#but i don’t mind because making playlists and pinterest boards and writing and doing silly voices is so incredibly fun

[jadecantcreate]

rambles about my first dm experience to follow

first of all thank you for choosing to read more and laying your eyes upon the two-headed cow (/ref) that this is rn

it was supposed to be on sunday but. the bane of all of our existences struck: scheduling issues

thankfully we were all free for halloween so we did that yesterday (5:30-8:30 PM/17:30-20:30)

guys. holy shit guys.

i was worried I didn’t prepare enough and that id be anxious and scrambling & that my players wouldn’t be interested BUT?? IT WAS SO GOOD??????? AHSGHSHSK

im really proud of what i came up with (in advance and on the fly) and my players did amazing for their first time ever playing d&d

there was such a nice blend between all of us dying laughing and silently sitting on the edge of our seats in anticipation (it reminded me of how legends of avantris games tend to go which!! agjhjkdhdn)

the party was consisted of pearl the water genasi sorceress and a gnome ranger named helgatha hagatha hilga

helgathas player was taking notes and such and guys. the joy that comes with seeing, in real time, that people are invested in your story is unreal

pearl essentially went “kys.” in the final fight. and it WORKED KSHSNSK??

and also I got to decorate my table with a bunch of crystals and cards and trinkets and one of my orchids (whose flowers are currently wilting. for the aesthetic)

im still so happy about it like yeah. we did that

thank you to everyone who gave me advice!!! you all helped me out so so much <3

i think i crossed a one time bridge. d&d is now even more integral to my being (and i wouldnt have it any other way)

[thesehandsfic]

Hi :) I hope you do not mind me asking but I was curious what your writing process looks like and if you have any tips? Your output is scary consistent. Teach me your ways

hi no worries at all i love this question!! response will be long, sorry! tips/advice/insights(?) are as follows:

1: read — cannot stress enough the importance of reading real published works by real published authors <- there is no “nice” way to say this. do not read fanfiction — read prose or poetry, read something new, read something you can always go back to. i have a few books i turn to when i need a “hard reset” when i just have Nothing left to write, and they always help.

2: write — sounds silly, kind of like “oh, duh” but i’m dead serious. write it bad. write it stuck. write it boring write it corny write it unreadable. put down the bones, add prose or internal monologue or completely restructure it later. just write it first. i never would’ve finished my two longest projects if i hadn’t given myself the grace to write it badly first and fix it later.

3: collaborate — you do not always have to do this, but it helps me, even though i will say that i do not play well with others as far as in depth collaborations go (such as co-writing), but even just sharing a screenshot of a paragraph you’re proud of or saying “i’m working on this new project” can help immensely. don’t invite criticism or corrections early in the game if it’s not helpful to your creative process, but be open to suggestions and advice later in the game: your work/ability/style will never grow/evolve if its "weak" spots are never challenged.

4: outline — i hate to outline, i’m bad at outlining, i make myself do it anyway. even if it’s just a “flowchart” with a series of events or a basic plot abstract, put it down on page. visualize it, give it a shape, give it a name, give it load bearing structural details and go from there.

5: visualize — related to my previous point, but: make it real! some of my friends like scrivener because it makes the project feel like a cohesive whole, i like to make playlists and pinterest boards, some of my friends like to commission art. build the world, which may help you to visualize it in words more easily and follow through on completion.

6: snack — to quote the man (ryan gosling) "you need carbs! for basic cognitive functions, you need them! your brain runs on glucose!"

miscellaneous: if you feel like writing, write. if you don't feel like writing, see if you can work on your outline or skip ahead a bit or work on something else. give your brain a break. share with friends. remember that being creative is not a privilege: anyone can create. you will get better the more you work at it, sometimes without even realizing it.

hope this helps!

[bi-dykes]

How do you get into the perspective of your OC(s)? What were the first few things you did to get into their character and understand them better?

I absolutely love this question bc it led to me re reading my own work 😂

I somehow got to my my characters very well without ever putting my book in first person. It’s all third person, sub for one character who breaks the fourth wall and sometimes speaks without quotation marks.

I was inspired by Shannon Hale’s run of Ever After High (Ever After High has at least three different book series by three different authors, plus a Netflix tv series- it’s like a miniature MCU but with better characterization lmao) and I can arguably say that Shannon Hale has the best material on all of Ever After High.

Here is an example (the image is sourced from Etsy) of how a character breaks the containment of using proper formatting of quotation marks and speaks directly to the narrator

I do this as well. Different font, and then I write it like a text message going back and forth, disregarding quotation marks or proper formatting. However this only happens a couple of times per book for my character, and a handful (4-5) times in Ever After High.

I know my characters far too well. The main eight are like children to me, I know their deepest desire and darkest fear and coping mechanism and guilty pleasure. I have been with them for over 5 years without finishing my novel. The time has been spent with making playlists and drawing pictures and creating Pinterest boards and writing things that I don’t intend to publish or include in the final manuscript (hehehe fanfiction by the author) because I simply like to explore them in different situations. My books are going to be in third person, but I ocassionally write in first person, even if I’m planning on just deleting it, because I just like to practice getting in my characters’ heads when I have writers block.

I follow the “worst” writing advice ever. I base many traits for my OCs off of myself, which could be seen as making them Mary Sues. I write them like real people, adding in stupid dialogue of them stuttering or accidentally interrupting one another and then saying “oh sorry, you go first”. I write smut about my favourite OC ships knowing that I’ll never include it in the final draft of my book, just because I want to write about what’s happening “off screen” and what my characters are doing when the reader isn’t looking (although there are indeed some sex scenes in my book, I do like to write additional ones that aren’t nearly as eloquent or have any plans to include it in the published novel). I started my second draft before my first draft was finished, solely because I understood my writing style had improved so abruptly and the characters had evolved so much, I needed to start fresh. I look in the mirror and act out my character’s conversations with one another or their fight scenes or how they wave their hands around like Elsa conjuring magic. I take breaks for months and when I finally sit down and write, I’ll either write 5 words, or 2205 words in one sitting, and not often anything in between.

I have horrible writing advice, and I suggest you take any of it that you’d like or that resonated with you, because it has brought me so much joy in my life and has helped me gradually get to know my characters like new friends who become family.

I’ve been told that my writing “flows like butter” which is so odd because I juggle 4 protagonists, 2 antagonists, and 2 deuteragonists. They don’t “all fit”, but they all have a role to play. Like the delicious fries on the side of the burger, the whole meal. Your characters don’t need to be stars. They just need to be memorable. And I know they will be. Your mind is more capable than you think.

Like honestly, just word vomit on the page and write silly stuff. It will be the most human, glorious, flawed, messy, endearing, and passionate writing you’ll see. Just go create chaos. And play with your characters like Barbie dolls. In a little while, you’ll know them like you know yourself.

At the end of the day, anything you write will be an achievement because you took nothing and turned it into something, transformed a blank page into a series of words and letters. That’s god behaviour right there. Even if it’s shitty writing, you created it from scratch.

But also, don’t worry about setting deadlines and timelines. I’ve been at this since grade 10 and now I’m in university and I’m still not done. Let your characters marinate and soak and rest in your mind. Let them grow. There is no rush. All is well 💜 and one day your characters will grow like little plants from seeds 🫂🫂🫂💕💕💕 just be patient with yourself, and have fun with getting to know your characters!

[lifestylejournaling]

Masterlist of Lifestyle Journal Ideas

I was going to post images with each listing, but 100 pictures on one Tumblr post was quite a task. So, if you’d like to see examples of any of these, I am adding them to my Pinterest Board which can be found [here].

1. Books To Read- Color them in as you go! Or make a fun list of them and check them off one at a time. 

2. All About Me- Make doodles of things you love, add quotes, draw yourself!

3. Future Log- There are so many ways to make this page. Please do some research to see which would work best for you

4. Movies To Watch- Pretty self-explanatory, but there are many ways to do this page too

5. Skills To Learn- Jot down all the things you want to learn

6. Important Numbers and Addresses- In case of emergency of course. Also, be careful what you put in this part for your own privacy reasons

7. Year In Pixels- Honestly, one of my favorite pages

8. Fonts, Banners, and Frame Ideas- For practice and to choose from when you are having trouble being creative

9. Snail Mail Log- Keeping a list of people who you want to send letters to

10. Savings Tracker- It’s always fun to see how much you have saved up

11. TV Series Tracker- Keep track of all the shows you still need to binge

12. Monthly Challenges- I know I haven’t been helpful with this lately, but you can always search for challenges on my page

13. Music Playlists- A list of songs that describe you, your goals, things you love, etc. 

14. Timeline of Your Life- This was hard for me to make. My life isn’t all that exciting

15. Inspiration Page- Fill it with quotes, pictures, memories, etc. 

16. Self-Care List/Ideas- I posted many lists like this on my Pinterest if you want more ideas

17. Monthly/Yearly Memories- Look back on all the good and bad things that you’ve gotten over and endured. 

18. Sleep Tracker- See how many hours you get each night. This also works well when paired with number 7. 

19. Me Time Log- Keep track of how many hours you spend with yourself. We all need to learn to love on ourselves a little more. 

20. Tiny Adventures- Go out of your comfort zone and go on some tiny adventures like reading in public, talking to a stranger, giving people compliments, etc. 

21. Word Tracker- For those who are writers who like to procrastinate

22. Daily To-Do List- This can be done on your weekly pages or you can make a page specifically for daily sticky notes. 

23. Blog Post Ideas- Got an idea, but you’re not at your computer or have what you need for your post? WRITE IT DOWN

24. Fitness Log- Keep track of how much and when you work out or stretch or do yoga or and of those fun physical activities. 

25. Food Log- If you’re trying to lose weight or just get healthy or just want to track your food intake for fun, this is for you! 

26. Meal Prep- I love how cute and helpful these pages can be. 

27. Gift Lists- Ever see something and say to yourself, “Man, ____ would really like that”? Keep a list of things people would like so that you don’t worry about it when it comes to holiday time or birthdays. 

28. Grocery Lists- Every time I go shopping, I forget something because I didn’t write it down. 

29. Goals- Oh, yes! It’s 2018. We need some goals. Monthly, weekly, daily, YEARLY. Just get some goals and aim for them. 

30. Recipes To Try- I see nice recipes all the time on Facebook, but I never think about them again after I keep scrolling. It’s bad. 

31. Daily Affirmations- Give yourself some compliments and some emotional support

32. Business Plan- Make yourself a good businesswoman or businessman or businessperson in 2018. You got this. 

33. Birthdays- Keep track of all those important people in your life that need to be remembered on their special day. 

34. Work Hour Log- Sometimes we don’t keep track of all the things we get paid for. Actual work, babysitting, photography jobs, writing jobs, pet sitting, house sitting, etc. 

35. Wishlists- Not so you can #treatyourself, but so that you can make note of things you really want. 

36. Gratitude Log- It’s always good to have a moment of gratitude with yourself. Make it a monthly challenge if you need to!

37. Quotes- Your own, friend quotes, celebrity quotes, author quotes, and lyrics. 

38. Illustrations and Doodles- Doodling helps you keep your mind fresh and ready to react quickly to situations. 

39. Jokes- Your own, ones you heard, ones you read, etc. 

40. New Discoveries and Interesting Facts- Find a new interesting fact? How about that lemonade is basically Sprite in almost any other country than America?

41. Travel Log- Places you want to go! There are so many ways to do this, so look up different versions before starting!

42. Family and Friend Favorites- Their favorite colors, animals, stores, places, hobbies, etc. 

43. DIY Projects- Things you want to try out someday. 

44. Chore List- Keep track of when you do your chores so that your house doesn’t become disgusting or dusty. 

45. Bucketlist- What do you want to do before graduation, moving out, marriage, having kids, etc. 

46. Story Ideas- I always come up with story ideas and then when I sit down to write them, I blank. 

47. Period Log- For people with periods that have many PMS symptoms or even PMDD symptoms. This is a great way to show your doctor all of the things you go through each cycle. 

48. Words That Make You Happy- Silly words, ugly words, words that are fun to say, etc. 

49. Things That Make You Happy- People, places, and things. 

50. Monthly Habits- Water intake, cleaning, bathing, exercising, reading, etc. 

51. Story Titles- This can be titles for books, short stories, poems, or just nice sounding titles for anything. 

52. Made Up Words- I make myself laugh with all the words I make up on the daily. 

53. Follower Counter- This page keeps me inspired to keep doing what I love. 

54. Index- Always have an index for easy access to the pages you want to find. 

55. Icons- Sometimes we need to have icons to make our pages pretty. Sometimes we make too many icons and never use them (me). 

56. Packing List- For those who travel often or stay at friends’ houses more than our own, it’s good not to forget the things we need. 

57. Morning Routines- Our bodies need routines for mornings to get us ready for the day. 

58. Nightly Routines- Our bodies need routines for nights to prepare us for sleep. (see what I did there?)

59. Weight Tracker- If you’re struggling with your weight, keep a chart tracker or add your daily weight to your calendar. 

60. Pen Test Page- If you get new pens, highlighters, or markers, its best to test them out before using them. 

61. Brain Dump- Sometimes we just need to jot down ideas or thoughts. It’s okay if they don’t make sense. 

62. Spending Log- Keep track of what you spend because you might need that someday. 

63. Water Tracker- HYDRATE

64. Habit Tracker Reward System- This is something I came up with myself, so if you have questions, message me!

65. Name Lists (For Babies and Stories)- Keep a list of cool names for characters or even future babies. 

66. Looking Forward To...- Birthdays, holidays, raises, pay days, vacations, etc. 

67. Compliment Lists- Make a list of your go-to compliments, your favorite ones people have given you, etc. 

68. Level 10 Life- Please look up what this is before jumping into it!

69. Pet Care Log- Keep track of how much you do with your pets. Walks, play time, park time, play dates, baths, etc. 

70. Achievements- What have you done that you are proud of?

71. Weekly Log- Keep track of your week. This is one of the most used pages in any bullet journal honestly. 

72. Monthly Log- Another overly used page in any bullet journal. Very important. 

73. Daily Log- I don’t do this too often, but I know it helps others who really need a whole page for each day. 

74. Bill Tracker- This was fun to make and something I will be using now

75. Income Tracker- How much and how frequently do you get paid?

76. Deadline Page- Prepare yourself for things that you need to get done. Do not procrastinate this year!

77. Vocabulary Practice- Sometimes we just need to educate ourselves on our own terms. (and with our own terms. Anyone? Anyone?)

78. Doctor Appointment Log- If you don’t want to add them to your calendar or they are too far out to add to the calendar you’re using. 

79. Username and Password List- Be careful with this page. If someone finds your bullet journal, this could be bad. 

80. Monthly Cover Page- These are so cute! I just started doing them, but they make my journal so artsy and pretty. 

81. Dream Log- This is a fun one. Track your dreams. This would be good to line up with how many hours you get as well. 

82. Favorites List- What are YOUR favorites? Movies, snacks, drinks, subjects, people, colors, animals, etc. 

83. Habits To Break- Do you bite your nails? Quote The Office too much? Throw clothes into piles on your floor? STOP THAT. 

84. Small Things That Matter- Puppies, getting up in the morning, pennies, smiling at yourself, laughter, etc. Remind yourself that there is good in the world. 

85. Things To Sell- Get rid of the things you don’t need. Or make things to sell! Be prosperous this year. 

86. School Schedule- High school and college students really need this. Even teachers do too. Make a chart of your classes, room numbers, buildings, and times.

87. House Projects- Things that need fixing or improvements around the house. 

88. Day Trip Ideas- Fun places to go when you have the time. 

89. Things I Am Bad At- It’s okay to admit our shortcomings and work on them. Or just accept them for what they are. 

90. Resolutions- YES! Make yourself this better this year. Be the best you. 

91. Crochet/Knit Log- When making a blanket, small items, or just keeping track of your improvements in your skill. 

92. Future Planning- Make a list of the things you want in your future and how you plan on getting them. 

93. Quirk List- Ever notice you do small little weird things? Make a list to appreciate who you are. 

94. Who Borrowed What- Sometimes people borrow things and you forget until you need it again. By then, they threw it out or gave it to someone else. 

95. Six Word Stories- Get those creative juices pumping. 

96. Love Yourself- Write down all the things you love about yourself. Appreciate yourself. 

97. Paying It Back- Honestly, a good page to have, but it doesn’t get much attention from me. 

98. Childhood Dreams- We should always try to look back on what we thought we wanted

99. Good Deed Ideas- Ever think “wow, wouldn’t it be great if I could _____”?

100. Mind Mapping- There are a few reasons I really enjoy this, but it really helps me get my thoughts and ideas out more easily

[zannaleejoy-blog]

15 Tips For ACTUALLY Writing ✍🏼

Disclaimer: Some of these tips are ones I’ve come across on social media and some are from my own personal experience and research. These tips don’t necessary apply to novel writing just really for any kind of creative writing such as: comics, fan fictions, essays, scripts, etc…

Tip #1 Reward Yourself

 Working is a lot easier when you know there is something to gain from all that work. Whatever that may be. If you are someone who has an income and at least 20-100 dollars they can set aside. Pay yourself to write, for as many amount of pages, words, or scenes you write, pay yourself and use the money to buy yourself whatever it is your heart desires. And for those of you who don’t make much money instead- reward yourself with something you love to do. Maybe it’s playing video games for the rest of the day, or watching a YouTube video, or even taking a nap or just some time to yourself. Personally, I have a piggy bank that I put all spare money into and for every page I write at the end of the month I get that money. So if I write 15 pages in the whole month I’ve got 15 dollars to buy whatever it is I want, maybe more pencils or snacks!

Tip #2 Hold Yourself Accountable: 

If you are someone who gets embarrassed easily or who has a lot of guilt find a family member or friend who can make sure you are writing. For example: If you let them know your word goal everyday is 100 words have them ask you about it and be honest with both them and yourself. Heck, a friend on the Internet or posting on your favorite social media platform your success or failure can go along way to make sure you stick to your goals. I tend to post how many words I write in a day on Twitter. My followers tend to congratulate me on my success and I like to have that positive reaction daily so I stick to meeting my goals.

Tip #3 Writing is Practice:

 If you’re are scared that your writing is bad I can tell you first hand that not writing or being scared to write something bad is the worst thing you can do if you are fearful of sucking because you’re going to at least for a little while but the best part about humans is that if we were to do any one thing for days upon days we will inevitably get better at it. So if you write constantly than you are 100% guaranteed to get good. I have an old fan fiction that's been left on the Internet for years and I constantly go back to it to see my massive improvement and it excites me to think that I will continue to get even better.

Tip #4 Track Your Progress:

If you follow me on Twitter than you already know that I have a planner that has stickers for every 500 words I write in a day. I originally got this idea from Alexa Donne’s sticker method here on YouTube and have altered it slightly to fit my personal writing journey. I really like putting more stickers in my planner and it fulfills the child in me to see visually how much I’m achieving as well as I will purposely write more if I am close to receiving another sticker. Tally marks, or a spreadsheet on excel can also do wonders or anything that allows you to visually see your progress.

Tip #5 Set Low Low Word Counts: 

On days that I feel shitty I usually only expect me to hit 250 words because I know on my worst day I can achieve that- Also if I hit 250 I am only halfway to my regular word count of 500 so I strongly advise setting something stupidly achieve able. 20 words? 50 words? You can write that! So do that and when you've got the hang of it build it up. Just understand that the smaller the word count the longer it'll take to write it.

Tip #6 Writing Sprints: 

Writing Sprints are probably the only thing on this list I don’t practice mainly because time limits stress me out and I tend to work quickly anyway. However if you need that extra push or have very limited time to get some writing done than I encourage a writing sprint. 10 minutes to write 300 words? Or 20 minutes to write as much as you can. It prevents that critical side of you from coming out because like sonic you gotta go fast.

Tip #7 You’re Not Writing A Book:

 Now for my aspiring authors like myself understand that you, especially if you are on your rough draft, are a long way from publication and that's drafting is just putting words on paper, bad words, good words, little notes of incoherent babble. It’s a mess and you are the only person who will ever have to see it. It’s a story and it’s like telling one verbally you are just trying to convey the general message it’s sloppy and you’re mumbling and stumbling and repeating and backtracking. But as long there is a complete story no matter how sucky it’s still complete.

Tip #8 Quantity is 10x’s Better Than Quality: 

To add on to last point I suggest in prewriting and drafting to just put whatever the fuck comes to mind down. Especially in the prewriting phase when you are brainstorming and outlining just fit as many wild ideas as possible because in those times where nothing seems to be coming that will be your saving grace every single time. Because having too many ideas is better than none. When I was brainstorming I sat with my boyfriend when he was playing games and generated all kinds of ludicrous ideas but also came across a lot of awesome and happy accidents. You have to be brave and just dump whatever out and save it for later and dig through the trash.

Tip #9 Give Your Book Some Essence: 

Your book has a certain feel that only you know this comes from playlists for scenes, characters, and plot- you've got aesthetic boards for your characters, maybe you have vines that remind you of your characters. Find those things and jot them down, put them in a folder or document and hold them close. I have Pinterest boards for my characters and settings. I’ve got playlists, and these things fuel my writing and creativity. I understand my book and I am reminded that no one can write it like me.

Tip #10 Nothing is Set In Stone: 

Unless you are carving your book in a stone tablet or writing your book across the walls in sharpie than you can always go back, you can always fix and delete. We often rewrite from paper or go back into our word documents and mix things around. Write shit until you have the courage to fix it.

Tip #11 Write With A Person/Person(s) In Mind:

Writing for an audience is hard to envision for me, so instead I write for a person or a couple people in mind. Which falls in line with my writing, I’ve always written for people whether it be classmates, friends, or people on the Internet and soon when I write a book for everyone to read. Writing for me has always been about writing for others and getting through drafting and writing in general is trying to get reactions, laughs, and smiles out of my readers. If you write for someone who loves you then you will always feel comfort in pleasing them and that no matter what you write it doesn’t matter what others think because they will love it regardless. I often write for my boyfriend, mother, brother, and my best friend. The four people who are close to me and are guaranteed to enjoy my writing and I can guarantee that you too, have someone that will love what you write and you’ll want to please them.

Tip #12 Write For Children/ Write Silly:

If you feel like you have to write a story that needs to have complex prose and have subtleties and be nuanced which is nice and all but if you are struggling it’s okay to just write like you are writing for a young one, someone old enough to read but young enough to understand basic storytelling. And if writing once upon a time puts you in the mood to write more than all power to it. You can always delete that once upon a crap later. Just tell us the story. Hell I use to do this kind of stuff with outlining which was fucking hard for me at first when I was a hardcore pantser sometimes I would write really silly. For example, Henry eats food, and he falls dead, the village knows the food is bad, food is suspicious, main character Zora will find it out, it’s the storm the storm has ruined the food. Oh no! This is just a simple way for me to get many thoughts down and to easily expand and not feel like I need to write something perfect.

Tip #13 Write Dialogue First and Finish The Rest Later: 

It’s pretty self explanatory but you need to just get dialogue done first. When I wrote Dragon Age fan fiction this is when I first used this. It was a sure fire way for me to get words on paper because Dragon Age’s dialogue is a big part of the dragon age experience if you aren’t already aware. I usually get distracted by dialogue tags and description and slows me down significantly so write all the dialogue and figure the other stuff later.

Tip #14 Surround Yourself With Positivity: 

If you’ve got friends and family who support you like I am lucky enough to have people who support me, even if you don’t have people in your everyday life who support you then it’s a good idea to join a writing community whether it be on discord, Instagram, Twitter, whatever find your writer friends and hold them close because having some friends to cheer you on, support you, and fall back on does all the good.

Tip #15 Character and Setting Visual Stimuli: 

Because I am horrible with description of people and setting I found that have pictures of my characters and settings is the easiest way to describe when I can see it somewhere other than in my head. I strongly suggest utilizing this because you also add on your own little things if the picture doesn’t fit entirely.

[dearinheadlights-archived]

i woke up before it felt like i’d gotten any sleep. six thirty in the morning.

honestly, it’s a habit to check when i awaken to see if you’ve written anything. a silly routine: why should you be the first thing in my mind when i wake up? i do it, still.

graced with two entries by you today. similar ones, about nostalgia and fantasy and wistfulness for the past or future. i can certainly understand that. i’m not happy with where i am right now or who i’ve been either. and i absolutely understand the feeling of wanting to just… run away. i have a pinterest board and a playlist dedicated to moving to DC and living out my life there.

i’m not sure what you mean by a “redo.” because, no: you cannot redo do anything, that’s true. but you still can make things better. and, no, it’s not easy. people have these ideas of you now based on how you acted, and they aren’t untrue: you haven’t fully changed yet, and you aren’t magically going to change overnight, just like you’ve said before. but everyone accepts that, too. and everyone who cares about you wants you to move forward. they want you to start making better decisions. not only that, but we’re all here to help you move forward. you don’t have to do it on your own. if you’re struggling with something, it’s okay to ask for advice or help. that can be hard for anyone, but this is just a reminder that getting help with your growth process is absolutely encouraged.

of course your past isn’t changing. that’s… kind of the whole point: no one’s does. and looking in the mirror and “telling yourself how shitty you are” doesn’t help either, you’re right. but saying “hey, i accept that i made a mistake, and i hold myself accountable for that, but i’m ready to be better,” is a better statement, i think?

anyways, that’s my thoughts on that. but also… i’m not sure what this means in regards to us. it kind of sounds like you’re giving up. i… don’t know what i want with us, in august. i don’t think you know either. but i know i have feelings for you still, as has been abundantly clear. and, when you texted me that day, i you were insistent that you were going to keep trying because you knew you had messed up and because you were “hurting without me.” you said you were “going to do everything you can.” i really liked that side of you. he was passionate about his relationship with someone, and expressing his feelings. and i know i’m harsh on you sometimes in these posts. i’m trying to be better about that. it’s just hard: fully processing the pain from what happened, especially while i still care for you. but you and i both already know what you did, so there’s no use in bringing it up over and over. there’s no use in me being the mirror that tells you over and over how shitty you are while i’m also preaching that you shouldn’t do that to yourself: it’s hypocritical, and i know that, and i’m working on it. on processing what happened, with my therapist, and on my own time, and just… on being okay. i’m far from being a perfect person too, and i’m working on myself as well. but, i was hoping that that’s what august would be, when i get there: finally seeing, in person, how much we’ve grown. even if we still have growing to do, because everyone does. i just… i want to be able to be there for you and to support you when i get there, but i can only do that if i’m not worried about getting close to you; i can only do that once i see it’s safe to bring down the wall that we have up right now. then, that’s when we start over. no more judgement from what you did before, because i will have processed it, and you will have worked on it. it’s not forgotten, but it’s not needed to be brought up or consciously thought about anymore. it’s simply in the past, where it stays. that’s our start-over, before we really can escape this city.

i dunno. i’d like to try, once we decide it’s time to do so. i know you’ve thought about it too, like with the WNRS game. on the days you weren’t writing anything, i re-read that little blurb a lot. it’s very sweet. thoughts like that give me hope.

[phoenixfeatherquillwriting]

Hey!! I've been in a bit of a rut with my story... I'm very good at romance drama stuff but that's not what I want, and I'm good at slice of life but this is fantasy, and I know what I want it to be but how do I get there :(

Hi there friend! I’m gonna see what I can do here, but I’m a little confused on some parts of the ask, so if I miss the mark on something, please write back and let me know!

First off it’s really good that you know your strengths! That takes a long time to learn, so congratulations! The good news is, there’s no reason you can’t work portions of romance, drama, and/or slice of life into your fantasy! Most books, especially YA, occupy a sort of intersection of genres thanks to subplots and such, so please don’t think you have to completely scrap what you’re comfortable writing in order to make a fantasy. To be honest, I would LOVE to write a slice of life fantasy story because I love worldbuilding and visiting places different than our own world, and slice of life would be an awesome way to explore that!

Here’s a little list of things I do when I feel like I’m in a rut:*Some people love outlining and some people hate it, so you do what works for you on that front. But keep in mind that there’s lots of ways to brainstorm, so even if you’ve tried one way before, there’s other stuff to try.*WORLDBUILDING. Like I mentioned before, I feel like worldbuilding is a super important part of fantasy, particularly when you’re dealing with magical powers, fantastic creatures, etc. Lots of blogs have basic worldbuilding templates you can follow, or you can just pick an aspect and go from there. For example, I personally ended up making like 2 or 3 PowerPoints in order to sort out my magic system, and I have a basic document of language building, and a basic map.*Maybe you’re stuck because you don’t know your characters well! I love character creation templates. Look for some, and see how your character answers or reacts!*Do something kind of writer related, but not exactly (plotting is my downfall and can feel really stressful.) Make a Pinterest board, aesthetic, moodboard, playlist, etc. for your characters! Draw them, or find a faceclaim! Scroll through writerblr for some prompts or ask memes.*If there’s a part you’re excited about writing, DON’T WAIT! Skip ahead and do it! It’ll be fun and you’ll feel really proud at having something done!*If you have writer friends, chat with them!*Don’t be afraid to just throw your character into random situations, even if they don’t have anything to do with your story. It’ll give you a good baseline for how they handle certain situations, feelings, etc. Or if you want, throw them into a universe you’re already comfortable with to take some pressure off! Want to write a Hogwarts AU with your characters? There’s absolutely zero reason you can’t do that.*Reread or rewatch some of your favorite fantasy stories. What do you like about them? Is there any way you can incorporate that? What are you SO MAD at the author for doing? Fix it in your own story! *Give yourself permission to just be silly and have fun! Not everything is going to be deep and meaningful or be polished, glowing prose.

Keep up the good work! I’m proud of you for sticking with it and trying something new!

[fic-pickyourpoison]

Okay I have listened to the whole thing and let me tell you: I love it!!! It really has make my day ♡ My week! Some of the songs have me smacking my forehead because of how silly I am to have forgotten it! I’m definitely going to sneak a few of these onto my playlist 👀

I do have a playlist. I don’t think I have shared it, though. A lot of my side/aesthetic stuff like playlists, art, pinterest boards, etc I’ve been keeping hidden because I’m worried about spoilers! I might share the playlist though, cause I don’t think it’s super spoilery, though there might be a few head-scratch songs.

Also War Pigs by Black Sabbath was totally what came to mind when reading your most recent chapter 

Black Sabbath is definitely a good choice for the chapter, haha! Personally, while I was writing, I was listening to Counting Bodies Like Sheep To the Rhythm of the War Drums and I Am a Poor Wayfaring Stranger! 

Here’s a playlist for you I made for your fanfic. It's kind of a thing I do for fanfics I enjoy. Hope you like the songs I picked. Probably add more later. If the link doesnt work just search up Pick Your Poison by STOP on spotify.

@fic-pickyourpoison

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3IoyNNnx9sfqRKySOSjivm?si=qHnvs28ASAafWsTrMha8aQ