spiritedKnight

Knight | Masquerading as a writer most days | Cosplaying as a millennial who has their life together

[livelaughwriteit]

Writing Sexual Tension

Some tips and tricks I’ve seen on Tumblr, on Pinterest or have learned the hard way while writing. These are pretty basic but sometimes basic is good!

Realizing they can feel the person touching them. Maybe they’re not touching but they can feel the warmth.

Accidentally saying something flirty and both of you freeze. Or saying something flirty and the other person panicking and running away

Eyes dropping to lips. Eyes looking them up and down. Eyes unable to look away. Eyes unable to make contact without blushing. Eyes are you best friend.

Mirroring. When people have crushes or like someone (or want someone to like them) they do what is called mirroring. If character 1 crosses their arms and character 2 has a crush on them, have character 2 cross their arms too.

New Girl taught me about toes. If their feet are facing you, they want to stay. If their feet are pointed away, they want to leave. I’ve found its not always true but its something you can mention or use.

Unable to stop smiling. Unable to stop laughing.

Touching the other one when you laugh. Touching them to move them out of the way. Touching them and not moving your hand away

Hugging them when you see them. Sharing a bed. Trying to be near them at all moments.

Looking at their lips and fantasizing about kissing them.

Watching others interact in some way with them or how they act around them and being super jealous, wondering why they don’t act that way with you.

[luna-azzurra]

Things Writers do that feel Unproductive but aren't!!!

⟡ Staring out a window for twenty minutes before a single word

⟡ Rereading the same paragraph six times before moving forward

⟡ Lying on the floor thinking about a scene that isn't written yet

⟡ Taking a walk with no phone just to let something untangle

⟡ Reading a book that has nothing to do with your current project

⟡ Sitting in a café doing nothing but absorbing the atmosphere

⟡ Daydreaming about characters like they're real people you know

⟡ Rewriting the first chapter for the fourth time instead of continuing

⟡ Listening to your playlist on repeat until the mood arrives

⟡ Journaling about why you can't write instead of writing

⟡ Reorganizing your notes, your files, your whole system

⟡ Reading your own old work looking for who you used to be

⟡ Researching something minor for three hours because accuracy matters to you

⟡ Sleeping on a problem and waking up with the answer

⟡ Having a full conversation in your head between two characters

⟡ Watching people in public and cataloguing everything

⟡ Cooking or cleaning while your brain quietly solves the plot problem

⟡ Writing the same scene in three different tones just to feel it out

⟡ Abandoning the document and writing by hand for a while

⟡ Reading poetry when prose feels impossible

⟡ Watching a film just to study how a scene transition works

⟡ Making a new playlist because the old one stopped working

⟡ Sitting with discomfort until the scene becomes clear

⟡ Rereading your favorite book and taking it apart sentence by sentence

⟡ Writing a scene you know won't make the final draft just to understand the character

⟡ Doing nothing and trusting that it's filling something up

⟡ Reading the acknowledgements of every book you finish

[shortysus4]

IT'S COMING!!!!! BEST MONTH 2026 HERE WE GO!

[spiritedknight]

Okay but bisexual menace is SENDING me. God I love this man!

[glazedsnail]

Not naming names but this week I've joined a fanfiction centred discord, and it's great.

BUT

I've found out one of my fics was getting raving reviews in one of the channels. Which is wonderful do not get me wrong! It made me feel fantastic!

That fic has barely any kudos/comments though. So... Had I never joined that server I would have never known, kwim?

So I asked them what's the proper Ao3 reader etiquette, y'know. Cause as much as I don't like to look at statistics, the responses from readers help me to keep going.

Do you kudos/comment? If not, even though you enjoyed the fic, why not?

Do you kudos/comment on a fic you enjoyed?

yes

no

Voting ended onApr 15

[5cs-fanart-and-misc]

not only do i look at my reviews, i re-read them when i need to motivate myself to finish a longfic

psa reader engagement may be the one thing that saves your favorite longfic from being binned.

[spiritedknight]

So much this.

[literally-just-a-bean]

Penny and Sam from Stardew Valley

[spiritedknight]

Look at them being stupid cute together <3

[artsyririblobbu]

the girls bath v the boys bath

(patiently waiting for the new update)

[razrogue]

another ray of sunshine to warm his heart...

ty @bhaalbaaby 💜

[spiritedknight]

WAIT WAIT WAIT. MY OLD OBSESSION AND NEW OBSESSION ARE COLLIDING!?

Also, dad!Zayne is fucking adorable.

[spiritedknight]

Alexa, play "Daddy's Home" by Usher 💕

[zaynezone]

Love the concept of Zayne packing you these elaborate bento box lunches because he cares about your health and also wakes up earlier than you everyday and so whenever lunch time rolls around all your coworkers gather around to see which fun shapes your rice is in and what kind of cute toothpicks he sticks in your fruit. He changes it up often, but the thing that always stays the same, is the note that says he loves you

[daturabloooms]

A green rain has descended upon the valley.

Gideon would rather spend the whole day reading a book to his wife, who is absolutely NOT sleeping 🤭, than scythe weeds.

[spiritedknight]

Okay but I am genuinely obsessed with this! The colors are amazing, the scene is so cozy. I feel like I'm intruding just a bit 🫣

[anarchistmemedistro]

[solarsthoughts]

listen i may take 4 weeks to write a 3k word chapter, and i may take 45 minutes to decide whether i should use “laugh” or “chuckle”, but at least i don’t use ai and whatever you’re getting is pure chaos from a human brain

[ijustwannawritepls]

Details That Instantly Deepen a Setting

Instead of trying to fill paragraphs describing everything, choose one or two things that breathe.

• The way the floorboards creak in one specific spot • A stain on the ceiling no one acknowledges • A flickering light that makes gives everyone a slight headache • The smell of something burnt and forgotten • A crooked family photo • Dust in the sunlight • A cracked mug someone refuses to throw away • The hum of an appliance in silence • A chair that wobbles • A window that should open, but doesn't • Shoes lined up too neatly • A plant flourishing, or showing signs of obvious neglect • The sound of neighbors arguing • A clock that’s slightly off

Specificity creates immersion, not necessarily paragraphs. One good detail can carry a scene.

[luna-azzurra]

Body language cues for a few Emotions

REPOST!

── .✦ Happiness

Smiling genuinely, with crinkles around the eyes.

Open body posture, with relaxed arms and shoulders.

Leaning forward slightly towards the person of interest.

Making eye contact with a warm and engaged expression.

── .✦ Anger

Tightened jaw and clenched fists.

Furrowed brows and narrowed eyes.

Standing or sitting with a rigid and tense posture.

Pointing fingers or aggressive gestures.

Raised voice or speaking through gritted teeth.

── .✦ Sadness

Downcast eyes and a drooping posture.

Slumped shoulders and shallow breathing.

Avoiding eye contact and withdrawing from social interaction.

Sighing or a subdued tone of voice.

Tearfulness, with watery or red eyes.

── .✦ Fear

Widened eyes with dilated pupils.

Raised eyebrows and a tense facial expression.

Frozen or rigid body posture.

Backing away or seeking physical distance from the perceived threat.

Trembling or shaking, especially in the hands or legs.

── .✦ Surprise

Raised eyebrows and widened eyes.

Mouth slightly agape or forming an "O" shape.

Leaning forward or recoiling backward in response to the surprise.

Quick inhalation or gasp of breath.

Rapid blinking or blinking more than usual.

── .✦ Disgust

Curling the upper lip or wrinkling the nose.

Narrowing the eyes and raising the upper eyelids.

Turning the head away or physically distancing oneself from the source of disgust.

Covering the mouth or nose with the hand or a tissue.

Expressing verbal disgust through phrases like "ew" or "yuck."

[ellipsus-writes]

Missing those "ARRRGHHHH I LOVE THIS SM. I NEED MORE 😱" comments when sharing your Ellipsus writing?

Ohhh boy, do we have news for you! Introducing...

Reader Comments!

Let your readers show their love—in words, GIFS, or any rambling combination. Like, comment, reply… get that sweet, sweet dopamine hit, and let the conversation roll.

Here’s how it works:

Create a Reader link via Share and export

Select Reader link

Choose Can interact, then check add comment.

Signed-in users will then be able to comment on your shared Reader link.

As the author, you're in control of your comments section. You can:

Delete comments on your work.

Turn comments on or off at any time.

Shape the tone and boundaries of your own Reader space.

And if you didn’t already know, Reader links also let readers:

Leave props (when enabled)! 👏

Customize their reading experience with themes (unless you choose one for them)

Use accessible fonts

Happy commenting!! - the Ellipsus Team xo

[spiritedknight]

I hope the Ellipsus Team sleeps well tonight, that the covers are never too warm and their sleep as peaceful as a newborn baby because they are out here doing the Lord's work 🙏🏾💕

[pomporri]

I USED TO PRAY FOR TIMES LIKE THIS

[milidraws]