sagasofazeria

[sagasofazeria]

Weird Brain Hacks That Help Me Write

I'm a consistently inconsistent writer/aspiring novelist, member of the burnt-out-gifted-kid-to-adult-ADHD-diagnosis-pipeline, recently unemployed overachiever, and person who's sick of hearing the conventional neurotypical advice to dealing with writer's block (i.e. "write every single day," or "there's no such thing as writer's block- if you're struggling to write, just write" Like F*CK THAT. Thank you, Brenda, why don't you go and tell someone with diabetes to just start producing more insulin?)

I've yet to get to a point in my life where I'm able to consistently write at the pace I want to, but I've come a long way from where I was a few years ago. In the past five years I've written two drafts of a 130,000 word fantasy novel (currently working on the third) and I'm about 50,000 words in on the sequel. I've hit a bit of a snag recently, but now that I've suddenly got a lot of time on my hands, I'm hoping to revamp things and return to the basics that have gotten me to this point and I thought I might share.

1) My first draft stays between me and God

I find that I and a lot of other writers unfortunately have gotten it into our heads that first drafts are supposed to resemble the finished product and that revisions are only for fixing minor mistakes. Therefore, if our first draft sucks that must mean we suck as writers and having to rewrite things from scratch means that means our first draft is a failure.

I'm here to say that is one of the most detrimental mentalities you can have as a writer.

Ever try drawing a circle? You know how when you try to free-hand draw a perfect circle in one go, it never turns out right? Whereas if you scribble, say, ten circles on top of one another really quickly and then erase the messy lines until it looks like you drew a circle with a singular line, it ends up looking pretty decent?

Yeah. That's what the drafting process is.

Your first draft is supposed to suck. I don't care who you are, but you're never going to write a perfect first draft, especially if you're inexperienced. The purpose of the first draft is to lay down a semi-workable foundation. A really loose, messy sketch if you will. Get it all down on paper, even if it turns out to be the most cliche, cringe-inducing writing you've ever done. You can work out those kinks in the later drafts. The hardest part of the first draft is the most crucial part: getting started. Don't stress yourself out and make it even harder than it already is.

If that means making a promise to yourself that no one other than you will ever read your first draft unless it's over your cold, dead body, so be it.

2) Tell perfectionism to screw off by writing with a pen

I used to exclusively write with pencil until I realized I was spending more time erasing instead of writing.

Writing with a pen keeps me from editing while I right. Like, sometimes I'll have to cross something out or make notes in the margins, but unlike erasing and rewriting, this leaves the page looking like a disaster zone and that's a good thing.

If my writing looks like a complete mess on paper, that helps me move past the perfectionist paralysis and just focus on getting words down on the page. Somehow seeing a page full of chicken scratch makes me less worried about making my writing all perfect and pretty- and that helps me get on with my main goal of fleshing out ideas and getting words on a page.

3) It's okay to leave things blank when you can't think of the right word

My writing, especially my first draft, is often filled with ___ and .... and (insert name here) and red text that reads like stage directions because I can't think of what is supposed to go there or the correct way to write it.

I found it helps to treat my writing like I do multiple choice tests. Can't think of the right answer? Just skip it. Circle it, come back to it later, but don't let one tricky question stall you to the point where you run out of brain power or run out of time to answer the other questions.

If I'm on a role, I'm not gonna waste it by trying to remember that exact word that I need or figure out the right transition into the next scene or paragraph. I'm just going to leave it blank, mark to myself that I'll need to fix the problem later, and move on.

Trust me. This helps me sooooo much with staying on a roll.

4) Write Out of Order

This may not be for everyone, but it works wonders for me.

Sure, the story your writing may need to progress chronologically, but does that mean you need to write it chronologically? No. It just needs to be written.

I generally don't do this as much for editing, but for writing, so long as you're making progress, it doesn't matter if it's in the right order. Can't think of how to structure Chapter 2, but you have a pretty good idea of how your story's going to end? Write the ending then. You'll have to go back and write Chapter 2 eventually, but if you're feeling more motivated to write a completely different part of the book, who's to say you can't do that?

When I'm working on a project, I start off with a single document that I title "Scrap for (Project Title)" and then just write whatever comes to mind, in whatever order. Once I've gotten enough to work with, then I start outlining my plot and predicting how many chapters I'm going to need. Then, I create separate google docs for each individual chapter and work on them in whatever order I feel like, often leaving several partially complete as I jump from one to the other. Then, as each one gets finished, I copy and paste the chapter into the full manuscript document. This means that the official "draft" could have Chapters 1 and 9, but completely be missing Chapters 2-8, and that's fine. It's not like anyone will ever know once I finish it.

Sorry for the absurdly long post. Hopes this helps someone. Maybe I'll share more tricks in the future.

[sagasofazeria]

u know what, even if my writing isnt the BEST, i still made it all on my own. like there was a blank word doc and i filled it up with my own words, my own story. i took what was in my head and i made it a real thing. idk i feel like that alone is something to be proud of.

[sagasofazeria]

There is no joy like the joy of a writer who has just figured out that a throwaway line they put into the first few paragraphs of a story is actually the key to a major plot point and possibly even the theme underlying the entire thing.

Just…yesssssss.

[sagasofazeria]

If you ever tagged me to do one of those tag game thingies and I never did it:

1) Thank you, seriously. Those are fun and being included shows that my followers care enough to want to learn more about me.

2) Very sorry about that, it’s extremely likely that I said to myself “Cool! But I’m busy at the moment, I’ll have to do this later today or tomorrow” before proceeding to just straight-up forget, now it’s too far back in my notifications and/or your blog to find again.

[sagasofazeria]

in my documence. straight up “writing it”. and by “it”, haha, let’s justr say. Words certainly

[sagasofazeria]

I think one of my favorite creative joys is seeing how many different things people can do with the same concept. give ten writers the same starting point, or basic plot, or set of tropes to use and you're still going to get wildly different end results

the details you focus on, the ones you omit, turns of phrase, tone, and framing, the cadence and tempo of the sentences themselves, all the little fingerprints you've left littered across the prose — how you tell the story matters, and your personal voice is what makes it unique

[sagasofazeria]

Happy WBW! I am just curious. Are there any rites/rituals in the world of your Lutesong stories that mark certain life events like coming of age or similar things?

Ooh good question!

There are two I can think of. One is that there are two social seasons (since the Lutesong world is Regency-esque). The city of Vornik hosts theirs in the fall, while the city of Matlock across the border hosts theirs in the spring. The richest generally attend both.

(Fun fact: the trio journeys to Matlock during the social season in book 2!)

The other ritual is a funeral ritual I outlined in a short story a while back. There is a song that’s typically performed at a funeral, but Emry notes that there are regional differences in how it’s performed. In the Tazlo area, the song is sung completely solo, which is personally devastating to Emry because in Senne, only the first part is sung solo, then everyone else joins in.

#all of this is so interesting!! Lutesong worldbuilding my beloved

[sagasofazeria]

[sagasofazeria]

Idk I’m just feeling really good about this Pathfinder story draft 2 so have a passage from the first chapter on the house ✌

“Who were those men? And who are you?”

Jo’s gaze flickered up to [Sakrattars]. “Are you sure you want an answer to those questions?” she asked as she unraveled the soiled cloth around her arm, exposing the oozing wound beneath. “If I’m a wanted criminal, do you really think I’d let you leave with that knowledge alive?”

Sakrattars paused, noting how Jo flexed her fingers and rotated her wrist, methodically checking the damage in the cold, detached manner of someone used to violence and its aftermath. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said at last, “but I almost died back there too and I think I deserve an explanation as to why.”

“Almost died? I must have missed the part where you got stuck with an arrow.”

“Don’t be obtuse. You know what I mean.”

There was a long silence as Jo rinsed her wound and Kaja handed her clean bandages from their pack. Just when he thought that the conversation must be over, Jo finally spoke.

“I don’t know.”

Sakrattars raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know? Sorry if I find that difficult to believe.”

“It’s the truth,” Jo said. Her usual gruffness softened into pensive reflection. “I think someone is looking for Kaja but I don’t know why.”

“For Kaja?” Sakrattars was taken aback. Out of all the wild things he imagined, he never even fathomed that Kaja might be the bounty. His mind cycled rapidly through the implications before settling on the most disturbing: 

Someone in the Empire knew who—or what—she was and it was worth killing over.

#oh I love this dialogue #coming out of my hibernation to be excited about the pathfinder crew on my dash #have never stopped being a huge fan of these characters #hope the good feelings continue!

[sagasofazeria]

Hi there! Do you have post where you discussed tips/advice on developing platonic relationships between those of the opposite gender? I see all too often the friends-to-lovers trope and while that is entertaining, I would like to expand my writing to develop an intimate friendship between two characters without resorting to the previous trope.

Guide: Developing a Close Platonic Friendship

Close platonic friendships go through many of the same stages and steps as a romantic relationship, but obviously without the romantic and/or sexual interest. Much like a romance, it can begin with an instant “attraction,” or it can develop slowly over time, but it ultimately builds through a series of shared experiences, common interests, and a building of trust.The Different Types of Friendship

acquaintances - known but not known well

associate - sharing a common activity such as work or a class

networking contact - friendly acquaintance who is beneficial to know

mentor - acquaintance who imparts knowledge or experience

social friends - friends you socialize with but don’t rely on in any way

good friends - friends you socialize with but can also count on if you need a favor or some light emotional support

close friends - friends you know well, can be yourself around, and can count on for favors and heavy emotional support

confidant - a close friend who you can tell your secrets to

best friend - your closest friend who you can count on for anything

Depending on where and how a friendship begins, it can advance through the different types of friendship almost as stages of friendship. For example, you might meet someone at work and bond as you begin to work together. Then you might begin to socialize with them a little bit, eventually graduating to hanging out together outside the larger group of friends. As your bond grows, you’ll be more comfortable around each other and trust each other more with your thoughts, feelings, and problems. This kind of friendship can turn into a very close friendship or even a best friendship.

How Friendships Form & How to Write About It

1) Meeting

For a friendship to form, two people have to meet for the first time. The nature of their meeting and the strength of their initial interest in one another usually determines how quickly the friendship forms. Also, the personality of each individual can obviously play a role. When two people meet in a larger group setting such as school, the workplace, or church, their friendship is likely to form a little slower since their time together is likely structured and not always conducive to socializing or bonding. In this case, the friendship has to develop enough for it to graduate to arranging meetings outside the initial group setting.

In other cases, when there’s more room for socializing upon each meeting, a friendship can form much faster. This is especially true when the meetings already occur outside of a structured format, such as when you meet someone in your neighborhood, online, or at the dog park.

It can be helpful to think of your characters’ meeting as the “inciting incident” of their friendship. Consider what was missing from their life prior to meeting this person, and what is gained once they become friends.

2) Moment of Discovery

After two people have met, there’s usually a “moment of discovery” that leads to a feeling of kinship between them. Typically, this discovery has two do with realizing something you have in common, like an affinity for the same subject at school, being huge fans of the same TV show, having the same type of dog, or having two kids who are friends. Often, this leads to the realization that you have other things in common, and with each thing learned and shared, the bond grows stronger.

For your characters, you’ll want to consider what works with the story. Look to your characters’ back stories to see if they have any common experiences, or if it would make sense that they both like something similar. For example, if both of your characters come from remote mountain villages, they might share a like or dislike of a certain type of food common in those villages, or of a certain cultural element.

3) From “Crossing Paths” to Intentional Meetings

Most friendships start without any sort of commitment. Sort of a “see you around” mentality, if you will. But as the two people keep crossing paths and getting to know each other, the friendship will probably graduate to intentional meetings, much like when two romantic interests decide to go on dates. For a friendship that forms in a structured environment, like school or work, the decision will likely be made to “hang out” outside of school or work.Sometimes, two people with an early friendship bond might get thrown into unexpected circumstances that strengthens their bond even more. For example, a group of school friends might get trapped in a cave together for a few days, which not only takes their friendship out of the usual structured environment, but throws them into a situation where they’re forced to get to know each other better, to bond, and to trust each other.

For your characters, consider what works best for your story. Don’t force a friendship. Let it grow organically through the events of the story.

4) Strengthening the Bond

One of the most important things that needs to happen once a friendship is established is things need to happen to strengthen the bond. These two friends need to feel comfortable sharing secrets with each other and knowing they can do so judgment free. They need to discover that the person will be there for them, even in difficult circumstances. As the friendship goes through and survives obstacles and challenges, the bond will grow even stronger.

For your characters, consider the natural opportunities for the friendship to grow in the story. What happens that force these two friends to get to know each other better? What happens that forces them to trust one another and rely on one another?

5) Sex is Sex

Generally speaking, human culture and society has very specific ideas about what constitutes sex and romance. These ideas can obviously differ slightly from culture to culture, and society to society, but we all basically know what these are within our own culture and society, and we’re all capable of guessing what situations might present confusion. But despite these notions, in real life there aren’t always crisp lines that define what is sexual or romantic and what isn’t. For example, a kiss on the cheek can be very affectionate and romantic, or it can be only mildly affectionate and totally platonic. In real life, you can cuddle with your best friend, curled up together in a tangle of limbs while you talk or laugh or comfort–and this can be completely platonic without even an ounce of sex or romance. But in fiction, we don’t have the billion points of data we have in real life to clarify that something is strictly platonic. And as much as we all may crave strictly platonic relationships in the stories we read, we’re programmed to see romance everywhere. This is why two characters on a TV show can’t smile at each other once without launching a thousand Character A x Character B tumblrs and inciting lengthy shipper wars. That said, as much as we may want to experiment with having our platonic characters being very intimate with each other, and doing things like showering together, kissing on the mouth, soft whispers and laughter while cuddling together on a bed–we need to really consider whether that kind of intimacy is really adding anything to the friendship or the story, and whether that thing is important enough to risk the fact that people will want to ship your characters even if you make it clear the relationship is platonic.

What You can Do to Clarify a Friendship is Platonic

If you’re worried that your characters’ friendship is coming off as romantic rather than platonic, there are a few things you can do to help clarify things:

- have your characters occasionally refer to each other as “my best friend” both to each other and to other characters.- give your characters significant others or love interests, or have them talk about people they’re interested in

- establish what your characters are attracted to sexually and romantically, and illustrate the fact that these elements are not present in the best friend

- find ways for your characters to be open about why their relationship isn’t romantic or sexual. For example, having one say, “Too bad you and I can’t hook up. It’d be so much easier than the nightmare of dating.” And then having the other say something like, “Yeah, but we’d drive each other crazy and you know I’m into brunettes.” 

- avoid portraying their interactions in ways that will be perceived as sexual or romantic in nature. 

Using a Timeline to Pace the Friendship and Tie it Into the Story

To help plot out your characters’ friendship arc and to make sure it ties into the story well, use a timeline like this:

Most important of all, follow your gut! Consider your own friendships, how they developed, what worked and what didn’t, and how something would have gone down if it had happened in one of your friendships.

[sagasofazeria]

(Staring at the word doc) yeah big things coming. Just you wait.

[sagasofazeria]

when u come up with a tiny change for your story that not only makes the writing flow better but also hammers in the character motivations and story theme

[sagasofazeria]

It's such a good feeling when all your little details you have planned start to fall in place for your story like a big puzzle. And you're just there staring and smiling because hey, I did that by accident and it fits.

[sagasofazeria]

mistakes can happen and if youre not poc  you might not see the way you describe poc as harmful or insulting, which is why im making this smallish psa. now before we start this is NOT an exhaustive list of things that people need to be aware of.

please, please, PLEASE put the same effort into describing brown eyes as you do blue and green. i have literally seen people with charas that have blue / green eyes go ON AND ON about how they are like sapphires / emeralds etc and then turn around and describe brown eyes simply as “dark”. why can you suddenly not be poetic with brown eyes ? are they not as beautiful and worthy of attention and effort ? there are LOTS of ways to describe brown eyes ( note: there are some food words here, which i will get to in my next point. i am in no way saying EVERY word on this list is great, but there are a lot of good descriptors.  ) they can be a feeling, a place, a memory– they can also be gemstones believe it or not. ( brown / black stones exist ?!?! wild ! ) 

do not ONLY romanticize light brown eyes. some people have black eyes, and they are just as beautiful. brown eyes are not only lovely when they have gold in them, or when the sun shines on them. black eyes are beautiful in every lighting, not just when they look lighter.

another thing i see people do that needs to STOP is describing poc skin tones with food. now, i know a lot of people are like ‘???? how is that insulting’ but you can read a good reason why not to do that HERE. not all poc feel this way, but if you are not poc it is important to consider this perspective and how people feel. HERE and HERE you can also find other ways to describe skin tones.

lastly, if you are going to describe poc skin tones you also need to acknowledge when a character is white. when you only describe darker skinned poc, you are feeding the tired ass pattern of a character is white unless described otherwise. assume we know nothing, cant see your icon/fc. also, a lot of us here are writing books and this happens in novels a lot– it needs to stop. if you are going to describe skin color, it cant just been when someone has dark skin.

thanks have a good one

[sagasofazeria]

#yeah…

[sagasofazeria]

IT’S TIME

IT’S HERE

I FINALLY GET TO SHOW IT TO YOU

THE COVER FOR A RIVAL MOST VIAL

[ID: a purple book cover with a gold border and filigree. The text in the middle reads “A Rival Most Vial.” The subtitle above reads “Potioneering for Love and Profit.” The author name is R.K. Ashwick. Silhouettes of two men stand on either side of the word “Vial,” with little white hearts above their heads. White and gold potion bottles sit above the subtitle, and the border includes elements like cauldrons, wands, dragon wings, gems, and spilling potion bottles. end ID]

LOOK AT IT

I AM SO EXCITED

I HOPE YOU ARE AS EXCITED AS ME

BUT THAT IS PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE

IT’S THE BOYS

DO YOU SEE THEM?!

DO YOU SEE THE HEARTS

IT’S THEM

and this will be a book! that people can read! other people can meet Ambrose and Eli!

amazing.

anyhoo.

if you would like to meet Ambrose and Eli:

ARCs coming out next week! (free copy of the book to encourage honest reviews pre-release, but reviews are never required)

Pre-Order Goodies out in Feb, with stickers, bookmarks, and watercolor art!

and of course…the book releases on March 20th in both e-book and paperback!

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D

#aaaa yay!!!! #what a gorgeous cover #im really happy for you #can’t wait to pick it up!! #I’ve finally gotten my hands on the Stray Spirit and it’s so lovely I adore it #I’ve been recommending it to everyone I know irl #other’s work #ashen-crest

[sagasofazeria]

i feel like we don’t talk about things like this enough

#inspo #architecture