No One:

Important things to Remember While Creating Characters

How they grew up shaped who they are now.

If your character lives a rough lifestyle, they should look like they live a rough lifestyle.

Knowing their mindset will make them more dimensional.

How they dress should depend on who they are and what they like.

Whether they like their job or not could say a lot about them (if they enjoy being a cashier, they probably like people. If they like fishing, they probably enjoy relaxing on a boat or by shore)

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I read this back in February and unfortunately didn't have time to review it until now. I absolutely loved it! The backgrounds of the characters are even more complex than books with linear timelines. The main character, Nix (I believe), was tempted by so many different things to try to save herself from an uncertain future or not even a future at all. Her problem solving was beyond something I've experienced in any other book. I highly recommend this book!

here have 10 pieces of writing advice that have stuck with me over the years

every character’s first line should be an introduction to who they are as a person

even if you only wrote one sentence on a really bad day, that’s still one sentence more than you had yesterday

exercise restraint when using swear words and extra punctuation in order for them to pack a punch when you do use them

if your characters have to kiss to show they’re in love, then they’re not in love

make every scene interesting (or make every scene your favorite scene), otherwise your readers will be just as bored as you

if you’re stuck on a scene, delete the last line you wrote and go in a different direction, or leave in brackets as placeholders

don’t compare your first draft to published books that could be anywhere from 3rd to 103rd drafts

i promise you the story you want to tell can fit into 100k words or less

sometimes the book isn’t working because it’s not ready to be written or you’re not ready to write it yet; let it marinate for a bit so the idea can develop as you become a better writer

a story written in chronological order takes a lot more discipline and is usually easier to understand than a story written with flashbacks

There are few things better than falling asleep to the slow, steady breathing of your partner. Their soft snores as you slowly fade into sleep beside them. The slow rise and fall of their chest against you, their soft murmurs as you roll over. Such absolute comfort and peace, safety and love. 

How is it that yearbook messages can go from "You're amazing, fantastic, and beautiful" to "Thanks for not killing me in my sleep"?

i am overcome with the urge to deal out unsolicited writing advice

The Legend Series (Legend, Prodigy, and Champion) By Marie Lu ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is seriously one of the best series I’ve ever read. The author gets you hooked on the characters and you just want them to be happy and she does such a great job of using that against you 😒. Anyway, I say they’re a must read for anyone if you like some adventure, action, and romance!

love u guys

Friendly reminder that this blog is pro-choice and if you don’t think a woman should have full control of her own body, then kindly unfollow me right now and go to hell

COVID-19 Support

Hi, everyone! I try to keep this blog as on topic as possible but I wanted to talk a bit about the impact COVID-19 has had on a lot of us.

First, I want to express to anyone that may need to hear it that it’s completely valid and understandable to be scared right now. Many of our lives have been completely uprooted thanks to this pandemic. Many of us have lost our jobs, been abruptly sent home from school, worried about our health, and dealt with difficulties staying home and away from others.

As cheesy as it may sound, no one is alone in this. We all, technically, have easy access to our friends and family still thanks to social media/texting. It can be difficult to actually reach out to others, however, and to help out with that I’d like to offer my support to all of you that may need it.

I know that most—if not all—of you that read this are not at all close to me, nor have I previously spoken with almost any of you, but if you need someone to talk to right now—about anything, really—feel free to message me. As long as your message doesn’t strike me as odd or threatening, I’ll gladly reply. If you want to talk anonymously, feel free to send me anonymous asks and I’ll gladly respond to them. Keeping our community happy and healthy is one of the most important things we can do right now and I really hope you’re all doing okay right now.

Stay safe out there,

Sonja