#helpful guide for newbie writers

[topazadine]

Writing Post Masterlist

All my posts about writing - plus some I absolutely loved by other writers.

Masterlists by Other People (all good)

"Writing Tips Masterpost" by @deception-united - Deception-United has an incredibly wealth of resources available, far more comprehensive and detailed than mine. Go check it out!

"WQA Post Master Lists" by @writingquestionsanswered - Another fantastic and wonderfully comprehensive resource that covers damn near everything you need to know about writing. Genuinely one of the best free resources on writing that you could find on the internet.

General Advice for a Happy Writing Life

"The Myth of the Martyr Artist" - An incredibly important post, perhaps my most important one ever, that discusses why mental illness is a burden, not a benefit. I have no idea why this even needs to be said, but it does, apparently.

"Building Self-Esteem as a Writer" - Why you gotta be nice to yourself. You gotta.

"Identifying bad writing advice" - Warning signs that the post you are reading kinda sucks and you should click off.

"Advice to Beginner Writers: The Good, the Bad, and the Unpleasant" - How long it takes to become a good writer, what to focus on when learning, and why fanfic is such a useful tool.

"Mindset Shifts: Fanfiction -> Original Fiction" - What fanfic writers should know about deciding to take on original characters and stories.

"Defeating Protracted Writer's Block" - What to do when you find it impossible to write for days, weeks, or months at a time.

"Five Common Anxieties of Newbie Writers, Demystified" - Explorations of five mindsets that can set younger writers back as they learn their craft, including overcompetitiveness, overdescribing, and fearing they're "too old."

"Good Motivations for Continuing to Write" - Why it is crucial to have a passion for writing beyond fame and fortune.

"Extremely controversial writing opinions that will make you mad (but I'm going to say them anyway)" - Things you really don't want to hear, but need to be said. A bit of tough love, including the insignificance of ideas, the cold hard truth about how non-writers react to your writing, and the essentiality of having a well-rounded life.

"Why Mindfulness Is a Key Practice for Writers" - On the need to slow down and let our brain rest - plus some options that are categorically not sitting there in dead silence (boring).

"Writing When Happy" - Wherein I hijack someone's question to discuss the Myth of the Martyr Artist, why we might self-limit because of it, and how to do the impossible: write when we're happy.

"The Neurodivergent Writer’s Guide to Fun and Productivity" by @bookishdiplodocus - Excellent advice on how enjoying the process and reminding yourself that writing is supposed to be fun can help you stay motivated and productive, even when your brain is not cooperating.

"The Glorification of Self-Deprecation in Art/Writing Spaces" by @nicolkoutoulakiauthor - I've discussed before how crucial it is to have a healthy self-esteem when writing, but Nicol does it even better here. Nicol also includes some excellent reframing tactics so you can stay motivated.

Generalish Writing Advice (multifactorial)

"Signs That You Will Probably Finish Your Writing Project" - An analysis of the mindset that leads to results, and encouragement on how to develop them.

"'How Do I Start Writing?'" (Or; A Psychoanalysis of Newbie Writer Fears) - Inspired by the dozens of Reddit posts that ask this exact same thing, often with useless responses. So why do people ask this? I offer my theory.

"I Can Think of Ideas But Can't Write Them!" - A consideration of the many reasons you might find it difficult to get started on your precious idea-baby.

"How to elevate your writing style with 6 simple hacks" - Information about how to develop a prettier prose style, catch errors, develop good dialogue, and focus on brevity.

"How to improve your writing style : a 5-steps guide" by @writer-logbook - Especially great information on why reading widely is so helpful for your craft!

"Some Writing Advice" by @whispers-whump - Especially great discussion of why you shouldn't write what you mean.

"Practical Writing Advice Part 2" by @so-many-ocs - Does what it says on the tin. Simple, easy-to-follow advice that can break you out of writer's block.

"25 Prose Tips for Writers" by @thewriteadviceforwriters - I absolutely love the emphasis on sound and harmony here. As someone whose entire book series revolves around the magic of poetry, of course I think this is incredibly important advice!

"Pacing and Show Don't Tell" by @mylordshesacactus - Two for one deal! First, learn more about why pacing is important; then, look at some examples of the classic advice "show, don't tell." The post does a great job on breaking down what show don't tell actually means and what is not a violation of this guideline so that newer writers aren't confused.

Writing tools

"How to Build a Sustainable Writing Habit Through SCIENCE (Fuck Off, NaNoWriMo)" - Why NaNoWriMo doesn't actually motivate young writers and how to do better through a spreadsheet (yes, really, a spreadsheet). It also explains the importance of intrinsic motivation!

"'I've Outlined Too Much and Now I Can't Write!' (Or: the Double Outline Method for Overanxious Plotters)" - Some of us tend to go absolutely ham on our outlines, to the point where they're practically their own books. But then we also tend to not actually do the writing attached to said outline. Does this mean outlining is useless? Of course not. My method lets you have your outline and eat it too. (.... Wait.)

"'How Do I Make Myself Start Writing?' (Tips to Get the Damn Thing Done) - In this post, I provide a step-by-step guide to start writing, including a few tools to help improve motivation and concentration.

"How to Write Faster (And, Hopefully, Better Too)" - Eliminating distractions and forcing your brain to write is key to getting more done. Here, I explain how you might be limiting yourself by too much thinking and not enough doing.

Worldbuilding

"Stop Making Everything So Damn Complicated!" - Why fantasy (and scifi) does not need to be dizzyingly intricate to be enjoyable.

"How to Kick Ass at Worldbuilding" - I offer some suggestions on how to create a grounded and interesting world that will not bore your readers, based on real life examples.

"Grounded vs. Airy Fantasy" by @aethersea - Excellent breakdown of different levels of groundedness in fantasy and why it's important to understand your own approach.

"Fantasy Guide to Building a Culture" by @inky-duchess - Thorough and methodical analysis of what can create a compelling fantasy culture, including those things that many fail to think about when writing.

"Writing tip - Research" by @pygmi-cygni - Fantastic assessment of the importance of research, including for fantasy stories. As Pygmi-Cygni said, a lot of people claim that they don't need to do any research for fantasy novels, which isn't true! Any parallels to IRL need to be realistic, or you will lose credibility.

Plotting

"How to Use Chomolungma for Writing Adventure Stories; Or, the Plot Mountain Method" - If you're sick of saving felines who should really figure their own shit out, it's time to head to Plot Mountain. In this post, I offer you an alternative to the formulaic "Save the Cat" and "Hero's Journey" which also incorporates tension, characterization, and forward momentum.

"Avoiding Melodrama In Your Writing" - The most annoying all things: melodrama. My least favorite thing. Do not do it. I will show you how.

"How to Find a Plot When All You Have is Characters and Setting" by @rheas-chaos-motivation - This is a common problem for many writers, when you have cool characters or an intriguing setting. This short post can help you kickstart your ideas for how to create an intriguing plot that has built-in tension.

Description

"Remembering Perspective When Writing Descriptions" - Key factors to think about when describing other characters or settings from your POV.

"Description, Momentum, and Tension; Or, How Not to Bore a Reader" - Why, when, and where to put description so that people don't skip over it. Hopefully.

"Writing Notes: Seasons" - Each season has both benefits and downsides. In this post, we look at the negatives and positive aspects of each so you can decide how a particular season may strengthen your themes - plus some descriptions to help inspire you.

"Writing Advice: Spicy Mundanity" - Wherein I explain how to stop having boring descriptions by packing in characterization.

"How to Write Smut?" by @unfriendlywriter - Wonderful examples of how to write heartstopping smut.

"How to pull off descriptions" by @fictionstudent - Fictionstudent has a ton of great posts, both about film analysis and about the art of writing. I especially liked this one because it discusses how important perspective is for descriptions and the importance of filling in the details as a character would rather than just throwing it all at the reader at one time.

"How to avoid White Room Syndrome" by @writerthreads - Fantastic and focused advice on how to ensure you're offering readers just enough setting to help them envision the world.

Characterization

"Writing Relatable Characters; Or, Using Human Failures to Your Advantage" - Explaining how you can use character flaws and human needs to create a relatable character. Also explains the basic development of a plot, which is about equilibrium.

"How NOT to Write a Character" - Wherein I give you some examples of annoying characters we want to punt off a cliff so you can watch yourself.

"Writing Strong Female Characters" - Why you should give your female characters a secret goal, as well as how to avoid common 'strong female' stereotypes.

"Writing Compelling Trauma in Fiction: Dos and Don'ts" - How to avoid melodrama and create intriguing emotional wounds for characters.

"Quality Assurance Checks for Character Development" - Thought exercises that can help you differentiate characters, prune down unnecessary characters, develop true chemistry between LI and MC, and avoid having too many POVs.

"Developing Character Agency (Or; Cutting the Plot Strings)" - A discussion of character agency and how to ensure your characters are not bound by the narrative.

"Writing Notes: Thought Distortions" by @literaryvein-reblogs - Some psychological concepts you can use in your writing to add depth to characters.

"Questions about your character’s perspective on love and relationships" by @luna-azzurra - Excellent questions that can help you delve into your character's attachment style, what baggage they may bring to a current relationship, and how to create conflict through mentality.

"How to Write a Confession of Love," also by luna-azzurra - Perfect discussion of how to create tension, the utility of setting, not making it perfect, and including the other character's response.

Revisions

"Common Writing Issues that Reduce Readability" - Examples of fixes for four common issues: double describing, long sentences, overexplaining, and head hopping.

"How to Avoid Purple Prose" - A critical part of the revision process is making sure your writing is clear and balanced. In this post, I show a blatant example of purple prose and provide suggestions on how to make a more elegant passage.

"Differential Diagnosis When Your Writing Is Getting Worse" by @ariaste - Fantastic explanation by a professional writer about why you might feel like your writing is getting worse and what to do about it.

"How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff Part 3" by @physalian - Physalian's whole blog has some excellent advice, so definitely give it a look!

"How to Improve Your Writing" - Also by literaryvein-reblogs, this offers some excellent exercises to help with sentence-level issues, such as modifiers, parallelism, and details.

Publishing

"How to promote your book online : a discussion about social media (and few tips)" by writer-logbook - Great tips about how to get more interest in your book. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on patience and consistency. Writer-logbook has some excellent info overall about the nitty-gritty of writing, so I definitely recommend poring through their blog in general. (That's why they're included here twice!)

"A masterclass in how not to market your books, in one singular tweet" - Wherein I help you derive lessons from an abysmal tweet by an author.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 1: Mindset Edition)" - I talk about how being delulu is not the solulu, that yes marketing is important (even if it is horrible), and how a bit of self-confidence can go a long way.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 2: Presentation Edition)" - Graphics and covers and blurbs! Learn about them. Do not do what I did.

"Mistakes I Made When Self-Pubbing My First Book (Part 3: Ads and Reviews Edition)" - Why you have to get reviews. You gotta. And you gotta demand them. Shake those reviews out of your readers. You'll thank me later.

Specific Research Advice

"Assassination Methods Through the Decades: A Writer’s Handbook" by @hayatheauthor - A thorough review of different assassination methods, including a section discussing common assassination methods by region!

"How to Write Someone in a Wheelchair" - A group effort! This is a reblog chain discussing body language in manual wheelchairs, the mechanics of power wheelchairs, wheelchair propulsion methods, and a reminder that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they can't walk short distances.

"Writing Research Notes: Caves" - Oh caves how I love them. Caves. Let me tell you about them if you want to write about caves. Blessed.

"Writing Research Notes: Horses" - A beginner's guide to horse mindsets, whether horses like working, approaching horses, how to ride, and tips on training.

"Writing Research Notes: Bipolar Disorder" - Written by me, a writer with bipolar disorder! This shares basic facts about bipolar, offers a list of symptoms you can use, and cautions you against spreading misinformation through poor characterization or myths.

"Writing Research Notes: Politics" - I provide a quick overview about governments and international relations, based off my suffering while getting an MA in International Relations.

"Stop Doing This in Injury Fics!" by @pygmi-says-hi - Discusses some common errors when writing whump/angst. The fever part was especially helpful for me!

"Writing US Military Characters" by @lookbluesoup - An explanation of the habits and mentality of US military characters. Many of these were quite helpful for my fantasy military characters, so you can get a lot of mileage out of these for soldiers in other militaries too!

Little Funsies

"What Painting Style Is Your Writing?" - A short exploration of different writing styles to help you better understand your own approach.

I'll be adding onto this as I continue to scroll through my old likes and, of course, as I find more resources.

[hayatheauthor]

Hi! Newbie writing who loves writing, I just wanted advice for how to write a character who is emotionally numb and distant and how they can overcome it?

Or who to write numbness in general?

Writing Detached Characters: A Guide to Emotional Numbness

Welcome to the latest instalment in my series on ‘how to write different emotions’. Contrary to the series title, today’s blog will be covering how to write a lack of emotion, or rather, emotional numbness. This is an area many writers covering PTSD, depression, or closed-off characters might be interested in. Thank you anon for the request, and I hope this blog helps you with your writing! 

Understanding the Motive for Emotional Numbness

Emotional numbness can stem from various sources and they all influence a character's behaviour differently. Understanding the root cause of their numbness is crucial to portraying them authentically. 

Trauma-Induced Numbness: Characters closed off due to trauma may appear more disconnected and guarded. Their numbness is a defence mechanism to avoid reliving painful experiences.

Chronic Stress: Prolonged exposure to stress can lead to emotional exhaustion and numbness. These characters might show signs of burnout and a lack of enthusiasm for activities they once enjoyed.

Depression: Characters dealing with depression may exhibit numbness as a symptom. They might struggle with feelings of hopelessness and an inability to experience pleasure.

Each motive ties directly into the character's behaviour, so it’s a good idea to research how numbness varies based on the cause.

How to Showcase Emotional Numbness in Your Writing

When crafting an emotionally numb character, subtlety is key. Here are some ways to show their numbness through various aspects of writing:

Body Language

Closed-off Posture: Crossed arms, avoiding eye contact, slumped shoulders.

Minimal Gestures: Limited use of hand movements, lack of expressive body language.

Tense Muscles: Frequently clenched jaw or fists, indicating suppressed emotions.

Lack of Physical Contact: Avoids hugs, handshakes, or any form of touch.

Facial Expressions

Blank Stare: Eyes that seem to look through people rather than at them.

Neutral Expressions: Rarely smiles or frowns, maintaining a consistently neutral face.

Delayed Reactions: Slow to show any reaction to surprising or emotional events.

Flat Affect: Consistent lack of facial movement or expression regardless of the situation.

Note: remember to not take this too far! This isn’t to say your character doesn’t feel anything at all and will never react to anything but more so that their reactions will be very muted. Yes, they can get happy/surprised, etc. but they won’t have wide grins or loud exclamations of shock. 

Appearance

Plain Wardrobe: Clothes that are simple, unassuming, and devoid of vibrant colours; preferences for baggy/shapeless clothing. 

Neglect of Personal Grooming: Messy hair, unshaven, or generally unkempt appearance.

Monochrome Outfits: Preference for neutral, muted colours like grey, black, and white.

Practical Over Fashionable: Chooses functionality over style, reflecting a lack of interest in appearance.

Dialogue Cues

Monotone Speech: Flat, emotionless tone without inflection.

Brief Responses: Short, to-the-point answers with minimal elaboration.

Avoidance of Personal Topics: Steers conversations away from personal or emotional subjects.

Lack of Expressive Language: Uses simple, direct language without metaphors or descriptive flourishes.

Adjectives and Verbs

Descriptive Words: Detached, apathetic, vacant, stoic, unfeeling, indifferent, withdrawn, impassive, numb, aloof.

Action Words: Avoids, withdraws, dismisses, isolates, ignores, neglects, shuns, evades, suppresses, restrains.

Emotionally Neutral Verbs: Walks, talks, looks, sits (instead of strides, argues, gazes, lounges) listens, observes, reacts, replies, continues.

Subdued Descriptors: Plain, muted, dull, flat, colourless, bland, lifeless, monotonous, reserved, restrained.

Overcoming Emotional Numbness

Since there are several reasons why someone might be emotionally numb, each cause has different ways to overcome it. Here are a few common approaches:

Therapeutic Intervention: Therapy or counselling can help characters address underlying trauma or mental health issues. Techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are often effective.

Supportive Relationships: Developing a trusting relationship with a friend, family member, or romantic partner can provide the emotional support needed to open up. This would be a better option for a character who has developed numbness due to past relationships and needs to ‘heal’. 

Personal Growth and Self-Discovery: Characters may embark on a journey of self-discovery, engaging in activities or experiences that help them reconnect with their emotions. It would be fun to see a numb character do this with a love interest or close friend. Maybe they’re ‘forced’ to go to an amusement park and the other characters are shocked to see them whoop/yell on one of the rides. 

Resources for Understanding and Overcoming Emotional Numbness

Here are some valuable resources to help you better understand and write about emotional numbness:

Books:

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Waking the Tiger by Peter A. Levine

Research Papers:

Emotional Numbness in PTSD

Emotional Numbness Research Papers Directory

More:

Scholarly Resources on Emotional Numbness 

Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks? 

Are you an author looking for writing tips and tricks to better your manuscript? Or do you want to learn about how to get a literary agent, get published and properly market your book? Consider checking out the rest of Quillology with Haya Sameer; a blog dedicated to writing and publishing tips for authors! While you’re at it, don’t forget to head over to my TikTok and Instagram profiles @hayatheauthor to learn more about my WIP and writing journey! 

[nanowrimo]

Pro Tips from a NaNo Coach: How to Write a Clean(ish) Fast Draft

NaNoWriMo can seem like a daunting task sometimes, for NaNo newbies and veterans alike. Fortunately, our NaNo Coaches are here to help guide you through November! Today, author Jesse Q. Sutanto is here to share her advice on how to set yourself up for noveling success:

Dear Nano-ers,

My first book took me three years to cobble together. During that time, I joined Absolute Write—a free writers forum which I completely love and recommend to all aspiring writers—and I made a friend who convinced me to try doing NaNoWriMo. I was completely unconvinced, but I am a people-pleaser and I can never say no, so I agreed to try it for my second novel.

My second novel took me less than a month to write. It was a complete mess, but it was also a revelation. Often, I felt myself falling into that writing Holy Grail—the hole which consumes you, makes you forget the rest of the world, and absorbs you completely in the world you are creating on paper. I loved the process deeply, and never looked back since. All of my subsequent books have since been written in a matter of months. 

And you know what? They were all a horrific mess. I did not learn how to do a clean and fast draft until my NINTH book, and I don’t think I would’ve ever learnt without the help of NaNoWriMo. So here are my tips on how to best tackle a sprint-a-thon like NaNo. 

1. Try to come up with a loose outline.

When I first started writing, I was a pure pantser. I had no idea what was going to happen before I sat down to write. This is a completely legit way of writing, but I have since learned that it is massively helpful to have an idea, even a vague one, of what you are trying to say with your book. What was really helpful for me was to sit down for just five minutes before writing each scene and try to envision what I wanted the scene to achieve. Once I had that in mind, the scene became much easier to write. 

2. Break down your writing time.

Ever heard of the Pomodoro technique? In order to hit 50,000 words a month, you need to write around 1,600 words a day. That is a heck of a lot of words to write! Break it down. Set 10 or 15-minute timers and use that to your advantage. Trust me, if you told me to sit down and write 1,600 words, I would be like, “Omg that’s too much!” But if you told me to just write for 15 minutes, that feels a lot more doable. 

3. Give yourself permission to write trash.

Before each writing session, I actually say out loud: “I am going to write trash.” And this gives me permission to write whatever comes to my mind without judgment. You can always edit later, but for now, focus on letting the words out on paper. 

4. Lean on others for support.

I made the mistake of thinking that writing is a lonely vocation. In fact, it is one of the most social things I could do. Social media, while a double-edged sword, has done so much for the writing community. I have found all of my close writer friends through social media, and I chat with them every day and consider them my close, lifelong friends. Don’t be afraid to reach out and make connections within the community. You are not alone. 

Jesse Q. Sutanto is the award-winning, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, Well, That Was Unexpected, The Obsession, and Theo Tan and the Fox Spirit. The film rights to her women’s fiction, Dial A for Aunties, was bought by Netflix in a competitive bidding war, and the TV rights to Vera Wong was bought by Warner Bros, with Oprah and Mindy Kaling attached to produce. She has a master’s degree in creative writing from Oxford University, though she hasn’t found a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious.

[arimiadev]

How to Make a Visual Novel in a Weekend

(you can read this blog post on my website or down below)

Making a visual novel is already hard, so how do you make one in a game jam where you have a set deadline? Or worse, how do you make an entire visual novel in only a weekend? What about when you have to use certain themes in the game and can’t go fully freeform?

Game jams are such a great way to get started making visual novels—I first got my start with Ludum Dare 10 years ago, as of this August. They force you to downsize a lot, to focus on what matters and most importantly, have a tight deadline hanging over your head that you can’t push back. Some game jams, like my upcoming Otome & Josei Jams, allow users a much longer timeframe of 2 months and don’t restrict on themes. Others like Ludum Dare only give you a weekend (though there are other formats now) and require you to use a user-voted theme that’s only made public when the jam starts.

With the tight deadlines and possibility of restrictions, how do you make a visual novel that quickly? Is that even humanly possible??

First off, if you’re completely beginner to visual novels, check out my newbie guide on how to make visual novels which goes over the basics, terminology, engines, and more.

Earlier this month I entered Velox Formido, a visual novel jam inspired by Ludum Dare with a few tweaks:

Themes are still voted on but you have to incorporate at least 2 of the top 5 themes

The jam only lasts 36 hours from start to submission

Very, very tight! Still, I was able to squeak out a new game- Dahlia, a short story about being trapped with a cute (but possibly hungry) vampire. While you can read about my creative choices in my post-mortem for the game, today I want to talk about how you can recreate my process.

jam requirements

First off, you need to become familiar with the jam you’re entering. If you’re not entering a jam but rather just making a game in a weekend for fun, skip this.

You’ll want to have a clear idea of each of these parts…

rules

What rules does the jam have? Do they stipulate what kind of stories you can enter? For instance, most game jams that require the developers or a panel of judges to rate games (i.e. competitive jams) won’t allow 18+ content in the games.

engines

Similar to the rules, some game jams stipulate what engines you can use. Be sure to know this ahead of time. If a game jam doesn’t say there’s an engine requirement, however, you can usually use whatever you want.

themes

Will you be required to use certain themes or can you make a VN fully up to you? Sometimes themes feel too restrictive, while other times they help guide you to a more solid idea.

jump right in

Once the game jam starts, dive right in! …That is, if you have an idea of what to do.

ideas

Ideas are a dime a dozen—truly, it’s in the execution. Still, you need some kind of idea and you need it fast if you only have a weekend to finish the game.

After taking into consideration the rules and themes for the jam, I then start rapidly brainstorming ideas I would be okay working on. If one of the themes is forbidden romance, then what kind of couple would I want to write? What kind of story beats could I do with flower symbolism?

This stage needs to be quick. It’s okay to scrap ideas, but you need to stick to one and fast. For Velox Formido, I initially started writing one idea but scrapped it a couple hours later to begin the idea I ended up finishing.

Don’t be afraid to change your idea- but make sure the one you stick with is one you’re happy with!

work flow

How do you begin making a new game concept?

For me, I’m an artist, writer, and programmer, so I can make a game by myself. I’m fine with starting on writing or concept art first, it just depends on my mood. For this recent Velox Formido, I started on writing first, just going with the first ideas in my head. Other times, I start with concept art so I have a clearer idea of the characters as I’m writing.

There is no wrong way to start making a visual novel, except to not start at all!

If you feel like starting on an outline for the game, go for it. Want to dive into character art? Do it!

managing time

Having only a weekend to make a visual novel is just- well, it’s a weekend. It goes by so fast so you have to be aware of how long parts will take you. If you’ve never made a visual novel before, it’s even harder to gauge how quickly you can do things.

How long does it take you to draw a character sprite? How many characters will you have? How fast can you write 1k or 3k words? Will you have time to program the art and writing into the engine? What about music, GUI, sound effects?

scope

You need to keep the scope of the game small. Tiny. Even tinier than whatever you’re thinking.

Think of it in terms like this:

how many characters will I have?

will there be any choices?

what ending(s) will it have?

do I need to make a GUI?

speed

I know I can make art pretty quickly when I throw caution to the wind, but I still have to limit how much art I make. For instance, in Dahlia I wanted to draw CGs, but I ended up spending too much time on the writing and only started on the art 12 hours before the deadline. I was able to finish the 2 character sprites in just 2 hours, but then I had to grind to finish the programming.

In order to finish in time, my weekend long games are no more than 3 characters. 2 is the perfect amount, really. You can have a succinct, interesting story with just 2 characters in a room together and it leaves less artwork to worry about.

advice

Now that we’ve talked about different aspects of making a visual novel in just a weekend, I want to zone in on my process with advice.

focus on your idea

Follow the idea you have and really dig into it. Flesh it out as soon as you can so you have a solid idea of what the endpoint you’re headed towards looks like.

do things faster

I don’t outline for weekend jams. I outline for my normal visual novels, but not for weekend jams. There’s just not enough time aside from making a few bullet points and running with it.

Whatever speed you make things at, you have to make them even faster. That means less edits in your writing. Less rendering in your art. Less polish in your programming. There’s just not enough time for it all.

If you’re writing, focus on getting to 1 ending. Don’t worry about extra choices or nameable protagonists or extra side characters. If you’re drawing, you need to use an art style that’s easy to render. Don’t spend so much time on lineart and shading. If you’re programming, set up ways to make your setup faster. Define transforms, positions, and more that you can reuse multiple times and get in the habit of copy+paste.

reuse what you can

Like I said, don’t hesitate to reuse any snippets of programming that you can use multiple times. When I was drawing the character sprites in Dahlia, they both have the same base- this saved me maybe half an hour of redrawing parts that ultimately didn’t matter.

Be sure to check what you can and can’t reuse beforehand. For instance, a lot of jams require you to not start on the game beforehand, meaning you can’t use previously made assets unless they’re publicly available. Don’t slip up on this detail!

cut out even more

You probably think that your scope is doable in the time frame, but it most likely isn’t. Don’t be afraid to cut it down even more to save yourself time and headache. Ideally, you’ll want everything in the game finished before the final hour of the jam so you have time to playtest and ensure the game actually runs from start to finish (yeah, remember bug testing?).

use resources

Have in mind what parts of the game you’re not going to make. I’m not going to make music for a game jam (I’m not musically talented) and I don’t usually recruit others for weekend long jams. Instead, I use premade music that I’m able to put in my games legally.

Know where to find these kind of resources if you need art, music, GUIs, etc. before the jam starts. I have a growing list of visual novel development resources here.

focus on the MVP

Don’t get distracted by the things that don’t matter. Do you really need this extra character? A wardrobe change? An extra ending?

Focus on the core of your game. Why are you making it? What is the feeling you hope to give the player? What is the overall goal of the game?

With Dahlia, I wanted a somewhat whimsical and slightly tense story about a midnight intruder, how unnerving it would be to have a person invade your private space in the middle of the night but looking like a fancy doll.

How will you present your idea with such limited time?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Wow, April really went fast. Before I knew it was the end of the month- wasn’t it April Fools last week and I was rushing to draw our studio mascot genderbent? And now Otome & Josei Jam start in 24 hours…. There’s never enough time!!

Quick list of what I’ve got going on:

First, we just announced that the Battle Action Fantasy jam will be returning this June! Create a chuuni visual novel inspired by battle action manga you’d see in Shounen Jump. Second, I’ll be entering Otome Jam this year and returning to a directorial spot! More details on that later….

Third, it’s Kickstarter season. If you’re thinking about holding your own Kickstarter or want consultation on marketing for you visual novel studio, I’m still open for freelance.

— Arimia

[uniquexusposts]

Her || Charles

Main characters: Charles Leclerc x OC Genre: fanfiction, fluff  Story type: novel  Part: 22/? Word count: 2114 Co writer: @mistrose23

Story summary: Matilde Jørgensen, the new Scuderia Ferrari team principal, faced the nerve-wracking challenge of reviving the team's fortunes and aiming for a championship. Leading a historic team as a 'newbie' and separating her work and personal opinions posed a significant challenge. The big question: is she capable to do so?

Previous chapter

Chapter 20. Routine

Jens opened the door of the Airbnb Matilde had to stay in for three weeks. It was a cottage just outside of Oxford, in a beautiful surrounding for some quietness and peace, perfect for Matilde to recover and rest. It was Saturday, a day after the surgery and Matilde just got released from the hospital.

"This looks adorable," Matilde said when she stood still in front of the door. She was taking a break from walking from the car to the front door, which was about ten metres.

Jens only smiled. "I hope you can recover here quickly."

"It isn't home, but it will do," she gratefully replied.

Her steps into the house were slow and deliberate, her body still adjusting to the recent surgery. Jens guided her towards the living area. As Matilde eased herself onto the couch, Jens went back to the car to grab all the luggage. He picked up Matilde's stuff from the hotel and her car, which was still parked at the track, this morning.

"I parked your car at the end of the street," Jens said once he got back. "I will bring your stuff upstairs. Do you need anything?"

Matilde squinted her eyes; she had never seen him this caring, if she was honest. She and Jens were never that close, the bond between her and Lars was much better. Perhaps it was because Jens was the oldest and moved out quickly. Jens moved out when he was eighteen years old, Matilde was only twelve years old and Lars was fourteen at that time. From that moment on, Jens showed up whenever he felt like it - mainly because he was part of the army. "Uh..." She carefully got up. "I want to take a shower, get rid of the hospital air. Maybe take my suitcase upstairs, but leave my work bag and purse downstairs."

"Yeah, sure. Let's do it."

"But Jens," she said and looked at her older brother. "If you want to go to the Grand Prix, please go. You took time off to be there, you came all the way to the UK, you have VIP tickets, you brought your friends... I don't want you to be here while you can be there, live your dream."

"Tilly," he smiled, it was a soft and caring smile. "My friends can have the dream experience, but I would rather stay here and look after you. I came here to see you work, to be with you, I came here for you. And yes, it is my dream to be a VIP guest at a race, but I'm sure there will be another opportunity anytime soon," he told her. He knew her well enough to give her a little bit more explanation than necessary. "Let's just relax, rest and recover." He took her in his arms, creating a safe space for her.

Matilde closed her eyes and let out a breath, accepting that she wouldn't be able to live her life like she usually would do for three weeks. She carefully wrapped her arms around Jens' torso. For the first time in years, they shared a meaningful hug, but it was a hug she needed. She missed home, she missed her family and this made her realise how far away her family actually was. Jens rested his head on top of hers and he just held her.

After a moment, they let go of each other. They went upstairs, Jens still supporting his little sister. While Matilde was taking a shower, Jens stayed upstairs in case he had to help her. He unpacked his own bag in the guest bedroom, doubting whether he should unpack Matilde's suitcase as well. After the shower, Matilde and Jens went downstairs again. Jens connected his phone to the TV, putting on his favourite Danish radio station - knowing Matilde would like it as well.

"How was the shower?"

"Quite alright," Matilde said. "But I want to wash my hair, but I can't somehow do it," she said frustratedly. "It's such a simple task and I can't do it. Once you can't do it anymore, you realise what you lost."

"I can wash your hair."

"No, it's okay. I can wait two more days until dad arrives."

"I can do it. It's a nice feeling to wash your hair after a hospital visit."

"You don't even know how to do it."

Jens raised his eyebrow. "Why do you think that? I have seen mum and dad wash your hair so many times - and the tantrums you created, drama queen."

She huffed. "Now you are pulling the longbow."

"I said what I said." He leaned against the kitchen counter. The kitchen was next to the living room, well, in the living room. "So?"

"Fine," she gave in. "But how were you planning on doing it?"

"Chair, sit, sink." Jens walked upstairs to get Matilde's hair stuff. When he got back, he set up the setting. He took a chair from the dining room and put it in front of the sink. He placed a towel on the counter, it had to be a cushion. "Sit down, ma'am."

Matilde sat down. "Now you're being scary."

"Why?"

"SInce when are you interested in doing this?"

He grabbed Matilde's brush and detangled her wavy hair, well, expired blow out hair. "I am just taking care of you."

"That's what scares me."

"Shut up." He noticed some small baby curls in her neck. He put a towel over her shoulder and flipped the hair on it. "Okay, lean backwards." Matilde threw her hair over the sink. "Comfortable?"

Matilde looked Jens in the eyes. "Yes, sir. I hope you cleaned the sink."

"Yes." He turned the water on and waited until it was a nice temperature. He wetted her hair and watched how the straight hair slightly bounced back into its natural shape. It was still wet, but her hair turned into a shape again. Jens put some shampoo on his hand palm and emulsified it. During the first wash, he put his attention to the scalp.

"Okay, but for real, since when do you know how to wash hair?" Matilde was perplexed, it didn't make sense. First, he would do everything to avoid talking about hair care, and now he knew what to do. She stared at him.

"Like I said, I watched how mum and dad did it."

"But that's like a million years ago."

"With the tantrums you threw, it isn't easy to forget it."

"Bullshit."

"Don't move."

Jens rinsed the hair and washed her hair again. Then he squeezed all the water out of her hair and put in some conditioner. He instructed Matilde to sit up again, so he could, again, detangle her hair.

"Ouch," Matilde whined after a few minutes.

"Don't fuss," he replied.

"You are hurting me."

"I am not. Just get over it," he responded.

"Be careful."

"Mati."

"It hurts."

"Matilde."

"I can't fucking help that I have curly hair. It is a pain in the arse," she complained. "I am so jealous of all of you. Why do I have curly hair? Why am I the only one in this family? Mum's hair is as straight as a pencil, dad's hair too, Lars' hair too, your hair too. Mine is curly."

Jens had to agree with that; Matilde stood out in the family because of her curly hair. "The mother of grandma Greta had curly hair. Then it passed two generations, for you to have curly hair. Why don't you wear it curly anymore? Why straighten it?"

"I hate genes," she mocked. "I don't like my hair curly, it's ugly."

"It is not."

"It is."

"Why?" He put the comb on the kitchen counter. "Time to let the conditioner sit for a moment." He sat down on the counter of the island, crossed his arms and observed his sister.

Matilde sat up and shrugged. "I just don't like it, I don't think it looks pretty. It makes me feel different from everyone else in the family."

"It is unique."

"And I don't like it."

Jens nodded. "And what about that Leclerc boy?" It was something he needed to talk about.

"What about him?"

"Why did he randomly show up yesterday? After what he did?"

Matilde bit her upper lip and looked outside. She couldn't speak for Charles, she didn't know why he showed up. "I don't know, you should ask him."

"Why did he pretend to be your boyfriend?" Jens continued to ask, it didn't make sense.

She sighed. "It's not like I can look into his head and justify his decisions?" Her face straightened. "I have no idea why he showed up and why he told the nurse he was my boyfriend."

"So..." He squinted his eyes, observing Matilde. "You are on good terms, I see."

Matilde chuckled, her tone holding a hint of irony. "I don't want to say good terms, but we are getting there, I guess. It's still complicated."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the vague response. "Complicated how?"

"People are complicated, any type of relationship is even more so."

He studied her expression, searching for any signs of discomfort or evasion. She met his gaze with a steady one, her eyes reflecting a mixture of exhaustion and resilience. It was a look he recognised, the same one she wore during challenging moments in her life.

"Til," he began. "You've got enough on your plate as team principal. You don't need more complications, especially not from someone like him."

"Protective big brother mode activated," she mumbled annoyedly.

A chuckle left Jens' mouth, conceding the point. "Maybe I do. But seriously, Tilly, you need people who bring stability, not more chaos."

"I know, Jens. Believe me, I know."

"So, let me get this straight: you start at Ferrari and Leclerc struggles to welcome you. Understandable. Odd, but understandable. Then your team are dickheads by the Miami situation. You cleared the air. Followed by Monaco, where Leclerc is blaming you for his own mistakes, causing more tension between the two of you, portraying you as a bad leader towards the media. And then the moment in Austria, where he fights in front of the media with Max, pulling you down. During the meeting with Max and Christian, he claims that you are only here for Max, fucking him for your position and calling you a bad leader. And when you are hospitalised, he is suddenly emotional, distracted and caring? Showing up without permission, pretending to be your boyfriend, standing next to your bed while pouting? It is almost like he is in love with you but tries to hide his feelings by being a dick." Jens threw his hands up in the air. "Make it make sense, Matilde."

Fact, on fact, on fact. Also a confrontation. Matilde swallowed hard. "He is one of my drivers..." Her lips parted, trying to find some words, which she couldn't find. "I don't want to talk about it now."

"I get it, but do you understand why Lars and I are having doubts? This isn't normal behaviour. And I know you want to protect him because he is your driver, but you need to be careful." He jumped off the counter, turning on the water again, waiting for the right temperature. "Make sure he does not play with you, because his behaviour is affecting you on your mental health."

"Jah," she mumbled annoyedly and laid back to the sink again.

"Just be cautious. It's not just about the racing, it is about your well being."

"Yup."

The short answer said enough to Jens; Matilde didn't want to talk about it. He didn't know if she wanted to avoid the topic or just leave it for now, but she was annoyed by it. Jens rinsed the conditioner out of Matilde's hair and applied the curl cream. "No mousse?"

"Neh, not today."

He nodded. He remembered that his parents had to learn how to control Matilde's hair; they reached out to other people with curly hair because they had no clue how to handle it. Jens also remembered that after applying the mousse, or gel, you had to scrunch it. Even though they skipped that step, he scrunched the cream into the hair, also squeezing out the excess water. He grabbed a T-shirt and dried the hair by scrunching it. "There you go."

Matilde was on the edge to ask to blow dry her hair and straighten it, but she felt uncomfortable and wanted to lay on the couch. She also thought it was adorable how her big brother performed the entire hair care routine by memory on her hair, so she decided to let it go and dry out her hair. "Tak."

"Go lie down on the sofa. I will make you a cup of tea." Jens washed his hands and filled the kettle with water.

"You still scare the crap out of me with how you behave." 

Next chapter

Taglist: @itsjustkhaos@crashingwavesofeuphoria@maryvibess @chocolatefartstrawberry @snzleclerc @ironmaiden1313

[fast-moon]

"Agatha All Along" and "PvP" vs. "Co-op" writing styles

Agatha All Along (née Coven of Chaos) is the show that, when announced, seemed like a hastily-concocted attempt to keep riding on the success of Wandavision and its break-out supporting characters, leaving everyone wondering, "But... what would they actually do?"

I really should have had more faith in Jac Schaeffer.

A frustration I have with certain writers, Steven Moffat in Doctor Who and Sherlock being a prime example of this, is when the writer feels like they're competing against their audience. I could call this the "PvP" form of writing: The audience is a newbie, and the author is a level 100 Dark Knight who immediately slaughters the noobs to show his dominance.

The author has an adversarial opinion of the audience, and their goal is to keep the audience guessing as long as possible. But also makes sure that none of those guesses are ever correct, because that means the audience has "beaten" the author. The author claims "victory" over them when they get to "the reveal" and no one had guessed it correctly.

This is usually done by feeding the audience red herrings, and leaving out a crucial piece of information that is only known by the main character, until it's time for the reveal. Either that or the overarching mystery is simply never solved at all, aside from the main character indicating they've gotten it all figured out but there's no time to explain.

Contrast that to how Jac Schaeffer handled Wandavision and Agatha All Along. These were written under the view that the audience is a partner in this story. The "co-op" form of writing. The audience is a newbie, and the author is a level 100 Dark Knight, and the author takes the noob under their wing and guides them through how the game is played until the noob gets it. The author is victorious once the noob doesn't need their help anymore and can figure it out for themselves.

This is usually done by feeding the audience breadcrumbs. Characters behave with consistency before the full reveal, but because not all the information is available to the audience yet, there are noticeable "quirks" to characters' behavior to clue in the audience that not all is what it seems. All the necessary pieces are given to the audience in plain sight, and if the audience is able to put them together before they're completely revealed, the final reveal is more of a congratulations for a job well done.

Sometimes I see complaints that if it's at all possible to guess the "twist" before it happens, then the story is "too predictable". But I'd argue that being at least somewhat predictable is a good thing to have in a story. It means the characters and world are behaving in a consistent way.

Contrast to the "PvP" manner of writing, where the characters "break all the rules" to solve their problems in unexpected ways. But I find this significantly less interesting, because it means the characters don't actually have to be innovative. Characters who have to devise solutions while working within the constraints of their universe are much more compelling than ones who effectively win with cheat codes.

And so that's why I really have to hand it to Jac Schaeffer. She gave us a twist in episode 7 that was wholly consistent with everything we'd seen up until that point, but then forced us to completely re-contextualize everything we just watched.

And then just to show off, in episode 8 she did it again.

I do hope that she continues to have a hand in the Vision Quest series, since I heard that project has since been passed to a different show lead. But if it means that Schaeffer has instead been given the green light to rescue Wanda from what Michael Waldron's PvP writing did to her in Multiverse of Madness, then maybe there truly will be glory at the end.

[saturnicos]

— 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 | [megumi fushiguro x reader]

1 | 2 | 3 . . .

sinopse: a new year begins at the Jujutsu School. this first year seems to be busier due to the addition of a perhaps powerful novice sorceress and an unexpected vessel of Sukuna.

[t.w]: none

[c.w]: reader's gender not mentioned but implied to be female

[a/n]: the beginning always gives me writer's block, damn. maybe a little ooc at first, I hope to work on a fluid dynamic with the quartet :) also, english isn't my native language and sometimes I need to use a translator for descriptions with more difficult words, so let me know if there are any grammatical/interpretive errors!

You stared at the paper with the address written down in terrible, smudged handwriting on crumpled paper, looking away from the large structure in front of you. The intention of the Jujutsu School was to resemble a religious school on the outside so that it would go unnoticed by non-sorcerers, but something seemed so... Outside, you couldn't help but stare at the facade.

You waited patiently outside just as you were instructed in the admission letter, however, even though you had been here for twenty minutes, no one had appeared at the entrance.

— Good morniiiing...? — you hum audibly, leaning into the doorway, hoping someone passing by could hear you. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

You started to get upset until you felt a heavy hand resting on your shoulder. You felt a chill spread down your spine until you saw a head of silver hair lean over your other shoulder.

— What's up, newbie? — he spoke with a high, strident tone that made your eardrum hurt, while he smiled from ear to ear. The said one was Satoru Gojo, a sorcerer of the highest rank, known throughout the jujutsu community, whether this reputation was good or bad, but it exists.

Your eyes widened in genuine surprise, startling and jumping to the side to get away from the contact. The sorcerer, however, stood still with the same smile as he held out his hand, asking for the paper.

He read it quickly and then stuffed the paper haphazardly into his pants pocket, heading inside the institution, signaling with his hand for you to follow him. Confused, you switched hands with the suitcase you were carrying and followed him.

— Aah, introducing the school to the freshmen is so boring... — Gojo uttered audibly in protest, while also containing a humorous intonation.

— Next, newbie! You are free to explore the campus after settling into the dorms, there you will have all the information about classes and stuff, you know? — the sorcerer asked after finishing his monologue, resting his hands on the back of his head with a smile as he approached a large installation made of wood. You just nodded.

The supposed balcony of the facility — which you assumed to be the dormitory — was beautiful, adorned with some plants on some doors while being completely open, allowing in the light salty ocean breeze that bathes Japan. In addition to the beautiful structure, each door contained a silver plaque that spelled out the name of its designated resident.

— Hm, hmm, here. — Gojo promptly stopped, pointing to the sign on one of the last doors in the corridor that corresponded to his name. — This part of the dorm is exclusively for freshmen, people just like you, so don't forget to say hello.

Not so subtly, the sorcerer turned around and headed towards the exit, leaving you standing still, with no further information or guides on where to go. Without a defined direction, you just turned the doorknob and entered the room. It was a simple and slightly clean place.

The floor followed the same pattern as the wooden planks on the porch; there was a window — which at the moment was lightly covered by a beige curtain — facing the door, on the right there was a large wardrobe with a mirror, on the left there was his bed and a chest of drawers, which was adorned with a simple lamp.

It wasn't the most beautiful place in the world, but it was cozy, so you wouldn't complain.

You arranged your room to your liking throughout the morning, moving some furniture around, storing your belongings in the wardrobe and you even had time to decorate the walls of the room with some posters that you had brought in your suitcase.

Proud of your achievement, you finally stopped to see the schedule grid pinned to a bulletin board near your bedroom door.

Today's schedule consisted of combat improvement and general training, made up only of the general subjects taught in traditional schools, nothing related to jujutsu — yet. Looking more closely, the school days were more content, in addition to specialization subjects in sorcery, in common subjects that brought some knowledge in jujutsu practice.

In a few minutes you put on your uniform — made according to your requests to facilitate your mobility in combat and help you quickly use your skills —, threw your backpack over your shoulders and left your room, locking the door and putting the key in your pants pocket.

As soon as you put the key away, you looked at the landscape of the institution's field and remembered a small but extremely crucial detail: you didn't know the campus and, therefore, didn't know where the main building was.

As if some divine being had heard your low whine and despair about being late, the door next to yours opened, a figure with messy black hair coming out of the room also with a backpack.

— Good afternoon, excuse me? — you were ready to call the boy, walking hurriedly towards him while your eyes lit up with the possibility of having a free guide. — I'm a freshman and I don't know exactly where the main building is, could you give me a horizon?

— Just follow me. — he replied in a stoic and monotonous way as he headed towards the exit of the dormitories, without looking back.

You promptly quickened your pace to walk side by side with the boy, a painful silence filling the air as you took a stone path that you were unfamiliar with, the only current sound was that of gravel being trampled and birds chirping.

— I, huh, am Y/N L/N. — you said, trying to force an inviting smile as your gaze wandered from side to side. The boy also didn't escape that same feeling of restlessness and discomfort, but at least he felt relieved that it wasn't an introduction with a handshake.

— Megumi Fushiguro. — he was quick to respond, maintaining the same low and stoic tone of voice, without much emotion present even in his expression or gestures. The weight of the silence felt as heavy as a rain cloud about to collapse, and even Megumi was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable at how strange the air felt. He might regret it later, but he decided to continue: — I'm also a freshman.

— Ah.. you seem to have been here longer however, since you know the campus. Hey, does this mean maybe we're in the same class? — Your tone of voice increased slightly, but not so loud that it was noticeable.

A first wave of relief came from knowing that perhaps you would have started the year with someone you could call a colleague, since, for you, making friends was not a very simple task.

The second wave of relief came when a relatively large structure was visible in his field of view; Megumi signaled it as the three year class building.

The classes aimed at general training went well, in short. It didn't differ much from the type of classes you took when studying at a non-sorcerers' institution, the only most notable characteristic was the preference for topics that would add fundamentals to sorcery.

The combat improvement class, however, was more complex and focused on the practical part, different from the general training that covered theory. As it was the beginning of the school year, nothing too complicated was covered during practice, just corrections of basic mistakes that most people make when fighting hand to hand. In addition to the fix, there was also an introduction to the use of cursed weapons and the benefit of choosing to fight with them instead of head-on combat.

This is also why Gojo was sitting on the floor, just like a child would be when playing with Legos, while he was selecting a weapon that might be suitable for you.

— I think this one might work. — he said enthusiastically as he stood up and extended a slightly curved katana smaller than the common models to you. It was a simple metal katana with a hilt adorned with shades of black and navy blue, but it exuded cursed energy.

— The weapon isn't always suitable for the sorcerer, several of the weapons we have don't fit the students, like Maki from the second year, for example, so try it out. — Gojo encouraged you as he rested his hands in his pants pockets, watching you from beneath the bandana that covered his eyes.

Apprehensively you held the handle of the katana, breathing deeply as you concentrated your cursed energy on the metal and focused on a target to hit: a tree located in the middle of the courtyard where the training took place, close to you.

In a fraction of a moment, you held the handle of the katana with all the strength you could and slammed the middle of the katana against the trunk vertically, not cutting the tree, but exploding the area hit, leaving the trunk with almost no support to support the weight. from the foliage and branches above. Poor tree, you lamented.

— Wow, good attack, freshman! — Gojo shouted in a vibrant tone, clapping his hands as he approached to see the damage done to the wood. — You need to practice your aim more, but it was good for a first time, it seems like you got lucky the first time with that katana.

After that, you gathered your materials in your backpack, in addition to storing the katana in a leather sheath for safety reasons, ready to return to the dorm since you now knew the right way.

— Y/N — Megumi's voice echoed in the room, making you turn around and see him slowly approaching with the same expression of indifference that, at this point in the championship, seemed to be the standard. You wondered deep down if he had any more visible emotions. — Don't know the way to the cafeteria? It's already dinner time.

— Oh, no, I don't know the way to anything other than the dorm and the exit. — you replied awkwardly as you tried to balance the weight of the backpack and the katana on your waist, finally finding a good way to walk with your things. Despite the dry tone, his voice didn't necessarily contain any type of negative emotion.

— Gojo has a mission prepared for us this early hours, by the way. He said he would specify when we left. — he continued with a brief monologue as he began to slowly walk in the opposite direction of the dormitories, to what you assumed was the path to the general dining hall.

Along the way, something notable was also how he seemed subtly looser. Not in dialogue, but in having taken the initiative to present some small topics of conversation, even if about the grade or comments about the jujutsu school in general. If it differed a little from the vision he initially presented — not that there had been a big enough change worthy of comparison —, you assumed that perhaps it was due to the performance in the combat improvement class; maybe he had a good impression.

Shaking your head to get rid of any thoughts that clouded your mind, you focused on looking at the visually beautiful structure that approached, thinking about what you would have for dinner at the same time that butterflies rose in your stomach at the thought that in not long it would be time for your first official mission.

[a/n]: it's been a while since I wrote long fanfics, so I'm sorry if it seems a little fast

anyway, thanks for reading this far <3

[a-killer-obsession]

Wanna say real quick if you're a fanfic writer and you're looking at my page like "ohhh they hit 500 followers so fast and they have a upload schedule and post twice a week, maybe i have to post twice a week to get followers" - Stop

This turned into a whole guide for newbies so more under the cut

Please do not use me as an example! Im disabled and unemployed which means i have time to write two chapters a week, please do not put that sort of pressure on yourself!!! I only let myself have a upload schedule because i keep a small backlog of chapters, meaning i have some buffer if my health is bad or i get writers block, and as yall saw recently i will take a break if i loose that backlog. If i was forcing myself to write two chapters a week on a strict deadline i would absolutely loose my shit and probably burn out very quickly. And to be entirely honest, I haven't seen much difference in follower growth now that I have a schedule versus when I was just posting whenever I remembered to. I really don't think a schedule makes a huge difference, I just like having one because it gives me some sense of routine now that I'm unemployed.

What im trying to say, especially if you're new to posting fanfics, is please dont stress yourself out by thinking you need a strict schedule for anyone to like your fic or follow you. You shouldn't be writing for followers anyway, write for yourself! Write because YOU want to write. And if you fall out of love with that writing, dont feel like you need to force it just to make others happy! When i get burnt out writing Wavelengths, I keep going because *I* want to get to the ending, I've been excited to write it for months. Its another reason i dont start writing new long forms until i have a generic plan of where im going, which is something i highly recommend. Having a chapter you're excited to write really helps when you're trying to find motivation.

While I have you here, let me lay down some general tips for new fanfic writers, especially for those who post on tumblr:

Write because you want to write. Don't ever feel like you need to cater to someone else, that's a sure fire way to get burn out

If you do get burn out: don't worry about it, either it'll pass or it won't. Maybe you'll drop that idea all together and move to something new. Don't sweat it, write what makes you happy. Forcing yourself will only make it worse and it'll show in your writing. Writing fanfics is a hobby, it should be FUN. Sure someone might come across your fic years from now and be sad that it's not complete but they'll probably only be sad for a few days at most and then they'll forget about it. Its not a big deal. Who knows, maybe you'll find inspiration years down the line and make someone's day by randomly updating after years of hiatus. It happens 🤷

Dont worry about how much engagement your fic gets. I know absolutely incredible fics that get barely any engagement, and some frankly hard reads that have a ridiculous amount. Its all just dumb luck really. Again - write because you want to

Don't sweat typos too bad. I recommend finishing your chapter/one shot, giving it a day or so, and THEN come back to proof read. I find doing this gives me fresh eyes and I often find a lot of ways to improve the chapter while I'm fixing typos. If you accidentally leave typos in there, don't worry too much. As long as it makes enough sense for people to understand what you meant, people will still read it. Just look at the first few chapters of Wavelengths for example, they're riddled with typos from swapping from 3rd to 1st person, but people still read them (I'LL FIX THEM SOON I PROMISE LMAO)

Don't worry about being cringe. Cringe is dead, make your characters as self inserty and over powered as you want. CRINGE IS DEAD. If you think its fun to write powers and tropes that you're worried will be cringe, fuck it, write it anyway. As long as YOU have fun writing it. Do you know how many "whoops accidental pregnancy" trope fics I've written? Every single one of my long forms has either had it, or planned to, because I like that trope! I don't care if its cringe, I will continue to get my characters knocked up

Some quick accessibility things:

Please left align your fic! I've seen people posting center and right aligned because it "looks cool". These alignments should be used sparingly! As well as things like italics and different fonts/font sizes/colours! They should be used to highlight small sections only! Otherwise they can make it very difficult for people with reading difficulties to read!

If you're posting on tumblr:

Make sure the majority of your fic uses the default black font. Some people set the whole thing to a different font or the "small" font or a different colour and I literally can't read them, and it makes me so sad! I'm sure I'm not the only one with this issue! Its okay to use other fonts for things like headers and descriptions, but for the bulk of your fic use the default! Theres a graphic designer out there somewhere who spent a long time picking the best font for the body text on this website for a reason!

If your fic is longer than a few paragraphs, use the READ MORE function!!! Either cut under a description or the first few paragraphs so people get a preview of your fic. You may think it's silly to hide most of your fic, but if someone, especially on mobile, comes across your fic automatically trimmed on the fyp, and likes your stuff, and they go to your account to see more and have to scroll for a million years just to get past your newest post, they're quickly going to give up trying to read your other stuff. Using the read more function makes it easy for people to browse your blog and check out more of your works!! It also makes it more likely people will reblog for the same reason.

Along the same lines: have a masterlist. This can be as simple as a pinned post where you add a link every time you post something new. This makes it super easy for people to check out more of your work!

If you have a long form/multi chapter I also recommend going to the previous chapter and adding a "next chapter" link when you post the next one. Not 100% needed though, if you have a masterlist that can be enough on its own, people just appreciate having that next chapter link for binge reading. PUT IT AT THE BOTTOM PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING. I hate when I finish a chapter and have to scroll for a million years to get to the top for the link

Feel absolutely free to use the way I format my fics and masterlist as example, but like I said, it can literally be just as simple as a list of links. I recommend listing the links at bare minimum as the title of the fic, and the pairing people can expect (including if its nsfw is a good idea too)

Speaking of NSFW: if your work isn't suitable for minors please make that clear! Even just a 'minors DNI' at the start of the post is good! If you wanna get fancy there are lots of creators who make lovely 18+/minors dni banners you can use for free, just google it and plenty will come up. If you're not adding a cut before the NSFW content then make sure you mark the post as for mature audiences (idk how you do it on the computer because I'm mostly a mobile user but on mobile you can find it bottom right, the icon with the two people). Not appropriately censoring your posts can result in tumblr restricting and possibly banning your account.

Finally, and this one is oddly specific to people who use google docs, but you can use a copy of this google doc to automatically add all the html to your writing so you can just copy and paste it into tumblr or AO3, instead of having to manually fix all the formatting. Do not just copy and paste AO3 html into tumblr, for some reason it has major issues with italics and will cause you a major headache. Just use the linked doc, its a super time saver, I've been using it for ages now

Okay thanks for reading bye

[wings-of-ink]

I also want to start and IF, im already a writer on wattpad and I want to expand my horizons but I have absolutely no clue about coding and stuff

Is it difficult to code?

That is awesome and wonderful! I highly encourage you to take the plunge and try it out. I would not say coding is difficult, but it's not exactly easy either. You're literally learning a new language depending on how deep into it you go. For me, the way I did it was to learn, say, basic phrases ("Where is your bathroom," or "I'd like a glass of water") and grammar for this language. I'm not fluent, but I'm getting by. You don't have to have it mastered before you start.

For a long-winded breakdown, see below!

I knew absolutely zero code when I started this out. I just knew I wanted to do it so badly. There are good resources online to help you as well, especially questions on forums because we are not the only newbies in this with questions. I find the Twine cookbook thing to be a bit of a nightmare to understand, lol. I am more a type of person that needs to see something in action or do something to truly get it. I cannot just read something and understand it at all.

Two things I did that helped me a lot was to start a Twine project and enter all the code I learned into it and I also started a story to test it all out. I made notes to myself in these to remind me of what they do and how they work as well. I still have those and use them when I learn new things or if I find a new macro that I want to use.

If the Twine documents don't work for you, do a simple internet search for what you need. I started to learn the Harlowe code first, and I honestly found that more difficult than Sugarcube. As a side note, when I started this, I didn't even know that there were multiple languages that Twine could use! When you find a guide or a forum post that is useful, save it! Copy/Paste it or bookmark it. Put the code in Twine and test it right away. You'll find that it all starts making more sense to see it in action.

I can't tell you how many times I've Googled "Twine Sugarcube *insert code issue or desired outcome.*"

I also recommend finding a free coding class just to familiarize yourself with the basic function of html. I did one on codeacademy.com. There's also youtube videos out there from people who really know what they're doing.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, so go into it knowing you are going to have really aggravating moments. I had times where I was trying so hard to understand this stuff that ended in a few tears of frustration. I'm a person who believes they can learn to do anything, but it takes pushing through those frustrating moments to get there. Our brains sometimes literally try to get us to quit stuff when it gets hard - we are wired to take the easy way out and when it's not easy, the brain is like - THIS IS PAIN. But I feel that if you push against that anyway, you'll get over that wall and things will start falling into place.

Sorry for rambling and I hope this helps you in some way, Anon! ^_^

I could go on, but for your sake, I'll stop there lol. If you have any other questions, please feel free to drop them in!

[night-market-if]

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！﹒dear author, i really admire the way you do your storytelling. i’m going to be honest, at first i really didn’t like your take on interactive fiction. i finished book 01 and i was super frustrated by the ending, especially since i was a milo-mancer! i was used to reading IFs where the author’s tend to write the story to “satisfy a select group of player’s wants”, so playing the night market was completely different from the games i usually play. it wasn’t until i did a new play through with the previous perspective from the first play through in mind that i absolutely fell in LOVE with the story. it’s genuinely such a complex work. i really like how the MC is technically “the main character” (quite literally…) but you still make sure to focus on the CAST, too! thank you for responding (if you do) i hope you have an amazing day!

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i’m a newbie writer and i hope this isn’t invasive, but i would really like to know what process you went through to create “the night market” ! especially the characters and world building. how did you craft them? did it take a long time? since it’s interactive fiction, do you use a writing outline or method to help guide you through writing all the different paths?

those are all the questions i really have. you can respond with anything related to writing that you’re comfortable with sharing. i would just like to know about your writing planning in general, since i find it hard for me to really get started.

That is a really good way to put it. There are for sure stories that cater to a players wants. And I have always said that it is a valid form of storytelling and gaming. I just don't enjoy them as much so I won't enjoy writing it. Thank you so much for giving me another chance. I really appreciate it.

As for my process? I can give you my process and then firmly state that you should not use that process. LOL

I don't plan anything. I don't use any of the wonderful writing tools that are out there to keep chapters, lore, characters, world building, etc. I don't even know how things are going to end or what I'm going to write for each chapter. I am one of those writers that goes in blind and firmly believe that my characters tell the story. The only thing I can say that I do that probably helps me is write these characters a lot outside of the Night Market. I RP with them. I talk them out loud. I get to know them so well that they come to life when I'm writing and then I just let them wander.

Now that has of course bitten me in the ass before. Because I have had moments where I'll introduce something and then forget about it. Or realize much later that something should have gone in two chapters back. But, I learned a long time ago that if I storyboard anything out, I won't write it. The last two years is the most consistent writing I've ever done and I've been trying to write full blown stories for the last fifteen years of my adult life.

I don't recommend this process to people. I really really don't. But if you are someone that needs to have the story unfold for you as well, then maybe just try getting to know your characters enough. Because then you can put them in any situation and know exactly how they would respond.

[topazadine]

"How Do I Make Myself Start Writing?" (Tips to Get the Damn Thing Done)

Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes

I have complained previously about people telling newbie writers to "just write!!!" as if this helps at all. In that post, I was more assessing the reason why people ask how to start writing rather than the mechanics of beginning to write.

Now I am going to come back and give you some basic, nuts-and-bolts tips on how to actually start writing something.

In this post, we will discuss how to develop a good framework for writing. Because I am a plotter, not a pantser, I will be focusing on plotting rather than just going at it willy-nilly. This is just my opinion and my process, so some things may not apply to you; take what you like and leave the rest.

Here's the outline of what we will discuss. I will be including links to previous posts that cover each aspect in more detail if you need more advice on each step:

Plotting

Outlining

Titling Sections

Writing Out of Order

Getting Started by Section

Using Google/Word Comments While Writing

Tools for Motivation

Tools for Concentration

Tools for Revision

Plotting

When plotting, you are not coming up with a play-by-play; that is the outline. People often confuse the two when writing, which leads to them getting overwhelmed.

With a plot, you only care about these components:

The inciting event

The MC's goal

The summit or climax

The end

You can think of your plot as the elevator pitch you'd give to someone when explaining your story; it is a general overview of the piece.

So, if I was looking at my 100k+ fanfic, "A Tale of Two Citadels," I would describe it as this:

"Two Yamanbagiris get mixed up and sent to opposite citadels: one good, one bad. They then have to find their way back to their own home. Omokage steps in and cuts a hole in space-time to rescue his citadel's Yamanbagiri, bringing back Manba from the other citadel."

Now we can move on to the outline, where we figuring how to go from inciting event -> summit -> end.

Outlining

Outlines are tricky because if you add too much detail, then you get demotivated, as I have discussed in my Double Outlining method.

As I explain there, I like to come up with a very long outline, which contains everything I want to have in there, and then drastically cut it down to my actual planning document I use while guiding my work.

When I am outlining, I do not always use chapters, unless I am 100% certain that I will have exactly that many chapters. Instead, I organize things by different scenes.

Sometimes it's possible to use chapters; for example, if I have dual POVs and am switching back and forth every chapter, then the amount of chapters I have is mostly locked in. But if you're doing a single POV, you may find you need more or less than you expected.

Anyway, you'll start with these main components:

Beginning

Inciting event

Climax

End

And then go and fill in the rest. If you are using my Plot Mountain method for adventure stories, then it will look something like this:

Base Camp: Beginning.

Base Camp -> ABC: Lead-up to inciting event.

ABC: Inciting event.

ABC -> North Col: First challenge.

North Col: First break/plateau.

And so on ... you can read the Plot Mountain post for a better understanding of what I am talking about.

Once you have a basic understanding of each scene that will be included, it's time to develop your draft.

Titling Sections

I like to start out with headers for each section or scene, as this helps me know what I will need to work on.

It's easy to forget that your first draft is not your final draft and you do not have to use "Chapter 1," etc when doing it. In fact, I discourage this, because you may very well find you need more chapters, and then you get yourself confused.

Instead, consider using descriptive headers and organizing things by scene when you are writing.

This is an example of what I am talking about, from the first draft of the sixth part of the Eirenic Verses series, Poesy.

Those are the "titles" of each chapter. Once I was actually done with the book, I went in and fixed these headers into actual chapters.

This method is helpful because of what I will discuss next (writing out of order) and because it helps ensure that you're staying on track with your plot points.

If I have already done most of the writing and then realized that I need a new chapter, I make a new header, highlight the "Chapter" part, and then add a comment to it reminding me of what this scene needs to include.

I do not highlight the number of the chapter, because I may very well find that I need another chapter before this one. Then I'd have to renumber it, nuking my comment in the process.

In general, I try to keep all sections within about 200-500 words of each other (depending on how long the chapters are), unless there's an extremely good reason for a given chapter to be much shorter than the others.

This helps the reader know what to expect and how to pace themselves when they are reading. If they're just about to go to bed and say "one more chapter," and then that chapter ends up being twice as long as the others, they might be a bit annoyed.

Writing Out of Order

Sometimes you are stuck on a section for whatever reason; maybe you're not feeling it, maybe you need more research, maybe you're not quite sure where you're heading with it. And that's fine! Just don't let it demotivate you.

Write what part you're most excited about when you are most excited about it.

I usually write the beginning, the climax, and the end first. Then, I add the "sub-climaxes:" those smaller sections of tension, like a fight scene or whatever.

After that, I stitch them all together with the downtime scenes, which will have a bit of momentum but a slower pace.

In many cases, a downtime scene is combined with a moment of tension to make a full chapter.

Getting Started by Section

If I am very stuck on a particular section and just can't get myself to do it, I tell myself to write 200 words in the section, and if I'm still not feeling it, then I can stop and do another part, or give up for the day. In many cases, I end up continuing for a few more hundred words.

Even if I still give up on the section for the day, I have given myself to something to work on when I pick it back up again: I am not confronted with a blank page with no understanding of what I am supposed to do next.

Sometimes, if I am really, really stuck, I'll stop writing right in the middle of a sentence, which gives me an even stronger anchor when I'm ready to continue.

Using Google/Word Comments While Working

Google or Word comments are an immensely helpful tool while you are working, as they help remind you of things that you know you need to add but don't feel like doing right in the moment.

They don't have to be very long either, just enough to tell you that you still have some more work to do on this part.

Then, as you finish, you can either delete them or resolve them, depending on whether you want to remember what you had to fix. I tend to delete them, as resolved comments can still be visible on a completed Word doc when I send it to a beta reader.

Tools for Motivation

Word Count Spreadsheet. Keeping track of your work every day helps build intrinsic motivation and encourages you to keep going, even on days where you don't feel like working.

StimuWrite. I explained this in great detail on my other blog, but essentially it gamifies writing for you.

Pomodoro Method. You've probably heard of this already so I won't belabor the point, but it makes you work in 25-minute-ish chunks where you do nothing but what you're meant to be doing. Because I use Cold Turkey, I don't tend to need it, but sometimes I'm really, really distracted, and then I will put a timer on to keep myself honest.

Tools for Concentration

Cold Turkey. I don't see this get mentioned a lot by writers and I'm not sure why, as I literally use it every single day of my life. It blocks whatever websites you shouldn't be looking at so that you can focus on your work.

Binaural Beats. While binaural beats aren't some Hail Mary thing that makes you into a super genius, they can be helpful sometimes. You can find lots of versions of binaural beats on YouTube or your favorite music playing app.

Tools for Revision

Microsoft Read Aloud. I really like this tool for Word, though it does tend to butcher fantasy names (especially Uileac, I'm sorry honey). This makes it easier to catch typos or notice where you used the same word twice in a sentence. You can find this under the "review" section. Be sure to put it on normal speed or even below normal speed so that you can really capture missing words.

ProWritingAid. I will say that since I have started using ProWritingAid more frequently, I don't find as much value in it anymore, especially with the critique feature. They changed it recently so that it's not quite as thorough. Still, if you're a newer writer, you can definitely find benefit in its suggestions, particularly the "Inspiration" element. It is also good for letting you see an immediate overview of problems so you can just click on them and fix them all at once. I also like its sensory feature so I remember to actually add all five senses to my work.

Beta Readers. Yes, of course, beta readers are very helpful. But you need to find good ones! Ask if a writer on Tumblr that you like and admire will be willing to take a look at your work; they may say no, but there's no harm in asking. Fiverr can also be a good resource. I have found r/betareaders to be hit or miss. A lot of the beta readers on there are unexperienced and don't know what they're talking about.

And that's about it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

I've created a masterlist of writing resources that you can peruse at your leisure, all for free.

The posts I write can sometimes take me hours - they're always intricate, always thoughtful. This one took me about 1 hour to write.

I do this as a labor of love for the writing community, sharing what I have learned from almost 15 years of creative writing.

However, if you'd like to support me, maybe you'll consider buying my book?

At $0.99, that's about 0.11 for each minute you spent reading this post.

9 Years Yearning is a gay coming-of-age romance set in a fantasy world. It follows Uileac Korviridi, a young soldier training at the War Academy. His primary motivations are honoring the memory of his late parents, protecting his little sister Cerie, and becoming a top-notch soldier.

However, there's a problem: Orrinir Relickim, a rough and tough fellow pupil who just can't seem to leave Uileac alone.

The book features poetry, descriptions of a beautiful country inspired by Mongolia, and a whole lot of tsundere vibes.

You can also check it out on Goodreads for a list of expanded distribution.

If you do purchase my book, don't forget to leave a review!

Reviews are vital for visibility on Amazon and help to support indie authors like me. Whenever you love a book, be sure to let the author know! It's much appreciated.

[amaliazeichnerin]

Bad Writing Advice from Stephen King's ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT

Whenever newbies ask authors about good writing advice books, sooner or later someone mentions Stephen King's "ON WRITING: A MEMOIR OF THE CRAFT" However, as this youtuber points out, some of the writing advice in this book is rather vague and not helpful. (In case you wonder, this is not about bashing Stephen King, the Youtuber also explains that he likes King's novels).

He also explains that at the point when King published his writing advice book, he had been writing for ca. 40 years and seemed to had gone out of touch what writing problems new aspiring writers have.

Practical writing advice books that I can recommend for writing newbies:

"Shut Up and Write the Book: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Novel From Plan to Print" by Jenna Moreci (from 2023)

"Structuring Your Novel (Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition): Essential Keys for Writing an Outstanding Story" by K. M. Weiland (2024)

"Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success", also by K. M. Weiland (2013)

[fruitypixel]

Tsua Jungle AU (No Quirks)

Visitors of the Jungle Cast

Midoriya's Group consists of the following people:

Archeologist! Izuku: A young intern training under All Might. Think of a mini Indiana Jones. A total sweetheart who will whip a bitch for stealing from ancient temples. Arrived in this jungle to explore lost cities.

Bionist! Ochako: Girlfriend of Izuku and botanist! She's the one who's in charge of driving vehicles ("Uraraka start the engine!" <<Midoya running for his life) and identifying edible foods they can eat. She came along because she wants to keep her bf safe, and explore the unknown!

Photographer! Shoto: A run away rich boy. Daddy disapproved of his choice in career, that among the obvious, Todoroki struck out on his own. Came to the jungle so he can make an online calendar.

Herpetologist! Tsuyu: The guide who owns her own nature blog. She keeps everyone calm under the most dangerous circumstances. She's also the main cook of the group. Is the one that suggested they come to the jungle for research.

Koda's Group has the following people:

Zoologist! Koji: A mute, sweet zoologist who loves animals. Prefers to study rather than go on adventures like Izuku's group does. Suggested they go to the jungle to study animals.

Writer! Momo: A rich girl who has a taste for the thrill. Got bored at home and decided to leave to get her groove back. Came to the jungle to get some inspiration for her next book.

Translator! Menzo: A translator that graduated from college a month ago. Like Tsu, he’s calm even in the most dangerous circumstances. He arrived with the group so he could build his resume.

Guide! Fumikage: The Survivor of the group after his plane crash landed months ago. Tells dark poetry and tells stories of tales of the jungle. Joins the group so he can not only get back to civilization, but test himself in the dark.

Ojiro's group consists of the following people:

Researcher! Mashirao: A budding researcher. Knows his stuff and keeps his cool unless it's too out of control. He wanted to go to the jungle so he could find the king of the jungle.

Explorer! Akinori: A newbie Explorer. Easily gets nervous and panics at the slightest hint of danger. Came to the jungle because he needs his explorer badge.

Explorer! Hagakure: A senior Explorer who knows what she's doing. Brave as all hell and is a good spy for the group. Came to the jungle to help Akinori get his explorer badge.

Inhabitants of the Jungle

Tarzan! Tenya: The Prince of the Jungle. A serious individual, but very curious of other people like him. Just as, even if not more feral than Tensei. Lives with his brother Tensei.

Tarzan! Tensei: The King of the Jungle. Mute due to his trauma, yet a very ferocious man who will stop at nothing to protect his home and his baby brother. Lives in a treehouse with Tenya.

Explorer! Aizawa: A grumpy ass explorer. Aizawa dislikes his job of discovering why he's still doing this is unclear. Lives in the jungle with Shinso so he can make a map of the place.

Explorer! Shinso: Another grumpy, yet much more curious Explorer. Often hides in his tent, but will go out if he has to. Lives in the jungle with Aizawa so he too gets his badge.

The Amazons tribe: An all women tribe deep in the jungle. This tribe is well known as discoverers and hunters, always out looking for the unknown. The tribe is ruled by Midnight.

Vlad King Tribe: A more welcoming, if not slightly territorial tribe. Just simple dwellers trying to live their lives in peace. Though sometimes it's not always simple. The tribe is led by Vlad King.

Bakugou's Tribe: A hostile and barbaric tribe. Only the strong will survive in this tribe filled with treasure hoarders and very territorial people. They will kill and/or capture intruders on sight. Ruled by Bakugou and Bakugou alone.

Antagonists

Treasure Seekers! LOV: A group of illegal treasure hunters who look for ancient treasures and uncover dangerous powers from them. They seek to plunder from them, not caring who or what is in their way. Each member has their own reasons for coming to the jungle other than looking for treasure.

Poacher! Stain: An absolute bastard and cold man. Always hunts big game no matter the cost. He also idolize Mr. Might, but for the wrong reasons. Came to the jungle to catch and kill rare animals.

Hunter! Overhaul: A wealthy yet ruthless businessman who owns several casinos. Overhaul is known to get rid of those who are in his way, no matter what. He came to the jungle so he could build his next big project: while also getting rid of animal life.

[nanowrimo]

How to Write Through Second Book Syndrome

Second Book Syndrome is a unique experience that can affect any writer. Today, author Uju Asika talks about what she learned while tackling Second Book Syndrome and gives advice on navigating it.  There’s something immensely powerful about completing your first book. For a brief moment, you feel invincible. After all, pretty much everyone you meet thinks they have a book in them, but not many people actually sit down to write it.

I wrote my first book, Bringing Up Race, in the midst of a global pandemic. Writing my next book, a picture book for younger readers, was a much less stressful experience. So it was actually with my third book, aimed at grownups again, that Second Book Syndrome kicked in.

You’ve probably heard of sophomore album syndrome (see Lauryn Hill, The Stone Roses) aka the sophomore slump that, apparently, can happen to anyone from athletes to second year college students.

Second Book Syndrome isn’t talked about as much and yet it affects almost every author on some level. Whether you’re a million-copy seller, a mid-list author or a relative newbie, you grapple with the same insecurities and nightmare scenarios. How do I write something as good as or better than my last book? If my first book did well, was it just a fluke? If my first book sold poorly, is this book my last shot? Will it meet my readers’ expectations or am I going to get troll-bombed on Goodreads? Am I establishing an author brand or have I niched myself into a corner? Can I experiment with voice or will I get laughed at by critics? Do I even have it in me to write a WHOLE OTHER BOOK?

Now that you’ve finished at least one book, you might feel like you’ve got this shit nailed. But the tricky thing about writing is that every time you open a blank page, you are starting from scratch. And every time you face a blank page, you are forced to meet yourself there, again and again. No matter whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction. There’s no escaping yourself and that’s what makes it so hard, so vulnerable and potentially, so transformative.

My latest book, Raising Boys Who Do Better: A Hopeful Guide for a New Generation, came out last month. Foolishly, I had it in the back of my mind that writing this book would be a relative breeze. In some ways, it was harder. I had so much Resistance — the negative force that pushes back when you try to do something that matters, as Steve Pressfield talks about in The War of Art.

I also had to deal with the impostor syndrome (a close cousin of Second Book Syndrome) that whispered in my ear that I didn’t have another book in me. That I had used up all my smart ideas and pretty words. That I should stick to short form content and leave the real writing to the professionals.

So how did I get over this? What can you do when you’re in the throes of Second Book Syndrome and feeling like you’ll never write another sentence again? Here are a few things that helped me:

Make a Plan

If you identify as a ‘pantser’ rather than a ‘plotter’, you’re probably shaking your head at this. But it doesn’t have to be a full proposal or outline. Your plan can be as simple as a journal entry, a short mission statement, a sentence describing your premise, or a note to self about what you’d like your reader to learn, feel and experience. Making a plan and reviewing it from time to time can help keep your project alive when you’re suffering from self-doubt, comparisonitis and other symptoms of Second Book Syndrome.

Give Yourself Permission

The only way to release yourself from the pressure of writing your next book is to liberate yourself. Give yourself permission to write badly. I mean, really really badly. Permission to write something that sounds nothing like what you wrote before. Permission to play, to dream, to procrastinate. Permission to research until your head is bursting. For every project, I always keep a notebook so I can write by hand and make a mess and scribble pages of absolute drivel. I can spend hours writing around the edges of what I’m actually trying to explore. I encourage you to start every new project by writing yourself a permission slip. When you give yourself permission, the words might stick and splutter for a while but eventually, they flow. After that, the magic is in the edit.

Drown Out the Noise

We’re surrounded by noise all day, from social media traffic to our own mental chatter to those Amazon reviews (gulp). It’s hugely distracting and can be a drain on your creativity and confidence. Look for ways to drown this out, whether that’s through meditation, writing retreats, long nature walks or journalling. My simplest trick is to put on some noise-cancelling headphones and turn the music up. This might sound counterintuitive but listening to music puts me in a headspace for writing without any filters. Also, as a mother who writes around her family life (the kitchen table is my office), I’ve used headphones for years to signal that I’m at work and to keep the cacophony of my kids at bay.

Get Drunk

When you have another book to write, it’s easy to feel lost at the beginning. What to write and how to say it? When this happens, I immerse myself in storytelling. The poet Charles Baudelaire famously said one should ‘Always Be Drunk’ and it’s a quote that I live by. I don’t mean Hemingway-style binges, I mean being drunk on stories. I consume books, podcasts, films, TV shows, songs, art shows, conversations, eavesdropping, everyday life. I feed my habit and my habit feeds my writing.

Focus on What You Can Control

Creativity is mostly trial and error. Art is subjective and you can’t control how your work will be received by an audience or by critics. Often, success hinges on an indefinable mix of luck, talent, hard work, timing, money, network, reputation and… did I mention luck? Through all this, the only thing you can control is how you show up. I do my best to show up for my readers in a way that’s engaging, impactful and entertaining — both on the page and in real life. Other than that, the rest is not up to me. All I can do is keep showing up.

Track Changes

When you’re editing a piece of work, it can be helpful to track changes on a document. But this isn’t what I’m talking about here. What I mean is keeping track of the changes that happen because you had the courage to put your work into the world. I screenshot comments from readers on social media who tell me my books have changed the way they think about race and identity. I save a file of testimonials from parents who say I’ve shaped how they talk to their children about these tricky topics. I also keep notes on what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown while writing a book. All this is a reminder that so much of writing (and reading) isn’t just about the product or the story but about who we are becoming through the process.

Lean On Your People

Probably the most useful thing you can do as a writer is to find your people and lean on them. Obviously your closest friend/partner/family member who enjoys your writing or offers great advice can be invaluable. But as a writer, your people are other writers and it’s essential that you seek them out. Follow #writercommunity hashtags on social media, join a writers’ group or membership, befriend other newbie authors when your book comes out. You need to be in community with other writers who get it. Especially when Third Book Syndrome comes knocking…

NaNoWriMo Writers Board member Uju Asika is a multi-award nominated blogger, former journalist and TV screenwriter. She is the author of Bringing Up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World and the picture book A World for Me and You (Where Everyone Is Welcome). Her new book Raising Boys Who Do Better: A Hopeful Guide for a New Generation came out on June 1. You can order the book for free worldwide delivery on Wordery: https://wordery.com/raising-boys-who-do-better-uju-asika-9780241608418

Uju is launching a creative writing service for developing and aspiring writers, learn more here!

[writingquestionsanswered]

Hello! I'm a complete newbie wanting to write. I haven't really written anything before other than school assignments and stuff. I'm feeling stuck on getting started? My biggest issue is I'm not all that a creative person so my ideas kinda suck. I can come up with one or two, but I don't feel the motivation to go for it because it's just a base idea with no point, no message or real "reason" in the story. I don't know why but I just can't seem to do the "just write" thing (I tried). Help? <3

Newbie Writer Struggling with Ideas and Writing

The biggest misconception newbie writers have is that you're supposed to be able to sit down for the first time, or fifth time, or tenth time, and just write this incredible story. That's just not how it works. For anyone.

Before we go there, though, I want to address something else you said: "I'm not all that a creative person..."

Writing is a creative art. Writers are usually creative people by nature. If you wouldn't consider yourself to be all that creative a person right now, you are well and truly starting at the beginning. Which is okay--it's not an insurmountable obstacle, but it is an obstacle that must be overcome. The first thing you need to do is hone your creativity. You need to become a creative person so that you have the creative well to draw from when you try to write. Luckily, I have a guide that tells you how to do this: Guide: Filling Your Creative Well

Once you've spent some time honing your creative skill, it's time to start building and honing your craft as a writer. The first thing I would recommend is putting your new creative skills to work by doing some writing prompts. Writing prompts can be found in books (try the library or a bookstore) and online (try Google and Tumblr.) Writing prompts are a great way to hone your writing skills because the seed of an idea is given to you, but you still have a lot of room to be creative. Another option is to do some daily journaling, talking about your thoughts, memories, or your day. A third option is writing fan-fiction, which many writers find to be a fun and motivating way to hone their writing skills. Just remember that the first stories you write... the first many stories you write... aren't going to be good. Just like when you try to bake a cake for the very first time, it's probably not going to be the greatest cake ever baked. But bad writing is a crucial part of becoming a good writer. We all go through it.

Once you've spent some time writing shorter fiction in the way of writing prompt stories, journaling, or fan-fiction--all while continuing to fill your creative well--you will start to find that the ideas you come up with are more solid and numerous. You'll have an easier time implementing those ideas and turning them into cohesive stories. Then you can worry about writing stories with purpose and, if you choose, some kind of underlying message. :)

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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!

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[qbdatabase]

Hello, books and worms!

I’m testing out a fun new project of creating themed lists of five to a dozen titles each month. They’ll have a cute little collage for each title’s cover, and then a very short blurb for the title, author, age, genre, and a sentence or two of description.

This month’s theme is devoted to Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, but feel free to send an ask with requests!

Description blurb for each book under the cut v

Life Underwater / Matthew Metzger: Romance; a gray-romantic Muslim transgender man accidentally falls in love with a non-binary marine biologist

Fire Becomes Her / Rosiee Thor: YA Fantasy, Historical; a demiromantic bisexual woman schemes her way to the top of alt-Jazz Age magical politics

Syncopation / Anna Zabo: Romance; two band mates, one tour bus. can a gay song writer make it work with an aromantic rock star Dom?

Devon’s Island / SI Clarke: Sci-Fi; a soldier and her food scientist wife must work together with an aro-ace autistic scientist to plan a mission to Mars

The Bruising of Qilwa / Naseem Jamnia: Fantasy; a middle eastern aro-ace non-binary refugee discovers a terrible new disease amongst accusations of blood magic

The Last 8 / Laura Pohl: YA Sci-Fi, Apocalypse; eight teens survive an alien attack and gather at Area 51, led by an aromantic bisexual Latina who discovers a space ship that could change everything …

Two Dark Moons / Avi Silver: YA Fantasy; an aromantic bisexual female must survive in a jungle of reptilian people to pass her coming of age ritual

It Sounds Like This / Anna Meriano: YA Fiction; fat ace Latina MC leads a brass marching band of newbies with the help of a sweet and shy gray-romantic ace boy who just might be her new crush

Tarnished are the Stars / Rosiee Thor: YA Sci-Fi; a lesbian with an illegal clock-work heart, a tyrant’s aro-ace son, and a skilled assassin form an uneasy alliance to end an epidemic

The Liar’s Guide to the Night Sky / Brianna Shrum: YA Action; a ski-slope accident pits a bisexual girl training to be a firefighter and her cousin’s aromantic pansexual Latino best friend against freezing temperatures

The Rhythm of My Soul / Elin Dyer: YA Mystery; an aro-ace ballerina, a boy determined to dance until it kills him, and a new boy with a dark past need to figure out who is out for revenge–and why

Common Bonds: an anthology of short stories featuring aromantic characters