#go forth and write

[wrenthedruid]

In order to write truly canon compliant fanfic for the Baldurs gate games timeline you must disregard the timeline and do whatever you want for your story just as the original writers did, being more bonkers is closer to the truth 🙂‍↕️

[unbearable-lightness-of-ink]

yall I read a book today that was literally like 90% characters explaining the details of the worldbuild to each other

I shit u not they'd be like mid sex and one werewolf would be like "wait don't u know this fact that EVERYONE knows about werewolves??" and the other one would be like "no, because of my tragic backstory that I have already recounted multiple times but will remind you of again, I was never taught these things" and then they'd have like 3 pages of dialogue explaining the technicalities of some werewolf social interaction or biology or whatever.

was there a plot? possibly. it may have been happening in the background of the worldbuild expositing in every single scene but it seems like the author kinda forgot to include it, mostly. the epilogue was like "remember all these plot threads we loosely mentioned? yeah neither do we, don't worry about it."

and i got this through my local library.

so anyway I guess my point is, no matter how bad you think your writing is, if you have a resolution to your plot and only spend half of the book having characters repeat details that don't matter, you're doing better than a book my actual library paid actual money for.

oh also the title had absolutely no clear meaning

[mikhailruinstheinternet]

Unique traits to give your characters:

Only puts in one earbud (whether because the other one is ALWAYS broken or because they want to be able to listen to music and everything around)

Never has acne, but has enough other skin problems to make up for it

Allergic to mint, which causes rashes on their face (I have this and it sucks)

Always turns their screen brightness and volume down as low as they can (or direct opposite)

Always wears certain jewelry (rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, toe rings)

Never listens to "normal" music. Only musicals. Or not music at all. Only podcasts

Can't read because they always have a song stuck in their head

They go through insane phases of hyper fixations where they constantly make references to something but never go on tangents

Never cleans their glasses (or direct opposite; always cleans them)

Tries to dress nice but has no fashion sense

One last thing. Giving your most likable character glasses isn't a bad idea because some people (cough, cough, me) hate their glasses until a character they like wears glasses, then they love their glasses. It can really make an impact! Just an idea. (That sentence made no sense, sorry)

[im-a-king-baby]

hi!! i'm in the process of writing a fic that i plan to post on ao3 and i'm just wondering how you get readers and stuff. i worry that if i just post it no one will see but i'm not sure if there's anything i can do...

Hi! Firstly congrats on writing a fic! I hope you're enjoying playing with these characters and having fun with your story! Posting work can be a hard/frustrating/amazing/rewarding/confusing process so as much as we love readers (and kudos and comments!) it is really important to write because you enjoy writing and to write for yourself first. Be your own biggest fan! Write what you want to read!

I am not by any means an expert in getting readers, but here is most of what I have learned after many years of writing fic.

On AO3 the default is that all fics are listed in the order they were posted, so as soon as you post your fic will be at the top of the list! In an active fandom, there are usually a few people who check AO3 regularly and read any new fics that catch their eye. So just by posting, you're likely to get a few readers if the fandom is active enough (to captalise on this you can also pick a time to post when the fandom is buzzing e.g. when there's new content or a new season out).

If your fic is long, it's worth splitting it into chapters because each chapter puts you back at the top of the page on AO3 and gives you another chance to share that you're writing. (Also for me that's one of the better things about posting fic, getting to see people react to the story as it unfolds.)

What do I mean by sharing? I mean when you post fic, tell people in whatever fandom spaces you are in! A lot of people want to read fic but aren't checking AO3 every day so you have to find other ways to tell them about it. I posted on tumblr, and tagged 'young royals' and 'young royals fic' so anyone following those tags would see it. The great @hillerskalibrary I think finds most tagged fic so they'll share your story with their followers who are looking for fic. I know there's a YR community on Twitter so if you're in that, tell them you're writing!

Get chatting to YR fans in whatever space you're in, make friends and then you can not only ask them to read it, you can make them help you edit it! (This is how all beta readers are made, I'm pretty sure.)

For tumblr, if you like making graphics, having a banner or a header or something might help you stand out but it's more important to just make sure your post tells people what the fic is about so they'll want to take a look!

But it can be hard, and sometimes you don't get the reception you were hoping for. It's easy to look at the big super popular fics in any fandom and get disheartened when you've got less comments or kudos, but those kind of numbers depend so much on how big the fandom is when you post, what tropes people are wanting to read, who happens to give your fic a go, and if people start talking about it none of which is in your control. The trick is to enjoy the writing for itself, to write things you love and to find people to talk to about your ideas and your stories who will love them with you. (By taking part in the fandom, getting beta readers, etc.) I have fics on AO3 with less than 10 kudos that I love and think are great but that never found their audience, that doesn't mean it was a waste of time writing or posting them and I still love them for the fun I had writing, and the friends in those fandoms that I shared them with.

<3

[deadbranch]

I begin a story with a line of dialog, or a simple declarative statement. Then I build the world around it.

The chapter (or story) ends with a choice to be made. Often the final line is simply the character's last thought or verbal affirmation of their decision.

Now that I've demystified my writing, go forth and write.

Your writer's block is temporary. Your writing is forever.

[7-ratsinatrenchcoat]

💌 Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. 💌

not sure if this is the infamous "chain mail" I've heard so much about and is therefore Illegal but! receiving this made me smile so here you go. Hope it makes you smile too <3

💌 Send this to the twelve nicest people you know or who seem to have a good heart and if you get five back you must be pretty awesome. 💌

not sure if this is the infamous "chain mail" I've heard so much about and is therefore Illegal but! receiving this made me smile so here you go. Hope it makes you smile too <3

you people are so nice to me omg

[editingmadness]

Stages of Writing and What Advice You Most Need

Beginning Writer (Started writing recently, learning the ropes, writing for fun):

- Stop describing each character’s exact looks and outfit in one paragraph. At the very least, break it up a bit. The best method is to include that information A) when it’s relevant to the plot in a specific way, or B) another character is taking specific notice of it. I know it’s fun, but trust me, it comes off as super unnecessary to the reader.

- Start a new paragraph every time a character speaks. This is non-debatable. 

- Triple check your work for changes in tense. This is extremely common among beginning writers, but not only is it structurally incorrect, its EXTREMELY jarring to a reader. 

- Decide on a perspective when you start out and Stick. To. It. I know this seems like a given, but it even includes things like writing in a third person perspective and using the work “you” in a non-dialogue sentence. 

Experienced Writer (Been writing for a while, probably a lot of fanfiction/short stories, needs polishing):

- Take extra care to not use the same word/name too much in the same sentence, unless it is for emphasis (ie: She walked slowly, talked slowly, moved through life slowly, and around her, the world rushed by.) This includes paragraphs as well. Pro tip: If I’m reading a sentence and I can SEE the same word (especially nouns) in my direct line of vision in the sentence above, change it. 

- Start relying less and less on adverbs. 

- Read less. Write more. 

- Practice writing different types of stories. I don’t mean that you have to keep switching genres entirely, I just mean: practice writing people eating, people dancing, write smut if you’ve never tried it, write a death scene, write a wedding. Write different scenes and different viewpoints so that when the time comes for you to write something big and long and epic, you have the arsenal to make every scene equally engaging.

- Start using a trusted beta writer! They help so much and are good practice for presenting your work to editors and critics. 

Advanced Writer (Writing is a passion, perhaps working on a novel or serious work, want to share their projects):

- Read MORE. Probably more than you think you should, and definitely more than you are. Don’t let your writing consume you for too long, or you’ll get stuck in a rut.

- Keep Chekov’s Gun in mind at all times, of course, but begin thinking of different ways to connect everything back to the main story. Small details or side-scenes that seem unimportant at first but ultimately help paint the bigger picture are often the best part of a story.

- Tap into your senses - it makes a scene so much more vivid if we can imagine what the character is smelling, hearing, even tasting. There are more ways to perceive the world than through sight.

- I’m certain you’ve heard the rule about showing instead of telling, but remember to include this in everything- from a character’s inner dialogue to the way they interact with others. Really try to not TELL the audience almost ANYTHING. Show it all.

- Don’t be afraid of second drafts. Or third. The best part about being a writer is that you can edit and fix and revise and clean up until it’s perfect, but this only matters if you take advantage of it!

- Remember why you started writing in the first place- remember that it’s meant to be fun, exciting, and relaxing. You make your own rules here, and don’t let anything or anyone tell you otherwise. I know it can be hard to stay motivated, but remember that writing is just a way of sharing a fun story with others, and is in no way required to be perfect, structured, or conforming to any standard.

Hope this helps all you writers out there! And for now... go forth and write, my darlings!

[darkroguescribe]

My dreams just keep adding to my “to write “ list... putting this one out there in case anyone is interested:

Anakin and Padme’s secret communications get intercepted by the separatists (the transmission may or may not have been sexy 🥰). It ends up being leaked and thus ruins both of their careers while also launching their popularity with trashy tabloids and entertainment networks.