chronic or chronological?

wow, you've stumbled upon my adhd-fuelled shitposting. nice.

[writing-prompt-s]

Ever since you awoke in a cell in the cult’s compound you’ve been able to hear the apologetic whispers of their god. Apparently while they are fanatically loyal they aren’t very good at actually listening to their god.

[writing-prompt-s]

Your party tells you to fess up cause you have strange abilities other necromancers don’t have. You tell them it’s cause you treat the dead like Family instead of servants. Turns out necromancy grants more powers if you truly honor the dead

[writing-prompt-s]

"your magesty why on earth would you agree to let a witch have your first born!" Said an advisor "well I'm not gonna have kids out of wedlock." Said the king "what do you mean wedlock!" Said the advisor "well I asked her to marry me and she said yes if we could have kids together and I agreed."

[writing-prompt-s]

every night for years you've had the same dream of you and a woman and every night she attacks you. But you think nothing of it infact you think it's fun to find new ways to win. That was until one day you heard "YOU!" Behind you and turned around to see her and everything started warping.

[prompts-in-a-barrel]

"You don't know me. I'm not the same person anymore."

"That's okay. I'll get to know you again."

[mothmanatl]

If I hear one more person say “well everyone’s a little neurodivergent” while I’m explaining my fucking DISABILITY I’m going to blow up the moon and rain hell upon the earth. Shut the fuck up.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

small thing I'd like to add here is that there is no bad fic as long as it's done with love <3

[radiqueer]

Human relationships are not transactional but they are reciprocal, which I think many of you with your ‘i don’t owe anyone anything’ shtick are too happy to forget

[aromanticduck]

Transactional: everything has to be exactly 50/50 all the time, pay me back for the £5 sandwich or buy me something worth exactly £5, I refuse to make an effort for you if there’s nothing in it for me

Reciprocal: you were there for me when I needed help, and I’m going to do the same for you, it doesn’t matter if one of us needs more or is capable of less, because the point is not equivalent exchange but mutual care

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

reblog if you would never let ai write fanfics for you

[writersisland]

“I didn’t know where else to go” in different situations

the classic: the injured character turns up at their enemy’s doorstep and collapses into their arms

villain asking hero for help pursuing someone who is even worse than them

disgraced student returning to their former mentor when they face a challenge greater than they could ever handle on their own

turning up at an ex' house when all else seems lost and they dont know how to go on

the prodigal son turning up on his parents' doorstep years later

one of the smartest kids in class needing help with a project and going to their biggest rival

[johnny-depp-is-loved]

[ariesrin]

Alternatives to 'said'

When character is angry:

Snapped

Spat

Snarled

Hissed

Barked

...or sad:

Choked

Mumbled

Managed

Croaked

Murmured

...or if they're feeling nervous:

Stammered

Babbled

Rambled

Muttered

Squeaked

...and even when flirting:

Coaxed

Purred

Teased

Hummed

Crooned

[calto19]

This is the kind of thesaurus stuff I've needed.

[ijustwannawritepls]

Scenes to Write When Your Draft Feels Flat

Not epic or climactic. Just... alive.

• A character almost admits they were wrong and then pivots • Two people sitting in a car after an argument, engine off, neither leaving • Someone practicing a speech in the mirror and hating how it sounds • A character lying for someone they resent • An inside joke that no longer feels funny • A public setting where private tension is simmering • Someone seeing their ex unexpectedly and performing indifference • A character giving advice they absolutely do not follow • A confession interrupted by something mundane • A person rereading old messages they shouldn’t • A gift that misses the mark completely • A character realizing they’ve outgrown someone mid-conversation • Someone saying “It’s fine” and meaning “I will remember this forever” • A moment where a character notices they are no longer the favorite • Two people who used to be close struggling to find a topic

If your story feels stuck, it likely needs friction. Not explosions. Just a little pressure.

[ariesrin]

20 ways characters can show sadness without saying it

Habits change: suddenly no energy or motivation to do so.

Rereading old texts from someone that used to be special.

They let their hot drinks go cold beside them.

They apologize for things that aren’t their fault.

They linger after everyone else has already left.

They keep checking the door wishing that anyone will walk through.

They sit in parked cars for a long time before going inside.

Avoiding eye contact; gaze never lingers for long. Staring at the floor, instead of at people.

Rubbing the back of their necks or holding one arm with the other. Closed body language & posture shrinks.

They take deep breaths like they’re steadying themselves.

Hesitation before letting go of a hug.

Movements feel slower than usual.

Trembling fingers and limbs and shaky breath.

Sitting on the shower floor, contemplating.

Voice cracks when they speak & hesitate before responding to simple questions.

Avoidance and deflection when speaking such as “It doesn’t matter now” / “Don’t worry about it” / “I just need some sleep.”

Lingering in doorways instead of entering or lingering at the edge of the group.

Sleeping with noise or lights on to avoid feeling alone. Or as a distraction.

Fixating on small, meaningless tasks to keep busy.

A smile when being spoken to, but it fades when the other person looks away.

[luna-azzurra]

Quick Tips for Writing Dialogue (AGAIN)

⟢ PEOPLE DON'T FINISH SENTENCES! IMPORTANT! they interrupt themselves, they trail off, they start talking about eggs and somehow end up confessing their deepest fear about becoming their mother. Your dialogue should derail like a drunk train conductor took the wheel. "I was thinking we could—no wait, did you feed the cat? Because last time you said you would but—actually never mind, what I meant was—" SEE? HUMAN. Beautiful chaos.

⟢ Contractions exist??? USE THEM. Nobody says "I am going to the store" unless they're an alien spy or your grandmother leaving a voicemail. It's "I'm gonna" or even "gonna hit the store" or if they're really casual "store run, back in 20"

⟢ LISTEN TO ME! Said is NOT dead but said is also boring sometimes. Yeah yeah, "said is invisible," the writing teachers chant while burning incense. But you know what? Sometimes people mutter, snap, whisper, drawl, bite out their words. Your character just found out their partner sold their vinyl collection? They're not "saying" anything, they're HISSING like a Victorian ghost

⟢ People repeat themselves when emotional!!! "I can't believe you. I just—I can't believe you did this." Not poetic. Real. That's the point!!!

⟢ Subtext is doing heavy lifting, what people DON'T say matters more than what they do. "Fine" is never fine. "Whatever you want" means "I will remember this betrayal forever." Your readers are smart; let them read between the lines

⟢ Accents/dialects: DO NOT WRITE THEM PHONETICALLY unless you want your book thrown across the room. Do NOT write "Oi guv'na, blimey!", instead show it through word choice, rhythm, syntax. "Right then, what's all this about?" works better than "Wot's awl dis aboot guvnah"

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to create an atmosphere: Train Station

Sight

people patiently waiting for their trains, lost in their phones

passengers running down the platform to catch their train

someone struggling with all their baggage

small children running around

people waiting for their loved ones

a sad, but sweet goodbye

an excited and happy hello

people drinking and eating on the platform, waiting for their trains to arrive

people getting confused at the ticket vending machines

passengers waiting in line at the service desk to complain or to find a new route

people routinely checking the time and arrival of their delayed trains

Hearing

passenger trains arriving and leaving the station

the beeping of the doors opening and closing

the whistling of the conductor when the train is about to leave

a freight train speeding through the station, making it impossible to hear anything else at all

announcements of trains arriving, being late or being redirected to another platform

announcements about being careful to not let their baggage unsupervised and to only smoke in designated areas

pigeons flying around

passengers running down the platform, screaming for the train to wait for them

Touch

the stickiness of the floor

the gush of wind when a train drives through

Smell

that specific smell of every train station, that can't be pinpointed

the smell of fresh pastry from the bakeries inside the station

the smell of fast food and old oil

the smell of pigeons living inside the train station

that specific smell of train tunnels

the smell of cigarette smoke coming from the designated smoking area

Taste

stale air on the roofed platform

overpriced coffee or tea to go

sweet kiss goodbye

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[graws]

Prompts

I created some FNV-inspired writing prompts to get the creative juices flowing, but they could also be used for drawing prompts or as an ask game. I might create more of these as they come to me. Feel free to tag me if you use any of them!

1. A Rainy Day in the Desert

Where does your character go? Do they enjoy the rain? What does it smell like to them? Do they splash in puddles?

2. A Story Around the Campfire

Does your character talk about their past or any memories that make them smile? Do they know any ghost stories? What was the creepiest encounter they've had in the desert?

3. A Game of Caravan

Does your character know how to play? Are they good at it? Do they cheat?

4. Caught in a Dust Storm

Is your character afraid? How do they survive? What does it feel like to them? What does it sound like?

5. A Starry Sky

What feelings come over your character as they gaze at the stars? Do they know any constellations? Have they ever seen a falling star? Did they make a wish?

6. Wild Wasteland

What's the weirdest encounter your character has had? What's the weirdest thing they've ever heard? How did it make them feel? What did they do?

7. A Beautiful Sunrise/Sunset

How does your character feel about sunrises/sunsets? Do they wake up early to watch them? What colors do they see? What sounds do they hear?

8. A Swarm of Cazadores

Uh-oh! Your character has stumbled across a swarm of cazadores! What do they do? Do they fight? Do they run? How do they feel about insects?

9. A Pre-War Relic

Does your character know what it is? What do they do with it? Do they collect it? Do they sell it? Can it be repurposed? What images come to mind when they see it?

10. Hope

What aspect of the wasteland gives your character hope? Do they believe people are inherently good or bad? Do they try to make the wasteland a better place, or do they only look out for themselves?