Curious Author

A blog for writers. Sharing writing tips, story prompts and short stories for others to add on to.

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

person trying to get out of a timeloop but they keep getting brutally murdered by the other person stuck in the timeloop, who is having the most amazing vacation of their life and refuses to leave

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

they're very apologetic about the whole "murdering you in cold blood" thing but they have never in their adult life had this much free time

[official-time-loop-posts]

Official Time Loop Post

[xypheris-deactivated20250603]

The question mark option will never not be funny to me.

Like, how many chapters?

Idk.

I—the author—am just as curious as you are.

[curiousauthor2003]

How long will this book be? No idea, buckle up we're going for a ride and not even I, the driver of this mess, knows how long it's gonna be. Or even where we're going in great detail. But it's going to be fun anyway.

[so-many-ocs]

editing your own writing is like woah you really like commas........ maybe ease up on those commas there, pal........ maybe Fewer commas would be nice

[curiousauthor2003]

There's also the whole "wow you really like that word/expression", oh look you've used it again, this is getting a bit repetitive now, I guess past me doesn't know any other words or how to use a thesaurus.

[voughtwifeannie]

When Should You Describe a Character’s Appearance? (And When You Really, Really Shouldn’t)

It’s one of the first instincts writers have: describe your character. What they look like, what they wear, how they move. But the truth is — readers don’t need to know everything. And more importantly, they don’t want to know everything. At least, not all at once. Not without reason.

Let’s talk about when to describe a character’s appearance, how to do it meaningfully, and why less often says more.

1. Ask: Who Is Seeing Them? And Why Now?

The best descriptions are filtered through a perspective. Who’s noticing this character, and what do they see first? What do they expect to see, and what surprises them?

She looked like someone who owned every book you were supposed to have read in school. Glasses slipping down her nose. Sharp navy coat, sensible shoes, and an air of knowing too much too soon.

Now we’re not just learning what she looks like — we’re learning how she comes across. That tells us more than eye color ever could.

2. Use Appearance to Suggest Character, Not List Facts

Avoid long physical checklists. Instead, choose a few details that do double work — they imply personality, history, class, mood, or context.

Ineffective: She had long, wavy brown hair, green eyes, a small nose, and full lips. She wore jeans and a white shirt.

Better: Her hair was tied back like she hadn’t had time to think about it. Jeans cuffed, a shirt buttoned wrong. Tired, maybe. Or just disinterested.

You don’t need to know her exact features — you feel who she is in that moment.

3. Know When It’s Not the Moment

Introducing a character in the middle of action? Emotion? Conflict? Don’t stop the story for a physical description. It kills momentum.

Instead, thread it through where it matters.

He was pacing. Long-legged, sharp-shouldered — he didn’t seem built for waiting. His jaw kept twitching like he was chewing on the words he wasn’t allowed to say.

We learn about his build and his mood and his internal tension — all in motion.

4. Use Clothing and Gesture as Extension of Self

What someone chooses to wear, or how they move in it, says more than just what’s on their body.

Her sleeves were too long, and she kept tucking her hands inside them. When she spoke, she looked at the floor. Not shy, exactly — more like someone used to being half-disbelieved.

This is visual storytelling with emotional weight.

5. Finally: Describe When It Matters to the Story, Not Just the Reader

Are they hiding something? Trying to impress? Standing out in a crowd? Use appearance when it helps shape plot, stakes, or power dynamics.

He wore black to the funeral. Everyone else in grey. And somehow, he still looked like the loudest voice in the room.

That detail matters — it changes how we see him, and how others react to him.

TL;DR:

Don’t info-dump descriptions.

Filter visuals through a point of view.

Prioritize impression over inventory.

Describe only what tells us more than just what they look like — describe what shows who they are.

Because no one remembers a checklist.

But everyone remembers the girl who looked like she’d walked out of a forgotten poem.

[promptsforthestrugglingauthor]

Writing Prompt #3048

"Are you proud of yourself?"

"Oh, absolutely. I love riling you up."

[write-on-world]

"Riling me up usually ends with me knocking you down."

"Usually."

[curiousauthor2003]

"Sometimes your mind scares me."

"Don't worry, it scares me too."

[charbroiledchicken-deactivated2]

if it's good enough for you, then it deserves to be made. don't let anyone else decide if your story is worth it or not.

[curiousauthor2003]

It's also okay to read your own work and enjoy it. If you wrote something and posted it a few years ago, you can read it now and enjoy the story. This is, primarily, written for you. This is the story you want to tell. It's difficult to ignore criticism and focus on the compliments and good parts of writing, but so long as this gives you joy then that all that matters. Your pieces are for you and if someone else happens to enjoy them or add to it? Thats a bonus.

[curiousauthor2003]

The Truthtellers deal

Lying was something foreign to the Fae. Obviously they knew what it was, they knew other races could spill untruth after untruth, flattering and insulting in turn. They knew about the lies that were claimed as kindness, the lies told to be cruel and lies told with little thought to either. However, lying wasn't something they themselves could do. At least, not anymore. Things used to be different. It used to be a Fae was bound to their word, to their promises, meaning that they could lie so long as one did not ask the Fae to promise. However, if they gave their word, if they promised that, for example, they would leave so long as you beat them in a game of chess, then they would be bound to fulfill their end of the bargain once things came to pass. This power also worked the other way around, one was bound to their word when making a deal with the fair folk. It was one of their biggest strengths and ensured that many did not double cross them as it was extremely difficult to find ones way out of a faes deal. However, this changed with the Truthtellers deal of centuries past. Something that happened so long ago that only the eldest of the long lived Fae remembered the time before. This deal was made between King Arseno, a mortal king, and High King Mauvee of the Fae. The exact challenge has since been lost to time but the stakes have been well remembered. If Mauvee won then Arseno would retreat from the Fae's favourite haunt, which he had been steadily enroaching on a sealing off from them for years. He would remove the iron rings around their portals forcing them dormant, stop burning the fairy rings he and his men come across and stop the Fae huntings, which ran down and killed any Fae they heard mention of. He would give the Fair folk free reign of the land and would dtop his crusade against them. If Arseno won, however, then through the High King the entire race would be bound. They would be unable to speak another lie for as long as the deal was held. This contract would be bound to Arseno's bloodline, only able to be undone by he and his descendents, and if the line was to die out then any hope of undoing becomes lost with them. An added clause so he did not need to worry about his descendents safety in the face of the wrath of an entire race. The challenge went ahead and High King Mauvee lost, costing his people their ability to speak any lies and making them retreat from this world in fear of the dangers. However, they soon grew bored with their own realm, life only spiced up by the rare mortal that wandered into a surviving fairy ring. those didn't last long for as soon as the kingdom heard of them they were destroyed. The Fae wanted to have fun, to challenge themselves and to play with the humans as they once did. They began re-entering the mortal realms, finding the forgotten portals, the few remaining unsealed. Whilst it was annoying to be unable to lie, the newer generations had found ways around it. This was all they had ever known and it certainly didn't prevent them from performing tricks and making traps. In some ways it made it more fun. This went on for generations, until a youngling saw an opportunity. The Truthteller, King Arsino's, descendent was looking to make a deal. He had been inspired by his family history and sought to embarrass them further.

Amneste was intrigued. She knew she wouldn't be able to make the bloodline undo the deal but perhaps something else. They were still so confident, that all others fooled by the Fae were idiots as they couldn't lie anymore. They didn't see the danger that came with the truth. She sought out this descendent whose name she didn't know. It would be fun to make them regret it, to punish him for his arrogance. After all, the Fae had learned new tricks but the humans, it seemed, hadn't.

[hayatheauthor]

100 Dialogue Tags You Can Use Instead of “Said”

For the writers struggling to rid themselves of the classic ‘said’. Some are repeated in different categories since they fit multiple ones (but those are counted once so it adds up to 100 new words). 

1. Neutral Tags 

Straightforward and unobtrusive dialogue tags: 

Added, Replied, Stated, Remarked, Responded, Observed, Acknowledged, Commented, Noted, Voiced, Expressed, Shared, Answered, Mentioned, Declared.

2. Questioning Tags 

Curious, interrogative dialogue tags:

Asked, Queried, Wondered, Probed, Inquired, Requested, Pondered, Demanded, Challenged, Interjected, Investigated, Countered, Snapped, Pleaded, Insisted.

3. Emotive Tags 

Emotional dialogue tags:

Exclaimed, Shouted, Sobbed, Whispered, Cried, Hissed, Gasped, Laughed, Screamed, Stammered, Wailed, Murmured, Snarled, Choked, Barked.

4. Descriptive Tags 

Insightful, tonal dialogue tags: 

Muttered, Mumbled, Yelled, Uttered, Roared, Bellowed, Drawled, Spoke, Shrieked, Boomed, Snapped, Groaned, Rasped, Purred, Croaked.

5. Action-Oriented Tags 

Movement-based dialogue tags: 

Announced, Admitted, Interrupted, Joked, Suggested, Offered, Explained, Repeated, Advised, Warned, Agreed, Confirmed, Ordered, Reassured, Stated.

6. Conflict Tags 

Argumentative, defiant dialogue tags:

Argued, Snapped, Retorted, Rebuked, Disputed, Objected, Contested, Barked, Protested, Countered, Growled, Scoffed, Sneered, Challenged, Huffed.

7. Agreement Tags 

Understanding, compliant dialogue tags: 

Agreed, Assented, Nodded, Confirmed, Replied, Conceded, Acknowledged, Accepted, Affirmed, Yielded, Supported, Echoed, Consented, Promised, Concurred.

8. Disagreement Tags 

Resistant, defiant dialogue tags: 

Denied, Disagreed, Refused, Argued, Contradicted, Insisted, Protested, Objected, Rejected, Declined, Countered, Challenged, Snubbed, Dismissed, Rebuked.

9. Confused Tags 

Hesitant, uncertain dialogue tags:

Stammered, Hesitated, Fumbled, Babbled, Mumbled, Faltered, Stumbled, Wondered, Pondered, Stuttered, Blurted, Doubted, Confessed, Vacillated.

10. Surprise Tags

Shock-inducing dialogue tags:

Gasped, Stunned, Exclaimed, Blurted, Wondered, Staggered, Marvelled, Breathed, Recoiled, Jumped, Yelped, Shrieked, Stammered.

Note: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No I am NOT telling people to abandon said and use these. Yes I understand that said is often good enough, but sometimes you WANT to draw attention to how the character is speaking. If you think adding an action/movement to your dialogue is 'good enough' hate to break it to you but that ruins immersion much more than a casual 'mumbled'. And for the last time: this is just a resource list, CALM DOWN. Hope that covers all the annoyingly redundant replies :)

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

Instagram Tiktok

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

person trying to get out of a timeloop but they keep getting brutally murdered by the other person stuck in the timeloop, who is having the most amazing vacation of their life and refuses to leave

[biggest-gaudiest-poltergeist]

they're very apologetic about the whole "murdering you in cold blood" thing but they have never in their adult life had this much free time

[official-time-loop-posts]

Official Time Loop Post

[curiousauthor2003]

The Medium's grief

Many people had called her lucky when they had heard of what she could do. They had called her special, blessed, favoured by some higher being she did not know nor welcome.

Cassia Williams was a medium. She could see spirits, commune with the dead and help them reach their final rest. She saw the listless spirits wandering the world, unable or unwilling to move one. Cassia saw the realm of the dead in her dreams, saw those being punished and those resting in paradise. Death didn't scare her, how could it make her afraid when she had seen what came after, so she supposed she was blessed in some ways. In others she felt cursed, as if she had angered a god in a past life or was descended from some great sinner and their crimes were coming to rest on her shoulders.

She was three years old when she first saw someone's insides, having left her peaceful home for the first time. The man had been killed by a serial killer and his death wounds weren't pretty. She was seven when she encountered her first violent spirit rather than the normal, sad ones, a spirit who screamed obscenities at her and tried to hurt her. Luckily this was before she grew powerful enough to interact with the dead, before they could touch her, but that didn't stop them from trying. She missed those days. Cassia was glad wounds caused by spirits healed fast and never scarred, not being of the mortal realms, as it would be difficult to explain.

She had seen horrors no child should have been exposed to. She had seen murderers go unpunished, knowing they were guilty but having no proof outside of the words of the dead and her sight. She could see the taint of death surrounding people, knowing they had caused the end of others, knowing if it was a violent death or an accident and not saying a word. Many would call her selfish, her refusal to do more with her abilities.

You see, Cassia wasn't some detective who used her abilities to catch killers. She didn't help spirits convey their last wishes to their loved ones nor enlighten the living about the fate of their relatives. Cassia didn't go out of her way to help the listless move on, to assist the lingering dead in reaching peace. She simply lived. Cassia found a place with as little dead as possible. She made her living from home, thanking the fact she was born in the era of the internet and online work. The garden was her little paradise, full of flowers, fruit trees and other plants carefully tended to by the medium. All in all it wasn't a bad life. She was happy with what she had and didn't push for more. There was no sense of urgency or loss, no feeling that she was ignoring a greater purpose.

At least there wasn't until other people began seeing the dead too. It all changed the day the afterlives opened and the dead were released back to the living realms. Chaos took over the world and Cassia Williams? She sighed and stepped back, hoping no one would find out about her unique connections with the dead. Someone else could sort this. There was someone else who was willing to help. There had to be. She wasn't a hero.

But that other person came knocking at her door.