Any advice on how to write sensual kisses? I’m sort of stuck on that part and I don’t want it to be to corny. Was wondering if you could help a fellow writer out Van? You see I want it to be sweet, but also toe curling? My main characters just realized her best friend is in love with her. It’s sort of a realization moment.
I think this definitely depends on the situation between the best friends and the vibe you're trying to set. Sensual kisses can be very different depending on the context.
I've also been writing a sensual kiss scene in Mirror, Mirror currently and the vibe I have going on is an accumulation of all the waiting, jealousy, and hope! The inital is shy and tentative before growing into something bold.
I often don't overstate what's happening about the kiss itself. I talk about the lips and any tongue as an afterthought. I focus on the sensation of the kiss and how that might affect other parts of the body.
Ex: "Her lips were soft against my own, tasting faintly like honey from her tea. She moved slowly, almost shyly, and it stole my breath away. My heart thudded against my ribcage and I couldn't hear anything except the blood pounding in my ears."
You might talk about things like you can smell.
Ex: "The distance seemed to become nonexistence between us. Her perfume and conditioner wafted around me, and I felt like I was drowning in vanilla and citrus."
Ultimately, you definitely want to describe how your characters are feeling to build the scene and add to the act of kissing.
writing tactics for writing a deeply closeted Narcissist character 🙏🏻🙏🏻 I BEG YOU GIRL!! 😭😭 this character is making me look so unprofessional…😑
I think the closest would be a covert narcissist, an overt narcissist's personality can't hide it.
The idea of a a covert narcissist is that they're more emotionally fragile and sensitive, allowing them to better hide their problematic behaviour/thoughts. In relationships, they seem shy/reserved and often self-deprecating, judging or comparing themselves to others (other people's happiness, possessions, and relationships).
Sense of inferiority but also grandiose desires
On the outside, they seem uncertain and have self-doubt. They might even let other people make important choices for them because they're indecisive or scared they'll make a mistake with their choice and don't want to be the blame for it. They keep comparing themselves to others like friends, family, coworkers, etc but deep down, they still feel they're better than everyone else.
They're often alone because no one can live up to their standards
Manipulation
They're still self-absorbed, so they only care about what's good for them and how they can get it. They still lack empathy and only see people as what they can offer or do for them. To achieve their goal, they're emotionally manipulate with guilting, gaslighting, threats of violence or other forms for coercion and they don't care at all and not interesting in caring.
They're often moody and create environments that are super uncomfortable. Because they're constantly comparing and can't take any criticism, they're always stressed and anxious about what's next. It'll lead to them exploding with rage if anyone tries to confront them about what their beliefs are. They'll take it out on others or themselves.
They'll swing back and forth from feeling superior to never being satisfied and jealous. They feel like they can't rely on others (even if to use them) which can lead to 💀 ideation (which they may also use to coerce others around them into doing what they want).
Always envious with never-ending goals
chronically focused on what other people have and what they, themselves, don't. Constantly focus on what they're lacking.
Even if they end up getting what other people have, they'll just want more and more, and never appreciate anything.
Things they can be envious of: any physical attributes, wealth, possessions, family status (marriage/children/born rich etc), power/influence (employment, how popular they are at work, within friends, community, etc)
Hey Van!!! How is your Wednesday treating you? Very well I hope. I saw your writing advise and I was wondering if you could give me some pointers. I know your probably busy so answer this on your time. My story’s setting is a very high end posh all girls boarding school. My main character’s family has major and integral ties to the school unknown to her since she was basically raised by her mothers parents (her father is the son of the headmaster) and the school is funded by the “government”. All the parents say that there child had loved the school and curriculum, only every girl that walked out of the school changed. There behavior, there thoughts, there morals…all changed. They became more isolated and more withdrawn. I say this because the school actually trains the young girls to be assassins. They believe cultivating young minds is crucial. The facade of the school is well done so much so that admission is a long and tedious process. They start recruiting slow. They have a group of young girls who have been through the process scout out for young girls they think would make a good fit. It’s the setting and overall feeling I’m having trouble writing. The school at first should seem like a dream. The school is set in this wonderful eighteen century like building with beautiful grounds and various rooms and various chambers. The new students board in a different wing than the young girls who are in training. It’s all very hush hush. I want it to be scary, riveting, keep you on your toes. What are some techniques you use to write unsettling atmospheres?? I want it to be unsettling. Like you know somethings wrong but you can’t put your finger on it. It’s dark and mysterious and fearful. The teachers are in on it as well. So i it gives “lamb to the slaughter vibes”. The girls who are part of the training and are the leaders are mean and cruel, they like to scare the recruits, make life hell for them. They’ve gone through a lot of trauma and are emotionally broken. Do you have any advice for writing the girls? I want them to come of menacing, but also have a odd sense of sympathy and pity for the girls. Because they know first hand how it will be. This project is proving harder to write 😂😂 I was about to give up on the whole thing but I figured I would ask my favorite author for help first. You are a life saver Van.
hiiii! wednesday was pretty swell 👍🏻hope you had a good day too!
this sounds like a YA mystery/thriller novel i'd definitely read lsdjflskdfj
Unsettling Atmopshere:
A big part about writing unsettling atmopshere is writing about liminal spaces. You can think of liminal space like an "in-between" place that can be psychological or even a physical location. It's a huge part of the plot because it's the turning point from one point to another.
You have to choose a good time to space it out though because once you start writing it, you can't turn back. It's like in a book, you read an immensely unsettling scene but the next scene after can't be all handy-dandy. Once you're character realizes something unsettling, they can't turn back and keep diving further into the unknown.
In the context of your book, the psychological liminal space of your character is being between thinking she's crazy or there's something very seriously wrong at the school
Physical Locations:
empty classrooms
dark hallways
footsteps leading somewhere
an empty dorm room that is never filled
secret passageways
Another big part is "show, don't tell." For example, if you're character is caught in a situation where she can't be caught by someone or she'll die, don't just write "She was scared." Describe her fear. The blood pounding her ears. Her fingers were going numb. Something was crawling up her throat, the desperation to keep her breathing quiet, etc. Use adjectives to describe her sight, smell, sounds.
A big part of unsettling scenes is about anticipation!
Do you have any advice for writing the girls?
In my opinion, the only way to garner sympathy for the antagonist is you have to show/explain what they've gone through. For me, the only way I could see myself being empathetic to these girls who have risen to a leadership position and being cruel to the new trainees is if I understand what their personal experience was and the fact that they have no choice in the matter.
Be special to become a leader or suffer like how regular trainees do and however they will live out their lives. So, they're extra harsh to new trainees to weed out some that will survive and become a leader. They may not be able to save them all, but some is better than none, right? You have to differentiate how regular assassins are and how their life is vs being a leader/teacher. I would have to assume being a regular trainee who makes it to become an assassin live very, very hard lives.
A big part of this is also writing about how indoctrined these leaders have been as well. They cannot really conceptualize anything beyond this life or escaping.
I find it's a small things that make me see how they can be tough but sympathetic. It could be cruel, but sound advice. Covering for the girls if something goes wrong (or making sure the punishment is less severe), etc. Essentially actions that show it's still super shitty, but not as bad as it could've been.
Hey Van!! Hope your having a good Monday! I understand if this question is out of your knowledge when it comes to writing. You see I have a character who is a cult leader. I’ve researched a ton for the cult aspect of it. The question I have that I’m hoping you could help me out on or just your thoughts in general are how do you write manipulation? My character that is a cult leader has massive unresolved trauma and often seeks out others who are fragile or are weak minded. She manipulates them and deceives them. Gives them a false sense of security. I’ve also read that they can have narcissistic tendencies. Is there any tricks you yourself have used when it comes to writing or showing manipulation in writing? Any tendencies you can think of? I keep thinking of the sang “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” but putting the ideas down and showing it is sort of the big conundrum. Thanks I’m advance Van!
happy monday 🫠
I think cult leaders tend to be very charasmatic people, which is why they have such a big following. My perspectve on cult leader is that they're really good at making friends with people, which allows them to influence them.
These are tactic I think could be used:
seem interested in others by asking questions about their life and listening (they may be the only person in someone's life to do that)
often saying the other person's name (people like to hear their own name)
encouraging the person to talk about themselves (this makes them feel important)
they discover what the person wants/needs/desires and make it seem like they are the only person who can help them achieve it
Gives them tasks, something only that person can do, which gives the person a sense of belonging/important
tells a person "i can only trust you with this" which can be a task or a "secret"
given lots of praise and appreciating early
they often will help a person achieve what they want or solve their smaller problems so that the person will rely on them and believe the cult leader is the only person who can help them
hey van! So I have a question I was hoping you could help me with. My character has powers, there genetic and no one in her family has them. My character is very shy, she works in a museum (giving tours and such) she’s very much a kind her one business doesn’t speak unless spoken to girl. She’s 18, and her mother passed from a mysterious illness leaving her with her father (he’s a good dad just busy a lot being the mayor of the town) her powers have been manifesting in certain ways. Like a vampire tried using compulsion on her, and she was able to break hold of it due to her magic in her blood awakening. But I want to have a moment with her finally realizing she has powers. I just don’t want it to seem far fetched. Or too tacky. I’ve been working on this for months and can’t seem to figure it out. Are there any suggestions?
her powers are similar to Wanda’s in the sense that she has telekinesis, everything else is quite different. Her powers come of as a radiating deep blue. I like to describe it as crippling electric energy, it terms of how it feels and sounds to others. It’s from a bloodline in her ancestry. So it’s not like spells or incantations or anything. Hope your doing good Van!
I'm going to answer these together because I feel like you gotta be the same person and if not, well, LOL. Answering the magic question for both of you.
Realization of powers: I feel like I'd think about more if your characters has suspected something was going on with herself for a long time now or if she thought it was just coincidences. Also question whether she wants these powers or not. Depending on those things, it'll be easier to write about what it will be like for her to realize she has these powers. What does it mean to her that she has them? What will she want to do with them? What exactly made her realize that she has powers? It also depends on the environment/situation she's in when she's realizing. Is she alone and something happened? Is she alone and it was just a quiet moment of realization as she thought about it? Or was she with someone and something happened. Did someone else make her realize something.
Physical manifestations of powers: I would use the senses as much as I can to describe magic.
Touch: what does it feel like as this power is coming up? Does it feel like something flowing through her veins, vibrating just underneath her skin? Does it feel like it's ripping through her, aggressively wanting its way out? Does it make the hairs on her body stand? Does it feel hot or cold? Does it feel so natural that it actually just feels like nothing, like she might as well be breathing.
Sight: There's more ways than just describing blue. Try to use metaphors. Deep blue like a dark ocean, waves of magic that ripples and is ready to pull you in. Or electric blue, like getting to stare at lightening, the blinding of it at its core. Things like that. Think about what kind of blue you're see and what it reminds you of.
Smell: This may seem strange but think scent is important. A headcanon of mine is that reader from Between the Lines can tell when it's Tatyana because she can smell her magic and it reminds her of the night she saved Tatyana while out picking flowers and herbs for her spells. If it's electric blue, maybe it smells like something hot and nearly burnt.
Sound: does your magic make noise and what kind. Can you physically hear it and can others? Or is it just something in your head.
Proprioception: This is body awareness. Like when you close your eyes and you know where your nose is. Is the magic like that? Can you always tells where you've casted your magic?
Tension: found in your muscles and your brain monitors the tension in your muscles. Does casting magic cause tension?
Nociception: Pain receptors. Do you feel pain in your skin, muscles/joints/bones, or any organs.
there are more senses than 5, check out this link and see if any can apply to using magic.
Do you have any tips for when you start to loose inspiration or motivation to even write anymore? I run a blog myself but lately I'm just losing motivation yet I have so many ideas and fics I wanna outline eventually but writing is just hdjsjsjsj do you perhaps have any tips to get back into writing again? I hope that's okay to ask I'm just struggling w motivation or to care about it which I do since I love writing a lot more than I had expected
LMAO feel bad you're asking me this when I'm also going through the same thing bestie.
The way I have 3 writing blogs and 4-5 stories that I need to be writing and I've done nothing lately is r o u g h LOL
To be honest, for me, I only gain motivation in a few ways.
Listening to music that makes me feel some type of way that I'm inspired to write something.
Inspired by the works of others: i.e. you're reading a lot, either from published books or other fanfic writers. You need to be careful you're not plagiarizing anything though. Be on the safe side if you read a work of another fanfic writer and get inspired by something you think might be similar—ask them.
Motivated by others: this can be anything from your followers/readers hyping you up or your mutuals/friends. I personally like discussing my fics (upcoming/ideas/etc) with a really close knit circle of moots/friends. Unfortunately I've learned the hard way when discussing my ideas too publicly that they can be swiped very quickly from me and I've had my fair share of plagiarism of my posted fics as well.
Set small goals. You don't just run a marathon without any practice, so you shouldn't worry too much about writing a whole ass book right then and there. Set a goal of 500 words a day, 1k a week, whatever works for you and your lifestyle.
Writing with others. In a group, it's easy to get motivated because you all have similar goals and there's a level of accountability. I have some great upcoming news regarding this because I'll be hosting a NaNoWriMo Camp in the month of November!! It takes a lot of planning which is why I need a month to get it ready LMAO
Hi! I really love your works, the way you write angst hits so hard, I LOVE IT! I was wondering how do you actually start writing a fic? Ive been thinking of writing but I dont exactly know how to start :/
Thank you so much ! 💘
Sounds awesome you wanna start!
Please check out my writing resource tag
Here is another writing resource I’ve found very intensive and helpful!
Hey van!! I just found your page and your fics are so awesome (haven't read them all yet but I've read almost most if the series and I love it it keeps me company lol) do you perhaps have any writing tips on starting out with a new fandom writing blog? I wanna write my own fics since I have ideas always coming to me and I write them down so I don't forget. Do you also have any tips on how to stick to a series? If that makes sense. Like keeping the series together and on going and interesting and engaging to the readers etc. I hope this isn't annoying to ask you can ignore this if it is. I hope you're having a good day/night 💗
Not a worry! :)
Well first thing first, I would check out my tag here. I’ve answered loads of writing tips: https://missmonsters2.tumblr.com/tagged/mm.writingadvice
The first thing when writing a series and having some kind of general start to finish draft. You’ll be more motivated to finish a series when you know there is an end. You don’t need every single detailed plan, but it’s good to have an idea of big plot points.
Everyone is different in how they write. For myself, I am a chronological writer. I can only write fics from start to finish in order. Other people are able to write at different plot points and tie the transitioning together.
But the thing we all have in common is that we have an idea of big and little plot points. It will give you something to look forward to writing. This also keeps you from having too many filler moments and chapters that don’t help you get to the next plot point—which can get boring and cause readers to stray or skip because you aren’t plot-focused enough.
Personally, I spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of series I’m writing. All my series are romantic based but Drive Me Crazy was all suspense. The Color of You was action and angst and About You was just angst. Between the lines is a little bit of a mix.
I think about the tone I’m setting for my series and that sets the pace of how I write because I don’t want to discombobulate my readers when I’m trying to move through different emotions. Series are different because it takes longer to get from one place to another (that’s also the beauty of it. You can take your time). You have to remember what you wrote in chapter 2 when you're at chapter 12.
For instance, in The Color of You, the overall tone was melancholy and dark. Even in scenes that were happy, it wasn’t the same as fluffy happiness. It was like there was something dark just looming over your head. And by the end when there’s true happiness, you can appreciate it so much more when you know what you had to go through to achieve it. What you experienced in part 10 made part 7 worth it.
