arosewrites

[arosewrites]

I need everyone’s best character advice. STAT.

#on writing #writing tips #character development

[arosewrites]

Title: killer, thriller Chapters: 2/2 Words: 6,934 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Arthur/Eames (Inception), Ariadne & Arthur (Inception)

Summary:

“What did you do?” Ariadne asks, cornering him later as he’s practicing the mark’s loopy handwriting on a pad of yellow paper. “Well, that’s a bit vague. I’ve done many things,” Eames responds, finishing off the ‘g’ he’s writing with a flourish. “What did you do to Arthur?” “Why do you think anything’s been done to him?” Eames frowns. “And why do you think I was the one to do it?”

Second chapter now posted!

Finally finished my fic that I started for @inceptionbingo 2021 for the prompt "zombie" 🧟

#inception #inception fic #inception bingo #arthur x eames #dreamhusbands #fanfic #rose creates

[arosewrites]

i hope you write (i hope we both write)

#on writing

[arosewrites]

how do i develop my own unique writing style? how exactly is it defined?

What is Writing Style? Nailing Down Your Writing Style Worried About Writing Style

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#on writing #writing tips

[arosewrites]

hi mr gaiman, question - how do you reach inspiration when you're trying to write a less interesting character/ a character you care less about? i've been working on my own story but i struggle so hard when it comes to characters outside of the main few... any tips on spreading an equal amount of care into every character (even the boring ones)?

have a nice day, and thank you!

I've never met a boring character yet. Or an unimportant character. You never know when you will need to promote a character. Make them all as interesting as you can: if you met your character at a party would you want to hang around and talk to them?

#on writing #writing tips

[arosewrites]

Title: killer, thriller Chapters: 1/2 Words: 3,214 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Arthur/Eames (Inception), Ariadne & Arthur (Inception)

Summary:

“Sorry,” Ariadne says, wrinkling her nose at the formerly undead corpses littering the floor around them, “I thought this place looked safe.” Arthur looks around, at the ominous bloodstains smeared across the walls and splattered over the toppled shelves of the convenience store they have taken refuge in. He’s relatively certain too that most of the stains were there before they reintroduced their would-be ambushers to death. “Safe,” he repeats dryly.

Finally posting a new fic after a year and a half! I originally started writing this for @inceptionbingo 2021 (lol) but, uh, better late than never?

#some day i'll finish my big bang fic from 2022 #i promise i haven't forgotten about it #inception #inception fic #inception bingo #arthur x eames #dreamhusbands #fanfic #rose creates

[arosewrites]

Hi - I feel very odd reaching out as I am painfully shy. But if you have a moment or any inclination, I would appreciate some advice.

I have a book coming out in December, and I am already getting mixed reviews. Have you experienced any anxiety ahead of a book launch? If you have had similar mixed reviews, how have you handled them? This is not a plug for my writing, so if you want to crop out my name that is perfectly fine. I just feel really lost right now. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Don’t write for the reviews. Write for the readers. You will always get mixed reviews. What matters is not that everyone who reads the book likes it, but that the people who like it like it. They are your people.

#on writing #pep talks

[arosewrites]

also unreliable narrators but especially unreliable narrators who change things because they think it'll make a better story. they're not sure whose listening but they need to make this good. maybe it doesn't matter that this horrible event happened if they can spin it right. it could have been cathartic right? they ask a audience who will never respond.

#oooh i love this idea #have no idea how to execute this #on writing #unreliable narrators

[arosewrites]

So I was thinking about epithets yesterday and how when they're used well they really add to the work and when they're used poorly it feels like the author has thrown a cinderblock in front of you while you're moving at a brisk walk, and then I got floostered (flu vaxx and covid booster) and managed to edit this ugly but hopefully helpful flowchart together through my flooster fever.

The question I always come back to is, "How would I, as the viewpoint character, think about this other character?" I think about my wife by her name or her relationship to me. I don't think of her as "the blue-haired woman," or "the taller woman."

This obviously doesn't cover every single permutation of epithet use out there in the would, but if I can help one person avoid writing, "Scarlett walked into the kitchen, hungry and annoyed about it. The redheaded woman found she had no snacks and grumbled," it'll be worth it.

(This is not a callout post for anyone in particular. It's just intended as general writing advice, because I had to figure out a lot of this shit for myself when I first started telling stories!)

#this is one of my biggest fanfic pet peeves lol #on writing #writing tips #epithets

[arosewrites]

Do you think that it’s best to search for synonyms when words are repeated in text or is it okay to have them double? It feels unprofessional to me.

Like..

“Kate was blinded by the hot tears that spilled from her eyes. Megan lifted her chin with a finger, Kate didn’t resist the act. With the back of her hand, she’d brush away her friends tears.”

Repeated Word in Same Sentence/Paragraph

Obviously there are some words that are hard not to repeat (pronouns, articles, demonstratives, prepositions, conjunctions...) but when it comes to nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc., it's best not to repeat the word twice too close together (within the same sentence or paragraph) unless it's absolutely necessary.

However, replacing the word with a synonym isn't always the best choice. Instead, it's better to try re-wording one of the sentences to omit the repeated word:

Original:

“Kate was blinded by the hot tears that spilled from her eyes. Megan lifted her chin with a finger, Kate didn’t resist the act. With the back of her hand, she brushed away her friends tears.”:

Re-Worded:

“Kate was blinded by the hot tears that spilled from her eyes. Megan lifted her chin with a finger and wiped them away with the back of her hand. Kate didn't resist the act."

Pitfalls with Synonyms

There are a few reasons why it's best to avoid swapping out the repeated word with a synonym if at all possible:

1 - The Thesaurus is Your Frenemy... Under the right circumstances, the thesaurus can be a handy tool in your arsenal, but all synonyms are not created equal. Some synonyms work only in specific situations. For example, "sudden" means "happening unexpectedly." The word "precipitous" is a synonym of sudden, but it doesn't also mean "happening unexpectedly." It really means "brought about with undue haste." So, it wouldn't necessarily be a good replacement for "sudden." For this reason, if you do decide to use a synonym, always make sure to crosscheck your choice with a dictionary.

2 - Some Words Don't Have Synonyms - There are some words that don't have synonyms... at least, not good ones. "Tears" for example doesn't really have a synonym, at least not a direct one. So, if you're looking for a word that means "tears" to replace that second use of "tears," you're going to be out of luck.

3 - Synonyms Can Lead to Purple Prose - Most of the time, when you look up the synonyms of a particular word, you'll find a lot of them are a bit... ornate. For example, "jubilate" is listed as a synonym for "celebrate" in some thesauruses. Depending on your needs, it could work, but it's just so... extra. And if you do that a lot, you can end up writing purple prose.

I hope that helps!

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#i definitely make use of a thesaurus when i write #but it’s usually when i have a word on the tip of my brain that i want to use but it’s just not coming to me #definitely agree with being careful because not all synonyms are created equal #having a good grasp on the subtleties in meaning is important #on writing #writing tips #synonyms

[arosewrites]

Pro Tip: The Way You End a Sentence Matters

Here is a quick and dirty writing tip that will strengthen your writing.

In English, the word at the end of a sentence carries more weight or emphasis than the rest of the sentence. You can use that to your advantage in modifying tone.

Consider:

In the end, what you said didn't matter.

It didn't matter what you said in the end.

In the end, it didn't matter what you said.

Do you pick up the subtle differences in meaning between these three sentences?

The first one feels a little angry, doesn't it? And the third one feels a little softer? There's a gulf of meaning between "what you said didn't matter" (it's not important!) and "it didn't matter what you said" (the end result would've never changed).

Let's try it again:

When her mother died, she couldn't even cry.

She couldn't even cry when her mother died.

That first example seems to kind of side with her, right? Whereas the second example seems to hold a little bit of judgment or accusation? The first phrase kind of seems to suggest that she was so sad she couldn't cry, whereas the second kind of seems to suggest that she's not sad and that's the problem.

The effect is super subtle and very hard to put into words, but you'll feel it when you're reading something. Changing up the order of your sentences to shift the focus can have a huge effect on tone even when the exact same words are used.

In linguistics, this is referred to as "end focus," and it's a nightmare for ESL students because it's so subtle and hard to explain. But a lot goes into it, and it's a tool worth keeping in your pocket if you're a creative writer or someone otherwise trying to create a specific effect with your words :)

#oooh fascinating #on writing #writing tips #sentence structure

[arosewrites]

this is so mean but sometimes i see published writing and suddenly no longer feel insecure about my own writing ability. like well okay that got published so im guessing i dont have much to worry about

#on writing #publishing

[arosewrites]

You know, when I see fictional characters who repress all their emotions, they're usually aloof and very blunt about keeping people at a distance, sometimes to an edgy degree—but what I don't see nearly enough are the emotionally repressed characters who are just…mellow.

Think about it. In real life, the person that's bottling up all their emotions is not the one that's brooding in the corner and snaps at you for trying to befriend them. More often than not, it's that friendly person in your circle who makes easy conversation with you, laughs with you, and listens and gives advice whenever you're upset. But you never see them upset, in fact they seem to have endless patience for you and everything around them—and so you call them their friend, you trust them. And only after months of telling them all your secrets do you realize…

…they've never actually told you anything about themselves.

#on writing #character development

[arosewrites]

lydia davis

#on language #on english

[arosewrites]

“C’est un rêveur, comme toi,” Marie had said in worried tones. He is a dreamer, like you. You cannot keep each other grounded.

in medias res - Dom Cobb/Mal Cobb, 3k, 1/3

Art by anonymous artist for @aroseinflight | IBB 2022

#inception big bang #inception #writing events #fanart

[arosewrites]

I kind of suck at tagging, so I made this infographic to help make it easier.

#on fanfiction #tagging

[arosewrites]

I hope every writer who sees this writes LOADS the next few months. Like freetime opens up, no writers block, the ability to focus, etc etc you're able to write loads & make lots of progress <3

#pls i need to finish my big bang fic 😭 #on writing #pep talks