Makazan

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[theunfortunate-author]

my daily affirmation as an author

[promptcalender]

Himbo Dialogue

"I don't know what's happening but I'm ready to help!"

"Okay, I have a plan." "Is it a good one?" "Yes! Maybe? I'll leave it up for you to decide."

"I brought snacks." "For what, an entire city? How much is that?!" "Well, I didn't know who likes what and maybe someone has an allergy I don't know about, and also I think Jessie is vegan now, so I had to account for everything!"

"Hold on, let me process that. ... Nope, still confused."

"I am here, I had a big breakfast, and I am ready to carry heavy things where you tell me to."

"Good news, I fixed the issue. Bad news, I created a new, and somehow worse, issue."

"Before you yell at me, I was left unsupervised. But! At least nothing is broken."

[Prompt Calender: June 22nd, National Stupid Guy Thing Day]

[corpseprize]

the reality of being a writer

heres how to fix it

[asynca]

Write that one-shot. Those 3 chapters will be the best 10 chapters you ever wrote

[mysterious-gizem]

[genesis-of-x]

I just wanted to tell you how much I love your writing style. Of course the idea itself is great too. There’s so much care and detail in it. And I love that you only publish uder eclipse. Much appreciation for putting work into details.

That truly means a lot to hear. Thank you.

I put a lot of intention into the details, especially the eclipse releases, so it’s special that you noticed!

I’m really glad the story resonates with you. Stay tuned, the sky has more to reveal. 🌑

[writingdose]

writers, instead of asking ai for help, you can always use your childhood trauma and repressed issues to help you with that fic

[luna-azzurra]

Things to consider when writing a character!! --2

continuing--

⊹ How do they treat people who can't do anything for them? Waitstaff? strangers? people they'll never see again? this is the oldest trick in the book for a reason. It works. How someone behaves toward people with no social utility tells you everything about their actual values versus the values they perform for an audience.

⊹ What's their relationship with their own body? Are they comfortable in it or is it something they carry around like a problem? do they take up space or make themselves small? are they aware of how they look or completely indifferent? Physicality is psychology and most writers forget the body entirely until someone needs to throw a punch.

⊹ What do they lie about and why. Not dramatic plot lies necessarily. the small everyday ones. the things they exaggerate or omit or reframe. Because people don't lie randomly, they lie to protect something. Find what your character is protecting and you'll find what they're afraid of. That fear is the ENGINE!!

⊹ Who did they used to be? not their whole backstory. just: who were they before the thing that changed them. because that person is still in there somewhere, showing up in small ways, wanting things the current version of them would never admit to. The ghost of a former self is one of the most interesting things you can write into a character without ever stating it directly.

⊹ What would make them walk away?? from the goal. from the relationship. from the person they're trying to be. everyone has a breaking point and it should be specific to them, and please not a generic "too much" but the exact thing, the particular betrayal or loss or realisation that would finally be enough. know this even if the story never reaches it.

⊹ What do they love that has nothing to do with the plot?? a specific kind of light in the afternoon. the smell of old paperback books. bad television they watch without apology. something small that belongs only to them. details like this cost you nothing and they make the reader believe in a person completely. characters who only care about plot-relevant things are not people. they're chess pieces. sorry not sorry.

[superbpastaenthusiast]

genuinely have so much respect for authors that write more than 20k words fics; like, how do you find the energy?? what do you smoke to have such creativity? I finally have a fic of my own that just barely brushes over 21k and I have no clue how I did that

[pantserspen]

How to Fix Underwriting

1. Slow down at emotionally important moments.

Big emotions need space to land. If a scene feels rushed, pause the plot briefly to show how the moment affects the character.

2. Add reactions, not explanations.

Instead of explaining what a character feels, show it through physical responses, hesitation, or small actions that reveal emotion naturally.

3. Ground every scene in the senses.

If a scene feels thin, add one or two sensory details—sound, texture, smell, or temperature—to make the moment feel lived-in.

4. Let thoughts interrupt action.

A line of internal thought can deepen a scene without slowing it too much. Thoughts show stakes, fear, longing, or conflict beneath the action.

5. Expand consequences, not events.

You don’t need more things to happen—you need to show what matters. Focus on how events change relationships, decisions, or self-perception.

6. Strengthen setting where emotion peaks.

The environment should echo or contrast the emotion of the scene. Setting is not decoration—it’s emotional reinforcement.

7. Add specific details instead of general ones.

Underwriting often relies on vague language. Swap “they argued” for one sharp line of dialogue or a specific breaking point.

8. Let dialogue breathe.

Short dialogue exchanges without pauses can feel flat. Add beats—silence, gestures, interruptions—to give the conversation weight.

9. Show transitions between scenes.

If scenes jump too quickly, readers feel disoriented. A brief transition helps establish time, mood, and emotional continuity.

10. Clarify stakes early in the scene.

If readers don’t know what can be lost, scenes feel empty. Make sure the character wants something specific and fears losing it.

11. Use the “what are they feeling right now?” check.

After each major beat, ask what emotion is dominant in that moment. If it’s missing on the page, the scene is likely underwritten.

12. Expand scenes that feel “too clean.”

If a scene resolves too neatly or quickly, it probably needs more tension. Messy emotions and unresolved feelings add depth.

[meenahfavreadsworld]

The world doesn’t need another perfect writer. It needs your story.