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@jvmontague
I know this is the website where we talk about artists and writers doing anything other than making art or writing, but man, we REALLY undersell how good it feels to actually work on your stuff.
Like you hit your word count for the first time in a week and its like
Feeling this one getting back into editing
Inner peace 🕊️🐱😌
So I’ve been sitting here silently apologizing to my characters for not writing then promptly getting on Stardew Valley.
Look if they wanted their story to be consistently told the little shits should’ve gone to a different writer.
Who… who are these people following me? Where did you find me?
Do I need to call the cops?
I think it’s getting bad because I’ve been putting off editing like I’ve put off homework.
(Oh shit)
LOOK, I like my book but it’s so damn needy. I’m not even getting a damn grade out of it.
To any of my fic-writer friends & followers who also struggle with writing slumps and dry spells and writing anxiety (so, all of us I would guess) - I just wanted to share something that was not my idea but has been working so incredibly well for me recently.
End of last year I hit a massive writing block. (...Again.) Partly fatigue, but also just... the ideas were there in my head, some of them were half-there in docs, but I couldn't manage to write or continue any of it. It was all too much, and I couldn't do it, and then I felt miserable about not doing the thing I love. Then a very good friend (who I'm not sure if they would want to be named in the post or not so I will err on the side of caution) shared their writing goal with me at the start of January.
The goal: write one sentence every day.
Just one sentence. It doesn't have to be for anything in particular, it doesn't necessarily have to be for a WIP or even for fic. It doesn't have to be good, or serve any purpose, or be shown to anyone right away or ever.
I've written something every day since. Every. Single. Day, for 27 days straight. Twenty-seven! I don't feel burnt out. I've stopped stressing about what I "have" to write or what I "have" to finish. I am enjoying writing again. Most days, I end up writing more than one sentence because even though I'm tired and brainfried, once I start it keeps flowing; sometimes it's a little more than one sentence, sometimes it's a lot more. I've started new WIPs, which may or may not continue, and that's fine. I've continued old WIPs because I actually want to, and even finished + posted a few things as well. I've written a dumb two line rhyme about having sore feet on the day I could not bring myself to write fic at all.
I guess if I'm trying to say anything specific here, it's: find yourself a goal that helps, don't set one that will just make you feel daunted or even worse for not being able to meet it after all. It might look very different for you, and that's okay!
But for me, it's the difference between feeling good after throwing down a simple sentence or two, because I accomplished my daily writing goal, vs. being constantly down on myself for not doing a nebulous "more", and then just not writing at all.
Person A: “You shouldn’t have come here, it’s too dangerous! They’re still out there looking for you!”
Person B: “I know… but I made a promise.”
Egyptian Revival
Yesterday's post was about the full opening of Tutankhamun's tomb, but there have been several times when Egypt has had a strong influence in fashion and art, and here I selected a few things from the 1910s and 1920s that are Egyptian revival, and of course let me know which ones are your favourites of you can add some when reblogging this post.
Here we go.
The beginning of the century marked the birth of modern dance, so we see that part of the Orientalism trend had a deep Egyptian influence from Les Ballets Russes to the Denishawn school: strong lines, profile poses, spectacular costumes, all taken from the art and sculpture of the ancient Egypt.
Here a little video of the Denishawn dancers along Ted Shawn (not the dance of the picture above), with no music because this is FROM 1913:
Also, this influence is clearly seen in the art deco masterpiece that is the dance scene from Metropolis (1927):
Denishawn students (Lillian Powell, Charlotte Brendel, Grace McCrea, Irene Pryor, Claire Niles) in an Egyptian dance created as part of a vaudeville act by Ted Shawn (not related to the Denishawn Egyptian Ballet), Hixon-Connelly, 1918, The New York City Public Library.
Vaslav Nijinsky and Serafima Astafieva in "Cleopatre", probably by Ernst Sandau, 1912, National Portrait Gallery, London.
Desiree Lubovska as Cleopatra, ca. 1915.
Ida Rubinstein with costume designed by Erté, 1920s.
Dancers from the Folies Bergère with costumes designed by Erté, Paris, 1924.
Dance of the Priest of Ra, from Dances of the Ages, Denishawn dancers, 1913.
Dance Scene, from Metropolis, Fritz Lang, 1927.
Fashion and accessories were deeply inspired by Egypt in the 1920s, thanks to the simple shapes of the garments, the use of striking accessories and jewelry, and the use of embellishments and embroidery to elevate the simple dresses: from appliqués to bead embroidery, to burnt velvet and translucent layers. And of course, let's not forget the use of colour that gives the feel of ancient Egyptian art: gold, sand, teal, royal blue, and burnt orange.
Orange burnout velvet dress, 1920s, available in Antique Graces.
Egyptian revival brooch, Max Neiger, 1920s, sold at auction.
Egyptian revival silk dress with appliqués, 1920s, Stephens College Costume Museum.
"Cleopatre" grande robe du soir by Jean Patou, Les Modes, september 1921 (click that link! You can read the whole magazine!).
Evening dress, Thurn, 1923-26, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Pair of leather gloves with silk embroidery, ca. 1925, LACMA.
Beaded Egyptian revival dress, 1920s.
Egyptian revival silver gild and enamel charms necklace, 1920s, on sale on etsy.
Of course, let's not forget the graphic arts. illustration was a key for advertising and communication when colour photos were not available. Here a small selection of my favourites:
"Cleopatra", J.C. Leyendecker, for the cover of the Evening Standard, August 1923.
Ad for Egyptian Deities cigarettes, 1920s-30s.
Egyptian Goddess, ca. 1929, George Barbier.
Ramses perfume ad, 1923.
Cover for Harper's Bazaar, February 1927, Erté.
Music sheet cover for the Tutankhamen Shimmy, 1923.
And finally an extra: a Tutankhamen shimmy recorded in 1926:
yes yes yes I will use for goblin brain book mode when the time comes
How the fuck is this app still on my phone..? Idk not mad at it. Just need to find an old account of mine to break into and uncover the nastiness
edit: just found my old blog and it was from 2019 and it was as terrible as I thought it would be and I cringed and died and then I found the first post from that blog that I had a blog before that that I deleted apparently and now I am in the middle of a fearful crisis because why do I keep making Tumblr accounts
The worst writing advice I've heard
I doubt these would be considered hot takes, but maybe you should take on hot... I'll see myself out.
Some of these are outright awful and some of this advice is bad for me and my writing process. And of course, what didn’t work for me might work for you, and you might deem some of the poor advice listed here as perfectly useful. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy it. 1: Don’t use exclamation marks because it makes your writing look “amateur”. This awful little nugget of advice is something I…
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The "Cursed" Amulet
Surprise! A little short story because why not. Hopefully you'll enjoy :D
A Misadventures of Montoya and Rose short story “This is not the amulet, Rose,” Montoya hoists up a necklace with chunky turquoise beads and a centerpiece of a carved flat stone. “This is the amulet of protection,” he purses his lips, “if the name were to be directly translated…” Rose sniffs, crossing his sweaty arms. Around them, water drips from stalactites, and the hole they dropped down…
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Me: these fictional people have stolen my heart
These fictional people: my ocs
And they don’t plan on giving it back :/
Useful free writing resources
This is a slight repost from well over a year ago, and if you somehow manage to find it, idk you get a digital cookie or something. Oh, and btw it’s mainly YouTube channels since that’s where I live. Note that there isn’t right (write) way to write, and all of these channels vary in subject coverage and levels of advice advancement. Hopefully there is something here for everyone! With that out of the way, let’s get into it.
Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube Channel
More specifically his 2020 creative writing lecture at BYU playlist
Sanderson is a massive fantasy author (having written Mistborn, Way of Kings, Arora Rising, and many many other books) and I really enjoy his work. The 2020 lecture series is a free college class (essentially) where he dives into world building, character creation, plot, outlining, and anything you would need to know about writing fantasy. I have found his lectures useful for other genres. And is overall very beginner friendly with his approach to teaching. That lecture series is the perfect place to start if you’re looking to start getting serious about your writing.
Outside of his lecture series, he serves as a massive inspiration for with work ethic and manner in which interacts with his audience. Another video of his would recommend is “Thing I wish I knew as a teenage writer”; it goes into detail about the mistakes and mindsets he had a teenager, which is applicable to those outside of their teen years!
Abbie Emmon’s YouTube Channel
Emmons is an indie YA author known for her book 100 Days of Sunlight. Her videos are short, easy to digest, and jam-packed with information about character building and story structure. Having read her novel, I can attest to the fact she knows what she’s talking about and applies what she teaches into her writing. Along with her videos she provides free worksheets to help you get started.
She also hosts a podcast called “The Kate and Abbie Show” where she and her sister, Kate, dive into various writing topics. It ranges from tactical advice to more discussion based content. You can find the podcast on YouTube (on K.A. Emmon’s channel) or wherever you listen to podcasts. I find these podcasts useful for getting inspiration.
Alexa Donne’s YouTube Channel
Donne is a traditionally published author, having published two YA sci-fi books and a YA thriller (another one is coming out soon). I have read her most recent thriller and one of her sci-fi books, and while I wasn’t blown away by her writing, she has a lot of skill and kept me reading.
Along with general writing advice and advice on writing thrillers (which have helped me so, so much), she also gets into the weeds of traditional publishing. She covers a wide range of topics within trad pub, along with more discussion based videos.
Bethany Atazadeh’s YouTube Channel
Bethany is an award winning self published author, and I have read her YA fantasy book The Stolen Kingdom. I enjoyed it as a light romp and can clearly see where her principles of writing apply.
Her channel is a treasure trove of information about any and everything self publishing. From marketing to outlining, she has it all. She also publishes slice-of-life vlogs, giving insight into the day to day of a professionally published author. If you’re looking to self-publish, check out her channel.
ShaelinWrites & Rachel Writes
Both are separate YouTube channels
Shaelin works with Reedsy and is a published short fiction writer. She provides out-of-the-box advice on the craft of writing, and offers a different perspective on the same old advice you see. She altered my perspective on writing and taught me to think outside my limited perspective of writing. If you’re seeking deeper, more advanced advice on writing, check out her channel.
Rachel hosts discussion and advice based videos on her channel. I love her insight and nuanced takes on various writing subjects. Her channel is more laid back, and is like an older sister chatting with you about writing. It’s really refreshing to see! She also talks about really difficult writing discussion with delicacy and ease. 
Heart Breathings’ YouTube Channel
Sarra Cannon is a very successful and knowledgeable self published romance/YA urban fantasy writer. Having been in the game for a decade, she’s a wealth of information on self publishing, outlining, and inspiration. She taught me how to manage and write a series (see her playlist “how to write and plan a series”), which many authors don’t get into!
Liselle Sambury’s YouTube Channel
Sambury is a traditionally published YA fantasy author of Blood Like Magic and its sequel Blood Like Fate. I found her “Debut Diary” series a useful insight into what it’s like debuting into the trad pub space. Overall, her content is more slice-of-life vlogging, but I find it relaxing to watch. She does have some advice videos sprinkled in, but it’s not the focus of her channel.
Masterclass.com
If you quickly need to know anything about any writing subject, look no further than masterclass articles. While the articles themselves vary in quality and specificity, they’re easy to read and get you started in your research about any writing topic.
And the best channel I’ve found for writing is:
Diane Callahan — Quotidian Writer
This channel single handedly lead to so many breakthroughs with my writing improvement. The channel is professional, covers in-depth and advanced writing advice on so many subjects. She provides concrete examples of all of her advice. I wouldn’t recommend this channel for a complete beginner, seeing as the information can her overwhelming, but if you’re tired of seeing the same three bits of advice and want to take your writing to the next level, check out this channel.
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you found this list helpful, and I wish you the best in your writing journey.
The Cost of Improvement
Recently, I made an Instagram post comparing my writing from 2019/2020, to 2022 to serve as encouragement, to show how I’ve gotten better, but it ended up making me melancholy. Objectively, I got better: my descriptions are more vivid, my dialogue has nuance, and my characters are deeper, yet something is missing. I improved, but at what cost? My main project from 2019/2020 was titled Princiepoo…
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I’m sick of it. No more characters living rent-free in my head. Y’all have wreaked the furniture, the kitchen is a mess, and you somehow messed up the plumbing. Not standing for it anymore, pay up. I’m getting rich.
