#I gotta fucking romance someone to get the lover achievement thing

[ishouldgay]

I played Mass Effect 1 on insanity THREE TIMES to get this trophy. I accidentally changed it to hard almost at the end the first time and didn’t have any back up saves, it didn’t carry over when I played it on my PS5 instead of my PS4 and now, finally I fucking have it

[ask-them-bois]

Hey man, I just want to say you're an awesome writer. I love your stories and the series' you do. I can't wait for the next one to start. Do you happen to have any good writing tips? I myself want to write more but it's such a struggle sometimes.

ljsfhsdfalfhafldhfklslsdhfs anon this was so sweet, thank you!! I’m just as excited as you guys, I love ya’ll’s reactions and feedback; i thrive off it, it gives me the motivation to write even more. I’m so giddy for 4/13. As for writing tips, yes! I do have some that are pretty useful for myself. I can’t speak for every writer, of course, but hopefully they’ll give you some place to start:

A protagonist has to have more going for them than just a tragic backstory, handsome looks, or power. All of those are fine, of course, but they need more than that. They need hobbies, interests, little ticks that make them whole. Otherwise they’re simply a shell for the reader to see the world through, like the character a player controls in a video game. They’ll feel less genuine, and all the moments you want to hit hard won’t hit right.

Don’t be afraid of starting sentences with ‘And’ or ‘But’. Fuck whatever Oxford says, if you can make it work, then do it!

Don’t underestimate the classic “And everything went black.” at the end of a chapter. Makes me go buck wild every time, and I bet plenty of other readers will agree.

Side characters need something going for them, too! They need their own stories within the story. Even simply mentioning that X has a brother will make them seem more rounded out, because then they have a connection to that world besides themselves.

Use as many drafts as you need. You know how many drafts my stuff goes through before I publish? A minimum of six. Never compare your first draft to a published work. That could be someone’s 1,000th draft!

Diversity is crucial. LGBT, POC, nerodivergent, age differences, religious differences, handicapped- all of these are critical in making your story more whole. And mix them up, too! Mush them together, because no one is one thing. Make a 90-year old, autistic, gay, black, nonbinary person! If it sounds like too much I promise it’s not! Anyone with even 2 of those features will feel represented and seen!

Make sure your villains know where they stand, and know where they draw the line. They’ll kill the protagonist by any means, but they won’t kick an abandoned puppy; stuff like that. Even a relentless murderer needs some kind of limit. Something that can make them falter. Not like a weakness- which, yes, they need those, too- but something that’ll show they have standards, or a code they stick to.

It’s okay if your world is incomplete when you start writing, or you don’t know how it will end. That’s perfectly okay, wonderful, in fact! Just start writing, and it’ll come to you eventually.

Don’t be afraid to step away if you get stuck. Snack and bathroom breaks, a jog around the block, all that. I know others will say to muscle through it, but sometimes you’ve gotta step away. To quote my 5th grade english teacher, “Don’t be a bird against a window.” A bird will throw itself at a window again and again, and wonder why it can’t go further. If you’re banging your head against the desk wondering why you can’t get your story to progress, walk away! Leave it for a day or two, if you need to!

Never underestimate music. I have a playlist I have perfectly tailored to the mood and energy of my writing. I’ve got a list for action scenes, romance scenes, serious moments- music can give you a jump and get you going, inspire you at just the right moment.

Write every day. This can be hard, but try. Even a sentence, even something that isn’t your main project. Write a quote you like in the notes on your phone. Anything little helps.

On that note, have more than one project going at a time! Currently, I myself have my book series, this blog, and 2-3 fanfictions I’m working on. If you don’t have the drive for one on a given day, maybe you’ve got the inspiration for another. Then look at that, you’re still writing, even if it’s not your main project!

Get people involved!! I can’t stress how important this one was to me, personally. I understand not wanting to spoil your story, but hey, the final draft is what they’ll read, not the work in progress. Whatever you tell them might not even get used, or will end up drastically changed. I’d ramble to my friends for forever and inspire myself in the middle of a sentence. They didn’t even have to listen, I just needed to talk it out with myself.

Don’t be afraid to skip parts. Let’s be real, transition scenes are a bitch. They are my personal demon. So write the first scene, skip the transition, and write the next important block. Go back later, and by then you’ll probably have some idea of how to connect them.

Google everything. Half my google history is “synonyms for ___”. If you make up a word, google it too, just in case! It could be something horrifically offensive in another language. Or it could be gobbledygook! In that same vein, baby name sites are your best friend.

Make sure every character has something that drives them. Some inspiration or aspiration they hope to achieve! Yes, even the characters you plan to kill off. Again, it makes the world that much richer. Even if it’s something simple like a teacher, who teaches because they just “love to teach”. And once it’s said, prove it! Show the teacher praising their students, or getting excited when their students understand!

Love interests are not vital. Trust me. The protagonist doesn’t need a lover to seem whole. If they do, that’s not a good protagonist. Try again.

Details, and lack there of. Be as specific as can be with physical objects and overpowering emotions. Synonym after simile after metaphor, pile them on! But when it comes to action, hold back! You don’t have to specify the way the character moves every joint. Leave a little to the imagination, and the reader will fill in the gaps.

Symbolism, intentional or not, is powerful as all hell. If it is intentional, though, don’t lay it on too thick. Same goes for foreshadowing, because then your reader might get bored because whoops, you just spelled out the ending before you even got there.

Tropes are your friend. There’s a reason they’re used so much: Because they work! Don’t overload the story, of course, but if you want to use it, and it fits that particular scene, then by god do it. No one can stop you.

Above all, your story is your own. There is no one else in the world who can tell it the way you can. Even if they’ve read it a thousand times, it’s not the same, I promise. They have it memorized? They’ve seen work like it? IT’S NOT THE SAME. You’re the only one who can tell it, so by all means, do so.

Wow okay that got long, but I think that’s most of ‘em! I hope they help, and good luck with your story!