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Love and hope ✨

[veronicaleighauthor]

[luna-azzurra]

How to write a First Kiss!!<3

[carmengonzalez]

“I’m very interested in emotions like sweetness, which have no place in the pantheon of educated concerns, and yet are very important to me. Sweetness is the opposite of machismo, which is everywhere — and I really don’t get on with machismo. I’m interested in sensitivity, and weakness, and fear, and anxiety, because I think that, at the end of the day, behind our masks, that’s what we are.”

— Alain de Botton (via brilaro)

[surqrised]

“The bravest thing I ever did was continuing my life when I wanted to die.”

— Juliette Lewis

[ijustwannawritepls]

Scenes to Write When Your Draft Feels Flat

Not epic or climactic. Just... alive.

• A character almost admits they were wrong and then pivots • Two people sitting in a car after an argument, engine off, neither leaving • Someone practicing a speech in the mirror and hating how it sounds • A character lying for someone they resent • An inside joke that no longer feels funny • A public setting where private tension is simmering • Someone seeing their ex unexpectedly and performing indifference • A character giving advice they absolutely do not follow • A confession interrupted by something mundane • A person rereading old messages they shouldn’t • A gift that misses the mark completely • A character realizing they’ve outgrown someone mid-conversation • Someone saying “It’s fine” and meaning “I will remember this forever” • A moment where a character notices they are no longer the favorite • Two people who used to be close struggling to find a topic

If your story feels stuck, it likely needs friction. Not explosions. Just a little pressure.

[writersisland]

A Random Collection of Meet Cutes

bartender finding a guest curled up, sleeping, under the bar

coworkers also being neighbours but one only works nightshift and the other only works dayshift and they keep meeting in the hallway

cosplayers show up at a con dressed as characters from a ship and everyone keeps thinking they’re together and wants pictures with both

ikea worker asked by frantic single parent to find their lost kid

their pets banged at the park and now they need to figure out the custody arrangement

interrupting a date with someone else that is going terribly, pretending to be a friend and walking them home

set up on a blind date but accidentally chatting up the wrong person

flirting to get into an event when they have no invite, but deciding that this is actually more fun than the original goal

our balconies are right next to each other and i tried to have a calm moment of peace sO CAN YOU TURN THE FUCKING MUSIC DOWN, YOU FU-- wait why are you crying? oh no, did i interrupt your main character moment?

[galina]

Popped in on my lunch break to look at poetry, left with a long wishlist of new fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks and art books I want to read over the summer

[writersisland]

Dialogue prompts for friends teasing someone about their crush on somebody else

“Oh my god, is that… a blush?” “No!! I just… I’m having a fever!”

“Look at me. You are in love, and denial is not suiting you.”

“Oooh, look, it’s your cruuuuush- Ow!” “You deserved that.” “I’m being punished for speaking the truth.”

“Have you talked to your darling yet or are you still pining from afar?”

“Hey, maybe you two could grab a coffee! I had an appointment anyway.” “What the fuck are you doing, no wait, get back— *clears throat* Um. Sorry about my friend.”

“Are you kidding me? Looking at their instagram again?”

“Oh? You have plans? And what would those plans be?” “Oh, I just—” “Ah, don’t even try lying. That smile? You’re meeting up with him, aren’t you?”

“Wow, that was a smile. You never smile. Did they text you or something?”

“Oh wow. New haircut. What, did she tell you she likes brunettes?” “No! I just… wanted a change.” “Mhm.”

“If you stare any more obviously, you might get bulging eyes like those cartoons.”

“It’s not like that, they’re just a—” “Just a friend? Yeah, if they are just a friend I need to buy a friendship bracelet for my freezer, because you look at them the same way I look at ice cream.”

“If I had a knickle every time you said their name, I would have enough to fund your wedding.”

“Can you stop being a dick?” “I’m not being a dick, I am simply deeply entertained by how we have been having the exact same conversations about her for weeks and you still haven’t made a move.”

[writersisland]

Dating Things

❥ Restaurant: picking them up so they can have wine, bringing a bouquet of flowers, googling under the table what the fancy dishes are,   taking their hand from across the table, tasting the other's dish, bickering over who pays,   holding the door open, fighting over who gets to pay

❥ Park: picnic,   going for a walk,   watching the ducks in the pond,   sitting in the sun,   taking a boat ride on the lake,   rollerskating / skateboarding, putting their jacket down to let the other sit on the damp grass,   running for cover when it rains, sharing ice cream,   talking until the sun goes down and the street lamps come on

❥ Arcade: discovering a competetive streak,   letting the other win,   losing track of time,   sharing shitty, cheap food and loving it,   taking candids of the other having fun, showing off a hidden talent, trying to trick the games

❥ Night In: board games,   building a blanket fort,   cooking together,   movie night,   going through old photo albums,   binging a tv show,   sharing a blanket,   reading together, private dances in the kitchen, discovering little quirks about the other's home, falling asleep on the couch

❥ Museum: interactive exhibits,   trying to find interpretations for abstract art,   shushing each other when they laugh too loudly,   claiming which painting they easily could have done themselves,   describing the higher up artwork to the one who forgot their glasses,   buying postcards of their favorite art at the giftshop after

❥ Clubbing: dressing up fancy and matching,   karaoke,   bar food beforehand,   discovering the other's (in)ability to dance,   guiding the other through the crowd, hand in hand,   kisses interrupted by drunken stumbling,   drunken walks home,   passing out in clubbing outfits

❥ Beach: falling asleep while tanning, bonfire, sneaking glances at them, getting knocked over by waves, beach bars, watching the sunset, collecting pretty rocks and shells, holding onto each other in rough surf

[brainstreams]

HOW TO SHOW CONFUSION IN WRITING! “She was confused.” — Boring. “She didn’t understand.” — Still boring.

Confusion isn’t a thought. It’s a reaction. It leaks out of the body before the character even says “what?”

Here’s how to write it so it feels lived-in. Reblog if you want more of these!

THE BODY LANGUAGE OF CONFUSION

Voice:

• Words slow down or come out uneven • Sentences trail off or restart mid-thought • Tone lifts at the end unintentionally • Pauses appear in strange places • Quiet • Hesitating to speak

“I—wait. No, that doesn’t—” “Okay, hang on. Say that again?” “You mean… now?”

Eyes:

• Brows knit • Eyes narrow • Gaze flicks between objects or people • Blinking increases • Focus keeps slipping • Staring a moment too long • Looking away to think, then back again

Mouth & Jaw:

• Lips part slightly, then press together • Jaw tightens • Excessive swallowing • Mouth twists as if unsure to speak • Lower lip pulls in, gets bitten • Half-formed expressions that don’t land • Mouth opens to speak—closes again

His mouth opened, closed. Nothing came out. She pressed her lips together, then released them, like the thought slipped loose. His jaw shifted as if he were testing words silently.

Hands:

• Fingers hover • Palms turn up in small, unconscious gestures • Scratching temple, rubbing neck, tugging sleeves • Fidgeting • Hands freeze mid-motion • Half-formed gestures

His fingers hovered mid-gesture, then dropped uselessly to his side. She rubbed her thumb against her palm. He fidgeted with his sleeve, eyes still locked on her face.

Shoulders & Posture:

• Weight shifts repeatedly • Shoulders creep up without meaning to • Body leans back slightly • Head tilts, then tilts again • Unconfident body language

THE INTERNAL STUFF (cause that's important too)

• Thoughts loop • Simple logic feels... not so simple • They latch onto one detail too hard • Or latch onto someone whose comfortable • Time stretches • Pressure behind eyes, around throat, in stomach • Their focus tunnels, or they're painfully aware of their surroundings

This post was proudly written without generative AI. If you liked my post, a small Ko-fi tip would mean a lot. It helps me post consistently.

[unspeakablearchives]

[mimsylost]

I can’t believe we actually have to speak this out loud

[kjscottwrites]

[X] <- psst click this

[brainstreams]

Ways That Fear Can Show Up (Without Saying “Fear”)

When it creeps: • Foreboding — the air feels wrong before anything actually happens. • Ominousness — silence that feels almost... purposeful. • Misgiving — your instincts tugging at your sleeve, whispering, "Don't."

When it hits fast: • Shock — your brain blanks • Startled— your heart slams, you inhale • Panic — thoughts fracture; your instincts beg for escape

When it lingers: • Tension — jaw locked, shoulders up near your ears. • Anxiety — background noise that lingers in every thought • Dread — knowing something bad is coming and having to wait for it.

When it turns physical: • Shivers — cold crawling up the spine. • Sweat, dilated pupils, skin gone pale — your own body betrays you. • Weakness — knees like jelly, grip unreliable.

When it overwhelms: • Terror — too big to think around. • Horror — something has gone wrong. • Paralysis — body refusing orders.

When it distorts reality: • Paranoia — patterns where there are none. • Suspicion — every sound feels intentional. • Unease — the sense of being watched without proof.

If you liked this, a small Ko-fi tip would mean a lot. No pressure!

[stellanix]

i love you geology. i love you deep time. i love you rocks as an archive of our planet's history. i love you every grain of sand having a story millions and millions of years in the making. i love you fossils. i love you imprints of living beings from ages past. who were you? what was your life like? did you enjoy basking in the sun too? you looked at the same moon as i did. the footprint you left in the mud outlasted your entire species. i see you. i remember you. and i love you

rocks and dirt are the most mundane things in the world but also the most incomprehensibly significant

[ariesrin]

20 Ways Characters Show Longing Without Admitting It

Does your character have a desire for someone that's just out of reach?

Longing lingers in the pauses, in the almost-touches, in every moment that could have been something more. Let your reader understand just how your character can't confess what (or who) they want using these subtle ways.

Looking at them a moment too long before glancing away.

Re-reading old messages they (never) sent.

Memorising their routines without meaning to.

Smiling at something hours after it happened.

Taking the long way home just to pass by their favourite place.

Pausing before knocking on their door, hoping it’ll open first.

Imagining multiple scenarios of confessions (from either side).

Letting their fingers hover over a call button they never press.

Feeling their chest tighten when they see them with someone else.

Keeping small objects that remind them of the person.

Laughing softer when it’s their joke.

Asking mutual friends about them too casually.

Finding excuses to stay a bit longer.

Touching an empty seat beside them as if expecting company.

Taking photos of things "they'd like."

Replaying conversations, searching for meaning.

Holding back words that almost spill out.

Growing quieter when they say they're leaving.

Smiling at their name.

Watching them walk away with desperation in their eyes begging to join them.

Yearning for someone that you can't have is a heartbreaking experience, let the emotions bleed into your writing.

[writersisland]

Heartbroken Dialogue Prompts

“Can you still love me?”

“Don't act like you haven't been looking for an excuse to leave me.”

“You’re my biggest regret.”

“You don’t get to call me that anymore.”

“Don’t. Don’t you dare try to blame anyone but yourself for this. You made your choices.”

“Don't you get it? I love y–” “It doesn't matter! I love you too, but I can't trust you! Don't you get that?” 

“Don’t act like you were a saint.”

“I didn’t think it was going to hurt this much.”

“You must truly hate me if you’re willing to hurt me in this way.”

“I miss you.” “What? You left me!”

“I'm not crying because I'm sad, I'm crying because I'm furious!”

“I was a fool to think you'd ever change.”

“They make me feel good. And it made me realise… you don't make me happy anymore.”

“Was this ever real?” “Don't do this to yourself. You know the answer to that.”

“I miss you! My heart is being torn apart every single day we are apart, but I would never take you back.”

“You're blaming them for our breakup? It was you who ruined this!”

“You still love them, don't you?” “I'm sorry.”

“I'm done. I can't keep doing this. I can't fight when you clearly don't care enough to do the same.”

“Why can't I get over you?”

“I miss when you looked at me the way you look at them now.”

[rneliflua]

I think reading folktales is the best antidote to Cinemasins everything-needs-a-logical-explanation brainrot, and by folktales I don't mean the disneyfied versions made to fit modern narrative sensibilities of three act structure and want versus need character arcs, I mean the unprocessed versions harvested straight from the mouth of some elderly european hick and thrown straight into the page with no revisions. The ones where a frog hops from inside a bathtub to tell the queen she's with child then disappears never to be seen again, where a chopped arm can grow anew from its stump like a willow, where a mother gives birth to a talking baby riding a goat. Some of you could use a bit of dreamlike absurdity with no explanation but the themes it represents, not the mechanics that allow it.