xurkitips

[xurkitips]

I was talking to someone today about writing, and I was surprised by how amazed they were by writers’ ability to create a story. They couldn’t understand how JKR was able to create the world of Harry Potter–how she came up a world so far removed from our reality. 

It made me realize something; not everyone can come up with worlds on a whimsy. Not everyone can create characters that they grow so fond of that they’re like real people in their eyes. Not everyone has gone through the experience of a character derailing their story and swearing it wasn’t them typing those words in that document. Not everyone can just envision a story and then just write it. 

I’ve been making stories since I was a small child–it’s something so ingrained in me that to imagine not being able to write (no matter how much I agonize over writing woes) is such a foreign concept to me. Writers, cherish your ability to create stories. Because not everyone can create stories. Because there isn’t anyone in the world who can write the stories you are writing. Because you don’t know when or where there might be a person in the world who needs to hear your story.

#tipletts #writing pepper

[xurkitips]

One of the more profound things I’ve heard recently came from a Mr. Rogers documentary. In a clip from his show, Mr. Rogers had just visited with a musician, and tells his audience that some people play music, and some people don’t, and that’s okay.

And then he said, “The important thing is to find something you feel good about doing.”

That phrasing struck me. “Something you feel good about doing”. Most people would have phrased it as “something you enjoy doing”. Or “something you’re good at doing”. But Mr. Rogers’ subtly different phrasing leads to a profoundly different connotation. “Something you feel good about doing” may not be enjoyable–people who work in hospitals or in disaster zones might not enjoy much of their day, but they probably feel good about helping people. “Something you feel good about doing“ may not be something you’re particularly good at–you may be a terrible artist by any objective standard, but if you feel good about making your art, then it’s a worthwhile endeavor. Looking for “something you feel good about doing” can help you find a truly satisfying life path.

That phrase is also helpful with daily decision-making. Too often, I can make choices based on “what feels good.” I put aside tasks that are too stressful or avoid activities that seem too difficult, in favor of mindlessly browsing the internet. And I enjoy myself. I feel good while I’m doing that. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel good about how I spent my time. However, reminding myself to do “something I feel good about doing” can motivate me to accomplish those more difficult tasks. It can push me to do something outside of my comfort zone, to try something new that I might not be much good at. And maybe this is a blindingly obvious philosophy to everyone else. But I’m grateful for the reminder. 

#tipletts #hellbrain salt

[xurkitips]

Writing Commissions!

Been a while since I made everyone aware that I do, in fact, take writing commissions! Details under the cut.

Prose:

Price: $2 per 100 words (ex: $20 for 1000, $200 for 10,000)

Speed-writing Price: if you want it on/by a certain date very soon in the future, $3 per 100 words

NSFW Price: $4 per 100 words

Please specify the word count you’d like ahead of time, this will allow me to give you a price quote. Minimum of 500 words required!

I can do fanworks, AUs, and original content!

Writing for ships is just fine by me!

Examples:

Fanworks:

1k - 3k: (One Piece; Pokemon; Dishonored)

4k - 10k: (One Piece; Star Trek; Pokemon)

Multi-Chapter Works: (One Piece; Pokemon)

Prose:

500 - 1k: (Girl Next Door Defenestrates Snakes // A Kiss to Go // Upgraded // Chainsaws and Woodchips)

1.5k - 5k+: (Chadderbox’s Fantasy Tales Prologue // Espionage // The Intern)

Multi-Chaptered: (Ongoing Untitled Sci-fi Romance Story)

Other Work / Zines:

One Piece; 1 // 2

Wander Over Yonder; 1 // 2 // 3

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure; 1

Original Characters; 1 // 2 // 3

Pokevillains Zine; A preview of my entry

For OC content:

Please be clear and concise with what you’d like! Be sure to describe your OCs in detail with all necessary things included (personality, looks, past, story, goals, etc). If you have pictures of your OCs, pass them over to me. I’m open to most genres of writing.

You’re welcome to collaborate with me if you have a longer story in mind that already has an outline/plot/outcome/etc. Anything over 2K words in length will take a bit of time to write, so keep that in mind!

For fanworks:

Things I’m the most familiar with: One Piece, Pokemon, Dishonored, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Moomins, Hetalia, Over the Garden Wall, Steven Universe, Stranger Things.

Feel free to ask what things I know in detail, there are plenty more!

When requesting something I can accept a) a one-line free range prompt (eg: Archie and Maxie go to Disney World ft. a giant Ducklett) or b) a detailed description of what you want to happen. I’m fine with writing either.

Regarding NSFW content:

Prior to me accepting your NSFW commission, you must confirm to me that you are 18+. No minors are to be involved in this. No exceptions.

I will be a little selective when it comes to these kinds of commissions. What I will and will not write regarding kinks and related topics…you’ll have to talk to me about that. Commissions of this nature will either be swapped privately or posted on another blog (with the consent of the commissioner).

Poetry:

Poem Prices: $20 per poem

Additions: for excessively long/detailed poems, add on $10 per page

I also will tutor budding poetry writers in how to write poems! It’s $10 an hour.

Examples:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6

Poetry is a bit difficult to pin down in terms of price, but, despite the few words contained in each, these tend to be more labor intensive than a standard piece of prose. That said, I highly enjoy writing poems, and love to talk about the process of writing a poem, too!

Editing / Story Betaing:

Tier 1: I dust off your work. (I spot for grammar, typos, and other small errors) // $2 per page

Tier 2: Car polisher mode (Small errors, a chat about my overall opinion and revision possibilities) // $2 per page + $5

Tier 3: I hit the dents out of your work with a whack bat (ie. small errors, sentence revisions, word replacement and duplication checker, comments on various parts as I read, a chat about my overall opinion and revision possibilities) // $2 per page + $10

Please be clear which tier you’d like!

How-To-Write Articles:

Requested Article: $30

Planned Article (as in, I was going to write it anyway): $25

Personal conversations / Tutoring: $10 an hour

Case-by-Case basis! I’ll likely bump up the price $1 - $5 depending on length.

Examples:

Writing Child Characters

Editing

Pep-Talk

I went to school for writing and have a BA in Creative Writing. I’ve also been writing for most of my life, and have since picked up on many, many tools of the trade and useful advice. If you’re struggling and would like some extra help, feel free to request this!

Do’s and Don’ts:

With your commission you’re allowed to:

Share it with your friends and others

Print it out

Reblog it (if applicable)

Request it be posted/removed to/from certain sites (if applicable)

Eat it

With your commission you’re not allowed to:

Repost it anywhere without my consent and without my name on it

Take credit for it

Claim you have written it

Use it for school or work (unless you requested editing)

I won’t write these things:

Homestuck

Undertale

Noncon/rape

Incest

Torture

Vore

Beastiality

Anything containing slurs

Underage

Contact:

Tumblr IMs are always open!

Discord: backgroundcheese#4408

Email: [email protected] (not my Paypal email)

Payment:

The only way I can exchange money online is through Paypal. I’ll send you an invoice about what you owe/details/etc before I have finished your commission. This method avoids any trouble with sending gifts or pushing the wrong button or whatever. You just have to click one button to pay. Easy, right?

I can also accept money in the mail if you’re unable to buy things online but do have the physical cash. If this is something you’d like to do, please contact me first and I’ll make arrangements. All offline currency must be in USD!

I would like to have the full payment up front; both because I work fast and because I would like to be certain that you can pay for it. I’ve seen people get scammed through commissions by people who suddenly can’t pay for their commissions.

Current and Returning Customers:

If you’re currently commissioning me or have an ongoing tab prepaid, your commissions don’t change in price!

If you’re a previous customer, I’ll take 10% off your next commission!

Commission Slots:

OPEN

OPEN

OPEN

OPEN

OPEN

#writing #writing help #what's good gang

[xurkitips]

Writing Body Language

How to Improve your writing

This is something that happens every day in your life. A shift of your eyebrow in skepticism, or the way your lip may twitch to a half smile cause you’re trying not to laugh. These behaviors are vital for writing in character, because not only do the allow you to visually see what is happening but it is also reaffirming whatever emotion your character is showing.

So why should you write it?

Much of human communication is non-verbal which means you need to also translate this non-verbal reaction in a post. It allows you to greatly enhance the emotions of another character and always another person to ‘visually’ see how they feel in a post. Most of all, this will add depth and volume to your post to make it feel more real. IT will make your character feel like a human instead of just another fictional person you look at from above.

Below you will find a list different type of emotions and what sort of body language can be exhibited to them.

Three ways to accent an action.

When writing about emotions, there are different ways to verbally write them out. Each one is unique in their own way, allowing you to show more about the emotion.

Emphasize the Emotion. But doing this, you are expressing both the emotion and the body language. We’ll use a simple example. It’s short and simple yet you can sense he is happy. John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall.

Complicate the Emotion. Sometimes, even when you are feeling one emotion, deep down rooted underneath the facade of it all, there is actually an underlining emotion they feel. This is something you have to truly express otherwise no one will know. John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall. However, it was obvious by the way his nose crinkled that he was disgusted by the actions beforehand. Instead, John covered it up by appearing pleased today.

Contradict the Emotion. This is a little different than complicate. Contradicting means that you are claiming one thing when in fact its the other. In many ways, this has a variety of uses, from inner depth of the truth to what you see in person, or someone creating a wall. It could be considered a lie, but when is anything that easy? John felt so happy that he was humming a tune while walking down the hall. In truth, once he was in the classroom, his shoulders slumped and a pout crossed his lips when no one was around, showing just how displeased he was with the situation.

Remember that you do not always have to contradict or complicate anything. Sometimes all you need to do is emphasize and that will be just fine. You don’t always have to have an underlining complicated for an emotion to make it more enhanced.

Do be afraid to use the Thesaurus to also improve an emotion. Such things as “happy” is a nice emotional word, but think of how much more powerful it is when you heard some is “overjoyed” or “content.” She how these emotions matched up with a body language can give two different styles of happiness? Mix and match to find what works best for your character at the time.

More In Depth Information

What I’ve stated above is more of a simplistic overview. IF you truly want to improve yourself, go to this

LINK HERE

To see just how much body language can reveal about a person. You will find things such as how a person lies, how the eyes reaction, the positioning of a person in personal space, mouth, and head body language and so much more.

Use these resources to greatly increase the reactions of your character to another and create a more life-like world.

[xurkitips]

writers:

break up your paragraphs. big paragraphs are scary, your readers will get scared

fuuuuck epithets. “the other man got up” “the taller woman sat down” “the blonde walked away” nahhh. call them by their names or rework the sentence. you can do so much better than this (exception: if the reader doesn’t know the character(s) you’re referring to yet, it’s a-okay to refer to them by an identifying trait)

blunette is not a thing

new speaker, new paragraph. please.

“said” is such a great word. use it. make sweet love to it. but don’t kill it

use “said” more than you use synonyms for it. that way the use of synonyms gets more exciting. getting a sudden description of how a character is saying something (screaming, mumbling, sighing) is more interesting that way.

if your summary says “I suck at summaries” or “story better than summary” you’re turning off the reader, my dude. your summary is supposed to be your hook. you gotta own it, just like you’re gonna own the story they’re about to read

follow long sentences w short ones and short ones w long ones. same goes for paragraphs

your writing is always better than you think it is. you just think it’s bad because the story’s always gonna be predicable to the one who’s writing it

i love u guys keep on trucking

#tipletts #writing pepper

[xurkitips]

[ Live Example | My AO3 Skins ]

While AO3 has a way to click to see notes at the end, this tutorial is how you can not only have your viewers click to view certain notes, but also click back to where they had been reading before. We don’t even need to use a workskin for this, but just an implementation of simple anchor links. So whether you have a lot of references in your work or just want to let your inner Pratchett* loose, this is how you do it.

Keep reading

#tipletts #writing pepper

[xurkitips]

I have a couple questions about writing an ace character but I don’t know any ace people I can ask about the issue! Would anyone please help me out a bit?

#tipletts #writing pepper #i'm also ace and can answer further questions

[xurkitips]

#tipletts #hellbrain salt

[xurkitips]

For anyone who may be wondering: all my advice posts are okay to reblog! I don’t mind one bit and openly welcome you to spread them around!

#xurkitalk #guess that's my tag for these lmao

[xurkitips]

Quick Contents

Introduction

General remarks

What’s  normal?

Reactions to injury - including emotional reactions, fainting and shock. 

Minor injuries - such as bruises, grazes and sprains

Head injuries - from  black eyes to severe concussions

Broken bones 

Dislocated joints

Cutting and Piercing - for various locations, including blood loss symptoms and figures.

Blunt trauma - getting hit, internal injuries.

Burns - including electrical burns

Hostile environments - such as extreme cold and heat, oxygen deprivation and exposure to vacuum.

References - useful websites.

Read More →

#tipletts #writer pepper

[xurkitips]

41 Emotions as Expressed through Body Language

Found Here x

41 Emotions as Expressed through Body Language unique  This list, while exhausting, is soooo not exhaustive; it barely scratches the surface. And each entry could easily become cliché (if it isn’t already). But, it should be enough to get you started. Want more? Start watching people (not in a creepy way), and take notes of what they seem to do when expressing different emotions. Your repertoire of expression will double in no time. PS—do not use these for actual, real-life body language reading; you will fail. These are strictly novelistic.

Awed  -Slack -jawed, raised eyebrows, staring  -Frozen, slack body language (Self? What self? There is only Zuul.)  -Take a step back and put a hand to his heart

Amused  -Smiling and throwing back her head laughing  -Slapping her thighs, stamping her feet, clapping her hands  -Shaking her head (That’s so wrong!)

Angry/Aggressive  -Sharp movements, like shaking a fist, pointing, slashing, or slamming a fist on a table  -Flushed face, patchy red blotches  -Tension in neck—chords standing out, veins throbbing—and jutting or tucked chin  -Arms akimbo, or clenching fists  -Entering someone else’s space and forcing them out  -Poofing up with a wide stance (I am big! Very big!), arms wide (Bring it!)  -Lowered eyebrows, squinting eyes  -Teeth bared, jaw clenched, snarling

Annoyed  -Pressing lips together into a thin line  -Narrowing eyes sometimes with slight head tilt (Why do you still exist?)  -Rolling eyes, often paired with a long-suffering sigh

Anxious  -Fidgeting, such as tearing grass into little pieces, playing with a ring, or chewing on a pencil  -Biting lower lip, swallowing unnecessarily  -Quickened breathing or holding breath  -Darting eyes  -Pallor, sweating, clammy palms  -Unusually high-pitched, “nervous” laughter  -Hunched shoulders  -Pacing

Attentive  -Slow head nodding with a furrowed brow  -Leaning forward, toward the speaker, and sitting up  -Taking notes  -Looking over the top of her glasses

Bored  -Resting his head on his palm, peeking out between the fingers, maybe even slipping so his head “accidentally” hits the table  -Tapping toes, twirling pencil, doodling, and otherwise fidgeting  -Staring out a window, or at anything remotely more interesting (Which is everything …)

Confident  -Arms clasped behind body  -Head lifted, chest out, standing tall  -Walking briskly and making firm, precise movements

Confused  -Tilting head with narrowed eyes  -A furrowed brow  -Shrugging

Contempt/Superiority  -Lifted chin (The better to look down the nose.)  -Pursed lips, sneering, slight frown  -Circling a shoulder, stretching her neck, turning away—anything to indicate she doesn’t see the person as a threat or worthy of her attention  -Grabbing her lapels, or tucking her thumbs in her waistcoat (See this clothing? It is much nicer than yours.)  -Dismissive hand-waving

Cynical/Sarcastic/Bitter  -Twisted lips or a half-smile  -Sneering, sometimes with shaking the head and other defensive body language  -Pressed lips with a slight frown  -Eye rolling

Defensive  -Crossed arms, legs, crossed anything, really (Well, maybe not fingers … or eyes …)  -Arms out, palms forward (Stop!)  -Placing anything (sword, shield, book, backpack) in front of her body

Disgusted  -Crinkling his nose  -Curling his lip and/or showing the tip of his tongue briefly  -Flinching back and interposing a shoulder or turning away  -Covering his nose, gagging, and squinting his eyes shut—hard—for a moment. (It assaults all the senses.)

Displeased  -A plastered-on fake smile (You suck; but I can’t tell you that. So here: a fake smile! Enjoy.)  -Pouting or frowning (I’ll cry if you don’t give me what I want—don’t test me, I will!)  -Crossed arms and other defensive/frustrated body language (I will not let that terrible idea influence me!)

Distressed  -Wide eyes and shallow, rapid breathing  -Beating the walls, or huddling into a corner  -Clasping hands over his head protectively  -Rocking himself  -Handwringing  -Running his hands through his hair

Earnest/Passionate  -Leaning forward, nodding, wide eyes with strong eye contact and raised eyebrows  -Hand on heart, or presented palms-up, or otherwise visible  -A double-handed handshake (I really want to make sure you understand me!)

Embarrassment  -Blushing  -Stammering  -Covering her face with her hands or bowing her head (I’m so embarrassed, I can’t look!)  -Difficulty maintaining eye contact, looking down and away

Excited/Anticipation  -Rubbing hands together (I can’t wait to get my hands on it!)  -Licking lips (It’s so close I can taste it!)  -A vigorous, pumping handshake (I can’t wait to get started!)  -Jumping up and down (Look at me being literal here! I am jumping for joy.)  -A wide and easy grin

Flirty  -Eye play, like winking, looking up through the lashes, over the shoulder glances, and eye catching   -Preening, like hair flipping or smooth, clothing straightening, spine straightening, etc.  -Striking a cowboy pose, with his thumbs gripping his belt tight

Frustrated  -Shaking his head (You are so wrong!)  -Massaging temples (My brain—it hurts.)  -Clasping his wrist in his opposite hand, behind his back (Bad arm! No biscuit.)  -Running his hands through his hair (All this frustration is making my hair mussy. I can feel it.)  -Grabbing onto something like armrests, or white-knuckled interdigitation (Restrain yourself!)

Happy  -Smiling and laughing  -Eyes and nose crinkling  -Swinging her arms, spinning loosely, dancing, jumping

Impatience  -Quick head nodding (Get on with it!)  -Toe/finger tapping (Hear this? These are seconds. Wasted. Listening to you.)  -Sighing, checking the clock/sundial/freckles (Time. It is moving so slowly.)

Jealous  -Tight lips, or a sour expression  -Narrow eyes locked on the perpetrator, to the point of a stare down  -Crossed arms, and additional frustrated, angry, possessive, or bitter body language

Lying  -Scratching their nose, ear, neck, miscellaneous part of face  -Sudden change in behavior or demeanor, including shifty eye contact, lots of long blinking, shrugging -Ill-timed smiles or laughter (This is how I normally smile, right? Right???)  -Additional anxiety body language  -Shaking head no while saying “yes” (I can’t believe I just lied.)  -Licking lips, covering mouth, touching mouth, etc.

Overwhelmed  -Both palms to forehead, fingers splayed (This gives me a headache.)  -Covering eyes with one hand (If I can’t see the world, it can’t see me …)  -Eyes wide and staring into space, hands gripping the table in front of her (… Woah.)

Playful/Friendly  -Winking  -Waggling eyebrows  -Tiny shoves or nudge

Pleasure  -Head tilted back, lips parted slightly, eyes wide or closed  -Slow, languorous movements, stretching (such as arching her neck or back)  -Slight flush, quickened breath and pulse

Possessive  -Handshake with arm clasp  -Putting hands on or around someone’s shoulders, neck, waist, back, or even just the wall near them  -Standing in someone’s personal space, body positioned toward that person  -Any one-sided act of intimacy, like running a knuckle down someone’s cheek  -Staring down any who get too close

Proud/Dominant  -Chin up, chest out, shoulders back  -A painfully hard handshake that not only squishes the bones, but also forces his hand on top  -Leaning back with his hands behind his head, and his feet up  -Strong, unblinking, focused eye contact

Reluctance/Resistance  -Arms crossed, sometimes with fists (Not happening.)  -Dragging feet (But I don’t wanna!)  -Pinching nose (You want me to do what now?)  -Clamping hands over ears (La la la la!)

Sad/Upset  -Droopy body (and anything held, like a sword), bowed in shoulders, wrapping arms around self  -Slow movements with hesitation  -Bottom lip jutting out and/or quivering  -Crying, sobbing, body shaking, sniffling, wet eyes

Secretive  -A tight-lipped smile (My lips are zipped.)  -Hiding her hands in her pockets (What has it got in its nasty little pocket?)  -Looking away

Scared  -Hunched shoulders, shrinking back from others (Don’t hurt me!)  -Wide eyes and lifted eyebrows (The better to see them coming.)  -Shaking, trembling, or freezing  -Rocking from side to side, sometimes holding self (It’ll all be okay, self, it’ll all be okay.)

Shame  -Slumped shoulders (Don’t look at me.)  -Trouble meeting your gaze, looking down and away  -Burying her face in her hands or bowing her head (I can’t face the world right now.)

Shocked  -Hands covering her mouth, or mouth hanging open, sometimes with a gasp (If I had words, I would be saying them.) -Freezing and staring with wide eyes and eyebrows raised (Diverting all resources toward staring.)  -Smacking a palm into his forehead (Clearly, my head isn’t working right, or I wouldn’t have seen that)

Shy  -Avoids eye contact, or has only fleeting eye contact (Eye contact means you might speak to me.)  -Keeps a fair distance from everyone, and will back away if someone steps closer (Space invaders!)  -Folded arms, head down, and other defensive body language (If I make myself small, they can’t see me.)

Smug  -Slight, close-lipped smile (occasionally one-sided) and sometimes one raised eyebrow (I know something you don’t know.)  -Chin slightly tucked, Mona Lisa smile, raised eyebrows (I know better.)  -Finger steepling (I am so smaaaht.)

Suspicious/Skeptical/Disbelief  -Narrowed eyes, sometimes with a sidelong glance or raised eyebrow (Perhaps if I look at it out of the corner of my eye, I will catch it unawares.)  -Rubbing his eyes (I can’t believe what I’m metaphorically or literally seeing!)  -Shaking his head (I—I don’t believe it.)  -Blowing out cheeks (Well , I don’t know …)

Tired  -Rubbing his eyes, eyes staring into space, raised eyebrows (Raising my eyebrows helps keep my eyes open.)  -Yawning and/or stretching (I am tired—see? Tired! Too tired to care!)  -Almost nodding off and jerking awake (Cannot. Stay. Awa—snnnnurzzzz.)  -Gritting teeth to stay awake (Cannot—yawn—dang it!)

Thoughtfulness/Thinking  -Steepling fingers (I will think better if I center myself and focus.)  -Pinching nose, sometimes with closed eyes (Focus, focus—I just need to focus.)  -Tugging on an ear (This will help me remember!)  -Stroking a real or imaginary beard (People with beards look smart.)  -Furrowed brow, narrowed eyes, sometimes tilted head and pressing lips together (I can’t see it—I will try harder!)  -Resting his chin on his hand (Thinking makes my head heavy.)

Triumphant  -Hands clenched and held above head while grimacing (She is invincible!)  -Head tilted back with a yell (She is fierce!)  -Arm pumping in the air, jumping (Woohoo!)

#long post #tipletts #writer pepper

[xurkitips]

The final, brilliant word on passive voice.

“She was killed [by zombies.]” <— passive

“Zombies killed [by zombies] her.” <— active

#tipletts #writing pepper

[xurkitips]

On The Editor Shredditor

Back in college I took some poetry classes as part of my degree requirements. Initially I couldn’t stand looking at it let alone writing it. Poetry was so masterfully concise yet powerful. How in the world was I ever going to reach the caliber of these famous poets?

In one class a professor showed me a poem; like many, it was beautifully written and deeply emotional. Just as I had the others, I looked on it and felt sad. Sad because nothing I wrote looked anything like that.

And then she pulled up another picture. It was of the poem throughout the process of twelve different drafts. As I looked through them, I realized the poem looked nothing like the one the author published. The images were bland, the language was average, the lines were too long, the poem was huge.

That’s when I realized something very, very important. 

What I write isn’t perfect. But I can fix it.

The Importance of Drafts

I’ve said before that it’s hard to tell from a published work of fiction how much time and effort went into it. But writers go through dozens of drafts even for little things like poems.

It can be difficult to see when looking at a lengthy piece of writing what has changed from the original draft. But I can guarantee that what you’re reading is likely so different from the original draft that it may as well be a completely different thing. That’s how many changes writers put their work through.

Me personally? I go through many, many drafts for short pieces and chapters. Novels? They get dozens. Hours of editing. Hours of changes. Reading, reading again, then again, and again, and again...

Writing is a very time consuming hobby.

When I refer to the first draft of a piece of work, I’m talking about the very first one you write; hot off the press, unedited, you haven't shown it to anyone, completely untouched even by you. The first edition of the tale you wanna tell, pristine, fresh, and new. 

And as I say that the next step is to mercilessly crush it under the heel of your boot, you’re probably going to flinch and pull it away from me.

Edits of Mass Destruction: The Next Draft

Drafting doesn’t mean taking your freshly written story child, throwing it into a an incinerator, and then writing on the recycled paper made from its ashes. You might need some scissors and a red pen, however.

The next step should be that you take your first draft and sitting down with it as a reader. I like to joke about this being the step where I ask my friend Livvy to run over it with her car, but it’s more akin to putting stickers, glitter, and construction paper to hide the lines and errors on a school project. You’re gonna make your already great art so much prettier.

Some things to consider as you do your reread:

Spelling errors, typos, wrong word use, grammar errors

Repeated words or phrases

Sentence and paragraph flow

Changing or removing certain paragraphs/sentences that disrupt your pacing

Adding new descriptions, dialogue, or paragraphs that keep pacing

Deciding what things need to be cut for the sake of keeping your story concise and on-topic

Changing the way things are worded

Read over it at a snail’s pace. Read it again. Put your angry eyes on this time around. Give it some tough love. Add a paragraph. Remove a paragraph. Throw in some dialogue. Cut some dialogue. Change entire scenes. Give the rug a few good hardy whacks. Knock all the dust, pebbles, and crumbs off it. Do what you have to in order to make it the best it can possibly be. 

Sure, it may look totally different from how you intended, but it’s alright. I know it’s going to look like you’re destroying everything. Don’t worry about it. We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents.

You’re this story’s first reader and first critique. You also know what you want it to be.

Rinse and Repeat

Honestly? That’s the entire process of drafting, at least when it comes to you working by yourself. Draft it as many times as you think it needs. It’s only done when you say it’s done.

Typically my own process goes like so:

I write something (Draft #1)

Once finished, I read over it myself, editing as needed (Draft #2)

I put it aside and do something else to get it off my mind

Maybe hours or days later, I come back and edit it some more (Draft #3)

After I’m satisfied, I pass it to my friend, Livvy, and tell her to tear it to shreds

I take Livvy’s comments and suggestions in mind as I edit it again. As the writer, I’m allowed to say no to some if I don’t like the suggestion (Draft #4)

Then, I pass the piece over to my other friend, Chii, who reads it over

If Chii catches anything, I’ll edit those as well (Draft #5)

Again, I leave it alone to work on something else

If it’s something I want to post somewhere, I check it one final time for errors and then post it (Draft #6; the final draft in this case)

It sounds like a lot of work. And it is. But ultimately, for me, this is all a labor of love, and I’m way more satisfied with the final result. And my friends give me some valid critique that I may not have seen before, leading into the next point...

A Second Pair of Eyes 

What’s the difference between you editing your work and someone else editing your work? Easy. They’re not you.

You’ve been immersing yourself in this piece, toiling away at the keyboard for hours and hours. You’ve drafted it again and again, written and rewritten. You’re so ingrained with it that you’re dead sure you got every last scrap of bad out of it. 

And then Livvy points out that the first paragraph repeats the same image three times in a row. Sure enough, it does.

As you work on a piece, you become used to it. You’re numb to anything that you’ve seen a thousand times and that no longer shows up on your radar. When another person, who knows nothing about what you’ve written, takes a look at it, they’re going to spot the errors as though it were obvious.

Got a friend who likes your writing? Do they have some free time on their hands? Consider popping the question of them helping you work on it.

The Editor Shredditor VS The General Reader

My buddy Livvy, one of my super close friends, has been my editor/beta reader for years now. She’s familiar with how and what I write. She knows my good and bad habits. Things I might not have realized were even an issue can get brought up in my editing sessions with her. She’s very thorough and descriptive.

An editor will be more strict with your work; they’ll pick out all the errors, suggest rewrites, removals, find pacing problems, and more. It’s why I call it the “Shredditor.” Basically they take a pair of scissors to your work then pass back something heavily chopped up and slathered with red ink. 

Betas and editors are the usual route that writers take when it comes to a second pair of eyes, but I like to take things one step further.

My other buddy, Chii, whom I’ve known since childhood, also lends a hand in reading my work. She helps by reading through the document like anyone else on the internet would.

Why is this important? Someone with a the plain reader mindset will be your test audience. They’re not approaching your work with the intent to fix it with superglue, but are people on the hunt specifically for something fun and enjoyable to read. 

When Chii reads it, she can tell me what parts she loved, what parts felt kind of boring, where she was confused or bored, and what she thinks may pique someone’s interest. A general reader isn’t going to pick up the intimacies that the editor will, but they’re going to notice when something’s clunky, where it’s not as good as it could be, and what might make them put it down. 

Reading comprehension level also varies between people; not everyone is eloquent, so keeping in mind who your target audience is will help you better focus your efforts into appealing to the public.

(A tip for anyone who tries this: always, always give the work to the editor first before the general reader. Heavy stuff before fluff.)

#writing #writing tips #writing help #milo's writing advice #aka roll a monster truck over your writing while i quote bob ross

[xurkitips]

the politics of light and dark are everywhere in our vocabulary…psa to writers: subvert this, reveal whiteness and lightness as sometimes artificial and violent, and darkness as healing, the unknown as natural

#tipletts #writing pepper

[xurkitips]

On Conveying Personality Through Chatroom-style Dialogue

A friend of mine shared screenshots of a roleplay he was having via a Discord server, wherein the style was chatroom/texting based. Each character would have a different style of typing completely unique to their person. Though unfamiliar with all of them, I could see what their personalities were like

Like real human beings, a character very much so has a “voice”. I mean that both in the literal sense, through their manner of speaking and what they say, but also through their self expression, interests, and actions. This carries over into the digital realm in ways we may not even notice. Text messages may not be verbal, no, but there are ways to show inflection.

There are many, many ways to show meaning through text. Here are some that I’ve picked up and utilized with my own characters:

Sentence structure

all lowercase sentences VS Grammatically correct

Lowercase gives off the feeling of someone familiar with others or willing to become familiar. It lacks the tension of formal writing, complete with its capitalization and proper periods ending sentences, and feels very casual and approachable. It may also be a sign of someone who doesn’t care much about perfection, a lazy person, or an easy going individual. Seems like a lot of internet regulars prefer this kind of typing style.

“im dying

‘deafening horrorcore rap’ ok i listen to literal noise and idk what this even is”

Using a properly capitalized and punctuated style is very formal, like one would see in a book, an official email, etc. It’s more serious and stern than lowercase is and may imply an older, more mature person typing...or maybe just someone trapped on their phone at the mercy of autocorrect. 

"I am always happy to see you, even if you are not feeling your best.“

“It's nice here.

Quiet.”

There’s a certain respectful steadiness to it as well. It can be calming to read at times.

Punctuation VS Lack of punctuation

End-stopped lines come with both a pause and a bit of a pointed and direct feeling. It strengthens both lowercase and grammatically correct styles, but in different ways. In conjunction with “proper” writing, it’s less noticeable, merely giving the reader a moment’s pause. In conjunction with lowercase, especially if the one typing isn’t keen on using periods, it can come off as stern, serious, passive-aggressive, or angry.

“whatever.

it's less excruciating than it would be without it.”

Removal of punctuation is a different story. Typically just shown with lowercase, it leaves it with that casual feeling intact, or like one’s sentences are more like quick thoughts or questions. Removing them from grammatically correct sentences does ease off some of the tension, implying someone with a more neutral-positive tone while still being more mature. 

“I’m not terribly good with conversation”

And then there’s the run-on sentences from those who type small novels per response. Usually complete with multiple and’s. It’s a sign of nervousness, enthusiasm, or oftentimes a younger character...

“actually i don't know much about it i just happened to see something online and it's apparently only manufactured overseas exclusively for this one particular shop and they made the original design and initial product i guess”

Oof.

Proper spelling (or lack thereof)

The better the spelling, the more the likelihood of the person being older, calmer, or neutral. There’s also a sense of being well educated or careful about one’s typing. Perhaps a confident air may exude from what they say, too.

“Can you come help me for a moment?”

Those who make a lot of mistakes will simply confuse words for other words, forget apostrophes, or type too fast to notice things missing or in the wrong location. Some just don’t really care enough or are too tired to deal with it. Too much focus and people know what they mean anyway. Probably.

“i laug hso hard hes come runin

he thougt i aws dyin”

It can also happen in very emotional situations, in bouts of laughter, crying, rage, or when one is drowsy, medicated, or sick. It tends to stand out when one’s style is suddenly very, very different and tips others off to something being wrong.

Younger characters, especially kids, also make spelling mistakes all the time depending on their age, whether due to sounding out words or just in a hurry to reply.

Short sentence fragments, single words, and lengthy paragraphs

Sometimes people with rapid-fire thoughts, who are excited, busy, stressed, or angry, will take to quick and short responses (sometimes of many fragments in a row). These show a similar feeling as do lines of poetry. Stacking small fragments on top of one another adds emphasis. The reader has to read them one by one rather than as a straight sentence. On its own, the word or fragment stands out and becomes more important.

"well

yeah thats

what i was tryina do

but i mean”

I’ve seen it used used for storytelling from one person to another in larger chunks of things, quick responses, for poetic value, and in irritation or passive-aggressiveness.

In full sentence conversations sent in short bursts, it’s also allowing the reader pause to read each comment without it feeling like a novella. Though it can also feel like someone is obnoxious, rambling on and on as the notifications keep coming, or has a lot to talk about and keeps thinking of more.

Then there are those who type rather large responses all at once instead of hitting the enter key with every sentence:

"Whoever did it was quite thorough; either the power in that area of the lab was cut while we were distracted or they tampered with the security cameras, because that footage is missing. But, we have some theories now. It had to have been someone with direct access to the laboratory. I hesitate to place blame on any of my coworkers...they're all my trusted companions and friends! And yet...”

It’s concise and a solid, complete story in one spot. Could be someone who loves to talk, could be someone who didn’t want a response before they were done talking. It’s also commonly seen by middle-aged texters who want to say everything they can all at once.

Exclamation points and Question marks

Simple one here. Question mark for a question or confusion, exclamation point for emphasis or an exclamation. But when a person adds multiple to a sentence it can convey more of the person’s feelings; 

“are you okay??”

Here is someone who is very concerned. Multiple question marks can imply things such as worry, stress, disbelief, and shock. There’s a sense of hurry and tension. Perhaps the person on the other end is frightened, easily afraid, or tends to have an overwhelming reaction to things.

“oh!!! it’s nice to see you!!!”

"! 

!!! 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Meanwhile, multiple exclamation points convey much more friendlier, happier tones. Often such things as surprise, excitement, happiness, friendliness. Users typing !! as a punctuation (like I tend to do) may do it as an assurance or to show how thrilled they are to talk. Occasionally !!!! is tacked onto an angry statement to be more of a shout, but I see it less and less.

Chatspeak and Internet habits

Shortenings of words have been a regular thing for ages. It’s easy, convenient, and gets the point across quickly. But the internet has taken it to a new extreme, where sentences can be almost entirely compromised of them.

“wtf r u talkin abt?? gdi man idk wuts even happening rn”

A character wanting to be quick to respond, always on the ball, always involved, may be more likely to utilize and understand chatspeak. They’re the social butterfly of the group. It’s also a sign of a long-time internet lurker who’s aware of what the lingo is, and how to use it. A complete lack thereof points toward either an older user or someone who’s unused to social media.

The more memes, the harder someone is trying to fit in. Or maybe they’re easily amused or just absorbed things from their friends without thinking about it. The comedian of the group is going to know the best ways to use them.

Smilies and Emojis

:D D: :DDD // :3 3: >:3 :3c // :o :O O:<

These kinds of smilies have always struck me as the most friendly. Whether used in devious ways or with genuinely heartwarming intentions, the playful, lightheartedness of the user really shines through these. 

"not a bad way to spend a lazy day :D”

“it's also my birthday :3″

It’s got just the right vibe to punctuate a sentence that’ll leave the reader feeling that the person likely means no harm or wants to be friendly, positive, or encouraging. I’ve met a lot of people that use these and turn out to be very kind or considerate people.

:), ;), ((((: and related

A long time positive, friendly smiley. 

"You said you've known them a long time? I think they would understand. :)”

And yet these days I tend to associate it with passive aggressive statements, plotting, slyness, devious behavior, or anger. Older users may be inclined to use :) as a means to show their emotional state, but newer users seem more inclined to do the opposite. The more parentheses there are, the more upset the person, it seems.

“man don’t u love it when the power’s out in the middle of the night it’s just (((: really great thanks (((((:”

Then the ;) smiley comes off more specifically flirty and a bit playful. Doesn’t seem to change much there.

“if i find a good chance 2 hook u up ill do my best ;)”

XD

The bane of my teenage existence. It’s a more old school sign of laughter, rarely seen in today’s world due to falling out of favor and becoming associated with, “LOL Rawr XD Tacos I’m So Randoom,” culture. But time to time you do see it. Mostly with sarcasm but sometimes with genuine intentions.

“xDddddDDD

It was a good joke. XD”

A character using it genuinely comes off more playful, and to me, personally, as an older person who’s genuinely unaware of the associations with the smiley itself trying to show how they laughed without using LOL. 

Letter/Character smilies

Y’know, things like .w. and ._. or owo, where the letters or symbols make a face. These are fairly popular, it seems. I don’t like using them myself, but know a few who do use them.

"I'm sorry that they can be mean qmq”

It’s a different feel from the others. There’s something soft to it, almost a gentleness. When these or Japanese characters are used, there’s more whimsy. It’s cute and almost a bit feminine. It may convey an open person or give the impression that said person is easier to talk to.

Though honestly I can’t see uwu and owo as anything but heavily sarcastic. I’ll be honest with you.

Emojis

The first rule of Xurkitips club is that we don’t talk about Emoji Movie. Just putting that out there riiight now.

Used sparingly by most for fun and for emphasis. Characters may use them to be lighthearted, aesthetically, joke, or to make a conversation more flavorful. The use of emojis may determine a character’s personality; I find that characters who use hand emojis like 👌 are rather laid back, those who use 🙃 do it passive aggressively, and we all know what kind of person uses 🍆.

Then there’s what in common terms known as, “The DudeBro”:

[MFKNSTARBOI]: the thing i never undstood about hair is why people buy shampoo like regular soap not good enough for you LMAO 😂😂😂

[gostones]: .

[BIGDICKTOYOTA69]: what the fuck man

[ahogekun]: do... you not use shampoo

[MFKNSTARBOI]: aaaah you guys got sucked into big shampoo as well 😔

[MFKNSTARBOI]: When it comes to horses 🐎  the stars in the sky ✨ or just man to man no bullshit advice 👬 IM youre guy 😤😂

I think this one speaks for itself.

#writing advice #milo's writing advice #writing tips #CRY THROUGH😭💦💦THE PAIN😢😩😩BUT KEEP GOING👀💯💪THE HUSTLE 😈👌NEVER ENDS🕛🕧🕟🚫STUDENT ATHLE

[xurkitips]

Anyone Can Write: A TED Talk

Sometimes I meet people who have creative stories to tell. You can hear the passion and love in their voice as they recount their tale; concepts, characters, plot, drama, all the way to the conclusion. When I ask why they haven’t written it, the response is typically along the lines of:

“I really want to write it out, but I’m waiting until I’m good enough to write it.”

And every time I answer, “But why not just write it now anyway?” which typically gets weird looks in response.

I think people believe that everything they read was written flawlessly in one go. That the writer, blessed with skill, sat down one day at their computer and typed out breathtakingly poetic works of literature. That you have to be born good at writing. That if what you write isn’t amazing on the first try, you’ll never be good enough.

Let me tell you: never happens. Ever. 

Typos happen, words are in the wrong place, paragraphs need to be shortened or lengthened, gotta change the pacing, etc. I go through three to five drafts for a short 1.5k word, three page story, let alone an entire novel. Editors and beta readers are a thing for a reason.

I consider myself pretty skilled at storytelling and writing now, reason being that I’ve been chugging through practice since I was a kid. No, I didn’t pick up writing just as an adult.

My earliest stories were about my pets, animals I liked, or Pokemon going on adventures. They tended to be few and far between until I started regularly writing in my older childhood and teenage years. I made comics and goofy stories about my friends and our favorite characters. It was fun to make them laugh and I loved to imagine characters going through scenarios.

A lot of my stories were...questionable at best. Each was littered with typos, plot holes, and absurdities as I was still working out the process of how storytelling worked.

“Oh, I’m sure they weren’t that weird!”

At age 14, I wrote a story about my friend waging war against Ronald McDonald’s fast food empire. I still have this saved on my computer.

Here are some highlights:

Food from McDonalds turns people into zombies. No explanation given

The only person aware of this plot is my 12 year old friend who figures it out because Burger King is empty. Again, no explanation

My friend owning a giant sentient plant person that conveniently shows up once and then never again

“Yellow-bellied Liver Spleening Kidney,” used as an insult

Ronald inexplicably referring to himself as a police officer and using heat vision

The resident fast food mascots being real living people, except for Wendy’s, represented by a janitor for some reason, and the Arby’s hat, which is a living hat

“It would be really cool to grow your own food, wouldn’t it? Also I hope Ronald doesn’t kill us.”

My friend’s imaginary boyfriend, Jack, who’s based off a stuffed animal she had, gets reminisced about for three full paragraphs in the middle of a jailbreak for no apparent reason

Trench warfare

Random Naruto characters

Me loading a food catapult with Itachi, who is a bear for some reason

Also a nutcracker, "Old Man Jenkins” the bomb expert who has a flying cow, and a guy described as “really wants to impress raccoons”

“A random jug of 1% lowfat milk was flung into the air from the opposite side of us. It had begun.”

“Ronald was a devious little man clown thingey.”

Ronald mistaking antifreeze for lemonade

“Evil read eyes”

This sounds like complete crack, but I was serious. It reads weird now, between the nonsense plot and the amount of spelling and grammar errors. I usually have a laugh about it when I rediscover it.

You know what’s so important about this strange little piece of writing?

It made me happy. 

I loved writing it. I read it out loud to my friends because I was so proud of myself. It didn’t matter whether or not it was “good enough” to exist. First and foremost what mattered was that I, the author, was having a good time bringing this story to life.

Yeah, I know making and accepting mistakes is hard. Looking back on old writing can be embarrassing, too, and it hurts when you compare yourself to another writer’s work when it appears to be effortless on their part. But you are going to reach the point where you’re confident about your writing. And it starts with taking that first step forward.

Write the story you always wanted to see. Write the characters you’re proud of. If there’s a mistake, you can go back and fix it. If it’s not great, rewrite some of it to be even better. 

The world needs your words. Your writing is good enough for those words now.

Don’t let your dreams be dreams.

#writing #writing tips #writing help #milo's writing advice #so this one time i wrote about an evil ronald mcdonald with heat vision and....

[xurkitips]

On Character Interactions

You’ve sat down and made the OC of your dreams. They have a kicking design with all your favorite things included, they’ve got a well-rounded personality, and skills you only wish you could have. Basically, they’re everything you could want in a character.

Then you sit down with a Google Doc and realize you have no idea how to make them traverse the story.

I see this issue a lot, mostly in roleplay but also in some stories; wherein the character feels like they’re walking through the plot instead of the character actively engaging and responding to stimuli from it. So, how do you fix it? That, my dear readers, is where questioning the character’s motivation comes into play.

1) What does your character want? How can they achieve it?

Everybody wants something. Whether it’s coffee from Starbucks, a new job, or to discover the true meaning of life itself. There’s probably something you want right now, too, even if you’re not actively dedicating every thought to it. A car? A romantic relationship? Your college degree? Happiness?

Same thing applies to your character: from the basics to the deeper hopes and aspirations, they have reasons that compel them to make decisions or actions.

Here’s a random character of mine: her name is Corn, so named because she likes it. She’s, for all intents and purposes, eight years old, has short curly hair, loves lobsters, and is ecstatic about going on adventures. Her personality is playful and carefree.

It’s a good start. But let’s add some more to it:

I ask myself: what does Corn want? Well, she wants to see the things she likes, to have fun, to have nice things. She wants to do things that make her happy. Oh, and she wants to make friends and be with her family. 

But that’s just it--in Corn’s story, her family is missing. Sometime in the past she became separated accidentally, and when she returned they had left and she was left lost as she had no idea where they’d gone off to. The family that loves and cares for her must be worried sick over her absence--and she, too, is upset about the people who make her feel safest not being there for her.

In short, what drives her, what motivates her to seek others out, is the goal to reunite with her family. Now that I know this, I can plan out carefully how I’d like to see her solve this problem to achieve that joyous moment where she can see their faces again. 

Maybe she picks up little clues, road maps, or hints from others who have seen them. Perhaps a friend, neighbor, or acquaintance can give her a bit of hope or even help her find them. Maybe there’s major conflict between her and them around the issue.

2) In what ways does your character feel the need to interact with others?

It’s less of a question about why they like or dislike others and more of a question of, “For what reasons would my character approach someone at all?” 

Doesn’t matter if we like it or not, all of us have to talk to people to get things. Even if we live in secluded cabins in the woods. Whether it be goods and services, directions, to talk to a friend or family, or start a fight, interactions are going to happen. The same is true of your characters. 

Sure, maybe it’s in character for Rollo the giant who hates everyone to avoid all contact. But he becomes stagnant if he just sits around in the background being angry about the world.

Y’know what they say, no man is an island. Thanks, John Donne.

Holger, a protagonist I use in a sci-fi story set in the far future, owns and runs a bakery on an alien planet as his full time job and his passion in life. He can be rather gruff and snappy at times, but also personable and friendly to customers and friends.

Where he lives, he mostly interacts with various different alien species as customers, employees, and sellers of products he needs. He does this mostly out of necessity, but occasionally makes friends with them.

However, there are also a few humans whom he meets via his shop, as travelers or as workers nearby. Because of his situation he’s active in reaching out to them, both for companionship, and due to them having similar experiences. Having someone who understands what it’s like being so far from home gives him comfort and stability.

3) What challenges or obstacles does your character face in communicating or interacting with others? How do they manage the issue?

Someone cool that you want to befriend is sitting a couple tables away from you, eating their lunch. Perhaps your first reaction is to openly, politely greet them and ask to sit down with a smile. For others, this may be the furthest from the truth.

There’s a large range of reasons why interactions are difficult; social anxiety, low self esteem, shyness, a slew of mental disabilities, physical disabilities, language barriers, speech impediments, inability to communicate in the same fashion, general dislike of others, and much, much more. Talking to people is really hard in general and a lot harder when you have a giant rock between you and a casual conversation.

Characters, too, experience these same difficulties.

My character, Ruei, is mute. He cannot communicate verbally. His main method of speaking to his daughter is via sign language or what I’ll describe as touch-telepathy for convenience. 

While she is fluent in sign language, plenty of others aren’t or may not even recognize it, which makes for difficulties when he has to interact with another person. That, and touching a stranger is typically a violation of personal space and more suited to a close relationship. So he may have to resort to writing on paper to give a response or greeting to another person.

But also, in part due to his muteness, he feels nervous approaching others and feels anxious meeting new people, which hinders him from making friends and relationships. 

He’s a very nervous person and tends to keep to himself out of fear that he’ll be judged or made fun of. That said he, as many people do, craves acceptance and love that comes with being around others. A kindly individual assuring him that he’s fine as he is or his daughter standing beside him as a guide can help combat those feelings.

4) How does the situation or setting influence their decisions to work with others?

Two people walk into a bar and--

Just as personalities, speaking, and personal obstacles all play a crucial part of interactions, so can the setting or situation the characters are put in be influential in how or why two people will interact.

Two children on a playground at recess are going to think of each other far differently than two soldiers on opposite sides of a battlefield. Two adults ordering drinks at a club are there speaking to one another for reasons that in no way resemble the way a professor having a conversation with a student at a meeting about an academic essay.

I’ve got a character that goes by the name of Fae, who’s a tour guide and a sort-of park ranger. 

At work, the way he speaks to others is both casually and professionally, as he’s being paid to educate and help others. He needs to be respectful, friendly, and confident--but also strict and watchful to keep the tours safe and on track. 

Out in the field on his own, he needs to keep both the forest’s protection and the safety of visitors in mind. Should he come across another person while on a hike, perhaps he may offer his assistance, answer questions, clean and bandage a wound, or even put a stop to something not allowed in the park. He has to maintain a calm, level head due to the likelihood of a troubling or even dangerous situation.

If he should ever become lost in the woods with another person, he could use his survival skills to guide them, and they in turn could learn from and help him as necessary. If the other character is moody or upset about the situation, perhaps he could try to work with them on their behavior.

#writing #writing advice #milo's writing advice #i think about this a lot