Momentary Inspiration

[thewritersarchive]

This is an ultimate masterlist of many resources that could be helpful for writers. I apologize in advance for any not working links. Check out the ultimate writing resource masterlist here (x) and my “novel” tag here (x).

✑ PLANNING

Outlining & Organizing

For the Architects: The Planning Process

Rough Drafts

How do you plan a novel?

Plot Development: Climax, Resolution, and Your Main Character

Plotting and Planing

I Have An Idea for a Novel! Now What?

Choosing the Best Outline Method

How to Write a Novel: The Snowflake Method

Effectively Outlining Your Plot

Conflict and Character within Story Structure

Outlining Your Plot

Ideas, Plots & Using the Premise Sheets

✑ INSPIRATION

Finding story ideas

Choosing ideas and endings

When a plot isn’t strong enough to make a whole story

Writing a story that’s doomed to suck

How to Finish What You Start: A Five-Step Plan for Writers

Finishing Your Novel

Finish Your Novel

How to Finish Your Novel when You Want to Quit

How To Push Past The Bullshit And Write That Goddamn Novel: A Very Simple No-Fuckery Writing Plan

✑ PLOT

In General

25 Turns, Pivots and Twists to Complicate Your Story

The ABCs (and Ds and Es) of Plot Development

Originality Is Overrated

How to Create a Plot Outline in Eight Easy Steps

Finding Plot: Idea Nets

The Story Goal: Your Key to Creating a Solid Plot Structure

Make your reader root for your main character

Creating Conflict and Sustaining Suspense

Tips for Creating a Compelling Plot

The Thirty-six (plus one) Dramatic Situations

Adding Subplots to a Novel

Weaving Subplots into a Novel

7 Ways to Add Subplots to Your Novel

Crafting a Successful Romance Subplot

How to Improve your Writing: Subplots and Subtext

Understanding the Role of Subplots

How to Use Subtext in your Writing

The Secret Life of Subtext

How to Use Subtext

Beginning

Creating a Process: Getting Your Ideas onto Paper (And into a Story)

Why First Chapters?

Starting with a Bang

In the Beginning

The Beginning of your Novel that isn’t the Beginning of your Novel

A Beginning from the Middle

Starting with a Bang

First Chapters: What To Include @ The Beginning Writer

23 Clichés to Avoid When Beginning Your Story

Start Writing Now

Done Planning. What Now?

Continuing Your Long-Format Story

How to Start a Novel 

100 best first lines from novels

The First Sentence of a Book Report

How To Write A Killer First Sentence To Open Your Book

How to Write the First Sentence of a Book

The Most Important Sentence: How to Write a Killer Opening

Hook Your Reader from the First Sentence: How to Write Great Beginnings

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing and the Red Hering

Narrative Elements: Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing and Suspense

Foreshadowing Key Details

Writing Fiction: Foreshadowing

The Literary Device of Foreshadowing

All About Foreshadowing in Fiction

Foreshadowing

Flashbacks and Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing — How and Why to Use It In Your Writing

Setting

Four Ways to Bring Settings to Life

Write a Setting for a Book

Writing Dynamic Settings

How To Make Your Setting a Character

Guide for Setting

5 Tips for Writing Better Settings

Building a Novel’s Setting

Ending

A Novel Ending

How to End Your Novel

How to End Your Novel 2

How to End a Novel With a Punch

How to End a Novel

How to Finish a Novel

How to Write The Ending of Your Novel

Keys to Great Endings

3 Things That End A Story Well

Ending a Novel: Five Things to Avoid

Endings that Ruin Your Novel

Closing Time: The Ending

✑ CHARACTER

Names

Behind the Name

Surname Meanings and Origins

Surname Meanings and Origins - A Free Dictionary of Surnames

Common US Surnames & Their Meanings

Last Name Meanings & Origins

Name Generators

Name Playground

Different Types of Characters

Ways To Describe a Personality

Character Traits Meme

Types of Characters

Types of Characters in Fiction

Seven Common Character Types

Six Types of Courageous Characters

Creating Fictional Characters (Masterlist)

Building Fictional Characters

Fiction Writer’s Character Chart

Character Building Workshop

Tips for Characterization

Fiction Writer’s Character Chart

Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills 

Males

Strong Male Characters

The History and Nature of Man Friendships

Friendship for Guys (No Tears!)

‘I Love You, Man’ and the rules of male friendship

Male Friendship

Understanding Male Friendship

Straight male friendship, now with more cuddling

Character Development

P.O.V. And Background

Writing a Character: Questionnaire

10 Days of Character Building

Getting to Know Your Characters

Character Development Exercises

✑ STYLE

Chapters

How Many Chapters is the Right Amount of Chapters?

The Arbitrary Nature of the Chapter

How Long is a Chapter?

How Long Should Novel Chapters Be?

Chapter & Novel Lengths 

Section vs. Scene Breaks

Dialogue 

The Passion of Dialogue

25 Things You Should Know About Dialogue

Dialogue Writing Tips

Punctuation Dialogue

How to Write Believable Dialogue

Writing Dialogue: The Music of Speech

Writing Scenes with Many Characters

It’s Not What They Say …

Top 10 Tips for Writing Dialogue

Speaking of Dialogue

Dialogue Tips

Interrupted Dialogue

Two Tips for Interrupted Dialogue

Show, Don’t Tell (Description)

“Tell” Makes a Great Placeholder

The Literary Merit of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Bad Creative Writing Advice

The Ultimate Guide to Writing Better Than You Normally Do

DailyWritingTips: Show, Don’t Tell

GrammarGirl: Show, Don’t Tell

Writing Style: What Is It?

Detail Enhances Your Fiction

Using Sensory Details

Description in Fiction

Using Concrete Detail

Depth Through Perception

Showing Emotions & Feelings

Character Description

Describing Your Characters (by inkfish7 on DeviantArt)

Help with Character Development

Creating Characters that Jump Off the Page

Omitting Character Description

Introducing Your Character(s): DON’T

Character Crafting

Writer’s Relief Blog: “Character Development In Stories And Novels”

Article: How Do You Think Up Your Characters?

5 Character Points You May Be Ignoring

List of colors, hair types and hairstyles

List of words to use in a character’s description 

200 words to describe hair

How to describe hair

Words used to describe the state of people’s hair

How to describe your haircut

Hair color sharts

Four Ways to Reveal Backstory

Words Used to Describe Clothes

Flashbacks

Using Flashbacks in Writing

Flashbacks by All Write

Using Flashback in Fiction

Fatal Backstory

Flashbacks as opening gambit

Don’t Begin at the Beginning

Flashbacks in Books

TVTropes: Flashback

Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear: Flashback Techniques in Fiction

3 Tips for Writing Successful Flashbacks

The 5 Rules of Writing Effective Flashbacks

How to Handle Flashbacks In Writing

Flashbacks and Foreshadowing

Reddit Forum: Is a flashback in the first chapter a good idea?

Forum Discussing Flackbacks

P.O.V

You, Me, and XE - Points of View

What’s Your Point of View?

Establishing the Right Point of View: How to Avoid “Stepping Out of Character”

How to Start Writing in the Third Person

The Opposite Gender P.O.V.

LANGUAGE

 How To Say Said

200 Words Instead of Said

Words to Use Instead of Said

A List of Words to Use Instead of Said

Alternatives to “Walk”

60 Synonyms for “Walk”

✑ USEFUL WEBSITES/LINKS

Grammar Monster

Google Scholar

GodChecker

Tip Of My Tounge

Speech Tags

Pixar Story Rules

Written? Kitten!

TED Talks

DarkCopy

Family Echo

Some Words About Word Count

How Long Should My Novel Be?

The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test

Writer’s “Cheat Sheets”

Last but not least, the most helpful tool for any writer out there is Google!

[teeashirts]

✧･ﾟplaylists to help pass the time *:･✧

hi everyone! it’s been a while since i made a huge playlist masterpost, but i thought that right now when we’re all stuck inside wondering what to do with our time i would make a list of all my playlists. listening to music is so calming and definitely helps me pass the time…so enjoy! - cam

songs that remind me of a fashion show 

a mix of songs that remind me of driving down the coast 

a playlist dedicated to paris 

songs that inspire me 

a dreamy mix

songs to listen to when you feel carefree

a super fun workout/running playlist to keep you pumped up 

songs to listen to during golden hour 

a mix of songs to listen to on a sunny day 

a playlist full of songs that make me feel alive 

songs that remind me of my teenage years 

a study/coffee shop playlist to keep you calm 

songs to listen to on the weekend 

songs that make me feel like living in the moment 

a friday kinda mix !

songs that remind me of a warm spring evening 

a mix dedicated to nature 

my all-time favorite songs all in one playlist 

songs that remind me of flowers and sunshine 

a 12-hour long playlist of songs that make me feel nostalgic 

songs that remind me of going back to school 

my ultimate summertime playlist 

songs that make me feel like i’m in a movie 

upbeat songs to get ready to in the morning 

songs i’m currently loving & listening to right now

a playlist dedicated to italy and all its wonders 

songs that are soft and delicate 

a mix to listen to while watching the sunrise / sunset 

a playlist for a rainy and stormy day 

songs to listen to when you wake up ! 

another nature playlist because why not?! 

a monday playlist to make your monday more enjoyable 

my springtime playlist 

songs that are bittersweet 

my girl power anthems playlist 

for the daydreamers 

songs that remind me of the spirit of traveling & exploring 

a mix to listen to before bed 

songs to listen and dance to in your kitchen 

a super fun 70s playlist 

relaxing songs for a sunday 

songs that remind me of wintertime 

for people who love the east coast 

for people who love the west coast 

a mix of lo fi beats 

songs to listen to in your car at night 

fresh finds (new songs every monday!)

the ultimate sing along playlist 

an indie playlist 

the perfect road trip / daily commute mix 

a super studious playlist to keep you extra focused 

songs that remind me of the beach 

a mix of songs to listen to when you’re j chillin

songs that remind me of a trip to outer space !

listen to this when you’re in love 

songs for stargazing…

the perfect autumn playlist 

songs that make my heart flutter 

a mix of carefree & happy tunes 

the grooviest 80s playlist around 

a mix of golden oldies 

listen to this if you like rap / r&b 

another workout playlist !

a mix of fun, upbeat songs to dance to 

a playlist inspired by call me by your name

a coming of age playlist 

a mix of songs that deserve more hype 

songs for all the main characters out there 

a mix inspired by the king harry styles

songs that make me feel angelic 

a dark academia playlist 

a spooky halloween mix !

a playlist inspired by dystopian novels

a special cottagecore playlist 

a light academia playlist

songs to listen to while looking at the moon

songs to cry to at 3am

concept: you’re a princess late to the annual ball 

a playlist inspired by the magic of hogwarts 

a self-care playlist for those who are healing <3

[idreaminelectricblue]

20 Dialogue Prompts for Each Emotion

Anger 1) “How could you do this to me?” 2) “If you want to leave then leave! Go on, I wont stop you!” 3) “I wont let you get away with this!” 4) “I can’t believe you trusted them!” 5) “Leave before I change my mind!” 6) “I swear to god if they die I’m going to kill you!” 7) “They trusted you! I trusted you!” 8) “You lost them? How do you lose a whole person!” 9) “You’ve been lying all this time?” 10) “I don’t ever want to see you again!” 11) “Because I’m still in love with you!” 12) “Was anything you said real?!” 13) “I’m nothing like you!” 14) “You can’t protect me forever!” 15) “I’ll never tell you where they are!” 16) “You’ve never cared about anyone but yourself!” 17) “They’ll find me and you’d better pray you’re not here when they do!” 18) “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do this!” 19) “How could you be so reckless?” 20) “You took everything from me and now it’s my turn to do the same to you.”

Disgust 1) “You’re so fucking gross, dude.” 2) “I hate spending time with you guys.” 3) “God I can’t fucking stand you.” 4) “Oh my god I think one just fucking touched me!” 5) “You two are the worst!” 6) “Oh please don’t eat that.” 7) “Ugh, you smell like my grandma.” 8) “Wash your hands!” 9) “Why are you like this?!” 10) “Please, for the love of god, do not explain any of what I’m seeing.” 11) “Oh wow, did not need to see that!” 12) “Holy shit, is that a tattoo?” 13) “Our father isn’t here so who exactly were you calling Daddy at two fifty-seven this morning?” 14) “I would rather eat glass for the rest of my life than eat whatever this is.” 15) “Oh my god, I think it just moved.” 16) “You smell like cheese.” 17) “You call this cooking?” 18) “Oh god I think it’s looking at me!” 19) “I don’t even want to know.” 20) “I can’t tell if I’m crying because I think this is sad or if the way you smell right now is just burning my eyes.”

Fear 1) “Are we going to die?” 2) “If we die just know I love you.” 3) “I don’t want to go, please don’t make me go.” 4) “Do not make a sound.” 5) “I think they’re here.” 6) “Stay very still, okay? They’ll see you if you move.” 7) “Don’t breathe, be very quiet.” 8) “They know we’re here.” 9) “Behind you.” 10) “Wake up, please wake up!” 11) “I’m scared.” 12) “I think there’s someone in the house.” 13) “If you’re there, then who’s downstairs?” 14) “Just stay on the phone with me, please?” 15) “Stay awake, okay, we’re going to get out of here. Just stay awake for me.” 16) “You can take me instead, just please don’t hurt them.” 17) “I know it hurts but you need to just keep your eyes on me and breathe, okay?” 18) “What do you mean they’re not there, I thought they were with you!?” 19) “Lock the door and no matter what you hear, no matter what you see, do not open the door.” 20) “I don’t think I can do this without you.”

Happiness 1) “I’ve loved you since the day we met.” 2) “I missed you so much.” 3) “You did all of this for me?” 4) “You brought me food?” 5) “Hey, would you still love me if I looked like this?” 6) “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.” 7) “Hey! I may be a dumbass but I’m your dumbass!” 8) “Run away with me.” 9) “Your mouth tastes really bad but I still love you.” 10) “Have I ever told you how much I love you?” 11) “I wouldn’t trade waking up next to you every morning for all the money in the world.” 12) “I hope our kid takes after you.” 13) “You even look beautiful when you’re about to kick my ass!” 14) “You’re dressed in a hot dog suit, but you still look like an angel.” 15) “I once listened to you absolutely destroy the bathroom of an Applebee’s and then greet every table you were serving with a smile and that was when I knew you were the strongest person I’d ever met.” 16) “You once watched me spill doritos on the floor, eat them, and you still came over and kissed me after you brushed your teeth. If that’s not love I don’t know what is.” 17) “I’d kill for you, not like a lot of people. Maybe like six or seven, but that’s definitely more than I would kill for myself!” 18) “I don’t think I’d ever give you a whole kidney or something, but you could definitely have part of my liver if you ever needed it because I heard those grow back.” 19) “I’ve never wanted to lick the buffalo hot wings sauce out of someone’s mouth but here we are.” 20) "I love you so much and I would do anything for you, but if you ever ask me to tell them to put pineapples on the pizza ever again we’re fucking done.“

Sadness 1) "They’re good for me, better than you ever were.” 2) “Do you miss me like I miss you?” 3) “I’d give anything to take it all back.” 4) “I’m leaving.” 5) “Please, no, please just listen to me!” 6) “Do you hate me?” 7) “I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I feel like I can’t even breathe without you!” 8) “You can’t take back what you did.” 9) “You lied to me. I trusted you and you lied to me.” 10) “Were they worth it?” 11) “Please don’t go.” 12) “I know I shouldn’t still want you but I do, I want you so bad it hurts.” 13) “I need you, I can’t do this without you.” 14) “I think you and I should spend some time apart.” 15) “I always knew you’d break my heart, I just never imagined it’d be this way.” 16) “I can’t do this anymore.” 17) “I just want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me.” 18) “Promise me that if I don’t make it back that you’ll watch out for them.” 19) “Do me a favor, tell them I love them.” 20) “I love them, more than I ever loved you.”

Surprise 1) “Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me!” 2) “You’re what?” 3) “What do you mean it broke?” 4) “Oh my god, it’s just what I wanted!” 5) “You got this for me?” 6) “You’re got what stuck in your WHAT?” 7) “The doctor called while you were out, why didn’t you tell me you went to the hospital?” 8) “Oh my god, your bleeding!” 9) “I know this is a really bad time but if I don’t blurt it out now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell you. I think I’m in love with you!” 10) “Christ! What happened to your eye?” 11) “You’re seeing who now?” 12) “You weren’t supposed to be back for another three months.” 13) “How do you just find a baby?!” 14) “Why do you smell like a dumpster, and if you say you were dumpster diving I swear to god.” 15) “What the fuck is that? No, no, absolutely not, we’re not keeping it. No way, uh uh, not happening.” 16) “Oh my god is that a dog?! Did you get us a dog???!!” 17) “I thought you said you were never coming back?” 18) “Why didn’t you tell me it was contagious before I drank after you?!” 19) “What do you mean you got the bottles mixed up, they we’re very clearly labeled POISON and NOT POISON!! Oh fuck, oh shit, oh fuck, okay, here’s what I want you to do!” 20) “Honey, baby, sweetie, would you please tell me why you’re holding the biggest alligator I’ve ever seen in my fucking life in our living room?”

[arahir]

use comic sans to write

i hate this so much but this knowledge is too powerful to keep from you all.

last night @phaltu discovered that setting your font to comic sans in google docs improves writing speed and creativity by an insane amount. “no” i said and “die” but then i tried it and god. i wish it wasn’t this way. i wish it wasn’t true. i wish i could protect you all from this but it’s real. 

something about this font is so disarming. something about this font lets you look past the shape of the words and into their soul. i’ve never written so much as i did last night, on my phone, at 2am, in comic sans.

if you have writer’s block. if you lack inspiration. if you need this. don’t be afraid to use it. sometimes the things we find most horrifying are also the things we need the most. trust me. let comic sans into your life.

[hickeygenderarchive]

STAR WARS AMBIENT SOUNDSCAPES & MUSIC

so i like to listen to different star wars ambient noise videos while writing fanfic. i’ll usually look up which planet i’m currently writing about or try and find one similar to the environment, but not always. here’s a few of my favorites, hope this helps! :)

hoth - music and ambience

coruscant - upper city rainstorm (my go-to)

coruscant - upper city apartment

dagobah - swamp ambience

endor - riverside camp

naboo - music and ambience

kamino - tipoca city rainstorm

tatooine - mos eisely ambience

hyperspace ambience

star wars ambient soundtracks

jedi meditation and ambient relaxing sounds

jedi fallen order complete soundtrack (another favorite)

kotor jedi academy soundtrack 

[quotemadness]

“You will hear thunder and remember me, and think: she wanted storms.”

— Anna Akhmatova

[allisonyoung]

I can’t think of a gif more appropriate for this.

[longlivethebat-universe]

DC Trinity by Christopher Lee

[micdotcom]

Samantha Bee sees your all-male late night photo and raises you this 

Conan, Bill, Stephen and two Jimmys. There’s no doubt that the people who give us our last laugh before heading to bed all have one thing in common, as shown in this October Vanity Fair photograph. They’re men. Vanity Fair forgot at least two women in late night, and Samantha Bee is letting ‘em know.

[fuckyeahgarybarlow]

[swingsetindecember]

that guy’s phone in the first panel became more high tech in tony stark’s presence

[2scorchedwings]

I am laughing so fucking hard

[pointedperception]

oh my god how did I miss that

[inspector-snuggles-deactivated2]

omfg

[cthulhu-with-a-fez]

tony stark literally upgraded a flip phone to a smartphone by being within three feet of it

[captain-foulenough]

People pass their old technology close to him for his blessing and lo! It is upgraded. The miracle of the flip into the smart shall be told unto the ages. 

[maid-of-timey-wimey]

I love how instead of just calling this a continuity error, the whole fandom decided “No, he literally upgraded the phone with his mere presence.”

Never change, guys.

[dailydcheroes]

We’ve done this dance for a long time. Too long. Aren’t you at all curious?

[allisonyoung]

Have always appreciated this dynamic.

[imrussiantothekitchen]

[allisonyoung]

blue-author:

elfyourmother:

black-rose-water:

Seriously.

we all said the same thing about dubya in ‘99

“How could Nixon win? Nobody I know voted for him.”

[faithsumners]

Get To Know Me Meme: [1/5 Female Characters]

↳ Buffy Anne Summers (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

I’m beyond tired. I’m beyond scared. I’m standing on the mouth of hell, and it is gonna swallow me whole. And it’ll choke on me. We’re not ready? They’re not ready. They think we’re gonna wait for the end to come, like we always do. I’m done waiting. They want an apocalypse? 

Oh, we’ll give ‘em one. 

[tastefullyoffensive]

Floor Plans of Famous TV Apartments [nikneuk]

[fishingboatproceeds]

In which John discusses the Syrian refugee crisis and the growing number of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea crossing the sea with the help of smugglers to seek refuge in European Union nations.

Also discussed: The difference between migrants and refugees, the rights of refugees as established by international law, the globalization of all regional crises, and how the death of 3-year-old Alan Kurdi galvanized the world.

PLACES TO GIVE:

The UNHCR.

Save the Children fundraiser created by author Patrick Ness.

(Click through for sources.)

[fallontonight]

[fallontonight]

Picking your True Confessions envelope is serious business… Sort of… 

[allisonyoung]

I love her.

[toughpigs]

Happy Force Friday, Muppet fans!

[nerdistindustries]

We love ALL of these Muppets + Star Wars mash-ups!