Words To Use When Writing

Another day, another hostage. The city leaning into its comic book fanbase was really hurting their ability to get you. None of the so-called heroes were willing to go the lengths necessary to get you. You simply didn't fit the bill.

"Hey! Release her!"

"Kitty, you know me. Hand over the half-million and she lives, fight me and she dies. Simple."

The cat hero leapt forward, but not before you pulled the trigger. And stabbed a knife through Lioness's throat. With another shotgun fire to the face, you had two more deaths on your hands.

- -

Another day, another crime.

This time it was Phoenix and Eel's turn. Phoenix sat on a chandelier and Eel walked towards you menacingly. You were no match for them in a fight, but that wasn't your style.

"Teamwork. Classic. A shame I don't need it." You sat comfortably on a plush chair.

"Just tell us where the bombs are!" Eel was impatient.

"Don't you have people to find them?"

"Of course—"

"Then let them do their job."

The four bombs went off, shaking the ground.

"There they are. All four of them."

"What kind of monster are you!" Phoenix roared, diving for you.

You are not that powerful of a villain but you rank high on the wanted list because you don't give prep time and you dont talk too much

You took the gun from her shaky hands and shot the informant between the eyes.

"One thing about wielding a gun. When you pull it out, be committed. If you're not committed, don't show your hand. This was a controlled environment, but that noncommittal could cost you your life."

Writing Prompt #2880

"Stop trying to help me. I can do this myself."

"Quite frankly? You can't. You're one mistake from having a nervous breakdown or hurting yourself because you can't think clearly. Now, swallow your pride, and give that to me."

hey when you make posts, i just want you to know, thou/thee/thy/thine/ye are like he/you(object)/your/yours/you(subject) okay? "thou art wearing shoes," "i will wear shoes for thee," okay?

you say thine if the next word starts with a vowel and thy if the next word starts with a consonant and they both mean "your" so "thine own shoes," "thy shoes," okay?

and ye means you and refers to the subject of a sentence, "ye members of the brotherhood of shoes," okay? you need this information to create better knight yaoi. i'm personally more interested in nun yuri but we are a community

Botanical Names Part I

Names you can choose for your characters. Taken from the little signs in a botanical garden. So they are names of plants.

Adoxa

Potentilla

Fraxinus

Stellaria

Valeriana

Iris

Tulipa

Syringa

Danthonia

Avena

Silene

Irsine

Amaranthus

Barbarea

Cleome

Nigella

Erica

Arbutus

Malva

Calluna

Viola

Phyllis

Majorana

Salvia

Morina

Petunia

Calliandra

Veronica

Gilia

Juniper

More names!

I just think people write out of obligation too often.

"How do I motivate myself to write through the boring part of my story?"

"How do I make this boring scene not boring?"

Don't write it.

Don't write boring things just because you think the structure of the story demands it. I promise it doesn't need to be there.

If your characters need to have gone shopping for a later part of the story to make sense you can just have a sentence about how they went shopping and move on.

You are not obligated to write the boring parts. No matter what those parts are.

You are not obligated to make the parts of your story that you're not excited to write interesting somehow.

You can just write the fun and interesting parts and gloss over and summarize boring things.

Your audience will thank you and you will thank yourself.

When the big evil scary monster pauses and starts to observe you out of curiosity, gently grabbing your chin and turning it side to side to look at you. Soon moving down to your hands to observe how small they are against its own.

Day X

Damaged Goods

Quincy was in the market for a droid, so he went to the nearby shop, Empori-Droid. It was blindingly white inside, "new and improved" models on the display floor and in the window next to older models. While the new models were awesome and generated revenue, it was the older models that generated the most.

He looked through the sleek models. They were beautiful, but not quite what he was looking for. Eventually he saw a retired military droid off in the corner. It... called to him.

"What about that one?" He pointed.

"Oh," the saleswoman said, obviously uncomfortable, "We were supposed to put that one it the back. It got messed up and we needed to get rid of it." She moved toward it, but Quincy countered with, "I'll buy it." She froze and looked at him.

"R-Really?"

"$100,000"

"Uh, that's... that's a lot for a damaged, broken model."

"Give me the basic, no, advanced package for 150."

"Uhm.... Let me... talk with my supervisor, but, ummm, I'll see what we can do."

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) (Edit from the future: I answered an ask with more explanation on how I use Notion for non-linear writing here.) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

Day VIII

Death's Daughter

Dixie liked sunset. But he hated it too. It was beautiful, but people were inside. He preferred rooftops, renting a seventh floor apartment so he could sleep on sun-warmed gravel. He liked outside, but not the work of it. Drops fell from the sky. Rain.

He climbed down and slipped into his window, closing it. He made himself some ramen and looked at the city skyline. It was beautiful, black silhouettes against orange that faded from orange to pastel blue to black behind darkening clouds on a watercolor canvas. Above it all shone a full moon.

Thunder clapped as Dixie laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the pattering of the rain. He closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Morning came with rain falling steadily. A hissing was heard along with it, hardly distinguishable from the constant pattering. Dixie listened before carefully investigating.

It was a girl. A woman really, well-proportioned and well-endowed. But she wasn't human. At least, not unmodified. She had dark lavender skin, midnight purple horns, sharp midnight purple nails that could better be called claws, and a tail. She was making pancakes and eggs, her tail expertly flipping the cakes onto a plate stacked with them.

"Oh, morning. Thought you might enjoy breakfast you didn't have to make. Name's Lily. I was thinking I'd have you meet my dad in about a week, then we can arrange me meeting your parents and then marriage, though I guess I'm getting really ahead of myself if you don't accept. And I'm rambling on, sorry. You don't have to introduce yourself, I know all about you, what with having watched you for a while, a few years now...." She rambled on and Dixie noticed sharp ears under her dark, flowing, indigo hair. It flowed like water down her back and over her shoulders. "...and my dad's super hyped to meet you. 'Ell, ya shoulda seen 'is face when I tol' 'im 'bout my plan. 'Ead over 'eels, my d'scription o' ya. Oop. My tongue's slippin'. Been around the imps too long. Startin'.... Starting... to cut off my words. Am I talking too much? I come in and start rambling my tongue numb. How'd you sleep, Dixie?"

"Uh, alright."

"That's good." She nodded, finishing up with her cooking. She grabbed the syrup from the cabinet with an experienced hand, as though she'd been living there for a while. She dished up the food and took a seat beside Dixie and started eating. Dixie ate like a starved man after the first bite.

Author's Note: This is not finished, but I'm not gonna finish it. Writblr, do your thing.