theo

she/her - 16 - queer - intp goal: to become fluent in spanish //navigation for mobile users

[whenourdreamsawaken-deactivated]

*DEVELOPING YOUR OWN ORGANISATION SYSTEM*

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog, today I will be discussing something I’ve been thinking about, developing an organisation system that works for you!! Mainly because I will starting university in autumn 2016 and I really need to up my game:

Developing your organisation system isn’t something that’s difficult to do but it requires some experimentation before you figure out what works for you. To help you with this process I’ll be giving some tips and tricks to get you started:

Find out what classes you have AND how many, this is a no brainer because to start organising you need something to organise!

Now it’s time to start colour coding, there’s infinite way you can use this: to differentiate between your classes using notebook or folders/binders, in your notes through highlighters, in your planner  for your classes, and much much more!!

Decide whether you’d like to use notebooks or refill pads, binders or folders, again there’s no right or wrong way to do this, experiment with what you have and take it from there

Use a planner, this is another no brainer, you could keep a copy of your schedule, write down you classes/assignments and even your upcoming events. But there are several different types and for this I’d recommend looking around stores or online and watching  different YouTube videos  

Have the relevant stationery, again there’s so many different types of pens, pencils, fine liners and pen cases. If you have items you’ve used before and they work for you, don’t be afraid to repurchase them again, even if they’re not studyblr staples. If you do want to try some popular stationery, start small because the cost can really add up!!

Find out how to study, maybe you like to annotate textbooks, rewrite notes, use colour schemes, watch videos, discuss or debate? If you’re unsure or maybe you’d like to try something new I’d recommend: flashcards, mind maps, regular reviewing, outline notes or visual notes    

That’s all I have for now, but just remember DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU !!

P.S. If you any questions please don’t hesitate to ask :)

[the-organised-desk-deactivated2]

Shorter Breaks: 5-10 minutes

-Make a study snack -Make some tea/coffee -Tidy your desk and notes -Draw/paint something: here is a list of things to draw and here is some inspiration and references. -Practice your instrument/sport -Meditate -Try some breathing techniques -If you like baking or cooking, look for some recipes to collect and start a recipe folder. -Plan out your week -Make some origami swans or stars. -Write someone a letter -Do some dishes or laundry. -Answer some emails -Look online for some stationary: it could help you get a bit more motivated -Write a haiku Longer breaks: 30-60 minutes -Bake or cook something -Take your pets for a walk -Go on a nice bike ride -Play some video games -Go to your local library -Do some gardening: It will get you outside and even better if you go out and buy some herb or vegetable seeds or seedlings.

[riseandstudy]

so i made this post because even the laziest people in existence still have to study ha ha these are just some things i’ve been doing for my revision!

1. you don’t need to rewrite notes to memorise them

i know tons of people say that rewriting notes is a form of memory retention but honestly!!! i don’t have the energy/patience for that ha! for me, the best method to memorise things (especially content-heavy chapters/subjects) would be to record yourself talking. i don’t think this is especially catered to auditory learners, because i know for a fact that i’m not an auditory learner but this still works especially well for me so!!

 i usually open up the voice recorder app and talk as if i’m teaching someone! i’d recommend you use a guidebook as reference and not the actual textbooks. guidebooks are more vague, so when you’re speaking about a particular point, you can sort of expand on the point given in the guidebook from your knowledge of the subject! this really helps for revision because you’re basically forced to remember things. you don’t necessarily need to replay your recordings. to me, the “recording” bit of this method is psychological, it makes me feel like i’m actually memorising and not just talking to myself haha.

this recording method is honestly one of the most helpful things i’ve ever started doing and i can do a more in-depth post on it if anyone asks haha

2. use different highlighters for different sections

i know literally everyone has been told this tip in their lifetime but honestly!!! it’s EXTREMELY helpful, especially if you want to do timelines for history! use different colours for things like dates, people, treaties, etc!  okay but one thing about this tip that’s sort of different from others is that when you highlight dates, highlight the entire event and not just the date! so for example, instead of highlighting “28 June 1919″, highlight “The Treaty of Versailles was signed on 28 June 1919.” that way, you know the WHOLE event and the date and you’ll be more likely to remember both! 

i learnt this the hard way - i used to highlight dates by themselves (maybe i was just totally dumb) and i could NEVER remember what happened on the dates lmao 

3. the internet is there for you

it’s a bad habit of mine, but being a very last-minute person, i ALWAYS have doubts even the night before exams. since it’s too late to actually contact anyone, i usually have to rely on the internet. the internet has a myriad of wonderful wonderful resources that are so incredibly useful! 

some youtube channels that have helped me are khanacademy (literally anything), mathbff (math), keith hughes (history), j brierly (literature) 

i also recommend watching documentaries (for history/social studies) because even though it’s a more in-depth version of what you have to learn, it’ll help you understand everything better + make your essay stand out :) 

4. find a suitable study space

a good study space is probably the first thing you should ensure if you want to get anything done at all. i usually never study at home, simply because i’m always distracted by trivial things such as “i’m hungry, i’m gonna get food” or “i’m so tired i’m going to sleep for five minutes”. 

when i started studying outside (usually at starbucks/the library), my productivity level increased so much it blew my mind a little. even though it’s a bit troublesome because you may not be completely sure what materials to bring, you’ll still get a lot done trust me on this lmao

5. always, always plan what you want to do

i find it really taxing to plan out my entire day down to the hour, so i usually just set a certain number of things i want to complete for that day, and just let things naturally flow from there.

for example, i write the things i want to do on my calendar (finish a set of math papers, read a chapter of lit, etc.) and then i just get everything done on that day w/o planning the exact time i’m going to do it! it makes things less stressful in my opinion :)

i’ve tried planning things by hour but it usually never works out so i just stopped doing it and honestly it’s not necessary! what’s important about planning is just knowing what you need to do and then getting it done. 

6. handwrite your notes whenever you can

writing your notes by hand triggers your memory more effectively than typing them out. even though i’m tempted to type out notes since i’m the laziest person in existence, i still try (most of the time) to write notes because at the end of the day, you’ll be more proud of your handwritten notes than your boring typed out ones :)

7. study with people who usually do well

this is a rather…shady….method of learning but honestly!!! when you know how the top students function, you can learn from them as well! 

i’ve discovered that top students usually perform so well because they review their content regularly, unlike people like me who wait three days before the exam to start cramming everything into my brain.

keep some pictures of your notes or some flashcards with you, so that when you have pockets of time (eg. waiting for a friend, waiting for the bus, etc), you can whip them out and start reviewing :) 

these people also act as tutors, so you can clarify your doubts with them and it’ll be less awkward as compared to asking an actual teacher. i know i prefer asking classmates than teachers hahaha.

OKAY i hope this helped :-) please also reblog/like this if you’re a studyblr, i’m new to the community and i wanna follow more people!! 

[peachisty]

reasons why u should be confident with yourself:

if you’re an artist: nobody will ever paint, sketch, make art the way you do. nobody will ever hold your paint brush and take care of it and stroke it on a sheet of paper the way you want it. nobody will ever be as unique and beautiful and as distinct as you. your art is yours. not because they don’t “like” it already mean it’s not beautiful. art is meant to be felt by the heart and not judged by the eyes alone. that’s the beauty in art.

if you’re a singer: your voice may not be as high-pitched and as long-ranged as the divas and song birds from all over the world, but haven’t you noticed the way you make this cute little notes jump in joy when you sing it? i think it’s beautiful, the way you play with the rhythm. nobody will ever make such beautiful noise the way you do ever again. make it count.

if you’re a writer, a poet: have you forgotten that everybody has their own story to tell? im pretty sure a lot of people would love to hear your story. and count me in, because honestly, im one of them. hearing other people’s story and learning a lot from it is honestly the best part of living. it always feels like you’re starting to become part of their lives and it’s just so beautiful. let other people read your stories: write it, show it, and let everybody read it. we’d love it, trust me !

if you’re a pet lover: oh dear !! i love pets as much as you, but can u imagine the look on ur pet’s face when they see you bein sad and moping around with sadness because you’re not confident enough to do something? it will make them feel even sadder. radiating positive rays of sunshine and joys and happiness will make them happy! oh dear, start movin your hands and work. trust me, it will make your pet happy if you’re happy!

if you’re passionate over something: don’t be afraid to do things that you love with every single cell in your body. dont let other people’s opinion affect your love and passion over something. if you want make-up and you’re studying in a science school and they think that you look funny, don’t mind them, really. they have their opinion. and you have yours. if they can’t respect yours, then that’s their problem. dont let their opinions affect your happiness. they’re just stupid thoughts, anyway. believe in yourself.

if you feel like you’re not good enough: who told you so? im sorry you feel like the world is not treating you right, but trust me it happens to everybody. there are times when you just can’t love yourself as much as you did a few days ago. you can love yourself 50% today and 70% tomorrow. that’s alright. it’s alright. you’re doing fine. and im proud of your progress. but maybe u should step up a little bit and wear the stuff that you’ve always wanted to wear. nobody’s going to hate you. im pretty sure some of the nice girls out there would even love it. you’re going to be okay, peach. i love you. :*)

[socialworkstudy-deactivated2018]

I have one notebook for dailies/monthlies and another for collections. I like to be able to keep my collections notebook a bit messy and cross things out when I need to. It’s also good for random lists.

Per Semester

key

index

academic calendar 

schedule 

course info (professor, times, location, credit hours, etc.)

course requirements (pre-reqs to degree)

club info

volunteering log

goals

memories

grade tracker/paper tracker

Monthly

spending log

habit tracker (cleaning, laundry, workout, no spending, meds, etc.)

mood tracker 

workout log

sleep tracker

meal tracker

grocery lists

time log (how much time you spend studying, cleaning, working out, at clubs/volunteering, etc.)

social media tracker

calendar for appointments  

work schedule/hours

gratitude log

practice log (music, sports, art, etc.)

Daily

to do list

water intake (or other habits not in monthly)

weather

outfit

meals

Collections

favorite washi

pen test

inventory of items you collect (books, records, crystals, magnets, etc.)

places to go/places you have been

breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack ideas

good food places in your city

recipes

packing lists (weekend, plane, etc.)

websites you have accounts on (helpful if switching emails later on)

academic websites

level 10

DIYs

goals/achievements

quotes

wishlist

bucket list

outfit ideas

favorite shops

films, tv shows, musicals to watch/have watched

books to read/have read

favorite musicians

student discounts (places where you show your ID and get x% off)

[learning-teaching]

Okay so I keep seeing terrible PPTs at university -we have to make a lot of them-, which is why I made a PPT to give some advice on good PPTs! :)

Of course you can still do your PPTs however you want, these are just some tips. Hope this helps some of you, though! If you need help with a presentation, feel free to ask.

May you all have a happy and productice week ♡

[bujobub-deactivated20170127]

school is either here or coming soon so i thought i’d share some tips on how i keep different bags organized. depending on what kind of bag you have (large, pocket riddled backpack, a tote, a good ol’ kånken, etc.) things may be different but i’ll try to cover all the differences. thanks for all the support thus far, hope you like this one!

Keep reading

[theinformationdump]

Body Language Cheat Sheet for Writers

As described by Selnick’s article:

Author and doctor of clinical psychology Carolyn Kaufman has released a one-page body language cheat sheet of psychological “tells” (PDF link) fiction writers can use to dress their characters.

[sleepyreyrey]

Strong words to use on a Resume

If you have ever had to write a resume for work or for an application, then you know the hardest part is figuring out what type of words to use that sound professional and and intelligent.

Example: If an application asks you if you have any relevant experience for a job at a day care center and you have experience, like you have babysat children. You would look at the words in the columns to see what words you should use that will help your resume stand out. You might put down “Have supervised and attended to children on a regular basis.”

I hope this is helpful to you.

[rampyourvoice]

Now this is a great resume list of action words.  I love that it’s broken down by types of jobs.  Saving for future use.

[coffeesforstudiers]

Some TED talks that will change your life.

How to make stress your friend by Katie McGonial (14.5 minutes) 

“Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others.”

8 secrets of success by Richard St.John (3.5 minutes)

Why do people succeed? Is it because they’re smart? Or are they just lucky? Neither. Analyst Richard St. John condenses years of interviews into an unmissable 3-minute slideshow on the real secrets of success.

A simple way to break a bad habit by Judson Brewer (9.5 minutes)

Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction — from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they’re bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to smoke, snack or check a text while driving.

Don’t regret regret by Kathryn Schulz (17 minutes)

We’re taught to try to live life without regret. But why? Using her own tattoo as an example, Kathryn Schulz makes a powerful and moving case for embracing our regrets.

How to make hard choices by Ruth Chang (14.5 minutes)

Here’s a talk that could literally change your life. Which career should I pursue? Should I break up — or get married?! Where should I live? Big decisions like these can be agonizingly difficult. But that’s because we think about them the wrong way, says philosopher Ruth Chang. She offers a powerful new framework for shaping who we truly are.

The danger of silence by Clint Smith (4 minutes) 

We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don’t,“ says poet and teacher Clint Smith. A short, powerful piece from the heart, about finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice.

How to speak so that people want to listen by Julian Treasure (10 minutes)

Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but nobody is listening? Here’s Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to’s of powerful speaking — from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.

Your body language shapes who you are by Amy Cuddy (21 minutes)

Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how “power posing” — standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

The happy secret to better work by Shawn Achor (12 minutes) 

We believe we should work hard in order to be happy, but could we be thinking about things backwards? In this fast-moving and very funny talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that, actually, happiness inspires us to be more productive.

A call to men by Tony Porter (11 minutes) [TW: graphic desc. of rape] 

At TEDWomen, Tony Porter makes a call to men everywhere: Don’t “act like a man.” Telling powerful stories from his own life, he shows how this mentality, drummed into so many men and boys, can lead men to disrespect, mistreat and abuse women and each other. His solution: Break free of the “man box.”

[exclusivelyeva]

this masterpost is all about food for students, so most of the recipes/ideas are cheap, fast, or easy to make! :)

super easy snacks 

strawberries & nutella

cheese & crackers

peanut butter & celery

strawberry & banana smoothie

pita chips & hummus

apples & peanut butter

frozen fruit

popcorn

nutella + banana toast

simple snack recipies

avacado toast

apple quesadilla

nutella energy bites

acai bowl

caprese salad

sweet potato fries

egg in avacado

omelet in a mug

mini pancakes

roasted chickpeas

almond butter and peach toast

baked bananas

berry + yogurt parfait

bruschetta

spicy cereal mix

blueberry muffin in a mug

easy food recipes

mac and cheese in a mug

pizza in a mug

strawberry caprese salad

cinnamon roll in a mug

waffle pizza

taco in a bag

whole wheat banana bread

waffle iron grilled cheese

quiche in a mug

pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes

twice baked potatoes (microwave)

quesadillas

veggie wrap

23 dorm room meals you can make in a microwave

12 mug recipes

mug recipes masterpost

tomato + basil pasta

broccoli spaghetti

tomato/peach/basil salad

breakfast cookie in a mug

french toast in a cup

vegetarian burrito bowl

stuffed sweet potatoes

microwave enchiladas (fav!!)

lasagna in a mug

spinach & feta mashed potatoes

egg fried rice in a mug

easy + yummy treats

brownie in a mug

berry, coconut & chocolate bowl

coffee cake in a mug

pumpkin chocolate chip cookie

chocolate mug cake

five minute peanut butter fudge

peanut butter banana cups

coconut no bake cookies

chia pudding

nutella mug cake

microwave cheescake

chocolate fudge smores mug cake

strawberry mug pie

10 mug cakes

nutella cool whip pie

mini nutella cheescake (no bake

)mud pie in a jar

cookie dough smores (no bake)

peanut butter rice kripsie treats

oreo parfait

strawberry ice cream sandwiches

15 minute donuts

water (why you should drink water daily)

normal water 

cucumber/lemon/cilantro infused water

grapefruit/rosemary infused water

green tea citrus infused water

all of these ideas for infused water

other drinks

hot chocolate ideas

hot drinks for winter

coffee masterpost by @gracelearns

teas and what they do

tea masterpost by @gracelearns

tea facts

smoothie masterpost by @lilypotterr

food masterposts

study snacks by @studyblrjess

feed yo’ brain by @studylou

healthy eating by @c-athyna

eat healthy on a student budget by @studymyth

[thepurplestudies]

i made a spread inspired by all the bullet journals in my tag that will hopefully help once i start using dailies 📔

[tbhstudying]

public speaking can be an absolutely terrifying process, so here are a few tips and tricks to ace your presentation (ㆁᴗㆁ✿)

facing the audience

try to focus on the wall and the tops of the heads in the audience. that way, you don’t have to focus on any faces or certain people at all, yet you still look like you’re facing the audience.

making hand gestures while you talk is helpful too, but don’t overdo it too much. just do it when you need to add emphasis.

pacing around a tiny bit is fine because you don’t want to seem stiff, but moving around too much is a little weird. i like to pace to another section of the stage after i finish saying about a paragraph of stuff or when the topic changes to ensure that i cover all of the audience.

using your voice

make sure to project your voice. pretend like nobody in the room exists and that you’re in your own bedroom. that really helps me to loosen up and get my voice out there.

try to add some emotion and depth to your voice too. nobody wants to listen to a robotic voice reciting out a memorized speech. just speak in a comfortable conversational tone, kinda like you’re talking a friend.

remember:

try not to think about the fact that you’re speaking to the public. honestly, if you don’t think about it and just get up there and look at the back wall, it’s much easier. sometimes, people end up building up more and more fear by constantly worrying about it.

remember: the person who cares most about you is yourself. barely anybody will notice if you slip up and nobody except you knows how your speech is supposed to go. nobody will notice if you rearrange topics or change up the flow a bit.

you’ll be fine. now get out there and rock that presentation!!

hope this helped and good luck! if you’d like to request a post, go here and if you’d like to see more helpful posts, go here!! thanks :)

[athenastudying-deactivated20220]

How do you remain motivated? Personally, motivation is quite difficult for me to acquire nevertheless maintain.

You just reminded me that I wanted to do a masterpost on motivation - might as well do it now, right? 

Okay, thanks to my teacher’s ed class, I can tell you that there are two types of motivation. 

1. Intrinsic Motivation 

The better kind of motivation, probably. This kind of motivation arises because you want to learn. You are interested in the subject, you want to acquire skills, and learning it is fun. People who are intrinsically motivated often seem to learn effortlessly because they don’t feel like studying is a burden. This website defines it as “a desire to learn a topic due to its inherent interests, for self-fulfillment, enjoyment and to achieve a mastery of the subject.” That’s pretty much it. 

This is, honestly, how I keep myself motivated. I’m studying something that I love, and I don’t have a hard time to bring myself to do my homework or read a paper, because frankly, I enjoy it. I’m interested in it, and I don’t feel like I have “better things to do”. 

This feeling is, however, hard to achieve when you’re in school and are forced to take subjects you don’t like. Now we get to the second type of motivation: 

2. Extrinsic Motivation

This type of motivation doesn’t require you to love what you do - you have other reasons to still bring yourself to do it. You want (or need) a decent grade, you don’t want to disappoint your parents, you want to avoid punishment for a bad grade (though I hope that’s not the case). Let me quote the website again: “to perform and succeed for the sake of accomplishing a specific result or outcome. “

We all fall into extrinsic motivation at some point because neither school nor university are always just fun. We all have to take mandatory classes we don’t especially like. Then you have to trick yourself into being motivated: 

Set goals and make them visible. Don’t say “I will get better at this”, but set a certain amount of time you will be investing into it each day, or a specific grade you want to achieve. Write it down somewhere, or hang it on the wall above your desk so you’re reminded of it. 

Get a role model. I don’t care if it’s Hermione Granger or a friend from class who is really good at the subject. It will help to keep you going until you’re at their level. 

Reward yourself. Probably the biggest factor in extrinsic motivation is to work for a reward, let it be a good grade or even money that you get from your parents if you’re getting an A. Reward even small achievements, like finishing ten practice problems or reading a chapter of a book. Take a bubble bath, eat some chocolate, or watch the football match. 

And even in horrible subjects, try to find something small that makes it enjoyable a little bit. A small ounce of intrinsic motivation is never bad - maybe you find at least one chapter of your textbook moderately interesting? :) 

I hope this helped! <3 If anyone has any more tips, feel free to add them. 

[ladyknightrps]

a massively extended version of ruthlesscalculus’ post

General Tips

Joss Whedon’s Top 10 Writing Tips

Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

34 Writing Tips that will make you a Better Writer

50 Free resources that will improve your writing skills

5 ways to get out of the comfort zone and become a stronger writer

10 ways to avoid Writing Insecurity

The Writer’s Guide to Overcoming Insecurity

The Difference Between Good Writers and Bad Writers

You’re Not Hemingway - Developing Your Own Style

7 Ways to use Brain Science to Hook Readers and Reel them In

8 Short Story Tips from Kurt Vonnegut

How to Show, Not Tell

5 Essential Story Ingredients

How to Write Fiction that grabs your readers from page one

Why research is important in writing

Make Your Reader Root for Your Main Character

Writing Ergonomics (Staying Comfortable Whilst Writing)

The Importance of Body Language

Character Development

10 days of Character Building

Name Generators

Name Playground

Universal Mary Sue Litmus Test

Seven Common Character Types

Handling a Cast of Thousands Part 1 - Getting To Know Your Characters

Web Resources for Developing Characters

Building Fictional Characters

Fiction Writer’s Character Chart

Character Building Workshop

Tips for Characterization

Character Chart for Fiction Writers

Villains are people too but…

How to Write a Character Bible

Character Development Exercises

All Your Characters Talk the Same - And They’re Not A Hivemind!

Medieval Names Archive

Sympathy Without Saintliness

Family Echo (Family Tree Maker)

Behind The Name

100 Character Development Questions for Writers

Aether’s Character Development Worksheet

The 12 Common Archetypes

Six Types of Courageous Characters

Kazza’s List of Character Secrets - Part 1, Part 2

Creating Believable Characters With Personality

Body Language Cheat Sheet

Creating Fictional Characters Series

Three Ways to Avoid Lazy Character Description

7 Rules for Picking Names for Fictional Characters

Character Development Questionnaire

How to Create Fictional Characters

Character Name Resources

Character Development Template

Character Development Through Hobbies

Character Flaws List

10 Questions for Creating Believable Characters

Ari’s Archetype Series

How to Craft Compelling Characters

List of 200 Character Traits

Writing Characters of the Opposite Sex

Making Your Characters Likable

Do you really know your characters?

Character Development: Virtues

Character Development: Vices

Character Morality Alignment

List of Negative Personality Traits

List of Positive Personality Traits

List of Emotions - Positive

List of Emotions - Negative

Loon’s Character Development Series - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

Phobia List A-L (Part 1), M-Z (Part 2)

30 Day In Depth Character Development Meme

Words for Emotions based on Severity

Eight Bad Characters

High Level Description of the Sixteen Personality Types

Female Characters

How Not to Write Female Characters

Writing Female Characters

How to write empowering female characters

Why I write strong female characters

Red Flags for Female Characters Written by Men

Writing strong female characters

The Female Character Flowchart

Eight Heroine Archetypes

Male Characters

Eight Hero Archetypes

Tips for Specific Characters

Writing A Vampire

Writing Pansexual Characters

Writing Characters on the Police Force

Writing Drunk Characters

Writing A Manipulative Character

Writing A Friends With Benefits Relationship

Writing A Natural Born Leader

Writing A Flirtatious Character

Writing A Nice Character

Fiction Writing Exercises for Creating Villains

Five Traits to Contribute to an Epic Villain

Writing Villains that Rock

Writing British Characters

How To Write A Character With A Baby

On Assassin Characters

Dialogue

It’s Not What They Say…

Top 8 Tips for Writing Dialogue

Speaking of Dialogue

The Great Said Debate

He Said, She Said, Who Said What?

How to Write Dialogue Unique to Your Characters

Writing Dialogue: Go for Realistic, Not Real-Life

Point of View

Establishing The Right Point of View

How to Start Writing in the Third Person

The I Problem

Plot, Conflict, Structure and Outline

Writing A Novel Using the Snowflake Method

Effectively Outlining Your Novel

Conflict and Character Within Story Structure

Outlining Your Plot

Ideas, Plots and Using the Premise Sheets

How To Write A Novel

Creating Conflict and Sustaining Suspense

Plunge Right In…Into Your Story, That Is

Tips for Creating a Compelling Plot

36 (plus one) Dramatic Situations

The Evil Overlord Devises A Plot: Excerpt from Stupid Plot Tricks

Conflict Test

What is Conflict?

Monomyth

The Hero’s Journey: Summary of Steps

Outline Your Novel in Thirty Minutes

Plotting Without Fears

Novel Outlining 101

Writing The Perfect Scene

One-Page Plotting

The Great Swampy Middle

How Can You Know What Belongs In Your Book?

Create A Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps

How to Organize and Develop Ideas for Your Novel

Create Structure in your novel using index cards

Choosing the best outline method for you

Hatch’s Plot Bank

Setting & Worldbuilding

Magical Word Builder’s Guide

I Love The End Of The World

World Building 101

The Art of Description: Eight Tips to Help Bring Your Settings to Life

Creating the Perfect Setting - Part 1

Creating a Believable World

Setting

Character and Setting Interactions

Maps Workshop - Developing the Fictional World Through Mapping

World Builders Project

How To Create Fantasy Worlds

Creating Fantasy and Science Fiction Worlds

Creativity Boosters* denotes prompts

*Creative Writing Prompts

*Ink Provoking

*Story Starter

*Story Spinner

*Story Kitchen

*Language is a Virus

*The Dabbling Mum

Quick Story Idea Generator

Solve Your Problems By Simply Saying Them Out Loud

Busting Your Writing Rut

Creative Acceleration: 11 Tips To Engineer A Productive Flow

Writing Inspiration, Or Sex on a Bicycle

The Seven Major Beginner Mistakes

Complete Your First Book with these 9 Simple Writing Habits

Free Association, Active Imagination, Twilight Imaging

Random Book Title Generator

Finishing Your Novel

Story Starters & Idea Generators

Words to Use More Often

Revision & Grammar

How To Rewrite

Editing Recipe

Cliche Finder

Revising Your Novel: Read What You’ve Written

Writing 101: Revising A Novel

20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Everyone Makes

Synonyms for the Most Commonly Used Words of the English Language

Grammar Urban Legends

Tools & Software

Tip Of My Tongue - Find the word you’re looking for

Write or Die - Stay motivated

Stay Focused - Tool for Chrome, lock yourself out of distracting websites

My Writing Nook - Online Text Editor, Free

Bubbl.us - Online Mind Map Application, Free

Family Echo - Online Family Tree Maker, Free

Freemind - Mind Map Application; Free; Windows, Mac, Linux, Portable

Xmind - Mind Map Application; Free; Windows, Mac, Linux, Portable

Liquid Story Binder - Novel Organization and Writing Application; free trial, $45.95; Windows, Portable

Scrivener - Novel Organization and Writing Application; free trial, $39.95; Mac

SuperNotecard - Novel Organization and Writing Application; free trial, $29; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable

yWriter - Novel Organization and Writing Application; free; Windows, Linux, portable

JDarkRoom - Minimalist Text Editing Application; free; Windows, Mac, Linux, portable

AutoRealm - Map Creation Application; free; Windows, Linux with Wine

Specific Help

Fashion Terminology

All About Kissing

Genre Help: Romance

187 Mental Illnesses

Types of Mental Illness

Eye Color List

Spectral Groupings

[mindpalacestudy]

ideas of exercises to help with your practical art skills, as well as things to keep in mind while making art and new ways to find inspiration:

draw every day

recreate a drawing you did before, but better

draw something using only simple geometric shapes

do studies of famous artworks

listen to artists explain their work, it’s super interesting

take life drawing classes (or use online photo resources)

find an artwork you love, and work out why

draw caricatures of friends

set a 1 minute timer and draw an object as quickly as possible

draw something you can’t see, eg. music, emotion

research artists you admire and find out how they work

think about composition: what stands out, what recedes etc.

find a famous artwork you hate and work out why

sit outside and draw the landscape

copy a photo exactly

draw a scene from a film

draw the contours of an object not the outline

visit an art exhibition near you

draw your bedroom

look up tutorials online - there’s so many useful ones!

practise creating contrast between light and dark in pictures

research colour theory

do a self portrait

learn about art history! Research different movements etc.

try a new medium

consider the feeling you want to portray with the artwork

draw without looking at the page

draw a character from a book you’ve read

draw something you don’t usually draw

look at your pictures in the mirror to help you see problems better

follow artists and galleries on instagram for inspo

draw an ugly object in a beautiful way

try using only bold, bright colours

plan your colour palette before starting an artwork, and stick to it!

if you usually work in 2D, make something in 3D

always remember to add shadows

draw an object which is important to you

use 5 lines to depict an object, make every line count

draw using negative space

always draw from life when possible!

think carefully about which direction the light is coming from

study proportions and anatomy!! 

draw your pet

research items symbolic meanings in art

make an art blog to compile images that inspire you

draw using only straight lines

try accentuating any subtle colours in an image

draw models from fashion websites

sketch with friends! They always have great ideas

keep drawing even if you find it hard, you improve with every mistake!

{my art masterpost might also be useful to you} 

Good luck! xx

[mindpalacestudy]

USEFUL MATERIALS

sketchbook

pencil set

waterproof fineliners

white pen

watercolours

acrylics

pastels

inks

copic markers

brushes

travel brushes

gouache

oil paints

craft knife

TUTORIALS

lighting a face

add variety to faces

skin colours 

curly hair tutorial

clothes folds

draped fabric

shoes

add a glow

furnish a room 

skylines

trees watercolour

ARTIST INSPO

Breugel 

Vanitas

Rembrandt

Claude Monet

Camille Pisarro

Odilon Redon

Picasso

Van Gogh

Surrealism

Matisse

Chagall

Arthur Rackham

Andy Warhol

Tove Jansson

Peter Doig

Cornelia Parker

Grayson Perry

Damien Hirst

Tracy Emin

REFERENCE

pose creator

more pose references

sketchbook inspo

book of sketchbooks

le-dessin

Collins artist manual

Artsy

TATE youtube

National Portrait Gallery instagram

Royal Academy instagram

The art assignment

Hope this helps! Get creating x