Too much drama. Stopped at chapter 7.

Writing & Fic References • OwaSera

[writingwithcolor]

Black Girl in a fantasy world without racism, has experienced racism in other worlds

@theoneandonlymagiscientist asked:

Hi, WWC! I asked about a Snow White retelling back in May, and Colette’s answer was super helpful and encouraging! I didn’t win the contest (but the story’s up on my author blog), so now I’m back to working on my fantasy series.

I’m currently about 8k words into the second book. The POV character is a girl from our world, though the story takes place in the fantasy world. The girl is a Black fantasy nerd who rides horses and just… is generally pretty happy about life and getting her own fantasy adventure and all. Racism does not exist in the fantasy world, and she knows that, but I know she’d be affected by it in her real-world past. I feel like it would be, or seem like, erasure if I don’t at least acknowledge that she has grown up with microagressions, but I’m white so I also don’t want to trust my first thought. So, if it would be erasure, what would be some good ways to acknowledge that she is a Black girl who grew up with racism, and maybe to show the differences between the worlds? 

Thank you so much for your hard work! Your blog has already been unimaginably useful, to me and to many other people. I recommend it every chance I get.

And, because it can be hard to remember even in the best of times: You are wonderful people. You are beautiful, and brilliant, and kind, and thoughtful, and helpful, and amazing, and gorgeous inside and out. Don’t forget it.

I guess you can make hints about it, but I don’t think it’s a problem at all if it’s not mentioned. I mean, it’s okay to write about Black characters without making comments about racism. If it doesn’t move the story forward, no need to do it ! :) - Lydie

A story without racism

You can mention racism she has faced without making her actively experience it in the story world.

Or you can have her go through the story without much / any mention of racism of all. Instead, focusing on physical descriptions, cultural hints, and the plot itself, which of course doesn’t need to evoke topics of racism.

Note: You could accomplish all of this without explicitly eliminating racism from the world.

For, even in a world set in our universe in this very year, you don’t need to make your Characters of Color face racism in your story. This isn’t erasure. It’s simply them not encountering racism and / or ignorant characters in your particular story. Stories are a snapshot of their life. In a story where racism is not meant to be the focus on the plot, you absolutely have the right to fade-to-black and off-screen any racism they may receive as a BIPOC.

Constructing a story world where racism 100% does not exist at all can be tricky, though. I’d want to know how and why racism is not a thing, and how that affects the other discrimination and inequalities that exist in our world. Are they excluded too? What is the history of this other world?

Here are some pitfalls that you’d need to be mindful of.

If other forms of discrimination exists - it can feel as if you’re raising, say, homophobia as more important for discussion over racism. As if, “we’ve resolved racism, so let’s ignore it!” This erases the intersections and complexities of both issues. Plus, the combined experience of homophobia that BIPOC may face. Whether it’s homophobia, transphobia, medical racism and/or ableism, these topics plus race go hand on hand and are experienced differently depending on the background of a person and even history and outside influences.

Fantasy racism / discrimination - This creates a new form of discrimination. Sometimes it replaces existing forms of it. For example, discrimination against dragons is the form of “racism” in the story. I’m not a fan of fantasy racism that acts in this form as it feels like erasure. We’ve addressed asks where the OP proposed including fantasy racism while also noting that human racism and other discrimination still exists. In that case, sure, that’s definitely a more improved plotline. 

See “fantasy racism” or “fantastic racism” tags for more information on the two topics above.

Colorblind racism - The colorblind “all are equal” mindset can feel like a prison for BIPOC. A terse peace that serves to silence and ignore real issues. Colorblind racism makes discussing race and our differences taboo, which is oppressive and again, erasure. Pretending like we’re all the same isn’t curing racism. It’s certainly a good thing to acknowledge it, and to also celebrate all of differences and cultures!

So, your world would not truly be racism-free if it holds a colorblind mindset, and doesn’t welcome cultural diversity.

Microaggressions - Because even innocent curiosity or someone with no context or even comprehensive of racism can use microaggressions. So, this is worth mentioning. Microaggressions are “small” incidents but they’re still racism, and can be triggering and are bothersome. 

For example, someone from your story has never seen a person with hair texture like hers. So they touch your character’s hair and start asking 21 evasive questions about it.

“But see, there’s no historical context for that being a problem in this world. Therefore, they should be okay with it!” Nah.

See how this can become oppressive and suppressing? This leads to my next point.

The character (and reader) still live in a world with racism

Do keep in mind the history this character brings to the table, as a person who has experienced racism in other worlds. Her worldview is colored by her experiences, even as it adjusts to the new world she lives in.

Also keep the reader in mind.

It’s still problematic storytelling for the author to write BIPOC who:

Fall into caricature-like stereotypes

Are underdeveloped 

Receive disproportionately unhappy endings, or 

Experience grotesque levels of pain and suffering compared to white characters

Real life people have to experience the story. Even in your utopia, you have to write in a manner that respects your characters and your readers.

Escapism

Escapism is important. There are a lot of Black readers (present company included) that are looking for a good time, not a struggle novel. We want a story to get lost in and forget about the troubles of the world. Personally, I mainly read for pleasure. Now, if I’m reading to be informed, I’ll pick up a book that does just that.

The girl is a Black fantasy nerd who rides horses and just… is generally pretty happy about life and getting her own fantasy adventure and all.

Sounds amazing! I’m exposed to the racism that affects me, my family, friends, etc. on the regular. The hatred and tragedy I hear about Black people and other POC on the news and social media. So it’s quite lovely to open a book and just not experience that for a moment. Microaggressions do add some realism, and don’t really “shake” me, but I don’t want to be hit with the hard stuff without knowing what I’m getting into. That’s just my opinion, though.

Summary

Feel free to let your character not experience racism. Whether it just doesn’t exist at all or the character doesn’t stumble across it in the story (the latter is honestly the worldbuilding I recommend). Contrasting the different worlds could help to bring it up without getting into the nitty-gritty, so I like this idea.

More reading:

A Fantasy World Without Racism

Fantastic Racism

Black Girls & Women: Representation We Want

P.S. Thank you for your kind words!! I still have your Snow White Story saved to read on a rainy (or snowy) day!

[ozarkthedog]

Something to remember when you’re struggling. 💙

[skystreaka]

Come get y’all top animated series of AO3 2021 edition.

Keep reading

[thatwritergirlsblog]

Tips for Writing a Difficult Scene

Every writer inevitably gets to that scene that just doesn't want to work. It doesn't flow, no matter how hard you try. Well, here are some things to try to get out of that rut:

1. Change the weather

I know this doesn't sound like it'll make much of a difference, but trust me when I say it does.

Every single time I've tried this, it worked and the scene flowed magically.

2. Change the POV

If your book has multiple POV characters, it might be a good idea to switch the scene to another character's perspective.

9/10 times, this will make the scene flow better.

3. Start the scene earlier/later

Oftentimes, a scene just doesn't work because you're not starting in the right place.

Perhaps you're starting too late and giving too little context. Perhaps some description or character introspection is needed before you dive in.

Alternatively, you may be taking too long to get to the actual point of the scene. Would it help to dive straight into the action without much ado?

4. Write only the dialogue

If your scene involves dialogue, it can help immensely to write only the spoken words the first time round.

It's even better if you highlight different characters' speech in different colors.

Then, later on, you can go back and fill in the dialogue tags, description etc.

5. Fuck it and use a placeholder

If nothing works, it's time to move on.

Rather than perpetually getting stuck on that one scene, use a placeholder. Something like: [they escape somehow] or [big emotional talk].

And then continue with the draft.

This'll help you keep momentum and, maybe, make the scene easier to write later on once you have a better grasp on the plot and characters.

Trust me, I do this all the time.

It can take some practice to get past your Type A brain screaming at you, but it's worth it.

So, those are some things to try when a scene is being difficult. I hope that these tips help :)

Reblog if you found this post useful. Comment with your own tips. Follow me for similar content.

[charlottemadison42]

This is tremendously useful. I use #2, 3, and 4 often, and I can’t wait to try #1.

[abalonetea]

feel the need to say this tonight but you’re still a real writer even if you never finish your projects, if you only write for fun, if you change WIPs every week or only ever have one that you work on. the simple act of putting words on paper, of having an idea and fleshing it out to whatever extent is fun for YOU is what makes you a writer. 

[spacehorrors]

no google docs you don't understand this is a sexy, necessary grammar mistake

[allthingsschwab]

Victoria Schwab Tweets:

“This just in: you can love writing and also find it hard.

“I was once on a panel and another author essentially said, ‘if you don't enjoy every moment, then why are you here?’ and I was...exasperated. Creativity is a complicated beast. You don't have to love every second to be a valid participant.

“I love the ideas. I love brainstorming, and problem-solving, and I love making this better, fine-tuning language.

“I also hate drafting, claw my way through self-doubt, crawl on my hands and knees through the frustration of the unrealized.

“I'm not here because I love every second.

“I'm here because the parts I love are worth the rest.”

[howdomaddie]

hey writers out there, there’s so few writing positivity posts on this godforsaken site that i thought i’d just. send one out to the void so here we go

if you only wrote a hundred words today, you’re still further than you were yesterday

if you only wrote ten words today, you’re still further than you were before

if you haven’t been able to write in a while because the words just won’t go onto the page how you want them to, that’s okay, you can always try again tomorrow

it’s okay if you only write fanfics, there are still readers out there who will read your work and enjoy it

if you’re trying to write a novel and you feel like giving up, take a little break from it, watch your favorite show, eat a snack, go find something to help you relax. then after some time come back to it, whatever was frustrating you might be easy to rework

if you’re editing something, it’s okay to have someone read things to be sure you got your spelling and grammar right

it’s okay to not have a beta readers, especially for fanfic writers. some of us don’t have people we trust enough to give us good feedback other than ourselves!

it’s always upsetting to get a bad comment on a fic or published work, but it’s not your fault someone didn’t like what you wrote. you wrote something that YOU wanted to write for YOURSELF, and if they didn’t like it, then okay, that’s fine. try not to let it get you down!

it’s okay to hate your old writing. your prose style is constantly changing, so something you wrote ages ago might not sound as good to you now, and that’s okay!!!

if you want to write a fanfic that’s got some of the same tropes as another fic, that’s okay. we all have different takes on situations, and fanfic readers can never get enough of their favorite tropes! (though do be wary of like. direct copying but that’s not the point of this post so!!! moving on!!!!!!!)

your characters are perfect just the way they are. they don’t always need to have five million aspects to them–they may evolve to that point over time, but they don’t have to! so long as you enjoy writing that character, they’re perfect.

your writing is unique. it’s your own personal style, your own personal way of letting your thoughts out onto paper. always remember that you are the only one who can write what it is you want to write, be it fanfic or something you want to publish–you are the only one who knows how your story will end, and how it will end up being written. you are the creator, and you can bend your story to your will. i know it’s hard sometimes, but i believe in you and that you can do it!

[wordsnstuff]

Do you have any suggestions on outlining by chapters? How much do you include?

For each chapter, I tend to write very short outlines, because if I over-plan them, I feel trapped and uninspired because there’s no surprises waiting for me in the actual writing process. I don’t outline chapter by chapter often, but when I do, I try to keep it simple by specifying the following about each chapter: 

the beginning point

the end point

the purpose(s) it serves

a general synopsis of what happens

what characters appear in it

the tone of it

what symbolism/details to include somewhere

Anything more than that, I leave to the editing process or to determine as I write.

Happy outlining!

x Kate

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee.

I’d also really appreciate it if you would check out my separate blog dedicated to my current work in progress.

[kidlightnings]

as a fantasy writer you can absolutely just…throw away things you don’t like. it’s a fun worldbuilding exercise, actually. you have dragons and magic swords. you are allowed to get rid of ‘women are property’ and ‘being gay is taboo’ and ‘royalty is traced via bloodline’ if you want. just toss it in the trash. bye

[inspired-to-write]

Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.”

Jane Smiley (via inspired-to-write)

Somehow this is the most inspiring thing I’ve read in a long time. I’m going to go write now.

(via joleebindo)

[madlori]

Writing advice you're not going to like.

People sometimes send me Asks wanting writing advice.  I suck at it.  I don’t really know how I do the writing, or how one should do the writing, or what one should do to get better at the writing.  All I can ever think to say is “write a lot of stuff and you will get better at the writing.”  Which is true, but hardly a bolt from the sky.

Well, as it turns out, I do have one piece of Legit Writing Advice, and I am going to share it with you, right now.  If you were in any of my writing workshop groups at a con, you’ve heard this advice already.

Warning: you’re going to fucking hate it.  But if you do it, you will thank me.

If you have a piece of fiction you’re serious about, something you might want to actually shop around, or just something you really are into and want to make it as good as you can…do NOT edit it.

Repeat.  DO NOT EDIT.

REWRITE.

As in, print out the whole fucking thing and re-enter it, every word (or use two screens).  Retype the whole thing.  Recreate it from the ground up using your first draft as a template.  Start with a blank page and re-enter every. single. word.

I hear you screaming.  OH MY GOD THAT’S INSANE.

Yes.  Yes, it is.

It is also the most powerful thing you will ever do for a piece of fiction that you are serious about.

Now, let’s get real.  I don’t do this for most things.  I don’t do it for my fanfiction.  But if it’s something original, something I might like to get to a professional level - I do it.  You absolutely COULD do it for fanfiction.  It’s just up to you and how much time you want to sink into a piece.

You can edit, sure.  But you WILL NOT get down to the level of change that needs to happen in a second draft.  You will let things slide.  Your eyes will miss things.  You will say “eh, good enough.”

The first time I did this, on someone else’s advice, I was dubious.  Within two pages, I was saying WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN DOING THIS ALL THE TIME.  I was amazed at how much change was happening.  By the time I got to the end, I had an entirely different novel than the one I’d started with.  When you’re already re-entering every single word, it’s easy to make deep changes.  You’ll reformat sentences, you’ll switch phrases around, you’ll massage your word choice.  You’ll discover whole paragraphs that don’t need to be there at all because they became redundant.  You’ll find dialogue exchanges that need reimagining.  Whole plot points will suddenly be different, whole story arcs will reveal their flaws and get re-drawn.

You cannot get down to the fundamental level of change that’s required just by editing an existing document.  You have to rebuild it if you really want your story to evolve.  You will be AMAZED at the difference it will make.

It will take time.  It will seem like a huge, Herculean task.  I’m not saying it’s easy.  It isn’t.  But it is absolutely revolutionary.

Try it.  I promise, you will see what I mean.

*PSA: Tipsy!Lori wrote this post.  In case you couldn’t tell.

[mooncalfe-deactivated20231020]

maybe i should try this with my comic scripts.

[rosalarian]

This advice is real.

[phantomrose96]

I reblogged this earlier on kind of a “that sounds interesting. might work, might not, can’t see it being drastically different but whatever I should try.” kind of note

I’ve got a short story due today at 5, so I decided to do this and completely rewrite the first draft.

OH. MY GOD.

This is legitimate. It’s let me completely gut scenes I was unhappy with, rewrite them entirely differently and not feel any loyalty to what I used to have.

It’s taking a long time. It’s a commitment. But heck so is writing.

This is great. Do this. It’s amazing.

[goodgirlwhoshopeful]

I may just try this…… on I day when I have some self discipline.

[nudityandnerdery]

[christinaroseandrews]

This guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s one of the lead writers for Leverage and if you ever watch the series on DVD, do yourself a favor and listen to him talk about how the scripts got written. Some of the advice he has is stuff I use all the time: 1. Don’t introduce an important plot person or thing after the first half of the story. 2. Always tie up loose ends. 3. Introduce important things in the middle of unimportant things. 4. If you have to infodump, find an emotion to tie it to and it will seem less like infodump and more like a motive rant. Seriously this guy knows how to write.

[wrex-writes]

“Getting” yourself to write

Yesterday, I was trawling iTunes for a decent podcast about writing. After a while, I gave up, because 90% of them talked incessantly about “self-discipline,” “making writing a habit,” “getting your butt in the chair,” “getting yourself to write.” To me, that’s six flavors of fucked up.

Okay, yes—I see why we might want to “make writing a habit.” If we want to finish anything, we’ll have to write at least semi-regularly. In practical terms, I get it.

But maybe before we force our butts into chairs, we should ask why it’s so hard to “get” ourselves to write. We aren’t deranged; our brains say “I don’t want to do this” for a reason. We should take that reason seriously.

Most of us resist writing because it hurts and it’s hard. Well, you say, writing isn’t supposed to be easy—but there’s hard, and then there’s hard. For many of us, sitting down to write feels like being asked to solve a problem that is both urgent and unsolvable—“I have to, but it’s impossible, but I have to, but it’s impossible.” It feels fucking awful, so naturally we avoid it.

We can’t “make writing a habit,” then, until we make it less painful. Something we don’t just “get” ourselves to do.

The “make writing a habit” people are trying to do that, in their way. If you do something regularly, the theory goes, you stop dreading it with such special intensity because it just becomes a thing you do. But my god, if you’re still in that “dreading it” phase and someone tells you to “make writing a habit,” that sounds horrible.

So many of us already dismiss our own pain constantly. If we turn writing into another occasion for mute suffering, for numb and joyless endurance, we 1) will not write more, and 2) should not write more, because we should not intentionally hurt ourselves.

Seriously. If you want to write more, don’t ask, “how can I make myself write?” Ask, “why is writing so painful for me and how can I ease that pain?” Show some compassion for yourself. Forgive yourself for not being the person you wish you were and treat the person you are with some basic decency. Give yourself a fucking break for avoiding a thing that makes you feel awful.

Daniel José Older, in my favorite article on writing ever, has this to say to the people who admonish writers to write every day:

Here’s what stops more people from writing than anything else: shame. That creeping, nagging sense of ‘should be,’ ‘should have been,’ and ‘if only I had…’ Shame lives in the body, it clenches our muscles when we sit at the keyboard, takes up valuable mental space with useless, repetitive conversations. Shame, and the resulting paralysis, are what happen when the whole world drills into you that you should be writing every day and you’re not.

The antidote, he says, is to treat yourself kindly:

For me, writing always begins with self-forgiveness. I don’t sit down and rush headlong into the blank page. I make coffee. I put on a song I like. I drink the coffee, listen to the song. I don’t write. Beginning with forgiveness revolutionizes the writing process, returns its being to a journey of creativity rather than an exercise in self-flagellation. I forgive myself for not sitting down to write sooner, for taking yesterday off, for living my life. That shame? I release it. My body unclenches; a new lightness takes over once that burden has floated off. There is room, now, for story, idea, life.

Writing has the potential to bring us so much joy. Why else would we want to do it? But first we’ve got to unlearn the pain and dread and anxiety and shame attached to writing—not just so we can write more, but for our own sakes! Forget “making writing a habit”—how about “being less miserable”? That’s a worthy goal too!

Luckily, there are ways to do this. But before I get into them, please absorb this lesson: if you want to write, start by valuing your own well-being. Start by forgiving yourself. And listen to yourself when something hurts.

Next post: freewriting

Ask me a question or send me feedback! Podcast recommendations welcome…

[epeeblade]

I need to read this again and again and again

[writingadvice365]

Your first draft is not terrible.

It is not any sort of insulting name you call it.

It is a baby.  A young, inexperienced baby that might throw up on your shirt and cause you to lose sleep at night but you love it all the same and will patiently feed it and tuck it into bed at night with a kiss no matter what happens.

You do not call a baby stupid or awful because they are new to the world and do not have the ability or knowledge to function on their own.  Instead, you nurture and teach them so they grow up smart and strong and capable.

Such it is with a first draft.  A first draft is not bad because it needs care and attention. Don’t insult it because it is newly written down with ideas that are not yet fully formed.  In fact, that is the reason why it is AMAZING.  It’s a DRAFT!  The FIRST one for the story!  LOOK at it!  It exists!  It is ALIVE!  And it is YOURS, this story you made.  

So be proud of your first draft baby and, most importantly, be proud of yourself. 

[ao3commentoftheday]

trying to come up with a title like

[officerjennie]

Sprinkle in some tears, maybe sobbing, and you’ve nailed it.

[kallypsowrites]

Alright guys. Title advice coming at you today.

The title will often be the last thing you come up with because it takes knowing your story and the core of your story to really give it an awesome title. So until you finish it’s okay to title it ‘that story with dragons and stuff’ or ‘project that is personally trying to kill me’. Something like that. Then, when you’re done, ask yourself the following question.

1. Who is the most important character?

2. What is the climax/penultimate moment of the story

3. What is the most significant or symbolic object?

4. What are some particularly memorable lines that encapsulate the story’s theme

5. What are the primary emotions of the story

Now you have building blocks. So let’s look at some titles. (Note you can use this for chapter titles too)

The Harry Potter series is named after its main character but ALSO the most important object in the book. JK picks the mystery that needs to be resolved and puts it right in the title. The philosophers stone, the chamber of secrets, the prisoner of Azkaban etc. they’re just vague enough to intrigue was but also interesting

Other works title it by a character’s nickname/title like ‘the great gatsby’ or ‘the princess bride’ or ‘the hunchback of notredame’

Still others title books based on the major plot events/climax. A game of thrones is titled that because it’s where people start fighting over the throne. A clash of kings reflects the war of five kings. A storm of swords represents the peak of the war. Etc. etc.

Some titles even tell you what happens in the climax (though vaguely). One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tells us the fate of our lead and we read to see how it happens.

Then we have our significant object titles. This is especially great for episodes/chapter titles. I’m Attack on Titan there’s an episode called ‘a small blade’. It seems unimportant but it’s a blade that a character asks to be left with so he can off himself if necessary (the character is very depressed at this point). His friend tosses it away and refuses to leave him behind. The message here is: keep fighting. So that’s the object that message represents. Another example is ‘to kill a mockingbird’ we don’t know yet but this is symbolic for the death of an innocent. Symbols are great of titles

Then there’s emotions. A lot of times you get punchy one word titles out of this and I use them for chapters a lot: grief, rage, joy etc. but they can be used in full books too. Like: ‘beloved’ or ‘doubt’.

Then there are book titles taken from famous book quotes. “As I lay dying” comes from the odyssey. “Children of men”, “clouds of witnesses” and one million other titles are plays off bible verses.

But Kallypso, you might say. That’s so much information. How do I choose? Well you can think about your genre. If you’re writing a fluffy love fic, a quote or emotion or symbol is the way to go. If you’re writing character driven fic, a play off of a name. If you’re writing plot driven fic, describe the plot vaguely.

Or try them all! Write a title for each category and see which one fits best. And that is your advice for the morning

[bodhimcbodeface]

Do u ever read a friend’s fic and it’s like holy shit how do you consider me qualified to talk to you?

[wanderbythewayside]

No

Y’all need better self-esteem

[wanderbythewayside]

Alright I have been enabled so I’m gonna say somethings.

Fatalistic sarcasm is a thing, however, it usually hides deep feelings of insecurity, and whether you consciously recognize this or not, it validates them. Seriously, I used to constantly make jokes about how other people’s work was better than mine, and it did nothing for my self-esteem, it was a tool to deflect from my own feelings of inferiority and it actively worked against me thinking critically about my own and other people’s work. If it was a joke I could put myself down instead of analyzing why someone’s work was better and trying to incorporate that into my own

As someone who took creative writing courses I was constantly surrounded by other brilliant people, if I hung my head in shame every time I read something as good or better than mine I never would have lifted it. 

As someone who has watched a lot of writers with very good idea’s crash and burn I mean it when I say you either develop a healthy sense of respect for your own work or you stop writing. 

There’s three things I really wish more people consider

1. Do you think their work is better because it’s a different style, one that you like? There’s an element to ‘the grass is greener on the other side’, I have seen people work in some amazing styles that I wished to god I could replicate, some I managed, some I never did, but there’s nothing wrong with either. having a different style Is Not the same as having a bad style, each has their own strengths and you can admire one without putting yours down

2. Knowing someone who is a better writer is a blessing and if they knew you were using their work to bring yourself down they would not be happy, mooch off that friend, analyze their work, ask them to edit your shit, as long as you’re not annoying them be shameless about it. the best thing creative writing did for me was give me the confidence to ask people to critic my work and shamelessly better each other for that sharing 

3. People need to normalize being confident in their work, the quality of your work has literally nothing to do with your worth as a person, the quality of your work has nothing to do with your worth as a writer. You can write something really shitty and the only thing I’d say to you is that your trying and I respect you for that

[khunfounded]

Literally every writer I know needs to read this. 

The entire reason I started writing fic was because I was too sick to be anxious about it, and after that, whenever I would get down on myself my work would stagnate, so I learned to follow sick Magpie’s lead and just say fuck it.

I write because I enjoy it. I write because I love it. And I write because I want to share a piece of myself with the world and say this is me, take it or leave it.

Learn to give yourself grace. Learn to get better at writing because you love it, not because you hate what you create. And most of all, learn that no one is able to write exactly like you do, and that is amazing.

<3