#writing advice

[luna-azzurra]

It is easy to think writing only becomes real when someone reads it, likes it, comments on it, publishes it, buys it, validates it. But the work already mattered when you made it. You practiced attention. You built a scene from nothing. You turned a feeling into language. You learned one tiny thing about craft. An audience can give the work a second life, yes. But the first life happens when you sit down and make it.

[2soulscollide]

RESOURCES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

hiii! i'm sharing in this post all my resources for writers. over the past 5/6 years, i've been sharing on gumroad some resources, such as worksheets, workbooks, templates, and much more.

i've decided to create this masterpost so that everything is in one place and easier to find and share :)

notion templates

author's corner (dark academia) a full dashboard for your novels, ideas, and resources, with a snowflake method page and character building template built in link

the drafting room  keeps every piece of your story within reach such as session log, daily word count, chapters, and 28 bonus story prompts, all connected so nothing gets out of sync link

notion for writers ☕️🌿 my og free template for writers where you can set goals, ideas, novels, resources, word count, and socials, all in one dashboard link

autumn writing corner 🍂 a very cozy & seasonal template to track your writing schedule and goals with an autumnal aesthetic link

games for writers

build & break your story  this is a 135-card game that doesn't ask what you could write. in fact, it makes you fix what you already wrote. build a premise, then survive four waves of sabotage link

plotdeck 🃏 draw characters, settings, genres, twists, and conflicts to build unique stories on the spot. you can play solo or with friends link

shuffling ideas a card game with over 1 million plot combinations, perfect for beating writer's block solo or in a group link

writing game (7 day-challenge) 👾 get a daily email for a week with a scene, characters, setting, conflict, and resolution to write. by the end you'll have a full short story link

guides & ebooks

character building 32 pages on brainstorming, flaws and virtues, character arcs, and how to show don't tell through relationships link

the dialogue guide for writers 💬 15 pages on writing dialogue that reveals character depth and drives your plot forward link

hook your reader from the first sentence a mini ebook with 5 narrative techniques to start your book strong, with examples and quick exercises link

nanowrimo survival kit everything to help you hit 50k words in november. it has a calendar, 3-act structure template, character worksheets, and a title brainstorm page link

workbooks, journals & trackers

the writer's workbook 60+ exercises covering character development, plot structure, world-building, and plot twists to help you draft your novel link

plan your book 🧑🏻‍💻 a 5-page worksheet to map your idea, settings, conflict, characters, and plot structure from scratch link

the author's journal 📔 about you, socials, now writing, and resources sections. It two PDF versions to choose from: plain PDF or fillable version link

jolly book 🎅🏼 a festive edition writing workbook with 8 sections of cozy activities, from poetry to playlist making link

excel sheet: tasks & word count two simple sheets to manage deadlines and track your word count progress link

obsidian template for writers 🪻 a ready-to-use obsidian vault with folders and templates for characters, scenes, worldbuilding, plot, and research notes link

that's everything for now! i'll try to keep this post updated whenever i drop something new, so feel free to bookmark it 🤍

if you use any of these, tag me or send me an ask, i love seeing them in action!

[mumblingsage]

Random editing tip of the day: 👀 There's a class of verbs I call "eyeballing verbs" in my editing: these include look, stare, turn to, as well as references to eyes themselves such as eyes widened, eyes gleamed, rolled their eyes, lowered their eyes.

They're not bad verbs! Eyes reveal a lot about where people are paying attention and what they're feeling. But first drafts of scenes sometimes get cluttered with too much or repetitive eyeballing. When you're editing, give these a look (heheh) to make sure they're not happening too often or too close together. Consider other actions that reveal your characters' thoughts and feelings. With the right context, the reader can often assume a character is looking at something or someone without being explicitly told they looked at them. 👀

[novlr]

Hybrid vs Vanity Press

Hybrid and vanity presses are not the same thing, but a lot of vanity presses have started calling themselves hybrid to hide scammy business practices. In the Reading Room today we look at how to tell them apart so you can make informed publishing decisions.

The Difference Between Hybrid and Vanity Publishing | The Novlr Reading Room

Hybrid and vanity publishing aren't the same thing, but the line gets blurred on purpose. Here's how to tell them apart before you sign any

[unheardoracle]

if you're bored writing the scene, your audience is bored reading it. of course there are exceptions. but you are probably not the exception.

[nondelphic]

the concept of "canon" is fake anyway. if you write a fanfic with better emotional arcs than the original you win. i said what i said

[luna-azzurra]

Forced Proximity Ideas!!

⟡ The group has to share one tiny wagon for three days, and everyone learns horrible facts about each other’s sleep habits, snack preferences, and emotional issues.

⟡ Two enemies must cross a mountain pass together, tied by rope for safety. Every argument becomes physically impossible to storm away from.

⟡ A runaway noble and a tired mercenary travel together. The noble thinks they’re being subtle about not knowing how money works. They are not.

⟡ Siblings on the run have to pretend to be strangers in public, and it hurts more than either expected.

⟡ A detective and a suspect travel to the crime scene together because the suspect knows the way. The detective slowly realizes the suspect is scared, not guilty.

⟡ The spaceship crew is stuck in close quarters after part of the ship loses power, and private breakdowns become extremely hard to schedule.

⟡ A knight escorts a witch through hostile territory, and the witch keeps saving them in small ways while insisting she is only protecting her investment.

⟡ The road trip was supposed to be practical. Then the car breaks down in a town where everyone knows one of them by a name they never told the others.

⟡ Two friends travel to return something that belonged to a dead person, and the whole journey becomes a grief ritual neither of them admits they needed.

⟡ A group crosses a cursed forest where the trees repeat things people regret saying. Suddenly nobody wants to walk near anyone else.