#5 questions for writers

[dangaer]

making ocs reminds you how powerful oc makers are like hello ... your detail, your lore, your headcanons ... you should be immensely proud of yourselves and your ocs i think💕

[gay-homophobic-lawyer-show]

Watching season 5 and I think we should be allowed to legally kill Raymond Millbury.

[starglaee]

It’s the way the Cobra Kai creators can’t keep character consistency

[dullorangepulp]

fanfic readers/writers, i have an important question

Is it considered weird/cringey if writers mention real-life brands in their fics? especially if the source material used a fake name to represent the brand?

for example, a tv show called am in-universe soda brand "choco cola", but a fanfic about the tv show calls the SAME DRINK that the characters called choco cola now "coca cola".

(inspired by me reading a persona 5 fanfic where the gang calls it "disneyland" instead of the in-universe name of "destinyland" and it weirded me out a lil. i wanna see if others have the same problem)

[kingfakey]

i fear people have quickly forgotten about the strikes and the toll that takes on a production. they've had to rewrite and reshoot and replan and plot and develop stuff because of a year long set back, not to mention staff turnover. it's very easy to complain about the food when you're not giving any consideration to what's happening in the kitchen, y'know?

[rock-and-compass]

Watching season 4 of Angel is always tough, not because its bad - there are some really great moments in the season (and a few that are harder to digest) but I’m a big Cordelia fan and it makes me sad to think we don’t see the real Cordelia once she is out of the higher plain and that we don’t see her again until You’re Welcome in season 5. I know that plans for season 4 were changed a fair bit because of CC’s pregnancy and all, so after a bit of research, I was fascinated to read that the original intent was always to have Cordelia as the Big Bad of the season via the corruption by a rogue power-that-be but there would not have been the mystic pregnancy with Cordelia birthing Jasmine after the interlude with Connor. Season 4 was originally envisioned as a mirror to Buffy season 2 in which Angel would have to kill Cordelia to save the world. It adds gravitas to the relationship between Angel and Cordy (putting it on to an equal footing as B&A), especially as it is often dismissed as unimportant or forced. And I wonder if this is why Buffy brings up killing Angel in Selfless (BtVS S7E5), all these years later, to bring the planned symmetry back into the viewers mind…

I would hope, in this theoretical season, that the death wouldn’t have been permanent, but of course this is Angel, so it probably would have been… and I wonder if they would still have ended up at Wolfram and Hart.

[morrigan-sims]

thinking so hard about my story, I'm gonna explode.

[wolfienation]

until i see the full season i won't be jumping to character assassination conclusions. 2 episodes isn't enough to claim total destruction. by the end of ep 8, all these earlier actions could have entirely different meanings so, i withhold judgement.

[floral-hex]

I wonder if any of my mutuals are doing nanowrimo this year. Is that still a thing that people do?

[anditwentlikethis]

I just got to season 7 on my rewatch and honestly... how did the show have such a major downfall like??? I actually liked season 5 more than I did when it first came out, season 6 was watchable, got through it pretty quickly and enjoyed the most part but season 7 is such a mess, it doesn't even feel like the 100, it's an entirely different show

[ask-de-writer]

I would like to thank Delightfully

EAGER BINGE READER

@furislupus​ for READING and LIKING

My whole MASTER STORY INDEX SECTION,

and going to SCIENCE FICTION for

LEZON (Parts 2 & 3 of 3)

WARRIOR CLAN

T'LASS' QUESTION (Parts 1 to 4 of 4)

WAR DECLARED! 1812

SUBMARINE! 1812

LONDON 1812

BEGINNINGS - SPIES! 1812

Sir Clarion Maldimer, 1812

Having flown through Science Fiction. he landed

in HOSTED TALES written by others than De Writer.

Another World - A What If Story (parts 1 to 5)

D & D Heroines (Parts 2 to 15)

both written by @wind-the-mama-cat

DR. MORDENHEIM’S TRAVELS, BOOK 1:

De Writer’s Equestria - Ch. 1 to 3

written by @Mordenheim

[silhouettecrow]

365 Days of Writing Prompts: Day 218

Adjective: Sweet

Noun: Haunt

Definitions for those who need/want them:

Sweet: having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey, or not salty, sour, or bitter; (of air, water, or food) fresh, pure, and untainted; smelling pleasant like flowers or perfume, or fragrant; pleasing in general, or delightful; highly satisfying or gratifying; (informal) used to express approval or admiration, or excellent; working, moving, or done smoothly or easily; (US) denoting music, especially jazz, played at a steady tempo without improvisation; (of a person or action) pleasant and kind or thoughtful; (especially of a person or animal) charming and endearing; (dated) (informal) infatuated or in love with; dear, or beloved; (archaic) used as a respectful form of address; used for emphasis in various phrases and exclamations; used to emphasize the unpredictable individuality of someone's actions

Haunt: a place frequented by a specified person or group of people; a ghost; a place or event involving a ghost or spirit haunting a person, location, or object

[hayatheauthor]

100 Dialogue Tags You Can Use Instead of “Said”

For the writers struggling to rid themselves of the classic ‘said’. Some are repeated in different categories since they fit multiple ones (but those are counted once so it adds up to 100 new words). 

1. Neutral Tags 

Straightforward and unobtrusive dialogue tags: 

Added, Replied, Stated, Remarked, Responded, Observed, Acknowledged, Commented, Noted, Voiced, Expressed, Shared, Answered, Mentioned, Declared.

2. Questioning Tags 

Curious, interrogative dialogue tags:

Asked, Queried, Wondered, Probed, Inquired, Requested, Pondered, Demanded, Challenged, Interjected, Investigated, Countered, Snapped, Pleaded, Insisted.

3. Emotive Tags 

Emotional dialogue tags:

Exclaimed, Shouted, Sobbed, Whispered, Cried, Hissed, Gasped, Laughed, Screamed, Stammered, Wailed, Murmured, Snarled, Choked, Barked.

4. Descriptive Tags 

Insightful, tonal dialogue tags: 

Muttered, Mumbled, Yelled, Uttered, Roared, Bellowed, Drawled, Spoke, Shrieked, Boomed, Snapped, Groaned, Rasped, Purred, Croaked.

5. Action-Oriented Tags 

Movement-based dialogue tags: 

Announced, Admitted, Interrupted, Joked, Suggested, Offered, Explained, Repeated, Advised, Warned, Agreed, Confirmed, Ordered, Reassured, Stated.

6. Conflict Tags 

Argumentative, defiant dialogue tags:

Argued, Snapped, Retorted, Rebuked, Disputed, Objected, Contested, Barked, Protested, Countered, Growled, Scoffed, Sneered, Challenged, Huffed.

7. Agreement Tags 

Understanding, compliant dialogue tags: 

Agreed, Assented, Nodded, Confirmed, Replied, Conceded, Acknowledged, Accepted, Affirmed, Yielded, Supported, Echoed, Consented, Promised, Concurred.

8. Disagreement Tags 

Resistant, defiant dialogue tags: 

Denied, Disagreed, Refused, Argued, Contradicted, Insisted, Protested, Objected, Rejected, Declined, Countered, Challenged, Snubbed, Dismissed, Rebuked.

9. Confused Tags 

Hesitant, uncertain dialogue tags:

Stammered, Hesitated, Fumbled, Babbled, Mumbled, Faltered, Stumbled, Wondered, Pondered, Stuttered, Blurted, Doubted, Confessed, Vacillated.

10. Surprise Tags

Shock-inducing dialogue tags:

Gasped, Stunned, Exclaimed, Blurted, Wondered, Staggered, Marvelled, Breathed, Recoiled, Jumped, Yelped, Shrieked, Stammered.

Note: everyone is entitled to their own opinion. No I am NOT telling people to abandon said and use these. Yes I understand that said is often good enough, but sometimes you WANT to draw attention to how the character is speaking. If you think adding an action/movement to your dialogue is 'good enough' hate to break it to you but that ruins immersion much more than a casual 'mumbled'. And for the last time: this is just a resource list, CALM DOWN. Hope that covers all the annoyingly redundant replies :)

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!

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[pokimoko]

2, 8, 11, 21 for the fic writer ask thing!!!! 💚

Thank you for the questions (from this fanfic game) :D Now get ready for some answers!

2. How do you come up with your plot ideas?

I'm sure this will be a very typical (and very vague) answer, but I get most of my ideas from the stories that surround me. Usually, that comes in the form of books/fanfic, video games, TV shows, podcasts, and movies (the fact I've written at least five fics that took inspiration from 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is pretty telling), but sometimes a plot idea for me can come from a poem or the lyrics of a song, or a piece of mythology, or a single word (lacuna and perilune being two examples), or something I've heard someone in my life say, or an interest of mine, or even just an unrelated post on Tumblr.

Other times, it's just a stray thought in my mind late at night that I can even remember the origin of, or a piece of canon or a character I wanted to explore more that exploded into a whole slew of ideas I didn't even expect. If I get a certain idea for a fic, I often like to 'research' it by seeking out stories with similar themes to see if I can find any new concepts to incorporate. I'm very much a scavenger of ideas, always on the look out for inspiration in any way, taking bits and pieces of stories of both the fictional and real life variety to shape them into something I want to write and, more importantly, something I want to read. :)

8. Do you have any rituals or habits to get you in the zone?

Honestly, no, not really. I usually just write when I can, be that in the afternoon on my laptop listening to music or in my bed late at night (or just before work) writing on my phone, or even just writing snippets of ideas onto the back of my hands when I'm at work. I don't really have any set conditions to get the creative juices flowing (which unfortunately means a lot of time when I sit down to write, my brain comes up empty). Sometimes, when I'm not in the writing zone, I just read over parts of what I've already written and edit it, which in turn often helps to bring me back into the writing zone. That's the closest to a habit I think I have.

11. Are there any tropes that you particularly enjoy writing?

Oh, most definitely! If it isn't blatantly obvious by now when it comes to my stories, I love writing about ghosts—both literal and metaphorical—and using them to explore grief, the unreliableness of memory, sentient structures/objects (talking radios and haunted houses my beloved), and using horror as a medium to explore characters. In terms of more fanfiction-tag tropes, I love writing anything where 'Emotion Hurt/Comfort', 'Character Study', 'Grief/Mourning', 'Unreliable Narrator', 'Extended Metaphors', or 'Angst' plays a big part.

21. Have you ever used fanfiction as a way to explore your own emotions or personal experiences?

Of course! I literally started writing fanfiction just to do that. The first fic I wrote on AO3 back in 2017 for...sigh 😒...'Riverdale' was basically a means for me to explore my, at the time, newly accepted aroace identity; writing about those experiences through the eyes of another character (who *should* have been aroace in that damn show because he was canonically written that way in the—ahem, sorry, got possessed by my 16 year old self for a second, let's move on) really helped me embrace it in a time where the Internet, and specifically tumblr, was absolutely rife with aphobia, and I was struggling to feel like I had a right to even talk about my identity. As it's probably obvious with a few of slightly more recent (and certainly better written) stories, I still often explore my aroace identity through characters and stories.

Fanfiction is also a great outlet for exploring my anxiety and my grief (not so much regarding death but just people and places and moments I've lost over the years), as well as my joy and my hopes (sometimes, something comforting a character says is something you've always needed to hear). Sometimes, small experiences of mine find their way into my stories too, even if it's something as simple as a favourite treat (they will enjoy Australian confectionary whether it makes sense or not) or an interest of mine. Fanfiction, like any piece of writing, contains pieces of ourselves, so I can guarantee every story I've ever written, no matter to what degree, holds an experience or emotion of mine.

[nenoname]

watched a video on higurashi ch 2 and 5 again and yet again my brain is going twinstwinstwinstwinstwinstwinstwinstwins

[painsandconfusion]

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