âIf you love books so much - why is it I never see you reading?â
me:
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@mionewrites
âIf you love books so much - why is it I never see you reading?â
me:
âș Film Facts â Wonder Woman አâ As incredibly difficult as it is to believe, director Patty Jenkins has to fight for this now-iconic scene to make it into the movie. Others working on the film were âconfusedâ by what the point of the scene actually was. âItâs my favorite scene in the movie and itâs the most important scene in the movie,â said Jenkins during an interview with Fandango. âItâs also the scene that made the least sense to other people going in, which is why itâs a wonderful victory for me.â
If youse writinâ, you a writer. If youse written and on a break, you still a writer. If you thinking, planning, and practicing your writing, YOU A WRITER.
Fanfiction, journal writing, role-playing, drabbles/ficlets/oneshots, all count as writing. Being a published author is a (a) goal, but not a requirement. Just do you.
If youâre sitting there following blogs and supporting writeblrs, but havenât started writing or really plan to, youâre a reader and we absolutely need you. Like, obviously, youâre essential to the whole process.
me, in any place but where i canât write: my brain is so full of ideas i cannot focus on anything happening right now. i have detached from the material realm. i will literally set myself on fire just so i can write.
me, in front of my empty document:
If you write a strong character, let them fail.
If you write a selfless hero, let them get mad at people.
If you write a cold-heated villain, let them cry.
If you write a brokenhearted victim, let them smile again.
If you write a bold leader, let them seek guidance.
If you write a confident genius, let them be wrong, or get stumped once in a while.
If you write a fighter or a warrior, let them lose a battle, but let them win the war.
If you write a character who loses everything, let them find something.
If you write a reluctant hero, give them a reason to join the fight.
If you write a gentle-hearted character who never stops smiling, let that smile fade and tears fall in shadows.
If you write a no one, make them a someone.
If you write a sibling, let them fight and bicker, but know that at the end of the day theyâll always have each otherâs back.
If you write a character, make them more than just a character; give them depth, give them flaws and secrets, and give them life.
Writing horses in your WIP
We see them all the time - horses in fiction. And there is so much to learn about them that it can be a little overwhelming! But I work with horses a lot so I thought Iâd be able to help some of you guys out by going through the basics youâll need for writing. (by the way, I only ride English style. If somebody wants to do something similar for Western riding, by all means, fire away.)
Horses and ponies - whats the difference?
Itâs the height. Horses and ponies are measured in hands - 1 hand = approx 4 inches. A pony is anything below 14.2hh,(hands), a horse is anything taller. Any pony smaller than 14hh would really only be suitable for children. A stockier 14.2hh could hold teens or small adults, but most teens and adults would probably ride horses. 16hh would be an average size.
Stallions, mares and geldings.
A Mare is a female horse. They can be quite moody sometimes - which they show by being uncooperative and putting their ears back. A Stallion is a male horse that has not been castrated. They can be very, very strong willed, and are typically not suitable for the novice rider. A gelding is a male horse that has been gelded/castrated, They often have a more relaxed, placid nature. A colt is a young male, and a filly is a young female.Â
Breaking
Training a horse under saddle is called âBreaking.â A horse is typically broken around Ÿ years of age, once it has finished growing. Breaking correctly is a long and patient process - not something that your character can do in a few minutes.
Gaits
Horses have four gaits. Walk, trot, canter, and gallop - in that order of ascending speed. Nobody trots away from danger. if your characters are fleeing, they are in a flat out gallop.
The tack
For describing scenes - youâll really only need to talk about the reins and the bit. Pressure on the reins (held by the rider) should slow the horse down. The horse feels this pressure acting through the bit.Â
All you really need to worry about for the saddle are the stirrups, and the girth. The girth is holding the saddle on, and the feet go into the stirrups.
Learning to ride
Is difficult! Your character wonât be a pro withing a couple of days. Its hard on your legs, and learning to balance can be tricky too. Somebody who is very comfortable in the saddle is relaxed and secure, and able to deal with however the horse acts. The rising trot, when the rider goes âup and downâ in sync with the horses movement in the trot, can be particularly difficult.
Ability
The average gallop is around 45km/h. So, bear i mind that a horse cannot outrun a car or anything like that. Jumping ability varies - a heavier horse will struggle over a 90cm hedge, but a quality animal could easily pop 1.60m (but only with a good rider.)Â If your character gallops the horse on hard ground, it could easily go lame - they arenât invincible!Â
Feeding
Horses donât eat the same way as dogs or cats. They are grazers - meaning they need to eat little, and often. Your character giving them a Handel of oats once a day is really not going to keep them alive. They need forage - grass or hay - and a lot of it.
Portraying atmospheres
Showing how the horse is feeling can be a really great tool for expressing the âmoodâ of a scene.Â
Relaxed -Â A relaxed horse will have its ears back lazily, but not pinned against its head. It will likely doze off and close its eyes, maybe while resting a hind leg.
Alert - Horses are super smart animals, and many say that they have a sixth sense that lets them know when something is coming. An alert horse stands up straight, and has its ears pricked forward.
Upset - If something bad is happening, the horse wonât be in good mood. It might pin its ears flat back against its skull, and bare its teeth. It will flick its tail irritably, and a horse will kick out or bite at something if its unhappy.
Horses as friends
Horses are deeply empathetic animals. They are herd animals too, and can form deep connections with their people. A horse who is fond of a person may whinny when they see them, and nuzzle their face and neck. A real trust can form between horse and rider. To show this as your story progresses, the horse will become pleased to be with the character, and the characterâs nerves aboard the horse will begin to fade.
ââ
If you have any more specific questions, feel free to message me. All of this is very basic, and I am more than happy to help some fellow writers.Â
Happy writing, Aoife - @writingguardian
Nice! Super useful for Fantasy writers in particular :)
Writing Resources Masterlist
The full list of resources RFW has reblogged or shared.
Editing Software
StyleWriter 4Â (14-day trial period)
Editminion (free)
Pro Writing Aid (online editor; mostly free, but offers more features if you pay.)
AutoCrit (offers free analysis for under 500 words)
Paper Rater (designed for essays)
GrammarlyÂ
Writing Software
WriteRoom (distraction free; $9.99)
Scrivener (multi-faceted writing platform; $45)
Pages (mac specific writing software; $20.99 with iWork)
MS Office for Mac (multiple programs for composing; $150)
Google Docs (free online writing)
My Writing Nook (online text editor; free)
Bubbl.us (online mind map application; free)
Freemind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
XMind (mind map application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
Liquid Story Binder (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $45.95; Windows, portable)
SuperNotecard (novel organization and writing software; free trial, $29; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
yWriter (novel organization and writing software; free; Windows, Linux, portable)
JDarkRoom (minimalist text editor; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable)
AutoRealm (map creation software; free; Windows, Linux with Wine)
ZenWriter (free and for $9,95; autosaves; Windows; you can add music; easy to carry on a flashdrive)
BigHugeLabs (online; minimalistic; free; auto-saves; you can create and account and see your documents anywhere you log in)
More Free Software
Generators
Plot Scenario Generator
Script Frenzyâs Plot Machine
GotPoetry.comâs Short Story Starter
Fictiongenâs Genre-Fiction Generator
Nine.FrenchBoys.netâs List of GeneratorsÂ
Warpcore SFâs Science Fiction Plot Generator
Ugoi.netâs Regency Romance Generator
Teresa Nielsen Haydenâs Random Plot Generator
Squidooâs Step-By-Step Story Plot Generator
Character Questionnaires
Character Development Questions for Writers (113 Qâs)
Character Questions (30 Qâs)
Character Questionnaire 1 and 2Â Â (Interesting questions)
Child Character Questionnaire (40 Qâsl)
Adult Character Questionnaire (32 Qâs)
The Mother of All Character Questionnaires (382 Qâs)
Character Questionnaire (50 Qâs - Generic)
Character Outlines (Very Complete)
Character Questionnaire Tag
Writing Communities
FictionPress (FanFiction.netâs original fic counterpart)
FigmentÂ
Wattpad
Archive Of Our Own (mainly fanfic)
BBC English Literature Message Board
Scribophile
Writerâs Cafe
Writing Community: Writerâs Workshop
Book Country
GreatWriting
Flickspin
Writing.com
Organization
Storyboard Template
Realtimeboard
World Building
Eplans (visualizing apartments, houses, etc; floorplants)
Planet Maker (visualize a whole planet)
TimeAndDate (timelines, dates)
RoomSketcherÂ
Fractal World Generator (maps of worlds)
Creating a City From Scratch
Productivity Boosts and Background Sounds
Challenge Accepted!
Coffitivity
Music For Writers
For more resources, check this tag and this list. Suggest some if you know of any.Â
Fantasy Biology Masterlist
It was about time I made a simple list of all the Fantasy Biology posts Iâve done so far, collected in one place. Some of the oldest ones are a different format, before I started doing them regularly, but Iâve included them anyway.
The species for these posts have been chosen by my wonderful Patreon supporters, from as little as $1 a month.
Mermaid Biology
Octopus Mermaid
Stingray Mermaid
Jellyfish Mermaid
Amphibious Mermaid
Monotreme Mermaid
Pegasus
Wyvern
Werewolf
Infectious Vampirism
Phoenix
Pixies
Unicorn
Cerberus
Naga
Griffin
Centaur
Satyr & Glastig Ecology
Manticore
Winged Humanoid (feathers)
Kelpie (water horse)
Cockatrice
Chinese Dragon
Winged Dogs & Cats
Banshee
Disembodied Hand Monster
Hurrok
Gorgons & Medusa
Porcine Orc
Owlbear
Dryad
As an unrelated topic, I love seeing the comments and tags on the Fantasy Biology posts. I think every one has been someoneâs favourite, except perhaps the unfortunate manticore. These are some of my favourite comments youâve made.
Iâll let you figure out which comments go where
Fantasy Biology: Dryad
The Dryad and similar creatures appear in legends originating all over the place, and have become popular species in various roleplaying games. While there are some local variations in behaviour, tree species and appearance, the common features seem to be these:
Bound to their tree, but can ambulate away from it quite some distance
Kind of pretty, kind of tree-y, mostly feminine appearance
Associated with freshwater
Appreciate sacrifices, originally meaty ones, and subsequently monetary ones.
The whole âhalf animal half plantâ concept is fascinating, but also a challenge because Iâm very much on the âanimalâ side of the science side of tumblr, but why not? Creatures that exist part way along the animal-plant spectrum exist in nature, we can tweak the features we see in such hybrids to develop a biologically plausible dryad. Iâm sure this isnât the only way to do it, but itâs the direction Iâd take.
But to do so, I need to borrow some ideas from the carnivorous plants, orchids, lichen and redwoods.
Now, to start with, the most consistent feature of Dryad mythology, and the most interesting, is their complete dependence up on their home tree. If the tree dies, the dryad dies. If the dryad strays too far from its tree, it also dies. This would suggest to me that itâs not the dryad walking around which is the primary organism, but the tree itself. After all, I havenât come across any tales of the tree dying if the dryad is slain.
So if the dryad is the accessory organism, then what, really, are they?
Keep reading
Resources For Writing Period Pieces: 1800s
Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress || Request
Major Events
Below are links to sections of a very long list of events that occurred in the century. If you are looking for major events for the specific period in which your story takes place, the links below will take you to a list that details every significant event that took place, for every single year within that decade.
1811-20Â Â
1821-30Â Â
1831-40Â Â
1841-50
1851-60Â Â
1861-70Â Â
1871-80Â Â
1881-90Â Â
1891-1900
Popular Culture & Society
3 Crazes Of The Late 1800s
Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture in the 1800s
Religion In The Early To Mid 1800sÂ
19th Century England: Society, Social Classes, & Culture
19th Century America
Everyday Life In 19th Century Britain
Eras Of The 19th Century Around The World
Industrial revolution
European Imperialism
British Regency, Victorian era (UK, British Empire)
Bourbon Restoration, July Monarchy, French Second Republic, Second French Empire, French Third Republic (France)
Belle Ăpoque (Europe)
Edo period, Meiji period (Japan)
Qing dynasty (China)
Joseon dynasty (Korea)
Tanzimat, First Constitutional Era (Ottoman Empire)
Russian Empire
American Manifest Destiny, The Gilded Age
Popular Names
Boysâ Names Associated With The 19th Century
Girlsâ Names Associated With The 19th Century
Female Victorian Names & Nicknames
Male Victorian Names & Nicknames
Masterlist For Naming Regency Era Characters
Clothing
American Clothing In The 1800s
Ladiesâ Victorian Clothing
Menâs Victorian Clothing
1830s Dress Style
1840s Dress Style
1850s Dress Style
1860s Dress Style
1870s Dress Style
1880s Dress Style
1890s Dress Style
Hats
Shoes
Menâs fashion
Mourning black
Ladiesâ Regency Era Fashion
Menâs Regency Era Fashion
By Country
1800s by country
1810s by country
1820s by country
1830s by country
1840s by country
1850s by country
1860s by country
1870s by country
1880s by country
1890s by country
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MY CURRENT WORK IN PROGRESS (Check it out, itâs pretty cool. At least I think it is.)
âNever trust anyone who hasnât brought a book with themâ -Lemony Snicket
When there is kindness, there is goodness. When there is goodness, there is magic. Cinderella (2015) dir. Kenneth Branagh
ăLove going to bookshops when I travelă
ââŠthe lovely afternoon that breathed as soft as summer.â
â Emily BrontĂ«, from The Collected Writings; âWuthering Heights,â (via violentwavesofemotion)
Anon #1 - I have trouble writing parts that arenât dialogue. i feel like my writing is almost all dialogue. I dont know how to just write whatâs happening in between, like large paragraphs where nothing is being said???Â
Anon #2 - Any tips for how to write parts without dialogue? I seem to excel at writing dialogue and getting the plot rolling, but I canât have my novel be 95% dialogue, can I? I seem to use dialogue as a crutch and Iâm not quite sure how to use⊠actual words.. and sentences⊠?Â
When I first started writing I also had too much dialogueâit read like a half-finished script. The storytelling suffered, the characterization suffered, and it was annoying to read (some genres and writers can get away with large amounts of dialogue, but as per my previous post itâs best to know the rules before you break them).
There was no quick, easy fix for this, and unlike you smart people I did not research or ask how to fix it. I just started paying attention to the ways dialogue was framed in my favorite books, TV, and movies.
Things I Learned About Dialogue
Dialogue needs to be broken up by the other senses. People rarely sit still and expressionless while speaking. When we talk our other senses do not suddenly stop working, nor does our mind stop thinking.
Recall how youâve kept yourself entertained in waiting rooms, lectures, and long conversations. You daydream, go over mental shopping lists, curse that noisy thing in the background, focus too much on strange blemishes on the other personâs face. We almost never give people our âundivided attentionâ even when we mean to.
Example:Â
âHow long did they make you wait?â
I look down as the catâs tail sweeps across my knees. âNot very long.â
âWell, it felt likeââ she sputters as the wind blow her hair into her mouth and moves it back behind her ear, ââit felt like forever. Mom was going ballistic.â
A horn honks down the road, and while she bitches I watch the neighbor kids come rushing across their lawn with backpacks bouncing to get in the car. I remember what that was like. Kinda miss it.
âI mean if you canât run a business well you just shouldnât.â She fumbles with her lighter, having already planted a cigarette between her teeth like she does when sheâs frustrated. âOh, would you look at that. Already chipped a nail.â
Dialogue is often unnecessary when describing characteristics or emotions. If your characters are actually talking to the reader instead of each other then that dialogue might need to be cut and that information related to the reader in some other way.Â
Example (bad):
âYou are my mother.âÂ
âYes, son. And your father died six years ago.âÂ
âIndeed, in a car accident. We miss him so much.â
You save on dialogue and clutter by just using one line of inner monologue or various context clues to let the reader know whoâs who and whatâs what (i.e. showing instead of telling).
Likewise, instead of dialogue like, âKaty, the pretty secretary, is really unhappy todayâ use non-verbal cues to show Katy is pretty and unhappy.
Example:
Katy trudged into her office and sighed as she sat down, her purse hitting the desk with a clunk, her unbrushed hair lacking its usual enviable lustre.Â
Dialogue is not the only way to communicate. In real life, and in films/theater with good acting, much of the communication is through body language and vocables (e.g. grunts, scoffs, sighs, snorts).Â
Visual and physical cues can also convey ideas whether intentionally or not. Sometimes just different forms of eye contact, like that knowing look from your friend across the room or that glare from your mom after youâve said something in public, are all thatâs needed to understand a scene.
Example:
Miguel looked at Elise. She raised her eyebrows. He frowned. She rolled her eyes and turned away. He sighed through his nose and went back to reading his book.
Dialogue cannot be trusted to describe a setting or scene. Every character has their own perception of their surroundings. Witnesses to a crime are notorious for having conflicting accounts of the same event. Some see details others didnât, some lace their stories with unintentional bias, and others simply have a unique point of view based on their life experiences.
Therefore, you have to use your own descriptions of what a place looks, sounds, and feels like in order to let the reader know thatâs actually what itâs like. No two of your characters should agree on all aspects of their environment and circumstances even if they are experiencing it together. If one thinks the sky is blue and beautiful today, the other sees the storm clouds on the horizon.
Example:
People were screaming and running in all directions as the alien spaceship flew calmly overhead. A woman fell down in the street.
âSheâs been shot!â someone shouted.Â
The woman had actually slipped on someoneâs personal belongings that had been abandoned with haste.
âTheyâre shooting at us,â shouted another person.Â
People started scrambling for cover. One man fired his gun at the shipâs hull, having no idea how close the ship actually was or where the bullet might come down. No one helped the woman who had fallen and twisted her ankle, and she was left alone on the deserted pavement.
Some scenes wonât need dialogue at all. Your speaking characters likely wonât inhabit every scene in your book. Even in first person POV, there needs to be another character to bounce dialogue off of, and if your character must talk to themselves it will likely be inner monologue.
The storytelling itself, the meat of the book, has to come from the author. Yours is the main voice in every scene that decides the outcome. By speaking only through your characters you limit yourself and your story. Shut them up once in a while so the reader can listen to you.
â â â
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I am a True Believer in outlining before you write. (At least, so long as an outline doesnât debilitate your writing.)
But I think some people donât understand what that means to me.Â
To me, an outline means that I know:Â
Where the story is going.Â
What beats itâll take getting there.Â
The major content I know I want to write.
How that content can be reasonably connected.
Where character development decisions should take place.
What the climax will entail.
What choices the characters will be forced to make during the climax to fulfill or deny their developmental arc.
It also means that along the way I mightâŠ
Randomly move multiple scenes to a completely new settings.
Rearrange scenes to make for better pacing.
Throw in conversations I never imagined the characters would have.
Completely change one of my main characterâs voices in the third chapter.
Have a random side character mysteriously foreshadow grudges certain characters are holding.
Realize certain characters have legitimately been holding said grudges.
Add in new character arcs for said characters to get them to work through their grudges.
Watch as the main ship progresses way faster than intended.
(Cry over the main ship.)
Let the protagonist chose to go by an alias because heâs more insecure than I thought.
Watch as his brother ruins his alias attempts four chapters later.
Create an entire new arc that revolves primarily around the protagonist wanting to sleep in a proper bed after camping for three weeks. (And do a lot of last minute plot adjusting to make the pacing still work for this bed-related arc.)
Forget one of my main characters exists for five chapters.
Suddenly add her into an arc she wasnât supposed to be in, to make up for it.
Be bamboozled as the love interest refuses to sit still long enough to let their leg heal and ends up with a permanent injury.Â
Flat out re-outline entire chapters because the new idea worked better with the character development or pacing.
Realize that the symbolism I had for a certain thing has actually meant something different all along.
Add in a motto I didnât realize was a huge part of two of the main characterâs lives in the previous book.
Take about ten thousand notes on what needs to be adjusted in the next draft.
Cry because I think the novel will be too long.
Cry because I think the novel will be too short.
Cry because I love it too much.
Cry because itâs definitely the worst thing ever written.
So, when I say Iâm a True Believer in outlining, I donât mean that Iâm a believer in never letting your storyâs surprise you, or never making last minutes adjustments, or never throwing out huge parts of your outline for something better.
I mean that Iâm a true believer in letting your story have a foundation before you write it, because any large or complex story built on a weak foundation, like a castle built in the sand, will need to be re-built later.
But the stronger a foundation you build for it, the easier it is to make changes without your entire structure falling apart.
#This is not saying that some writers donât do better just rebuilding the castle later or that all stories are complex enough to warrant outlines. #Please do not take my post about what outlining means to me and attempt to writerâsplain to me how some writers canât use outlines. #I literally put that disclaimer right below the title. #Read and think before you reply.