Truly Some People Have No Genre Savviness Whatsoever. A Girl Came Back From The Dead The Other Day And

You are a poor girl selling flowers. Today is your birthday but no one knows. When you return home you find the prince of the kingdom waiting for you with a birthday cake. "Are you sure this is the one?" He whispers to his advisor.

꒰ If I had known who Godot is, I would have written it in the script . . . !

Epher ─ minor // FILO // aroace ᡣ𐭩 she/they , writer , neurodiverse , former fencer , mystery detective incarnate ୭

♡ ─ the found family trope , whimsy, absurdism , musical theatre , mythos and folktales , my typewriter , classic and gothic literature , history , researching about topics that pique my interest

How to __ and Other Writing Tips

↳ a masterpost for informational writing prompts and other tips for writers

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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Writing and Describing Physical Appearance:

How to Describe Facial Expressions

How to Describe a Character's Appearance

How to Write a Character with a Prosthetic

Body Language Descriptions

Body Language Descriptions part 2

Writing Dialogue:

How to Describe a Character's Speech

How to Write Dialogue for a Stuttering Character

How to Write a Mute/Non-Speaking Character

What to Do with Too Much Dialogue

How to Write a Character with an Accent

Terms and Phrases:

Pirate Terms and Phrases

Cowboy/Wild West Terms and Phrases

Writing Genres and Subgenres:

Murder Mystery

Slow-Burn Romance

Writing Villains, Monsters, and other Antagonists:

How to Write a Monster

How to Write a Good Villain

How to Make Readers Fear Your Villain

How to Write an Unreliable Narrator

Serial Killer Signature Ideas

How to Give an Eldritch Horror Entity a Voice

Writing Protagonists and Side Characters:

How to Write a Sacrificial Character

How to Write a Bully with an Opportunity for Redemption

How to Write a Mermaid

How to Write a Pre-Teen

Writing and Describing Emotions and Disorders:

Nightmares and Sleep Paralysis

Panic Attacks

How to Write a Character with an Eating Disorder

How to Write a Paranoid Character

Different Ways to Describe Fear

How to Write a Controlling Character

Writing and Describing Threatening Conditions:

How to Write a Character that has been Poisoned

How to Write Hypothermia and Frostbite

Writing and Describing Character Interactions:

How to Describe Emotionally Distant Parents

Ways for Characters to Get to Know Each Other

How to Describe Characters in Cold Weather

How to Write a Band Performance that Flows with Inner Dialogue

sometimes you need dialogue tags and don't want to use the same four

"mutuals can ask for discord" mutuals can haunt me after they die. mutuals can paint my immortal youth in a cursed portrait. mutuals can build a 8ft tall creature in my college dorm. mutuals can watch me wake up as a monstrous vermin. mutuals can feed me soup after i commit murder. mutuals can help me kill uncle claudius. mutuals can go out with me and my girlfriend from across the bay. mutuals can hunt the beast with me. do better

More classic literature YouTubers because it's so funny to me

Bonus content:

DONT SCROLL THIS IS IMPORTANT!

im begging anyone who sees this post to prevent rapesexual, im begging you. no one will see this but if you do reblog to get the message out that these fuckers exist and dont deserve to exist heres the flag so you can know who to fucking block, report and tell to fuck off

i dont want this to ruin the pride and help with self esteem of being lgbtq+ so a signal boost from larger accounts might be nice

And this here is what we in the writing industry call "a display of hubris that may or may not have karmic consequences but is very, very fun".

[ID: a screenshot of white text on a black background reading "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The sole exception for the ocean, the ocean is The Pacific Ocean from real life. If it is unhappy with its portrayal it can settle the matter personally." /end ID]

HELLO I'm back!! Anyways, I'm nearly done with Of Mice and Men and I already know how it's going to end so I'm just waiting for the inevitable at this point

Overused Words in Writing & How to Avoid Them

We’ve all got our comfort words—those trusty adjectives, verbs, or phrases we lean on like a crutch. But when certain words show up too often, they lose their impact, leaving your writing feeling repetitive or uninspired.

1. “Very” and Its Cousins

Why It’s Overused: It’s easy to tack on “very” for emphasis, but it’s vague and doesn’t pull its weight.

Instead of: “She was very tired.” Try: “She was exhausted.” / “She dragged her feet like lead weights.”

💡 Tip: Use precise, vivid descriptions rather than vague intensifiers.

2. “Looked” and “Saw”

Why It’s Overused: It’s functional but flat, and it often tells instead of shows.

Instead of: “He looked at her in disbelief.” Try: “His eyebrows shot up, his lips parting as if words had failed him.”

💡 Tip: Focus on body language or sensory details instead of relying on generic verbs.

3. “Suddenly”

Why It’s Overused: It’s often used to create surprise, but it tells readers how to feel instead of letting the scene deliver the shock.

Instead of: “Suddenly, the door slammed shut.” Try: “The door slammed shut, the sound ricocheting through the empty room.”

💡 Tip: Let the action or pacing create urgency without needing to announce it.

4. “Said” (When Overdone or Misused)

Why It’s Overused: While “said” is often invisible and functional, using it in every dialogue tag can feel robotic.

Instead of: “I can’t believe it,” she said. “Me neither,” he said. Try: Replace with an action: “I can’t believe it.” She ran a hand through her hair, pacing. “Me neither.” He leaned against the counter, arms crossed.

💡 Tip: Don’t ditch “said” entirely; just mix it up with context clues or action beats.

5. “Felt”

Why It’s Overused: It’s a shortcut that tells instead of showing emotions.

Instead of: “She felt nervous.” Try: “Her palms slicked with sweat, and she couldn’t stop her leg from bouncing.”

💡 Tip: Let readers infer emotions through sensory details or behavior.

6. “Really” and “Actually”

Why It’s Overused: They add little to your sentences and can dilute the impact of stronger words.

Instead of: “I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Try: “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

💡 Tip: If a sentence works without these words, cut them.

7. “Walked” or “Ran”

Why It’s Overused: These are go-to movement words, but they can feel bland when used repeatedly.

Instead of: “He walked into the room.” Try: “He strolled in like he owned the place.” / “He shuffled in, avoiding everyone’s eyes.”

💡 Tip: Use verbs that convey mood, speed, or attitude.

8. “Just”

Why It’s Overused: It sneaks into sentences unnecessarily, weakening your prose.

Instead of: “I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” Try: “I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

💡 Tip: Delete “just” unless it adds essential nuance.

9. “Thought”

Why It’s Overused: It tells readers what a character is thinking instead of showing it through internal dialogue or action.

Instead of: “She thought he might be lying.” Try: “His story didn’t add up. The timelines didn’t match, and he wouldn’t meet her eyes.”

💡 Tip: Immerse readers in the character’s perspective without announcing their thoughts.

10. “Nice” and Other Vague Adjectives

Why It’s Overused: It’s generic and doesn’t give readers a clear picture.

Instead of: “He was a nice guy.” Try: “He always remembered her coffee order and held the door open, even when his arms were full.”

💡 Tip: Show qualities through actions instead of relying on vague descriptors.

Final Tips for Avoiding Overused Words:

1. Use a thesaurus wisely: Swap overused words for synonyms, but stay true to your character’s voice and the scene’s tone.

2. Read your work aloud: You’ll catch repetitive patterns and clunky phrases more easily.

3. Edit in layers: Focus on eliminating overused words during your second or third pass, not your first draft.