#mail writing tips

[nvuy]

How do you write so well? I'm trying to get into writing because I YEARN to create, but it is very difficult. Do you have any tips? I try and create, but it feels like there is a brick wall in my brain 😫 I also struggle to come up with ideas 😭😭

oh worm thank you so much im so honoured… i don’t want to just say ‘practise,’ even though that is half of quite literally improving in anything.

i am going to long post now. you’re welcome. this is my little guide to writing. in no way am i saying my writing is perfect and world class five stars, but this is just some things i learned along the way that helped me get better!!!

now this is all assuming considering you read my works that you also want to write reader inserts, but even if that’s not the case, i think all this stuff applies to normal writing as well.

what i do like to think is that ‘good writing’ is very very subjective. for example, i prefer much more philosophical pieces, ambiguous endings, extensive world building, and things like that, and i like to put it in my writing.

however, what you may like about my writing could be what someone else absolutely hates. not everyone can be bothered to read 4 pages on a heavy description of a quiet deserted street in the rain, or a dusty old library , or the bustling atmosphere of a cafe. some writers like to do scenarios without fully developed plots. some do.

WRITING IN A NUT SHELL

what really helps is to find where you lie on this spectrum. do you prefer overtly poetic descriptive writing, or straight to the point, no beating around the bush? or does it depend?

i know it’s sounds taxing to write heavy descriptions and worldbuilding and this and that, but if you like to read it, chances are you may also like to write it yourself.

this is a tip i lowkey thought was common sense, but i’ve spoken to moots on discord and other platforms about it, and a lot of writers just… don’t know about it?

basically it’s that A First Draft is a First Draft. this has been said time and time again. j.r. tolkein didn’t write LOTR in a day, rowling did not write the entire harry potter series in one shot. nobody did that.

as well as this, my first drafts never start out as fully fledged stories. most of them look like this:

notice the obnoxiously large gap in between? yep! two entirely different scenes, but under the same concept. you don’t need cohesion in your drafts. that comes with time. get all your ideas down first.

my first drafts are awful. they’re absolute dogshit. most of the time, i abandon a lot of my works altogether. but i never delete anything, because sometimes i may come back and suddenly get inspiration again.

most of my first drafts look like this:

notice how it lacks with everything. there’s no flavour here. it’s incredibly dialogue heavy, and it’s clearly supposed to have some sort of surreal feeling to it.

come back to it later only when i feel like it and rewrite it only when you feel like it:

same concept, same exact scene, but now it has more emotion. because i’ve written it a second time, or maybe even a third, or fourth (anymore than that, and im sorry, but drop it. it’s doing you more harm than good). so many people hit this writers block because they want their first draft to be perfect and it won’t ever be.

don’t focus on the itty bitty details. get the idea down first. you can always come back later. it really really helps to get out of ruts and stuff.

another thing: You Don’t Need To Start With Writing Fanfics Right Away. and i wouldn’t recommend it. not doubting you, or any other young bright-eyed writers, but fanfics are gruelling work that require lots and lots of planning.

i would honestly recommend getting started and finding comfort with one shots and/or headcanons, or drabbles, or whatever else short fics are called, because they require a lot less dedication, and it’s a lot more fun, because you can spring from one idea to another. majority of my works are short fics for a reason. it’s a lot easier to write, and i personally find it more enjoyable :) try it out!

IDEAS: WORLDBUILDING

(this next segment is assuming your fic wants to take place in a different area than canon) (otherwise, check out descriptions/images/videos of the place your world is supposed to be set in!! same idea!!)

if you’re unsure about worldbuilding and what exactly this place you’re creating is supposed to look like or how it might function, browse pinterest! there’s so many real and/or fake & rendered places on that site. is your area really cold and constantly snowing? search up some art with those key words. it could help you gain a clearer image!

let’s use an example: say the world im building my fic is based in a very cold, always snowing, always icy town. we go on pinterest, have a bit of a look around, and then we go Ooh this looks interesting!!

this is a painting by alexander andriyanov.

who are these people? where are they? what’re they doing? is horseback and carriage their primary mode of transport? do these people have access to vehicles like cars? do cars exist in my world at all? what are the surrounding buildings? etc etc.

TLDR: what im trying to say is if it helps you, look at something, listen to music, watch a movie, and then ask the question How Do I Make This About Me?

this speedpaint by darek zabrocki helped me get an idea of what snezhnaya in my multi chapter fic on ao3 was supposed to look like. obviously snezhnaya isn’t released in genshin just yet, so it allows me a lot of creative freedom in that regard.

you can always always use other people’s works as inspiration. why do you think so many songs these days use samples from older tracks? it’s basically the same thing. obviously, don’t downright copy, that’s plagiarism, but seriously. if you’re struggling to create this world in your head, pinterest is your best friend.

IDEAS: PLOTS & THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

in terms of coming up with actually plot ideas, i said it before and i’ll say it again. movies, shows, games, other people’s stories, other fanfics/books, paintings and other forms of artwork, history, etc.

if you’re writing a fanfic, most writers like to take the canon route, and you’re welcome to do that.

if you’re worried about your own ideas being lacklustre or you can’t think of anything, but the canon storyline is good for your fic, canon divergence is always fun!

for example! i haven’t posted it here, but i always did have this idea of a neuvillette centric fic based on the love letter he received in one of the world quests. so you take something that happened in the game, and then you ask AGAIN: How Do I Make This About Me?

in terms of thinking up an entirely different idea or concept or prompt or whatever you want to call it, there’s honestly no right or wrong way of doing it. it’s really, really difficult though. i have so many ideas that are more suitable for one shots that fully fledged fanfictions.

again, read books you like. read other people’s works. read lore of the fandom you’re writing about, or better yet, sometimes i go off of a fleeting thought that a random NPC said at some point in the storyline that had little to no effect on the story.

what constitutes as a good plot and a bad plot is a matter of opinion. as long as there’s evident improvement (or the opposite, if that’s your fancy) of your characters in your story, whether that be their personality, relationship with others, or whatever, then you’ve successfully written a cohesive narrative.

how most of my works start is actually because i randomly come up with one scene in my head that haunts me. i call them Brain Rots™.

for example, in my scaramouche fic on ao3, the scene that started the entire thing was of some sort of solider that presented a ring to the doctor in a very cold and barren wasteland.

and then i asked, what is the significance of this ring? is the solider injured? should the doctor care? why are they there in the first place? where is this place? where do they go after this?

hopefully you get the picture.

TLDR: figure out what makes your Brain Rot™ about the particular scene that’s playing on repeat in your head, find your inspiration through any sort of media you enjoy consuming that you find directly links to your ideas (because most likely if you enjoy something, you’ll be inspired by it more than you would with something you actively don’t like) (and this ‘media’ ranges from pictures, real life anecdotes/stories, video games, other fics, music, art, etc.), ask questions (How Do I Make This About Me), and then answer them yourself!!!!

and also just practise and practise and practise!!! you will subconsciously develop new skills by consuming media and reading other people’s works that you really like. it all comes with time :) !!!!!

[sister-lucifer]

hi hi! I hope to not bother you. I thought that you could help me answer two questions I have since you're more experienced in writing than me :)

so, strange question first, how do you post nsfw and "weird" content so freely? like, without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed.

I am not judging u at all, I just wanna know since I wanted to post that type of content myself, and I kind of struggle with publishing things a bit too "exposing" tbh. (but maybe that's just a me problem lol)

also

I've read both yours and cryptidcircusco's fics on tim x toby ( I loved them both btw) and I was wondering what does "Dead dove do not eat" mean in a writing setting?

that's all. Sorry for the kinda long ask. Feel free to ignore it. have a great day! :D

i am never bothered by messages like these. i love them dearly

i’m gonna answer these out of order bc it’s easier for me that way

one— “dead dove do not eat” is essentially shorthand for “MIND THE FUCKING WARNINGS. WHAT YOU SEE IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ BEYOND THIS POINT. DONT BE A DIPSHIT.”. so yeah

two— this is a little hard to answer. i’ve always been a shameless fuck but honestly? surround yourself with people who will match your freak, or at least not judge you for it. it’s definitely easier to post my freak shit when i’ve got people by my side who will happily indulge in my ideas and support my work.

also just like. start posting it! just do it! there WILL be someone who likes it, and then there will be another, and another, until you’ve found your own little niche just like i have. write for yourself, and the right people will find you. even if you don’t find your people right away, you get less embarrassed with every post you make. i find it helped me low key to just…lean into the freak?? like if i get a hate message from someone calling me a nasty pervert, my response is always “YES I AM!!!”

even if you have to fake embracing it, do it. it’ll make you feel so much better to own your freak

[ddejavvu]

hiii, i'm so sorry to bother you. i love your fics so much and i think you're an incredible writer, i was wondering if maybe you have any tips for how to write good fics or just writing tips in general? :) i completely understand if you don't want to answer this!! i hope you have a lovely day <3

thank you so much! i really appreciate your sweetness :) oh boy, i think that writing is such a broad concept that I don't know if I could ever lay out all of the rules and tips but I think two main ones are important when posting fanfiction online:

1.) Fine tune your grammar and spelling. I'm not saying this because I saw any errors in your ask, but sometimes people post writing that's completely unedited for grammar or punctuation or spelling and I find those really hard to read. You might be missing out on readers if your story is unedited just because you're not adding any punctuation or your grammar is unreadable.

2.) focus on getting the character accurate to the source material. you can expand upon them, sure, but if you don't use the source material as a reference, you're just slapping that character's name onto an OC. read their dialogue in their voice in your head, and if you don't think it could have been scripted into their movie or written into their book, tweak it until it is. Describe specific facial expressions or mannerisms that are in that book/movie. once you've got your characterization down, then you can start playing with it.

[cybersunnie]

https://www.tumblr.com/cybersunnie/769869931948982272/guys-the-ideas-are-coming-together SUNNIE TELL ME MORE NOWWWWWWWWWWWWW

link to post!

i didnt want to say too much buuuuut !!!

working title: how to ghost like a pro

reader is a journalism major part of a student-run publication, and rafe's a stereotypical frat boy w daddy issues (duh!). she needs inspo for an article, and rafe makes a bet w his frat bros that he can make any girl fall for him. reader doesnt like rafe, and rafe has no clue who she is, but they meet at a party and the rest is only for me to know 🙂‍↕️

DISCLAIMER!!! ive never written a series and i dont want to publish smth i wont finish </3 so as of rn its all just ideas!

ik youre currently working on a series, and i have sooo much respect for you bc of that

[witch-hazels-musings]

hello hazel! hope you’ve been well <3 i have an idea for a book i’m interested in pursuing but i’m not sure how to begin.. if you don’t mind me asking, how did you start? did you begin with in-depth planning or just kinda wrote and revised after? thank you!

woo! so excited to hear this!! ＼(≧▽≦)／

i learned A LOT through this process - beneath the cut, I wrote out my recommendations with some examples of what I meant where it was useful -- it's a bit long ><

if I were to start over from the beginning, here are some things I'd do:

character build - know everything there is about the character(s) you want in your story -- the story is based on the CHARACTER and how they move through the events of the story, they will change (for good or worse)

Character name: Selina | Age: 24 | Occupation: artifact collector | Special skills: deep diving, historical knowledge, speaks 4 languages, rock climbing, general combat skills | personality: determined, over-excitable, easily swayed, vigilant

world build - it's VITAL to understand your world, its rules, its customs - what makes it good and what makes it bad - start small to big and answer questions as they come (there's no structure here, just think, plan, and write it down!)

milestone -- from here you should have major answers about the characters and the world they live in - things should be as clear and thought-out as possible

WORLD BUILDING IS WRITING YOUR STORY!

3. plot - find a plot structure and plan out the major events in your story. start with the big stuff on a general timeline:

begins with Selina swimming in the underwater city searching for ancient artifacts --- midpoint with Selina finding the lost orb --- end Selina destroys orb

4. plot - plan out the minor events that happen in between the major events, consider sub-plots, character arcs

begins with Selina swimming in the underwater city searching for ancient artifacts --- plot point she meets a mysterious stranger when selling the items, they tell her of an orb of great power --- plot point she joins the group on the adventure (introduce three other characters) --- midpoint with Selina finding the lost orb --- plot point Selina and Bastila fall in love --- plot point the orb kills people but can also change the world --- end Selina destroys orb

5. plot! - as best you can, go chapter by chapter and write out some of the things you want to have happen in said chapter - the more information you know, the easier it'll be to write said chapter

milestone -- from here, you have an idea of what going to happen, who is involved, what questions you need to answer and if you need to backtrack before moving forward

PLOTTING IS WRITING YOUR STORY!

6. write - start at the beginning, follow your plot and plot structure as you go

7. write - avoid giving all the information right at the beginning - you don't need to explain seven years of back story in the first chapter; learn to pepper in the world information, the character information, terms, and ideas as you write -- readers are SMART they learn through context

"Selina searched through her storage chest for the flunkle. The cold metal sent a shiver down her spine when she wrapped her fingers around it and tugged it from the bottom of the box. She rushed to her table and pried open the flunkle's three legs, adjusted its height until the thick glass in the center hovered just enough over the stone tablet that she could read the inscription without straining her eyes."

^ i didn't need to define what a Flunkle was, the reader can assume, based on context, that it's a magnifying glass

8. write - write write write, even when it sucks, even when you hate it, keep going - plot ideas will change, characters will break your story and you should LET THEM - remember: avoid trying to write the final draft, you're just writing a rough idea of your overall story. the first version will SUCK and that's what it's supposed to do

5% of those who start writing a book actually finish, your goal isn't to write the book first, it is to write the draft - the draft's only purpose is to exist :)

9. go at your own pace, you are not racing anyone else - you'll reach the end when you reach it

10. have fun, take breaks, find someone to talk to about it, join a writing community or discord if you have to - just keep going

-----

you got this! i'm rooting for you :D

write your book, tell your story - only you can!

[playstation-dreamcast]

i need tour wisdom how do i write good smut

Homie I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out

Jk, my best advice is kinda treat it like you're actually doing to deed

•don't skip out on the build up. In my humble op oinion the best smut comes with ✨️feelings✨️ and ✨️emotions✨️ attached. Try to set the scene, it'll help make everything flow better

• in a similar vein, don't worry about rushing. In my experience people will gladly read 15k words of build up for good, well paced smut

•focus on describing the feelings and sensations as well as the actions you can't just say "she stroked him" or "it felt electrifying." I mean, you can there are no rules here, but putting these statements together gives them more oomph

•personal peeve: don't try to write for kinks you don't have. It's never gonna come across right

•on that note, write for that weird kink you do have! I promise, no matter how weird it is- others share the kink with you

•addendum to the last two notes: don't be afraid to experimenting either. Ya never know what gets your rocks off until you try

•I seriously can not stress setting the scene enough. This may be controversial, but most of my fellow smut enjoyers (that ive spoken to) agree: porn without plot just does not hit as hard (ha) as porn with plot. Seriously, headspace is everything

And that's what I got!! If ya want, I'm always down to beta read something and give better, more clear tips and tricks

And if your smut blog blows up overnight, well- good luck Charlie.

[stunie]

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT GOOOOD MORNING here r some quick stuff i wrote down regarding cats/what to do when approaching one ! Wrote it all in the metro in a lil rush so there might be stuff i missed ;w;

Also I received some Qs regarding cats and rabies etc in the past too so I added a quick smt abt that at the end (my point still stands tho, cats are easier to maintain and take care of, so usually fellow neighborhood cats don’t carry (many?) diseases but if you have a weak immune system it doesn’t hurt to be vary of these possibilities too. (I for one just dig in for the belly rubs and pull my hand back before the cat can do a painful paw movement at me lmao, I’m too at ease w them…)

Oh and! If you see a street cat w the left ear chipped off a lil, that means the cat has been castrated. and! Three colored cats (white orangeish black) are always females (the three color pattern can be presented with the presence of two X chromosomes) while yellow tabbies are usually males (~90%)

Oki that’s all djfjf sorry it’s a bit long ;w; hope these help!! Have a nice dayy — @voidcat

danyl. just know i’ve committed these to memory again. i hope all the cats come to me tomorrow.

you wrote this in the metro ? >: for me ? i am so grateful thank u for helping me when u were inna rush >: OKAY NOTED ABOUT THE COLORS. although i would have to get super close (i refuse to wear my glasses so they look like a one color blob)

these notes … i’ve read them over ever since u sent them. they’re all in my photos and yes i AM committing them to memory.

[papercutsunset]

Worldbuilding Wednesday! What are the stages that take you through visualizing the world of your story?

so, since most of what i write takes place in Lake Wonder these days, or in a version of earth that's very much like our own, i usually end up asking myself one of two things to start:

if it's in lake wonder, does the thing i want to include make sense in the canon of the universe? (i.e., does it conflict with our known cosmology? is there a way this can work within the set and established rules of how the world works?)

if it's not in lake wonder, how does the thing i want to include make sense within the context of the story i want to tell? how does this contribute to the plot while keeping the story grounded?

in the case of 1, things are pretty easy for me. i collect things nigh religiously (the same way i collect facts about bones and facts about my local cemetery, honestly) and that means i can (1) figure out whether i can slot that in neatly (as is the case with establishing the realmar hemiplane and resurrecting bloodsaw-- a massive undertaking that has worked really well so far) or (2) figure out whether or not i have to slightly-retcon it into existence (such as with ghost rules, which get tweaked every so often-- tammy formerly having been a ghost allows her to see ghosts now, when that wasn't necessarily on the table before, but there wasn't really a rule against it? it just makes things more complicated and could potentially go against previous canon).

in the case of 2, it's way simpler in theory, but im intimidated by too many unknowns (because, uh... there's something wrong with me. it's the same thing making me way too aware of my toe seam. in fact, i have to take off my sock. it's that or my face. one second). it's easier to write out notes about what i want to exist in the world in broad strokes, figure out more details as i write, and then cement them in subsequent drafts. i remember that being true about Impish and the way the demons worked; and that was for sure true about APU9, which i never actually finished (the building they all lived in was an addition to like... draft 3, i think?).

fun stuff. unfortunately, i have brain worms, so lake wonder shit is easier for me.

[paarksunghoon]

hello! i loved the writing tips you gave a while back and was wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving any more you think are helpful!

https://paarksunghoon.tumblr.com/tagged/tips for reference

thx in advance!

hi! so glad you found that helpful and I can absolutely provide some more writing tips. writing is vast and I can do my best to provide some general ones but if you have any questions about anything specifically, I’d be happy to provide tips for that as well.

find the first ask here

1. I said it in my other ask but I’ll say it again: you do not have to start every body of work by describing the weather. this used to be my go to way of starting a draft but I find that it tends to make my writing stagnant and boring unless I can explain why I included it.

for example: The dark and stormy night makes the wooden door beneath the rug creak when the wind blows against the house. The door is locked, preventing you from entering the forbidden basement that’s been there for as long as you can remember. It’s nights like this when you feel tempted to take a peek downstairs because anything would be better than hearing the branches of tall trees knock loudly against the windows.

your reader doesn’t need to know the setting right off the bat necessarily. details aré important but you don’t need to explain why X is the way it is unless it’s important to the story. you could throw it haphazardly in a description and that would do you well too.

2. if you’re going to write a story that’s plot-heavy, think about what you might want to say. having plot means understanding the motivation of your characters and why they do/say things. what is your plot about and how does that affect the characters you’re including in your story? sub plots are also useful to enrich the main plot. consider adding this to make a well rounded story (there are many ways to do this, let me know and I can expand on the different types and why it’s helpful).

3. this model (The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell) is a useful guide for an outline and it doesn’t have to be related to fantasy genres. I don’t use it as religiously as I used to but I find that it helped me try to map out my plots and the motivations of why a character needs to do something in order for the story to progress. See model below:

4. you don’t have to make your character likable. if you’re sticking with fanfics, Y/N does not have to be prim and proper, nor do they need to be universally liked in order for your story to be good. reader inserts don’t have to be relatable either. you can make this character awful and unreliable. you can also do the opposite, but it all depends on what you want your character to be.

5. editing is just as important as writing (and it’s not just for catching typos and plot holes). sometimes I find that I want to take story in a different direction when I edit a scene (in the case of this fic, there were three plots before it became what it is now). changes are inevitable and can strength your story too.

6. the ending of your story is important. you might not know what you want to say when you began a draft (that’s okay! a first draft isn’t supposed to be perfect). editing can help guide this once you’ve written your story. there are many different types as well, including:

• vagueness - cliffhangers

• moral of the story - a line that you want your readers to takeaway

• loop - circling back to the beginning of your story

it all depends on what you want.

7. I don’t know if this next tip will be particularly helpful to anyone but me (lol) but when I write dialogue, I think about how I’d write this if it were a script. with written work like fics, I can explain my setting in the description and go in depth about a character through backstory. I can’t do that when I write screenplays because what matters is the dialogue.

I say this because I used to have a hard time writing dialogue that felt natural, and now I picture myself writing a script where I have to use dialogue as a way to communicate things without over communicating. if a character says something, I look back and ask myself if I’ve let them talk too much unnecessarily. if the answer is yes, then I cut some dialogue. if the answer is no, I keep it in.

these are tips from my experience writing and do not necessarily reflect a universal opinion. thank you for asking and I hope this helps!

[peachsayshi]

hi peachy!! I wanted to share how much I love your gojo story, the way you love me!! I love long slow burns, but struggle with staying motivated in writing those, how do you stay motived and overall trust the story process?

hi, nonnie! thank you so much! I'm so glad you are enjoying the fic so far ❤️ I don't usually get questions like this, but I'm more than happy to help and spare some advice! 🥺 here are some tips based off of my own experience writing twylm:

write for yourself: I know this is like a cliche thing to say, but with slow burns it's key to keep going. it's so easy to get burn out with longer fics, and I've actually thought of abandoning "the way you love me" a few times in the process - but writing for yourself means writing at your own pace, and only when you are really in the mood for it. I've sometimes taken long breaks in between chapters for this reason.

burn out does happen: it's kind unavoidable, but when you realize that it's going to hit, it's easier to pass through. don't force yourself to write when you notice that you're struggling. if anything a break away from the fic helps for when you are ready to return!

outline, outline, outline: however you decide to format your story, outlining at least the main plot is supremely helpful. I usually outline 5-10 chapter at a time, and continue as I build up the story. you don't have to stick to your outline but it gives you something to work off of and you can always refer to main plot points to make sure you don't miss anything.

if you're enjoying the story, then the process is good: stick to your gut when writing! there's a reason why you started this fic in the first place ^.^

[feyhunter78]

I was just curious, do you make a scheduled for yourself for when you post things? or do you just post when things are done? also do you have a method on writing faster?

Hi love! So I have a sorta schedule, here's how it works:

AO3: I post on AO3 first, usually right after I finish writing and editing a chapter. Sometimes I write more than one chapter, but only post one, though, because I want to have something to post in case I don't have time or inspo the next day or so.

Tumblr: I let the chapter sit for a day or three on AO3 bc I want to see if I made any translation mistakes, lore mistakes, or want to tweak anything! Then it gets posted here!

Which is why I always tell people if they want more to go check out my AO3 bc more chapter will be there. You also get the little author notes where I usually put extra info or explanations!

For writing faster, I have four main tips:

1.) Write what you have inspiration for, that's really how I get stuff out so fast, I'm obsessed with what I'm writing, so I have a lot of ideas and energy for it!

2.) Just sit down and write, I'm lucky my job has a lot of downtime, so I get to write in secret during the workday! Also, I got my degree in this, which is not necessary by any means, there are so many amazing fic writers who did not get a degree in this. So I spent four years learning how to write well, and fast. There were so many papers and assignments I had to get in before a deadline that it's ingrained in my brain.

3.) Dual povs, when I get stuck on a section or feel a lack of inspo, switching it over to another character allows me to look at it from a fresh take or completely skip over what I'm stuck on! Now, this can make things a bit harder if you're not super confident in writing the internal motion of the secondary character.

4.) Okay, this one is kinda weird and might seem counterproductive, but it really helps me. Allow yourself to get off track and write random scenes, even ones for other fics. I can't tell you how many times I was writing Pink Pastels and would write a smut scene or dialogue for Among the Sun or my Carmy fics and vice versa. Getting that bit of energy out, and giving myself a break from the OG fic helped me focus back in and write faster.

Hope this helps! Feel free to reach out with any other questions, I love talking about writing!!!!

[ahb-writes]

Submitting a novel...

[anchoeritic]

baby how do you create a masterlist im so dumb

you’re not dumb!! it’s really easy, don’t even worry!!

you just have to create a few posts and then link them to each other. e.g; for my navigation, i just had to set up the format and then copy & paste each post link to my desired ‘word’ / ‘section’. and when you’re done, it should take you to the post.

[ddejavvu]

Hi mei, i love love love your work alot and have been reading your stuff for a long time and it's very recently that i started writing my own stuff and I need you advice so bad. When writing it's very difficult to keep the characters from being dependent/infantilized. Specially if it's a hurt comfort. Same thing pops up when I'm writing cheerfully-cute characters, or self inserts too they seem immature and naive ( and that's not what I'm aiming for) Can you give me tips on avoiding this?

hi love! this is actually a very good question i don't think i've ever answered this one before. personally, i really don't like overdependence in fanfiction, i used to really enjoy it but now i find it really offputting and it makes me feel super weird. that's usually how/why i avoid it in my own writing, like if i write something and it makes me fucking gag then i know i've gone too far 😭 i think that hurt/comfort is a very specific scenario though, where dependence is not so offputting to me because there's a tangible reason why that person can't function as a human being at that moment. i think i'd just keep in mind that in stressful situations like hurt/comfort people can be dependent on others without being infantilized? the truth is that sometimes people will be dependent if they're unable to take care of themselves and that happens more often in stressful/traumatizing/triggering situations like those that are often featured in hurt/comfort. if they're unable to stand on their own two feet in situations like that, then i don't think it's infantilization, i think it's a stress/trauma response. but if they're not stressed or uncomfortable or triggered in any sort of way and they're still dependent on others, i think you're dipping your toe into the infantilization pool, and you might want to pull back if you're trying to avoid that.

as for sunshine-y characters that end up looking brainless or childlike, you can turn naivety into purposeful chastity (a character uses euphemisms or scolds people for using crass language because they prefer clean topics), and you can insert narration that lets the audience know that the character is playing- well, a character, or that they are capable of more mature behavior but they prefer to be overly cheerful because it helps them get through the day or it prevents others from feeling down. sunshine-y characters can be given the most terribly tragic backstory if you decide that they're sunshine-y to offput that. you can deepen their personality traits if, on the surface, they seem degrading.

I suppose what I'm saying throughout this post just boils down to: keep your characters multi-faceted. don't fall into the trap of only giving your character one personality trait, highlight others throughout the story even if there's one you want to showcase more than others.

[bbina]

heyy so uh.. i just wanted to say thanks for making btl when our class read it it actually really boosted engagement in our class 😭 ( i guess us eighth graders didn’t really pay attention?) but besides that, my teacher wanted to you to give us some tips of how to become better writers.. she also wanted to pay you somehow?.. she felt guilty for using your work without paying. I’ve really enjoyed btl and mrs bilyeu says she will use btl for future eighth graders! i hope you can continue to write as long as you enjoy it! im sorry i dont have a good way with words 😭 i wish nothing but the best for bbina! 🤗🤗

THERES JUST NO WAY BRUH 😭😭😭😭 but thank you so much for reading!!!!! at least i kept y’all entertained 😁🤝

[witch-hazels-musings]

hihi!! can you gimme tips on how to get ideas for to write? I wanna start a writing blog so any tips on writing n getting ideas on how to write? :>

henlooo - i'm so sorry for my unbelievable delay in getting to this

what advice would I have when starting a writing blog??

oh man

honestly - write what you love, post whatever you are proud of, go at a pace that is manageable for you and set boundaries! there is a balance between growing your blog and doing what is manageable! go slow, you don't have to prove to anyone that your worth is based on how many followers you have :)

your worth is in the story you share, the perspective you give, the love you provide - someone will find meaning in your work even if its just 1 person

Here are a few resources I made that might help you

starting a writing blog

writing tips