How to get back into a WIP when inspiration is lacking
1. Character exploration
You may be feeling uninspired because you find it difficult to enter your characters’ minds.
A great way to dive into a character’s point of view is writing a paragraph from their perspective on a topic like death, the meaning of life, loss etc.
I usually do this before I start a project, but it can be a great way to get back into the swing of things in the middle of a book.
2. Character songs/playlist
A lot of people write with music, curating playlists for their WIP.
I don’t write with music, but it can be great to listen to a song or two before writing a specific scene or character’s POV.
Curate a Playlist for your POV characters and listen to it when inspiration is running low.
3. Fake promotional material
This may just be a weird thing I do, but I love it.
When I really need a motivation boost, I create fake promotional material or swag designs for my WIP. Mock covers, bookmarks, posters, ads etc.
It reminds me what I’m working towards and that can help a lot.
4. Moodboards
Creating physical mood boards for your WIP or specific characters/locations and putting them up int your work space can do wonders for inspiration.
Every time you look at the moddboard, you’re taken back to the moment when the idea first got into your head - a moment when you had oodles of inspiration.
You can also add to those mood boards whenever you need an extra shot of inspiration.
5. YouTube
Every time I watch an Authortube vlog, I feel motivated to work on my own writing.
Pick an Authortuber who resonates with you and has the life you hope to build. Watch one or two of their vlogs and that should light a fire under you.
Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with your own ideas. Follow me for similar content.
Carry On // Antigone by Jean Anouilh (Translation by Zander Teller)
This post is inspired by a conversation about Antigone in Episode 22 of @bustyasianbeautiespod. Go give it a listen!
ID copied from Alt Text under the cut:
[ID: An eight image post. 1. “Tragedy is clean. It’s restful, it’s certain...” over a picture of Dean looking down on his body as he is impaled on a rebar. 2. “In melodrama, death becomes horrible, like an accident.” over Sam’s bloody hand, with Dean in the background. 3. Text in script format that says: “Dean: Sam, stop. It won’t help, it- (then) I’m sorry.” followed by “The hero might have saved himself,” A cut separates this from the next line, which says “the nice young man might have arrived in time with the police.” followed by text in script format that says “Sam: No. (then) If cas was here-“ “Dean: He’s not.” 4. “Tragedy is relaxing. That’s just how the roles were assigned. “ followed by the following lines from the script. “Dean: I- (he winces in pain) It was always going to end like this, right? Saving people, hunting things…” “Sam: Dean, stop-“ 5. “The only thing left to do is to shout at the top of your voice whatever you have to say, things you’ve never said and, maybe, didn’t even know were in you.” followed by lines from the script. “Dean: I know, but… I may not have a lot of time, and- and there’s something I need you to hear: (Sam looks up) I’m proud of you” Then text from Antigone that says “And for no reason: to hear yourself say them, to learn them for yourself.” followed by script from the text that says “(then) I love you, Sammy. 6. “It’s gratuitous. It’s kingly.” over a picture of Dean, dead, with one tear falling from his right eye. We see Sam’s silhouette in front of Dean. 7. “And, in the end, there’s nothing more you can do.” over a picture of Sam, crying. 8. A banner that says “w*ncesties dont fucking touch this post” with a hand holding a gun on each side. /End ID]
“Do not interact if you’re X” “Do not tag this as X” “X people can reblog but DON’T say anything” “Don’t reblog with X content” “X blogs don’t interact”
sir this is a social media website, were you perhaps looking for a diary?
Like mostly I just think this is annoying and weird, but seriously - you are on a public social media site. You have virtually no control over who sees your content or what they do with it, and if you’re uncomfortable with that, you need to not be posting on a public social media site. Take it to your group chat, private discord, diary, whatever - but you don’t get to post something in public and then get mad when it’s public.
All Works of Fiction Represent Constructed Realities and by Demanding a Lack of Plot Holes, You Are Improperly Importing the Rules of Objective Reality into a Subjective Creation that Must Be Judged Primarily on Its Aesthetic Merits
vs.
Dude, Just Come-up With a Headcanon Like A Normal Human Being
There’s also: It’s Not a Plot Hole, It’s Not the Writer’s Fault Your Favourite Headcanons Bear No Resemblance To What’s Actually Happening in the Story.
And special mentions go to: This Is An Ongoing Series, You Can’t Call Stuff Plot Holes Just Because The Story Hasn’t Shown You All The Details Yet
and
Well Yes That Would Be Slightly More Realistic, But it Would Get the Characters the Same Results With the Same Amount of Risk/Effort, So The Only Difference Would Be Making Everything Painfully Boring Which Is Usually A Bad Idea
These were theee formative fics for me when I first got into fandom so I wanted to share them with y’all:
Burning by Philote. First fanfic I ever read! “Sam knew that the fire wanted him. Maybe it was time he gave it something.”
Laid Low By Achilles by Maygra. “Some things you never see coming.”
Foreseen by P. L. Wynter. “In 1967, tragedy struck Point Pleasant, West Virginia. They were given their warnings. No one listened. Now, the warnings are back”
But Why a Spoon? by paperbkryter. “Who me? Freaked out? Nah. A little post Nightmare ficlet”
Transparent by Lady Ophelia. “We get a look inside Dean's head. Unfortunately, so does Sam. Some things were never meant to be shared.”
HunterKiller by Kohadril. “Bested by a demon, Sam and Dean scramble to find its weakness before it can complete its mission.”
Unforgivable by jmm0001. “I should never have let you two spend so much time alone together.' Post DT.”
Punishment Comes Limping by A-blackwinged-bird. “Sam's worst fear comes true when he wakes up next to a dead girl”. I would also recommend, by the same author, Stuck Together, The Long Goodbye, Obsession, and And The Wicked, and also recommend looking through the rest of their fic.
Laundry Day by CaffieneKitty. “The Winchester boys do their laundry. Sounds boring, doesn't it?”
Suffer the Children and the Geeks by Faye Dartmouth. “A haunted museum, a geeky little brother, and five missing children makes for an interesting hunt.”
Everything by Refur. Just trust me.
The Firefighter, the Witch and the Closet by SilverKitsune1. “Dean's apple pie life was going along quite nicely until a man stole his brother”
The Woods Are Lonely, Dark and Deep by BlueIris08 “A psychic encounter, fear, and a lot of angst.” Part 2 and part 3, TW for child abuse
Entity by Carikube. “Sam's visions spiral out of control when he is psychically connected to a girl who uses pain to ensure cooperation. Dean struggles to protect his brother, while Sam must find strength within if he is to survive.”
Damaged by Liz Bach. “In a split second of rationality, he reminded himself that he was drowning in a lake in the middle of Nowhere, Nebraska. He was hallucinating his last conscious moments away...”
Living Expenses by Tolakasa “Scholarships don't pay for everything. When you're not talking to your family, that makes summer the worst time of the year.”
This Street, That Man, This Life by buffyaddict. “Sam and Dean investigate the disappearance of a young girl...and things go downhill fast.”
Restoring the Balance by Floralia. “The brothers struggle to restore their equilibrium after Sam is injured on a hunt, but obviously something supernatural gets in the way.” Sequel here.
Dazzleland by BigPink. “"Someone goes over Niagara in a barrel. You gonna jump in and try to save them?" – Dean Winchester, Crossroad Blues. Sam's making plans, and they don't include his father or hunting. They might not even include Dean. High school in two time periods.” TW for a school shooting.
Ambush by Rachelly. “Dean and Sam run into serious trouble when hunters gang together and make Sam their prey, and Dean, his only hope”
Slave to Destiny by Lisette. “Tag to 2.21 All Hell Breaks Loose Pt 1 A mere moment of time, stretched into eternity, and for Sam, it was the moment in which months of uncertainty shifted until he was filled with a blinding, beautiful clarity.”
Obsession by ChloeNyme. “Captured with no hope for rescue, he found himself clinging to the one person who never left his side.” Sequel here. TW for sexual abuse.
The Velvet Box by Run4Nova. “Sam and Dean are running very low on cash so Sam finds a way to get some quick money”
The Golden Age by Starliteyes17 “Sam shuffled to the edge of his bed, carefully hopping over the side to stand next to his brother. His brother, who was now looking down at him with a familiar smirk. 'Sammy, you really were a short chubbers back then’.”
Unthinkable by Glass Shoe. “After a week of riding shotgun inside his own body, Sam needs to know that he's the one in control.” TW suicide ideation.
Envy by TraSan. “Not everything that threatened his family was supernatural. Sometimes danger arrived wearing a familiar face, packaged in fancy wrapping paper and sporting a captivating smile. When it came for his brother, he didn't even see it coming.” TW suicide
The Queen of Light Took Her Bow by LadyVic. “Battle lines are drawn when the touch of the Fae is felt in the town where the Winchesters have found refuge. The repercussions could change the family's path forever. Sam 18 Dean 22.”
Fingerprints by Deanish “Hunting becomes more difficult for Sam and Dean when the FBI starts a hunt of its own.”
All Big Brothers Know Magic by iwantpie “Wee!Chester. Sam loses his first tooth and it's up to Dean to play Tooth Fairy while John's away”
Not Leaving You by authoressnebula “Prompt response: 5x10 Abandon All Hope AU. It's Sam who goes back for Dean, not Jo, and Sam who thus suffers the consequences.”
Welcome to the Jungle by Muffy Morrigan. “Sam and Dean agree to help an old friend of their father's stop whatever is killing and mutilating hikers in a Northwest Wilderness Area. As evil makes itself known, the brothers go from hunters to prey”
The Devil Made Me Do It by AJ Wesley. “Sam and Dean head into the Pine Barrens to investigate a series of disappearances, and soon find themselves targeted by the local legend. Set in first season”
Bay of Fire by Scullspeare. “A hunt to destroy a vengeful ghost ship leaves the brothers stranded in the cold Atlantic, depending on each other in the fight to survive”
The Convention by Kyriebess. “Dean's 20, Sam's 16. Tensions run strong in the family, but when one of their lives is at stake, the Winchesters put aside their disagreements to defeat evil”
Parenting Your Gifted Child by bhoney. “When Sam and Dean re-visit their dad's storage container, Sam makes an unexpected discovery. Set early season 3” this one tickles me because the premise did become canon, but with Sam and Jack instead of Dean and Sam.
Violations by Tyranusfan “Everyone knows Dean's weak spot. Set after the events of 4.10 Heaven and Hell”
Devil's Arcade by Zubeneschamali. “While still dealing with the aftermath of the wishing well, Sam and Dean are taken by a group of hunters who will stop at nothing to find out the truth about Sam's abilities and how Dean managed to come back from the dead.”
None Goes His Way Alone by Phreakycat. “Dean can call him Daryl Hannah all he wants, if he'll just get here already. He's starting to raisin. And the water creeps higher”
Energies and Ice Cream by KateCyrus. “"Is that it, Dean? Do you think you're better than Skittles?" A bullet wound, a car wreck, and some one on one time with the trunk of the Impala- how much abuse will Sam have to take before Dean learns his lesson? Well... a lot” this one is kind of weird but very entertaining
Don't Let Go by ChristianGateFan “When the boys are captured by the first 'friend' Gordon sends after Sam, one with a vendetta of her own, things go horribly wrong. Did Dean come back from the djinn's near-perfect world, for Sam, just to lose him now?”
Antichristo by Evergreene. “Sam Winchester is the Antichrist. Except he's kind of bad at it.” This is literally my favorite fic summary ever.
Take a look at the over 600 fics by K Hanna Korossy
Relative Gold by Dayspring “AU. Dean's life goes in a whole other direction when Sam supposedly dies at age four. But while on the Shooting Team in the 2004 Olympics, Dean meets a tall, shaggy-haired swimmer. Can the yellow-eyed demon be far behind?”
Of Terminators and Training Wheels by girlyghoul “Gordon Walker gets sent back to 1984 to Terminate a diapered demonic menace named Sammy Winchester & his pesky Pre-School brother Dean. The boys go after him to save their younger selves but Time Travel is tricky! It's a De-aged 80's flashback nightmare!” This one just makes me laugh.
The Wrong Side of Eternity by Menthol Pixie. “So... what? Sleepwalking, teleportation, wormhole in the motel room?” Also for a particularly tragic one by the same author, check out Two Minutes to Midnight.
Blink by Twilight Hours “Dean roars, "What did you do? What did you do?" Castiel answers, "It's fixed. I put him to sleep."” TW for violent deaths.
WELCOME TO MY GARDEN by KKBELVIS. “The boys are hexed. Bobby prepares a spell to unhex them, but something goes very, very, very, very wrong - very!”
Hell's Angels by CeCe Away. “Sam screamed, turning to fold Adam into his own body, offering what little protection he could as the thrust of pain speared his back.”
One Saved Message by Mousme. “Dean decides to surprise his brother with a new phone. Even better is when he finds that he's been able to save all of Sam's old information and restore it to his cell. That's when he discovers an old voicemail that Sam has kept saved...” also check out Privilege of Choice by the same author.
Thirteen at Dinner by Jedi Sapphire. “In 1675, thirteen people sat down to dinner. The host was the first to rise – to start a quarrel – and the first to die – mysteriously, with nobody having touched him. Now, using a series of seemingly unconnected clues and accounts from various witnesses, none of whom is being fully honest, Sam and Dean need to piece together a centuries-old mystery. Set in Season 2.”
Orthostatic by StillWaters1 Sam collapsing was bad. Sam collapsing without Dean knowing/being able to kill the reason behind it was worse. Much worse.
Beneath the Trees, Where Nobody Sees and its sequels by Min Daae. “Hunting wears you down. A Sam-doesn't-go-to-Stanford AU.” TW for suicide ideation
what a shock i’m still talking about the season eleven episode o brother where art thou but this exchange hasn’t left my head since i watched it because 1. lucifer is having WAY too much fun with the knowledge that his epic pranks compilation on sam worked. the leading questions. who’da thunk it. evil little creature playing with his food before eating it. but also 2. the way sam is talking here is SO weird. it’s so formal and stilted and awkward. the current indications of his presence? he sought out an interested party? sam is trying so hard to keep this formal, business-like, absolutely not personal in the slightest. lucifer greets him by calling him roomie and asking to “hug it out.” sam responds like he’s serving as his own legal counsel. i live here
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baratheonpilled
