renasdoodles

[renasdoodles]

I reread Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. This was the book that got me into reading when I was a child and it's still one of my favorites!

[renasdoodles]

i wanna post this here in case i need a reminder when i'm comparing myself towards others 🥺

[renasdoodles]

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.

[renasdoodles]

[renasdoodles]

I finished reading "In the Lives of Puppets" by TJ Klune today. I'd recommend it if you like cozy sci-fi, Pinocchio, misfit robots, and themes of love and family

[renasdoodles]

I recently got a Bluesky account though I haven't really posted much on it yet. Anyway, here it is if anyone wanted to follow me there: https://bsky.app/profile/renasdoodles.bsky.social

[renasdoodles]

Writing a novel is teaching me so much about myself...like how chaotic my brain really is.

[renasdoodles]

I just finished The Dollmakers by Lynn Buchanan. It gave me some of the same vibes as Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind so I would recommend if you like that. Spiders are a very frequent thing in this book, so if you have arachnophobia, you might not enjoy this book.

[renasdoodles]

I finished A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang today and it was such a beautiful piece of work. I recommend it if you like slow-burn romance and light political intrigue

[renasdoodles]

[renasdoodles]

Just finished This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. It’s a quick, beautiful, and cozy read!

[renasdoodles]

I just finished the Shades of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab! It's a good series!

[renasdoodles]

Please. Write it. Write the thing. Even if you feel like it's shit. Even if you think no one will read it. Even if no one reads it. Even if you think the words make no sense. Even if it breaks your heart. Especially if it breaks your heart.

Please. Write it.

[renasdoodles]

Reblog so everyone can hear what they need.

[renasdoodles]

I like writing.

I like the process of writing. I like the mechanics of writing.

I like writing down words and picking what order that they should go in to best convey the meaning and images in my mind to the person reading them. I like thinking about the way a sentence sounds and the way it interacts with the other sentences around it. I like thinking about what words should repeat, and what words should stand alone, and what words should be swapped out with other words.

I like the actual writing part of writing!

[renasdoodles]

Happy Storyteller Saturday 💜

What do you do when you hit a roadblock or get stuck with part of a story? How do you get past it?

This is a weeeeeeks old ask lol but still counts!! Thank you ^^

You know how people say if you're stuck on a part it's likely because something before it is the issue?

Yeah. That's actually true 99% of the time for me.

If I'm stuck on a paragraph or part of an outline, now I immediately check the three before it. Changing something there almost always fixes the problem. Sometimes you just gotta walk yourself back to take another path!

[renasdoodles]

Things Real People Do in Dialogue (For Your Next Story)

Okay, let’s be real—dialogue can make or break a scene. You want your characters to sound natural, like actual humans talking, not robots reading a script. So, how do you write dialogue that feels real without it turning into a mess of awkward pauses and “ums”? Here’s a little cheat sheet of what real people actually do when they talk (and you can totally steal these for your next story):

1. People Interrupt Each Other All the Time In real conversations, nobody waits for the perfect moment to speak. We interrupt, cut each other off, and finish each other's sentences. Throw in some overlaps or interruptions in your dialogue to make it feel more dynamic and less like a rehearsed play.

2. They Don’t Always Say What They Mean Real people are masters of dodging. They’ll say one thing but mean something totally different (hello, passive-aggressive banter). Or they’ll just avoid the question entirely. Let your characters be vague, sarcastic, or just plain evasive sometimes—it makes their conversations feel more layered.

3. People Trail Off... We don’t always finish our sentences. Sometimes we just... stop talking because we assume the other person gets what we’re trying to say. Use that in your dialogue! Let a sentence trail off into nothing. It adds realism and shows the comfort (or awkwardness) between characters.

4. Repeating Words Is Normal In real life, people repeat words when they’re excited, nervous, or trying to make a point. It’s not a sign of bad writing—it’s how we talk. Let your characters get a little repetitive now and then. It adds a rhythm to their speech that feels more genuine.

5. Fillers Are Your Friends People say "um," "uh," "like," "you know," all the time. Not every character needs to sound polished or poetic. Sprinkle in some filler words where it makes sense, especially if the character is nervous or thinking on their feet.

6. Not Everyone Speaks in Complete Sentences Sometimes, people just throw out fragments instead of complete sentences, especially when emotions are high. Short, choppy dialogue can convey tension or excitement. Instead of saying “I really think we need to talk about this,” try “We need to talk. Now.”

7. Body Language Is Part of the Conversation Real people don’t just communicate with words; they use facial expressions, gestures, and body language. When your characters are talking, think about what they’re doing—are they fidgeting? Smiling? Crossing their arms? Those little actions can add a lot of subtext to the dialogue without needing extra words.

8. Awkward Silences Are Golden People don’t talk non-stop. Sometimes, they stop mid-conversation to think, or because things just got weird. Don’t be afraid to add a beat of awkward silence, a long pause, or a meaningful look between characters. It can say more than words.

9. People Talk Over Themselves When They're Nervous When we’re anxious, we tend to talk too fast, go back to rephrase what we just said, or add unnecessary details. If your character’s nervous, let them ramble a bit or correct themselves. It’s a great way to show their internal state through dialogue.

10. Inside Jokes and Shared History Real people have history. Sometimes they reference something that happened off-page, or they share an inside joke only they get. This makes your dialogue feel lived-in and shows that your characters have a life beyond the scene. Throw in a callback to something earlier, or a joke only two characters understand.

11. No One Explains Everything People leave stuff out. We assume the person we’re talking to knows what we’re talking about, so we skip over background details. Instead of having your character explain everything for the reader’s benefit, let some things go unsaid. It’ll feel more natural—and trust your reader to keep up!

12. Characters Have Different Voices Real people don’t all talk the same way. Your characters shouldn’t either! Pay attention to their unique quirks—does one character use slang? Does another speak more formally? Maybe someone’s always cutting people off while another is super polite. Give them different voices and patterns of speech so their dialogue feels authentic to them.

13. People Change the Subject In real life, conversations don’t always stay on track. People get sidetracked, jump to random topics, or avoid certain subjects altogether. If your characters are uncomfortable or trying to dodge a question, let them awkwardly change the subject or ramble to fill the space.

14. Reactions Aren’t Always Immediate People don’t always respond right away. They pause, they think, they hesitate. Sometimes they don’t know what to say, and that delay can speak volumes. Give your characters a moment to process before they respond—it’ll make the conversation feel more natural.

Important note: Please don’t use all of these tips in one dialogue at once.