The Writing Desk

Place to store my shorts and stories as I practice at becoming a better writer.

[thenoobswritingdesk]

*Shitty Poetry*

One day

So far away

Though perhaps not that far

I will be gone

On some far off shore in another dawn

With only the fading memory of you

And the knowledge

That you stayed behind.

Till then I remain a flower

Hanging by a thread until that dark hour

When the rot, finally, settles in.

Eats away at me.

[untitled1559]

“why do writers love comments so much?”

because we don’t function without the constant external validation 

[adorhauer]

A writer’s inner thoughts

“I used the same adjective twice in the span of six chapters. One’s gotta go.”

“Why is everyone sighing?”

“The characters talk like they’re having high tea with the queen.”

“Is it spelled right, or did autocorrect finally give up on me?”

“How many times can I google ‘define _’?”

[pens-swords-stuff]

[tacticaltaxonomist]

[boilingheart-archive]

[falling-rivers]

Oh my gosh I need this.

[drippingmoon]

I love you people

[the-right-writing]

Things writers forget about water

Without breath-holding practice, people can only hold their breath for a coule of minutes.

Things move more slowly due to water resistance. Your epic battle just won’t work.

Similarly, it takes more energy underwater to perform the same movements.

If a character dives more than a few feet, the pressure starts to hurt. If they dive or rise too quickly, they can get seriously injured.

When boats sink, they suck the surrounding objects down with them.

Small fish are afraid of anything big, including people.

I think most writers know these things, but forget them accidentally as they write.

[pens-swords-stuff]

[fragmentedink-archived]

Symbolism

I thought I might not be the only writer out there who likes to put symbolism in their stories so I found some things and what they represent!!

Animals

Alligator - stealth, survival

Ant - diligence, industry, community, remarkable strength, hard working, success, patience

Antelope - action

Armadillo - boundaries, self protection

Badger - aggressiveness, passion and drive

Bat - rebirth, longevity, joy, good luck

Bear - gentle strength, dreaming, introspection, power, protection

Beaver - builder, accomplishing goals

Bee - divine messenger, love, service, gathering, community

Bird - enlightenment, perspective, swiftness, vision, prophetic knowledge

Boar - nature-based wealth, prosperity, success, protection, courage

Buffalo - prayer, abundance, survival needs met, good fortune, healing

Bulls’ horns - a good symbol in meditation for motivation

Butterfly - rebirth, the soul, transformation, the three phases of life

Cat - feminine energy, mystical power, used to keep the wearer safe in travel, wholeness

Chameleons - ever-changing future, inconsistency

Cheetah - speed, focus

Cougar - power, swiftness, balance

Cows - red cows are a symbol of hope, inspiring symbol for nurturing efforts

Coyote - trickster

Crane - longevity. A pair of cranes symbolizes “Long Marriage”

Cricket - good luck charm, singing, Spring, fertility

Crow - sacred law, gateway to supernatural, shape shifting, illusion

Deer - graceful gentleness, sensitivity, compassion, kindness

Dog - companionship, health, service, loyalty, protection, future prosperity

Dolphin - manna, joy, childlike play, helpfulness, breath of life, harmony, intelligence, self connection

Donkey - fertility, easy childbirth, efficiency, health, well-being, and luck

Dove - peace, innocence, fidelity, love, gentleness, kindnes

Dragonfly - good fortune, magic, vision, dreams, luck, and ancient knowledge, illusion

Dragon - wisdom due to long lives and potent magic, royalty, Emperor, eternity, courage, strength, rain, Spring

Eagle - courage, spirit, bravery, strength

Elephant - commitment, strength, astuteness

Elk - stamina, pride, power, majesty

Fish - miracles, providence, sea/water magic, good luck and prosperity, foresight, fortune, salmon in particular, are associated with knowledge

Fox - camouflage, adaptability, integration, tricksters, shape shifters, and possessors of great magic

Frog - healing, cleansing, messages, health, honesty, fluidity, purification

Gazelle - awareness

Giraffe - grounded vision

Goat - tenacity, diligence, can help to achieve goals, endure criticism, and stay safe. Goat’s fur or foot - an anti-evil talisman.

Goose - safe return, love of home

Grasshopper - nobility, prosperity

Hawk - nessenger, strength, foresight, truth

Hippopotamus - emotional depths

Horses - power, stamina, speed, transportation and communication - A black horse with a white marking on its forehead is lucky

Hummingbird - joy, pure love, celebration of life

Ladybug - delight, trust

Lamb - filial piety (dutiful respect or regard for parents).

Lion (baby) cubs - inspire mercy and gentleness.

Lion (grown) - inspire strength, courage

Lions - pride, nobility, cunning, courage, just laws, fairness, the sun, images can protect sacred ground.

Lizard - dreaming, foresight, ancient secrets

Lynx - secrets

Monkey - benevolence, drives away evil

Moose - self-esteem, assertiveness

Mountain Lion - wisdom, leadership

Mouse - frugality, rebirth, scrutiny

Opossum - strategy, diversion

Otter - medicine (woman), balanced feminine energy

Owl - deception, wisdom, clairvoyance, magic

Ox - evil spirits that disturb lakes, rivers, and seas

Peacock - wholeness, dignity, beauty, recognition, self assurance, pride

Pig - rebirth and rejuvenation

Porcupine - innocence

Rabbit - fear, fertility, moon magic, speed, swiftness, longevity, courage, strength

Raccoon - dexterity, disguise

Raven - magic

Robin - growth, renewal

Rooster - courageous, warlike disposition, warmth and life of the Universe

Scorpion - the “fire within” that often needs careful tending

Seal - inner voice

Sheep - sacrifice

Snake - cunning, evil, supernatural power

Spider - destiny, fate, weaving

Squirrel - gathering

Swan - grace

Tiger - courage, bravery, fierceness, strength, being in the now

Turtle - mother earth

Weasel - stealth

Whale - record keeper

Wolf - teacher, A Guide to the Sacred

Zebra - Individuality

PLANTS

Aloe- Healing, protection, affection

Amaryllis- Pride

Anemone- Forsaken

Angelica- Inspiration

Apple blossom- Preference

Arborvitae- Unchanging friendship

Aster- Symbol of Love, Daintiness

Basil- Good wishes

Bay- Glory

Begonia- Beware

Bittersweet- Truth

Black-eyed Susan- Justice

Bluebell- Humility, kindness

Candytuft- Indifference

Red carnation- My Heart Aches, admiration

- White carnation- Innocence, pure love, women’s good luck gift

- Pink carnation- I’ll never forget you

- Yellow carnation- Disdain, disappointment, rejection

Chamomile- Patience

Chives- Usefulness

Chrysanthemum- Cheerfulness

Clover, white- Think of me

Coreopsis- Always cheerful

Coriander- Hidden worth

Crocus- spring, Youthful gladness

Cumin- Fidelity

Cyclamen- Resignation and good-bye

Daffodil- Regard

Daisy- Innocence, hope

Dill- Powerful against evil

Edelweiss- Courage, devotion

Fennel- Flattery

Fern- Sincerity

Forget-me-not- True love memories

Gardenia- Secret love

Geranium- oak-leavedTrue friendship

Gladiolus- Remembrance

Goldenrod- Encouragement, good fortune

Heliotrope- Eternal love

Holly- Hope

Hollyhock- Ambition

Honeysuckle- Bonds of love

Horehound- Health

Hyacinth- Games and sport, playfulness, rashness

– Blue Hyacinth- Constancy of love

– Purple Hyacinth- Sorrow, forgiveness, regret

– Yellow Hyacinth- Jealousy

– White Hyacinth- Loveliness, prayers for someone

Hydrangea- Gratitude for being understood; frigidity and heartlessness

Hyssop- Sacrifice, cleanliness

Iris- A message

Ivy- Friendship, continuity

Jasmine- white- Sweet love

Lady’s-mantle- Comforting

Lavender- Devotion, virtue

Lemon balm- Sympathy

Lilac- Joy of youth

Lily, calla- Beauty

Lily, day- Chinese emblem for mother

Lily-of-the-valley- Sweetness, purity

Lotus Flower- Purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth

Magnolia- Love of nature

Marjoram- Joy and happiness

Mint- Virtue

Morning glory- Affection

Myrtle- Good luck and love in a marriage

Nasturtium- Patriotism

Oak- Strength

Oregano- Substance

Pansy- Thoughts

Parsley- Festivity

Peony- Bashful, happy life

Pine- Humility

Poppy, red- Consolation

Rhododendron- Danger, flee

Rose, red- Love, I love you.

Rose, dark crimson- Mourning

Rose, pink- Happiness

Rose, white- Purity, heavenly, I’m worthy of you

Rose, yellow- Jealousy, decrease of love

Rosemary- Remembrance

Rue- Grace, clear vision

Sage- Wisdom, immortality

Salvia, blue- I think of you

Salvia, red- Forever mine

Savory Spice-  interest

Sorrel- Affection

Southernwood- Constancy, jest

Sunflower- Adoration

Sweet pea- Pleasures

Sweet William- Gallantry

Sweet woodruff- Humility

Tansy- Hostile thoughts

Tarragon- Lasting interest

Thyme- Courage, strength

Tulip, red- Passion, declaration of love

Tulip, yellow- Sunshine in your smile

Valerian- Readiness

Violet- Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty

Wallflower- Faithfulness in adversity

Willow- Sadness

Yarrow- Everlasting love

Zinnia- Thoughts of absent friends

Color

Red: Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate, sincerity, happiness (Only in Japan)

Pink: love and romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance and calm.

Beige and ivory: symbolize unification. 

Ivory: symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. 

Beige: calm and simplicity.

Yellow: signifies joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard and friendship.

Dark Blue: Symbolizes integrity, knowledge, power, and seriousness.

Blue: Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant.

Turquoise: calm. 

Teal: sophistication. 

Aquamarine: symbolizes water. 

Lighter turquoise: a feminine appeal.

Purple: Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, honor, arrogance, mourning, temperance.

Lavender: femininity, grace and elegance.

Orange: Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention.

Green: Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, service, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor.

Brown: Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort.

Gray: Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm.

White: Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical.

Black: Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures), austerity, detachment.

[writerswritecompany]

Writers can use these 12 Archetypes to create characters

The 12 Common Archetypes by Carl Golden

The twelve archetypes are divided into ego types, self types, and soul types. 

1) The Four Ego Types   1. The Innocent Motto: Free to be you and me Core desire: to get to paradise Goal: to be happy Greatest fear: to be punished for doing something bad or wrong Strategy: to do things right Weakness: boring for all their naive innocence Talent: faith and optimism The Innocent is also known as: Utopian, traditionalist, naive, mystic, saint, romantic, dreamer.   2. The Orphan/Regular Guy or Gal Motto: All men and women are created equal Core Desire: connecting with others Goal: to belong Greatest fear: to be left out or to stand out from the crowd Strategy: develop ordinary solid virtues, be down to earth, the common touch Weakness: losing one’s own self in an effort to blend in or for the sake of superficial relationships Talent: realism, empathy, lack of pretence The Regular Person is also known as: The good old boy, everyman, the person next door, the realist, the working stiff, the solid citizen, the good neighbour, the silent majority.   3. The Hero Motto: Where there’s a will, there’s a way Core desire: to prove one’s worth through courageous acts Goal: expert mastery in a way that improves the world Greatest fear: weakness, vulnerability, being a “chicken” Strategy: to be as strong and competent as possible Weakness: arrogance, always needing another battle to fight Talent: competence and courage The Hero is also known as: The warrior, crusader, rescuer, superhero, the soldier, dragon slayer, the winner and the team player.   4. The Caregiver Motto: Love your neighbour as yourself Core desire: to protect and care for others Goal: to help others Greatest fear: selfishness and ingratitude Strategy: doing things for others Weakness: martyrdom and being exploited Talent: compassion, generosity The Caregiver is also known as: The saint, altruist, parent, helper, supporter.   2) The Four Soul Types           5. The Explorer Motto: Don’t fence me in Core desire: the freedom to find out who you are through exploring the world Goal: to experience a better, more authentic, more fulfilling life Biggest fear: getting trapped, conformity, and inner emptiness Strategy: journey, seeking out and experiencing new things, escape from boredom Weakness: aimless wandering, becoming a misfit Talent: autonomy, ambition, being true to one’s soul The explorer is also known as: The seeker, iconoclast, wanderer, individualist, pilgrim.   6. The Rebel Motto: Rules are made to be broken Core desire: revenge or revolution Goal: to overturn what isn’t working Greatest fear: to be powerless or ineffectual Strategy: disrupt, destroy, or shock Weakness: crossing over to the dark side, crime Talent: outrageousness, radical freedom The Outlaw is also known as: The rebel, revolutionary, wild man, the misfit, or iconoclast.   7. The Lover Motto: You’re the only one Core desire: intimacy and experience Goal: being in a relationship with the people, work and surroundings they love Greatest fear: being alone, a wallflower, unwanted, unloved Strategy: to become more and more physically and emotionally attractive Weakness: outward-directed desire to please others at risk of losing own identity Talent: passion, gratitude, appreciation, and commitment The Lover is also known as: The partner, friend, intimate, enthusiast, sensualist, spouse, team-builder.   8. The Creator Motto: If you can imagine it, it can be done Core desire: to create things of enduring value Goal: to realize a vision Greatest fear: mediocre vision or execution Strategy: develop artistic control and skill Task: to create culture, express own vision Weakness: perfectionism, bad solutions Talent: creativity and imagination The Creator is also known as: The artist, inventor, innovator, musician, writer or dreamer.   3) The Four Self Types   9. The Jester Motto: You only live once Core desire: to live in the moment with full enjoyment Goal: to have a great time and lighten up the world Greatest fear: being bored or boring others Strategy: play, make jokes, be funny Weakness: frivolity, wasting time Talent: joy The Jester is also known as: The fool, trickster, joker, practical joker or comedian.   10. The Sage Motto: The truth will set you free Core desire: to find the truth. Goal: to use intelligence and analysis to understand the world. Biggest fear: being duped, misled—or ignorance. Strategy: seeking out information and knowledge; self-reflection and understanding thought processes. Weakness: can study details forever and never act. Talent: wisdom, intelligence. The Sage is also known as: The expert, scholar, detective, advisor, thinker, philosopher, academic, researcher, thinker, planner, professional, mentor, teacher, contemplative.   11. The Magician Motto: I make things happen. Core desire: understanding the fundamental laws of the universe Goal: to make dreams come true Greatest fear: unintended negative consequences Strategy: develop a vision and live by it Weakness: becoming manipulative Talent: finding win-win solutions The Magician is also known as: The visionary, catalyst, inventor, charismatic leader, shaman, healer, medicine man.   12. The Ruler Motto: Power isn’t everything, it’s the only thing. Core desire: control Goal: create a prosperous, successful family or community Strategy: exercise power Greatest fear: chaos, being overthrown Weakness: being authoritarian, unable to delegate Talent: responsibility, leadership The Ruler is also known as: The boss, leader, aristocrat, king, queen, politician, role model, manager or administrator.

Note: There are four cardinal orientations: freedom, social, ego, order. The types have a place on these orientations.

Article via soulcraft.co

[vital-information]

I told Miyazaki I love the “gratuitous motion” in his films; instead of every movement being dictated by the story, sometimes people will just sit for a moment, or they will sigh, or look in a running stream, or do something extra, not to advance the story but only to give the sense of time and place and who they are.

“We have a word for that in Japanese,” he said. “It’s called ma. Emptiness. It’s there intentionally.”

Is that like the “pillow words” that separate phrases in Japanese poetry?

“I don’t think it’s like the pillow word.” He clapped his hands three or four times. “The time in between my clapping is ma. If you just have non-stop action with no breathing space at all, it’s just busyness, But if you take a moment, then the tension building in the film can grow into a wider dimension. If you just have constant tension at 80 degrees all the time you just get numb.”

Which helps explain why Miyazaki’s films are more absorbing and involving than the frantic cheerful action in a lot of American animation. I asked him to explain that a little more.

“The people who make the movies are scared of silence, so they want to paper and plaster it over,” he said. “They’re worried that the audience will get bored. They might go up and get some popcorn.

But just because it’s 80 percent intense all the time doesn’t mean the kids are going to bless you with their concentration. What really matters is the underlying emotions–that you never let go of those.

— Roger Ebert in conversation with Hiyao Miyazaki

[the-evanescent-inkwell]

Advice for people who are better at writing dialogue than action

As someone who has always been able to spit out witty quotes but couldn’t write a fight scene to save my life, here are some tips that have helped me that I would like to share.

1.) Go bit by bit.

Let’s get the hard one out of the way first. I’m going to use ‘fight scene’ for this example, but it can apply to just about any action scene. Have a starting point and an ending point, then just start writing. So let’s say two characters threaten each other. Okay. One takes a swing. Alright. What next? Maybe another one swings back. What next? First one kicks. Is it appropriate for character 1 to stab character 2 yet? Probably not. What can I do instead? Just work it out one action at a time. If it doesn’t come out the best on paper, who cares? You have a baseline. This isn’t easy and maybe not the best way to do it, but it’s a method I’ve used and it’s better than just saying “They fought until character 2 was stabbed.”

2.) Mix in Dialogue

Just use what you’re good at, fam’. Direct the action with dialogue. If you’re like me and your characters have an affinity for arguing with each other, sometimes their conversation will give you a better idea of what’s going on anyway. I mean, I essentially have a chase scene where one character gets shot and the conversation goes as follows.

*H shoots D*

C: Ooh, bad shot.

J: that’s what you have to say to that?

That’s not a great example, but this is also from a scene I’ve rewritten like ten times.

I mean, also, what about the “turn around slowly” scenes in horror movies?

I also use this sometimes to informally describe how a rock looks like the middle finger or something because the characters think it’s funny. It helps me, at the very least.

Point being, use your characters’ thoughts to give the reader a deeper idea of what’s going on if it’s hard for you to explain it outright.

3.) Write Dialogue First

First go in and write whatever the characters are discussing before going in and filling in the action. Do what you like and feel comfortable doing first, then perfect it later on. If it’s a fight scene, maybe the characters are sharing insults. Write the insults and then conduct the action to fit the rising tension accompanying the verbal insults. Don’t get writers block over the action; save it for when you have the energy.

4.) Just Keep It Simple

As a perfectionist with anxiety, I try to make my first drafts perfect. Spoiler alert: YOUR FIRST DRAFT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT. Life is too short to get upset over your weak action scenes. Write simple sentences and get the basis down. Who cares? Certainly not me at this point. When you go back and edit, then you can flip them around, add color and flavor, and make them come to life. But in the first draft? It’s perfectly okay if your action scene is “He ran towards her. He hugged her. She hugged him. They went home.” Later, you can go in and add things like “They embraced each other, tears in their eyes, never expecting to let go.” It’s okay if you’re not there. One step at a time, fam’.

If anyone else has any suggestions or tips for people who struggle with dialogue, feel free to add! These are just what has helped me through the years.

[letswritesomenovels]

HOW TO FINISH A DRAFT

Prepare yourself mentally

You’ll need to accept three things:

It won’t be the novel you have in your head.

It will be the worst novel anyone has ever written.

You can fix items 1 and 2 in the subsequent drafts. 

It’s easy to give up an idea when it looks like everything is going horribly. It’s easy to fall out of love with an idea when all the things you thought you loved about it aren’t showing up on the page. 

But let me tell you, this happens with so many books. They don’t pop out perfectly formed. To use an overwrought metaphor, if books were sculptures, writing the first draft would be mining the marble. You can chisel it down to that beautiful work of art later, but first you need to gather the raw material to work with.

 It probably won’t be pretty. It’ll be a great lump of words that may or may not form a coherent story. But that thing you want desperately? that story you can see so clearly inside your head? It will be in there somewhere. 

Make yourself accountable

It would be great if all writing a novel took was a strike of inspiration that could carry you over all 50k+ words. But for the majority of us, this isn’t the case. 

Your inspiration, your love of the idea alone, will not get you through this. 

It’s going to take blood and sweat and an astounding amount of perseverance. 

What will help more than any muse is accountability. A sense of responsibility and urgency to get this novel finished. 

Most of us need stakes and consequences. We need to be held accountable. This can take many forms. If you’re good at self motivation, you can hold yourself accountable. Make a plan of what you need to do to get the draft out, and hold yourself to it. 

If you need some external accountability, tell a friend your goals and send your work to them on a schedule. Join a writing group. Take part in NaNoWriMo. Tweet your goals and daily word counts. 

I’m in a writing master’s program. If I don’t write for weeks, I don’t have work to turn in to my manuscript tutor and that’s an unpleasant place for me to be. If I don’t write for months, I fail my course. As motivation goes, it can be stressful, but it helps me get words on the page. 

Start now

Do you want to write a novel? Right now. As you read this. Do you actually want to write a novel? If that answer is yes, start right now. Stop reading this (make sure to come back later to finish it, though.) Log off of tumblr and start writing. 

There are always going to be reasons why this, right now, is a Bad Time for you start. You have things to do, places to go, people to see. You have obligations and responsibilities. Life tip? That is never going to go away. It will always be a Bad Time to sit down and write a book. 

I’m a very slow writer, but I can train myself to write 800 words in 20 minutes if I want. If I wrote for 20 minutes every day, I could write a draft of a 50k novel in two months. That’s the same amount of time as the commercial breaks in an hour long tv show. If I watched an hour long tv show once a day and wrote during the commercials, I could write a 50k draft in two months. 

That’s nothing at all. 

I promise you, you have everything you need to sit down and start writing this very second. You have enough spare time in your day to finish a draft in a matter of months. 

If you really want to write that novel, there are no excuses. Start now. 

Keep Going

Remember how I told you that the first thing you have to do is prepare yourself mentally? Those are things you have to continually remind yourself as you write. 

It’s not going to be the novel in your head. 

It’s going to be the worst novel anyone has ever written. 

You’re going to have to accept these two horrible sentences as facts and keep going. 

At points, you’re going to hate your story. It’s going to be the very last thing you’ll want to waste your time on.

That’s fine. Believe it or not, that’s natural. 

Keep going. 

You’re going to want to change it. You might have a new idea for the beginning. You might decide on a new name for the main character halfway through. You might switch from past to present tense randomly. 

Those are all things you can fix in the second draft. 

Keep going. 

Your first draft doesn’t need to be coherent. It doesn’t need to be good. It just needs to be. 

You’re not trying to write the best novel ever. You’re not trying to write a good novel. Again, those are for the subsequent drafts. 

Now, your only goal is to reach the words: “The End.” 

Do whatever it takes to get to them. 

TIPS

Keep a notebook of ideas for revisions next to you while you write to help fight against the urge to go back and change things as you write. 

Use writeordie.com to kickstart your word count and writing speed if you’re having trouble getting things on the page. 

Take a look at my list of writers’ block aids. 

If you have the means, try one of Chris Baty’s draft writing kits.

[heywriters]

Lol, great list, but #2 is always wrong. You cannot write the worst thing ever, really and truly. There are published books that are worse than what you’ve written, and if those suckers could do it then so can you.

[legit-writing-tips]

Legit Tip #201

or - Writing Good Character Descriptions

By now most of you have probably heard it’s a bad idea to list out all your character’s traits at the beginning of your story. That’s true. Writing character descriptions like that takes the reader out of the story and - quite frankly - makes your story read like really bad, old school fanfiction. 

Ex. (What NOT to do)

Janine had ebony black hair and cerulean eyes that sparkled like moonbeams. Her most defining trait, however, was the curiously shaped scar on her left cheek.

The above is a fairly small chunk of text and perhaps a bit innocuous at first glance. But if you take the time to stop and describe every character as they enter the scene, your story gets bogged down really fast. This leads me to my first point - 

Decide Whether You Need to Describe That Character

Not every character needs to be described in detail. It’s enough to leave it up to the reader’s imagination when it comes to many of the secondary and tertiary characters that appear in your story. 

Additionally, in many stories - especially short fiction - the character’s appearance just isn’t all that important. In this case you can get away with not saying anything about their appearance at all, unless there’s something really striking about them that you want to point out for the sake of characterization. 

Sprinkling Details into Your Text

In my example above, the really interesting detail is the scar I mentioned. Now - how do we actually get that into the text? Well, it’s up to you as the reader to find a reason to mention it. 

Ex: What TO Do

“It’s a shame.”

“What’s a shame?” asked Janine, but I could tell she was already bracing herself for the inevitable.

“That scar on your cheek. You’re such a pretty girl.” The woman tutted. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Janine gave the woman a tight smile. “Werewolf attack,” she said - her usual reply. It was the was the same answer she’d given me when I’d dared to ask. That, and “fighting off a zombie horde” and “sword fight” and a dozen other iterations of “I don’t want to talk about it,” until I’d finally gotten the hint and dropped the subject. 

Comparisons and Contrasts Between Characters

Casually drawing comparisons between characters, especially in the beginning of a story, is a good way to relay a lot of information regarding description quickly and efficiently. It works especially well if you’re in the middle of discussing relationships because it can serve to highlight just how similar - or different - your characters are. Comparing/Contrasting characters does work best when there’s a close established relationship between characters though - brothers, best friends, etc.

A couple of Examples:

- It was hard to tell Julie and Casey apart at first. Only a couple of years apart, they’d both inherited their mother’s blonde hair and their father’s infectious smile. But when you spent a little time around them, you started to see the differences.

- Andrew was used to being ignored when Titus was around. His friend’s dark skin tended to draw more than a little attention. It wasn’t just that, though. Titus towered over him - over almost everyone he met, in fact. 

Using Appearance to Mark a Character

This can be a do or a don’t, for some of the same points I’ve already mentioned. First and foremost, it can be kind of obvious that you’re hammering in character description unless the detail you’re pointing out is really striking. Hair color is the go-to for this sort of thing, but honestly - it’s overdone. Unless your character has bubblegum pink hair or something else that really stands out you might want to hang on to your descriptors and find a better place to insert them into the text.

Additionally - remember that it’s easy to be insensitive or just plain racist/ableist/etc. when you use appearance to mark a character. Always think twice before making your character’s defining trait re: appearance “he’s fat” or “she’s Asian.”

In First Person POV

I’ll say this once: no mirrors. Do not have your character look into a mirror and describe themselves. 

Now. If you really find it necessary to describe a POV character’s appearance, how DO you do it? Well, there are the points above, which still work - dropping in descriptors as they become relevant, or a character comparing herself to someone else. But you get the added benefit of the character being able to quickly relay their thoughts and feelings about themselves to the reader in first person POV. 

Example: It would be easy for me to say ‘I hate my body,’ but I don’t. I love it. I love every inch and every curve that God gave me. Some people can’t deal with that - a fat girl who’s proud of the way she looks. That’s fine. I just don’t deal with those people. 

…and there you have it. That’s not everything of course, but it’s a quick starter guide to help you begin inserting descriptions more naturally into your story. If you’ve got any questions, feel free to leave them in my inbox or as a comment on this post and I’ll get back to you if I can. 

[writersblockbecomesunblocked]

How To End Your Story

The Circle Ending- A story that does a full circle and comes back to the beginning

The Moral Ending- An ending where you learn a lesson and see the character develop

The Surprise Ending- A big plot twist last minute

The Reflection Ending- The Character looks back on their past achievements and experiences

The Emotional Ending- Leave your readers feeling sad, bittersweet, or happy

The Cliff Hanger Ending- End on something that will leave your readers at the edge of their seat

The Humor Ending- Finish in a funny or humorous way

The Question Ending- Make the reader wonder what will happen next

The Image Ending- Show, don’t tell

The Dialogue Ending- Finish with a quote from one of your characters

[onlinecounsellingcollege]

Tips to Stop Procrastinating

1. If you’re procrastinating because you’re feeling stuck (eg, if you don’t really understand a school assignment, or you don’t know what’s expected, or you don’t know where to start) then pluck up the courage to ask for some help. When you know what you’re doing, it’s easier to work.

2. Remind yourself that most decisions aren’t major. If you get it wrong, you can start over again … or change your direction … or have another try.

3. If the task seems overwhelming, just take a baby step. That, at least, will get you moving – so the next step’s easier.

4. Tell yourself that you can suffer for up to twenty minutes – and then you’ll return to doing things you want to do. You’ll be surprised to discover that “suffering’s” not that bad.

5. Decide to do the task as soon as you get up – as the more you put it off, the worse it’s going to seem!

6. Don’t pretend that other work counts just as much as what you’re leaving. Simply acting like you’re busy won’t make it go away. Be honest with yourself … and do what’s most important first.

[thenoobswritingdesk]

Dangerous Loyalty RP Starters

"It scares me what I'm willing to do for you."

"I don't care about anyone else, you're all that matters to me!"

"You know you can't refuse me anything I ask of you."

"You know I'd never refuse anything you asked of me."

"Say the word and I'm yours forever."

"If you love me as much as you say, then prove it."

"It's time that you proved your loyalty to me."

"I'll serve you forever if you'll allow me to do it."

"What will it take to make you go back on your oath of loyalty?"

"Will you trust me with the rest of your life?"

"My life is in your hands."

"You're going to take this gun, you're going to pull the trigger and you're going to shoot them. And do you know why? Because I told you to do it."

"I'd die if you asked me to."

"You would die if I asked you to."

"I could stab you in the heart and you would still come crawling back."

"You can do anything you want to me, I don't care!"

"I'll take the fall for you."

"I want you to take the fall for me."

"I could never act against you, not even to defend myself."

"My safety isn't important! You're what matters!"

"If hurting me is what makes you happy, then I'm only happy to indulge you."

[wordsnstuff]