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writing sideblog || writes fic and original work

[wordsnstuff]

Guide To Writing Found Family

This is also available on wordsnstuffblog.com!

– Found family is a very popular trope that I don’t often see explored in technical writing resources, and as a person who is currently in the middle of developing one for my own series, I decided to make a resource for those who were also confused when approaching this character dynamic. If you have anything to add to the topic, feel free to comment down below for the other writers out there. Hopefully this is helpful to those who need a place to start. Happy writing!

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Avoiding Romantic Subtext

This is one of the hardest obstacles to sidestep when writing an unusual dynamic, and for certain genres it can be ten times worse. For example, in fiction written specifically for young adults, there’s a baseline expectation for a hefty amount of romantic tension, and readers will often insert it no matter what the text and subtext suggests. In order to prevent this automatic insertion of romance in the reader’s interpretation, it’s wise to establish a clear and reasonable explanation for why the relationships are platonic and will never develop into something more. 

It’s not a good idea to go for the “person a nor person b has ever considered this relationship blossoming romantically” because that’s often the basis for romantic stories, and will leave that wiggle room for the reader to run with. Show in the way they interact and perhaps in the narration/first person that each party has thought of that scenario and ultimately come to the conclusion that there’s just no romantic potential.

Showing Familial Relationships

Families rely on each other and in diverse ways. The way these individuals interact and build a familial bond is determined (often) by the way in which they form a dependence on the other, and this is more often than not in found family stories, a healthy dependence. It shows the other person’s reliability, care, and compassion, and the way this develops is different for family than it is for friends. 

Certain family members also have specific types of humor when it comes to each other. A father and a daughter will have a different sense of humor or understanding with each other than maybe the daughter and her brother do, and this all adds to form a vivid dynamic in your reader’s head that will alter the way they perceive relationships. Found family will be exactly the same, but they’ll have different backstories and different reasons why that sense of humor or understanding has developed that way.

Friendship vs. Family

Found family is unique in the way that readers can very easily perceive a relationship as close friendship rather than a familial one. However, friendship lacks a certain vulnerability and dependence that found family can use to its advantage, because family sees each other at their highs and lows and conflict usually carries different implications. 

Family also implies a different attitude and motivation behind the relationship. Conflicts between family members are less severe in the long-run because there’s a ground-level understanding that no matter what happens, arguments will end in forgiveness and closure, whereas that is not necessarily guaranteed with friendships or romances. The motivation, also, is different in the sense that found family is more often meant to last a lifetime, and therefore is less fragile and opens the door for more open communication and vulnerability.

Converting Tension to Intimacy

When you’re tasked with turning a tense, unfriendly relationship into a close and familial one, it’s daunting to even begin thinking about how to go about it.  First, it’s important to understand the function of this stage of their relationship as a starting point for growth in both of the characters rather than merely a device to create drama for the reader to munch on. Intimacy of any kind develops out of mutual growth, vulnerability, and understanding, and in order to convey these things to the reader, you need to take your time letting this stage simmer. If you extinguish the tension too fast, it will read as shallow and futile, and it will throw a wrench in the natural pacing.

Now, the transition from tension to intimacy is a several step process and does not happen in one chapter. Mindsets, perceptions, and attitudes change over time as both the reader and the characters learn more information and experience more genuine interaction. The relationship, as I mentioned earlier, will change as the characters see each other in increasingly vulnerable situations and in periods of growth, and as they witness this their understanding of the other and ultimate acceptance will change the way they treat each other and their mutual perceptions of one another’s place in their lives. This usually happens in the subtextual area of the story, excluding events that are formulated specifically to depict this evolution.

Different Sizes of Families

The size of the invented family very much impacts the way that the group relationship develops. For example, two or three people who develop a family-like connection will be much more intimate and dependent than a created family that includes ten. Larger groups imply more diverse, but also more shallow representations of what relationships between family members can be, but they often leave more room for relatability and comedy. Smaller families work well for more serious struggles, and make more sense with characters that deal with serious issues that a real person wouldn’t be comfortable giving all the details about to ten other people. 

There’s definitely a spectrum and it fluctuates wildly for different types of stories, genres, character archetypes, and themes. Deciding how large to make this found family really depends on the fine details and requires some time and thought.

Common Struggles

~ Bringing people together when there’s an age gap… Age gaps can serve really well in the area of establishing a familial relationship without suggesting romance because most readers will assume that a close relationship between a younger woman and an older (say, 65 year old) man is more of a father-daughter relationship than a romantic one. The way you an bring together two people with an age gap and establishing a familial relationship is by playing on the aspect of guidance and support that a parent or typically older figure would provide to a younger, more naive person. This can come off trope-y but, like any other aspect of a story, putting an original twist on it can make it more original and interesting to the reader. 

~ Starting with tension… This is very common in the case of a sibling-type relationship or a guardianship situation. Usually, there’s some resistance from the party that does not hold the upper hand, and this can create tension in both of them. I suggest that if you’re going to develop a tense relationship into a close one that resembles family, then avoid tropes. There are so many ways that you can twist these ideas and situations based on your world and characters’ traits, so don’t go straight for the “I hate you because you’re trying to control me even though you’re not my real dad” thing.

Other Resources

Useful Writing Resources

Useful Writing Resources II

Resources For Describing Characters

Resources For Describing Emotions

Resources For Creating Characters

Resources For World Building

Resources For Plot Development

Resources For Writing Science Fiction

Resources For Writing Dystopian/Apocalypse

Resources For Fantasy & Mythology Writers

Giving Characters Bad Traits

Writing Children

Having Trouble Connecting To Your Characters?

On Making Scenes/Characters Unpredictable

Keeping Characters From Sounding Identical

Writing About Uncomfortable Topics

How To Foreshadow

Commentary On Social Issues In Writing

Tackling Subplots

How To Make A Scene More Heartfelt

How To Develop A Distinct Voice In Your Writing

How To Perfect The Tone In A Piece Of Writing

A Guide To Tension & Suspense In Your Writing

Writing Arguments Between Characters

Ways To Fit Character Development Into your Story

Tips On Writing Intense Scenes

Showing vs. Telling

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[bassiter]

Visit Original Link

Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens except you can hear it inexplicably playing - by a whole orchestra no less - while lost in the forest at night. You have a gut feeling that you shouldn’t, but following the music seems like your best bet at no longer being lost. Nevermind that you keep hearing footsteps around you that aren’t yours - there’s no one there, no matter how many times you check. 

[ranaeissance]

this is one of my absolute favourite classical pieces and this audio edit / mood makes it 1938298x better

[bellonas]

flower shop/tattoo parlor aus are out and THIS as an au is in

[writeblrsummerfest]

and some character questions!

-

who gets car sick?

who won’t eat diner food? who orders it a-la mode?

which character drops all their money at the first gas station? 

who buys a post card at every gas station?

[petalprose]

oh i am absolutely going to mash universes 2gether 4 this

- pine does! haven finds this hilarious bc "youre a whole entire god?? why do you get carsick of all things!" and pine has to gently close their eyes and block him out bc otherwise haven would find himself on the sun

- oh, eris and halo.

- cain does oh my god cain does. when he gets back to the car halo, who is at the wheel, experiences a microaggression

- cain and pine do! eris does, but she also buys a whole lot of other things along with them.

[elidyce]

18th Century Manners

I love Regency Romance, don’t get me wrong, it’s one of my all-time favourite genres, but I really feel like there are not enough people who appreciate the non-romance shenanigans that the rigid code of politeness in force in Approximate-Regency-Period England allows. Where are the stories about:

1. Someone accidentally wanders into the wrong social group without realizing it, Certain Things are never openly discussed, ergo two discreetly gay dudes have been effectively members of a smuggling operation for like 4 years without anyone noticing the misunderstanding. A Discreet Communication Carried For A Friend is a  Discreet Communication Carried For A Friend, after all. 

2. Elderly matriarch of large and successful family is discovered on her death to be the widow of the wrong Sir Henry, at no point did anyone notice because It’s Rude To Pry, entire family has been slavishly obeying the whims of a completely unrelated stranger for 30 years purely because she turned up and announced that she was Eccentric Uncle Henry’s widow. 

3. Trans dude makes his first foray out in male attire, meets a bunch of Lively Young Gentlemen while out drinking, they’re friends now, his entire made-up-on-the-spot backstory is accepted without question, nobody questions him for the next 50 years because he’s Lord So-and-so’s Dear Chum and therefore is just presumed to have been vetted at some point. Once or twice a Fellow Chum finds out, is mildly shocked, and then Never Speaks Of It Again Because One Does Not. 

4. Being a werewolf is HELL when it takes 2-3 hours to get dressed to socially acceptable standards and all the best parties are on full moon nights so people can see to drive home. 

5. Angry ex shows up to be poisonously sweet at a party, it is Literally Unthinkable to be so rude as to tell them to leave. 

6. All your friends are 100% down to help each other cover up a scandal. So far your friends-group has concealed 1 lesbian affair, 2 het affairs, smuggling, extortion, and 2 murders. 

7. Being an obnoxious old lady is super fun when everyone else is too polite to Sass You Back. You eventually find a stroppy young woman who drops even sicker burns than you do and adopt her as your heir. 

[shmuliawrites]

Happy fanfiction writers appreciation day!

To any new writers: Be brave! Take the plunge and post your fics - the world can’t wait to read them, and I’m sure they’re wonderful! And if you’ve already done so, then congratulations, and welcome to the world of writing!

To any old writers: Thank you, and keep going! Your fics are appreciated and enjoyed, and hopefully whatever comes next is as loved as it deserves to be!

To the popular writers: Well done on getting your work out there! It’s wonderful to see fics with so many notes, and I hope your next fic is just as appreciated!

To the writers who get 3 notes: Your work is no less amazing than those who get thousands of notes. Keep going, because there are people who adore what you write. You are fantastic and loved.

To the writers who post fics regularly: You are incredible, and should be both admired and feared. Well done for your wonderful work ethic, and for bringing quality writing to your fandoms!

To the writers who update irregularly: You are brilliant. Writing is hard, and just because you don’t update frequently doesn’t detract from the fact that you’re incredible people who are writing for nothing but pleasure. I hope your writing is going well, and that you know that your fics (and you!) are loved.

To the writers who have lost their inspiration: Don’t worry! Inspiration comes and goes, and hopefully your enthusiasm for your fics will come back. Until then, know that the writing you’ve already done is wonderful, and if you decide to continue, it’ll be fantastic.

To every writer: Thank you ❤️

[shewasholy]

What they don't tell you

is that Icarus never loved

　　　　　　　　　the Sun —

　 　　he loved the wind,

　　　　　　　his freedom,

　　　　　 　　　 the sea,

but Apollo was greedy:

　　　he saw this boy in the sky,

laughing, happily, about his quest

　　　　　that was impossible,

　　　maybe dangerous.

Icarus never loved the Sun.

It had been his destruction,

　　　　　as for Daphne,

　　　　　　　　Hyacinth

　　　 　　　　Kassandra.

　　　Icarus loved his life —

and when he fell, burning,

　　　moaning, he laughed

because he'd never have been

property of that god,

　　　　　　disgrace of mortals,

　　　　　　　　　　　　　of love,

　　　of the day and the night;

he would've belong

deep down to the ocean,

to the water.

　　　Icarus loved the sea,

　　　　　　　　and his freedom,

　　　　　　　　　　　and his death.

[thewriterswitch]

Writer 1: I need to know everything about the characters and plot before I begin.

Writer 2: I’ll write a vague outline but I don’t have enough faith in myself to believe that I’ll actually follow the outline so I won’t put too much effort into it.

Writer 3: I know nothing about this story, so I should probably start writing.

[whicheverwarrior]

The first rule of writing is hoard notebooks

[raevenlywrites]

The second rule of writing is we do not write in our notebook hoard

[asmolbirb]

the hanahaki disease is so fascinating to me because there is no documented origin, there is no myth or legend or anything of that sort from which it was derived, there’s no history behind it. one day some fanfic author said “this is a good concept” and it caught on like wildfire and now it’s been integrated into kpop fanfic culture as a pretty prevalent trope, and it’s spreading to other fandoms as well. how fucking cool is that. how cool is it that fanfic authors are creating beauty on such a high magnitude. it blows me the fuck away.

[dabbingintoart]

I was reading a bit about this (cause I’m RPing this disease) and it turns out that this was used in a manga called “Hanahaki Otome” or “The Girl Who Spit Flowers” which was published in 2009.

[fangirlofall]

Today on people taking credit for things they didn’t do

[asmolbirb]

Okay so since this version of the post is taking off… I want to clarify that I’ve known for at least a year and a half that the Hanahaki disease originated from Hanahaki Otome (and I have a reblog somewhere in the notes from like a year ago where I talked about this + mentioned that I was able to buy the manga as well)

But I maintain that Kpop fic gave the Hanahaki the Western popularity it enjoys today. I made this post 3-ish years ago, at which point there was next to no (English) info on the Hanahaki online except for a Wattpad post and sporadic usage in fanfic, specifically Kpop fic. Iirc, I believe the first English Hanahaki fic on both AO3 and FFN is a BTS fic from 2014, and a lot of the highest search results for the Hanahaki at the time were for Kpop fic and art (the 2015 EXO fancomic comes to mind). At the time, I couldn’t find a single source for the Hanahaki that didn’t just circle back to doujinshi or Kpop fic — and boy did I try.

Even if you want to dispute that Kpop fic in particular popularized the Hanahaki, it is undeniable that fanfic is what served as the springboard for the Hanahaki’s resurgence in (or perhaps, introduction to?) Western fandom. The Hanahaki didn’t get popular because someone started spreading Hanahaki Otome raws online; when I made this post, the fanlore page for the Hanahaki disease didn’t even list a source except for the Wattpad post, and the manga still doesn’t have English scan/translations as far as I could find. The Hanahaki got popular because fans started using it. Fanfic authors may not have created the original form of the Hanahaki but they made it what it is today. And that’s still mindblowingly brilliant to me, honestly.

[asmolbirb]

Hi @ao3commentoftheday ! I saw you reblogged my OP. Would you mind sharing this version of the post that has the original source + further context as well? This is mostly because I would like to give credit where it’s due (which I was unable to do when I made the OP) but also partially because I’m not looking forward to the hate that will flood my inbox from disgruntled bloggers who think they’re the only person in the world to tell me my OP is incomplete.

[ao3commentoftheday]

Of course 😀

[prokopetz]

Concept: crowdsourcing a human sacrifice by getting ten thousand people to ritually mildly inconvenience themselves.

[thejoanglebook-deactivated20210]

Me as the sole survivor of the apocalypse, commenting "last" on every YouTube video.

[jasminetea-andpaisho]

One day you get an alert that someone liked your comment

[thejoanglebook-deactivated20210]

It was me, on a separate account

[theawesomeadventurer]

[inkskinned]

HOW TO WRITE 20 PAGES (from one girl w/mental illness 2 the rest of u, but please keep in mind all of this is just personal Stuff That Worked for me n u might be different):

first of all, and probably most importantly, make that paper about something you actually give a shit about. if you can write an essay on how long shakespeare’s dick is when you’re talking to your friends, that’s a good topic. don’t choose something u don’t care about, you will Want To Die

“okay but the only topics are ones i don’t care about” talk 2 ur teacher 99% of the time if you’re like “here’s a well-thought-out thesis can i talk about this instead” they’re like “sure lmao i just couldn’t think of other paper topics to suggest”

“they said no” cool find the one u hate the least and try to tie it into something u like. for example i really hated this stupid paper i had to write about a stupid book so i ended up writing about the food inside the book and whether or not it was a historically accurate depiction of food. turns out i fucking love talking about food. i also remade some of the old recipes and brought them in as part of the presentation of my project and people went fuckken nuts bc BREAD. basically i thought about “what motivates me? uh food” and followed that. it was a 45-page book about bread and i looked like a really good student when really i just love bread (somewhere, oprah smiles over me)

the 20-pagers are the ones you Actually Cannot Do the night before. i know we all got real fuckken cocky back in hs when we learned how to do 5 pages in one night w/out trying too hard but 1. as a teacher now i can tell u for sure that teachers do know you rushed it, we just Don’t Care bc We’re Not Paid Enough and 2. twenty pages is not the same thing. you need to actually take the time to do it. this is the actual version of “you’re not in hs anymore” DONT lie to yourself and think “it’s fine i’ll do it in one day” you will !! Regret it!!!! 

“raquel. raquel. listen to me. do you actually believe i’m capable of time management. raquel i have depression i barely manage to exist.” same. but the truth is that when i started like?? actually following the rules of timelines and taking my time etc it actually really helps mental illness. you don’t feel pressured all the time by a deadline, so your anxiety chills a little bit. small progress being acceptable means that on depression days, you don’t have to worry you’re fucking it all up. when it’s 15 minutes every day (even if it’s only 1 word a day) it feels a lot better.

ask the teacher what timeline they’d recommend. they actually Know.

always ask if it’s informal or formal (if you can use “I” statements or not). informal essays can rely on personal feelings and are so much easier and trust me if you find out on the day it’s due that you could have written 12 pages about your feelings instead of 12 pages of research, you will Be Very Upset

i lie to myself all the time and move the deadline up. i write it in my agenda as at least 2 days before it’s due. surprise!!! i tricked u, self!!! you can’t procrastinate!! 

agendas/planners need to be what actually works for you. i liked to prioritize w/colors + keep lists. i really love crossing things off lists. it’s like… a balm. for me, i usually say i have to finish the first 2 things, start the 3rd thing, and “touch” at least half the list. if i finish the whole list i get a prize. also i get to cross off everything which is so satisfying i’m sure it’s someone’s idea of a rush. there’s so many “how to” documents on these that i won’t get into it but frankly?? if you don’t write it down you will not remember it. “yes i will” no you won’t greg. just do it. write it down. write it where u can see it. not there, greg. greg, somewhere good. my friend is smart af and uses a post-it on her laptop. that doesn’t work for me bc i can just? use my hand to cover the anxiety? so choose somewhere good greg.

nervous system, skeleton, meat, skin. nervous system is the thesis. skeleton is quotes/data. meat is the analysis of that data. skin is the fancy transitions + beautification.  meat goes on both sides of bone, and skin goes all around. nervous system has to touch everything. do what your teachers have been begging u to do since 3rd grade and start w/an outline. do this while you read/research. i usually have a starter thesis like “lady macbeth is a feminist ICON” then take the quotes i think fit. but if while you’re reading u realize u wanna talk about the use of feminine language and how shakespeare parallels daintiness w/sharpness, u still have a bunch of quotes you can use or not use. this works also w/research papers. just pull what u think is something u wanna talk about. copy-paste it but leave a link to where u got it. then put a bullet point under that says roughly why u mention it

if you just write the outline like you’re keeping notes to yourself you’d be amazed how quickly you write the essay bc we get stuck in academic language but it’s easier to translate “this is why bees are the #bomb” into a paragraph. i mean you just rewrite your notes to yourself in academic speech. “The above passage illustrates the growing necessity of pollinators such as bees in an agricultural environment.”

keep track of your sources + label them. don’t just write “(SOURCE)” instead if you’re using multiple sources use the lazygirl way which is (SA1) or whatever shorthand u have for each source. then when you need to finish your sources you go to your little source document, find the one labelled SA1 and then “Find+replace” w/the actual source.

integrate quotes so it reads w/clarity which means don’t do this but if you’re running late on it and don’t have time to look up the quote u want to fit this situation, technically you can “use any” word you want (56). so yeah “there is” a moral question about it but you “can” make up quotes (79, 90). don’t “actually” do this unless you’re seriously in a crunch. which u shouldn’t be, bc u managed ur time, right?

running late part 2 (which again would never happen bc you followed my advice and made a little time table for yourself but anyway if it does somehow magically happen) i really recommend using school computers to do your work. ur surrounded by people who will hold u accountable + u will focus

running late pt3 on the day of it being due, around 5 PM, be honest w/yourself and see where you are. if you’re like “it needs 2 more hours” okay. but if you’re like “this is……… not started” email the teacher. they’ll be so much more receptive the earlier you do this in the process. it looks like “i’m genuinely struggling and i hope to finish this on time but i’m worried i won’t” instead of “i started this at 11:58PM and am asking for an extension”. please also just… be honest? 

“my teacher won’t accept late work!” they all say that, he probably will, particularly if you have a note from the school therapist being like “lmao she’s got so many mental illnesses idek how to help her”

“no he really doesn’t, he doesn’t care” you can file for disability if you have mental illness, and, in fact, you should if it’s something that often stops you from completing work on time. i didn’t bc i found that it just let me procrastinate for a longer time, but having that on file means you can go to the dean.

“no!!! raquel you’re not listening i have 2 pages and he doesn’t take late work!!!!!!!!!”  okay. yeah that’s bad. but nerves, skeleton, meat, skin. what is it that you’re struggling with? is it that your can’t find any quotes to back up your thesis? impossible, tbh, you need to be more willing to purposefully misuse quotes (don’t do that). but the better option is to just change the thesis. 

“i don’t even have that!!” did you. do the reading? if you even just watched the movie, you probably have an opinion on something even if it’s “this is bad.” you can use that. use why you didn’t like it to write a hate-fueled examination on how whiny the main character is and why u think the author is trying to point out how miserable cis white boys are to deal with. 

“i don’t have enough sources!!!” go to wikipedia’s page about it and look @ the sources. try to like actually read some if you have time but frankly in a hurry a student (me) might be compelled to just slap the source in there. 

“how the fuck do i analyze this”. u know how ppl agonize over why an actor breathed in a scene. melt into that kind of thinking. you can literally force the words to mean whatever you want. i’ve talked about word choice so specific that i based a 12-page essay on three separate uses of the words “my dear”. i talked about the possessive “my” and how it developed for like 5 of those pages. and always repeat the thesis like a million times. after every analysis you should talk about how it links to the thesis. that is like a free 3 sentences every paragraph.

“i did all that and it’s still 3 pages too short” quick ways to Beef Him Up: definitions are great in research papers + essays bc you can talk about either word choice or like the definition of every process used in getting the data. also make the conclusion hella informative (it should answer “what does this mean moving forwards” most of the time, tie it into modern life or into the past). thicken ur intro with “here’s a quote from this guy about it and what he personally felt about acid-base titrations”, use a paragraph to talk about the history of the data/book, use a paragraph to talk about the modern reception of the data/book. also look for where you can use two words instead of one even tho like grammatically don’t do that.

worst comes to worst, brevity is the soul of wit. most teachers prefer concise over rambling and all over the place. if you choose to scoot under the page limit, tho, your writing etc needs to be exceptionally clean. frankly i’ve only done this once and it was terrifying

make computer read it aloud 2 u before u submit. “raquel….. i can’t look at it anymore”. you’re not looking @ it, you’re discovering you wrote “breath” not “breathe” and u need to change it

tutoring centers exist, i worked in one, and this is how i know they actually Help and have Good Ideas

ask about extra credit and do it tbh

good luck…. breathe. and remember u are astronomically more important than a grade could ever be.

[freddieandersen]

do you have trouble writing words on paper but you know what you want to say? because that’s my personal form of useless perfectionism.

like, you can tell your friend all about what you’re planning on writing, and talk about it for like 20 minutes straight?

make notes for imaginary slides for an imaginary presentation on the topic

oops you have an outline now! your imaginary slides? paragraphs (or if ur paper is long af, each imaginary bullet point is a paragraph and each imaginary slide is a couple pages)

credit for this tip goes to my therapist. thanks amy. u solved paper writing for me and at least seven of my friends

[ruby-white-rabbit]

Partial credit is better than no credit at all. Only have 5 pages the day it’s due? TURN IT IN. It’s better than a zero if the teacher won’t work with you on an extension or late work

[lianabrooks]

Quick And Dirty Tips For Creating Subplots

– Not everyone should love the hero.

– The more antagonists you have the more conflicts you create.

– Real life should happen to the characters, even if they are saving the world they have jobs and responsibilities.

– Give the character interests and friends outside of work.

– Multiple point of views aren’t a bad thing if you know how to juggle them.

– It all needs to come together at the end.

– Not every antagonist needs to be vanquished at the end.

– – Give us more than one character to love– (from Diantha)

— Make each and every character count — (from Diantha)

Stories need subplots. Make sure yours has one.

[letmehelpyouwrite]

Someone asked me about writing subplots. I’ll still make my own post about it, but here’s something to tie you over till I do.

[cunninggreeneraven]

Tree Symbolism

Alder ~ Call the tree of fire. It symbolizes firm foundations for any venture, and power to control external forces and factors in your life. It can off you security in times of uncertainty and the persistence to carry a venture through difficult initial stages.

Almond ~ Abundance, prosperity and love without limits. Like all nut-bearing tree, the almond promises fertility for any venture and the fruition of dreams, although perhaps not until several months after inception.

Apple ~ Fertility, health, love and long life. The magical apple tree promises renewed life and strength if you have been feeling tired or have lost your way.

Ash ~ Expansion of horizons, travel especially by sea, healing, strength and prosperity. As a World Tree the ash will increase your authority and powers of leadership, bringing with it, of course, additional responsibilities.

Aspen ~ Communication, eloquence, protection against theft, and healing. A tree of great sensitivity, the aspen bring empathy with others that is not without personal pain. It connects you to the heart of another person’s experience.

Avocado ~ Desire, and increase of beauty in beauty or environment. You will be able to create beauty out of ugliness, but will find that you have become involved in the concerns of your wider environment, as well as creating personal beauty and grace in your life.

Bamboo ~ Protection, especially of your household boundaries and against negative thoughts of others. You can drawn the protection around you and those you love, but must make sure your own thoughts and words are likewise positive.

Banana ~ Fertility, male potency and prosperity: involves slow ripening of endeavors and so patience for the right time for true power.

Banyan ~ Luck and optimism. You can welcome sunshine into your life by seeking simple pleasures and enjoying every small moment of happiness.

Bay  ~ Fidelity, marriage and preservation of family and home, and pleasant dreams. Be persevering and seeking lasting joy rather than instant excitement, you can bring true harmony to yourself and those you love.

Beech ~ Knowledge, formal learning and change. You can learn much from being still in the natural world, and by seeking to give your intuitions and inspiration firm foundations.

Birch ~ Cleansing, health, new beginnings, Goddess magic and protection of the young. You may need either a new approach or to clear the deck and sacrifice what is comfortable and familiar for new growth.

Boxwood ~ Uncovering hidden treasures, buried talents and the unexpected. A tree for bringing out potential and perhaps fulfilling earlier dreams you had dismissed.

Cedar ~ Good fortune and fidelity in love, and mature relationships. A very cleansing and healing tree that can take away the fears that stop you from making your own happiness and good fortune.

Cherry ~ New love, divinatory abilities and fertility, A tree of springtime and so especially useful to younger people for exploring their own capacity for love.

Chestnut/Horse Chestnut ~ Abundance and expansion of opportunity. A magnificent tree for bold endeavours and ambitions, filled with idealism and nobility. 

Coconut ~ Fertility and motherhood, and the flow of new life and energies: give protection against all negativity, especially psychic attack. A traditional source of the nourishing life force of the Earth Mother, encourages nurturing others and in return experiencing the joys of giving.

Cypress ~ Long life, healing and comfort in sorrow. A good tree for working through loss and what must be mourned for.

Dogwood ~ Clear focus and determination. A tree that will stand firm against opposition and cheerfully persevere to achieve the desired results.

Elder ~ Tree of the White Moon Goddess and of female magic; give ability to see other dimensions and increases clairvoyance. A fairy tree, the elder absorbs personal negativity. It is a good tree for men as well as women to use to explore their magical side and to suspend disbelief in the presence of nature essences.

Elm ~ Quiet sleep, love and giving. The elm itself is under threat in a number of places through disease, but it nevertheless signifies serenity and dignity amid noise and chaos.

Eucalyptus ~ Cleansing and healing. A tree that frees stagnant or blocked energies and helps people move forwards.

Fig ~ Wisdom, creativity and creative ventures, fertility, harmony and balance. A tree filled with personal riches that allows our artistic and inspiration side to blossom.

Fir ~ The tree of Christmas and so a tree of birth, the return of light and new beginnings, the life cycle and also cleansing. A tree of light in the darkness and the promise of the future joys even on the darkest of days.

Hawthorn ~ Courage, marking boundaries, purification, protection, male potency (although it is a female tree), and cleansing: a fairy tree. Use this to protect you from skepticism and cynicism in others and to create a personal space away from the demands of others.

Hazel ~ Wisdom, luck, fertility, knowledge and inspiration, justice and divination, especially water magic and dowsing for water and treasure. Use this tree when you face injustice or feel strongly about a particular principle, to allow you to resolve matters by using persuasion not force.

Holly ~ Protection especially of the home against all negativity; a tree also for money and material gains. Another tree that thrives on opposition and uses difficulties as a springboard for positive action; a tree that works especially well with animus energies in women or in resolving issues with men in your life. Holly is regarded as a male plant, so it exudes assertive, active energies associated with the animus or male aspect of ourselves. King of the waning year.

Ivy ~ Fidelity, married love and committed relationships; Good for for taking risks in terms of deepening trust and love towards another as well as for sorting out issues of the relative importance to self and others to establish loving but clear boundaries; good for women to with.

Juniper ~ Protection against all negative forces, and purification. One of the best cleansing trees for clearing away bad habits, addictions or emotional luggage from the past. 

Larch ~ Protection, especially against thieves; optimism. A tree that lifts the spirits and triggers the inner protective system we all possess but often do not trust; good especially if you have felt under threat - whether emotionally, psychically or actually - from others at work.

Laurel ~ Protection from illness, success and realization of ambition, and winning through in spite of difficulty. A tree that promises that you will achieve more than you hoped or dreamed of if you meet life head on.

Linden ~ Justice, cooperation with others, partnerships of all kinds and dealing with officialdom. A tree of quiet, unassuming power that shows it is possible for one to take on a system and win if the case if just.

Mango ~ Health, permanence and lasting happiness. This rich fruit tree promises joy year after year if you plant the seeds of that joy now.

Maple ~ Long life, health of children, fertility, riches of all kinds and pleasure. A good tree if you have lost your confidence in yourself, suggesting you look at all the potential treasure you have in your life that will help you turn the corner.

Mistletoe ~ Known to the Druids as the “All-Healer”; peace, love and purity, and also fertility and sexual potency, the union of male and female, and protection and good health. A plant to choose if you are near the beginning of your spiritual journey or a relationship that you believe will prove important.

Myrtle ~ Stable relationships, married love, fertility, youth, peace and money. Another tree of harmony both with others and within yourself that can stabilize an uncertain patch in your personal world.

Norfolk Island Pine ~ Assurance that you and your family will never suffer poverty; soaring potential; if you seize opportunities you will succeed.

Oak ~ King of the waxing year and sacred tree of the Druids; tree of knowledge, power and independence, confidence, prosperity and potency. Like the ash, the oak is a wise Father Tree that represents commitment to a journey of exploration and attainment of mastery over the emotions.

Olive ~ Peace and reconciliation, forgiveness, abundance, nourishment, healing and fertility. A healing tree that can mend any sorrow or bitterness and from this reconciliation bring lasting peace in your immediate world and maybe beyond as your peacemaking influences spread.

Orange ~ Love, abundance, fertility, marriage, luck and money. Increase confidence, self-esteem and self-love as a basis for making positive relationships with other which you can ask for what you need.

Palm, Date ~ Fertility, potency, self-renewal, rejuvenation and the revolving life cycles of nature and people. A tree of the sunshine and blue skies that enables you to regenerate your energies and to take steps forward on a new path.

Pear ~ New life, health, woman’s matter and fertility; gentle growth, the increase of quiet joy and fulfillment of realistic aims within the near future.

Peach ~ Marriage and birth, abundance, happiness, fertility, wishes and long life. Another sunshine tree that enables you to unfold your sensuality and sexuality without guilt or shame.

Pine ~ Symbol of fire and illumination, cleansing, friendship in adversity, knowledge and protection from all negativity. Like fir, the pine blazes in the darkness, illuminating your path and burning away what holds you from fulfillment.

Poplar, White & Black ~The white poplar symbolizes money, astral projection, hope rebirth and divination. The black poplar refers to ending. Together, the black and white poplar move through endings to beginnings, from regret to healing and from pain to joy.

Redwood ~ Limitless potential, long-term spiritual growth and clear focus. This tree tells you to aim high and not to doubt your ability to soar, however far off the goal seems.

Rowan/Mountain Ash ~ Another tree of the White Goddess; brings protection to the home, increases psychic powers, brings healing, and is also good for metal dowsing and astral projection. A magical tree that will keep you safe from harm and fears, whether of darkness or malice of others.

Silver Banksia ~ Protection, letting go of sorrow, developing a more positive outlook, new growth and positive achievement. A gentle tree that enfolds you in love and reassurance that all shall be well if you just trust and stretch out your hand to life.

Sycamore ~ Protection and the granting of wishes; increasing influence over other and situations. A tree whose effects are like its fast-rooting spores, meaning that you can have a real influence for the better on any situation if you communicate your feelings and ideas.

Tamarind ~ Love, especially new love and rebuilding of trust. A tree of gentle love, especially after sorrow or betrayal, promising kindness and friendship that may deepen into more permanent feelings.

Vine ~ Rebirth and renewal, joy, ecstasy and fairy magic. It advises you to abandon the inhibitions and prohibitions in your head and seek what will bring you happiness and connection with life.

Walnut ~ Tree of prophecy, traditionally where witches meet; health, increase of mental powers, fertility and granting of wishes. A tree that promises the gradual unfolding of good things and the revealing of the secrets of psychic powers.

Willow ~ A Moon tree; intuition, Moon magic, healing, making wishes come true, increasing psychic energies and understanding the emotions of others. Go with the flow of the hour and tap into the underlying emotions of any situation or person to discover the truth; a good tree if your emotions and intuitions are blocked.

White Mangrove ~ Nurturing self and others, being sensitive, intuitive, caring, balanced and in touch with the pulse of life. Another tree of connection with others and with the wisdom of the natural world; it overcomes any sense of loneliness and alienation.

Yew ~ Tree of endings, of new coming out of the old, of permanence, of aims that are slow to come to fruition and enduring strengths, of what is worth and union between two people after difficulty. The yew will allow what is lost to be mourned for, while reminding you what is of worth, and will endure. 

Source The Modern-Day Druidess by Cassandra Eason 

[ao3commentoftheday]

There is a new author in my fandom who got hyped by a couple of BNF blogs. All that everyone is talking about or creating art for is this new fic. I have been writing in this fandom for almost a year now, worked my way up and built a solid reader base. My fics get decent feedback. I like and even promoted this new author. But I can't help it, I've been feeling completely invisible, ever since the hype started. It feels like noone else (inc. great writers) get any appreciation and it sucks.

This person is writing a story that’s really resonating with the fandom. It has nothing to do with them being new or whether or not they’ve ‘worked their way up’. They’ve struck a chord with something the fandom wants to read. It’s really that simple.

That doesn’t mean they’re a better writer than anyone else. It doesn’t mean they ‘deserve’ more than anyone else. It’s as much a matter of luck as anything else. 

It’s fine and normal to feel jealous when someone else gets attention that you crave for yourself, and even more so when the person is ‘new’ and you’ve been around for a while. But just like everyone’s dash is currently Good Omens, that doesn’t mean that this situation will last forever. 

Even if this is the story that your fandom is talking about right now, that doesn’t mean it’s the only thing anyone is reading. I’m sure you’re still getting hits and comments and kudos when you post. Try not to compare how many you get to how many that other person is getting. Focus on you and your readers as best you can. You’ll be happier that way.

[vesperass-anuna]

Oh may i have been in this anon’s place SO MANY TIMES. The feeling sucks. I wished so many times i could be the person that gets the hype. Didn’t happen, but truly wonderful things did happen when i focused on what i loved doing and writing.

[everything-withered]

K, truth bomb time:

This new author’s success has nothing to do with you, don’t make it about you.

A free lesson from my psychologist:

Identify all the feelings the situation brings up -including the incredibly uncomfortable ones that make you feel like you’re a bad person for being jealous of someone else’s success - without judgement

Find out why you (personally) feel the way you feel - usually it’s a result of allocating value in direct correlation with the quantity and quality of recognition which is wrong, and you know it

Then take a breath and realize there’s nothing inherently bad about how you feel. It’s conflicting and human, and there’s no solution beyond being emotionally aware enough to know that what’s happening right now is unfair in a system that doesn’t work within the parameters of what “fair” is i.e: the concept of you being in the fandom longer translating into deserving recognition “more”

Finally, let all the feelings towards it go in a state of total awareness that this situation is not something you can control, which is just fine because you are not your emotions and this will pass

Your feelings are valid.

Most writers experience this - like you just missed the train on the hype, like you’re on the fringe of the fandom, like you'be done everything right but still aren’t getting recognised - it’s normal, it’s natural, it’s okay.

At the end of the day, the fandom’s getting new content, and that’s honestly what most readers care about. No one is keeping tabs on how long you’ve been in the fandom or how much you’ve (theoretically or otherwise) given it, so just focus on creating what brings you joy, and not whether or not you’re scoring any points doing it.

[show-dont-tell]

I agree with these points. It’s best to compare yourself with yourself, and aim for slow growth. It’s the most realistic and achievable thing to focus on, the thing most under your own control. To make your self worth as a writer dependent on the WHIMS of the external community will lead to a lot of disappointments.

Read the fics the fandom likes the best and do try to glean why they are so popular. And then decide if you want to work towards doing fiction that way or not. I would rather write in my own style then pander to what is popular. I think your writing is strongest when it is exploring things that interest you.

In the end, you need to decide what your writing goals are. For me, it is mostly a hobby I enjoy and a method of creativity and expression. It’s a way to explore things that fascinate me. I like doing research about a topic and putting it into a story.

[lettersbyelise]

I absolutely agree with the above advice. One thing you need to remember is that it’s very likely that even popular/successful writers started somewhere. It might not have been in your current fandom (it might not have been in fandom at all) but no one wakes up one fine morning and starts writing masterpieces (well, ok, maybe some people do - if they exist, i just haven’t met them. I’ve met beautiful writers who’ve written for decades and just happened to stumble into my fandom, effectively blowing everything out of the water. I believe in TALENT - the fact that some people naturally know how to express emotions in writing, build a plot, write immersive descriptions - but mostly I believe in regular work and self improvement (which is a belief I apply to all other fields in life as well)). If you’re feeling that way about a new author, consider reaching out! Ask them where they started, what their creative process is, if they have advice. Trust me, writers/artists love that part - and it’s far more constructive than wondering why your writing isn’t getting as much attention as theirs.

The only thing you have control over is your own writing, your own progress. What YOU feel while you’re writing, what writing brings to your life. I recently finished writing a long fic I’ve worked on for months. I remember thinking, while writing it, ‘damn. I HAVE gotten better. I have improved. My writing is so much more confident than when I started. This chapter turned out EXACTLY the way I wished it would.’ Etc. I have absolutely no idea how this fic will be received by the fandom. Moreover, I have absolutely no control over that, except for wishing people will come across it, like it, and be so kind as to go through the effort of sharing it with others. Positive feedback and popularity are amazing, but they’re not dependent on me.

The only thing that’s truly mine is the experience of writing something I’m proud of.

[ao3commentoftheday]

The fanfic I write is pretty short, usually a 2k or less word count, but I got an idea that would need at least 10k, maybe 15k. How do I handle a bigger project?

Since this is your first attempt at longer fic, I’d suggest writing an outline. Know where you want to start, where you want to end, and the key points you need to hit along the way. 

By giving yourself those guiding points, you’ll be better able to keep the story focused and on track and you’ll avoid some of the pitfalls of longfic writing. Namely: meandering plot, dropped plotlines, chapters where ‘nothing happens’ etc. 

Here’s a very in-depth description of both story outlining and story structuring. It’s a lot of information, so only dive in if you’re the type of person who loves to research and read up on things. If you’re more like me and you just like to dive in, this might not be your first stop on the way to your story :)

Let’s see what everyone else suggests, shall we?

[just-a-funny-little-brain]

I’ll add to that – be patient!! 

I’m similar to you, nony, in that the majority of my fics have been 2k-4k. The first fic I wrote that broke 10k took me over a year and a half to write, largely due to a sizable break in the middle where I didn’t work on it at all. Compare that to the 5 months and 3 months respectively that each of my second and third >10k fics took me.

My point is, it’ll probably take you WAY longer than you expect to finish. That is perfectly ok. And since you’re so used to writing shorter fics, it’ll feel even longer. Be patient with yourself and the time that it takes. Maybe intersperse working on the longer fic with shorter 1k-2k fics so your brain doesn’t get bored and so you can have the satisfaction of having finished something.

And, as you write more fics that are longer (if you do – again, I’ve only written 3 since I started writing and publishing fics), you’ll get faster at writing them and have a better idea for what works for you.

(Also, I’m generally a pantser myself, but even I found that, especially for my first >10k fic, making a very basic outline of what was going to happen and the major plot points was helpful for helping me focus and not get pulled down by feelings of “there’s still so much story left that I haven’t gotten to")

[getinthehandbasket]

I really needed to see this right now. I’m working on my first fic with actual Angst and Plot and Feels, and it took me three months to cross the 2k mark. I’m stalling out on the next bit, which is sex and is usually the thing it’s easiest for me to write. It might take me another three. months. to write 1-3k of smut. But. I’m trying to be okay with that. I’m trying to be patient with myself and with my rusty-ass writer’s brain.