#writersadvice

[silviawrites]

Writing romance between characters

A lot of readers like romance, don't they? From romance books to romantic subplots in a fantasy/sci-fi/thriller, we have some sort of romance in the books we read (though not all of them). A lot of times though, we feel the romance is forced and can be extremely unpleasant to watch. Let's discuss some tips about how to write romance properly.

Tension, tension, tension

Tension is key to any romance, whether it be enemies-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, rivals-to-lovers etc. Some examples are longing gazes, hands brushing each other, wistful gazes, hugs that last a little too long and more! Without tension, the romance just feels will be flat and boring and the readers won't be engaged in it. Please note that for the tension part, the things I listed can be platonic as well! What I mean to say is their reactions, such as them realizing they've caught feelings and now acting differently with each other, wistful gazes at someone they know they can't romance etc. All these actions I've listed in the post can happen platonically, especially for queerplatonic friends etc.

2. Give intimacy

Intimacy is not inherently sexual. It can also be emotional, and when portrayed in books properly, it can be marvellous to watch. Intimacy means being vulnerable with another person, being able to show them baring out their souls to one another, showing that they trust one another. Because if two people can't be intimate or vulnerable with each other, then no, we can't expect them to be in a romantic relationship.

3. Make them great individually

If the characters themselves aren't compelling characters, then we can't expect them to be any better in a romance. If one (or both) of the characters is flat and boring and the very embodiment of meh, then they're also going to be very "meh" in their relationship. Make the character engaging and exciting to watch, whether they're a villain or a hero. To gain some tips on how to write characters properly, check out my post on character writing!

TIP!

I have read this somewhere and I feel it's a really good tip! Use the no-kiss rule. Imagine the couple/ship you're writing. Write them but make sure that they don't kiss. Objectively, can you tell they have feelings for each other? If no, then do better or scrap it. If characters need to kiss to tell that they're in love, then they're not in love. Period.

#writer #writing #creative writing #writersadvice #writing advice #writing tips #writing tumblr #writingadvice #writing romance #romance writing #ship writing

[piepress]

How do you write your lovers' quarrels? Loud and angry? Soft and cold? Get in the comments to start a (friendly) writing quarrel of your own. 💌

#booklr #romance #writingtips #writersadvice

[thisromaniway]

Amusing myself as i wait to find out when the next surgery is scheduled. Not too bad a job for barely being able to see. . . . #DrPepper #latte #coffee #satan# #guiltypleasure #evilpleasure #writerfuel #writer #writing #writersadvice #screenwriter #screenwriting #dcteenplay (at Hollywood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CgiRAovpi2R/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#drpepper #latte #coffee #satan #guiltypleasure #evilpleasure #writerfuel #writer #writing #writersadvice #screenwriter #screenwriting #dcteenplay

[authorajalexander]

I re-blogged several excellent Writer's posts with useful advice on 'Writer's Treasure Chest'. https://aurorajalexander.wordpress.com

#writerstreasurechestblog #booktok #AJAlexander #writersadvice

[cmoroneybooks]

Character Profiles

Can we talk for a little moment about character profiles? I feel like they’ve fallen out of vogue but I still recommend them frequently to authors when I read their manuscripts and see places their characters need work.

Reasons to still use character profiles

1. Consistency

Are you writing a series? Then character profiles are a part of your series bible you should not be skipping. Will you remember the colour of your character’s mother’s eyes after she’s been absent from the page for three books and they’re dramatically and emotionally reunited? No, no you won’t. But that fan who has read your series nine times will notice if her eye colour changes. Don’t force yourself to go back and find where a character appears on the page, make a character profile. 

2. Breaking stereotypes

Most characters fit into an archetype fairly well. “The badass fighter chick,” “the wise wizard,” etc, etc. Those are fine as a jumping off point for your characters but if you stick too closely to those archetypes you’re creating a character we’ve all seen done before. To break your character out of their stereotype you need to notice they fit it first and profiles are great for that, but they’re also great for finding ways to do that. Many character profiles ask small questions of your character which allow you to showcase the individuality of the character.

Perhaps your badass female character is always in armor because she is never not in danger on page, perhaps she has fought hard to get out of her dresses which made her defenseless. But you don’t need to define her so rigidly, she doesn’t need to abandon her femininity entirely. Perhaps she still wears diamonds in her ears, or a jasmine perfume that the protagonist begins to associate with her so strongly they mistake a jasmine blossom for her presence. Small details like this are easily over-looked, even hard to think of, but a series of questions prompting deep thought into a character like say, a character profile, force you to think in small ways about a character. Those small things are often what make them more than a stereotype.  

3. Details

I watched a video by ShaelinWrites on Youtube quite some time ago that spoke about specific details in prose and the image it grants the reader. It changed the way I read, I learned to pick up on details that were forming pictures in my mind more clearly, but especially the way I write. The Dagasi Saga in particular has a great deal of visual detail within it because she stressed the important of choosing something specific when you are describing something to your reader. 

A veil covered her hair vs a gold silk veil covered her hair

A pot plant sat on the table vs a fern sat on the table

His red hair vs his auburn hair

Writing a character profile allows you to discover specific details that can be used to describe, perhaps frequently, the poise, presence and appearance of your character. Yennefer of Vengerburg wears a perfume of lilac and gooseberries and dresses entirely in black and white. You need to describe nothing else about her to find ways to make her appearance and presence striking with those two details and neither describe her physically. Many people define themselves with little details like this or reveal details about themselves unintentionally in the same way. Use a character profile and it’s probing questions to discover specific details you can use to enrich your prose. 

Watch the video here. 

4. Fighting homogeny

I am a bisexual woman, and if I wrote without really thinking about it you know what 100% of my characters would be? Yeah, bisexual women. Unfortunately for my instincts men, heterosexual, homosexuals, nonbinary, asexual and every other kind of queer / gender fluid or not women exist. I’m also prone to write more white characters than POC although its not as big of a problem as the bisexual woman thing, because guess what? I’m white! But the world is multi-colored, multi-gendered and full of different sexualities and one of the ways I realise I have written a pack of bisexual women is by writing a bunch of character profiles and describing pretty girls with wicked eyes over and over and realising, well... shit.

Even so The Dagasi Saga has Georgiana Allegra, Amira of Milkain, and Zahara Andefor as three major female characters and they’re all bisexual despite thei heterosexual marriages. Only one of them is white though, so I’ve got that at least.

A few good character profiles to get you started:

Reedy’s character profile

Fantasy Review’s character profile

Jedi Knight Muse’ s character profile

I solidify my own template for a character profile in the coming weeks so stay tuned for that! 

#writing tips #writingtips #writerrant #writingcommunity #writer community #writers community #amwriting #writing community #writersadvice #writer advice #writing advice

[rwhague]

Mental Health Day...

Everyone keeps talking about how important it is as an author to keep up with social media. I’m telling you right now though, if my anxiety spikes (like it’s doing right now), I’m taking a mental health day. Or week. Or whatever. Over and out. 

#mentalhealth #writer #writersblog #author #authorlife #authorblog #authortips #writerslife #writerstips #writersadvice #authoradvice #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthday #taking a break

[crossingcreative]

Writing Watermarks and slang words

So as a Digital Artist, who's beginning to put some stuff online and knowing how to deal with watermarks, do writers do the same? I know they have their names attached to them but is there a way to protect your work when posting? I have written my first chapter of a story that's DND and Charmed inspired based on an original character. I'm thinking about posting it. Also, are there any new or semi-new slang words in the Tumblr writing world I should know about? I have seen Y/N, Masterlist, etc. Any advice and insight would be appreciated! (: With my ramblings, I have decided to use the hashtag; CrossingConversations.

#Writingworld #Crossingconversations #writersadvice #advice #writing

[poetrybytraysi]

#poem #poetry #writersblock #writersadvice

[nelehjr]

Write some weird places. It makes life more interesting. #NoFilter #ILikeThisNewCamera #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #gishlanandallitsgishlaners #Gishlan #emeraldfirstqueenofgishlan #allthingsgishlan #writersadvice #writerlife #Selfie #Adventure #writersofwyoming #ThatsWY #GoGoshen #writersofig #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #sometimesiwrite https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsl_ExSn9CM/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=anwnzsaxlc66

#nofilter #ilikethisnewcamera #amwriting #amwritingfantasy #gishlanandallitsgishlaners #gishlan #emeraldfirstqueenofgishlan #allthingsgishlan #writersadvice #writerlife #selfie #adventure #writersofwyoming #thatswy #gogoshen #writersofig #authorsofinstagram #authorlife #sometimesiwrite

[dayshawnrshow]

#authorproblems #authoradvice #authordrive #author #dayshawnrsmith #writersadvice #writers #writeforyourself https://www.instagram.com/p/CPZ30TQrjnD/?utm_medium=tumblr

#authorproblems #authoradvice #authordrive #author #dayshawnrsmith #writersadvice #writers #writeforyourself

[silviawrites]

Making music playlists for writing

Many writers such as Chloe Gong, author of "These Violent Delights", have made music playlists for their books. These music playlists can help writers in writing. They could also express what the story is about through the music by showing the overall feel, vibes etc. Character songs can also be included in the playlist for, let's say, the readers to listen to when reading the book. In this post, I will be breaking down why people make music playlists for writing and how to make one yourself!

Why do people make writing playlists?

Just as I said above, writing playlists can help writers to write their current WIP. There are writers who may not be able to write properly and only have creativity rushing through their veins when listening to music. Others may want to make a playlist simply because they want to make their writing more fun and lively.

How do I make a writing playlist? What songs do I include?

Include songs that give the look or feel of the book. Let's say, if you write a fantasy book, then you can include epic songs and songs that give a feeling of magic.

If you want, include songs that represent your characters. For example, if you want to put a villainous character who wishes to redeem themselves, give "I'll be Good" by Jaymes Young.

Do it according to your own style! Some prefer to spend a lot of time planning what songs to add and can spend hours planning whereas others prefer to do it according to their own pace and prefer to just find songs that happen to remind them of their WIP to their playlist. Just do you!

Don't add every song you like. While I understand that it can be tempting, add songs that fit your WIP/character(s). If it doesn't suit your WIP, don't add it.

In case you don't want to make a music playlist but instead want to listen to some, there are quite a lot on Youtube! The "pov" playlists are also wonderful sources of inspiration so check those out if you're interested. Personally, I really like the playlists of Abbie Emmons on Youtube, so if you want to listen to those, please go ahead!

#writing #creative writing #writing tips #making music playlists #writing advice #creative writing tips #writing tumblr #writersadvice #writer #writeblr #writers of tumblr

[styleontheside]

Between revamping our Monday night writing group with Ness from @vriccithode (we now have a breakout room so people can talk if they have writing issues to discuss) and going live with an #authortalk with Andrea from @soul_to_page on Tuesday, I am already super excited for next week and it's only Saturday!!! 😊😊😊 (This photo was taken in the most amazing coffee shop in Vilnius) . . . . . . . . #styleontheside #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #storiesoftheeveryday #storyoftheday #storytellers #tellyourstory #googlelocalguides #letsguide #waterlooregion #writersofinsta #writinginspo #writingofinstagram #writerstalk #wrawesome #writingcommunityofinstagram #writersadvice #writerlife #writerswrite #writinggroup #writinginspiration #canadianbloggers #canadianwriter #cbclife #createwaterloo #canadianauthor #carolinetopperman #canlit #canadianwriters https://www.instagram.com/p/CNNIQIprgjz/?igshid=1koebaklryih4

#authortalk #styleontheside #seetheworldthroughmyeyes #storiesoftheeveryday #storyoftheday #storytellers #tellyourstory #googlelocalguides #letsguide #waterlooregion #writersofinsta #writinginspo #writingofinstagram #writerstalk #wrawesome #writingcommunityofinstagram #writersadvice #writerlife #writerswrite #writinggroup #writinginspiration #canadianbloggers #canadianwriter #cbclife #createwaterloo #canadianauthor #carolinetopperman #canlit #canadianwriters

[irishauthor3]

Some writing advice. Number of words for type of fiction. . . . . . . . . . #writer #writers #writerscommunity #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writersadvice #writersgoals #advice #adviceforwriters #numberofwords #author #authors #authorsofinstagram #LGBTQWriters #fiction #shortstories #novella #novellete #flashfiction #genrefiction #2021 (at Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJmQzDzg_bl/?igshid=43z2rb6kpojo

#writer #writers #writerscommunity #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writersadvice #writersgoals #advice #adviceforwriters #numberofwords #author #authors #authorsofinstagram #lgbtqwriters #fiction #shortstories #novella #novellete #flashfiction #genrefiction #2021

[faryal-leghari]

Mistakes uh do in story . . . . . . . . . . . . #story#mistakes#storymistakes#writingtips#writerwrites#viralstory#viralpost#wattpadpakistan#wattpadnovels#wattpadauthors#authors#authorsofinstagram#authorssupportingauthors#authorsofig#writersnetwork#writersuniverse#writersposts#writersteach#writersadvice#writersedition https://www.instagram.com/p/CG41YnTAF4j/?igshid=kz8myltqc0mx

#story #mistakes #storymistakes #writingtips #writerwrites #viralstory #viralpost #wattpadpakistan #wattpadnovels #wattpadauthors #authors #authorsofinstagram #authorssupportingauthors #authorsofig #writersnetwork #writersuniverse #writersposts #writersteach #writersadvice #writersedition

[cmoroneybooks]

To my fellow writers, beware of all those people who shower you in nothing but praise. They may mean well, but they cannot be trusted. You will never be better than you are now if you surround yourself with nothing but that.

#writing #amwriting #writers #writers community #writers advice #writingadvice #writing advice #writersadvice #writers tips and tricks #writerstips #writers tips #writerstipsandtricks #writing tips #writingtips #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers of wordpress #writers of ig #writing on tumblr #writing rants

[dlcroisette]

#writingtip #40 As usual, Mr. Twain has a way with words.  Some critical editing advice here. Particularly for me.  Because I love to write...a lot.  Literally. (I once - on a challenge - wrote three paragraphs describing a pencil.) But those of you who have checked out my work, know how hard I work to make my chapters short.  Trust me, it takes a ton of effort and editing skills to get those chapters down to the really good stuff.  Writing 100 succinct, meaningful and inspirational words requires more mental gymnastics than pushing out 1000 words. Do not underestimate the power of identifying and cutting out extra or unnecessary words or passages. Short handing it - Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)  Here's a couple tips to help you spot the "fluff" 1. Repeated words or passages - say it once and only once 2. Less is more - describe a few key items of clothing relevant to the scene, not everything each character is wearing including all the brand names.  3. Occam's Razor - The theory is based on the least assumptions is often correct.  Don't be afraid to let your readers fill in the blanks now and again. 4. Simplify then add - Focus in on the key elements you want in your scene.  If you need to move your characters inside because it's started raining, don't spend a lot of time describing the general weather pattern of the town they live in. How do you spot editing opportunities in your work? #writingtips #writingtips✏️ #writingtipsandtricks #writingwednesday #wednesdayvibes #wednesdaywisdom #wednesdaymotivation #writingcommunity #writinginspiration #edits #editing #iamediting #iamwriting #writedreambelieve #writersofinstagram #writing #writersadvice #writinglife #writingadvice #writerslifeforme #writeeveryday #writerswrite https://www.instagram.com/p/CGU6MT1g6DT/?igshid=vx8khkkvxrjn

#writingtip #40 #writingtips #writingtips✏️ #writingtipsandtricks #writingwednesday #wednesdayvibes #wednesdaywisdom #wednesdaymotivation #writingcommunity #writinginspiration #edits #editing #iamediting #iamwriting #writedreambelieve #writersofinstagram #writing #writersadvice #writinglife #writingadvice #writerslifeforme #writeeveryday #writerswrite