well that was uncalled for

Chloe, she/her, ace lesbianMy main blog is @cynicalwindmill and my book quotes blog is @ordinarybookquotes. Give them a look!

[aquestionofcharacter]

why must my novel have a "plot" or a "conflict"?

is it not enough for the characters to just love each other and make bad puns?

[darantha]

Sketch of Reani from Critical Role for this week’s poll result. Such a delightful guest, and lovely design :)

[theartofanimation]

Caitlin Soliman  -  http://salamispots.tumblr.com  -  https://www.instagram.com/salamispots  -  https://salamispots.deviantart.com  -  https://gumroad.com/salamispots  -  https://society6.com/caitsol  -  https://www.redbubble.com/es/people/salami-spots

[writeroftheprompts]

We all know those tired clichés. It’s time to kill them. Take one of them and turn them on their heads or at least these will hopefully keep the errors out of your writing. If you think of any other way to change them up go right ahead. Happy hunting!

[writeroftheprompts]

The “dystopian” nation often seems like the only society left on earth within the genre. Tell the story from the point of view of a person from the outside trying to free the people.

[fangirlinginleatherboots]

you’re never too old to learn how to draw

never too old to learn how to write. or sculpt. or paint. or design.

learning an art is a decision, not a “talent.” you have to choose to devote time and energy to it. there are rare ppl gifted with the ability to pick up a skill faster than others, but ultimately it all comes down to the choice to invest in it.

[writeroftheprompts]

Happy NaNoWriMo everybody!

As I usually do, I want to take a second to remind everyone not to overwork yourself through the challenge. It’s a great challenge to get writers into a habit of writing but it can be overwhelming. Don’t beat yourself up if you fall behind or you start to feel like you’re failing. You can actually burn yourself out mentally and physically if you don’t take some time to yourself. I have a few other points in these two other posts if you’re interested. 

Enjoy the challenge but enjoy the writing more!

[all-is-supposed-to-write]

Does anyone else ever have that moment in which the character reveals something about themselves, that you as the writer never knew of and now you’ve got to stare at those words for while, because… what? 

[strongorcbutch-deactivated20220]

Biggest fucking mood.

[sinnahsaint]

They’re also meant for hiltops, not small rooms. Cant get the right reverb with all that echo.

[anais-ninja-bitch]

they’re also meant to make you fight the english. don’t forget that part.

[fool-errant]

My fav bagpipe player was a dude who would go out to the middle of a soccer field near my college apartment on Sunday. No one was using the field and he’d just be out there playing his heart out and the sound were just spread out over the plains. I’d be working on art for class so I’d open the window and listen. I still have fond memories of the day a kid biked up to the edge of the field, ran over to the bagpiper and the music stopped for a moment and as they talked. I couldn’t hear it but I had assumed the worst, that someone had decided to tell him to stop playing. Instead after the pause the musician seemed to nod, readjusted his bagpipes and started belting out the Star Wars theme. 

[anato-finnstark]

“The magpie”

One for sorrow, Two for joy, Three for a girl, Four for a boy, Five for silver Six for gold, Seven for a secret, Never to be told. Eight for a wish, Nine for a kiss, Ten for a bird, You must not miss.

-One for Sorrow

print availble here : https://www.redbubble.com/fr/people/anatofinnstark/works/41723089-the-magpie?asc=u&ref=recent-owner

[evergreenwords]

The fire eternal, I live in the flames.

And yet I have nothing, have nothing to gain.

From my anger I grow bitter fruits.

I deny the taste, as I bury my roots.

All I do is gorge on what’s left.

Or I take from others, indulge in my theft.

But this cycle cannot be sustained.

If only I’d given as much as I gained.

- s.z (Elemental#2F)

[evergreenwords]

I see you climb the tallest trees.

I see you digging deeper holes.

I see your empty threats.

I see the threats you do not pose.

I see all your broken bones.

I see you drag your body home.

I see your spirit fade away.

I see you do not roam.

You could not get away,

Though I think you didn’t try.

How sad to watch you empty,

How sad to watch you die. 

- s.z (I Think You Already Chose)

[writeroftheprompts]

Faux humans have been all the rage lately. It’s about the humanity, of course. It just nice that they work better than the real deal.

Context is everything. Each little tidbit could mean a hundred different things depending on what you do with it. Have fun!

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Plot A Month W4D4: My Outline Isn't Working, What Do????

Okay, so you’ve spent all this time working on your outline, and you’re finally ready to sit down and start typing. You’ve got your tools, your materials, you’re ready to put down that first word, and… shit. Shit, shit, shit. Nothing works. What happened? You had this all planned out!

This is the side effect to outlining that hurts a lot of new outliners and makes them abandon the process altogether. Which is awful, because outlining really works, you just have to push through the horrid Oh My God Why Did I Think I Could Be A Real Writer-itis. Here’s some common stumbling blocks people face with outlines, and how to push through them:

You’ve perfected your story and are not afraid of ruining it. Everyone knows the first draft of anything is shit, and that’s the very thing that holds some people back. Well, I am here to tell you one thing: embrace the shit. Let the smell of it permeate your skin, roll in it - okay don’t go that far. Really, though, you have to let go. Only by writing shit will you find the true gems your writing can create. Don’t be afraid of shit; realize that shit is part of the journey.

Your story turns left, but your outline turns right. Everything is ruined! Ah the old ‘fuck you, this scenes gonna include dancing NINJAS now!’ Sometimes your story takes a left turn. Sometimes you just have to roll with it. Don’t feel like your stuck to your outline, especially when sticking to it doesn’t work. On the other hand, you are the story’s boss. If that left turn aims you straight at a wall, it’s your job to pull it back on track. Don’t linger when you get stuck; do some What Ifs exercises to find ways to get back on track (or to find a new track!).

You find out your characters are completely different than you thought; ergo, outline ruined. The hardest part about writing is realizing you hate the designated main character. You hate the way they sound, you hate the way they act, you hate their taste in music. And you’ll find it’s very difficult to write a character you hate. So what do you do? Maybe a side character appeals to you more. Could you switch their roles? Maybe you have to go back to the drawing board for the character completely. Go back to the drawing board! Don’t suffer through writing someone you hate. Make them someone you do like. You’re the author. You’re GOD. You can make the character work for you.

You find that you hate the plot. Hopefully you haven’t spent the whole month writing a plot you hate, but if you have, there’s hope! It’s back to the drawing board, square one hope, but it’s hope! If you hate your plot, make a list. What do you hate about it, exactly? Look at your bookshelf. What books do you like reading, and how are they similar (and different) from your plot? Don’t despair and think yourself doomed; look at it as a minor setback that you can fix. Because you can fix it. You just have to believe in yourself, and do some extra work, but you can do it.

You can write this novel. Don’t talk yourself out of trying before you even get to the starting line.

[maramahan]

Y’know, NaNoWriMo isn’t actually about getting 50,000 words in 30 days

Yeah, that’s the Goal – but it’s not what it’s about

NaNoWriMo is about sitting down, starting a project, and learning to manage that project and keep going even when it gets hard

it’s about building skills and forming habits and developing discipline and learning more about yourself as a creator so you can get a sense for what writing methods do/don’t work for you

its about trying things – about making discoveries and making mistakes, and about making progress without getting mired in the minutia so you end the month with more words than you had when you started

It’s framed like a contest ‘cause goals and prizes make things fun, but you’re only really playing against yourself

50,000 words is only a target to shoot for ‘cause without a target it’s pretty hard to practice your aim

[ekjohnston]

It is, and I cannot stress this seriously enough, also about making the people in your life respect your writing time.

[mad-madam-m]

It’s also about finding a community.

Writing is a lonely business. Ninety percent of your time is spent in front of your computer or at your notebook, dragging words out of your head and forcing them onto paper. If you don’t have people in your life who are encouraging and supportive and understanding, it’s ten times harder.

NaNoWriMo gives you access to a worldwide community of writers just like you.

Engaging with the NaNoWriMo community is how I met some of my closest friends and critique partners. It’s how I joined fandom. It’s one of the reasons I volunteer for NaNoWriMo every year now: because I want to give other people the encouragement to follow their dreams to write a novel.

Maybe it gets published. Maybe it doesn’t. But for many of the people I’ve seen, publication isn’t necessarily the end goal. It’s about finally starting the project that you always said you would, and finding a group of like-minded people who are in the same boat. 

Writing a novel will never be easy. But when you have a community with you, it sure as hell helps.

[darantha]

Fenris from Dragon Age 2 for my Patreon sketchpoll! I quite like his in-game look, but decided to take some points from his World of Thedas illustration too, because of its more rugged ‘on the run’ look. :’)

[mysharona1987]

[tevivinter]

Writer friends, I discovered a fun website today. It’s called “I Write Like” and here’s the description: Check which famous writer you write like with this statistical analysis tool, which analyzes your word choice and writing style and compares them with those of the famous writers.  Let me know which autor you got! 

[tevivinter]

…I guess that’s it then 😂

[hermajestyvk]

I got Vladimir Nabokov. I’ve never read any of his works. Maybe I’ll add Lolita to my reading list now!

[kayleana-deactivated20200828]

*edit: tagging @solitarelee

[mywingsareonwheels]

Apparently I vary between Anne Rice and James Joyce. So that’s… um. A contrast. ;-)

[remescient]

I had it analyze my most recent short story and this just. It makes me so happy. I have a hand-written post card from Ursula K. Le Guin that I received after I sent her a fan letter (as in an actual letter) that I cherish. I don’t want to copy her style but it’s nice to know her influence is visible.

[ardate]

I tested with three different short fics I wrote, in incognito mode to make sure it wasn’t just using cookies to give me consistent results, and I always got this! That’s interesting.

A shame I don’t know and never read anything from this guy though..

[cruisingheightswithdragons]

… aight

[chaostheparrot]

Took two different sections from the same WIP and got Stephen King and Tolkien. High key flattered by this owo

EDIT: third try was Vladimir Nabokov, and all three parts put together as one gave me Stephen King.

[queenofcats17]

I write like Margaret Atwood

[insane-control-room]

MY FAVORITE AUTHOR ;;; AAAAAAAAAAA

[hoppnhorn]

Stephen King, every single time.

[darkwingsnark]

One three different pieces of prose, I received Agatha Christie. For the heck of it, I also put in poetry into the algorithm. Which got me Charles Dickens. Which mildly makes me sad, because my verse style is deliberately channeling Lewis Carroll. 

[micaxiii]

Majority of the time, Steven King

[duganator01]

Did it three times. I’m chill with this.

[notchristianbale]

I tried several samples. The only author that came up more than once was

I can deal with that.