I used to write a lot more fanfics in high school and middle school, and sure I definitely wasn't the best at writing fanfiction, but i had a lot of fun. i haven't really written anything creative since then, and I really wanna get back into it. but i find it so hard because I feel like my writing skills have some how regressed? any tips for getting back into it?
Tbh they probably did.
Writing is like a muscle and if we don't use it for quite some time it can get stiff and kind of regress a little, but just like getting on abs the only way to get there is to power through the first moments.
The best motivation is a wip - I'm sure you have that idea that is marinating in your mind from so long ago, start from there. It won't be good, it won't be easy, but it will be a start and sooner than later you'll look back and realize that it was not all that difficult after all.
This is a compilation of snippets that came about by chance. What started as a detail question about an image prompt from @lexi-leckstar opened up a rabbit hole for us, and suddenly Dali found his way into both of our (very different) works in progress.
Enjoy the results of random beta-reading-mutuals-dynamics!
It started with this (drawing by me, prompt by lexi.)
(I did it in color first but apparently I'm too scared to post it in color)
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"I've spent half a day imagining Dalí standing in our potions class, stirring potions with a paintbrush - or even funnier: Snape frantically drawing a long-legged elephant with his wand."
From: Through the eyes of a child (wip of @lexi-leckstar)
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Pomona’s laughter was a soft, earthy rumble as she flicked through the oversized art book, her thick thumb pausing on a page crowded with melting clocks and spindly-legged elephants. “Honestly, Ada, look at this one—tell me he doesn’t have Severus’s nose.” She chucked the book at Ada, the cover flashing a wild-eyed portrait of Salvador Dali.
The man’s stare was both haunted and theatrical, moustache curled like a duelist’s wand. Ada’s lips twitched, she remembered dating a guy from university who’d worshipped Dali’s every brushstroke. She flipped through a few pages, the surreal images swirling with the same manic energy she remembered from Tommy’s acid-fueled doodles back in the Edington days. She stopped to read the back cover: “Follow the story of the descendant of a wizard family— a squib fallen from grace, Salvador made a name for himself against all odds. Among muggles, his works enchanted the magicless, making him world famous…” .
“You know, he really is a celebrity in the muggle world,” Ada said, half-amused, half-distant. “Not just there, either. I heard Crouch Senior is a fan. Figures.” She handed the book back. “You should get it for Severus, for Christmas. He’d love being compared to a weird squib.”
Pomona snorted. “Severus isn’t much for fun these days. He’d probably poison my tea if I called him a squib— or worse, an artist.”
Ada grinned, the picture of Severus’s scowl vivid in her mind. “True. He’d probably throw it right back at you. But you're right, the resemblance is uncanny.”
They drifted on, the bell above the door jangling as they left the shop behind, the echo of laughter lingering in the cool Hogsmeade air.
From: The iron in our veins (my wip; to be posted on @the-iron-in-our-veins )
I am new to Tumblr and I am stucked with the writing. Can you help me out with things like from where to start or what to write etc etc..
There is no right way nor one way to start, because every single writer does things differently. No one can tell you what to write but yourself, either! I can offer a list of different elements some people start with, however, but I recommend you take a look at a few different books and websites to get a few different ideas on what processes you can follow!
If you have a desire to write, you’ve already started. Creativity is by no means a clean-cut process, and I’m sure you’ve come up with some sort of idea of what you want by now. Some common starting points are:
An idea for a character
A “what-if” scenario
A story you’d like to read but cannot find published
A conflict/problem
An idea for a different world
Writing prompts
Once you have an inkling of an idea, I find it’s best to start writing out different ideas to expand upon. You’re likely to naturally start leaning towards one idea more than others, and things start to grow from there! Some people spend days, weeks, months, and longer developing all their ideas before they begin writing, while others will jump straight into it. Both methods work, and which is best depends entirely upon the author.
What I recommend to writers starting out is to not get stuck on the details and full picture and process. Take your ideas, get to thinking about them, and find your passion. The rest will follow suit as things go!
Alrighty, I have a slight issue. I have this fantabulous idea for a story or book or abomination, however you wanna see it, but I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO APPROACH IT and I need your help. Do you have any advise that could get my darned brain to get into full-on writer mode?
If there’s anything you like to use to help you focus, like perhaps relaxing music, try it! Understand that you can write when you want to write; some people find that strict schedules or forcing themselves to write just burns them out. But if you really want to sit down and write, find something or even some place that helps you focus.
Another idea that I often find helpful when beginning a story is to write a scene that I already know well, even if it’s in the middle or end of the story. A lot of people find introductions of a novel to be the hardest to write, and a lot of worry goes into where certain information should be shared, how the characters will be introduced, and how the world is going to be set up. Try writing a scene from the middle of the story. You might find that it will help you connect it to other scenes and ultimately build your novel. You can even cut your novel’s plot up into scenes or sections, and decide what one you will write at a time. Make a timeline of your novel and when certain parts of it will happen.
Sometimes little writing exercises or prompts can also help you get into writer mode. Take a writing prompt you really like, and write a short amount, like one page. Limit yourself so you don’t end up being distracted from your primary goal, which is your novel/story.
If you still find you can’t get into the writing mood, just start typing/writing. Literally anything. It doesn’t have to be your original story necessarily, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Write anything, even if it doesn’t make sense, so at least you’ve begun to write. Then you can delve deeper into developing your story.
I’ve never written before (not even a short story) but for some reason I feel like I want to? But I have zero idea on where to begin. I’ve not no plot idea in mind, is there anything I can do?
There’s a lot of different places you can start! The most important thing I want you to know before you start writing is that there’s no right way to go about things; you can start with a plot, a character, a phrase, or with nothing. You can plan out each an every detail, plan nothing, or just a few things here and there!
I’ll leave you a link to a post which has a few more links to suggest a few different kinds of outlines, if you think you might be that kind of writer! (I myself am not that kind of writer, but many are!)
You can always look to prompts for inspiration (the blog is full of them, so feel free to look through and take whatever you’d like, and change it however!) or stories you enjoy. Heck, you can just sit down and write a few paragraphs about, say, a rainy park or a conversation between a mother and daughter and call that a start. Writing doesn’t all have to be a full story; little snapshots are perfectly fine, and a wonderful way to hone your talents! (I use snapshots to practice my personal weak points, such as imagery or symbolism)
I personally tend to start with a “what if?” question, and create a few characters to put into the scenario, but you could go about things however you personally feel most comfortable with. From there, I really recommend playing around. I don’t recommend you subscribing the idea that you’re doing something wrong, or that it’s not good enough, and give up, or belittle your work. Writing’s an art form, as well as a skill. There are no wrong, and it takes time and practice, not just desire and passion. Most of all, just have fun with it. I’m rooting for you!
You might come across The Walking Dead, The Expanse, anything Tolkien, Breaking Bad, Harry Potter, Sherlock, and a few other hyperfixations of mine here.
I am currently trying to write my first fanfic. It will be posted when it's finished - it's gonna be a long fic set in the HP universe - canon-compliant and covering marauders era until 1998. You'll find it on my sideblog The Iron In Our Veins or on my ao3 (some day).
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I am currently experimenting with digital art. I post my progress here.
💖 feel free to connect / beware: not a native English speaker. I will spend an unhealthy amount of time on this site occasionally, and then again be swept away by life offline for some time. I will answer, though!
