#writing heals

[belovedapollo]

at my desk, where past, present and future meet once again ✍🏼 reblog is ok, don’t repost / use

[selenophyyy]

Most Misunderstood Writing Advices

01. Show don't tell

This is the 'ABCD advice' for the baby writers, but why it's considered bad is actually valid too. People argue everything doesn't have to be shown and just telling can suffice, which, in fact is true! You need to show and tell.

If you're going to give lengthy descriptions to everything, your readers are going to end up falling asleep a lot faster before they reach the last page of your story.

Why I think it's misunderstood is because it's overanalyzed. This advice is clearly meant for the beginners. If you're an amateur writer, you clearly already know how to balance between writing descriptions and just telling where it's necessary.

02. Your first draft is going to be bad

The opposite side argues that it doesn't have to be bad, but I would like to point out that it isn't meant to be taken literally that you write it bad on purpose.

You could write your first draft on a Shakespeare level, but I will still say it needs works because the purpose of the first draft is to just exist. It's 'bad' because it's written with volunteer words [1] but if you're stopping to choose your words carefully and looking up synonyms while writing it, then you're literally beating up the purpose behind this advice. The second reason is that no matter what POV you are choosing to write it in, it still needs to fit with the narrative and details of the whole story, which you can't possibly accomplish all while writing the first draft. The wisdom behind this advice is to not waste your time polishing it because you will end up editing and changing most of it anyway in your editing phase.

As I have said before, your first draft is supposed to be your dreamland, where you enjoy writing it exactly the way you imagined it, so stop being a party pooper to yourself and actually enjoy the process while you can!

03. You should make an outline

I know pantsing a.k.a make it up as you go works for some people, but going in blind can also lead to plot holes, meandering stories, and abandoned manuscripts.

I get it that you might find it restrictive, and it could possibly make your writing turn out rigid and even make you lose your spark, as you might feel like it's more of homework than actually writing your story.

I think this advice is misunderstood because people take it too literally as well.

Outlines are supposed to be a guidance, not a hurdle!

And sometimes it becomes necessary for genres like fantasy, science fiction, etc., where you need to sort out complex details, do world-building, and make sense of it altogether.

Outlining doesn't mean you make bullet points of every single scene. You could just note down the major events of your story, which will help you preserve your plot and give you enough room to write it freely in between how these major events connect and come to happen.

Even a loose roadmap can help you keep your story on the track. You don’t need to stick to your outline like it’s a word set in a book. Think of it instead as a general set of guidelines that you yourself can impose and choose when to stray away from.

01. Volunteer words (as in creative writing): The words that volunteer themselves when you're writing. See R. F. Kuang explain it more here.

Volunteer words are basically first words that pop up in your mind when you're writing but it's not an actual term. It's just a term she coined herself in order to describe it.

Disclaimer: I'm by no means an expert, so all these points are my opinion after thorough research and observation.

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[theaawalker]

Steps to Write 1K Words a Day (with a tight schedule)

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1. Establish the Foundation

Know Your Why: Clarify your reason for writing daily by finishing a novel, building discipline, therapeutic expression, etc. Purpose keeps you going when time is tight.

Pick a Project & Stick With It: Avoid hopping between too many ideas. Commit to one main project to prevent decision fatigue.

Set a Realistic Timeframe: Determine how much daily time you actually have. Even 30 minutes can be enough with focus.

2. Shape the Writing Routine

Set a Daily Writing Slot: Choose the same 20-60-minute window each day, e.g., early morning, lunch break, and right before bed. Consistency beats chaos.

Break It into Sprints: Divide writing time into 2-3 focused sprints (10–20 minutes each) with mini-goals (e.g., 300 words per sprint).

Use Micro-Moments Wisely: Jot down scenes, lines, or dialogue in short bursts during downtime, e.g., commutes and between classes.

3. Build a Writing Habit

Create a Ritual: Start with a cue (tea, playlist, app launch), write, and end with a reward. Conditioning helps it stick.

Track Your Progress: Use a word count tracker, habit app, or physical calendar to visualize your momentum.

Aim for “Done,” Not “Perfect”: Don’t revise mid-draft. Keep the focus on finishing today’s 1,000 words, not editing yesterday’s.

4. Define Your Writing Environment

Eliminate Distractions: Silence notifications, close tabs, and let others know you’re “off the grid” during your writing window.

Use Tools That Work for You: Whether it's Google Docs, Scrivener, Word, or a distraction-free app (like FocusWriter), pick what helps you stay in flow.

Keep Materials Nearby: Outlines, scene notes, character sheets. Have them within reach to avoid losing time to memory gaps.

5. Develop Content Efficiently

Outline Briefly Before Writing: Know the scene’s goal, characters involved, and 1–2 key beats. This cuts down time spent thinking mid-writing.

Use Prompts or Templates: If stuck, use writing prompts or scene formulas (e.g., conflict ↣ tension ↣ resolution) to keep moving forward.

Lower the Stakes for First Drafts: Treat your draft as clay, not marble. Write fast, revise later.

6. Reward Yourself Consistently

Use Immediate Micro-Rewards: After each sprint, give yourself a small treat: a stretch, snack, meme scroll, or a favorite song.

Build End-of-Day Rituals: After hitting 1K, reward yourself with a guilt-free indulgence:

- A hot drink

- 30 minutes of gaming

- A mini-episode of your comfort show

- Reading time

Track for Bigger Rewards: Hit a streak (5 days? 2 weeks?) and treat yourself to something bigger: new notebook, movie night, favorite meal.

Celebrate Wins, Big or Small: Even if you only wrote 300 words, that’s progress. Celebrate effort, not just perfection.

7. Develop a Sustainable Arc

Adjust as Needed: If 1,000 words becomes overwhelming, drop to 500 and scale up again. It's better to be consistent than burned out.

Build in Break Days: Choose 1-2 buffer days per week for rest or catch-up. Remember, your brain needs recharge time.

Reflect Monthly: Look back on what worked, what didn’t, and what to change. Writing daily is a living habit, not a static rule.

Tools That Can Help

Timers: Pomodoro apps (e.g., Focus Keeper, Forest)

Trackers: Pacemaker Planner, WriteTrack

Writing Tools: 4theWords (gamified), Google Docs offline, Scrivener

Voice-to-Text Options: Google Voice Typing, Otter.ai

Examples of People with Tight Schedules Who Write Daily

Octavia Butler: Wrote early each morning before work. Do what she said, “Persist.”

Brandon Sanderson: Wrote in sprints between teaching and family time.

Toni Morrison: Wrote after her children went to sleep, hence treating every moment as sacred.

You (Eventually): With the right systems, even the busiest writer can find their rhythm.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐎𝐟𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚

The Guardians of Camoria by A.A. Walker

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thank you, i am farkle :)

[heartsephiphany]

𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒑. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒚, "𝑶 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓." 𝑺𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝑺𝒂𝒋𝒅𝒂𝒉. 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑫𝒖'𝒂

- Ibn Qayyim ( رحمة الله )

[everytimeyousaygoodbye]

And amongst all these cacophonies and aching flames, when you kiss my forehead, I'm glad to be of flesh..............

everytimeyousaygoodbye ©

[writers-potion]

can you make a list of specific relationships tropes(platonic or romantic) pls🫶

List of Relationship Tropes <3

Hope this helps! :) If you like my blog, buy me a coffee☕ and find me on instagram!

Romantic Relationship Tropes:

Friends-to-lovers

Enemies-to-lovers

Forbidden love (it can be an external or internal taboo)

Stuck together - 'trapped in an elevator'

Secret identity (billionaire/royal/celebrity in hiding)

Best friend's brother/sister/ex

Seconc chance romance

Soulmates (soulmate AU prompts)

Fake relationship

Wedding fever - runaway brides/best men/wedding planners/ jilted

Amnesia/mistaken identity

Holiday romances/flings

Opposites attract (similar to enemies to lovers)

Academic rivals (high school/ college)

Unrequited love

Sunny vs. Grumpy

Pen pals to lovers

Matchmaking gone wrong

Sworn off a relationship (then falling in love, of course)

Single parent with new love

Arranged marriage (Arranged Marriage Prompts)

Return to hometown & fall in love with your childhood friend

Bully turned out to be the nice guy

One person being afraid to commit + the other chasing them

Falling in love with someone from the past/future

Tiny guy, huge girl

Other Character Dynamic Tropes:

Badass and child duo (usually, the child will be extraordinarily mature/capable)

Battle couple (like Mr. and Mrs. Smith vibes)

Blood brothers

Brother-sister team - bickering but working perfectly together

Intergenerational friends - being best buddies with your grandparents, which your parent doesn't understand

Translator buddy

Talker plus Doer duo

Student and Master team

'Sensitive guy + the most macho guy ever' duo

Rivals-to-friends

The Shy Guy/Girl + the outging wingman

The popular girl/guy + the copycat

Ride-or-Die found family

A childhood enemy becomes a central part of a friend group

Parents who see their kids become best friends too

Orphans from the same orphange

Long lost siblings finding themselves in each other

A straight girl + lesbian as bffs / a straight guy + gay guy as bffs, becoming each other's wingmen/women

a secret handshake or unique SOS sign that only they know

Girl code/bro code/friendship code

Having set routines, like meeting under ---- tree at --- hour

Family Tropes

Adoption angst

adult adoptee - an adult character is adopted into a different family despite being legally of age

Awkward parent-child bonding efforts

Babies ever after - the child is forever a baby to the parents

Black sheep/ugly duckling

Cannibal clan

Feminine mother, tomboyish daughter

Obnoxious in-laws

Twin Tropes

Angst surviving twin - on twin dies so that other becomes nervous

Single-minded twins - can have a creepy twist...

Evil twin

Playing their own twin

Twin telepathy - twins can pick up on each other's thoughts/emotions

[lunaveiled]

Your heart feels like heaven to me —

and everything I do, every choice I make... it’s all just to earn a way in.

Because I’m yearning for your presence, longing for your voice,

aching without your touch.

If only you knew how much I miss you...

you’d come running to me and never leave my side.