Sophie

[sophrites]

Inspirational Quotes 4 Writers

There’s always that one time when you sit down in front of your WIP and feel a little discouraged. Personally, I’ve felt that my WIP isn’t good enough; that I’m not sure if people will enjoy it. These discouraging thoughts can stunt your motivation and make you think that there’s no point in continuing to write if you’re not sure if people will even like it. But what I’ve heard before, and I’m pretty sure you did too, is that it’s important to WRITE FOR YOURSELF. If you don’t like what you’re writing, your readers will most likely have the same reaction.  So, introduction done, enjoy these inspirational quotes that I found from several authors!

“Writing is something that develops with practice, and there’s no such thing as failing at writing until that moment you give up.” - Chloe Gong, bestselling author of “These Violent Delights”

“When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” - Stephen King, ‘New York Times’ bestselling author

“But there was one other thing that the grown-ups knew, and it was this: that however small the chance might be of striking lucky, the chance is there. The chance had to be there.” - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

“I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of.” - Joss Whedon

And finally, one from my favourite author of all time: 

“If you love something—whether it’s yesterday’s news or an up-and-coming genre, write it. Enjoy it. Have fun with it. And hope that the readers will find it when the time is right. That’s the best we can do.” - Marissa Meyer, ‘New York Times’ bestselling author 

[sophrites]

Words to Describe Season

Winter

bitterly cold

bone-chilling

crisp

harsh

frosty

dreary

bleak

frigid

terrifically windy

brisk

cloudy

fine snow

crystalline

powdery snow

fresh

fluffy snow

treacherous

icy phantom

biting cold

twirling snowflakes

silent

twinkling snow

arctic

bare

hypothermic

enchanted

barren

Summer

humid

pleasant

endless bright

wretched hot

clear skies

ablaze

alive

moist

breezy

boiling

fragrant

sun-kissed

green

warm

arid

birdsongs

fluffy white clouds

drifting clouds

sun-bathed buildings

golden

calm

torrid

sweltering

serene

beautiful

scorching

muggy

SPRING

green and gallant

cool and shady

mild

grassy

awakening

blissful

blooming

crisp

lively

cheerful

buzzing bees

active

colourful

florescence

fresh

beautiful

refreshing

rainy

breezy

chirping

clean

fragrant

invigorating

peaceful

renewing

aroma of blooming flowers

anew

energized

light

Autumn

somewhat breezy

luscious

rainy

windy

chilly

crisp

wet

dreary

dull

brisk

foggy

pleasant

hazy

weary

steady

warm golden

tired

windswept

misty

leaves crunching

sharp smell

gold and crimson leaves

cloudy

crackling

slight cool air

nippy

susurrous

[sophrites]

Short story contest 

In honour of 500 amazing followers, I’ve decided to hold a writing contest! (Please check the description of this post for how to enter.) The deadline for entries will be May 2, and I’ll announce the winners as soon as possible. If you want to participate, you will message me a 500-1000 words horror short story taking place in the settings provided on the next slide.

Your short story should take place in (pick one)…

a mental asylum

a forest newly discovered by the main character

a coraline inspired place

a cemetery

an amusement park

the basement of a library

an abandoned factory

on a ship in the middle of an ocean

I will pick three winners. A Google Docs link will be added to my profile, which will have all the winning stories and honourable mentions in it. First place, second place, and third place all get the same prizes, which are:

I will review 5000 words of your WIP (to specify: I will give you my personal opinions and some things to work on if I can find any.)

I will shout you out in my Instagram story and my next post

I can’t wait to see your submissions!

[sophrites]

Words to Describe Appearance 

EYEBROWS

furrowed

slanted

bushy

arched

curved

patchy

shaved

bleached

coloured

thick

thin

partially corked

feathery

angular

straight

fine

FACE

lean

stern

anxious

impassive

freckled

delicate

scarred

bearded

narrow

chubby

youthful

wrinkled

stony

sharp / bony

sunken

glum

pale

slim

small

NOSE

long

straight

flat

wide

crooked

broad

grecian

thick

curved

arched

slender

stubby

pointy

sharp

dainty

bumpy

MOUTH

dry

cracked

full

plump

smooth

thin

tight-lipped

swollen

wide

EYES

bright

clear

half-closed

beady

dull

sunken

deep-set

curious

bloodshot

sparkling

wide-open

eager

fierce

hungry

hollow

dim

watery

unblinking

swollen

passionate

affectionate

mono-lid

uneven

slanted

upturned

heavenly

HAIR

silky

wet

thick

wavy / curly

tangled

soft

long

short

shaved

glossy

oily

sleek

spiked

smooth

greasy

disheveled

straight

bedhead

BODY

scrawny

slim

slender

bony

bulky

overweight

stocky

chubby

plump

curvy

lanky

buff

well-built

[sophrites]

Celebrating 300 followers <3 

First of all, I’d like to thank the writing community for being so welcoming to me. When I started this account, I thought I wouldn’t go anywhere, but it’s crazy how fast I am growing. Heck, as I make this post, I’m nearing 400 followers! I’m so grateful for all the friends that I’ve made, all the inspirations I got, and the amount of writing tips that I have saved in my collections. 🌝

Before you read on, I’d just like to summarize what the WIP excerpt will be: It’s from the POV of Aster, and him and Fable are sparring. It also involves blood that is the result of a dagger.

[sophrites]

Writing Scared Characters

1. Being scared is generic, which is why the first thing you want to know is why they’re scared, because it can change the way they react. Are they scared of an object? Are they in a terrifying or life threatening situation? Are they scared of a person, an animal, or the atmosphere? Are they fearing the death of a loved one? Are they uneasy in an abandoned home? Although their reactions to these different situations can be the same, it can differ as well. For example, someone who sees an object they’re afraid of would probably run away from it (this can apply to something that triggers their traumatic past), while someone who’s in front of an animal they fear would probably freeze up.

2. It’s time to write it! In order to get inspiration, you can think about yourself. What do you do when you’re scared? How do you feel? Some questions to ask are: Do you avoid eye contact? Squeeze your fists? Does your body shake and does your lips tremble? Do you sweat? Do you go pale? Do you fidget? Does your body position change?

You can incorporate it into your character. You might also make something they do unique to them, for example, do they bite their lip hard enough to draw blood? There are three words that I think are helpful: fight, flight, or freeze. When they’re in front of someone they’re afraid of, do they try to fight them? Do they try to run away, or do they freeze?

3. Lastly, how can you connect fear with character development? How a character reacts to something can help the reader understand them. If they feel uneasy in an abandoned house, would they try to convince themselves otherwise, or would they leave? If your character is afraid of big audiences but had no choice but to perform in front of one, would they flee or freeze on stage? Or would they build up the courage to perform?

[sophrites]

Alternatives to “my heart beats fast”

My heart…

❥ palpitates wildly

❥ pounds like a drum

❥ becomes a lightning bolt, thundering against my chest

❥ trembles like a prey to a predator

❥ pulses

❥ races like a raging train

❥ booms like a ticking bomb on the verge of explosion

❥ thumps like a jackhammer

❥ feels like it’s going to escape

❥ is as fast as a hummingbird’s wings

❥ bangs like a gorilla wanting out of its cage

❥ gallops like a fearful horse

❥ thrashes like the waves of an ocean

❥ is an athlete’s footsteps in a race

[sophrites]

writing memorable characters

1. They need to be real.

In order to have characters that the reader will remember and easily connect to, they need to have the characteristics of a real person. In a previous post about writing evil characters that are human, I explained how it’s important for a character to have strengths and fears. Everyone has fears. It’s harder to relate to a character who’s perfect at everything they do. Perhaps they are perfect at everything they do, except cooking. They’re more likely to burn the kitchen down than to fry an egg. Give the characters hobbies, likes, dislikes, and vulnerabilities. Don’t just make them there just because they’re part of the plot. Every individual in your book should have their own type of character.

2. Give them personality!

Think about all the people you’ve met and what they were like. Some authors may base their characters off of real people. A personality is the characteristics that make up a person. For example, are they funny? Mischievous? Naive? Does being naive affect the plot in any way? I mean, you wouldn’t want to talk with someone who’s bland and has nothing to say about themselves. Personality also influences the choices a character makes. For example, they’re selfless and kind which is why they sacrifice their life to save their village. There are many ways for a character to express their personality, like in dialogues, thoughts, and how they view the world.

3. Create a backstory that shapes who they are in the present

Backstories are not always needed. It’s better to not have a backstory at all than to have an irrelevant one that has nothing to do with who the character is or their motives. Backstories are interesting and can add to the development of a character. It doesn’t always have to be a tragic backstory. For example, a neutral backstory could be that the character met a child in the past that they looked down on, but the child grew up to become very influential, which made the character the kind and understanding person they are now. Some things that you can include in a backstory are: Where/how they grew up, past trauma, and important people in their past.

4. Character arcs

A character arc is how a character changes throughout the book. This can happen because of different obstacles, certain points in the book where the character has to make a life changing choice, etc. It compares how the character was at the beginning to the end. If the character goes through many traumatic experiences, but stays the same as they were before, were the experiences really traumatic to them? Another tip is to not make character arcs for all your characters, or it loses its importance and can become overwhelming for the reader. Remember, character arcs don’t always have to be positive.

5. Appearance

This also connects to making the character real. It’s important to make it clear to the reader what the character looks like. In some cases, it can also explain the personality of the character. For example, someone who always combs their hair is more organized than someone who looks like they just got out of bed. I don’t remember where I read this from, but readers debated that when an author makes a character look too detailed, like explaining every part of it, it can get annoying. This is because readers also like to create their own image of the character in their head. So, don’t overdo your descriptions on appearance! You can include things like hair colour and style, eye colour, and clothing.

[sophrites]

rating my old wips

First line: “It’s forbidden to ever reread a book.”

Summary: Set in the planet of Icrore, after the disappearance of Earth. Icrore civilians are controlled by the Organization, a group of distorted looking people. Nova is curious about Earth and her curiosity lands her in the Icrore hospital to have her memories erased. During her stay, she discovers connections between the Organization and Earth’s disappearance. Together, with a mysterious and hated girl she befriended, they set on a journey to uncover the hidden secrets of the Organization.

Review: I thought this WIP was actually going to be published. I even shared bits of it on my old Instagram account. Anyway, the plot was good but it was badly executed (so many plot holes, boring characters.) Nova didn’t have a real, interesting motive, just that she was curious about Earth which is boring. I went into this WIP without planning anything so the plot was all over the place.

First line: Coral dragged the last bags of steel plates, broken chunks of metal, and pieces of iron across the dusty floor.

Summary: Four teens; Coral, Braxton, Shot, and a robot named Adalyn attempt to assassinate Queen Carmilla to help Brax acquire his desired revenge. Carmilla has the power to kill people by digging her nails into her skin, which releases a burning black goo, and anyone who comes in contact with it melts.

Review: This was the type of WIP from the past that’s the copy of your favourite book. Yep, this was an exact copy of the Lunar Chronicles. Coral and Shot resemble Scarlet and Wolf. Coral has the personality of Cinder, with the talent to build and fix mechanics. Brax and Adalyn are Cress and Thorne. Queen Carmilla is Queen Levana. The characters are cringy and childish and it was so fast paced, like a random guy enters Coral’s house and she just goes with him to kill the Queen. Also, Brax named the robot after his dead mom and I intended for him and the robot to fall in love?? WTF. I really thought I was going to go far with this WIP.

First line: Ring, ring. (Yes, it literally started with her waking up.)

Summary: Carrie Johnson is a high school senior with two friends. They have a sleepover where they end up making the Kiss List, a list of popular boys in their school that they want and don’t want to kiss. Carrie meets Jacob and her life slowly comes together, but as quickly as it comes together it falls apart. Blah blah blah (the summary basically spoiled the entire WIP??)

Review: This WIP still haunts me because I literally posted it on Wattpad and it had 2K views, and it somehow also won third place in a writing award thing…This was also the start of many of my cringy romance WIPs. I did absolutely no planning for this so after the main plot point ended, there were just random problems like her parents getting divorced and her brother moving out, her friend becoming “evil”, etc. As always, the characters are insanely immature (well I guess I was 12 when I wrote this) and Carrie was so bratty and annoying. I will make sure no one ever reads this.

First line: Mr. Raymond unlocked the door to my room and I looked up. (Boooooring.)

Summary: Olivia Hachman was forced into juvie, a result of killing her abusive father and attempting to murder an innocent girl, Janice. She hated Janice, who was better than her in every way which allowed her to take Olivia’s only lover away from her. After her release from Juvie, she intended to kill Janice for revenge. She changes her entire identity and appearance, and meets up with her best friend, Valerie, whom she has a slight attraction to, so they can plan their attack.

Review: I actually forgot this existed, but finally one of my old WIPs that wasn’t completely Romance. (I have so many unfinished romance WIPs.) Valerie and Quinn (Olivia’s new name) are both psychotic but think they’re normal. Valerie is basically Quinn’s puppet and they do crazy things together. (Joker and Harley Quinn?) I don’t really have much of an opinion on this. It’s not as cringy as my other WIPs which is surprising. Also, when I read to the part where I stopped writing, Janice had some weird light bulb thing? I remember I intended it to be magical but I don’t know where I was going with that.

First line: Waking up, I felt a burning sensation in my throat.

Summary: A boy wakes up in another place with no memory of his past or name. He’s mistaken for the son of an evil Egyptian king. With the assistance of a slave, he manages to escape through a portal, but that’s not the end. The portal takes him to another world, then another. Eventually, he meets aliens who know the creator of the portal and claim to be able to help him escape.

Review: This was the first WIP I’ve created and it was actually handwritten in my notebook. I remember bringing it to school and writing it during class. I think the idea for the plot is pretty good and I’m not going to be that harsh. It was too fast paced which isn’t a surprise, and the descriptions were bland. But other than that, I feel like this WIP might actually have a future, just not written by me. 😂

[sophrites]

starting a new chapter

This post will be ideas of opening a new chapter that won’t bore your readers.

╰┈➤ First of all, when do you start a new chapter? Usually, it’s when the timeline skips, when a new secret is discovered, or if a long scene has ended. There’s no limit to when you can start a new chapter, but how can you do so, so that each chapter continues to make the reader want more?

1. Establish the Setting/Describe the Surroundings.

╰┈➤ Not only does this give the reader a better understanding of the place your book takes place in, it also gets them wondering and wanting to read further. Obviously, imagery is a huge part of writing a book.

╰┈➤ Example: The air feels awfully cold against her bare arms as she struggles to make her way through the sticky mud.

2. Describe a Strong Emotion.

╰┈➤ Usually, a strong emotion occurs before an interesting event. The reader will wonder what will happen next, while also understanding the character more (like how they feel in certain situations, how they deal with the feeling, etc.)

╰┈➤ Example: My heart hammers against my chest as I stare at the murderous intent of his glowing eyes.

3. Start with Conversation.

╰┈➤ You might see a lot of chapters starting with a piece of interesting dialogue. The reader will want to understand what conversation they’re having and why.

╰┈➤ Example: “Jamie, what is this?!”

4. Start in the Middle of Action.

╰┈➤ I love when chapters start with action. I’m immediately hooked in, I want to know what happens next, and it also pushes the book forward. However, when this new chapter is showing a completely new scene, it’s best to not literally start in the middle of action, or it’ll only confuse your readers.

╰┈➤ Example (what not to do): His bullet misses me by an inch.

╰┈➤ Instead: There is an armed and dangerous man in the building. Evacuate immediately, the announcements blared. (And eventually lead up to the bullet that misses the character by an inch.)

5. Introduce a character.

╰┈➤ This makes the reader curious and also gives you a chance to introduce a new character.

╰┈➤ Example: There was a timid girl hiding in the corner of the store.

6. Start with an insight of your character that might be relevant to what happens next.

╰┈➤ Example: Martha had always loved red. Her dresses were all one shade of red while her purses another.

╰┈➤Later: Martha did not like this red. The red that flashed before her eyes as she stood, helpless. 

Now that I’ve given a few ideas on how to start a chapter, here’s some examples of how not to start a chapter:

╰┈➤ Waking up. Unless it’s important for the character to wake up (for example, they got knocked unconscious in the last chapter and they just woke up), it’s recommended not to start with that because you’ve probably heard about how boring it is. If you want to start a chapter with waking up, you can start with a nightmare, and then the character wakes up feeling afraid and sweaty.

╰┈➤ By describing what’s happening instead of slowly unfolding it.

          ✧ Example: I need to go to Lord Fable’s room so I can deliver his meal.

          ✧ Instead: My heart pounds against my chest as I hurry over to Lord Fable’s room, afraid of the scolding I’ll get if I deliver his meal late.

[sophrites]

WIP Introduction

title: insanis (may change)

genre: fantasy/romance

current wc: 23K

writing style: first person, two POVs (aster & evelyn)

main settings: emparal kingdom (kingdom of fire) & kratia kingdom (kingdom of ice)

Evelyn Hayda only wanted to live an ordinary life, despite her and her mother’s struggle to live comfortably as a No Rank. When she’s forced to participate in the Emparal Arena following its reopening after ten years, her motive changes: get out alive and with the reward. However, an unfortunate twist of events land her in the cells of Kratia, Kingdom of Ice, where she discovers new secrets and the hidden power she possesses. To save the people close to her, she must escape Kratia and warn Emparal of what’s about to come.

Aster Tarrin constantly reminds himself of how pathetic he is. Pathetic because he’s weaker than his nemesis. Pathetic because he fell for someone with no rank. Pathetic because he’s not powerful enough to take his father’s place on the throne of Emparal. But when plans of Kratia are exposed, could he take this as an opportunity to strengthen his relationship with his people and prove to them that he’s worthy of the throne?

Is it weird that I only know of romance tropes? I had to do a little research on this one, but some tropes in my WIP are:

➵ masquerade ball

➵ magic (only those with royal blood has a power, and it varies depending on which kingdom you’re from.)

➵ childhood friends to lovers

➵ hidden truth

➵ kingdoms at war

➵ forbidden love

➵ Main characters: Evelyn Hayda, Aster Tarrin

➵ Side characters: Amara, Farley, Eliza, Lord Anton, Lord Fable, Lady Mia, Lord Camden, King & Queen of Kratia, Prince of Kratia (names are to be decided), Anne Hayda (Evelyn’s mother), King Alexander of Emparal, Prince Everet of Kratia

What are Insanis?

➵ Beasts created when human blood mixed with melted gold and Peparic (pollen found from rare plants that only exist in Kratia) is injected into a person who is in an unconscious state

➵ 3 to 5 times bigger than an average adult

➵ Vicious and crazy, but can be controlled by the first person they see when they open their eyes

[sophrites]

Writing Nervousness

• Fidgeting (with their fingers, feet, hair, etc)

• Pacing (moving from one spot to another repeatedly)

• Overthinking 

• Closing and reopening their hands 

• Avoiding eye contact 

• Biting their nails 

• Brows knit together 

• Stiff body 

• Repeating something over and over again under their breath 

[sophrites]

Writing Evil Characters (that are *human*)

1. Give them a motivation 

If the character is just going around killing people for fun (although there are sadistics who are like this in real life), it's hard to make them memorable, especially if they're one of the main characters. Give them motivations; why are they doing what they're doing? What made them this way? If something previous or present in their life changed, would they still act the way they do? It's helpful to include a tragic backstory.

2. Make them human!

The character might do things that aren't considered human, however you still need to give them human characteristics. What positive things are there about them, if any? (They're good at cooking, have great attention to detail, etc.) Do they like what they're doing (or how their personality is)? Would they want to change themselves? Mostly, give them vulnerabilities. Everyone has vulnerabilities even though you might not know yours yet. The character might be terrified of anyone with their hair in braids because of their childhood, or you could give them a simple fear like they're scared of spiders. It's more effective to have a reasoning behind their vulnerability and fear. That way, the reader understands their actions better and can better connect to them as a person.

3. Don't make them easily defeated.

Most writers want the main character to be able to defeat the evil character. But don't make it predictable or obvious they're going to win; maybe they land the MC in the hospital, badly injured, or maybe the main character thinks they defeated them but suddenly their backup appears. Also, when the evil character makes a mistake that benefits the MC, make it believable. I can't think of any examples for this but I hope you get the idea.

Overall, if the evil character gets defeated, you want the reader to think, "He deserved it, but I wish he would've been able to relive a good life where he's not driven by his childhood."

[sophrites]

Who Am I?

╰┈➤ My name is Sophie and I’m 14. ╰┈➤ My hobbies include writing (obviously), reading (my favourite series is The Lunar Chronicles), knitting (I can only knit scarves), and drawing (not good at it though!)

╰┈➤ I have one twin sister and one younger sister who is almost two! I also have a dog, Max, who is a toy poodle :)

╰┈➤ I am currently working on a fantasy book about a world that’s split into different kingdoms. I’ll elaborate more on it in another post!

What to expect:

╰┈➤ I will post word count updates on my book in my Instagram story

╰┈➤ I will post writing prompts/tips/fun questions to answer regarding your own book!

╰┈➤ I will post other stuff like new books that I buy, books I’m reading, etc.

╰┈➤ I will do monthly question challenges where you answer a question on your book everyday.

[sophrites]

Character Alignment Charts

If my OC loses something they will...

Blame ______________: ______________

“It wasn’t special anyways.”: _______________

Mess up everything to find it: _______________

Somehow finds it right after: _______________

“It’ll show up. I just have to wait.”: _______________

If my OC goes on a date they will...

Get awkward and don’t know what to say: _____________

Only talk about themself: ____________

Accidentally does something embarrassing: ______________

Somehow gets in a fight: _____________

Leave early because their parent is calling them: _____________

If my OC finds a million dollars they will...

Try to find who it belongs to: ____________

Snatches it and runs: ____________

Bring it to the police station: _____________

Take some but leave the rest: _____________

Tells everyone they know to come where they are: ____________

If my OC is taking a test they didn’t study for they will...

Cheat off the person next to them: _____________

Accepts their fate: ______________

Rip the test to shreds: _____________

Scream loudly and disrupt other people: ___________

Write a big question mark and hand it in: ____________

[sophrites]

Reasons to Write

So, why should you finish that work in progress of yours? Here are my reasons to you about why you should.

1. Imagine all of that fan fiction, fan art, edits, and trailers that could be created that are inspired by your book. Your book would have a supporting fandom and you could practically see your book “come to life.” But, the first step before all of that awesomeness, is to finish writing your work in progress.

2. Ever wanted your book turned into a movie? To watch actors portray your characters just like how you had imagined them? Well, take a chance and finish writing your book and publish it, even if you don’t think it’ll become a success.

3. You don’t know how many people out there would read your work in progress, whether it’s poetry, a short story, a picture book, or a novel, over and over again. Because they love it!

4. You have to chance to inspire other writers or people, so why not take it?

[sophrites]

Writing Tip

One tip that has stuck with me through my years of writing is: Write what you want to read. If your own WIP bores you, you can’t expect others to enjoy it as well. So, you should always when editing or even after writing a chapter, read over what you wrote thoroughly. It’s a red flag if you can’t understand what’s happening or if you’re not feeling anything during an emotional scene.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes. What would the reader want to see in this scene? What descriptions could help the reader understand this scene better? When you feel like your WIP is getting boring, you can always cut out unnecessary dialog that doesn’t help the flow of the book, run on descriptions and sentences, and split up huge paragraphs when needed.