Writing ❤️

Original Works, Fanfiction, Tips, & Prompts

[sandydragon1]

How NOT to Start Your Novel

Morning routine that is mundane TO THE READER. Nobody cares how long your main character showers or what their favorite kind of cereal is. Only start your novel with your main character’s morning routine if it is something that isn’t routine to your reader. Does your MC have to steal their breakfast? Include that! Does your MC feed their dragon at the crack of dawn? That’s interesting! Do they spend way to long deciding what to wear? Nobody cares. That’s boring.

A dream. Readers will feel cheated when they read a bunch of interesting stuff only to find out none of it was real.

Excessive world building. Fantasy novels are especially prone to falling into this trap. Little bits of world building that are naturally woven into the narrative are fine. Info dumps are not. Remember, the purpose of the first chapter is to introduce the MC and get the reader invested in what will happen to them, not to give the reader a history lesson about a world they have no reason to care about yet.

Too long before the main conflict. While you don’t necessarily need to dive straight into the main conflict, you shouldn’t keep the reader waiting for it to start for too long. I suggest laying the groundwork for the main conflict in the first chapter and maybe hinting at it directly. That will help the plot get going at a good pace.

Without anything to ground the reader in what’s going on. The reader needs some time to get invested in the main character. While starting in medias res can work, you need to help your reader why they should care about what’s happening to the MC. Otherwise, you might as well be jingling keys in the reader’s face. Be especially careful about starting your novel with a chase scene or a battle since those can be disorienting and might not make it clear why the reader should be rooting for your MC specifically.

Without showing why your reader should care about the MC. Your MC should be one of the main things that keeps your reader hooked throughout the novel. If your reader doesn’t feel invested in them by the end of the first chapter, then there’s a good chance they won’t keep reading.

[mossy-rock-in-a-field]

A strongly-worded letter to authors who say their own writing is garbage:

Stop it. 

Stop saying your content is shit because it’s not. You wrote that shit, and it is the best, most original shit out there. Be loud and be proud of what you produce because nobody else in the entire goddamn world can do what you do, and that’s something worth celebrating. Don’t talk your own work down just to garner sympathy and attention. It doesn’t benefit anybody, least of all you, and the last thing you want is somebody who actually believes that you think so little of your own work. 

Write whatever the hell you want. 

Own that shit. 

Fuck the rest of the world.

[isseywrites]

reminder

please don't ever delete or destroy your works :(

im a writer and im fucking devestated because i deleted all my past works a couple years ago because of embarrassment but i really wish i had them now to see how i've grown

[isseywrites]

i find it weird that others find it weird that there are several homosexual/etc couples in a fic and call it unrealistic...

like,, my whole friend group in school was 100% not straight and there were a ton of us. so some were gay, lesbian, pan, bi, trans, etc and everyone was dating each other and it was a big mess™ so idk i guess is just normal to me lol

[moon-alchemy]

Reblog if you are aware you still have far to go in your craft.

Even after years of practicing, I still feel like I have only begun to scratch the surface. 

[nihilismpastry-deactivated20230]

Ten years of writing and I STILL have a mountain of work to do. 

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Any art form requires constant growth. 

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Many of the things people “know” about vampires and werewolves, aren’t actually true. Some of these “facts” are made up by vampires and werewolves alike, simply for amusements sake. However there are some “facts” that are made entirely, from hilariously monumental misunderstandings. 

[write-it-motherfuckers]

@waysenna

Oh that’s a fantastic idea! I love it!

[vampire-vagabond]

… you weren’t supposed to know about that

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Little too late now Darling 

[vampire-vagabond]

What will it take to prevent this information getting of off the hellsite and into the world? Watching the newbie slayers freaking out because they think I’m some kinda super vamp is hilarious, I can’t allow it to be spoiled by the truth!

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Hmm… If you promise to share the delightful stories of said newbies freaking out one day, I might be convinced to request discretion from a few of my lovely Darlings ~ 🖤

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Thanks to an accidental loop hole, any human that knows the exact date, time, and cause of their own death, physically cannot die, until that point in time. Stories of such people doing increasingly ridiculous and risky things, are growing every day. 

[kraetys]

I would so go questing

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Can I come? I have snacks, wine, and knives?

[kraetys]

Knives? KNIVES?!

We’ll need weapons obviously, so yeah.

You’re our designated rogue.

I’m the Paladin

[write-it-motherfuckers]

I’ll take it!

And yeah, I usually have about seven knives near to me at any given time

[nenestansunsthings]

I can be a thief! My bluff and diplomacy are both fairly good, too! Or I can be the bard.

Wait.

MULTICLASSING!

(keep in mind that i haven’t the slightest idea how dnd works)

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Let it be so!

[flaming-ball-of-basil]

I can be the ranger!  I’m good at archery, plus I’m pretty good with animals!

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Excellent! We’re getting somewhere!

[sweetest-synblayde]

Anybody need a Sorcerer?

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Absolutely! There must always be a sorcerer at hand. 

[keeper-of-tales-untold]

Need a fighter? I’m good at rushing into things with no plan and relying on things to take care of themselves!

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Perfect! 

[touyadraxon]

Could you use a barbarian? I’m known for running headfirst into things without thinking and also wanting to fight just about everything in my path for no discernible reason. :D

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Sounds good to me! You can team up with our fighter.

[digilici]

Can I be a scribe cataloging our adventure?

[write-it-motherfuckers]

The more scribes we have, the more likely we are to get all of the details written down. You shall be gifted with the finest ink and the finest parchment. 

[spacedouterri]

Can I tell you what my favorite angst ‘trope’ is?

When a character hurts someone on accident and they try to take a step towards the person they hurt, trying to apologize to this person that they actually love (romantically or platonically) and that person in complete fear steps away from them and that breaks the character cause, god, they already know they are a monster but this person that made then feel normal, now fears them as well.

Oops

[outcastsuggestion]

keep drawing. keep writing. keep making what you love. keep loving what you make. whatever you create is probably what the world needs right now, no matter how different or unusual it may seem

[ao3commentoftheday]

I ♡ readers

here’s to the readers who stay up past midnight reading just one more chapter

here’s to the readers who like one fic - so they go through our archive and read everything else

here’s to the readers who are still learning the language of the fic they’re reading, but they’re making it through anyhow

here’s to the readers who are too shy to tell us how much they love our story, so they just tell all of their friends about it instead

here’s to the readers who kudos - and then comment “kudos” when they can’t do it again

here’s to the readers who make rec lists or run fic reccing blogs

here’s to the readers who give out prompts and ask for metas and suggest ideas of things they’d love to see

here’s to the readers who hide their phones so that no one sees what they’re reading, but omg this fic is just so good!

here’s to the readers who keysmash, reaction gif, tag, comment, quote us back to us, and otherwise let us know that they loved our work

here’s to the readers

without you, we don’t exist

[kairosandbalance-deactivated201]

Yeah but here’s also to the readers who only read half a chapter and decide it’s not for them. They give us hits. And they gave it a shot.

[writingpromptsbot]

The Inuit hairdresser was just minding her own business when a wild raccoon appeared.

[isseywrites]

i really love dream world aus and wish more people would do them :(

[isseywrites]

coffee shops and flower shops are cliche why don't we spice it up

how about have them meet at game stop person a is working there and person b is a huge nerd and is super embarrassed because person a is hot and now knows they're a nerd

OMG A MUSIC STORE that would be so cute imagine if person a is buying a cd and it's person b's favorite band and it just so happens that they share a favorite band :( and they bond over music :(

what about meeting at a gas station or convenience store at like 3 am

how about a grocery store like walmart or something idk how you'd do that but go ahead

im just going to list out other stores you could probably meet people at:

-matteress store??

-funiture store

-toy store

-restaurants

-clothing store

-pet store

-idk an office supplies store??

at this point i know every flowers meaning after reading all the flower shop aus lmao

[isseywrites]

things i do to get inspired ✨

- listen to music

- change my scenery

- light a candle or incense?

- eat something new

- read other people's works

- reread your own

- try rewriting an old work of yours that maybe you never finished or don't like how it turned out

- try writing a new genre

- watch movies and tv

- hang out with friends

- take a nap maybe you'll have a cool dream

- meet someone new

- drawing / doodling

[totallynottherealalliprince]

Dialogue prompt

“Give it back.”

“What?”

“My heart. Give it back. You don’t deserve it anymore.”

[totallynottherealalliprince]

Dialogue prompt

“Its nothing.”

“Let me see–”

“Its nothing!”

[chellewrites]

hey if you outline a lot and take a long time to write prose because you’re outlining, that’s valid and don’t feel bad about it. you’re still writing it’s just a different kind. but you’re working.