Writeblr

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Symbolism Associated With Flowers For Writers

Acacia: Since ancient times, acacia has been associated with purity and innocence. It is also a symbol of resurrection and new beginnings.

Amaryllis: Amaryllis is a symbol of passion and desire. It is also associated with strength and courage.

Anemone: Anemone is a symbol of grief and sorrow. It is also associated with hope and new beginnings.

Azalea: Azalea is a symbol of love, passion, and desire. It is also associated with beauty and elegance.

Carnation: Carnation is a symbol of love, affection, and appreciation. It is also associated with motherhood and childbirth.

Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum is a symbol of longevity, happiness, and good luck. It is also associated with death and mourning.

Daisy: Daisy is a symbol of innocence, purity, and simplicity. It is also associated with childhood and new beginnings.

Delphinium: Delphinium is a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. It is also associated with royalty and nobility

Frangipani: Frangipani is a symbol of love, passion, and desire. It is also associated with beauty and elegance.

Gardenia: Gardenia is a symbol of purity, innocence, and grace. It is also associated with love and admiration.

Gerbera Daisy: Gerbera daisy is a symbol of new beginnings, happiness, and joy. It is also associated with optimism and hope.

Hyacinth: Hyacinth is a symbol of love, passion, and desire. It is also associated with grief and sorrow.

Iris: Iris is a symbol of faith, hope, and wisdom. It is also associated with royalty and nobility.

Lily: Lily is a symbol of purity, innocence, and chastity. It is also associated with resurrection and new beginnings.

Lily of the Valley: Lily of the valley is a symbol of purity, innocence, and sweetness. It is also associated with new beginnings and springtime.

Magnolia: Magnolia is a symbol of love, beauty, and elegance. It is also associated with femininity and motherhood.

Orchid: Orchid is a symbol of love, passion, and desire. It is also associated with beauty, rarity, and luxury.

Rose: Rose is the most popular flower in the world and has a wide range of symbolism. It can symbolize love, passion, desire, beauty, romance, friendship, gratitude, and respect.

Tulip: Tulip is a symbol of love, passion, and desire. It is also associated with springtime and new beginnings.

Why Symbolism With Flowers Is Important For Writers

Flowers can be used to foreshadow events or themes in a story. For example, a writer might use a white rose to foreshadow a character's death, or a red rose to foreshadow a romantic encounter.

Flowers can be used to represent characters' emotions or motivations. For example, a character who is feeling sad might be described as holding a wilted flower, or a character who is feeling passionate might be described as surrounded by roses.

Flowers can be used to create symbolism that is specific to a particular culture or region. For example, in some cultures, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity and enlightenment, while in other cultures, it is a symbol of death and rebirth.

[judasrpc]

WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

How often do they show their genuine emotions to others versus just the audience knowing?

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Can they cry on command? If so, what do they think about to make it happen?

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What fact do they excitedly tell everyone about at every opportunity?

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

How do they put out a candle?

What’s the most obvious difference between their behavior at home, at work, at school, with friends, and when they’re alone?

What kinds of people do they have arguments with in their head?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

Who do they like as a person but hate their work? Vice versa, whose work do they like but don’t like the person?

What common etiquette do they disagree with? Do they still follow it?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What subject / topic do they know a lot about that’s completely useless to the direct plot?

How would they respond to being fired by a good boss?

What’s the worst gift they ever received? How did they respond?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When they make a mistake and feel bad, does the guilt differ when it’s personal versus when it’s professional?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

If they committed one petty crime / misdemeanor, what would it be? Why?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

Who do they keep in their life for professional gain? Is it for malicious intent?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

What hobby are they good at in private, but bad at in front of others? Why?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

How do they respond to a loose handshake? What goes through their head?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

If invited to a TED Talk, what topic would they present on? What would the title of their presentation be?

What do they commonly misinterpret because of their own upbringing / environment / biases? How do they respond when realizing the misunderstanding?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Would they eat something they find gross to be polite?

What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

What’s a phrase they say a lot?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

What’s a simple daily activity / motion that they mess up often?

How many hobbies have they attempted to have over their lifetime? Is there a common theme?

[localcanadiancryptid22]

Oh hell yeah

[moonscribbler]

What stage of writing are you on?

Planning / Plotting

Zero drafting

Writing / Re-writing (early drafts)

Revising / Editing (later drafts)

Beta reading

Querying

Publishing or published

None / A secret 8th option / See results

Voting ended onFeb 8, 2023

If you have several WIPs, answer with your main or the one with the farthest progress!

[foxglovethings]

No one asked for this one, but…

If you made lore for a character you’ve had since you were 16, and you’re in your 20s now and have a better grasp of narrative structure and power creep, you can just retcon the dumb stuff. Like you can do that for free. You’re not beholden to the junk you wrote 5 years ago, and you don’t need to justify removing it if it sucks.

[screnwriter-old-deactivated2021]

This is actually really valuable. Every writer should keep this in mind.

That’s also part of the reason you shouldn’t look back at your old writing and label it as pure trash. You didn’t know what you were doing back then. You do now.

[cryingwriter]

This is not an exhaustive list of ways to get jump started but these are a few of my favorites! Enjoy c:

[cryingwriter]

*insert gif that says ‘bet you thought you’d seen the last of me*

welp…I’m back at it again. The og post got some notes recently and I was inspired to make a part two so here’s that. I’m tempted to make a part three so keep an eye out.

[cryingwriter]

Part 3! Five more ways to combat writers block. Hope these are helpful. Part 4 is coming soon:)

[cryingwriter]

Fourth and (probably, maybe, possibly) final installment to the Writers Block Hacks! I hope y’all are seeing these and enjoying them. I’d love to hear if you are.

[superbeans89]

[flashfictionfridayofficial]

Previous Prompts

The following is a collection of every single prompt created by FFF!

Feel free to use them for your writing endeavors, however please note that we won’t be able to reblog your works once that prompt’s week is over. But please still go ahead and tag us and we will showcase your work in a monthly Masterlist of Antique Prompts! If you’re looking for past weeks’ prompt’s banners as well, head over to the pervious prompts page on the browser, where we listed the prompts and their banners.

Now go make some magic! (Prompts under the cut)

Keep reading

[creativepromptsforwriting]

June Prompts 🌼

Word prompts to use for doodling or writing

fairytale

garden hose

fruit stand

radio

block party

tattoo

ice cream

postcard

festival

skating

barefoot

night walks

pride

fries

stream

flower crown

outdoors

cocktail umbrellas

playing cards

sailboat

karaoke

dandelions

buttons

pearls

midsummer

universe

neon sign

dragonfly

birch tree

peaches

[morganwriteblr]

Hey Writeblr!!

I'm planning on being a whole lot more active with posting all sorts of writings-- original fantasy fiction and fanfic-- after I move on the 30th May!!

I'll be updating my pinned post to include some of my more recent projects; including short stories and at least one that's shaping up to be a duology or perhaps even a trilogy!

If you're not already following me, consider pressing that button if you like any (or all) of the following:

Dragons

Other Mythical creatures

Smart and badass women (Cis & Trans!)

Whole casts of LGBTQIA+ characters!

Super powers

Magic

High fantasy

Urban fantasy

Another full list of awesome things!

And also FANFIC!

Find me over on Ao3 under MorganFaire for long fics, one shots, drabbles and smut for:

BLEACH (anime and manga series)

THE WITCHER (Netflix and game series)

In the meantime

As I mentioned up top, I'm moving! I just paid £250 today for my removal van, and while I was able to put it on my credit account, it will bump up my repayments for the considerable future...right when I'm also gonna be responsible for all my own utilities and food bills for the first time!

If you are in a position to help a non-binary queer creator moving away from an unsupportive family environment, I would greatly appreciate it!!

Message me for PayPal details cos I ain't about to post that online 😂😂

[ruvviks]

TOOL: OC QUESTIONS GENERATOR

a neat little generator that gives you a random question for your ocs! find the generator here! // my oc page (if you’re interested)

>> FEATURES

over 600 different questions, covering every aspect of character building

easy to use, no unnecessary distractions, just a very straightforward generator

content warnings on the page itself, as well as in the first screenshot

will receive updates every now and then when i come up with new questions!

>> NOTES

please send me a dm if there’s a content warning missing, i’ll add it to the page immediately!

if you have any ideas for questions, feel free to let me know and if they’re not on the list already, i’ll add them!

feel free to use this tool for personal projects or tell your friends about it, as long as you don’t try to steal the code of the page or claim the generator as your own :)

i do not take credit for all the questions in this generator, i’ve gathered them at some point from both my own brain as well as stuff online

likes are always welcome, reblogs much appreciated! also consider checking out my art while you’re here B)

[dingdongyouarewrong]

you can explain why it’s important for aspiring authors to read published books and not just fanfiction without condescending to fanfiction authors/readers and implying it’s inherently of lesser quality

[dingdongyouarewrong]

like a lot of fanfiction is genuinely good and well-written! there’s some amazing work there! there is absolutely fanfiction out there that’s the same quality as well-written published works. being like ‘well, it’s cute, but it’s not real writing’ is just dismissive and frankly completely untrue. 

but, at the same time, there are a lot of reasons it’s important to also read published works, and those reasons aren’t just ‘it’s better’. for one, a lot of writing original fiction involves introducing one’s own characters and setting to an audience who knows nothing about the characters or worldbuilding, which is generally not something you’re going to learn how to do by only reading stories where you already know the world and characters. that doesn’t mean the work isn’t good; it just means it doesn’t teach all of the skills you’ll need to know when writing

[roach-works]

im a lifelong fanfic writer, but one thing fanfic won’t teach you is how to end a story. or how to structure one, really. fanfic is itself a continuation of a story, it’s a transformative work, and… it’s kind of rare for long, chaptered fic to actually be complete. it’s awesome when it is! but you do kind of get used to reading fanfic as a big nebulous cloud of what-ifs, and furthermores, and so ons, and etc.

published fiction pretty much always has to have a start, middle, and ending. you can’t really learn formal anatomy from fanfiction. you can learn a lot of creative stuff that published fiction rarely has the freedom to engage in–aus and remixes, for instance–but fanfic really isn’t where you’re going to be able to study structure and discipline.

[tsukithewolf]

Thank god. Finally some good fanfic vs. published story dialogue.

[mixelation]

Fanfiction is also usually published as the author writes it, which means authors are limited in their ability to retroactively change story elements (removing plot holes or subplots that go nowhere, or adding foreshadowing for an important event they decided they wanted 1/3 into their story, etc). This means stories overall are generally less “polished” than professionally published work. 

On a similar note, fic writers can “get away with” a lot more fluff that doesn’t move the story forward– ie, dedicating an entire chapter to characters cuddling, or spending a very long time explaining the economics system of a secret wizard world. This is a strength of fic because it’s often what people want to read– but it’s also something that usually hinges on the reader already being deeply invested in the characters and the world, which is a luxury you’re not going to get from a lot of original fiction.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Fanfiction isn’t necessarily better or worse than original fic, but it is a fundamentally different art. An aspiring fiction author reading only fanfic is like an aspiring fiction author reading only poetry; it’s great to enrich your skills by reading widely, but if you don’t read *the kind of art you are trying to make*, you won’t know how to make it.

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Hey as someone who does both I want to point out a few key points from this thread:

First, published recent books will give you an idea of what sells. Not that you can’t be free to write what you want, but many genres and categories have certain expectations that publishing keeps pretty rigid. Romance, for example, has some very rigid tenets that will benefit you to follow (at least until you publish enough books to start breaking them). Publishing also works on comp titles - you need to know what recent books to compare yours to in order to sell it.

This isn’t easy to hear, but if you are trying to get paid money for your work and don’t go the indie route, you have to learn what the rules are. “My book is too unique to be compared to anything else” or “my book doesn’t fit into any genre” never, ever works. Learn the genres, figure out how to make comparisons, and be willing to wait a while for things to go somewhere.

Second, pacing sins are forgiven in fanfiction. They are brutal in publishing. You can have those cuddle scenes, but they can’t get in the way of rising tension, and they certainly can’t last an entire chapter. Learning to balance quiet scenes with action scenes are something you’ll have to hone for publishing.

Third, yeah, editing is going to get you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been through my current book and found at least five more errors per chapter despite having just gone through it, and I haven’t even turned it over to my agent yet. Augh. Fanfic readers are far more forgiving if I’ve repeated the same word within a paragraph.

However! I don’t want to disparate either - fanfiction can help you learn lots about writing, writing for publication can help you improve on your fanfic skills. It’s just important to remember that they are different, and you’ll need to know those differences if you’re looking to be published.

[catie-does-things]

Maybe not the biggest culprit behind the Radioactive Bad Takes on this website, but the one that’s bugging me the most lately: Please, I am begging you, learn what genre conventions are and read the text accordingly.

Fiction is not reality and pretty much every genre of fiction has certain standard ways in which it deviates from reality. And I’m not just talking about how we shouldn’t nitpick the physics of how Superman is able to fly. There will be ways in which the characters’ behavior and relationships will be informed by the genre as well and it makes just as little sense to judge them by realistic standards as it does to complain about something in Star Wars being scientifically implausible.

For example, “Adults are Useless” is a well-recognized trope in children’s literature. But that’s not because children’s authors are all going around writing adult characters who are terrible parents or teachers. It’s because the protagonist of a story written for children is almost always going to be a child, and the protagonist of the story has to get into trouble and solve problems themselves for the story to be any good. Yes, in real life, teenagers shouldn’t be fighting in a war. But if the grown-ups stepped in and stopped the teenage protagonist of your action-adventure series from fighting, there would be no story.

Does that mean the grown-up characters in that series are evil people who use child soldiers? No, because we accept a child being in these kinds of situations as a conceit of the genre of children’s fiction, and we interpret the characters and their choices accordingly. We don’t apply a realistic standard because the very premise is unrealistic to start with.

Another example: An adult hitting a child in real life is horrible. But if the child is a superhero, and the adult is a super villain, and they are in a cartoon, then we can’t read it the same way. All cartoons with any kind of action or fighting in them use violence unrealistically, and if the child and adult characters are presented as equally matched adversaries then that’s how any violence between them has to be understood. The villain might be a real bad dude, since he’s, you know, a villain, but hitting a child superhero in the context of a super-fight does not make him a child abuser, specifically.

I’m focusing on children’s books and cartoons here because I think that’s where tumblr fandoms have the biggest trouble with this but it applies to everything. Characters in a romantic comedy won’t behave realistically, characters in fairy tales won’t behave realistically, characters in police procedurals won’t behave realistically, all of them will behave as characters within their specific genre have to in order to make that genre work. The second you start trying to scrutinize every single action a character takes by realistic standards, you miss the point.

Repeat to yourself: “It’s just a show, I should really just relax.”

[jeaniefranklins]

“Here’s my life. My husband and I get up each morning at 7 o’clock and he showers while I make coffee. By the time he’s dressed I’m already sitting at my desk writing. He kisses me goodbye then leaves for the job where he makes good money, draws excellent benefits and gets many perks, such as travel, catered lunches and full reimbursement for the gym where I attend yoga midday. His career has allowed me to work only sporadically, as a consultant, in a field I enjoy. All that disclosure is crass, I know. I’m sorry. Because in this world where women will sit around discussing the various topiary shapes of their bikini waxes, the conversation about money (or privilege) is the one we never have. Why? I think it’s the Marie Antoinette syndrome: Those with privilege and luck don’t want the riffraff knowing the details. After all, if “those people” understood the differences in our lives, they might revolt. Or, God forbid, not see us as somehow more special, talented and/or deserving than them. There’s a special version of this masquerade that we writers put on. Two examples: I attended a packed reading (I’m talking 300+ people) about a year and a half ago. The author was very well-known, a magnificent nonfictionist who has, deservedly, won several big awards. He also happens to be the heir to a mammoth fortune. Mega-millions. In other words he’s a man who has never had to work one job, much less two. He has several children; I know, because they were at the reading with him, all lined up. I heard someone say they were all traveling with him, plus two nannies, on his worldwide tour. None of this takes away from his brilliance. Yet, when an audience member — young, wide-eyed, clearly not clued in — rose to ask him how he’d managed to spend 10 years writing his current masterpiece — What had he done to sustain himself and his family during that time? — he told her in a serious tone that it had been tough but he’d written a number of magazine articles to get by. I heard a titter pass through the half of the audience that knew the truth. But the author, impassive, moved on and left this woman thinking he’d supported his Manhattan life for a decade with a handful of pieces in the Nation and Salon. Example two. A reading in a different city, featuring a 30-ish woman whose debut novel had just appeared on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. I didn’t love the book (a coming-of-age story set among wealthy teenagers) but many people I respect thought it was great, so I defer. The author had herself attended one of the big, East Coast prep schools, while her parents were busy growing their careers on the New York literary scene. These were people — her parents — who traded Christmas cards with William Maxwell and had the Styrons over for dinner. She, the author, was their only beloved child. After prep school, she’d earned two creative writing degrees (Iowa plus an Ivy). Her first book was being heralded by editors and reviewers all over the country, many of whom had watched her grow up. It was a phenomenon even before it hit bookshelves. She was an immediate star. When (again) an audience member, clearly an undergrad, rose to ask this glamorous writer to what she attributed her success, the woman paused, then said that she had worked very, very hard and she’d had some good training, but she thought in looking back it was her decision never to have children that had allowed her to become a true artist. If you have kids, she explained to the group of desperate nubile writers, you have to choose between them and your writing. Keep it pure. Don’t let yourself be distracted by a baby’s cry. I was dumbfounded. I wanted to leap to my feet and shout. “Hello? Alice Munro! Doris Lessing! Joan Didion!” Of course, there are thousands of other extraordinary writers who managed to produce art despite motherhood. But the essential point was that, the quality of her book notwithstanding, this author’s chief advantage had nothing to do with her reproductive decisions. It was about connections. Straight up. She’d had them since birth. In my opinion, we do an enormous “let them eat cake” disservice to our community when we obfuscate the circumstances that help us write, publish and in some way succeed. I can’t claim the wealth of the first author (not even close); nor do I have the connections of the second. I don’t have their fame either. But I do have a huge advantage over the writer who is living paycheck to paycheck, or lonely and isolated, or dealing with a medical condition, or working a full-time job. How can I be so sure? Because I used to be poor, overworked and overwhelmed. And I produced zero books during that time. Throughout my 20s, I was married to an addict who tried valiantly (but failed, over and over) to stay straight. We had three children, one with autism, and lived in poverty for a long, wretched time. In my 30s I divorced the man because it was the only way out of constant crisis. For the next 10 years, I worked two jobs and raised my three kids alone, without child support or the involvement of their dad. I published my first novel at 39, but only after a teaching stint where I met some influential writers and three months living with my parents while I completed the first draft. After turning in that manuscript, I landed a pretty cushy magazine editor’s job. A year later, I met my second husband. For the first time I had a true partner, someone I could rely on who was there in every way for me and our kids. Life got easier. I produced a nonfiction book, a second novel and about 30 essays within a relatively short time. Today, I am essentially “sponsored” by this very loving man who shows up at the end of the day, asks me how the writing went, pours me a glass of wine, then takes me out to eat. He accompanies me when I travel 500 miles to do a 75-minute reading, manages my finances, and never complains that my dark, heady little books have resulted in low advances and rather modest sales. I completed my third novel in eight months flat. I started the book while on a lovely vacation. Then I wrote happily and relatively quickly because I had the time and the funding, as well as help from my husband, my agent and a very talented editor friend. Without all those advantages, I might be on page 52. OK, there’s mine. Now show me yours.”

—

Ann Bauer, ““Sponsored” by my husband: Why it’s a problem that writers never talk about where their money comes from”, http://www.salon.com/2015/01/25/sponsored_by_my_husband_why_its_a_problem_that_writers_never_talk_about_where_their_money_comes_from/ (via angrygirlcomics)

This is so important, especially for people like me, who are always hearing the radio station that plays “but you’re 26 and you are ~*~gifted~*~ and you can write, WHERE IS YOUR NOVEL” on constant loop.

It’s so important because I see younger people who can write going “oh yes, I can write, therefore I will be an English major, and write my book and live on that yes?? then I don’t have to do other jobs yes??” and you’re like “oh, no, honey, at least try to add another string to your bow, please believe that it will not happen quite like that” 

It’s so important not to be overly impressed by Walden because Thoreau’s mother continued to cook him food and wash his laundry while he was doing his self-sufficient wilderness-experiment “sit in a cabin and write” thing.

It’s so important because when you’re impressed by Lord of the Rings, remember that Tolkien had servants, a wife, university scouts and various underlings to do his admin, cook his meals, chase after him, and generally set up his life so that the only thing he had to do was wander around being vague and clever. In fact, the man could barely stand to show up at his own day job.

It’s important when you look at published fiction to remember that it is a non-random sample, and that it’s usually produced by the leisure class, so that most of what you study and consume is essentially wolves in captivity - not wolves in the wild - and does not reflect the experiences of all wolves.

Yeah. Important. Like that.

(via elodieunderglass)

[elfwreck]

Henry David Thoreau:

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion.”

Also Thoreau (emphasis added):

As is a favorite point of Thoreau’s critics, the wild life he lived was rather tame. His mother famously helped him out with laundry and food over the two years, and he had guests over regularly. And the land itself was not the rugged frontier. “In reality,” writes Kathryn Schulz in the New Yorker, “Walden Pond in 1845 was scarcely more off the grid, relative to contemporaneous society, than Prospect Park is today. The commuter train to Boston ran along its southwest side; in summer the place swarmed with picnickers and swimmers, while in winter it was frequented by ice cutters and skaters.” She adds that it would take Thoreau but twenty minutes to walk from his cabin to his family home, were we to confuse the writer with Robinson Crusoe.

Any time you hear about a “self-made man” or “independent woman” who attributes their success to “hard work” alone - ask yourself: Who does their laundry and dishes? Where did they live, and who paid the rent?

It is much, much easier to be creative if you don’t have to do housework or keep up with the bills.

[headspace-hotel]

I’m thinking back over all the writing advice I heard as a much younger writer and by far the advice that wasted my time the most was “you have to immediately hook your reader and that makes your first page the most important part of your story”

[headspace-hotel]

i worked so hard on writing the perfect “hook” meanwhile half of published writers have continued opening stories with the main character waking up, dreams, and all the things they tell you not to do this entire time, and the other half have been awkwardly shoving “exciting” scenes into the beginning of every story even when it doesn’t fit

this is not to say that the “hook” is not a real or important thing, but the only advice that matters about beginning a story is that you should begin the story…where it begins.

like I can’t count the number of stories I’ve read that have tried to put, like, an epic motorcycle chase or some shit with high stakes on the first page to “hook” the reader, but it sucked because the motorcycle chase was ultimately irrelevant to the story the author was actually telling, however high the stakes.

identify the beginning and begin there, and that’s literally it

[headspace-hotel]

also like, the expectation that you should make your readers care about your characters and be invested in the plot on the first page is baffling because…no, you’re not going to create genuine investment on the part of the reader immediately, any more than you can create a true, intimate friendship within thirty minutes of meeting someone. readers also understand this. they’re looking for reasons to continue, not to be ensnared body and soul

The only real universal “rule” about a first page is that it should make your reader want to read the second page, and how you do that is actually totally up to you in my opinion.

just. I’ve read so many great books with a very diverse range of beginnings, and the things that can be made to work are so wildly diverse

[screnwriter-old-deactivated2021]

small details for fictional kisses

whispering ''kiss me'' to your lover

wrapping your arms around your lover's neck

kisses that travel from your lover's nose to their lips

breaking the kiss but instantly pressing your lips back together

intertwining your fingers

kisses that start out gentle but grows more passionate

forehead against forehead

running your fingers through your lover's hair

unbuttoning your lover's shirt, pressed against the wall

surprise kisses, in which your lover weren't prepared for it but responds immediately

a kiss in which, ''we're late for work but let's be later''

kisses shared under a waterfall

pulling your lover closer by the waistband

kissing under the stars

messy kisses, destroying furniture trying to reach the bed

a kiss that isn't meant to happen but it does anyway

sliding your hands down your lover's chest

grabbing your lover by the collar

''if we get caught kissing we're dead but let's risk it''

hand kisses

exploring each other's lips

smiling in-between kisses

now-or-never kisses

caressing your lover's cheek

good night kisses

''i was supposed to take a shower alone but sure, jump right in''

brushing your lips together, lingering for a moment

an accidental kiss between two exes

kisses in which, you've already said goodbye but can't help stealing another one

this might be our last kiss ever so let's make it last

kitchen counter make-outs

jumping into your lover's arms

soft kisses while cuddling in bed

i missed you kisses

a kiss that leave you breathless

stopping a kiss when it gets too heated

a kiss on the cheek turns into a kiss on the lips

trailing kisses from your lover's lips to their neck

''everything is going to be okay'' kisses

kisses that start of passionate but grows more delicate

pulling away from a kiss to look at each other, then smiling as you dive in for another kiss

wrapping your legs around your lover's body as they lift you

a goodbye kiss, but neither of you can quite let go

''we shouldn't do this'' but they do so, anyway

a swirling reunion kiss

''i've had a terrible day at work so just kiss me''

a kiss that lasts longer than it should

tending to your lover's wound, placing a kiss on top of their head, grateful they're still alive

spinning your lover into a kiss on the dance floor

kisses in which, i can't believe this is real, but i love you so much

[wintersongstress]

wilf (wip i’d like to finish)

[klywrites]

at work right now so I can’t respond but

does anyone have tips for overcoming executive dysfunction? including things that have worked for you personally but may not be common

[magic-is-something-we-create]

Okay I struggle with this a lot actually and my strategy isn’t perfect but it works for me about 70% of the time so it may help you too:

First thing: Set up your writing program of choice to open when your computer starts. This gets rid of the brain block that hits when you have to make the decision to open it. Works even better if you can make it open up the doc you want to work on, though that option might be limited by the program.

On Windows, you can do this by opening Task Manager, expanding the details, clicking Startup at the top, finding your word processor and right clicking it and selecting “Enable”.

If you’re working in a notebook or sketchbook, I suggest leaving it open to the page you left off on, on top of your chair or your keyboard/laptop so it’s right in your way when you go to do other things. The goal is to make it hard to ignore without looking at.

Next: Executive dysfunction can get worse depending on the amount of clutter/visual noise around your workspace. For me, I have a minimum amount of clutter that needs to be there to get my brain to work, but if I get too much clutter, the block is so much worse. It will take some trial and error, but try and find your sweet spot of clutter vs. clean.

Some other little tips that work for me but might impede other people:

- Use a writing program that can go fullscreen without a toolbar and with a customizable background to spark the inspiration, like FocusWriter or the focus mode in Scrivener

- Write/Work in “sprints” - I tend to give myself five minute sprints, after which I have to give a word count each time. It keeps the writing momentum pretty high, and forces me to not edit as I write. I do this with a personal discord server and the Sprinto bot.

- Use an app like Forest or an extension like LeechBlock to keep you from opening up distracting sites (this helps me a lot because I’m liable to drift away in the middle of a sprint if I get a text)

- Snack on something while you write (definitely not for everyone, esp those who might have eating disorders; I find it helps keep my brain on task because it’s that extra little sensory input that puts my brain into Hyperfocus Mode)

- MUSIC. musicmusicmusic, especially stuff without words (a personal preference) that you can make into a playlist to fit the mood of what you’re working on. I find a lot of my problems crop up when my brain isn’t in the right space, so I keep a separate writing playlist from everything else I listen to, and have Pavlov’d myself into writing mode with it

Executive Dysfunction can make literally any task feel like trying to force your hand onto a hot stove - some days, the hardest part is convincing your brain that that’s not what’s going to happen. Don’t beat yourself up about the executive dysfunction itself - don’t beat yourself up at all. It’s just something you have to work around, and take whatever advice or strategies you find helpful and build your own space with them.

You are not a failure for having a brain that doesn’t always cooperate. You are not lazy for struggling with yourself. You are not any less loved or worthy as a person just because it’s harder for you to start things than it is for other people.

I believe in you, I hope you get even a little bit of help out of this, and I wish you luck on whatever endeavor you start on!