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#writeblr tips
moonandris · 20 days
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✨NEW WRITEBLR TAG GAME JUST DROPPED✨
If you're struggling with breathing life into your OC's, try this funny yet stupidly simple trick/writeblr tag game I just came up with. I call it the 'Roast Your OCS and Make It Into a Title' tag game. 🤣
So, we've all heard of fictional character archetypes and stereotypes that are often present in fiction, right? We all know it's not good to have shallow, surface level characters that have no complexity or nuance to their personalities, because real life humans contain multitudes, contradictions, and are in general very complicated beings.
Throw all that shit out for this exercise and toss it into the trash! 🗑️ In this tag game, we're gonna be reducing all our OC's to the most basic, mundane, stereotypical/archetypal renditions of themselves and making it Fit Into a Title!
Here's an example of my main character + his besties from my Science Fantasy WIP:
Cold and Stoic Pretty Boy Loaner With Social Anxiety and Unhealed Trauma Tries to Save His Sister
Disowned Goth Femme Fatale With Bitchy Yet Gentle Attitude Is Socially Neglected and Cries A Lot
Occasionally Serious Himbo City Boy Cop Tries and Fails to Fight Crime With Therapy and Rehabilitation
Snobby Know-It-All Imperial Man Who Somehow Has Both A Superiority and Inferiority Complex
Protective Amazonian Lesbian Sadist Who Will Absolutely Step On You and Ruin Your Life Forever
Gifted Slutty Bisexual Boy Genius Is Hiding a Dark Secret and Is Very Zesty (Rude) About It
For this tag game I'm gonna be tagging A LOT of people but mainly people who've interacted with me recently. Free to reblog if you see this on your dash, even if you're not tagged. I find this shit HILARIOUS and I would love to see what everyone manages to come up with! No pressure at all if you don't wanna participate, this is all just for fun. ❤️😊
@in-heavens-trenches @revenantlore @cupandquillcafe @fattybattysblog @eames-with-a-rose
@gailynovelry @kestalsblog @dru-reads-writeblr @druidx @indigowriting
@diabolical-blue @writercoracain @tildeathiwillwrite @craig-h-stuart @illarian-rambling
@coarsely @rjcopeseethemald @jackiezenauthor @squarebracket-trickster @kaylinalexanderbooks
@pen-of-roses @flock-from-the-void @sarandipitywrites @buffythevampirelover @imsaanvikhanna
@songsofsomnia @shadow-of-tea-and-tea @owlsandwich @faeriecinna @hauntedluminarybbq
@sarahlizziewrites @ayzrules @rickie-the-storyteller @janec23
If you want some extra help you can also look up character stereotypes/archetypes like I did. There's hundreds of blog posts about this topic but here's some helpful links so you can judge/roast your OC's to your heart's content:
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athenswrites · 2 years
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How to make an easy title/wip graphic
You've probably seen the little headers I use occasionally on my blog, like these:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Ever wanted to make one of your own? Don't fear, because it's actually really easy! I've outlined my process step by step below the cut >:)
Open up Canva
Open up Canva
Click "custom size".
Enter 1800w x 600h for the size, or something with the same 3:1 dimensions
Next, upload your photo, and drag it in.
Scale that photo so it takes up the entire background. (Sometimes an option pops up to do this, but I usually drag mine in so I can make it look aesthetic, like the CryCon one.)
Click on the image, then "Edit Image" (it's on the white bar below the forward and back arrows)
Mess around with effects until you find something you like.
One you're done messing with the photo, drag in a text box.
Type in whatever you want (i.e. Title, intro, character name, etc)
Pick an aesthetically pleasing font for you WIP
Make the font pretty big, so the words stretch all the way across the graphic. (Also, make sure the text box is centered during this process)
Pick a pretty color that matches the photo
Go to "effects" (it's on the same bar you found edit image or where font/size/color are, just towards the right side)
Click on the option titled "lift", and drag it between 75-100. You can honestly use any effect, but that one is my go-to, as it makes the font readable.
Download and save
voila, you have a pretty graphic
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pen-for-sword · 2 years
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I've been trying to start up a writeblr, but it's really hard to stay motivated/get past creative blocks, even with attempting a habit. i also want to try and get more involved in the writeblr community, but i'm a bit socially anxious. would you happen have any tips? if not, that's ok!
Lol you and me both anon. A couple years ago I was fairly active on the writeblr scene, but now I'm kind of busy with uni so I've mostly been reblogging writing posts.
If you want my advice for running a writeblr, some tips for a Low-Spoons Writeblr Experience:
Reblog! Reblog writing tips, reblog other people's writing, reblog tag games. Keep the queue going.
Speaking of tag games, I suggest participating in those. If you don't have any writeblr friends (I'll get to that) then look through the tag game and writeblr tags and find tag games tagged "for anybody". Be shameless, jump on that train, and tag OP back.
Speaking of writeblr friends, go on a follow spree. Find writeblrs on tumblr, look through their blogs, their WIP pages if they have them, and if you like what you see go hit the follow button.
Lastly, comment on stuff. Even if it's just in the tags. You can comment on people's writing snippets, their tag games, it doesn't have to be anything particularly lengthy, even a little emoji heart will work. If you're super anxious about Being Perceived you can leave the comment in the tags so only OP will see it- but either way chances are you'll make them smile.
Of course if you want to go full monte with the writeblr thing, you can make WIP pages and playlists and post little snippets on your blog but if that's too intimidating for now, tag games are a perfect way in.
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yvesdot · 2 years
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[W]hat is it, then, a writer’s education? Where does it happen, and how? I feel fairly sure I know where it doesn’t happen: in seminar rooms, crowded with prejudices and neuroses, where a more or less randomly gathered group of twelve or fourteen others responds to twenty or thirty context-less pages. Those rooms can be useful places; they can, when one has a careful teacher or brilliant peers, alert one to paths for investigation one hadn’t scented out for oneself. (The question of how to develop a pedagogy that encourages this usefulness is one of my enduring preoccupations.) But I’m dubious of the value of workshops as places where a writer meaningfully deepens their relationship to their chosen medium, to the material, the stuff, with which they’ll spend a lifetime working: scenes, sentences, sounds, meanings. And I don’t think this education happens in reading books or essays on “craft”—the rubric under which I write this essay—since the stories writers tell about our processes of making are so often (you’ve been warned) fantasies, self-flattering or self-castigating, the value of which lies only in their result. At best a writer’s conception of craft is an imaginary garden nourishing the real toads of stories and novels and poems. 
-- Garth Greenwell, On a Sentence by Raven Leilani
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heywriters · 1 year
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If you want to write a dumb little story with a dumb little plot and ridiculously silly characters. No one's stopping you. Genuinely, no one should be allowed to stop you. Write that dumb story with your whole heart and don't hold back.
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How to show emotions
Part V
How to show grief
a vacant look
slack facial expressions
shaky hands
trembling lips
swallowing
struggling to breathe
tears rolling down their cheeks
How to show fondness
smiling with their mouth and their eyes
softening their features
cannot keep their eyes off of the object of their fondness
sometimes pouting the lips a bit
reaching out, wanting to touch them
How to show envy
narrowing their eyes
rolling their eyes
raising their eyebrows
grinding their teeth
tightening jaw
chin poking out
pouting their lips
forced smiling
crossing arms
shifting their gaze
clenching their fists
tensing their muscles
then becoming restless/fidgeting
swallowing hard
stiffening
holding their breath
blinking rapidly
exhaling sharply
How to show regret
scrubbing a hand over the face
sighing heavily
downturned mouth
slightly bending over
shoulders hanging low
hands falling to the sides
a pained expression
heavy eyes
staring down at their feet
Part I + Part II + Part III + Part IV
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novlr · 9 months
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The symbolism of flowers
Flowers have a long history of symbolism that you can incorporate into your writing to give subtext.
Symbolism varies between cultures and customs, and these particular examples come from Victorian Era Britain. You'll find examples of this symbolism in many well-known novels of the era!
Amaryllis: Pride
Black-eyed Susan: Justice
Bluebell: Humility
Calla Lily: Beauty
Pink Camellia: Longing
Carnations: Female love
Yellow Carnation: Rejection
Clematis: Mental beauty
Columbine: Foolishness
Cyclamen: Resignation
Daffodil: Unrivalled love
Daisy: Innocence, loyalty
Forget-me-not: True love
Gardenia: Secret love
Geranium: Folly, stupidity
Gladiolus: Integrity, strength
Hibiscus: Delicate beauty
Honeysuckle: Bonds of love
Blue Hyacinth: Constancy
Hydrangea: Frigid, heartless
Iris: Faith, trust, wisdom
White Jasmine: Amiability
Lavender: Distrust
Lilac: Joy of youth
White Lily: Purity
Orange Lily: Hatred
Tiger Lily: Wealth, pride
Lily-of-the-valley: Sweetness, humility
Lotus: Enlightenment, rebirth
Magnolia: Nobility
Marigold: Grief, jealousy
Morning Glory: Affection
Nasturtium: Patriotism, conquest
Pansy: Thoughtfulness
Peony: Bashfulness, shame
Poppy: Consolation
Red Rose: Love
Yellow Rose: Jealously, infidelity
Snapdragon: Deception, grace
Sunflower: Adoration
Sweet Willian: Gallantry
Red Tulip: Passion
Violet: Watchfulness, modesty
Yarrow: Everlasting love
Zinnia: Absent, affection
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unboundprompts · 2 months
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Pirate Terms and Phrases
-> Pirate Lingo
-> A Pirate's Glossary
Batten Down The Hatches - tie everything down and put stuff away for a coming storm.
Brig - a prison on a ship.
Bring a Spring Upon 'er - turn the ship in a different direction
Broadside - the most vulnerable angle of a ship that runs the length of the boat.
Cutlass - a thick, heavy and rather short sword blade.
Dance with Jack Ketch - to hang; death at the hands of the law (Jack Ketch was a famed English executioner).
Davy Jones's Locker - a mythical place at the bottom of the ocean where drowned sailors are said to go.
Dead Men Tell No Tales - the reason given for leaving no survivors.
Flogging - severe beating of a person.
Gangplank - removable ramp between the pier and ship.
Give No Quarter - show no mercy.
Jack - flag flown at the front of the ship to show nationality.
Jolly Roger - black pirate flag with a white skull and crossbones.
Keelhaul - a punishment where someone is dragged under the ship. They are cut by the planks and barnacles on the bottom of the ship.
Landlubber - an inexperienced or clumsy person who doesn't have any sailing skills.
Letters of Marque - government-issued letters allowing privateers the right to piracy of another ship during wartime.
Man-O-War - a pirate ship that is decked out and prepared for battle.
Maroon - to leave someone stranded on a. deserted island with no supplies, typically a punishment for any crew members who disrespected the captain.
Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes by forcibly removing the old one.
No Prey, No Pay - a common pirate law that meant crew members were not paid, but rather received a share of whatever loot was taken.
Old Salt - experienced pirate or sailor.
Pillage - to steal/rob a place using violence.
Powder Monkeys - men that performed the most dangerous work on the ship. They were treated harshly, rarely paid, and were expendable.
Privateer - government-appointed pirates.
Run A Shot Across the Bow - fire a warning shot at another boat's Captain.
Scurvy - a disease caused by Vitamin C Deficiency.
Sea Legs - when a sailor adjusts his balance from riding on a boat for a long time.
Strike Colors - lower a ship's flag to indicate surrender.
Weigh Anchor and Hoist the Mizzen - an order to the crew to pull up the anchor and get the ship sailing.
If you like what I do and want to support me, please consider buying me a coffee! I also offer editing services and other writing advice on my Ko-fi! Become a member to receive exclusive content, early access, and prioritized writing prompt requests.
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how to write creepy stories
over describe things
under describe things
short sentences in rapid succession build tension
single sentence paragraphs build dread
uncanny valley = things that aren't normal almost getting it right
third person limited view
limited expressions
rot, mold, damage, age, static, flickering, espsecially in places it shouldn't be
limited sights for your mc - blindness, darkness, fog
being alone - the more people there are, the less scary it is
intimate knowledge, but only on one side
your reader's imagination will scare them more than anything you could ever write. you don't have to offer a perfectly concrete explanation for everything at the end. in fact, doing so may detract from your story.
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imastoryteller · 1 month
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20 Emotional Wounds in Fiction That Make Readers Root for the Character
Abandonment: Characters who have been abandoned by loved ones or caregivers can evoke sympathy from readers.
Betrayal: Being betrayed by someone close can create deep emotional wounds that make readers empathize with the character.
Loss of a Loved One: Whether through death or separation, the loss of a loved one can be a powerful emotional wound.
Rejection: Characters who experience rejection, whether in relationships or by society, can be relatable and evoke empathy.
Abuse: Physical, emotional, or psychological abuse can create complex wounds that shape a character's personality and behavior.
Neglect: Characters who have been neglected, especially in childhood, can evoke sympathy from readers.
Failure: Experiencing a significant failure or loss can create emotional wounds that make characters more relatable.
Guilt: Characters who carry guilt for past actions or decisions can be compelling and evoke empathy from readers.
Shame: Feelings of shame can create internal conflict and make characters more relatable and sympathetic.
Injustice: Characters who have experienced injustice or unfair treatment can evoke strong emotions from readers.
Trauma: Characters who have experienced traumatic events, such as war or natural disasters, can be sympathetic and relatable.
Loneliness: Characters who feel lonely or isolated can evoke empathy from readers who have experienced similar feelings.
Fear: Characters who face their fears or struggle with phobias can be relatable and evoke empathy from readers.
Self-doubt: Characters who struggle with self-doubt or low self-esteem can be relatable and evoke sympathy.
Identity Crisis: Characters who are grappling with questions of identity or struggling to find their place in the world can be sympathetic.
Addiction: Characters who struggle with addiction can be complex and evoke empathy from readers.
Betrayal of Trust: Characters who have had their trust betrayed can be sympathetic and relatable.
Unrequited Love: Characters who experience unrequited love can be sympathetic and evoke empathy from readers.
Isolation: Characters who feel isolated or disconnected from others can be relatable and evoke sympathy.
Fear of Failure: Characters who struggle with a fear of failure can be relatable and evoke empathy from readers.
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moonandris · 1 year
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If you have a lot of WIPs and don’t know what to write next...
Do NOT do what I DO!!!!! I REPEAT DO NOT DO WHAT I DOOOOO!!!
 Okay fam, so I do this thing where I ‘flash/speed’ watch the first episode of any random multiple new shows I’ve been wanting to check out on my watch list. Not only will you find new shows to watch and obsess over (and thus spend your time NOT writing new or old WIPs) you’ll suddenly find yourself with two or three new WIP ideas (thus adding to list of WIPs that you’re not writing... also, your old WIPs will just sit in your writing folder and just be like.... really bitch... it’s like that, huh?)
Learn from my mistakes. 😭
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bebx · 7 months
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so rude that fantasizing about writing alone is not enough to actually get the fic done. you have to actually sit down and write it. insane.
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maccreadysbaby · 8 months
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Some of My Favorite Ways to Describe a Character Who’s Sick
pressing their forehead into something cool or comfortable (this could be an array of things. the table, the floor, someones leather jacket, their water bottle, the countertop)
warm to the touch, or heat radiating from them (could be noticed if someone’s gauging their temperature with their hands, hugging them, or just generally touching them)
leaning into people’s touch, or just spontaneously leaning on them (like pressing into their hand when someone’s checking their temp, or just, like, literally walking up and laying their head on them from fatigue. bonus points if the character is usually feral and the other is scared to engage™︎)
falling asleep all over the place (at the dinner table, on their homework, in the car, in the bathroom — just being so exhausted from doing literally nothing)
being overly emotional (crying over things that don’t usually bother them, like their siblings arguing, or their homework, or literally just nothing)
stumbling/careening/staggering into things (the wall, furniture, other people. there is no coordination in feverish brains. running into chairs, hitting the door, falling over the couch, anything and everything)
slurring their words (could be from fatigue or pain. connecting words that shouldn’t be connected, murdering all of their conversations with the excessive use of ‘mm’ and ‘nn’ in place of words) (this is my favorite thing ever)
being overly touchy (basically like a sick kid — just hold them, please. do that thing where you brush their hair back out of their face, or rub circles on their back, or snuggle them. they won’t care. bonus points if this is also the feral character and they refuse to believe it afterwards)
being extremely resistant to touch (flinching away when they usually don’t so someone can’t feel the fever, not letting themselves be touched because they’re so tired they just know they’ll be putty in their hands if they do)
growing aggressive or being extremely rude (it’s a defense mechanism — they feel vulnerable and are afraid of being manipulated or deceived while they’re ill)
whimpering/whining/groaning (this was in my “characters in pain” post but it’s so good that i’m putting it here too. this shite is gold, especially if it’s just an involuntary reaction to their symptoms)
having nightmares caused by a fever and/or delirium (crying and murmuring in their sleep, or being awake but completely out of it and convinced they’re somewhere else)
making themselves as small as possible (curling up into a ball everywhere they lay, hunching over slightly when standing, wrapping their arms around themselves)
TW for vomiting below cut !!
sleeping in the bathroom floor because they keep getting sick over and over (bonus if someone finds them all weak and pitiful. bonus bonus if they find them there in the morning only to learn they’ve been there all night)
using their hands/other body parts to clamp over their mouth so nothing can come out (like pulling their knees up to their chest and using that, or like, their arm, y’know) (~maccreadysbaby who has emetophobia suddenly gets very awkward about this post~) (~yes i have a phobia of puke and still write this happening to my characters, shut up~) (~it’s about the hurt/comfort okay~)
sympathy pukers (people who aren’t the sick ones but get nauseous/vomit when they see someone else throw up) (~aka me~) (~okay I’m done now~)
dry heaving (it’s gross, but good for making your characters absolutely freaking miserable)
rolling/churning/spinning/cramping/ lurching and all those awesome words that describe what stomachs do when sick (i hate these words with a deep, fiery passion. but they’re good for writing or whatever)
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em-dash-press · 6 months
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I am going to take a deep breath and just remind you:
Writing is messy, even for the best authors. It's supposed to feel a little uncomfortable, exhilarating, freeing, natural, and terrifying.
It's supposed to inspire you and feel like a too-heavy backpack.
Sometimes, you're going to love being a writer and sometimes, you'll feel so disconnected, you'll wonder if you were ever a writer to begin with.
Give yourself room to make mistakes and hate your work and return to it with renewed confidence that yes, you will get 1% better next time.
It's what we're all going through. Let's speed up the growing process a little by accepting the entirety of it.
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Advice for writing relationships
Ship Dynamics
How to create quick chemistry
How to write a polyamorous relationship
How to write a wedding
How to write found family
How to write forbidden love
Introducing partner(s) to family
Honeymoon
Date gone wrong
Fluffy Kiss Scene
Love Language - Showing, not telling
Love Language - Showing you care
Affections without touching
Giving the reader butterflies with your characters
Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms
Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other
Relationship Problems
Relationship Changes
Milestones in a relationship
Platonic activities for friends
Settings for conversations
How to write a love-hate relationship
How to write enemies to lovers
How to write lovers to enemies to lovers
How to write academic rivals to lovers
How to write age difference
Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms
Reasons for having a crush on someone
Ways to sabotage someone else's relationship
Ways a wedding could go wrong
Arranged matrimony for royalty
If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰
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blue-eyed-author · 7 months
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Some of my writer’s block cures:
Handwrite. (If you already are, write in a different coloured pen.)
Write outside or at a different location.
Read.
Look up some writing prompts.
Take a break. Do something different. Comeback to it later.
Write something else. (A different WIP, a poem, a quick short story, etc.)
Find inspiring writing music playlists on YouTube. (Themed music, POV playlists, ambient music, etc.)
Do some character or story prompts/questions to get a better idea of who or what you’re writing.
Word sprints. Set a timer and write as much as you can. Not a lot of time to overthink things.
Set your own goals and deadlines.
Write another scene from your WIP. (You don’t have to write in order.) Write a scene you want to write, or the ending. (You can change it or scrap it if it doesn’t fit into your story later.)
Write a scene for your WIP that you will never post/add to your story. A prologue, a different P.O.V., how your characters would react in a situation that’s not in your story, a flashback, etc.
Write down a bunch of ideas. Things that could happen, thing that will never happen, good things, bad things.
Change the weather (in the story of course.)
Feel free to add your own.
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