𝐌 𝐀 𝐑 𝐈 💗🏐🙈

let people be themselves. pansexual💗

[luna-azzurra]

Every sentence you write is a choice. Make it a damn good one. If you're going to use an adverb, use it with the confidence of a villain in a velvet cape. If your character drops a slur, you'd better know why they're doing it, and what fallout you're writing into the world afterward. Don’t just do things because you saw someone else do them and they looked cool.

Writing isn’t about avoiding mistakes, no. It’s about making your mistakes on purpose so that when someone calls you out, you can stare them in the face and say, “I meant to do that.” Be ready to stand by your narrative weirdness with your whole chest.

[iwillmissourtalks]

Blending Dialogue

This started as a long string of discord messages but I think I have enough to say to make a real advice post lol

It’s easy to view dialogue & description as separate entities to be handled in chunks; but dialogue works best interspersed with a character’s opinions of whats being said + the accompanying body language of who is speaking. Description helps indicate who is talking and implies tone more subtly than just the character muttered/shouted/lied etc.

Ideally (most of the time), dialogue & description should be interwoven in the same paragraph. There are always exceptions, especially if you want to push emphasis — but we’ll get to that.

Broadly speaking there are a few basic positions for where I put dialogue & how I use them impacts the flow of the scene & the characterisation of who is talking + listening. Like with most things in writing, keeping an engaging rhythm/sentence structure is important and for dialogue formatting I avoid using the same position more than 2/3 times in a row.

Dialogue -> Description

“Hey! You’re not supposed to be here.” She turns to see security enter the room.

Essentially the default. Provides context to the dialogue & shows immediate reactions to it. Often good for stuff said impulsively by the POV character or if they’ve been caught by surprise.

The implication in the example is that the POV character was (mildly) surprised by the security guard & thus had to turn to see who had spoken. That she let them get through two sentences before turning probably means she isn’t particularly concerned about their presence.

Description -> Dialogue

Security steps into the room: “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Also a good default.

Excellent for buildup/analytical characters. Shows people are thinking about what they’re saying before they say it & serves to slow down the flow of the conversation.

Gives characters a chance to react physically to something before responding verbally.

In the example now, the POV character was already looking at where security appeared. She is not surprised & the guard doesn’t need to get her attention.

Dialogue -> Description -> Dialogue

“Hey!” Security rushes in. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Breaks up the speech for readability when a character has a lot to say at once.

Allows characters to react physically to stuff being said & for the character speaking to knowingly adjust what they’re saying halfway through.

Often helps provide context if the later half of the dialogue would feel out of place without explanation.

In the example, the POV character is surprised & turns immediately when security says something to get her attention. The implied reaction is much faster because the information gained from her response is placed immediately after the first thing said.

Only Dialogue

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

Incredible for a reveal. I like to keep these short & surrounded by a chunk of setup description in other paragraphs.

The absence of description in the paragraph with the dialogue implies it’s both unexpected/impulsive & the reader has all the context they need.

Also very good if the conversation is happening too fast for the characters to really form any thoughts on it beyond what they’re saying.

The example implies the POV character has been caught unawares & whoever is speaking had no interest in forewarning. The drama! Anything could happen.

Only Description

Security rushes in and demands to know what she’s doing. Not giving them a chance to respond, she jumps out the window.

LOVE paraphrasing. Deeply underrated tool, if you’ve stuck on dialogue just don’t write it.

Very good for getting a result out of a scene that would otherwise be really long & ultimately not the focus of the story. You can just tell the reader what the resolution to a conversation was & how it affects things going forward.

And.. yeah! Those are the main ones. Obviously there is also Description -> Dialogue -> Description but I personally don’t like it very much. It’s often used to over-describe why something said is cool & dramatic when just letting the dialogue stand on it’s own probably does the job better. Not to say it can’t be used well I just personally prefer to take a new paragraph when spacing that kind of thing.

Interestingly I REALLY enjoy Description -> Dialogue -> Description -> Dialogue but only if it’s made up of extremely short sentences. There’s a fast, emotional feel to it that implies the character has something to think or do about each new thing being said.

[lunas-desks]

╰┈➤ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭

✦ “𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬.”

╰┈➤ 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩, 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐬—𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬!

✦ 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧" 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧” 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫.

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫... 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬! 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐬. 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐍𝐨𝐰, 𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐮𝐧-𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞́𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧—𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰.

╰┈➤ 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐤, 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

✦ 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥—𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 “𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩.” 𝐀𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 “𝐮𝐰𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐧.” 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 “𝐡𝐨𝐭, 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.” 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭.

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦—𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐚 (𝐧𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭) 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲 “𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐲” 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬.

✦ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝:

✎ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 = 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

✎ 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥—𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬, 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫.

╰┈➤ 𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬

✦ 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 “𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲” 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 “𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐃” 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚... 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤.

𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐢𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲.

✦ 𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧:

✎ 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬—𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨𝐬, 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐬, 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐢𝐫𝐬.

✎ 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐒𝐌-𝟓, 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐨 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜, 𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐇.

✎ 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞).

✎ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞—𝐧𝐨 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐌𝐃 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲-𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 “𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.”

╰┈➤ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬

✦ 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞: 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬... 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞” 𝐨𝐫 “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟.” 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐚𝐦. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞.

✦ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬:

✎ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞?

✎ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠?

✎ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟?

✎ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡?

✦ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐜 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐭. 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞.

╰┈➤ 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠

✦ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐲, 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠.

✦ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬:

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧” – 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐚, 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐡?

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐭” – 𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐲—𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐲.

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐝 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥” – 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐠𝐮𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬, “𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐱 𝐡𝐞𝐫.” 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫” – 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬! 𝐍𝐨. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨.

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” – 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.

✦ 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝:

✎ 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥.

✎ 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.

✎ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡, 𝐣𝐨𝐲, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐤.

╰┈➤ 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠

✦ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐛 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭. 𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐲!

✦ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰:

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 “𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧”

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

✎ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫

✎ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲

╰┈➤ 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

✦ 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫—𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐬. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐦, 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐬.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞.

𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 “𝐥𝐨𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞.” 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠.

╰┈➤ 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐲, 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐚𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧

✦ 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐬.

𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐬.

╰┈➤ 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫

✦ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲. 𝐈𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐬:

l “𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.”

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐩 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.

╰┈➤ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 (𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫)

✦ 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐛 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲:

✎ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬.

✎ 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 “𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭” 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲.

✎ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧. 𝐀 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐠, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦.

✎ 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐝.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞́𝐬—𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭.

✦ 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐲, 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝, 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭, 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

How to show emotions

Part IX

How to show being delighted

bright, sparkling eyes

smiling or grinning broadly

light, bouncy steps or movements

clapping hands or small, excited gestures

warm blush or flushed cheeks

soft, happy sighs or laughter

jumping up or small hops

eyes crinkling at the corners

open mouth, slightly parted in surprise or joy

leaning forward eagerly

staring at whatever delights them

spinning in a circle

How to show dread

rapid, shallow breathing or sudden gasps

sweaty palms or clammy skin

trembling hands or body

tightened jaw or grinding teeth

furrowed brows, tense forehead

wide, darting eyes or a fixed, unblinking stare

clenched fists or nails digging into skin

stiff, frozen posture or tense muscles ready to react

dry mouth or difficulty swallowing

sudden chills or shivers

heart pounding visibly or audibly (e.g., pounding in ears)

fidgeting or restless movements, pacing

nausea or tightness in the stomach

avoiding eye contact or looking away anxiously

voice trembling or catching in throat if speaking

How to show serenity

slow, deep breathing

soft, gentle smile or neutral, peaceful facial expression

softly gazing

smooth, unhurried movements

hands resting calmly, loosely folded or open palms

even heartbeat/pulse

slight tilt of the head, indicating calm attentiveness

relaxed jaw, no clenching or grinding

steady, balanced posture with relaxed shoulders

soft sigh or contented breath out

minimal fidgeting or twitching

How to show being alarmed

widened eyes

raised eyebrows

dilated pupils

quickened or shallow breathing

heart pounding or racing

trembling or shaking hands

stiffened posture or frozen still

sweating or cold sweat

sudden intake of breath or gasping

paleness or flushed face

lips pressed tightly or quivering

clenched jaw or fists

neck hairs standing on end

fidgeting or restless movements, pacing

mouth slightly open or dry mouth

rapid head movements, scanning surroundings

jumping or flinching suddenly

tightened throat or throat clearing

More: How to write emotions Masterpost

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[luna-azzurra]

Things i LOVE in characters

⊹ characters who are weirdly specific about stuff. like they know everything about 14th-century spoons but can’t remember their neighbor’s name. obsessed.

⊹ when tough characters have soft spots. the scary knight who cries over stray cats? yes. inject it directly into my veins.

⊹ people who can’t flirt to save their lives. they try, it’s awful, it’s awkward, i love them more for it.

⊹ characters who make dumb little jokes when no one’s listening. like they’re just entertaining themselves. i relate way too hard.

⊹ someone who has one super random habit, always eating the crusts first, always correcting grammar, always humming the same three notes. it makes them feel REAL.

⊹ over-sharers. give me the person who trauma-dumps on a stranger at a bus stop. they’re my favorite.

⊹ characters who suck at hiding emotions. the “stone cold badass” who blushes? kiss U.

⊹ when they get unreasonably excited about small things. like, calm down, it’s just a cool rock… actually no, don’t calm down. keep the rock.

⊹ people who are clingy in friendships. not in a toxic way, just like “please don’t leave me on read i’ll die.” adorable.

⊹ the ones who laugh at their own jokes. yes i’m putting this here again because it never stops being cute.

[allthingswhumpyandangsty]

re: this post

there are people out there who genuinely think fanfic writers write “to be canonically accurate and respectful to the canon creators and the multi billion companies that made these characters”?

babe, most fanfic writers write because

they love the characters

they are not normal about the characters

they are passionate about the characters

they are depressed and writing about the characters is their getaway

they are horny

canon compliance is only a choice. but there’s no rule in fanfics. and most fanfic writers are sure as shit not trying to be respectful to the multi billion companies that made the characters, and if you actually believe they are, then maybe you’re just new to fandoms.

[herbariumofletters]

Gentle reminder, first drafts are for putting it all on the page and out of your head. First drafts are for telling. Later drafts are for showing. So keep writing that first draft. You've got this.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Soft Sentence Starters

"Do you even know how much I miss you?"

"I didn't know who else to talk to, so I came to you…"

"Can I tell you something without you laughing?"

"I saved this for you. I thought you might need it."

"You always make things feel a little less heavy."

"I know it's silly, but… it means a lot to me."

"When I think about home, I think about you."

"I really appreciate you so much."

"If I could freeze one moment forever, it might be this one."

"When you smiled at me today, everything felt lighter."

"You make me want things I didn't think I deserved."

"Promise me you'll tell me if you're hurting - even just a little."

"I always notice when you're not around."

"You don't even realize how much you matter to me."

"I didn't realize I was waiting for you until you showed up."

"Can I hold your hand? Just for a minute. Just to feel like I'm not alone."

"I hope one day you will see yourself the way I see you."

"When you come home, I will be waiting for you."

"Your smile is so beautiful. Sorry, it keeps distracting me."

"I don't say this enough, but I'm really grateful for you."

[luna-azzurra]

On writing love triangles

⋆.˚ 𓇼 that sharp silence when she laughs at his joke a little too long, and the other guy suddenly forgets how to breathe.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 lingering touches that aren’t meant to be noticed. they’re always noticed.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 “wait here with me a second”... one says. the other pretends he didn’t hear it, but he did. HE DEFINITELY DID.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 being the one she confides in at 2 a.m. vs. being the one she runs to at 2 p.m. both matter and both sting.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 a family photo where she’s standing closer to one than the other.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 that split second of hesitation before she chooses whose hoodie to borrow. gut punch.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 someone shows up late, and the other guy has already been there with her. too late feels like losing.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 overhearing her say his name in a softer voice. the kind of softness you can’t fake.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 small-town gossip: “i saw her with him last night.” nothing kills faster than a rumor that might be true.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 one drives her home. the other texts her: did you get back safe? different kinds of care, both devastating.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 shared history weaponized. “remember when we…” except he wasn’t there.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 jealousy wrapped in politeness: “thanks for helping her.” translation: back off.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 three pairs of footsteps down the same hallway, and it feels like walking a tightrope.

⋆.˚ 𓇼 the sickening sweetness of realizing she glows in both of their stories, but she can only live in one.

By the way… I’m forever Team Conrad. Don’t even bother trying to change my mind, I’ll go to the grave with this opinion. 😋 <3

[luna-azzurra]

Quick tips for writing arguments

⋆˙⟡ the “are we actually doing this?” pause where both of them realize, mid-sentence, that this is about to get ugly

⋆˙⟡ cutting each other off, not because they’re rude, but because they’re terrified of what the other will say next

⋆˙⟡ one character’s voice going way quieter instead of louder...scary ughh.

⋆˙⟡ pacing. or standing so still it’s unnatural

⋆˙⟡ someone saying the other’s name like it’s a warning shot

⋆˙⟡ hands clenching into fists… or clenching nothing because they don’t know where to put all that fury

⋆˙⟡ the “oh crap I went too far” moment after blurting something that can’t be unsaid

⋆˙⟡ insults that only hurt because they’re true

⋆˙⟡ a laugh that’s definitely not funny, the kind that says I can’t believe you just said that

⋆˙⟡ them talking over each other, dialogue tripping and tumbling until one of them snaps STOP

⋆˙⟡ the awful, ringing silence after it’s over, where they’re both just breathing hard and trying not to look at each other

⋆˙⟡ the shaky “we’re fine” lie afterward that fools absolutely no one

[crypticgoose3]

how non-writers think writing works: creating a detailed outline and plan, writing each section carefully and weaving in all the different story threads like a master creator, expertly creating a masterpiece with care and precision

how writing actually works: daydreaming that one scene, creating a half-formed plot in a daze all around it, swearing at characters that don't magic themselves into existence, becoming absolutely obsessed with the story for a solid week, it becomes your entire life, you sit down open a blank word document and write approximately two and a half chapters, lose interest, daydream an entirely new idea for a new story, rinse and repeat

[3hks]

How to Write in FIRST-PERSON in a Way That Sounds NATURAL

When I just began writing, I entered some kind of first-person phase, where all my stories were written in, well, first-person POV. Looking back at it, however, I didn't really know how to write in this narrative, so my writing felt cringe and my characters, for lack of better terms, rather 'pick-me.'

First-person does some things better than third (or second) person. Some might say writing in first-person is easier too, since you focus mainly the main character, who also happens to be the narrator.

The thing is, first-person is also difficult to pull off because let's face it: it's incredibly easy for this POV to feel awkward. It can feel like the protagonist is talking to a camera, creating a weird sense of breaking the fourth wall.

With that being said, if you're struggling with executing first-person POV without the choppy dialogue, thoughts, and storytelling, this is just for you!

1. Do Not Talk to the Audience

In first-person, addressing the audience is often both seen as informal and awkward. In writing generally, it's best to avoid talking to the readers, but in first-person especially most cases of "talking with the audience" feels odd to the reader because it normally occurs during internal dialogue or self-monologue in a situation where they are (or feel) alone.

These lines are meant to move the plot forward, introduce characters, etc., but they feel unnatural because your main character is thinking these thoughts that we normally wouldn't have.

Thus, the key when it comes to avoiding "talking to the audience," using thoughts, the best way is to ensure that they generally think about stuff that most would take note too.

If you're against this because perhaps your character is neurodivergent or processes things differently, that's completely fine, but I'm talking a very broad spectrum of "general."

For example, we notice people and their features. A natural observation could be "Oh, this woman is really tall." We think stuff like this often--with this line, you aren't reaching out to the readers. However, with something like "I have brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles," you're suddenly pulling the readers into the scene (not in a good way) because no one ever just suddenly describes themselves like that. The readers know this subconsciously, so now, you're talking to the audience.

But speaking of descriptions, this brings me to my next point!

2. Don't Let Your Main Character Describe Themself

Have you ever read a story in first-person that beings with something like: "My name is... I'm a student... I have dark hair... I like..., etc."?

Not only is that obviously talking to the audience, but it's also establishing early biases in the readers that might not exactly true. Of course, objective points such as ones about race, eye color, height and whatnot may very well be true, but their descriptions about their personality may not line up with what the audience sees.

So yes, when I say don't let your protagonist describe themself, I mean both physically and internally. Instead of making your character say, "I'm kind, I'm patient, I'm unique, I'm blah blah blah," let your readers figure that out. Let your readers determine what kind of character your protagonist while establishing as few presumptions as possible.

3. Actions Work Best

Alright, so if you can't let your main character describe themself despite the story being told from MC's POV, what do you do to expose their personality? Easy; you reveal it through their actions.

What a person does arguably tells the readers more about them than the words your character says. Additionally, it allows the reader to interpret the character's actions in their own way, instead of having an "objective" frame of them.

For example, if an employee is patient, you can show this by demonstrating how well they deal with a difficult customer. When the customer is raising their voice, the worker remains calm, direct, and listens. They don't lose their temper and try their best to assist the customer although the customer themself isn't being cooperative. Not only do you highlight this employee's exceptional patience, but you're also exhibiting their willpower, maturity, and equanimity.

That means so much more than a "I'm patient," "I'm calm," or "I'm responsible."

4. Your MC's is Untrustworthy

Let's face it: if any of us were to write a story of our lives (like a journal), it'd be filled with inaccuracies we might be unaware of.

This is the same for your story; your MC also has warped views. They might judge characters inaccurately and misunderstand situations because they have biases. Their judgement isn't always going to be on point.

5. Don't Be So Straightforward with Thoughts

This is a more casual suggestion, really, but it can be good to avoid excessive straightforward-ness with thoughts. Thoughts play a big part when it comes to writing in first-person because you have free access to them, but the thing is, with comments like "I like her shoes," "this food is good," and "that's a nice car," you're not really saying anything. It's too blunt.

Believe it or not, you can describe more by staying vague.

Let's say your character admires someone's beauty. While you could totally say "Wow, she's so gorgeous," you could also say something like, "I wonder what'd life would be like if I looked like her," "I wish I could look like her," or even better? Describe how people's eyes follow her. How everyone glances at her. At how the wind suddenly seems like some sort of photoshooting prop rather than the weather with the way it blows through her hair. These examples all reveal your protagonist's admiration for the woman's beauty, but also show envy, curiosity, and genuine interest. They demonstrate more than just the woman's looks; they demonstrate your protagonist's character.

CONCLUSION

The biggest takeaway here is basically to don't be so direct with the readers by not being too direct with your MC's thoughts. Honestly, I suggest trying to use as little thoughts as possible and focusing more on the bigger picture to make this happen.

Remember, your character is telling their story--it's not you who's narrating!

Happy writing~

3hks <3

[chxrry-bombs]

5 Tiny Writing Tips That Aren’t Talked About Enough (but work for me)

These are some lowkey underrated tips I’ve seen floating around writing communities — the kind that don’t get flashy attention but seriously changed how I write.

1. Put “he/she/they” at the start of the sentence less often.

Try switching up your sentence rhythm. Instead of

“She walked to the window,”

try

“The window creaked open under her touch.”

Keeps it fresh and stops the paragraph from sounding like a checklist.

2. Don’t describe everything — describe what matters.

Instead of listing every detail in a room, pick 2–3 objects that say something.

“A half-drunk mug of tea and a knife on the table”

sets a way stronger tone than

“There was a wooden table, two chairs, and a shelf.”

3. Use beats instead of dialogue tags sometimes.

Instead of:

"I'm fine," she said.

Try:

"I'm fine." She wiped her hands on her skirt.

It helps shows emotion, and movement.

4. Write your first draft like no one will ever read it.

No pressure. No perfection. Just vibes. The point of draft one is to exist. Let it be messy and weird — future you will thank you for at least something to edit.

5. When stuck, ask: “What’s the most fun thing that could happen next?”

Not logical. Not realistic. FUN. It doesn’t have to stay — but chasing excitement can blast through writer’s block and give you ideas you actually want to write.

What’s a tip that unexpectedly helped with your writing? Let me know!! 🍒

[any-mouse]

@wuxiaphoenix

[celestialwrites]

soft vs hard love dialogue and prompts

➣ SOFT LOVE

♡ "you're cute when you're mad."

♡ soft shoulder kisses.

♡ "home is where you are, whether it is here, in the deepest ocean or hottest desert, you are my home."

♡ slow and curious first kiss, both characters seemingly nervous, blush painting their faces.

♡ stolen glances across the room.

♡ "the gods took their time with you."

♡ wearing their heart on their sleeves around each other.

♡ character A's face blushing as B smootheres them in compliments even years into their relationship with character B.

♡ quiet murmurs of affection.

♡ “i missed you.” “i was gone for two hours.”

♡ coffee shop and bookstore dates.

➣ HARD LOVE

♡ guttural rain confessions.*

♡ "do you not get it? every second i spend in the absence of your presence pains me."

♡ harsh and passionate first kisses.

♡ "i fucking yearn for you and you haven't so much as spared me a glance in years!"

♡ walls that they have each spent years building crumbling in the presence of one another.

♡ heated arguments turned into heated confessions.

♡ "i hate you! i hate you so much i can't bear to be near you." "you are walking a fine line between hate and desire, love."

♡ both being far too stubborn to admit their feelings, their hearts both caged deep within them.

♡ (years/months) of pent up emotions being aired in an argument and when the dust settles the only emotion left is their desire for each other.

♡ “do you think i want this? do you think i want to be stuck in this endless cycle of wanting you? do you truly think i enjoy waking up every morning realizing you’re not there?”

♡ tears spilling as they finally give in and proclaim their feelings.

♡ “i am not an easy person to love.” “i think i’ve got the hang of it.”

REBLOG TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL WRITERS!!<3

* rain confessions coming soon !!

[includedisco]

Writing has both good & bad days. It's not you. It's just how it is

Just to be clear;

Your own writing will look like shit or like gold, depending on what sort of day you're having

No matter how many times you edit your story, you'll still miss at least 55 typos

Some days writing feels like the only source of your joy and other days it feels like the bane of your existence.

Some days you can write an entire long ass one shot in a day and other times you can't write a single word for a week.

some days you'll feel like a god among writers and other days you'll wonder why you even bother if you're so bad at writing(regardless of how many kudos/hits/votes/notes/likes you get on your story).

Some days you feel warmed by the sense of writing community you have and other days you'll feel alone in your writing

Some days you'll be so grateful for 10 kudos and other days you'll sulk about getting "only a 100" kudos.

Some days seeing 45 comments on your story will make you happy because you're having a good day mentally. Other days just 4 comments will overwhelm you.

The point is that writing is no different from anything else. It has good and bad days. The secret is to go with the flow and embrace the bad days just like you do the good ones. Nothing lasts for ever. Just like good days pass, so do the bad ones. Hang in there, awesome writer 💪

You're doing a great job and you'll be alright🫂❤️

[theaawalker]

Good Traits Gone Bad

✧ Empathy → Emotional Exploitation

Empathy is the heartbeat of connection. It's he ability to feel alongside others, to hold space for pain, joy, fear. But when someone becomes hyper-attuned to emotions, they might begin to use that insight as leverage. What began as compassion shifts into subtle control. They know what others fear, need, or hope for. Then, they exploit it, nudging choices and reactions under the guise of care. The warmth of empathy cools into quiet manipulation, wrapped in smiles and soft voices.

✧ Intuition → Paranoia or Presumption

Intuition is powerful. It guides, warns, and illuminates. But when someone relies too heavily on gut instinct, they may stop seeking context or clarity. They begin to assume intentions, predict betrayals, or treat hunches as fact. What once helped them understand unspoken truths now drives wedges between them and others. Intuition becomes a filter that distorts rather than reveals.

✧ Bravery → Recklessness

True courage inspires others. It faces fear while acknowledging the cost. But courage without wisdom can spiral into recklessness. The brave character begins to leap before looking, refusing help, or seeking danger not to help others but to prove something. Worse, they may sacrifice themselves repeatedly in ways that seem noble but are fueled by guilt, ego, or escapism. What once protected others now isolates or endangers them.

✧ Uniqueness → Alienation or Superiority

Being different is a gift -- a perspective the world needs. But when a character’s uniqueness becomes their identity, it can harden into alienation or quiet arrogance. They begin to believe no one can truly understand them. Or worse, that others are too ordinary to matter. They stop connecting, start dismissing. Their individuality, once empowering, becomes a lonely throne.

✧ Honesty → Weaponized Truth

Honesty builds trust, clarity, and integrity. But when honesty becomes detached from compassion, it cuts instead of connects. The character may justify harsh words as "just being real" or “telling it like it is,” ignoring the emotional wreckage left behind. What began as transparency turns into a shield for cruelty. Truth without tact becomes a blade.

✧ Optimism → Denial

Optimism sees hope in hardship, light in shadows. But relentless positivity can blind someone to real danger or silence the pain of others. The character insists everything will work out, even when it won’t. They dismiss warnings, ignore wounds, or refuse to acknowledge their own struggle. What started as radiant hope becomes denial in disguise, robbing others of permission to feel.

✧ Loyalty → Loss of Self

Loyalty is sacred. It anchors trust and sustains love. But loyalty without discernment can turn into self-erasure. A character might defend the wrong people, tolerate mistreatment, or silence their conscience -- all in the name of loyalty. They stay, even when it hurts. They follow, even when it breaks them. What began as devotion becomes a chain.

✧ Humanity → Overwhelm or Emotional Collapse

To be deeply human is to feel joy, rage, sorrow, wonder -- all fully. But a character might become so open to the world's weight that they drown in it. They struggle to regulate emotions, internalizing every injustice or heartache. Their humanity is profound, but it becomes unsustainable. Their openness turns into fragility, and their emotional world consumes them.

✧ Altruism → Disintegration of Boundaries

The altruist gives freely, loves fiercely, and seeks nothing in return. But when they give too much without limits, they fade from themselves. They neglect rest, silence their needs, and begin to believe that self-worth is earned only through sacrifice. Eventually, others begin to rely on them, but never truly see them. Their selflessness becomes a slow disappearance.

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thank you, i am farkle :)

[luna-azzurra]

Romantic Subplots That Don’t Make Me Want to Eat My Laptop

✧ The enemies-to-lovers pipeline is not just “we yelled once” and now we’re making out. Where is the tension? Where is the mutual respect beneath the knives? Where is the unbearable yearning while they patch each other up post-battle, covered in blood and unresolved feelings?

✧ You do not have to pair everyone off like it’s a high school dance and the chaperones are judging. It’s okay for characters to stay single, or in situationships, or be in love with someone who doesn’t love them back (ouch, but delicious).

✧ If they fall in love because they’re “both hot and there,” I am going to demand emotional receipts. What do they see in each other that nobody else does? Give me the specificity. “He brings her tea when her hands shake.” “She doesn’t mock his cursed poetry.” That kind of slop.

✧ Consent is hot. I don’t care if they’re vampires, enemies, rivals, or literal gods at war. “Do you want me to kiss you?” with the voice drop is sexier than 87 pages of unspoken tension ending in a sudden smooch that makes no sense.

✧ A love triangle is not “who is hotter.” It’s “which future does this character want.” One boy represents safety, the other chaos? Great. But we’re picking identities, not abs.

✧ Please stop writing characters who fall in love after knowing each other for twelve seconds and one trauma. That’s not love. That’s a bonding exercise at Emotional Camp and it will implode. At least let them flirt awkwardly first.