[theclonewriter-blog]

“This is your daily, friendly reminder to use commas instead of periods during the dialogue of your story,” she said with a smile.

[onewordtest]

“Unless you are following the dialogue with an action and not a dialogue tag.” He took a deep breath and sat back down after making the clarifying statement. 

[joehywheelah]

“However,” she added, shifting in her seat, “it’s appropriate to use a comma if there’s action in the middle of a sentence.”

[tenoko1]

“True.” She glanced at the others. “You can also end with a period if you include an action between two separate statements.”

[cj-amused]

Things I didn’t know

[prismatic-bell]

“And–” she waved a pen as though to underline her statement–“if you’re interrupting a sentence with an action, you need to type two hyphens to make an en-dash.”

[jawnwats-deactivated20160713]

You guys have no idea how many students in my advanced fiction workshop didn’t know any of this when writing their stories.

[notesoftruth]

Okay, but someone please explain question marks when followed by a dialogue tag. How do?

[flootzavut]

“The speech tag is still part of the previous sentence,” she explained, ‘so it isn’t capitalised.“

“What do you mean?” he asked. “But there’s a full stop as part of the question mark!”

She nodded gravely. “I know!” she said. “A lot of people find this confusing. But the speech tag belongs to the line of dialogue, it’s still part of the sentence, so it’s wrong to capitalise it.”

She reblogged the post again, because she had recently read far too many potentially enjoyable stories marred by poor dialogue punctuation.

[dechart]

I’ve only seen this post in screenshots till now..

[eddiestarchild]

NOICE. Can’t wait to use this

[magpiefngrl]

“There are two more ways"—she pointed to the blackboard—“to punctuate interruptions. One is with the em dashes outside the quotations marks to indicate continuous speech. The action occurs at the same time as speech. The other—” she sipped from a glass of water “—is em dashes within the quotation marks to indicate interrupted speech.”

[luna-azzurra]

Quick Tips for Writing Descriptions

⟢ PICK THREE DETAILS MAXIMUM! your reader doesn't need to know every piece of furniture. Give them the broken clock on the mantle, the smell of cigarettes embedded in the couch, the water stain on the ceiling shaped like Italy. Their brain will fill in the rest. You're not writing an insurance inventory!!!

⟢ Use the senses people forget. Everyone does sight and sound, but what about: the metallic taste of fear, the way humidity makes your clothes stick, the phantom itch of being watched, that gross feeling when you touch something unexpectedly wet. GET WEIRD WITH IT

⟢ MOTION IN YOUR DESCRIPTIONS!! (Please?) don't just tell me the curtains are blue, tell me they're "shuddering in the AC blast" or "hanging limp like they've given up." Static description is a sleep aid. Make things MOVE

⟢ Your narrator's voice should COLOR everything! A depressed character won't describe the sunset as "beautiful mauve and amber streaking across the sky," they'll think "the sun's dying again, doing its whole performance art thing with the clouds"

⟢ Stop with the mirror descriptions! :( "She looked in the mirror and saw her auburn hair and green eyes" NO. Banned. Forbidden. Find literally any other way. Have another character notice. Show through action. Slip details in naturally. The mirror thing is lazy and we all know it

⟢ Similes and metaphors: COMMIT OR DON'T DO IT! "like" is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. "Her anger was like a storm" is BORING. "Her anger rolled in with the methodical inevitability of a hurricane, and he was standing in a trailer park in Florida" now we're TALKING

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Fic Titles: German Edition (Part II)

Take one and start to create!

Hoffnung (hope)

Gemütlichkeit (coziness)

Liebling (favourite one/darling)

Geborgenheit (comfort)

Sternenhimmel (starry night sky)

Götterdämmerung (end of the world/twilight of the gods)

Mondschein (moonlight)

Lieblingsmensch (favourite person)

Glücksgefühl (feeling of happiness)

Feierabend (end of the work day)

Liebesbeweis (proof of love)

Frühlingsgefühle (spring fever)

Sommerliebe (summer love)

Herbstfarben (autumn colours)

Winterwunderland (winter wonderland)

Hinterland (place far away from cities)

Schuldgefühle (feeling of guilt)

Wiedersehen (reunion/seeing each other again)

Seelenverwandter (soulmate)

Kaffeeklatsch (chatting over coffee/gossip)

Part I

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[selenophyyy]

Writing Resources for Vocabulary and Dialogue Tags

Vocabulary

01. Word hippo

02. One look

03. Power thesaurus

04. Visual thesaurus

Dialogue tags

01. 300 words to use instead of said

02. 550+ alternative words for said

03. 200+ other words for said

(These pictures are not mine. Let me know if you know OP!)

⚲ Visit Creative Writing Library 🕮

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Twenty-Fourth Day of Gift-Giving

Twenty-Four Touches

Softly getting hold of the other’s hand, afraid to make a mistake

A casual touch on the shoulder to acknowledge them

Foreheads pressed together, a silent way to say “I’m here”

A gentle hand holding the other’s neck while staring into their eyes

Whispering, lips almost touching the ear

A quick brush of hands, almost unnoticeable

Tracing the other’s lips with their finger

An arm sneaking around a waist, holding them close

Pressing their face into the other’s neck, hiding from the world

A hand in the other’s hair, not quite grabbing it

Sighing into the kiss, melting together at last

A swift kiss to the other’s cheek

Brushing away an unruly lock of hair

A firm handshake, professionally at first, but a second to long

Gently kissing the other’s knuckles

A tender hug, just staying together for a while

Hands rubbing together to warm them up

A firm hand grabbing the other’s elbow to guide them

Feeling for the other’s pules with their lips

A quick kiss on the crown of their hair

Sitting on the other’s lap, being hugged from behind

A slow dance, entangled with each other

Cold feet warming each other up under the blanket

A gentle kiss on the forehead, a sweet goodbye

24 Days of Gift-Giving

[lifeorbeth]

Send me character(s) and a letter and I’ll write you a minific!

A. Fire, flames, or excessive heat. B. Under cover of darkness. C. A moment’s respite. D. Subtle kindnesses. E. Sharing a drink. F. An absent look or touch. G. A fistfight. H. Someone’s greatest fear. I. Broken glass. J. When words aren’t enough. K. On the edge of consciousness. L. A stolen kiss. M. When it rains/snows/storms. N. The color green. O. The stars or space. P. While driving or in/around a car. Q. One missed call. R. A deafening sound. S. Music [send a song or a lyric] T. An obscure AU. U. Coming home. V. An abandoned or empty place. W. Waiting impatiently for something. X. A flash of anger. Y. Tears. Z. [Make up your own]

(inspired by this)

[notfeelingverywell]

near-drowning is such a good whump trope, not just on its own but also for what comes after

convulsive coughing or vomiting water after being pulled out

violent shivering and/or hypothermia (or concern about potential hypothermia)

bruised or cracked ribs from CPR

rapid breathing and heart-rate for hours afterwards, even if their body is tired and achy

Exhaustion and chest pain - they're limp, lethargic, but still needy for touch and comfort

Chest infections settling in their lungs from the cold and the dirty water they inhaled

Lingering trauma about the event- nightmares of sinking, panic attacks in darkness, nervousness around water, claustrophobia

[warmblanketwhump]

adding more because I’m obsessed

that boneless collapse from both the rescuer and the rescued whumpee on the shoreline, and the splat sound their clothes make against the hard ground

fumbling hands that wrap towels and blankets around trembling shoulders, rubbing them both for reassurance and for warmth

simultaneously, the swapping of sopping wet clothes for dry blankets/warm sweaters/cloaks

a sore abdomen from all the coughing

trying to stand on shaky legs that are spent from trying to kick themselves above the surface for far longer than they should have

if they’re staying somewhere nearby, a rescuer hoisting them up in a bridal carry and hurrying them back home to tuck into bed

if they’re roughing it, rushing back to their campsite to build the fire higher, praying that tonight isn’t as cold as last night

damp hair slowly drying by the warmth of the fire, cold fingers pulling blankets tight over cold noses

being unable to stifle the deep, rattling cough, the metallic taste of the dirty water in their mouth lingering

still feeling the icy cold in their bones the next day, despite being buried in blankets—whether it’s the lingering chill of the water or a rising fever, only time will tell

one of the bystanders (or even the rescuer) holding the rescued whumpee close to them, unwilling to let go after processing just how close they came to losing them today

[comfortingcatharsis]

Cold so deep that breathing hurts; a breath catches when it hits the back of the throat and sets off a round of coughing, frost crinkles nosehairs, everything seems to constrict at the dry cold, and lungs ache at the sudden influx of frigid air.

[comfortingcatharsis]

The exhausting, strength-sapping ordeal of breaking trail through deep snow- fighting for every step, to keep balance, to lift feet high enough to clear the ground; every step requiring far more effort than usual, the snow shifting beneath each one; snow building up on and bogging down boots and pant-legs, sifting and seeping through layers to melt into the innermost ones; ploughing and slogging on through drifts feeling more like swimming or falling than walking, like dreams where running suddenly feels like the ground has turned to molasses.

[kanirou]

SO I read @white-rainbowff‘s The Goal Is Not To Fall last night and it kinda rocked my socks so um, here’s their reunion from chapter 14:

“Zeb?!” Kallus gasped the same time he heard. “Kal?!”

Dodonna practically leapt to the side as Zeb pushed through. Kallus choked out a laugh and a sob, throwing his arms around Zeb’s neck and was practically lifted in the air as Zeb wrapped his arms around his waist and held him tight. Kal buried his face in Zeb’s shoulder. Tears filled his eyes. Every part of him trembled.

“Zeb… Zeb…” No other words came to him. He felt Zeb stroke the back of his head, hold him tight around his waist.

“I got you, Kal.” Zeb purred softly. “You’re safe. You’re home.”

THANK YOU AND BLESS YOU FOR WRITING THAT FIC

(here’s just the flats for those that like wips or true colors)

[skribblegurl]

some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.

[heywriters]

I couldn't remember the word "doorknob" ten minutes ago.

[bumblewyn]

ok but the onelook thesaurus will save your life, i literally could not live without this website

[breelandwalker]

REBLOG TO SAVE A WRITER'S LIFE

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Touching

Feeling another human’s touch.

touching foreheads

running fingers through hair

hiding face in neck

caressing the other’s hand

feeling their pulse

patting the other’s head

holding hands

shielding the other one with their body

listening to the other’s heartbeat

spooning at night

laying their hand on the other’s neck

pushing a strand of hair behind their ear

nudging the other one

putting an arm around the other’s waist

hugging each other

massaging them

holding the other’s chin up

squishing the other’s cheek

high fiving

bandaging/stitching up an injury

kissing the other’s brow

falling asleep on the other’s shoulder

carrying the other one in their arms

whispering in their ear, lips touching the skin

stroking the other’s arm soothingly

kissing the top of their head

pulling the other one towards them

feeling for each other in the dark

tickling the other one

grabbing onto their arm

doing a pinky swear

caressing the other’s back

tasting their smile

washing the other’s body

kissing their bruises and scars

lifting the other one up

putting their head on the other’s chest

stroking their leg

leaning into the other’s side

patting them on the back

sitting close and knees touching

braiding the other’s hair

giving them a piggy-back ride

sitting on the other’s lap

feeling their temperature

linking arms with each other

touching their elbow to get their attention

dancing with each other

holding onto the other’s shoulders for support

putting a hand over the other’s mouth to shut them up

caressing the other’s cheek

gripping thigh

holding the other’s jaw

touching cheek to cheek

tracing the lines on the other’s hand

Hand-holding|Hugs|Kisses

[creativepromptsforwriting]

November Prompts 🍂

Word prompts to use for doodling or writing

crisp air

memories

tea time

rainy

carriage ride

star gazing

mysterious

early sunsets

historic

cozy

shooting stars

gloomy

cuddling

scarecrow

gratefulness

stellar constellation

blanket

rainboots

hugs

mist

fireplace

steaming mugs

wind

puddles

moonlight

Thanksgiving

grey sky

smoke

apple cider

lanterns

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Cuddling Dialogue

"Have you always been this cuddly?"

"Come here, I'll warm you up."

"You're so warm and soft."

"Let's just stay in bed and cuddle some more."

"Nothing feels better than your body."

"You actually do give amazing hugs."

"I think someone needs a good cuddle."

"Hmm, you fit so well in my arms."

"You're like my personal teddy bear."

"Need a cuddle?"

"Come on, bring it in."

"You can't escape my cuddles."

"I'm not letting go, so you can stop fighting it."

"Today is one of those stay in bed and cuddle days."

"I want to stay in your arms forever."

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Hugs

A warm embrace.

friendly hugs

hug around the waist

hugging while twirling around

comforting hugs

side hugs

hugging and gently holding the other’s head

pulling someone into a hug

hugging while walking

eye-to-eye hugs

hiding their face in the other’s neck

clinging to each other

hugging while lying down together

group hugs

hugging with head on shoulder

tender embrace

‘not wanting to let go’ hugs

hugging from behind

bear hugs

hugging with hands in each other’s pockets

cuddling

hugs and kisses

hugging and jumping up and down together

familiar hugs

hugging with height-difference

gentle hugs

hugging with patting on back

piggy back hugs

quick hugs

hugging while slow dancing

one-sided hugs

hugging while straddling the partner

long-lasting hugs

‘picking them up’ hugs

hugging while grabbing butt

cuddle pile

Hand-holding|Kisses|Touching

[whatagrump]

Apparently a lot of people get dialogue punctuation wrong despite having an otherwise solid grasp of grammar, possibly because they’re used to writing essays rather than prose. I don’t wanna be the asshole who complains about writing errors and then doesn’t offer to help, so here are the basics summarized as simply as I could manage on my phone (“dialogue tag” just refers to phrases like “he said,” “she whispered,” “they asked”):

“For most dialogue, use a comma after the sentence and don’t capitalize the next word after the quotation mark,” she said.

“But what if you’re using a question mark rather than a period?” they asked.

“When using a dialogue tag, you never capitalize the word after the quotation mark unless it’s a proper noun!” she snapped.

“When breaking up a single sentence with a dialogue tag,” she said, “use commas.”

“This is a single sentence,” she said. “Now, this is a second stand-alone sentence, so there’s no comma after ‘she said.’”

“There’s no dialogue tag after this sentence, so end it with a period rather than a comma.” She frowned, suddenly concerned that the entire post was as unasked for as it was sanctimonious.

[enigmaticexplorer]

“If you want to break up dialogue to insert an action"—she gesticulated wildly to emphasize her point—"then you use em dashes around the action.”

“You can also break up dialogue by placing the em dash inside the quotation mark, but—” She took a moment to catch her breath. “—you must treat the action like a sentence. It must be capitalized with an end punctation.”

“When humans speak, we often get sidetracked (and share information that may not be all that pertinent, a secret, or something we probably shouldn’t be talking about). Use parenthesis in your dialogue when you want to demonstrate this.”

***

“If you’re writing a long monologue, then it likely needs to be broken into multiple paragraphs. Because one long paragraph of dialogue that takes up an entire page or multiple pages is very hard on the eyes.

“So conclude the previous dialogue paragraph without a quotation mark, and start the next dialogue paragraph with a quotation mark. This shows the reader that the same person is still speaking, without the need for additional action or dialogue tags.”

[writing-chats]

COLOURS in DESCRIPTION

colour is the lifeblood of a scene. here are ways not to over-use it.

Red: cardinal, coral, crimson, flaming, maroon, rose, wine, brick red, burgundy, carmine, cerise, cherry, chestnut, claret, copper, dahlia, fuschia, garnet, geranium, infrared, magenta, puce, ruby, russet, rust, salmon, sanguine, scarlet, tition, vermilion, roseate, rubicund, ruddy, rubescent, florid

Orange: apricot, tangerine, merigold, cider, ginger, bronze, cantaloupe orange, clay, honey, marmalade orange, amber

Yellow: blond, chrome, cream, gold, ivory, lemon, saffron, tawny, xanthous, sandy

Green: grassy, leafy, verdant, emerald, aquamarine, chartreuse, fir, forest green, jade, lime, malachite, mossy, pea green, pine, sage, sea green, verdigris, willow, spinach green, viridian

Blue: azure, beryl, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal blue, sapphire, teal, turquoise, ultramarine

Purple: violet, indigo, lavender, lilac, mauve, periwinkle, plum, violet, amethyst, heliotrope, mulberry, orchid, pomegranate purple, wine, amaranthine, perse, violaceous, reddish-blue