these are just for newer writers and people who wish to improve. feel free to reblog or comment to add your own thoughts! (❀´ ˘ `❀)
# 1 — grammar, punctuation, and use of em dashes, semi colons…
grammar helps get your point across, and making your writing easier to follow. people use em dashes (—) to show interruption; many professional writers use this as well. it helps add emphasis and replace commas.
Example: “He was the last person I expected— yet there he stood.”
correct example: “Let's eat, (insert name)!”
incorrect example: “lets eat (insert name!)” — this sounds more like cannibalism, the use of commas are very important!
semi colons! many people don't know when or how to use semi colons (personally, I'm still learning). you can use it when two closely related independent clauses:
example: “He wanted to run; she wanted to fight.”
or use can use it to separate items!
example: “I packed a toothbrush, toothpaste, and sunscreen; a towel and swimsuit; and enough snacks to last me a week.”
USING GOOD GRAMMAR DOESN'T EQUAL AI
just because you know how to use em dashes and semicolons doesn't mean you're using ai. it means you're a writer who cares about clarity. write with confidence, and let your voice shine through!
# 2 — dialogue, spelling, and word choice!
to make character dialogue sound more human, use contractions, such as: “I'm”, “you're”, “It's”, etc. it makes it flow better compared to “I am”, “you are”, “It is”, etc. characters can interrupt each other, trail off and talk in fragments!
stiff: “I am going to bake cookies, it is going to taste great.”
natural: “I'm gonna bake cookies, its going to taste great!”
feel free to search up synonyms! they're words with similar meanings that can make your writing more interesting.
instead of HAPPY → cheerful, joyful, ecstatic, blissful, content
instead of SAID → exclaimed, whispered, muttered, shouted, declared
these are great for avoiding repetition, creating variety in your writing, adding subtle shades of meaning. but also don't force yourself to use big fancy words— sometimes simpler is better.
HOMOPHONES + WORD CHOICE!
— you're = you are | “you're amazing!”
— your = possessive, something belonging to you | “is this your jacket?”
there vs their vs they're
— there = a place or direction | “we went there last night.”
— their = something belonging to someone | “that's their house.”
— they're = can be replaced with they are | “they're gonna love these cookies!”
# 3 — PROOF READING + READING OUT LOUD!
reading your work out loud helps catch awkward phrasing. when you read in your mind your brain automatically fills gaps and corrects mistakes. but when you read out loud, you're forced to slow down and actually hear the flow of your words. when i was in school i would struggle with reading out loud and speaking in general— so i would get a text-to-speech tool to read it for me. even now i struggle with talking and there is no shame in using a tool to help you!
tags will be your best friend! they help readers find your work. include fandoms, characters, ships, and even tone or theme tags (#fluff, #angst). that being said, be careful with what you tag. if its a dick grayson x reader fic, and only involves them, don't mistag and add “john constantine” people can get very angry and report or send hate, so please keep that in mind.
#5 — ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY!
reblog other peoples stuff, leave comments, and respond to asks! tumblr is a social platform, and making friends is just as fun as writing! always be kind and remember the person you see on the screen is human, we make mistakes and have our own personal struggles.
burnout is a very real thing. write at your own pace, and remember— real life comes first. don't feel pressured to produce content constantly; its okay to take a step back and recharge.
#7 — CELEBRATE EVERY MILESTONE + BE KIND
whether its your first follower or your hundredth, every bit of love matters. let yourself be proud of the progress you make. not every post will blow up— and that's okay! you're learning, growing, and finding your style. that's worth celebrating all by itself. every word you write brings you closer to the writer you want to be. even if it's messy or needs editing, it's still progress.
#8 — DON'T LET COMPARISON STEAL YOUR JOY
its easy to feel like your writing isn't good enough compared with bigger writers. remember: every writer started somewhere— you're on your own journey, don't let comparison take that.
instead of dumping all the back story or world building at once, stretch it out! info dumps can be too much and make people no longer interested when they already know everything by chapter one.
#10 — KEEP A NOTEBOOK OR WRITING TEMPLETE
personally, i have a notebook— although i don't use it often. however, i do have a format that i use for my fanfics. it looks something like this, using my MUSE damian wayne x reader fic as a example:
Title: MUSE (often this is my last step)
Summary: a quick 2-3 sentence pitch of what the story is about. example: damian is facing a art block when he meets Y/N a newer artist who quickly became his muse— whether she wanted to be or not.
Settings: where does the story take place? (e.g gotham city, modern day, fantasy world, different au.)
Premise/ Hook: whats the core idea or conflict? example: damian wayne is an artist who secretly uses the reader as his inspiration, but things get twisted as she attempts to leave.
i also tend to add pieces of dialogue or sentences to keep the story going where i want.
Theme/ Tone: is it fluff, angst, a dark romance?
POV: first person (I/ Me/ My)? second person (You/ Your)? third person (He/ She/ They)?
this is what i use, but feel free to deviate or add more!
#11 — WEBSITES TO MAKE YOUR WRITING LOOK COOLER!
JSFIDDLE — to make your words more colourful! you write what you want in the first box, then hit run. copy the code in the lower box and create a post. go to the settings for the post, change it from RICH TEXT to HTML. then paste and hit preview!
COOL SYMBOLS — this is what i use!
FONTS — if you want different fonts, click here!
germansingergirl
titsay
vaporwave
romaincrisis
prguitarman
tangentwithtanner
