#creative writing hacks

[thatsbelievable]

[pennavnprojects]

Verbs, Verbs, Verbs

Recently, during feedback in my writing group, I got a compliment on my choice of verbs. I thanked the person who gave me the compliment, explaining that I spend a lot of time deciding which verbs I use. Later, it got me thinking about my own writing style. I realized I started selecting specific verbs to overcome my bad habit of using adverbs. Seriously. He walked leisurely -> He ambled She quickly jumped -> She leaped He looked attentively -> He stared She sat listlessly -> She slumped

Taking a few extra seconds to find the right verb has been a game-changer for my writing. If you're like me, and tend to overuse adverbs, definitely try this!

[sskybooks]

Your character has been kidnapped...

The chains on your wrists rattle as you move. Your butt is starting to hurt from the chair you're sitting on. A double mirror is on one side of the wall. You stare at the reflection. You're disheveled, but you're fine. The door opens, and someone in a black cloak walks into the room. His face is hidden by a mask. It is completely white and shows no facial features. He sits down across from you, his arms clasped in front of him.

“Now, let us begin.”

His voice is human-sounding, so you cross "unknown beast from beyond" off your list. He lifts a stack of papers and sets them on the desk. You can’t see what is written there.

“Who are you?” you ask.

“I am part of the story police. I’m going to ask you some questions. Answer them to the best of your ability.”

“Why? What do you want?”

“Simply what’s best for the author.”

“Author? What author?”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s start.”

(This is a character interview. You sit down with your character in your head and talk to them. This is a good tactic to flesh out your characters. The scenario was just to give your character context. You can use it or not. Enjoy)

Part one: The basics

What is your name?

What three words best describe your personality?

How old are you now?

When were you born?

Do you have a lifelong dream or aspiration?

What is your state of mind usually?

Where do you call home now?

To what social class do you belong?

What do you tend to do that other people find strange? 

What are your quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?

Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they and how do you plan to get rid of them?

Do you have a lifelong dream or aspiration?

Part Two: Family

How close are you to your family?

Do you have a spouse or significant other? Describe them.

Have you started your own family? Describe them if you do. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?

Who was your Father and what was he like?

Who was your Mother and what was she like?

Who are you closest to in your family?

Is there someone in your family you wish you were closer to?

What was your parent’s marriage like?

Did they remain married? If not, how did that affect you? When did they split?

Part Three: Friends and Relationships with Others

In general, how do you treat other people that you have just met?

Does your treatment of people change depending on how well you know them and if so how?

Who is the most important person in your life and why?

Who is the person you respect the most and why?

Who are your friends? Describe them.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who and why?

If you died or went missing, who would miss you?

Who is the person you despise the most, and why?

Do you tend to argue with people or avoid conflict?

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?

Do you care what others think of you?

What is the most important quality you look for in a friend?

What do you most value in your friends?

Part Four: Growing Up (Childhood)

Where were you born?

Where did you grow up?

How would you describe your childhood in general?

What is your earliest memory?

What is your fondest childhood memory?

What is your worst childhood memory?

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, what were your favorite activities?

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?

Part Five: Growing Up (Teen/Young Adult)

How much schooling have you had?

Did you enjoy school?

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?

While growing up, did you have any role models other than your parents? Describe them.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?

How old were you when you went on your first date? Describe the date.

What is your favorite memory from your teen years?

What is your worst memory from your teen years?

When and with whom was your first kiss?

Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

Part Six: Past Influences

What do you consider the most important even of your life so far?

Who has had the most influence on you?

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

What is your greatest regret?

What is the most evil thing you have ever done?

Do you have a criminal record of any kind?

When was the time you were the most frightened?

What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?

What is your best memory?

What is your worst memory?

When and where were you the happiest?

Part Seven: Beliefs and Opinions

Are you optimistic or pessimistic?

What is your greatest fear?

Have you told any one your fear before?

Who would be the one person you’d never tell your fear?

Are you able to kill?

Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?

Do you believe in the existence of soul males and/or true love?

What do you believe makes a successful life?

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings? (Meaning do you hide your true self from others and in what way?)

Do you have any biases or prejudices?

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why?

Who or what, if anything, would you die for? (or go to extremes for?)

What is your best feature, in your opinion?

What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any types that people should never do? Why or why not?

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Part Seven: Religen/politics.

What are your religious views?

what religion are you apart of?

What are your beliefs?

what will you not do as part of your religion?

What are daily/weekly practices do you do?

What holidays do you celebrate?

Why do you follow your particular religion?

Are you aware of the origins of your religion?

Do you ever disagree with the teachings?

Do you ever have a crisis of faith?

Do you trust priests or religious leaders?

Why do you think religions were created

Do you believe in an afterlife punishment/reward?

Do you know much about religious history?

Are you ever sceptical of holy fables/stories?

Do you think you can be manipulated by religion?

Do you ever dislike non-believers of your faith?

what commands from a religious leader would you not obay?

What are your political views?

What life experiences have you had that have led you to feel so passionately about this issue?

Where do your beliefs come from? Family? Church? Work?

What do you think your beliefs might be if you had been born into a different family, religion, race, gender, class, or time?

What is at the heart of this issue, for you as an individual?

Why do you care so much about this issue?

Do you see any gray areas in the issue we are discussing, or ideas you find it difficult to define?

Do you have any mixed feelings, doubts, uncertainties, or discomforts regarding this issue that you would be willing to share?

Is there any part of this issue that you are not 100% certain of or would be willing to discuss and talk about?

Do you think other definitions, meanings, experiences, or emotions are possible? How?

What underlying values or ethical beliefs have led you to your current political beliefs?

Part Eight: Likes and Dislikes

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?

What is your most treasured possession?

What is your favorite color? Why?

What is your least favorite color? Why?

What is your favorite food? Why?

What is your least favorite food? Why?

What is your favorite sound? Why?

What is your least favorite sound? Why?

What is your favorite smell/scent? Why?

What is your least favorite smell/scent? Why?

What, if anything, do you like to entertain your self with? Books or movies? Why?

What makes you mad?

What makes you furious?

What makes you laugh?

What makes you laugh out loud, hysterically?

What makes you cry?

What makes you cry, hysterically?

What shocks or offends you?

How do you deal with stress?

Are you spontaneous or do you always need to have a plan? Why?

What are your pet peeves?

Where do you go when you’re angry or depressed?

What do you do when you are sad? Why?

What do you do when you are angry? Why?

What do you do when you are happy? Why?

What do you do when you are scared? Why?

What do you do when you’re bored?

What type of music do you like? Favorite bands or musicians?

What annoys you more than anything else?

What kind of weather is your least favorite? Why?

What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?

What is the most awful thing you have ever seen?

What sorts of things embarrass you?

Part Nine: Self Image

Describe a normal day for you.

How do you feel when your routine is disrupted?

What is your greatest strength as a person?

What is your greatest weakness?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Are you generally introverted or extroverted?

Are you generally organized or messy?

Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at.

Name three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.

What are your reasons for being an adventurer or heroic? Are your real reasons different than the ones you tell other people in public? If so, detail both reasons.

What three words best describe your personality?

What three words would others probably use to describe you?

What about you is heroic?

Are you a better lead or follower? Why?

What is your responsibility to the world? Why?

What do you like about yourself?

What don’t you like about yourself?

How do you picture yourself?

Part Ten: Occupation & Finance

What is your occupation? (If you don’t have one, where does your money come from?)

Do you like your job?

What is your boss/employer like?

What are your co-workers like?

Do you get along with your co-workers?

Which co-workers don’t you get along with and why?

What is something you had to learn that you hated?

Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?

If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money, what would you do with it?

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If yes, why? Do you want to quit?

Do you drink on a regular basis?

Have you ever tried any kind of “mood altering” substance? Which ones? Describe the experience.

Part 11: Love

Have you ever been in love? What happened?

Have you ever had your heart broken?

Do you currently have a lover? Describe them, what you are attracted to, and what the relationship is like.

What is the perfect romantic date?

Describe your perfect partner.

Do you ever want to get married? When do you see this happening?

Do you want children? Why or why not?

What was your most recent romantic relationship like? Who was it with?

What’s the worst thing you’ve done to someone you love?

Part twelve: Morality

What one act in your past are you most ashamed of?

What one act in your past are you most proud of?

Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?

What do you feel most strongly about?

What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?

What trait do you find most admirable and how often do you find it?

Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or arts? (i.e., sex, violence, etc). What and why or why not?

Do you think the future is hopeful? Why or why not?

Do you think redemption is possible? Why or why not?

Is there something you think is absolutely unforgivable? What is it?

Is it okay for men to cry?

Is it okay for you to cry?

What do you think is wrong with most people, overall?

What is the worst thing you could ever do to someone you hated?

Do you have feelings that disturb you? What and why?

On what occasions do you lie?

Do you think it is okay to lie?

Part thrteen: Talents/Superpowers

Tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities.

What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool or have you been screwed?

Do you have a mentor? Describe them and how you became their student.

Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them?

Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. Describe the experience.

What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?

What is something you had to learn during your training that you loved? Why did you love it?

Part fourteen: Future

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?

If you could, what advice would you, the hero, give to the villain? Or If you could, why would you, the villain want the hero to be at your side or part of your team?

If your house burned down, what one thing would you want to save?

What is a nightmare (during sleep) that you have often?

What is a daydream that you have often?

What is your motto?

Part fifteen: Chariter arc

If you could go back to any point in history and change something, what would it be?

What is the absolute worst thing that could happen to you at this point in the story?

What is the best thing that could happen at this point in the story?

Everybody’s hiding something—a fear, a weakness, a strength, an unpopular opinion. What are you hiding right now?

[angelsdean]

I need people to understand how S&P (standards and practices) works in television and how much influence they have over what gets to stay IN an episode of a show and how the big time network execs are the ones holding the purse strings and making final decisions on a show's content, not the writers / showrunners / creatives involved.

So many creators have shared S&P notes over the years of the wild and nonsensical things networks wanted them to omit / change / forbid. Most famously on tumblr, I've seen it so many times, is the notes from Gravity Falls. But here's a post compiling a bunch of particularly bad ones from various networks too. Do you see the things they're asking to be changed / cut ?

Now imagine, anything you want to get into your show and actually air has to get through S&P and the network execs. A lot of creators have had to resort to underhanded methods. A lot of creators have had to relegate things to subtext and innuendo and scenes that are "open to interpretation" instead of explicit in meaning. Things have had to be coded and symbolized. And they're relying on their audience to be good readers, good at media literacy, to notice and get it. This stuff isn't the ramblings of conspiracy theorists, it's the true practices creatives have had to use to be able to tell diverse stories for ages. The Hays Code is pretty well known, it exists because of censorship. It was a way to symbolize certain things and get past censors.

Queercoding, in particular, has been used for ages in both visual media and literature do signal to queer audiences that yes, this character is one of us, but no, we can't be explicit about it because TPTB won't allow it. It's a wink-wink, nudge-nudge to those in the know. It's the deliberate use of certain queer imagery / clothing / mannerisms / phrases / references to other queer media / subtle glances and lingering touches. Things that offer plausible deniability and can be explained away or go unnoticed by straight audiences to get past those network censors. But that queer viewers WILL (hopefully) pick up on.

Because, unfortunately, still to this day, a lot of antiquated network execs don't think queer narratives are profitable. They don't think they'll appeal to general audiences, because that's what matters, whatever appeals to most of the audience demographic so they can keep watching and keep making the network more money. The networks don't care about telling good stories! Most of them are old white cishet business men, not creatives. They don't care about character arcs and what will make fans happy. They don't care about storytelling. What they care about is profit and they're basing their ideas of what's profitable on what they believe is the predominate target demographic, usually white cis heterosexual audiences.

So, imagine a show that started airing in the early 2000s. Imagine a show where the two main characters are based on two characters from a famous Beat Generation novel, where one of the characters is queer! based on a real like bisexual man! The creator is aware of this, most definitely. And sure, it's 2005, there's no way they were thinking of making that explicit about Dean in the text because it just wouldn't fly back then to have a main character be queer. But! it's made subtext. And there are nods to that queerness placed in the text. Things that are open to interpretation. Things that are drenched in metaphor (looking at you 1x06 Skin "I know I'm a freak" "maybe this thing was born human but was different...hated. Until he learned to become someone else.") Things that are blink-and-you-miss-it and left to plausible deniability (things like seemingly spending an hour in the men's bathroom, or always reacting a little vulnerable and awkward when you're clocked instead of laughing it off and making a homophobic joke abt it)

And then, years later there's a ship! It's popular and at first the writers aren't really seriously thinking about it but they'll throw the fans a bone here and there. Then, some writers do get on the destiel train and start actively writing scenes for them that are suggestive. And only a fraction of what they write actually makes it into the text. So many lines left on the cutting room floor: i love past you. i forgive you i love you. i lost cas and it damn near broke me. spread cas's ashes alone. of course i wanted you to stay. if cas were here. -- etc. Everything cut was not cut by the writers! Why would a writer write something to then sabotage their own story and cut it? No, these are things that didn't make it past the network. Somewhere a note was made maybe "too gay" or "don't feed the shippers" or simply "no destiel."

So, "no destiel." That's pretty clearly the message we got from the CW for years. "No destiel. Destiel will alienate our general audience. Two of our main characters being queer? And in a relationship? No way." So what can the pro-destiel creatives involved do, if the network is saying no? What can the writers do if most of their explicit destiel (or queer dean) lines / moments are getting cut? Relegate things to subtext. Make jokes that straight people can wave off but queer people can read into. Make costuming and set design choices that the hardcore fans who are already looking will notice while the general audience and the out-of-touch network execs won't blink and eye at (I'm looking at you Jerry and your lamps and disappearing second nightstands and your gay flamingo bar!)

And then, when the audience asks, "is destiel real? is this proof of destiel?" what can the creatives do but deny? Yes, it hurts, to be told "No no I don't know what you're talking about. There's no destiel in supernatural" a la "there is no war in Ba Sing Se" but! if the network said "no destiel!" and you and your creative team have been working to keep putting destiel in the subtext of the narrative in a way that will get past censors, you can't just go "Yes, actually, all that subtext and symbolism you're picking up, yea it's because destiel is actually in the narrative."

But, there's a BIG difference between actively putting queer themes and subtext into the narrative and then saying it's not there (but it is! and the audience sees it!) versus NOT putting any queer content into the text but SAYING it is there to entice queer fans to continue watching. The latter, is textbook queerbaiting. The former? Is not. The former is the tactics so many creatives have had to use for years, decades, centuries, to get past censorship and signal to those in the know that yea, characters like you are here, they exist in this story.

Were the spn writers perfect? No, absolutely not. And I don't think every instance of queer content was a secret signal. Some stuff, depending on the writer, might've been a period-typical gay joke. These writers are flawed. But it's no secret that there were pro-destiel writers in the writing room throughout the years, and that efforts were made to make it explicitly canon (the market research!)

So no, the writers weren't ever perfect or a homogeneous entity. But they definitely were fighting an uphill battle constantly for 15 yrs against S&P and network execs with antiquated ideas of what's profitable / appealing.

Spn even called out the networks before, on the show, using a silly example of complaints abt the lighting of the show and how dark the early seasons were. Brightening the later seasons wasn't a creative choice, but a network choice. And if the networks can complain abt and change something as trivial as the lighting of a show, they definitely are having a hand in influencing the content of the show, especially queer content.

Even in s15, (seasons fifteen!!!) Misha has said he worried Castiel's confession would not air. In 2020!!! And Jensen recorded that scene on his personal phone! Why? Sure, for the memories. But also, I do not doubt for a second that part of it was for insurance, should the scene mysteriously disappear completely. We've seen the finale script. We've seen the omitted omitted omitted scenes. We all saw how they hacked the confession scene to bits. The weird cuts and close-ups. That's not the writers doing. That's likely not even the editors (willingly). That's orders from on high. All of the fuckery we saw in s15 reeks of network interference. Writers are not trying to sabotage their own stories, believe me.

Anyways, TLDR: Networks have a lot more power than many think and they get final say in what makes it to air. And for years creative teams have had to find ways to get past network censorship if they want "banned" or "unapproved" "unprofitable" "unwanted" content to make it into the show. That means relying on techniques like symbolism, subtext, and queercoding, and then shutting up about it. Denying its there, saying it's all "open to interpretation" all while they continue to put that open to interpretation content into the show. And that's not queerbaiting, as frustrating as it might be for queer audiences to be told that what they're seeing isn't there, it's still not queerbaiting. Queerbaiting is a marketing technique to draw in queer fans by baiting them with the promise of queer content and then having no queer content in said media. But if you are picking up on queer themes / subtext / symbolism / coding that is in front of your face IN the text, that's not queerbaiting. It's there, covertly, for you, because someone higher up didn't want it to be there explicitly or at all.

[etherealtidesandneonshadows]

Tips for writing with mental illness:

Pinterest is a legitimate way to become inspired or to research your story. One of my WIPs is partially from finding aesthetics I wanted to write about.

Bullet points and even asking yourself questions in the document is fine. Ex: "Do I want X to climb up the cliff or try to go get help?"

Writing anything, even if it's not related to your WIP, is fine. It's momentum.

Creating playlists is also a good source of inspiration and brainstorming. A lot of plot points from my current WIP were brainstormed during songs that inspired my creative juices.

[ladycatastrophe7]

Prompts for Structural Edit (how to make a good story into a great story)

Is this Scene Interesting? Is it interesting enough to work as a first chapter (if not, why? How can you make the scene more interesting/stronger? 

Am I clear on what emotion I’m trying to communicate through this scene? 

Is the emotion dynamic (Does the emotion change from beginning to end? Is there contrast and change in the scene?) 

Does every paragraph have a clear hook (reason to keep reading, future expectation or unresolved conflict)?

Does every character have an internal conflict (fear versus desire)?

How can you make what’s happening matter more to your character based on their internal conflict? (rejection will hurt more if they are motivated by validation, and connection will feel sweeter if the character fears loneliness)

What is the goal of every character in this scene? How are they trying to achieve this goal? 

Could I replace any character in this scene without changing the outcome/tone of the scene? If so, How can you make the characters more distinct? How can you make decisions that are unique to your character? 

Does your scene involve a decision based on the character's internal conflict that sets up future scenes?

Does the scene have a strong ambience? 

Are you correctly using the “show, don’t tell” principle?

Do you have smooth pacing that fits the tone of the scene/story?

Any other prompts?

Link to Blog: https://www.society-of-heartsiders.com/

[stellorao3]

my writing ability drastically increased when i started zooming out my google documents to 90%

[mangocatofficial]

Does anyone know of good platforms to post their fanfic? I'm already using Wattpad and Ao3, but I'd also like to broaden my audience and have my story reach as many people as I can. What other popular fanfic sites do people use? Also marketing ideas as well. I try to post on Tumblr frequently to advertise or announce new chapters but they don't get much attention. any tips?

[bibliophilesince2003]

Strong Female Characters

Too many times I pick up a new book to read, but I am immediately met with the female protagonist whose personality is "toughness" and/or "meanness." The equivalent is making a "bad boy" character and calling it a personality. Male or female author, anyone could fall victim to this trap.

Skills and tropes are not personality.

Sure, it's easy to mold a character to snap at everyone in an arrogant manner at every dialogue opportunity and call it a day, but the character remains shallow. Especially for your main character, you should have multiple "words" to describe them. This will bring ease to your writing, too.

For example, for one character of mine... I've put down 18 personality traits in her character chart, and I could likely put down more if given enough time.

When I'm met with a "tough" female protagonist, I'm always expecting more details. What sort of people or what kind of environment makes her stiffen, and - this is as equally as important - what sort of people or what kind of environment makes her relaxed? Being "tough" is more about mood than personality, because surroundings could easily change it.

Is she driven or shy? Is she humorous or serious? Is she observant or a free spirit? Is she clumsy or graceful? Is she friendly or cautious?

Notice how I said "or" and separated the two extremes. You cannot have clumsy and graceful... you must pick one side of the spectrum. A person will naturally lean one way or the other.

Some people make the mistake of choosing the other "extreme" to create weaknesses. "She's driven, but she's shy." Being shy is not a weakness... some people are naturally this way, and there are benefits to being shy.

Find weaknesses within the "extreme" you've chosen.

For example, if one is driven... the weakness is impulsiveness. She may get in trouble, or trouble will find her. Being over-zealous is fine... in doses. Let your character make those mistakes to better represent their personality.

If you're struggling, observe the people in your life. Personality will shine through how a person acts, treats others, talks, etc.

Here's what I do... write down multiple personality traits, decide how extroverted/introverted he/she is, and settle on a single word that wraps up his/her whole character, or most of it, to help refer to something simple during the writing process.

And no, that "single word" better not be a skill or trope.

I want complicated female protagonists again, ones that are more than just mood swings or their environment.

[thejournallo]

Life hack: Write

Writing can literally be your saver when it comes to everything. 

I had a bad day, and I have no one to vent it to; Write it.  I hate this person, and I don't really like how they act; Write it. I feel loved and confident; Write it.  want to be a better version of yourself; Write it.

We are literally people capable of endless imaginations; writing about our feelings, thoughts, and projects makes it real, makes it true, and helps us visualize and get into detail. 

We have to write everything down to be able to actually process it most of the time.  When we feel bad or good, our body and mind need to process it in many different ways, and most of the time, writing is a great way to let go and feel it at the same time.

[thatsbelievable]

[llamawrites]

Writing Hack

If you are you bad at writing descriptions, use a reference photo. It helps me visualize more if I have a picture of the setting or thing.

Also, If it works for an artist, then it works for a writer

[bookshelf-in-progress]

My most annoying writing habits:

Thinking that every new idea needs a new story to feature it, instead of folding several ideas into one more detailed story

Wanting to write a story with more detailed characters and worldbuilding than usual, and trying to build a new story that lets me do that, instead of, you know, fleshing out the characters and world for story ideas I already have.

[rynrising44]

Some fanfiction tips and tricks:

Hi hello how are you- I've been writing a lot of fanfiction recently (shocker) and wanted to make a little list of helpful tips when it comes to formatting and getting thoughts in order. I still fall prey to many of these errors and see a lot of them out there on AO3, which stifles a good chunk of fics that readers, especially English only speakers, ultimately lose interest in/are unfamiliar with.

NOT HARD AND FAST RULES. Just what I've noticed throughout my process.

English speakers/ writers use quotation marks in their writing. They look like this: "I can't believe you've done this!" she screamed. Using << I can't believe you've done this! >> she screamed, OR 'I can't believe you've done this!' she screamed when writing in English are foreign to most readers. If you're having trouble reaching audiences and are using one of the two formats above, it's probably because of the way your dialogue is written. NOTE: if you are writing in another language which uses <<>> or '' keep using those formats. This only applies if you're writing in one language but keeping the structure of another.

You don't have to say, 'he said,' or 'she said,' after every line of spoken dialogue. Have fun with it and go back and forth! Here is an example in present tense:

"You're about to get sacked after being shot by Russian sleeper agents and stealing a helicopter," he says with bad taste. "How does that make you feel?"

"Getting shot? Or getting fired?" Mackey asks.

"Getting shot and then getting fired."

"Seriously?"

"Just... taking the piss, alright?"

Mackey doesn't bother replying.

Epithets are not your friend. Do not use them. Get in the heads of your characters! Would the wife of your main character refer to him as 'the taller man' or 'the blonde?' NO! We refer to others by their name, nicknames, and pet phrases (don't overuse the pet names though).

Read books! The best way to learn how to write is to read. This will really help you understand the way sentences flow and how to end/begin sentences.

The quotations go outside the period. "Like this."

Pick a tense and stay with it. Don't go back and forth between 'said, went, replied,' and 'says, goes, replies.' This is a mistake I see people do a lot, especially when first starting out.

When tagging your fics, don't use tags like "Bad at tagging" or "This is garbage I don't know what I'm doing." That is YOUR WORK. Your fic is yours and you should be proud of it. If you don't stand by your creativity and ideas, then why should anyone else?

One shot collections should be in a series. NOT in a multi-chaptered fic. Unless they are complete, in the same universe, and follow a timeline, try to post them individually. That way, if someone likes one but not the other, you aren't screwing yourself over.

Use your summaries wisely. Quotes, action scenes, and eye-catching statements will draw a reader in. (Please don't say something like "Bad at tagging and summaries.")

Write what you want to read. Not what others want to read. If you love writing rare-pair F/F fanfiction with established relationships, DO THAT. (Shameless plug there.) Don't go chasing pairings and tropes that you hate just for views/kudos. The good feelings will not last, and you will pigeonhole yourself into things you don't like. (want proof. Try it out and see what happens.)

Get involved in the fandoms you write for. Comment on other author's works, especially if the fandom is small. Chances are, they will click on your fic, read it, and share it with others. Also, you can yell at one another and keyboard smash all day long.

Give each other shout outs on Tumblr.

The summary section for your fics is NOT where you put things like 'taking requests. give me a request. please comment fic recs.' Save that for Tumblr/ Twitter (rolls eyes, 'X') and Wattpad. AO3 is for stories, not algorithms. If you really feel the need, include it in your profile.

WRITE SOMETHING IN YOUR PROFILE. People love personalization. Also, you can give blanket statements about your rules on gifts, inspirational works, and other things.

Do not overtag your works if those tags do not apply. Writing 50+ tags for a 1k fic is a little head-scratching. Focus on the main ships only and the top relevant categories (and any triggers, oc). If it's a 1k fic, people will honestly just get annoyed at seeing all the space taking up their AO3 pages. (I say this with love. We all remember that one 'Untamed fic.')

Don't like. Don't read. Don't bash. Don't be cruel.

Do. Not. Hate. Fics. Publicly. On. Tiktok. Or I swear to the gods I will hunt you down and skin you alive. Save your scathing reviews for private messages and private DMs on Discord. Fanfiction is free and authors don't owe you anything. (YES! This includes drabbles. And incest. And any/all of the clerical errors I have already discussed above.)

Also, comment on older fics.

Comment on all fics, actually.

Also, read WIPs. If you want fanfiction to continue and you want longer works, support the authors that write those works. Don't be greedy and entitled by closing up your mind. If you want to read complete works only, that's your right. But you don't have to brag about it/ moan about not having anything good in your fandom of choice when you refuse to keep an open mind to like, half of the fics on there. (This is not a statement about my works, btw. I have a little group that comments/I know is aware and interested in some of my stuff. This is more for the general public.)

Kudos aren't limited. No one tracks them. Literally no one cares what you like. If you're worried or embarrassed about something you like that's between you and god only, private bookmark it. But kudos everything you like/re-read because if you don't, the author probably assumes you didn't like their work and that will make them sad.

AI is not art and you should never use it. Not even to help you come up with ideas. You're better than that, okay? And if I see/read an AI work on AO3 I will block you and mute all your works ASAP without a second thought.

There are definitely so many other things that come to mind when thinking about AO3 and writing in general, but I feel like this is a good place to stop. Again, not trying to step on any one's toes. Heaven knows I use purple prose and commas and the words 'and/ gods/ absolutely not' like they're candy. But I'm also aware that I am doing so and being aware of my habits and tendencies make all the difference.

(The writers curse does exist btw apologies in advance, but your life will probably go through changes the instant you press that 'post' button.)

[veryrealauthorthings]

[ladycatastrophe7]

Soul-Feeding activities to overcome writer’s block:

Read other books/fanfiction - look for the ”I don’t want to go to sleep this is so good” feeling

Watch movies or series that make you emotionally invested, write down the emotions that you’re feeling and ideas

Keep an idea-journal

Take inspiration from your (sleeping) dreams

Go to museums, historical places - take inspiration from real life stories and from history (respectfully)

Watch other forms of art you like and get inspired through that; dance, festivals, concerts, art galleries, photo galleries, theatre, read poetry

Get active; exercise, clear your head, do something else. Exercise is scientifically proven to boost creativity

Listen to music and daydream

Play pretend like when you were a child, play out your story and allow yourself to be silly

People-watch, make characters and stories from the people you see around you at coffeeshops, parks, outside your window or at the grocery store

Make a moodboard on pinterest

Reasearch an academic subject and imbed the knowledge into the world (psychology, history, cultural history, etc)

Snowflake Method

Visit a place that reminds you of a location in your book; write down the sensations, sounds, sights, etc while being there

Have a conversation with a stranger, see if there’s inspiration there

Link to Blog: https://www.society-of-heartsiders.com/