#Writing Class

[one-time-i-dreamt]

Instead of reading my story to my creative writing class, I accidentally read them a Buffy the Vampire Slayer slash fic instead.

[shark-myths]

tell me more about the writing class!

I would loving nothing more!

so my long-time writing crush @alienfuckeronmain (seriously, we became pairing rivals in a now-deceased fandom more than 20 years ago) runs an amazing writing class annually. It is fully virtual and recorded, so you can attend synchronously (I recommend this because the Q&A after the lecture is invaluable!) or whenever works best for you. It focuses on writing as a LIFESTYLE, something sustainable and full of joy, healing the productivity/perfection trauma many of us come to associate with the craft. it focuses not on sharing and critiquing writing but on how to support yourself and your life so that you can DO it, for fun and for love, in a way that works for you. it is such a healthy and beautiful approach to my favorite thing in the world, I highly recommend the course. The website is here and the instagram account, bloodinkbonewriting, also has a lot of info and promo material. Phoenix herself is an incredible talent with some recently published books I highly recommend. She’s most famous for being canceled in various fandoms, writing the finest one direction fic you can imagine, being the master of dead dove and fucked-up dynamics, and of course, humanized Cars fic.

self-disclosure / soapbox time: I work as a psychologist, and I so frequently encounter grown-ass adults who made all the right choices. They put away ‘childish’ things like hobbies and passion and silliness and intensity, they prioritized all the values our culture prizes, and they end up feeling so fucking empty and bleak. I constantly connect to gratitude about my daily writing practice, about my relentless and unprofitable pursuit of writing for joy. I have been writing rpf since I was thirteen years old. I thought I *invented* it and would certainly go to hell for my ingenuity. And it is the richest part of my life. I meet all the best people this way. I love who I am and the way I live because of being connected to art and community—a community of transformative work and creativity and passion, of screeching about our favorite things without self-consciousness or self-erasure. I genuinely believe this is the best part of my self and life. (except for my cats.) and when I encounter the dullness and misery of a life at the grindstone, I know beyond doubt that writing and fandom are my #1 protective factor. They are the reason I don’t feel that burned out and hollow way about my good, good life.

if you do one thing for yourself, find a way to create and connect joyfully and without the evaluative eye of others upon you. and if you have lost the way to doing that with writing because of the world we live in or, worse, the educational system and endless pressure to make your art profitable—blood ink bone has my highest recommendation as a gentle way to recover that path within yourself!

[archiveoftheodd]

Did you want to make your own Found Fiction?

Don't know where to start?

Originally offered through our sales drive, we're opening this mini-class to everyone!

As with the sales drive, the ticket price is to help fund our work and move us towards our goals of increasing contributor pay.

Sign up for around an hour of CM Baldwin's velvet voice telling YOU how to make the most interesting story formats. Join us in making telling the weirdest stories they've ever seen.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Creating a Royal Character for Your Fiction Novel | Short Guide

When it comes to writing a royal character for your fiction novel, there are a few key elements that you should keep in mind. Whether your character is a king, queen, prince, or princess, they need to be believable and relatable to your readers. In this blog post, I’ll help you explore some tips and tricks for creating a royal character that your readers will love.

Research

Before you start writing your royal character, it’s important to do your research. This means studying the history and culture of the time period and setting in which your novel takes place. If your story is set in a medieval kingdom, for example, you’ll need to understand the social customs and political structures of that time.

You should also research real-life royal figures for inspiration. Look at their personalities, strengths, and weaknesses, and think about how you can incorporate these traits into your own character.

Personality

Your royal character’s personality is perhaps the most important aspect of their character. They should be complex, multi-dimensional, and relatable. One way to achieve this is to give them flaws and weaknesses, just like any other character. Perhaps they struggle with a temper, or they have a tendency to be too trusting of others.

At the same time, your royal character should also have strengths and admirable qualities. They may be brave, intelligent, or compassionate. Think about what makes your character unique and what sets them apart from other royal characters in literature.

Relationships

No character exists in a vacuum, and your royal character is no exception. Think about the relationships they have with other characters in your novel. Do they have a spouse or children? Do they have close advisors or friends? How do they interact with the common people in their kingdom?

These relationships can help to flesh out your royal character and make them more relatable to your readers. They may also provide opportunities for conflict and tension within your story.

Dialogue

The way your royal character speaks is also important. They should have a distinct voice that sets them apart from other characters. If they are a king or queen, for example, they may speak in a more formal and regal tone. If they are a prince or princess, they may have a more youthful and casual way of speaking.

At the same time, it’s important to make sure that your royal character’s dialogue is believable. They should speak in a way that is consistent with their personality and background.

Appearance

Your royal character’s appearance can also play a role in their character development. Think about how their appearance reflects their personality and status. A queen may wear regal clothing and jewelry, while a prince may dress more casually.

You should also think about how your character’s appearance changes throughout the story. Do they become more regal as they take on more responsibility? Do they become disheveled as they struggle with their duties?

Conflict

Finally, it’s important to give your royal character a compelling conflict to face. This conflict should be related to their role as a royal, and it should challenge their beliefs and values. Perhaps they must choose between their duty to their kingdom and their love for a commoner. Or maybe they must navigate a political crisis that threatens their reign.

Whatever conflict you choose, make sure it is meaningful and drives the story forward. It should also provide opportunities for your character to grow and change.

Checklist (For All You Writers)

Research the history and culture of the time period and setting in which your novel takes place. 2. Research real-life royal figures for inspiration. 3. Develop a complex personality for your character by giving them flaws and weaknesses, as well as strengths and admirable qualities. 4. Consider the relationships your character has with other characters in the novel, including family, advisors, and common people. 5. Craft a distinct voice for your character that is consistent with their personality and background. 6. Think about your character's appearance and how it reflects their personality and status. 7. Provide a compelling conflict for your character to face that challenges their beliefs and values and drives the story forward. 8. By following this checklist, you can create a royal character that is believable, relatable, and engaging for your readers.

Conclusion

Creating a royal character for your fiction novel can be a fun and rewarding experience. By doing your research, developing a complex personality, exploring relationships, crafting believable dialogue, considering appearance, and providing compelling conflict, you can create a character that your readers will love. With these tips and tricks in mind, you’ll be well on your way to creating a royal character that is fit for a king or queen.

Copyright © 2023 by Ren T.

TheWriteAdviceForWriters 2023

[greenapplebling]

As a kid I thought of you as a rose,

As a grown up I saw all your thorns.

I know thorns are there to protect you,

But was it necessary to turn them on me?

Of the rose garden, you're the reddest.

Could it be that your petals are painted

With the blood of my wounds?

It didn't matter if it's by force or gentleness,

If it's by rigor or kindness, if it's by hate

Or love. Your thorns hurt me all the same.

[satanicsanity]

(Random rambling time!)

"Join a writing class!" they said, "it'll be fun!" they said.

They, meaning me. I joined a creative writing class and don't get me wrong, I LOVE IT 💕💕💕 for nearly an entire two hours I get to just sit down and write about whatever the hell I want (long stories, short stories, poetry, script writing, etc)

Though I just finished my second official story. My first was was 5 pages and somewhere between 800 - 1,000 words long. Wanna guess how big my second story is?

10,182 words... And 31 Google-doc pages. What the fuck possessed me?

Now all in all, that isn't particularly super long (in my opinion of), but I wrote it in only around 2 weeks and I'm still proud of myself! I'm mid-edit, doing some polishing, then I'll move on. I absolutely loved writing it, but trying to figure out exactly how to finish the damn thing had me like-

(I've also got 5 poems I'm still cooking, so... My brain is ready to just completely give out on me-)

[theultimategaebread]

my english teacher will sob once i finish my independent project, because i have been given access to my AU, free reign of what I write, and the Crane Wives, The Fool in Her Wedding Gown, Coyote Stories, and Foxlore albums.

I will also probably be sent to the councilors office but that's okay, cause I have not written anything that I would not be comfortable with them seeing

[discotitsposts]

i wish i could show all the comments and people who are now telling me i’m a good writer to my 11th grade writing teacher LMAOOO I almost failed that class

now i write spencer reid fanfic😭

i did write a pretty good novel back then ngl it was about a haunted house

[fated-mates]

Sarah's conflict class starts tomorrow!

It's a two hour workshop followed by a month of discussions, exercises, a round table with Sophie Jordan, Angelina M. Lopez, and Christopher Rice, and a chance to pick Sarah's brain about her craft.

The class runs 10/6-11/13. Everything is recorded and available for the full month.

Learn more.

[the-ultimate-puppeteer]

I find it hilarious that like 50-75% of me writing an Ask is just me relearning how properly write again like it's English class.

[writingtheother]

Reg Open: Non-Linear Story Structures from Non-Western Traditions

When: February 25th, 2024 | 10AM – 1PM Pacific Time Can't make the live webinar? Register to get the recording after Where: Online — Zoom Classroom Price: $75 - $100 Scholarships are available - scholarship deadline is February 4th!

“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, very gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Carroll’s king was clearly not a Chinese king. Western storytelling traditions decree that a linear structure (along with the three act structure, the hero’s journey, and a rising self-esteem arc) are mandatory features of any satisfying story. This is Western-centric silliness. In this webinar, author Henry Lien will explore non-linear structures, specifically cyclic and nested structures, using examples from non-Western stories and films.

Students will come to understand how these non-linear structures allow for thematic stacking, embracing of moral complexity, and a synthesis between form and content to explode the idea that a straight line is the best way to tell every story. The webinar emphasizes practical craft takeaways for storytellers to apply to their own works in progress.

This webinar will run from 10AM to 1PM Pacific Time with short breaks in the middle.

Details and Registration at Writing the Other's website.

[0-commonsence]

CONTEXT: INDEPENDENT WRITING CLASS

TOPIC: SHORT STORY.

In the land of Zeelin lives four kingdoms, Asta - the land of magic, Clover - the land of merchants, Diamond - the land of creatures, and Pearl - the land of the people. Within the forest that borders the four kingdoms lives New Elfs, three elf tribes. Zo, Rei, and Chlo. In the heart of New Elfs lives a family who hosts a daughter, Aiko. She’s the main character of this story.

Aiko sat perched atop a branch, bow loaded with an arrow, aiming for the red spiral a couple yards away. Akio pulled back the string of the bow, locking in on the target. “3... 2…” Aiko mumbled, squinting her eyes a bit as she focused solely on the target.

“Aiko!” Aiko jumped, releasing the arrow. It went completely off its original course. She looked down at Zuko, the menace who she somehow befriended. He only smirked in response, leaning against a nearby tree. Aiko sighed, seeing his smirk. “You’re annoying,” Aiko stated as if it was a fact as she jumped down from the branch.

“Uh huh...but y’know you love me.” Zuko teased, some of his red, fluffy hair moving softly in the breeze. Aiko’s own soft, green strands moved with the wind, her tan skin glistening under the limited sunlight. They’re in a forest after all, surrounded by evergreen trees. Akio rolled her eyes at Zuko’s statement. She slotted her bow back into its pouch with its arrows, it being secured with a brown strap across her torso. “Come on, Mami’s making potato, bean, and rabbit meat soup. She’ll be upset if we’re late.” Aiko informed, adjusting her blue tube top as well as her pink and blue kilt to sit atop one of her hip bones. The breeze blew softly, rustling the leaves of the evergreen trees.

“Yeah, I know.” Zuko huffed, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his blue shorts. “One time, she shot an arrow over my head when I came back late.” Zuko continued. Mya, Aiko’s mom, is a bit hot-headed, but she cares. Zuko and Aiko soon started making their way through the forest of evergreens, a comforting silence overtaking the once active atmosphere. As they walked along the thick forest floor, Aiko began to get lost in her thoughts.

‘The annual exam is in three days. People from all over Zeelin will be coming to apply, to take the exam to get into Winix Academy. I just hope I can pass.. That I can get into at least class A. I’m aiming for class S, but I’ll hope for class A. See, Winix has a system. The higher the class you get into, the closer you get to working under the king. Vin Vinsawn. You get the option to join his knight squad, svijetao, once you get to class S.’ Akio’s knocked from her thoughts by Zuko.

“Y’know, I heard from a Chlo that Vin Vinswan is supposed to be overlooking this year's exam.” Zuko piped up as they walked up the stone steps leading to their home. Aiko sighed, hearing that. She doesn’t need another reason to be even more nervous than she already is.

“Hey..” Zuko started, gently grabbing her shoulder before they reached the wooden door of their family home. Aiko lifted her gaze from the floor to Zuko’s own blue eyes. “You’re gonna do great, okay?” Zuko whispered, his tone as comforting and gentle as he could muster. He’s seen her combat skills. And her archery skills? She can hit any target presented to her, moving or not. She’s just as great, if not better, than a magic wielder.

Aiko let out a shaky breath, parting her lips to speak. Before she could get a word out, the door opens, revealing Mya, Aikos mom. Mya stands in the doorway, her hands on her hips. “Aiko Mojca Zo. How many times do I have to tell you that you're amazing?” Mya scolded, her white locks up in a braid. Her piercing amber eyes -that match Aiko’s own- locking on the fifteen year olds form. She rarely used full names, and when she does, it's bad. The sounds of the grass crumpling and voices talking filled the three ears for a few seconds, other elfs going about their day.

Aiko huffed, locking eyes with her mom. “Yes, Mami. I know.” Aiko sassed, giving her mom a ‘I know, you’ve told me’ kinda look. Zuko looked between the two before letting out a small chuckle. Mya sighs, grabbing both of the two and dragging them inside by the forearm.

“You two need to eat. The exam is in three days, right?” Mami said, flicking her wrist and making the two appear in the green kitchen chairs. Their home kitchen isn’t big, but it isn’t small either. A furnace is sat on a gray back wall, used for preparing hot foods. Overtop is a big black pot, letting the aroma of the potato, bean, and rabbit meat soup fill the home. Aiko’s family home is in the heart of New Elfs. It’s a small, two floor, stone cottage with flowers decorating the window sills outside.

Aiko slumped in her chair, but didn’t argue. She knew better. Last time she did that, Mami used her for attack magic practice. Zuko sat next to her, immediately grabbing a spoon once a bowl was placed down in front of him. He didn’t waste time either, eating a big spoon full of soup. Once a bowl is placed down in front of Aiko, Mami gives her a kiss on the back of her head, the gesture being gentle and sweet. “You don’t know when you’ll have my cooking again. You should enjoy it. Besides, Papa should be home soon.” Aiko couldn’t help but smile at Mami’s words and sweet affection. Aiko won’t admit this out loud, but she loves it. Aiko gave in, as she always does, and started eating along-side Zuko. That’s how it always goes.

While Aiko and Zuko finished up their food, Papa or Yuri, showed up as Mami said he would. “Mojca! Zu!” Papa called as he walked through the door, his green hair a bit messy from the gentle winds outside. Papa is part of the hunting elfs. They go out during the day to hunt prey for food, in other words, they hunt animals like rabbits, three horned deer, two headed wolves, and red cows. All the tribes, Zo, Rei, and Chlo, take part. Usually, elfs will train to become hunters. More often than not, it’s for food purposes. Sometimes though, it’s for the actual fighting aspect. The will to protect the tribes. Reason being, around 10 years ago, there was a mass assassination on New Elfs. A little more than half were killed that day, including Zuko’s parents. If they aren’t hunters, they usually go to Venna in Diamond kingdom. An academy to hon your magic abilities. It’s not very often an elf will want to work under the king, nor is it common for elfs to work under the king at all.

But this is how it usually is in Aiko’s family home, chaotic. They’ve always had a good family relationship. Especially Aiko and Zuko. They’ve become such great friends, they’re basically family. Scratch that, they are family. Aiko can’t imagine her life without Zuko. And Zuko can't imagine his life without Aiko. They’re practically glued to each other.

That night, Aiko sat in her bed, staring up at the stars through her bedroom window. The gentle glow of the moonlight cast a soft ray of light on Aiko’s soft features. She could only hope that she would pass the exam and get into Winix Academy. Aiko’s dream has always been working under the king, getting into svijetao. Especially since the new rise of Tama. Tama is this group that formed several years ago, their leader is Tooru Harshira.

Aiko sighs, laying back in her bed. She could feel the excitement and nervousness coursing through her veins. Even though the exam isn’t for another two days, Aiko still finds herself unable to sleep properly. Aiko’s gaze flicks over her room, taking in the painted green walls, the soft glow of the light above her bed, and the ivory vines hanging along her ceiling. She hasn’t changed it since she was ten. And honestly? She doesn’t want to leave it either. Aiko pulls her white covers over her thin frame, closing her eyes. She’ll just have to take it all in while she still can. Soon, sleep took over and Aiko’s soft breaths filled the room.

It didn’t take long for those two days to pass by. Eventually, it was time for Aiko and Zuko to head off to Asta Kingdom. That morning, Mami made them a special send off breakfast. “Aiko. Zuko. Do be careful.” Mami inquired, her tone soft and worried as she set their plates of pancakes topped with strawberries down. Zuko, as usual, dug in right away. Aiko huffed an amused laugh at Zuko’s behavior. She loved the little glutton. Aiko picked up a fork and began eating. She swallowed a piece of pancake before responding to Miami.

“I will, Mami. Though, I can’t say the same for this impulsive gluten over here.” Aiko’s gaze went over to Zuko, who’s scarfing the pancakes down. It seems Aiko’s words don’t exactly reach Zuko’s ears since he just keeps eating. Mami, however, lets out a small giggle.

“Yes, he is quite the glutton.” She mumbled softly, before going back over to Papa who is currently crying crocodile tears. Papa gets really emotional at times, and it seems that this is one of those times. Aiko contines eating her breakfast, wanting to savor it because it’s the last bit of home she’s gonna get for awhile.

Surprisingly, the four make it to the edge of New Elfs. Aiko and Zuko stand at the gate, looking at the forest beyond that leads to Asta. Mami lets a warm smile make its way onto her face as she watches her two children. They’re all grown up, getting ready to leave on their own. Papa wipes a tear from his eye, sniffing a bit. As much as he doesn’t want to see them go, he’s proud of what they are and of what they choose to do moving forward.

“Mojca. Zu. You’ll do great.” Papa whispers, just loud enough for the two to hear. Aiko and Zuko turn around with big grins on their faces, excitement coursing through the both of them. Aiko gives Mami and Papa a gentle wave, “Volim te, Mami. Papa.” Aiko’s voice is soft and caring for this moment of affection and love. Aiko’s green hair is up in a beautiful, soft braid, exposing her pointy elf ears. Her bow and arrows secured with a brown strap across her torso, her blue tube top in place with light straps on her shoulders, her pink and blue kilt in place by a black string hugging her right hip bone, and her lace up back flats secured on her feet.

Zuko on the other hand.. “Volim te! Mami! Papa! Volim te!” Zuko practically yells, waving his hand aggressively. Zuko’s red hair moves with the soft wind, his torso bare with only a black string with a blue gem hanging around his neck and his own bow and arrows secured around his torso, blue shorts worn at his hips, a green kilt atop one of his hip bones, and black flats secured to his own feet. Aiko can’t help but smile at Zuko’s energy. He’s always so lively and hyperactive. It’s adorable, really.

Papa, however, only gets more emotional at this. He can’t hold back his tears any longer. Papa turns and wraps his arms around Mami’s waist, hiding his face in her neck. Gentle sobs could be heard from Papa as his shoulders shook slightly. Mami only laughs softly at Papa, running her fingers through Papa’s hair with one hand, and rubbing his back with the other. Mami looked at Aiko and Zuko before nodding with a smile, signaling that they could start their new journey to Asta, complete the exam, and get into Winix Academy. Aiko and Zuko both let out soft laughs at Papa’s behavior. He might be a bit of a crybaby at times, but he’s strong and good-hearted.

With soft sighs, Aiko and Zuko turned back to the forest beyond the New Elfs gate. Aiko held the strap of her bow and arrows, looking at the path in front of her with determination. She will be strong, and she will get into Winix Academy. Aiko glanced at Zuko, who’s already walking ahead in confident strides. She shook her head lightly before following him down their new path. They both will. She knows it.

The further they get from New Elf’s, the more Aiko finds herself lost in her thoughts. Aiko’s amber eyes stared loosely at the ground as she walked ahead, watching the leaves crumple under her feet with every step. ‘Soon, we’ll get into Asta. Take the exam. And get into Winix Academy. I know we can do it. We’ll make it. We’ll make it in. Then, we can join svijetao together.’ Aiko suddenly feels a pinch on her side. Aiko’s head shoots up and she punches Zuko on the shoulder, not hard, but enough to make him let go.

“Hey! That hurts, y’know!” Zuko whines, a mock pout on his face as he rubs his shoulder. Aiko doesn’t even spare Zuko a glance, keeping her head forward with a small smile on her face. Aiko clasped her hands behind her back, walking ahead of Zuko a bit. Zuko only pouts further at being ignored. Zuko quickly catches up with her, popping up behind her with a pout.

“Hay, Aiko!” Zuko whines again. Aiko doesn’t respond, instead only walking forward as if she can’t hear him.

A few minutes later. “Aiko!” Nothing.

An hour later. “Hey!” Nope.

A long walk later. “Hello!” Aiko only continues walking, the sound of leaves crumpling following her.

Finally, Zuko uses the only thing he can think of.

“Mojca?” Zuko tries, using Aiko’s middle name in hopes she would stop whatever game she’s playing. Aiko stops in front of a huge metal gate, before turning around towards Zuko. Aiko has a huge smile on her face, her tan skin looking sun kissed under the open sunlight. Aiko unclasped her hands from behind her back, motioning towards the gate.

“I present you…Asta!” Aiko says loudly, barely containing her excitement. Zuko’s eyes widen once he sets his gaze on the land before him. The huge metal gate is open, revealing the mass of people walking along the kingdom. There's shops, homes, and roads with carriages. Most importantly, there's the king's castle and Winix Academy. The castle stands in the background of Asta, its white wall standing tall over the land, two buildings with pointed roofs on either side of a much larger building with a somewhat flat roof. Winix Academy stands tall with purple walls and a gray gate surrounding it.

“Woah...we’re actually here!” Zuko exclaims, his excitement matching Aiko’s own. Zuko’s own dark skin beaming with the soft glow of the open sun. Zuko’s red hair lying messily on his head. Aiko grabs the brown strap of her bow and arrows with one hand, staring at Zuko with a soft smile before grabbing his wrist, making him look at her.

“This is where it begins. Come on, the exam starts soon!” Aiko insisted, turning around, pulling Zuko along and into the gate. They’ve officially entered Asta. They start their journey now.

Seas of people crowded the way to Winix. Mostly citizens of Asta, some outsiders too. Asta is a land that welcomes all. Big and small, ugly and beautiful, magic and no magic.

Aiko pushed past them, yelling,

“Excuse me!”

“Coming through!”

After pushing past the seas of people, Aiko and Zuko are met with the open gate of Winix Academy. Aiko lets out a shaky breath, already feeling more nervous now that she’s actually in front of Winix. It’s much easier to imagine her going inside than actually going inside. Aikos' soft green braid cascades down her back, tickling her soft skin as she looks up at the purple walls that are Winix Academy. Aiko feels a sudden squeeze on her hand, causing her to look down. Aiko’s gaze finds Zuko’s hand squeezing hers.

“We’re gonna do amazing. Just breathe, okay?” Zuko whispered, just loud enough for Aiko to hear. Aiko looked up at Zuko, meeting his gaze. Aiko nodded her head and took a deep breath.

“We got this.” Aiko whispered back, giving a gentle squeeze back. And so, the two went inside after writing their names on the examine list.

Inside, they found hundreds of people, if not more. All fifteen years of age. They stood in a large room with pale blue walls, a set of white steps on either side that lead to another floor. Though, one major difference between them and everyone else is the heritage. It’s as clear as day. While Aiko and Zuko wore less than traditional clothing, everyone else wore at least some form of traditional clothing. That’s not what caught Aiko’s eye though. No. It’s the pretty patterns and styles of clothing each person wore. Especially long, flowy dresses some of the girls wore. They didn’t have those back in New Elfs, sadly.

Neither Aiko or Zuko heard the fast, almost angry footsteps coming in hot from behind them. Not until a hand laid on both of their shoulders, pushing them apart harshly. Aiko’s head snapped towards this new presence, getting ready to yell at them about having some manners. Aiko’s amber eyes met annoyed green ones. “You could have some manners, y’know. You can’t just shove people around.” Aiko stated, her eyebrows furrowed. She roughly moved the guy's hand off her shoulder. Aiko’s words seem to have struck a chord within this guy because he scoffed and crossed his arms.

“And what do you know about manners, commoner?” He asked, leaning down, some of his long blonde hair falling over his shoulders. Aiko’s gaze flicked over this guy's appearance. Long blonde hair, green eyes. He wore a black vest, white button up shirt, black dress pants, and black dress shoes. He would be exactly her type if he wasn’t such a jerk. Aiko held the brown strap of her bow and arrows, narrowing her eyes at this guy.

“Clearly more than you.” Aiko voiced, her hands tightening around the brown strap. The guy just scoffed and walked off. As soon as he walked off, Zuko rushed back to Aiko’s side and grabbed her shoulders.

“Are you crazy!?” Zuko whispered-yelled as he shook Aiko a bit roughly. Zuko just witnessed Aiko talk back to Leo Vinswan, the grandson of the king and the son of the headmaster of Winix Academy. Aiko grabbed Zuko's forearms to get him to stop shaking her.

“What? He was being a jerk!” Aiko explained, pointing in the direction of said jerk. Zuko quickly grabbed Aiko’s hand and held it down by her side. Zuko sighed, looking down at the floor then back up at Aiko.

“That was Leo Vinswan. He’s not only the grandson of the king, but the son of the headmaster as well.” Zuko pointed out tiredly. Aiko’s eyes widened, not comprehending that the jerk from earlier is actually related to the king. How can someone so snobbing and full of themselves be related to someone so kind? Before Aiko could say anything, a horn was blown, signaling the attention of everyone.

Everyone's attention goes to the balcony that overlooks the first floor. Aiko and Zuko both follow everyone else's gaze, seeing Estan and Vin Vinswan. The king and headmaster. Estan looks out over the balcony, leaning his hands against it, some of his blonde hair falling over his shoulders. Estans purple suit sparkling in the light as he looks over this year's crowd of examinees. Vin stands next to him, his white robe gently brushing the floor, his gray hair up in a bun. The air is thick with tension. So much so, it’s almost suffocating.

“Welcome to this year's exam!” Estan announces, clearly not as happy as he sounds. His green eyes are piercing and intimidating, his expression is almost blank. ‘That’s probably where Leo gets it from.’ Aiko thinks, staring up at the headmaster and king. Aiko didn’t want to make assumptions though.

“I hope you all do your best. With that being said, the exam for Winix academy will now commence.” Estan finishes. The air gets thick again. Aiko and Zuko look at each other, sharing knowing glances.

And so, the exam commences. The exam has various tests, most of them involving magic. Aiko, being one who can’t use magic, doesn’t get very far. It gets to the point where she’s actually afraid she might not get in at all. Then, a new test presents itself. One where you have to hit a moving target, not just any moving target, one moving at normal wind speeds.

Aiko stands in the middle of the large room, bow and arrow in hand. Aiko’s amber eyes directed at the target. She closes her eyes for a moment, taking a shaky breath. ‘You can do it,’ she tells herself. Aiko opens her eyes and reels back the string of the bow, eyes locked on the target. Aiko ignores all the eyes on her, instead imagining she’s out in her forest at home, practicing.

Aiko waits for the target to get in line with her arrow a few times. After the third time, Aiko aims and she shoots.

It’s quiet for a few seconds, before the noise of the target stops and it’s shown that she hit it directly in the center. A lot better than most. Half of them couldn’t even hit the target. Aiko smiles to herself, though she knows that the chances of her getting into class A or class S are slim, but it’s not completely out of the question.

Once the exam is over, Aiko and Zuko stand side by side, hand in hand. Aiko takes a shakey breath, squeezing Zuko's hand. Aiko gets a reassuring squeeze in return. Zuko knows Aiko will get in. She has too. She deserves it. She’s worked too hard not too.

A bell being rung can be heard throughout the room.

Aiko and Zuko both close their eyes, listening intently as names start being listed off. Names of people who will get into Winix. Aiko’s heart feels like it’s going to beat out of her chest from how nervous she is. Zuko’s own heart feels the same, except from excitement.

Then, Aiko and Zuko hear it.

“Aiko Zo. Zuko Zo. Class A”

This is it. This is where it all begins. Aiko. Zuko. Welcome to Winix Academy.

(Also posted on wattpad, but it's an actual book call zeelin saga.)

[skeletonwithpeopleintheircloset]

Who actually likes reciting poetry to a crowd?? I have to for my writing class but it's so embarrasing actually and I much prefer writing it and posting annonymously

[moody-tortured-artist]

Just finished an assignment for my scriptwriting class and it’s been so insightful for the two stories I’ve been working on. Like planning out the arc is really helping me figure out more where I’m going with the plot and everything. I still have a lot more to figure out for the series I’m working on but this definitely helped a lot. Highly recommend taking a writing class, this is like the most productive I’ve felt about both stories since starting them.

[sarahmaclean]

This one is for the writers!

Before Romance Writers of America ... imploded, I think, is the right way of describing it? I gave my Mastering the Art of Great Conflict workshop almost every year at the national conference. Since the pandemic, I haven't given it in person, but last year, I gave it online, as part of a week-long discussion of how to plot, structure, and write conflict -- internal and external!

It was a big success, and people seemed to find it really interesting, so I'm doing it again next month!

The class will run the week of August 6, 2023 and include:

A live two-hour presentation on building and maintaining strong, believable conflict in storytelling (live, August 6 at 2pm et, recording available for 30 days),

A participant-only live panel of bestselling authors Amanda Cinelli, Adriana Herrera and Joanna Shupe, discussing the ways they build conflict in their books. Participants will be able to submit questions to the panel as part of the course (live, August 9, 7pm et, recording available for 30 days),

An optional discussion board where participants can ask me in-depth questions and discuss the content of the class. The boards will remain up after the class is complete for 30 days, so participants can engage as a writing community, and

A reading and resource list including all books and materials referenced in the workshop, provided by email and in the Discord community after the course.

Space is limited to 100 participants. To learn more and register, please visit my website!

[eliteprepsat]

Clause (n): a unit of grammatical organization next below the sentence in rank and in traditional grammar said to consist of a subject and predicate. — New Oxford American Dictionary

Search the internet for “run-on sentences” and you’ll likely find examples of long lines (some run-ons, some not) by William Faulkner, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, and other authors famous for their verbosity. Some sites (which will go unnamed) tell you that one of the iconic lines of twentieth-century American literature—the first line of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (1951)—is a run-on sentence.

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.

This is, indeed, a long sentence—63 words and six commas, to be exact—but it is not a run-on. On the other hand, this sentence is:

Julia likes cats, however, she prefers dogs.

Just seven words and two commas, but a run-on. (By the way, that last line is a fragment, a sentence lacking even one independent clause.)

How is the second sample sentence a run-on if the first is not?

The answer hinges on the definition of a run-on sentence. Contrary to popular belief, run-on sentences are not defined by length or complexity; a 1,000-word sentence could be grammatically correct and a four-word sentence could be a run-on.

A run-on sentence is something far more precise. It’s a sentence that contains two or more independent (aka main) clauses not properly separated. Generally speaking, independent clauses can be separated by a period, a semicolon, a colon, a comma and a conjunction, or a dash (though not all of these solutions work for all sentences).

We might fix the run-on above to read:

Julia likes cats. However, she prefers dogs.

or, more commonly:

Julia likes cats; however, she prefers dogs.

or even better:

Julia likes cats, but she prefers dogs.

The reason why the original “Julia” sentence is a run-on is fairly arcane: a conjunctive adverb like “however” cannot separate two independent clauses. Students preparing for the SAT and ACT should learn how to identify independent clauses, dependent clauses, relative clauses, relative pronouns, conjunctions, subordinators (words that make clauses dependent), and conjunctive adverbs—all terms and ideas that need to be understood in order to master the art of avoiding and fixing run-ons and fragments. This is likely the most important cluster of grammatical issues to master for both tests.

But my purpose here is not to unpack the nuances of these issues (you’ll need to take a class for that). It is simply to note that preparing for the SAT and ACT requires that students begin to see conventional English sentences as things constructed along pretty exacting guidelines. Sentences, like machines, are objects made out of properly connected parts.

Like an automobile, a sentence is made of interlocking units. Just as there are many correct and incorrect ways to build a car, there are countless ways for the parts of a sentence to interlock correctly or not. And just as a good auto-mechanic sees a car for its parts and knows exactly what to do under the hood to fix a mechanical problem, SAT and ACT test-takers need to be able to see sentences as constructed things made of clauses, which need to be connected with the right tools and in the right ways.

This is precisely the kind of thinking at work in Salinger’s opening sentence in The Catcher in the Rye. The sentence is something of a master class in English grammar.

If you really want to hear about it, | the first thing | you’ll probably want to know | is | where I was born, | and what my lousy childhood was like, | and how my parents were occupied and all | before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, | but I don’t feel like going into it, | if you want to know the truth.

This sentence contains nine clauses total, 7 dependent and 2 independent, all properly separated. A clause consists of, at minimum, a subject and a predicate. I have highlighted only those terms necessary to complete each subject and predicate and italicized all conjunctions used to connect clauses. Things get tricky at the beginning of the second clause, whose subject is “thing” and whose verb is “is,” followed by an entire dependent clause (“where I was born”) that acts as the object of the verb “is.” In this sentence, “you’ll probably want to know” acts as a dependent clause since it is contained within a larger independent clause.

As a whole, a good SAT or ACT grammarian should see this sentence like this:

Dependent clause 1, Independent clause 1 Dependent clause 2 Independent Clause 1 continued Dependent clause 3, and Dependent clause 4,  and Dependent clause 5, Dependent clause 6, but Independent clause 2, Dependent clause 7.

We could dig into this complex sentence further by looking at, say, how Salinger subordinates those seven dependent clauses, or by considering how to identify when a clause begins and ends. But, again, the point here is not to explore all these complexities (though that’s an important task for those preparing for the SAT and ACT).

My point is at once much simpler and more challenging: it is to show you that sentences are made of smaller units called clauses, and that there are rules for connecting and separating these units from each other. This is all to say that improving one’s grammar isn’t about memorizing countless rules or running your eyes over countless pages of writing.

It’s first and foremost about changing the way you see sentences—as constructed machines made of individual parts rather than as finished wholes.