#wqaadvice

[writingquestionsanswered]

hello! I've started to notice I'm overusing "racing hearts" or ""heart beated faster" or "heart pounded" and very similar wording and I think my characters are soon to have heart attacks lol. This is used when characters are near their romantic partners, or are in danger or are nervous so it's not limited to one person or one scenario. What are other or better ways I can convey something similar to 'show' the feelings rather than risk having everyone's hearts explode?

Alternatives to Romantically Racing Hearts

-- fluttering sensation in stomach (aka "butterflies") -- tightening of stomach or knot in stomach -- sweaty palms -- flushed cheeks/heat on neck/body feels warm -- breath catches/hitches, shallow breaths -- nervous tics: swallowing, playing with hair, licking lips, etc. -- fumbling with words, talking fast/too much -- clamming up, unable to speak -- dry mouth, difficulty speaking or swallowing -- trembling voice, shaking hands -- "weak in the knees" sensation -- slight dizziness -- feeling "lighter than air"

Happy writing!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[writingquestionsanswered]

Not to be a downer, but I actually finished my novel and now I’m confused because I don’t want to publish it. I don’t even particularly want anyone other than maybe my two close friends to even read it. What on Earth did I write 40k words (which I know is not really long enough for a novel, but it’s still far and away the longest thing I’ve ever written) for? I know people say “write for yourself” but like… am I just wasting my time? Help?

(p.s. you can leave this off anon)

(p.p.s your blog is really great 👍)

There's No Such Thing as Wasted Writing

I'm going to tackle this two ways...

#1 - "Write For Yourself" - there's a reason this common phrase has echoed through the Hall of Writers since time immemorial. It's because it's true! Writing doesn't have to be anything more than a pastime. It doesn't have to be anything more than something you do for your own benefit and enjoyment.

I have an in-joke with family members about how any time one of us does something the least bit crafty, DIY, skilled, whatever, a particular family member will always say, "You did a great job! You should do it for a living!" Like, someone can't even crochet a Kawaii mushroom without being pressured to turn it into an Etsy dynasty, or paint a cabinet without being pressured to become the next Property Brothers. And that's such a BANANAS capitalistic mindset, isn't it? This idea that nothing can be done purely for our own enjoyment. That you can't just write a novel because you want to... you can only write it if you plan to share it or publish it? It's just so silly.

And, the thing is, we don't even apply that mentality to a lot of other things people do purely for enjoyment. No one is streaming all of Bridgerton in two nights and saying, "I enjoyed every second of that, but why did I do that? Such a waste of time!" No one spends an hour strumming their guitar under the stars on a beach, and then says, "That was so relaxing and fun, but I didn't charge for that performance and I didn't record it to sell it, so that was obviously a waste of time."

You know what I mean?

#2 - And Anyway, Practice Makes Perfect - And if you keep writing--even if you continue not to share or publish--you'll get better and better with each story you write. Which, maybe all that means is you get to appreciate your own improvement, but also, should you ever change your mind and decide to write something to share or publish, you've now spent time honing your skills. Even if those other stories never see the light of day, they're still an important foundation of the writer you become. Do you know how many unpublished novellas, novels, and short stories I have? Too many to count. Hundreds of fan-fiction and original fiction short stories I've only shared with one or two other people, if anyone. A dozen or so novels and novellas that have only been read by a few people, and some haven't been read by anyone else or have only been read by my CPs. I would never consider those stories and novels and novellas to be a waste of time, because I know every single one made me a better writer. My published work is better because I wrote those other things.

So, I hope that makes you feel better. At the very least you hopefully enjoyed writing your novel--or at least got something out of it--and you definitely honed your writing skills, which matters! ♥

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[writingquestionsanswered]

Question!!! But how do I integrate subtlety into my writing? Like I have a hard time picking up on it and I annoyingly have a tendency to tell not show, so I wanted to know if you have any advice!

Writing with More Subtlety

-- Getting the hang of "showing vs telling" is a great place to start if you want to integrate subtlety into your writing. Saying, "Moonlight glinted off the lake," is more subtle than, "The moon was shining."

Guide: Showing vs Telling

-- Learning to evoke emotion and ambiance with sensory description is another way to write with more subtlety. After all, saying, "The house was scary looking," is not as subtle as, "Thick fog curled around the decaying timbers of the once grand Victorian home."

Horror by Darkness Horror by Daylight

-- Knowing what internal and external cues can be used to illustrate your characters' feelings is also helpful, because, "Sarah was sad," is not as subtle as, "Tears pooled in the corners of Sarah's eyes, and she bit her upper lip to keep it from quivering."

Showing a Character's Feelings The Subtle Signs of Romantic Interest and Love

-- Learning to weave details into your story is also helpful, as it's more subtle to work details in naturally than to do a big info dump.

Weaving Details into the Story

-- Finally, learn to drop hints rather than declare something outright.

Dropping Hints without Giving Everything Away

I hope that helps!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

LEARN MORE about WQA

SEE MY ask policies

VISIT MY Master List of Top Posts

COFFEE & FEEDBACK COMMISSIONS ko-fi.com/wqa

[writingquestionsanswered]

WQA Site News

Hey, everyone! You may have noticed I've been relatively absent over the past couple of months. I've made the difficult decision to close down the ask box for a while, possibly permanently. This is partly because I needed to shift my priorities back toward my own writing and taking time out for myself. It's also partly because I just couldn't keep up with the inbox. It was rare there was ever less than 30 to 50 asks at any given time, and over the years questions seem to have gravitated away from general writing questions to requests for plot specific advice... which of course comes with lengthy plot rundowns. At the end of the day, those types of questions became the bulk of what was in my inbox. I realized that the needs of the community had shifted from needing general writing advice to personalized writing coaching, and that's just not something I'm able to offer here.

I have loved every single second I've put into this blog, and I am so unbelievably proud of the fact that many of you over the years have messaged me to say that you got a trad book deal or indie published your book, or were on your way to one or the other. That's something I will always hold as part of my tiny legacy on this big blue marble. Thank you, so much, for giving me the opportunity to do it.

The blog will stay up so you can access past posts and the WQA post masterlist. And maybe, periodically, I'll open the ask box up for a short period of time. Or, possibly, I may even open it back up permanently one day. Hard to say for sure. But, in the meantime, wherever you are, may your writing be fruitful, your reading be blissful, and may you stay safe and protected always.

Love,

WQA

[writingquestionsanswered]

Is it okay to use generators to help you start writing or to give ideas? I see a lot of writers on other platforms bashing them and saying that by using them you are not a real writer.

I use them because I personally feel like I'm not that creative, and it gives me a vague start to go on.

Thank you, and I really love your blog!

Using Random Generators for Inspiration

It depends on what you actually mean when you say "generators." Random Generators - Random generators have existed on the internet for years and years and years. Some popular ones are Fantasy Names .com and Seventh Sanctum .com. These use predefined options that were created by someone who is offering them up for the express purpose of writers using them as prompts, inspiration, and ideas. These are absolutely fine to use, are used by even seasoned writers, and in no way undermine your validity as a writer.

Generative AI - Generative AI is relatively new on the scene and includes things like ChatGPT and Notion AI. These use data that is scraped from other sources without permission from the creators. In other words, the ideas and text isn't generated by a person who specifically put it there for your use, but is instead stolen from other writers who did not give anyone permission to use it.

To be more clear, it's the difference between someone saying "here are some ideas you can use" versus someone saying "here are other people's stolen ideas you can use."

Needless to say, the use of generative AI is extremely controversial, as it should be. We're not talking about robbing from the rich to feed the poor. We're talking about robbing from the poor to feed the poor. Many MANY creatives work around (and sometimes overcome) challenges to their work without resorting to theft from other creatives. And when creativity is something that even creatives struggle with at times, lacking creativity is not a good excuse for stealing someone else's hard work.

So... if you're using random generators for plot ideas, setting ideas, character names, etc., that's fine, and many writers use them. But, if you're using generative AI, you need to really think about what you're doing and why you feel entitled to using ideas stolen from other creatives.

In the meantime, here are some resources that can help you boost your own creativity:

Guide: Filling Your Creative Well Guide: How to Rekindle Your Motivation to Write Getting Unstuck: Motivation Beyond Mood Boards & Playlists Character Development Exercises Writing Exercises to Help You Become a Better Writer Want to Write, Can't Come Up with a Plot

Also, some great random generators:

Fantasy Name Generators Seventh Sanctum Chaotic Shiny RanGen DIYMFA WriterIgniter Plot Generator Writing Exercises.uk

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[writingquestionsanswered]

I’ve been frequently discouraged from drawing this past year and a half because of AI. But I always thought there’s no way AI could ever copy a specific story I want to write. Right? However, knowing that literally anybody can generate any story they want now makes me wonder if the stuff I create is even worth creating out of fear that no one will read it, since they would rather read stuff AI makes. I’d like to think most people in the world would rather read real human made stories, but I don’t know the full statistics and I’m not sure how to think of it anymore. How do you overcome thoughts like this?

Discouraged by AI Stories

First, AI has a long, long way to go before it's capable of recreating the human emotion that goes into art, including story.

Second, even among other human storytellers, you can give the same writing prompt and specifics to ten different writers and get ten completely different stories. Why? Because we all bring our own personalities, knowledge, experiences, preferences, and imaginations to the story. We've all filled our creative wells in different ways. So, no one else can tell the stories you have to tell... and certainly no AI generator can.

I believe that the majority of readers will continue to seek out human written stories, especially when it comes to character and plot-driven stories.

I hope that reassures you!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hi so I wanted to ask, how do I write a confident character? (Specifically one in high standing, like a prince or a king)

10 Traits for Confident Characters

1 - Confident Body Language - Confident people display good posture (standing up straight, shoulders back, chin up), strong eye contact, and body language that appears positive and secure.

2 - Listening More Than Speaking - Babbling, interrupting people, and monopolizing conversation are signs of insecurity, so confident people tend to listen more than they speak.

3 - They Don't Seek Validation From Others - Confident people know who they are, what they can do, and know their own value, so they don't seek validation from others.

4 - They Don't Overthink Things - Confident people are good at evaluating a situation and making a decision rather than fretting over the different choices.

5 - They're Not Judgmental - Passing judgment and being critical of others isn't something confident people do, because they don't need to lift themselves up by knocking others down.

6 - They Speak with Purpose - Confident people are clear about their feelings and desires. They say what they mean and mean what they say. They don't tend to hem and haw or say things like "um" or "uh" when they speak.

7 - They Accept Responsibility for Their Mistakes - Confident people don't deny responsibility or blame others for their own mistakes. They own up to what they did wrong, apologize, do what they can to rectify the situation, and vow to do better.

8 - They Take Calculated Risks - When opportunities come along, confident people aren't afraid to take them, even if there are risks. They just analyzed the pros vs the cons first to make sure the risk is worth the potential reward.

9 - They Lift Others Up - Not only do confident people not tear others down, they actively lift people up and celebrate the people around them. They are fully aware of the contributions made by others and are happy to recognize them for it.

10 - They Ask for Help When Needed - Confident people know there's no shame in asking for help when it's needed, so they are able to ask for assistance without feeling bad, guilty, or ashamed. They also see the value in learning from others who may have abilities and skills they do not.

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

LEARN MORE about WQA

SEE MY ask policies

VISIT MY Master List of Top Posts

COFFEE & FEEDBACK COMMISSIONS ko-fi.com/wqa

[writingquestionsanswered]

Someone mentioned that main characters can get overdeveloped. I'm familiar with characters being underdeveloped, but how do you tell if they are overdeveloped?

5 Signs Your Character is Overdeveloped

#1 - You spend time illustrating personality traits that aren't important to the story. Your character's personality traits should have some bearing on how they move through the story. Don't take the time to illustrate your character's stubbornness if being stubborn won't have some impact on the story.

#2 - You excessively describe their physical appearance and what they're wearing. While it's a good idea to give the reader a sense of what the character looks like and to describe what they're wearing when it shows something important about the character, world, or situation, the reader doesn't need an in-depth physical description--or even reminders--every time the character appears on the page.

#3 - You spend a lot of time illustrating their interactions and relationships with minor characters even though they have no bearing on the story. We like our characters to feel real and three-dimensional, which means giving the reader a sense of who they are, what their normal life is like, and who is important to them. However, we don't want to spend a lot of time on characters/relationships that don't really do anything for the story. For example, it's nice that your character has a good relationship with their elderly neighbor, but if the relationship isn't necessary to show us who the character is, set up or execute a plot point, or fulfill a thematic/symbolic role, it probably shouldn't be there.

#4 - Your character is a "jack of all trades." It's great for your character to have hobbies, skills, and experience in various things, but we don't want our characters to look like a walking, talking, padded resume. For the most part, any hobby, skill, or experience highlighted should play an important role in the story. If being proficient at roller skating doesn't tell us something about the character we can't learn another way, allow for the setup or execution of a plot point, or fulfill a thematic/symbolic role, it's probably not important to highlight that hobby, skill, or experience--or any other that doesn't contribute to the story.

#5 - You spend a lot of time on unnecessary backstory - Backstory plays an important role in helping us to understand who the character is, how they got to where they are in life, what things led up to their internal conflict and emotional wound/s, etc. However, we don't want to spend time on things that aren't ultimately important to the story in some way. For example, there's no point in flashing back to your character's week at surfing camp if nothing happened that week that is important to who they are or anything else that happens in the story.

A good rule of thumb for really any detail in a story is to ask yourself, "What is lost if I remove this detail?" If the answer is "nothing," you can probably go ahead and remove it. :)

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here