bellswrites2008

coming up with vividly realistic fake scenarios to dramatic music since 2016 💖✨ (and sometimes i write things)

[bellswrites2008]

Manorian and Jurdan

I was thinking about TOG, and that led to Manorian, which led to me thinking about my favorite fantasy FMCS. And I realized (because I obviously love and adore Jude) that Manorian is the only ship that has ever given off the same energy as Jurdan. Traumatized, sarcastic, brilliant prince who hides his powers beneath flirtation and charm meets traumatized, brutally ambitious fmc with family issues? Spectacular, give me 14 of 'em. Annoyance ensues. Sparks fly. They make out as a form of aggression. Both are so emotionally constipated that they can't admit they're falling for each other. Gosh I miss my toxic babies 🐍🍷🐉🗡️🔮

[bellswrites2008]

AO3: The fics are the modern equivalent of Shakespeare, but the website hasn't been updated since the 1900s

Wattpad: The website runs like if it crashes the government will collapse, but the fics are the equivalent of thrifting at Goodwill: you're either going to get hand, foot, and mouth disease or a middle schooler's half-used diary

[pergaminaa]

Friendly reminder that Dorian Havilliard pushed aside a valg prince possessing him just so that he can have a few seconds to rizz up the hot witch that showed up

[kittywing]

[kittywing]

[disturbingly-silent]

✨HAPPY INTERNATIONAL RHYSAND ARCHERON DAY✨

to the number one feyre lover of all time, who's impact on the romantasy genre and male lead blueprint will always be iconic and never forgotten. love you king 💋

art by: giannyfili (insta)

[bellswrites2008]

STUNNING

[dreadlockholiday]

Every fandom has one staple Fic that everyone knows and has read. There's art about that Fic, there's edits, there's even other fics about that Fic. You're a normal person one day and when you read it your life is completely changed and there's no going back to who you were before. You can't count the tears that you cried while reading it. No one has news about the author anymore. They dropped that bomb and then disappeared like some sort of god-like being that came to Earth just to reveal some truth to us mortals. That truth is the Fic, the Bible of every fandom. And I think that's beautiful.

[fellshish]

a lot of writing is sort of watching the film in your head like oh sorry can’t write the chapter yet i have to repeat hallucinate the dialogue first

[a-tangled-mermaid]

Sigh. At least I have this.

[autistichalsin]

Bad writing is great!!!!

Bad writing means you took the time to write something, you, a real human being. It means you created something! And you have the awareness to see that there's room for improvement, too!!!

Bad writing is wonderful!!! Bad writing is a platform from which you can build your masterpiece! Bad writing is the backbone of good writing!

Give yourself permission to write badly. No, actually- give yourself permission to write something TERRIBLE. Give yourself permission to write such drivel that you can barely read it.

Nothing comes out a masterpiece the first time!! You think Isaac Asimov never wrote a total stinker he had to rebuild from the ground up? You think Jules Verne never wrote utter slop for a first draft?

WRITE SOMETHING AWFUL!!! Write something so bad you cringe about it years later!!! And then when that's done, write some more!!!!!

[luna-azzurra]

WORDS TO DESCRIBE BODY LANGUAGE & POSTURE!! <3

[luna-azzurra]

Physical Gestures & Movements List!!

☽ Cracking knuckles before doing something important

☽ That little hop-step when catching up to someone

☽ Adjusting glasses with one finger on the bridge

☽ The way someone walks faster when they realize they're being followed

☽ Drumming fingers in a specific rhythm when thinking

☽ Bouncing a leg under the table during tense moments

☽ The head tilt when genuinely confused

☽ Stretching arms overhead with that little back arch

☽ The shoulder check before crossing the street (but for crossing a room)

☽ Rubbing the back of the neck when embarrassed

☽ That thing where someone touches their lips while thinking

☽ The casual lean against a doorframe Hands in pockets but thumbs out

☽ The double-take that's supposedly subtle but isn't

☽ Walking backward while talking to someone

☽ That little run-up before jumping into water (or any commitment)

☽ Pulling sleeves over hands when cold or anxious

☽ The way people unconsciously mirror each other's posture when vibing

☽ Stretching one arm across the chest with the other

☽ That shake-out people do with their hands when nervous

☽ Rolling shoulders back to reset posture

☽ The look-away when eye contact gets too intense

☽ Biting the inside of the cheek

☽ That barely perceptible nod of acknowledgment Interlacing fingers and inverting palms for the aggressive stretch

☽ The point-with-chin instead of using hands

☽ Toe-tapping in different patterns based on mood

☽ The casual shirt-tug to adjust fit

☽ Wiping palms on pants before a handshake

☽ That thing where someone checks their watch/phone but doesn't register the time

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

writing advice that actually made my writing worse

okay but can we talk about writing advice that actually made my writing worse for a second

like not in a “this is bad advice for everyone” way in a “this absolutely sabotaged me personally” way

because ??? some of this set me BACK

1. “show don’t tell” (taken too literally) this one almost ruined my prose

i got so scared of “telling” anything that every sentence turned into… over-explained action

instead of writing:

she was nervous

i’d write:

her fingers tapped against the table, her leg bouncing, her breath uneven, her gaze flickering toward the door--

and it just KEPT GOING

like yes, showing is important but at some point you’re not “immersive” you’re just exhausting

2. “cut all adverbs” this made my writing feel so stiff it hurt

i started replacing simple phrasing with weird, clunky sentences just to avoid using one single “-ly” word

like… why am i doing gymnastics to avoid “quietly”

no one is giving out medals for adverb avoidance 😭

3. “write every day no matter what” this one burned me OUT

because instead of listening to my brain when it was fried, i forced myself to produce words i knew weren’t going anywhere

and then i’d reread it later and hate everything i wrote

which made me want to avoid writing even more

consistency matters, yes but forcing it when you’re running on fumes just trains you to associate writing with dread

4. “plan everything before you start” this killed my excitement SO fast

i’d spend weeks outlining every detail and by the time i actually started writing…

the story already felt “done” in my head

no curiosity left. no momentum.

now i leave gaps on purpose so i actually want to keep going

5. “make your writing sound pretty” this is the one that made my writing feel the most fake

i was so focused on making sentences sound “good” that i stopped focusing on what was actually happening

everything turned vague. floaty. kind of… nothing

like yeah it sounded nice but nothing hit

now i care way more about clarity and impact than sounding impressive

6. “your first draft should be terrible” okay this one is half true but also messed with my head

because i took it as: “don’t even TRY”

so i’d write things i knew weren’t working and just leave them

instead of… fixing them a little? making them better?

your draft doesn’t have to be perfect but it also doesn’t have to be painful to read 😭

idk i think the biggest thing i’ve learned is:

advice isn’t universal

what helps one writer can absolutely wreck another

so if something is making your writing worse, harder, or more miserable

you are allowed to drop it. immediately.

no guilt. no “but everyone says this works”

like okay… it doesn’t work for ME.

and that’s enough.

[adhdwannabewriter]

Other ways to say ‘walk’ based on a vibe:

Neutral:

Strolled- Walked at a steady, leisurely pace. Moved - Simply walked from one place to another. Went - A basic term to say walked. Wandered - Walked without a specific destination. Saunter- walked in a slow, relaxed, and leisurely manner. Bimble - (British) a slow, relaxed, and aimless walk, stroll (curtesy of @lilithfatale) Potter - move or act aimlessly. Amble - walking at a slow relaxed pace, good for describing walking for pleasure (Curtesy of @scribbl3dog )

Happy:

Skipped - Walked with a light, bouncing step, often out of joy. Bounced - Walked with energetic, lively steps. Sashayed - Walked with a confident, cheerful flair. Pranced - Walked in an exaggeratedly happy or playful manner. Danced - Walked with movements full of joy or rhythm.

Angry:

Stomped - Walked with heavy, forceful steps, showing frustration or anger. Marched - Walked with purpose and determination, often angrily. Stormed - Walked quickly and angrily, often leaving a situation (stormed out). Trudged - Walked heavily, with anger or frustration weighing down the steps. Charged - Walked aggressively, moving quickly and with force.

Sad:

Shuffled - Walked slowly, dragging the feet, often indicating sadness or exhaustion. Plodded - Walked with heavy, slow steps, as if burdened by sorrow. Trudged - Walked slowly and with effort, weighed down Slumped - Walked with a hunched posture, showing sadness or defeat. Dragged - Walked with effort, as if every step was a struggle.

Surprised:

Froze - Stopped mid-step in reaction to shock or surprise. Stumbled - Walked clumsily due to being caught off guard. Jumped - Took a quick, startled step. Skipped a step - Momentarily hesitated in walking due to surprise. Backpedaled - Walked backward quickly, often in shock or surprise.

Fearful/anxious:

Crept - Walked slowly and carefully, trying to avoid being noticed. Tiptoed - Walked quietly on the balls of the feet, trying not to make noise. Slunk - Walked with a low, cautious posture, trying to remain hidden. Hesitated - Took a few tentative steps, unsure or fearful. Paced - Walked back and forth, often in thought or anxiety.

Shy:

Shuffled - Walked slowly, with small, unsure steps. Hesitated - Paused slightly before walking, unsure or nervous. Slipped - Moved quietly and quickly to avoid attention. Hovered - Stayed near a spot, hesitant to walk forward. Inched - Walked very slowly, as if unsure or reluctant.

Thoughtful:

Wandered - Walked without a specific destination, lost in thought. Paced - Walked back and forth while thinking deeply. Strolled - Walked slowly, enjoying the time to reflect. Meandered - Walked aimlessly, with no rush, often in contemplation. Paused - Stopped briefly during a walk, considering something.

Commanding:

Marched - Walked with purpose and authority. Strutted - Walked with confidence and a sense of power. Advanced - Walked forward with a deliberate, commanding stride. Charged -Walked quickly and forcefully toward a goal. Led - Walked at the front, guiding others behind them.

[bellswrites2008]

calling all Eluciens, Elriels, Gwynriels... let's be fr

The ACOTAR fandom is MASSIVE (which makes sense since the series has sold over 13 MILLION (yes with a capital M) copies) and as such, there's been a ton of discourse and discussions about the various ships because of the CHD interview/announcements about the next 3 ACOTAR books (still on cloud 9 about this if I'm being honest 😙😌). And because the internet is truly a massive junk drawer... There have been some... interesting, shall we say, takes on specific characters (if you don't know who I'm talking about I'm actually so jealous 😀🔫) and because of the vast amount of platforms available to everyone for posting their opinions, some are just naturally going to be extra unique. And as someone who genuinely loves the series (as most of you lovely people do 💖) I wanted to discuss some of the most popular theories from EVERY side that I've been seeing. Anyways, I hope you enjoy pookies! ✨

Number 1: Lucien is possessive over Elain: Listen. I'm not the biggest Lucien fan (not a bad character, just not one that I personally gravitated towards when I read/reread the series 🥀) but saying that Lucien only views Elain as his property doesn't track with what is written in the actual books. Yes, he obviously wants her (on a biological level, which is what I personally think Sarah was trying to get across) but if he was possessive/viewed her as a piece of property, he wouldn't give her space. He wouldn't give her time to sort through things, and he wouldn't have toned down his intensity in her presence to try to make her more comfortable 🦊🍂

Number 2: Azriel has no true feelings for Elain beyond lust: This one has been disproven many times, but here's the only two things anyone needs to remember:

He let her borrow Truth-Teller (and, like, everyone knows the significance of that moment)

He saved her from Hybern's war camp.

And, you know, there's also the other dozen other moments that display Az connecting with Elain and just simply listening to her and letting her talk. However Sarah chooses to explore their relationship, no one can deny that they at least have a healthy friendship. To chock it up to lust... it's icky. And it's narratively inconsistent 🌸🦇

Number 3: Elucien is like all of SJM's mated pairings: And listen. LISTEN. I'm not saying who's endgame and who's not, because at the end of the day, these are Sarah's characters, and how she chooses to write them is up to HER AND HER ALONE. But from the text itself, Elucien isn't the same, and let me try to explain.

Going back to Throne of Glass, there's one pair of fated mates, and that's Rowan and Aelin. At the beginning, Rowan believes that his mate is dead and doesn't see the bond between him and Aelin, and neither does she. It's only once their connection grows and she sees him hurt that she realizes what he is to her, and only once they confess their feelings that she chooses not to tell him about the bond because she wants it to be a choice, not a duty. She also doesn't want him to feel pressure to accept it. By the time they both accept the bond, it's completely out of free will and love.

Rhys chooses not to tell Feyre because he wants it to be her choice, and he also doesn't want to pressure her to feel something she doesn't. By the time the Suriel spills the tea, she's already in love with him.

Cassian chooses to not tell Nesta because he wants her to not feel pressured to choose him.

Bryce and Hunt learn that they're mates after they choose to be mates anyway (unserious, but it's my queen Bryce Quinlan after all 💅)

And Lucien... tells Elain that she's his mate directly after the most traumatic moment of her life. Not the same, but again, Sarah could make it interesting.

Number 4: Gwyn is the next FMC: There is actually nothing that I want more than a Gwyn book (I WILL HEAR NO HATE FOR MY BABY) but she's not the next FMC. That's Elain. Gwyn is also not in a place to narrative the next ACOTAR book, and she hasn't been set up to. And that's okay! Gwyn is still likely reeling from the Blood Rite. She's still working on coming out of the library. She's not connected to the spy plotlines, or the Koschei plotline, and she's not Made. (Also, ANYONE tries to mitigate Gwyn's or Elain's worth to their reproductive systems... ricky when I catch you) But in the future... I would love a Gwyn book 🩵✨

Number 5: Gwynriel, Elriel, and Elucien are all happening: Guys, I get it. These characters are freaking FUN to ship! But if your enjoyment for a series hinges on your ship and you feel the need to bully others in other niches than you... it might be time to take a step back, find another series, and come back when it doesn't seem like such a big deal. Because honestly? ALL of these ships have scenes that could be considered as setup for future romantic arcs. And at the end of the day... these are faerie books. They're supposed to be fun :D

[bellswrites2008]

The ACOTAR fandom needs to CALM DOWN

And by that, I mean that the number of times I've seen Gwynriels and Eluciens slide into the comment section of an Elriel-centered (or even just ACOTAR relationships-centered) TikTok and post something along the lines of "you just don't get it. THEY'RE LITERALLY MATES IT'S CANON" or "i guess stupid opinions still exist" is RIDICULOUS. And I'm sure that Elriels do it too, I just haven't seen it as much as I've seen the very vocal Eluciens (this ship specifically) bombard the comments of people talking about FAERIE BOOKS. And yes, I love SJM as much as the next girlie, but... come on, guys. At the end of the day, people will ship the relationships (canon or non-canon) that appeal to THEM. And sliding into somebody's DMs or vocalizing your opinions in a rude way on a video that doesn't fit your specific ship? I'm sorry, but it's SO EASY to just scroll. Just hit the search bar and search for content that aligns with your specific ship. Don't stir up drama just because somebody else's opinion doesn't match yours! Obviously, I don't want to come off like a keyboard warrior; I just think that we've lost the plot.

My SECOND point is this: if you're going to tear down a female character for the sake of another female character's love life, then... You might have missed the point of literally every SJM book ever. It's ABSOLUTELY fine to ship Elucien, Gwynriel, Elriel--whatever floats your boat! But if the point you're making centers around the fact that Elain can't physically bear Azriel's babies, and that Gwyn might be able to, I'm going to say it: that's not okay. It's 2026, people. Get with the program! Another thing that is just rampant in the fandom right now is that you either love Gwyn and hate Elain or vice versa. Personally, I ADORE Gwyn and am super intrigued by Elain, and again, it is absolutely fine to dislike characters! But it doesn't have to be one or the other. SJM writes deeply traumatized characters, and one wonderful staple of her work is that the strong female friendships are a big part of each FMC's character development/healing journey. Think about Aelin-Lysandra, Feyre-Mor, or Nesta-Gwyn-Emerie. ALL of those relationships are beautiful and healing, and almost all mean-girl tropes in SJM's work were written out to grow the complex character dynamics or relationships. So to pit two traumatized, beautifully complex characters against one another for the sake of--gasp--a MAN? Ew. Ew ew ew.

Anyways, thank you for coming to my TED talk! 💖✨

[manuwritestales]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bellswrites2008]

Thank you @cybersigilisticpony and everyone who got me to 5 reblogs!

[bellswrites2008]

The ACOTAR fandom needs to CALM DOWN

And by that, I mean that the number of times I've seen Gwynriels and Eluciens slide into the comment section of an Elriel-centered (or even just ACOTAR relationships-centered) TikTok and post something along the lines of "you just don't get it. THEY'RE LITERALLY MATES IT'S CANON" or "i guess stupid opinions still exist" is RIDICULOUS. And I'm sure that Elriels do it too, I just haven't seen it as much as I've seen the very vocal Eluciens (this ship specifically) bombard the comments of people talking about FAERIE BOOKS. And yes, I love SJM as much as the next girlie, but... come on, guys. At the end of the day, people will ship the relationships (canon or non-canon) that appeal to THEM. And sliding into somebody's DMs or vocalizing your opinions in a rude way on a video that doesn't fit your specific ship? I'm sorry, but it's SO EASY to just scroll. Just hit the search bar and search for content that aligns with your specific ship. Don't stir up drama just because somebody else's opinion doesn't match yours! Obviously, I don't want to come off like a keyboard warrior; I just think that we've lost the plot.

My SECOND point is this: if you're going to tear down a female character for the sake of another female character's love life, then... You might have missed the point of literally every SJM book ever. It's ABSOLUTELY fine to ship Elucien, Gwynriel, Elriel--whatever floats your boat! But if the point you're making centers around the fact that Elain can't physically bear Azriel's babies, and that Gwyn might be able to, I'm going to say it: that's not okay. It's 2026, people. Get with the program! Another thing that is just rampant in the fandom right now is that you either love Gwyn and hate Elain or vice versa. Personally, I ADORE Gwyn and am super intrigued by Elain, and again, it is absolutely fine to dislike characters! But it doesn't have to be one or the other. SJM writes deeply traumatized characters, and one wonderful staple of her work is that the strong female friendships are a big part of each FMC's character development/healing journey. Think about Aelin-Lysandra, Feyre-Mor, or Nesta-Gwyn-Emerie. ALL of those relationships are beautiful and healing, and almost all mean-girl tropes in SJM's work were written out to grow the complex character dynamics or relationships. So to pit two traumatized, beautifully complex characters against one another for the sake of--gasp--a MAN? Ew. Ew ew ew.

Anyways, thank you for coming to my TED talk! 💖✨