#it doesn't need to try so hard that I'm crippling my own creativity with it

[elektroyu]

I'm seriously starting to consider to not take the general story crafting 101 too seriously... and just do whatever. In the end the only criterium that's important is if I personally like my story by itself. Or even just that I was able to completely write it.

There are so many things out there that don't follow the general structures, or that aren't even a single coherent storyline at all. The only reason I want to make it structurally waterproof is because I think that's the only way to make other people maybe approve of it. MAYBE. It's because I think if I don't follow the rules I'm going to get criticized or made fun of for it. But honestly, there's no guarantee that even a single person other than myself would even read it. So why the heck am I trying to bend over backwards so much for something that probably won't even matter?! 😂 It doesn't make sense. I should treat this as an effing fanfic and do whatever feels right, have fun with it, COMPLETE IT, even if it's not coherent or this or that fundamental rule is not followed. It DOESN'T need to make sense. Really WHO.CARES?? The answer is NOBODY. A story's purpose is not to make others like the fkn author lol. I really should stop trying to treat it like that. Amirite or

[romeoandjulietyouwish]

do you have any tips on how to start writing fics?

the outsiders brainrot actually has me coming up with ideas and i have a desire to start writing them into actual stories but i've never written outside of class papers/assignments and i don't really know where/how to start since it's all just my own prompts and ideas and there's no grading rubric lmaoooo

like do you plan out each fic with a list first or do you just start writing about the main plot point of the chapter and fill in around that out of order or do you just start writing and see where it takes you...

how do i know when to stop writing or decide on which endings/paths/plot points to go with... the deadly combo of indecisiveness and perfectionism along with having no guidelines or due dates is crippling me so im asking some of my fav authors (who have also been inspiring me to write and be creative)

OMG HI! I love talking about writing so buckle up.

First of all, starting creative writing is hard, especially when you haven't done it before. Heck, I struggle with it so much! For me there are two places I start from:

A moment or visual

When I'm writing a short fic, I don't plan them out, I just start writing and see what comes out. I'm not sure if you noticed, but most of my fics start and take place at night. That is because a visual that really sticks in my head is streetlights coming through windows or a light in a dark room.

I would recommend thinking of a visual you're drawn to or a feeling you want to capture. Start there and then build on the scene.

If that doesn't work for you, think about what you're trying to capture in the story. What character are you focusing on? What aspect of the character? And then start with that character's thoughts or maybe a flashback that leads into the point you're trying to make.

The plot

Right now, I've been writing a lot of one shots, but I really want to write a multi-chapter fic for the outsiders soon! This is the process I use for that.

I always do an outline when writing longer fics, it helps me figure out where the story is and where it needs to go and how long I have to get it there. Here's an example of what my outlines look like, I do one for each chapter.

Chapter 4 Korrin being more fatherly to Vax (big feelings) Vax finds Simon Vax’s backstory reveal (where’s Vex?) Leads to issues with the actual alliance because they find out it’s not recognized by Syngorn Hair braiding First time sharing a bed (v soft)

These are key moments I want in each chapter and the emotional and plot stakes.

And then there's the question of where to end. It's hard, I mean half the time I just end it when it feels right, but I know that's not helpful.

I would say that you should end the story when everything that needs to be achieved One of my biggest pet peeves with fanfic is people ending the stories before they're finished. And I know that it's an artistic choice sometimes, but personally I don't like it lmaooo.

Creative writing is hard as hell. I've been doing it since I was eight and it is still a struggle. When you write, let the story tell you where it wants to go. Sometimes that means it's completely different from what you started with and that's a good thing!

But all in all, don't be discouraged. It takes time to get started, but you should know that I've only been writing Outsiders fics for a month or two and everyone has been so kind and welcoming <3

[edupunkn00b]

How about Roman for the character ask game? <3

First Impression

Meh? Before I even found out the costume was based on Into The Woods, he gave me major Sleeping Beauty's Prince Charming vibes and... That character, while hilarious, wasn't the greatest person. (I know, I know, that was the whole point of the show.)

Side note: I am sometimes frequently in deep, deep denial over my own propensity for drama, a crippling need for validation/attention, and crushing creative insecurity and, yes, I know precisely who that sounds like XD.

Impression Now

He has most definitely grown on me. While I wanted to throw something at him all through SvS for the way he treated Logan, when it came to the end, when The Prince sacrificed his own hopes and dreams because he thought it was the Right Thing To Do™️... No, of course I'm not crying, I just have something in my eye. (Yeah, those are called tears, edu.)

Favorite Moment(s)

This is tied and they're both moments with Logan. Okay, maybe three.

The endcard after the My Negative Thinking Debate ("What did you do to him?")

When he gave Logan the Sherlock fanfic

The Bitchmas rant

Okay, maybe four. This look when Thomas said "or maybe videos not about the Sides."

Roman was all of us in that moment.

Idea for a Story

Not counting what I'm already working on for @loginceweek2022 or @tsshipmonth2020 's New Year, Old Tropes, um... Hm.

I've been having a ton of fun with the Creativitwins in my current A Little Bit of Love story, so maybe a good, old fashioned brother fight, then they have to fight together story where the Sides are in peril and... Oh, no, the only way the twins can fix it is to actually trust each other! What?

That sounds familiar? (Shoving Do Us Any Harm under my bed.) No idea what you're talking about.

Unpopular Opinion

Roman is the younger brother.

When Creativity inspired c!Thomas to draw the picture of himself electrocuting his little brother (and then actually starting to try it for science), Morality (and, begrudgingly, Self- Preservation) split Creativity, stripping out the dangerous, dark Creativity into the Duke, and siphoned the softer, less morally ambiguous parts into The Prince.

The Duke kept the majority of what Creativity held, including his memories, his feelings, and his connections to the other Sides.

It's why Roman has had a hard time (peacefully) connecting with anyone other than Patton (he doesn't have their history) and why he's been so afraid of going against "the moral choice" because his entire purpose to Moral Creativity.

And he watched, for years, as The Duke, his brother, his older brother, struggled for acceptance, before finally saying "Fvck it," finally embracing the dark parts of himself (psst... And c!Thomas.)

Favorite Relationship

Platonic? The brotherly Creativitwins, hands down. They're hilarious, they hate each other and love each other and act admit (or see?) just how much they have in common. Perfect brother relationship.

Romantic?

💛 Roceit, baby. 💛

(Yes, I see you there, Logince, but we all know what kind of angst I require before writing a Logince fic.)

Favorite Headcanon

I got into this a bit above in the unpopular opinion, but... Remus and Roman, even after Remus' banishment, would meet in secret to battle the Dragon Witch together and would patch each other up afterwards.

Blatant begging below the cut...

So... I got an Ask about Logan, and an Ask about Janus... and an ask about all three. I would love to do one of these just for Remus (he deserves his own, doesn't he? 💚)

He's not ashamed to beg and neither am I.

Please? 💚

[likelyfantasywriterspsychic]

Actually just last night I found some honestly to me very hurtful writing advice. I subscribe to The Write Life news letter and one of the articles was well:

Creating a book outline. Yes, you have to! Here are six legitimate reasons to create a book outline.

As someone who can't outline without losing intrest or royally messing up a story so that it feels forced and terrible, this was not okay.

I read the article and the way the author wrote about outlining was that it was the magic fix to: dropping middle syndrome, writers block, and more.

If I was a younger writer with less experience this would have killed my creativity and stopped me from writing altoughter.

But then some people in the comments section showed that they know how to give real advice. Saying this may help SOME writers but not all. And giving their own opinions on how they do a bit of pre-planning to help but not a full outline.

Then the author of the article proved that she was so much more condescending than I oringally thought. She was answering someone who is normally a pantser, and was really excited to try outlining next time and see if it helped her since she was stuck in revision he'll in her big fantasy story. The author's response?

That reply doesn't sit well with me. Not in the slightest. That seems so high and mighty it's terrible.

This is so hurtful and what if outlining doesn't work for this writer? The way this whole thing is worded you are a bad writer if you don't follow this advice.

I see so much of this around I wonder how many people have given up on writing because of people like this.

On the flip side?

Wendy, Kathryn and Al Musitano, have good advice for writing. They show the other side and break down alot of the problems of this mindset of My Way or the Highway type thinking and I wish there was more of this.

It's getting alot better lately but it's still 60/40 for hurtful advice that can cripple a writer. It's alot easier to find this kind of advice.

If more people could give advice like Wendy then I'm very sure there would be alot less stories of people giving up on writing cause no advice worked for them or they were told they were bad because they didn't follow rules that may not work for them.

Sorry for hijacking you're post Ren, but this is something that just recently had me almost starting to doubt my writing ability and making me feel not so hot about my way of writing.

And I've been writing for years. I was even published once for a short story contest so I know I can write.

Really my thoughts on it is thay whenever someone gives advice they need to do one simple thing:

"This is my own opinion and what works for me may not work for you, still hopefully this will help you figure out the way you write best. These are not hard and fast rules, please keep that in mind."

Two sentences and phrasing this article as hey outlining is a pretty useful tool for some writers and here's why and add actual tips for how to outline a book (which this article DOESN'T ACTUALLY DO) would make so much difference.

Dear Fellow Writers Discussion: Writing Advice, helpful or hurtful?

 Hello there,

 Today I wanted to kind of broach a topic that perhaps should be thought about more than what it is here in the writeblr community. Writing advice. Are we actually being helpful or stunting other writer’s creativity with it?

 My thoughts are a mixture of both, really. Some writing advice can be really helpful in helping me work through something I’ve been stuck on by showing me how other writers do something.

 But then there’s those pieces of advice. The ones that word things to make you feel lousy about liking a trope, a character type, trying to step outside of your lane, for looking at commas, or even considering using a descriptor word. And how DARE you use said more than once in a 150,000+ word novel. Real writers write everyday, and they make you feel like trash if your life doesn’t allow you to do so. It’s so very toxic and crippling and kills my motivation to write to the point I have to nope out of tumblr for a few weeks to remind myself why I write using the techniques and tropes I do and when I come back they’re still there. Still suggesting my writing and I are trash.

 I think part of the problem is people have seemed to forget that their preferences and opinions aren’t the only valid ones out there, that their experiences are not the only ones that could be had on this giant planet full of billions of people. So no one thinks anything of TOP 10 WORST TROPES EVER, NEVER WRITE THESE!!! Not even stopping to think that maybe some of those tropes got other people through rough times and still make them smile.

 And grammar is important, but how many people talk using perfect grammar? How many worlds that came from completely different histories and circumstances are going to follow the laws, have the mentality, and historical context of ours? Info dumps can be necessary, the curtains can be blue for other reasons, there can be a story with literally 0 messages to preach and only be there for entertainment value.

 There is no right way to do this thing we do, but there’s people and writing advice who imply, or flat out state, otherwise. But famous, world renowned authors’ books seem to teach otherwise.

 So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that yes, writing advice can be useful, but it can be toxic too. That’s why on the rare occasions I do write writing advice, I try to state that this is just how I do, this might work for you or it might not, it is your world and your story in the end so if it doesn’t work for you then that’s okay.

 But what are your guy’s thoughts?