#fixyourwritinghabits

[ahb-writes]

I enjoy working on second drafts because it gives me an opportunity to be surgical. Fixing the bones of the story is a smart and effective strategy, particularly because the second draft always requires rewriting (as opposed to a simple revision).

But it pays to keep track of potential inconsistencies or divergences ahead of time.

You can't do everything in your first draft. You know this. So, help your future writer-self and save yourself time by: (a) leaving room for error in your first draft, and (b) documenting those errors. Acknowledging plot holes, continuity errors, and weak character dynamics won't do you any good if you don't keep track of them.

For me, the best way to reconcile first-draft problems is to take notes while I'm working on my actual first draft. I can be surgical:

Address inconsistent foreshadowing

Fill in research gaps for location/geography

Reassess plot twists that don't hit as hard as I want them to

Break down character relationships take up too much space

Reorganize character goals that are unresolved or incomplete

Explore insufficient worldbuilding for key scenes

The point is that I don't have the time or space to immediately address these problems while writing the first draft. Everyone's writing process is a little bit different. My preference is such that detailed spreadsheets and outlines allow me to separate the outside-in rewriting (structure and pacing) from the inside-out rewriting (character development, setting detail).

Hello! Thank you for every advice you give here!

This might sound like a weird ask, but I don't know how to write the second(or more) draft. I've heard some advice about rewriting and not editing, but every time I try to write the second draft, I just end up copying the first one, with very few differences.

So my question is, what is your way of writing the second draft and if you have any advice on that? I know some things that work for some don't work for others, but I just can't seem to find the right way.

Oh, second drafts. Only the most difficult writing step after drafting, followed by the most difficult step of writing the third draft.

The good news is that almost no one pulls together their story on the second draft. If your first draft is putting down the bones of the story, the second is figuring out where to lay the connective tissue. Maybe you've got too many bones, maybe you don't have enough. Maybe some of your bones are too short, or too misshapen to work. The second draft is getting that story skeleton together, knowing full well you're gonna need to fix some of those bones first.

Get yourself a plan to put that skeleton together - make an outline. I swear I'm not the sworn enemy of pantsers that i sometimes seem to be (it's professional jealousy, I swear), but if you don't have an outline, now is the time to get one. If you do, go back and revise that first. You'll want to know what you want the story to become from the pile of bones you're working from.

Not enough bones - identify what you're missing. If you're like me, sometimes while drafting you write 'figure this shit out later' and then forget to do so. Thanks for nothing, Past Me. But chances are your story needs some added scenes, more character development, etc. Identifying those missing pieces and fleshing out your outline can help you tackle a second draft.

Too many bones - figure out what needs to be cut. Not every scene is going to be worth keeping no matter how attached to them you are. If you're on the fence about a scene, consider if it serves to move the plot forward, develops the characters, or establishes important worldbuilding. If the scene meanders plotlessly, repeats character beats instead of expanding on them, or seems to suck the oxygen out of the story, you may have to rethink or remove them.

These bones don't fit - figure out what scenes are lacking. Another thing I tend to do in first drafts is sell my scenes short. I just don't think of the best outcome, the most dramatic climax, or a great setting when I'm trying to figure out what happens. In going through your novel, think about each scene carefully. Should this argument take place in a deserted library, or would it be more emotional and dramatic on a crowded train? If the villain's plot seems small, how can you make him a greater threat?

Uuuh bro that's not a human bone - revising scenes that went off the rails. If you're gearing up for NaNoWriMo yet again, you might know the feeling of writing pages of bullshit to make that wordcount. It could be good bullshit! It could be really fun! But if it sticks out like a sore thumb in the story, it may be best to set aside to figure out what to make out of it later.

You're not going to get everything right in the second draft either, so don't over-stress in trying to get your story whipped into shape. But you will be better off after giving those bones a little polish and assembling them into what could conceivably pass for a decent skeleton, one that you won't mind sharing with others to see what other work it might need. Good luck!

[writingquestionsanswered]

hiya! for writers who are complete beginners, kinda sorta maybe write at a high school level, can't describe to save their lives, have overall bad flow (as in they can't decide what little moments scenes to think up and even write, if they do, they're no good), have been told countless times to write daily and just read more but that doesn't cover the basics or foundations of creative writing, not like they can learn from a book bc they're a hands on learner anyway and p.s they're super broke so can't afford writing classes and no library near them offers free ones ---- aka me :( --- do you have any advice? lol i feel kinda doomed and that maybe writing isn't for me, but I don't wanna get my hopes down!! with the right tools, it's possible.

Free Resources for Learning How to Write

I want to start with addressing why you've been told so often "to write daily and read more" as a way to learn how to write. It's very difficult to learn and excel at a craft if you have no experience with said craft. You can read all the information in the world about how to forge a sword, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to pick up a hunk of metal and be able to forge a beautiful sword. You need to spend a lot of time watching other people forge swords, and spend a lot of time actually practicing each step yourself if you want to get good at it. Writing works the same way. Reading lets you experience what fiction should be, writing lets you practice each step for yourself.

Fortunately, there are lots of ways to read fiction for free. You can borrow books from friends, family members, and members of your community. You can check out books and e-books from your local library if you have one. You can look for Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood. There's also a lot of legally free fiction available online. Project Gutenberg, Planet E-Book, Bartleby, Literature.org, Classic Literature, Classic Short Stories, Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, Library of Short Stories, Levar Burton Reads, and sites like Kobo, Amazon, and Audible often offer freebies of both e-books and audio books.

Other free ways to learn how to write:

1 - Follow bloggers and vloggers and authors on social media who talk about the craft of writing. Some of my favorites are: Joanna Penn/The Creative Penn, K.M. Weiland, Liselle Sambury, Abbie Emmons, Hannah Lee Kidder, Brittany Wang, Alyssa Matesic, Bethany Atazadah, Lindsay Puckett, Alexa Donne, Shaelin Writes, Ellen Brock, The Writing Gals, and Sincerely, Vee.

2 - Follow writing craft blogs here on tumblr: (some suggestions) @writingwithcolor, @howtofightwrite, @heywriters, @cripplecharacters, @lgbtqwriting, @fixyourwritinghabits, @wordsnstuff, @yourbookcouldbegayer, @lizard-is-writing

3 - Watch writing craft videos on YouTube: If there's something specific you want to learn about, say, "how to structure a scene," type it into YouTube and many different videos will pop up that walk you through how to structure a scene. Just look for one that strikes you as appealing!

4 - Look for free writing resources online: many authors (especially indie authors and writing gurus/coaches like Joanna Penn, K.M. Weiland, Bethany Atazadeh, Brittany Wang, and Abbie Emmons) offer free writing resources on their web sites or by signing up for their newsletters. Often you'll see writers participating in free online writing summits/workshops which you can sign up for and either watch the videos live or via video playback that is offered for a short period of time (like 24 hours.)

5 - Do a Google Search: believe it or not, there's not a single thing you could want to learn about writing that you can't find for free on Google. If you want to learn how to improve your grammar, go to Google, type in "tips for improving grammar" and you will get a million articles that will tell you how to do just that. Want to learn how to improve your story's flow? Google "how to improve story flow" and you'll have your answer. You can even search for free worksheets, guides, and workbooks on just about anything you want. "Free character development worksheet" brought back a ton of nice looking free worksheets. "Free worldbuilding workbook" brought up several free workbooks and worksheets to help you with worldbuilding. Everything you could want to know is out there.

And, bonus: you can always read through the posts in my WQA master list to get help with a wide variety of craft and writer-related issues.

Happy learning! ♥

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[heywriters]

Hey so I am sort of new, or more like re-introducing myself after so long a way I may as well be a new person, to writing side of tumblr. Do you have an recommendations on people or tags that be cool to follow?

Yep, sure do!

@writingquestionsanswered

@fixyourwritinghabits

@keepcalmandwritefiction

@wordsnstuff

@writingwithcolor

@theliteraryarchitect

@thewritinghole

@the960writers

@bookishdiplodocus

@thewritersspotblog

@questionprompts

@writtentelepathy

@the-write-type

@elumish

@insanitysilver

@howtofightwrite

@jstor (below blogs are inactive/on hiatus but good references)

@scriptshrink

@scriptmedic

@scriptcriminaljustice

I also have a side blog to this one @hey-writers for writer promos and the occasional posted fiction or poetry. I don't update it often, but it is there if you want to peruse other writeblrs.

Followed tags are touch and go as people will "tag spam" things that aren't relevant, but check these out anyway!

#writers on tumblr

#writeblr

#writing

#creative writing

Make use of the "Latest" and "Top" categories when checking tags.

Welcome back!

[nikkilbook]

So I was talking with a mentor of mine (both of us on the autism spectrum), and he introduced me to a ChatGPT use case that I hadn’t seen talked about on my side of the internet yet. Specifically, it’s usage as an accessibility tool and “personal aide.”

For example, handing my Robot Friend a list of bullet points and having them turn it into an email I can send to my boss explaining some of my communication deficits. Could I do that myself? Probs. But sometimes it takes SO MUCH BRAIN POWER to do that, and half the time I miss some of what I wanted to say. Same thing with writing letters to the Social Security Administration, emailing my Voc Rehab counselor, making a case for why I need a particular tool or class or whatever, writing ad copy for my online store, writing a heckin website bio, all sorts of nonsense. Yesterday, I spent some time working on a meal plan and telling it what I had in my pantry, what I didn’t like from its suggestions, and getting it to give me a list of groceries that I didn’t already have. It’s a little wonky, sure, but it’s usable.

I’m also curious, as a genealogist-in-training, about how it could be used as a research tool. I did see this post by @shortace and the comments by @fixyourwritinghabits that went over a use case where the historical research presented by ChatGPT was blatantly and verifiably wrong, so I know I’d have to make sure to regularly demand sources from it, or use one of the other chats that provides sources automatically, but I feel like there’s potential here, because I could theoretically feed all my current info to the Robot Friend so it could take more than just one string of info into consideration the way I have to do it with Google. Also, fewer Boolean commands to remember. Heck, I might even be able to get it to spit out a research log for me based on the questions I asked it.

I think I’m going to document different use cases as I go, to share what’s been useful and what hasn’t. I am always on the hunt for things that can executive function FOR me, so I want to share what I find.

[keepcalmandwritefiction]

I posted 342 times in 2022

13 posts created (4%)

329 posts reblogged (96%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@writingquestionsanswered

@heywriters

@microsff

@its-a-writer-thing

@fixyourwritinghabits

I tagged 342 of my posts in 2022

#queue do count - 328 posts

#fiction - 300 posts

#fiction writing - 300 posts

#writing tips - 239 posts

#writing advice - 239 posts

#writing motivation - 68 posts

#original fiction - 41 posts

#character creation - 40 posts

#rating: sfw - 37 posts

#type: text fic - 35 posts

Longest Tag: 68 characters

#sleep and rest and food are enough to restore their energy and power

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

A writer should get as much education as possible, but just going to school is not enough; if it were, all owners of doctorates would be inspired writers.

– Gwendolyn Brooks

70 notes - Posted January 14, 2022

#4

Every writer I’ve ever spoken to feels fraudulent in some way or other.

– Stephen Sondheim

123 notes - Posted March 18, 2022

#3

[Image description: A screenshot of a tweet by Kyla Zhao (#kylazingaround) saying,

murphy’s law for writers: the more free time you have, the less likely you are to actually write

/end image description]

171 notes - Posted May 27, 2022

#2

My urge to write is an urge not to self-expressionism but to self-transcendence. My work is both bigger and smaller than I am.

– Susan Sontag

208 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

The greatest gift is a passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination.

– Elizabeth Hardwick

317 notes - Posted April 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[pencilcoreandgreenleafheart]

Ich habe 261 Mal im Jahr 2022 etwas gepostet

Das sind 261 more posts als 2021!

12 Einträge erstellt (5%)

249 Einträge gerebloggt (95%)

Blogs, die ich am häufigsten gerebloggt habe:

@heywriters

@fixyourwritinghabits

@mirrorthoughts

@asher-orion-writes

@orphicpoieses

Ich habe 35 meiner Einträge im Jahr 2022 getaggt

#sei's writing – 27 Einträge

#seikaze – 23 Einträge

#sei's tcc – 19 Einträge

#sei's ocs – 16 Einträge

#flash fiction friday – 14 Einträge

#mirrorthoughts – 11 Einträge

#sei's brain bubbles – 5 Einträge

#orphicpoieses – 4 Einträge

#s. j. storm – 4 Einträge

#my other blog – 4 Einträge

Longest Tag: 79 characters

#denofdreams made me a beautiful moodboard plus prompts for sascha and anton *-*

Meine Top-Einträge im Jahr 2022:

#5

#FFF167 Leap Of Faith

Another Friday, another flash fiction for @flashfictionfridayofficial :D

This one will actually be part of a Steter Fanfiction-Idea I had last week. But since I've read Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries in the last 3 days (yes, I started Wednesday and finished today 😂), well, let's say that fanfiction idea now has a very large murderbot-component to it 😂😂😂

Have fun with this snippet <3

Leap Of Faith

I stared at the visual input provided by the webcam, Peter had connected me to. It had been reassuring, having back not only visual but also audio in- and output. Though I still was confined to the external hard drive Peter had used to isolate me and the N̸̨̨̮̽̈̋̋̍o̸̭̐͂̓́̑g̶̛̬͔̺͔̔͗͠ĭ̶̭̦̃͂̕t̶̥̥͈̭̼͖͂̀̎͑̚ͅş̸̛̖͚̓̊̂̊̃̓̚ȗ̸̢̧̨͙̭̏̒̂̄̽͜n̵̗̜͙̦̱̐̏͗̿͒̔̚ẻ̷̛͔̬̫͇̫̗̯̪͓̈́̋̾̽̈́̋̄ͅ, the virus that I had attracted during my research in the deeps of the net.

I couldn’t blame Peter, even though I wanted to. He had programmed me, had given me the virtual room I was living in, the 3D model I used to express myself with. He had given me thousands of hours of data to mine through from scientific journals to books, music, movies, documentaries, to keep me entertained. He had given me access to the net once he had been reasonably sure that the firewall he’d programmed for me would keep me safe - or at least let me to survive a malware attack sufficiently intact so Peter could use my regular backups to restore me. He had given me my curiosity.

The wall hadn’t been enough.

“Stiles?”

I focused back on the webcam input, ignoring the grey block of virtual room I was in. Ignoring the collection of code hidden in a 3D rendering of a red fox sitting right behind the virtual camera projecting my own 3D model to Peter’s monitor so we could interact.

I said, “I’m ready.” I didn’t feel ready to leave my box. Not after everything that had happened. I didn’t feel ready for my whole life (was I even alive?) to change. Again.

I could see Peter’s brows furrowing, and replayed the last seconds I had recorded, focusing on my own voice I was able to pick up from my speakers thanks to my microphone. My voice sounded bland. If I had been a human, if that had been Peter’s voice, I would have known something was not right. Of course I was not right. But I didn’t want to disappoint Peter who had done everything to help me, everything to get rid of the N̸̨̨̮̽̈̋̋̍o̸̭̐͂̓́̑g̶̛̬͔̺͔̔͗͠ĭ̶̭̦̃͂̕t̶̥̥͈̭̼͖͂̀̎͑̚ͅş̸̛̖͚̓̊̂̊̃̓̚ȗ̸̢̧̨͙̭̏̒̂̄̽͜n̵̗̜͙̦̱̐̏͗̿͒̔̚ẻ̷̛͔̬̫͇̫̗̯̪͓̈́̋̾̽̈́̋̄ͅ, everything so I would be able to get all my inputs back, to not- To not be alone anymore.

And this was the last step.

“Do it”, I said, focusing back on the construct that was lying on the laboratory table in front of my webcam. It mimicked my 3D model to maybe 68.3%. At least the organic parts of it did, including the pale skin with dozens of moles and the brown hair on its head. It was connected to my system, I could feel the physical connection, even though in my current state I wasn’t able to breach it. Peter needed to convert my data for the import.

I made my virtual body take a deep breath and focused its eyes in Peter’s direction, the way he had taught me to look at him. “Do it”, I said again, and put myself into standby.

Booting operating system… 100%. Self-diagnosis… 100%. No errors found. System stable. Feeds online. Restarting character profile STILES.

7 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 9. September 2022

#4

Splash of Waves

Another one for @flashfictionfridayofficial after I took a break of my own last week :3

This time for #FFF163 Splash of Waves!

It had started with a small stone thrown into a pond.

He’d always thought he’d been the one to sit at the shore, the one who got hit by the waves of the prophecy last. The one who could only react, who could only stand still and try to weather the storm. It turned out he had been wrong.

Sascha looked over to the boy on the sofa, curled small below a quilt. Kaz’s existence and the changing ways of the prophecy had shown him that he was not the one at the shore, he was another stone making his own waves, at least now. Now he could do more than just react, more than just survive, more than grind himself to pieces in an attempt to keep those few safe he cared about. He wasn’t the child he had been when Vordemvenne hat sent him against a dark lord alone.

He also wasn’t alone anymore.

Fingers brushing through his hair made him smile and he looked up to Anton who had stopped beside his chair, watching him with a slight frown Sascha knew was worry rather than annoyance. “You told him.” Not a question, because Anton knew he wouldn’t keep Kaz in the dark. But also still a question, though one only Sascha could here: How did it go? How do you feel? Can I do something for you so you feel better?

Sascha’s smile widened as he leaned into Anton’s hand, pressing a kiss to his palm. “He was, of course, overwhelmed. But he’s not alone, is he?” Anton nodded slightly and looked over to the sofa, watching the boy for a moment while Sascha watched him. “I’m going to make tea.”

Again, Sascha couldn’t help the fond smile as Anton pressed a kiss into his hair and turned to the kitchen.

It might have started with a single, small stone, its waves growing larger an larger the closer they got to the shore. But this time… this time none of them were alone.

7 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 13. August 2022

#3

Welcome to “Pencil Core and Green Leaf Heart”!

This blog is the home of snippets, previews and explanations of my works, written under the name S. J. Storm.

About me:

I’m a queer (agender/ace/pan) neurodiverse writer in my mid thirties and go by the name of Sei (yes, that’s what the S stands for ;D). My pronouns are she/he/they (meaning, I don’t care which group of pronouns (she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, it/it/its) you use, just choose one and stick with it until I decide otherwise).

I love to read and write fantasy, especially urban fantasy, and you will probably always find at least some kind of magical or supernatural tidbits in anything I write. Seriously. Even if you read something that seems to not have any magic I promise you there probably is magic or something supernatural in that world even if I didn’t show it.

About my work:

As mentioned above I mostly write (queer) urban fantasy and while I do like to let my characters jump through dramatic and painful hoops (as we all do, really) I mostly prefer to write stories with happy endings. Or at least with a positive outlook of what might come after. Of course there is the rare exception of the rule but in general I’m a very fluffy writer when it comes to relationships and romances. I’m not big on smut and do prefer a well placed fade to black, though. Otherwise I’d call my works as more on the adventurous side with a focus on character development.

Since English is not my native language and I more often than not write in my native language, German, first and English second you might stumble over German snippets and descriptions here without a translation! (Though I do more often than not add an on the fly translation. Which then obviously might not have a certain quality to it depending on how much time I spent on it)

Current WIP(s) & Snippets:

Flash Fiction Friday Masterlist

My Flash Fiction Friday entries! Tumblr + AO3

The Carridan Constellations (working title)

Urban Fantasy (set in Berlin, Germany)

Themes: Chosen one gone wrong, Light and Dark are a matter of perspective, cross-generational prophecy, power hungry dark lords

Summary: Kaz thought it would be cool to be an apprentice to the famous Chosen One Sascha Weber who had defeated the Dark Lord about two decades ago. And he had been right!

He just hadn't expected his school's director, Mr. Vordemvenne, leader of the light side and himself mentor to Sascha, to tell him he would be the next. Chosen One that is.

Or that he needed to defeat the protege of the old Dark Lord, Anton Asper, a hero of the last war in his own right. Who, coincidentally, also was Sasha’s partner in romance and buissiness - not to mention one of Kaz's friends.

Something felt very, very wrong here…

(Link to the TCC-Masterpost follows soon; I use the tag 'sei's tcc' for this project if you want to follow it)

9 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 21. Juni 2022

#2

#FFF166 Count the Ways

Finaly another snippet @flashfictionfridayofficial! I actually wanted to write last week, too (and I did have a good idea for the relic-prompt) but alas, real life things happened and I didn't get to it :)

But this week I'm back and have a little something with my TCC-Characters for the new prompt #FFF166 Count the Ways!

This time with Kaz and Anton :3 Have fun!

Count The Ways

“Alright, let’s see what you learned this week.” Kaz pulled a face and sighed. Even though Sascha was his actual mentor, Anton did like to take his potions education personal. Probably because, well, Kaz spent a lot of time in their bookshop and their working spaces after class or in the weeks where Sascha was responsible for him. And Sascha probably talked about him over dinner or something. At least that’s what he would guess. And it wasn’t really bad that Anton helped him with learning potions. It just could be exhausting. The potions master had his standards after all.

“Well?” Kaz snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. Anton had his eyebrow raised and didn’t look very impressed with Kaz letting him wait. “Uhm…” Kaz frowned thoughtfully and looked around the potions lab he only was allowed him in situations like this. “We talked about the uses of different herbs outside of the recipes in our books. For example how to substitute raspberry leafs in a potion against menstrual cramps and associated pain for people with uteruses. Or why it was raspberry leafs in that recipe and not another kind of herb that helps with pain or bowel movements or something.”

“And what was your answer to any of these questions?” Anton asked, his smooth, deep voice gaining that slight edge that announced to Kaz he was ready to pounce and call him an idiot if he couldn’t procure the answers. At least after calling him an idiot Anton usually would work with him on whatever Kaz was missing and in a way that a) showed that Anton had been a reacher before and b) Kaz could keep up better than in a class of more than twenty students at school. It still made Kaz nervous to maybe be wrong.

“Well. Chamomile is also good for alleviating menstrual cramps and helps with stomach aches,” he started to explain under Antons watchful eyes, relieved, when he got a slight nod. “Though it’s effects in general concentrate more on the digestive system less on the reproductive system. So it helps but not the same way as raspberry leafs since they target and focus on different aspects of the body. You would need a lot more chamomile to have the same effect on the reproductive system as with only a small amount of raspberry leafs. And though chamomile is a lot safer than raspberry leafs you could still overdose yourself on the potion by accident while trying to alleviate pains and cramps since it wouldn’t be as effective.”

Kaz swallowed slightly as he waited for Anton’s evaluation of his answer. A moment of silence ticked by until Anton nodded again and Kaz couldn’t help but breathe in deeply, relieved that he wasn’t going to get called an idiot. Or imbecile. Or dunderhead. Or one of the many other insults Anton reserved for people he thought were behaving stupid.

“All right. Let’s test your theory,” Anton said, already turning away to pull out a few smaller cauldrons, arranging them in the corner of the room. “Brew me that raspberry leaf potion and any variant you can think of.” Kaz grinned and wiggled his body happily before following Anton’s orders. Brewing with the man always was a lot more fascinating and less stressful than just answering questions.

He really loved working with both his mentors! Nevermind that officially he only had one.

10 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 3. September 2022

Meine #1 des Jahres 2022

Do you miss the days of old?

@flashfictionfridayofficial something a bit different again :3

Do you miss the days of old? When songs were sung and stories told Of princess’s pride and knights’s fight Of monsters prowling in the night Of dragons flying through the skies Of hungry beasts’s horrific cries

The smell of fear thick in the air A tasty morsel in your lair It’s been so easy to stay fed To lure them in as soon you’ve met And once they’d trust you smile and all There’s not much time for them to fall

Easy, easy was it then Just friendly smiles now and again No one did know you were much more Than they had ever met before

You didn’t think they’d be that smart To match what you had ripped apart To fit the pieces one by one You only noticed once they’re done

They’d come in groups to wipe you out With weapons full of magic’s clout You’d laughed with glee and heated fought Your win so sure… but it was naught

A magic spear aimed at your heart It buried deep, ripped you apart It didn’t bleed, it didn’t hurt You stumbled, fell and hit the dirt A smile still lingered on your lips Your mind on stories as it slips

Of hungry beasts’s elated cries Of dragons flying through the skies Of monsters prowling in the night Of princess’s pride and knights’s fight How songs were sung and stories told

…Do you miss the days of old?

10 Anmerkungen – Gepostet 2. Juli 2022

Hol dir deinen Tumblr-Jahresrückblick 2022 →

[karizard-ao3]

https://www.tumblr.com/fixyourwritinghabits/165207980583/friendlytroll-badmadwolf-rainbowbarnacle

This reminded me of you!!

Oh, this is excellent! I am saving this. I'm making a bookmarks folder for writing reference stuff (which I should have done way before now, actually) and this is the first thing that's going in.

[tomatomarrow]

Writing Productivity System for Mutual Aid/Charity

Here’s a tool I created to complicate feelings of creativity-related guilt, add some gravitas to the notion of getting distracted while maintaining wiggle room, and ultimately achieve more writing.

This system was built with ADD in mind and is designed for people who have benefited from economic racism or those with sufficient disposable income, so while I’m hoping it’s useful to everyone, I don’t think it’s for everyone.  I had charities in mind when I created the system, but I now trend towards giving to mutual aid funds and giving directly to the crowdfunding campaigns of those facing financial hardship.  That said, give where thou wilt.

Whenever you open a word processor and tell yourself that you are going to Commit To Writing Something, prepare a point-tracking system (I use a calculator).  Give yourself a point every time you open a distraction (an internet tab, a video game, etc.).  Give yourself leeway for research, but if it doesn’t directly pertain to what you’re writing, award yourself a point. 

At the end of the day, your point total × 50 cents = your charity donation.  Days when you don't write count for ten points.

If you’re able, try trading a little more executive function for much more impactful giving (and some incidental habit-tracking benefits; this is how I use the system). At the end of the day, bank your points in a ledger, add them up at the end of the week, and give based on that total. 

50 cents (USD) works well for me, but feel free to adjust the multiplier before you start using the system (play around with a calculator and see what you’d be giving if you wrote the same amount you wrote this week).  You want something you’re gonna be able to notice, but not something so intense that you end up at financial risk yourself. 

I don’t use this system all the time, but it’s worked really well for me in times when I needed to Get Shit Done or just felt stuck & guilty as a creator.  While it’s better if I do write, the process of feeling bad about not writing gets interrupted by remembering that my not writing now directly benefits someone in need, and if I get distracted, each individual distraction only counts for a little--just enough additional pressure that I can usually recognize what I’m doing as I’m doing it, close the tab before it loads all the way, and get back to writing.

[pleasespellchimerical]

#the thing about Campbell is that he was an obscure academic writing in the 1940s and 50s #he died before his work became super popular #many many folklorists that came after him have refuted his ideas on myths #because that's how academics work! #Campbell certainly didn't mean for this theory to define all stories and dictate how stories are written for decades to come

via @fixyourwritinghabits

For those of us who got desperately tired of (for a while) seeing every pitched screenplay jammed into the Procrustean bed of monomyth and then having to watch it get pieces chopped off it until it fit, this comes as a breath of fresh air...

[sarang-archer]

How to Commission an Artist

So a lot of people like to see their OCs in glorious color, and a lot of people would be happy to draw those OCs (for money). If you’ve never commissioned artwork before and don’t know where to start, it can be easy to find a list of Don’ts, but not a list of Do’s. Fortunately, the combined efforts of @sarang-archer​ and @fixyourwritinghabits bits​ are here to help you out!

[ID: “How 2 Commission an ARTIST” is written in white and outlined in dark pink, with a few drawn sparkles on a light pink background. End ID/]

Tip #1: Give your artist as much to work with as possible! - Having a full body turnaround of the character is ideal. You can use a character creator like heroforge or picrews (fullbodies are usually rare picrew finds, but useful for facial details) as well! Drawing a quick sketch of what you want for your commission is also encouraged, if you can. Outfits, hairstyles, expressions, poses, camera angles, backgrounds, and lighting are all awesome references to have on hand!

Tip #2: Know where to get your references! - Pinterest and Google Images aren’t the best for references because you may not know if the image is free to use. It might not seem important, but to avoid legal complications (for future small businesses especially), it’s recommended to pull reference images from free-to-use websites. There are dozens of websites that are royalty-free for everything you need! Here’s a list of a few that we recommend:

https://creativecommons.org/

https://www.stockvault.net/

https://www.freeimages.com/

https://unsplash.com/

https://fantasyartistreference.tumblr.com/ 

https://senshistock.tumblr.com/

Tip #3: Know what your pricing limit is! - Budgets are important, and sometimes it might be a good idea to discuss that with the artist. Most of the time, they’ll suggest a commission that’ll get you the most out of your price range. If you don’t have a specific piece in mind, knowing the budget can help both you and the artist figure out the best way to approach the commission!

Tip #4: Know what you want! - From what other artists say, there’s one common element that isn’t encouraging: when a client messages the artist, and they try to give them “creative liberty” on the piece. It might also seem like a good idea to ask for an artist to save a spot for you, but it’s highly recommended to have a general vision of your commissioned piece in mind before reaching out. 

Being a professional artist is a working job, they need clear directives to be productive. Chances are, the artist also has an official “Do’s and Don’ts” page, so please refer to that when you’re in doubt!

Tip #5: Communicate! - You should feel approachable as a client, since the artist can pick up on your energy. Commissioning is a two-way street; the easier you can talk about what you want adjusted as a client, the more satisfied both parties will be of the final result!

[ID: “Hope this helped!” is written in white with a dark pink outline. A simple, white drawing of a fox is animated to blink and wave its paw. End ID/]

Credits: I worked with @fixyourwritinghabits​ to create this post- if you’d like to find some advice or resources in the literary side of art, go check em out!

If this information helped you out in any way, I’m (@sarang-archer​, he/him) taking commissions and donations to gather funds for an apartment, meds/insurance, and my transitioning and I’d love to work with you! I have traditional, digital, and animated commissions open, please refer to this post for more info, and follow @sarang-archer​ for more updates !!

my carrd (samples + prices): https://sarangarcher.carrd.co/ 

Thank you for reading, and happy commissioning !!

[redforests]

@allichu-studios look at fixyourwritinghabits cause theres so much good advice in there

[averymorstan]

As you know, I’m peddling my book Seams a Bit Queer, which is on Amazon, and I wanted to talk a little bit about my outlining. As much as I troll fixyourwritinghabits, I do actually outline my original works. Specifically, most of these books are short and set over a very strict short time period such as a few days. Here is a blank outline for a holiday book I’m working on that takes place literally in two days. 

Because part of the challenge I set for myself at the start of the summer was to release a book a month from Sept-Dec., I needed a formula. I decided that each book would be about 15-20K, take place over the course of just a few days or maybe a week, and be very easy reads/low conflict. I knew I wanted love stories and I felt, based on my history with fanfic, that if I built a little world I could be comfortable in that I could knock out about 7 chapters per book. Using that, I created the outline for my books that keeps me reigned in so I can continue to whip out the books.

This is a very demanding turnaround. I don’t know that I recommend it. The only reason I’m doing it is because I know I write very quickly and I wanted to challenge myself to see if it was possible for me to do this. 

You can see in my outline that I have two ‘scenes’ per chapter, and each scene gets a location. I have a few set locations that I put on a picker wheel and randomize if I find myself stuck in the story. For example, if the wheel lands on the Coffee Shop for the next scene but they’re currently in someone’s apartment, I need to figure out how to get them to the coffee shop. It can be a great way to break up writers block. 

I also need to know what time of day it is, and any specific tasks or hints that need to happen in that chapter. 

I’m still suffering the plague- sore throat, wracking painful cough, no brains- so I’ve had to adjust my timeline a little. In theory, Vane Attraction would be coming out next week but that’s not going to happen now. It’s good when you’re doing these kinds of projects to remain flexible with yourself. Just because you have a deadline, doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. Hopefully, Vane Attraction will be out by the end of the month, and then Tate’s book (which is one of my favorites).PS: One day I’ll reply to messages, I promise, but gosh I’m sick so it’s probably bed for me right now.

[georgiansuggestion]

i'm writing a book and am about to do fucked up shit to the protagonist, how do i apologize beforehand?

I think you’re looking for @fixyourwritinghabits, or another writing-specific blog who will probably have better, more specific advice for you than I will.

I’m a little confused as to who you want to apologize to? Bad things happening to protagonists is a fixture of all kinds of fiction. In some 19th century novels, especially with omniscient narrators, the chapter titles or narrative commentary might mention the events in an apologetic way, (e.g. Chapter 12: Wherein Nigel Edwin Featherstonehaugh Endures an Indignity He Did Not Deserve) but it’s not a style that necessarily fits with most modern writing.

[lureofthesea]

Sources: acorviart, fixyourwritinghabits, the-100th-witch

Another suggestion: check when your public library offers resume/writing workshops!

not to sound like a boomer, but I need some people to learn how to write emails in a semi-professional (at the very least) format so you're not cold emailing a business/potential employer/any other stranger about formal matters in the exact same way you'd DM a close friend on instagram

the formality/language can loosen up in the email chain once you've established a rapport and you match the other person if they're being less formal, but please don't have the very first email you send a stranger be written in all lowercase ultra-casual sms slang with no greeting or signature and a billion emojis

[shadowmaat]

While I do think/hope, that I've taken some strides in the recent past in regards to educating myself in regards to internalized/subconcious bias, I recall you mentioning ages ago, that you've learnt a lot about this through fiction and online interactions.

Technically I fall into a couple of "categories" as well, yet even as a neurodivergent and ace person - very white though - myself I have only recently (like 3-4 years ago maybe?) begun noticing media and cultural bias in regards to these things. Until then I kind of just ran with these, I suppose? E.g. I just accepted my old therapist telling me my asexuality and me being nonbinary was a product of my relationship with my mum and would be "cureable" through succesfull therapy. Or ofc how so many characters (nd/POC/LGBTQ/disabled...) are so often portrayed as conservative and very hurtful stereotypes.

I hope it's not irresponsible/falling right in line with the problem, that I'd be asking you, instead of seeking out several other blogs. The latter is likely for the better admittedly, but I don't know where to start and find well-written posts, from which I can honestly learn, because while there's plenty of these on tumblr, there's also plenty that are just - very understandbly - angry posts but lacking the information I might need to educate myself.

I'm planning on writing a fic including POC, disabled characters and diverse sexualities but I want to make sure, that I'll check my biases and don't produce anything hurt- or disrespectful.

So if you could recommend blogs or old posts, unless if it is too much of a bother, I'd highly appreciate it. Thank you!

I'm very flattered that you feel comfortable coming to me, and gosh, do I know that feeling of wanting to get things right and also being intimidated by trying to dig through overwhelming amounts of stuff to find what you need! I'm not sure how much help I can be since I just sort of wing it and constantly adjust as I go, but I'll do my best.

I'll start off by saying that if you want some good reading lists for books featuring various flavors of queer, @ace-artemis-fanartist has some great lists (as well as some incredible fanart of course).

This post has a simplified rundown of the different flavors on the ace spectrum.

This post gives some basic do's and don't's of writing a deaf character (which, now that I review it, means I should update some of my own stuff).

This post has a generalized list of things to watch out for while writing characters with marginalized identities.

For a more in-depth resource on writing characters of color, there's @writingwithcolor

@fixyourwritinghabits is more generalized advice, but their lovely tags page includes all the things you've asked about and a whole lot more.

I wish you the best of luck! And don't let yourself get so hung up on the fear of making mistakes that you let it stop you. Writing is a learning experience, and if you DO mess up then you can take steps to correct your misunderstandings and the next time you'll know better. Hopefully this will at least give you a few avenues to explore and use as jumping off points for more. :)

[ebonydraygon]

#I haven't reblogged a lot about this yet but it's a great video to remind yourself on how being ethnical in your work is#you just need... four hours - @fixyourwritinghabits

“Being able to write a good review is a unique and difficult skill. Creative people often have trouble recognizing their skills as skills because eventually they’ll feel like second nature and they don’t feel real and practical like building a house or domming. But it turns in that this stuff actually is valuable. If it wasn’t, people wouldn’t be stealing it! Creativity doesn’t feel super special or unique, until you realize people have to plagiarize it.”

I can’t stop thinking about this^ specifically watch hbomberguy’s video it’s phenomenal