Hello! I decided to make a blog for writing to help me stay focused on my projects. I'm currently working on a book! It's my first one, so I'm going along for the ride. This will have writing tips and prompts I've found, and samples/updates on my book along with other short stories.
writing is so funny because i could write nonstop for 9hrs and then hit a block where im like "how do i transition between this moment and the next?" and then i just dont touch it for 6 months
Serious advice tho if this happens, it's likely because you already wrote past the end of the scene and wandered too far from the more logical transition point, and you should go back to the last time the writing felt "unforced" and cut everything after.
You can also just skip the transition. Really good writing can span years in a single sentence, like you can just authoritatively state fact and your reader will go with it.
How fucking annoying is it when you feel so restless with creative energy but you can’t decide what to do with it and when you finally try to create something it comes out shit so you just give up and sit there being all creatively annoyed and jittery.
1 - Decision Making Fatigue is a thing.
--> Make a list of possibilities.
--> Use a random number generator to pick something off the list.
--> If you hate the idea cross it off and generate a new number.
--> Continue until you either find a project or cross off the whole list.
--> If you cross off the whole list pick a random short story prompt, write for five minutes, and call it a good work day.
2. Yeah, of course your rough draft sucks. It’s supposed to.
--> Let it suck.
--> You can fix it in edits.
3. When you’re stressed you aren’t unbiased about your work.
--> Don’t judge your work while your are actively working on it.
--> Remember to drink water, take your meds/vitamins, eat something, and get sleep.
--> Double-check to make sure the restless creative energy is not displaced emotional worries over something else. If it is, displace with intention and let the worries go into your work. You shouldn’t keep stress in your head, put it on a page, or canvas, or in a carving, or a meal, or something. Get it out and let it go.
4. No work is ever wasted.
--> All time spent planning and creating is useful in some way.
--> Failure means you tried, which is good.
--> Try again. Fail harder. Fail better.
--> Keep going until you like what you’re making.
5. Love yourself enough to allow yourself to not be perfect.
--> Seriously.
--> If this is a struggle I highly recommend seeing a doctor or therapist about depression.
--> Because you are dang lovable, my friend. You rock. You do great things. I’m proud of you.
Everyone: Please please please don't write your books in Google Docs. Frankly don't use Google Drive for personal stuff.
Their terms of service say they take down stuff like content related to terrorism and trafficking, but this Google Sheet was literally a list of movies I'd watched this year and books I'd read.
Holy smokes, guys. It's way worse than I thought. Google actually took away access to every single file of fiction writing I'd made on that account. BUT I backed it all up on Scrivener yesterday by coincidence. So I haven't lost my work, but I could have just lost the 12,000 words I've written this month after a year of really intense writer's block. I honestly don't know what that would have done to my psyche.
That is awful! If you're looking for a gdocs-like replacement, Ellipsus @ellipsus-writes is a queer friendly, anti-AI equivalent with online syncing and sharing - I've been using it for almost a year now as a replacement for gdocs and absolutely love it.
I do still back up all my work to local storage on LibreOffice too though, thank goodness you backed up to Scrivener OP!
One of my favourite questions for figuring out a character’s motivations is which qualities they most fear being assigned to them. Are they afraid (consciously or unconsciously) of being seen as stupid? Ungrateful? Weak? Incompetent? Lazy? Cowardly? Intimidating? Like they actually care? etc.
It’s such a fun way to explore into who they are, why they do what they do, what they don’t do out of fear, and how they might be affected by the events of the story. And I love when characters have negative motivations—trying to avoid something (in this case, being seen a particular way) as much as they’re trying to achieve a goal.
I love you stories driven by fear for change. Stories where someone doesn’t want to take that leap, can’t take that chance. Stories where the risk is just too high, and you suffer for it. Stories where there was a person you were supposed to be, but you never gave yourself the chance. Stories where you know there’s something wrong with the way you’re living, but admitting that would mean you had to do something about it. Characters who lose your shot because you never let yourself take it, you’ll always be my favourite
some cozy indie games with summertime vibes which are available on steam:
APICO - a laid-back beekeeping sim game about breeding, collecting, & conserving bees!
A Short Hike - hike, climb, and soar through the peaceful mountainside landscapes of Hawk Peak Provincial Park as you make your way to the summit.
Beacon Pines - a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book.
Botanicula - five friends, little tree creatures, set out on a journey to save the last seed from their home tree which is infested by evil parasites.
Cozy Grove - a game about camping on a haunted, ever-changing island.
Firewatch - Firewatch is a single-player first-person mystery set in the Wyoming wilderness, where your only emotional lifeline is the person on the other end of a handheld radio.
Garden Story - embark on a wholesome adventure to save The Grove! Forage resources, combat the invasive Rot, and restore the community.
Haven Park - play as Flint, who is doing his best to keep his grandma's park up and running and make it a place for the campers to enjoy.
Mail Time - as a newly trained Mail Scout, put on your pack, grab those letters, and deliver them across Grumblewood Grove!
Teacup - help a small and shy frog on her journey to find the ingredients she needs for her tea party!
Yoku's Island Express - an open world/metroidvania-style pinball adventure, seamlessly blending platform navigation with pinball mechanics across a large open world.
Lil Gator Game - embark on an adorable adventure, discover new friends and uncover everything the island has to offer.
Dave The Diver - a casual, singleplayer adventure RPG featuring deep-sea exploration and fishing during the day and sushi restaurant management at night.
My new favourite thing is when I reread my own writing and realise I accidentally foreshadowed something important
Wait sorry “accidentally” was a typo it should have been “geniusly and with considerable forethought knowing exactly what was going to happen and all of my intentions being very clear”
speculative fiction writers i am going to give you a really urgent piece of advice: don't say numbers. don't give your readers any numbers. how heavy is the sword? lots. how old is that city? plenty. how big is the fort? massive. how fast is the spaceship? not very, it's secondhand.
the minute you say a number your readers can check your math and you cannot do math better than your most autistic critic. i guarantee. don't let your readers do any math. when did something happen? awhile ago. how many bullets can that gun fire? trick question, it shoots lasers, and it shoots em HARD.
you are lying to people for fun. if you let them do math at you the lie collapses and it's no fun anymore.
Writing Rage: How To Make Your Characters Seem Angry
Anger is a powerful emotion that can add depth and intensity to your character's personality. If you're facing issues realistically expressing your characters' rage, here are some quick tips to help you get the ball rolling. Whether your character is seething with quiet rage or exploding in a fit of fury, these tips will help you convey their emotions vividly to your readers.
This is blog one in my writing different emotions series. Go check it out to explore more emotions!
Facial Expressions
Furrowed Brows: Describe the deep lines between their eyebrows, signaling frustration or intensity.
Tightened Jaw: Mention their clenched jaw, indicating suppressed anger or tension.
Narrowed Eyes: Highlight how their eyes narrow, showing suspicion, irritation, or anger.
Raised Upper Lip: Note the slight curl of the lip, suggesting disdain or contempt.
Flared Nostrils: Describe how their nostrils flare, indicating heightened emotions like anger or aggression.
Body Language and Gestures
Crossed Arms: Show their defensive stance, portraying resistance or defiance.
Pointing Finger: Describe them pointing accusatively, conveying aggression or assertion.
Fist Clenching: Mention their clenched fists, symbolizing anger or readiness for confrontation.
Hand Gestures: Detail specific hand movements like chopping motions, indicating frustration or emphasis.
Aggressive Posturing: Describe them leaning forward, invading personal space to intimidate or assert dominance.
Posture
Tense Shoulders: Highlight their raised or tense shoulders, indicating stress or readiness for conflict.
Upright Stance: Describe their rigid posture, showing control or a desire to appear strong.
Stiff Movements: Mention their jerky or abrupt movements, reflecting agitation or impatience.
Eye Contact
Intense Stares: Describe their intense or prolonged gaze, signaling confrontation or challenge.
Avoiding Eye Contact: Note how they avoid eye contact, suggesting discomfort or a desire to disengage.
Glaring: Mention how they glare at others, conveying hostility or disapproval.
Dialogue
Raised or strained tone with variations in pitch reflects heightened emotions.
Short, clipped sentences or abrupt pauses convey controlled anger.
Use of profanity or harsh language intensifies verbal expressions of anger.
Volume increase, from whispers to shouts, mirrors escalating anger levels.
Monotonous or sarcastic tone adds layers to angry dialogue.
Interruptions or talking over others signify impatience and frustration.
Aggressive verbal cues like "I can't believe..." or "How dare you..." express anger explicitly.
Reactions
Physical Reactions: Detail physical responses like increased heart rate, sweating, or trembling, showing emotional arousal.
Defensive Maneuvers: Describe how they react defensively if someone tries to touch or talk to them, such as stepping back or raising a hand to ward off contact.
Object Interaction
Aggressive Handling: Show them slamming objects, throwing things, or gripping items tightly, reflecting anger or aggression.
Use of Props: Mention how they use objects to emphasize their emotions, like slamming a door or clenching a pen.
Descriptive Words:
Verbs:
Roared with fury, expressing unbridled anger.
Snapped in frustration, indicating sudden irritation.
Shouted angrily, releasing pent-up emotions.
Glared fiercely, showing intense displeasure.
Slammed objects in rage, symbolizing anger's physical manifestation.
Grunted in annoyance, displaying impatience.
Raged vehemently, portraying uncontrolled anger.
Adjectives:
Furious and incensed, conveying intense anger.
Seething with rage, bubbling beneath the surface.
Livid and fuming, exhibiting visible anger.
Agitated and irritated, showing growing impatience.
Enraged and wrathful, expressing extreme anger.
Vexed and irate, indicating annoyance.
Infuriated and incandescent, highlighting explosive anger.
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?
Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Haya’s book blog where I post writing and publishing tips for authors every Monday and Thursday! And don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey!
WHILE ACTIVELY WRITING the next chapter of my WIP, I opened a new document and started a different one. I need somebody to like hold the reins and keep me on one story at a time
You know, I'm starting to wonder if we as writers are shooting ourselves in the feet by insisting we stick to one WIP at a time.
So if you're feeling guilty about starting a new project spontaneously, but the passion is there:
I hereby give you permission to go absolutely wild. Open several documents and several tabs and see where it takes you. Writing something, anything, can't be a waste of time. And anyway, unhinged writing is arguably the best way to write, so go feral.
Hello, Mr. Gaiman. Fat chance you'll see this, but do you have any advice for aspiring trad authors? I wanna be peak successful. Really leave my mark on the writing community & the world. How would I go about doing that? Could you break it down in, say, ten steps? Or perhaps just share some words of wisdom?
1) write your own books. Don't try to be like anyone else.
2) Write your own books. When you finish writing a book, start the next one.
3) Write your own books. Don't worry about the rest of the writing community only about yourself and what you make
4) write your own books. It's not a competition.
5) write your own books. Say the things only you can say.
6) Write your own books. Don't get bogged down in the commercial success or failure of a book in the long term. All that matters is the artistic success or failure of what you made.
7) Write your own books all the way to the end. So many frustrated and failed writers don't get through step one, where they finish writing books people might want to read.
…imagine what you are writing about. See it and live it. Do not think it up laboriously, as if you were working out mental arithmetic. Just look at it, touch it, smell it, listen to it, turn yourself into it. When you do this, the words look after themselves, like magic.
— Ted Hughes, Poetry in the Making: An Anthology (Faber & Faber; First Edition, January 1, 1968) Originally published January 1, 1967. (via The Vale of Soul Making)
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