Writing For Dummies

Writing Tools, Tips, & Tricks. Main blog @vitaevandal for all the rest of my trash.

[nerdymomstuff]

‘creative captions for old-timey books’ by SnideOctopus

[halcyonether-deactivated2022101]

@puncromancer

[flotsamie]

When your characters aren't acting how they are supposed to...

Original Twitter post from my account.

[bookeworm94-deactivated20200223]

Odd how a book can tuck galaxies and planets, history and myth, love and hate inside its pages. It’s only paper.

(via bookeworm94)

[sixpenceee]

Lol

[dweeb-town]

why is it that every time a fic writer says in the tags/description/notes that their fic is self-indulgent or calls it the “______ AU that nobody asked for,” the fic ends up being… really good… 

[jenesaispourquoi]

because the people who write self-indulgent pieces that no one asked for are writing for themselves and they put incredible time and effort into details because that’s what makes them happy.

and then they feel bad, sometimes, that they’re not writing more to please “the fandom” (at large? idk, that whole concept is weird to me), when really all most of us want to read is whatever the writers will write well.

[theidiotsguidetowriting]

Hear hear!

WRITE FOR YOURSELF. ALWAYS.

[theidiotsguidetowriting]

When to use a dash vs ellipses? I keep misusing them. I'll look it up for clarity and still can't get the difference to stick in my head. I'm hoping you can explain in a way that clicks with me.

You know why you can’t get clarity? Because the English language and grammar are fucked up and unnecessarily complicated. But I’ll do my best, and screw all those technical explanations.

A dash (also called an em dash, but nobody uses that term so who cares) indicates:

1. An interruption or break in speech. Ex:

“But he told me to-”

“I don’t care what he told you, you take orders from me!”

Basically, it’s when some rude motherfucker cuts you off.

2. A break in a thought/statement or skipping from one to another. Ex:

“I was going to tell you-I wanted to tell you-where I went last night but I was afraid you’d get angry.”

Basically, it’s when you cut yourself off.

3. Preceding an explanation or details, almost like parentheses. Ex:

“Joe-the guy I met at the party last weekend-texted me today.”

Basically, it’s when you’re clarifying something you’re saying.

Dashes are not to be confused with hyphens, which are used within words, to separate parts of a compound word. Ex: close-up, half-assed, back-up

Basically, when you’re sticking two words together to make one word.

An ellipsis is used to indicate a pause within a sentence or a trailing off at the end. Ex:

“I’m thinking about going out with him…but he’s kind of weird.” or

“I don’t know if I’ll say yes, he’s kind of weird…”

Basically, it’s when you can’t think of what to say, but then you do think of it; or when you can’t think of what to say so you just don’t finish the thought/statement.

As I recommend with most grammar questions, when you’re unsure, read it aloud to yourself. If you read the sentence aloud and the break is abrupt, like getting cut off, use a dash. If it sounds like more of a long pause, or a trailing off, use an ellipsis.

I hope this helps. Isn’t grammar stupid?

[wheel-of-fish]

[copperbadge]

@junietwohundred

[overfalls]

IT’S NOT ‘PEEKED’ MY INTEREST

OR ‘PEAKED’

BUT PIQUED

‘PIQUED MY INTEREST’

THIS HAS BEEN A CAPSLOCK PSA

[owlbearcounter]

THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY USEFUL THANK YOU

[ranetree]

ADDITIONALLY:

YOU ARE NOT ‘PHASED’. YOU ARE ‘FAZED.’

IF IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG DAY, YOU ARE ‘WEARY’. IF SOMEONE IS ACTING IN A WAY THAT MAKES YOU SUSPICIOUS, YOU ARE ‘WARY’.

ALL IN ‘DUE’ TIME, NOT ‘DO’ TIME

‘PER SE’ NOT ‘PER SAY’

THANK YOU

[tassiekitty]

BREATHE - THE VERB FORM IN PRESENT TENSE

BREATH - THE NOUN FORM

THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE

WANDER - TO WALK ABOUT AIMLESSLY

WONDER - TO THINK OF IN A DREAMLIKE AND/OR WISTFUL MANNER

THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE (but one’s mind can wander)

[fairywails]

DEFIANT - RESISTANT DEFINITE - CERTAIN

[melancholicmarionette]

WANTON - DELIBERATE AND UNPROVOKED ACTION (ALSO AN ARCHAIC TERM FOR A PROMISCUOUS WOMAN)

WONTON - IT’S A DUMPLING THAT’S ALL IT IS IT’S A FUCKING DUMPLING

[proletariatbitch]

BAWL- TO SOB/CRY

BALL- A FUCKING BALL

YOU CANNOT “BALL” YOUR EYES OUT

[soggywarmpockets]

AND FOR FUCK’S SAKE, IT’S NOT “SIKE”; IT’S “PSYCH”. AS IN “I PSYCHED YOU OUT”; BECAUSE YOU MOMENTARILY MADE SOMEONE BELIEVE SOMETHING THAT WASN’T TRUE.

THANK YOU.

[everylineeverystory]

*slams reblog*

[leonawriter]

IT’S ‘MIGHT AS WELL’. ‘MIND AS WELL’ DOES NOT MAKE GRAMMATICAL SENSE.

[penbrydd]

SLEIGHT - DEXTERITY, ARTIFICE, CRAFT (FROM ‘SLY’) SLIGHT - VERY LITTLE, FRAIL, DELICATE

IT’S ‘SLEIGHT OF HAND’.

[maverlok]

[steftastan]

CAN I ADD TO THIS TOO?

IT’S NOT ‘COULD OF’, THAT DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE WHATSOEVER. IT’S ‘COULD HAVE’. SAME APPLIES TO ‘SHOULD HAVE’.

[oniongentleman]

And this is why my students look at me as though I’m the devil when I try to tell them that no i’m not lying this really is a thing

[hermoninee-granger]

IT’S ‘COULDN’T CARE LESS’ NOT ‘COULD CARE LESS’ IF YOU COULD CARE LESS THAT MEANS YOU CARE

[lolawashere-deactivated20240904]

This is all very useful, thank you very much, but please, don’t shout at me, I haven’t done nothing. Oops, I mean: I have done nothing. There you go…

[theidiotsguidetowriting]

Allow me to add to this, please.

REIGN - to rule, to dominate, to hold power

REIN - to control, hold in check, curb (based on the usage of reins on a horse harness)

You do not REIGN yourself in, you REIN yourself in.

ALSO

The past tense of LEAD is not LEAD. It is LED.

LED.

LED.

[everything4writers-deactivated2]

Understanding Structure in Literary Fiction - E.M. Welsh

The term “literary fiction,” is a bit of a loaded one. Defined as any fictional work that holds “literary merit,” the phrase is undeniably subjective. After all, what does it mean for something to hold literary merit? Who decides such things? Why are some works better than others and how are some books universally regarded...

[writingdotcoffee]

The most basic rule of editing is that if you can’t bear to read it, no one else can either. So when you find yourself skimming, commit murder.

Marion Roach Smith (via writingdotcoffee)

[theclonewriter-blog]

“This is your daily, friendly reminder to use commas instead of periods during the dialogue of your story,” she said with a smile.

[onewordtest]

“Unless you are following the dialogue with an action and not a dialogue tag.” He took a deep breath and sat back down after making the clarifying statement. 

[joehywheelah]

“However,” she added, shifting in her seat, “it’s appropriate to use a comma if there’s action in the middle of a sentence.”

[tenoko1]

“True.” She glanced at the others. “You can also end with a period if you include an action between two separate statements.”

[cj-amused]

Things I didn’t know

[prismatic-bell]

“And–” she waved a pen as though to underline her statement–“if you’re interrupting a sentence with an action, you need to type two hyphens to make an en-dash.”

[jawnwats-deactivated20160713]

You guys have no idea how many students in my advanced fiction workshop didn’t know any of this when writing their stories.

[kat-snow2613]

Reblog to save a life

[thewordriven]

How to End a Story - The Write Practice

There are a myriad of options for how to end a story. Whether your story is happy, tragic, ambiguous, or bittersweet, the ending is critical.

How to End a Story

by The Magic Violinist

Endings are hard. Nobody likes to say goodbye, and saying goodbye in a story is especially hard. The pressure is on to get that last part just right and determine how to end a story well.

When there are so many possibilities for a conclusion, how do you know which one is right for your story?

4 Classic Possibilities for How to End a Story

Before you can choose an ending, you need to figure out what your choices are. Here are a few basic ones to get you started.

1. The “happily ever after” ending

The classic, feel-good ending. Disney is the master at this. Every character meets their goals (except for the villain, of course), the romantic couple gets together (they might even get married), and you finish the story feeling like you can accomplish anything.

This sort of ending goes along best with fairytales and most children’s stories. That’s not to say stories for adults can’t have this kind of ending, too, but it works to perfection when the story already has a light and happy quality to it. You don’t want to write a depressing plot only to wrap it all up in the last chapter. It’ll throw off your reader and make the conclusion seem far-fetched.

2. The tragic ending

The protagonist’s main goal doesn’t go as planned, curveballs are thrown, and tragedy strikes. These are tricky to write, because there’s a fine line between writing a tragic, artistic ending and a conclusion that will leave your reader in a hopeless slump.

If you’re planning on having an unhappy ending, you’ll need to foreshadow that throughout the story. Have a slightly gloomy, ominous tone from the very beginning. Your reader might not expect it, exactly, but it won’t come as a total shock, making it an easier ending to swallow.

But, remember to have some bright moments, little nuggets of happiness the reader can hang onto after the story is finished.

3. The ambiguous ending

This isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s one of my favorites. The ambiguous ending goes well with an “indie” story. A simple plot—usually something contemporary, but not necessarily—works best, because it focuses most on the characters, leaving a lot up to the reader’s imagination when it comes to what happens after the story is finished.

If you do decide to go with this ending, remember that there’s a huge difference between ambiguity and unfinished business. If you drop the plot too suddenly, the reader wonders if there are pages missing from the end of the book, if something’s gone wrong. What you want to do is drop enough hints that someone can come close to determining what will happen, but they’ll never know for sure.

4. The bittersweet ending

Sometimes this can even pair with the ambiguous ending, but it doesn’t have to. This conclusion might look like the protagonist failing to meet their goal, but finding something else along the way. Maybe the main couple doesn’t get together, but they’ve found happiness apart from each other.

Make the ending unexpected, but hopeful. The reader will be pleasantly surprised and leave the story with a sense of calm and satisfaction.

End Your Story Well

Maybe you knew how your story would end when you started writing it. Maybe you’re on the next-to-last page and you still don’t know. Whatever the case, these four options for how to end a story can get your imagination flowing. How will your story end?

[heywriters]

Hey bud! So in the book that I'm writing one of the problems I ran into is how to write a character who has emotions but chooses not to feel them. I don't know how to write it to where you (the figurative read would understand that he's not exactly emotionless). I also don't know much about writing a mysterious person but would love to step to of my comfort zone. Could you possibly help? Sorry this was so long

Hey! Sorry for the wait, been busy. I’ve gotten a couple asks about writing “emotionless” characters who aren’t actually emotionless. The term you all are looking for in that case is inexpressive or even stoic, taciturn, reserved, emotionally withheld, etc. Not trying to correct you, I just know that finding the right descriptive word(s) for my characters made them easier to write and explain.

I’m going to hand the reins over to @lets-get-fictional here because they made a post about this that was better than anything I’ll cobble together (x). 

Re: mysterious person, here is an ask I answered about that too (x), and just Googling “writing mysterious character” came up with some relevant links too.

~ Thanks for asking!

[theidiotsguidetowriting]

Read This or Die

I have a fondness for post series, so I’ve decided to do one of books I recommend. I assure you, these are essential to survival.

I’m using the summaries from Amazon.com because if I give my own synopsis I’ll likely give something away.

Today’s book:

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland

From Amazon.com:

“They are Microserfs—six code-crunching computer whizzes who spend upward of sixteen hours a day "coding" and eating "flat" foods (food which, like Kraft singles, can be passed underneath closed doors) as they fearfully scan company e-mail to learn whether the great Bill is going to "flame" one of them. But now there's a chance to become innovators instead of cogs in the gargantuan Microsoft machine. The intrepid Microserfs are striking out on their own—living together in a shared digital flophouse as they desperately try to cultivate well-rounded lives and find love amid the dislocated, subhuman whir and buzz of their computer-driven world.”

My brief comments: This book is funny, ironic, irreverent, infusing, and oddly touching. Coupland is one of my top three novelists.   

[theidiotsguidetowriting]

Blog Recommendation

I’m trying to collect various helpful writing resources and put them all in one tidy, convenient post, but until I complete that, I’m just going to post blogs I recommend as I encounter them.

Today’s recommendation: @scriptmedic​

This blog is a fantastic resource for all things medical you may want to befall your characters. Please utilize this person’s knowledge, because ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT. Obviously in AUs or sci-fi settings there is some flexibility with the physiology of the human body, but a majority of the time, you best know what you’re talking about. When a scene seems implausible or inaccurate, it is detrimental to the rest of your story. The best piece of writing advice I have ever heard:

Write what you know. If you don’t know, ask someone who does.

Note: There is actually a whole script family on Tumblr that is extremely helpful in many areas of specialty, but @scriptmedic is the one I find myself consulting most often.

[ms-mazarin]

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

Edit: People, I’m an English and creative writing double major in college; I understand that there’s nothing wrong with simply using “said.” This was just for fun, and it comes in handy when I need to add pizzazz. 

[studysection]

Hey guys! As a writer myself, it’s hard to have a lot of resources for writing in one place. That’s why I decided to create this masterpost, and maybe make more if I find future resources. I hope you like it, and expect to see more masterposts like this in the future!

Generators

Character

Appearance Generator

Archetypes Generator

Character Generator

Character Traits Generator

Family Generator

Job/Occupation Generator, (II)

Love Interest Generator

Motive Generator

Name Generator

Personality Generator, (II)

Quick Character Generator

Super Powers Generator

Names

Brand Name Generator

Medicine Title Generator

Name Generator

Quick Name Generator

Vehicle Generator

Town Name Generator

Plot

First Encounter Generator

First Line Generator, (II)

Plot Generator, (II), (III)

Plot Device Generator

Plot Twist Generator

Quick Plot Generator

Setting/World-Building

City Generator

Fantasy Race Generator

Laws Generator

Pet Generator

Setting Generator

Species Generator

Terrain Generator

Prompts

Subject Generator

”Take Three Nouns” Generator

Word Prompt Generator

Misc

Color Generator

Decision Generator

Dialogue Generator

Journey Generator

Title Generator, (II), (III)

Some Tips

Just a few I found from the writing tips tag!

Writing action / @berrybird

How to create a strong voice in your writing / @collegerefs

How to plot a complex novel in one day! / @lizard-is-writing

8 ways to get past writer’s block / @kiramartinauthor

psa for writers / @dasakuryo

”Write Using Your 5 Senses” / @ambientwriting

How People Watching Improves Your Writing / @wherethetransthingsare

Writing Science Fiction: Tips for Beginners / @fictionwritingtips

Creating Likeable Characters / @authors-haven

Vocabulary

Descriptive words / @somekindofstudent

Words to replace “Said” / @msocasey

Obscure color words / @mintsteelpeachlilac

Words to spice up your stories / @busyibee

Words to describe someone’s voice

Words to Use Instead of Very / @gaybybirth

Touchy Feely Words / @gaybybirth

Some Advice

Stephen King’s Top 20 Rules for Writers

”But my plot isn’t UNIQUE or BIG enough!” / @youreallwrite

8 Things Every Creative Should Know / @adamjk

(How To) Get Over Comparing Yourself to Other Creatives / @adamjk

How to Get Over Common Creative Fears (Maybe) / @adamjk

14 Tips From Stephen King On Writing / @i-can-give-you-prompts

Playlists

Electronic Thoughts / @eruditekid

“Mix About Writing” An Instrumental Mix / @shadowofemirates

Shut Up, I’m Writing! / @ninadropdead

Chill / @endlessreveries

Breathtaking Film Scores / @tweedskirts

Music to Write to Vol. 1: Starlight / @crestadeen

Music for Written Words / @ghoulpatch

Dead Men Tell No Tales / @scamandersnewt

Fatale / @dolcegf

All These Things that I’ve Done / @referenceforwriters

Feeling Soaking into Your Bones / @verylondon

I Can Feel Your Pulse in the Pages / @rphelper

Morally Ambiguous / @scamandersnewt

Wonderwall / @wheelerwrites

Pythia / @mazikeene

Ballet: To Dance / @tanaquil

Websites and Apps

For Writing

ZenPen: A minimalist writing website to keep you free of distractions and in the flow.

The Most Dangerous Writing App: A website where you have to keep typing or all of your writing will be lost. It helps you keep writing…kind of. You can choose between a time or word count limit!

Evernote: An online website where you can take notes and save the product to your laptop and/or smartphone!

Writer, the Internet Typewriter: It’s just you and your writing, and you can save your product on the website if you create an account.

Wordcounter: A website to help check your word and character count, and shows words you’re using frequently.

Monospace: An Android app for writing on the go when you feel the inspiration, but you don’t have your laptop on you!

For Productivity

Tide: An app that combines a pomodoro-esque timer with nature sounds and other noises! (Google Play / Apple Store)

ClearFocus: An Android app with a pomodoro-type time counter to let you concentrate easier and stay productive.

Forest: An app with a time counter to keep you focused and off your phone, and when you complete the time limit, a tree grows in your garden! (Google Play / Apple Store)

SelfControl: A Mac downloadable app that blocks you from distracting mail servers, websites, and other things!

Prompt Blogs

@writeworld

@dialouge-prompts

@oopsprompts

@prompts-for-the-otp

@creativepromptsforwriting

@the-modern-typewriter

@theprofessionalpromptmaker

@writers-are-writers

@otp-imagines-cult

@witterprompts

@havetobememes

@auideas

@putthepromptsonpaper

@promptsonpaper

@fyotpprompts

@otpisms

@soprompt

@otpprompts

@ablockforwritersblock

@awritersnook

Writing Tips Blogs

@writeworld

@anomalously-written

@awritersnook

@clevergirlhelps

@referenceforwriters

@whataboutwriting

@thewritershelpers

@nimblesnotebook

@slitheringink