don't say goodbye. i hate goodbyes

writing sideblog. to put all my silly embarrassing fanfic

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

amanda - 26 - they/them my AO3

things i'm writing for atm: penny arcade, red vs blue, dispatch, & m*a*s*h*

currently working on: = blood gulch bakery ; docnut-centric au where flowers owns a bakery across from sarge, who runs a coffee shop. classic. and so, so stupid. = traphawk "tie a yellow ribbon" ; trapper and hawkeye make a promise, when the war ends-*if* it ends-they'll meet somewhere between maine and boston and find out if they want something real together. = postgame dispatch (mechabat) ; reuniting with the cast of dispatch at a new years party - planning world of warcraft simmtuck ; tucker is pressured into playing WoW, and meets simmons. simmons mentors tucker, going through the game content together and getting to know each other. it becomes more serious than either of them are ready to admit.

i'll take any kind of request. i especially want to write for more rarepairs . if you have em: i'll take em!!!

[luna-azzurra]

Something neuroscience-y that helps with prose: attention is selective. A character will not notice everything in a room. They will notice what matters to their goal, fear, desire, training, wound, or obsession. A jealous character notices hands. a hungry character notices food. A soldier notices exits. A lonely character notices pairs. Description becomes character when attention has a bias.

[goldensunset]

when the characters never really make peace with it

[sapphling]

hey dude, idk how much you remember from the party last night but- yeah, everyone saw your want. yeah no it was pretty late and winding down so it was quiet enough that every single person there saw it throbbing and twitching in your chest and so wet with hunger it was glistening under the kitchen light. they said it looked like it was reaching for something

[the-punforgiven]

I do love the thought of body swap stories that highlight when characters have like, chronic pain or other bodily issues

Like two characters swap bodies and one immediately turns to the other and is just like "You really need glasses, man", and the other one's just like "Holy shit I can see"

[whumpster-dumpster]

Bonus points if 1) Character A has been downplaying their issues big time and Character B is hit by it like a ton of bricks and "Dude, ow, you should've said it was this bad!"

Or 2) Character B has been kinda dismissive of it like "Oh, don't exaggerate, it can't be that bad" and then they find out exactly how bad it is firsthand

[flyingpurplepeopleprogrammer]

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

if I don't write soon I need you to put me down for real

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

pspsspspsp. 🌀 you want to send me a writing prompt SO bad 🌀

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

started to write in past tense to trry and do something new with writhing. this is so fucking hard ??? maybe im just crazy used to writing present tense.

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

i have a stupid nye kiss fic that i'm writing that i've legitimately built a whole worldstate for . LMFAOOO

[whooooomp]

need That character absolutely delirious with fear. recoiling from everything. unable to parse what's happening around them, their mind stuck in fight or flight. shaking and hyperventilating. completely unconsolable even as they're wrapped in a crushing hug.

[whooooomp]

galaxy brain addition thank you

[bloodgulchoutpostno1]

i need to return to writing weird porn. i miss it. i miss my wife tails. i miss her a lot.

[cranberry-queen]

Tips from a Beta Reading Writer

This one's for the scenes with multiple characters, and you're not sure how to keep everyone involved.

Writing group scenes is chaos. Someone’s talking, someone’s interrupting, someone’s zoning out thinking about breadsticks. And if you’re not careful, half your cast fades into the background like NPCs in a video game. I used to struggle with this so much—my characters would just exist in the scene without actually affecting it. But here’s what I've learned and have started implementing:

✨ Give everyone a job in the scene ✨

Not their literal job—like, not everyone needs to be solving a crime or casting spells. I mean: Why are they in this moment? What’s their role in the conversation?

My favourite examples are:

The Driver: Moves the convo forward. They have an agenda, they’re pushing the action.

The Instigator: Pokes the bear. Asks the messy questions. Stirring the pot like a chef on a mission.

The Voice of Reason: "Guys, maybe we don’t commit arson today?"

The Distracted One: Completely in their own world. Tuning out, doodling on a napkin, thinking about their ex.

The Observer: Not saying much, but noticing everything. (Quiet characters still have presence!)

The Wild Card: Who knows what they’ll do? Certainly not them. Probably about to make things worse.

If a character has no function, they’ll disappear. Give them something—even if it’s just a side comment, a reaction, or stealing fries off someone’s plate. Keep them interesting, and your readers will stay interested too.

[solarsthoughts]

writing advice i live by (as someone who writes as a hobby):

your first draft is allowed to be awful. let it be awful, you can always improve it later.

if you’re writing as a hobby, it should be enjoyable and not feel like a chore.

if you’re stuck on a scene and can’t get the words out, skip it. write a note for yourself to come back to it later and move on to the next scene. sometimes you just need to look away from the scene and come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes for the words to flow again.

that also applies to finding the right words and metaphors.

consuming media is one of the best cures for writer’s block.

another thing that helps writer’s block is asking yourself: “what is the most fun/best/most devastating thing that could happen next?”

do not rush your writing. quality work takes time, so don’t ever beat yourself up for being a “slow writer”. it’s always worth taking your time building the right plot and finding the right words to make something you’re proud of.

you’re allowed to take a break from your writing. writing is hard work and burn out happens. take a break if you need, and come back to it when you’re ready. writing is not a race.

writing a story/plot you love > molding your plot to trendy tropes you don’t enjoy.

when you’re writing as a hobby, your work doesn’t need to be perfect. it just needs to make you happy. that’s it.

having more words doesn’t mean higher quality work. don’t feel bad for having a low word count.

if you like your own story, chances are others will too.

[namgyustoez]

this is your sign to go write. i'm not talking about making a cute pinterest board or playlist, thats for the procrastinators. OPEN YOUR DOCUMENT AND WRITE THAT THANG

[rheas-chaos-anthology]

Questions to ask beta readers

General:

Were you confused at any point of the story?

What genre would you say this book is?

When did you put the story down?

Is the ending satisfying?

If you had to cut 3 scenes what would they be?

When did you feel like the story really began?

What was the last book you read before this story?

Characters:

Do you get any of the characters names confused?

Which character is your favorite?

If you had to remove a character who would you and why? (you don't have to remove the character, just make sure their role is meaningful)

Which character do you relate to the most?

Which character do you relate to the least?

Do the characters feel real?

Are character relationships believable?

Are the goals clear and influence the plot?

Are the characters distinct (voice, motivations, etc)

Setting:

Which setting was clearest to you?

Which setting was the most memorable?

Am including enough/too much detail?

Plot and conflict:

Are the internal and external conflicts well defined for the main characters?

Are the internal conflicts and the external conflicts organic and believable?

Are there enough stakes?

Are the plot twists believable but still unexpected?

[tiwaenriel]

gonna use this for my own writing

[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!! 🍒