dream

A recent search for a specific type of site to help me build new characters led me down a rabbit hole. Normally, that would make me much less productive, but I have found a treasure trove of websites for writers.

Bring Characters/Places to Life

There are a few different places you can use to create a picture of something entirely new. I love this site for making character pictures as references, instead of stock photos or whatever pops up on Google Images.

thispersondoesnotexist: every time you reload the page, this site generates a headshot of someone who doesn't exist. This is great if you're thinking about a character's personality or age and don't have specifics for their facial features yet.

Night Cafe: this is an AI art generator that takes your text prompt and generates an image for it. I tried it for various scenery, like "forest" or "cottage." It takes a minute for your requested photo to load, but no more than maybe five for the program to finish the picture.

Art Breeder: this website has endless images of people, places, and general things. Users can blend photos to create something new and curious visitors can browse/download those images without creating an account. (But if you do want to make an account to create your own, it's free!)

Find Random Places on Earth

You might prefer to set a story in a real-life environment so you can reference that place's weather, seasons, small-town vibe, or whatever you like. If that's the case, try:

MapCrunch: the homepage generates a new location each day and gives the location/GPS info in the top left of the screen. To see more images from previous days, hit "Gallery" in the top left.

Atlas Obscura: hover over or tap the "Places" tab, then hit "Random Place." A new page will load with a randomly generated location on the planet, provide a Google Maps link, and tell you a little bit about the place.

Random World Cities: this site makes randomly selected lists of global cities. Six appear for each search, although you'll have to look them up to find more information about each place. You can also use the site to have it select countries, US cities or US states too.

Vary Your Wording

Thesauruses are great, but these websites have some pretty cool perspectives on finding just the right words for stories.

Describing Words: tell this website which word you want to stop repeating and it will give you tons of alternative words that mean the same thing. It typically has way more options than other sites I use.

Reverse Dictionary: type what you need a word for in Reverse Dictionary's search box and it will give you tons of words that closely match what you want. It also lists the words in order of relevancy, starting with a word that most accurately describes what you typed. (There's also an option to get definitions for search results!)

Tip of My Tongue: this website is phenomenal. It lets you search for that word you can't quite place by a letter in it, the definition, what it sounds like, or even its scrambled letters. A long list of potential options will appear on the right side of the screen for every search.

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E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

As a Writer it’s my goal to help and uplift other writers and future Authors alike so here’s a Masterlist of resources I’ve compiled for you to use for your writing!

If you know any sites or have any recommendations for me to add, my asks/submissions are open!!

I’ll update these as I further my journey & research into becoming an Author one day, please reblog this to help your fellow writers!

Organization, Advice, and Research

Hiveword - A website with multiple writing resources available such as planning, index cards, articles with advice, name and character generators, and research capabilities. The free account offers the essentials such as scenes, characters, and plotlines.

Storyteller’s Roadmap - A website that helps you plan, write, and revise a story thoroughly. It including guides to write specific descriptions along with a thesaurus, templates and worksheets, an Idea Generator and more.

Helping Writers become Authors - A website in a blog style format with multiple articles and resources including writing mistakes, novel outlining, story structures, as well as character arcs and many more.

UK resources for writers - A website with resources for learning how to write with free and paid courses, writing opportunities, and more for writers in the UK.

Creative Writers Academy - A website with free classes guiding a step by step through the publication process.

Reedsy - A blog style website that includes Articles about publication and centered around learning how to publish a book with many tools and generators for writing.

Poets and Writers - A website for Writers and poets with resources like publishing your writing, finding your community and more.

Research Links for Writers - An HTML site with multiple links and resources for writers spanning upon multiple genres, subject matters, and history.

The internet public library - A website encyclopedia for essays and academic papers.

Writing realistic Injuries - A website with a list of different types of injuries and how to write them out including, impacts, and the effects of them.

RanGen - A website for writers with writing challenges, resources, and generators for things like personalities, characters, poisons, writing prompts, etc.

Ivy Tech Library - A library database website with a lot of resources for research including folklore and by region.

How to write a story by Creativepromptsforwriting on Tumblr - A different Masterlist with many more resources about writing, staying motivated, certain plots, etc.

Self Publishing

A step-by-step Video about Self Publishing - A video by Gilliain Perkins explaining her process of how she self published her Best Seller Novel.

How to format your book yourself through word - A video by Natalia Leigh with a step-by-step process on how she formats her manuscript. Her video covers: Page Size, Margins, Line spacing, Indentation, Chapter Styles, Page Numbers, and Headers.

Strategies for Marketing your book - A video made by iWriterly she explains 34 different strategies that can be used to market a book (while marketing her book lol!) and includes a downloadable checklist of these strategies

Masterclass How to copyright a book in 7 steps - An article guiding step by step how to properly copyright a self published book.

Fiverr - A freelancing website where you can find someone to make your illustrations, covers, and even get editors as well as someone to voice or make an audiobook for you.

Up Work - A freelancing website  where you can find someone to make your illustrations, covers, and even get editors as well as someone to voice or make an audiobook for you.

Beta Books - A website for Beta Readers can read your book and return their feedback. It lets you sort and filter your feedback by reader, chapter, or keyword, to get your book done.

Docucopies - A printing service website with a short guide about self publishing, buying copyright, and ISBN references and sites, all while including printing services (10% off of orders over 350$)

The Book Patch - A book printing service which includes Print-On-Demand services or cheap printing services allowing for smaller quantities. The Book Patch does not offer expensive publishing package, and keeps book publishing costs to a minimum.

Affordable Book Printing - A website with book publishing services including printing books but also formatting e-books, Cover Design, as well as Marketing and more

Generators & AUs

Random AU Generator - A website that generates AUs randomly.

Fantasy Name/Realm Generator - A website that generates random fantasy names.

Random Name Generator - A website that generates random names based on the options chosen with the ability to choose by region and gender.

Service Scape Writing Prompt Generator - A website that generates in depth writing prompts as chosen by the genre selected.

Writing Plot Generator - A website that generates plots based upon your selections of genre, title, etc.

Hello everyone! I’m working on some stuff, like homework and my new fanfic profile @starrosefics, so I’m just going to ask this:

After the story ends, what do your OCs do for therapy?

Tagging:

Happy Tender Tuesday! So, we all know the scene. Maybe it’s in a fancy ballroom or out in the woods. But music’s playing and the mood is perfect. So…

What would your OCs’ dance scene be like?

My WIP Chaotic Love actually involves a magic academy, so Warren and Griffin’s dance scene would be a bit like a grand school dance... think Yule Ball but toned down like... two-ish notches.The main hall is decorated to the nines. Warren had taken Griffin as a date, though some hilarity had ensued around the actual asking Griffin out on a date thing. 

After getting there and getting some punch, they would hover around the sidelines awkwardly for a moment. Warren can tell Griffin wants to dance, but he doesn’t know if that’d be too much too soon. Should he not wait until later into the night to dance? Should he offer to find food for Griffin? Of course, shouldn’t it matter more that Griffin wants to dance now? Warren isn’t sure, he’s never dated before.

Charlie calls out to them from the fray of swaying couples, pulling Angelo along the dance floor. “C’mon, losers,” he says, slinging an arm around Angelo’s shoulders and pulling him closer to his side. Angelo turns beat red, eyes flicking this way and that. “Shake it ‘till you break it!” He then pulls Angelo back towards the thick of it, causing Griffin to look at Warren with a raised eyebrow. Warren only sighs, exasperated, and offers out his hand. Griffin chuckles softly and takes it, and Warren guides him towards the dance floor.

The live band shifts gears to a slower song than before, and Warren breathes out a nervous sigh through his nose. He pulls Griffin a bit closer, and Griffin smiles as he leans his head against Warren’s shoulder. With their height difference, it’s more like he drapes himself over Warren’s shoulder, but neither really mind. They sway around to the song, Warren’s arms secured around Griffin’s waist. Sparks of various colors dance around in the air above them, and Warren feels like his chest is getting tighter. He breathes in deeply through his nose, staring up at the ceiling as he tries not to focus too much on the pretty boy in his arms.

“It’s okay to admit you’re enjoying this,” Griffin says, and Warren can almost hear the smirk in his voice. Warren chuckles in his throat, but he covers it up with a cough.

“You’re enjoying it way more than I am, love magics dork.”

“Because you’re too rough to enjoy a dance with your boyfriend, Chaotic User.”

Warren snorts, pulling his head away enough to force Griffin to look at him head-on. His big doe eyes reflect all the different colors filling the room, and Warren doesn’t bother to force down the smile. He reaches up with a hand, placing it against the taller boy’s cheek. Griffin leans his head down, meeting Warren’s lips in a chaste peck on the lips.

“I’m never too anything to enjoy something with you, Griff~”

“You’re such a sap, Renny...” Griffin sighs, closing his eyes as he rests his chin on Warren’s shoulder again. 

They continue swaying to the music, only breaking apart when Charlie and Angelo’s twin sister accidentally set fire to the concessions table... At least, they claim it’s an accident.

@alias-levi​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@c-nan​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@damfinette​​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@deepinthegardens - I Love You, You Idiot

@elenajohansenauthor​ - Because I Love You, You Idiot

@ghostpicnic-writes​​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@jekkiefan​ - Fear or Flight 

@justahufflepuffnerd​ - All Of You

@kainablue​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@lordkingsmith​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@lysander-xp​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@nk-writes​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@overwhelmsion​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@pencil-free​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@pheita​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@raevenlywrites​ - I Love You, You Idiot

@rainbowcoloreddays​ - An Idiot In Love

@rhiannonleewriting - I Love You, You Idiot

@silverink-and-ichor​ - I Love You, You Idiot

This is an ask event specifically for romance writers, or those who have major romance tropes in their stories - therefore the questions sent to each other, has to be about love; think of things like “Who is big spoon/little spoon?”, “What’s the biggest challenge they have to face as a couple?” etc.

P.S.: This is an all inclusive party, all the colours of the rainbow are welcome. It doesn’t matter who your characters love, bring them in and tell us all about it.

P.P.S.: No NSFW question unless someone specifically says they’re open to it.

I’m going to send out as many asks as I can. But just in case, this weeks question is:

What is one thing that always reminds your OC of their partner?

Feel free to tag me if you answer.

Tag to use: #tender tuesday

Tag list: 

@adie-dee @adventuresofmeghatron @aelenko @alias-levi @asablehart @austrohungarianwriteblr @bigboldgold @booksrockmyface @candyapplewriting @castironbitch @clarissablackm @drowsy-quill @drbibliophile @earths-oeuvre @elliegraule @fictionalsemantics @flashflyingfish @ghostpicnic-writes @gwens-fiction @happyorogeny @hell-yeah-fantasy @imsorry-idontcare @itsmariemccurdy @jekkiefan @justahufflepuffnerd @kellymunro @kryallaorchid @ladywithalamp @lexyklecksi @lookinpeach @lynnafred @lysander-xp @merigreenleaf@midnightstarlightwrites @missbrunettebarbie-writer @mrs-raven-writes @nectargrapes @nk-writes @northernrosewritings @overwhelmsion @petrolstationflowers @pheita @princessofdarkness12 @raevenlywrites @rainbowcoloreddays @ravenpuffwriter @reininginthefirewriting @rhiannonleewriting @scribbleknots @scripturientworld @semblanche @six-feet-underneath @smgrace3 @smokedstorybara @soulsurvivorpaigeargot @sybil-writes @thegirlfairytalesforgot @theswordofpens @writerwaage @writingamongthecoloredroses @writinginslowmotion @writemares @writer-in-monochrome​

Please, let me know if you’d like to be added/removed.

The tag list is here for you to see who you can send an ask for. If you get an ask, please, return it so we can keep this going.