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Join Our #InstaWrimo Instagram Challenge in September!

NaNoWriMo is coming up in November, so this September, we want to help you prep for the months ahead and develop your novel idea with our annual month-long #InstaWrimo challenge. We designed a month of photo prompts (both concrete and abstract) to get you thinking about characters, setting, and story. All you need to join in is an Instagram account!

Participating in our Instagram Challenge will also give you a sneak peek into this year’s theme! Can you guess what it is from the prompts? We’re officially launching our NaNo Prep activities (and our brand-new website!) the week of September 10, so you can find out more then! To join the Challenge, follow these steps:

Follow @NaNoWriMo on Instagram.

Use the 30 photo prompts listed in the graphic above to start thinking about your novel. We’ll post the full challenge prompt on Instagram, but it will also be available in this post if you need to refer back to it.

These prompts are just suggestions—you can interpret them as literally or as whimsically as you like. You can post a photo for each of the prompts, or choose just a few. You can post one every day, or all at once. There aren’t any strict rules—the most important part is having fun!

Make sure to tag any posts with the #InstaWrimo hashtag so we can find them. We’ll pick photos from the challenge to feature on our own Instagram account throughout the month. Follow the hashtag to see what our awesome community is up to, and to get inspired. You can also tag a friend you think would like to join you in the challenge!

Use your imagination, get creative, and get ready to write!  

Keep reading

AGGRETSUKO SEASON 2 REVIEW (SPOILERS)‼️‼️

Ok, I know some people are complaining about this season, and while there were some things I would’ve changed, IT WAS SOOOOO GOOD!!

From the trailers I originally thought I was gonna hate Tadano, but I actually really liked him? Like, he was such a chill dude and even when Retsuko broke things off, he was respectful. He had a lot of layers to him, and wasn’t the cliche, one-dimensional dude bro I thought he was gonna be. However, I am glad that he and Retsuko broke up, not only because obvious ship, but particularly when it was obvious he and Retsuko were not on the same page about marraige and having a family. But even then, I still really liked him as a character! •w•

Speaking of Haida, I was sort of disappointed with how little of a role he played this season. He wasn’t completely reduced to the side, but I would’ve liked more scenes with him (and Retsuko skkfsk).

Ooohhh, but I ADORED what this season added to Kabae’s character! I went from finding her agonizingly annoying in season 1 to being one of my favorite characters in the whole series. They way she helped Anai and played with her kids as well as the story with her husband was so adorable! I loved how they took a sort of irrelevant character from the first season and added on to her. Amazing stuff!

The message of the whole season, however, is what I think was the best part, at least for me. Even though Retsuko and Tadano were great for each other personality wise, their morals just didn’t match up, and that’s ok. You shouldn’t force yourself to match up with your partner’s expectations. The point of a relationship is to be happy together, and if you can’t meet halfway, things might not work out, and that’s not a bad thing. I really think that moral should be incorporated into more shows.

I have plenty more opinions that I have on this season, but to just sum it all up, I really really enjoyed it, and I really really hope there’s a season 3!!

Reblog In 5 seconds for good luck

Fabulous Guide for Portrait Lighting (zoom for description):

writer asks 📃

send these to a writer you know or answer some yourself!

ink: what do you do to “set the mood” when writing?

pen and paper: do you prefer writing by hand or on a device? why?

diary: how many pieces have you written that are just for you or will never see the light of day?

journal: do you ever write just so you can enjoy something to read?

novella: do you prefer to write short stories, one-shots, or entire novels?

pulitzer: tell about/link a piece where you fielt your writing was the best.

genre: what genre do you prefer to write in?

narrator: what pov do you like writing in best?

backstory: how did you come to love writing?

time-lapse: how long have you been writing (as a hobby or for work)?

characterization: describe your favorite character(s) you’ve written.

carnegie: what authors and/or books/stories have inspired you to write or influenced your work?

faulkner: what tropes do you LOVE writing? which ones are your guilty pleasure?

o’connor: what tropes/genres do you dislike writing?

dickinson: what insecurities do you have about your own writing? what do you think you should improve on?

playlist: what kind of music/songs help you write? do you have a writing playlist?

record: have you written things based off of songs? do you like to?

nobel: have you published anything you’ve written? online or irl?

notepad: can you write anywhere or do you have to be in a specific place and mood to write?

parchment: how often do you or your personal life influence your writing?

dedication: if you were to publish a book or multiple, who would you dedicate the book(s) to?

trope: what’s a pet peeve you have about writing?

input: what’s something you hate that people say to you about writing/your writing?

critic: what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received about writing?

mifflin: what do you feel is your strong suit in writing?

houghton: what’s something you love that people compliment your pieces on?

How to Steal: Good Writers Borrow

Good writers borrow. Great writers steal. -T.S. Eliot *

This is great writing advice, but many people are wary about following it because they misunderstand what the terms “borrowing” and “stealing” mean in this context. 

I’m here to clarify. 

Borrowing is using something of someone else’s. Stealing is making something your own. 

This advice means two things:

1. Don’t be afraid of reusing elements from books you love.

I’ve spoken before about stealing in How to Steal: Know Your Tropes. When you see story elements** in a book you love, don’t think that they’re now off-limits to you forever. Just because you love The Great Gatsby and it’s set in 1920s New York doesn’t mean that you can now never write a story set in 1920s New York. Just because you love I Capture the Castle and it’s written as the protagonist’s journal, doesn’t mean you can never write a novel that takes the form of the protagonist’s journal. Just because Scooby-Doo… you get my point by now, don’t you? 

Take note of what you love in other stories.*** Remember those elements–the plot twists, character arcs, tropes, settings, etc.–and then use them to write a story full of things you love. 

2. Make the things you steal your own.

Borrowing, in this definition, would be writing about a 1920s bootlegger in love with the girl across the way, trying desperately to impress her with his wealth. You’re stealing from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby… and making it no less F. Scott Fitzgerald’s story. 

This example steals too much from one place. It’s too timid in it’s approach. it’s too afraid to take anything from the story, so it keeps everything the same. Anything that tries to be like Gatsby, but better is destined to fail. (Maybe a little like Gatsby himself. Just throw a bigger party, old sport! That’ll do the trick!) 

The key to stealing is stealing from multiple things at once until it looks like your very own thing. Stealing is writing a novel about a gang of mystery solving teenagers in 1920s New York, told in the form of a journal the group takes turns writing in. (Because we’re going to add a splash of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants here.) 

Stealing is saying: these story elements are mine now and I’m going to use them the way I like, combined with my interests. And you know what? By stealing bits and pieces from all of the things you love, you’re creating something unique and new and wonderful. 

So go out there. And steal. Never borrow. 

*****

*This is commonly attributed to him at least. The internet tells me he definitely said something close to it. 

**Obviously, this doesn’t apply to the words themselves. Never steal somebody else’s words. Basically everything else is up for grabs, though. 

***You’re not limited to stealing from books. Steal from movies. From TV shows. From plays. From epic poetry. From that anecdote your neighbor told you last week. 

callum and rayla: [t-posing, staring each other intensely in the eyes]

ezran: what are you doing

callum and rayla, in unison: flirting

me: *doesnt do my work*

my teacher: *puts in a 0*

me:

What sort of questions should I be asking my beta readers?

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR BETA READERS:

When I send out my chapter to be read over by my beta readers, I always include a set of questions typed out at the bottom, grouped into different categories such as: plot, pacing, character, setting, etc. 

You might want to tailor the questions depending on the genre or which chapter it is. For example, if it’s the first chapter you’ll want to ask them about how well your story managed to hook them, or if they managed to easily get an idea of the world you’ve introduced them to. If it’s the climax you might want to ask if the action scenes are fluid, and if the plot twist/s were predictable or surprising. 

Here’s some example questions that you could use:

Opening Chapter:

What is your first impression of the main character? Do you find them likable? Annoying? Boring?

After reading it for the first time, what is your first impression? Was it cohesive and compelling? Boring and confusing?

Did the first sentence/paragraph/page efficiently grab your attention and hook you in?

If you were to read this chapter in a bookstore/library would you be convinced to buy it? Or would you need to read further before deciding? Why or why not?

Did you get oriented fairly quickly at the beginning as to whose story it is, what’s going on, and where and when it’s taking place? If not, what were you confused about at the beginning?

Does the first chapter establish the main character efficiently? Do they feel believable?

Characters:

Could you clearly imagine what the characters looked like? If not, who?

Who was your favourite character and why? Has your favourite character changed? (if this hasn’t changed feel free to skip this question) 

Are there any characters that you do not like? Why do you not like them? (Boring, annoying, problematic, etc.) 

Was there ever a moment when you found yourself annoyed or frustrated by a character? 

Could you relate to the main character? Did you empathise with their motivation or find yourself indifferent? 

Were the characters goals/motivations clear and understandable? 

Did you get confused about who’s who? Are there too many characters to keep track of? Are any of the names or characters too similar?

Do the characters feel three-dimensional or like cardboard cutouts? 

How familiar have you become with the main characters? Without cheating could you name the four main characters? Can you remember their appearance? Can you remember their goal or motivation? 

Dialogue:

Did the dialogue seem natural to you?

Was there ever a moment where you didn’t know who was talking?

Setting/world-building:

Were you able to visualize where and when the story is taking place?

Is the setting realistic and believable? 

How well do you remember the setting? Without cheating, can you name four important settings?

Genre:

Did anything about the story seem cliche or tired to you? How so? 

Did anything you read (character, setting, etc.) remind you of any others works? (Books, movies, etc.) 

Plot/pacing/scenes:

Do you feel there were any unnecessary scenes/moments that deserved to be deleted or cut back?

Do the scenes flow naturally and comprehensively at an appropriate pace? Did you ever feel like they were jumping around the place? 

Was there ever a moment where you attention started to lag, or the chapter begun to drag? Particular paragraph numbers would be very helpful. 

Did you ever come across a sentence that took you out of the moment, or you had to reread to understand fully? 

Was the writing style fluid and easy to read? Stilted? Purple prose-y? Awkward?

Did you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies in facts, places, character details, plot, etc.?

Additional questions:

What three things did you like? What three things did you not like? 

Can you try predicting any upcoming plot twists or outcomes? 

Was there ever a moment when your suspension of disbelief was tested? 

Is there anything you’d personally change about the story? 

Was the twist expected or surprising? Do you feel that the foreshadowing was almost nonexistent, or heavy handed? 

Feel free to tailor these to your needs or ignore some of them if you don’t think they’re useful. Basically, your questions are about finding out the information about how others perceive your own writing and how you can improve your story.

-Lana