#ooh that's a lot of adverbs

[zepskies]

Writer Tag

Thank you so much for tagging me @venus-haze! As always, your responses on this were really interesting and got me thinking about my answers. (Here's the original post.)

So these first questions are geared toward Ao3 stories.

How many works do you have on AO3? 48 and counting.

What's your total AO3 word count? Aw geez. According to the statistics page, 1,022,400.

(But I have more fics listed in Tumblr thanks to headcanons and things not yet posted in Ao3.)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Every Loyalty - (Jon Snow x OC)

And So It Goes - (Butcher x OC)

Never Say Goodbye - (Dean Winchester x Reader)

Break Me Down - (OC Version | Soldier Boy x OC)

Checkerboard - (Soldier Boy x Reader)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yes! Always. I love getting feedback and engaging with the people who take the time to read my work. 💜

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending? Ooh, it's gotta be this imagine in SPN fandom: "Sam crosses the line." In which he's in love with Dean's girlfriend.

(Sequel to "You are Dean's one exception.")

What the fic you've written with the happiest ending? Well, most of my stories have happy endings. But probably Never Say Goodbye (Dean W. x Reader). It's a soulmate AU, so very rom-com and fluffy, despite all the drama they went through.

Though I could also say the same of the last story in the Midnight Espresso-verse: In Bad Weather.

Do you write crossovers? No, I don't. I've enjoyed reading a few though.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? Yes, unfortunately lol. It's inevitable for as long as I've been writing though.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Oh yes lol. I'm a romantic though, so it's often a mix of fluff, straight up romance, occasionally dashed with angst and/or hurt/comfort.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge. (I hope not!)

Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope, but I've received solicitations lol.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yeah, when I was a teenager just starting out writing, I used to write with one of my best friends growing up. (We're still good friends to this day.)

What's your all-time favorite ship? That's pretty much impossible. 🤣 It depends on the fandom! Nowadays I tend to write for OCs or reader inserts though.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will? Ooof, nothing recent. But I finally finished And So It Goes, which took me 3 years for some reason. 🙃

Though I do have both a Jason Teague x OC series and a Smallville Clark Kent x OC series outlined that realistically, I probably won't get to. 💔

What are your writing strengths? I've been told I'm good at dialogue and keeping canon characters in character, which is always amazing to hear! I try my best.

What are your writing weaknesses? Action scenes and smut scenes are my biggest writing challenges, though I've been told I do a decent job at them. I know I tend to use adverbs a lot lol (I'm trying to curb that).

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? So I try to minimize use of this, but, I've gotten critiqued (putting it mildly) on this before for two reasons. Admittedly, I've had to revise myself in certain use cases, but also, there are slang words and phrases in certain Spanish cultures that wouldn't make sense to another Hispanic/Latino culture that doesn't use the word/phrase. So sometimes, it's not that it's wrong grammatically, but that it's slang.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Oh jeezus, probably Chronicles of Narnia fandom when I was like, 10 and brand new to writing. 😂

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to? Ooh a tough one. I feel like there are so many! I do have a story I had outline years ago now for Steve Rogers/Captain America back in the MCU fandom (which I've written in before). But that fandom is a bit intimidating. 😂

What's your favorite fic you've written? Also really tough for me. I think it's a tie between two series:

Break Me Down (Soldier Boy x Reader)

Midnight Espresso (Dean W. x Plus-Sized Latina!Reader)

One totally took me by surprise by how much I enjoyed writing the series and the characters (and figuring out how to write Soldier Boy/Ben 😂).

While the other allowed me to be a little more indulgent with myself, writing from my personal experience and my culture.

The responses on both stories have been amazing and incredibly heartwarming. 💗

No pressure tags:

@thatonewriter15 @waywardxwords @impala-dreamer @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior @deanwritings @deanwinchesterswitch @deanbrainrotwritings @kaleldobrev -- and whoever else wants to join! 💜

[synestheticwanderings]

happy talk shop tuesday!! hot topic debate question: what are your thoughts on dialogue tags e.g. whispered, shouted, said? is "said" overused? underused? how do you choose what dialogue tags to use when you write?

Ooh. I think it depends on the pace and the surrounding action. In tender moments I tend to use whispered, said softly, etc. and in heated moments I’ll definitely use shouted, etc. I hate exclaimed (that seems obvious) and use replied sparingly (also obvious).

When things are a regular conversation, and it’s fairly snappy, said generally feels right. If it’s just two people talking I’ll forego tags for 3-4 lines and then pop one in just to help the reader keep track. If there are a bodily actions or thoughts happening, said is kind of redundant.

If it’s more than two people talking, I get annoyed at writing the dialogue because then tags become really necessary and then the tags start to interrupt the flow. I just looked at a scene where I had all five of the main crew together and I used a lot of adverbs, but I think it was appropriate with the pace? I see a replies snuck in there. Quill also drifts in and out of the conversation and it’s his pov so that helped too.

[mamawasatesttube]

I am thinking of getting into writing but I am a bit scared to do so. Do you have beginner writing tips?

my biggest tip: read!

what kind of story do you want to write? read stories like that. do you have a favorite author? read their work. what makes their writing stand out to you? what turns of phrase do they use? what makes a story into one of your favorites? what kinds of words, what kinds of sentences, what kinds of descriptions...?

now, that probably feels like a lot and might be pretty overwhelming, unless you happen to be the sort of freak who just enjoys sentence diagramming and literary analysis (<- self-descriptive). but the best place to jump into writing, in my opinion, is to read what you want to write, and then to write what you want to read.

in a similar vein, if you're scared of mistakes (which - everyone makes 'em! i sure as hell still have areas in writing that i definitely want to improve in!), it can help to think about what you don't like to read. inconsistent verb tenses take you out of the narrative? there's something you can make sure you look out for in your own work. hate it when a story can't decide if it's third person limited vs omniscient viewpoint? there's something else you can ponder for your own writing! long-ass paragraphs of detailed description make your eyes glaze over? boom now you know you dont wanna do that yourself.

when i read, i particularly love looking at ways authors use figurative language, and how they direct reader attention. for example:

She swings her sword at her opponent, but just barely misses.

and

Her blade sings through the air, just a hair's breadth shy of her enemy's skin.

both contain the same information, but the second is more vivid. how? the subject is the sword itself, the verb is more unusual, the longer description is more precise than the lone adverb. so if i were to read this line somewhere, i might think to myself, ooh, the desc "her blade sings," i like that! and then i might return to that kind of phrasing later when i try to write myself.

all of which is, i guess, a longform way to say, "become a more active reader, and you're sure to become a better writer!" more than anything more technical about sentence variation or particular kinds of description or narration or anything else i could tell you, that's probably the best piece of advice i could possibly offer.

and hey, don't be afraid to reread your own work!! you are your #1 fan and your own target audience. write the kind of thing you would like to read. if it's not quite where you want it to be, you can reference things that do accomplish the things you want your writing to, and try and see what those authors did differently. if there's a story in there you want to tell, it's worth polishing and figuring out!!!

i hope this is at least somewhat helpful :D if you have any other questions or more specific anxieties or anything im happy to try and answer more. good luck with the writing!!!

[elshells]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

Tagged by @mariahwritesstuff and @writernopal for this amazing tag! Their posts are here and here.

I'm going to leave this as an open tag because I'm very behind on these and want to avoid spamming people with tags. XD

Blank list of questions below the cut for convenient copy/pasting!

1. What motivates you to write?

I love telling stories! There's something so exhilarating and heartwarming about sharing my ideas with others and seeing how much they enjoy them. Plus, it isn't until I write something down that it feels real. When it's all thoughts in my head, it's like I'm keeping a secret, but once I start writing, I'm putting myself out there!

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

Ooh, it's actually so hard to choose a favorite (which I guess isn't a bad problem to have)! But here's a snippet I really like from chapter 9 of Agent Ace:

They were several stories in the air. Cars drove below as tiny specks on the street, contrasted by the towering buildings surrounding them on all sides. The sky was a burnt orange, casting light down on the city and setting the glass windows ablaze. Holding her breath, Sophia crawled out further, grabbing the edge of the window to pull herself out onto the tiny ledge suspended above the ground. She stood up tall and lifted her head to the sky as the sunlight warmed her skin, washing away the feeling of a cold, dingy cell. A heavy wind buffeted her face, tossing her ponytail behind her and causing her eyes to water. But she loved it. Being up this high, seeing the city sprawled out beneath her, gave her strength. She was graceful and weightless, like if she tried to jump, she'd fly. For the first time in a long time, she felt like Ace again.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

Aww, I love them all so much for different reasons! But if I have to choose one, I think Jade is the one who truly makes me feel good. She's the kind of person I want to be (and am afraid will never be), and while I prefer to avoid writing characters based on real people I know, she still reminds me of a lot of my best friends, so it's just so hard for me not to love her!

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I love getting lost in the story as I'm writing it. Whether it's a fight scene or a romantic scene or just a simple conversation between two characters, I love when I get pulled into the scene and I can visualize everything, from the emotions to all five of the senses.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Imagery! I'm a very visual person, so I tend to describe settings, characters, etc. in a lot of detail. It's something that I unfortunately hold back on sometimes because I'm afraid of getting carried away. I also love writing dialogue, which is weird because that was my bane when I first started writing. But over time, it's started to come more naturally, and I've figured out how to craft different voices.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

The interactions! I haven't been on Tumblr that long, but I feel like I've already made some great connections through asks and tag games. Everyone is so genuine and supportive, we make each other and our works feel seen!

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I write all of my stories in Google Docs (Garamond, my love!), and before I post a new chapter, I like to run it through Hemingway editor. It helps you know if you overuse adverbs (which I do haha) and how many sentences are written in the passive voice. It's a nice final step to polish the writing before I set the chapter loose into the world

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

I adore the city of Harmont in Agent Ace. When I first started writing the story, I used a real city as the setting, but as dove deeper into the realm of sci-fi and I started establishing the Watch and the Guard, I decided that a fictional city gave me more freedom, and allowed me to explore a world that was still similar to ours, with some extra details that made it so much more interesting. Of course, Harmont is still heavily influenced by my own surroundings, but the written lore runs deep, and to date, it's the second most ambitious setting I've ever created (the first is still in development)!

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

I'll preface this by saying that I'm far from qualified to give writing advice to anyone (even to myself), but I think the best thing you can do is to go easy on yourself. Even if you don't make a certain word count or even if you don't write at all, there are so many real-life factors that make it hard to write. Short attention spans, mental illness, exhaustion from work, self-doubt—I could go on. But there's no point in beating yourself up. If you can't summon even one word onto the page, walk away and let your mind wander. Listen to music, watch a funny video, stare off into space, anything as long as you're distracted. Then come back to your story. Even if you're not ready to go back to the computer, think about the scene you want to write. Visualize it if you can, or just imagine what you want to happen step by step. Once you figure out each beat you want to hit, you can go from there.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

@bitchin-beskar is the one who convinced me to join Tumblr! She's the most supportive force in my life, and I love her to death!! If you're into Star Wars, Marvel, and Call of Duty, she's written some amazing fanfic (and some smut!) and I would highly recommend checking her out.

Also a massive thank you to @writernopal, @sam-glade and @captain-kraken! You all have given me, my characters and my stories so much love, support, and hype since I wound up here, through your wonderful asks and tag games, and I'm so grateful to have you in my bubble! Each of you are fantastic writers and I can't wait to get lost in the worlds you create!! 💕

1. What motivates you to write?

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

[lajulie24]

22, 24, 54

22. Are there certain types of writing you won’t do? (Style, pov, genre, tropes, etc)

I tend to say “never say never” about most things, but in general I won’t write noncon, or the whole a/b/o thing. (I’m not necessarily averse to writing something in which past abuse or trauma or its effects are mentioned, but I’m generally not going to write the actual thing happening.) Again, never say never, but I generally don’t write modern AUs either — I like staying in the GFFA. And this isn’t so much a style thing, but I’ll write to a prompt if I request prompts (or if I’m doing a fic exchange and writing according to my giftee’s prompts) but I don’t really take requests. I did one once that was a full-on request and I think I learned that when someone requests a fic they have a very specific idea in their head of what they want, so even if you write the best fic ever it’s never going to meet those expectations. And really they should just try writing the idea in their head themselves, even if it wouldn’t come out perfectly.

24. Worst writing advice anyone ever gave you?

Oh, that’s a tough one, I think because if I realized it was advice that didn’t work for me, I usually forgot it. One example I do recall is someone saying in a post that you should never use adverbs, and that you should try to avoid repeating the word “said” and giving like a bajillion synonyms for “said.” I use a ton of adverbs, and I did try substituting for “said” and realized that it makes no sense to do that. Sometimes it works — like you want to get across a particular way someone is saying something — but a lot of times it feels like it distracts from the actual dialogue. So I went back to just using my ear to decide when “said” feels right or when some other verb sounds better to me.

54. What’s your favorite part about the fanfiction writing process?

I really do enjoy a lot of things about the writing process, but one thing that feels so good is when I’ve been envisioning some scene in my head for a while and finally manage to write it out, and the act of writing makes the scene kind of change and morph as I’m writing it, but that turns out to be a GOOD thing. That, and when I get into a groove with writing and all the sudden one of my characters does something or says something that I was not actually planning on. Just, something pops into my head and I’m like “ooh but what if Leia said THIS instead?” I also love the act of bouncing ideas off other people and then one of us is like “oh, I’m gonna write that” and then we do. Or the bouncing ideas around thing makes me come up with something that was even better than the idea I was originally planning.

Thanks for the ask!

Get to know your fic writer asks!

[remyfire]

😈🌙🧠!

Fanfic Ask Game

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

Ooh, that's a great question. I keep thinking I'm going to get shit for my propensity to just take as many characters as I can and make them all kiss at once (the curse of the polyam author: why should I pick A Pairing when I can make them ALL fall in love no matter how long it'll take for it to develop?), but so far everyone's been really respectful and just steering clear of my writing if the ships don't suit them, and I really appreciate that!

I've got several more chapters to get to, so I'm not sure what people are going to react well to. I'm, again, pleased that no one was rude about a female OC popping up for development reasons. Maybe my overuse of adverbs? Maybe how much emphasis I put on erotic writing for character/relational development? Maybe that Beej isn't going to be a perfect cinnamon roll nor is Hawk going to be unguarded from the very start with him?

This'll be an interesting thing to revisit when Scratching The Itch is fully posted and when I write the first sequel in Beej's POV, I think.

🌙  What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

I like writing right when the caffeine from my morning chai kicks in. It shuts off a lot of my second guessing and just lets my fingers fly.

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

Aaaaaaaaaaall my goddamn backstory for Beej and Peg as it pertains to Some Things Are Evergreen. How much of that might end up written as a flashback and how much is just going to be secondhand info and how much might get its own fic? Who's to say? Right now we just have arguably unreliable narrator Beej telling Hawk exactly as much as he wants him to know, no more and no less, but that'll have to change eventually.

There's also the "Hey so why isn't Trapper reaching out to Hawk" business going on in the background of the Some Things Are Evergreen verse, buuuuut that's for me to know and for the readers to find out EVENTUALLY!!!

[cynicalmusings]

HI R!! for the ask game: 49, 50, 79!!

(link to the ask game is here)

49. What fic of yours would you say is the best introduction to you as a writer?

ooh, that’s a good question. i glanced through my masterlist, and the best introductory piece would probably be ‘one summer’s day’. i can’t say i expected this to be what i land on, but it’s not too long, establishes my love for aus (and cyno), and reflects my general writing style pretty well.

…

50. How would you describe your writing style?

continuing on from the last question, honestly, it varies a lot depending on what i’m writing. for example, i said ‘one summer’s day’ is probably one of the most accurate representations of my ‘average’ style, but the dark fairytale au has very detailed, flowery narration, while my pride & prejudice au sticks closely to austen’s own style, whereas other fics such as ‘that one time debussy got you a date’ have a much more sarcastic, self-aware narrative voice, and so on. more generally, though, i’d say it’s quite descriptive with a sprinkling of sarcastic humour/ irony here and there.

…

79. Do you have any writing advice you want to share?

with regards to writing on tumblr, i’d say first and foremost write what you’re personally interested in before thinking about what will get you notes, because chances are you’ll be more motivated and enjoy the process of writing something which interests you more. in general, reading a variety of books helps, as well as practicing areas you’re not so strong in, e.g. if you struggle with descriptions, try a descriptive writing exercise. if you struggle with using too many adverbs, try writing a short sample without them, etc.

take my advice with a pinch of salt, though, because i’m not a professional writer.

[yourheartonfire]

"I'm going to have to kill the Hero Agency," Superhero said casually, running their fingers gently through Villain's hair. It was a tremendously soothing sensation in the cool dark of their little overwater bungalow. Which is why it took a few seconds for the words to sink in. 

Then Villain sat up sharply. "But - The - But you are the Agency! In the public eye, at least."

"Mm hm." The Superhero crossed their hands behind their head, frowned up at the palm frond ceiling. "That should make this a relatively simple process." 

The Villain stared at them, then grabbed one of the resort robes tossed across the foot of the bed. This was definitely a clothes-on conversation.

They were already at enough of a disadvantage - truth be told, they weren't even sure exactly what country Superhero had whisked them off to for this impromptu getaway. Visas, plane tickets, and passports weren't really a thing when your lover could bop halfway around the globe and back before bedtime to pick up the toothbrush you left on the sink.

"Okay," said the Villain, tying off the silky belt. "So. What?"  

"Some of the younger heroes have approached me." The Superhero's voice was mild but in the dim gleam of moonlight off sea water, their eyes glimmered a faint red. "They're being pressured into overwork, into... situations they didn't sign on for. I've intervened in a few cases, but those are only the symptoms. The problem is the Agency culture itself. It's... calcified." 

"I could've told you that," the Villain muttered.

"Oh, you did, sweetheart." The Superhero was thoughtful enough to move at human speed, use human strength as they reached and pulled the Villain back against their side, warm in the breezy night air.  "You're a symptom too. Sixty years ago, your delightfully chaotic approach to authority and mechanical engineering would have been welcomed on our side of the street, no question." Their eyes drifted off to the middle space. Their voice seemed to deepen, to echo. "Being a hero used to be about standing up for the little guy, about fearlessly doing the right thing. Not slavish submission to the whims of bureaucrats - !"

"Monologuing," the Villain snapped.

Superhero huffed, but good-naturedly. "Sorry, dear," they said in their normal voice.

The Villain gave them a squeeze and the Superhero shifted so it was their head pillowed on the Villain's chest, as if it were the Villain giving them comfort and shelter in this moment. The Villain wrapped their arms tight around hard muscle and flawless skin and squeezed. It was really something, snuggling with a living weapon who could single-handedly destroy a small country if they had a bad Tuesday.

"So, what's the plan?" the Villain asked. "Explosions, chemical attacks...?"

"I sent a memo," the Superhero said.

"Ah," said the Villain. "Psychological warfare."

"Quite." The Superhero sighed. "An all-agency memo, about my annual two week vacation and the importance of rest and self-care."

"Two weeks...?" The Villain tried to sit up. "Um. I thought this was more a long weekend thing. I need to be back by Tuesday-"

"From here the confrontations over the Agency's priorities will get increasingly direct, increasingly public," the Superhero went on. "Until around this time next year I will publicly resign from the Agency and announce the creation of my own non-governmental organization for the mentoring and self-monitoring of the powered community. I expect to take at least eighty percent of the Agency heroes in the first week." They craned their neck to look up adoringly. "And you, of course."

"Wait, what?" The Villain tried again to sit up. The Superhero didn't budge, as solid and unyielding as a marble statue draped over them.

"This will be a different kind of organization, with a broader mandate," they said dreamily. "And there's no more powerful message we can send than you standing publically by my side."

"Hey!" the Villain yelled, trying to squirm free in earnest now. "I'm not switching sides!"

"You will when I bribe you with everything you ever desired and unleash you on the rich and powerful," the Superhero said with maddening certainty. "Face it, you're really more of an anti-hero anyway. Will you want your lab in an underwater volcano or in space?"

The Villain jabbed a finger in their lover's face. "Don't lie and say you're doing this for me!"

Superhero grabbed their hand. The Villain couldn't help but flinch. But all they did was pull it gently to their lips, kiss their scarred knuckles tenderly.

"I warned you when we started this, sweetheart, that you were no match for me," the Superhero hummed, glowing faintly in the moonlight. "I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this for me. I'm saving the world - again. And I'm stopping your plan to rob Destray Pharma when their security system goes down for repair on Wednesday. That is the level at which I am playing the game."

The Villain blinked. "What pharma - alarm - what?" The Superhero chuckled softly - that famous laugh that meant the day was saved, that evil was about to be vanquished - and kissed them again on the pulse point of their wrist. The Villain glared and tried, very hard, to slow their racing heartbeat. "Stop trying to seduce me. I am not giving in."

"Oh I hope not," the Superhero purred as they pushed the Villain down against the pillows, grinning widely. "Otherwise, these next two weeks would be so boring."

[celestemagnoliathewriter]

Hello hello!

I am wondering if I can trouble you for Director's Commentary on "Declaration" or another piece of your choice that features a lot of dialogue between two characters: I am working on that myself and it makes me curious about the process of other writers regarding that.

Ooh yes, director's commentary coming right up! Declaration was written for that writing comp. I remember having zero inspiration that week. However, I do write a lot of dialogue and that's usually my starting point when I have writer's block.

IDK how to do a director's commentary but I will try with some highlights. See the colors as highlights and my commentary afterwards.

“Tonks.”

“Go away,” she snapped, wiping tears away from her face with her hands. “I get it; you don’t want to be with me. You didn’t need to come out here to tell me again.”

Remus blinked at her rapidly, startled. “I never said I didn’t want to be with you.”

“You didn’t have to. If you had wanted me,” Tonks bit her lip, tearing her eyes away from him, “we could’ve made it work. You didn’t even give us a chance.”

“I was afraid.”

“ Was?” Tonks turned her head back to face him. Remus had his hands in his pockets, looking downcast.

“I still am,” he mumbled, though he moved closer to meet her along the lakeshore.

“So nothing’s changed, has it?”

Remus stood above her, frowning. “You’re bleeding.”

*Commentary one*

Blue - I have a love/hate relationship with the word "said." I like adverbs too much. A happy medium between not saying "said" over and over is to use an action verb like this. However, doing this repeatedly might take away from the conversation. If it's heavy on dialogue, I use action verbs like this sparingly.

Green - To break up a conversation and not make it back and forth, I add in a lot of actions that show (rather than tell) how they feel. I had Remus blinking rapidly - he does this in the last chapter he's alive in DH, when Fleur asks how Teddy is doing. It's part of his character to blink rapidly when startled.

Purple - I often use italics when emphasizing something. I don't love using all caps, so if I want to emphasize speech (and not make it OoTP Harry angry, lol) then I use italics.

Red - splitting up dialogue like this is a great way to simulate a pause in a real conversation. I can do it through ellipses or breaking up a sentence. It gives you the image that she is pausing here, which is exactly what I wanted.

Pink - sometimes, standalone lines like this are beautiful because they get right to the point. "I was afraid." That's the entire life story of Remus. It's punctuated by space around it - you can't miss it.

Orange - dialogue is an amazing way to characterize. These two words tell you a lot about Remus - he's uncomfortable with the conversation so he deflects.

Snippet 2:

When he’d finished tying the sleeve, he sat back and asked, “How have you been?”

“You don’t give a damn how I’ve been, Lupin,” Tonks said coldly. The scent of the lake water filled her nostrils, the almost sulfuric, acrid smell intermingling with the freshness of the summer grass. 

“Yes, I do,” he croaked, his voice heavy with emotion. 

“You have a funny way of showing it.” Tonks’ hasty retort was crueler than she intended it. Remus’ face fell and he hung his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat as he turned his face away from her.

“I never said I didn’t love you, Tonks.”

*Commentary two*

Red - a great way to show relationship - names! This is told from Tonks's POV. In her head she's been using Remus, but when she addresses him here, she goes by his surname. The HP characters show their closeness to others by the use of their names. Having her say "Lupin" out loud is making a statement.

Orange - Here's my adverb. I use them too much.

Green - Even when you're doing dialogue, you can add lots of sensations to describe what's happening inside the character's head, again without spelling out every little emotion they have.

Blue - I love describing body language while doing dialogue. I'm really obsessed with what people's heads, hands, or other facial features are doing. Curled lips? Crinkled eyes? Furrowed brow? Open lips? Scrunched nose? I'm all over that.

Pink - another point for characterization! Remus is telling her he loves her, but in his ass-backwards way. (On a semi related note this is why I love Jane Austen. Her dialogue/characterization and dialogue/plot is perfection.)

Snippet #3

“That’s not it at all. I want to be with you. I’ve never wanted anything -  or anyone -  so much in my life. But you know I’d only ruin you,” Remus said, rambling on, “I can hardly support myself. I’ll be nothing but a drain on you and your finances. I’m 13 years your senior. You will outlive me. I’ll always be a burden, needing care, and you’ll resent me for it. I’m dangerous to myself and to you. I’ll ruin you, your career, and I’ll constantly be a hazard to your health and safety. I’m a monster! Being with you would mean I finally live up to werewolves’ bestial reputation. I can do nothing for you but place you in harm’s way. I will destroy you.”

His chest heaved with uneven breaths. Tonks gaped at him, speechless.

“I love you too much to do this to you. I can’t -  not in good conscience.” Remus put his hands up to his face, covering it.

Tonks felt a flicker of hope in her chest. “But you do love me?”

Remus wiped something away from his eyes and croaked, “If I loved you any less–”

“Be with me, Remus,” Tonks blurted out. “It doesn’t have to be so hard.”

Remus shook his head slowly. “You’d live a life of fear.”

“I’ve been afraid of losing you for a year,” Tonks pleaded, putting her hand on his knee. “I’m more afraid of losing you than I am of losing my job, my money, and my reputation combined.”

“Am I worth losing your life over?” Remus said quietly.

“ We are worth losing our lives over.” Tonks gesticulated wildly between herself and Remus. “I want to live in a world where you and I can be together…where I can love a werewolf without being judged and where a werewolf can love me without fearing for us both. That’s what I’m fighting for and if I lose my life because I tried to make our world a better place, then so be it.”

*Commentary three*

Red - okay, this is a LONG piece of dialogue. It's broken up very briefly with "rambled on." I don't like to have huge speeches in my writing because I don't like writing huge paragraphs. As a reader, it's overwhelming to see a wall of text on my iPhone, which is how I usually read fics. I end his speech with an observation about his chest heaving - this helps break up everything he's saying, too.

Orange - I didn't use a said here, because he's still the same speaker. Sometimes I use said too much.

Green - Tonks has transitioned back to calling him Remus - there's been a shift in her mind and heart, and she's showing it through her speech.

Blue - I need to control my love of adverbs.

Pink - this is interesting because I could've said "asked." It's obvious he "asked" because there's a question mark. But I noticed in JKR's writing that she uses "said" when there are questions, so I followed the same style.

Purple - and here's another long piece of dialogue, split apart by a phrase.

*Snippet #4*

“Tell me I’m not being selfish.” His voice was thick with emotion and his eyes downcast as he held her hand more tightly. “I don’t want to let you go.”

“Then don’t,” Tonks urged. “You can be with me now. It’s not selfish to want love and it’s not selfish to take it from someone who feels the same. We love each other, Remus, don’t you see? This can be simple.”

“Simple,” Remus repeated faintly, his premature lines no longer rippling his face into fear and worry.

“We’ll start like this.” Tonks lifted their joined hands in the air triumphantly. “You and I. Us. ”

Remus nodded and repeated, “Us. Together.”

*Commentary four*

Red - just like I don't always use said, I try to keep dialogue from the same character in the same paragraph. It's funny - when I read books now it's not just for pleasure. I take a look at how other writers write and this is how dialogue is written in a lot of books. I liked it so I kept it.

Orange - look! an action verb AND an adverb! what am I even doing with my life.

Green - This is good - ok, so I've got Tonks making. an. emphasis. I could've done an ellipsis. You and I...us. But that's a pause. You and I. Us. That's very declarative. She's saying what she wants (a reflection of her brash personality)

Blue - and Remus REPEATS what Tonks says, not only in words but in the way he speaks. They are getting on the same page - literally - and he is mirroring her words and sentiment. He too is saying what he wants, even if it took a bunch of rambling to get there.

Hopefully you enjoyed this ridiculously long director's commentary! Good luck with your dialogue, @turanga4!!

[tamacatleen]

Another post for Miraculous fandom’s fanfic writers etc and anyone who is interested

Slang, pop culture and memes

oooh haha, this one is going to be fun

Here, I’ll be referring to gen z people mostly, even though some things can be accurate for many other age groups

Slang

(mostly used in the suburbs) We tend to say “wesh” a lot, some say it as a joke, some say it as if it was a form of punctuation lol, it comes from an Arabic word, I’m not sure what it means because I think it depends on the context, I read somewhere that it’s an interrogative adverb in Algerian Arabic. Most of the time, people say it as a way to show surprise or to greet someone, but I know that it also is used for... anything else honestly 

(mostly used in the suburbs) okay, there are a lot of Arabic words that became phrases, for example one might say “cheh” to their friend who lost a game against them, it means “serves them right”, “seum”, also Arabic, comes from the word that means “venom”, means that the person you’re talking about is frustrated/angry, “il/elle a le seum” = (literally) “they have the seum”, “kiffer” = to like (Arabic too)

texting : teens and even older people would text “mdr” (”mort de rire”, it’s like lmao/lol), “ptdr” (”pété/pétée de rire”, means the same) or “jpp” (”j’en peux plus”, means the same) (for those 3 the more you add r’s or p’s the more you think it’s funny), “ça me tue” /”j’suis mort/morte” means you find it funny too, omg, lmao, lol are commonly used too...ah! “bg” means “beau gosse”, means he’s handsome or that he did something cool, used for girls too “belle gosse”, stylé means it’s cool, “de ouf/de fou” (ouf is verlan for fou (crazy), verlan is back slang, not really like Pig Latin, which I just learned about, verlan consists of reversing the syllables of the word)/“grave” mean that you fully agree with what has been said/you find it accurate, t’inquiète (pas) (some write “tqt/tkt”) means don’t worry, à tout’ means see you later/soon, jsp means “je sais pas” = idk/I don’t know, stp/svp = “s’il te plait/s’il vous plait” = please

common abbreviations : cc = coucou which means hi/hello, slt =  salut, same, not an abbreviation : ça va ? = how are you ? some people write cv? but I don’t think it’s that much used.. t’es où? means where are you?

do I add swear words? I’m pretty sure most people already know a lot of them lmao  ooh noo some of them would be too hard ...but classic ones are merde (shit) and putain (I don’t even know how to translate that accurately lol)

I’ll do another one for pop culture and memes because 1.it would be too long 2.I want to add links and it’ll make it harder to reach a lot of people apparently

[chronicallyblogged]

I'm finally doing an assignment that's late. It's late bc I dont really get how to do it. I'm supposed to bold nouns, italicize adverbs and adjectives, and underline similes and metaphors.

So like Im considered and score above average for English. Ive done it as a job in a couple of different environments. But I dont actually know the basics. I dont remember most of elementary school and didn't really get a consistent education bc I moved so much. Plus my schools had super low ratings. Then I missed a lot of middle school and I dropped out of highschool.

My reading and writing skills mainly came from reading stuff. You don't learn how to break down a sentence and identify what shit is when you just read stuff. Ya just go ooh sentence I'm gonna borrow that style. So im basically guessing and probably looking like an idiot. I'm hoping if I look to bad the teacher will understand bc she seems nice and I've done well on the rest of it.

[ashen-crest]

Black and yellow for the get to know the writer asks!

Black: Would you want to live in one of the fictional worlds you’ve created?

Ooh- honestly, I wouldn’t mind living in Tazlo. Except for the winters, though. Steep hills + ice? No thanks.

Yellow: What’s a common writing tip that you mostly ignore?

Oh lord, uh... I start sentences with “but” a lot, and I probably use adverbs more than I should- but listen, “whispered” and “said quietly” have different intonations in my head, and I will NOT stop using both as needed.

[sothischickshe]

Colloquialism and flashback please!! ❤️❤️❤️

<3

Colloquialism: How do you approach writing character voice? Do you have any hints or tips for making a character’s voice unique? 

Oh, well I think with fanfiction this is a lot easier bc the characters already have voices that you don’t have to invent, ha!

For me, writing Americans at all is a challenge (bc I’m not one), so I suppose I guess I start(ed) with...trying to write/edit my voice out...? Which obviously is impossible to entirely do, but I do think a fair bit about whether language choices or phrasing feel like something the character would say.

For example, I’m very fucking sweary and I use a lottttt of adverbs, and both of those are things I pare out. and generally i think voice is something i try to pay attention to in the edit? like: is there a shorter way to convey this, or a tauter way, or a stupider way, or an old man-ier way etc

And not to go FULL i listened to one frank langella interview and now think I know everything about acting but uh... I feel like writing tight single POV is quite a good way to practise voice, and in a way it probably is quite similar to how a lot of actors work? Like...you’re trying to get into the headspace, and doing that kinda helps in terms of knowing what words they’d use or how they’d gesture/express things etc. (likewise, i’d think writing a lot of dialogue scenes is good for this?)

But I actually think the idea that every character’s voice should be unique is a bit of a misnomer. People who speak to each other, speak like each other...and the more they speak to each other, the more they speak like each other!!!?! Like, in terms of vocab, yea, but also speech patterns etc.

And that’s something that’s fun to play with! e.g., I’ll write Beth closer to how I write Rio when she’s actively trying to mimic his behaviour (like, not necessarily in terms of speech patterns but I’ll go more stylised with more dramatic language). Or I’m sure you could do something funny with Beth, Annie, Ruby etc all referring to something by one term vs Dean using a different word etc.

In terms of tips... I guess as with everything, the only way you figure out how you do it is by trying it? And I think if you’re really trying to capture someone’s voice, often less is more. And, for me: just going fuck it, I buy that these characters are annoying enough to be obnoxious anglophiles, who for no particular reason speak some amount of french ha

Flashback: Post a short excerpt from an old piece. How much has your writing changed since then?

Ooh! ok, here’s a lil bit from The Good Kind:

As she answers the call she starts walking quickly again, not quite at her breakneck speed of a moment ago (figures she’ll need her breath as well as her wits for this conversation) but her heels are clicking pointedly against the sidewalk, other pedestrians seem to be flowing around her rather than her ever needing to get out of their way. It makes her feel purposeful, maybe a little powerful even.

“So what’s the good kind?” he asks, and it is him, of course it’s him. She thinks his tone still sounds pleasant but that maybe there’s an edge there too, underneath. But she’d already started embracing the fact that maybe she can’t read him as well as she thought, that maybe she can’t read him at all.

“What?” she says bluntly. It’s not rude exactly, the way she says it, but it’s not exactly polite either.

I guess, overall, the answer is it hasn’t changed thaaaaaaaaaaaaat much, ha

but immediately I can see things I’d edit differently now:

I like the bracketed bit, but I think it’s missing a pronoun? without a starting ‘she’, it almost reads like first person POV to me? (not sure if I thought there were way too many ‘she’s there, which leads neatly to:)

THE CHARACTERS’ NAMES WOULD BE USED....LIKE EVER AT ALL 

there’s quite a lot of condensed repetition which I’m not sure is entirely purposeful (maybe maybe maybe; but but but; maybe she can’t maybe she can’t; not...exactly not exactly). given the purposeful/powerful is definitely intentionally repeated later, I think I’d probably try to vary up some of the sentence structures so that the intentional repetition would hopefully be more striking

I’d probably reconsider the adverb use? it’s not wildly excessive but it sounds kinda Bringlish-y to me now (americans use adjectives in the place of adverbs a lotttttttttttttttttttttttt)

that first sentence is approx. 100 miles long and somehow doesn’t seem to have quite enough punctuation despite having an awful lot of it; i’d maybe break it up a bit more

I’d put a paragraph break between that first line of dialogue and that ‘She’

just generally I think I’d vary up the punctuation a bit more

I’d maybe try to mix up the negatives (it’s not quite x, it’s not exactly y etc) and explain things in terms of what they ARE as well. again, i think this is something that can be effective, but overuse dampens it

broad broad stroke but... i’d be a lil more show rather than tell (especially in terms of what someone’s feeling)

don’t sweat the technique

[amillionmillionvoices]

3, 5 and 7

3. What POV do you prefer and why?

Honestly it really depends on the fic. It’s always 3rd person, for sure, but I generally tend to stick to one character’s perspective (or go back and forth in chunks/chapters) because I don’t like writing in multiple people’s heads at the same time. It confuses me lol. As for which character, it really just depends on what the story needs and how I want to tell it. So like, the 13/River fic I wrote where River comes back from the Library couldn’t have been from her POV, but because it would have ruined the twists at the end/there would have been no suspense. 

(RL fiction is a bit different, because I will write in 1st person. It’s very new to me, though, so I’m still getting used to it and struggle with it a lot.) 

5. Adverbs: for against?

LOVE ME SOME ADVERBS. Like, with everything, use in moderation, but I don’t think people should be afraid of them. I mean, yes, sometimes the verb itself is suitable enough— “He yells” doesn’t need to be “he yells loudly” because “yell” implies volume. But something like “She sings” might need a descriptive—beautifully? horribly? quietly? operatically?  There’s an argument to be made that you should work around the adverb, but... I like them? They’re quick and to the point, and instead of trying to write yourself in circles trying to avoid saying “she sings beautifully’ you can just... say that? And then move on? Not everything has to be a mega long or metaphorical description of her “soaring voice” or whatever. 

7. Do you prefer writing dialogue or narration?

Ooh I think I prefer both equally? But I more often than not write my dialogue first. So I’ll just have pages and pages of script that I then go back into and add all the narration. It gives me a skeleton to work with, and I like having that structure, especially when 9 times out of 10, i’m writing the story in the wrong order lol. 

[ writing asks ] 

[aelia-likes-monsters]

13 and 14 for the fic writer asks!

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Ooh that’s tricky. There’s a few bits and pieces I use a lot. One of them is that when you find yourself stuck on a story/piece you’ve previously been writing without issues, take the last section you wrote, back to where you last were writing without effort and cut it. (Don’t delete your words, just cut them and paste them into a new document.) Try re-writing from there, without feeling like you need to get back to where you were. The issue is probably where you’ve forced yourself to go, and it can be freeing to have a re-do. 

(I have a few other people who have asked for “best” advice in my inbox so I’ll save the other tips for them. ;) )

What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Any of it coming from someone who acts like their advice is the be-all end-all. 

I have a lot of hobbies, and I have found that literally nothing is one-size-fits-all. Try everything people suggest for your hobbies/arts/crafts at least once. If it doesn’t spark joy and work for you, throw it the fuck out. You’ll find what works for you and what doesn’t with time. 

For example: Stephen King says adverbs are for chumps. I say Stephen King is a hack and he can slowly pry my adverbs from my cold, dead hands.

[agrinsosardonic]

red, black, yellow, grey, pink, purple, clear <3

Thanks ANON! Now that I am half away <3

Red: I feel like I get the worst kind of writers block which is the complete lost of all inspiration. I’ve been good with CSB, but my other fics have been sitting in the desert without water for months. This same kind of writer’s block also had me for about 6 years where I wrote NOTHING. Not even a short story. It’s a complete blockade. I’m worried with work/school starting again this might happen. Fingers crossed though!

Black: Well considering CSB is based off real Staten Island, been there done that literally haha. But I would like to live in the world of Grimoire which is based on YYH with my own kind of AU twist to it. Hopefully I can continue to expand on that world. 

Yellow: Common writing tip I ignore? OOh. I write in fractions A LOT because I think it sounds more poetic? Like I’m trying to create music when I write narrative. Also, I guess I use adverbs way more than I like to, but sometimes they are unavoidable. 

Grey: Common tip I follow? Honestly, no idea. haha. I just kind of write. I do follow so many writing blogs but like completely ignore them haha. I have them in the back of my mind though incase I do need help. 

Pink: which character would become my best friend! CSB!Aerith is my new ride or die chick. I’m most proud of how I developed her alone the story; and perhaps CSB!Vinny since he is actually based off my real life best friend.  And James, my OC from Grimoire, who is a literally puppy dog. 

Purple: My SWORN ENEMY. I joked with @whatwouldvalerydo once that my OC Ophelia and I would butt heads because she’s too much of a bitch haha. For Cherry Soda Boy because I am so petty, I would probably not like CSB!Jesse or CSB!Elena. And Sephiroth, obviously, but he’s everyone’s enemy. 

Clear: So yeah, lately, it’s been feeling like the characters are controlling where the story is taking me. A few major block points have been altered because SOMEONE (Cloud) wants to do his own thing. Reno to. I had a scene in the most recent update where Reno was really supposed to break down and reveal some dark secrets but he was like. “Uh, yeah, I don’t break down bitch, I break jaws.” And I was like, aight fuck, do what you want then. So the scene made him come off a little more toxic than I wanted, but hey that’s on HIM. 

THANK YOU FOR THE COLORS! They reminded me of a sunset lmao. <3 <3