slurp ;

Red: What type of writer’s block do you experience the most?

White: Are you a supporter/lover of fanfiction?

Black: Would you want to live in one of the fictional worlds you’ve created?

Blue: What’s more important to you: characters or plot?

Yellow: What’s a common writing tip that you mostly ignore?

Grey: What’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Orange: How many projects do you usually have going at once?

Pink: Which of your characters would become your best friend?

Purple: Which of your characters would become your sworn enemy?

Green: Pencil, typewriter, or computer?

Brown: Do you have a set writing space? Or do you write everywhere?

Silver: Are you comfortable writing in public places?

Gold: Do your stories usually contain lessons or morals?

Clear: Do your characters control where the story goes or do you maintain control?

and i mean there’s the obvious, don’t write multiple things at once, but i know i am going to continue to do so bc well i find it fun and its just the way my brain works ig

but yeah i wondered if you had any advice for sort of, keeping the stories separate so they don’t bleed together and just like how to work on multiple things

sorry i started this ask out strong w social ability and lost my … verbalism ? throughout it so it may not make so much sense

Keeping Multiple WIPs Separate & Distinct

If you're working on multiple WIPs at the same time and are struggling to keep them all separate and distinct, there are a few things you can try that might help...

1 - Create a "Cheat Sheet" for Each Story

If there are specific details you're worried will bleed from one story to the next... world details, personality traits, etc., put them on a "cheat sheet" for each story. Then, when you're working on a particular story, keep the cheat sheet handy so you can refer to it often and keep your details straight.

2 - Set the Ambient Mood for Each Story

Lighting, music, scents, food, and beverages are just some of the ways you can tweak the ambience of your writing space to fit each specific WIP. Listening to different music/sound effects (ambience rooms on YouTube are great!), different lighting, drinking a different beverage, etc. that is specific to your WIP can help put your brain in the right mood for that story. For example, let's say one of your WIPs is a winter-themed fantasy. For that story, you might use low lighting, a woodsmoke-scented candle, listen to a wintry playlist, and drink tea with winter flavors. That way, when you work on that story, your brain knows exactly where it needs to be.

3 - Read Back a Chapter Before You Start Writing

Something I always do, even if I'm only working on one WIP at a time, is I read the previous scene or chapter before I start writing. Sometimes I go back even further than that, especially if it's been a while since I worked on it. That helps refresh my memory on specific details, re-familiarize me with the world and characters, and regain my momentum with the story.

4 - Stick to a Schedule for Each WIP

This doesn't work for everyone, but you can try working on a specific WIP on specific days or at specific times of days. If you always work on WIP #1 in the mornings and WIP #2 in the evenings, it can help your brain get into the right mode more quickly when you sit down to write.

I hope one of these tips will work for you!

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Notes from a 5-day creative writing course:

Motivation

Make it a habit. That way, each time that familiar voice of self-doubt makes its appearance, it’ll be easier to ignore it, because writing will become something that you do-your thing-and you’ll gain confidence in it.

Visit your novel every single day. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to write something every day. You could outline the plot, or write character portraits, or draw a special part of your world. Your subconscious will work on your story even when you don’t. So, each time you visit the story consciously, you’ll find that things have developed in the story.

Manage the time of writing in a way that it is manageable for you. (It can be that one hour between classes or your lunch break or the morning before you go to work or at night before you sleep - Schedule it in a way that suits you and then, be serious about it.

Set a goal. For example, 100 or 500 words a day.

ok i’m making this list because i’ve seen a lot of posts lately about how fanfiction doesn’t have to be “good”, and while i believe that’s true to an extent, i don’t think it captures the whole picture. personally, i believe that anything worth doing is worth doing well, and by well i mean to the best of my current abilities, whether other people think it’s “good” or not. i also know that a lot of us use fanfiction as a sort of practice session, and if you’re practicing writing, you might as well be practicing editing as well. this is not me saying that anything has to be perfect, or that beginners should shy away from this space. i just happen to be passionate about editing, a thing i know a lot of people hate, and i would like to take this opportunity to share that passion!

anyway, that’s me off my soapbox or whatever. here are some tips i like to use when i edit! take them, leave them, etc. 

1. look for moments where you can put in specifics. people find specific details relatable, even if you think they won’t. this is why taylor swift is so popular! her lyrics often use moments that are super specific to an experience, but many of us end up finding them relatable, either because we’ve had a similar specific experience or just felt similar emotions. specificity gets at the root of the emotion behind the story. 

2. the obvious “show don’t tell”. i feel like we’ve all heard this a million times. i still fuck it up and have to go back and look for it. even after a round or two of editing i still find “tells” i missed before. it’s hard! but it’s also really easy to fix once you’ve found it! see: point 1 about specifics.

3. sentence/word variation. a large part of reading is looking at the way the words physically look on the page. a bunch of repeated words, only using long/short sentences, too much dialogue in a row without any description, etc. all look a certain way on the page, and it’s not as attractive as it could be. i always paste my work into ao3 to preview and check if it looks nice on the screen.

4. plot v story – think about the story of it all. this is one i fuck up too. don’t tell me “they always ate dinner together on saturdays and then they went to the horse races on sunday mornings and then they went to the park” give me the scenes! give me one particular saturday dinner where they ate the best spaghetti ever and the time they lost a bunch of money at the horse races and a day in the park where they argued about getting a dog. don’t just give me the sequence of events, give me the story – the settings, the characters, the ambiance, the themes, etc. we’re all just here for stories. see: point 2 about show and tell.

5. change the font before you re-read. this seems silly, but in my experience it’s really helpful for the piece to look different in some way. then you’re more likely to catch things you might not have caught before. i like an ugly font like comic sans or something, but you do you.

6. edit the piece as a whole. look, this is going to be controversial, bc a lot of people like to do the chapter-by-chapter thing. that is very cool for them and i am glad it works! it does not work for me, which is why you cannot find any long works (yet) on my ao3 page. gotta finish to edit to post. the pros to this: you can move scenes around, you can change plot points, you can flip the whole thing and tell your story backwards, you can cut an entire character, etc etc etc. the cons to this: you have to wait to post, which might lower your motivation to finish. ymmv with this tip, but i would suggest trying it on at least one long piece! you might like it!

7. read it til it makes you want to puke, and then read it again. when you hate every word, put it in the drawer for about 48 hours. take it back out and it should look a lot better. time heals all wounds or whatever.

ok i’ll leave it there for now (even though i could go on for years about this). editing can be so much more than just checking for grammar and spelling mistakes. you can have fun with it! the writing process is fun! 

A quick reminder to those of you used to writing novels, and are now trying your hand at screenwriting! 

One of the most common mistakes made by novice screenwriters is being too descriptive in their action lines, so remember that each new paragraph of action lines should at maximum be four lines long. They should also be written in present tense. ALWAYS use present tense.

Characters are developed through action and dialogue, as opposed to description and internal monologue. All and any emotion must come across in your characters actions, and it has to be portrayed on screen.

Rule of thumb: if something isn't shown on screen, it doesn't belong in the script. You only include what the audience can SEE and HEAR, and nothing else. Remember, film is a visual medium.

As a lot of people aren’t familiar with plot creatures, I thought I’d shed some light on the members of the mental menagerie…

The Plot Bunny - Story ideas that come bounding in and start multiplying.

The Plot Chicken - They squawk, flap around, and shit everywhere, but when you actually need to do something with them, they scatter.

The Plot Sloth - Takes its sweet goddamned time turning into something useful.

The Plot Mule - When you mash two plots together and get something cool, but you can’t get a sequel out of it to save your life.

The Plot Cat - Lazy little bastards who take up your headspace, scare away all the other plot bunnies, but won’t actually do anything except lay there.

The Plottweiler - Barks loudly and viciously so you can’t ignore it, distracts you from everything else you want to write, but leaves you too paralyzed with fear to actually put words down.

The Plot Squirrel - Cute, distracting, full of nuts, and just TRY to keep up with that train of thought.

The Plot Bedbug - Shows up during the night, chews on you so you can’t sleep, and disappears in the daylight.

The Plot Tick - Burrows in, bleeds you dry, and leaves you with the creepy-crawlies. Mostly preys on horror writers.

The Plotroach - Totally unappealing, but so tenacious they’ll survive anything until you finally give up and write them.

The Plot Fin Whale - It’s a longfic, but a surprisingly fast-moving one that just flows right out of you.

The Plot Dragon - A gigantic pile of your most treasured tropes that probably don’t go that well when mixed together haphazardly like that but so shiny

The Plot Gryphon - A crossover.

The Plot Chimera - An especially ambitious crossover.

The Plot Hydra - WHERE ARE ALL THESE SUBPLOTS COMING FROM

The Plot Salmon - A love story that ends tragically.

The Plot Peryton - That deathfic you don’t want to write because you like that character and don’t want them to die but its shadow will be cast upon you until you give up and write it.

Summaries are hard. Here are some templates to help you out:  1) When [this event happens], [this person] takes [this action] until [antagonist threatens]

When a renowned surgeon ends up in a car crash that ruins his hands, he seeks to harness magical powers until an inter-dimensional entity threatens his reality. 

2) After [shocking backstory happens], a person or people pursue a difficult goal.

After a brilliant physicist is in a gamma radiation accident that causes him to turn into an angry beast, he goes on the run from the government in order to find a cure.

3) An interesting person pursues a familiar goal in an unexpected way.

A billionaire weapons designer decides to protect the world by building a powerful suit of armour. 

4) Driven by motivation, a person or people pursue a goal to do something completely unique.

When half of all life in the universe is destroyed, a group of heroes plan a time heist to retrieve the six magical stones needed to bring their loved ones back. 

5) Special circumstances in a main character’s world force that character to engage in morally ambiguous behaviour.

After her true love dies in battle, a powerful witch takes a small town hostage in order to live out her sit-com fantasies. 

6) A group of interesting people face a variety of obstacles as they pursue a collective goal.

A group of heroes with various talents need to overcome their differences in order to defeat a vengeful god who is determined to rule Earth. 

7) A group of interesting people must choose between their personal need and the collective good as they face a common enemy.

A group of space-based anti-heroes must overcome their selfish desires and join together in order to save the galaxy. 

8) An anti-hero makes it their mission to rise to power with a certain methodology.

After learning about his origins in the hidden land of Wakanda, a prince returns to take the throne and spread the kingdom’s wealth to those in need. 

9) Two opposite people with limited resources must unite to accomplish a ridiculous mission.

A retired entomologist teams up with a recently released ex-con in order to complete a heist using ants. 

10) A negatively changed world can only be fixed with the accomplishment of an impossible task performed by a unique person.

“ can you walk? “

“ i’m all right. “

“ you’re bleeding. “

“ lean on me. ” “ for support? “ “ yeah, why else? “

“ i’ll get you out of here. ”

“ are you crazy? i’m not leaving you! “

“ if you die on me, then what's the issue? you either live, or you die. “

“ just trust me, yeah? “

“ i don't need your help. “ “ are you sure? cause it sure does look like it. “

“ rich coming from the guy who tried to kill me three days ago. “

“ how bad is it? “ “ it’s bad. “

“ you got shot. there's a bullet in you. i can see it. “ “ i can feel it. “

“ stay with me. don’t close your eyes. “

“ i hate you. oh, i hate you so much right now. “

“ just remove the damn thing. “

“ i’m not a doctor. “

“ it didn't pierce your heart did it? “ “ no, clearly not. “ “that's unfortunate. “

“ you trust me, don't you? “

“ jesus fucking christ, you're annoying. “

“ don't touch me! “ “ how am i supposed to bandage you up if i can't touch you? “

“ don't touch me. “ “ then do it yourself you, egit. “

“ right now, you’re all i have. “

“ you’re going to be okay. we’ll both be. “

“ can you hear me? “

“ i'm scared. “

“ i don't wanna die. “ “ you're not gonna die, you here me? “

“ when have i ever put you in danger? actually, don't answer that. “

“ if i do this, do you promise to stop harassing me? “ “ absolutely not. what kinda sick request is that? “

“ i can’t feel my legs. “

“ can you walk? “ “i’m bleeding. “

“ here, take my gun. “ “ are you crazy? i’ve never used one before! “

“ i can’t get up. you’re gonna have to have to carry me. “

“ come on, i’ll bandage you up. “

“ look, i know we’re not exactly friends, but right now, you're all i got. “

“ you shoot. i distract. “

“ where’s the bullet? hey, i can’t find the bullet! “

“ why are you the one freaking out? i’m the one with a knife in my stomach. “

“ are you squeamish? because it looks like you’re gonna throw up. “

“ you've always impressed me. you're stronger than you look. “

“ you look like shit. “ “ thank you. “

“ here, take my hand. “ “ are you clean? “

“ i'm gonna kill you. “ “ for what, saving your ass? “

“ don't touch me. “ “ okay. shall i leave you here to die, then? “

“ stop it, you're hurting me! “ “ i need to get the knife out. “

“ didn't realize you had it in you. “ “ what? “ “ to care for another person. “

“ trust me, if anybody's going to kill you, it's going to be me. “

“ couldn't just let you die. fair fight and all. “

“ don't remove the knife, or you'll bleed to death. “

“ shut up before i kill you myself. “

“ just wait for me here. “ “ it's not like i can go anywhere. “

“ give me your gun. “ “fuck, no. “

“ why the hell did they stab you? “ “...should i have asked for an explanation? “

“ shut up or i'll give you a real reason to cry. “

“ you owe me. “

“ fuck you, i'm not doing this. “

“ what's wrong with you? you almost got me killed! “

“ yeah, well. perhaps i didn't understand just how much until this very moment. “ “ this is all your fault. “ “ don't act like you're not enjoying yourself. “

“ you're going to kill me, aren't you? “

“ why would you do this? why would you help me? “

“ call it a truce. “

“ why the hell did you stab me? “

“ i don't have anywhere else to go. “

“ i'm glad you're okay. “

“ thank you, for saving my life. “

“ i would have died if it wasn't for you. “

“ you can stay for as long as you need. “

“ we can go back to hating each other tomorrow. “

Writing (at least for me) is all about momentum. If you stop, you crash and burn. So, here are some hacks I use to keep myself writing.

-Instead of stopping to google information, like “How long does it take for trees to grow,” or “how many different species of birds of paradise are there, simply put "TK" in the spot where the units or information would be and move on. After you are done writing, you can go back and google for the needed information.

-In scenes where you simply cannot think of what to put, simply write something in brackets like, “[The characters reminisce with each other around the fire. This leads into the next topic.]” or something similar. Oftentimes, later writing will give you inspiration for what to put in those spots.

-If you can’t remember the word, or need a synonym, DON’T stop to google. Simply put the word (or “placeholder”) in brackets and come back later. If you are still having trouble finding out or remembering the word when going back through, I would recommend Onelook Reverse Dictionary as a very good source for finding words and synonyms.

-When plotting something out, don’t feel the need to put everything that happens. If you want to, cool! For me, I find I quickly lose disinterest in actually writing when I have every little thing already planned out. It has become boring to me. To combat this, I simply write the main ideas of what I want to happen and things I want to mention (symbolism/foreshadowing) and move on, giving myself room to continue to explore and discover as you write.

-To avoid burnout, If I’m working on a bigger project, I’ll usually also have something that I’m writing on the side that I can switch back and forth so I don’t lose interest.

-Don’t be afraid to use generators! Character names, places, powers, etc. can all be created using a generator. You don’t have to worry about every little thing. Also, if you can’t think of a name or something else at the moment that you could use a generator for, just mark it in brackets (ex: [Name]) and move on.

A mouth-watering fuck-ton of hand references.

take off your pants!! (“take off your pants!: outline your books for faster, better writing” by libbie hawker)

this outline starts with a character — specifically their biggest flaw — and leads to five points that will make up the core of your story. it’s best for plots and subplots that focus on overcoming the flaw!

this outline doesn’t just have to be used for coming of age novels. it is just as important in your dystopian, fantasy, or thriller novels that the main character learns something or has changed by the end.

STEP ONE: think about your character

your main character — what is their name, and what are their important features?

what are your character’s flaws? what about their FATAL flaw? ex: hubris, overconfidence, stubbornness, etc.

STEP TWO: think about the end of the story

the story (whether the main plot, a subplot, or a facet of the main plot) is the journey lead to overcome the flaw. now that you know the character’s flaw, you know what lesson they need to learn.

the end of the story = the flaw mastered, the lesson learned.

STEP THREE: think about the external goal

the external goal is the plot, the outer motivation to push the character to the end of the story where the goal is mastered. if you remember my post on quests, you know that a quest has two reasons to be there: the external factor (shrek saving fiona for his swamp), and the real reason (the lesson learned)

the external goal should provide a chance for the character to recognize their flaw and begin to change. how does your plot tie into their character development?

STEP FOUR: think about the antagonist

thinking about the external goal should reveal who the antagonist is. the antagonist should want to achieve the same goal or a goal that impedes with the protagonist’s goal. the antagonist should be the biggest obstacle to the character.

STEP FIVE: think about the ally/allies

the character(s) that is capable of forcing the protagonist down the correct path. where your protagonist most likely will resist changing and confronting their flaw, the ally will help force them to do so anyway.

STEP SIX: think about the theme

so what’s the point of your book? if you are struggling to boil it down to one sentence, you might want to think about it a little longer. this is what keeps the story feeling coherent. what are you trying to tell us?

STEP SEVEN: think about the plot

each main plot element should somehow relate to the core of the book, aka the character’s development in overcoming their flaw

OPENING SCENE - set the stage. address the flaw or the theme

INCITING EVENT - what forces the character out of their everyday life and into the story?

REALIZING EXTERNAL GOAL - what makes the character begin seeking their goal?

DISPLAY OF FLAW - if the character’s flaw hasn’t been made blatantly clear, now is the time. make it known to the reader.

DRIVE FOR GOAL - what is your character’s first attempt to reach their goal?

ANTAGONIST REVEAL - how do you first show your antagonist’s opposition to your character?

FIRST THWART - what happens to your character that keeps them from reaching their goal?

REVISIT FLAW - show the character’s flaw again, even if they themselves aren’t aware of it yet.

ANTAGONIST ATTACKS - what does the antagonist do that makes things worse?

SECOND THWART - where your character fails most likely due to the attack

CHANGED GOAL - the character finds a new goal or focuses on the external goal in a different way

ALLY ATTACKS - what does the ally do to force the character to see the flaw?

AWAKENING - the character knows what they must do to reach the external goal. how will you show that the character has also awakened to their flaw? how will you show them changing?

BATTLE - the final showdown with the antagonist!

DEATH - the character’s flaw dies here. how will you show that the character truly is different now?

OUTCOME - show whether the character won or lost the external goal, reveal the theme of the story.

Friend: OMG these names are perfect how did you get them

Me: Many long nights and many days I searched the web for the perfect name with the perfect meaning

Friend: You could just use Behindthename.com you can search by different factors and themes it even has the name meaning and a populararity chart.

Me: Ooooh that's so cool. I might finally be able to find a good Arabic name that starts with a P

Oh yes, happens more times than I would like. Especially difficult when you have a certain word in mind but can’t remember that exact word, but you really want to use that exact word. That is incredibly frustrating.

Thankfully, I found a couple of sites that have helped immensely;

Reverse Dictionary - http://onelook.com/reverse-dictionary.shtml

This site helps when you can remember the meaning of a word, but not the word specifically. 

Tip of My Tongue - https://chir.ag/projects/tip-of-my-tongue/

Want to use a word but can’t remember how to spell it or there is a word you can’t quite remember, but you know some of the letters involved? This site helps with that.