astoryshark

[astoryshark]

🦈 Shark | DO NOT REPOST

[astoryshark]

Would you be able to write a Goku×Human Reader fic? Maybe some kind of meet-cute where Goku is introduced to the reader? You could also maybe have them meet as children. Tysm! ~blushinggoku

A new training partner - Son Goku x f! Human! Reader

This is my first Dragonball fic so bear with me! I hope I got Goku's character somewhat right :o

Enjoy! @blushinggoku

"Come on Krillin! Show me what you got"

"Of course! Don't underestimate me Goku!"

Son Goku and his long childhood friend Krillin are training together in an open, green field. Its far out in the wild since their training sessions can get very heated and this way, they can't disturb other people and or destroy people's properties. Son Goku, who recently won the martial arts tournament and saved earth from demon King Piccolo, is having the upper hand. His last fights made him a lot stronger and even though Krillin knows that he won't give in easily. He also has his pride as one of Master Roshi's students.

In one swift motion, Goku uses a mismove of Krillin to his advantage and sends him flying. However, it seems that the black-haired fighter has underestimated his own power since the distance grows and grows and doesn't seem to stop anytime soon. Goku's expression scrunches up "Sorry Krillin!" he shouts after him and gets going to see where he went.

Little did they know that there was somebody else who was enjoying the quietness of the nature and the big, open fields for their own training. A young woman focused on the movements of her kicks and punches, her body and mind moving as one. Her eyes lit up as she notices a foreign source of Ki coming closer to her location. Her eyes focus on the direction and before it can hit her, she catches the smaller man and holds him upside down on his ankle.

"W-Woah hey! Let me go!"

He sounded nervous, wriggling around in the woman's iron tight grip.

"Who are you and why did you try to attack me?"

She asks in a strong voice, glaring down at him. Krillin gulps.

"W-What? No No, this is a misunderstanding! I did not try anything! I was about to crash into you because I-”

Before he could explain himself, there was a second source of Ki coming closer. It was on a completely different level, making the woman feel a bit uneasy. Whatever it was, it was strong, but it did not feel hostile.

"Krillin? Are you okay? I didn't mean to throw ya away this hard!"

Goku catches up to his friend and as he sees the situation, he tilts his head in confusion.

"Whos that? Are ya training a new technique or something-?"

"No! Now help me, please!"

Krillin sounds desperate, the blood already getting into his head from hanging upside down for so long. The womans eyes widen a bit.

"Wait, who?"

Her e/c eyes look him up and down. His black spiky hair, the very well-trained physique, the orange Gi and the strong Ki that radiates from him. Now it clicks. She looks down at Krillin, his face started to get pale and his expression screams that he is not feeling good at all. She lets him down carefully and holds up her arms in defense.

"I deeply apologize! I thought your friend wanted to attack me!" she bows down, and her face is tainted in a light, embarrassed blush.

Goku processes her words and then smiles

“No worries! Krillin can take that” he answers with a chuckle.

His best friend lays on the ground, the blood slowly running back into his body

“Y-Yeah..absol..absolutely” he mumbles in a defeated voice.

The fighter stretches his hand out to the woman

“Names Goku by the way! Nice to meet ya!”

He introduces himself with a warm smile. Y/N takes a deep breath and takes his hand, shaking it with a firm grip

“Nice to meet you too, my name is Y/N. I actually heard a lot about you” she answers with a small chuckle.

“Oh really? hope it's nothing bad then!” he answers and then helps his best friend up from the ground.

Krillin shakes his head to regain focus and brushes some dust off his Gi, the smaller warrior looks up to his friend

“Thanks man. I think I was about to pass out” he mumbles the last part quietly to himself.

Y/N shakes her head

“No, no don't worry. I know you from the tournament to be exact. I watched you fight and have to admit that your skills are very impressive.” she answers, a small shy blush makes itself present on her cheeks. It's not that she only watched one fight, she watched all. His fighting style and lighthearted personality caught her interest quickly.

Goku smiles brightly at the compliment and his eyes light up, as he thinks back to the tournament

"It was an amazing experience! There were so many strong opponents to fight. Man..thinking about this makes me feel all pumped up!"

He says energized and Y/N can pick up on his Ki raising slightly, mimicking his excitement for a good fight. Goku then holds his chin, thinking for a moment

"Wait a minute"

He then points at his friend, "Krillin was flying quite fast since i threw him with a lot of force" , his finger moves over to Y/N who starts to get a bit uncomfortable "And you caught him! Means your reflexes are quite good"

Krillin's eyes widen at the statement, and he looks up to the woman

"He's right! Hey Y/N, are you a fighter by any chance?"

Y/N starts to sweat nervously and looks to the side

“A-Ah..uhm..yeah but like I-” she gets cut off by Goku's strong hands gripping her shoulders

“I knew it! Then come, join us in training!” he suggests excited, his dark pupils sparkle “This will get all of us stronger!

Krillin smiles and nods in agreement

"He's right, the more the merrier"

Y/N starts to blush at the sudden contact, her eyes wander over to his toned arms that are gripping her shoulders pleasantly firm. She snaps back to reality quickly, not wanting anyone to notice her nearly drooling over the fighter. She then looks back up into his puppy like eyes. How could she ever say no to his request?

“Okay okay, I'm in! But my level of skill doesn't match yours in the slightest so..I don't know if you guys really benefit from training with me” she answers a bit nervous, avoiding eye contact.

Goku smiles and squeezes her shoulders reassuringly before letting go. Y/N already misses the contact.

“Doesn't matter! Any kind of training will get us stronger so come on, let's get right into it”

Y/N nods and the three of them start to get into a fighting position. The woman is utterly nervous, her limbs shaking a bit. //I have to try my best! No way I will miss this opportunity//

Krillin does not like the thought to fight against a woman at first, but he gets into the mood quickly after seeing how hard Y/N tries and that she surely knows how to throw some good punches. Even against Goku.

Goku smiles brightly and encourages Y/N to try and show some more, hyping her up. He can feel how much potential is hidden inside of her. How she partially blocks her Ki out of nervousness and not believing in herself strong enough. He wants to change that.

After hours and hours of training, Y/N falls onto her knees. Her breathing is heavy, and her body drenched in sweat, an amazing feeling if she is honest with herself.

Goku sits down beside her and smiles “That was great! You are really tough” he compliments her, stretching his limbs to prevent any after-training cramps.

Y/N’s cheeks start to blush in a deep red which is not coming from the exhaustion. Hearing such a compliment from him, a fighter of his skill, is really making her heart race

“T-Thank you..It was a lot of fun to train with you guys” she answers with a warm smile.

Goku stretches his hand out to her and helps her up, giving her hand a light extra squeeze before letting go. He looks down to her

"There is a lot of potential hidden inside you, Y/N. I can feel it!"

Y/N looks questioning at him

"You're limiting yourself through your mind" he taps at her forehead softly "Stop questioning yourself and your abilities and start believing in them! It will help you grow in no time." he adds and smiles warmly at her.

Y/N eyes widen a bit, something about his words tickle her emotions in just the right way. Her chest feels all warm and fuzzy. She looks up to him, his buzzing, strong but gentle Ki radiating of off him. She needs to smile and nods.

"Thank you Goku, your words mean a lot. I will definitely work on that"

Goku grins and lays his arms behind his head lazily

"Im looking forwards to next time already!"

Y/N blinks a few times, a faint blush creeping up on her face again

"Next time?"

[astoryshark]

Happy Kanda Day♡

[astoryshark]

To the mighty lotus who grew out of the mud to spread its fragrance to the world.

happy out of the pool day Kanda! ;w;

[astoryshark]

kanda my beloved.....

[astoryshark]

Cold.

A wintery breeze whooshes through the open window and you wake, fearful and doused in an icy sweat.

You curl into yourself, both for warmth and for comfort, and take a deep breath. The presence beside you is reassuring, alerting you to the fact that the events of your dream are just that, a dream, and you have nothing to worry about...for now, at least.

Against your better judgement, you scoot closer to the warmth beside you, needing the reassuring presence of your partner to calm you down. But Kanda is sleeping peacefully tonight--a rare occurrence--and you'd hate to wake him. So instead you sigh, watching the rise and fall of his shoulders for a moment before he stirs.

Of course he stirs, you think. Even in his sleep, he can sense changes in the air; years of battle have made him hyperaware of his surroundings, and he's especially sensitive to changes in you.

Kanda groans sleepily, rolling over to face you with a half-awake expression. You feel a bit guilty for waking him, unintentional as it was. "Hey," he mumbles, leaning over to place a light kiss on your forehead. "What are you doing awake?"

You scoot even closer to him and he obliges, wrapping his arms securely around you as if he's aware of the morbid images your sleeping mind had conjured. "No reason," you whisper. "I just...woke up."

"You don't need to lie." Even half-asleep, he can tell you're lying. Great. You squirm a bit in his grasp, attempting to burrow deeper into the covers.

"I had a nightmare," you offer weakly. "B-but its ok! It wasn't...that bad."

Kanda is quiet for a moment and you can hear the wind whistle outside. Again, the chilled air bites at your skin, and you shiver. Kanda pulls you in to close the already miniscule gap between you.

"...Well," he starts. "It was just a dream. You're safe now."

"It's not me I'm worried about," you blurt, and you can feel his tired eyes boring into your skull as you pull away from him, turn your back and hide under the covers. Tears prick at your eyes.

"You died." The tears start to spill over your cheeks. "Like for real this time. Every time you're out there fighting Akuma, I wonder if you'll come back, and I worry, but--"

The covers are pulled off you suddenly and you gasp at the sudden absence of warmth. The blankets are quickly replaced, though, as Kanda pulls you back into his arms before wrapping you up securely. You wiggle and protest but he just stares down at you, his eyes deep and hard to read. Then he kisses you on the mouth, quick and harsh and enough to shut you up. You just gawk up at him, unsure how to react.

He whispers your name with a pointed firmness--the tone he uses to ground you when you're upset, you recognize--and knocks his forehead against yours. "You worry too much. I'm hard to kill." He smirks proudly. "I think I've proven that much. And besides, even if I do die, whatever God is out there will have to drag me away from you. Since, you know," there's a teasing lilt in his voice that you think is meant to lighten the mood. "If I wasn't around, you'd get yourself into too much trouble."

You breathe a laugh, curling into Kanda's chest as he pulls you in closer. "You always know what to say," you whisper, feeling a weight off of your mind after his little pep talk. Kanda just grunts. "Go to sleep, then."

You yawn, suddenly realizing how tired you really are. With a contented hum you close your eyes, resting your head against Kanda's chest and falling asleep to his beating heart.

The chill floating through the room seems to have dulled as warmth surges through your veins.

[astoryshark]

happy 20th anniversary to my favorite series!! katekyo hitman reborn you will always be my true love ✨ 🐟 🦎

[astoryshark]

The pharaohs Guardian - Chapter 1

This is the first chapter of my Yugioh x f! reader fanfiction! It starts after the events of duelist kingdom and will follow the timeline and story roughly.

The fanfiction will focus mostly on Yami Yugi / Seto Kaiba x reader, but I titled it as a general Yugioh ff because there will be also interactions with other characters :^).

Enjoy!

The Door swung open and revealed a defeated and angry duellist 

“This can't be.. lost against a girl..” he muttered under his breath and walked away, hands in his pockets.

“There goes another one, I wonder if that new Duellist is really that strong”

“Yeah and there may be a chance that she is cute”

Tea sighed “Is that all you can think of Tristan?” 

“Tea is right Tristan, why are you only thinking about that one topic” , Duke added with a small grin. It made the young brunette furious.

“Don't make this look like u didn't think about that as well! You are worse than I am” 

“Says who?!” 

The black haired boy countered and they both were ready to fight each other “Stop it you two idiots!” Joey shouted and held both teenagers away from each other 

“Who cares about her looks! When I am done with her there will be no one that talks about her anymore anyway! Because they will all talk about me, Joey Wheeler and what a great and talented Duellist I am!” His eyes were sparkling at the thought of beating that new Duellist. He would be in the spotlight of the Duel Community and have all the fangirls follow him.

But this thought vanished rather quickly as Tea slapped him back to reality. The smaller boy with the very uncommon Hair just laughed at the sight of his friends. He also kept thinking about that new Duellist that everyone was talking about. It all started a few weeks ago, when a lot of players kept losing against the new girl that suddenly showed up. People said that she was new in Domino City and others said that she has always lived here but was away for quite a long time. Whether it's true or not, she must be a good Duellist.

The group of friends walked through the door of the most popular Community Place for Duel Monsters in Domino City. Everyone comes here to duel, meet friends, new people or to simply watch the games of others. Because of the mysterious new player, the Place was fuller than ever. Everyone wants to play against her to test their skills. Naturally, the place belongs to the famous Kaiba Corporation. The continually growing popularity is good for the numbers. The CEO, Seto Kaiba, has immediately been informed about the newcomer and all the talking about her supposingly strong abilities as a duelist. So he wants to check for himself. Kaiba doesn't like it when somebody else claims themselves as the best. Yet his hectic work schedule won't allow him to follow the idea of a duel right away.

“Hey guys, I think I found her” 

Yugi said and looked directly at the girl, gaining all the attention of his friends who followed his trail of sight. She was dueling against another player, and he was losing like everyone else.  

“No way! I lost?!” he shouted, nearly screamed in anger, his opponent simply smiled

“It looks like you did but hey, you really had some good moves”

“I don't need your stupid pity!” the Player stormed out of the building in anger.

The girl just sighed and got of the Platform

What's wrong with these people..it's just a game. Why are they all so angry?  she thought and decided to sit on a chair that was right next to the Duel Platform.

“Well Tristan its seems like you were right about her being cute”

Duke simply said with a smirk on his face

“Yeah right” Tristan agreed

“Its not all about looks you two” Tea nagged at the two boys who didn't even listen to her because they were discussing about the Girl. She seemed to be a few years older than them. Joey already ran to her to challenge her to a game of duel monsters.

“Hey you!” he spoke with a bright smile, Yugi sighed a bit but had to smile typical Joe

The young Woman looked up to him

“Hm? Do you want to duel?” she asked with a light hint of annoyance in her voice

“That's right and I guarantee you that I will win!” the blonde-haired male was full of confidence, it made her a bit excited.

“We will see about that" she answers and goes up to the platform.

“LETS DUEL” they both said at the same time, starting their game. 

“Why does Wheeler even try to play against her? Even if she is not that good, he will lose anyway because of his lack of skill and of brain.” said the brown-haired CEO to himself as he watches the Duel through the cameras. They show the whole building.

“Hey Seto!” a cheerful voice echoes through the office, it was the younger one of the Kaiba Brothers, Mokuba.

“What are you doing? Are you watching the newcomer duel?” he walks to his brother and looks at the screen.

"Yes, since the talk about her seems to be never ending, I wanted to see her skills myself. If she really has any"

The younger one needs to laugh a bit “She is nowhere near your skills Seto! Since you are simply the best!” hearing those compliments from his younger brother starts to push his Ego even more.

His Loss against Yugi still nags at him, but he labeled it as luck and not as a win of skill. “When will you play against her?” Mokuba asked

“I'm busy with the company at the moment ...that means my win must wait. Now.. let's watch how Wheeler loses his Match” 

It was the first Turn of the female Duellist “Let the Party begin…” she said with a smile and started the round with a strong opener. Two trap cards (Metalmorph & Chasm of Spikes) and a 1400 ATK monster in attack position.

Joey grinned confidently "Let me show you how the great Joey Wheeler does this!" he exclaims before he draws a card and continues his turn. Yugi is quick to notice that they both play similar decks, focused on warrior type monsters. However, she uses her cards in a more strategic way than his best friend does. She knows well when to defend and attack, which gives it a feeling of a game of chess.

After a tricky move from Joey, the young woman takes a deep breath to gather her thoughts. Her best trap cards have already been used. She takes a good look over the field and the cards in her hands

Doesn't look too good..I need to find a way around his Thousand Dragon

She draws her next card, not showing any sign to her opponent. Giving away information about the cards is the worst a duelist can do. Her behavior is making Joey nervous

"Ya done anytime soon?" he asks and tries to get something out of her.

The young woman over to him, a small smirk on her lips

"I activate my Spell card: Doppleganger"

Yugi's Eyes widen "That's one of Pegasus cards! Joey, watch out!" he shouts over to his best friend. How can she have that card? he asks himself, his gaze turning worried. Tea gets a bad feeling about all of this "Joey.." she mumbles quietly. She then looks down to her friend Yugi

"If she has one of his cards she probably is in connection to him.." she says with a worried tone. Yugi takes a deep breath "We don't know that yet but Joey has to be careful. Doppelganger is a real trickster card, it can take on any form of a card that has been sent to the graveyard."

Kaiba growls behind the screen at the sight of the card "Pegasus.." he mumbles annoyed, remembering the events of Duelist Kingdom painfully well.

Joey gulps and looks nervously at the field and then at his opponent.

"And? What do ya want with that? My Thousand Dragon is way too strong!"

The young woman needs to chuckle a bit "It is indeed a strong monster, but my spell card will help me with that" she adds and continues her turn.

She activates the effect of Doppelganger, gets herself a card from the graveyard and destroys Joey's Dragon with it. His field is now empty

"Unfair!" Joey exclaims but doesn't give up so easily. The Duel continued a few more rounds and Joey had some good tricks up his sleeve. But, in the end, the new one in town won. Both players get down from the platform, the young woman goes over to Joey and shakes his hand.

“Thank you for the Duel, I had a lot of fun, and I must say you're not that bad” she comments with a warm smile.

“I can only give that back” he answered with his typical bright smile. His friends walk over to him.

"You did great Joey, it was very close!" Yugi cheers and smiles up at his best friend. Tristan and Tea agree.

The Girl sat down on the chair she was sitting on before and looked over to the group.

“So, you guys know Pegasus?" she asks carefully, not wanting to seem pushy "Oh and Im Y/N by the way, nice to meet you"

Joey grins at her "I'm Joey! And these are my friends Tristan, Tea and Yugi" he says, pointing at one after the other. Y/N nods and looks at Yugi for a second

"Oh wait, I know you! You won the duelist Kingdom Tournament, right? You are that Yugi Muto" she exclaims, surprised. The boy in questions, smiles nervously and scratches the back of his neck

"Y-Yeah, I guess that's me" he answers carefully "It's nice to meet you too, Y/N! The duel was great to watch" he adds quickly and with a hint of nervousness. The young woman smiles "Thanks! Joey is a great opponent"

Joey clears his throat "Ehem! I am the second place of duelist Kingdom, Joey Wheeler! The one and only" Tristan sighs and shakes his head, Tea can only chuckle. Y/N only smiles.

"To get back to your first question" Yugi starts and tells her about their experiences.

Seto closed his Laptop the moment the duel was over

“As I thought, Wheeler lost. But her using one of Pegasus cards can only mean that she has a deeper Connection to him. Else he would never give her such a spell card.” He said to his brother with annoyance in his Voice.

“Yeah it's obvious that you hate Pegasus after what he did but you must admit that she truly is a strong Duellist!” the younger one said

“Well.. she dueled against Wheeler which does not provide any challenge." the CEO answered with a rough and cold Tone. “If you say so” his brother answered as cheerful as always, he is used to the harsh personality of the company Boss.

“And as I said, I must make an impression myself before I can say if she is good or not. I don't care about other people's opinions, especially not from these dweebs.” and with that said, he left the office leaving Mokuba on his own. The younger Kaiba sighs "Typical Seto”

[astoryshark]

So, I did the thing... I mean, can you imagine the power it holds... How could I not do it?

[REF]

[astoryshark]

Panic room.

Just a lil something I thought of after trying a 5 minute meditation....yeah.

Cw: anxiety symptoms, fem!reader, sap

If you had realized the kind of day you were in for, you would never have gotten out of bed.

For one thing, you had woken up with a migraine that pounded when you took a step. You had stayed in your dark room for an hour until you lost hope and went to eat and take medicine. But, of course, your companions at headquarters had chosen today to throw a raucous party for whatever arbitrary reason they came up with this time (Komui was always planning parties). When you were recruited to help set up, you had refuse, only to find Emilia and Miranda pouting at your rejection. You had sighed and allowed yourself to be dragged into the job. Lenalee and Lavi shot you apologetic looks and Allen, who didn't know you well, had merely teased you about how rare it was for you to appear without your friend Kanda. You failed to understand this, gritting your teeth and resisting the urge to clarify Kanda as your friend, and nothing else. Besides, you thought, this would only egg the naysayers on, including Allen, who stepped back as irritation seeped from your very pores. Good, you thought. That'll teach him.

And so, you helped obligingly with decorations, cringing with each and every loud crash and screech and stupid mistake made by your companions. No matter, you thought. You'd slip out when the festivities began.

Your close friends had left you decidedly alone once the party started, sensing your drab mood and opting to let you sneak away. But others such as Gigi and Komui and even Reever, who liked you but, like Allen, didn't know your telltale signs of nervousness and irritability, encouraged you to join the festivities. In fact, Gigi had drunkenly dragged you back into the dining hall as you attempted to leave, claiming in a slurred haze that there weren't enough women at headquarters for any of them to be skipping parties.

Your eyebrow had twitched at that, but you kept quiet, though whether it was out of exhaustion or true compliance you weren't actually sure. A mere hour into the party, though, you found yourself sitting in a corner with a glass of water, watching people mill about as your knee bounced up and down nervously. You'd given up on leaving by then, and thought you'd be content to just sit.

You were not.

Your head ached, your heart did backflips, your stomach churned. The noise and movement that engulfed the room had become too much. You felt like you needed to run, but you were glued to your seat in fear, as if leaving were just as bad an option as staying right where you were.

And now, hours later, you have managed to drink a full glass of water, and sit anxiously for an unknown but far too long amount of time. Too shy to go refill your glass, and too lightheaded to remain in the room, you decide then to take the opportunity to sneak out the large double doors that lead into the overflowing room.

One step out the door, two, then three. By the fourth, the fifth, you're jogging. The ninth and tenth steps become more like a run, and by the fifteenth, you are sprinting through the halls of your vast, strange home towards a location unbeknownst to you.

Finally, you reach your mystery destination and slam open the sliding door, panting and startling the room's one occupant. You dont look at him, though--you can't, you're sure you'd cry if you did--as you smack the door shut again and flop onto the mats of the training dojo next to him. You let out a long, shaking huff of air and Kanda stares at you, his sharp eyes watching you intently. His expression holds only the slightest hint of his shock at your dramatic arrival.

"They got you, huh?"

You grumble. Of course he knows exactly what happened! He always manages to escape the torture of social gatherings. You glare up at him upon realizing it.

"You got out of it," you point accusingly, although you're half joking. "How do you always do that?"

"Welcome to the panic room," he mutters. "I just hole up in here and ignore them when they talk to me. But anyway," Kanda narrows his eyes in scrutiny, his gaze scanning your features for signs of distress. "You should meditate. You're obviously tense."

"I'm not tense," you drawl. "I'm pissed."

"Meditation is good for that, too."

And with that, he's back in his cross-legged position, his hands resting on his knees, back straight and eyes closed. You frown. Once he's in that pose, he's going to ignore you; he's proven this many, many times. So instead of poking and prodding at him to elaborate, you simply sigh with a good, intentional amount of drama and settle in next to him, in the same pose.

Truthfully, you've never understood meditation. You try to focus on your breathing, concentrating on deep, full inhales and long exhales. Inhale, exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale....

Exhale.

But your mind wanders several times to several places. How will they manage to clean up after the party? Will you have to help? Hopefully Cross won't be there to cause any trouble for the women. And what about--

"Your breathing is shallow," Kanda whispers so that you can barely hear him, but you swear you feel him scoot closer. "You're distracted. Every time that happens, let it go and focus on your body again."

You scrunch your eyes shut, trying to follow his instructions. For the next few minutes, any time your mind wonders, you inhale deeply again, attempting to center yourself once more.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

You open your eyes.

As if sensing something, Kanda peeks at you from one open eye, still in his meditating position. "Better?" He mumbles, and you're sure this time that there's an affectionate undertone in his voice, one you never hear unless he's speaking to you. It makes you feel special somehow.

With a long sigh, you lean your head on his shoulder. "Yeah," you whisper. "Thanks."

Kanda doesn't respond.

You wake up in your bed the next morning, in the same clothes and unsure how you got there. I must have fallen asleep in the training dojo.

(The second you exit your room, you're met with the news that Kanda nearly skewered Lavi the night before, and you realize that only one person could have carried you back to your room--and was obviously caught in the act and thoroughly teased).

[astoryshark]

Kanda: [exists]

Y/n:

[astoryshark]

happy birthday, namimori boy 💜🦔🐥

[astoryshark]

🎂 05.05.2024 - HIBARI KYOYA 🐥

[astoryshark]

Things That May Be Causing Your Writer's Block- and How to Beat Them

I don't like the term 'Writer's Block' - not because it isn't real, but because the term is so vague that it's useless. Hundreds of issues all get lumped together under this one umbrella, making writer's block seem like this all-powerful boogeyman that's impossible to beat. Worse yet, it leaves people giving and receiving advice that is completely ineffective because people often don't realize they're talking about entirely different issues.

In my experience, the key to beating writer's block is figuring out what the block even is, so I put together a list of Actual Reasons why you may be struggling to write:

(note that any case of writer's block is usually a mix of two or more)

Perfectionism (most common)

What it looks like:

You write one sentence and spend the next hour googling "synonyms for ___"

Write. Erase. Write. Rewrite. Erase.

Should I even start writing this scene when I haven't figured out this one specific detail yet?

I hate everything I write

Cringing while writing

My first draft must be perfect, or else I'm a terrible writer

Things that can help:

Give yourself permission to suck

Keep in mind that nothing you write is going to be perfect, especially your first draft

Think of writing your first/early drafts not as writing, but sketching out a loose foundation to build upon later

People write multiple drafts for a reason: write now, edit later

Stop googling synonyms and save that for editing

Write with a pen to reduce temptation to erase

Embrace leaving blank spaces in your writing when you can't think of the right word, name, or detail

It's okay if your writing sucks. We all suck at some point. Embrace the growth mindset, and focus on getting words on a page

Lack of inspiration (easiest to fix)

What it looks like:

Head empty, no ideas

What do I even write about???

I don't have a plot, I just have an image

Want to write but no story to write

Things that can help:

Google writing prompts

If writing prompts aren't your thing, instead try thinking about what kind of tropes/genres/story elements you would like to try out

Instead of thinking about the story you would like to write, think about the story you would like to read, and write that

It's okay if you don't have a fully fleshed out story idea. Even if it's just an image or a line of dialogue, it's okay to write that. A story may or may not come out of it, but at least you got the creative juices flowing

Stop writing. Step away from your desk and let yourself naturally get inspired. Go for a walk, read a book, travel, play video games, research history, etc. Don't force ideas, but do open up your mind to them

If you're like me, world-building may come more naturally than plotting. Design the world first and let the story come later

Boredom/Understimulation (lost the flow)

What it looks like:

I know I should be writing but uugggghhhh I just can'tttttt

Writing words feels like pulling teeth

I started writing, but then I got bored/distracted

I enjoy the idea of writing, but the actual process makes me want to throw my laptop out the window

Things that can help:

Introduce stimulation: snacks, beverages, gum, music such as lo-fi, blankets, decorate your writing space, get a clickity-clackity keyboard, etc.

Add variety: write in a new location, try a new idea/different story for a day or so, switch up how you write (pen and paper vs. computer) or try voice recording or text-to-speech

Gamify writing: create an arbitrary challenge, such as trying to see how many words you can write in a set time and try to beat your high score

Find a writing buddy or join a writer's group

Give yourself a reward for every writing milestone, even if it's just writing a paragraph

Ask yourself whether this project you're working on is something you really want to be doing, and be honest with your answer

Intimidation/Procrastination (often related to perfectionism, but not always)

What it looks like:

I was feeling really motivated to write, but then I opened my laptop

I don't even know where to start

I love writing, but I can never seem to get started

I'll write tomorrow. I mean next week. Next month? Next month, I swear (doesn't write next month)

Can't find the time or energy

Unreasonable expectations (I should be able to write 10,000 words a day, right????)

Feeling discouraged and wondering why I'm even trying

Things that can help:

Follow the 2 min rule (or the 1 paragraph rule, which works better for me): whenever you sit down to write, tell yourself that you are only going to write for 2 minutes. If you feel like continuing once the 2 mins are up, go for it! Otherwise, stop. Force yourself to start but DO NOT force yourself to continue unless you feel like it. The more often you do this, the easier it will be to get started

Make getting started as easy as possible (i.e. minimize barriers: if getting up to get a notebook is stopping you from getting started, then write in the notes app of your phone)

Commit to a routine that will work for you. Baby steps are important here. Go with something that feels reasonable: every day, every other day, once a week, twice a week, and use cues to help you remember to start. If you chose a set time to write, just make sure that it's a time that feels natural to you- i.e. don't force yourself to writing at 9am every morning if you're not a morning person

Find a friend or a writing buddy you can trust and talk it out or share a piece of work you're proud of. Sometimes we just get a bit bogged down by criticism- either internal or external- and need a few words of encouragement

The Problem's Not You, It's Your Story (or Outline (or Process))

What it looks like:

I have no problems writing other scenes, it's just this scene

I started writing, but now I have no idea where I'm going

I don't think I'm doing this right

What's an outline?

Drowning in documents

This. Doesn't. Make. Sense. How do I get from this plot point to this one?!?!?! (this ColeyDoesThings quote lives in my head rent free cause BOY have I been there)

Things That Can Help:

Go back to the drawing board. Really try to get at the root of why a scene or story isn't working

A part of growing as a writer is learning when to kill your darlings. Sometimes you're trying to force an idea or scene that just doesn't work and you need to let it go

If you don't have an outline, write one

If you have an outline and it isn't working, rewrite it, or look up different ways to structure it

You may be trying to write as a pantser when you're really a plotter or vice versa. Experiment with different writing processes and see what feels most natural

Study story structures, starting with the three act structure. Even if you don't use them, you should know them

Check out Ellen Brock on YouTube. She's a professional novel editor who has a lot of advice on writing strategies for different types of writers

Also check out Savage Books on YouTube (another professional story editor) for advice on story structure and dialogue. Seriously, I cannot recommend this guy enough

Executive Dysfunction, Usually From ADHD/Autism

What it looks like:

Everything in boredom/understimulation

Everything in intimidation/procrastination

You have been diagnosed with and/or have symptoms of ADHD/Autism

Things that can help:

If you haven't already, seek a diagnosis or professional treatment

Hire an ADHD coach or other specialist that can help you work with your brain (I use Shimmer; feel free to DM me for a referral)

Seek out neurodiverse and neurodiverse writing communities for advice and support

Try body doubling! There's lot's of free online body doubling websites out there for you to try. If social anxiety is a barrier, start out with writing streams such as katecavanaughwrites on Twitch

Be aware of any sensory barriers that may be getting in the way of you writing (such as an uncomfortable desk chair, harsh lighting, bad sounds)

And Lastly, Burnout, Depression, or Other Mental Illness

What it looks like:

You have symptoms of burnout or depression

Struggling with all things, not just writing

It's more than a lack of motivation- the spark is just dead

Things that can help:

Forget writing for now. Focus on healing first.

Seek professional help

If you feel like it, use writing as a way to explore your feelings. It can take the form of journaling, poetry, an abstract reflection of your thoughts, narrative essays, or exploring what you're feeling through your fictional characters. The last two helped me rediscover my love of writing after I thought years of depression had killed it for good. Just don't force yourself to do so, and stop if it takes you to a darker place instead of feeling cathartic

[astoryshark]

I like Vegeta a normal amount btw

[astoryshark]

Wanted to upload these babies here as well😅 namek au 👀💚

[astoryshark]

Ryohei-senpai and reborn on collab Fit Boxing 2 (and the cover game) 😱😱😱 ?!!!

KYOKUGEN MAJIKAYO 😱😱😱?!!!

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