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quillwritten · 9 hours
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Did you know the best part of writing is getting to reread your own works? That shit was written for you! Its got your favorite tropes, your flavor of humor, the character archetypes you adore. If it doesn’t, why are you writing? If it doesn’t, start adding that shit. Quality of writing or no, your writing should at least appeal to yourself above all else. If you’re writing something you don’t even enjoy the readers will pick up on it, you know?
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quillwritten · 10 hours
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Hey btw, if you're doing worldbuilding on something, and you're scared of writing ~unrealistic~ things into it out of fear that it'll sound lazy and ripped-out-of-your-ass, but you also don't want to do all the back-breaking research on coming up with depressingly boring, but practical and ~realistic~ solutions, have a rule:
Just give the thing two layers of explanation. One to explain the specific problem, and another one explaining the explanation. Have an example:
Plot hole 1: If the vampires can't stand daylight, why couldn't they just move around underground?
Solution 1: They can't go underground, the sewer system of the city is full of giant alligators who would eat them.
Well, that's a very quick and simple explanation, which sure opens up additional questions.
Plot hole 2: How and why the fuck are there alligators in the sewers? How do they survive, what do they eat down there when there's no vampires?
Solution 2: The nuns of the Underground Monastery feed and take care of them as a part of their sacred duties.
It takes exactly two layers to create an illusion that every question has an answer - that it's just turtles all the way down. And if you're lucky, you might even find that the second question's answer loops right back into the first one, filling up the plot hole entirely:
Plot hole 3: Who the fuck are the sewer nuns and what's their point and purpose?
Solution 3: The sewer nuns live underground in order to feed the alligators, in order to make sure that the vampires don't try to move around via the sewer system.
When you're just making things up, you don't need to have an answer for everything - just two layers is enough to create the illusion of infinite depth. Answer the question that looms behind the answer of the first question, and a normal reader won't bother to dig around for a 3rd question.
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quillwritten · 16 hours
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Hey you know what's super funny about the idea of "good bi rep"?
For a character to be canonically bi you have to make sure and establish that they're attracted to multiple genders. Not all mediums allow you to get inside every character's head or show what they're thinking. Flirting can be read ambiguously, and god forbid they flirt with a character who's not into them and be read as pushy or predatory. So it can be super handy to just mention an ex or two! But you better not mention too many exes because that would make them a slutty bisexual which is (checks notes) bad, and you definitely better be careful about making them poly, because that might make them, uh... greedy. Oh, and those exes? They better be perfectly amiable breakups with no conflict or drama, because it's bad to represent queer people in toxic or abusive relationships (especially queer women! very bad), and you definitely can't have them have lost a partner if the partner was queer because that's "bury your gays..." You should probably also eliminate all trauma from their backstory, just to be safe. You should probably also make sure they're not involved in crime, deception, or anything of the sort, because that would make them "deviant" and a stereotype.
But don't worry! Once you've carefully crafted your nice, monogamous, experienced-but-not-too-experienced Lawful Good bi character, you will be rewarded with your audience deeming them "boring" and quickly passing them over for other characters. :)
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quillwritten · 16 hours
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even more job ideas for your western/cowboy oc that are not outlaws, bounty hunters, or sheriffs
wanted poster sketch artist - try your darnedest, some of the descriptions folks will give you will be really... something
owner of a small inn/old trading post in the middle of nowhere - days are slow, but ever so often you get travelers stopping by to rest or replenish their things
stablehand for a traveling wild west show like "Buffalo Bill's" - working with performers is tough (they always think they're the main character ugh), you prefer the company of animals and enjoy watching shows from behind-the-scenes
a small town's local barber... and dentist... and surgeon...
saloon piano player - inebriated patrons amuse and annoy you
snake oil salesperson - do you brew your own magic juice or are you just a pawn in a larger business?
sunday school "teacher" - you were not quite educated yourself, but you were the only able-bodied adult in town without kids or family, so you got assigned daycare duty
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quillwritten · 3 days
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🟢 You are still a writer even when you haven't written in a while.
🟢 You are still a writer even when you feel like you aren't writing enough.
🟢 You are still a writer when you feel like your work isn't good.
🟢 You are still a writer when other people don't like your work.
🟢 You are still a writer when you aren't published.
🟢 You are still a writer when you only have works in progress.
🟢 You are still a writer if all you write is fanfiction.
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quillwritten · 3 days
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A fantasy book where many characters have dramatic High Fantasy epithets, but for incredibly non-dramatic reasons.
An adventurer known as The Herald of Dawn, but it's because she tends to wake up naturally at 4 or 5 am and every single fucking time wakes up the whole damn camp before sunrise by banging pots and pans together while making herself breakfast.
A nobleman known as The Lord of Shadows, but it's because his land is shaded from all sides by cliffs and mountains and all the other nobility are roasting this guy for not being able to grow or farm anything on his shitty, shady, no-sunshine-having estates.
A courtesan known as The Emerald of [location], but it's because the county she was born in is known for manufacturing forged jewels and gemstones, and so far she is the fakest pretty thing to ever come from there.
An assassin known as The Kiss of Death, but it's because he has somehow acquired every single known and documented STD in his mouth.
The Dark Huntress, named so to distinguish her from The Blonde Huntress.
A prince known as The Raven Prince, but it's because he's autistic and can and WILL tell you everything that is known about ravens, for five hours straight.
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quillwritten · 6 days
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quillwritten · 9 days
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Reblog to open a rail line from your blog to the person you reblogged this from
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quillwritten · 10 days
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The Impact of Aids on the Artistic Community
September 13, 1987
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quillwritten · 12 days
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"How do I plot a book" You don't. You start writing. You make notes about ideas you have while writing. When you're finished, you bring everything together like a puzzle. You fix potholes, you delete dead scenes, you bring in funky dialogue. You let someone else read it and put some patches on it. Tada! There's your book.
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quillwritten · 12 days
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Me opening up the word doc and getting stuck in the exact same place as last time
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quillwritten · 12 days
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Reblog to open a rail line from your blog to the person you reblogged this from
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quillwritten · 13 days
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quillwritten · 17 days
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quillwritten · 17 days
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“how did you get into writing” girl nobody gets into writing. writing shows up one day at your door and gets into you
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quillwritten · 23 days
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Big fan of sun motifs in characters not necessarily being about positivity and happiness and how they're so " bright and warm" but instead being about fucking brutal they are.
Radiant. A FORCE of nature that will turn you to ash. That warmth that burns so hot it feels like ice. Piercing yellow and red and white. A character being a Sun because you cannot challenge a Sun without burning alive or taking everything down with them if victorious.
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quillwritten · 23 days
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My top 12 Sherlock Holmes short stories
Time for a bit of reflection! Now I've read all the Sherlock Holmes short stories, which ones are my favourites, and why? It was a hard choice, but these 12 are my favourites. If you haven't read Sherlock Holmes yet any of these stories might be a good place to start.
The priory school. I love this story for its twists and turns, lots of countryside field work by Holmes and Watson, and the delightful passenges of Sherlock Holmes daring to stand up against a rich, powerful man
The six Napoleons. This story is just good fun all around: delightful interactions between Holmes and Watson and Lestrade, a gruesome murder, an original story idea, and a suprisingly touching ending
Silver blaze. This is just an excellent mystery, with many clever hidden details to catch. A quite wholesome countryside adventure overall
The Abbey Grange. Domestic abuse and addiction are examined with much empathy in this story. The two female characters are amazing, and the ending shows Holmes as a caring man that is oriented towards justice instead of punishment
The illustrious client. All the characters in this story are just great, from the frightful abusive, to the infuriating, to the delightful and fierce, and the ending left me quite shaken. Of course the opening scene with Holmes and Watson visiting the Turkish Baths iconic
Charles Augustus Milverton. Milverton is the most creepy villain to ever exist. I hated him so much I made him even worse in a fic I'm currently working on. Oh, and Holmes and Watson acting gay and doing crimes, of course!
The solitairy cyclist. This story does an actually good job of examining the vulnerable position of domestic staff, especially of women. The young female client is a delight. I got so invested in this story towards the end
The red headed league. A very funny story with an unexpected, exciting ending. Holmes and Watson drop everything to go on a date in the middle of it and that is very valid of them
A scandal in Bohemia. The original Irene Adler story that is somehow more feminist than its modern adoptations
The Bruce-Partington plans. In my opinion, this story has the most cleverly put together mystery of all. Also, trains. Also, Mycroft Holmes! :)
The Northwood builder. Sherlock Holmes' desperation and fear for the sake of his client is tangable throughout this whole story, it showcases excellently how much he cares. Also a great commentary of how vulnerable suspects are to the whims and biases of the police. And Holmes is being iconically overdramatic at the end
The blue carbuncle. A very wholesome christmas themed story, funny, with memorable interactions and a thought-provoking, radical ending
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