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resource and sideblog for llosgcariad, my original content is posted here as well as other works, everything is tagged, this is a source blog for my rp blog.

[thothwrites]

ALL FOR THE GAME, BOOK 5. THEGOLDEN RAVEN SENTENCE STARTERS.  Graphic by "I am not sorry. Perhaps I should be. But I will choose you every time. You, and ___, and ____, every time. I will lose them all if I must." "I’m not learning French for anyone but you." "Fuck what I deserve. What about what I want?" "A brother is a complicated thing," "Repeat after me: I didn’t deserve what they did to me.”​ “Please don’t make me, Coach.” ​“I need you to say it and mean it, ____,” “When did you learn how to cook?” "If I threw a rock into the chasm between your talents and his, I don’t think I’d ever hear it hit bottom." "But Dr. Spader said grief isn’t supposed to get easier: you just become someone strong enough to weather it. You let the good things and the good days shore you up so the bad days can’t tear you down." "That ill-bred child is not my friend." "Let me fight him. I will make sure he never plays again.”  “I will do it with no witnesses." "I wouldn’t have given him to you if I’d known you would just throw him away so carelessly." "I deserve to get better." "Stop dyeing your hair. The bleach is rotting your brain." "One swing with a racquet would shut this half-baked baguette up for good." "A single word is seldom rude enough to make a point." "You have always known what I am." "English continues to be a hideous invention."

[thothwrites]

ALL FOR THE GAME, BOOK 4. THE SUNSHINE COURT SENTENCE STARTERS.  Graphic by

Please be aware this is a DARK book, full of triggering content please be careful reading these sentence starters. 

"You are _____. Your place is here with me, with us. I’m your captain. You’re my partner." "We’re supposed to be doing this together, aren’t we? Stop leaving me behind. Look at me." "I believe we all have the choice to be better than the hands that shaped us." "I don’t believe in miracles." “I have enough faith for us both." "I’m sorry. I’m sorry that he hurt you." " I’m sorry that you’re still afraid to talk about it, and I’m sorry that you think I’ll never understand." "I’m sorry that he tricked you into thinking you deserved it. " But I’m not sorry he’s gone. I can’t be.’" ‘Neither am I" "He hasn’t played a clean game in years.” “But he knows how to follow orders. If you tell him to submit, he will.” “Literally the most awkward way you could’ve worded it." "I am tired of being called second when I am better than he will ever be. Tonight they’ll see how wrong they were about us." "Promise me you won’t try again. Promise me, _____. I don’t want to lose you.” "Don’t you think you’re overdue for some rainbows?” “Yours was the first I saw in years." " It's impressive, isn't it? How easily these monsters die in the end." "You are the captain of the sunshine court. In no universe could you be anyone's villain." ‘Remember that the next time you think you aren’t worth saving." "Do not pretend this is about me, you miserable wretch.’ "​“You want to explain yourself?” “Your fourth line has a smart mouth, Coach,” “I was hoping he would bite his tongue off in the fall and save us both some grief in the long run." " ‘Chances of them understanding French?’ ‘None. They’re American." ‘You barely count. Don’t waste your time feigning offense." "It was my only chance,” “I knew you wouldn’t come with me.” “My place is at Evermore." “But you did not have to slit my throat on the way out." "Your worry is misplaced,” “I promised I would not kill myself.” “For the record, that’s not a thing well-adjusted people say." "Permission to break his face, Coach?’ "You have a choice,’ ‘Kill me and let me be done with this.’ ‘You made me a promise.’ ‘Fuck you. You have no right to hold me to it.’ ‘But I will.’ "I am _________. My place is at Evermore. I will endure." ‘They never touched me.’ ‘My Foxes chose to fight back." "Not surprised the Foxes need a shrink."

[thothwrites]

ALL FOR THE GAME, BOOK 3. THE KINGS MEN SENTENCE STARTERS.  Graphic by

Please be aware this is a DARK book, full of triggering content please be careful reading these sentence starters. 

"I hate you,” “You were supposed to be a side effect of the drugs.” “I’m not a hallucination." “You are a pipe dream." "Is your learning curve a horizontal line?" "Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down." "Don't look at me like that. I am not your answer, and you sure as fuck aren't mine." "I didn't think I was a personal problem. You hate me, remember?"  "Don't ask for the truth if you're just going to dilute it." "If it means losing you, then no" "If you have to keep asking - I'll answer it as many times as you ask. But this is always going to be yes." "Everything I needed, you already gave me. You let me stay." "Truth is irrefutable and untainted by bias. Sunrise, _____, death: these are truths." "You gave me a key and called it home." "Let ____ be King." "Most coveted, most protected. He'll sacrifice every piece he has to protect his throne. Whatever. Me?" "I'm going to be the deadliest piece on the board." "The court doesn't care what my name is or where I'm from or where I'll be tomorrow. It lets me exist as I am."  "Leave ______ buried in Baltimore with his father." "You couldn't at least use an Exy idiom? I hate baseball." "Revenge is a motivator only for the weak-willed." "I've been a problem for nineteen years. I'm too tired to be one tonight. Just get me out of here." "I could burn you down." "Oh, and sorry in advance about the press. In my defense, they started it." "Christ alive, "What did you do this time?" "You think this is hard? Look what I've been through. Surviving you is easy."  "But can you survive me?" "I brought you here, but you saved yourself. You're the one who decided to stay. You're the one who stopped being afraid long enough to realize you could get a grip here and a foothold there. You found your own way." "Did you know I've never been skiing? I'd like to try it one day, though." "When you said you were afraid of heights, you were joking, right?" "I have a backliner for you." "I want you to stop taking cracker dust." "You have twenty minutes or until they throw you out of their lives, whichever comes first." "Let them call you by whatever name they like. You will always be a _____ at heart." "If a bone isn't healing straight, you have no choice but to break it. They'll be fine." "Tell your pet psycho to knock it off before he cripples someone." "I don't think he'll listen to me." "You and I both know he will. Now get." "If it means losing you, then no." "Do I get a prize for shutting you up?" "He regrets keeping me now, I'm sure." "I'm not alone enough to get lost." "That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you."

[thothwrites]

ALL FOR THE GAME, BOOK 2. THE RAVEN KING SENTENCE STARTERS.  Graphic by

Please be aware this is a DARK book, full of triggering content please be careful reading these sentence starters. 

"I am a bad person trying very hard to be a good person."

"Some of the strongest people I’ve known are women." "It's about family. Not necessarily the one we were born with, but the one we choose. This one. The people we trust to be part of our lives. The people we care about." "________, what the flying fuck have you done this time?" "You can't cut down someone who's already in the gutter." "Thanks, but I can handle him." "I am going to love hurting you,", "like I loved hurting _____." "You are one seriously fucked-up individual." You wouldn't," "Not in front of all these people." "I do not care if they see." "A dog who bites his master's hand deserves to be slaughtered. The location and audience are inconsequential. " "I am not a dog. I'm a Fox." "You make me uncomfortable because you don't make sense. I don't understand you." "You will kneel." "Make me." "____, the fuck is on your face?" "Life doesn't care what we want out of it; it's up to us to fight for what we want with everything we've got." "Here's a real question: how have you survived this long when you're so violently self-destructive?" "I don't drink." "You just cost him something he didn't want to lose." "Ah, you are right. That must be it. What was your name again? Alex? Stefan? Chris?" "Let go of me, King." "I am King," "Sometimes you're interesting enough to keep around. Other times you're so astoundingly stupid I can barely stand the sight of you."

[thothwrites]

ALL FOR THE GAME, BOOK 1. THE FOXHOLE COURT SENTENCE STARTERS.  Graphic by

Please be aware this is a DARK book, full of triggering content please be careful reading these sentence starters.  “It’s not the world that’s cruel. It’s the people in it.” “Hope was a dangerous, disquieting thing, but he thought perhaps he liked it.” “Remember this feeling. This is the moment you stop being the rabbit.” “It sounded like a dream; it tasted like damnation.” “It’s about second chances, ____ Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you.” “Oh, ____, unpredictable as he is unreal.” “God damn it, _____ This is why we can't have nice things.” “I have a bit of an attitude problem.” “Family means something different with us because it has to. It's not about blood. It's not even about who we like. It's about who _____s willing to protect.” "I'm not scared of _____. I know him." "You're going to eat those words. "You're going to choke on them.” “Give your back to me.” “Don't look back, don't slow down, and don't trust anyone. Be anyone but himself, and never be anyone for too long.” “Being related doesn't make us family.” “Such an unexpected will to survive from someone who has nothing to live for.” “Make them love you, make them hate you, I don't care. Just make them look at you.” “I'm not a math problem." "But I'll still solve you.” “I will ask you only once to tone down that animosity." “Looks like you've managed to completely embarrass yourself in both languages.” “When you know what someone wants, it's easy to manipulate them.” “Here's some honesty," "I don't like you, and I don't trust you. " "It's mutual," "That doesn't change anything.” “How's that target on your back feel?" "Oh, Coach. [...] If they ___ was nice, they wouldn't be any use to us, would they?” “How stupid, that someone so short could have such a presence.” “Take what he is giving you and make it your shield. It's hard to kill a man when everyone's eyes are on him.” “Jeez, Coach, what kind of people do you think we are?" "If you won't play with me, you'll play for me." "You're never going to get there on your own, so give your game to me.” “Don't touch him, you understand?” “Seriously, how are you not bored of your hand by now?” “You need to rethink your persuasion techniques. They suck." "I don't need to be persuasive," "You'll just learn to do what I say.”  "_____, the man is dead. Like, permanently.” “there's someone here to see you." “The words sounded like a desperate prayer.” “Don't touch my things, ____ . I don't share.” “What did you call me?" "I called you a deadweight has-been," “I don't like that word," "Don't use it.” “Your opinion has been duly noted and dismissed." “you play like you have everything to lose. that’s the only kind of striker worth playing with.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

A List of "Beautiful" Words: Brown

for your next poem/story

Adust - scorched, burned

Auburn - a moderate brown

Beige - of a color that is light grayish-yellowish brown

Biscuit - a light grayish-yellowish brown

Bronze - a moderate yellowish brown

Castaneous - of the color chestnut

Chestnut - a grayish to reddish brown

Cinnamon - a light yellowish brown

Cocoa - a medium brown color

Drab - a light olive brown

Infuscation - darkened with a brownish tinge

Khaki - a light yellowish-brown

Mahogany - a moderate reddish brown

Russet - a reddish brown

Rust - a strong reddish brown

Sepia - a brownish-gray to dark olive-brown color

Sorrel - a brownish orange to light brown

Tan - a light yellowish brown

Umber - a moderate to dark yellowish brown

Walnut - a moderate reddish brown

More: Lists of Beautiful Words ⚜ More: Word Lists

[so-many-ocs]

practical writing advice

part 2

avoid writing in bed if you can. writing in bed is the mind-killer. writing in bed is the little death that brings obliteration. you may think "but i can write AND be cozy" you will get sleepy so fast. 98% of the time when i try to get a nighttime writing session done in bed i go to sleep. maybe 70% of the time if it's an afternoon writing session. also it fucking kills your wrists.

STRETCH before writing. stretch as many parts of your body as possible ESPECIALLY YOUR WRISTS! i have chronic tendonitis in both of my arms from not doing this and it is manageable but it is Not Fun!

plug your phone in on the other side of the room. better yet, plug it in and leave it in another room. better yet, power it off and leave it in another room. "i'll just check one quick thing" do not underestimate the power of the doomscroll.

do a warmup. look up writing prompts (i like one-word prompts or prompts that focus on a general theme as it's easier to integrate into my writing style), set a timer for fifteen minutes, or ten, or five, and go ham. make it shitty or incomprehensible, as long as you make it. create a dump document for all your warmups. i currently have two novels in the works that started as one of these fifteen minute little warmups.

pick your background noise ahead of time if you use it, and look for something long. i listen to 3-hour-long silent hill ambient mixes on youtube dot com.

take breaks. around every 45 minutes, as i'm noticing myself begin to lose focus, i get up, grab a drink, get my blood flowing, and give myself some space to breathe.

sometimes i sit down to write and i think "every atom in my body is averse to doing this right now. i would rather dance barefoot on a bed of nails than open my laptop and start typing." and you know what i do? i go do something else instead. don't force it! it will become a chore.

that being said! write as often as possible. try to write every day. try to write at the same time. don't beat yourself up if you can’t, BUT the more often you write, the more often you'll want to write.

if you're stuck on a scene or a page or a chapter, go back to the last place where you felt like you knew what you were doing and start writing from there. keep a copy of your other writing in case you want to reuse it or refer back!

i don't know if this is something that will be helpful for other people but i start mentally preparing myself for my writing session a few hours ahead of time. i will say to myself, "today, at this time, i'm gonna sit down and write that scene where mina walks out on her book club, and it's going to be awesome and i'm looking forward to it." then, by the time i actually begin, i basically have the whole thing written out in my head and can just put it down to paper. it's a good way to at least kickstart the session !

ok thanks bye

[thothwrites]

Bone limbs of starlight gleam with tender glow, A cosmic dance beneath the twilight's breath, In tranquil peace, the mortal form does show, The evening’s grace, the beautiful death.

[imastoryteller]

Understanding Internal Conflict in Storytelling

Internal conflict is a vital tool in storytelling, enriching characters and deepening narrative impact. Understanding and effectively using internal conflict can transform a good story into a compelling, unforgettable one.

Introduction to Internal Conflict

Definition: Internal conflict refers to a psychological struggle within a character, often involving emotions, desires, or beliefs.

Purpose: It adds depth to characters, making them more relatable and complex.

Types of Internal Conflict

Moral Dilemmas: Situations where a character must choose between right and wrong, often with no clear answer.

Emotional Struggles: Conflicts arising from feelings like love, guilt, fear, or jealousy.

Identity Crises: Moments when characters question who they are or what they believe in.

Conflicting Desires: When a character's wants or needs are at odds with each other.

Examples of Internal Conflict

Classic Literature: Hamlet's indecision about avenging his father's death.

Modern Fiction: Katniss Everdeen's struggle between her survival instincts and her growing sense of rebellion in "The Hunger Games".

Film: Frodo Baggins grappling with the burden of the One Ring and its corrupting influence in "The Lord of the Rings".

Importance of Internal Conflict

Character Development: Drives growth and transformation, showing how characters evolve.

Engagement: Keeps readers invested in the character’s journey by creating empathy and tension.

Theme Exploration: Allows writers to explore complex themes like morality, identity, and human nature.

Crafting Internal Conflict

Believability: Ensure the conflict is realistic and relatable to the audience.

Depth: Give characters more than one internal conflict to make them richer and more interesting.

Resolution: Show how characters resolve or cope with their internal struggles, even if it’s not a happy ending.

Questions to Consider

What is the character’s main internal struggle?

How does this conflict affect their decisions and actions?

In what ways does the internal conflict drive the story forward?

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Another List of "Beautiful" Words

to include in your next poem

Avidulous - somewhat greedy.

Breviloquent - marked by brevity of speech.

Compotation - a drinking or tippling together.

Crimpy - of weather; unpleasant; raw and cold.

Desiderium - an ardent desire or longing; especially, a feeling of loss or grief for something lost.

Dyspathy - lack of sympathy.

Ebriosity - habitual intoxication.

Epitasis - the part of a play developing the main action and leading to the catastrophe.

Fantod - a state of irritability and tension.

Graumangere - a great meal.

Grimoire - a magician's manual for invoking demons and the spirits of the dead.

Hiemal - of or relating to winter.

Illaudable - deserving no praise.

Impluvious - wet with rain.

Innominate - having no name; unnamed; also, “anonymous”.

Juberous - doubtful and hesitating.

Noctilucous - shining at night.

Poetaster - an inferior poet.

Psychrophilic - thriving at a relatively low temperature.

Quiddity - the essential nature or ultimate form of something: what makes something to be the type of thing that it is.

Repullulate - to bud or sprout again.

Retrogradation - a backward movement.

Semiustulate - half burnt or consumed by fire.

Tenebrific - causing gloom or darkness.

Unparadiz’d - brought from joy to miserie.

If any of these words make it into your next poem/story, please tag me. Or leave a link in the replies. I'd love to read them!

[iinkxerror]

@reshramlove1ob 🫵

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER WHO IS IN PAIN

first thing you might want to consider: is the pain mental or physical?

if it’s physical, what type of pain is it causing? — sharp pain, white-hot pain, acute pain, dull ache, throbbing pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain (typically caused by nerve damage), etc

if it’s mental, what is the reason your character is in pain? — grief, heartbreak, betrayal, anger, hopelessness, fear and anxiety, etc

because your character will react differently to different types of pain

PHYSICAL PAIN

sharp and white-hot pain may cause a character to grit their teeth, scream, moan, twist their body. their skin may appear pale, eyes red-rimmed and sunken with layers of sweat covering their forehead. they may have tears in their eyes (and the tears may feel hot), but they don’t necessarily have to always be crying.

acute pain may be similar to sharp and white-hot pain; acute pain is sudden and urgent and often comes without a warning, so your character may experience a hitched breathing where they suddenly stop what they’re doing and clench their hand at the spot where it hurts with widened eyes and open mouth (like they’re gasping for air).

dull ache and throbbing pain can result in your character wanting to lay down and close their eyes. if it’s a headache, they may ask for the lights to be turned off and they may be less responsive, in the sense that they’d rather not engage in any activity or conversation and they’d rather be left alone. they may make a soft whimper from their throat from time to time, depends on their personality (if they don’t mind others seeing their discomfort, they may whimper. but if your character doesn’t like anyone seeing them in a not-so-strong state, chances are they won’t make any sound, they might even pretend like they’re fine by continuing with their normal routine, and they may or may not end up throwing up or fainting).

if your character experience chronic pain, their pain will not go away (unlike any other illnesses or injuries where the pain stops after the person is healed) so they can feel all these types of sharp pain shooting through their body. there can also be soreness and stiffness around some specific spots, and it will affect their life. so your character will be lucky if they have caretakers in their life. but are they stubborn? do they accept help from others or do they like to pretend like they’re fine in front of everybody until their body can’t take it anymore and so they can no longer pretend?

neuropathic pain or nerve pain will have your character feeling these senses of burning, shooting and stabbing sensation, and the pain can come very suddenly and without any warning — think of it as an electric shock that causes through your character’s body all of a sudden. your character may yelp or gasp in shock, how they react may vary depends on the severity of the pain and how long it lasts.

EMOTIONAL PAIN

grief can make your character shut themself off from their friends and the world in general. or they can also lash out at anyone who tries to comfort them. (five states of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and eventual acceptance.)

heartbreak — your character might want to lock themself in a room, anywhere where they are unseen. or they may want to pretend that everything’s fine, that they’re not hurt. until they break down.

betrayal can leave a character with confusion, the feelings of ‘what went wrong?’, so it’s understandable if your character blames themself at first, that maybe it’s their fault because they’ve somehow done something wrong somewhere that caused the other character to betray them. what comes after confusion may be anger. your character can be angry at the person who betrayed them and at themself, after they think they’ve done something wrong that resulted in them being betrayed, they may also be angry at themself next for ‘falling’ for the lies and for ‘being fooled’. so yes, betrayal can leave your character with the hatred that’s directed towards the character who betrayed them and themself. whether or not your character can ‘move on and forgive’ is up to you.

there are several ways a character can react to anger; they can simply lash out, break things, scream and yell, or they can also go complete silent. no shouting, no thrashing the place. they can sit alone in silence and they may cry. anger does make people cry. it mostly won’t be anything like ‘ugly sobbing’ but your character’s eyes can be bloodshot, red-rimmed and there will be tears, only that there won’t be any sobbing in most cases.

hopelessness can be a very valid reason for it, if you want your character to do something reckless or stupid. most people will do anything if they’re desperate enough. so if you want your character to run into a burning building, jump in front of a bullet, or confess their love to their archenemy in front of all their friends, hopelessness is always a valid reason. there’s no ‘out of character’ if they are hopeless and are desperate enough.

fear and anxiety. your character may be trembling, their hands may be shaky. they may lose their appetite. they may be sweaty and/or bouncing their feet. they may have a panic attack if it’s severe enough.

and I think that’s it for now! feel free to add anything I may have forgotten to mention here!

[hauntedraggedyanne]

turning positive traits negative

This is the go-to for development in my book, because if your character has a personality trait, congrats! You’re half way there!

—Confidence:

Can lead to selfishness, over abundance of pride, stubbornness and unwilling to admit wrong doings/beliefs/actions.

—Extroversion

Unable to understand proper boundaries that others have set, tries to bring people out of their comfort zone even when unnecessary, rude.

—Intelligence

One of those nerds that every class has that reminds the teacher of the homework, looks down on those less intelligent and doesn’t care of the social/economical/personal reasons as to why they don’t share the same intellect, prideful.

—Kindness

Nativity, allows the wrong people to walk free, toxic positivity, doesn’t want to understand how some people may just be evil, leading the team into multiple dangerous, avoidable situations.

—Romantic

‘Doesn’t take no for an answer’, makes people uncomfortable, overwhelms people with fantasies of romantic dinners/adventures despite it still being the first date, moves too fast for their love interest.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Master Dialogue Writing Techniques for Engaging Fiction (For Writers)

(Beware, long post!)

As fiction writers, we all know that effective dialogue is essential for bringing our stories and characters to life. After all, the way our protagonists, antagonists, and supporting players speak to one another is one of the primary ways readers get to know them on a deep, intimate level. Dialogue reveals personality, uncovers motivation, and propels the narrative forward in a way that felt narration simply can't match.

But nailing natural, compelling dialogue is easier said than done. It's a craft that takes serious skill to master, requiring writers to have a keen ear for authentic speech patterns, a nimble handle on subtext and implication, and the ability to strike that delicate balance between being true to real-world conversation while also keeping things snappy, dynamic, and laser-focused on the story at hand.

If you're someone who struggles with crafting dialogue that truly sings, never fear. In this in-depth guide, I'm going to dive deep into the techniques and best practices that will help you elevate your dialogue writing to new heights. By the end, you'll have a toolbox full of strategies to ensure that every exchange between your characters is as gripping, revealing, and unforgettable as possible.

The Fundamentals of Effective Dialogue

Before we get into the more advanced nuances of dialogue writing, let's start by covering some of the foundational principles that all great fictional conversations are built upon:

Reveal Character One of the primary functions of dialogue is to give readers a window into who your characters are as people. The way they speak — their word choices, their tone, their body language, their turns of phrase — should provide vivid insight into their personalities, backgrounds, values, quirks, and emotional states.

Think about how much you can glean about someone just from how they communicate in real life. Do they use a lot of slang and shorthand? Are they verbose and flowery with their language? Do they struggle to make eye contact or fail to respond directly to questions? All of these subtle linguistic cues are powerful tools for crafting multi-dimensional characters.

Drive the Plot Forward While revelations about character are crucial, you also want to ensure that your dialogue is constantly pushing the story itself forward. Each exchange should feel purposeful, moving the narrative along by introducing new information, triggering plot points, creating conflict, or prompting characters to make pivotal decisions.

Dialogue that feels aimless or extraneous will ultimately bore readers and detract from the forward momentum of your story. Every line should have a clear intent or function, whether it's uncovering a hidden truth, setting up a future complication, or escalating the tension in a high-stakes moment.

Establish Distinct Voices In a story featuring multiple characters, it's crucial that each person has a clearly defined and differentiated way of speaking. Readers should be able to tell who's talking just from the rhythm, diction, and personality of the dialogue, without any additional context clues.

This doesn't mean every character has to have an over-the-top, hyper-stylized way of communicating. In fact, the most effective character voices often feel grounded and natural. But there should still be distinct markers — whether it's word choice, sentence structure, tone, or speech patterns — that make each person's voice instantly recognizable.

Convey Subtext While the literal words being spoken are important, great dialogue also traffics heavily in subtext — the unspoken emotional undercurrents, power dynamics, and hidden agendas that simmer beneath the surface of a conversation.

The most compelling exchanges happen when characters are communicating on multiple levels simultaneously. Perhaps they're saying one thing out loud while their body language and tone convey a completely different sentiment. Or maybe they're engaged in a subtle war of wits, trading verbal jabs that reveal deeper wells of resentment, attraction, or vulnerability.

Mastering the art of subtext is key to creating dialogue that feels layered, lifelike, and imbued with dramatic tension.

Strategies for Writing Snappy, Realistic Dialogue

Now that we've covered the foundational principles, let's dive into some specific techniques and best practices that will take your dialogue writing to the next level:

Omit Unnecessary Details One of the biggest mistakes many writers make with dialogue is bogging it down with too much extraneous information. In real life, people rarely speak in perfectly composed, grammatically correct full sentences. We stumble over our words, interrupt each other, trail off mid-thought, and pack our speech with filler words like "um," "uh," and "you know."

While you don't want to go overboard with mimicking that messiness, you should aim to strip your dialogue of any overly formal or expository language. Stick to the essentials — the core thoughts, feelings, and information being exchanged — and let the subtext and character voices do the heavy lifting. Your readers will fill in the gaps and appreciate the authenticity.

Master the Art of Subtext As mentioned earlier, crafting dialogue that's rich in subtext is one of the keys to making it feel gripping and lifelike. Think about how much is often left unsaid in real-world conversations, with people dancing around sensitive topics, conveying hidden agendas, or engaging in subtle power struggles.

To layer that sense of unspoken tension into your own dialogue, consider techniques like:

• Having characters contradict themselves or say one thing while their body language says another

• Utilizing loaded pauses, interruptions, and moments of uncomfortable silence

• Injecting subtle sarcasm, skepticism, or implication into a character's word choices

• Allowing characters to talk past each other, missing the unspoken point of what the other person is really saying

The more you can imbue your dialogue with that layered, emotionally-charged subtext, the more it will resonate with readers on a deeper level.

Establish Distinct Voices As mentioned earlier, ensuring that each of your characters has a clearly defined and differentiated speaking voice is crucial for great dialogue. But how exactly do you go about accomplishing that?

One effective strategy is to give each person a unique set of verbal tics, idioms, or speech patterns. Maybe one character is prone to long-winded, flowery metaphors, while another speaks in clipped, efficiency-minded sentences. Perhaps your protagonist has a habit of ending statements with questioning upticks, while the sarcastic best friend always punctuates their barbs with an eye roll.

You can also play with differences in diction, syntax, and even accent/dialect to further distinguish how your characters communicate. The key is to really get to know the unique personality, background, and psychology of each person — then let those elements shine through in how they express themselves.

Lean Into Conflict and Confrontation When it comes to crafting gripping dialogue, conflict is your friend. The most compelling exchanges often arise from characters butting heads, engaging in verbal sparring matches, or working through deep-seated tensions and disagreements.

Conflict allows you to showcase the high stakes, unresolved needs, and deeper emotional currents that are driving your characters. It forces them to make bold choices, reveals aspects of their personalities that might not otherwise surface, and generates the kind of dramatic tension that will really hook your readers.

Of course, you'll want to avoid making every single dialogue scene a full-blown argument. But learning to sprinkle in well-placed moments of friction, confrontation, and clashing agendas is a surefire way to elevate the energy and impact of your character interactions.

Read Your Dialogue Out Loud One of the most valuable tricks for ensuring your dialogue sounds natural and lifelike is to read it aloud as you're writing. Hearing the words out loud will quickly expose any clunky phrasing, overly formal grammar, or inauthentic rhythms that would otherwise go unnoticed on the page.

Pay close attention to how the dialogue rolls off your tongue. Does it have a smooth, conversational flow? Or does it feel stilted and unnatural? Are your characters' unique voices shining through clearly? Are there any spots where the back-and-forth starts to drag or feel repetitive?

Actively listening to your dialogue — and making adjustments based on how it sounds in the real world — is an essential part of the writing process. It's one of the best ways to refine and polish those character interactions until they feel truly alive.

Hopefully, this can help you all!

The key is to always keep your focus on authenticity. Ask yourself: how would real people actually speak?

Hey fellow writers! I'm super excited to share that I've just launched a Tumblr community. I'm inviting all of you to join my community. All you have to do is fill out this Google form, and I'll personally send you an invitation to join the Write Right Society on Tumblr! Can't wait to see your posts!

Membership Form for Write Right Society (Fill-Out Form!)

Welcome to Write Right Society! At Write Right Society, we are dedicated to nurturing the creative spirit and honing the skills of writers a

[literaryvein-reblogs]

commonly confused words

accept: to receive except: with the exclusion of

advice: recommendation (noun) advise: to recommend (verb)

adverse: unfavorable averse: opposed to

affect: to influence (verb); emotional response (noun) effect: result (noun); to cause (verb)

aisle: space between rows isle: island

allude: to make indirect reference to elude: to avoid

allusion: indirect reference illusion: false idea, misleading appearance

already: by this time all ready: fully prepared

altar: sacred platform or place alter: to change

altogether: thoroughly all together: everyone/everything in one place

a lot: a quantity; many of something allot: to divide or portion out

angel: supernatural being, good person angle: shape made by joining two straight lines

are: plural form of "to be" our: plural form of "my"

accent: pronunciation common to a region ascent: the act of rising or climbing assent: consent, agreement

assistance: help assistants: helpers

bare: nude, unadorned bear: to carry; an animal

beside: close to; next to besides: except for; in addition

boar: a wild male pig bore: to drill a hole through

board: piece of wood bored: uninterested

born: brought into life borne: past participle of "to bear" (carry)

breath: air taken in (noun) breathe: to take in air (verb)

brake: device for stopping break: destroy; make into pieces

buy: to purchase by: next to; through the agency of

canvas: heavy cloth canvass: to take a survey; a survey

capital: major city capitol: government building

choose: to pick chose: past tense of "to choose"

clothes: garments close: to shut; near cloths: pieces of fabric

coarse: rough course: path; series of lectures

complement: something that completes compliment: praise, flattery

conscience: sense of morality conscious: awake, aware

corps: regulated group corpse: dead body

council: governing body counsel: advice; to give advice

dairy: place where milk products are processed diary: personal journal

descent: downward movement dissent: disagreement

dessert: final, sweet course in a meal desert: to abandon; dry, sandy area

device: a plan; a tool or utensil devise: to create

discreet: modest, prudent behavior discrete: a separate thing, distinct

do: a verb indicating performance or execution of a task dew: water droplets condensed from air due: as a result of

dominant: commanding, controlling dominate: to control

die: to lose life; one of a pair of dice dye: to change or add color

dyeing: changing or adding color dying: losing life

elicit: to draw out illicit: illegal, forbidden

eminent: prominent imminent: about to happen

envelop: to surround (verb) envelope: container for a letter (noun)

everyday: routine, commonplace, ordinary (adj.) every day: each day, succession (adj. + noun)

fair: just, honest; a carnival; light skinned fare: money for transportation; food

farther: at a greater (measurable) distance further: in greater (non-measurable) depth

formally: conventionally, with ceremony formerly: previously

forth: forward fourth: number four in a list

gorilla: animal in ape family guerrilla: soldier specializing in surprise attacks

hear: to sense sound by ear here: in this place

heard: past tense of "to hear" herd: group of animals

hoard: a hidden fund or supply, a cache horde: a large group or crowd, swarm

hole: opening whole: complete; an entire thing

human: relating to the species homo sapiens humane: compassionate

its: possessive form of "it" it's: contraction for "it is"

knew: past tense of "know" new: fresh, not yet old

know: to comprehend no: negative

later: after a time latter: second one of two things

lead: heavy metal substance; to guide led: past tense of "to lead"

lessen: to decrease lesson: something learned and/or taught

lightning: storm-related electricity lightening: making lighter

loose: unbound, not tightly fastened lose: to misplace

maybe: perhaps (adv.) may be: might be (verb)

meat: animal flesh meet: to encounter mete: to measure; to distribute

medal: a flat disk stamped with a design meddle: to interfere, intrude metal: a hard organic substance mettle: courage, spirit, energy

miner: a worker in a mine minor: underage person (noun); less important (adj.)

moral: distinguishing right from wrong; lesson of a fable or story morale: attitude or outlook usually of a group

passed: past tense of "to pass" past: at a previous time

patience: putting up with annoyances patients: people under medical care

peace: absence of war piece: part of a whole; musical arrangement

peak: point, pinnacle, maximum peek: to peer through or look furtively pique: fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity

pedal: the foot lever of a bicycle or car petal: a flower segment peddle: to sell

personal: intimate; owned by a person personnel: employees

plain: simple, unadorned plane: to shave wood; aircraft (noun)

precede: to come before proceed: to continue

presence: attendance; being at hand presents: gifts

principal: foremost (adj.); administrator of a school (noun) principle: moral conviction, basic truth

quiet: silent, calm quite: very

rain: water drops falling; to fall like rain reign: to rule rein: strap to control an animal (noun); to guide or control (verb)

raise: to lift up raze: to tear down

rational: having reason or understanding rationale: principles of opinion, beliefs

respectfully: with respect respectively: in that order

reverend: title given to clergy; deserving respect reverent: worshipful

right: correct; opposite of left rite: ritual or ceremony write: to put words on paper

road: path rode: past tense of "to ride"

scene: place of an action; segment of a play seen: viewed; past participle of "to see"

sense: perception, understanding since: measurement of past time; because

sight: scene, view, picture site: place, location cite: to document or quote (verb)

stationary: standing still stationery: writing paper

straight: unbending strait: narrow or confining; a waterway

taught: past tense of "to teach" taut: tight

than: used to introduce second element; compared to then: at that time; next

their: possessive form of "they" there: in that place they’re: contraction for "they are"

through: finished; into and out of threw: past tense of "to throw" thorough: complete

to: toward too: also; very (used to show emphasis) two: number following one

track: course, road tract: pamphlet; plot of ground

waist: midsection of the body waste: discarded material; to squander

waive: forgo, renounce wave: flutter, move back and forth

weak: not strong week: seven days

weather: climatic condition whether: if wether: a neutered male sheep

where: in which place were: past tense of "to be"

which: one of a group witch: female sorcerer

whose: possessive for "of who" who’s: contraction for "who is"

your: possessive for "of you" you’re: contraction for "you are" yore: time long past

commonly confused words part 2

[luna-azzurra]

Advanced Synonyms for Your Novel

Cold - frigid, icy, chilling

Hot - sweltering, scorching, torrid

Small - minute, diminutive, petite

Big - vast, colossal, gargantuan

Smart - intelligent, astute, savvy

Dumb - obtuse, vacuous, dim-witted

Fast - swift, rapid, fleet

Slow - sluggish, lethargic, dilatory

Old - ancient, decrepit, venerable

Young - youthful, juvenile, fledgling

Good - excellent, superb, stellar

Bad - dreadful, atrocious, abysmal

Strong - robust, sturdy, formidable

Weak - feeble, frail, flimsy

Funny - humorous, witty, comical

[literaryvein-reblogs]

words to use instead of ______

"Very"

Mild: clearly, decidedly, distinctly, markedly, considerably, notably, largely, recognizably, especially, indubitably Moderate: especially, surprisingly, substantially, uncommonly, chiefly, incredibly, obviously, unmistakably, considerably, awfully, wonderfully, particularly Bold: profusely, unequivocally, strikingly, astonishingly, exceedingly, absolutely, exceptionally, extremely, unquestionably, vastly, incontestably

"A Lot" (time)

Mild: often, oftentimes, sometime Moderate: frequently, usually, various, generally Bold: regularly, recurrent, persistent

"A Lot" (size)

Mild: many, much, several Moderate: numerous, bountiful, considerable Bold: multitude, profuse, vast

"Big"

Mild: sizable, ample, large, considerable, great, above average, important Moderate: ponderous, significant, crucial, vast, copious, magnificent, substantial Bold: enormous, immense, colossal, extensive, endless, paramount, boundless, prodigious, imposing, gigantic, voluminous, limitless, essential

"Small"

Mild: slight, limited, trivial, minor, light, puny, superficial, undersized, dinky, negligible, faint Moderate: scant, petite, inconsiderable, microscopic, dwarf, unsubstantial, minimum, miniature, tiny Bold: insignificant, minute, meager, infinitesimal, ineffectual, undetectable, inconsequential

"Good"

Mild: acceptable, favorable, agreeable, pleasing, satisfactory, satisfying, super, able, relevant, accomplished, efficient, reliable, ample, useful, profitable, adequate, adept Moderate: great, honorable, admirable, commendable, sound, splendid, superb, valuable, wonderful, worthy, clever, proficient, qualified, apt, skillful, thorough, wholesome Bold: excellent, exceptional, gratifying, marvelous, reputable, stupendous, superior, exemplary, virtuous, expert, solid, advantageous, flawless, extensive, perfect

"Bad"

Mild: cheap, dissatisfactory, faculty, off, mean, wrong, unpleasant, unwell, low, grim, sour, regretful Moderate: careless, defective, inferior, imperfect, deficient, rough, ill-suited, inadequate, unsatisfactory, delinquent, sinful, unruly, wicked, rancid, grave, harsh, terrible, downcast Bold: awful, unacceptable, corrupt, dreadful, putrid, erroneous, detrimental, ruinous, vile, villainous, diseased, adverse, evil

[rpshopkeepers-blog]

WHAT LOW ACTIVITY & SLOW REPLY MEANS:

it means i want to be here, i really do 

it means that i have, whether i like it or not, more important things to do than roleplay at the moment

it means that replies are going to sit for a moment

WHAT IT DOESN’T MEAN:

that i care any less

that i don’t want to talk / plot with you

that you aren’t allowed to IM me or ask for my disco

Sometimes Tumblr has to take a back burner, and that’s fine! Roleplay will still be here when we get back. So take that day to yourself. Don’t worry about drafts. Don’t worry about how “slow” you are being. Everything is okay!