keepcalmandwritefiction

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

You're afraid to write because you care too much about your craft. Not because you suck.

You want it to be perfect. Worthy. You're scared it won't be good enough. But the thing is, everything you write is worthy if you write it with heart.

That fear doesn't make you a fraud, or lazy. It makes you a perfectionist who doesn't write as much as they should because their fear is choking them. Your writing will never be perfect—nothing ever is.

So stop waiting for the perfect moment and go pour your heart out. Unleash your wild—and slightly disturbing—imagination onto those pages. Go create magic that only you can make.

GO WRITE THE THING YOU KEEP THINKING ABOUT DAY AND NIGHT. And make sure you write it for yourself before anyone else!

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Writing Description Notes:

Updated 9th September 2024 More writing tips, review tips & writing description notes

Facial Expressions

Masking Emotions

Smiles/Smirks/Grins

Eye Contact/Eye Movements

Blushing

Voice/Tone

Body Language/Idle Movement

Thoughts/Thinking/Focusing/Distracted

Silence

Memories

Happy/Content/Comforted

Love/Romance

Sadness/Crying/Hurt

Confidence/Determination/Hopeful

Surprised/Shocked

Guilt/Regret

Disgusted/Jealous

Uncertain/Doubtful/Worried

Anger/Rage

Laughter

Confused

Speechless/Tongue Tied

Fear/Terrified

Mental Pain

Physical Pain

Tired/Drowsy/Exhausted

Eating

Drinking

Warm/Hot

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Writing Disability: Let us Love like everyone else

[ID: An illustrated picture of a red rose on a pink background. To the left of the rose is white text that reads "Writing Disability: Let us Love like everyone else. /End ID]

Romance is one of the top-selling genres in the world across mediums, and pretty much every movie, TV show, book and game has at least one romance sub-plot. You don’t need to look far to find it. However, when it comes to disabled characters, a lot of creators shy away from giving us romantic plot lines or even hesitate to address the topic of disability and attraction being present in the same character at all. So, since it’s Valentine’s day, I thought now would be the perfect time to discuss it.

It can be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention, but a surprising number of stories in various mediums will pair up most if not all of their main cast of characters by the end of the plot… with the exception of the disabled characters. whether they be explicitly stated to be disabled or just coded as such, disabled characters are more frequently left out of relationships by the story's end. Sometimes, the disabled character will be completely disinterested or the subject is just never addressed, such as with Toph from Avatar the Last Airbender. Toph is implied to have had multiple relationships by the time of the sequel series, but unlike the rest of the original gang, we never see it on screen, so I personally think it doesn't count for reasons I'll get into in a moment. Alternatively, the disabled character will show interest in someone, but their affection is just not reciprocated, such as in Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame. Disney's Hunchback is a particularly noteworthy example since it's one of the only theatrical Disney movies where the main character has a clearly stated love interest, but doesn't end up with them by the end.

ID: an screenshot of the hunchback of notre dame showing Quasiemodo, a man with a hunchback and facial differences swinging and singing on at spire at the top of the notre dame cathedral. /End ID

In the latter case, where the disabled character’s love is not reciprocated, these stories will often focus on the importance of self-discovery and self-love. An important message to be sure, but the fact that these “you don’t need a partner as long as you love yourself” stories very often centre disabled characters is frustrating, to say the least (If the character isn’t disabled, they’re often deemed “undesirable" for other reasons, such as being fat, but that’s a topic for another day).

Of course, the reason the character doesn’t end up with their love interest doesn't have to be because of their disability specifically. Even if they were turned down for other reasons, it can still contribute to the stereotype that disabled people can’t find love even when they want to, just aren’t desirable as partners (a sentiment that is especially commonly directed at visibly disabled people) and contributes to the overall lack of representation of disabled relationships.

In the other case I mentioned before, where a disabled character is just not interested in romance, can look different depending on the kind of disability the character has, but in my experience, it often comes from the same place: discomfort. This isn't necessarily a conscious thought or decision on the creator’s end, mind you, but just because it's not intentional, doesn't mean it's not doing harm, even if it’s subconsciously.

A lot of the time, many creators don't even consider giving their disabled characters a love interest. the thought never even occurs to them. I can't pretend to know why for sure, but if I had to take a guess, its because the idea of disability and romance just don't go together in most people's eyes, so the thought never even crosses these creator's minds. But why? it comes back to that discomfort.

When we are talking about physical disabilities and those effecting the body but not the brain, the discomfort can come from a few places. First is the discomfort with disabled and visibly different bodies and how they work as a whole. I've spoken about this in the past, but just the idea of disability alone often makes non-disabled people deeply uncomfortable, and when it comes to visible disabilities, they are often forced to confront that, something that a lot of people are resistant to. they don't like thinking about it, and while many non-disabled creators have dealt with this discomfort enough to include us in their stories, they haven't deconstructed it enough to include us having things like romantic relationships.

This is why, despite the fact that Toph has children in The Legend of Korra, I’m still using her as an example. We see the other main character’s relationships and partners in the original show and in The Legend of Korra directly, but never hers. The most we ever hear of Toph’s love life is that Sue and Lin, her daughters, have different fathers. While the mention was good, when looking at this through the lens of “people are uncomfortable with disabled people being in relationships” you can see how the openly disabled character’s relationships only ever happening off screen and occasionally mentioned might still be an issue, even if that wasn’t the creator’s intent.

ID: A screenshot of the legend of Korra showing Toph, a middle-aged woman with black hair and metal armour, lecturing her two daughters. /End ID

this disparity becomes particularly noticeable, however, in media aimed at an older audience where romantic relationships often mean sex. When the relationship is expected to be sexual in nature, an extra layer of discomfort often appears. A lot of people just quite simply don't understand how sex works when you have a physical disability, and are extremely uncomfortable simply looking it up (there are educational resources out there on the subject, and even disability content creators who focus on educating people about sex and disability, I’m not talking about looking up porn). Often times, they just avoid it by simply not giving their disabled characters relationships of any kind to avoid having to address those questions.

There is also the fact that many people infantilise those with disabilities and associate us with children. This is more common when it comes to non-physical disabilities, such as those under the neurodivergent umbrella (which refers to any disability that primarily impacts the brain) and I'll talk about that in a moment, but it does happen with physical disabilities too, most notably with little people and disabilities that impact someone’s height or physical development. Often, for those of us with physical disabilities, the infantilization comes from people either directly associating us with children because of our appearance, or feeling as though we need to be protected like children.

When talking about disabled people in relationships, this might look like someone being hesitant to pair a disabled character up with someone without a disability because they “can’t protect themselves” if the relationship goes bad. This isn’t something I’ve seen stated directly much in media, mind you, but it is a response I’ve gotten from a surprising number of people in real life when I’ve asked why they don’t like the idea of “people like me” (meaning amputees and wheelchair users) dating. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the reason some authors and creatives avoid inter-abled relationships in their works based on how often I got that comment when I started dating; they are concerned about the power imbalance. but this mindset is based on both infantilization and the stereotype that physically disabled people are always inherently weaker. If you’re not always worried about how non-disabled characters would protect themselves in a relationship, why are you only worried it when one of the characters is disabled?

However, like I mentioned before, the disabled character being simply uninterested in romance or sex isn't unique to visibly and physically disabled people. It’s is so common with neurodivergent folks, in fact that it’s become a bunch of tropes all of their own, with the most common variant being where specifically autistic or autistic-coded characters will often be the only aromatic or asexual people in a story’s cast.

For those unfamiliar with the terms, aromatic people are those who experience little to no romantic attraction, or those who experience it differently to most, while asexual people are those who experience little to no sexual attraction (or, again, experience it differently to most). It’s a bit more complex than that, and both terms exist on a spectrum, but in order not to get too side-tracked, I’ll leave it there. I‘d highly, highly recommend Jaiden Animation’s video on the subject though if you want to learn more in a beginner-friendly way.

There’s this idea that a lot of non-disabled people get about neurodivergent folks, especially those with developmental or intellectual disabilities, that we are these sweet little innocent beans who don’t want to or simply can’t engage with “adult” things. In most cases though, this isn’t the true. For some folks, including many creators, this is once again an unconscious bias and is the result of them simply not thinking about or deconstructing their ideas around different kinds of disabilities. In these cases, the idea usually stems from the fact that there are some (keyword some) disabilities under this category that do impact someone’s ability to engage with things like sex and romantic relationships, and most people not overly familiar with the disability community just don’t know enough to understand that just because some people under this category can’t or don’t want to engage, doesn’t mean we all can’t.

Unfortunately though, when this is pointed out to a lot of people, instead of adjusting their viewpoint or seeking more information, they get severally uncomfortable about the idea, even going so far as calling someone who is dating someone with a developmental or intellectual disability as “creepy” because they, once again, associate people with these kinds of disabilities with children. Since children can’t consent, neither can we. This is, once again, infantilization, but much more directly.

While I haven’t seen the full episode (or much of the show as a whole), so I don’t really want to comment on weather it handled the subject well, I do at least appreciate that the show Glee calls this line of thinking out when one of the characters, Becky, who has down’s syndrome, begins dating someone without a disability. The parts of the episode I have seen shows several characters around Becky expressing concern, but their bias is called out by the end of the episode. What I have seen of Glee was during a particularly long stay in hospital while being given pretty strong medication so my memory of it is spotty (not to mention everything was out of order) so like I said, I can’t comment on weather or not it was good per say, but I do remember the discussion this episode sparked in my high school with students and teachers alike, and I remember it being the starting point for some important conversations with people.

As I said, there are some disabilities under the neurodivergent umbrella that might prevent a character from engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship. some. however, it's incredibly important to remember that a lot of these kinds of disabilities exist on a spectrum of support needs, and if the character in question's disability would be preventing them from doing so, they would typically be on the very severe ends of those spectrums and have very substantial support needs in other areas of life too. The vast majority of neurodivergent characters in media don't fall into this category. If you are writing someone who has these higher support needs (and please do, we need more characters like that!), be sure to do your research and double check your assumptions about their capability to engage though. Ensure it's actually reflective of their disability and isn't just based on stereotypes and misinformation. And don't forget, if you’re ever unsure, you can always check with a sensitivity reader or disability consultant.

Even in cases where a disabled character does get into a relationship, one of a few things frequently happen that I think authors might want to be mindful to avoid - or at least approach with caution.

The first is that the disabled character, despite being in a relationship, will be completely disinterested in sex (or any part of a physical relationship, such as kissing, if the content is aimed at a younger audience), often being implied or directly stated to be asexual. The first example of this that springs to mind for me is Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. While Sheldon is never confirmed as autistic within the show, he displays many autistic traits throughout both the original show (albeit in a stereotypical way that’s played mostly for laughs) and in the spin-off, Young Sheldon. When Sheldon does eventually get into a relationship though and even gets married, he is shown to be very, very reluctant and overall disinterested in sex.

ID: A screenshot from Big Bang Theory of Amy and Sheldon sitting on a couch, where Amy looks annoyed towards someone off camera, while sheldon looks at her, confused. /End ID

So what’s the problem with this? in a vacuum, nothing. Some people don’t care for sex and don’t experience sexual attraction, and it’s fine to show that - we need more ace representation! I myself am disabled (an amputee and autistic) and asexual, shouldn’t I be glad to see characters like me?

Well, the issue isn’t that this is unrealistic, but rather overplayed and often contains a lot of misinformation about both asexual people and disabled folks.

My disabilities have nothing to do with my asexuality - which remember just means someone doesn’t experience sexual attraction; it has nothing to do with weather or not someone enjoys sex. However whenever asexuality and disability are paired together in the same character, it’s almost always because of the character’s disability. As in, the person in the wheelchair is ace because they can’t feel anything down there so they stopped feeling attracted to people (which is not even close to how that works, but is a real example I’ve seen on a few occasions now) or the autistic person is just too invested in telling you about trains, science, superhero’s or whatever their special interest is, to be worried about sex.

The other issue is, like I said, there’s a lot of examples of disabled ace characters already, and considering how poorly most are handled, many disabled people and asexual people alike are just tired of seeing it. Honestly, until both disability and ace representation and understanding as a whole, improve independently, it’s a combination of identities I’d recommend avoiding in your work, at least for now.

Finally, when a disabled character does enter a relationship, sexual or not, a very common dynamic is that the character will often get very insecure and scared that the person they’re dating doesn’t actually like them, or worries that the other person is settling for them, often resulting in their partner reassuring them that they love them, "despite their disability." A recent example of this can be seen in the web series Helluva boss between the character Fizzarolli, an imp who is a quadrilateral amputee with broken horns and facial scarring, and his boyfriend Asmodeus. While Fizzarolli’s insecurities are primarily focused on living up to impossible standards for success, he shouts during a panic attack that he believes that Asmodeus will leave him if he isn't successful, stating that without it, "this is who I am" - ripping off his hat to show his broken horns and scars (something we are told that he acquired in the same accident he lost his limbs in).

ID: A screenshot of Helluva Boss showing Fizzarolli, a cartoon imp in a clown outfit, patchy makeup and broken horns, anxiously holding his jester's cap in his hands. Behind him, Asmodeus, a large blue, feathery demon in a striped suit, looks on, concerned. /End ID

My problem with scenarios like these is once again, not that it’s unrealistic, but that it shows up constantly. The intention with these kinds of scenes is often to assure the character and by extension, disabled readers or viewers, that they are in fact deserving of love. That just because they’re disabled, doesn’t mean they’ll never find anyone. Once again, it's a good message, however, because of how prevalent this exact scene is, it can actually have the opposite effect.

Let’s step back from disability for a moment: If you see dozens and dozens of people with a feature you have, saying they are insecure about that same feature in almost all of of the shows you watch, the books you read, the games you play where characters with this feature appear, even if you aren’t insecure about it yourself, seeing over and over again that others are, it’s natural that it would start to make you doubt or wonder if you should be. Doubly so if that very insecurity prompts these big, often explosive and emotional scenes.

This was the case for me as a kid, I never really cared much about my disability outside of being annoyed that people stared at me, but as I got older, and I saw more and more characters in the media I consumed saying they were certain no one could love someone like them - someone like me - I became more and more worried. The messages that were supposed to be reassurances, instead told me over and over that the people these characters ”found” were the exception, not the rule, and that most people would, in fact, care that I was disabled and not want to date me. When all my friends began dating and getting into relationships, I began to worry that I would never find “my exception to the rule” and be alone forever.

I didn’t really get over that mindset until well into my 20’s, well into my current relationship with my now fiancé, and I know I wasn’t alone in these concerns. I used to work with teenage amputees, and this was a very, very common fear across all genders and sexualities. I still see it in forums and social media groups whenever newly disabled people join, it’s one of the more common fears brought up, and while I get that scenes like these are meant to reflect this reality and help, more often than not, they’re doing the opposite.

For once, I would love to see a disabled character get into a relationship, and for there not to be any mention of “are you sure?” “How could you ever love someone like me?” “I’m worried you don’t actually find me attractive” etc. These conversations are realistic, yes, but we see them so often that I just really wish I could see more examples of stories where the validity of the disabled character’s relationship is never questioned and is never a concern. It just is.

Of course, as with most of the subjects I’ve talked about before, many of these points are less of a concern if you have multiple disabled characters. If you only have one disabled character and have their love interest reject them, it can perpetuate these stereotypes about disabled people being unable to find love, but if you have another character who is successful in that reguard? Well, it’s much less of a concern. The same goes for if one of your disabled characters is asexual or aromantic, but there’s another disabled character who isn’t, or if one disabled character is insecure about their disability in their relationship, but another isn’t.

Of course, be mindful not to go too far in the other direction either. A lot of people are pretty shocked to learn that disability fetishization is also a thing, and while you shouldn’t shy away from showing disabled characters in sexual relationships just because they’re disabled, it is something you need to be mindful of if your story contains more explicit content. As a general rule of thumb, sowing your disabled characters engaging in the same kinds of relationships, romantic and sexual (including casual hook-ups and one-night-stands) is great, so long as it a) fits the character and the story, and b) is actually inline with how you’re treating those topics with the non-disabled characters.

Personally, I don’t really feel like I’m the best person to advise on where exactly that line between just showing disabled people in sexual relationships/situations and fetishisation is, though the general advice I’ve heard is to ask yourself if the focus is on the disability, or if the person just happens to be disabled. On that same note, I’m also not really comfortable explaining details of how sex works when you’re disabled. If you want to know about either of these topics, there are a plethora of disability content creators who focus specifically on those subjects.

To sum this all up though, disabled adults are, well, adults, so don’t be afraid to treat us as such. Show us in relationships where the non-disabled partner’s affection isn’t a matter of debate or insecurity, show us being intimate and having sex (if that’s something you were doing with your non-disabled characters), let us be confident in those relationships, the same as everyone else, and most importantly, remember that a disability doesn’t automatically mean someone just won’t be interested in us, or we won’t be interested in them.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Runaway

Words: 334 Tagging: @flashfictionfridayofficial

"It could have been worse."

That was a favorite saying by one of my tutors, and you know what? She was right. How hard it is to understand, that I do not wish to wed? I am the youngest of 6 royal children, all now wedded or betrothed and quite happy for it.

Me? I just want to lock myself away, and learn magic.

Unfortunately, my royal parents did not think it was good enough. Oh no, I had to wed and birth children as if our line were on the brink of extinction. For goodness's sake, my elder brother has five children on his own!

And the rest of them are not far behind, so really, what harm came to me remaining unwed and childless?

Anyway, they forced my hand.

Who would have guessed that I would have had to sneak out in the middle of the night? I would not have had to do this if they had not gotten suitors gathered just outside our kingdom to surprise me with. Thank goodness for Elmira, loyal, kind and gentle Elmira; who defied my father by letting me know of the fate that waited for me.

Having to sneak out in the middle of the night, like a common bandit hurt. I would have loved to hug my siblings, my nieces and nephews and tell them that I love them. Alas, it had come to this.

And now, as I work under the tutelage of Mage Teris, I know. It could have been worse. I could have been doomed to an unhappy fate, with an unwanted husband and forced to bear children I am still unsure I want.

It would have been cruelty. It would have been unkindness.

So now, as I know the gates of my old home are closed to me, all I can do is do my best, learn everything that Mage Teris is willing to teach, and then, perhaps, move on and learn more.

Yes, it could have been worse.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

how does being punched in the face feel like

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Choose your advice wisely

A lot of writing advice will differ depending on why you write.

If you want to build a career, then you might find productivity and technical advice helpful. If you want to write for the joy of it, you might prefer advice about immersion and mindset.

Not all advice is for everyone. That doesn't make it bad or wrong, it just means it's not relevant to you or where you are in your writing journey.

Choose the advice that works for you and your why. Choose the advice that will make you a better writer. Not everyone will follow the same process, but we can still learn through trial and error by following in the footsteps of those who have already been where we are.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Book Terms to Know Before Self/Trad Publishing

Will continuously update. Last updated: May 2025.

ARC: Advance reader copy – a special edition of the book printed before the release date, may still need finalizing edits. Meant for creating marketing buzz.

CNR: Closed No Response, when a query has been sent for long enough with no response to be considered an auto pass

Contemporary Fiction: A book that takes place in the present day, typically lacking in a genre. Centers around a protagonist’s everyday life: work, relationships, and modern day struggles

Literary Fiction: Contemporary fiction but considered to have some sort of artistic value—typically character-driven and introspective, it’s meant to engage the reader in a personal or social commentary.

Magical Realism: A real world setting with magical elements. Typically, the magic in the world is unusual and a cause for concern for its inhabitants.

Manuscript: An unpublished piece of writing.

MG: Middle grade. Books targeted at readers 8-12

Monomyth: Another word for the Hero’s Journey

MS/MSS: Manuscript or manuscripts

MSWL: Manuscript Wishlist—a list of an agent's next “want to reads”, look under #MSWL on any social media, or the MSWL website to find.

New Adult: For readers just beyond young adult containing college-aged protagonists written in the commercial style of YA.

Literary Boutique: This is what small agencies tend to call themselves instead of saying "small". Usually they are very selective about their clients but are also able to give a lot more attention to each individual.

R&R: Revise and resubmit—the agent is interested in your work but needs a hefty revision before they can really consider it.

SFF: Science fiction and fantasy

Speculative Fiction: Umbrella genre of fiction that breaks away from reality—can be fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or otherwise imaginative.

Upmarket fiction: contains the lyrical writing of literary fiction with the plot-focus of genre fiction. AKA bookclub fiction

Urban Fantasy: Subgenre of fantasy that places supernatural/magical elements in a contemporary, urban setting.

Women’s Fiction: An umbrella term for books targeted towards a female audience—typically about female issues or struggles. AKA Chick-Lit

Young Adult: Targets readers aged 12-18 with characters around the same age. Most typically a coming-of-age story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Psst... Did you know I launched a website?)

Head on over to www.gatesannai.com (or click here!) for exclusive blog posts, updates on my work, and pictures of my dog.

While you're there, consider signing up for my newsletter too :-)

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

The most human thing a character can do is contradict themselves.

The cynic who still carries a childhood stuffed animal.

The liar who craves honesty.

The overthinker who makes reckless decisions.

The heartbreaker who believes in soulmates.

The pacifist who holds lifelong grudges.

The tough guy who cries during old movies.

The thrill-seeker who's terrified of commitment.

The grump who’s unfailingly polite to waitstaff.

People aren’t consistent. Your characters shouldn’t be either.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

“I’m Pretending I Don’t Love You” Behaviors

(for that beautiful, painful flavor of self-denial that authors LIVE FOR)

✦ Making fun of everything they do...gently. Like it’s the only way you can touch them.

✦ Telling them to be careful, but saying it like an insult.

✦ Correcting people who get their name wrong, then pretending it didn’t matter.

✦ Staring just a little too long—and then making a sarcastic comment to cover the slip.

✦ Showing up to things “coincidentally” wherever they are. All the time.

✦ Knowing exactly what food they like, but acting like it was a random choice.

✦ Volunteering to be on their team, share their tent, go with them, whatever excuse works.

✦ Looking away fast when they laugh. Too fast. Like it hurts.

✦ Caring for them when they’re hurt, but muttering, “Don’t read into this.”

✦ Being furious when someone else flirts with them and not being able to explain why.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Signs a Character Is Falling in Love

ෆ They Start Noticing the Small Things. The way the other person laughs. How they stir their coffee. The exact shape of their handwriting.

ෆ Hyper-Awareness of Touch. A brush of fingers becomes a full-body event. They replay it later. On loop.

ෆ They Look for Them First in a Room. Just a glance. A check. Not because they care. Obviously.

ෆ Jealousy They Can’t Explain. A spike of irritation when someone else makes them laugh. What’s that about? They don’t want to know.

ෆ Their Defenses Go Weird. More sarcasm. More teasing. Or less of everything. Silence, suddenly.

ෆ Uncharacteristic Generosity. Lending a book. Making a playlist. Bringing coffee “just because.” They’re not in love. They’re just nice.

ෆ They Get Irritated by Their Own Reactions. Why do they care so much? Why are they thinking about this? Why won’t it stop?

ෆ They Start Mirroring. Their speech patterns shift. Their posture echoes the other person. It’s subconscious. It’s terrifying.

ෆ They Avoid Eye Contact More Than Usual. Because they’re afraid if they look too long, the truth will pour out.

ෆ They Rehearse Conversations in Their Head. Over and over, what they could say, what they wish they said. They’re not in love. Nope. Definitely not.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Writers, repeat after me: “Fck it, I can always go back and edit it later. I don’t need to get it right on the first draft.” 👏🏼

– Dylan Roche (@/dylaniswriting)

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

sometimes the best writing advice is "just let it be bad." revolutionary. terrifying. but it works.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Six reasons why SFDs (Sh!tty First Drafts) are a good thing: 1. I can’t revise what I didn’t write. 2. Rather than tumble a few half-cocked ideas in my brain like shoes in a dryer, I’m better than off removing them. 3. Like making a list, I no longer stress about remembering everything. 4. The pantser in me figures out the real story (often not what I’d expected) and I highlight that. 5. The plotter in me revises the outline. 6. Better dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.

– Rob Weldon (@/blood.wren)

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Writers, here’s your reminder that you should be doing warm-ups!

Athletes need to warm up. Musicians need to warm up. Artists need to warm up. Heck, I even have to play a few matches in video games before I get into a groove every day.

Warm-ups help you get into the right headspace, give you more control of your actions and word choice, get you comfortable in your physical setting (eg: with your keyboard, notebook, tablet, or whatever you're writing with), and spark creativity.

Even if you don’t think you have spoons to write, sit down and do a couple warm-ups. If you still don’t want to, that’s alright. But. I think you’ll be surprised how often they help break that ice.

5-15 minutes is all you need. I personally set a timer for ten minutes each time and do not stop writing until the time is up. Your warm-up can be anything at all so long as it gets you writing and starts nudging those creative juices.

Here's some common warm-ups:

Journaling. Just jot down some notes about your day. Feel free to really lean into something that you noticed. We're going for description and details -- try to avoid settling into a spiral or focusing on something negative that will upset your creativity.

Short story prompts. Type that into Pinterest and pick the most ridiculous, cliche thing you can. Write a little scene, story summary, or even a rant about why you do or don't like the prompt. Just write.

Vocab challenge. If you like a bit more critical thinking to get you in the zone, have a random vocabulary word generator spit out five or so words. Check their meanings and jot down a little story or thought that includes all five. You get more familiar with beautiful and descriptive language, and it gives you a much narrowed prompt (which is lovely if you're like me and suffer each time there's an open-ended task assigned).

Character moments. Try putting your character into a generic setting and write down almost meticulously what their thought process would be. Follow them realizing they've just stepped in mud or dreading the start of the day. Pick a mundane thing and describe them working through it. This will not only get your writing going, but it will wake up the character's voice in your head.

Ongoing storytelling. Did you know that Whinnie the Poo was A.A. Milne's warm up story? He would jot down a quick little story with those very basic characters and did so every day. Whatever came to mind. He kept writing little tidbits on the same characters and eventually it turned into a series. Having that ongoing plot with isolated scenes and simple characters can help you feel more motivated to sit down and write.

Get-to-know-you-questions. Google a list of basic first-date questions (there are a million out there) and answer one yourself. Go into specifics. Where do you most want to travel and why? Let yourself ramble until the question is fully answered.

Writer's block blues. This is a favorite of mine. If you're truly stuck, write about being stuck. Eg: 'I'm supposed to write for ten minutse, but that feels so stupid and impossible. No one is goign to read this anyway. I have no ideas and the page is so overwhelming when its blank. I used to be able to write on and on and nothing could stop me. it was like breathing. but now I have nothign and do nothing and I can't even do a stupid prompt-' Even the rambling and ranting got me writing. It made things easier. It made writing this post easier. Also -- notice the typos? Yeah, don't fix those. You're in writing mode, not editing mode when you're doing this. If you edit while you write, you're forcing yourself to stay in your executive and calculating headspace rather than falling fully into creativity and dream. Ignore the mistakes. That's for future you to handle.

I've officially rambled far too much, but I hope that helps even a little bit. Live well and write often, my friends. Best of luck to you <3

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Writers: let's talk about how important it is to NOT take every bit of advice you see online. There will always be someone with a different process. Some people swear by plotting. Some people can't write if they plot things out in advance. Some people start with the characters, others start with the plot. What works for them might not work for you. If you want your manuscript to ever be finished, you have to take what serves you and leave what doesn't. 💜

– Beth Heyn (@/bethheynauthor)

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Full offense but your writing style is for you and nobody else. Use the words you want to use; play with language, experiment, use said, use adverbs, use “unrealistic” writing patterns, slap words you don’t even know are words on the page. Language is a sandbox and you, as the author, are at liberty to shape it however you wish. Build castles. Build a hovel. Build a mountain on a mountain or make a tiny cottage on a hill. Whatever it is you want to do. Write.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

Hello! I just found your blog and I love it!! How would I write a good protag's best friend character (or sidekick but not really) Much appreciated!!!

Thank you for the ask! Sorry it took me forever to get to it

How to Write a Protagonist’s Best Friend (Without Making Them a Sidekick!)

A great best friend character does more than just stand beside the protagonist, here are some tips to help you capture that:

What Makes a Best Friend Character Strong?

A well-written best friend character has qualities that make them stand out on their own. Here’s what sets them apart from a generic sidekick:

They Have Their Own Story – They shouldn’t exist just to serve the protagonist’s journey. Give them goals, conflicts, and motivations that intersect with the main plot but don’t revolve around the protagonist.

They Balance the Protagonist – A best friend should contrast the protagonist in meaningful ways. Maybe they challenge the protagonist’s worldview or complement their weaknesses with different strengths.

They Change Over Time – Just like the protagonist, they should grow. Their relationship with the protagonist should evolve based on the events of the story.

For example, in Percy Jackson, Grover is not just comic relief—he has his own mission (finding Pan, proving himself as a protector), and his strengths (resourcefulness, empathy) balance Percy’s impulsive nature.

What Role Should They Play in the Plot?

A best friend character shouldn’t just be there for emotional support—they should impact the story. Here are some ways to make sure they play a meaningful role:

Driving the Plot – Have them take actions that change the course of the story. Maybe they uncover crucial information, make a decision that alters the protagonist’s fate, or even become a source of conflict.

Acting as a Foil – A best friend often highlights the protagonist’s strengths and flaws through contrast. Are they more cautious while the protagonist is reckless? More idealistic, while the protagonist is cynical?

Having Moments of Leadership – The protagonist shouldn’t always be in charge. Let the best friend take the lead at times, making key choices that drive the story forward.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even well-meaning writers can accidentally flatten a best friend character. Here’s what to watch out for:

Making Them One-Dimensional – If their entire personality is “supportive and loyal,” they’ll feel like a cardboard cutout. Give them flaws, ambitions, and struggles.

Using Them as a Plot Device – They shouldn’t just show up to deliver emotional support or conveniently solve problems for the protagonist. They need to have agency.

Forgetting Their Growth Arc – Just like the protagonist, they should be affected by the events of the story and change accordingly.

A common complaint about Ron Weasley’s character in later Harry Potter books is that he sometimes feels like just a sidekick, while Hermione and Harry have more direct influence on the plot. Had Ron been given more individual agency in key moments, his presence might have felt stronger.

How to Develop Their Relationship with the Protagonist

A strong friendship isn’t always smooth sailing. Consider:

Conflict & Tension – Friends fight. Maybe they disagree on how to handle a situation. Maybe one feels overshadowed by the other.

Moments of Distance – Do they ever drift apart? Are they forced into situations where they can’t rely on each other?

Loyalty vs. Individuality – The best friend doesn’t always have to be on the protagonist’s side. Maybe they make a choice that goes against the protagonist’s wishes.

Examples of Well-Written Best Friend Characters

Here are some standout best friend characters and what makes them strong:

Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings) – Sam is fiercely loyal, but he’s also stronger than Frodo in many ways. He makes tough calls, pushes Frodo forward, and carries both emotional and physical burdens.

Inej Ghafa (Six of Crows) – Inej is Kaz’s closest ally, but she doesn’t just follow him blindly. She has her own sense of morality, her own trauma, and her own dreams beyond him.

Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games) – Peeta isn’t just a love interest—he challenges Katniss emotionally and strategically, making choices that directly impact her fate.

Robin (Stranger Things) – Unlike the stereotypical “supportive best friend,” Robin has her own quirks, insecurities, and motivations that make her dynamic with Steve stand out.

These characters don’t just exist to assist the protagonist—they challenge them, change them, and make the story richer.

Tips to Make Your Best Friend Character Stand Out

Here are some practical ways to make sure your best friend character is strong and memorable:

✅ Give them distinct personality traits – Don’t let them blend into the background. Make sure they have mannerisms, speech patterns, and habits that set them apart. ✅ Let them struggle – Just like the protagonist, they should face obstacles that force them to grow. ✅ Make them essential to the story – If you could remove them from the plot and nothing would change, they’re not well-integrated enough. ✅Let them ride solo – Just because they're friends doesn't mean they have to be glued to the hip the entire story! Maybe they get separated during a key arc, have a bit of tension that splits them (think Ron and Harry) or have different offices/schools/hobbies. ✅ Show their relationship evolving – Friendships aren’t static. The ups and downs should feel natural and meaningful.

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Check out the rest of Quillology with Haya; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors!

Instagram Tiktok