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If you’re reading this, send me an ask or message to convince to go write something. This is my writeblr; I follow from fourohfourlifenotfound. You can find me on Ao3 at fourohfourerror. Tags guide: "🪶 pinned post" - see the pinned post. "status: 302" - personal writing updates. "my fics" - promo posts for what I put on ao3. Currently writing for Voltron and Lockwood and Co. "flash fiction friday" - flash fiction friday posts

[fourohfourrealitynotfound]

Ok I know not a lot of people look at this blog (somewhat intentional from fear of criticism, somewhat neglect from being a student) so new pinned post:

If you send me an ask to this side blog with the 🪶 emoji, I'll delve into the (currently) 1,010 notes on my phone for a random thing my brain spit out and release a line or two of it

I promise it's almost garunteed to be bad, but this is meant to be an exercise in me learning to share my writing even if I'm scared to

[gatesofminrathous]

there will never be anything as funny as the mutual disbelief between long form and short form fic writers about each other's style.

short form writers look at people writing 100k+ fics as though this is some sort of talent given as part of a fae bargain, that the commitment required shows some sort of ungodly mental fortitude.

meanwhile long form writers look at people writing 1000 word one shots like god I would cut off my left nipple to be able to say anything concisely. i would love to play with multiple ideas. free me from the shackles of this child I have birthed. i love them but I now must take them to t-ball and doctor's appointments and they're going to destroy everything I own.

[ao3commentoftheday]

[luna-azzurra]

Steal from everything you love. watched a movie and thought "wow that scene hit different"? figure out why and use it. read a book where the banter made you kick your feet? study it. saw a tiktok that made you Feel Things? that's research. keep a notes app full of random lines you'll never use. screenshot tumblr posts at 4am for "inspiration." your influences should be obvious and chaotic. remix everything. that's not theft that's apprenticeship.

[star-shard]

Sometimes, fanfiction is carefully plotted out stories, with plot points and call backs and themes that all tie it up in a meaningful and exciting way.

And sometimes fanfiction is, ‘Watch me do a fucking KICK FLIP off this cool sentence!! Also here's some sex'

Both are beautiful forms of writing.

[wafflewarrior111]

So... I found this and now it keeps coming to mind. You hear about "life-changing writing advice" all the time and usually its really not—but honestly this is it man.

I'm going to try it.

[missroserose]

I love the lawyer metaphor, because whenever I see “John knew that...” in prose writing I immediately think “how?  How does he know it?”  Interrogate your witnesses.  Cross-examine them.  Make them explain their reasoning.  It pays dividends.

[heck-in-a-handbasket]

All of this, but also feels/felt. My editor has forbidden me from using those and it’s forced me to stretch my skills.

[ineedthesons]

This is your "show not tell" advice explained!

[tarysande]

Editor here.

First, let me preface this with something very important: you can treat all of this advice as SECOND-DRAFT ADVICE. It is so much easier to rewrite this kind of stuff once you have words on the page. Telling yourself the first draft is totally appropriate and acceptable.

What we’re talking about here are FILTER WORDS (and to some degree verbs of being). Yes, “thought” words are included. But so are “heard, saw, looked, tasted, smelled” etc.—most words having to do with the senses.

This isn’t black and white advice; sometimes you’ll use these words and that’s okay. They’re not WRONG. They’re just weaker. And they’re weaker because they create distance between the reader and the experience of the character.*

If you want your reader to feel like they’re experiencing the story right alongside the character, you want to cut down on filter words.

*This is particularly important with first person and close third POVs. The reader always knows whose eyes they’re seeing through and thoughts they’re privy to. So you don’t need to tell them “I saw X.” Or “I heard X.” Or “I thought Y.” You can just jump into the action/observation as it’s happening.

This is also where you want to pay attention to verbs of being.

“It was rainy.” Versus: “The rain pounded against the roof.” Or “The rain howled like an injured animal.” Or “The rain tapped against the window like an anxious lover.” All of these are inviting the reader deeper into the experience of the story by using stronger verbs and similes. And, at the same time, they stir feelings (instead of TELLING feelings). And feelings keep your reader engaged. Engaged readers keep turning pages; engaged readers become FANS.

[the-haiku-bot]

This is also where

you want to pay attention

to verbs of being.

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

[defilerwyrm]

The most valuable advice that Author Ex gave me through the years that we wrote together was this: the problem with all these filter words is that they create distance in the POV.

That means that when you read a line like

John saw that the curtains were open.

It immediately takes you OUT of the character's perspective and instead tells you what they experience as a secondhand observation.

You don't have to get fancy or purple with how you rephrase things like this. Not everything needs a ton of breathing room.

You wanna know what's perfectly impactful while keeping a tight POV?

The curtains were open.

Simple as that.

[misterpseudonym]

hey. HEY. artists. writers.

take your TIME

[misterpseudonym]

saying it again for myself. there is no ticking clock. there is nobody breathing down your neck. this passion project is going to come out how YOU want it, in a way that makes YOU satisfied

take your time

[ashen-crest]

I can do it. I can write a chapter. I am capable of putting sentences together. I know what a comma is. I am Aware of the Character.

[ashen-crest]

This seems to have vibed with a lot of folks, so as encouragement: after posting this, I did in fact write a whole chapter. So you can do it too! You ARE capable of putting sentences together!

[fourohfourrealitynotfound]

I would like to gently remind my nervous system that my neglected WIP is not, in fact, a tiger lying in wait to pounce on me. It is a document. Chill tf out

[sizhens-deactivated20250610]

I think "fuck you, I hate your work and I will do it myself and I will do it better" is a really funny and epic sentiment. i started publishing poetry because an ex boyfriend of mine was publishing really ass poetry in a bunch of journals and I was like "Jesus christ, this is garbage, I could do that, and I could do it better." now I have a page in the Academy of American Poets and I've published a full length collection and his website says "former poet." You should win by succeeding way harder than they do. Spite is a legitimate energy source.

[roofroofington]

Honestly I only started writing in my genre field because I saw people much worse than me be really confident about their work.

[footnoteinhistory]

I refuse to cede the em dash to non-human artificial entities

[frederickchiltonsdivacup]

Insane writing techniques that help me every time

writing

writing my words

thinking of words and writing them on paper

putting words on paper

putting them out there, words and all

typing on the keys and everything

filling up the document & shit

writing

Hope this helps !!!

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

I will write the fic I want to read

[by-ilmater]

YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOU CAN CRAFT A COMPLETE SENTENCE! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOU USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF COMMAS! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOUR PROSE IS GOOD AND RIGHT! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS YOUR VISION!

[munkseel]

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

YOU. WILL. WRITE. oh you want to write so bad. all the motivation is here. the plot is so good. words come to you so naturally. YOU ARE GOING TO WRITE. RIGHT NOW.

[bebx]

[ladyananas]

so im hearing @astolat is god??? what's your 10 commendments my liege

[astolat]

You shall seek out and enjoy art (which fanfic is) that gives you pleasure

You shall not feel guilty for spending time on art

You shall comment when you can with joy

You shall share the art you find that makes you happy

You shall not envy the size of your neighbor's fandom or pairing

You shall support your fellow fans in making art that makes them happy even if it is not to your own taste

You shall make art of your own to your own taste

You shall love your art however imperfect because it is yours

You shall share your art in whatever way you can with joy

You shall not covet your neighbor's hits or comments or kudos

My best stab! lol

[by-ilmater]

YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOU CAN CRAFT A COMPLETE SENTENCE! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOU USE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF COMMAS! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! YOUR PROSE IS GOOD AND RIGHT! YOU'RE A REGULAR WRITER! EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS YOUR VISION!