#resource: guide

General

Avoid 'to be' verbs- this sounds rather odd, but I had a high school english teacher who only let us use one 'to be' verb on every other page. And it actually really improves your writing. 'To be' verbs include 'are, was, were, is, am, be, etc.' Removing these will help you better describe whatever you are currently writing because you'll use a descriptive action verb instead. Ex. 'He wasglad that she appreciated that particular gift, as it wasan idea he'd concocted very out of the blue' vs. 'Her appreciation for that particular gift eased his worry, as the idea occurred to him without much forethought.' Or 'It wasa stinging notion, but she wassure.' vs 'The realization stung, but her confidence helped them figure out how to move forward.' I'm not saying to never use 'to be' verbs, but whenever you go back to edit or proofread, take a few out and rephrase. This will also help you develop a better vocabulary!

Vocabulary- speaking of which, make sure you're using a variety of words even when describing the same situation. A thesaurus tab is always helpful to have open because it keeps you from being repetitive and helps the reader imagine what you're writing. Using the same word to describe the same thing over and over again usually means you'll lose interest. If I'm talking about one specific thing, I avoid using the same word to describe it more than once in the same paragraph. Ex. a mutant rp may have experimenters that caused the mutations, and in my plot I'll call them scientists, experimenters, researchers, government officials, and/or analysts.

Varying your sentence structure- Anyone who has worked a menial job can tell you that repetition is boring. I know I personally have a comma in almost every sentence followed by a second clause. (...see the 'to be' verbs examples above). It can be hard to get out of a flow you are used to, but it ultimately helps with interest and understanding. Plus how long or short your sentence is can influence how what you are saying is interpreted and reflect the character/situation itself.

Read aloud - I love commas. I tend to write long, flowing sentences that connect with clauses and descriptions. And then people struggle to make sense of them. Reading something aloud can really help you figure out if your sentences are too jumbled or even too short. Reading aloud can also help you see if your sentence structures are all the same.

Avoid Passive Voice- this is true in all types of writing. Passive voice can be confusing and generally sounds less active than (haha) active voice. In passive voice, what/who ever is committing an action is not actually given responsibility for that action at all (Tom was punched) or until after the action is stated (Tom was punched by Jim). A more clarifying guide can be found here. I'm not saying you should never use passive voice, but that generally your writing sounds better when it's only used with a specific purpose.

Consistency with Tense- this is especially important when writing your plot. Keep background in the past tense, and current situations in the present. Switching back and forth is incredibly confusing. 'Things WERE this way and now they ARE this way.'

In Character

How are they feeling?- If you're having trouble with length or muse, think about exactly how your chara would emotionally respond to the current situation. It's rare that we feel just one emotion, so figure out three or four that may be present. Write about that. How do they show it? What is their physiological response? Emotions affect each of us different - the more you write about that, the more we learn about your chara.

"You just haven't been with a real man yet."

This is perhaps the most irritating comment that I've ever seen made in regards to lesbians. Whether or not a lesbian has been with a man is completely irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that most lesbians [and I say most because I believe sexuality is incredibly fluid] don't want to be with a man. They may or may not have been with one in the past, but I can assure you that I highly doubt any man, "real" or not, is going to change the fact that they identify as a lesbian.

"So who is the man in the relationship?"

The bottom line is that there is no man in a lesbian relationship. Why? Because a lesbian relationship is comprised of two people who identify as female! There is no man. It's completely possible for one woman to have more masculine energy, but there's not a man in the relationship. [And it is completely possible to have a relationship in which both women have a lot of masculine energy, or in which both women have a lot of feminine energy. There's no law stating that one must be "butch" and the other must be a "lipstick lesbian." And I, personally, hate those terms. 

"Will you have a threesome with my girlfriend and I?"

Now while I know that there might be lesbians that would be completely open to this, I find this question deeply offensive. Lesbians aren't a novelty that should be used to spice up your sex life. We're real people, with real emotions, and a real sex drive. I wasn't born this way to have a threesome with you and your girlfriend. [And I answered this from the perspective that the asker is male. Females might be a completely different story for some lesbians, but I won't speak for everyone.]

I kissed a girl and I liked it: The Girl on Girl kiss.

Personally, there's nothing that gets on my nerves more than the idea behind the song "I Kissed A Girl." I don't want to kiss you to get the interest of your boyfriend, to make him jealous, to get him off, or anything of that sort. My sexuality isn't a joke and shouldn't be treated as such. I may or may not be the only lesbian that feels this way, but it can't hurt to mention.

"You're a lesbian! You can't find a man attractive!"

If girls can find other girls attractive and still be romantically and sexually interested in men, I can find a man attractive and still be romantically and sexually interested in women. There's countless men that I find attractive: Ian Somerhalder, Tyler Posey, Niall Horan, Adam Levine. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to strip and fall into bed with any of the aforementioned men. I wouldn't say yes if they asked me on a date. Because at the end of the day, I'm still romantically and sexually interested in women. So yes, I can still find men attractive.

"Oh my god, you're gay? Do you have a crush on me?"

Now even I will admit that I've had crushes on my straight friends -- I've had crushes on my bisexual, pansexual, asexual, and lesbian friends as well! Hey, I've even had a couple of crushes on guys before I accepted my sexuality. But the one thing that always shocks me is how many of my friends that happen to be girls react when I tell them that I'm gay. Across the board, I've gotten the above question more times than I'd like to remember. Just because you're a girl doesn't mean that I have a crush on you. I probably won't develop a crush on you. And surprise! I'm capable of having friends that are girls without having romantic ties to them.

Flannel, Jeans, and Converse, Oh My!: The Lesbian Fashion Craze.

It's come to my attention that there are some people in this world that think lesbians dress, or need to dress, a certain way. Personally, I dress in a very preppy manner. I like dresses and skirts, glitter and knee high socks. I like my sweats and Uggs when I make my Starbucks run. I know lesbians that dress in a variety of ways. And why is this? Because our sexuality is a part of us, but it doesn't dictate how we dress. We don't all wear flannel shirts, jeans, and converse. Of course, there are some that do and that's okay. Because that's their choice of dress, and they rock it. So the way we dress doesn't impact our preference.

"So... how do you have sex?"

I can assure you that lesbians can do just fine without the traditional male penis. And if you're really curious, I suggest you look up some lesbian pornography made by women directed at a female viewing audience.

BONUS: "So are you really a majestic being?"