Rina...

Masterlist | Prompt requests CLOSED | Writing Tips requests OPEN | Please refer to pinned post | Reblog DO NOT Repost

[prompty-ping]

PLEASE INCLUDE AN EXAMPLE IN YOUR REQUEST! For example, "can I have friends to lovers, like Love, Rosie".

KEY:

"person 1 dialogue" "person 2 dialogue" "person 3 dialogue (rare) italic" "person 4 dialogue (rarer) italic"

*person 1 action* *person 2 action* *person 3 action (rare) italic* *person 4 action (rarer) italic*

[scene]

concept without dialogue

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Clothing Textures

When you think of textured clothing, you might imagine a scratchy wool sweater or a soft fur coat, but every clothing item has some kind of texture. The texture of fabric is often determined by the type of weave, so it’s a good idea to get to know the 3 major weave types:

Twill: The distinguishing characteristic of the twill weave is its diagonal rib pattern. Twill weaves have a distinct, often dark-colored front side (called the wale) and a lighter back. Twill has high thread count, which means that the fabric is opaque, thick, and durable, making it perfect for chinos, upholstery, and bed linens. Denim is a twill weave fabric, as are tweed and houndstooth.

Satin weave: The satin weave creates a fabric that is shiny, soft, and elastic with a beautiful drape. Satin fabric has a lustrous surface on one side and a dull, matte surface on the other side. Satin is perfect for haute couture-style dresses and clutches.

Plain weave: Plain weave fabrics, including canvas, taffeta, and muslin, are made by overlapping the warp and weft (vertical and horizontal threads) at right angles. This forms a criss-cross pattern that looks the same on both sides of the fabric.

Common Fabric Textures

The types of fabric you’ll encounter when looking for different textures include:

Denim is a strong cotton fabric with a twill weave that gives it a subtle diagonal ribbing pattern. The diagonal ribbing is what makes denim fabric different from canvas or cotton duck, which are also sturdy, woven cotton fabrics.

Broadcloth is a plain-weave fabric that is traditionally woven from thick wool yarn—the fibres of which felt together as the cloth is made. Broadcloth is sturdy, stiff, and resistant to wind and water.

Seersucker is a type of thin cotton cloth. The way it is woven causes the threads to pucker and bunch, creating crinkles. Seersucker often comes in narrow white and blue stripes and is popular in summer fashion.

Corduroy is a soft, durable fabric. It is distinctive for the tufted cords—called “wales”—that run in parallel along its surface. Corduroy is typically made from cotton, but it can also be made from wool.

Leather is any fabric that is made from animal hides or skin, with cowhide being the most popular.

Suede is a type of leather made from the soft underside of an animal skin. It is softer, thinner, and more delicate than traditional full-grain leather. Suede is ideal for footwear, jackets, and accessories like belts and bags.

Brocade is a particular style of jacquard fabric that uses additional threads to create a raised pattern, resulting in an embossed or embroidered effect. Due to the technique used to make it, brocade fabric is not reversible, and it may appear rough or unfinished on the underside.

Silk is a natural fiber produced by the silkworm. Silk is incredibly durable, with a shine and softness that are unmatched. Silk fabric is used for formal attire and accessories like pocket squares.

Cashmere is a type of fabric made from the wool of cashmere goats and pashmina goats. Cashmere is a natural fiber with an extremely soft feel and great insulation. Cashmere is significantly warmer and lighter than cloth made from sheep’s wool. Often, cashmere is blended with other types of wool, like merino, to give it added weight, since cashmere fibers are very fine and thin.

Jersey is a soft, stretchy knit fabric that was originally made from wool. Today, jersey is also made from cotton, cotton blends, and synthetic fibers. The fabric is usually light-to-medium weight and is used for a variety of cotton clothing items, such as T-shirts.

Flannel is a soft woven fabric typically made from cotton. It is a common material for plaid shirts.

How to Mix and Match Clothing Textures

Texture is an easy way to add visual interest to an outfit. By layering different textures, you can create a distinct look.

Identify neutral textures. Mixing and matching textures is similar to mixing and matching patterns and prints. In the same way that certain classic prints appear neutral, simple textures can serve as a neutral base for wilder textures. Denim, cotton fabric, leather, and suede are some of the most basic textures that play well with other textures. Neutral textures that are smaller and less visible to the naked eye—like merino wool—pair well with more attention-grabbing textures.

Consider a texture’s typical context. Textures evoke specific moods. Silk lends a luxurious vibe to any outfit. A plaid flannel shirt can look cozy with corduroy, but it becomes more serious when paired with a black leather jacket. Denim is a casual texture you can use to dress down other fabrics: Pair a satin tank with jeans—rather than something like brushed wool trousers—for a relaxed yet stylish look. Think about the context in which you might wear a particular material, then pair that material with other textures to subvert expectations.

Mix textures, match colors. Sticking to a more limited color palette will give you free range to play with different kinds of textures. That doesn’t mean you have to dress in monochrome: You can use neutral colors to anchor your look, or choose two or three solid colors that work together.

Source ⚜ More: Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs ⚜ How to Describe Clothing

[luna-azzurra]

On writing sexual tension

⊹ standing too close. like just barely not touching. why are their shoulders breathing on each other??

⊹ conversations that sound normal but feel like foreplay. “pass the salt” has never been so loaded.

⊹ one of them says something flirty and the other freezes for 0.2 seconds like “oh.”

⊹ eyes dropping to lips and then—back up. with effort.

⊹ holding eye contact just a little too long. like... are they gonna kiss or duel??

⊹ unintentional physical contact that lasts one second too long and now they’re both broken

⊹ a hand on the small of the back. that’s it. that’s the tweet.

⊹ tension so thick that other characters start noticing like “hey are you two okay?” (they are not)

⊹ “accidental” sleepovers. “oh no there’s only one bed.” yeah. suuuure.

⊹ biting back a smile. biting back a moan. biting anything really.

⊹ one of them walks away and the other has to physically restrain themselves from watching the hips

⊹ lots of sighing. frustrated sighs. horny sighs. “i want to kiss you but I’m emotionally unavailable” sighs.

[mothmansboywife]

The only adhd tips that work:

1. Never tell anyone what you're planning to do until you do it (you will get a premature dopamine hit and sense of accomplishment from telling them and lose motivation to actually do it)

2. Never sit down (never sit down)

[animentality]

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

I have seen so many beginner writers choke themselves out by getting their ego wrapped up in their craft. You gotta excise that fucker like a tumour straight away.

[prompty-ping]

Hi I wanted to know How do you show progress being made in the promises you make in your story?

Could you rephrase this for my understanding?

[cedar-west-deactivated20230408]

If your plot feels flat, STUDY it! Your story might be lacking...

Stakes - What would happen if the protagonist failed? Would it really be such a bad thing if it happened?

Thematic relevance - Do the events of the story speak to a greater emotional or moral message? Is the conflict resolved in a way that befits the theme?

Urgency - How much time does the protagonist have to complete their goal? Are there multiple factors complicating the situation?

Drive - What motivates the protagonist? Are they an active player in the story, or are they repeatedly getting pushed around by external forces? Could you swap them out for a different character with no impact on the plot? On the flip side, do the other characters have sensible motivations of their own?

Yield - Is there foreshadowing? Do the protagonist's choices have unforeseen consequences down the road? Do they use knowledge or clues from the beginning, to help them in the end? Do they learn things about the other characters that weren't immediately obvious?

[mishkatelwarriorgoddess]

Thank you so much for this!

[notyour-valentine-deactivated20]

Things I found out about Tunnelers in WWI

For all you wonderful writers or just generally curious people here are some things I learnt about tunnelers in WWI that might be interesting or useful

Turns out watching Peaky Blinders with your family is more than just your aunt tearing Cillian Murphy's riding style to shreds, your uncle being disgusted by English beer, your mother thirsting for Campbell and your father, cousin and brother all banding together to tease you - you can actually learn something

DISCLAIMER: This isn't professional at all - these are recollections from things I learnt this from the discussion that came after watching. The most information is from someone who is a military historian HOWEVER also influenced by recollections from family members that served on the Bavarian/German side so there may be differences. If I've made any mistakes, please let me know so I can correct them. I hope you can still find it useful/interesting...

There will be mentions of war and death - please be careful as some things I've written down are absolutely horrid

Summary

They worked for 18 hours a day

Tunnels were upto 20 km long

The largest explosion could be heard in London

Exploding mines would often throw material and men into the air and also bury many alive

Listening for enemy tunnelers was part of the goal

Underground mine warfare stopped a year before the war ended

What follows is a more detailed description, but please take care as it is not a nice read.

1. The Minewar at the West Front ended long before the war

2. Listening to the other side's digging wasn't a terrifying accident- it was literally their job

The mine war at the West Front was from 1914-1917, as opposed to the one in the Alps which was until 1918. Like it was shown in the show, tunnelers from both sides tried to dig under ground to try to plant explosives on the opposite side to either harm military infrastructure, cause explosions under the trenches of the opposing side or prevent advances, but mainly due to the fact that they wanted to stop tunnellers from the other side by making their tunnels collapse.

In 1917 a gentleman's agreement was reached to stop the use of tunnelers, while the fighting above ground continued.

The Tunnelers were then either moved to different fronts or assimilated into the normal trench war. However, British tunnelers weren't involved in the Alps so it is likely they would have stayed at the West Front with other common soldiers.

3. They wouldn't have just been fighting Prussians

To find out where the opposing side was building their own tunnels so that they could locate them, flood them (to destroy the gunpowder) or plant explosives to that they would collapse and kill them, or to face them on a one on one fight, they had to listen constantly, and since the other side was trying to do that too, silence and working as quietly as possible was paramount. Even things like whispering was incredibly dangerous with everyone was constantly afraid of making too much noise.

Each tunneler company had about 500men who worked for 18 hours a day. They would also try to flood the tunnels of enemy forces to render their gunpowder useless.

They tended to draft people already familiar with tunneling and underground words (like in mountains) and so the British didn't just fight Prussian tunnelers but also Bavarians (even if they both fought under the 'unity' of the German Reich) and they wore slightly different uniforms, although I suppose in the tunnels the difference didn't really matter (also: it would be unlikely that an actual Prussian soldier would wear a hat)

4. Important Battles

In the Forest of Argonne (mountain and forest land) there was fighting in late 1914, summer 1915 and late 1918 (when the war ended). In 1914 and 1915, there was mine war.

In 1918, Americans also fought there where they led an offensive right up to the end of the war to pressure the Germans (but it was mostly US and French soldiers). Argonne, just like Vanyuois was a village which was completely destroyed due to the explosions caused by underground mines.

1916 was the Battle of Verdun (early to mid 1916) which was one of the biggest battles and included the use of tunnellers, who were partly responsible for the many explosions that gave it the name "Hell of Verdun" with about 10 000 granades and mines going off hourly which threw material and people into the air, which were partly buried alive and suffocated. It was also called "Bonemill". As many people couldn't be buried as their bodies lay in no-man's land, the stench, especially in the summer was horrible. It was also common that the soldiers went days without food and had to wear their gas masks for hours at a time. They also used a lot of horses but thousands lost their lives (dozens daily).

Mid to late November 1916 was the Battle of the Somme (partly simultaniously to Verdun) and an offensive of the Brits and French against the German troops but didn't achieve anything but killing over a million people. Brits took over because France had been weakened by the Battle of Verdun. It started with a seven-day non stop shooting by the British artillery while the ground of the German forces was to be blewn up by mines. Here was not only Prussian, but Bavarian presence

On one day 19 mines exploded under German troops with with things and dirt being thrown over 1000 meter into the air. These explosions also created the infamous Lochnager- Krater who is over 20 km wide. There was also the explosion of the Hawthorn Ridge Mine near the German command centre called "Schwabenfeste", which despite reinforces from the Bavarian Divisions was lost to the English. Despite that, the Battle of the Somme is regarded as one of the greatest failures in British military history.

Battle of Arras

Arras was a French city, where the allied troops used the already existing tunnel system under the city and expanded on it to prepare for battle. The tunnels of Arras were the largest building project of WWI and were created shortly after the Somme, with tunnels over 20km long. It created almost an entire underground city including a hospital and kitchens. Before the attack, thousands of soldiers waited for days underground.

Battle of Messines

In mid to late 1917 there was the Third Battle of Flanders which included the famous Taking of Passendale.

It began with the Battle of Messines, where British tunnelers caused another gigantic explosion (over 600 t of gunpowder) which killed over 10.000 Bavarian soldiers. Apparently, British, Canadian and Australian tunnellers had dug for nearly a year to plant the mines consisting of over 20 tons of dynamite each, with the tunnels being upto 8 kilometers long. This explosion is regarded as the loudest noise ever created by humans and could apparently be heard in No 10 Downing Street.Messines can be seen as the most successful offence of the Allied Forces. Even today, unexploded mines are still buried that didn't explode although by now nearly all the tunnels must've collapsed or been flooded so that they aren't dangerous anymore.

I'm not going to ask if you enjoyed, because I don't think content like this can be enjoyed, but perhaps it was interesting/useful for some of you.

Take care, Val xx

[prompty-ping]

Wonderful resource

[tlbodine]

Pro Tip: The Way You End a Sentence Matters

Here is a quick and dirty writing tip that will strengthen your writing.

In English, the word at the end of a sentence carries more weight or emphasis than the rest of the sentence. You can use that to your advantage in modifying tone.

Consider:

In the end, what you said didn't matter.

It didn't matter what you said in the end.

In the end, it didn't matter what you said.

Do you pick up the subtle differences in meaning between these three sentences?

The first one feels a little angry, doesn't it? And the third one feels a little softer? There's a gulf of meaning between "what you said didn't matter" (it's not important!) and "it didn't matter what you said" (the end result would've never changed).

Let's try it again:

When her mother died, she couldn't even cry.

She couldn't even cry when her mother died.

That first example seems to kind of side with her, right? Whereas the second example seems to hold a little bit of judgment or accusation? The first phrase kind of seems to suggest that she was so sad she couldn't cry, whereas the second kind of seems to suggest that she's not sad and that's the problem.

The effect is super subtle and very hard to put into words, but you'll feel it when you're reading something. Changing up the order of your sentences to shift the focus can have a huge effect on tone even when the exact same words are used.

In linguistics, this is referred to as "end focus," and it's a nightmare for ESL students because it's so subtle and hard to explain. But a lot goes into it, and it's a tool worth keeping in your pocket if you're a creative writer or someone otherwise trying to create a specific effect with your words :)

[tlbodine]

Writing Tip: Keep an eye on your “was”

Want a quick, powerful way to tighten up your writing? Open up your story. Ctrl+f the word “was.” Now see if you can cut that number down by half by rephrasing those sentences to have more active, dynamic verbs and more robust descriptions. 

Compare: 

She was wearing a white dress that offset the tan of her skin, and her hair was coiffed into tight ringlet curls. 

vs

The dress hugged her figure, the white fabric a bright contrast against her late-summer tan. Her hair, coiled into tight ringlets, bounced around her shoulders. 

See the difference? 

Here’s the deal with “was.” It, along with its fellow “being” verbs am, is, are, to be, been, being, describes a state of…well…being. Other verbs describe actions: run! jump! laugh! cough! fight! kiss! things that you do, in other words. But the being verbs don’t really do much of anything. 

Sometimes, “was” is used to create a sentence in passive voice. In fact, that last sentence is in passive voice! (sneaky, right?) What’s passive voice? It’s a nifty linguistic trick that lets you hide the subject of a sentence. 

The body was dragged for miles. (what dragged it?) 

A bullet was found lodged in the wall. (who found it?) 

The book was placed on the bookshelf. (who put it there?) 

Sometimes, this is pretty useful. It’s useful if you’re a journalist who needs to report an event but you’re missing some of the facts. You can’t make a guess as to who did something, so you’ve got to just quietly skirt around that part. Cool. 

But sometimes, you’ll see bizarre passive sentence constructions like: 

The bullet was found by police lodged in the wall. (what were the police doing in the wall, that sounds uncomfortable)

The bullet was found lodged in the wall by police (wait so the police put it there?) 

The bullet lodged into the wall was found by police (k but that seems a little wordy doesn’t it). 

Those sound weird, right? Wouldn’t it be so much easier to just say: 

Police found the bullet lodged into the wall

That’s way better, right? Clear, concise meaning, no wasted words. 

So that’s Problem #1 with “Was” - it’s often used in passive sentence construction, and passive sentences can be vague, unnecessarily long or confusingly worded. If you change your passive voice sentences to active voice, you’ll get more punch in your writing. 

Problem #2 with “Was” is it’s a good sign that you’re telling instead of showing in your story. When you say “something was X,” you are stating a fact. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with stating facts or telling sometimes in your writing, but if you do it too much, you’re going to create narrative distance between the reader and your story. We’re not going to feel like we’re “there.” 

So don’t tell us, “Billy was sad.” Show us the quiver of his lip, the gleam of tears in his eye, the hitch in his chest as he fights back a sob. 

Problem #3 with “Was” is it allows you to write static descriptions without any action. You can spend whole paragraphs telling me what something looked like, and thanks to our pal the “being” verb, nothing has to happen in those paragraphs! Yay! Now guess what? Your reader is going to be bored as shit. Those are the paragraphs of description that the reader is going to skim over because nothing is happening. 

Allow me to illustrate: 

The dog was red. 

Okay? So…? 

The red dog. 

…Wait a minute. The red dog what. What is the red dog doing? 

If you cut “was” out of the equation, all of a sudden all of your sentences are going to require action verbs. Stuff will have to happen. And that can only be good for your writing. 

So look. Here’s the thing. “Was” isn’t evil. You can use it. Sometimes, you want to use it for a specific effect. But it’s a good idea to go back through your manuscript and read all of your “was” sentences and decide whether you really want them to be that way – if you’re doing something specific – or if you just fell back on it out of habit. 

Hope this was helpful, and good luck! 

[prompty-ping]

Fantastic advice, couldn't have said it better myself, thank you @celticmelody for showing me this post.

[quasi-normalcy]

It’s Not a Plot Hole, It’s Foreshadowing

vs.

It’s Not a Plot Hole, It’s Just Something That They Opted Not to Spoon-feed You Because It Would Be Obvious If You Thought About It For 20 Seconds

vs.

It May Be a Plot Hole, But It Still Works In Terms of the Story’s Themes and Character Logic

vs.

Okay, It Is a Plot Hole, What Are You Going to Do, Cry about It?

[quasi-normalcy]

vs.

All Works of Fiction Represent Constructed Realities and by Demanding a Lack of Plot Holes, You Are Improperly Importing the Rules of Objective Reality into a Subjective Creation that Must Be Judged Primarily on Its Aesthetic Merits

vs.

Dude, Just Come-up With a Headcanon Like A Normal Human Being

[lostsometime]

vs.

Is It Really a Plot Hole, or Are the Characters Just Not Making the Choices You Want Them To?

[aye-write]

[prompty-ping]

Hello! Could I have some writing advice, please? I'm trying to write a scenario where Person A said something unintentionally hurtful about Person B. What are some things that Person A could've said that they either don't mean, or didn't know that it would hurt Person B?

Okay. I've been thinking for a long time about this post, I have to admit.

First, consider Character A and B's relationship. Where are they emotionally? Are they a couple, are they friends, are they siblings? If so, is their relationship generally good or unstable?

Next, consider the situation. What is it at this point in the story (ie. Are they generally stable, but they're currently in a fight right now?). These things will affect who says what and why. What exactly is the context of Character A saying this thing? Is character A being an asshole, or is B, or are they both? Were they in a bad mood? Was this a complete misunderstanding? Was this argument orchestrated by someone else?

Now, consider "unintentional". Did character A say something that was generally well known about Character B, but Character B doesn't want to hear? Does Character A say something that they know would hurt B's feelings, and gossiped about it with someone else, whether maliciously intentioned or not? Did Character A burst out a mean thing during an argument in the heat of the moment? Was it true, but they still shouldn't have said it? Was it not true, but they knew it would hurt B? Or, or— was B wrong? Did they take an innocent remark the wrong way and cause a fight (maybe they were in a bad mood)? Were they behaving badly and A was calling them out on it?

Moreover, consider the reaction. I think what really makes a hurtful thing seem hurtful is the reaction. Character B must obviously be hurt, how do they express this? Do they start crying? Do they shut down? Do they walk away? Do they get angry and hurl insults back? Also should be considered with A: is Character A immediately apologetic, or are they too proud to apologise immediately? Maybe A doesn't want to apologise, because they shouldn't be punished for insisting B should cut out bad behaviour.

Finally, the resolution. How is this resolved? How does this affect their relationship? Does Character A apologise, does B, does someone else intervene, do they have a long talk? Maybe none of the above, and this has ruined the relationship?

Now. What A could've said depends on all of these factors, which is why I would need to know a bit more, but here are some ideas of things they could insult (these are very general, they could be used in a severe argument or a petty one):

Appearance

Personality

Intelligence

Family

An insecurity that B has had throughout the story, that A knows about.

Questioning another character's intentions/real feelings for B.

Implying that B is the cause of the conflict of the story

Some aspect of B's personality that they are in denial of, A points it out without malice, and B has their feelings hurt.

Certain behaviours A doesn't approve of.

Implying B isn't a good person/doesn't put effort into the relationship.

Suggesting that a lot of problems wouldn't exist if B would stop doing a certain action.

Disagreeing with B when they complain about an argument or interaction they've had, insisting they're not as innocent as they're retelling the story.

Calling B out on bad behaviour

Character A is offended by a criticism, and hurls that same criticism at B

A classic, complete misunderstanding. Character A thinks the argument is about this, and B thinks it's about that

Maybe B made a promise, A couldn't keep that promise, and questions their relationship's validity.

These are literally off the top of my head, there are surely more (if people would like to suggest, do so in the comments), you need to decide what goes best with your dynamic.

-M

[chaosbeautiful]

[love-me-a-good-prompt]

50 WORDS TO USE INSTEAD OF “SAID”

Do you ever find yourself over-using the word “said” in your writing? Try using these words/phrases instead:

stated

commented

declared

spoke

responded

voiced

noted

uttered

iterated

explained

remarked

acknowledged

mentioned

announced

shouted

expressed

articulated

exclaimed

proclaimed

whispered

babbled

observed

deadpanned

joked

hinted

informed

coaxed

offered

cried

affirmed

vocalized

laughed

ordered

suggested

admitted

verbalized

indicated

confirmed

apologized

muttered

proposed

chatted

lied

rambled

talked

pointed out

blurted out

chimed in

brought up

wondered aloud

(NOTE: Keep in mind that all of these words have slightly different meanings and are associated with different emotions/scenarios.)

[lyralit]

show, don't tell:

anticipation - bouncing legs - darting eyes - breathing deeply - useless / mindless tasks - eyes on the clock - checking and re-checking

frustration - grumbling - heavy footsteps - hot flush - narrowed eyes - pointing fingers - pacing / stomping

sadness - eyes filling up with tears - blinking quickly - hiccuped breaths - face turned away - red / burning cheeks - short sentences with gulps

happiness - smiling / cheeks hurting - animated - chest hurts from laughing - rapid movements - eye contact - quick speaking

boredom - complaining - sighing - grumbling - pacing - leg bouncing - picking at nails

fear - quick heartbeat - shaking / clammy hands - pinching self - tuck away - closing eyes - clenched hands

disappointment - no eye contact - hard swallow - clenched hands - tears, occasionally - mhm-hmm

tiredness - spacing out - eyes closing - nodding head absently - long sighs - no eye contact - grim smile

confidence - prolonged eye contact - appreciates instead of apologizing - active listening - shoulders back - micro reactions

[thoughtkick]

“And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.”

— John Steinbeck, East of Eden