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beardedmrbean

theman

I GOT A FUCKING RAISE THE POTATO WORKED WTF

tattooedzombigirl

This potato works. Every. Fucking. Time.

imanutcase-10

Then bring me luck

thirddeadlysin

the day after I posted this last time I was notified that I was selected for a really cool mentorship gig and got an unrelated glowing review at work

devilofmidtownwest

I have a job interview tomorrow. I can't risk it.

bisoulfairyy

i pray that my momma actually get me a phone and my dad got my ipadddd !

bigboycrying

i’m going on a roadtrip tomorrow i can’t not reblog the tater

#po-tae-toe #heh #poetry blog potato

heywriters

Having a tough time with balancing a weak word (“seem”) with not head-hopping. I want to convey the POV character’s perception of what she is seeing in other people, since she can’t know for sure what they’re feeling, but I keep defaulting to “He seemed THIS” or “They seemed to THAT”. Maybe this means I’m “telling” too much. Can you suggest some alternative phrasing?

Weak Word: "Seems"

If your character is uncertain and indecisive by nature, I would leave a lot of those or rephrase them without losing the meaning, as you suggested. A character that is more confident in their assumptions may simply say "He was THIS." You could then show them to be wrong on occasion to prove their perception is not infalliable. Adverbs like "evidently" or "understandably" can be used to cushion the confidence of "is/are/was" if needed.

For example,

He seemed upset.

vs

He was understandably upset.

This will not solve the issue you're noticing, however. You have correctly identified this as a consequence of relying on "telling." Part of the reason too much "telling" is disliked is because it spoonfeeds meaning and intent to the reader. Take some of those "seems" and have the character notice body language and other evidence without adding personal commentary. Observations like these allow the reader to conclude for themselves how characters are feeling while also making characters more relatable.

For example,

Jenna seemed anxious and depressed.

vs

Jenna vented constantly about her marital and financial problems, often resulting in her turning away to dab at welling tears.

Provide detailed descriptions or use choice words, like "vented," to express a character's state without commenting on it directly. In 1st Person POV and sometimes 3rd this still counts as the POV character's opinion/perception, but skirts that awkward "telling" issue.

As you practice fixing problems like this one, you will find your favorite methods and workarounds. Sometimes it takes a balance of multiple methods to get a piece sounding perfect.

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chxrry-bombs

5 Tiny Writing Tips That Aren’t Talked About Enough (but work for me)

These are some lowkey underrated tips I’ve seen floating around writing communities — the kind that don’t get flashy attention but seriously changed how I write.

1. Put “he/she/they” at the start of the sentence less often.

Try switching up your sentence rhythm. Instead of

“She walked to the window,”

try

“The window creaked open under her touch.”

Keeps it fresh and stops the paragraph from sounding like a checklist.

2. Don’t describe everything — describe what matters.

Instead of listing every detail in a room, pick 2–3 objects that say something.

“A half-drunk mug of tea and a knife on the table”

sets a way stronger tone than

“There was a wooden table, two chairs, and a shelf.”

3. Use beats instead of dialogue tags sometimes.

Instead of:

"I'm fine," she said.

Try:

"I'm fine." She wiped her hands on her skirt.

It helps shows emotion, and movement.

4. Write your first draft like no one will ever read it.

No pressure. No perfection. Just vibes. The point of draft one is to exist. Let it be messy and weird — future you will thank you for at least something to edit.

5. When stuck, ask: “What’s the most fun thing that could happen next?”

Not logical. Not realistic. FUN. It doesn’t have to stay — but chasing excitement can blast through writer’s block and give you ideas you actually want to write.

What’s a tip that unexpectedly helped with your writing? Let me know!! 🍒