Literary Magic Floating on Clouds

Hi! I am J, she/her/hers| 22 | Student| Writer| Aspiring Editor|

[weare-stillhuman]

Healing isn’t gentle. It’s honest.

[hereiswhatremains]

"I swear there is no greater burden than to wait without hope."

— Beau Taplin from The Waiting

[silverystardustt]

my form of contraband is smuggling food and coffee into libraries. sorry book gods but a girl has to eat something besides words.

[concerningwolves]

there is nothing quite like being interrupted while absolutely immersed in whatever you're writing. i think this must be how fish feel when they're snatched out of the water by a bird of prey

[concerningwolves]

you suddenly have to exist in the real world, instead of inside the head of a character experiencing the most harrowing & life-altering shit ever. like trying to suck air through gills

[archaeren]

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

[itgetsrad]

like to charge reblog to cast

[burntoutdaydreamer]

Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or speech-to-text

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of inspiration- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

[thehomebodydiaries]

prediction: everyone starts reading and going to libraries for research again because literally nobody asked for this AI bullshit

[half-a-corpse-half-a-poet]

- Franz Kafka, The Diaries of Franz Kafka

[glassfrogforest]

[avemikesszz]

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Book Review

Book Title: Descendants of the Earth by Noa Brooks

Rating: 4/5 stars

Initial Thoughts: This book was a real call back to my middle school days. It really brought back the good ol' quest adventure with a bunch of teenagers. I really liked how this became something that was more adult than teen. It felt like a new series that will definitely feel like a more mature and aged up group of people. I am honestly super excited to see where this story goes and I am excited that I will be able to look forward to the next book.

There will be spoilers below the line

This book had a lot of characters and all of them were able to make me laugh and smile.

I loved all the representation that was in this book. We have established queer relationships, via the gay camp councilors. We have budding relationships, Margot + Logan. And we have Ace/Aro representation, at least as far as I can tell, which means we might end up with a queer platonic relationship in future books. Cam, Owen's best friend is romantically crushing on Owen. But Owen states that he doesn't really feel that way towards anyone, and Cam - being the gentleman that he is- respects that.

Honestly I love all the characters, because it doesn't focus solely on one person, even though Owen is the main character. I liked being able to jump into the heads of Margot, Logan and Cam as well as a few other characters as well. This did slow down my reading a bit, but overall it was nice to get the various perspectives on each of the characters especially when there were characters who knew more than Owen.

I have to admit that I think Cam might be my favorite camper. He is just so wholesome and wants to be seen and loved for who he is. I also felt so bad for him because he was pretty consistently the one who was injured or pushed to the side because earth elementals, while being powerful, aren't necessarily the most powerful elemental balancers out there. He also reminds me a bit of Toph Beifong from Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Margot is a close second because she reminds me of myself. She gives off Annabeth Chase and Hermonie Granger vibes with her constant studying. I doubt that I would be a fire elemental though, if I could take a stab at what I would be. I am not quite sure what qualifies people to be in certain elemental groups, but I also really like that fact. It isn't as easy as just being sorted on personality or who a person's parents are, rather grouping kids together based on what elements that they can wield the best. It is a fresh take on the "everyone has powers" trope which is a refreshing way of saying that sometimes the things that make us powerful are best left up to chance.

A lot of the themes in this book feel really relevant to today's modern social climate. There is a lot of discussion about what really happens when someone doesn't get something based off of the work they put in. There is also a huge theme of admitting to mistakes that were made out of desperation and then committing to do better after the character apologizes. This allows for a lot of character growth from both parties. Forgiveness and atonement are some of the hardest things to do but Brooks did a really good job on giving the reader some tools and tricks into how to process these difficult feelings a bit better.

Of course with the magic wielders being called balancers, the book talks a lot about balancing and harmony. It reminded me a lot of the philosophy of yin and yang, in the sense that I believe there are lines that talk about the fact that good can't exist with out some bad, just as bad can't exist without some good. This topic while being explored a lot in fiction seems to really hit home in Brooks' book as it really explores the complex meanings of what it means to truly balance the light and the dark and not assume things that are out of the character's (and partly the reader's) control.

Overall I really liked this story and I am excited to see where the next adventure leads!

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Getting back into the swing of things

So like Chuck here says, writing is hard. I haven't really been able to get much writing done recently, but I am starting to get back into the swing of things. It has been a journey but I found out that the thesis does not need to be 100,000 words like I thought it did so my goal is 85 pages and I am on like page 40. I also had a pretty major break through on where I want my plot to go so that feels good.

I am also toying with the idea picking up an old work of mine and trying to rewrite it to a much higher standard, that what I was doing in high school when I was first writing it.

I think that it will help me with getting this story to progress, and I might try and do some prompt writing everyday for a month or so to try and get myself in the habit of writing every day.

I would also love to get a habit started of journaling in a notebook every day so that my brain can process things easier without having massive concentration issues.

School starts back up in like three or four weeks, which is both terrifying and can't come fast enough. Work has gotten more intense as time goes on and I am hoping to be able to let things calm down just a bit. But since we are getting into the fall and winter months things will likely only be picking up instead of slowing down.

But yeah, Hwang Hyunjin will help keep me company as I go through and write these first draft words and build these habits.

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Senior Thesis Project Update

So this week has been good for working on the novel. I finally hit 10k words in the project, which feels really good. I have also gotten myself into a bit of a routine and have been able to write around 1,200 words the last three days.

I am hoping to get some notecards written today, with the hope of planing out a good chunk of the novel. The goal is to make the writing easier down the line and help keep track of what happens in each chapter.

I still don't know if this novel will break 100,000 words but here is the hill I will be dying on lol.

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Week 3

I am writing this on the last Friday of my finals week, which means that the academic year is over for a few months. In which case I get to start working on some fun projects that I haven't been able to with a bunch of school work.

So I am hoping to really start getting my thesis written and to set up some guidelines for me to follow in order to know when I hit a mile stone and what not.

Update: I haven't felt up to writing the actual novel the last few days. No idea why other than it has been hard to find the right words but I have been working on doing the brainstorming necessary to get this novel up and going.

I talked to my mentor and he and I will be meeting sometime soon, but not within the next week or so.

I got names of places outlined, and I have also been working on what to call the different sects of magic. I am working on putting some of these ideas down on the paper. Hopefully I can crank out the second chapter tonight and then send it out to my people.

In other news I got through two more books this week. Which felt really good. I am now up to 27 books read for the year which feels really good. I am excited to try and get closer to 100 books for the year rather than the 52 I was thinking that I would be struggling to hit.

Anyways I should head back to the writing desk and actually get these words written.

I will write this damn book at my own speed lol.

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Week 2:

So this is the start of the next week in the novel writing journey. I am about to start chapter 2 and hopefully hear back from some of my people about how they think the story is going. I am excited to write and get this thesis really going.

Update: It is Wednesday and I am not much further in this week's submission. I don't know if it is the perfectionism kicking in but I think I just need to put words on the page and let the people who are reading it know that they are getting first draft words instead of highly edited words that I got from spending about a month on the last piece. So I think that I will just go in and write and hopefully things will work out okay.

So here I sit on Friday night. I only have two paragraphs to chapter two. But I am not going to beat myself up over it. Life happens and I am just getting out of school which means that I am now able to focus more on the thesis and also being able to work on developing some other projects I have in the works.

I will probably write a bit tonight before I go to bed in order to try and help myself out by 1. Getting into a routine and 2. getting words put on the page. I will probably do this after I finish up my power point for a friendly power point presentation night.

But yeah, I should probably start beta reading some of the books that I said I would beta read this week and I might try to implement some new tools over the course of the week in order to feel things out.

Anyways, I hope to have another update by next Friday. In the mean time I might be able to post another book review, and or something else about the writing process. As usual if there are questions or if people want to comment please feel free!

[literarymagicfloatingonclouds]

Sending out the first of the weekly emails

So I sent out the first of my weekly email series to help keep myself on track in order to write my thesis. It is both extremely exciting I am also super nervous to see how everyone will respond to the story. The plan is to document and send a weekly email to friends and family with the work I did that week as well as giving a bit of an update on what challenges I was facing or how the week went in general.

But yeah, I am excited to see how this will play out over the next few months.

Anyways here's to the start of something new and the beginning of a new journey.

Happy writing and may something make your day a little bit brighter.