𝐬 𝐲 𝐮 𝐛 𝐨 𝐥 𝐨 𝐠 𝐲

𝑎𝑜𝑖𝑓𝑒 / 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦-𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟 / 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟

[writegowrite]

For my fellow writers out there, remember: it’s ok to throw out something you wrote, like a scene or even a whole story, if you just don’t like it.

Don’t try to fix something when it’s not working for you just because you spent time writing it and you think it’ll be a waste of time if you don’t use it. It took me a while to figure this out and it helped my writing so much. Pitch what isn’t working and start again.

For a gymnast, it isn’t the training that’s the goal. It’s the muscles and balance they develop as they learn. The act of writing isn’t the goal, it’s the skill you develop by doing it.

[the-violet-writer]

So, I was talking with a friend in my creative writing masters program and when I said I want to publish successful books, he said something along the lines of “I’m not pretentious enough to think people should be reading what I write.” 

I brushed the comment off, but I want to make this post just in case anyone has been told something similar. You’re not pretentious just because you want people to read your work. 

As writers, it’s important that we’re confident in our writing and that we believe it holds value that’s worthy of being shared with others! Believe in your work! Share your work! Every single one of you reading this: your writing has merit and it deserves to be read by tons of people! Loving your work is not pretentious!!!!

[syubology]

Writing Dialogue

I know someone’s gonna hate me for this, but dialogue is actually hands down the easiest part of writing for me. I used to struggle a lot with it, then one day something clicked and now my scenes are quite literally built on the dialogue - my rough drafts look like screenplays lmao. So, I might be the worst person to attempt to give tips on this particular subject, but I will do my best!

🌙

Unique Voices:

Every character should have their own voice. It might sound impossible at first, but here are some factors to consider when designing a speech pattern:

Upbringing. This is where it all begins, really. The way we speak can certainly change over time, but a lot of habits are gonna be established earlier on in life. So, who raised your character? How did their parents/siblings speak? Who were their friends, and how could their speech patterns have had an influence on your character? Where did your character grow up? Is the area known for a specific dialect or strong accent?

Age and era. Not only should you consider your character’s age, but also the era in which they’re living. If you’re in your thirties and you’re writing about a teenager in 2020, your character is not going to speak exactly the same way you spoke when you were a teenager. If you’re 20 and writing about a 20-year-old in 1920, they’re not going to speak exactly as you speak now. Do your research!

Who are they speaking to? Regardless of whether or not they live in a society where there is a very strict hierarchy between social classes or age groups, your character is still likely to adjust their speech depending on who they’re speaking to. Boss, teachers, parents, siblings, lovers - your character will probably have a slightly different way of speaking to all of these people.

Multi-lingual. Was your character raised with more than one language? Is the language your character usually speaks their first language? Are they entirely fluent? What might trigger them to slip into their first language - anger, excitement, meeting a certain person, praying, counting? Do they often forget or confuse certain words in one language or another? You can have a lot of fun with multi-lingual characters, but if you weren’t raised with more than one language yourself, I’d do some research before writing a bilingual character!

Slang. Again, if you’re writing a character who belongs to a different era/age-group/nationality to you, do a little research. You’ll want to avoid using stereotypical slang and speech patterns - for example, not a single fucking Irish person has ever seriously said “top o’ the mornin’ to ye”. Each person usually has a specific set of slang terms and expletives they favour.

I’m not a linguist, these are just some of the things I consider when deciding how a character might speak. Not all voices are 100% unique, so don’t stress yourself out too much. The way we speak is the sum of hundreds of different influences, many of which we share with others. The idea is just to keep these factors in mind and implement small changes here and there to make sure your characters’ voices stand out from each other.

Break it up!

No to big chunks of solid dialogue - it’s boring. Even if your character is going off on a long monologue, you should break it up with motion and description. Imagine you’re watching a play and the actor just stands there, stock still, emotionless, reciting these lines - no one wants to see that and no one wants to read it either, my fren. Below is the best example I could find in my recent writing of a monologue broken up with motion and description:

Only one character speaks for this whole thing, but even if it was a conversation, I’d weave those other details in through it in much the same way. As much as you can, try to drop in subtle reminders of the character’s surroundings and feelings and the reactions of whoever they’re speaking to. This keeps the reader in the scene.

Rehearse:

You might feel like a crazy person muttering random lines of dialogue under your breath, but saying things aloud can help you figure out if it sounds nice and natural or stilted and weird. We can’t all be Oscar-winners, I know, but for best results, you should try to channel your character and their emotions when you do it. Personally, when I’m in bed before I fall asleep, I play scenes through in my head like a film and that’s my kinda way of ‘rehearsing’ them.

Listen:

A lot of people have trouble actually constructing dialogue. You sit down to write and it’s like you’ve never had a conversation before in your goddamn life, I know the feeling. The first thing you need to do is stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Just like you can’t force conversation in real life without it getting awkward, I think it’s the same in writing. Relax, step back from the keyboard, shut your eyes and try to imagine the scene as if you’re watching a film - what are they saying? 

If that fails, watch a film or an episode of something, listen to the actors. Read a novel and focus on the dialogue, how it’s constructed. When you’re out and about, listen to conversations going on around you, take notes of anything you find funny or interesting, anything that inspires a bit of dialogue for your story. Listening in this way is also a good exercise for studying other people’s speech patterns - think about how they’re unique and what the way they speak can tell you about them.

Practice:

I think this will be a point in most of my posts because it’s just so vital when it comes to all aspects of writing. Dialogue isn’t just a skill, it’s an entire group of skills. Within it, there’s humorous dialogue, flirtatious dialogue, arguments, etc. - the list goes on. They’re all a little different and present unique challenges, and you will be better at some aspects of dialogue than you are at others, so don’t get stuck in an I suck at dialogue rut, that’s not sexy at all.

Here’s a diverse list of dialogue prompts. To practice and challenge yourself, you could try building a conversation around each one or just a few. To start with, you could try writing only the lines of dialogue; when you feel more confident, start weaving in tone, setting, motion, etc.

✧･ﾟ: * :･ﾟ✧*

For me, the dialogue is the first thing I get. Before a scene has even begun to really take form, I have all these snippets of dialogue in my head, but then I often struggle with filling the gaps to make it a readable scene, you know? Every writer has different strengths. Dialogue may seem tricky at first, but you’ve been having conversations you whole life, pal, you know how to do it. The real trouble lies in finding your characters’ voices and figuring out how they’d interact with each other - once you’ve done that, the dialogue will come much easier for the rest of your story.

Sorry for the long gap between posts this time! I have a lot going on right now, but I love writing for this blog, it makes me feel like I know things, so thank you for all your support so far! Especially those who sent in asks - keep ’em coming! If I don’t reply, it’s because I plan to make a post on the topic, so don’t worry, I’m not ignoring anyone.

Thanks for reading, frens, I hope you’re all having a good day <3

[studysection]

Hey guys! As a writer myself, it’s hard to have a lot of resources for writing in one place. That’s why I decided to create this masterpost, and maybe make more if I find future resources. I hope you like it, and expect to see more masterposts like this in the future!

Generators

Character

Appearance Generator

Archetypes Generator

Character Generator

Character Traits Generator

Family Generator

Job/Occupation Generator, (II)

Love Interest Generator

Motive Generator

Name Generator

Personality Generator, (II)

Quick Character Generator

Super Powers Generator

Names

Brand Name Generator

Medicine Title Generator

Name Generator

Quick Name Generator

Vehicle Generator

Town Name Generator

Plot

First Encounter Generator

First Line Generator, (II)

Plot Generator, (II), (III)

Plot Device Generator

Plot Twist Generator

Quick Plot Generator

Setting/World-Building

City Generator

Fantasy Race Generator

Laws Generator

Pet Generator

Setting Generator

Species Generator

Terrain Generator

Prompts

Subject Generator

”Take Three Nouns” Generator

Word Prompt Generator

Misc

Color Generator

Decision Generator

Dialogue Generator

Journey Generator

Title Generator, (II), (III)

Some Tips

Just a few I found from the writing tips tag!

Writing action / @berrybird

How to create a strong voice in your writing / @collegerefs

How to plot a complex novel in one day! / @lizard-is-writing

8 ways to get past writer’s block / @kiramartinauthor

psa for writers / @dasakuryo

”Write Using Your 5 Senses” / @ambientwriting

How People Watching Improves Your Writing / @wherethetransthingsare

Writing Science Fiction: Tips for Beginners / @fictionwritingtips

Creating Likeable Characters / @authors-haven

Vocabulary

Descriptive words / @somekindofstudent

Words to replace “Said” / @msocasey

Obscure color words / @mintsteelpeachlilac

Words to spice up your stories / @busyibee

Words to describe someone’s voice

Words to Use Instead of Very / @gaybybirth

Touchy Feely Words / @gaybybirth

Some Advice

Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers

”But my plot isn’t UNIQUE or BIG enough!” / @youreallwrite

8 Things Every Creative Should Know / @adamjk

(How To) Get Over Comparing Yourself to Other Creatives / @adamjk

How to Get Over Common Creative Fears (Maybe) / @adamjk

14 Tips From Stephen King On Writing / @i-can-give-you-prompts

Playlists

Electronic Thoughts / @eruditekid

“Mix About Writing” An Instrumental Mix / @shadowofemirates

Shut Up, I’m Writing! / @ninadropdead

Chill / @endlessreveries

Breathtaking Film Scores / @tweedskirts

Music to Write to Vol. 1: Starlight / @crestadeen

Music for Written Words / @ghoulpatch

Dead Men Tell No Tales / @scamandersnewt

Fatale / @dolcegf

All These Things that I’ve Done / @referenceforwriters

Feeling Soaking into Your Bones / @verylondon

I Can Feel Your Pulse in the Pages / @rphelper

Morally Ambiguous / @scamandersnewt

Wonderwall / @wheelerwrites

Pythia / @mazikeene

Ballet: To Dance / @tanaquil

Websites and Apps

For Writing

ZenPen: A minimalist writing website to keep you free of distractions and in the flow.

The Most Dangerous Writing App: A website where you have to keep typing or all of your writing will be lost. It helps you keep writing…kind of. You can choose between a time or word count limit!

Evernote: An online website where you can take notes and save the product to your laptop and/or smartphone!

Writer, the Internet Typewriter: It’s just you and your writing, and you can save your product on the website if you create an account.

Wordcounter: A website to help check your word and character count, and shows words you’re using frequently.

Monospace: An Android app for writing on the go when you feel the inspiration, but you don’t have your laptop on you!

For Productivity

Tide: An app that combines a pomodoro-esque timer with nature sounds and other noises! (Google Play / Apple Store)

ClearFocus: An Android app with a pomodoro-type time counter to let you concentrate easier and stay productive.

Forest: An app with a time counter to keep you focused and off your phone, and when you complete the time limit, a tree grows in your garden! (Google Play / Apple Store)

SelfControl: A Mac downloadable app that blocks you from distracting mail servers, websites, and other things!

Prompt Blogs

@writeworld

@dialouge-prompts

@oopsprompts

@prompts-for-the-otp

@creativepromptsforwriting

@the-modern-typewriter

@theprofessionalpromptmaker

@writers-are-writers

@otp-imagines-cult

@witterprompts

@havetobememes

@auideas

@putthepromptsonpaper

@promptsonpaper

@fyotpprompts

@otpisms

@soprompt

@otpprompts

@ablockforwritersblock

@awritersnook

Writing Tips Blogs

@writeworld

@anomalously-written

@awritersnook

@clevergirlhelps

@referenceforwriters

@whataboutwriting

@thewritershelpers

@nimblesnotebook

@slitheringink

[syubology]

Making a Character Profile

I’m the kinda person who spends hours making a family on Sims then never plays with them, so working on my characters is probably my favourite aspect of writing. 

There are a hundred million ways to make a character profile, including ready-made templates like this one, but I find that it’s better to make your own and tailor it to your story. As with everything, you need to do what works for you, but I tend to take quite an instinctive approach to writing my characters, so I keep my profiles fairly basic.

For the purpose of today’s post, I’m making a profile for Sergeant Iorath, an OC from my WWI fic A Gentle Sound. As AGS is a pretty big project, this profile is much fancier and robust than I would generally make them for a fic. I have a specific aesthetic I’ve been keeping up in my AGS notes, so don’t be daunted by that - you don’t have to make it pretty if that’s not your thing!

🌙

General Guidelines for Character Profiles:

Stick to the point. This profile is for you, not your readers. You don’t need to fill it up with information that comes to you instinctively. Reading through a profile should get you back in touch with who your character is as a person and allow you to envision them more clearly - that’s all.

Most important to least important. Keep the information you’ll need often and quickly up near the top of your document. Don’t put their appearance description at the bottom of the second page, y’know? And I wouldn’t advise starting a profile with a massive block of text detailing their backstory - expand on that further down, if you want, or in a separate biography document.

Don’t overdo it. When you forget your OC’s birthday at 4:00AM, you don’t wanna read an entire essay just to find it! For regular fics, my profiles are only about half a page long. AGS is a Big Project, with lots of research and multiple works likely to be attached to the universe, so these profiles are more like two pages. You don’t have to stick to this, but I think it’s a good guide.

Short and snappy. Keep each individual section short and easy to read at a glance. Avoid large, multi-paragraph blocks of text. Bullet-points and tables are good, don’t be afraid to go wild with the formatting options available to you.

✧･ﾟ: * :･ﾟ✧*

1. The Basics:

Edit: I noticed the image quality was pretty bad for these screenshots, so here's a link to the document itself!

This is literally just the most basic information, which will always begin with name and date/place of birth. As you can see, I’ve adjusted this to suit AGS universe with rank, enlistment date and time spent on active duty; if it was a fantasy universe, I’d probably have species in there instead; for a college AU, maybe their major, roommate, etc. You’ll also see that I have the Major Combat heading near the top simply because this is something I often forget, so I want it to be easy to find.

2. Appearance:

For OCs, their physical description is particularly important because it’s often the only real reference you have, but even when you’re writing fic, you’re gonna have to keep track of hair colours and body mods and such. It’s a good idea to have this very close to the top of your page and easy to find. Try not to get carried away with this bit, tempting as it might be. Only include what’s most important/details you really don’t want to forget. If you have a character with a lot of body mods, I’d suggest a separate section specifically detailing those.

3. Short Biography:

I just think a basic character profile is no place for an in-depth, multi-page biography, but a little bio is good. You want to be able to get a sense of who your character is as a person, so you need to know a bit about where they come from. Don’t load up this bio with useless information - only include details which actually had a formative influence on your character. For many characters whose background is important, I’ll write a separate, much more detailed biography for them in another doc.

4. Habits, Quirks & Hobbies:

This section does exactly what it says on the tin: habits, quirks and hobbies. I find these areas are often the most important for making your character into a person, and a unique person at that. You might think right now that you don’t know these things about your new OC, but I’d encourage you to spend a while with this section and try to write a few things down. You’d be surprised what you can discover about your character once you start on the finer details!

5. Extras:

So, I think the basics are pretty much covered under the headings mentioned above. Now comes the part where you really tailor it to your specific AU. For AGS, I have section about their health where I’ll mention any injuries/illnesses they’ve sustained during the war (and before, if relevant), then also a bit about the state of their mental health since most soldiers in WWI suffered some degree of (usually untreated) PTSD.

Most AUs probably don’t need a ‘Health’ heading, so you can switch this up with things like their major, class timetable, relationships, mental health, magical education and specialties - the possibilities are honestly endless. You’ll know what you need here, if you need an extra section at all!

Remember, this is for you. Don’t refrain from adding a section or several simply because I haven’t included them here - you know better than anyone what you need! Just channel your inner minimalist as best you can to avoid creating an overwhelming monster of a document.

I hope this wasn’t too confusing, lads. I don’t exactly have the most refined method of creating character profiles, but this works for me. I hope at least some parts work for you, too! 

As always, don’t be scared to come to me with questions specific to this post (I won’t be offended if something wasn’t clear!) or suggestions for future posts. Thank you for reading, my frens, have a nice Sunday <3

[insomniac-arrest]

What do you do when you struggle with the creative process to make ideas to write new things?

There’s a couple things I do to keep the idea machine running!

1. Routine: while I don’t have an exact time I write everyday, I do have a general time/place, which is a coffee shop some time in the morning. Routine is super important for writing since it’ll train your brain to switch on for creating stuff and make it so you can produce more in a timely manner.

Some days you won’t feel like writing, but building a habit of it will make it easier in the long-run.

2. Ideas: routine is good, but if you have no idea what to write then it can make it hard. One thing I do is keep an “ideas” folder that I stalk-up every now and then

it has sub-categories like “scary stories” and “fantasy” but my main one is just general ideas where I spit-ball any and every idea that I think has potential. The ideas range from entire plots to just a sentence where I describe the prompt.

I also have a folder called “writing things I love” where I keep track of things I’ve read that I’ve really liked such as quotes or twists or just tropes I like. This folder makes it so I can go look back at things that inspire me and draw ideals from that.

I have an article on WHERE I get my ideas from as well if you want to read it.

3. Burn-out: burn-out is real and I do experience it every few months, it can be important to take breaks and recognize when you need to take a break. If writing another word makes you feel drained or angry or just very negative I suggest taking some time off to refuel. Take a few days to just read or watch TV or not think about writing at all.

HOWEVER, taking breaks can risk undoing your routine and be a problem on its own, the way I counter-act this is that I make a new deal with myself. Writing every day is a contract I make to myself in good-faith, I do breaks in the same way.

This means I make a new contract with myself: I’ll rest for 3 days and then go back to writing on the 4th. This has worked for me so far! The part of me that’s tired feels respected and is willing to go back to it when the time comes.

I hope this helped in some way! Let me know if you have anymore questions~

[suninks-moved]

writing tip: sometimes all it takes to improve a sentence is switching around the clauses. i just wrote this sentence:

She entered the clearing, a dozen heads turned her way.

it’s not terrible, by any means. but it’s boring. so i changed it up in the hope that something would click.

A dozen heads turned her way as she entered the clearing. 

so much better already! the meaning and purpose of the sentence stays, but it sounds more dramatic! more fun! 

not every sentence needs this. but it can’t hurt to try it. 

[syubology]

How to Get/Stay Inspired

Honestly, when it comes to inspiration and the acquisition thereof, every single creative is so different that I wasn’t even sure I should make this post. I know a lot of people struggle with this, though, and while I’m not always motivated to actually write, I generally stay pretty inspired one way or another, so maybe I’m doing something right somewhere?

It’s important to remember that not all writers have the same brain and the things that work for me might not work for you, but if you’re really stuck, anything is worth a shot, right?

🌙

✧･ﾟ:* Read *:･ﾟ✧*

These tips aren’t exactly in order, but I’ve put this as number one because you cannot underestimate the importance of reading as a writer. Any kind of reading helps, it doesn’t have to be fiction, though it is better if it’s related to what you want to write. At the moment, I’m mostly reading WWI non-fiction stuff, but I find it keeps me inspired by providing me with a bunch of new details to add to my fic.

✧･ﾟ:* Music *:･ﾟ✧*

For me, music is more of a tool to stay inspired than to get inspired. Music has a way of making us feel something very specific, so making a playlist for one of your existing stories can really help to consolidate an aesthetic and maintain it as you continue writing. Trying out some new music - a playlist you didn’t make, for example, or that artist you were recommended that you’ve been meaning to listen to for months - could lead to you finding the perfect song for your WIP or something brand new. You could also try listening to music you haven't heard in years to see what sort of fun that stirs up.

✧･ﾟ:* Pinterest *:･ﾟ✧*

I’m a very visual person, so I love creating moodboards and mock book covers and stuff. Not everyone has Photoshop or even the desire to make things like that, but you don’t need to commit to actually making the moodboards. Sifting through a bunch of images and gathering them together in a Pinterest board is a really good way to establish a visual aesthetic and it’s something you can revisit for an inspiration boost later on.

✧･ﾟ:* Other Related Media *:･ﾟ✧*

Aside from Pinterest, this is probably my main source of inspiration. As I said, I’m very visually driven, so films and series are my best friends when I’m having trouble writing. It’s often best to stick to things that are close to the subject you’re writing about. For example, when I’m working on AGS, I try to watch as many things as possible related to WWI/WWII, or even just anything set in that 1890s-1940s time period. For me, documentaries also help, but they can be a lot more draining to watch.

Netflix is my main port of call for this step, but that’s me! If you wanna write a pro gamer AU, then play your games, my fren, try to channel your character and how they would react to what’s happening. For certain things, going out on some kinda field trip could also be an option - a museum or an art exhibition, or just Starbucks, go wild.

✧･ﾟ:* ‘Method’ Writing *:･ﾟ✧*

Like method acting, but for the purpose of writing. It sounds stupid, but it does work sometimes, I swear. A little like channeling your character as you play a video game, you could try doing things your character would do even if they’re not necessarily things you would do. If you wanna write about fairies, go outside, walk in the woods, make a daisy chain, collect some plants to press. If your character is an artist, try drawing - you don’t have to be any good, but this will help you get into the mindset of your character. A while back, I went out and bought a can of corned beef to taste it - it was pretty nasty, but it inspired me to write an entire paragraph about how fucking nasty corned beef is.

There are so many ways to tailor this type of exercise to suit your story and what you’ve got the energy for on any given day. The main thing is to approach it with an open mind. You’re doing it for the art, man. 

✧･ﾟ:* ‘ Sketch ’ *:･ﾟ✧*

I don’t mean the drawing kind, although if you think that might help, go for it. I mean the writer’s equivalent of sketching. For me, that means doing things like research, scene outlines, character profiles, other notes. It’s usually my last resort once all else has failed, once I’ve had my break from writing, watched my series, listened to my playlist, made seven Pinterest boards and still have nothing. ‘Sketching’ gets you feeling productive again without forcing you to work on the demon WIP directly. Even if you don’t get hit with a sudden blinding epiphany, you will eventually wriggle your way out of that inspiration rut, I can almost guarantee it.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

That’s all I got, fellas. If you’re a new writer, it will probably take you some time to find what works best for you, so be patient. It’s also worth remembering that what works this time might not get you out of your inspirationless hole the next time, and it may take a combination of all these things over time to get you back on track. If you have any more questions about this topic or suggestions for future posts, please don’t hesitate to drop into my ask box! Thank you for reading~

[oh-theatre]

Me: *hasnt finished my WIP*

Also me: *already planning a sequel*

[luminous-studiess]

random academic tip but i wrote all my undergraduate papers in google docs and it never failed me. no evil microsoft word formatting goofs. emergency printing? i can print everywhere. not saving? it backs up every five minutes. need someone to look over it for feedback/advice? i send them a link. google docs saved my paper-writing butt in undergrad. 

[finickyquint]

Don’t apologize for writing something “self indulgent”. Fiction is supposed to be fun. It’s your chance to bring all the things you love to life, exactly the way you want them to be. This is one of the main reasons fanfiction is so popular, because fic writers allow themselves to indulge in all of their favorite tropes (which happen to be many readers’ favorites too). If your writing is “self indulgent,” that just means you’re writing something you actually enjoy–and, chances are, that other people would enjoy also.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Walk in the direction of your fear.” Now, it’s time to write in the direction of your self indulgence. 

[onamountaintop]

[scrawl-your-heart-out]

“Angels. They’re rare these days, aren’t they?” The demon’s sharp nails raked across the angel’s wrist, their perfect skin. “I could auction you off to all those religious zealots.” 

“I trust that you wouldn’t,” the angel said, wide-eyed. They made no attempt to pull their wrist away from the demon’s grasp.

“Oh, that’s cute of you to say.” 

[syubology]

How to Start Writing

A lot of questions I’ve gotten over the past few years have been to do with actually starting to write, putting those first words down. Sometimes it’s people who used to write and are daunted by the task of getting back into it, other times it’s brand new writers, just tiny word-gremlins brimming with untapped inspiration, lacking the cynicism induced by years.. decades of having your life ruled by imaginary creatures.

At the end of the day, the only tried and tested tip for starting to write is WRITE, but I will try to provide you with a few others for the sake of appearances.

🌙

1. Start Small.

Maybe you’re incredibly imaginative and you have this entire fantasy series in your head just ready to be put on paper, but… try not to rush into it. When I started writing first, every idea I had was for a novel, but I didn’t actually have the skills (and still don’t) to complete a novel, so this led to a string of failed projects, which is not good for the delicate soul of a tiny word-gremlin.

If you do have a big idea you love, I would suggest writing smaller stories, with simpler plots, based in that universe - for example, you could use a prompt list/generator (Google them, they’re everywhere) and adapt those prompts to your universe. If your story is some epic sci-fi horror series and the prompts are about funfair dates, it could make for quite an interesting time. These exercises will allow you to work on your characters and your world, while giving you time to build the skills you need to one day develop the story into something bigger.

If you want to work on fan-fiction specifically, fluffy drabbles are your friend. You can start NSFW if you really want to, but I don’t advise it. Some people find smut comes easiest to them, but for me - and most writers I know - sex is one of the hardest things to write. Again, you can try prompt generators (like this OTP one here) or check places like Twitter for AU ideas - although, if you’re planning to post/share your story, do not use other people’s AU ideas without their permission!

Keep reading

[coffin-promptsoriginal]

“How much do you hate me?”

“Not enough to say no immediately. What do you need?”

[wordsnstuff]

“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”

— Ray Bradbury

[oc-growth-and-development]

Which OC would literally bring a knife to a gun fight and still win?