with you. Like they’ve learned what people want to see, and they’ve gotten very good at giving it.

Positive Traits:

˙⋆✮ Compassionate, empathetic, kind-hearted

˙⋆✮ Courageous, brave, fearless

˙⋆✮ Loyal, faithful, devoted

˙⋆✮ Intelligent, clever, quick-witted

˙⋆✮ Optimistic, hopeful, positive

˙⋆✮ Patient, tolerant, understanding

˙⋆✮ Honest, truthful, sincere

˙⋆✮ Creative, imaginative, innovative

˙˙⋆✮ Determined, persistent, resilient

˙⋆✮ Generous, selfless, altruistic

˙⋆✮ Confident, self-assured, bold

˙⋆✮ Humble, modest, down-to-earth

˙⋆✮ Charismatic, charming, magnetic

˙⋆✮ Disciplined, organized, methodical

˙⋆✮ Adaptable, flexible, open-minded

Negative Traits/Flaws:

˙⋆✮ Arrogant, prideful, conceited

˙⋆✮ Jealous, envious, covetous

˙⋆✮ Impulsive, reckless, hasty

˙⋆✮ Stubborn, obstinate, inflexible

˙⋆✮ Pessimistic, cynical, negative

˙⋆✮ Selfish, self-centered, egotistical

˙⋆✮ Dishonest, deceitful, manipulative

˙⋆✮ Lazy, unmotivated, apathetic

˙⋆✮ Judgmental, critical, harsh

˙⋆✮ Vengeful, spiteful, vindictive

˙⋆✮ Insecure, self-doubting, anxious

˙⋆✮ Controlling, domineering, authoritarian

˙⋆✮ Naive, gullible, trusting

˙⋆✮ Aggressive, hostile, confrontational

˙⋆✮ Passive-aggressive, indirect, evasive

Quirks & Habits:

˙⋆✮ Bites nails when nervous

˙⋆✮ Always arrives exactly on time (never early or late)

˙⋆✮ Collects unusual objects (bottle caps, ticket stubs, etc.)

˙⋆✮ Talks to themselves when thinking

˙⋆✮ Has to touch doorframes when passing through

˙⋆✮ Hums or whistles unconsciously

˙⋆✮ Avoids stepping on cracks in pavement

˙⋆✮ Counts things compulsively

˙⋆✮ Always carries a specific good luck charm

˙⋆✮ Taps fingers in patterns

˙⋆✮ Quotes movies or books constantly

˙⋆✮ Makes lists for everything

˙⋆✮ Rearranges objects to be symmetrical

˙⋆✮ Gives inanimate objects names and personalities

perfectionism - never being satisfied

honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive

devotion - can turn into obsession

generosity - being taken advantage of

loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others

being dependable - always depending on them

ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless

optimism - not being realistic

diligence - not able to bend strict rules

protectiveness - being overprotective

cautiousness - never risking anything

being determined - too focussed on one thing

persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative

tidiness - can become an obsession

being realistic - being seen as pessimistic

assertiveness - coming off as bossy

pride - not accepting help from others

innocence - being seen as naive

selflessness - not thinking about themself enough

being forgiving - not holding others accountable

curiosity - asking too many questions

persistence - being seen as annoying

being charming - can seem manipulative

modesty - not reaching for more

confidence - coming off as arrogant

wit/humor - not taking things serious

patience - being left hanging

strategic - coming off as calculated

being caring - being overbearing

tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot

eagerness - coming off as impatient

being observant - being seen as nosy

independence - not accepting help

being considerate - forgetting about themself

fearlessness - ignoring real danger

politeness - not telling what they really think

reliability - being taken advantage of