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@abbyalwayswriting
The most interesting question you can ask about any character is not what do they want. it's what do they believe they deserve. because those two things are almost never the same and the gap between them is where your entire story lives. a person can want love completely and believe they don't deserve it and that belief will destroy every good thing that comes toward them in ways they won't even notice they're doing. write the gap. the gap is the character.
Things to consider when writing about Dystopias !!!
⊹ What specific thing went wrong to create this. Climate disaster? War? Plague? Fascist takeover? Corporate control? Be specific because "everything sucks now" isn't enough. How did we get from our world to this one
⊹ Who's in charge and how did they get power. Did they seize it violently or did people willingly give up freedom for safety/convenience? Because that second one is way scarier and more realistic
⊹ What's the propaganda like. What lies is the government telling? What history has been rewritten? What's banned? How do they control information? This is always the first thing authoritarian regimes do
⊹ How do they maintain control. Surveillance? Fear? Making people dependent on the system? Turning people against each other? Rewards for loyalty? All of the above probably
⊹ What's illegal that used to be normal. Books? Certain jobs? Relationships? Having kids without permission? Traveling? Speaking freely? The specific restrictions tell you what the government fears
⊹ How do normal people survive day to day. What's the economy like? Is everyone struggling or is there a comfortable middle class that supports the regime because it benefits them
⊹ What's the class system. There's always a class system. Who has resources and power vs who's barely surviving. How do you move between classes or can you even
⊹ What do people do for entertainment. Is it controlled/approved entertainment only? Underground stuff? Has the government banned fun entirely? Do they use entertainment as distraction from how bad things are
⊹ How do they handle dissenters. Public executions? Reeducation camps? Make them disappear quietly? Turn them into examples? Exile?
⊹ What's the resistance like if there is one. Organized or scattered? Effective or constantly failing? Do normal people support them or are they seen as outsiders?
⊹ What technology exists and who has access to it. Is it advanced but only for the elite? Has technology regressed? Is certain tech banned because it's too dangerous
⊹ How does this society justify itself. Every dystopia thinks it's a utopia or at least necessary. What's their reasoning for why things have to be this way
⊹ Is there anywhere else in the world that's better or is this global. Can people escape or is that impossible. What's beyond the borders if anything?
⊹ What do people remember about before. Do old people tell stories about how it used to be? Has that knowledge been suppressed? Do young people believe them?
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Please keep interacting with this post because when I come to tumblr to procrastinate, this shows up again in my notifications and guilts me into writing again
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Write it badly or it'll never be written
Please keep interacting with this post because when I come to tumblr to procrastinate, this shows up again in my notifications and guilts me into writing again
can't believe jaskier wrote a breakup song about geralt
I am once again begging writers to make sure your beginning matches what happens in the middle. Most of the books I have put down or disliked ended up there because you gave me a premise for a story and then delivered me something different once it got going. If the promise of your premise and the actual content of your second act doesn't match in your draft, do not despair! Make a note to revise the beginning to match the events you wrote during the bulk of the book and all is well. This is literally the #1 thing I end up explaining to authors as an editor, so hopefully it helps you get ahead of that potential flaw/feedback
repeating this to myself forever and ever
how strange to watch their "capitalist" fantasy begin to crumble. the free market is supposed to shift the best products to the top, right? the reward for good capitalist behavior is maximized profits.
of course it's the groceries but it isn't just the groceries, it's everything. now it is $25 for you to eat at chipotle. you remember when they were famous for their portion sizes (and their food safety issues). you were a hungry college student and could actually-afford to eat there. these days the food is worse and the price is higher - why not just go anywhere else?
you have just a quick question for your pharmacy so you look at their website and even do battle with their chatbot but inevitably the answer isn't there. you try calling customer service. you listen to a long automated message telling you to go online and try the website. you listen to an AI voice named Jan or Kelly as she asks you to state the nature of your request and hems and haws and says i'm sorry, i don't think i'm understanding. you try pressing "0" and saying "speak to an operator" and "talk to a representative" and "live agent". she never connects you. if literally one person spoke to you, you'd have been able to resolve this in approximately 15 minutes. it has now been an hour and Jan/Kelly's server farm is out there somewhere ruining the environment while she fails to do her job.
you watch as more and more corporations choose shady business practices - are caught on camera doing so - and discover that no legal action has been taken. that the company is calling the obvious and deliberate action "a sad accident." you watch people point out that "black friday sales" are literally more expensive than the original price. you watch as someone shows an email that is literally violating consumer safety laws. you watch as someone blatantly commits fraud.
but who are you supposed to call about that? there are no regulations anymore. they're free of that nasty "red tape" republicans hate so much. food is spoiling on the shelves and there is cesium in your shrimp. everywhere you look, the same dedication to the shareholders. everywhere you look, the prices get higher while the product gets worse.
they can keep doing it forever, right! they can just keep doing whatever they want, forever. infinite money glitch.
and the thing is: you were okay to pay a certain amount to watch a movie for the experience (and of course that one moment with nicole kidman). you understand that verizon has always been evil; you weren't expecting a rapturously friendly experience. you came from a family where money was always tight: you have always been trying to "do the right thing". the coupons and the price-matching and going to twenty stores just to find 6 different things.
as an adult: actually, you are okay to spend a little extra if the product is nice, if you are given something wonderful. if it is worth it.
but now the bag is half-empty. now the clothes are ever-thinner. now they release the game half-finished with the attitude of: whatever, you'll buy it. the technology that used to last you 5+ years now falls apart in the second month due to a known manufacturing error that you have to pay to resolve. the gas monopoly quietly installs a new "smart meter" that artificially raises your costs by 300 a month. the trip to disney is not magical; it is expensive and hostile. you are priced out of your own life in order to worship the shareholders.
you do the capitalist thing: you take your business elsewhere.
on tv a reporter blinks in the early light. his face is drawn, grave. "in what some people are calling a recession indicator... another business set to declare bankruptcy today." you watch their logo flash - you actually like what they're selling, and used to be a customer, before they started price gouging. the man turns to the woman on his left. "well, in this new press statement, they say the consumer is to blame."
in 2026 DO NOT ask yourself whether your art is GOOD
instead ask:
is it SINCERE
was it CATHARTIC
was it FUN TO MAKE
is it MADE BY ME
and don't forget to stay silly
Hey! You're probably not "embarassed" to use that disability aid in public, what you're likely feeling is VULNERABLE.
You're doing something that breaks social norms, unfortunately draws attention, and also identifies you as an oppressed class all in one package and more than likely, you don't get much choice on the matter. Of COURSE you're gonna feel vulnerable. Shit.
The Chief Graphic Designer:
Stop stealing my dang book
HEY, UH
The people who are putting my tiny self published book (Here, the World Entire, aka the book I poured my whole dang soul into!) up on piracy sites / requesting a pdf of my book on piracy sites:
CAN YOU LITERALLY THE FUCK NOT
I’m very glad that people want to read my book! It brings me joy that I very truly cannot even begin to explain! It’s basically my dream come true! But please don’t steal my work!
I don’t have the backing of a big publishing house. I self published, so there’s no advance for me. The only money I make off that book is through sales, and although it’s not a lot at all per sale, it’s the only source of income that book produces. I very strongly believe that writers deserve to get paid for their work. That includes me.
If you want to read my book but really can’t justify using the funds you have to do so (because hey, we’re all in different financial situations, I get it), I know it’s in a couple of library systems so it’s worth trying that. I’m reluctant to send out free ebooks now because the last time I did that someone put it on a pirating site, but you’re welcome to ask and I may decide to do so on a case by case basis.
Please, please don’t pirate books. Authors really don’t generally make a lot as it is. We’re not all JK Rowling. Minimising our already low revenue stream, especially self published authors, is shitty. It actually upsets me to think that someone who follows this blog might be one of the people pirating or asking for pirated copies. If it is you and you see this, I’m asking you to stop. I will be telling you next time.
Ehhh im pretty pro.pirate if you cant afford it you cant afford it. Pirate sites get you more audience which means more people can share it.
If you wanna stiffle that be my guest.
But your only gonna damage yourself.
Literally no. Stop. Desist. This is a super Bad Take, and also incredibly inappropriate to add to my post here. Let me explain.
I don’t need exposure. I don’t need ‘audience’. That doesn’t pay my bills. That doesn’t compensate me for my months of hard work. I don’t need people to ‘share’ my work for me free of charge by stealing it and distributing it for free without my consent.
You fundamentally misunderstand how the publishing industry works. It doesn’t work by people stealing books. That sure benefits the reader, but it royally fucks over the author. Work being shared on pirating sites does absolutely sweet bugger all for me as an author. Audiences who know they can get my shit for free aren’t going to suddenly start paying for it just because they’ve now heard of me, so your comments about building an audience are asinine; it’s not building a paying audience for me, but an audience of people who steal my shit. Some audience.
I’ve sold hundreds of copies of my book based on the quailty of it (presumably; either that or my mum has been bribing people). It’s selling itself pretty well, thanks. It’s been performed as a play! It has pretty good reviews! I don’t need to eschew being financially compensated in exchange for more audience, especially not if that audience isn’t going to fucking pay. An audience gained from a pirate site is useless to me. It does nothing for me. I have one book out currently. Every person who steals it is someone who doesn’t buy it. It’s another sale lost. It’s nothing gained. I don’t have a back catalogue for people to buy once they’ve heard of me. It’s theft and then fuck all benefit to me.
Writing isn’t all about making money and it’s a privilege to have your work out there and read, but it’s also work, and in a capitalist society, that merits being compensated for the acknowledgement of that work. I’m not just a money hungry piece of shit (or I’d have priced my book at an actually decent profit margin) but I need money to, y'know, eat. Writing is one way I do that. I can’t do that if people steal my work.
I don’t give half a sodden shit if you’re pro pirate. I’m not, and it’s my livelihood on the line here, so maybe consider people’s feelings before adding your two cents to a post. You’ve basically just ignored my feelings completely in order to add your spicy hot take to a post because apparently your misinformed opinion is more important than my livelihood. It’s not. There’s a time and a place to espouse your viewpoint. This was categorically not it.
Bought a copy, it looks dope.
Piracy, like a lot of things in life, is a subject with nuance. If you are curious to see a big blockbuster made by a major movie company that’s raked in millions in a single weekend but you don’t want to add your money to those millions because you think the series has taken a sharp dive in quality - you could make an argument for that.
If a billion dollar company is charging extortionate amounts for software you need for your livelihood, pirating that is between you and your conscience.
If you bought a thing but due to DRM or whatever you can no longer access the thing you bought, you can decide whether to pay again or pirate.
But pirating something from a billion dollar company is not the same as pirating a self-published book, or an indie-game, or even a book from a small press. The margins in publishing are tiny. Most authors have a second job because they earn so little from their writing. If you pirate their stuff, you’re hurting their chances to support themselves with their writing.
Libraries exist. Basically every writer I’ve met is pro-library. If you can’t afford to buy a book, get it from the library instead. In the UK, I get a few pence when people borrow books from the library (the actual system is convoluted, but it means I can earn a little bit of money from library borrows). Don’t pirate books. Whether you pirate other stuff, I’ll leave to your judgement, but seriously, pirating books directly hurts the authors.
#i would argue even pirating books from rlly popular authors from big publishing houses is super bad #like #maggie stiefvater talks about how people pirating the raven cycle books meant the series almost got cancelled half way through #cos people were pirating them rather than buying #so to the publisher it looked like no one was interested or reading them #even authors with good publishing deals arent usually rich #hearing about authors with 6 figure book deals is the exception #thats like extraordinary #i will say this time and time again #you camt pay lip service to the idea that artists should be payed for their work and then turn round and pirate books #everyones cool with paying artists until it comes to actually paying artists
#all of this#our anthology is already up on a pirate site#a book that was being sold for 99 cents#and like y'all#please don’t#even folks being picked up by trad publishing houses aren’t making enough to make ends meet#indie authors are making even less#please do not steal from authors#we’re not Marvel#we can’t survive this shit
Agreed; book wankery (because piracy is still too cool a word) doesn’t only harm self published authors. Owing to the current publishing revenue model, it also has the potential to destroy the income and career growth of traditionally published authors. Don’t be book wankers. Buy the thing, or borrow the thing, but don’t steal the thing.
I’m aussie so obviously I’m pro-gun control. but the continued insistence on mental health checks is not the solution, because gun violence is not a mental health problem. you will see the most clear cut case of ideologically-motivated gun violence and people will call for mental health checks. bitch that guy was in his right mind he just also was a racist/misogynist/etc cunt. right yeah the solution here is to decide gun ownership on a basis of whether the psychiatric system (perfect and pure, never racist or misogynistic) decides that you Deserve One
11 Plot Pitfalls – And How to Rescue Your Story From Them
Source: [X] By: Laura Whitcomb
We’ve all been there: basking in the glow of a finished manuscript, only to read it over and realize something is wrong with the plot. Finding ourselves unable to identify the problem only makes matters worse. But take heart! Here are some common plot gaffes and sensible ways to revise without starting over.
1. THE PLOT ISN’T ORIGINAL ENOUGH. Go through your pages and highlight anything that you’ve read in another book or seen in a movie. In the margin, write where you’ve seen it. Then list these sections and make a note for each one about how it could differ from its lookalike. A mental patient escapes by throwing something heavy through a window. Too much like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest? Instead, the patient walks out with a visiting grandma after convincing her he’s an old friend. Quick notes like these can help you detach from unintentional imitation.
2. READERS ALWAYS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. This may be because you’ve chosen a plot point that’s overused, or because you keep giving away the answer in advance. Readers know the villain is going to whip out a picture of the hero’s son and blackmail her by pretending to have kidnapped the little boy because you showed the villain taking pictures of the child and driving away from the schoolyard. You could be less obvious by only showing the antagonist sitting in the car watching the boy on the playground, and no more. 3. THE PLOT IS BORING. Take each page and imagine what different writers might do with the same plot. Choose extreme examples. Would a comedy writer have the cab driver and the villain coincidentally be childhood friends with unfinished business? Would the mystery writer have the taxi pass a clue on a street corner that makes a new connection for the hero? Would the horror writer have the cab driver channel a ghost? Or, imagine the most surprising thing that could happen in a given scene. It doesn’t matter if these ideas don’t fit your story. You’re not going to use them. But often, after thinking of wild ideas to make the story more interesting, you begin to come up with workable ones that are just as stimulating, but better suited to your book. 4. THE PLOT IS ALL ACTION AND THE FRENZIED PACE NUMBS READERS. Let them breathe. Give the readers a little downtime now and then in your action story. Look back at your favorite action novels. Notice the conversations, summarized passages, meals, introspection and releases of emotions that are set in between the car chases, shootouts and confrontations. List them. Then give the readers a chance to breathe in your own manuscript. Find the dramatic respites that come from your characters’ needs, flaws and strengths.
5. THE PLOT IS TOO COMPLEX. Often, a complex plot can be trimmed into a sleek one by cutting out some steps. Does your protagonist have to visit her father in the hospital twice—once to bring him flowers and talk about Mom, and then again to find he has taken a turn for the worse? Couldn’t he take a turn for the worse while she’s still there the first time? Does your villain need to have three motives for revenge? Would one or two be interesting enough? To find the messiness in your overly complex story, summarize it out loud to yourself. When a section takes too long to explain, make a note. When you find yourself saying, “Oh, wait, I forgot to mention that …” you’re probably in need of a plot trim. When deciding whether or not to simplify the plot, ask yourself over and over again,
“Why does she do that? Why didn’t she just do this?” Making a plot less complicated doesn’t have to make it less clever. 6. THE PLOT IS TOO SHALLOW. Sometimes as writers we get caught up in the action. The symbolism. The metaphors. The witty dialogue. The great character names. The slick descriptions. Sometimes we ride these skills over the surface of the story and forget what’s really important. If you or your first readers (friends, family, agent) complain that the novel feels insubstantial, step back and ask yourself these questions: Why am I bothering to write this story? Why does the outcome matter to the characters? How do the characters change? How did my favorite book affect me the first time I read it?
7. SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF IS DESTROYED. Readers need to buy into the reality put forward by what they’re reading. You may go too far with a plot point or not far enough with preparing your audience for that plot point. If something that sounded right when you outlined it is coming off as farfetched even to you, look back at the stepping-stones that led to the event. If your murderer turns over a new leaf at the end of act two, make sure you’ve given her reason to.
8. TOO MANY SUBPLOTS MAKE THE PLOT OVERLY COMPLEX. If you start to feel weighed down by your numerous storylines, start cutting them. List the subplots (shopkeeper with a crush, neighbor’s dog that tears up the garden, accountant who threatens to quit every day), and then list under each title all the ways it’s necessary.
Only subplots that are so vital that you could not remove them without destroying your novel get to stick around. Be bold. 9. THE SEQUENCE IS ILLOGICAL. Sometimes the sequence set down in an outline starts to show its true colors when you’re writing the chapters. If you feel the order of scenes or events in your story is off, list each scene on a separate index card and, in red ink, write a question mark on every card that doesn’t feel right where it is in the story. Shuffle the cards. I’m not kidding. Mix them up completely. Lay them out again in the order you think they might work best, giving special attention to those with red question marks.
Something about these scenes tricked you the first time. This time, really look closely at the proper place for those tricky bits.
10. THE PREMISE ISN’T COMPELLING. If you fear that a mediocre premise is your holdup, take out a sheet of paper. Make a list on the left-hand side of everything that’s dodgy in your present premise. Then write a list down the right-hand side about all the things that work great in the premise of a similar favorite book, play or movie.
See where you might make the stakes higher, the characters more emotional, the setting more a part of the overall plot. Remember: The premise should make your readers curious.
11. THE CONCLUSION IS UNSATISFYING. Once again, write a list of what bothers you about your conclusion, and next to it, a list of what worked great about the end of your favorite novel. Do you have to create more suspense before you give the readers what they’ve been craving? Do you need to make the answer to the mystery clearer? Does the villain need to be angrier, or perhaps show remorse? Unsatisfying conclusions are usually lacking something. Whatever that is, make your story’s ending have more of it.
Tips for Writing Injuries
✧ Broken ribs suck. You don’t just “walk it off.” Breathing hurts. Laughing hurts. Existing hurts. Characters with rib injuries won’t be doing heroic sprints.
✧ Concussions aren’t instant naps. Dazed vision, nausea, dizziness, maybe even personality changes, but they’re not going to collapse neatly like in the movies.
✧ Blood loss is sneaky. It’s not just about dramatic pools of blood. It’s dizziness, confusion, and the body getting cold as circulation tanks.
✧ Adrenaline lies. Someone can take a serious injury and not feel it until the fight’s over. That “I didn’t realize I was bleeding until later” trope? Very real.
✧ Twisted ankles are brutal. One bad step and suddenly running is off the table. Even walking hurts like hell. Perfect way to ground a chase scene.
✧ Burns linger. Even small burns hurt more than most people expect. Blisters, infection risk, constant pain, it’s not just a cool scar later.
✧ Dislocated shoulders = useless arm. Characters can’t keep swinging a sword or firing a gun. They’re basically fighting one-armed until it’s fixed.
✧ Shock is a thing. Pale skin, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and eventually disorientation. A character might not even realize how bad their wound is.
✧ Stitches aren’t magic. Getting sewn up is painful and recovery takes time. They’re not instantly battle-ready after a needle and thread.
✧ Scars tell stories. Some fade, some don’t. Some stay sensitive forever. Don’t forget the aftermath when the wound becomes part of the character.
Not that anybody asked, but I think it's important to understand how shame and guilt actually work before you try to use it for good.
It's a necessary emotion. There are reasons we have it. It makes everything so. much. worse. when you use it wrong.
Shame and guilt are DE-motivators. They are meant to stop behavior, not promote it. You cannot, ever, in any meaningful way, guilt someone into doing good. You can only shame them into not doing bad.
Let's say you're a parent and your kid is having issues.
Swearing in class? Shame could work. You want them to stop it. Keep it in proportion*, and it might help. *(KEEP IT IN PROPORTION!!!)
Not doing their homework? NO! STOP! NO NOT DO THAT! EVER! EVER! EVER! You want them to start to do their homework. Shaming them will have to opposite effect! You have demotivated them! They will double down on NOT doing it. Not because they are being oppositional, but because that's what shame does!
You can't guilt people into building better habits, being more successful, or getting more involved. That requires encouragement. You need to motivate for that stuff!
If you want it in a simple phrase:
You can shame someone out of being a bad person, but you can't shame them into being a good person.
Fun fact, that was literally what inspired me to make this post!
