heonx-gamesmode

Latest Posts by heonx-gamesmode

How to write grief — without being boring, basic, or emotionally beige

1- Grief isn’t a one-scene thing

don’t write them sobbing in chapter 12 and ✨totally fine✨ by chapter 13.

that’s not grief, that’s emotional whiplash.

grief is a slow burn. a background buzz.

it hits in quiet moments—like finding their handwriting or hoodie.

☕️ silence + routine = pain

2. crying is optional

newsflash: people grieve in weird ways.

some cry. some laugh. some make pancakes at 3AM and stare into the void.

some say “i’m fine” while making wildly self-destructive life choices.

(spoiler: they are NOT fine.)

🥞 + overthinking = grief

3. grief changes people

maybe they used to be kind. now they’re sharp.

maybe they were outgoing. now they ghost everyone.

grief isn’t just sadness. it’s a plot twist.

🌀 grief = character development in pain-flavored packaging

4. Avoid cliché city

if you write “a single tear rolled down their cheek,”

i will personally haunt your drafts.

instead:

“they blinked too hard and the tears broke free like they’d been waiting all day for an exit.”

✍️ be poetic, not predictable

5. Grief lives in the little things

• setting the table for someone who’s not coming

• hearing their laugh in a stranger’s voice

• keeping their phone charged

• not deleting their playlist

it’s the quiet stuff that hits the hardest.

🫖 tiny detail = emotional chaos

bonus challenge:

write a scene where your character pretends they’re over it…

but their actions say otherwise.

(bonus points if the reader can tell but the other characters can’t.)

grief doesn’t end when the funeral does. Write it like a ghost that keeps showing up. Even when your character swears they’re fine.

Follow for more ✨ unhinged writing guides ✨

FOR DEEPER TIPS ON WRITING A BOOK, CHECK MY WEBSITE HERE

bailiff: ALL RISE FOR THE JUDGE

judge: *enters*

judge: yesssss queen slay

i hate when my favorite song by an artist is one of their more popular ones and when I tell people that, they look at me weird. “oh my god, thats such a basic bitch answer”

MAYBE IT’S POPULAR BECAUSE IT’S GOOD, SAMANTHA. EVER THINK OF THAT?

if a man said this to any of my female friends, they would find the body. they would find his penis though. if it’s not microscopic :)

normalize casual dominant conversation

"do as you're told"

"shh, men are talking"

"sweetie"

"atta girl"

"good girl"

"there's a good girl"

"be a good girl and *do xyz*"

so I was explaining to the kids in my class that anything that ends in -us’s plural form is “-i”. they all processed it in silence until five minutes later, one goes, “walri?”

i just.

i love making tumblr posts bcuz you never know if it’s been made before. like. we all share one braincell and half the time satan uses it to wipe his ass and accidentally flushes it down the toilet

scream- desperate, full of emotion

ex. “Please!” He screamed, tears streaking down his face.

yell- typically to convey a message, or a war cry

ex. “Let’s go!” She yelled, raising her sword.

shout- almost always to convey a message, typically just so the other person is able to hear them

ex. “Did you do the homework?” He shouted from the other room.

the government wouldn’t do that

oh…yes, yes they would

MaKe sUrE tHeY dOnT🫵🏼

(credits to betterbebugs on tiktok)

me: I need to do my home work at 8

me: I need to do my home work at 8

me: I need to do my home work at 8

*8 passes*

me: . . .

me: I need to do my home work at 9

why tf do people type out stutters

on behalf of all the ‘quiet kids’ in school: we are not lonely. we are not pining after u, waiting for u to pick us up like ur jesus or smth. we’re probably just waiting for our friends. ur not fcking special

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

Deku: yknow, in some ways, I’m kind of royalty.

Extra: why, because your dad is all might? pshh, get over yourse-

Deku: no, because my mom is a queen

Uraraka: fair

Todoroki: checks out

Bakugo: bow down, losers

Bakugo: deku why are you sprinkling salt on your ice cream??

Deku: it tastes good!!!

Bakugo: no the fuck it doesn’t

Deku: you know, I feel in-salt-ed.

Bakugo:

Deku:

Bakugo:

Deku:

Bakugo: we’re done.

Deku: nooo, kacchan, don’t be salty!!

Bakugo: you son of a-

if rei and endeavour’s hair color mixed like dabi’s quirk, shoto would have pink hair.

you’re welcome.

Bakugo: Fuck you!

Izuku: When and where? 😏

Bakugo: No, seriously! FUCK YOU!

Izuku: Yeah, when and where?!

Bakugo: NEVER, and NOWHERE!

Izuku: So… my room at ten?

Bakugo:

Izuku:

Bakugo: fuck it

Bakugo: let’s go now

Deku: Look, Uraraka, it’s funny how, when you fall in love with someone, you start becoming aware of these little quirks and habits they have, and just collecting and memorizing them

Uraraka: Like what?

Deku: Like… *gives detailed and full list of quirks and habits Todoroki has*

Uraraka: Uh, Deku…

Deku: Yes?

Uraraka: Did you hear what you said just now? Because I have news for you…

Deku: Yes, why? What do you me- *sudden realisation*

Deku: *blushes furiously*

Deku: Oh my gosh.

Deku: I’m in love with Todoroki

Uraraka: *nodding sagely* Yup.

Deku: *yawns*

Bakugo: yeah, being pretty must be tiring

Deku: *tilts head* then you must be exhausted

Bakugo: *blushes furiously*

Lafayette: *can’t find Laurens in a crowd* Lafayette: I know what to do Lafayette: ALEXANDER HAMILTON IS STRAIGHT Hamilton: *spawning out of nowhere* NO THE FUCK HE ISN’T!! Lafayette:

dialogue prompts for ~injury~

!!please credit/tag me!!

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit, c’mere.”

“Someone get the medic. Get the medic!”

“Hey, hey, shhhh. Shhhh. You’re okay.”

“You did so good. Don’t worry, you-you did so good.”

“Here, lean on me. I can carry you.”

“We’re gonna fix you up, brand new. I promise.”

“No. No, stop. Stop talking like that. You’re gonna be fine.”

“Okay. Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do—fuck.”

“I know, I know it hurts.”

"I don't care. I'm not leaving you."

“I’m going to lift you up, okay? Tell me if it hurts.”

“Where are they? Where are they?!”

"I would believe that you're fine, but you have a goddamn knife sticking out of your leg, so."

"You just watched them die."

"This is going to hurt, okay?"

"God, I'm so sorry, it'll be over soon, I promise."

"How many fingers am I holding up? ... I don't have six fingers."

"Stop. No. Wake up. Wake up! I said wake up!"

"I came as soon as I heard."

“Get away! You’re hurting them!”

“Please be okay. Please be okay, please be okay—”

“Shit. Shit, that’s a lot of blood.”

“You dumbass. Don’t do that. Ever again.”

"Help them! Please!"

"You scared us all back there. I... Including me."

"[name]? [name], this isn't funny. Stop... please..."

"Breathe... breathe. Look at the stars, kid."

"It was supposed to be me... please, no, [name], please..."

"Tell me where it hurts, and be specific."

“You’ll be fine.” *silence* “You’ll be fine. Hey! Wake up! Please. Please wake up…”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

words to use instead of ______

"Very"

Mild: clearly, decidedly, distinctly, markedly, considerably, notably, largely, recognizably, especially, indubitably Moderate: especially, surprisingly, substantially, uncommonly, chiefly, incredibly, obviously, unmistakably, considerably, awfully, wonderfully, particularly Bold: profusely, unequivocally, strikingly, astonishingly, exceedingly, absolutely, exceptionally, extremely, unquestionably, vastly, incontestably

"A Lot" (time)

Mild: often, oftentimes, sometime Moderate: frequently, usually, various, generally Bold: regularly, recurrent, persistent

"A Lot" (size)

Mild: many, much, several Moderate: numerous, bountiful, considerable Bold: multitude, profuse, vast

"Big"

Mild: sizable, ample, large, considerable, great, above average, important Moderate: ponderous, significant, crucial, vast, copious, magnificent, substantial Bold: enormous, immense, colossal, extensive, endless, paramount, boundless, prodigious, imposing, gigantic, voluminous, limitless, essential

"Small"

Mild: slight, limited, trivial, minor, light, puny, superficial, undersized, dinky, negligible, faint Moderate: scant, petite, inconsiderable, microscopic, dwarf, unsubstantial, minimum, miniature, tiny Bold: insignificant, minute, meager, infinitesimal, ineffectual, undetectable, inconsequential

"Good"

Mild: acceptable, favorable, agreeable, pleasing, satisfactory, satisfying, super, able, relevant, accomplished, efficient, reliable, ample, useful, profitable, adequate, adept Moderate: great, honorable, admirable, commendable, sound, splendid, superb, valuable, wonderful, worthy, clever, proficient, qualified, apt, skillful, thorough, wholesome Bold: excellent, exceptional, gratifying, marvelous, reputable, stupendous, superior, exemplary, virtuous, expert, solid, advantageous, flawless, extensive, perfect

"Bad"

Mild: cheap, dissatisfactory, faculty, off, mean, wrong, unpleasant, unwell, low, grim, sour, regretful Moderate: careless, defective, inferior, imperfect, deficient, rough, ill-suited, inadequate, unsatisfactory, delinquent, sinful, unruly, wicked, rancid, grave, harsh, terrible, downcast Bold: awful, unacceptable, corrupt, dreadful, putrid, erroneous, detrimental, ruinous, vile, villainous, diseased, adverse, evil

more words to use instead other words to use instead even more words to use instead

HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER WHO IS IN PAIN

first thing you might want to consider: is the pain mental or physical?

if it’s physical, what type of pain is it causing? — sharp pain, white-hot pain, acute pain, dull ache, throbbing pain, chronic pain, neuropathic pain (typically caused by nerve damage), etc

if it’s mental, what is the reason your character is in pain? — grief, heartbreak, betrayal, anger, hopelessness, fear and anxiety, etc

because your character will react differently to different types of pain

PHYSICAL PAIN

sharp and white-hot pain may cause a character to grit their teeth, scream, moan, twist their body. their skin may appear pale, eyes red-rimmed and sunken with layers of sweat covering their forehead. they may have tears in their eyes (and the tears may feel hot), but they don’t necessarily have to always be crying.

acute pain may be similar to sharp and white-hot pain; acute pain is sudden and urgent and often comes without a warning, so your character may experience a hitched breathing where they suddenly stop what they’re doing and clench their hand at the spot where it hurts with widened eyes and open mouth (like they’re gasping for air).

dull ache and throbbing pain can result in your character wanting to lay down and close their eyes. if it’s a headache, they may ask for the lights to be turned off and they may be less responsive, in the sense that they’d rather not engage in any activity or conversation and they’d rather be left alone. they may make a soft whimper from their throat from time to time, depends on their personality (if they don’t mind others seeing their discomfort, they may whimper. but if your character doesn’t like anyone seeing them in a not-so-strong state, chances are they won’t make any sound, they might even pretend like they’re fine by continuing with their normal routine, and they may or may not end up throwing up or fainting).

if your character experience chronic pain, their pain will not go away (unlike any other illnesses or injuries where the pain stops after the person is healed) so they can feel all these types of sharp pain shooting through their body. there can also be soreness and stiffness around some specific spots, and it will affect their life. so your character will be lucky if they have caretakers in their life. but are they stubborn? do they accept help from others or do they like to pretend like they’re fine in front of everybody until their body can’t take it anymore and so they can no longer pretend?

neuropathic pain or nerve pain will have your character feeling these senses of burning, shooting and stabbing sensation, and the pain can come very suddenly and without any warning — think of it as an electric shock that causes through your character’s body all of a sudden. your character may yelp or gasp in shock, how they react may vary depends on the severity of the pain and how long it lasts.

EMOTIONAL PAIN

grief can make your character shut themself off from their friends and the world in general. or they can also lash out at anyone who tries to comfort them. (five states of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and eventual acceptance.)

heartbreak — your character might want to lock themself in a room, anywhere where they are unseen. or they may want to pretend that everything’s fine, that they’re not hurt. until they break down.

betrayal can leave a character with confusion, the feelings of ‘what went wrong?’, so it’s understandable if your character blames themself at first, that maybe it’s their fault because they’ve somehow done something wrong somewhere that caused the other character to betray them. what comes after confusion may be anger. your character can be angry at the person who betrayed them and at themself, after they think they’ve done something wrong that resulted in them being betrayed, they may also be angry at themself next for ‘falling’ for the lies and for ‘being fooled’. so yes, betrayal can leave your character with the hatred that’s directed towards the character who betrayed them and themself. whether or not your character can ‘move on and forgive’ is up to you.

there are several ways a character can react to anger; they can simply lash out, break things, scream and yell, or they can also go complete silent. no shouting, no thrashing the place. they can sit alone in silence and they may cry. anger does make people cry. it mostly won’t be anything like ‘ugly sobbing’ but your character’s eyes can be bloodshot, red-rimmed and there will be tears, only that there won’t be any sobbing in most cases.

hopelessness can be a very valid reason for it, if you want your character to do something reckless or stupid. most people will do anything if they’re desperate enough. so if you want your character to run into a burning building, jump in front of a bullet, or confess their love to their archenemy in front of all their friends, hopelessness is always a valid reason. there’s no ‘out of character’ if they are hopeless and are desperate enough.

fear and anxiety. your character may be trembling, their hands may be shaky. they may lose their appetite. they may be sweaty and/or bouncing their feet. they may have a panic attack if it’s severe enough.

and I think that’s it for now! feel free to add anything I may have forgotten to mention here!

reblog if you’re NOT tumblr famous, but you ARE tired and kinda gay

crazy how fanfic authors drop the most beautiful and gorgeous pieces of work ever, leaving you speechless and sobbing at three in the morning as you quietly contemplate the masterpiece you just read

and they don’t get paid for it they just do it because they’re having fun and they want to share their joy with you

like I would literally die for all of you fanfic authors out there reblog to swear your allegiance to fanfic authors

I'm starting a collection

Reblog if you're LGBTQIA+ (Yes Trans people and people on the ace/aro spectrum are also valid, shut up)