#beginner writers start somewhere

[avianreptiles]

I have way too much respect for artists to ever bash someone's art/artstyle

[norman-fucking-reedus]

NORMAN FUCKING REEDUS

welcome to my blog babes

MY INBOX IS FREAKING CLOSED RIGHT NOW GUYS IM SORRY I'VE GOT LIKE 60 TOTAL BETWEEN MY DRAFTS AND REQS SO I NEED TO START STANDING ON BUSINESS LIKE NOW

MY WORKS

sweet - ❤️ spicy - ❤️‍🔥 sad - ❤️‍🩹

ONESHOTS & BLURBS ↓

BREEDING KINK ❤️‍🔥

MOTORCYCLE SEX❤️‍🔥

PANTY SNIFFING KINK❤️‍🔥

CREAMPIES❤️‍🔥

POST-ORGASM CRIER❤️‍🔥

TIT FUCKING KINK❤️‍🔥

DARYL W A DICK PIERCING ❤️‍🔥

ORGASM KINK❤️‍🔥

PRAISE KINK❤️❤️‍🔥

DYING WITH DARYL ❤️‍🩹

SAD DARYL ❤️❤️‍🩹

SLEEPY DARYL❤️❤️‍🩹

MINI STORIES ↓

GROWN UPS ❤️‍🔥

ON YOUR KNEES ❤️‍🔥

THIGH RIDING❤️‍🔥

THIGH FUCKING❤️‍🔥

NEW CROSSBOW❤️

STAINED RED (VALENTINES DAY)❤️❤️‍🔥

ORAL FIXATION (REUPLOADED)❤️‍🔥

ACCIDENTAL STIMULATION ❤️❤️‍🔥

BUSY BEE ❤️‍🔥

DARYL WORSHIPS YOU❤️❤️‍🔥

VIRGIN DARYL❤️‍🔥

MAMAS BOY❤️❤️‍🩹

SWEET LITTLE SINNER ❤️‍🔥

ITS JUST A BODY OF YEARS ❤️‍🩹❤️❤️‍🔥

SERIES ↓

GIRLDADDY DARYL❤️

MORE GIRLDADDY DARYL❤️

MORE MORE GIRLDADDY DARYL❤️

CHILDISH DARYL ❤️

MORE CHILDISH DARYL❤️

HE ATE MY HEART (vamp!daryl) ❤️‍🔥

MOOD BOARDS ↓

FEM JUDAS (Moodboard)❤️

ONESHOTS & BLURBS ↓

SCUD HEADCANONS ❤️‍🔥

MORE SCUD HEADCANONS ❤️‍🔥

PEGGING SCUD❤️‍🔥

BOTTOM SCUD (Male Reader) ❤️‍🔥

BOOB GUY SCUD❤️‍🔥

MINI STORIES ↓

SCUD ‘BORROWING’ YOUR STRAP ❤️‍🔥

SCUD RIDING YOUR STRAP ❤️❤️‍🔥

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION ❤️‍🔥

STORIES ↓

THE NEW GIRL ❤️❤️‍🔥

☆- Beginner x reader writer, professional smut writer

☆- I’m a black writer, so I tend to keep my work’s appearance neutral, however I can write for everyone!

☆- Don’t you come on my blog with no bs at yo ole big ass age.. I do and will argue tf back cause this is my page, these are my thoughts, and if you don’t like it kindly take yours somewhere else cause im not the one🙃

☆- This is a Daryl/Norman centered page due to the serious brain rot I have.

☆- I will NOT write about the following:

Rape/SA

Domestic abuse/any type of abuse (unless its in the past)

Child porn as in the reader barely pushing 18 and Daryl’s like 56.

If i ever write about virgins it won’t be some innocent little girl act cause thats just really weird dawg

Piss kinks…

I want to do insanely whoreish things to that man, I’m willing to write about everything else.

☆- Daryl is definitely a switch, so my works vary from submissive to dominant.

☆- Very rarely will I use “Y/n” in my works. Not only because I literally read it as Yn, I feel like Daryl is a hardcore petname giver and would rarely call you by your name.

[topazadine]

Extremely controversial writing opinions that will make you mad (but I'm going to say them anyway)

I don't know why but I am in the mood to be pilloried. Before I start, I will show you a picture of my dog so you realize I'm not a heartless monster.

Anyway, obviously this is just my opinion and you are perfectly free to disagree.

None of this is some hard-and-fast rule or even a universal truth.

It is just my opinion as someone who has 15 years of experience, has written about 2 million words, has an English degree, tutored dozens of students, etc etc etc.

Even if it seems like I am universalizing, I am not. Take what you like and leave the rest. Ignore it all if you want. That's your right.

Here we go. Please, don't throw your tomatoes until the end of the post. It distracts me.

Your first book probably sucks (with caveats).

Ideas are pointless if you don't do anything with them.

You are not a writer unless you consistently write.

Making moodboards, playlists, etc, before you have started the project is a form of procrastination.

No one cares about your idea as much as you do and never will.

Most people in your life will not care about your book.

A lot of peoples' opinions about writing are useless to you.

You need to develop healthy self-esteem if you want to be a good writer.

You also need to be humble and have a beginner's mindset forever.

Being mentally ill doesn't make you a better writer. It just means you're mentally ill.

Your real actual life matters more than your writing.

You will burn out if you don't have other hobbies.

Okay, okay, let's make you hate me.

Your first book probably sucks (with caveats).

If this is your first ever long project in writing, it is likely not going to be publishable (or, perhaps, even readable). It takes years, sometimes decades, to learn how to write well.

Do not think that because you have one singular idea and have slapped a book together that you can publish it to widespread acclaim. People who do this are deeply overestimating the quality of their work, seeing it through rose-tinted glasses.

One of my first long-form writing projects as sort of an adult was utter garbage. You can read it if you want; it's a BBC Sherlock fanfic. And it's fucking awful. I had written a lot of smaller things before this, but nothing to this scale. That much is quite obvious.

I'm grateful I started my journey writing fanfic, because otherwise I would have thought this was brilliant life-changing stuff.

In fact, I actually put together a copy of all my Sherlock fanfics called 11 Ways of Playing a Stradivarius that is probably floating around somewhere on the internet (though it got smacked down for copyright infringement eventually, because I was stupid). It sold absolutely zero copies, and rightly so. It's bad.

And that is okay. Shitty writing is par for the course when you are learning. It doesn't mean you'll never be good. It just means you're not there yet.

I have, to my great relief, improved immeasurably over the years, to the point where I have felt confident selling my work for real human money. You can purchase the culmination of that hard work right this instant, if you so choose. Should you do so, I am certain you will see exactly how much I've grown as a writer.

Ideas are pointless if you don't do anything with them.

I know I have said this before but I just need to drill it into your heads. Your idea means nothing unless you actually write the damn thing.

Millions of people have story ideas. Most of them will never do anything with those ideas. At best, they'll daydream about it but make up a billion excuses why they can't. At second-worst, they will badger actual writers to do the idea for them.

At worst worst, they will use AI to do it for them and call it a day. And we will all hate them for it.

You do not need to be protective of your idea or hide it, because someone has already thought of it and then made excuses as to why they can't be bothered to execute it. You have to be the one who doesn't fall into the trap and does the damn thing.

Look, I'll give you all the story ideas I have if you want. I don't care. In fact, I share them frequently and encourage others to give it a shot if they want to.

I'm not hiding any ideas because I know you will not do it exactly as I will. My voice is unique and it doesn't matter if there are dozens of people with the same idea: my story will be mine, and no one else's.

You are not a writer unless you consistently write.

This doesn't mean writing for five hours every day, or even doing 100 words every day. When I get to the tail end of the project, I tend to start slowing down because I have to think more critically about how to tie everything together. During the active drafting phase, I might do 2,000 words per day, but things ease up at the end, both because I'm sad that this phase is almost over and because I don't have much left to do.

But you don't get to call yourself a writer if you write like 100 words a month and spend the rest of the time doing moodboards and talking about your ideas. Whatever your rhythm, you need to stick with it and develop discipline, or you just have an idea and nothing else.

Making moodboards, playlists, etc, before you have started the project is a form of procrastination.

Note I said before you have really gotten into the meat of your project. Moodboards are a great way to promo your project and get peoples' attention, because visuals are more interesting than a wall of text. (That's why I start these kinds of posts with a picture.)

Oh, there's another one!

The thing is that a lot of would-be writers get trapped by the "oh this is research, this is plotting, this is giving me ideas, this is inspo." It's not. It's visual daydreaming and nothing more.

Any time that I have done a moodboard before starting a story, I give up on that story, because then I feel like I've done most of the work when I categorically have not. When I do moodboards once I get to the halfway point, I'm already in the home stretch and have no reason to stop. When I do a moodboard after I am already done and in the revision stage, then I'm good to go and building hype for my project.

Do not waste your time doing moodboards and playlists and visuals before you do the real stuff: worldbuilding, plotting, hammering out characterization. Get started before you start playing around with pretty pictures because it's not really getting you anywhere.

No one cares about your idea as much as you do and never will.

This is pretty self-explanatory so I won't expound too much. Your writing is the most important thing to you, but everyone else has their own stuff going on. If you're building hype with other writers, they have their own projects and are not going to be your free promotional team. They want your attention for their stuff, not yours.

Most people in your life will not really care about your book.

Again, everyone's got their own things going on. Also, most non-writers don't really understand how difficult it is to write a whole book. They are consumers and see the finished project; it's content to them. They care about you, to be sure, but your book doesn't really click as a big accomplishment because they're not familiar with the process.

You may notice, and seethe slightly, that relatively mundane things like weddings, graduations, and baby announcements will get WAY more attention than your book. A friend showing their ultrasound pic will get dozens of likes and comments and congratulations, while like 1 person will say "good job!" when you announce your book.

This is because these kinds of announcements are more relatable to the average person. They may have gotten married, or graduated, or had a baby (and of course probably know dozens of people who have) so they are aware of the challenges and joys.

Unless you are friends with exclusively other writers, your achievement is abstract, and your friends can't really sympathize. Your book is just a way to pass some time.

A lot of peoples' opinions about writing are useless to you.

I do not really like getting beta readers from places like r/betareaders because I have no idea how much that person actually knows about writing. Being able to visualize and suggest ways forward requires an understanding of the craft, but many people think that because they like to read, they know how to critique, when they are completely different skills.

Yes, unknowledgeable beta readers can give you a "man on the street" perspective of your book, but they tend to forget that beta readers are meant to help you fix your book as it is. Not turn it into something they personally would enjoy reading if they are not the target audience.

This requires recognizing audience and putting aside one's own preferences to focus on how the book would come across to an imagined ideal reader. Not everyone can do this. Actually, most people can't.

Some of the dumbest comments I've gotten about my work are from people who want to wrest control away from me and make it their preferred genre/plot/etc. These are useless suggestions.

Wonderful beta readers help to enhance your story, and they are golden. Instead of demanding you do something different, they offer their honest reactions of the work as it is and suggest opportunities to enrich the writing, tweak it, deepen the characterization, and so on.

Helpful beta readers are typically other writers regardless of their specific writing level. Newbie writers can be an excellent resource! And you're helping them, too: they will see your mistakes and know what not to do, and they can learn from your strengths. It's a positive experience all around.

Writers must come to understand what is good advice and what is not. Essentially, anyone who suggests things that are completely out of left field and totally unrelated to what you're trying to do is giving bad advice, and you should ignore them.

You need to develop healthy self-esteem if you want to be a good writer.

When you constantly put yourself down, complain about how bad your first draft is, say you have no idea what you're doing, and insist that no one will ever enjoy your work, guess what: you're right.

But you're right because you're essentially telling other people that your work sucks and they should not give it a chance. What you say about your writing will influence how readers interact with your work. You are priming them to dislike your writing and telling them what to think.

Imposter syndrome strikes all of us at times, but you need to push through it. One of the best ways to do so is to just continue writing. Keep going. Soon enough, you will develop experience, and experience will create confidence, and that confidence will shine through in your work.

When you consider saying something self-deprecating about your work, stop. You're going to make it come true.

You also need to be humble and have a beginner's mindset forever.

Doing so means understanding the difference between being self-deprecating and being humble.

Self-deprecation is when someone says your work is great and you immediately go "oh you're saying that to be nice, it's awful, I hate it."

Humility is when someone says your work is great and you go "Thank you!" and leave it at that.

You're not gloating or bragging by saying thank you, but you're also not cutting yourself off at the knees and making people uncomfortable by self-flagellating.

Honestly, the best thing you can ever say when you get a compliment about anything, including your writing, is just "thank you." Nothing else. Maybe an "I appreciate it" or "I'm glad you think so!" You don't need to go into detail.

But humility also means acknowledging that no matter how long you have been writing, there is always something you can do better. You will always be learning and making mistakes. Thinking you've peaked is when your writing gets stale and boring.

I have been learning rock climbing, and one of my favorite things to do is to watch pro climbers critique their own technique. They're not self-deprecating or saying they're horrible, but they're also not claiming they are perfect and can never do anything better.

Magnus Midtbø is incredible because even though he is a truly masterful climber, he posts a lot about his fails or when other climbers make him eat shit. This is an amazing video of him getting wrecked by an Olympic climber and taking it on the chin! He doesn't whine about how bad he is, he's just like "hmm, yeah, I can see where I screwed up, I'm so glad that I got to watch you climb, this is an honor."

That is the perfect blend of confidence and humility. He knows he can improve, but he doesn't deride his own skill. This is the mindset you need as a writer.

Being mentally ill doesn't make you a better writer. It just means you're mentally ill.

Anyone can be a good writer. Mental illness does not give you a super-secret advantage. It actually puts you at a disadvantage because your brain is expending so much energy staying stable that it does not have the same capacity as other people.

Fix your mental health issues instead of using them as a crutch or deluding yourself into believing they make you special. Like half of the population will develop some type of mental illness during their lifetime, and insisting that you need your mental illness to write is trapping you by making you not want to get help.

I have severe bipolar. This does not necessarily make me a great writer. In fact, it can make my writing suck ass if I am not stable. And no, you are not somehow exempt from having consequences for refusing to take care of your mental health. I promise you that you will be a better writer when you have sorted out your mental health issues.

Your real actual life matters more than your writing.

This is related to the above point. Your mental health, your stability, your social circle are all crucial elements of being a good, productive writer, and you can't ignore them in favor of suffering for your art.

The quality of my work has skyrocketed at two significant points in my life: once when I got out of a relationship that was hurting me and once when I ditched a toxic friend. The first one was when I started writing fanfic again, and the second was when I finally began The Eirenic Verses.

I would not have written 2 million words if I still had those nasty influences in my life, and I would not be living my best life. I likely never would have found my favorite hobbies and started going to therapy if I was still trapped in those negative cycles. Attending to my real-life problems both enhanced my writing and made me a better, more likeable, more functional person. I expect you will find the same thing.

You will burn out if you don't have other hobbies.

Hobbies. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have other hobbies that have nothing to do with writing. Yes, it means you have less time to write, but it also means that when you do sit down and write, you have better focus because you've fulfilled your other needs.

I picked up horseback riding again in February of this year and go once a week. I can't stress enough how good this has been for my writing and for my overall well-being. I have pretty bad agoraphobia, but since I started riding again, I have been less scared of leaving the house and less worried about what people think about me. My world has become larger and friendlier.

Now I'm doing rock climbing too. The physical and mental stimulation helps me focus better when I write, and I get way more done in less time. Plus, the quality of that writing is better because I'm getting more bloodflow into my brain and nourishing the tissues. There's also the fact that when I do have time to write, I'm not burned out and frustrated because all I've been doing all day is writing.

I look forward to my writing sessions more because they feel like a treat, and I have gotten a self-esteem boost by doing well in the gym. I am happier, calmer, and sleeping better due to the exercise.

Well-adjusted humans need social outlets, physical movement, a strong support network, good nutrition, and opportunities to relax. Our horrible capitalist system makes it very hard to balance all of these, but you must at least try.

Your hobbies don't need to be expensive. It can be something as simple as drawing, or going for a long nature walk, or learning origami, or buying a used camera and learning photography. Go to your local library and take a free course! Join a cheap gym and go a few times a week. Teach yourself something using YouTube. Buy secondhand equipment on Craigslist. There are so many affordable options.

Again, caring for your overall well-being is a true godsend when it comes to writing. Having something else to fulfill you will help you push through those hard days when nothing is coming to you, and it offers your brain a break from plotting, writing, revising, etc.

So that's it. If you read this to the very end, you're quite the gem; I know this was excruciatingly long. And mean.

Since you're here, maybe you will consider purchasing my debut novel, which was written by applying all these tips. (And not using AI - fuck off, NaNoWriMo.)

9 Years Yearning is a coming-of-age gay romance set in a fantasy world with poetry magic. It follows two young men as they grow from sorta-enemies, to frenemies, to friends, and finally to lovers.

If you do read it, please don't forget to leave a review!

Even if it's mean. Don't worry, I won't be mad. Reviews are essential to getting visibility on Amazon, so every single one is golden to me.

[ahhhsami]

What writing tips would you give to beginner writers?

These are some general things I wished I had known when I started writing. Keep in mind that everyone is different, so these tips may not be as useful to you as it may be to someone else.

Tropes exist for a reason. If you have an idea, but see that there's already a fic with similar ideas, that's okay. Don't be discouraged. Tropes are loved because people want to read them and reread them. Plus your take will always be different from others because we all have different perspectives, writing styles, and ideas.

Write for the hell of it. If you have an idea, just write. It's okay if it's not good. It's okay if you never go back to it. The more you write, even if it's not to be shared, is good experience and can help you grow as a writer. Keep in mind though, that the more you post, the more feedback you receive which can help you improve greatly. It's always good to get constructive criticism from others. It's also okay to not be interested in constructive criticism. You'll still improve just by writing more.

Write for yourself. This might sound cliché, but it's true. Write what you want to and what you enjoy. Even if it's niche, that's okay since there will still be people interested in it. Interests are not exclusive and you may even be surprised that what you think is niche, might not be at all!

Schedules work for some and don't work for others. If you're a person that knows deadlines work for you and it won't hinder your creativity, then set a schedule for yourself. Set goals of writing a specific amount of words. Set dates when you'll post new chapters. BUT, it's also okay if schedules don't work for you. They personally don't work for me at all. Writing and sharing, especially when it comes to fanfiction is FREE. So don't feel obligated to get a chapter out by this time or that time. Creativity comes and goes, things in life happen, there's so many factors to posting, so don't feel pressured to do as others. Do what suits you! Some people can post every week, some can post every few months, some people need years and that's perfectly okay.

Don't base your success on hits/comments/kudos/etc. Some of the best stories I have ever read on AO3 have had low hits/comments/kudos. There are so many hidden gems out there. But do keep in mind that when you start writing and posting, these things may naturally be lower at the beginning. Over time, as you post more, people can become familiar with your style and what you write. On top of that, this feeds back to just writing. Writing more will improve your skills, which then will draw in more readers and also get them to stay or look at your other works.

Don't be scared to share and self-promote. When you start, it can be daunting to share what you've created. But we all had to start somewhere and if you asked me if I liked my first stories, it would be a hard no. What matters when I do look back at them, is that I see improvement. And as long as you keep working and enjoying the process, then improvement will definitely happen. Finally, when it comes to self-promoting, do it! Sometimes the only time I see a new story that I end up loving is because someone has promoted their own work. They're proud of it and I love to find new things that people were passionate about. I will also shamelessly recommend my own stories if needed. Just don't spam people 😂

Pantser, Plotter, or Plantser. These are three different ways of describing your writing style. Pantsers are more fluid and free with the way they write. Plotters lean toward more strict planning, relying on outlines and following a specific plan. Plantsers are a combination of the two. Try different styles and gradually you'll find what works best for you. I started out as a wildly free, honestly chaotic, Pantser but am very much a Plantser now. Writing styles can change over time, but just know that being comfortable with the style you're using is what's important.

Hopefully some of these things are helpful. They're somewhat vague and not all of them are strictly related to writing, but they are all things that I believe are important to know. These are also some things that can even be helpful to people who aren't new to writing. These are all things that I still follow and practice to this day too.

PS: I like to keep my asks/dms open for people looking for a second eye on their writing. If anyone is interested in having me read anything and share feedback, you're welcome to send me a message. My availability varies due to work, so you may not hear back from me right away though.

[anisaanisa]

Drawtober 2023 (Now on AO3)

[Series Tag] [Art Tag] [FAQs Below the Cut]

Who: Hi I'm Anisa and I'm feral for feudal fairy tales :)　

What: Drawtober is a label for a project that comprised of a theme, and a list of ideas. If you wanna see the thoughts behind those themes, I've attached some meta notes over on AO3. For nifty purposes.

When: Right now. I've also taken the liberty of compliling my 2023 Pride Month series in a similar format, and will likely continue to do so whenever the urge strikes/the shoe fits.

Where: Specifically on my Artnisa pseudoname. Previously, this was exclusive to collabs where I was the arteest and had no hand in the writing. I may choose to shift gears somewhere down the line, but for now, that's where they'll be.

Why: Fandom, as a contruct, is ever-changing, and Tumblr, the frontline of such a construct, is doing the most to kill desktop navigation whilst speed-running the Focus Theft Race; pair that with a testy search function, ever-evolving "porn bots" sniping tag usability, it can be a 'mare finding fanworks out there, in the Tumblr dot com wilds, let alone attempting to create some form of personal archive in the comfort of your own blog. So, as the Internet shifts, like all cultures do, it feels high time to start archiving properly. On the archive. For posterity and such.

How: Laughable that the only mention of this guide on Tumblr exists in the form of a button on the aformentioned desktop navigation, but here's a beginner friendly tutorial on how to add images to AO3 for any writers/artists that would like to learn how to do so. Plus some other fun stuff in and around it. Of course :D

Bonus Fun Fact: There's a black & white image under each post, though I added no context. When I'm done with something that toes the semi-realism lines like this lot, I like to turn RGB off to see how my values (light and shadows, essentially) turned out. I paint in colour, so seeing that the light was Just Right when said colour is no longer there to lean on is like a little reward. I just think they're neat. Thank you :)

Bonus Bonus Fact: There is a 753 word strong ficlet hidden in there, somwhere :3

Forehead smooches 💋🤸‍♂️

[scandistar]

For the longest time, I've been stuck in a sort of writer's paralysis. Managing to make myself start somewhere is always the hardest part and keeping up a reasonable pace with what I am producing is a different challenge, but a challenge nonetheless.

I imagine that so many people, and not just writers, can relate to the feeling of getting nowhere because of a tendency to get stuck in their own heads. To obsess over the smallest details and eventually lose interest in what you once loved doing because of the immense pressure you put on yourself to perform and do so to amount to a nearly impossible standard no one expects you to reach but yourself. It is daunting trying to ascend a staircase when the steps reach higher than you can climb.

I've only been here for a short while and I've only known Charrelin for a few weeks, but I feel I'm finally getting somewhere, even if that somewhere isn't as much as I had hoped from myself. Not yet, at least.

I guess I'm writing this as a note to myself, and to whoever might get something out of reading this, but it's crucial to both focus on and enjoy the process. It's important to be aware of the overarching point, yes, but if you obsess over how to make every piece of the puzzle fit together flawlessly or on filling an unreasonable amount of criteria you've set for yourself, you'll lose all joy of creation.

I have a bad habit of comparing my skills to those around me. There are some absolutely amazing and talented people on this platform and I admire each and every one of them and the stories they tell through art in all forms. This is also a trap I'd imagine many are tempted to fall into, which is awful, but it's of utmost importance to remember that everyone has something to bring to the table, big or small. And even if you're a beginner and your skills are still far from advanced, you are (and I mean this with all my heart) a GIFT. Because, without your kind, we wouldn't have the amazing writers and artists who share their creativity and vision with the world. Because, just like you, they began somewhere. Just like you, they had to learn and grow to become as skilled as they are today. Just like you, they're open and willing to bring colour into the lives of others. If they didn't start somewhere, who would give us all those stories? If YOU don't start somewhere, who is going to give us all of your stories? It doesn't matter if you started drawing/writing last week or if you've been doing it since 85, I WILL eat everything you make.

[communistkenobi]

Hiiiiiiii Nick, so sorry if you've already answered this somewhere, but I couldn't find it. I was wondering if you have any recs for leftist literature that's somewhat digestible for people who don't usually read a lot of academic papers/journals and the like? Basically, theory for beginners, I guess. I've been wanting to start reading more theory and while everything you posted about The Authoritarian Personality was super interesting, I think that trying to read a 1000 page book right now would kill me 💀

(also definitely don't feel the need to answer, I just thought you might appreciate getting an ask that's not star wars related asjdjdjshdjdhsjdjfj)

oh god yeah do not start with authoritarian personality that thing is insane

There is a Marxism archive that has a page for beginners here (ignore the advice to read Capital. Like try if you want to but it’s not accessible at all in my experience lol, so I would not start there). That website gives you free access to a lot of theory, you can poke around there and see what you might want to read (if you scroll to the bottom of the page I linked it has a link where you can search by subject - so if you want to learn more about leftist feminism, or colonialism, or etc, you can do so). I’m not the most well read marxist unfortunately so I can’t give you detailed recommendations from the lists they give. I have read a bit of Lenin and found him to be quite funny. Also sorry this is skewing communist, I have only read a few bits of anarchist literature and wasn’t impressed with it (not a dig at anarchism in general, I just did not have a good introduction to it and because of my schooling I tend to spend most of my time with more critical/marxist lit). So don’t let that sway you, this is just my own bias and theoretical instincts.

Why Marx Was Right by Terry Eagleton (this is a book, sorry I don’t have a link) is fairly accessible, as is Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher (this is very short, like under a hundred pages).

Also I KNOW I keep bringing this up but Discourse on Colonialism is such a fantastic essay (you can skip past the introduction in this pdf if you like and go straight to the essay). You don’t need to know all the theorists Cesaire is talking about or get all of his references. I think this is a very good introduction to colonialism as a force in the world. Cesaire is a fantastic writer, extremely witty and scathing while being incredibly insightful, truly a level of hater we should all aspire to become

There’s also the communist manifesto, which is very short and easy to read. You don’t have to pay too much attention to the historical stuff they bring up imo. This just answers the basic question of like “so what do communists believe exactly?” Even if you’re not a communist I think it’s useful to see these beliefs articulated in plain language.

If you want a book to read, there is Black Jacobins by CLR James about the Haitian Revolution (~200 pages). This is a history book written from a leftist perspective. I find reading about history very instructive because it alerts you to a lot of the problems with mass organising, all the sticky ways that class conflict manifests at all levels of society, and gives you context to a lot of leftist thought that, when detached from its historical circumstances, may seem weird or abstract.

I hope this helps!

[hyriri0]

Withered Blossom

hii! im back with another chapter of my corazon x F!reader! this is the 5th chapter!!

again im hyrii!, im a beginner writer and this is my debut piece! i hope you enjoy!

word count: 3.9k / 3,907

donquixote rosinante x F!reader with Child!trafalgar law and Child!baby 5 including donquixote doflamingo and the donquixote familly (with their parents)

{part 1}...{part 4}...{next part} coming soon

angst or slight angst!! (its my first time writing angst since i always write fluff T-T!! please enjoyy!!)

chapter 5/?

you woke up super late and naturally you're still half asleep, you started scrambling to get ready until you tripped on a loose cord and fell with a loud thud, you heard multiple footsteps heading towards your room. thinking it was somekind of robbery you armed yourself with anything you can get your hands on, the door swinged open and you still being half asleep dashed to hit whoever was infront of the door with your eyes closed, bad move for you, of course the loose wire you just stumbled over, tripped you again and you crashed into someone's arms by accident.

"y/n-chan? are you alright?" a deep voice said, you opened your eyes to see rosinante holding you up as you fell into him, quickly gaining your composure again, you stood up and fixed yourself "oh! hello rosinante! what are you doing here?" you said while giggling, your eyes still droopy. "is everything alright cora-san?" a young boy appeared behind rosinante, this made you remember what happened yesterday which made you laugh out loud. "why are you laughing y/n-san? is there something funny?" law said, his tone quite concerned.

"no! its just that everything i did, i did it while being half asleep! sorry for that rosinante, law. i didn't mean to concern you!" you laughed while the two looked at you confused. "well now that we know youre okay, lets go eat breakfast! me and law made some!" rosinante said with a smile, your eyes darted to law, the boy had a slight pink shade on his cheeks. you crouched down at his level "thanks for making me breakfast law! i really appreciate it!" you said beaming the young boy a warm smile "what about me?" your eyes looked up to rosinate whos pouting, you chuckled at the sight of him. "of course, you too cora-san." you said while you pinched his cheeks.

rosinante's eyes widened at the sudden name, since that name holds sentimental value for him and the name "cora-san" is a more intimate and affectionate form of address that he's not used to hearing from you. "cora-san, huh? that's new, you dont want to call me rosinante now?" he said with a gentle, slightly nostalgic smile. "It has a nice ring to it coming from you." he looked at you with soft eyes and with a more relaxed posture. "im hungry, can we eat now?" law said with a smug tone along with his signature smirk, "that's right! im hungry too! let's go." you held rosinante's hand (or should i say "cora-san") to pull him out of your room towards the dining room along with law.

after you all finished eating, you offered to wash the dishes since they already cooked breakfast but law, being the absolute the absolute sweetheart he is, willingly steps forward to help you do the dishes. taking a plate in his hands, he starts scrubbing with a serious, determined expression while you looked at him slightly surprised "i'll help. it'll be faster if we both do it." he said with his usual straightforward tone. "thank you for helping law, i really appreciate this. we can go do something or go somewhere later if you want!" you said while washing the dishes after law scrubbed them.

a few minutes later you and law finished washing the dishes while being completely oblivious that rosinante were looking at you both in a loving manner the whole time. the sight of the ones he loves and treasures the most, washing the dishes together, laughs here and there, passing the dishes, the clinks of the plates, the sound of the water hitting the sink, it was just a beautiful sight for rosinante.

"so...what are we gonna do now?" law said, seemingly bored. "sorry law, i dont have much to do around here since im mostly at work or at school." you said sadly, you felt not enough for the boy since you really wanted to make him like you and seeing him bored at your house makes you boring also. "It's okay, really. I wasn't that bored. Let's just do something else now." he said. noticing you were abit down since he said the he was bored, trying to make you feel better.

"i have a ton of puzzles and board games! we can do it if you want!" you said, its been so long since you sat down, relaxed and solved a puzzle also cheering you up a little since you really loved puzzles. "we can see who finishes the puzzles the fastest. you up for that, law?" rosinante said with a smug look on his face. "oh youre on! i'll beat you for sure!" he said returning the same energy "not when im here, im 100% sure i'll finish it first!" you said, unconciously initiating a competion between the three of you, "i'll go get the puzzles! i'll be right back!" you said while you left to go to your room and picked up the puzzle box that countless puzzles sit in.

you got back and you sat on the floor, the two boys followed you while you took out your favorite puzzle and their own. you're confident that you're going to win but what you're worried about is law. that kid seems like he's very good a games like this

after about an hour of focusing on your favorite puzzle, you werent quite familiar with it now since its been so long given that you've been away for a pretty long time. "done!" you turned your head towards your side to see law smiling and his puzzle done. the puzzle he picked was rather a large one, it was impressive to say the least. "wow! that was fast, law! youre quite good at puzzles, you even beat me!" you said while law looked over your shoulder.

you turned your head to the opposite direction only to find out rosinante really focused on his puzzle, he looked so cute, his nose all scrunched up, brows furrowed, eyes are narrowed and intense and slightly squinted, his head tilted slightly forward so he can get a better look on the puzzle and his expression a mix of determination and focus with occasional flashes of frustration and realization as he works on his puzzle.

you didn't want to bother him seeing that hes so into the puzzle so you let him be while you yourself finished yours just a while after and sat on the couch with law. he was waiting for you and rosinante to finish your puzzles, at first he was patient and was watching rosinante with interest, waiting for him to finish his puzzle. "hes taking so long, when is he going to finish?" he asked you, growing impatient. "just wait a couple more minutes law, he'll be done anytime soon." you said while ruffling his hair playfully.

"come on cora -san, when are you going to finish?" his brows furrowed, a slight pout and his arms are crossed "i know, i know, im taking forever." rosinante said with his sheepish smile yet he's still focused on the puzzle, you looked at them both while law got up to sit next to rosinante and examine how rosinante is doing with his puzzle.

"at this rate, i'll become a doctor before you finish that puzzle." law said while he rolled his eyes with a teasing smile. "hey! it's not as easy at is looks okay?" rosinante said with a teasing tone of his own and raised eyebrows. you looked at them fondly, their closeness and teasing making you smile "do you need my help? i could probably finish it faster." law said with a confident smirk "alright, show me how's it done, genius. maybe im not cut out for puzzles after all." rosinante sighed as he shrugged his shoulder, a warm smile enveloping his face when law guides him through the puzzle.

after a while, the two finally finished the puzzle. "are you both done now?" you said while giving the boys a fond look. "well cora-san here took so long over a puzzle so easy!" law said in a confident, teasing tone. "maybe i am bad at puzzles." rosinante sighed while you placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, rubbing it.

"well its the perfect time to go to a flower field! ive arranged an appointment at the grand everbloom fields! do you both want to go?" you said, earlier when law and rosinante were busy with the puzzle you remembered that you had an appointment at the botanical garden that day, it was supposed to be only you but you would feel lonely now that you had rosinante and law with you so you decided to invite them.

"everbloom fields?" law said, tilting his head "yeah, its a magnificent flower field and garden filled with all sorts of stuff from pretty flowers to all kinds of herbs!" you said, you were particularly waiting for this day to come and getting to experience your favorite childhood spot again with the people you now treasure is just a bonus. "sure we'll go! but the problem is we dont have clothes..how are we going to get that if we walked to the festival and we got caught up in the rain."

"i can drive you there, i know where you live! you said it to me when we had our first date remember?" you said while you went to your room to change into a more decent outfit, a pair shorts on top of leggings, ankle high boots and a black t-shirt inside of your water-proof grey hoodie with a cap. you went out of your room "oh right i'll grab something for the both of you since its still raining!" and you went back inside to grab some stuff for the two boys and your trusty portable umbrella.

you quickly grabbed two raincoats for law and rosinante which law put-on the moment you handed it to him and rosinante just held onto his. you all went to the elevator, theres not much people when its raining so law didn't have to feel self-concious about what he's wearing.

you got into your car while rosinante got into the passenger seat and law in the back. tecnically, rosinante could drive there using your car but considering that he might not know the road to take, he only used a gps and got lost multiple times while going to the festival after all.

after about half an hour you reached rosinante's house, since he is a co-CEO his house is BIG big and considering his family members are also very tall its very acceptable that his house is a mansion. "you should come with us, inside its cold out here" law said with his usual monotone voice but something was off about him but you brushed it off thinking its because of the pj's he's wearing and now that he's going to the house, he's become self-concious again.

you went up to him and ruffled his hair "don't be self-concious about what you're wearing law! i bet it's going to be fine!" you attempted to cheer him up but it seems like that did not work. you both caught up to rosinante, the two looked very tense it's like they both didn't want to go in. before rosinante could open the door, his hand hovering at the knob, the door swung open revealing a young girl at the doorway. "oh hello, rosinante-nii, law-nii. come in! by the way whos the girl?" the little asked with a smile on her face. "oh, how adorable! law-nii's pajamas are so cute, and rosinante-nii, you look very stylish." the girl said in a supportive and enthusiastic manner, the two boys thanked her and went ahead to enter the house since they were needed.

"oh hello! im y/n! whats your name?" you said beaming the little girl a smile. "im baby 5! nice to meet you!" the girl said while she stretcing her hand out, you shook her hand which caused the girl to giggle. she pulled you inside the house then closed the door behind her since it was starting to rain hard again.

"you're friends with rosinante-nii and law-nii, right?" baby 5 said looking up at you with curiosity "yes, I am. they’re important to me." you said giving the girl a warm smile. "okay… If they trust you, then i will too." baby 5 nodded slowly, you leaned down at her level "thank you, baby 5. i promise to take care of all of you." you said as you patted her head. "you're really nice… maybe you can be like our family too." she said smiling shyly "i'd love that, baby 5. we're all in this together." you said standing up again.

baby 5 held your hand to lead you deeper inside the massive house, there was a long hallway and a big door, it must be the main one since it is much bigger than the other ones. it led to a beautiful, very spacious living room with multiple couches.

the moment you stepped in, there seems to be a family gathering from how much people were occupying the large room. you pulled your hand away from baby 5 since youre shy, it is rosinante and law's family after all. the girl asked you what was wrong but you just gave her a small smile and she quickly caught up to what you were thinking "youre shy arent you?" baby 5 said while slightly chuckling "im just not ready to face this many people, especially since its his family" you sighed. you just opted to stay near the door, not letting anyone notice you yet.

as you expected the family members are quite tall themselves such as rosinante. "you both look so comfortable and cute! it's nice to see you in something so relaxed." you heard a woman speak, presumably rosinante's mother. "it's not what i expected, but if you're comfortable, that's what matters." you chuckled at the fathers response as you were the one that picked the outfits.

your eyes darted to a specific figure, doflamingo, who had this mischievous grin on his face, the atmosphere turning tense as they face doflamingo’s scrutinizing gaze. "well, aren’t you two quite the sight. pink suits you both, it really brings out your rebellious side." rosinante forces a smile, though the tension in his jaw is noticeable. "it's just clothing, doffy. let's not make this a bigger issue than it needs to be."

"oh, but it's not just clothing, rosinante. it's a statement. a very loud, ridiculous statement." doflamingo snapped back at rosinante with a sneering tone and a threatning gaze. "maybe you should try relaxing for once." law's fists clench at his sides, trying to suppress the anger bubbling up inside him. the moment doflamingo stood up is when the whole room became more tense, making you uncomfortable. he steps closer, his gaze cold and piercing 'relaxing? in this family? you really are naive if you think that’s possible." he said as he loomed over law.

rosinante moves slightly in front of Law, shielding him from doflamingo’s harsh words. "enough, doflamingo. he's just a kid." "a kid who needs to toughen up if he’s going to survive in this world. your coddling won’t do him any favors." trebol, standing off to the side, snickers at doflamingo’s comments, finding amusement in the situation. "typical rosinante, always trying to play the hero, and the kid? just a liability." he thought "what’s wrong, rosi? can’t handle a little truth?" he said as he sneered.

pica looks uncomfortable, shifting his weight and avoiding eye contact. despite his loyalty to doflamingo, he doesn’t enjoy the family conflict "this isn’t right, but what can I do? better to stay out of it." he remains silent, his discomfort evident in his body language. Gladius sneers, aligning himself with Doflamingo’s disdain for Rosinante and Law’s choices.

"pathetic. they don’t belong in this family." gladius thought to himself "maybe they need a reality check, doffy. you're just giving it to them straight." as he was the last one to give a snide remark on what the two were wearing. you cant feel but tear up, seeing that they were being berated for what they were wearing. you wanted to step in and defend them but you werent in a position to do so as these people could kill you ever so easily since they are the donquixote pirates, a very powerful crew of pirates and a very influential one at that.

you turned your head to the young girl beside you, her hands clutching at your clothes as she tried to hide her tears "why does it have to be like this? can’t we just get along?" the little muttered under her breath as it hitched, her eyes well up with tears as she watches the scene unfold, but she didn’t dare to speak up. "this is so unfair. they don’t deserve this. its just clothes why do they care so much?" you thought to yourself as anger boiled inside you, you felt helpless as you werent able to speak up and protect them from their own family.

"i don't need your approval and i don't need your advice." law's eyes fill with tears of frustration, but he refuses to let them fall. doflamingo laughs, a cold, hollow sound. "keep telling yourself that, law. maybe one day you'll actually believe it." "come on, law. let's get out of here." rosinante said as he bent down to law's height and placed a comforting hand on law's head, ruffling it then taking his hand to go out the big room.

as they walk away, he allows a single tear to escape, quickly wiping it away. "why does he hate us so much?" "i don’t know, law but i promise, as long as im here, you'll never face him alone." rosinante sighs deeply, his own heart aching for the boy he swore to protect. as the two neared the door you were standing with baby 5, you immediately stepped forward, finally speaking up, your voice firm and steady. "you're not alone. we're here for you." you said while you turned your head to the girl standing next you, still holding your clothes.

"im sorry, rosinant-nii… law-nii." baby 5 whispers, her voice trembling slightly. rosinante gives you and baby 5 a grateful nod, appreciating the silent support and courage to stand by him and law. "let's go upstairs shall we? me and law need to change." even after all of that rosinante manages to smile infront of the ones he treasures. "let's go, i dont want to dwell on here much longer." baby 5 chuckled while you looked at them both with slightly wide eyes pondering how they can smile and laugh while that just happend.

deciding to not think about it too much, you suddenly saw the palm of rosinante's hand which was bleeding. without thinking you grabbed his hand instinctively and examined the wound, nail marks that digged too deep on the skin causing it to bleed "your hand is bleeding! we need to treat it! right now!" you said, letting the tears you held back fall. "im fine, y/n-chan. this is nothing." rosinante said as held your cheeks, wiping the tears streaming down your face. he held you close, hugging you as you sobbed into his arms.

they didn't deserve that kind of treatment from their family. especially when their parents just sat back and let it happen. how could they watch their sons fight over something that could be easily fixed? how could they let others berate rosinante and law? "how could they?..." you said lowly as rosinante held you close to him, the two children clinging onto you. "c'mon y/n-chan, it's going to be okay! how about these two get changed, lets go?" baby 5 said, attempting to cheer you up. "sure baby 5 lets go so these two can change! perhaps you want to come with us to a botanical garden?" you said wiping your tears and giggling to hint that youre okay now but the truth is your heart still aches for the two.

"you both need to change cause we only have an hour to get to the garden you know so lets go!" you said, trying to mask up your sadness with humor and by acting happy. you started walking to whatever direction when a voice spoke from behind you "uhm...y/n-chan? the rooom is upstairs? why are you going there?" baby 5 said while giggling and running towards you, she held your hand to pull you towards back from where you came. "lets go now silly! you said we only have an hour right? well, i'll be going with you!" baby 5 said cheerfully as law groaned behind her.

"come on, law-nii! don't be such a grump. we'll have fun together, you'll see! let's go now y/n-chan said we only have an hour, right? you'll have to change really quick!" baby 5 said cheerfully while turning around to face law, putting her hands on her hips. "do you really have to come, baby 5?" law groaning again, looking slightly annoyed. "of course I do! We’re like family, and families stick together, even in the rain!" she said grabbing law's hand to drag him towards the flight of stairs while you and rosinante followed the two children.

the stairs was quite steep and unnaturally long so you held rosinante's hands subconsciously when going up the stairs. rosinante feeling your hand against his, looked down with a slightly flushed face "what? you dont like holding hands with me? i thought you loved me" you said teasing a blushing rosinante while giving him a cheeky smile. "no, i love you and i love holding hands with you." rosinante's face softened as he squezed your hand and gave you a warm smile. "oh..uhm" you blushed a deep red while the two children looked at you and rosinante.

"why are blushing y/n-chan?" baby 5 said, looking back at you then noticing that youre holding hands with rosinante she whispered to law, the boy looked at you both with his signature smirk. "i see that both of you have evolved to the romantic aspect of your relationship, holding hands and kissing..wow...just wow" law teased "YOU GUYS KISS-" law's hand quickly flew over baby 5's mouth to keep her from screaming the signaling her to keep her voice down. "you guys kissed?" she continued her question in a lower voice, "well..yes we did!" you said in a cheerful voice while rosinante had a very deep shade of red on his face, remembering the kiss you both shared at the festival. "i think cora-san is ready to be a tomato by now, look at him" law said jokingly.

"no im not.." rosinante said looking away and hiding behind his free hand. "youre so cute rosinante" you said, pinching his cheeks "please dont do this, im tired of you two flirting." law said as he groaned again. you all reached the top of the stairs then directly went into rosinante's room while law and baby 5 went to their own.

after a couple of minutes, law and baby 5 were already done changing and they were by the door waiting for you and rosinante. baby 5 seemed very excited as well as law to go the the everbloom fields, you stepped out to give rosinante privacy while changing.

woah im finally done with this!! im also in vacation so this chapter took so long to make T-T thank you for reading!! reblogging and likes are appreciated!!

[writingwithfolklore]

I'm not a writer. But its work project I am working lately on. Its all good till I draft a dumb version of story. When I start with editing, it sound all stale, I feel like I'm just moulding the new one like the previous stories. Inspiration slips away TT

How to actually come on right terms as a beginner, when writing?

Hi! I think I know what you mean. I actually have the same problem when writing a new draft from a story I've already written. Luckily, there are a few short-term solutions to this:

Don't write your new draft alongside your old one.

Especially for a not so good first draft, you'll probably have an easier time being spontaneous and bold with making new decisions if you don't even open the first draft. Try to write what you want from memory--this will prevent you from just copying from the old draft and not really making any progress.

2. Similarly, be willing to take big risks.

Don't be afraid to change something big. Worst case, you change it back if it doesn't work. Best case, it takes your story somewhere new and better.

As for your writing sounding stale, this post might help with that:

It's mostly about "simplifying" your story, but also a bit about finding that little piece that brings out the characters and gives life to it. I hope it helps.

My long term advice is just that writing takes practice. As a new writer, you may have to struggle through a lot of bad drafts and disappointing feedback and false starts before you start building those instincts. My mentor used to tell us, "writing is a time game." as in, getting good just takes a lot of time and practice. I'm sure you'll get there.

[warmsol]

hey isa! Do you have some advice for a beginner who wants to start a story? I know it's a lot of work, finding the right cc, buildings everything, create sims etc. Do you have a favourite blog to browse for such cc for storytelling? Also I could use some advice what's important for taking pictures - what's the best crop solution for tumblr? What font and font size is the best to use? And hoooow do I write dialogue without adding too much and still keep it interesting? Sorry if this is a lot, but I really admire your work and loved to start a storytelling simblr again!

hii! i think it’s awesome you want to dive into storytelling. i’ll answer your questions under the cut 🫶🏼

1. as for finding cc, i’ve just accumulated a ton over the last few years, no specific blogs but rather just browsing on tumblr. you can always check if your favorite blogs have a cc finds account, many do! mine is @warmfinds which could be useful. but yeah when it comes to cc, i suggest really thinking about what you’ll need! like, say you have a scene coming up in the kitchen, gather some kitchen pieces that you can use for that scene. it might be more helpful to break up the search according to scene rather than trying to find things all at once for your story. (also suggest downloading telegram and joining dollhouse mafia.. or keeping up with the vault… cough)

2. for taking screenshots there are some guidelines you can loosely follow (highly suggest watching this video for a quick breakdown) here you’ll find the different types of shots you can include in your posts! considering this is sims, there are some limitations so just allow yourself to get creative with it.

for most of my story posts, i’ve stuck with 1280x720 resolution. but recently i’ve been playing around with sizing, so unless you’re focused on consistency don’t be afraid to try out different crop styles.

3. font! the font i use is arial. it’s straight forward, and easy to read. i’ve used this my entire storytelling journey and haven’t had a complaint. at the end of the day just remember that the font is probably the most important part! pick something easy and clear to read. also, switching colors when a character is talking is highly encouraged. if that’s not your style, at least add a name tag for easy following along.

4. sooo, when it comes to dialogue, it’s really something you learn as you go. i had a tendency to write very lengthy in the beginning, i wasn’t a seasoned story writer so i sucked at knowing what to cut and trim. my biggest advice is to write out everything. ramble. let it be a mess. get out everything you want your characters to say. it’ll be rough, and that’s fine. once you’ve sat on it, go back and edit it. keep what’s important, what moves the story! i spend a good amount of time editing scene dialogue until it feels right. one huuge thing that helps is reading out loud! if it flows well spoken it’ll feel more like a natural conversation. just don’t be too hard on yourself, we all start somewhere. it’s a muscle that needs to be exercised and you’ll find your rhythm as you practice. (like seriously compare my first posts to now and it’s night and day, and i still have room to improve)

lastly i just want to say pleeease have fun. don’t pressure and compare yourself. i’ve fallen down that trap many times and it literally stopped me from posting. but as long as you remember this is all a fun hobby, i think you’ll be okay.

i hope this was somewhat helpful ♥️ also once you start posting lmk! i wanna follow along heh

[hikarry]

Do you have any writing tips? I'm a beginner writer and I'm kinda struggling

Not sure I'm the best person to ask for writing tips - I legit haven't worked on my newest wip for, like, 2 weeks now, but I will share what helps me (and what comes to mind)

Try to write a little bit every day. Even if it's just a sentence. Even if you are going to hate it the next day and are going to delete it to write something new. Just write, don't lose the flow - I'm very bad at following this but it does work when I do it, believe me

Are you good with dialogues and you find yourself stuck? Just focus on the dialogues, as if it was an rpg or smt. Leave the descriptions for later, like filling a sandwhich. Stick to what you know and like best when you're stuck, so you don't get frustrated

Are you writing a boring scene that's still necessary and are more excited to write another scene? Write the scene you're excited about first. Don't be afraid to jump around from scene to scene and up and down the wip. Sometimes it even helps you develop your idea more and give you more clarity

Research everything, for as weird as it might sound. Not only is it fun as fuck and gives you a lot of free inspiration, but having accurate shit in your story is fucking fun. For the Time War AU I researched bars in London in 1941 and chose a real location and that gave me an inspiration boost like anything

You've done everything I've said, but you're still stuck? Go to google and search for writing prompts. Make a game out of it. Find a way to put those prompts into your story. It keeps your brain juices flowing and it can give you free plot. Plus, it's hella fun. At least for me it is, I love that type of shit

Did you have an idea while you were in the bus heading somewhere? Write it down. On paper. On your phone. Just fucking write it. Don't lose it. Don't think "I will remember later". You won't. Just fucking write it down, it can be gold

This isn't exactly a writing advice, but a post-posting advice: Doesn't matter how many comments or kudos or whatever you get. Kudos and comments are not a measurement for how good your fic is. I've found some fanfics that barely have any views and are pure unfound gold. Besides, many people are shy readers and don't like to comment - and that's their right. Just don't lose faith because your numbers are low or something. That doesn't mean anything at all, just keep going

Fuck word count. Honestly, I hate that shit. It puts way too much pressure on you and can get your very frustrated very fast. Just go with the flow. Write as much as you can or as much as feels right. Don't give yourself a limit/goal. Just do what feels good

Do an outline. Honestly, for me that's the most fun part of the process. Not only does it help you keeping the plot consistent, it's just fun to dump all your ideas into boxes in a timeline. And you can always delete, add or move shit around as much as you like, even if you've already started writing. It's an amazing foundation and makes writing easier, in my opinion. Or maybe it's just my lizard brain that likes to organize stuff talking

The most important: Don't write what you think other people want. Write what you like. Write for you. You're your own target audience. You're creating something that you wish existed and didn't, so you took the bull by the horns and did it yourself. For you. If other people like it, good for them. But this is for you. You're writing something you think should exist in the world. Write your vision and have fun with it.

Hope anything works for you

[revasserium]

writing advice for beginners ?

this ask is legit 3 years old, but i needed a mental break at work so!

read. read tons. read everything. read fiction, nonfiction, read blogs, cookbooks, read newspapers, magazines -- anything you can get your hands on; because reading lots is like feeding your brain the raw material that you can then synthesize into writing

try to write every day, even if it's just a sentence, even if it's just copying down a line in a poem that you love or a sentence that struck you as you were passing by a street sign; it's so important to write and keep on writing, even when you feel like you hate it or everything you write sucks -- and it's okay! everyone starts somewhere, don't hold yourself to the same standards as people who have been honing their craft for decades longer than you have

and on that note, understand, that it is a craft, that it doesn't just come natural, although it might to a few very very lucky and bless individuals -- but for the most part, it's like learning a language, the more you do it, practice it, use it, are daring with it, the better you get

understand that "good" is subjective, and that you don't even have to be a "good", because who's measuring you, right? sure, if you want to make it your bread and butter, take classes, listen to the masters, read their works and take them apart, figure out why they're considered great, sit with them and think about if it resonates with you -- why or why not?

try to love it -- and i say try because it's hard! i struggle every day with loving the things i write, but sometimes, its the things that you don't love that make you grow as a writer

[the-one-who-lambs]

do you have any advice for a first time writer? I have a lot in my head but I dont know where to start in trying to make something coherent

Oh, do I ever!

If you have a lot in your head but nothing coherent yet, write down every tidbit of information you want to include in a braindump! It doesn't have to be coherent, it's just a place to put your ideas. If it doesn't come out just as you want, that's fine. You can add to it later. Don't trust the ideas you have now to stay in your head-- put them somewhere you can come back to later!

Have an idea of what you want to achieve and where you want to go with your story. With that said, there will be some details you will figure out along the way. That's fine. You may also deviate from where you think you're going to go. That's also fine. But, have a structure that gives you a sense of direction. What this means to you will likely be different from what helps me.

Learn the "rules" of writing/grammar/syntax before you start to break them. Discovering your own style is important, but you want it to be readable too. Start each sentence with a capital letter. Check your spelling. Review punctuation rules (No, really, make sure you understand the semicolon before you use it). Use paragraphs and remember TiP ToP: whenever the narrative shifts to a new time, person, topic, or place, create a new paragraph. Yes, this includes dialogue!

Less is more. If you have a long-form story to tell, a 50,000-word fic is going to be a hell of a lot more impactful than a 150,000-word fic that achieves the same goals. Many, many stories that have the potential to be excellent can and do get derailed with details that do nothing to advance the story, or do the same thing already accomplished somewhere else in the story. Every sentence should do something to advance the narrative and/or characterization in some way. "If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." -Mark Twain, allegedly.

On a related note: if you're a beginner, trying many ideas and getting more practice will help you improve rapidly. But, once you find a rhythm, don't be afraid to slow down.

When you're finished with your first draft, leave it alone for a few hours or even a day or two before you come back to it. Then go back to edit. You'll always catch something.

Speaking of editing, have someone else look at your draft so they can offer you feedback. If you're doing this for the first time, it will feel vulnerable and scary. It's also a necessary part of improvement.

Finally, be kind to yourself. You're still inexperienced so don't expect yourself to write like your favorite authors right away, or a year from now, or a decade from now. Someone will always enjoy your work. Until you get a readership, it's okay if only one person enjoys it, and it's okay if that one person is you for a while. You'll get there.

[casceth]

hii I am a big fan of ur art 💖💖 I hope this ask isn't weird but I have wanted to post my own nsfw art for a while now!! But I can't seem to be able to do it. I'm nervous and worried that people will judge me (both for posting nsfw or also because they think my nsfw isn't good enough/weird?). ultimately i guess it is a very vulnerable process putting art on the internet for others to judge and see what kind of porn ur into 😭 do you have any tips/advice/experience you would be willing to share to overcome this hurdle? thank you sm 💖

I wish I had better advice here, I didn't post nsfw for a long time for the same reasons you mentioned. What helped me was making a second account (this one) specifically for nsfw (both my own art as well as reblogs). Having a second account can help put up some defenses against the vulnerabilities, but also sometimes I just have to take the psychic damage of a sincere horny drawing not doing well on social media (though I don't get much direct hate these days).

Another thing is if you have a horny friend/partner/mutual/discord server who you can share art with before posting it, sometimes feedback both positive and negative can feel safer in that situation. This is more recent for me but making friends who also do a variety of nsfw art (ranging from beginner to actual pros) has been the biggest motivational thing for nsfw art and even just art in general. Writers count too, sometimes other types of creatives can give interesting feedback you don't expect.

One that I don't do very well but maybe would help you is using tags, both to help people find what they're into, but also make it easy for people to avoid stuff that may trigger them, so more people who see your work would be seeing it favorably.

The last thing is just to remind you that we all start somewhere, even if you feel like you've been walking forever, you're always going to be on the first step of the rest of your journey, and the most important thing is not to give up (i guess if like a mutant dinosaur apocalypse happens all bets are off but i'd still recommend not giving up 🦖 because I am gonna fuck those mutant dinosaurs)

Anyways best of luck to you <3 Feel free to share your art with me anytime, I mean it.

[roleplayhonestybox]

https://www.tumblr.com/roleplayhonestybox/755894513457856512/ill-be-honest-with-you-guys-i-see-many-people?source=share

I dunno, how can someone get better at something if they aren't aware of they're not as good as they think they are? If there's never anyone anyone who tells them what is bad in what they're writing? Just reading won't make someone better at writing, not really. Writing for themselves? Fanfic? Their own stories? That isn't fun in the long run. And very lonely sometimes too, if you don't have anyone throwing ideas around with.

Not saying that people have to do that with everyone, just thinking that maybe sometimes just saying what seems to be wrong with someone's writing might be decent. We all started role-playing somewhere after all.

Unless we want all the beginner writers or whatever to move to AI and keep feeding the machines 🤷🏻

.

[bettsfic]

craft essay a day #1

(since i'm embarking on putting together a proposal for a craft book, i thought i'd read [or re-read] some some of the two dozen or so craft books on my shelf. and since i've gotten a lot of interest in craft book/essay recs i thought i'd summarize them here. will i manage to do this every day? who knows. but an attempt will be made.)

"Beginnings" by Ann Hood, The Writer's Notebook II: Craft Essays from Tin House

beginner | intermediate | advanced | masterclass

filed under: structure, conflict, prose, process

summary

Hood begins the essay by talking about process, namely that she has to know her first sentence before she can start writing a novel, but that once the novel is finished, the beginning changes anyway.

"Yet, after I've finished a story and started the revision process, I almost always find myself right back at the beginning, reworking it again. While I was writing, characters changed, new ideas intruded, mistakes in the original plan revealed themselves, and sometimes a different story altogether has taken over. In his book The Triggering Town, the poet Richard Hugo says there are actually two beginnings: the one that comes from your initiating or triggering subject and the one that is generated as you write and discover your real subject. Your challenge is to let go of your triggering beginning and find your real one."

she then goes on to analyze a few dozen beginning sentences of famous novels and place them into 10 categories:

Introduction

An Old Saw

Character Description

A Setting

In Media Res

Facts

A Truism or Philosophical Idea

Dialogue

Overture

Otherworld

my thoughts

good essay for an intro cw course/workshop (i always love essays that break things down into categories).

i am in desperate need to find this exact essay but for ending sentences, yet i suspect it doesn't exist because no one is good at endings. still, the search continues. surely someone somewhere has attempted it.

made me think of my own beginning sentences in a new way and how i have a hard time letting go of my "triggering subject" beginnings.

would have liked to see a little more sentence-level analysis, really dig into the meat of why these sentences work (rhetorically, structurally, narratively), not just what kind of sentences they are. but that's probably a different essay. i've read a lot of tin house essays and they tend to stick to surface-level thoughts on craft. nothing mind-blowing, but great for teaching/referencing because they define craft concepts in memorable ways.

(additional note: i did the tin house workshop five years ago. great experience! highly recommended.)