Dek Writing "daw"

Yesterday, I was trawling iTunes for a decent podcast about writing. After a while, I gave up, because 90% of them talked incessantly about “self-discipline,” “making writing a habit,” “getting your butt in the chair,” “getting yourself to write.” To me, that’s six flavors of fucked up.

Okay, yes—I see why we might want to “make writing a habit.” If we want to finish anything, we’ll have to write at least semi-regularly. In practical terms, I get it.

But maybe before we force our butts into chairs, we should ask why it’s so hard to “get” ourselves to write. We aren’t acting randomly; our brains say “I don’t want to do this” for a reason. We should take that reason seriously.

Most of us resist writing because it hurts and it’s hard. Well, you say, writing isn’t supposed to be easy—but there’s hard, and then there’s hard. For many of us, sitting down to write feels like being asked to solve a problem that is both urgent and unsolvable—“I have to, but it’s impossible, but I have to, but it’s impossible.” It feels fucking awful, so naturally we avoid it.

We can’t “make writing a habit,” then, until we make it less painful. Something we don’t just “get” ourselves to do.

The “make writing a habit” people are trying to do that, in their way. If you do something regularly, the theory goes, you stop dreading it with such special intensity because it just becomes a thing you do. But my god, if you’re still in that “dreading it” phase and someone tells you to “make writing a habit,” that sounds horrible.

So many of us already dismiss our own pain constantly. If we turn writing into another occasion for mute suffering, for numb and joyless endurance, we 1) will not write more, and 2) should not write more, because we should not intentionally hurt ourselves.

Seriously. If you want to write more, don’t ask, “how can I make myself write?” Ask, “why is writing so painful for me and how can I ease that pain?” Show some compassion for yourself. Forgive yourself for not being the person you wish you were and treat the person you are with some basic decency. Give yourself a fucking break for avoiding a thing that makes you feel awful.

Daniel José Older, in my favorite article on writing ever, has this to say to the people who admonish writers to write every day:

Here’s what stops more people from writing than anything else: shame. That creeping, nagging sense of ‘should be,’ ‘should have been,’ and ‘if only I had…’ Shame lives in the body, it clenches our muscles when we sit at the keyboard, takes up valuable mental space with useless, repetitive conversations. Shame, and the resulting paralysis, are what happen when the whole world drills into you that you should be writing every day and you’re not.

The antidote, he says, is to treat yourself kindly:

For me, writing always begins with self-forgiveness. I don’t sit down and rush headlong into the blank page. I make coffee. I put on a song I like. I drink the coffee, listen to the song. I don’t write. Beginning with forgiveness revolutionizes the writing process, returns its being to a journey of creativity rather than an exercise in self-flagellation. I forgive myself for not sitting down to write sooner, for taking yesterday off, for living my life. That shame? I release it. My body unclenches; a new lightness takes over once that burden has floated off. There is room, now, for story, idea, life.

Writing has the potential to bring us so much joy. Why else would we want to do it? But first we’ve got to unlearn the pain and dread and anxiety and shame attached to writing—not just so we can write more, but for our own sakes! Forget “making writing a habit”—how about “being less miserable”? That’s a worthy goal too!

Luckily, there are ways to do this. But before I get into them, please absorb this lesson: if you want to write, start by valuing your own well-being. Start by forgiving yourself. And listen to yourself when something hurts.

Next post: freewriting

Still, I felt compelled to write, and I wrote most days of the week. But it was painful, and my progress was dreadfully slow.

It wasn’t until I finally loosened up my expectations and wrote in a way that felt natural that I fell in love with writing again.

But like…I always read italics in a different tone like they’re thoughts. It seems quieter than using normal quotations which makes what they say look less significant on the page than other character’s dialogue.

I really don’t think my audience needs me to use completely different punctuation around a mute character. There’s no need to act like they’re speaking a different language since their muteness isn’t a focal point in the story.

You can add little things for emphasis though, like how fast or flippant a sign is given, also a lot of our “punctuation” is in facial expressions, so wild looks is kind of normal. Also messing up signs and just.. pushing them aside. Like, you mess up a fingerspell and just take both hands and shove the air in front of you to your side, people who sign eventually end up doing this for other things, like a “forget it” motion. It’s like a “wave it off” gesture.

My current job has me working with children, which is kind of a weird shock after years in environments where a “young” patient is 40 years old.  Here’s my impressions so far:

Birth - 1 year: Essentially a small cute animal.  Handle accordingly; gently and affectionately, but relying heavily on the caregivers and with no real expectation of cooperation.

Age 1 - 2: Hates you.  Hates you so much.  You can smile, you can coo, you can attempt to soothe; they hate you anyway, because you’re a stranger and you’re scary and you’re touching them.  There’s no winning this so just get it over with as quickly and non-traumatically as possible.

Age 3 - 5: Nervous around medical things, but possible to soothe.  Easily upset, but also easily distracted from the thing that upset them.  Smartphone cartoons and “who wants a sticker?!!?!?” are key management techniques.

Age 6 - 10: Really cool, actually.  I did not realize kids were this cool.  Around this age they tend to be fairly outgoing, and super curious and eager to learn.  Absolutely do not babytalk; instead, flatter them with how grown-up they are, teach them some Fun Gross Medical Facts, and introduce potentially frightening experiences with “hey, you want to see something really cool?”

Age 11 - 14: Extremely variable.  Can be very childish or very mature, or rapidly switch from one mode to the other.  At this point you can almost treat them as an adult, just… a really sensitive and unpredictable adult.  Do not, under any circumstances, offer stickers.  (But they might grab one out of the bin anyway.)

Writing with Color: Description Guide - Words for Skin Tone

We discussed the issues describing People of Color by means of food in Part I of this guide, which brought rise to even more questions, mostly along the lines of “So, if food’s not an option, what can I use?” Well, I was just getting to that!

This final portion focuses on describing skin tone, with photo and passage examples provided throughout. I hope to cover everything from the use of straight-forward description to the more creatively-inclined, keeping in mind the questions we’ve received on this topic.

So let’s get to it.

S T A N D A R D  D E S C R I P T I O N

B a s i c  C o l o r s

Pictured above: Black, Brown, Beige, White, Pink.

“She had brown skin.”

This is a perfectly fine description that, while not providing the most detail, works well and will never become cliché.

Describing characters’ skin as simply brown or beige works on its own, though it’s not particularly telling just from the range in brown alone.

C o m p l e x  C o l o r s

These are more rarely used words that actually “mean” their color. Some of these have multiple meanings, so you’ll want to look into those to determine what other associations a word might have.

Pictured above: Umber, Sepia, Ochre, Russet, Terra-cotta, Gold, Tawny, Taupe, Khaki, Fawn.

Complex colors work well alone, though often pair well with a basic color in regards to narrowing down shade/tone.

For example: Golden brown, russet brown, tawny beige…

As some of these are on the “rare” side, sliding in a definition of the word within the sentence itself may help readers who are unfamiliar with the term visualize the color without seeking a dictionary.

“He was tall and slim, his skin a russet, reddish-brown.”

Comparisons to familiar colors or visuals are also helpful:

“His skin was an ochre color, much like the mellow-brown light that bathed the forest.”

M o d i f i e r s 

Modifiers, often adjectives, make partial changes to a word.The following words are descriptors in reference to skin tone.

D a r k - D e e p - R i c h - C o o l

W a r m - M e d i u m - T a n

F a i r - L i g h t - P a l e

Rich Black, Dark brown, Warm beige, Pale pink…

If you’re looking to get more specific than “brown,” modifiers narrow down shade further.

Keep in mind that these modifiers are not exactly colors.

As an already brown-skinned person, I get tan from a lot of sun and resultingly become a darker, deeper brown. I turn a pale, more yellow-brown in the winter.

While best used in combination with a color, I suppose words like “tan” “fair” and “light” do work alone; just note that tan is less likely to be taken for “naturally tan” and much more likely a tanned White person.

Calling someone “dark” as description on its own is offensive to some and also ambiguous. (See: Describing Skin as Dark)

U n d e r t o n e s

Undertones are the colors beneath the skin, seeing as skin isn’t just one even color but has more subdued tones within the dominating palette.

Mentioning the undertones within a character’s skin is an even more precise way to denote skin tone.

As shown, there’s a difference between say, brown skin with warm orange-red undertones (Kelly Rowland) and brown skin with cool, jewel undertones (Rutina Wesley).

“A dazzling smile revealed the bronze glow at her cheeks.”

“He always looked as if he’d ran a mile, a constant tinge of pink under his tawny skin.”

Standard Description Passage

“Farah’s skin, always fawn, had burned and freckled under the summer’s sun. Even at the cusp of autumn, an uneven tan clung to her skin like burrs. So unlike the smooth, red-brown ochre of her mother, which the sun had richened to a blessing.”

-From my story “Where Summer Ends” featured in Strange Little Girls

Here the state of skin also gives insight on character.

Note my use of “fawn” in regards to multiple meaning and association. While fawn is a color, it’s also a small, timid deer, which describes this very traumatized character of mine perfectly.

Though I use standard descriptions of skin tone more in my writing, at the same time I’m no stranger to creative descriptions, and do enjoy the occasional artsy detail of a character.

C R E A T I V E  D E S C R I P T I O N

Whether compared to night-cast rivers or day’s first light…I actually enjoy seeing Characters of Colors dressed in artful detail.

I’ve read loads of descriptions in my day of white characters and their “smooth rose-tinged ivory skin”, while the PoC, if there, are reduced to something from a candy bowl or a Starbucks drink, so to actually read of PoC described in lavish detail can be somewhat of a treat.

Still, be mindful when you get creative with your character descriptions. Too many frills can become purple-prose-like, so do what feels right for your writing when and where. Not every character or scene warrants a creative description, either. Especially if they’re not even a secondary character.

Using a combination of color descriptions from standard to creative is probably a better method than straight creative. But again, do what’s good for your tale.

N A T U R AL  S E T T I N G S - S K Y

Pictured above: Harvest Moon -Twilight, Fall/Autumn Leaves, Clay, Desert/Sahara, Sunlight - Sunrise - Sunset - Afterglow - Dawn- Day- Daybreak, Field - Prairie - Wheat, Mountain/Cliff, Beach/Sand/Straw/Hay.

Now before you run off to compare your heroine’s skin to the harvest moon or a cliff side, think about the associations to your words.

When I think cliff, I think of jagged, perilous, rough. I hear sand and picture grainy, yet smooth. Calm. mellow.

So consider your character and what you see fit to compare them to.

Also consider whose perspective you’re describing them from. Someone describing a person they revere or admire may have a more pleasant, loftier description than someone who can’t stand the person.

“Her face was like the fire-gold glow of dawn, lifting my gaze, drawing me in.”

“She had a sandy complexion, smooth and tawny.”

Even creative descriptions tend to draw help from your standard words.

F L O W E R S

Pictured above: Calla lilies, Western Coneflower, Hazel Fay, Hibiscus, Freesia, Rose

It was a bit difficult to find flowers to my liking that didn’t have a 20 character name or wasn’t called something like “chocolate silk” so these are the finalists. 

You’ll definitely want to avoid purple-prose here.

Also be aware of flowers that most might’ve never heard of. Roses are easy, as most know the look and coloring(s) of this plant. But Western coneflowers? Calla lilies? Maybe not so much.

“He entered the cottage in a huff, cheeks a blushing brown like the flowers Nana planted right under my window. Hazel Fay she called them, was it?”

A S S O R T E D  P L A N T S &  N A T U R E

Pictured above: Cattails, Seashell, Driftwood, Pinecone, Acorn, Amber

These ones are kinda odd. Perhaps because I’ve never seen these in comparison to skin tone, With the exception of amber.

At least they’re common enough that most may have an idea what you’re talking about at the mention of “pinecone.“ 

I suggest reading out your sentences aloud to get a better feel of how it’ll sounds.

“Auburn hair swept past pointed ears, set around a face like an acorn both in shape and shade.”

I pictured some tree-dwelling being or person from a fantasy world in this example, which makes the comparison more appropriate.

I don’t suggest using a comparison just “cuz you can” but actually being thoughtful about what you’re comparing your character to and how it applies to your character and/or setting.

W O O D

Pictured above: Mahogany, Walnut, Chestnut, Golden Oak, Ash

Wood can be an iffy description for skin tone. Not only due to several of them having “foody” terminology within their names, but again, associations.

Some people would prefer not to compare/be compared to wood at all, so get opinions, try it aloud, and make sure it’s appropriate to the character if you do use it.

“The old warlock’s skin was a deep shade of mahogany, his stare serious and firm as it held mine.”

M E T A L S

Pictured above: Platinum, Copper, Brass, Gold, Bronze

Copper skin, brass-colored skin, golden skin…

I’ve even heard variations of these used before by comparison to an object of the same properties/coloring, such as penny for copper.

These also work well with modifiers.

“The dress of fine white silks popped against the deep bronze of her skin.”

G E M S T O N E S - M I N E R A LS

Pictured above: Onyx, Obsidian, Sard, Topaz, Carnelian, Smoky Quartz, Rutile, Pyrite, Citrine, Gypsum

These are trickier to use. As with some complex colors, the writer will have to get us to understand what most of these look like.

If you use these, or any more rare description, consider if it actually “fits” the book or scene.

Even if you’re able to get us to picture what “rutile” looks like, why are you using this description as opposed to something else? Have that answer for yourself.

“His skin reminded her of the topaz ring her father wore at his finger, a gleaming stone of brown, mellow facades.” 

P H Y S I C A L  D E S C R I P T I ON

Physical character description can be more than skin tone.

Show us hair, eyes, noses, mouth, hands…body posture, body shape, skin texture… though not necessarily all of those nor at once.

Describing features also helps indicate race, especially if your character has some traits common within the race they are, such as afro hair to a Black character.

How comprehensive you decide to get is up to you. I wouldn’t overdo it and get specific to every mole and birthmark. Noting defining characteristics is good, though, like slightly spaced front teeth, curls that stay flopping in their face, hands freckled with sunspots…

G E N E R A L  T I P S

Indicate Race Early: I suggest indicators of race be made at the earliest convenience within the writing, with more hints threaded throughout here and there.

Get Creative On Your Own: Obviously, I couldn’t cover every proper color or comparison in which has been “approved” to use for your characters’ skin color, so it’s up to you to use discretion when seeking other ways and shades to describe skin tone.

Skin Color May Not Be Enough: Describing skin tone isn’t always enough to indicate someone’s ethnicity. As timeless cases with readers equating brown to “dark white” or something, more indicators of race may be needed.

Describe White characters and PoC Alike: You should describe the race and/or skin tone of your white characters just as you do your Characters of Color. If you don’t, you risk implying that White is the default human being and PoC are the “Other”).

PSA: Don’t use “Colored.” Based on some asks we’ve received using this word, I’d like to say that unless you or your character is a racist grandmama from the 1960s, do not call People of Color “colored” please. 

Not Sure Where to Start? You really can’t go wrong using basic colors for your skin descriptions. It’s actually what many people prefer and works best for most writing. Personally, I tend to describe my characters using a combo of basic colors + modifiers, with mentions of undertones at times. I do like to veer into more creative descriptions on occasion.

Want some alternatives to “skin” or “skin color”? Try: Appearance, blend, blush, cast, coloring, complexion, flush, glow, hue, overtone, palette, pigmentation, rinse, shade, sheen, spectrum, tinge, tint, tone, undertone, value, wash.

Skin Tone Resources

List of Color Names

The Color Thesaurus

Things that are Brown (blog)

Skin Undertone & Color Matching

Tips and Words on Describing Skin

Photos: Undertones Described (Modifiers included)

Online Thesaurus (try colors, such as “red” & “brown”)

Don’t Call me Pastries: Creative Skin Tones w/ pics 3 2 1

Writing & Description Guides

WWC Featured Description Posts

WWC Guide: Words to Describe Hair

Writing with Color: Description & Skin Color Tags

7 Offensive Mistakes Well-intentioned Writers Make

I tried to be as comprehensive as possible with this guide, but if you have a question regarding describing skin color that hasn’t been answered within part I or II of this guide, or have more questions after reading this post, feel free to ask!

So, I think if you’re aro yourself, you don’t need to be anywhere as careful about avoiding ‘problematic’ tropes as an alloro would be, especially if you’re not portraying an aro character a certain way out of ignorance or hate, but because of your own experiences. 

That said, there definitely are some stereotypes that a lot of aros dislike in aro characters, which I’ll list in case you want something to actively subvert, or if when you say you’re aspec, you don’t mean specifically aro. Anyone can feel free to add onto the list with tropes they dislike, too.

‘Shipper on board’ is the name commonly given to an aro character who is weirdly enthusiastic about getting other characters together or enjoying their relationships on general. The writers of such characters seem to think aros need someone else’s romantic experiences to make up for the ‘lack’ of our own, or don’t understand how many aros are confused/repulsed by romance, and may even see their friends dating as a sign they’re about to be left behind based on past experience. 

Aroace characters only being canonically referred to as asexual and never aro, or otherwise only really representing their ace side. This implies that the aro label is just a subset of the ace one, or not important enough to be mentioned or commented on. It tends to result in ‘representation’ that feels like it’s neither explicit, relatable, or realistic enough for aro readers to enjoy.

This one might just be me? But I dislike when a character is only mentioned to be aro in passing or by the author, and their experiences are never actually explored. Casual representation might be fine for an identity which is more obvious from page to page, but you can easily forget a character is even aro and not just single if the author ends the representation at ‘character doesn’t date. Moving on.’ I’ve never really seen the aro experience expanded on via things like romance repulsion, joy at singlehood, internalized bigotry, being gnc, being an activist etc. the way other queer characters get to have a fleshed out queer life. 

Alloromantic characters claiming to care about their aro friend just as much as their partners (and the author portraying this as true) when in practice the partners are the ones they marry, have kids with, are more affectionate with, prioritise, support financially etc. Going for an equal dynamic is great but most fiction I’ve seen try it doesn’t know what equal means.

Soulmates! at all, even if they’re platonic, or don’t apply to everyone, or, or. Just check out @aro-soulmate-project to see why many aros dislike any version on the soulmate concept.

You don’t have to avoid all of these things religiously, especially if you’re aro yourself as I already mentioned, or if you want to use the stereotypes as something to subvert in order to make a point. I’ve just listed a few things to help from a huge selection of disliked tropes, and I’m sure people will have more to add. Don’t let them get into your way, make you worry about being ‘problematic’ constantly, or prevent you from writing based on your own experiences. Just keep them in mind.

Actual Depression: bloodshot eyes, no longer trust themselves with pencils, has not showered in five days

Quirky OCD: organized books, clean room, color coordinated outfits

Actual OCD: Intrusive thoughts, flipping the light switch 8 times so you don’t stab your brother, picking holes in your skin

Cute eating disorders: Slim trim and beautiful, shyly refusing a second helping, dancer aesthetic

Actual eating disorders: Puffy cheeks and eroded teeth from excessive vomiting, hair growing over your freezing body and refusing to eat carrots because they’re too high in carbs

Adorable anxiety: just a smol bean, soft, must be protected from the world

Actual anxiety: crying so hard you throw up, shaking, losing sleep over a period after the “okay”

RPG PTSD: flashbacks, vietnam, u don’t know what i’ve been through kiddo

Actual PTSD: Buying your first pregnancy test at twelve, flinching at high fives, i can’t feel my hands where am I what year is it

Cartoon ADHD: look a squirrel, something shiny, fidgety loveable bufoon

Actual ADHD: rereading the same page over and over because it doesn’t make sense, hasn’t done the laundry in four months, hyperfocusing on a mushroom knowing you have work to do

While I don’t know of any specific guides for writing, you can get a LOT of info just by searching the “aromantic” tag on Tumblr. I really like the @aspecpplarebeautiful blog, which has positivity (which you can use as a writer to give you a sense of what aro people struggle with!), as well as asks with personal experiences! @aspec-stories literally is all examples of stories with a-spec characters. @fuckyeahasexual has queer theory, asks with personal experiences, examples of discrimination that a-spec people face, positivity, memes, community history, symbolism, and is in general an amazing blog. If you want something outside Tumblr, Yasmin Benoit is an activist who makes Youtube videos and has been featured in several articles! None of these are solely about being aromantic, (there’s a lot about asexuality too), but since I’m aroace, I’m more familiar with those resources that are about both those experiences.

Welcome to the Teacher Series! 

In light of the really lovely messages I’ve gotten from new writeblrs and folks looking for advice, I’m starting a teacher series to help new writers learn the craft. This is not an advice post (in spite of the tags)– just a place to learn different techniques so that you have more tools in your toolbelt. As someone who is a full-time educator by day (and who has one degree in literature and writing, and another in education), this is familiar territory for me, and I’m happy to share my knowledge with others. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today’s Focus Technique: How to change from “Telling” to “Showing”

Every new writer has heard it: “Show, don’t tell.” It’s one of the most common pieces of well-intentioned advice. Most of the time this is repeated to new writers who are missing descriptive details, or who skip over things that they don’t realize their readers don’t know. Unfortunately, this advice is often paired with vague and unhelpful feedback, and it doesn’t help writers take their work to the next level. 

You’ll notice that in the header I wrote “Show, not tell,” instead of don’t. There’s a time and place for everything, and this is less about telling you how you should write, and more about helping you change your telling to showing (when you want to). There will be times where you want to tell, not show, and that’s okay, too. 

Our example sentence today will be:

When her mother came home from work, the girl was happy.

Let’s break it down! 

Step 1: No summaries, only action verbs.

Before: When her mother came home from work, the girl was happy.

After: When the door creaked open and her mother stepped in, the girl smiled.

The verbs “came home” and “was” are not very active, so they’ve been updated! Notice that the sentence structure has not changed, and neither has the plot. We’ve also cut out emotion words (”happy”) and replaced them with an action that shows this emotion instead. This is a pretty dramatic difference already! In many cases, this may be all you want to do. But if you want to go further… 

Step 2: Slow down the visual.

Before: When the door creaked open and her mother stepped in, the girl smiled.

After: At the sound of the door creaking open, a smile tugged at the girl’s lips. Her mother’s boot clicked against the floor. The girl beamed, eyes creasing at the corners, and she jumped from her seat. 

Now we are starting to get into the depth of this emotion! We are feeling that growing sense of excitement with her. The action has been broken almost into a play-by-play, and the girl’s body language is significantly more explicit. If you need to stand up and act out an emotion, do it! Your readers don’t need to see the word “happy” if they have description like this. I find it useful to pair action+body language, as in the sentences above. 

Step 3: Figurative Language. Optional, but impactful. 

Fair warning: you only want to use this step when you really want your reader tuned in to a certain mood or emotion. 

Before: At the sound of the door creaking open, a smile tugged at the girl’s lips. Her mother’s boot clicked against the floor. The girl beamed, eyes creasing at the corners, and she jumped from her seat.

After: At the sound of the door creaking open, a smile tugged at the girl’s lips. Her mother’s boot clicked against the floor. The girl beamed, eyes creasing at the corners, and she jumped from her seat, tearing like a hurricane through the small house. She embraced her mother with the impact of a gale force wind, and though her mother staggered back a step, she didn’t let go. 

If you do this all the time, it might feel a little heavy. I would argue that this example even goes a little over the top! (Not every hug needs a simile and hyperbole to explain it.) But again– your writing style is up to you, and it’s healthy to experiment. 

As I said earlier, these three steps should just be another tool to use. No one can do all the things all the time. I hope this helped break it down! 

How do you practice “showing” in your writing? 

Let me know what you think of this as a writer’s tool (or what you think of the idea of the Teacher Series in general). I’d love to hear back from you. Comment or reblog with your experiences with this issue, and tell me what you want to learn about next! 

Writing hack: The quickest way to get the audience to despise the villain is to have them beat up on the cute mascot character. 

 Alright, so after a few conversation with some writers friends and some friends who want to get into writing, I decided I’d make a general one-stop-shop master list for all things writing. Any one of these can be expanded upon ( and probably will in the future if asked) but for now, I’ve listed a lot of resources here, some I’ve tried some I’ve only heard about or seen when browsing for information as I do when I’m on break at work.  For a majority of this I’m just going to list it but if I feel strongly I’ll add a tiny blurb about why I think it’s fabulous or why it worked best for me.

That being said I think a lot of these can be used for both fiction and creative non-fiction ( as I have a history with both and have had to write both. If anyone is interested in creative non-fiction I’d be more than happy to talk about it.) For Creative Non-Fiction I’ve put a small asterisk on the resource that are specifically geared toward this genre. All links are in the bracketed x’s. I hope this helps!

PLOTTING - OUTLINING - STRUCTURE

Online your story like a subway map [ x ] on NaNoWriMo Blog

The Pre-Writing Project [ x ] by Shenovels.

Create An Awesome Outline [ x ]  by Twincreatives

Genre Story Templates [ x ] by The Novel Factory

7 Basic Plots Infographic [ x ]  Presented by NovelNow & Christopher Brooker

Plotting a Series [ x ] by NovelNow

Plot Twist Generator [ x ] by Short Stori ideas

The Novel Writing Roadmap [ x ] by The Novel Factory I’ll be honest, this is tedious but there’s a lot of good information and it helps a lot. I found this a few months back and it’s been a lifesaver in some ways. If you’re stuck or don’t even know where to start this can give you a good idea of how to get started. Plus it includes synopsis writing which no one ever talks about.

Plotting for Authors Who Can’t Plot [ x ] by FabFreelanceWriting This isn’t the best in my opinion, but it does kind of give you a starting place and my best writing friend is not a plotter, found them helpful so you might too.

3 Awesome Plot Structures for Building Best Sellers [ x ] by Well-Storied

The Element EVERYTHING in Your Story Needs [ x ] by @thatkatiecooney

15 Techniques to Write Romance that makes Readers Swoon pt 1 [ x ]  & pt. 2 [ x ] by Kaitlin over at ink and Quills

CHARACTER - WORLD BUILDING - SETTING

How to Create A Character Profile [ x ] by Writerswrite

A List of 638 Primary Personality Traits [ x ] MIT

Character Development Worksheet PDF [ x ] by STLCC Not going to lie, I’ve used this a hell of a lot? Especially with my RP background. But it’s great to have on hand for any kind of fiction including non-fiction. Knowing your characters ( real or not is huge).

10 Elements of a Great Character [ x ] by thatkatiecooney This has saved my ass so many times.  This is explained so well and helped me in workshop explain where someone’s character (and my own) was lacking. It’s a great way to really dive into a good character, plus her examples are Disney related so bonus!

Bad habits for your character [ x ] by Wandering Quille

Worldbuilding by Map [ x ]

10 Questions to use in Worldbuilding [ x ] by The Writing Kylie

An introduction to world building [ x ] by well-storied

9 Elements of a Villain [ x ] by thatkatiecooney Just like before. godsent. I may or may not have a deep love affair with this blog, but the information is solid as hell.

7 Deadly Sins of World Building [ x ] by Charlie Jane Anders

How to Create Your Best Character [ x ] by C.J. Miranda

EDITING - REVISION - FEEDBACK

10 Questions to Ask Your Friend Who Just Read Your Novel [ x ] by Brandon @mordinwrites 

Self-Editing Basics [ x ] by Blake Atwood

Revising Drafts [ x ] by The Writing Center

5 Steps to Editing [ x ] by The Muse

The Editing Checklist [ x ] by Bryan Collins

Editing infographic [ x ] by ELA in the Middle I know this is geared for middle schoolers, but 1) I went through workshops with a lot of people who didn’t grasp the difference between copyediting and actual revision. 2) it’s a good refresher and can help you break down the monumental task of edits.

15 Questions to Send Beta Readers [ x ] by Ryan J. Pelton

Six (sets of) Questions to ask your Beta Readers [ x ] by thinking through our fingers

How To Be ( And Keep ) a highly Effective Critique Partner [ x ] by Standout Books

How to Find the Right Critique Partner: 6-Step Checklist [ x ] by K.M Weiland

How to Effectively Give and Recieve Constructive Feedback as a Writer [ x ] by Kimberly Cole  As someone who spent 4 yeas in workshops learning to give good feedback was so important and yet…I was still faced with unhelpful critiques meaning they didn’t bother? This is such an important step in the writnig process. And this helped me a lot. 

FORMATTING - SOFTWARES ( not Word or Scrivener )

Word Count: How Many Words Should my Book be? [ x ] by Jodi Brandon

Formatting A Book in Word  ( Kindle ) [ x ] by Colin Dunbar

How To Format a Book - 10 tips Editors Want You to Know [ x ] by Blake Atwood

How to Format A Novel Manuscript [ x ] by Kelly Hart

Guidelines for Formatting [ x ] by Writer’s Digest

Google Docs for Writers [ x ] by eadeverell

How to Format For Kindle using Word, 6 Steps [ x ] by Kristen Eckstein.

Converting Google Doc to Kindle .mobi file [ x ] by daveparsonsnz

Formatting Graphic Novels [ x ] by Laura Willard

Grammarly [ x ] The free version doesn’t allow you to tailor your type of writing but it’s a nice editing program. If you DO go for the premium the suggestions and edits are amazing, this helped me a lot in college and workshop. I still use it today as an add-on to chrome & word. THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTION FOR REAL EDITS THOUGH!

Open Office  [ x ]  It’s a nice alternative to Word, for free. I used this a lot my first two years of college because…poor and Word was expensive ( my college didn’t offer use free subscriptions until my junior year ) as hell.

YWriter [ x ] SpaceJock software * I used this for about 3 years? If you’re into a lot of organization and like to break up chapters, documents etc this is great. and Free. I suggest this for Non-fiction writers because you can write a memoir, biography, etc and have each chapter as its own file, meaning you can play around with linear time and order. For fiction, it seems… unnecessary to divide it so much but ey whatever floats your boat.

FocusWriter [ x ] I am someone who will get distracted by wi-fi, internet, Pinterest, Facebook etc when writing so I tried this out. It works but not for me. I like to go back and reread things I’ve written edit small things as I go. Which you can’t do with this app. For essay writing in college though this was great.

Evernote [ x ] This is more a productivity tool than really a writing software but worth the mention because I did write a few articles for a lit magazine in college in and it was definitely nice.

MARKETING FOR WRITERS

Skillshare Classes [ Especially theses ones x, x, x] This is a monthly subscription for premium ( around 11 bucks) which gets you access to a lot of classes in a million different topics. This place is my go to when I need to learn something ( marketing, business plans, twitter etc).

Udemy Classes [ like this one x] this is a one time fee of around 10-20$ per class. But the instructors are great, the projects and information is top notch too. But it does add up and I’ve only ever taken two classes here because of pricing.

5 Marketing Strategies if you hate promoting your work [ x ] by Hugh O. Smith

Content Marketing for Authors and Writers [ x ] by Joanna Penn

Resource guide & Freebies [ x ] by The Lady in Read.

Book Marketing 101 [ x ] by Jane Friedman

PROMPTS SITES & BLOGS

Writing Prompts @writingprompts

Picture Writing Prompts @picturewritingprompts

365 Creative Writing Prompts [ x ] by thinkwritten

Writing Prompts [ x ] Writer’s Digest

Writing Prompts [ x ] The Fake Redhead Writers

Creative Writing Prompts @unblockingwritersblock

Daily Writing Prompt @daily-prompts

Writing Prompts [ x ]  The Writer’s Academy by Peginue 

ADVICE & TIPS  BLOGS - PODCASTS 

Six Guidelines for Non-Fiction [ x ] by Writing Forward *

25 Tips To Make Your Non-Fiction Better [ x ] Writer’s Digest *

Jenna Moreci’s Vlog [ x ] @jennamoreci This woman is such an inspiration to me and her videos are hilariously funny and yet helpful as ever. If you haven’t seen/heard of her I 110% suggest you check her out.

Terrible Minds [ x ] by Chuck Wendig @terribleminds This was maybe the first writing blog/advice place I stumbled upon early on in high school. His humor was right up my alley. Sarcastic, frank and at times mind-in-the-gutter style just resonated with me, and still does. The advice and blog posts present were informative and sort of like a kick in the ass for me. Recently I haven’t visited as much as I once did, but that’s because I own his book, listed below which contained a few of my favorite posts from him. 

References For Writers @referenceforwriters

Write World @writeworld

Writer’s Corner @writerscorner

Grammar Girl Podcast [ x ]

Authority Self-Publishing Podcast [ x ] 

I Should Be Writing Podcast [ x ]

Creative If Writing Podcast [ x ]

The Creative Writer’s Toolbelt  Podcast [ x ]

English Major Humor  @englishmajorhumor This is on here just because I normally go to it as an unwinding type of thing. When I need a good laugh at some extremely, I-feel-this-on-a-spiritual-level, relatable content.

RECOMMEND BOOKS - LIT MAGS

Eat, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss This is a grammar guide, but it’s funny and helps a lot for those of us who might not be the best at grammar ( or want to know more). 

Self Editing  For Fiction Writers  by Rene Browne & Dave King This was a textbook for a class of mine, and I never thought I’d ever keep a craft book, they always seemed to say a lot of things but this, was amazing. 

The Magic Words by Cherylyn B Klein This is more for Children’s Lit & Ya but the advice is solid regardless. Again another textbook I used in a publishing class and adored enough not to sell it back.

On Writing by Stephen King

Handling The Truth on the Writing of a Memoir by Beth Kephart*

Words For Pictures by Brian Michael Bendis This…is a shocker to anyone who knows me as I’m not the biggest Bendis support ( that’s a can of worms we shall avoid). But this book is chalk full of some good tips for those comic/graphic novelists out there. This is the only guidebook I’ve read on the subject and found it interesting.

Writer’s Guide to Character Traits 2nd Ed. by Dr. Linda Edelstein  This is very much a book I keep by my side when creating characters. It’s a psychology book for those of us who don’t know much about it. the break down is beautiful and there’s a lot of information, tips, and even some exercises to help

500 Ways to Write Harder by Chuck Wendig This book has a lot of great advice in it and when I was first venturing into this field as my career option I devoured it. Now I browse it and read it when I need a refresher. Much like his blog, the content it well very much the kick in the ass I need.

Why I’m including Lit Magazines? Because as someone who went to school for Creative writing Lit Mags has been a way for me to see what others are publishing and writing on topics I like. They look amazing and can often be a source of publication besides ebook, self-publishing and traditional publishing of novels. There are about a million out there, but I’ve listed a few I’ve researched/looked into or subscribe to.

The New Yorker [ x ] How to submit is here The most pretentious thing I have ever owned. I subscribed to this my sophomore year of college after reading a few great short stories and have been getting an issue ever since. I believe there’s also like an archive that’s free but don’t quote me on that. This is here because you can submit your work to them, as well as read amazing authors like T.C. Boyle or Jo Ann Beard * and others in many different literary fiction genres.

Poetry & Writers’ list of Lit Mags [ x ]

Ricochet Literary Magzine [ x ] This is for new/unpublished authors. I have not submitted to them but they look interesting and definitely caught my eye as they send feedback on submission if not published, which in my book is a great way to learn and definitely worth more in-depth look at.

The Fairytale Review [ x ] This is another magazine I subscribed to. Annually. It includes a poetry, essays, stories about/adapting/modern twists of fairy tale fiction. Each Issue is a different theme. and You can submit to them [ here ]. Since this is something I adore and write myself it’s a good way to see what others in this niche are doing.

Litro Magazine [ x ] I’ve recently been stalking this magazine. It’s fresh and does take unpublished/new writer work.

So in short….

but hopefully these help you or give you a jumping off point for the future. Feel free to comment/reblog with your own additions or contact me here if you want this expanded, more dteails have questions on my experiences using any of this.

Happy Writing!

Writers can use these 12 Archetypes to create characters

The 12 Common Archetypes by Carl Golden

The twelve archetypes are divided into ego types, self types, and soul types. 

1) The Four Ego Types   1. The Innocent Motto: Free to be you and me Core desire: to get to paradise Goal: to be happy Greatest fear: to be punished for doing something bad or wrong Strategy: to do things right Weakness: boring for all their naive innocence Talent: faith and optimism The Innocent is also known as: Utopian, traditionalist, naive, mystic, saint, romantic, dreamer.   2. The Orphan/Regular Guy or Gal Motto: All men and women are created equal Core Desire: connecting with others Goal: to belong Greatest fear: to be left out or to stand out from the crowd Strategy: develop ordinary solid virtues, be down to earth, the common touch Weakness: losing one’s own self in an effort to blend in or for the sake of superficial relationships Talent: realism, empathy, lack of pretence The Regular Person is also known as: The good old boy, everyman, the person next door, the realist, the working stiff, the solid citizen, the good neighbour, the silent majority.   3. The Hero Motto: Where there’s a will, there’s a way Core desire: to prove one’s worth through courageous acts Goal: expert mastery in a way that improves the world Greatest fear: weakness, vulnerability, being a “chicken” Strategy: to be as strong and competent as possible Weakness: arrogance, always needing another battle to fight Talent: competence and courage The Hero is also known as: The warrior, crusader, rescuer, superhero, the soldier, dragon slayer, the winner and the team player.   4. The Caregiver Motto: Love your neighbour as yourself Core desire: to protect and care for others Goal: to help others Greatest fear: selfishness and ingratitude Strategy: doing things for others Weakness: martyrdom and being exploited Talent: compassion, generosity The Caregiver is also known as: The saint, altruist, parent, helper, supporter.   2) The Four Soul Types           5. The Explorer Motto: Don’t fence me in Core desire: the freedom to find out who you are through exploring the world Goal: to experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life Biggest fear: getting trapped, conformity, and inner emptiness Strategy: journey, seeking out and experiencing new things, escape from boredom Weakness: aimless wandering, becoming a misfit Talent: autonomy, ambition, being true to one’s soul The explorer is also known as: The seeker, iconoclast, wanderer, individualist, pilgrim.   6. The Rebel Motto: Rules are made to be broken Core desire: revenge or revolution Goal: to overturn what isn’t working Greatest fear: to be powerless or ineffectual Strategy: disrupt, destroy, or shock Weakness: crossing over to the dark side, crime Talent: outrageousness, radical freedom The Outlaw is also known as: The rebel, revolutionary, wild man, the misfit, or iconoclast.   7. The Lover Motto: You’re the only one Core desire: intimacy and experience Goal: being in a relationship with the people, work and surroundings they love Greatest fear: being alone, a wallflower, unwanted, unloved Strategy: to become more and more physically and emotionally attractive Weakness: outward-directed desire to please others at risk of losing own identity Talent: passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment The Lover is also known as: The partner, friend, intimate, enthusiast, sensualist, spouse, team-builder.   8. The Creator Motto: If you can imagine it, it can be done Core desire: to create things of enduring value Goal: to realize a vision Greatest fear: mediocre vision or execution Strategy: develop artistic control and skill Task: to create culture, express own vision Weakness: perfectionism, bad solutions Talent: creativity and imagination The Creator is also known as: The artist, inventor, innovator, musician, writer or dreamer.   3) The Four Self Types   9. The Jester Motto: You only live once Core desire: to live in the moment with full enjoyment Goal: to have a great time and lighten up the world Greatest fear: being bored or boring others Strategy: play, make jokes, be funny Weakness: frivolity, wasting time Talent: joy The Jester is also known as: The fool, trickster, joker, practical joker or comedian.   10. The Sage Motto: The truth will set you free Core desire: to find the truth. Goal: to use intelligence and analysis to understand the world. Biggest fear: being duped, misled—or ignorance. Strategy: seeking out information and knowledge; self-reflection and understanding thought processes. Weakness: can study details forever and never act. Talent: wisdom, intelligence. The Sage is also known as: The expert, scholar, detective, advisor, thinker, philosopher, academic, researcher, thinker, planner, professional, mentor, teacher, contemplative.   11. The Magician Motto: I make things happen. Core desire: understanding the fundamental laws of the universe Goal: to make dreams come true Greatest fear: unintended negative consequences Strategy: develop a vision and live by it Weakness: becoming manipulative Talent: finding win-win solutions The Magician is also known as: The visionary, catalyst, inventor, charismatic leader, shaman, healer, medicine man.   12. The Ruler Motto: Power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. Core desire: control Goal: create a prosperous, successful family or community Strategy: exercise power Greatest fear: chaos, being overthrown Weakness: being authoritarian, unable to delegate Talent: responsibility, leadership The Ruler is also known as: The boss, leader, aristocrat, king, queen, politician, role model, manager or administrator.

Note: There are four cardinal orientations: freedom, social, ego, order. The types have a place on these orientations.

Oh geez, you are right. What other motivation could this person possibly have other than eventually getting laid.

You fool. You absolute buffoon.

(in)justice

Revenge

Fear of losing loved ones

Family/friends

Thirst for knowledge/curiosity

Call from a higher power

Boredom

“It’s a job, I’m getting paid for it.”

Spite

Guilt

Duty

A bet

“Maybe I want to save the planet BECAUSE I LIVE ON IT???”

Simply being a decent human being

misunderstandings

Fun

No one else is fucking qualified to get shit done

Faith

Family

Food

(I’m proud of the graphic, too.)

Mood: The immediate (and temporary) emotions of your character. A feeling of joy after kissing the girl they like; frustration after a busy day working a summer job at the fair; despair after somebody eats the last Oreo.

Situation: The plot and relationship contexts of your character. The apprehension they feel with a friend in the weeks following a nasty fight; the nerves felt in the week leading up to their big championship game; the frustration and boredom of being grounded after crashing the family car into the county creek.

Struggle: The core, deepfelt pain of your character, which often emerges from their background. The fear of failure from overly demanding parents; a deep longing for a family they never knew; a desperate need to be accepted after spending years as an outcast.

How these 3 motives influence your character

The above emotional motives all play an important role in driving your character’s actions, muddying or even overriding their more logical intentions — just as it happens to the rest of us. (We’re all human, after all.)

That being said, while your character’s mood and situation will shift throughout the story, their struggle will remain constant: their true north, emotionally speaking. This struggle will always be at the root of their actions, even as you swap in new situations and moods.

Take Bethany as an example

Let’s say your character’s name is Bethany, and her struggle is this: a deep fear of failure, stemming from her parents’ impossible academic expectations, which conflicts with her own desire to finally experience the life she sees passing her by.

Her actions, while primarily driven by that struggle, are going to vary quite a bit depending on her situation and mood. For example, if it’s the night before a big test, she might blow off a friend’s invitation to a party so she can study.

But if the party is a week before the big test, and she finds a handwritten invitation in her notebook from Emma (the girl on the lacrosse team she has a crush on), Bethany might act differently. Maybe she feels a lightness and warmth in her cheeks as she reads Emma’s note. Maybe she puts those textbooks away, and maybe, just maybe, she sneaks out the window and goes to the party.

But if Bethany finds the note after her parents just chewed her out for being ungrateful and not studying hard enough? Maybe Bethany doesn’t go to the party. Instead, maybe she reads Emma’s note, trembles, then rips it in two, knowing she can’t disappoint her parents like that. Then she spends the rest of the evening studying. Alone.

Mood. Situation. Struggle.

All three kinds of emotional motives are important. Your character’s struggle is the anchor, but their mood and situation are the ever-shifting masks you use to express their struggle in fresh ways. 

And by the end of the story, hopefully your character will overcome their struggle — putting away the textbooks, sneaking out the window, and meeting their crush at a party. Maybe even having their first kiss.

Whatever the character, and whatever their struggle, I’m sure you’ll do great. 

So good luck! And good writing.

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