for writers block

Gimme all those damn AUs.

[spideycentral]

[sheryl-lee]

not to be that bitch but the iron man trilogy is the best trilogy in the mcu so far. people really love to tear apart iron man 2 and 3 but i guess those people just don’t respect Actual Good Films that balance both comedy and drama, that discuss real life problems (PTSD!!!! racist american stereotypes regarding terrorism!!!! abusive parents!!! toxic masculinity!!!!) that are practically never properly explored in films, especially in the early 2010s. not to mention a woman (pepper potts. a legend. a goddess.) was the one who defeated the main villain in all three (3) films. in this essay i will

[sandersstudies]

One of the baristas at a nearby Starbucks makes me lose my mind every time I’m there by saying things that are not outside the spectrum of normal human words but are just slightly off-the-wall.

Barista: Welcome to Starbucks, home of delicious, what deliciousness can I put in motion for you today?

Customer: … Can I get a trenta pink drink please?

Barista: Go big or go home, we here at Starbucks appreciate your commitment, what else can I get started for you?

***

Customer: Nitro cold brew with shots of espresso please.

Barista: Brave of you to commit to staying awake for three days, anything else today?

***

Barista: *slams open drive-thru window* HI HOW ARE YOU?

Customer: …I’m pretty good.

Barista: Are you ready to be even better? Because you’re about to be. *hands them their coffee* 

***

Barista, realizing that a drink was made wrong: *slams open window* SO how do you feel about surprises?

Customer: ….they’re okay.

Barista: Great because I’m about to give you one.

***

Barista: You have two drinks so I am going to hand you two straws which means, FANTASTIC news, these straws double as drumsticks. / You have one drink so I am going to hand you one straw and, promise not to tell anyone, this straw doubles as a magic wand.

***

Barista: Here are those cake pops, I plucked them fresh from the tree myself.

***

Barista: *slams open window, holding drink* Amazing, fantastic, delicious, you are a very lucky man/woman!

***

Barista, realizing drink is being delayed or remade: Looks like it’s gonna be just one minute so they have time to put the extra love in.

***

Barista: I’ll be with you in one hot second. *beat* WOW that second sure was hot!

Anyway she has a few dozen catchphrases she rotates approriately and it’s both distracting and fantastic to listen.

[bookhobbit]

why is “olde vampires in high school” the big thing and not “olde vampires in college”

everyone in college is eccentric. everyone

you wanna wear full on Victorian suit? the girl in pajamas who clearly hasn’t slept in three days supports you

everyone is too preoccupied to care as long as you’re polite and follow class etiquette

multiple high school diplomas? eh. same stuff. multiple BAs? Enjoy learning chemistry AND art history! All in detail!

wandering around campus at 3am? that’s just the lifestyle tm

no matter how old or young you look it’s not really that weird, there’s sixteen year olds and sixty year olds doing BAs somewhere

big schools are very anonymous so nobody’s gonna bother to hassle you

[overelegantstranger]

the girl in pyjamas is the vampire

[themauvesoul]

Also:

If u put ur blood in a water bottle ppl will assume it’s juice and be Jealous

“Oh god I’m a monster” 20 students who r all procrastinating big projects say “same” simultaniousely and with the exact same tone

Everything is a joke so if u say “I subsist on the lifeblood of mankind” someone will go “lol what a mood”

It would take u like 100 years to major in everything

Seen sucking the blood of a fellow classmate and u r instantly the campus Cryptid and Mascot

Listen. If u have an ethical dilemma go find a philosophy major that believes in ethical subjectivism and they’ll make u so angry u forget abt whatever the fuck was bothering u

College is the only acceptable place to get into fistfights over classical literature

Literally all u need to do to avoid suspicion is be the guy that always has gum and a stapler

If u have a majestic mustache ppl will just assume ur an English major

Allergic to crosses? Cool. So r certain stem majors.

[captainlordauditor]

#there literally was a guy who bit someone’s neck at my university #in my last year#everyone was just like ‘CAMPUS CRYPTID’

also everybody is either always eating or never eating so not eating isn’t that weird

[hellenhighwater]

“never seen in the light of the sun//sleeps all day & is awake at night” “can’t eat garlic” “dresses weird” “can’t enter your home uninvited” “won’t go into churches” “drinks weird red liquid”

this is just a liberal arts major with a garlic allergy and social anxiety.

[satanic-yogurt]

You guys are missing the biggest joke, everyone will actively call them “the vampire” but think nothing of it

[averycutemayor]

writing resources masterpost

i am just CRANKING out the masterposts. linked to original posts whenever possible. enjoy!! 

100 beautiful words

name generators

plotting made simple

places to put character descriptions

guide to fantasy

how to passive voice

research resources

regular masterpost i’m including bc of all the writing/grammar links

for writers creating their own worlds/characters

who and whom how to

ways to avoid saying the word ‘very’

several ways to find the word you’re looking for

look up illegal stuff in a legal way

deflate inflated phrases

rhymes made easy

start the story

good character traits ref sheet

character traits generator

write real people

limits of the human body

best yet most infuriating writing advice

seven steps to the perfect story

100 ugly and beautiful words

quick guide to myers briggs personalities

eye shapes for writers

four temperaments

tip top writing tip

visualize your character’s house

random writing tips

castle terminology

kurt vonnegut’s rules for writing fiction

words that describe a voice

surnames/last names masterpost

random city/name generators

character building stuff

size comparison

build a realistic character

here’s why every word is important

hemingway writing checker

ideas for character flaws

if you think writing a book is easy, read this

cis person writing trans character? read this

stages of deterioration in the human body

resources for writing character bios

stuff u should know about all ur characters

[athenaresource]

CHARACTER FACIAL EXPRESSIONS (WRITING REFERENCE)

EYES/BROWS

his eyes widened

her eyes went round

her eyelids drooped

his eyes narrowed

his eyes lit up

his eyes darted

he squinted

she blinked

her eyes twinkled

his eyes gleamed

her eyes sparkled

his eyes flashed

his eyes glinted

his eyes burned with…

her eyes blazed with…

her eyes sparked with…

her eyes flickered with…

_____ glowed in his eyes

the corners of his eyes crinkled

she rolled her eyes

he looked heavenward

she glanced up to the ceiling

she winked

tears filled her eyes

his eyes welled up

her eyes swam with tears

his eyes flooded with tears

her eyes were wet

his eyes glistened

tears shimmered in her eyes

tears shone in his eyes

her eyes were glossy

he was fighting back tears

tears ran down her cheeks

his eyes closed

she squeezed her eyes shut

he shut his eyes

his lashes fluttered

she batted her lashes

his brows knitted

her forehead creased

his forehead furrowed

her forehead puckered

a line appeared between her brows

his brows drew together

her brows snapped together

his eyebrows rose

she raised a brow

he lifted an eyebrow

his eyebrows waggled

she gave him a once-over

he sized her up

her eyes bored into him

she took in the sight of…

he glared

she peered

he gazed

she glanced

he stared

she scrutinized

he studied

she gaped

he observed

she surveyed

he gawked

he leered

his pupils (were) dilated

her pupils were huge

his pupils flared

NOSE

her nose crinkled

his nose wrinkled

she sneered

his nostrils flared

she stuck her nose in the air

he sniffed

she sniffled

MOUTH

she smiled

he smirked

she grinned

he simpered

she beamed

her mouth curved into a smile

the corners of his mouth turned up

the corner of her mouth quirked up

a corner of his mouth lifted

his mouth twitched

he gave a half-smile

she gave a lopsided grin

his mouth twisted

he plastered a smile on his face

she forced a smile

he faked a smile

her smile faded

his smile slipped

he pursed his lips

she pouted

his mouth snapped shut

her mouth set in a hard line

he pressed his lips together

she bit her lip

he drew his lower lip between his teeth

she nibbled on her bottom lip

he chewed on his bottom lip

his jaw set

her jaw clenched

his jaw tightened

a muscle in her jaw twitched

he ground his jaw

he snarled/his lips drew back in a snarl

her mouth fell open

his jaw dropped

her jaw went slack

he gritted his teeth

she gnashed her teeth

her lower lip trembled

his lower lip quivered

SKIN

she paled

he blanched

she went white

the color drained out of his face

his face reddened

her cheeks turned pink

his face flushed

she blushed

he turned red

she turned scarlet

he turned crimson

a flush crept up her face

WHOLE FACE, ETC.

he screwed up his face

she scrunched up her face

he grimaced

she winced

she gave him a dirty look

he frowned

she scowled

he glowered

her whole face lit up

she brightened

his face went blank

her face contorted

his face twisted

her expression closed up

his expression dulled

her expression hardened

she went poker-faced

a vein popped out in his neck

awe transformed his face

fear crossed her face

sadness clouded his features

terror overtook his face

recognition dawned on her face

SOURCE

[verge-angst]

T h i s h e l p s s o m u c h t h a n k y o u

[ancientnapdragon]

i love florist aus, but my family’s owned a flower shop for like 40-ish years and i’ve grown up around, involved and working in it…. and it makes them hard to enjoy sometimes lmao.

i have been around flowers all my life and i know more about flower meanings from fanfictions

god, stop…. no, those flowers don’t go together….

that’s not how you keep that plant alive

that’S NOT HOW MUCH THAT SHOULD COST

stop romanticizing carnations cause carnations suck and they’re cheap as fuck and they’re most often used for FUNERALS regardless of color please stop

long stemmed roses are similar and only one step up from carnations

you can’t just slap any old shit together.  you have 3 main types of flowers in any arrangement: the ‘show’ flower, ‘filler’ flowers and ‘accent’ flowers.  plus add something green you heathens.

everyone??? hates yellow for some reason??? actually i can give props to fanfic for that cause they show off yellows more than i actually sell them…. which is a shame i love yellow flowers.

i fucking hate all my customers i WOULD NEVER DATE ANY OF MY CUSTOMERS THEY’RE THE FUCKING WORST

it’s the worst when they come into the store and buy all this loose shit and be like ‘i’m gunna make my own :)’ like fuck you…. i could make that ratty shit look GOOD for less than you’re spending but OKAY I GUESS.  (then it looks like shit when they post pics on facebook.  and they claim credit for making but NOT WHERE THEY GOT THE FUCKING FLOWERS)

there is this one old bitch we get every year, comes in for vase arrangements for her husband’s grave…. sad, but i HATE HER.  she tries to stand over our shoulders and boss and bully us and has us change the flowers used like 12 times and no matter what we make her she’s a fucking cunt acts like its not what she ordered so she can get a discount.  fuck you, you old bitch.  i made this arrangement 74583754 times you’re not getting shit.

why would you draw a bouquet before you make it… they’re flowers, just make it and if it looks bad take it apart???  they’re not glued there forever.

you WILL have skills on wrapping and bow making even if you don’t desire or think you need these skills

catch me in the shop blasting screaming angry metal when no one else is there (i think the flowers like it too)

Me: -fists the stems of a bunch of roses- Person: “doesn’t that hurt??? the thorns.”  Me; “they have learned to fear their god c:” (protip: it doesn’t hurt after a while my hands are SO ROUGH)

no one likes hanging around in the greenhouse as much as you think they do

a leaf cut is like a paper cut only the devil himself comes to rub salt in it

sweetie, i know it’s ur special wedding day but stop YELLING AT ME cause you picked out these ugly ass flowers i TRIED to talk you out of it and i did what i could with them, okay?!

the only joy i get is when children come into the shop to buy things….

but not when moms bring their brat ass children who want to mangle all the fucking flowers

this job has made me hate everyone around me

[vibinwitch]

Florist AU but the Florist HATES the person who gets a crush on them bc they’re so obnoxious, and they come in ALL the time and ask questions about the flower meanings like “IDK MAN I JUST ARRANGE THE FLOWERS” i’d read the fuck outta that

[theinformationdump]

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological “tells” (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.

[damselwrites]

Words to use instead of “said” organized by emotion/intention

[dare-to-dm]

Ideas for non-combat encounters/events

For when you want some variety for your tabletop RPG.  These events will also give your players a chance to use character skills they don’t often have opportunities for.

Natural Disaster - Have the town the PCs are in catch on fire and see what they do!  Do they cut their losses and run?  Do they heroically try to save trapped townspeople?  What do they do about the aftermath?  Natural disasters are an interesting challenge because there can be lots of danger and drama without necessarily having a villain.  It may also get your PCs to use skills they don’t commonly have a chance to.  You could also try floods, earthquakes, raging storms while at sea, etc.

Powerful Fortress - Put one of your party’s goals in a location where they won’t be able to prevail through combat alone (Example: a fortress where they are vastly outnumbered).  Your players will have to rely on either stealth or guile (or both) to accomplish their goal.  The pacing of such events can be frustrating to some players, but few sessions are as rewarding as a creatively executed heist or infiltration.

Dangerous Crossing - Give them a dangerous physical obstacle to overcome.  A canyon, or a raging river, or quicksand or an old battleground littered with traps and mines.

Festival - Have the PCs encounter a festival or tournament!  With lots of contests! This could be a good opportunity for them to build their fame and fortune (especially if you allow gambling).  Some of my favorite sessions have involved festivals.

Entertainment - Put the PCs in a situation where they have to entertain someone.  What do they come up with?

Letter - Have one of the PCs receive a letter, either from an NPC they’ve dealt with before or from someone involved with their backstory.  This is a good way to make the consequences of their actions seem more real.  You can also use it to introduce new plotlines/sidequests.

Crafting Challenge - Put the PCs in a situation where they need to craft something in order to accomplish their goal.  Maybe they need to make something in order to fix a mechanism?  Or in order to satisfy some local gift-giving custom?  Or they need a forgery?  Maybe as part of an exchange for something else they need?

Lost and Found - Have your PCs discover someone or something that is clearly lost.  Maybe they find an infant in the wilderness.  Or a key with a strange inscription, or some kind of talisman.  Throw in a clue or two to present your players with a tantalizing mystery.  

Inhospitable Wilderness - Have the PCs go somewhere it’s an effort just to survive.  A barren desert, a treacherous swamp with poison gasses, a forest so dense the ground never sees the sun, or even the bottom of the ocean.  Test their endurance and survival skills!

Dinner Party - Have the PCs be summoned to a formal event!  Test them on the battlegrounds of social grace and etiquette!  Even better if it’s in a dangerous environment or an alien culture.

Thief - Have something important stolen from the PCs.  See how they handle it.

Needle in a Haystack - Give the PCs something very difficult to find.  Like a single specific housecat in a sprawling metropolis, or a legendary weapon of which there are many fakes/copies.  

Really, if you need any more inspiration, look at your player’s character sheets and see if they’ve invested any points in a skill they haven’t gotten to use much.  Then invent a challenge they could feasibly use that skill for.  If you can’t think of a situation that could be helped by an Appraise, Craft: Calligraphy or Handle Animal check, you need to practice your own creative problem solving skills!

[damselwrites]

Color Synonyms

White

also: pale; blanched; sallow; pallid; waxen; spectral; translucent; albino; 

Grey

also: dust; stone; pepper;  

Black

also:  coal; slate; dusky; ebon; shadow; murky; 

Tan

also: flesh; khaki; cream; tawny; 

Brown

also:  henna; russet; sepia; chestnut; cocoa; drab; bronze; 

Red

also: terracotta ; rouge; carmine;  fire-engine; ruddy

Orange

also:  pumpkin ; rust ; 

Yellow

also: sunny; amber; saffron; hay; straw; platinum; 

Green

also: viridescent; grass; jade; forest; 

Blue

also: turquoise; cyan; ultramarine; royal; aqua; aquamarine;

Purple

also: berry;  amaranthine;

Pink

also: flushed; candy; cherry blossom; petal pink ; 

—– source: http://ingridsundberg.com/

—–additional synonyms added by me

[wingedbyday-blog-blog-blog]

//Absurdly helpful for people writing royal characters and/or characters who interact with royalty and members of the nobility.

[x]

[stalinistqueens]

Citizen is simpler and more beautiful~ but just in case anyone needs this.

[toadpile]

DUDE BUT THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL PEOPLE

in medieval times you ONLY addressed a king/queen with “Your Majesty”, NEVER “Your Highness”.  To address a king/queen with “Your Highness” was considered an insult.

[disclaymore-deactivated20230920]

Here’s a more extensive list of titles and what you would call a person/their wife/their mother/their children

[joisbishmyoga]

… So when Cinderella’s stepsister Anastasia curtsied terribly and addressed Prince Charming as “Your Grace”, it was UNSPEAKABLY RUDE?

[phoenix-173]

This drives me nuts when I read someone addresses a King or Queen as Your Highness. NO! IT’S YOUR MAJESTY!

[wxnslow-archived-deactivated201]

ONE NIGHT STAND BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR NEW JOB AND OOPS THAT WAS YOUR NEW BOSS YOU WERE SLEEPING WITH AU 

DETECTIVE PARTNERS AU 

UNDERCOVER AU

PARENTS ARE CEO’S OF RIVALING COMPANIES AU

PARENTS ARE HEADS OF RIVALING MOB FAMILIES AU

REINCARNATION AU

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS WITH ADJOINING HOUSES/ROOMS AU

THIS IS THE END OF THE WORLD AND WE’RE ALL WE’VE GOT AU

[au-prompt]

because we really needed another au meme, that's why.

give me a ship/character and a number, and get headcanons/a ficlet/a six word or similarly shortish story/a gifset, edit, or picspam/a fanart/a mix/whatever else I feel like doing for:1: All night diner at two in the morning AU2: Art school, museum, gallery, etc. AU3: Ballet, tap, interpretive, modern, some kind of dance AU (professional dance, dance classes, high school dances, burlesque or stripper AUs, anything as long as dance is involved somehow)4: Bakery, coffee shop, ice cream place, restaurant, etc. AU5: Car breaks down in the middle of nowhere AU6: Dimly lit intimate music club or karaoke bar AU7: Exobiology AU (the search for and study of extraterrestrial life)8: Figure skating, ice dancing, etc. AU (elaborate costumes optional but encouraged)9: Gift shop, knick knack shop, curiosities shop, etc. AU10: Hipster, punk, goth, etc. AU11: Hockey AU (ice hockey, field hockey, table hockey, tonsil hockey, whatever)12: Indie bookstore, record store, comic shop, etc. AU13: Journalist, news blogger, gossip blogger, etc. AU14: Kissing booth AU15: Library AU16: Masquerade-less AU (vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural beings are known and integrated into society however you want)17: Merfolk or other aquatic mythical creatures AU18: Musicians/band/something of this nature AU19: Nanny, babysitter, childcare, etc. AU20: Nymphs and nature spirits AU21: Office job AU (hilarious shenanigans optional but encouraged)22: Performance artists AU23: Pet rescue/shelter volunteer AU24: Queer bar/bookstore/advocacy group/coffee shop/setting of your choice AU25: Renaissance festival or other historical reenactment AU26: Sex shop, adult bookstore, etc.27: Slam poetry AU28: Speed dating after being single for a while AU29: Sports/athletic displays of some kind AU (asker's choice on sport)30: Teachers and/or teachers' aides AU31: Theatre AU (theatre kids/university theatre department AU, professional theatre AU, community theatre AU, techies AU, local Rocky Horror shadow cast AU, investigating a ghost story in a haunted theatre AU, whatever you want, these are just some ideas)32: Trans, genderqueer, nonbinary interpretations AU (pick an additional number for the setting, e.g. "32+2" for trans characters in an art school AU. NOTE: do feel free to make the characters trans and/or nonbinary without needing to have it specified, but definitely write trans and/or enby interpretations for this prompt)33: Upstairs apartment over the used record store AU34: Vineyard AU (visiting, owning, working at, whatever)35: Wedding planner AU36: Xerox machine shenanigans AU37: Youtube/Vine/Vimeo/video-based social media celebrity AU38: Zucchini AU (I have no idea what this means either, just do something with zucchinis, okay. take chances, get messy, make up AUs)

[dsfsdjhfksjdhfs]

consider the following aus

“we wore matching halloween costumes to this party” au

“we’re the only ones who didn’t get the email about class being canceled” au

“tried to get the candy bar that didn’t drop out of the vending machine and now my hand is stuck can u help me out” au

“we’re the only ones on campus who didn’t go home for christmas” au

“we both got in separate bar fights downtown and now we’re waiting in the ER comparing stories” au

“accidentally fell in your lap while standing on this crowded bus” au

“can u help me sneak my cat into my dorm” au

“accidentally got assigned the same library study room so I guess we’ll have to share for the semester” au

“It’s raining and u forgot your umbrella so come over and stand under mine while we wait for the bus” au

“I rented the apartment above your flower shop and in the last two months you’ve gotten a new flower I’m allergic to so I keep buying bouquets until I can figure out which kind it is” au

[ruthlesscalculus]

Are you still stuck for ideas for National Novel Writing Month? Or are you working on a novel at a more leisurely pace? Here are 102 resources on Character, Point of View, Dialogue, Plot, Conflict, Structure, Outlining, Setting, and World Building, plus some links to generate Ideas and Inspiration.

CHARACTER, POINT OF VIEW, DIALOGUE

10 Days of Character Building

Name Generators

Name Playground

The Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test

Priming the idea pump (A character checklist shamlessly lifted from acting)

How to Create a Character

Seven Common Character Types

Handling a Cast of Thousands – Part I: Getting to Know Your Characters

It’s Not What They Say …

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

How to Start Writing in the Third Person

Web Resources for Developing Characters

What are the Sixteen Master Archetypes?

Character: A compilation of guidance from classical and contemporary experts on creating great dramatic characters

Building Fictional Characters

Fiction Writer’s Character Chart

Character Building Workshop

Tips for Characterization

Fiction Writer’s Character Chart

Villains are People, Too, But …

Top 10 Tips for Writing Dialogue

Speaking of Dialogue

Dialogue Tips

Advantages, Disadvantages and Skills (character traits)

How to Write a Character Bible

Character Development Exercises

All Your Characters Sounds the Same — And They’re Not a Hivemind!

Medieval Names Archive

Sympathy Without Saintliness

Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Difference for Successful Fiction

Family Echo (family tree website)

Interviewing Characters: Follow the Energy

100 Character Development Questions for Writers

Behind the Name

Lineage Chart Layout Generator

PLOT, CONFLICT, STRUCTURE, OUTLINE

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

How to Write a Novel

Creating Conflict and Sustaining Suspense

Plunge Right In … Into Your Story, That Is!

Fiction Writing Tips: Story Grid

Tips for Creating a Compelling Plot

Writer’s “Cheat Sheets”

The Thirty-six (plus one) Dramatic Situations

The Evil Overlord Devises a Plot: Excerpt from Stupid Plotting Tricks

Conflict Test

What is Conflict?

Monomyth

The Hero’s Journey: Summary of the Steps

Outline Your Novel in Thirty Minutes

Plotting Without Fears

Novel Outlining 101

Writing the Perfect Scene

Fight Scenes 101

Basic Plots in Literature

One-Page Plotting

The Great Swampy Middle

SETTING, WORLD BUILDING

Magical World Builder’s Guide

I Love the End of the World

World Building 101

The Art of Description: Eight Tips to Help You Bring Your Settings to Life

Creating the Perfect Setting – Part I

Creating a Believable World

An Impatient Writer’s Approach to Worldbuilding

Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions

Setting

Character and Setting Interactions

Creating Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds

Creating Fantasy Worlds

Questions About Worldbuilding

Maps Workshop — Developing the Fictional World Through Mapping

World Builder Projects

IDEAS, INSPIRATION

Quick Story Idea Generator

Solve Your Problems Simply by Saying Them Out Loud

Busting Your Writing Rut

Writing Inspiration, or Sex on a Bicycle

Creative Acceleration: 11 Tips to Engineer a Productive Flow

The Seven Major Beginner Mistakes

Complete Your First Book with these 9 Simple Writing Habits

Free Association, Active Imagination, Twilight Imaging

Random Book Title Generator

Finishing Your Novel

Story Starters and Idea Generators

REVISION

How to Rewrite

One-Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle

Editing Recipe

Cliche Finder

Revising Your Novel: Read What You’ve Written

Writing 101: So You Want to Write a Novel Part 3: Revising a Novel

TOOLS and SOFTWARE

My Writing Nook (online text editor; free)

Bubbl.us (online mind map application; free)

Freemind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

XMind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

Liquid Story Binder (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $45.95; Windows, portable)

Scrivener (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $39.95; Mac)

SuperNotecard (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $29; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

yWriter (novel organization and writing software; free; Windows, Linux, portable)

JDarkRoom (minimalist text editor; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)

AutoRealm (map creation software; free; Windows, Linux with Wine)

[punkwixes]

okay but why aren’t you writing road trip aus?

it’s literally the best thing ever?? you can have two characters traveling the country??  learning more about themselves?? learning more about their friends??

you can literally apply this to any couple.  otp?? no problem.  ot3??  hell fuckin’ yeah.  ot5?? you may need to rent a bus for that.

driving shitty rental cars and living off of gas station food and going way too fast down highways with the radio up

alternately: “hell no you cannot survive off of gas station candy I’m taking us to a real restaurant”

getting lost on the way to the restaurant and having to ask for directions at a remote little souvenir shop

going to tourist traps just to buy shitty souvenirs for each other and compete for the most tacky ones.

traveling to super crowded cities and taking a couple of days off just to enjoy the feeling of being lost.  driving down winding country roads and opening all the windows because it’s like being found.

which member of your otp wants to go to super sophisticated cities and which one wants to visit the world’s largest ball of yarn?

staying in shitty motels, okay?  the kind of creepy-not-quite-real aesthetic of neon lights and soft linen and staying awake all night listening to the other person breathe.

alternately: you literally get the chance to write the scenario where the characters trade off seats during the night and the driver keeps looking at their sleeping companion and getting distracted because of the way the moonlight bounces off of their face and ugh

taking turns deciding on the next destination and characters declaring things like “oh my god, I hate the countryside” but they wind up loving it

car karaoke.  someone probably owns the complete collection of disney cds.  they probably take it very seriously.

characters who keep making more and more detours because they want it to last forever even though it can’t.