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[justawritingcorner]

write a story including a set of three things

- a haunted house, a lost love, a broken object

- one bar of reception, a cliffside, a dead body

- a psychic, a letter, a reunion

- binders full of spells, an unhelpful stranger, a terrible mistake

- a book full of stars, an impossible place, a new friend

[justawritingcorner]

the chaotic energy we’ve missed <3

i like how i showed up for a single day and already stirred up a bunch of fuckery 

i missed y’all

[justawritingcorner]

Please tell me if any of the links aren’t working

Faces:

Face Tutorial

How to Draw the Human Face

Quick Face Tutorial

How to Sketch Faces

Profile Anatomy

Drawing Heads

Basic Head Layout

How to Draw Ears

Basic Ear Tutorial

Ears and Noses

Drawing Noses

How To Draw Mouths

Mouth Tutorial

Lips

Lips Ref

Semi-Realistic Eye Tutorial

Tips for Drawing Eyes

Manga Eye Tutorial

Pixel Eye

Eyes in Different Angles

Expressions

Step by Step Expressions

How to Avoid the Same Face

Head Angles

Beards

Neck Help

Skull Tutorial

How to Draw a Skull

Hair:

How To Draw Braids

Headband Braid Tutorial

How To Draw Hair

Hair Tutorial

Another Hair Tutorial

Also Another Hair Tutorial

Tutorial: Hair

Tutorial for Hair

Simple Hair Tutorial

Hairstyle Tutorial

50 Male Hairstyles Revamped 

Let’s Do Hair!

Female Hair Tutorial

Curls

Pixel Hair Tutorial

Manga Boys Hair Tutorial

Bodies:

A Guide to Drawing the Human Body

How To Draw Hands

Hand Tutorial

Hand Gestures

More Hand Gestures

Arm Tutorial

Feet Drawing Guide

Foot Tutorial

Drawing Feet

Knees

Sitting Poses

Drawing Torsos

Abs Tutorial

Clothes and Accessories:

Clothing Tutorial (Notes)

How to Draw Flower Crowns

Helmets and Hats

Hoods

Fashion

How to Draw Tights

Jeans

Boot Tutorial

Plaid Tutorial

Lace Tutorial

Armour Tutorial

Creatures:

Wings

Folded Wings

Thoughts on Wings

Tutorial on Creature Design

Bat Wings on Humans

Pegasus Wings

Animal Legs on Humans

Dragon Tutorial

Dragon Wing Tutorial

Dragon Hands and Feet Tutorial

Dragon Mouth Tutorial

Dragon Head Tutorial

Dragon Scales

Clawed Hand Tutorial

Basic Horn Tutorial

Sauropod Tutorial

How to Draw Centaurs

Werewolf Anatomy

Animals/insects:

Animal Noses

Basic Animal Anatomy

Paw Tutorial

Fur Tutorial

Pixel Fur Tutorial

Painting Fur

Fur Painting Tutorial

Horse Tutorial

Horse Proportions

Horse Hooves

Horse Legs

Dog Anatomy

Simple Dog Tutorial

Wolf Paw Tutorial

Wolf Head Tutorial

Drawing a Wolf

Canine Leg Tutorial

Feline Comparison

Big Cat Paw Tutorial

Lion Head Tutorial

Cat Faces Tutorial

Snow Leopard Tutorial

Tiger Tutorial

Fox Tutorial

Rabbit Drawing Tips

Butterfly Tutorial

Rat Tutorial

Owl Anatomy

Feather Tutorial

Bear Anatomy

Objects:

Glowing Stuff

How to Draw 3D Rooms

Gun Ref

Slime Tutorial

Chain Tutorial

Gemstone Tutorial

Bullet Metal Tutorial

Lightsaber Tutorial

Gold Coin Tutorial

Jewel Tutorial

Nature/Food:

Tree Tutorial

How to Create Stars (With Photoshop)

Stars Tutorial

How to Draw Clouds

How to Draw a Rose

Simple Roses

Grass Tutorial

Another Grass Tutorial

Quick Grass Tutorial

Bush Tutorial

Rain Tutorial

Water Tutorial

Underwater Tutorial

Fire Tutorial

Snow Tutorial

Light Tutorial

Light Sparkle Tutorial

Mountain Tutorial

Another Mountain Tutorial

Moon Tutorial

How to Draw a Apple

Strawberry Tutorial

Colours:

The Psychology of Colour

Basic Colour Theory

Colour Theory 101

Quick Colour Reference Sheet for Designers

The Art of Colour Coordination 

Colour Profiles and Printing Explained

The Colour Strata

The Art of Harmonious Colour Schemes

The Ten Commandments of Colour Theory

How to Use Colour in Your Design Scheme

Colour Theory: The ABC’s of RGB

RGB vs CMYK

The Business of Colour Psychology

The Psychology of Colour

The Psychology of Logo Colour and Font Style

What Colours Communicate

A Colour Guide for Designers

Colour Theory: What People Really Think

Colour ROI

The Colours of the Web

Colour Design

Colour Help

How To Colour

Colour Blender

Colour Scheme Designer

Colour Meanings For Roses

Colour Palette Generator

Upload an Image and Get a Colour Palette

Another Colour Palette Generator

Color Hex

Colour Harmony

Skin Colour Palette

Pastel Colours

Greyscale Tutorial

Colouring Cloth

Hair Colouring

Photoshop Colouring Tutorial

Other:

How to Draw Dimension

Pixel Art Tutorial

Another Pixel Art Tutorial

Photoshop Brushes

Photoshop Layers Tutorial

Glitch Effect (with Photoshop)

Gimp Soft Shading

Blending Tutorial

Free Digital Sculpting Tool

Skeleton Drawing Tool

Repeating Pattern Tutorial

Free Art Programs

Silk - Interactive Generative Art

Creativity Cards

Don’t Know What to Draw?

[justawritingcorner]

Tamaki In The Bathroom

I swear I tried to write some fluff, but my brain is v tired made it angsty, sorry.

Contains description of a panic attack and social anxiety

Tamaki x F!Reader, Angst

He didn’t want to go to this party. People from every high school would fill the house to the brim. Tamaki remembered how his stomach dropped as Mirio went into significant detail about the party. While Tamaki would rather stay at the dorm with his three friends, you were over the moon about it. You asked endless questions—who was going to be there, where it was being held, when did it start and end—with sparkling eyes and an enormous grin.

Obviously you wanted to go. Free drinks, an endless supply of fun, people—who would want to miss it? For you, a social butterfly and a popular extrovert at UA, it was a dream come true! Tamaki, with his permanent bedhead, always wanted to relax at home with his close/only friends.

“I don’t know, Y/N…” He muttered to his friends as they walked from class to the dorms. “C’mon, Tama, it could be a lot of fun!” You began your default argument, which never worked on the introvert. Tamaki absentmindedly nodded along, making you think he was taking in and considering your words. This was a common occurrence between you two; Tamaki would be unsure, you would go on your spiel about how socialising is good, then he would make up an excuse not to go. It happened every time without fail.

Keep reading

[justawritingcorner]

send in a request!

Just a list of prompts. If you wanna send in a request, you can pick from this list or your own prompt! Can write for any BNHA character! Any of the prompts below can be changed, think of them as a base of an idea!

Specify in Your Ask: Character/Character or Character/Reader (up to four). Gender of the reader. Scenario number and/or Dialogue number/s (again, can make your own, but be specific!). If you picture an AU with your prompt/s.

Scenario

The sound of a waterfall, The magical phrase of protection, Thick fog

A forest, Candles, Something lost and something found

Classical music, A young musical prodigy, A missing person

A hometown left long ago, A tragedy that brings up bad memories, A nosy journalist

Bottles, A broken radio, A computer virus

A broken sculpture, A red carpet, A chandelier

A theatre mask, A golden sword, A crying child

A record player, An eclipse, A secret kiss

A burning castle, An heir on the run, Golden roses

Neon lights, A whispered secret, An accident

An earthquake, A silver watch, A missing boy

A burning castle, Thorns, An ancient prophecy

A flaming sword, A burning sky, A veiled stranger

Dialogue

“I did this for you! For us!”

“We heave a third option!” They pulled on his arm with a sharp tug. “We could run away! We could drop all of this and leave!” “And where will we go?” He turned to face them, shoulders sagging under the weight of his burdens.

“They made you into a weapon. Now you must make yourself into a person.”

“Every murderer is different. Some even disguise themselves as saints.”

“Their blood will always be on your hands no matter how much you repent.”

“We could have been allies. Maybe even friends. Maybe...maybe even more.”

“Can’t you see how fucked up this is?”

“How am I supposed to go on?”

“Should you be drinking that much?”

“How did things go so wrong?”

“Do you understand what you’ve done?”

“Can you really blame me?”

[justawritingcorner]

Buzzfeed Unsolved but It’s Dabi and Hawks

I love Buzzfeed Unsolved and I like writing for Dabi and Hawks (my bois). That’s my only excuse.

Elegant snow-white and pastel pink flowers blossomed on the branches of the many trees in the area, drinking in the warm spring breeze and bathing in the bright sunlight. They waved excitedly at the pair as they exited the car. Dabi, worn out from driving for hours, stretched his limbs while his companion took in the elegantly crafted building in front of him. A path made of varying shades of grey stone led from the parking area to the holy church Hawks insisted on going to before they embarked on this cursed trip. Sturdy, white stones held the complimentary, high ceiling, some overhanging to provide some shade to priests and churchgoers passing by. On the top of the most central pillar of the sacred building a cross shone brightly, marking this ground as a sanctuary for all.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Dabi huffed as he walked from his side of the car towards Hawks. The younger rolled his eyes at his companion’s words, “Yeah, I just wanna get some words from the Father before we go to the hell-holes, that too much to ask?” He didn’t give the patchwork man a chance to respond before he raced towards the entrance.

Sunlight filtered through the many brilliantly crafted stained glass windows, painting the carpet in an array of beautiful colours. Turning his head, he noticed a particularly well-crafted religious statue in a small alcove. Before the winged hero could admire the artistic works properly, Dabi began walking ahead of him. They continued through the church.

They wondered around for a bit before the two arrived in the room where the sermons took place. Majority of the space was occupied by endless rows of pews facing a large stage, adorned with several beautiful golden treasures and a mahogany lecturn. Smaller stained glass windows flecked the walls, all depicting a notable scene from the Bible. In the plentiful pews, a balding man sits, bowing his head respectfully to the religious objects in front of him.

Dabi and Hawks walked over to him, silently praying it was the pastor they scheduled to meet and not a random praying man. Maybe it was luck from the church, but he was. They sat together on the pew in front of the elder and shifted their bodies around to look at him.

“First of all, thank you for talking with us today.” Father Thomas shook Hawks’s extended hand, then Dabi’s, though with a bit of hesitation. Before he could question it, Hawks began the conversation.

“How many exorcisms have you preformed in your career?”

“Formal exorcisms, I’ve preformed 50 to 75 in 10 years.”

Shock was visible on their faces as he said this. Hawks felt even more respect for the older man blossom in his chest as the preacher relaid this information. Dabi still peeved at the hesitation of the handshake, disbelievingly rolled his eyes. It would take more than that to convince him this bullshit was real.

Now feeling like Thomas was the best person to ask, Hawks proposed the questions that had been gnawing at him for a long time. “What is the difference between a ghost and a demon?” The Father shifted in his black priest robes, “A ghost would refer to a disembodied human soul. A demon is a preternatural angelic creature that rebelled against God.”

“It’s not human,” Hawks echoed.

“No, it’s not. Their life form is dying. They have been dying since the moment they rebelled. And so humans attract them for two reasons. One, because they are parasitic and they feed off our life form, but secondly, their goal is to take as many to hell with them as possible. Because they already know they’ve lost.”

Thomas examined the two’s uncomfortable faces, “I’m not trying to-”

“Oh, no. I just got a shiver down my spine.”

The three talked more about demons and spirits, mostly Thomas and Hawks as Dabi held back laughter at their conversation, before the priest implored, “Where are these homes you’re going into?”

Regret sank back into him as he retold the horrible places Dabi convinced him to go to, “One of them is nearby, The Winchester Mystery House. Essentially, a haunted mansion. The next is the haunted doll island in Mexico City. And the last is perhaps the scariest, it’s a house infested with a demon.”

Noticing the time, Hawks asked for some advice for these places and anything they may come across. Thomas fixed a few wispy strands, stalling for a moment. “If these places you’re going claim to have spiritual attachments, I would do nothing to invite them into any kind of conversation. I would do nothing to create a tie with them.” For the first time since the beginning of the conversation, Dabi spoke, “Treat them like a fine art museum.” Thomas, ignoring the blatant sarcasm, nodded in agreement.

The bird man pulled out a regular unopened water bottle from his coat pocket, “Would it be possible for you to bless this water for me to carry?” It took every ounce of strength in Dabi’s crispy body not to burst out laughing as Thomas began his blessing.

“In the name of the father and of the son and of the holy spirit, in your kindness hear our prayers and pour down the blessing into this element, so that health obtained by calling upon your holy name, will be secure against all attack through Christ, our lord, amen.”

With the conversation ended, they, mostly Hawks, thanked the Father for his time. Dabi, eager to leave the building and head to the Mystery House, sped out of the church. Hawks went to follow his companion, but the Father set a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Thomas standing behind him, “Do not be afraid, Hawks.” Before he could speak, the pastor made his way out of the building. The winged hero froze for a minute before following Dabi out of the church.

“I feel so comforted and where we’re about to go, it will be the exact opposite,” he muttered as he walked towards his tall friend.

After a few seconds of silence, Hawks told his partner about the preacher’s comforting words. Dabi said nothing at first before a sly smile overtook his neutral features, “Jesus said ‘chill’.” Hawks laughed and repeated the phrased the pastor did not say.

They entered the car with Dabi driving again and Hawks reading off directions. They told jokes and dumb stories, trying to ease the man in the passenger’s seat’s anxiety. It worked, to an extent. The possibility of encountering any evil spirits still terrified Hawks. And the haunted lineup they have planned for the next week wasn’t helping him in the slightest.

[justawritingcorner]

Afterglow

Angsty GN!Reader/Hawks.with Dabi as the biggest antagonist ever. Forgive me if it feels a little off/is just shit, I haven’t written in a long time

Music came from Keigo’s phone filled the otherwise silent bedroom. You both lied together on your bed, your head on Keigo’s chest, absentmindedly drawing circles. Keigo glanced down and smiled down at his tiny lover. Tightening his grasp on you, he sighed. Slowly lifting your head, your dark eyes met Keigo’s golden ones. “Something wrong?” you asked quizzically.

Keigo smiled again and shook his head, “Nope. Everything is perfect.” You returned his smile and set your head back to its rightful place. Everything was perfect. Obviously, no one else was home, leaving you two by yourselves.

The hand wrapped around your back copied what you were doing on Keigo’s chest, softly caressed your scarred torso as if you were a piece of fragile china. You loved the feeling; you loved everything Keigo did. You felt like a different person when you were with the man, in a good way. You weren’t the Stockholm Syndrome-ridden idiot with a boss that carved your body and repeatedly insulted you, but someone much better. Someone you were proud of becoming.

With Keigo, you were a love-stricken fool that saw the best in everyone. Instead of being judged or insulted by a certain tall, patchwork man, he gave you time to get his point across and even praised for doing so. You didn’t feel the need to apologize like you did when Dabi was around.

Your eyelids felt heavy as you continued thinking about Keigo and everything you loved about him. In no time at all, you closed your eyes and allowed sleep to engulf you, your lover still tenderly stroking your back. Music still soft in the background.

The sound of your bedroom door being thrown open snapped you out of your slumber. Keigo scooted to the other side of the bed while you froze in shock, eyes frozen in horror as you saw the intimidating figure that loomed in the doorway.

“What the hell is this?” Dabi growled, his menacing icy eyes glaring down at the couple. Dabi appearance still shocked you, so Keigo tried to come up with an excuse. No words came out of his mouth though, just a bunch of unfinished half-assed excuses and filler words. Your body tensed as you recognized the anger in the tall man’s eyes. Tears pricked your eyes as Dabi stalked towards the bed.

You had no time to process what was happening, Keigo’s shouts of protest echoed around the house. Dabi grabbed the Winged Hero by his throat and dragged him out of the bedroom almost effortlessly. By the time Dabi dragged Keigo out of the room, you snapped out of your daze.

Flying off of the bed, you sprinted towards them. Panic exploded throughout your body as you rounded the corner into the living room. Keigo’s petrified screams reached his ears. You stopped and stared at the violent scene in front of you in absolute horror.

Keigo lied on the ground. Blood and burns covered every inch of exposed skin. Tears streamed down his burned and bloodied face. He let out another scream, followed by several sobs that broke your heart even more. A red puddle stained the pure-white shaggy rug below him as Dabi landed another punch. The puddle grew larger with every hit. Your heart broke more while you watched your boyfriend being beaten and listened to his cries.

You leaned on the wall behind you and slowly slid down until you were sitting on the wooden floor. You brought your knees up and buried your head into them, using your hands to cover his ears. Now everything was softer, duller. But you could still hear and feel every hit, you cried. Dabi yelled something at Keigo, but you couldn’t hear what he said. Something about “touching what was his.” A few seconds passed before hearing anything from the fight. You lifted your head.

Dabi stood up and smirked down at Keigo, as if he was admiring his work of the bloodied man. Keigo was curled into a ball, crying from the pain. You wiped the tears from your eyes before Dabi could see them and punish you more.

With one last kick to the burnt stubs on Keigo’s back, Dabi turned towards you. “Don’t think you escaped your punishment.” He stalked towards the terror-stricken person huddled against the wall. You didn’t fight him as Dabi lifted into the air over his shoulder. You allowed him to carry you into your bedroom, numb. Dabi threw you onto your bed as he shut and locked the door behind him. Dabi then flipped you onto all fours and undressed both of them.

Everything happened in a blur for you. You only felt the usual stinging pain as Dabi began his punishment, but you allowed Dabi to have his way with you. Instead of being in that moment, being painfully fucked, you felt like you stepped out of your body and your spirit took a trip down memory lane.

You saw your favorite memories, all of which included your relationship with Keigo. You saw your first kiss, the first time you slept in the same bed, fleeting glances, holding each other after witnessing friends die. Everything.

More pain came from behind you as Dabi kept pounding into you.

Flashes of Keigo huddled on the ground, blood surrounding him and sobbing, kept coming into your head. You thought you couldn‘t produce more tears. Fat drops poured from your eyes as you kept remembering everything that happened, everything that was happening now. You dropped onto your elbows and covered your mouth with your hands, praying to whatever god was out there that Dabi didn‘t notice it.

Dabi didn‘t notice that below him, you had broken into tears, he just kept going.

The lanky man left you by yourself, naked and alone. You felt like a husk, void of all emotion. You tiredly pulled the covers over your weak body, feeling the soreness and fresh scars all over. Once again, you shut your eyes, ready to let sleep engulf you and forget everything that happened.

You woke from your awful rest by the sound of your bedroom door opening, much softer than earlier. Still, your eyes snapped open to see who it was. Instead of the tall figure of Dabi he expected, you watched as Keigo's lean silhouette quietly shut the door behind himself and creep towards the bed. He dragged the warm comforter off of your nude body and slid underneath them.

Neither of you shared any words. Keigo wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer to his clothed chest. You felt Keigo press his face into the nape of your neck, breathing steadily. This was your custom after something traumatic such as the events previously. You never spoke about it in fear of the other bursting into tears or exploding into a fit of anger. You laid there, both wanting to speak about everything but too afraid to.

You both closed your eyes and fell asleep, knowing this peace would have to end when you woke the next day.

[justawritingcorner]

some concept playlists !

it’s a slow, somber end to the world we know. the grey, fatigued feeling of a quiet apocalypse. who knows what comes next. it ended not with a bang but with a whimper.

house-party disco part two! sequins, glitter, and the blinding shine of a disco ball overhead. you feel the beat in your chest as you dance to your hearts content, like no ones looking.

an angry sort of heartbreak. the harsh wiping of tears and the intense want to stop crying. you feel your heart in halves and you only wish they could feel how you could feel.

after the party ends, when things are hazy. the night air is cool outside of the stuffy house, full of the stink of underaged misbehavior. you feel giggly, like you’re wading through syrup. it was a good night.

[justawritingcorner]

50 Interesting OC Asks

1. What is a rumor people tell about them? 2. How long would they last in the zombie apocalypse?  3. If they’re about to get in a fight, what song plays in their head as their ‘hype song’? 4. How important is family to them? 5. If they had a theme song, what would it be? 6. What’s a movie they can quote from start to finish? 7. Are they more of a leader or a follower? 8. If they were given 1000 acres of land with no strings attached, what would they do with it?  9. If they had to flee their home country, where would they live? 10. Do they think psychic abilities exist? Which one would they like to have? 11. What was their favourite fairy tale growing up? 12. What’s a skill or craft they would like to master, but haven’t? 13. How did they find out Santa isn’t real? 14. What’s a personality trait they wish they had? 15. Do they believe in getting revenge on those who wrong them? If so, how do they go about it? 16. If they were arrested with no explanation, what would their friends and family think they had done? 17. In 40 years, what will they be the most nostalgic about? 18. How would they describe their family?  19. If they could shop for free at one store, what would it be? 20. Do they have any pets? If so, what are they? 21. If they had to bury treasure, how would they hide it? 22. If they were given a one minute ad slot during the Super Bowl that they couldn’t sell, what would they fill it with? 23. What’s the most important object they own? 24. What event in their life would make a good movie? 25. If there was a day held in their honor, what would people have to do on that day? 26. If they could dedicate their life to solving one problem, what would it be? 27. What makes a person beautiful to them? 28. If they turned into their crush/significant other for a day, what would they do? 29. What do they do/act like when they’re angry? 30. What would be their perfect day? 31. How would they conquer the Earth? 32. If they could swim in any liquid what would it be and why? 33. Where do they find meaning in their life? 34. What percentage of their life have they felt truly alive? 35. What job were they born to do? 36. Do they believe things happen for a reason? 37. What do they think is a conspiracy? 38. Do they believe in magic? 39. Do they believe in the afterlife? How do they picture it? 40. What’s a superstition they believe in? 41. What is the dumbest way they’ve ever been injured? 42. Do they drink/smoke/do drugs?  43. What’s the best and worst purchase they’ve ever made? 44. Can they cook? What’s their favourite dish to make? 45. Do they mind conflict?  46. What is something silly they’ve been tricked into believing? 47. If they could start a charity what would it be for? 48. If they were a cryptid (bigfoot, mothman, ect.) what would they be? 49. What’s their ideal temperature and weather? 50. What topic could they give a 20 minute presentation on with no preparation? 

[justawritingcorner]

literally a tortilla with melted butter and sugar with water/any kind of drink is pretty common in my state...

Reblog with the stereotypical meal of a poor single person in your country!

It varies in the US, but the stereotype I know of is Top Ramen and some kind of soft drink.

[justawritingcorner]

write a story including a set of three things!

1. a slipper, sunshine, spilled coffee 

2. the sound of a waterfall, the magical phrase of protection, thick fog 

3. a forest, candles, something lost and something found 

4. a notebook, a genius who has mysteriously vanished, city lights 

5. a reoccurring color, Chinese takeout, a dark and empty building 

6. a lonely ghost, butterflies, a door that never stays closed 

7. a newly published author, a death threat, a lie that becomes the truth  

8. classical music, a young musical prodigy, a missing person 

9. a sweater with a rip in the shoulder, a paper airplane, an argument both parties regret 

10. a hometown left long ago, a tragedy that brings up bad memories, a nosey journalist 

[justawritingcorner]

As the argument escalated she watched as her best friend, the only true human in the room at the moment, set down his water glass, popped his hood up over his head, and pulled the drawstrings until the only thing visible was his nose. 

“What are you doing?” She blatantly ignored a glass shattering against the wall. 

“Hiding.” He patted around for his glass.

[justawritingcorner]

Dialogue prompts

1. “Just … just don’t come back. Okay?” 

2. “I did this for you! For us!” 

3. “[name]? Come on, open the door, please!” 

4. “You come here often?” “I work here.” 

5. “I don’t think you’re listening to me.” “Oh, I’m listening. You just don’t have anything intelligent to add.” 

6. “It wasn’t supposed to go like this. How did it all end up like this? I mean, we’re just kids … We didn’t ask for any of them.” 

7. “Hey … haven’t seen you here in a while.” “Oh, yeah, I moved.” “Oh? And what brings you back?” “Um … a funeral.” “Shit, I’m sorry.” 

8. “You missed the party! We were looking for you, god, where have you been?” 

9. “Wait a second, I thought-” “I didn’t know you could do that.” 

10. “Look, it’s up to you. Here’s my number, give me a call if you think I can help, burn it if you really don’t want to see me again, I don’t care which.” 

[justawritingcorner]

A Flirting Guide For Writers (And Real World Usage)

I reblogged a post a day or so ago, and the result (which made me sad) was mostly people saying that they feel they cannot flirt (and therefore cannot write it effectively). 

So I thought I’d share my own, admittedly limited, knowledge (under the guise of writing advice) so that you can all write kick-ass romance and show your feelings like the boss-ass-bitches you are! 

The Basics; Eye-Contact, Personal Space, Body Language

The thing about flirting is that most of it is non-verbal, and the world is split between those writers who find this part the easiest, and those who find it the most incomprehensible. 

The problem is that it’s all dependent on a fine, mostly unspoken, line which makes the interaction creepy if crossed. When writing a character who is trying to flirt with someone, or when trying to flirt with someone yourself, you need to keep three main things in mind; personal space, body language, and potential restriction. This is especially important for men. The problem is that this is mostly instinctual, and so it can be hard to write if you haven’t had time to develop the right skills yourself. 

Personal space

When trying to show that your character is flirting you need to make a note of them moving into the other person’s personal space but not too much. Consider this; someone leaning into your space just a little to speak to you versus someone being practically nose to nose with you. One catches your attention, the other is uncomfortable at best and intimidating at worst. The idea is to lean in enough to show interest and create a sense of intimacy, without becoming overbearing or threatening. As a rule, I find that I begin to feel uncomfortable if a man I’m not sure of gets closer than the distance it would take to perform a ballroom Waltz. 

To get an idea of how that looks, hold up your hand at arms length as if pushing someone away or pressing against a wall. Now slowly bend your elbow until the point sits just under your breast or pectoral muscle. 

That’s the maximum personal space invasion I allow from people I don’t know well. In my experience, this is common to many women, though others prefer more space. Likewise, in my experience, men I have met seemed perfectly comfortable with me being closer than even that, but I am small, relatively unthreatening, and we have to allow for the fact that we were in the position of viewing each other as romantic interests. Men may prefer more space from other men, or from individuals that they do not see in a romantic light already. This changes from person to person, and noting your characters preference is a good way to show what kind of person they are.

Eye-Contact 

Another fundamental which relies on instinct subtlety; conventional wisdom says that you should make eye-contact in order to show interest. Actual wisdom will also tell you that too much becomes intense and a little creepy. If your character holds someone’s eye for too long its becomes fixative rather than flirtatious; it becomes staring. Depending on your character and their interest this can either read as obsessive, creepy, or aggressive. 

Flirtatious eye contact can take a few forms; 

1 - the “getting caught” method where a person looks at someone and quickly looks away again. When caught have your character (or yourself) look away quickly and then back, hold eye contact for a few moments and then acknowledge the other person. A smile, wink, or nod will suffice for this. 

2 - the “lash” method where someone, usually a woman, catches their crushes eye, looks down, and then back up from under the lashes. Also very effective when done by men with big eyelashes. 

3 - the “full cheese” method by which someone winks, grins, or wiggles their eyebrows. This is effective when used sparingly. 

If your character also touches the person they are flirting with lightly, this will build tension. The touch should be gentle, but obviously deliberate. Avoid possessive gestures like gripping or pulling, however. 

Body Language

When flirting, the body language of both people is important; your character should watch their crush for signs of interest and/or discomfort. 

Positive signs; leaning in, touching, playing with hair, smiling, licking or biting lips, tilting their head slightly, mirroring. 

Negative signs; leaning away, crossing arms, pursing lips, refusing to make eye-contact, raising their shoulders, crossing their legs away from the other person, frowning, clenching jaw, balling fists. 

This body language can apply to both characters in the scene. 

Advanced Techniques; Verbal Cues, Suggestions, And Other Senses

This is the shit I thrive on, as a writer you will probably feel the same way; I notice the sounds, smells, and textures of another person as well as what they say (in fact, when you read my work you’ll notice that the smell of any romantic lead is noted upon more than once). 

Verbal Cues

This is the thing that most people focus upon when it comes to discussions or attempts at flirtation. The verbal sparring that comes with flirting is what really gets our stomachs churning and our hearts pulsing… but why are some people so naturally good at it, while others are… less so? 

And why does some of the most vapid and run-of-the-mill stuff seem to work between the right people? 

Well, the sad news for your unlovely characters is that physical attraction makes us more likely to respond to even the most poorly constructed of verbal flirtation. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder so even the least pretty of characters could find themselves flirting up a storm with the right person. 

Verbal cues include; 

- Gentle teasing 

- Compliments

- Inside jokes

- Using someone’s name (yes, really)

- Asking questions and responding in a thoughtful way

- Sexual innuendo (when used tastefully and sparingly)

Suggestion

This is the easiest to miss or overshoot because it’s a combination of everything else we’ve already covered. For example, your character saying to a friend, 

“I’m just going to hop into the shower, talk soon.” 

Is not a suggestive statement. Now imagine your character flirting with someone on the phone before sighing and saying, 

“I’m going to take a shower… I’ll speak to you soon, ok?”

The difference is subtle but important; the second suggests that they don’t want to stop talking to the other person, that they definitely want to speak to them again as soon as possible, and subtly encourages the other person to consider them in the shower. You see? 

Easy to miss, easy to fudge. Suggestion is hard to pull off, and hard to write, but think of it this way - suggestion;

1) Encourages the other person to think of you/your character in an intimate way

2) Implies enjoyment in and desire for their presence

3) Is open-ended and encourages reciprocation

The Other Senses

This is not so much flirting, but the act of making your character/yourself as appealing as possible to another. Personal hygiene, a good fashion sense, and good manners are a part of this.

But - 

When writing about this you should not discuss it directly unless your character is making a conscious choice. Instead, focus on the character that yours is focussed upon. 

- How do they smell?

- What are the textures of their clothes?

- What manners do they affect?

- Does their voice have a texture?

- Do they touch your character a lot? 

- Do they note upon your characters smell or noticeably try to take in their smell? 

- Do they react noticeably to your character’s voice or mannerisms?

This is just a basic guide, of course, but if you get this down you’re in a good position to build romantic tension in every walk of life!

If you found this post useful and you want to help keep me writing, you can support me through Kofi!

[justawritingcorner]

I dunno how full your ask box is so I'll just send this now. When does a flirtatious character become too flirty? I've been trying my hand at the "stoic detective and a wild sidekick" cliche but gay and don't want to ruin it by going too far. I just don't want to write s*xual harassment.

This is a very good question, I'm glad you asked.

To start off with, everyone's boundaries are different. But if your character knows the flirt well and they've already established their boundaries then readers may assume don't mind. If you intend to write the flirtation as initially an annoyance to the receiver then you can bring up sexual harassment and/or those boundaries early on.

Flirtation does not have to involve touching or suggestive comments and innuendo. These aspects of flirting are clearly harassment when unwanted by the receiving party. Flirting can also consist of frequent compliments (including but not limited to physical appearance) and preferential treatment. These things make some people uncomfortable when unwanted and can evolve into harassment, but are otherwise forgivable and generally harmless. Again, everyone's perception of harassment is different, and specifically between men and women the lines are clearer. If flirtation of any kind is unwanted by the receiver, the flirt should stop.

Back to your characters, you may let the flirting be questioned at some point in-story just to put the matter of harassment to rest. A moment where one of the characters acknowledges that boundaries have not been crossed, or even that once they were it never happened again, should show the sincerity of the flirt. Basically, let your sidekick be aware that they can be annoying at times and show them correcting themselves or holding back. And if the receiver even secretly appreciates the flirting, let the reader know early on.

Apologies if this got wordy, I meant it to be brief. I'll see if I have any relevant posts tucked away in here.

[justawritingcorner]

hi! do you think it would be alright if i wrote a dystopian story where all countries are different from how they are now (instead of just basing it in 1 country) & to have my mcs be from and living in a dystopian (different) japan even though i’m white? i don’t want to be culturally inappropriate so if you think i could write about this would you recommend reading or researching anything beforehand? i hope this doesn’t come across as rude or anything i found it hard to phrase concisely! thanks

Non-Japanese Writer Setting Dystopian Story in Japan

Due to the popularity of Anime in western society, Japan is a popular setting for stories written by writers who have never lived there and do not have Japanese ancestors. There are a few potential problems with this outside of it just being a huge cliche:

Exotification and Fetishization

Japan is a beautiful and fascinating cultural setting and it’s certainly fine to be interested in a country and its cultural elements even if you weren’t born there, haven’t lived there, and don’t have ancestors from there. However, when you use Japan as the setting for your story for no reason other than you’re fascinated by the place and its cultural elements, there’s a bit of exotification and fetishization at play. You’re taking something that is different from what you’re used to and are putting it on a pedestal, often in ways that are inaccurate and even harmful. It can be a very slippery slope.

Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation occurs when you take something that is not of your own culture and use it for your own benefit. Unless you’re writing the story for yourself and don’t plan to share it, you definitely stand to benefit.

Aesthetics vs Purpose

A typical problem with this scenario is that the writer doesn’t do any actual research into the setting or culture and how they want to portray it, relying instead on what they think they know from anime, graphic novels, and very light study of the culture. As a result, the place and culture end up just being a backdrop and props for a story that could honestly be set in any other place. The story isn’t really about Japan, Japanese people, or Japanese cultural elements. It’s about white people wrapping themselves up in those things.

Questions to Ask Yourself

1. Is there a reason that this story takes place in Japan other than your interest in the country as a cultural setting?

2. Do the characters have a realistic reason to be in Japan during this dystopian time period? 

3. Does your story include Japanese main characters and mainly Japanese secondary characters? (Or is it an all-white cast with a few Japanese characters stuck in for good measure?)

4. Does the setting and its cultural elements play a specific role in the story? (Or are they just painted on background details?)

5. Could this story just as easily take place in some other country? (If so, the answer to #4 is “no.”)

6. Have you done extensive research on the specific places, people, cultural elements, etc., that are part of your story? (Or are you just relying on what you’ve learned from watching anime, etc.?)

7. Are you employing a Japanese sensitivity reader to make sure your story is culturally sensitive and accurate?

If you answer these questions, you should be able to come up with an honest answer for yourself as to whether or not you should proceed with this story. If you feel that you have a good reason for setting the story there, that the cultural elements play a significant role in the story (and aren’t just there as a backdrop/props), and are doing extensive research, you might be okay. Just avoid appropriation as much as possible, which is something your sensitivity reader will be able to help you with. :)

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Have a question? My inbox is always open, but make sure to check my FAQ and post master lists first to see if I’ve already answered a similar question. :)

[justawritingcorner]

Any tips for coming up with a plot for a book?

I almost said that I don’t have any tips because the plot is often the first thing that comes to me with a story, but I’ve actually been playing with a plotless WIP idea atm so I actually have more ideas than I would have had six weeks ago!

if you have characters: what do they have strong opinions on? what do they want most in life? what do they fear most? what’s the funniest, most ironic situation you could put them in, and what’s the most heartbreaking one? what fundamental differences do your characters have and what would they fight about? (as an example, I had an angry orphan from the slums getting accepted into the country’s most prestigious university–I immediately had plot options from dealing with snooty girls to using student radicalism to foment a communist revolution)

if you have worldbuilding: what kind of characters inhabit this world? who is the most privileged person you could create, and who’s the most downtrodden? is there a war, class conflict, religious persecution, gender discrimination, or anything else that divides society and makes people hate each other? are there problems that need to be solved? are there problems that could be deviously created or worsened? who’s in a position to create/worsen these divisions, and why do they want to do that? (for example, I had a dark academia vibe that I wanted to situate in an environment of radical student protest, so my question was who what’s to start some riots and who wants to stop them?)

if you have snippets/scene ideas: what would have to come before this for it to make sense? why are these characters fighting/in love/betraying each other–what events could drive them to this? what’s the biggest twist you could put on this scene (e.g. is the declaration of love a lie?) what are the backstories of these characters? if they’re in love what’s the big thing they disagree on, if they hate each other what’s the one issue they agree on? (e.g. I know how the series ends, so now I’m trying to work out how the characters got there)

if you have vibes: what’s your favourite kind of plot (heist, superheroes, love triangle, dsytopian revolution)? what other related media can you look to for inspiration? what genre would stretch you the most to attempt? what specific knowledge or hobbies do you have that could be super helpful in creating a book that no one else could write? (e.g. I study politics at university and have taken classes on terrorism and leftwing protest movements, so I can use this to make my student protest movement more realistic!)

this is basically the loose process that I’m going through at the minute, so I hope this helps! 💚💚