Keni
Jar Jar Binks Fan Club
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EXPECTATIONS
if i look back, i am lost
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
🩵 avery cochrane 🩵
shark vs the universe
official daine visual archive
Cosmic Funnies
YOU ARE THE REASON
ojovivo
gracie abrams
Sweet Seals For You, Always
Cosimo Galluzzi
macklin celebrini has autism
untitled
NASA
Product Placement
Jimmy Eat World
seen from United States
seen from Algeria
seen from United States
seen from India
seen from Malaysia
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Venezuela
seen from Estonia
seen from China
seen from Ukraine
seen from Singapore
seen from Malaysia
seen from Germany
seen from Malaysia
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seen from Philippines
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@liminalwriting
this is mildly humiliating, but possibly the most awkward part of writing dialogue (possibly my favourite type of writing, tbh) is, uh.
is trying to figure out how non-canadians express the idea of “eh?” without saying “eh?”.
I’m a walking stereotype but it makes me hesitate every time lmao
this is from my 2018 nano run, embarrassed to report that this is still an issue in nano 2021 lmao
the sensitivity readers database is now live!
we’re here to help writers find sensitivity readers to match the needs of their stories (both original work and fanfiction). we’re now accepting applications for sensitivity readers, as well as requests for all your current wips and projects-to-be.
quick links: become a sensitivity reader · make a request
image description:
Dark text on a pink background, quoting from the article ‘Sensitivity reading: what you need to know, and why it matters’, from Book Machine. It reads:
A sensitivity reader is someone who is hired to read and assess a manuscript with a particular issue of representation in mind, one that they have personal experience of. The author usually isn’t from that marginalized group, or doesn’t have direct experience of the topic they’re writing about, and so a sensitivity reader is hired to assess the book.
Sensitivity readers are worth the investment because they can help eliminate stereotypes, bias, potentially harmful content, and false information or inaccuracy. Sensitivity reading isn’t about censorship or taking away freedom of expression (despite what some articles would have you believe). The reader’s role is to improve the book by guiding it towards better representation, educating the author/publisher along the way. Diversity in books is incredibly important, but it’s equally important that diverse books portray whatever they’re writing about accurately and without perpetuating stereotypes.
Aside from improving a book, sensitivity readers are vital in opening up a conversation between marginalized groups and those outside of that sphere.
(end image description.)
The last ask about writing and progress made me curious. They say that to get better you have to just Do It (TM) and read lots, do you agree? How did you get so good?!
Yes.
People always seem to act like there's a magical way to get Good At Writing.
The way is to write. Consistently. And finish things, so you learn to think and problem-solve along the full arc of a story and not just chapters one through three.
Also read. Consistently, particularly in your genre, particularly from voices that aren't exactly the same. And think about what makes the story effective or not and how to apply that back into your own writing.
No magic, only write.
If you're looking for specific tip books, "Save the Cat" and "Writing the Breakout Novel" are two of my favorites, in that order.
Writing With Color – General Topics
A collection of WWC posts that deal with more general writing advice, character creation and diversity topics applicable to most marginalized people, particularly People of Color and some ethnic and religious groups.
Writing Characters of Color: The Generals
On “Overthinking” Writing Characters of Color
On White Authors “Getting it Right”
On White Writers Writing Characters of Color (I, II, III)
Researching PoC + Supporting Writers of Color
So You Want To Save The World From Bad Representation
Writing POC with Little Experience
Writing Authentically From Your Own Experiences
Useful Non-WWC Posts
Diversity Exists in the Real World by shiraglassman
How to Write WOC and MOC if you are White by kaylapocalypse
“I feel pressured to be inclusive in my writing!” by nimblesnotebook
On White Fear & Creating Diverse Transformative Works by saathi1013
Diversity/Representation Topics
Diversity vs. Exploiting Cultures
Diversifying a Predominately-White Cast
On “Diversity Quotas”
On Excluding Diversity Out of Fear
Different Heritage POV’s in a Story
Including Realistic Diversity Naturally
“Normalizing” Protagonists of Color
Villains of Color
White-Dominant Rural Areas and Diversity
White Privilege, Publishing, and Diversity Quotas
Writing: Making Efforts in Diversity
Character Creation
Character Creation: Culture or Character first?
Character Design and Assigning Race and Ethnicity
Characters’ Races Added Last During Development
Determining your Characters’ Race and/or Ethnicity
More on Assigning Race after Writing
Characters of Color & Culture
A Discussion on Culture and Erasure
“Culturing” Culturally-disengaged PoC
Characters of Color with “No Culture”
Mixed Race + Disconnect from Culture
Stereotyped vs Nuanced & Audience Perception
Tradition and Culture vs. Stereotype
Western Neutral Characters
‘Whitewashed’ Character of Color?
Fantasy & Coding
Defining Coding (& Islam-coded Fantasy)
Denoting Race in Fantasy Setting
Fantasy Races Based off of People of Color
Naming People and Places, Avoiding Explicit Coding
Racially-coding Aliens
Real Religions in a Fantasy World
Religion in Fiction & Fantasy
South Asian-Coded Fantasy Caste System
Whitewashing in a Fantasy Setting
Including Racism in Fantasy
World-building: A Fantasy World without Racism
Writing Sensitive and Controversial Topics
Do I Need Permission to Write About Marginalized People?
Writing a Genocide to which you have No Personal Connection
On Outsider-Written Stories About Issues Of Another Group
Outsider-Written Stories, Issues of other Groups, Speculative Situation
Writing about Prejudice between People of Color
Reclaiming negative, dehumanizing stereotypes outside the group
Representing yourself when “yourself” isn’t white
Racism and Micro-Aggressions
Everyday Racism, Friendship and White Allies
Incorporating Micro-Aggressions in Writing
Racist Characters + Including Racism in Stories Not “About” Racism
The Pitfalls of Racist Character Redemption Arcs
PoC Educating White Privileged Friend (Context: Black Characters)
–WWC
Writer Beware makes posts on which publishing houses to avoid at all costs, which words to look for and which words to watch out for in contracts, and several other things that will keep you in control and knowledgeable about the publishing process. I’d suggest reading through the website if you want to avoid getting ripped off, cheated, or scammed.
I’m just going to reblog this every so often because it’s a site that every writer needs to see.
Cog, this is brilliant and beautiful and I want it on my wall at home.
#Raccoonwriter for the win.
#trashpandawriter
This is honestly inspirational as hell.
Alternate caption for the center: “do you think this might be because of all the genocide that happened here?”
Keep my other post in mind and don’t take this diagram too seriously, I’m just having some fun.
I saw a post talking about how Terry Pratchett only wrote 400 words a day, how that goal helped him write literally dozens of books before he died. So I reduced my own daily word goal. I went down from 1,000 to 200. With that 800-word wall taken down, I’ve been writing more. “I won’t get on tumblr/watch TV/draw/read until I hit my word goal” used to be something I said as self-restraint. And when I inevitably couldn’t cough up four pages in one sitting, I felt like garbage, and the pleasurable hobbies I had planned on felt like I was cheating myself when I just gave up. Now it’s something I say because I just have to finish this scene, just have to round out this conversation, can’t stop now, because I’m enjoying myself, I’m having an amazing time writing. Something that hasn’t been true of my original works since middle school.
And sometimes I think, “Well, two hundred is technically less than four hundred.” And I have to stop myself, because - I am writing half as much as Terry Pratchett. Terry fucking Pratchett, who not only published regularly up until his death, but published books that were consistently good.
And this has also been an immense help as a writer with ADHD, because I don’t feel bad when I take a break from writing - two hundred words works up quick, after all. If I take a break at 150, I have a whole day to write 50 more words, and I’ve rarely written less than 200 words and not felt the need to keep writing because I need to tie up a loose end anyways.
Yes, sometimes, I do not produce a single thing worth keeping in those two hundred words. But it’s much easier to edit two hundred words of bad writing than it is to edit no writing at all.
literally the best thing you can do to improve your writing is constantly list out the things you like about it so that you know where your strengths are, so that you have something to fall back on in times of checkout, so that you know your writing and the work you're putting in is worth it.
When writing the first draft, don’t be a storyteller. Be an intrepid explorer, discovering what cannot be seen from the mouth of the cave.
OKAY SO THIS IS ACTUALLY THE BEST ADVICE I COULD GIVE SOMEONE ABOUT A FIRST DRAFT.
Don’t tell
Just explore
Thought it might be useful: a list of some novels with an average number of chapters & word count per chapter. source
This… this is incredibly heartening.
wRITERS! Doughnut say the word you meat to say. Say other words that are not that word. Your word-writing will thank you.
Instead of WALK consider
frazzle
bounty
kelp
brigadoon
spelunky
biscuits w/ sausage gravy
quizzical
Gary, Indiana
Instead of SAID consider
evaporated
spleened
funjaculated
rhubarbed
miskatoniced
Any time you are about to use a word, STOP! You are making a mistake. Go to this site. Put in the word you think you want to use. It will tell you that you are wrong and you should use other words. Pick one of the other words.
Remember, the number one rule in writing is show, not tell! If you use the word you mean, you are telling, not showing, and your writing will be bad.
ATTENTION WRITERS
Google BetaBooks. Do it now. It’s the best damn thing EVER.
You just upload your manuscript, write out some questions for your beta readers to answer in each chapter, and invite readers to check out your book!
It’s SO easy!
You can even track your readers! It tells you when they last read, and what chapter they read!
Your beta readers can even highlight and react to the text!!!
There’s also this thing where you can search the website for available readers best suited for YOUR book!
Seriously guys, BetaBooks is the most useful website in the whole world when it comes to beta reading, and… IT’S FREE.
HEY! BECAUSE OF OP, THEY CREATED A SPECIAL WELCOME IF YOUR FOUND THEM THRU A TUMBLR WELCOME, ITS A YOUTUBE VIDEO.
They also sent me this; which was super cool
*slams reblog button*
@findingtallahassee holy shit! This is cool!
“Authors retain all rights to works posted on BetaBooks, and can add or remove content at their discretion. BetaBooks makes no claim to any of the work posted on the site.”
Incase anyone was wondering
Thank you for sharing! Especially about the copyright protection
This is fantastic! I’ve shared it with all my writer friends and hope that they have a ton of success!
Guide To Political World Building
This is also available on wordsnstuffblog.com!
– This is a subject that I see brought up a lot in book reviews by readers, but not very often when it comes to the writing community. I decided to search the internet and my own experience for as many tips and as much advice as I could find to put in one place for you all. I also addressed a lot questions (in fact, more than usual because I know this is a weak point for most fiction authors) in the common struggles section. I hope this is useful to those of you who have a lot of trouble finding help on this. It should help me as well because I’m in the middle of tackling it for my own series. Happy writing!
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Know What Details Are Important
Not all aspects of a political system in a fictional universe are important to the story-telling, especially when the story is more character or plot driven, rather than driven by the world building. It’s important to deliver relevant information to your reader in pieces, and at a pace that enhances their understanding of events and meaning rather than their knowledge of trivial details.
Know Your Demographic & Your Genre
For certain genres and age-demographics, your world building in the area of political systems and implications should be matured or simplified. The majority of your readership should be able to understand what’s going on, and the way you makes sure of that is know who you’re writing the story for. Certain genres also require a lot less complicated detail in political world building. For instance, YA romance should have less political world building than, say, adult fantasy. Sure, maybe in the case of writing a YA romance, there could require some, but definitely not as in-depth as that of the latter.
Choose A Model to Alter
If you’re going to do it, especially as a beginner, you need to pick some form of inspiration or something similar to what you’re going for. There are so many governmental systems out there that already exist, and if you should research plenty of them and them mix and match, add and subtract, and twist until you have something that serves your story.
Think of The Implications of Details
Every detail that you make prominent in the reader’s mind should be thought out in terms of the implications. Ask yourself how this affects different groups of people, how it’s evolved over time, what it means for the system as a whole, etc. This will make your story more three-dimensional in the reader’s mind.
Find Issues in Power Distribution
Most government tension (throughout history, at least) has come from inequality in the distribution of power. Whether it be between races, classes, branches of government, figures in politics, or groups of people with different opinions, or all of the above combined, most issues stem from the struggle for power, control, and influence over others. Explore this and find new ways to think of how this could be interpreted from your story.
Think of Culture’s Impact on Politics
Culture has a major hand in how politics works. A society’s values, religious majorities and minorities, gender roles, environment, what an average citizen looks like, how citizens are expected to look, act, use their time, etc. These things all impact political situation and how it changes over time with culture, so explore this heavily.
Common Struggles
– The common struggles section of my “guide to__” posts are general questions sent in by readers on the topic at hand. If you have a question that has not been addressed thus far, you’ll probably find the answer in this section. As always, you’re welcome to send other questions to my inbox if you don’t find the answer in this post. –
~ How do I illustrate the evolution of a society’s politics?… I would choose a few major events and make the causation behind them more prominent than the actual events themselves. History repeats itself, and that’s very important in political foreshadowing and often how a society deals with political situations.
~ How do I write conversations about my world’s politics?… It depends on the tone of these conversations. The way casual conversations about politics are written can tell the reader a lot about your world’s political climate, and can be a very useful device. Heated conversations can be useful in showing different passionate sides of a political issue in your world. I would say, write them carefully and with intention.
~ How do I make the reader invested/interested in the world’s politics?… Show the reader why they should care, make them relate to it, and then make them relate your story to their reality. You have to use literary devices as well. Show, don’t tell works really well here. Don’t show the main character reflecting that the conflicts at the war front are bad. Show the war front. Show the severity. Make them feel the heavy emotions of the people. Show them the real stakes of the political decisions being dealt with in the story.
~ How do I create believable racial tensions?… Again, just mirror reality. Understand why racial tensions exist and mirror that in your story’s context. Racial tension is majorly caused by fear, prejudice, and response to the “other side”. It’s often a long, ongoing battle because it’s rooted in the way people are raised and the constant environment around them. Racism is taught, so show it’s bigger, more outstanding moments, as well as its less prominent ones. No political issue arises exclusively from large, explosive moments. It’s made up of a few big ones, notable ones, and then the many, millions of little contributing moments and factors.
~ How do I write reasonable opposition groups?… You’re the author, so you have the unique opportunity of setting the reader up to see the reasoning behind both or all sides. You can show the evidence and logic behind each one, and make the reader understand why each side believes what they believe, and the personal engagement that leads each side to fight so hard.
~ How do I connect a caste system to political tension?… Political tension within caste systems are commonly caused by people’s natural desire for power and control, which leads to dissatisfaction in cases of being on the less fortunate side of inequality. Caste systems are also typically a pyramid, which means there’s more of the underdogs. These things combine to create political storms because on one side you have few people and lots of power that add up to just a bit more than a lot of people with less power individually, but more when pooled.
~ How to I create a corrupt government without too many clichés?… The most cliché thing about typical corrupt governments is the one-dimensional evil figures that lead to corruption. Very few authors explore what leads a human who’s only job is to protect the people to turn against them. Explore their motivations and their personal struggle and justifications and you’ll have a more interesting and impactful corrupt government.
~ How do I illustrate a positive government that doesn’t come off as suspicious?… Work hard on perfecting tone, be very careful with what could be interpreted as foreshadowing, and show genuine goodness in not only the government’s words and actions, but actual results. Show your government talking the talk, and then walking the walk.
~ How do I set up the climax of a political issue?… Show the slow burn, and then the inciting events that set off the inevitable explosion. You need to establish to the reader that something is going to happen no matter what, but make the actual consequence and its place in time a surprise.
~ How do I develop a governmental system from the ground up for the sake of the plot itself?… As I said in a previous point, use a model or several to take inspiration from. In the case of world building being the centre of your story, build your world and your plot together so they complement one another.
Other Resources From My Blog That Help With This:
How To Write A Good Plot Twist
How To Foreshadow
Commentary On Social Issues In Writing
Tackling Subplots
How To Perfect The Tone In A Piece Of Writing
Tips On Writing About Mental Illness
A Guide To Tension & Suspense In Your Writing
Writing Good Villains
Tips On Writing Intense Scenes
Finding & Fixing Plot Holes
Resources For Crime, Mystery, & Thriller Writers
Resources For Writing Science Fiction
Resources For Writing Dystopian/Apocalypse
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: High Middle Ages & Renaissance
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1600s
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1700s
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1800s
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1900-1939
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1940-1969
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1970-1999
Useful Writing Resources
Useful Writing Resources II
Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics
Resources For Worldbuilding
Resources For Plot Development
Resources For Creating Characters
Mimicking Diversity In Science Fiction/Fantasy
Writing About Another Era
On Making Scenes/Characters Unpredictable
Info-dumping
Writing About Uncomfortable Topics
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