#need writing advice

[senkothesquirrel02]

My friend and I are creating a fanfic and we’d like some advice.

So I saw a while ago the meme about the smallest dragon with 1 single coin as a hoard as well as the tumblr story about it and I thought……….. why not make it ghoap? We made it a fantasy incorporated with humans (not to be mistaken as a hybrid au, this is full on supernatural au with some humans) It kinda has been an add/adhd brainrot story where we just indulged the chaos. By no means are my friend and I done writing yet and we will hopefully post on AO3. We won’t spoil the plot yet. (Yes it’s brainrot and hyper focusing but it’s fun) Also my friend told me to say I’m the one responsible for angst bits.

Here’s what we have so far for stuff/memes we added, advice/ contribution of memes or ideas greatly appreciated:

Soap and Ghost povs

Absolutely no idea how military works so working with idea of modern knights/bounty hunters

COD MW (2022) full crew including Farrah/Alex from their raid mission (briefly mentions a ValeriaXGraves crackship…….. I blame Glitch for the explanation of it to which it sounds very real #samesnake)

Cod zombies element 115 and Aether and Mr. Peeks

MW3 ‘23: only using Price and Sheppard end credit (‘23 canon does not exist)

Codm lore: only the tointine/couteau with the armor of Gideon, mention of kilo mythic, Templar and ghosts dynamic, added Sophia, Dame but playing with the fact she’s crazy and in Tontine (she tried raising Sophia to be her predecessor but there was hints in lore her training was very brutal like Damian Wayne’s but she’d possibly allow the shit the Tontine was doing like experiments), and tempest, also used the bit about Sophia working as Makarov protege. No mention of Shepard but will use basis of what happened in Winter War/Final Snow comics between Ghost and Temp as an “eye for eye” scenario, not trying to save Russian from merc sent after him— clearing up loose ends for Shepard)

With addition of mythic Sophia it kinda leaves plot idea of her 💀 then coming back due to the Valkyrie design.

COD Ghost comics (Codm is using cannon of 09 MW for ghosts character/most of lore) Mama Riley but she’s a dragon trapped by human Dad Riley thanks to enchanted item/trickery (yes we fixed the plot hole so she’s still seen as a good mom)

Mama Riley also becomes a patron of the lost and lonely children in the after life and beats the shit out of Dad Riley in afterlife (Sophia accidentally gets adopted)

Burnette ghost

MW ‘09 (using Roach, elements of price in gulag, Makarov being a🧚‍♂️)

Roach being embodiment of chaos

Mention of DC Comics, more specifically Damian Wayne and Talia Al Ghul

Marvel Deadpool/Spiderman dynamic (only for comedic relief and multiversal stupidity),bloodstone family, and mysterium

Looney Tunes types stilupidity (Wile E. coyote like traps)

Arcane aesthetic (steampunk/elegance from Piltover but wild magic is more accepted and grown wild in plants, small places/ towns more medival setup) and Vander (pre his first💀) with the bar

Mythology from Norse, Celtic, Dutch, Greek, Egyptian, and some D&D influences for creatures

Use of Spanish, French, Gaelic (might not be best translation)

NikPrice

GhostSoap

AleRudy

FarrahAlex

Dragon Ghost (crow mentality for shiny but coin is main part of hoard) Elf Soap (gets adopted by large creatures *cough* owlbear *cough* and has bad luck and Arson/pyromaniac)

Dragon Ghost Nik Price can shift to small version dragon, human, or large sized dragons (ghost likes being small 90% of time but price makes him be human…… this leads to soap thinking ghosts a baby) while in small dragon can’t talk in “human” tongue so squeaks (will have inner monologue tho found in italics)

HC soap would be friends with reaper (or Donn Celtic god of death) and they’d be like “you’re not supposed to be dead, stay alive for one consecutive month please!” And soap will try to befriend every creature (leads to trouble)

Adding Atlantis (ghost would be a sea/land *atlantian* dragon because from research says the island supposedly was directly between Canada and uk part of Atlantic) as well as the utopia paradise of Avalon and hopefully a mythological citadel if I can find one (let me know if y’all know one, hopefully same idea as the Atlantis or Avalon, might make one linked to dragons or shadowrealm idk)

Dragon Nik/Price (Nik Batman and robin adopts Ghost. Price begrudgingly agrees)

Fae Laswell (no one screws with her)

Fae Gaz

Eldritch Roach (yes he will hide in vents, no one knows he eldritch besides Laswell, has shadow abilities due to ‘09, will be feral gremlin)

Do not know what to put AleRudy as or Farrah Alex (advice please)

Dame as human Witch

Temp/Sophia werewolves (using the idea of being able to tell who is shifter by a certain eye color, can’t remember who wrote that but it’s from tumblr

No smut but will have slow burn/makeout (accidentally made a steamy scene during Roba time but I won’t say where)

Will have angst (mostly directed to ghost, mentions of time with Roba including *that* Christmas, adding how he was hunted by monster hunters and being sold out on op then seperated from 141, being used in ritual by rusalka, and other bits) and heavy gore

Heavy swearing also

Flashback of memories (good and angst ones)

4th wall breaks (both are call outs)

D&D style side quests/tasks

Anyone saw despicable me movie where one minion drank something and turned into glow stick? Using that idea but it’s berries and ghost is impromptu glow stick

Friends idea “hear me out, bow with bell on small dragon ghost”

“He’s 7 he can’t drink” “what am I supposed to do with him?!”

Accents leading to mispronounced name (ghost to cost for soap)

Pavlov’s ghost in to “sitting pretty” at the sound of breagha when in tiny dragon form…….can and has happened when human(Gaelic for pretty)

Idea of a tiny predator being able to bring down big animal, like 10x their size (from black footed sand cat hunting style)

Tiny dragon scruffing (yes acting exactly like kitten)

“Stop telling everyone I’m dead!” (Pertaining to soap taking a most likely fatal contract from a drunk promising big payout and everyone presumes he’s dead and the drunks being yelled at because of it)

Soap sketching Ghost whenever possible

Garlic bread goblin meme of ARSON!!

Personal hc of Sophia and ghost having sibling dynamic after she stops trying to kill ghost for vengeance. Sophia being chaotic as well (she and roach might become friends…. Who knows).

“My death was greatly exaggerated”—Sophia (and kinda Templar)

Community hc of ghost and Farrah having sibling energy

“Welcome to the shit fuck hell festival.” Quote from a fanfic

“I plead the fifth” meme (not the song, the one of them accidentally admit saying they did something stupid and backpedaling)

“Why are you here? Five words or less” (something along the lines of) “out. For. A. Walk. Bitch.”

Ghost Sophia bonding over their traumas. Implied mention of Farrah and Ghost had bonded over their traumas

Literally everyone wants to beat the shit out of Dame (if you know Codm lore you’ll know why)

Gave Sophia the call sign rouge because in the contract business (and family tradition) they need call signs

Shadow company setting bounties on Soap (let’s just say soap blew up their complex on an op)

Working with idea for supernatural entities having fast regeneration and only being sent to limbo when receiving fatal injury so body can properly heal

Oh no he’s hot turns to “your telling me this dragon was a fucking 10 all along but none of you told me? I was carrying a damned 10 and treating him like a baby?!!!”

“I’m just saying the Canadians were onto something with the Geneva checklist—”—Nik as it pertains to a monster hunter who caught Ghost

[“Laswell, he was going to sell it(whelp) to Sinombre. If we use those tactics we can get the name of Sinombre!”—Nik

“As much as I appreciate your enthusiasm. That would cause the UN to be hounding us and I don’t need that headache. Hey, PRICE DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT CAR BATTERY!”—Laswell

“But Laswell…….” —Price

“Just because the gulag used it on you doesn’t mean you do it to other people!!”—Laswell

“But-”—Price

“Where’d you even get the battery— did you take it out of my car?”—Laswell

“No, fine I’ll return it later.”—Price

“Better do it.”—Laswell] differing ideas for interrogation (‘09 iykyk)

Laswell being the only one to understand tiny dragon squeak/draconic besides said dragons

Idea of tiny dragon ghost being constantly yeeted

Air jail (oil lamp for tiny dragonghost when he acts like spicy little shit)

HC: They need to hide coffee from ghost or the little shit will be like hammy the squirrel from over the edge or twitchy for hoodwinked

“I can’t mansplain, manipulate, or make wife my way out of this……… Manslaughter it is.” —Nik or Ghost

[“What’s that small wood thing in the shape of a bag pipe?”

“An ocarina Johnny?”

“Oh! You mean the instrument that little elf guy plays in Zelda? What’s his name, Jerry or buddy?”

“It’s Link you uncultured swine. Never dis legend of Zelda again or ill sick Demise’s curse on your ass.” Ghost having too much knowledge about video games]

[transformersandturtles]

Does anyone have tips or advice for writers block? I've had it for months now trying to write out this Poolverine one shot. like I started this in December for New Years and I haven't gotten it done. It's 11 pages in my notes and I'm not done with it yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated (except anything involving AI. I will smite you ❤)

[alnaperera]

I got a few friends to read my writing, and something that came up was the tonal inconsistency. They only read 3 chapters, but by their reactions, well, it doesn't quite fit what the story will become.

The problem is, I don't want to change this? Yes, there's characters dealing with complex trauma or politics in some chapters, and in some, they're complaining about boring work, resolving petty arguments, or rescuing random animals (or people. You could argue that MC was rescued the same way).

Should I be worried about this, or should I keep it its weird self? Or is there an answer in between these?

[sminny-wew]

Genuine question for any aromantic or asexual folks reading this (ESPECIALLY aro/ace writers)

Is there a way to write a horror story as an allegory for being aspec (like how I Saw The TV Glow is an allegory for being transgender) in a way that doesn't fully demonize attraction?

I'm really drawn to the concept of "zombie outbreak as a metaphor for limerence/lovesickness" and I want to write about how a girl who knows she's asexual and falls somewhere on the aro spectrum would navigate something like that. But as cool as that sounds, I can't help but feel like it lacks nuance. I know I don't need to cater to alloromantic or allosexual readers, but I'm still worried about my writing being misinterpreted as "attraction is bad".

Admittedly I don't have much experience with horror material. What I have read/seen tends to fall into supernatural and psychological territory (I've read Edgar Allan Poe, I love Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall, and currently I'm enjoying Welcome Home). The reason I want to write a horror story in the first place, despite my lack of familiarity with the genre, is because I think the fears and insecurities I feel as an asexual somewhere on the aro spectrum could be relatable to others; like even if the reader themself isn't aro or ace, maybe they could still relate to feeling pressured by society/culture over things like dating, marriage, virginity, etc.

Right now I suspect that the only way I can resolve this problem might be to write multiple stories on different aspects of being aro and/or ace, but I don't know if I have the bandwidth for that right now

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

[loyal-house-of-lupin]

I wrote a fluff one shot for flufftober and now I feel like it isn't fluff enough 😭

[katha-angel]

Okay, "Hypothetical" question:

IF you had to write a bit to transition from an interview with two characters and a manager to another pair of characters seeing behind the curtain of the Dinocross Park, how would you do it?

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

Guys I fear I’m in the trenches of writing

I have a character in my book series named Gallum

Xe are a main character, one of the main four to be specific.

Now, I have my characters chock full of representation (as much as I can write them with imo)

But I fear it is backfiring with Gallum specifically.

To explain:

Xe are Agender, Asexual and Aromantic, Xe use Neopronouns, Xe present rather Androgynously, Xe are disabled and have to use a cane, Xe are very laidback and chill- just super cool.

But, due to things I’ve seen while in fandom, I’ve noticed that it’s a stereotype for AroAce characters to be the “laidback, chill, nonchalant” type. And that to make an Asexual Character *also* disabled is like infantilization.

And so I really don’t want to lean into stereotypes or harmful writing, but I feel like Xe are perfect right now?? Idk-

Like, I’m not planning for anything sexual to happen in my books, because it takes place in an high school-type setting, and even if it didn’t, I also just am not interested in writing that stuff.

But on the AroAce Chill-guy side of stuff, I am planning on xem to open up and begin to show more emotions as the story goes on and xe begin to be more friendly and kind.

And also, I don’t know if xeir sexuality will ever come up out of a few smaller interactions or something. Xeir disability will be a main thing, though.

But does that solve it? If anyone has any tips or advice, I would greatly appreciate it, and if I just can’t save xem from the stereotypes in their current state, I would appreciate hearing some alternatives!!

[soap-lady]

Asking for Advice:

How do I get back my writing mojo? Suggestions?

[gay-tomcat]

How do you write whimpering

[specialagentartemis]

“Be curious about what you’re writing about” is not stock Common Writing Advice but it really, really should be. There are a lot of written works that fail due to the authors just being obviously incurious about what they are writing about.

[ejsuperstar]

Anyone got any advice for writing a low empathy character that doesn't fall into offensive stereotypes? More info on the character below cut.

I'm wanting to make an oc of mine, Dust, have low empathy without making him an irredeemable asshole (both cos that'd be bad representation and also because I think that'd be a bad character for him). He's probably going to be untrusting of Past Chip at first, and a bit of a jerk, but that's because the present version of Chip litterally harvested him for meat. You'd be untrusting as well.

The reason he's low empathy is because he's a clone of the present Chip, made when Chip was starting out genetically engineering his clones to be more "efficient", and that was one of his "efficiencies". (This will later expand to visible physical differences, but as of Dust's cloning is just slight pushes in behaviour) It's easier to send clones off to make their own cookie empire if they have less qualms about it after all.

Of course all of this can be changed if needed, but a lot of it is based in canon (like the MC of cookie clicker DOES canonically edit his clones to be more efficient, this is just an extrapolation of that (also yes these are my cookie clicker ocs if you aren't aware))

As well, Dust is probably the Chip variant with the strongest individual identity. Past and Present Chip are literally the same person, Chxp is a loyal clone sent to work in another Idleverse, and Miner Chip is also Chip, just a different Idleverse's version (I also don't talk about Miner Chip very often, he's for the idle game More Ore :3). While Dust is probably the only Chip variant who isn't defined by being Chip. He is Chip yes, but he's also Dust, unlike Present Chip he's a good person, he resists against the capitalistic dictatorship the Present Chip has over the universe, he looks the most different from the other variants because he is his own person.

I have the broad strokes of a personality that I want to write for him down, but its the nuances l need help with.

[ellierenae]

write unpublishable things. it's good for you.

[fleshcatalyst]

Do you need to fully plan out a story before you start writing it. Like should i have an ending to work towards when i start something?

[demonanastasi]

Ship ponderings in my Sindemon comic revamp

For a wee bit, I have been wondering if I should make Satan and Leviathan a couple in the revamp of my comic. They're the only Sindemons who aren't aromantic, and I envision a convo (after Asmodeus's rejection of Leviathan's romantic feelings iirc) between them of Leviathan venting about the strength of their romantic love and the equal pain of its nonreciprocation, crying their eyeballs out, and Satan empathizing because he has felt the same before. A bonding thing between them that could lay foundations for these feelings to develop between them. My concept is that Satan is homosexual, but possibly panromantic -- Leviathan is genderfluid and therefore not always male. Maybe they could be more invested in each other as romantic partners than sexual partners; plus I've heard that romantic connections to individuals can cause the individual to be an exception to one's orientation. Romance ain't my forte so it will take much pondering and second opinions.

Sweet pictures of Satan (left) and Leviathan (right) below, note that Leviathan is dressed up in a captain costume for the story this dialoguebit is for.

[neon-crow]

How did yall dip your toes into writing?

I wanna try and get into doing writing, fanficts, poems and the like. But ive no idea how to start cuz its been ages sense I last did any sort of creative writing of any kind. Im open to any kind of suggestions or thoughts cuz I freeze when I try to even being to type ANYTHING up ;w;

Also what tools do yall use so I can kinda get an idea at what im looking at?

[letthemusicmoveyou28]

This is a question for fic writers (or honestly anyone who wants to indulge me lol).

I always feel like I HAVE to write my stories in order start to finish or it won’t work. But often I find myself getting hung up on one specific part even if I know where I want the rest of the story to go.

Does anyone have any tips to get my brain to stop doing that??

Thanks in advance!! 🙏🏻